I visited them whenever I could after I finished work and practised magic. It was a delightful change to my typical days as it wasn't anymore gloomy. Even a few people commented that I was glowing. I found it hard to maintain a balance between them both. Kaspar revealed some secrets to me. I learned that Skylar used to be a representative of this coven. However, he started dabbling in dark magic and was driven to resign. He had to leave behind all of his companions for an unknown reason other than his use of dark magic. A select few trusted Skylar, and for a good reason. Though, I did not have any reason not to trust him. And just as we were experiencing progress with a few setbacks, Akin was also doing the same. He continued to bother us with his purist beliefs and started gathering more followers. We were afraid this might lead to something more, like a cult, or even a war.
Estelle desired to rebuild her coven, but that was easier said than done. I offered my support, and hopefully, in time, we can do it. No longer shall we be separated because we need to unite as one.
With this new discussion, it brought back a memory of my mother. I wished things could go back to the way they once were when I was happier.
Long ago, as a child, before Hell and before the dark magic consumed me, I remember my mother watching over me as I tried desperately to revive my dead marigold. It had died on the windowsill in the kitchen, and I wanted to bring it back with my magic.
I turned to face my mother with tears in my eyes as I cried to her, "Mother, can you revive my marigold? My magic is no good. I've tried saying the words with the hand movement, but I cannot do it."
My mother, then at the time a newly accepted witch of a coven, replied with a smile on her face, "Esa, you're doing fine. You must fail before you succeed. Learning magic is no easy feat, but I assure you, my son, it gets better as you practice."
Tried as I could, I simply could not master the spell to bring my flower back to life. After multiple tries and failures, with several tears and pleas from me, my mother cast a spell and raised the flower back to living form, a soft white glow around it.
I looked back to my mother as she said, "Esa, I know you may not believe me now, but you have great power within you. Even if you're young now, you'll grow to be a powerful witch. I believe in you."
"Mother, it's too hard. All these spells, all these things to remember, how am I supposed to get better at it if I can't even do such a simple spell?"
Little did I know then that the spell was more difficult than I believed it to be, and that my mother was teaching me to overcome difficulty. After all, she was born to an elder witch, how could she not have such great capabilities?
Looking back on it, it was such a wonderful memory. I was such a brat with my mother secretly doing magic alongside me to help encourage me. Here I was now, a confused being at a crossroads in my life, just trying to find my way in the world. Gone were those days when I looked up to her for guidance or help. Now, I was all alone by myself, facing whatever trials and tribulations that came my way.
These new memories filled me with uncertainty that things may not go back to the way they once were.
Is it too late? I need a distraction from this. There is bound to be something to take all this away from my mind, and I knew what to do.
I decided that I needed to look for Skylar, but I have no idea of his whereabouts. I toyed with the idea of divining his whereabouts, but if I could not master a simple spell, there was no way I would be able to locate him easily, if at all. Divination required an object, something that had touched the individual on the last day. The longer the object was touching the person, and the frequency, the stronger the magic was. I walked through the steps I had previously taken, looking around the area for any semblance of an object that could lead me to him. Even with the winds whistling through the grasses, the hallowed halls dripping with the memories of possible choices. Nothing seemed to fit the sense of urgency. I gave in. I was defeated, so I searched out Estelle. She sat comfortably over a desk, pouring through manuscripts before her. My presence was known by the creaking of the library doors opening.
Estelle lifted her head. "Esa? What are you doing in here?" she asked, but her attention flipped another page away. Underneath the table, her leg bounced up and down repeatedly; she was anxious.
"I'm going to try to find Skylar, but I don't know where to begin. He left in such a rush that there's nothing here that could divine his location," I said.
She raised her eyebrow at me. "He doesn't want to be found. I tried," she said. Her feet scraped the chair back, and she stood tall. She approached me from behind the table, and before she passed me, she paused. Her fingers slid across the fabric of my shirt. "Take it off," she demanded. I stood still, hesitating, but I knew her intention. I slid the shirt over my head and handed it to her. She hummed a quiet chant. Her eyes opened wider. Suddenly it was like we were under siege. Her arm swept across the desk and launched books to the floor. The loud clattering from the impact echoed, but I did not notice. She began surrounding herself with several forms of magic—all of it cascading into the palm of her hand. Circles of swarming energy wrung through one another and down onto the shirt laid out. Her body grew heavy, the amount of magic power she was exerting had to be extremely draining on her body. She slumped over the desk after a minute. She was letting out long drawn out gasps of air.
"I could not pinpoint his exact location, something is blocking me, but I extracted enough for you to start. It is not much, and it is fading fast." She handed me back the shirt. I looked down at it, wondering when it had picked up traces of his magic, but there was no time. I folded the shirt over my head and slid it on again. "He's somewhere to the east, surrounded by earthly magic, so his location is somewhere in the large forest to the east I think, maybe further in by the mountains. I could not tell, but you should hurry there before it fades," she said, ushering me off urgently.
