The Magicians - Battle The Beast Contest

The More You Know

A butterfly fluttered its wings against the whimsical breeze of the early morning, such a beautiful warning sign. Fragile and delicate, quite like what its master once was. A foreboding shadow lurking down the halls of the library was now what characterized the once adventurous and young boy. He was now aged and slightly wrinkled; his soul was black like charcoal but who could blame him after the students placed the pieces of the puzzle together. This time, the beast caught up with them while they scoured for information frantically in the library.

The only obvious difference in this repeating timeline was an eager-to-learn, dedicated Julia shuffling through books, Jane's book to be exact. She sat there for a few moments in the corner of the library flipping through pages of her past. Her brows furrowed in slight grief for the woman she had known but never truly knew the extent of how powerful she truly was. It was silent, far too silent, but she had come across a few pages that struck out to her. The infamous, villainous figure took form in her life book as well, but there was something different about her. She wasn't evil at all and after a few lines in the pages, Julia took notice that the villain wasn't speaking with Jane, but it must have been Jane herself. She shook her head lightly with her brows still furrowed in confusion. "That can't be." She muttered to herself softly. She slammed the book shut quite determinedly placing it back when another fell. "Woah.." The only word that escaped her lips in that moment.

Penny, on the other side of the library, was far too enamored with the books on traveling. He thought perhaps that if he could teach himself just a piece of information on the matter that it could help them defeat the beast. Little did he know, the man in black had already made his arrival. The enchanting insect cascaded around Penny's head fluttering down until it landed on the words of a traveling spell. One that could take him in short distances. That was all he needed in order to avoid the moth man that approached shortly behind. Penny's eyes widened, haunted by the blue butterfly until his brows furrowed in response to the spell the bug had landed upon. "No way..." A half-grin almost formed across his cheeks but the celebration of a spell needed would have to wait. He muttered a few Greek words to himself and he disappeared just as Martin reached the edge of the bookcase. "He travels." The man muttered to himself softly in realization of the power they wielded.

Julia's heart raced at the information she took in, the magic that wasn't known to her, what was inside of her this entire time. "Knowledge Replication," she spoke louder than intended. Quentin stood on the other side of the bookshelf thumbing through books when he heard Julia mutter to herself audibly enough for him to question. "You find something?" He knelt down to her level, who was settled down on her knees, her face deep within a book. He pushed the books aside to reveal his face to her, his brows furrowed. The sight of him almost causes her to chuckle lightly. "I think I know how to take out the beast." Quentin's brows rose curiously, he wasn't quite sure what to say. Alice stood at the end of his bookcase, glancing around the corner with books tucked tightly to her chest. Her lips were pursed but jealousy still seeped from them.

Penny's form stood before Margo and Eliot clasping his hands around the book that Eliot held over the trash bin. "Don't even think about it. We have to find the others. He's here." His voice felt rushed with urgency as he snatched the book from Eliot and placed it on the nearest shelf. A look of relief formed across Margo's face only to be replaced with a look of frustration at this beast's timing, "Of course he is. How the hell are we supposed to stop him?" Penny shook his head quickly, pursing his lips slightly, "Not sure.. But, we'll find a way... just after we find the rest of the group." Just as Penny and Margo started in the direction of where they had last seen Quentin, Alice, and Julia, they turned back to find Eliot still back next to the trash bin, clutching the book labeled in golden letters, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", passion glittering in his eyes as he darts his tongue out, sliding it up the length of the book. "Oh, looks can be very deceiving." He slurred out with disappointment plastered across his face, the taste of dust coated his tongue. The librarian rushed to his side snatching the book from the intoxicated magician. "Misuse of the books aren't permitted!" She shrieked. Both Margo and Penny stood in astonishment at how truly wrecked their friend was. "Did he really just-?" Penny asked bewildered. Margo crossed her arms with a smirk forming on her lips, "Oh, this is too good." A chuckle of delight rolled off Margo's lips.

Julia was startled from her game plan as the rest of the group approached. "Where have you been?" Penny quickly interrupted Julia's question with more than just an answer. "He's here and he's coming. Tell me you have something that could stop him." Julia stood to her feet from the squat she had been rested in. "Well, I do have an advantage." Quentin, who was leaning against the bookshelf, filled in the gap with what they had learned in only a few minutes. "Julia discovered by reading her book that she has powers. Powers that she didn't know she had." Margo cocked her head to the side, "You've been in this university for, how long?" She asked with a puzzled look scrawled across her face. "That's besides the point, the point is, I can be strong enough to stop him if I muster enough magical knowledge- your magical knowledge. But, we have to work quickly."

Martin picked up his pace roaming the library, tauntingly calling out their names in a childish manner. "Oh, where are you, Quentin? Wherever could you be hiding?" His magic engulfed each shelf that he passed in flames. He met the end of this row of bookshelves when the librarian cut off his path to turn. "You're not Quentin." He muttered in a low growl to the older woman. "You've destroyed so many books!" She clarified in horror stumbling to her knees at the books that were now ashes. "This is not per-" He snapped her neck in one flick of his wrist continuing on his way to find the group of students that now frustrated his patience.

Julia reached the last member of the group, placing her fingers on Eliot's temple. "Now, you're going to have to be still for Mama, okay, hun?" Margo coaxing Eliot like a child into allowing Julia to gain his magical qualities. "Fine.." He whined out. One by one, the shelves were engulfed in flames by Martin's magic. "Oh, Quentin, there you are. I've looking everywhere for you." Julia slithered in between Margo and Eliot quickly, making her way around the shelf. She was going to catch the beast by surprise. Julia scrunched down near the end of the shelf, glancing around the corner of it seeing his form standing there. Margo and Eliot was sent flying through the air and knocked out in one sweep of the moth man's magic. Martin chuckled wildly to himself, "this is what you've brought me? Pathetic." Just as Penny traveled beside him, Martin clutched his throat with magic, choking him of all life. "Dear Alice.." He glanced over. Quentin mustered out a few, demanding words "Don't touch her!" Martin glanced over to him with a wicked grin, "I won't." A rabbit hole formed below her, swallowing her body whole. Quentin let out a whimper as he crashed to his feet.

Julia formed in front of the beast himself with a determined look scrawled on her face. Martin sent electricity through Quentin's body sending him into a fatal seizure. Tears formed in Julia's eyes as her magic clasped around the beast's neck with fury drawn in her eyes. Martin's own magic clasped around Julia's neck. The life draining from the both of them when the clocks turned back in a rapid succession and the ding of an elevator door could be heard in the distance. When Quentin's eyes opened again, he found himself hesitantly waltzing into an examination room of many students. "If you could all take your seats, the tests will begin in a few moments." An older man sat himself at a table with a stern look plastered on his face glancing at Quentin who just walked his way through the doors to a time loop that surely wouldn't be their last and it definitely wasn't their first.