[Saturday Night of 20XX]

  [Sometime in March]

  [Holdport]

  [3rd Person]

  Red Hen looked at the vampire and answered him with the simple words of, “You’re not holding a random woman in your grasp. You’re holding a certain Powered, you know the Powered with a replication of an Absolute Healing Factor and the ability to create Bone Constructs.”

  He paused, as he tried to say, “You mean—” and tried again to say, ‘Tara Evans,’ and then failed to say, ‘Jaggedy Annie,’ but the fact was, the names couldn’t and wouldn’t leave his lips.

  Katie McCabe, and as you’ve probably realised. Yes, it is actually the cousin of said woman, the fact of the matter Tara Evans and Jaggedy Annie were not two separate people. As was an unlikely possibility, of what hasn’t happened.

  The said hero of Red Hen answered, “Yes, I know who she is. It’s kind of been hard to not hear the news of her civilian ID going missing last night. She was obviously on her patrol last night. Also, have you forgotten The Deception exists as a magical and active concept? The Gods of The Pantheons will not intervene? Hells, you do know The Monotheistic Deity has one of his Angels running around London calling themselves Ishim? Or the Fallen Angel of Angelic in Bristol?”

  And Ishim looks like a person, of how the rank and file angels look human, he is but one of just the lowest of the low of the Angelic Choirs. Of a Guardian Angel assigned to just general duties and not looking after a specific person. And for the record?

  Can I note: I define myself as a non-practising witch and when I originally wrote this I defined myself as agnostic. Although I am Culturally Christian and think in those terms for various bits, before anyone gets their nose out of joint about the mention of an angel.

  Anyway, Ishim at least does so when running around in human form and not a form of fire and light which hurts to look at. Not just because of the intensity of the fire and light, no, it was of things humanity was not meant to know of the glowing white being of Heavenly Starfire.

  While the Fallen Angel of Angelic who is fighting for redemption has the winged humanoid of white feathers, white hair, blue eyes, and a radiant glow of white light? Is not an Angel and so can appear in such a manner.

  Rather than the winged angels of Cherubim and Seraphim who are not winged like in pop culture. The more Eldritch Angels on the scale of Ominous English Chanting of The Song of Never Wake from the Doctor Who NuWho Series Seven episode of The Rings of Akhaten. You don’t want an angel to have to turn up and go, ‘Be Not Afraid!’ everyone screams and you have said Angel emphasis, ‘I said, BE! NOT! AFRAID!’ to all the panicking people.

  Because Pop Culture is wrong. Again. Gods damn it, Pop Culture. Can’t you get anything right?

  There was a pause, a small one, and the hero of Red Hen added, “And if we go more eldritch than an Ishim or such? It's without getting into certain beings and monstrosities of the abominations of The Bloody Angles running around from their Realms of Horror upon The Earthly Planes. Or the Hounds of Tindalos and their flexible shapeshifting forms. Back to the matters of The Deception? You’re not going to be able to say a hero’s name when they’re in civilian ID. It’s why you haven’t been able to upload to the internet about the woman there being Jaggedy Annie.”

  There was a shake of the head, the Vampire sighed. With his super strength he twisted the Powered head like someone turning a bottle lid, with her snapped neck he brought it to his mouth. He bit into her neck to suck the blood out of her, he drained her as dry as he could and he threw her body across the warehouse to go down in a series of cracks of broken bones. There was a momentary pause, as those bones started to uncrack.

  The vampire roared as he charged at Red Hen, his speed increasing so he blurred into motion. Only for the hero facing him to crash right back into him with a surge of Elan Vital (or Vitality) boosted her superspeed of The Vi when it flowed through her.

  The human went and caught his arm and with a tug snapped it out of his joint. In the continuing motion to throw her over his body into the darkness of her using Luxphagy on the light. The light she drained with her witchcraft flashed right back at him, to turn it into a flash of weaponised sunlight.

  He came out of it smoking and a little on fire, like Vader in the Star Wars SC 38 Reimagined video on YouTube, with the fire from it fading away as it happened. There was a flick of magic to take heat and steal it from him with a bit of practised Pyrophagy, the heat became a beam of fire to blaze into him. The fire danced over his form.

  With a simple enchantment from his belt flew a metal hilt, it snapped out into a metal sword blade of glowing blood red metal. It came at her, only for a similar bit of minor telekinesis to pull from her own belt a hilt of gleaming silver. For said hilt to make a glowing blue shield of energy come out of it. A sword and blade made out of a magical shielding spell.