I stopped myself at the door, the crunch of my fingers against the door frame stung my hand. "Can't you come with me?" I asked Estelle.
She was far more capable than I at divining and analysing traces of residual magic. Estelle sighed. She looked around at the occupants of the library. Her hands went to her hips.
"Well, I can't go into the forest, but I can come to at least the boundary line."
She surrendered and came alongside me.
We received a few glances when we came to the edges of the building, but Estelle shrugged them off, so I did not give them a second thought. The wet blades of grass brushed against my shoes with each step towards the forest that I took. Estelle, on the other hand, did not touch the grass at all. Her feet appeared to hover above the blades of grass, only the very bottom of her clothes skimmed across the dew infested grass. A towering forest of redwood size trees ran down the hillside for miles. The bark twisted into shapes I had never seen before and was dyed a sickly red.
Estelle whisked her hand over the grass below, a white blanket of dense magic ran across the ground. It rustled through the field until a collection bunched together around a withering flower. The magic flashed a bright purple before dispersing into the air around it. Estelle brought her hands together, crushing the residual magic into a tiny oval pearl. It floated over to me, and with my hands extended, the pearl dropped into the centre of them. The stone had an eerie purple glow to it. I recognised the magic.
"I condensed every trace of Skylar's residual magic in this area into that pearl," she said, her hands were shaking. From her divination and now this bombardment of magic she must be drained. Her face looked pale, and the dark circles under her eyes had grown larger than before. "It will call out to any residual magic within 100 metres. You will feel a pull in the direction, but it's not exactly accurate. This is the best I can do. I cannot go any further, I must attend to some things," she said; her voice carried across the field. "Whatever you do Esa, be careful. There is something dark going on here." In a moment, her body floated back towards the safety of her coven walls. I knew exactly what she meant, and my face twisted at the unpleasant memories I had of dark magic.
My eyes turned to the forest before me. Just like Estelle said, the pearl sent out strings of magic. I reached out to the first tree and stepped into the dense treeline ahead of me. Light bushes scraped across my clothes with each step. It was apparent nothing lived here, there were no sounds of wildlife. No chirping birds. No small animals were scurrying across the forest floor. It felt like something had come and snatched the living soul of the forest. A hundred yards into my search, the pearl pulsed once again, yanking my hand to the right and into a tree. I winced at the impact but recovered quickly. The back of my hand was stained with the contents of the wet bark. I wiped it off onto my pants. I wandered for hours.
***
I sensed massive dark energy signals coming from a forest close by. It was if the dark magic was calling me like it once did. It was like a lover calling out to her loved one who was far out of reach from her—enticing, drawing and somewhat affectionate in its call.
Enormous moss-smothered trees grew towards the sky. The branches shed verdant leaves that tumbled down. Light glimmered through the cracks in the trees, reflecting off the rippling water. The firm ground was covered in short, green grass. Large boulders were dispersed throughout the dense forest and outlined a path. Soft bursts of wind made the leaves flutter as wildlife hummed. A cold fog floated down, adding to the entire scenery. Shivers tingled through my body and travelled down my spine. Not out of fear, exactly; I couldn't place my finger directly on what it was.
Energy was growing in my stomach. I walked forward, and sometime later, the forest thinned. The firm ground gave way to a marsh full of tall reeds, the soil submerged in water. Bright sunlight was falling onto a fallen tree trunk. It was ripped open and colourful flowers bloomed from its green moss. Stopping would have been the logical thing to do, but I knew that I had to see this through. Whatever it was that lied on the edge of my senses, I had to figure it out.
The frosty water was getting deeper, and it was now up to my ankles. The chill was as if death itself was lurking in the unknown, but I struggled onward despite my deep breathing and tightening chest. I continued with the only sounds of a crashing waterfall in the distance. I saw large wilting trees that limped from the mountainside which shadowed the remaining light.
This energy is dark, cold and full of anger. I'm getting close, though there's no sign of any demon, nor Skylar. This feels just like Hell magic.
I reached the end of the marsh, and the ground was becoming more stable. A grand waterfall streamed down the cliffside and poured into the open lake, causing thundering crashes. Lanky trees hung over the edge and swayed with the gentle breeze.
An eerie screech ricocheted in the space, piercing into my ears. I covered them with my hands, and it muffled the sound. The local flora turned black and wilted into crumbling ash. The sky blackened and thunder roared as a single bolt of lightning crashed down in the distance. This wasn't a good sign, and anyone in their right mind would have turned away no doubt to get help or something, but I was familiar with this, and I would be able to handle myself.
