Tales of magic: grimoire of transmogrification

  Chapter 50

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  Arc 2 – “The hunter and the beast”

  Chapter 34- “Inquiry II”

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  There were whispers. Voices calling out, each of them crying the exact same lines.

  “What are you?”

  “Who are you?”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Where did you come from?”

  “Where are you going?”

  They never got a satisfactory answer.

  ~Anon.

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  2nd April, 1886.

  Weidson, Pridon.

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  Jordan flipped open his journal. Through pages and pages of undecipherable magicial texts, symbols and short unsatisfactory explanations in English. He eventually landed on the page he was searching for.

  Transitions. Portals. Gates.

  “Here we are. Something I can work with.”

  He started by pushing the chairs and tables in the living room to the corners, so that the middle would be free. Then he picked up some chalk.

  Sparing a glance at his parents right outside the room brought tears to his eyes. He wiped them away and stared at the open spellbook on his hand. Then he frowned and activated his Title’s main ability. The chalk in his left hand slowly depleted like it was being used, while a complex spell diagram mirroring the one on that page of the journal drew itself on the ground.

  Once the symbol was complete, Jordan snapped the book shut and dropped it on a table. The symbol was perfect, the lines and curves drawn so expertly a regular human would have been baffled by how good it was. Although, Jordan wasn’t a regular human, he appreciated his work nonetheless.

  “Quill.” He spoke his Title with emotion as though the word was a burden weighing on his throat. Then, he withdrew a quill from his pockets and pricked his finger with the tip. Blood dripped unto the chalk, but Jordan’s ability allowed him to instantly align the blood with the chalk. Now the diagram started to glow blue.

  ‘What does blue mean?’

  ‘Force spirits? Construction spirits? Creation spirits? Too many overlapping meanings. It could very well be any one of them.’

  Or maybe it’s just a well drawn portal.

  Jordan recognised that voice.

  ‘Demon, you...’

  Yes, I took an extended vacation from you and your crying.

  ‘I don’t cry.’

  The floating semblance of a man simply smiled hoarsely.

  That’s beside the point. I’m here now. Did you miss me?

  ‘Come to think of it...yes. Yes, I did.’

  Great. The war of the mages is getting boring, at least to me. None of you are as active as Ein, Sophia and Lancaster. And honestly, that’s troubling. You were so promising too. I’m going to make it clear to you. This isn’t a little game- not for you it isn’t. It is a war. You won’t win by sitting around and staring at each other.

  ‘What? It’s only been about two days. I...how am I supposed to do anything more substantial? I’m already working towards killing someone... and you’re telling me to do better?’

  Lancaster is working. You aren’t. You’re simply following his orders. Not really much of an independent mage, are you? And you had it all. Where did your delicious desire disappear to? Why don’t you long for the book of magic? Search for that answer first and foremost, alright?

  ‘Why? Why am I always wrong to you people? Why do I keep falling short?’

  I can answer that one for free. You keep falling short because you sell yourself short. Because you let your emotions sway you, rather than using your heart as a weapon. You could be doing so much more, if you just try.

  ‘Why are you ....’

  Helping you? I’m not. And honestly, I didn’t help you during the Lycan fiasco either. It wasn’t my design. Although, it wasn’t fate either. You can tell, can’t you? It was planned. A scheme and the end result was Lycan’s death. I too was a tool...a pawn in this man’s plan.

  ‘Who? You... know who it is, right?’

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The demon simply chuckled.

  “You know what, I don’t really want to know.”

  What does that mean?

  “I... I’m sick and tired of getting tossed around by forces greater than me – toyed with by people better than me. I don’t want to be weak. Nobody does. It sucks.” Jordan frowned.

  “I’ve got one last question for you, demon. Is it possible to bring back the dead with magic?”

  You and I know that’s a crazy idea. Yes. It is possible to revive the dead with magic. I’m not talking about reanimation or anything like that. I’m talking about resurrection. True resurrection.

  Jordan smiled. His eyes shone in excitement and his heart raced. He clenched his fist.

  “Thanks. Thanks a lot. I...I can’t thank you enough. All I have to do is kill every single mage and sacrifice them to the Book of magic. Then I could bring back Lisa, right?”

  I knew you would come up with this kind of idea sooner or later. I’m afraid you’re right. The souls couldn’t be brought back of course since they ceased to exist after death. However, time manipulation could do what you’re planning to do. Though, the magnitude of Power and Authority you’ll need is something you might never possess in your lifetime. Thankfully, my reservoirs of Power are practically endless. And my Authority as a bonafide demon...

  It trailed off.

  Jordan didn’t reply. He simply nodded, staring at the portal.

  I’m afraid you’ve run out of questions for today. Show me something interesting, and maybe I’ll change my mind. Remember, don’t wear your heart on your sleeve- it’ll slow you down, confuse you and leave you vulnerable. Instead, wield it like it was a weapon. For that’s exactly what it is.

  Jordan nodded again. The demon was gone. The young man slowly started to laugh.

  “I’m happy to take advice from a demon. I’m actually happy to take advice from a fucking demon.”

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  The cathedral.

  Twelfth street, Weidson.