  Of how she used the sword form of Quirili (Quill’ill’E), a combination of the sword forms of Karljollen (Karl’Joll’En, also known as Kale) and Nakala (Na’Ka’La). Of the magical sword form of Karljollen designed to parry and block other melee weapons, designed for fencing like movements of The Elegant Sword Art.

  Nakala is to defend and block attacks with either passive Nakala to deflect, and active Nakala to reflect back at the enemy. While Quirili combines them into The Elegant Defencive Form, a magical sword form for just swords. And combined into The Ascending Hen Martial Art form used by Katie.

  The metal blade of darkened black metal crashed into what was the glowing blue shield of said sword in return. Of the magical metal of the glowing sword and the hilt of the glowing sword of energy. Sparks flew as the swords crashed into each other.

  The Vampire used the Sword Form of Karnet, the basic and simple foundational sword form of magical sword forms. It had grown out of the arts of sword fighting added to magic and magical swords. Simple, and to the point. (And, yes, the pun is intentional.) How, it’ll be Katie using Quirili from this point on, and unless I specify a different sword form how the vampires will be using Karnet.

  However in the clash of metal and magical energies turned into an energy shield blade. The Vampire spat out, “A nice Shield Sword, I will enjoy it when I take it from your corpse, human.”

  Said human retorted calmly, “A simple and very much basic Blood Blade. Let me see, it’s made of Exo-Steel isn’t it,” fifty times stronger than high grade steel and ten times more magical than gold. Made magically by cancelling out the gravity when forging it out of iron.

  He responded, “And your Shield Sword, I can feel the metal it’s made out of. The Hilt is made of Argyros,” magical metal made out of silver, by turning silver into a magical metal via an alchemic process. A modified version of making Aurumanite out of gold, and what in turn had been an attempt to make Adamantios out of gold.

  Yes, Argyros is weaker than Aurumanite. But you need to consider the magical metal? It not only has the mystical properties of Silver, it also has the properties of Cold Iron, Rowan Wood, and being Sacred/Holy. It has the other properties of being a hundred times stronger than high grade steel and twenty times more magical than gold. (Rather than the two hundred and fifty times stronger than high grade steel and fifty times more magical of Aurumanite.)

  “Well, a Holly would sense it,” the human replied, there was a glare from the vampire. For the type of vamp he was, it was the silver properties and being Sacred/Holy, rather than the Cold Iron. The Cold Iron is not only for The Fair Folk. What is for specific types of eastern European Vampires, Book Dracula Vampires of Uncommon Dracula Vampires, Common Dracula Vampires, and for the other vamps like them.

  While the Rowan Wood is for specific greater types of vampire, rather than the Peasant Vampire of The Hollies and other vampires who can be slain with a wooden cocktail stick. It did give and make the metal and blade have the property to stake a vampire, not considering the other parts of the metal.

  Over the clashing of blades the vampire spat out, “I am a Vampire! A Blood Baron type Vampire! Not a Holly!”

  There was a parry and a twirl, for Red Hen to note, “You’re a Holly with a pair of modified Rings of Gyges to protect you against Sunlight and Fire and Sacred Energies to a degree. If at least you don’t have a Katana Kitchen Knife as I’ve seen some Vampires use,” and she emphasised. “Magic rings which are not able to protect you against Forsphagy,” there was a flash of light as the Luxphagy was used to make a flash bang like effect. The enhanced vampiric eyes made it much worse for the vampire.

  Followed by the Chancer of a Witch ripping out the good luck of her enemy, for her to simultaneously energise his bad luck. While ripping heat and light out of the surroundings of Pyrophagy and Luxphagy, to convert it into bad luck to pour into him. And to reach for the well of good luck within herself.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  For an Aura of feathers to dance around her as she fought him, of her form taking on the shimmering construct of a Hen. Of what was The Ascending Hen martial art. The Knight Practitioner Form made her Shield Sword glow an even brighter blue as she fully channelled the Vi of The Elan Vital of Vitality properly into it. Of what was said glow of blue of the Shield Sword instead of the other options for its glow.

  Red Hen held her sword in her right hand she gestured with her left hand, for her to make a kinetic pull of her Vi to throw the vampire backwards. To send him in the direction of where he had charged at her.

  Added to by a little flick of Motusphagy drained away his kinetic energy, the motion he used to try to kill her. To try and immobilise him as she charged right back at him. Only for a burst of blood magic let him move again and bring his blood blade to counter the Knight Practitioner.

  Their blades twirled into position to fight, and the skirmish continued.