I crept around the lake's edge and stepped behind the waterfall. I walked inside as light radiated in from outside but, as I walked deeper into the cave, it soon became gloomy. Darkness surrounded me. I conjured flames in my hands to illuminate the area.
A shaved out, hollow and spacious cavern laid itself out before me with each step into the unknown territory I took. In the background, the echoes of nightlife creatures echoed across the vast walls, drowning out the sound of my heartbeat. Vermillion coloured rocks protruded out all across the cavern, stone formations of absurd designs rose from the ground, and more formations lunged down from the ceiling above. My head moved to the side as a formation crashed into the floor below. The sheer immensity of its force shook the ground beneath my feet. I searched through the darkness to the best of my abilities. Whatever was responsible for this entire phenomenal encounter was hidden deep inside the depths of the cavern. Getting inside was the only way for me to understand what was truly going on.
Deeper into the cavern, a narrow, decayed temple emerged out from the darkness. A boggy, dense, and pungent smelling swamp water surrounded the fallen temple architecture. My vision focused through the visuals of a forgotten temple until I could see a small, shady room. Like lines coming off a cartoon character, this room was adorned with the stench of burnt, decaying flesh into the very core of the floor itself. In bundles across the floor were clusters of dead vermin, rat droppings, and various small bones.
To my left and right were rows of vertical engraved tombs, weathered and maimed by time itself. No one had set foot in here for years. Above me, there was a massive opening in the roof; it was a jagged circle. This allowed light and fresh air inside, though it wasn't helping the foul odour.
There were silver bowls of fire on top of small chunks of rock, which cast shadows on the walls. Further ahead, there were three paths right in front of me, which raise a question of which to take. Listening to my instincts, I took the middle one. Its twisted trail passed different rooms and countless passages, most of which are far too ominous for me to check out. I was here to find Skylar.
As I continued, into the unknown, a feeling of dread consumed me. It paralysed each of my nerves. The area was growing colder, and I could see my breath forming clouds on each exhale. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I shook my head and continued walking.
My journey came to a halt. There was a tall metal door blocking my path. There were messages in ancient languages scattered all over it, somehow untouched by time and the elements. I lifted my hand and rubbed the markings feeling the power that was used to inscribe them. It was old and unique, showing that whoever had used them was involved in spells of severe complexity. The script resembled Latin, but I could not understand it. Just then, I heard Skylar's voice come from the other side of the blockage.
Finally, there you are.
I cracked the door open and stepped inside. Massive iron cage-like structures hung from chains. They were filled with the remains of dead animals and bones. They swayed with the gentle breeze, knocking against the jagged stone walls. This room was smaller, darker, and there weren't many places to hide. The floor was cracked with stone slabs. I took a few steps and then shook beneath me, sending small shockwaves through my body. I had to watch my footing, and for a minute, I wondered if I had been confused or something.
"I'm not letting you flee this time, you monster," Skylar screamed.
His voice was extremely close, yet I could not see him. Suddenly, he was flung across the room and bounced off the floor. Skylar grunted as he returned to his feet and screwed up his nose. His clothes were ripped and covered in a foul black liquid. Speckles of liquid dotted his face and hands. He rubbed it, which only made it spread.
"Not you again," he said, directly indicating that he was not pleased to see me here. Skylar wiped several speckles of the disgusting liquid off of his face to the best of his ability. He only glanced at me every few seconds, clearly showing an obvious rage in the furrowing of his forehead.
"What's the problem here? It's our demon, right? I can give you a hand sending it back to Hell," I said to him. He looked directly at me, the look in his eyes was cruel.
"I don't need your help," Skylar said coldly. He leant himself up against the hard surface of the wall for leverage and tore off the patches of his clothing containing the pungent liquid.
"What's your problem, man? I'm just trying to help you out." Skylar whipped the scraps of his clothing into the darkness.
"I don't have a problem. I can handle this on my own," he said, and then pushed himself past my blustered attempt to get in his way.
The demons head twisted around and let out a horrifying shriek. The threatening sound tore up the walls and floors around the demon's body. The crush marks on its face from my magic showed me that it was the same. Small flares of that magic spouted from its wounds as it twisted around to face Skylar's incoming onslaught. The demon's left side drooped down towards the floor, forcing it to step forward in pain. Several layers of its skin were torn apart, the same black blood that covered Skylar's clothing oozed out all across the floor—showing that someone was doing a good job.
Well done, you have damaged the beast. I am impressed.
I dove behind a makeshift cover to shield myself from its lunging attack. "What do we do?" I shouted across the room to Skylar. My hands went above my head as the demon lashed out once again. Skylar looked over to me. Its attention was focused on me for the time being. Around his hand, a large swirling pool of magic wrapped itself around one of the pieces of rubble. He hurled it at the demon before its third strike, and it shrieked in pain.
