shadows

0 - 05

What is mana?

The world is made up of energy. All things material are built up with energy. And then there is so much more energy, that flows free. This free energy is what those in the night call mana.

Elementals see this energy as living organisms. And that allows them to control this energy, this mana, through their feelings and with their imagination.

Witches depend on the words inherited from the ancients and then the gods. Words that form a doorway, offering a handle on the energy. This is easier in comparison, but requires a lot more memorisation.

Shuuto were outsiders. Aliens. Otherworlders. The energy of this world, the mana of this world, is but a construct to them.

And all who could see, who could feel the mana were of the night.

A long time ago, before the gods disappeared, the last thing they did was to split the world. Into day and night. Day belonged to the regulars. Who were blind to mana.

This event is what we call the split.

-

Krom drew the mana in a shade of red. Forming tens of tiny arrows in front of him. He intended to shoot the arrows at Eustace.

Eustace was quicker. Primarily because she didn’t need many preparations. The shield she had already cast, she hurled at him. As she began incanting another spell.

The shield flew over like a heavy object thrown with great strength from a great height. It was an unstoppable mass crashing at immeasurable speed. Krom shot the arrows, quicker and more wildly than he initially intended. A fourth of the arrows burned away before melting the shield. The explosion threw him back several meters. He slid to his knees before coming to a stop. And when he looked up, Eustace was ready with her spell.

The spell was neither an attack nor a shield. It was a teleportation spell. Targeted at Eustace and Emerald. Eustace had completed the incantation and activated the spell. She was grinning victoriously.

Krom showed no expression. Remained unaffected.

It was Tremor who spoke.

“This is so boring. I asked you two to battle. A brawl would have been nice too. But all you show me are silly tricks. Am I supposed to be impressed?” Tremor looked at Eustace and continued. “What do you think? You won? You’ve saved Emerald? She’s already gone. The elemental is so much more decisive, so much more vicious, and so much, much more cunning. Do you still not see it?”

Dark arrows had shot off of the ground underneath Emerald’s feet. Burrowed into the defenceless young witch. Emerald was bleeding from the wounds. The ground under her feet a pool of red.

Eustace was astonished. She should have expected this. She was powerful. She was a great witch. But all her knowledge, all her authority was limited to understanding the extent and limitations of spells, both ancient and new. She was an academic. She was no match for a true battler.

Which was what Krom was. As renowned as he was for his sensitivity, which allowed him to see all elements, he was even more popular for how good his sensitivity made him at battles. He was stronger, a better battler than almost ninety percent of all in the night. He was a true battler. So much so that he was even nicknamed, battle maniac.

There was absolutely no possibility of Eustace standing a chance against Krom in battle.

“And what do you think?” Tremor asked Krom. “You won? This is so boring.” With a snap of his fingers, the dark arrows were dug out. But Emerald was still drained of blood and life. She collapsed, as if it was Tremor who had held her up all this time. Tremor continued, still looking at Krom. “Doesn’t change anything. Your dear sister isn’t any better. I am so done. Oh, I do have something for the both of you too. What were you expecting? You summon. And I’ll come all thankful, ready to give you whatever you wish for? Did you really think you understood everything, after deciphering the rune? I’ll let you know. No. You know nothing. You know not what you have done. You know not what you have incurred. You cannot imagine what is going to happen now.”

Tremor rose to his feet. And flashed. There wasn’t the smallest ripple in the energy of the world. And yet, he disappeared from where he stood and reappeared by Krom’s side. Krom and Eustace were both wide eyed. Startled. Disbelieving. Terrified. And helpless. Not even Krom could do a thing, as Tremor grabbed Krom’s neck. Krom was taller and bigger, but on his knees he lost all advantage. They were both eye to eye. And Krom’s neck was an easy grab for Tremor in Anton’s smaller and shorter body.

Tremor activated some kind of magic that Krom didn’t recognise, but certainly felt the violent changes in the energy.

“You like fire, don’t you?” Tremor asked. “I’ll show you my fire arrows.”

The hundreds of bright golden arrows that formed all around were the size of the tiniest needles. But every one of them arrows was rippling so wildly, they were causing ripples that looked more like massive storm waves. The space was so distorted it didn’t seem like this world.

Krom could only stare at the arrows for a few seconds, before feeling disoriented and dizzy. And when he turned away, dragging his eyes back to Tremor, to the familiar and unfamiliar face of Anton, he froze. Tremor was grinning. But the face was beastly.

It was as if Tremor was waiting for just this. He held Krom’s eyes for the briefest moment. All was calm. Then, the arrows hurtled in, at Krom.

Each arrow tore into Krom. Exploding inside. Kicking up a storm. Each storm capable of tearing down Krom. Only there were hundreds of them. It was a dazzling sight of gruesome beauty. The golden flames were in the midst of red flecks of blood and flesh and white mists of crushed bone and colourless flecks of other fluids. Krom had disintegrated. Disappeared from existence.

Eustace had watched it all drowning in astonishment. Only when it all ended, and calm had returned, did she realise, she was next. She was trembling as her eyes were glued to Tremor, who slowly turned toward her.

Tremor flashed. And he was standing in front of Eustace. Inches away. “You like spells,” he said. “Shall I show you a really great spell?”

It wasn’t a question. He finished the incantation in a second. His lips moving impossibly fast. They were a blur, and the incantation was complete. The mana condensed into a shield that was so much like the one she had cast not too long ago. But a lot denser. A lot more terrifying. A moment after the shield turned solid, it began squeezing into her. Crushing the space even that stood in its path.

Eustace stood frozen. Watching the shield coming at her. Watching death come at her. And she remained watching as the shield crushed her into pulp.

Tremor flashed again. Leaving the hall that was in tatters and soiled. Appearing outside. By the lake’s side.

The clearing was wide. There was enough room for the castle and the lake and so much more. Under the blood night, all was quiet. And still. He was so much more comfortable in this.

He sat down on the back. Looked down into the lake’s still, mirror like surface. And spoke to Anton on the other side.

“Now, what do we do about you? How about a game? How about I give you a wild card? It opens a window. To anywhere. To any time. You can’t jump through. But you can whisper. Send out your voice. What would you do? I want to see.”