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  15:09

  The towering cathedral looked so surreal in a small town like Weidson. Weidson Cathedral wasn’t like the one in any other town as obscure. It was a incredibly large wide monstrosity with steel gates and silver brick walls.

  Veronica stood in front of it, clutching the card in her hands. She had changed out of her earlier outfit and now wore a long loose skirt, a plain blouse and a hat covering her hair. She had made sure to clean up her face, so she looked presentable. The fierce look in her eyes was gone, replaced by a very meek one.

  You’re a natural at this. Pretending.

  “You get better and better each time you try.”

  Are you talking about your acting or something else?

  “You tell me.”

  She smiled as she held the knocker and slammed it against the gate three times. It took only a moment for the gate to open up for her.

  This is a church. Aren’t it’s gates supposed to be always open?

  Veronica strolled in, slightly bowing to the guards who waved back with big smiles.

  ‘It’s the sanctuary of light. A religion that started here in Pridon centuries ago. It became popular around 200 years ago. All other religions were droven away during the holy war. Public support was with them because apparently these priests can consistently perform miracles. Now I realise, those miracles of Tyr were probably just magic spells. I’m surprised you don’t know anything about them.’

  They leave their gates locked. Good to know. Apparently you humans always have something to hide.

  She walked into the main building and towards a huge door straight ahead. Reaching the door she soon discovered that it was locked.

  A man in a priest’s robe smiled at her from afar and started walking closer.

  ‘Why the fuck am I entertaining you?’

  You’re actually asking me that question?

  The man was still smiling when he spoke.

  “Veronica, is it? It’s so wonderful to see you again. You must’ve came for something?”

  “Erm..Good afternoon to you too, sir. If you would let me,” She showed him the card. His smile evaporated.

  “Veronica, could we speak inside my office?” He didn’t sound as happy as he was before. His eyes were darting around from left to right, sweat dripping from his brow.

  She nodded slowly.

  ‘I didn’t come here before. After getting the card from Ashley...I don’t really remember much.’

  You wandered into the woods and I took your body. That’s what happened.

  ‘What would have happened if I really did come here – if I actually got the paladin’s protection she spoke of? Don’t answer, Leech. It’s creepy for someone to reply to your thoughts.’

  Oh. So now you realise that?

  The door to his office was open already. He led her inside and went in himself. Then he shut the door tightly.

  Veronica took a seat, and the priest turned around her to take his seat opposite her.

  “Why would you bring out something like that in the main chapel? Especially with how you smell...”

  “Excuse me. With all due respect sir, I don’t think I smell.”

  Not acting anymore?

  “You don’t. You... it’s not a mundane smell exactly. More like the stench of,” He paused for a moment before completing his sentence. “the supernatural. Something..dark and twisted.”

  “Okay.” She said slowly, keeping eye contact with him. She adjusted her skirt, feeling the left side. The pistol she tucked into her skirt was still there.

  “I know you. Veronica, you used to come here when you were younger, remember? Until you grew up, moved out of your parent’s house and became an... irresponsible adult. I don’t want you to get hurt. It’s okay to tell me. What... happened to you?”

  ‘James. That was his name. Mr. James of the sanctuary of light.’

  She frowned.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You know about the paladins. Otherwise you won’t have that card in your hands and that look in your eye. Look, I don’t know what you did to get that, and I don’t want to know. I only want to understand what you’ve turned into, so I could make sense of it and see what I can do to help you.”

  Veronica kept mum.

  Mr. James sighed before continuing. “That card belongs to a paladin. It’s for identification. Also, certain paladins living in this Sanctuary have the ability to notice things like that from a mile away. You have no idea what they would do if they find you.”

  “They’ll kill me. I’m guessing they’ll kill me.”

  “Indeed. They’ll purge the evil out of you and you along with it. The Paladins take things to the extreme..to their own hands. But that card isn’t a normal card, Veronica. It’s a silver card belonging to the highest ranking paladins in Pridon. The Thirteen.”

  “Okay.”

  ‘Okay, so the paladins will kill me. That makes sense – since one of them nearly killed Lancaster just because he was a Mage. There’s no way I could get information out of them directly. But this man...’

  “Did you...kill somebody for it?”

  “No. I’m not a killer.” She got up. Those words somehow sounded harsher than anything else she had said.

  “You have a gun. Usually people with guns kill people. But I won’t argue with you. I’ll just take your word for it.”

  Veronica slumped back on the wooden chair. Her eyes stayed glued to his.

  “Why did you assume that I killed her?”

  “So Ashley was killed, then. I knew it. The Paladins were going on and on about how one of their Thirteen had disappeared and then you show up here a day later with her card. And plus the foul stench of the undead hovering around you, it almost seems obvious who murdered her. But I don’t want to believe it’s you.”

  “I didn’t kill her, Mister James. She saved my life.”

  “I understand. I’m sorry for accusing you of that....You need a place to hide away from the paladins. I know just where to,”

  “No.”

  “Pardon?”

  “I already have somewhere to go. I just need to ask you a few questions. I’ll leave as soon as I can, and I’ll keep the card tucked in. So please, listen to me and tell me as much as you can about the Paladins and Tyr.”

  Mr. James frowned once more.

  “I’ll try, but don’t expect much.”

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