"It's disorientated, charge at it on my count," he said, readying another strike behind him. The swirling pool of magics collided. "One," he began. His feet shuffled across the floor, and its attention followed his movements with point precision accuracy. "Two!" He shouted louder this time, attempting to bait it into attacking once again. He leapt from his cover and screamed, "Now!"
Its body began twisting into a grotesque ethereal being, and streams of magic power began changing our surroundings. The sounds of rushing water crashed into the area; stalagmites began slamming into the convulsing pool of water slowly rising at the base of our feet. I moved up to the highest point I could manage without being swept up into the torrential whirlpool. The demon let out a deafening roar and launched into the water. Its body writhed and crashed as it swam around. The pool slowed to an abnormal state as a slow-building, bright light pulsed. One. The smallest crevices of the caverns lit up from the blinding light. Skylar practically yanked my body away and covered up both of our eyes from the immensely powerful light.
From the depths below a fierce roar bellowed. The light began to dim, my eyes adjusted to the new scene as best as they could. I could feel Skylar scrambling to get his feet underneath him. I soon understood why. A giant snake-like creature lashed out from the very depths of the water, its jaws readied to devour us whole. The echoes of the light still coated the edges of the cavern and revealed the serpent's scales; they ranged from a light green towards its head and translated into a deep bluish-purple hue closer to its tail. My eyes widened at the emergent situation right before me. Its face drew uncomfortably close; it had spiralled point green spikes protruding from its face. The stench of its breath overwhelmed my senses, the back of its rows of sharp teeth were covered in a maroon liquid. I could safely say, given the menacing glare, it meant to feast on both of us.
I let out a nervous laugh. The situation began reverberating very reasonable fear throughout my body. "Whoa, it's getting stronger," I exclaimed. The weight of my wet pants sticking to my legs surprised me. Skylar had already adjusted to its new form and brushed off any concern for my safety.
"If you hadn't interrupted me, I would have sent this thing to Hell already," he said, he knelt and squeezed out the water from his pants. His clothes made a squishing sound as he stood up. He stretched out his arms, readying himself to attack the demon. "Next time you feel like doing this, make sure you take me for dinner and a movie first, yeah?" Skylar said.
I watched him let out a soft chuckle.
Going for dinner to fight a beast? What have these times become?
I grasped my necklace and channelled its energy. I looked down, and the floor was rupturing. There was too much weight, and we were about to plummet into the earth. We needed to act, or we risked death. Water continued to blast in, and it was rising until it got to my knees. Soon, my movement would become limited, and I would be at the mercy of the beast, and it clearly wasn't going to show Skylar or me any mercy.
"Tranqinius Padlior," Skylar chanted.
I know that is dark magic, but why use it on a demon? It does not make sense.
The serpent dropped to the floor with a loud crash; there was no doubt that the spell was working. The roars transformed from a dull rage to a deafening shriek and only grew louder. Even covering my ears could not drown out the sound of the demon's cries. Skylar lunged his arm forward, making a fist, and then pulled it back towards his body. The serpent twisted into an unsightly shape and flew towards him, its heavy weight shattered the floor below as Skylar raised his hand.
His body was shaking, and too much blood dribbled from his nose, dying his shirt below an unsightly deep crimson red. His veins pumped with an abnormal dark black magic and bulged out of his body. This sight was something I was more used to than I cared to admit, and it brought back some painful memories. I avoided staring at him for too long and watched the serpent writhing in pain. He continued his incantation, and it wasn't long before the formation of the serpent reverted to its initial shape. However, instead of turning back into a demon, it took the form of black goo.
I would not question that dark magic. He appeared to have control even if it was taking a toll on his body. He would know the risks since he's smart.
"Shall we get out of here?" I asked.
Skylar nodded his head though he was still clearly shaken. I thought of offering my hand but decided that it was best if I kept it to myself. He went ahead of me going outside the door, and I followed him closely behind.
Skylar reached his hand out to the wall and steadied himself. His body was still ragged from the beating it took previously. My mind flashed back to the scenes of him taking hits for him and me disdainfully relying on the dark magic's pull. I scowled, but he crumbled to the floor as I did. My emotions shifted immediately to worry. I rushed across to help him up, with my hand extended, but he swatted it away.
"I don't need your help," he said; his hand clawed at the wall, and after a few minutes of struggling, he lifted himself off the ground. I stood back, giving him space to go through with the macho façade he was putting on. His hand bloodied the wall. Each step he took, I noticed a visible wincing. We walked ten paces; I was close behind. Not only did I have to watch my actions, but his as well. The demon's magic had ravished the cavern before us.