  [Saturday Night of 20XX]

  [Sometime in March]

  [Holdport] [Somerset] [UK]

  [Universe Sierra-Hotel-1]

  [Katie McCabe, 1st Person]

  The Vampire came at me, as Tara recovered enough to manifest bone armour around herself. Along with the Quarterstaff-like Bone she created and fought with to help fight The Vamp, she twirled into position with the bone staff she had created.

  The bone construct in her hands hummed when she danced and twirled into the battle against the vampire, for her to join me fighting the Vamp. The bone-staff had his sword cut the staff in half and he kicked her backwards from the chest, only for her to twirl through the air to land on her feet.

  He glanced at me as we continued to fight, for him to try to sow chaos and discord, when he commented, “I see you use the Demonic Arts.”

  I laughed and objected before Tara as Jaggedy Annie could freak out, “You mean the magicks reverse engineered from The Demonic Arts hundreds of years ago, of what The Devouring Arts are no longer of The Dark Arts. And, no, using Luxphagy for power is only literally about light and darkness. It is not actual Evil Magicks,” as an aside to my cousin who didn’t know who I was underneath my helmet as I fought the vampire.

  With my shield sword a twirl, I kept going, “There was a man who convinced a Sangfradar Demon to choose the path of redemption during The Second Demon Wars in the fourteenth century. They fell in love and had Cambion kids when she assumed human form. Those children then with their mother helped take said demonic arts and teach others, like their father, on how to use them.”

  I kept fighting the vampire, as I explained to my cousin, “The techniques I’m using of Pyrophagy and Luxphagy come from them, while Forsphagy and Motusphagy were inspired by them. And the manipulation of The Elan Vital or Vi? It’s based on the Qi Arts of the East, aka Chi Arts, Ki Arts, or such. What came down the Silk Road in the time of The Romans, like how Western Magicks went in reverse too. The art of The Knightly Practitioner, of the Practise of the Vi of Vitality used to be called Valour or Val. The Devouring Arts are not remotely demonic anymore and the Vitality Arts normally aren’t if you’re doing standard Practice.”

  I looked and focused on the Blood Spirit of the vampire, to leap backwards as I focused, and there was a crack of bone as I telekinetically crushed his knee caps. Of taking heat and light via Pyrophagy and Luxphagy to turn into kinetic power. He fell forward as I pulled him forward with another flick of kinetic power of a basically enhanced telekinetic pull.

  He let out a pained screech as he landed on his knees, from the basic telekinetic spell anyone could learn. Of what could pull a TV remote over to your hand, just the stuff which doesn’t need attuning to The Elemental Realm of Psychic of the Ten Elements for a few years up a mountain. No, instead? It was the human power of Telekinesis of what would be Ghostly Telekinesis if you were dead, while the basics of The Elemental Realms for it would be nice.

  I leapt forward again and unhanded him by cutting them off at the wrists. His hands collapsed into bones and dust while leaving the pair of rings of what were each one a modified Rings of Gyges in what was his sad little piles. A little flick of my power sent him flying backwards into the wall. Not easy stuff to do, however I could do it.

  I collapsed my Shield Sword to put back on my belt, and I pulled him forward. My fists and hands lashed out as I broke shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and ankles. I grabbed him by the neck and held him in one hand dangling. He was a pained little puppet with its strings cut.

  And I told him, “Now, pip-pip!” he glared at me, “You know how this’ll play out. If you lie, I will psychically know. I am quite able to divine the truth from lies and lies from truth,” combined with what was my very basic psychic development of my potential to be able to get feelings on people, impressions, notions. What everyone could do if they trained it, of the gut instincts.

  I didn’t stop talking though, “This can end in a flash, or this can end in a slow and drawn out event. Please choose how you want to leave the universe, and the option shall be provided,” for me to rip off the part of NuWho with McGann’s excellent acting, “help us provide the practitioner appropriate to your individual needs. So, tell me, Vampire. Why are you here and doing this?”

  And yes, torture is Evil and also Pointless but threatening it and not actually doing it to monsters doesn’t go out of style, they don’t need to know it’s an empty threat. And it works as something I’m willing to do rather than torture, regardless of the fact I can determine truth from lies via my psychic senses. So technically speaking torture wouldn’t be Pointless for me to do, it would still be Evil. The fact is, Vamps are going to Vamp and project what they would do on other people.

  The vampire glared at me with his red glowing eyes, the eyes of his should have been blue if he wasn’t a vampire, framed by blond hair, and with simple clothes on. He made his choice when he spat out, “The other Blood Reavers will avenge me when they release Lord Calpurnius Blood from his prison. All of this pestilent little city will fall into The Pit, and you will join me there.”

