Tales of magic: grimoire of transmogrification

  Chapter 48

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  Arc 2 – “The hunter and the beast”

  Chapter 32- “Blood and water.”

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  The moon continued to glimmer, sending rays of light through the window and into the room. It was a full moon, that night. Vincent lay at the sofa, pouring a bottle of crimson liquid into his fine glass cup.

  “Sire, he’s dead.”

  “I know. I felt it.”

  “What do we do, sire? Your body...”

  “Lycan wasn’t a suitable replacement. He was just a beast, nothing more.”

  Iadis frowned. His hand was still gone. The wound had been bandaged, but...the stinging pain remained. From the look on his face it was obvious that the pain wasn’t just physical.

  Vincent took a glass of blood, enjoying every drop of it. His eyes glimmered the moon, but instead of white, it shone the color of blood.

  “Find me a proper replacement. A body that can handle my power and my curse.”

  “Yes, my lord.” He bowed down.

  His master took another sip of his blood-filled wineglass. Then he frowned.

  “How’s the boy doing?”

  “He must be fine, my lord. He is your flesh and blood after all.”

  He dropped the glass on the table violently. It cracked. The table cracked.

  “My lord?”

  “That means nothing! Oliver has lived his whole life away from me, under the care of regular humans. He doesn’t understand me. He is my blood, but he isn’t my son.”

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  2nd April, 1886.

  Weidson, Pridon.

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  William stood still, staring at the man before him. That man was more than 10 metres away, but his Sight allowed him to see him clearly. It was as though time itself stopped for the two of them. The train behind him sped off, with great speed. Dozens of people were up and about, but he heard none of them and saw none of them. He only saw that man and no-one else.

  That man stared right back at him with a smile.

  “William, I know you can hear me.”

  “Ein.”

  Their voices were drowned away by the noise of activity around the train station- after all they didn’t shout nor did they use magic to amplify the sound of their voices.

  “Let’s take this somewhere else, shall we?” William suggested.

  “No. Here is fine. I won’t unsheathe my blade in a place like this. Especially with all these people.”

  “And you can’t see me. I’m curious, though. How can you hear me?”

  The noise had started to subside. The travellers were making their way home, alongside some of their friends and family who came to pick them up from the station.

  “I listen. So, you knew I would be here. Why come to me?”

  “No ‘How are you doing?’ between us, right?” William sighed, shaking his head.

  “When will you make your move?” The Hunter interrogated. His tone was stern and crisp, slightly different from how he spoke a moment ago.

  “The moment I step out from this station. What would you do to stop me?”

  “I’ll shoot you down.” He said without a moment’s hesitation.

  Sword burst into laughter. He laughed and laughed, his legs still rooted on the spot just in front of the train tracks.

  “Good. Let’s hope you don’t miss.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “You ask that every time. Do you really want an answer?”

  William frowned. He hadn’t changed. His brother was still the man he remembered him to be. A cold, calculated, killing machine.

  He dropped his bag. Opening it up, he pulled out the pieces of a sniper rifle. Then he dusted it and assembled it together in a matter of seconds. He pointed it towards his brother. The cross hairs were on his head.

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  “Yes. Tell me again.”

  “I am carrying out our father’s will. Doing exactly what he would have done, had he been alive. I will kill the Crown and take the throne, redeeming the people of pridon from her rule.”

  “What about me? Us?”

  “Are you a child, William? The country is at stake. My honour as a knight and as a Sharpside is at stake. The people, William. The people need a genuine ruler. Not an usurper. My father’s name wouldn’t be sullied like this. Don’t you understand?”

  “I do. But how do I factor in to that plan of yours? I’ll give you the answer. I don’t. I don’t matter to you. You’re willing and ready to do whatever it takes to get what you want. I want you to stop and think. We can still talk. We can still relax and enjoy the sun. Nobody needs wars or battles or bloodshed. The queen isn’t torturing the people. You can rest easy. Leave everything as it is and just come back home. We could hide from the war,”

  “Hide? You fool! Hiding would accomplish nothing. I’m not hiding. Look at me, William. I will kill her and whoever stands in my way.”

  “Including me?”

  There was no response.

  Suddenly, rain started to fall. People started running away, trying to escape the rain. Ein was different though. He stayed there. Though, he did move a bit. He stretched his arms wide as though he was about to hug someone.

  “Fire. I know you have a gun pointed at me. Do it, now.”

  “This is madness, Ein.”

  “Pull the trigger.”

  “Stop this, Ein.”

  “Kill me.”

  “Ein.” William removed her finger from the trigger. Sword frowned.

  “Still a coward, aren’t you?”

  He took a step for the first time after climbing out of the train. As he did, William noticed the sword at his hip once more. It was a steel blade with a red hilt and a crest engraved on it. He recognised that crest as the Sharpside family crest.

  Ein strode along, as though his life wasn’t in danger in any way. Gracefully, he completely ignored the gun pointed at him. The steady rain continued, soaking his clothes, but he didn’t seem to care. William sighed.

  You’re right. I’m still a coward. That’s why...