Skylar stepped forward but his foot cracked under pressure and he toppled to the side. Before he could fall, I latched onto the back of his shirt and held him up long enough to wrap his arm around my shoulder. I lowered myself to his height so he would not have to struggle to walk. Skylar glanced over at me with a frown but did not move his arm.
"Thanks," he muttered. He pushed himself off the wall, and more of his weight leaned against me. I just nodded in response; he did not need words to understand the shape he was in. We crawled along the edge of the cavern wall until we came to one of the entrances—the ceiling above and crumbled in, blocking our exit. Several rocks had smashed into one another, making it impossible to budge.
"Shit," I cursed quietly. Skylar's shoulder crunched against the rock wall as I let go. I heaved my weight behind a rock to attempt to move it. My body crumbled under the sheer weight of it. Skylar chuckled at my feeble attempts. I turned around to face him.
"You got a better idea? That is the only exit, and it is blocked," I asked him, kicking away some of the rubble to the side.
'Yeah, but you're not going to like it," he said. I walked out of the way, gesturing him forward. His eyes twisted into a deep black, and I felt a surge of unpleasant energy. Skylar's hand sank into the ground underneath him. Suddenly, I heard rocks smashing violently against one another. He had opened a sinkhole underneath the blockage of the cavern. Little by little, he had dispersed the rocks into mouldable flooring. His hand dragged out slowly from the ground below, deep black magic stuck to his skin as if it were pulling him.
"That is enough, Skylar. Stop, the entrance is clear," I said urgently. I tried pulling him away from the grotesque magic. He laid out his legs and let the magic run through his body. His eyes rolled back; it was too overwhelming and began taking over. Beneath the surface, his body was healing, readying itself for possession. My mind raced. I didn't know what to do. I had never seen the darkness with this kind of hold on someone before. I twisted my hand into the dense magic searing through his body; it was so immense it poured out. The sparks from the pearl Estelle had left me sucked up some of the magic. I had a grip on it now. My fingers struggled, but eventually, I pulled the deepest reach of the magic out of his body. Fighting every second, so it does not escape but instead smothering it in the palms of my hands until every remnant of it condensed into the pearl. It felt heavy in my hand; the weight of my past transgressions ran through my mind. Skylar was still. Eerily still. I pressed my free hand to his wrist to check for a pulse. It was there and beating stronger than before. Before he opened his eyes, I stood up. The cavern was deep. Deep enough that when the water had filled the bottom, you could not see into the depths, nor could you survive the pressure even with the aid of water magic. My fingers ran across the pearl in my hand. I knew what needed to be done. I put every inch of strength left in my arm, and every ounce of magic behind my swing and launched the pearl into the depths below. It sank. Deeper and deeper. Until the darkness swallowed it, only to be forgotten by time.
By the time I returned to Skylar, he was standing upright. I was shocked. His arms stretched out as if the damage he took in the previous fight had all but disappeared. "You're up, how are you feeling?" I asked hesitantly. Something did not sit right. It had to be the dark magic's effects on his body.
Skylar smiled and did a little hope to ensure his legs were working. "I feel great, that bit of rest helped," he said confidently. It seemed like he did not recall the dark magic taking over. On the one hand, I was angry that he had to rely on the power of the darkness again, but I was also thankful his injuries were healed. He walked forward over the newly formed entrance. He gave a quick tap on the floor to ensure it was sturdy and then rushed ahead. "Come on!" he shouted. I quickly followed behind.
***
The waterfall poured down, and its crashing echoed in the cave. Our bodies cast shadows on the walls. I traced my finger across the rocky surface.
"Halt. You both are under arrest by the sanction of the Aegis Council," Akin shouted from the corner. No doubt he must have been hiding waiting for us to come out.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Skylar asked.
"You heard me, you are all under arrest," Akin reiterated.
As always, he was dressed in his robes and seems like he meant business because he wasn't alone. Fighting him would also only be a reason for him to justify whatever actions he took now. He placed Skylar and me in handcuffs. Though, Skylar said they would not dampen my magic since I was not an ordinary witch. So, I was safe for now. However, I was unsure if Akin knew what I was.
Why did we just go along with that? We did not do anything wrong? Why did we not resist?
We lurched across the grass in front of the waterfall very slowly and finally arrived at a large brown tree stump. It was shaped like a satellite dish and blooming out from very few crevices was some sweet-scented lilies and tulips. Everyone's heads turned suddenly at the sounds of crashing.
Massive grey stones that had supported the fractured roof before came crashing down as the sections of the roof plummeted into the lake below. The impact created several colossal waves to bombard the beaches. Wildlife had rushed out from hiding spots, squirrels launched out from behind bushes, rabbits leapt over the large rocks to reach higher ground. A few minutes passed. No one said a word. All that was exchanged was a few looks between the guards. Finally, the enormous waves settled down, and let the lake return to its regular calm motions.