  I gave him a bob of the head, to state, “Thank you, you’ve been most kind,” my Shield Sword ignited back into a glowing blue energy blade of a weaponised forcefield of a shield spell with a hissing-snap and I decapitated him in one smooth motion.

  After I’d done so my sword’s blade collapsed back into its hilt, and I considered whether I was going to make the blade white or green the next time I used it. Silver Spur, as I called one of my two Shield Swords, of what the pair of swords were collectively The Silver Spurs, collapsed back into its hilt and went back onto my belt.

  With a wave of my hand all the dead vampire's bones and their stuff went into Pocket Space, I sorted all the items in said spatial pocket as I took out Tara’s Smartphone and wallet. It was joined by a Blood Regen potion regardless of her enhanced healing factor, due to its nature as a non magical Intrinsic Field Healing Factor.

  She still had her Smartwatch on her wrist so it didn’t need to be put back on. I reached out with my psychic senses, to divine just a yes or no question, to focus on, ‘Is this Tara?’ I had the answer and feeling of yes. Well, the general psychic feeling I associated with yes.

  I took the yes for what it was when I walked over to her, she stilled at my approach. I passed her the Smartphone and Wallet, to tell her, “You’ve been missing since last night, your family has been going a bit nuts over it. Please call someone to say you crashed on a friend's sofa, and just got your phone charged after you woke up. Or for you to come up with a plausible excuse similar to what I suggested.”

  She took the phone, and wallet. There was a pause, for her to point out, “It’s out of charge.”

  To Jaggedy Annie I nodded and I told her, “I’ll switch you for the Blood Regen potion while I charge it up with actual magic, while your space magic powers keep trying to heal the spiritual tiredness and fail to do so. The Blood Regen potion should stop you feeling like a literally anaemic kitten.”

  She slowed, her blue eyes looked out of her bone mask, and she checked, “So magic does actually exist, and you have to go reference Mass Effect about my powers as some power possibly different to magic?”

  And let’s not get into EA and Bioware being part of The Dubec Media Company in this world.

  So I instead laughed, to admit with ease, “It’s what the Supernaturals and The General Magical Community on the internet is calling The Intrinsic Field Powered have. What is the Energy Aura of Quantum Foam, or just Foam. What has the main secondary power of a Bullet Shield, coupled to the minor enhanced healing factor what your Absolute Healing Factor Power Gift of a Primary Power exceeds. Combined with the Primary Power of your Bone Gift.”

  She blinked, Jaggedy Annie had to check, “If it’s not magic ... Can you explain it in science terms, Miss Too Short To Be A Stormtrooper?”

  A huff of air escaped my lips as I glared at her a moment from behind my helmet. And then?

  [Lore]

  [The Ten Magical Elements]

  [The Ten Elemental Realms]

  The Ten Magical Elements are Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Metal, Life, Psychic, Energy, Light, and Shadow. Each has a corresponding Elemental Realm. An Elemental Realm allows for Elemental Creation of said Element.

  Creating Fire and Light without an Elemental Realm is rather easy, creating something like Water or Metal with how matter to energy works would require 21.481 Kilotons of TNT ... for a gram of it. Trying to create 500 ml of water without The Elemental Realm of Water would require 10.7405 Megatons of TNT.

  There is the transformation of matter to different matter, or matter to energy reactors to power a Mat-Fab of a Matter Fabricator. Trying to create matter of the Ten Elements of Magic would take a hell of a lot of power under E=MC2.

  You’d be less than an ordinary Magical running around if you had such power, and more god-like with the power at your disposal if you could. Or if you realise you could put the power of what you were creating into your spells, what would have been known and understood by the energy flows. What would have been and were magicks far older than The Bronze Age Collapse.

  Thus the Ten Elemental Realms of Magic allow for such creation without needing to be a veritable god when running around. And the Ten Magical Elements are the standard way to classify magic in The Western Magical Traditions and The Eastern Magical Traditions.

  To note, so nobody says anything, none of what are called The Classical Elements were complete. Or the Element of Quintessence was used to explain either The Elemental Realm of Psychic, the Elemental Realm of Energy, or The Elemental Realm of Light. Or some mixture of the three at once.

  At least in The Alpha Sequence of World-Lines nobody was correct about the entire Magical Elements. If on Earth Sierra-Hotel-1 people had been correct before The Deception. The political compromise of everyone being wrong and not knowing detailed bits of magic? Was the agreement nobody was happy with, in both the divine realms and mortal realms.

  But like how The Natural Sciences has advanced, so has The Magical Sciences of The Supernatural Sciences of The Art of Magic. Or what is Sufficiently Analysed Magic as a discipline.