  Hunter activated his magic; his eyes shone a hint of golden. He could see his target so clearly as though he was right there with him and the gun in his hand was at point-blank range with Ein’s head. He grit his teeth and put his finger on the trigger.

  I won’t miss.

  Blood spurted out of his leg and the sudden wound broke his stride. The enchanted silver rounds he fired tore flesh and bone, utterly destroying his enemies body wherever they landed. This bullet was no different. There was an abnormally huge hole- around the size of a fist- just below Ein’s knee. The flesh and bone below the knee was held together to the rest of his body by a few tendons otherwise it would’ve been blown off him. Crimson blood poured out of the ghastly wound, painting the ground red as the rain mixed with it and slowly washed it away. The bleeding refused to stop and Ein should’ve fell due to the lack of balance. Instead though, he supported himself by instantly unsheathing the sword at his hip and planting it on the ground.

  “I’m sorry.”

  His facial expression was still, his head bent down a bit allowing his long golden hair to obscure his eyes. The water soaked his hair and face and dripped down from his jaw.

  “Nice try, William. Though, you missed the head.”

  “I wasn’t aiming for your head.”

  There was no response, only a quiet chuckle. Ein took another step, using his sword as support. He stumbled but he made it without falling. Suddenly, another gunshot rang in the air. His right arm plopped to the ground, mangled and broken, by single bullet. That was his right arm- the one used to hold the swird supporting his body. The sword fell on the ground and so did his arm. Only a stub of a shoulder covered in blood remained of that hand. Still, Ein didn’t even flinch as he fell on his chest.

  “Better. Now I can’t run away, or fight back. You could taunt or torture me all you want until you give up and just kill me. Except, what good would that do?”

  William started his way down from the tree he used as a vantage point. Then he walked into the rain, towards his brother.

  “You know, you’re a coward too. You knew where I was. A simple charge would have sufficed, and at your speed you’ll have no problem dodging my ‘undodgeable’ bullets.”

  “We were both holding back. This is a farce, not a fight.” There was no trace of anguish or pain in his voice. If he didn’t see his wounds, William would’ve believed he was fine.

  “You still haven’t learnt a proper healing spell yet. All Mages in the war have at least three. You should know more than me how frequently we could get hurt.”

  “Except I scarcely have need for it. Offense is the best defence.”

  “And you call me childish.”

  Ein suddenly cracked a smile. A very thin one, that disappeared in an instant. The moment his smile disappeared, he smacked the ground with his left hand(his only hand) and used it as support to raise his body up to a standing position in a single motion. His knee tore even more, but again, he didn’t seem to care.

  “Ein.”

  “William,” He said, almost kneeling, raising his dismembered arm with the working one, and attempting to pry out the blade from it’s grasp. William pulled out a pistol and pointed it at his elder brother’s head. Without pausing, Ein picked up the sword and held it tightly in his left hand. Then he got up to a full standing position.

  “Why would you willingly get into my range? Do you have a death wish?”

  William sighed, pressing the gun to the side of Ein’s head. Sword smiled for the third time that day, his eyes shining with a golden glint.

  William felt it. His head disconnecting from his body.

  Again?

  Though he felt that way, there he was. His head was still connected, and his body was intact. No slash, no blood.

  Again. This...this happened before. He...how many times has he killed me just now?

  A wound appeared on his hand. Then another on his leg. These wounds were shallow, but straight cuts. Soon, more and more of them appeared all over his body.

  “Thanks for the new scars. The old ones haven’t healed yet.” William grit his teeth a bit.

  “Stop pretending. You and I have gone through so much that simple bruises like that should be nothing ...”

  “I guess compared to you I’m living the pampered life.”

  William’s finger was still on the trigger. Also, Ein’s sword didn’t appear to have left it’s sheath.

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  Meanwhile..

  The Middlesworth Bakery, Weidson.

  Jordan took a look at his home for the first time in two days. It wasn’t really any different . But what did he expect- it was only two days. Though, that time felt much longer for him.

  Shaking his head, he stepped in through the open door. Of course the sight that greeted him there wasn’t any different either. Though there was one presence missing.

  “Lisa...”

  Jordan shook his head.

  I’ve made up my mind. It’s not about her right now. Still, I haven’t given up, Journal. I will kill the persom who’s really responsible for this- the queen...for her sake. I’m stupid, I know. I want to be.

  He raised his hands a bit and turned his head down to look at them. The two missing fingers weren’t hidden. The scars too. But there was also the marks on his hand he got from squeezing a gun a little bit too hard.

  Not being stupid has got me nowhere. The plan remains the same. I’m not coming here to say hi to dad or Risa. I’m here for business. The fastest way to get into the spirit world is through my own house- a familiar connection to the sanctuary I can anchor myself to. Of course that idiot Bird can leap into his Sanctuary wherever and whenever as a benefit from his Title, so he’ll be doing that after ‘taking care of business’.

  He saw his step-mother behind the counter, and their eyes connected. Her expression went from a neutral one to that of shock and then all the way to disappointment.

  Jordan sighed.

  First, I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.

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