"I cannot stand your wretched species. You know that by now, don't you?" Akin laughed with a throat full of spit.
He might be trying to get information out of me, so I'm best not to respond. Even so, why would it matter if I was different?
I nodded and didn't respond to Akin. He and the three men who were with him led us to wherever it was that he planned to keep us; I was sure that Estelle would soon be made aware of what was going on.
I wondered where Akin planned to take us. There was no answer as we were dragged along, but soon I realised he had opened up a sizable magic portal. No doubt, he was taking every possible effort to expand his views of what we were. The portal set of crackling sounds as I stepped closer. Each second making it louder. I closed my eyes, and suddenly it was quiet. On the other side of the portal was an entirely different landscape. It was quite a drastic change from where we came from. The building before us was gigantic. It would take three armies of 10,000 to reach the very top. Laid out across specific levels was white marble stone, carved with inscriptions. These symbols had many applications, but in this case, they were there to enact a magical barrier. If one possessed the sight, they could see the blanketed barrier across the area. It was a thin membrane that covered the building and prevented non-magical beings from entering without permission.
The roof was punched out to form a dome and appeared to have been launched into the sky. My mouth moved to say something, but I was simply in awe of its immensity. Each step closer created an even broader sense of benevolence. Whatever resided here, had power, and I was in the crossfire. I leaned my head up as we levelled out on the top of the staircase, above me was a massive silver bell. It just floated in place. Nothing was attaching it to the building around it; it must be magic. Several carved-out pillars supported the structure. They were meticulously handled by the sheer size and detail among their tall structures. The central pillar did not compare in size, the outer posts held a massive base and a large top, unlike the central pillar.
Well, I have to admit, this was better than the cave and Hell—no smells, no demons, no torture—just beauty.
"Lead them to where they belong," Akin said with contempt.
The men took a grip of our restraints and dragged us around the building; making it evident that they were avoiding the main entrance. My hands chafed against the cold cuffs on my hands. My concern grew greater when I realised Skylar was still injured but, looking over, he was glaring at the guards. No doubt formulating a plan and was waiting for his moment. The head guard saw this and scowled. They were taking us through a side door, and the staircase led down to the lower levels. Skylar stumbled several times when the guards pushed us, but I kept an eye out for possible chances to escape. Akin was the one leading us through the procession. We passed through several cells, all of them were occupied, but due to the darkness, I could barely see them. I wasn't exactly eager to see who was in those cells.
"Now open the doors of their cells," Akin said, and one of the men brought a key opening the door.
We were shoved inside by Akin who spat on both of us before sliding the metal cage shut. Akin removed our cuffs screwing up his face when our skin touched.
"Foul and disgusting," Akin said.
I turned my back on him. The walls were pure grey concrete, and the floor matched. The cell was big enough to house close to ten people, but for now, Skylar and I were the only inhabitants. I liked it that way. The fluorescent lights flickered as the walls screamed out in pain; the magic resonance pouring out of the walls was chilling. Lines were scribbled inside the cell with chalk, some coated with the blood of past deranged prisoners. I ran my fingers over one of the few scratches; I could feel the pain of a previous occupant. I could only imagine how awful it would be to stay here for such a long time. I knew it was the life that some people had, but it wasn't for me.
The bars in front of the cells had clear signs of wear and tear over the years, but still held steady when I gave a slight pull to check if they were sturdy. Adorned on the far side of the cell was a tiny window, barely wide enough to fit through, let alone become an escape route.
The condition of the cell was dehumanising, and I could say with certainty that I wasn't bent on staying in it for long. The screams of the magic resonance echoed louder, I winced. My fingers brushed over a groove in the floor, not one made from chalk or some sort of instrument. These had been made by scraping their nails across the floor over and over again for decades. I wondered if it had helped take their mind off of the condition the cell was, to help them stay sane in the darkness.
Great, what now?
A man carelessly dragged his feet across the floor; his blood-stained shirt was pierced with holes and clung to his scrawny body. His appearance was scary, and if I hadn't seen a lot of worse things, I would have been repelled by the pure sight of him. A guard removed his handcuffs, and his skeletal fingers clutched to the bars, resisting entering this new life.
The guard began to unlock our cell, and I did not like the idea of the man coming to stay with us. I had a suspicious feeling that Akin was behind this, but I could be wrong about it anyway. However, the man screeched rattled the bars and threw himself around, shouting conspiracies about our government. I found his actions a bit strange, and I wondered why he was resisting strongly now until his eyes met mine, and they sparked. I knew what he was planning to do, and I knew that this wasn't going to end well for anyone.
"I can see he's about to cast a spell, Skylar. What should I do?" I whispered just loud enough for Skylar to hear me.
"Save the guard, Esa. But, be careful and don't get caught."
Do I trust my non-verbal magic skill to put it on the life of an innocent? I should not doubt myself. Come on, Esa. You are centuries old, and yet you are scared to do this spell, a basic one at that.
I squinted and glared at the dishevelled man. I closed my fist and chanted the spell in my head: "Silentium."
Just then, the folds of his skin twisted across his mouth. Soft screams were muffled as his outcries were finally silenced, and his mouth was sewn shut.
That should give them enough time. Why wasn't his magic suppressed, was he like me or were the guards to fault? That man. Those eyes. I know them from Hell.
The guard restrained the man and threw him into the cell, slamming the gated door. He looked at me as I released my fist, stopping the spell.
My question is, why wasn't he in cuffs, or is this just an illusion to scare me? They were known for that here to snap prisoners into shape or to keep them on guard. Well, that's if the conspiracies were true. I will not pay more attention to it. I could spend my energy elsewhere.
Skylar calmly approached me, he smiled. However, this soon faded, and his face was flush with anger. He furrowed his eyebrows, letting tears well up in his eyes. He curled his fingers under one another into a solid fist and gritted his teeth hard before launching his fist into my face with great force. It had taken me entirely by surprise. What had caused that sort of reaction from him?
My head snapped to the side from the force of his punch. I raised my hand to the place; it was warm, and I could feel the swelling begin to form. My jaw twitched and shuttered with sharp and fiery pain. I brought my head back against the wall of the cell slowly and rubbed the area.
My eyes shot a vicious glare at him. "What the hell was that for?" I hissed; my anger directed at him.
"You never listen. I thought I made it clear. Stay away from me. It's all your fault," he yelled at me. Even the magic resonance was a soft kitten purr compared to the anger behind his words.
"What's my fault? And keep it down," I said urgently, gesturing with my hands for him to lower his voice, "the last thing we need right now is to draw attention to ourselves."
Skylar scowled, "Nothing, it won't matter to you anyway. Now leave me alone," he said demandingly. He screwed up his face and went into one corner. I sat on the cold concrete and wondered what had happened.
Huh, I wonder? I did not deserve that. Why is he so aggressive?
The man looked from me to Skylar, and even though I could see the anger in his eyes from what I did, I guess he decided that he couldn't afford to take me on. He crawled to one of the dark corners of the cell and remained there. I preferred to stand close to the bars which had an ample supply of light, and I could look at Skylar, who was still watching me. A sigh escaped my lips as I slowly sat on the floor, thinking about what to do.
***
"I'm sorry about earlier," Skylar said, he settled his back against the wall and sat down beside me. "It was way out of line."
I must have dozed off somewhere in between because I was only aware of Skylar's presence when he started talking. The other inhabitant of the cell was still curled up in his corner, most likely asleep.
I folded my hand over the other, lightly brushing the bottom of my thumb across my hand. "Don't worry about it," I said, sure to brush off the topic. "You want to talk about it?"
Skylar let out a deep breath and sighed for what seemed like a long time. "I guess I needed the dark energy, it's the only way I know how to get stronger," Skylar admitted reluctantly. He looked defeated after admitting it.
I sat up straighter and looked ahead aimlessly when I responded. My whole point was to avoid eye contact with him. "I knew it was dark magic, Skylar. What kind was it though? Necromancy?" I enquired. He shifted on the spot uncomfortably.
"I can't tell you Esa, not yet. I'm sorry."
His need for privacy was clear to me, and I wasn't going to press him about it. I let out a returning sigh. I knew that Skylar knew the exact details of what he was getting involved with. He would be able to handle himself, and even if he couldn't, I would be here to help. However, he may not accept it willingly.
"It's fine. You don't have to explain anything to me. We all have our secrets, Skylar."
He reached out his hand. I grasped it firmly then shook it. His skin was smoother than I expected. Static shot through my body and sparked each of my nerves. A heat knotted in my stomach. I wanted to do that again, to have his hand on mine. To feel the warm touch of someone on my hand, bringing me comfort and a sense of being loved. Maybe that was taking it too far, but still, it was something that I would like to feel.
What is this feeling in my gut?
"You know, I lost my mind once to the dark arts. I will tell you about it one day. I want you to know that I will always help you if you need it," I explained.
"Maybe one day—"
Screaming ricocheted off the walls as a single bolt of red lighting shot down the corridor: a guard was flung against the bars with blood hurling out of his mouth. That wasn't a good sign and it startled both Skylar and I. The man woke up with a start though he remained where he was watching the guard.
He was gasping for breath and slumped to the floor. Suddenly, Akin appeared behind him and yanked a sword out of the guard's back. Akin kicked the corpse before tapping his sword on the bars: "I am here for you."
"I thought you'd never get here," the man replied.
That insane man is in affiliation with Akin. His intentions cannot be good. Should I be worried? No, I am afraid.
Akin smiled, then looked at me, opening the cell door. The man darted towards Skylar. I pushed him aside, and the man grasped my throat.
He pressed, and his cold eyes pierced into mine, peering into my very soul. I could not allow him to do that since I knew he would see the secrets and things I tried to hide. My head was spinning, and my vision blurred. I thrust my leg into his groin before the grip loosened. I freed myself from his grasp, and I knew that I would need my magic as Akin entered the cell. He sensed immediately what I intended to do, and I could see the wariness in his face. He wasn't exactly sure what I could do, and he wasn't eager to find out yet. He grasped the man before teleporting away.
"You alright?" Skylar asked as he put his hand on my shoulder.
As I caught my breath, I smiled at Skylar and replied, "Just about."
Screaming continued to blast in the area. We crept out of the cell together and looked up and down. There was nothing but rows of cells and a burn mark from a lightning bolt. A siren blared, and a robotic voice spoke out: "Evacuation."
"Where are the guards? How can we get out?" Skylar started to panic.
"It was Akin. He must have killed them all. What do you think he wants with that guy?"
"We need to get to Estelle and the others as quickly as we can," Skylar said promptly.
What is going on? Akin is in law enforcement, but he breaks laws?
With that, we slowly crept to the door, and I could hear screams from outside; I wasn't the only one. I had magic coursing through my entire body, ready for a spell or release anytime it was needed. I stepped out of the door, and I could smell the terrible smells of demons, and I wondered what was going on. How had demons managed to get past the barrier which should have kept them away?
"Do you know where Estelle and Kaspar could be?" I asked Skylar, and he told me he wasn't sure.
The only way to pinpoint their location was for me to see if I could sense Estelle's magic, which was similar to mine.
"Watch my back while I try to pinpoint her location," I told Skylar.
He nodded, and I closed my eyes as I tried to pinpoint where Estelle was. There was interference from the several demons which were all around.
"I know where she is," I said, leading the way "She is at her coven."
Suddenly, three demons appeared, and the smell from them made me want to puke my last meal, but I kept it in. Skylar moved into action blasting the closest two with spells, and I took care of the last one.
"We need to hurry," Skylar said.
"I agree."
We continued in the direction I knew where Estelle was when we stumbled on a few guards who were engaged with demons, and I quickly joined in the fight. The guards had bitten more than they could chew as two of them were already injured, and the remaining three were barely managing to fight.
I shot bolts of lighting at each of the demons and seeing that someone powerful had appeared, two to be exact, they decided to run away. Normally, I would have pursued them to make sure they were killed, but now wasn't the time for that.
"Thank you so much," one of the guards said.
"Get out of this place!" Skylar said, clearly concerned for their well-being.
He was right as they were merely fodder for the demons to feed on if they stayed anywhere close to this place, and it was time that we find Estelle.
"Come on, let's get going, Esa," Skylar called to me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the figures barrel down the streets towards us. Skylar knocked over several stands to slow their advance, but the demons were relentless in their pursuit. My body got yanked to the side as Skylar attempted to outmanoeuvre them. We sat cloistered around the edge of a wall, breathing heavily with his hand over my mouth. I was out of breath naturally. He peeked out. From the second-long glance, the figures were tearing apart the area around them. My hand scuffed the wall, and the fragment smacked against the ground. Skylar looked at me, horrified.
"Run!" he shouted. We slipped further down the alleyway. The longer we ran down the street, the narrower it became. Until it became so narrow that our shoulders scraped against the walls. Behind us, disfigured demons clawed at the walls for the chance to tear us apart.
"Cover me!" Skylar shouted; he ducked down under my body and began preparing a spell. I turned around to face the monstrous demons barrelling towards us. I shot another bolt of lightning against the side of the wall so it would crumble on top of them, but their size threw that hope out the window. Their banshee-like screams began shredding my eardrums; I turned to Skylar.
"Skylar! Hurry up! We don't have time!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I turned back to see where the demons had gone. Right in front of me, with the foulest breath was a demon with its jaws wide open. My eyes widened in shock. There was no way to dodge. My body curled inward suddenly. Skylar yanked me towards him, and as I flew aimlessly, my arms flailing, and suddenly I was flat out on the ground. I rolled over and began to dry heave. Skylar had opened a makeshift portal at the exact moment the demon's jaws had begun closing, and it was not pleasant to travel like that. Several people came out of the compound, Skylar managed to lead us right before the entrance, and they heard the commotion. A few shouted, but from the crowd, Estelle emerged.