by D. S. Craig
Malkael averted his gaze, staring down at one of the nearby books. With a distant smile on his face, he reached out and ran his fingers over the cover. “So, you noticed that. The answer isn’t anything special, though. I hope to one day be able to use instruction-based magic again.”
I felt my ears perk up at his choice of words. “Again? So you’re saying that you used to be able to use it, but you can’t anymore?”
“That’s right. Not since I lost my family.” He turned his gaze back to me, a sudden determination in his eyes. “Do you remember the night I found you and your master in that old classroom with that magic circle?”
“Yeah.” I thought back to that night. “You mentioned something about the magic she was using being demon worshiper magic, and tried to stop us. What was that about, anyway?”
Malkael nodded. “I’ve since confirmed this with the headmistress, but your master took those runes from an artifact produced by the archdemon Thel’al, correct?”
“That’s right, but I don’t see why that makes them evil. They’re just a tool and like any tool, whether they’re good or bad will depend on how you use them.”
“A fair enough opinion. However, I think there are some things that mortal men shouldn’t meddle in, and those runes lead directly down that path.”
I furrowed my brow at Malkael’s declaration. I vaguely remembered that similar debates had been had back in my old world. However, instead of magic, the worry had been that technology would lead to mankind playing god. Still, I hadn’t seen anything yet that would lead me to believe such a problem existed in this world, so I decided to press Malkael. “What makes you so certain? I haven’t seen anything that makes me believe what you’re saying so far.”
“I doubt you have. At first glance, the runes seem harmless. After all, they don’t allow you to do anything a well-constructed spell written out in long-form couldn’t do.” Malkael got up and started pacing back and forth in the small space. “You’re aware of the ancient runes scattered about our world?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not.”
“I see. Allow me to give a brief explanation, then.” Without even realizing it, Malkael had shifted into instructor mode and began giving me a lecture. “Our world is filled with ruins from what many believe was a civilization far more advanced than our own. This theory mostly comes from the many powerful magic artifacts we have recovered from them. Their capabilities far exceed what any mage or nation can currently accomplish, and they’re treated as national treasures due to their power.”
“Wait, so every country is basically stockpiling superweapons from these ruins?” I felt my fur stand on end a little at the idea. “That sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
“Yes. There have certainly been issues with this in the past.” Malkael walked over to the wall and tapped on a map he had hanging there. His finger landed on a large nation just to the northwest of the alliance. “In fact, that’s how the empire came about. A single small country came to possess enough artifacts that their neighbors couldn’t resist them. It wasn’t until the alliance was formed that their campaign could be stopped. That’s not really important, though. What’s important is that I’ve actually had a chance to inspect some artifacts in the alliance’s possession over the years. Can you guess what I found?”
Malkael turned and sifted through the piles of paper on his desk and pulled out two drawings. One was of the staff that the headmistress had used the night the beasts had attacked the academy. Meanwhile, the other was a sketch of the collar we had recovered from Fang and the runes on it. As my eyes flitted between the two, they went wide as I realized what Malkael was getting at.
“These runes, a bunch of them are the same.”
Malkael nodded. “That’s right. It’s not just these two items in particular either.” He paused, his face becoming strained as if what he was about to say physically pained him. “Every artifact that I have ever studied has had some of the runes that can be attributed to demons and their followers carved onto them. In particular, the runes for combining smaller processes are quite common.”
I felt my tail twitch about as Malkael continued his explanation. There were a few things that weren’t adding up to me. “Wait—if the runes are carved onto these artifacts, why aren’t they used more commonly in magic?”
Malkael shrugged. “As I’m sure you know, most people consider runes and magic circles to be useless. They require the caster to provide magic energy, which makes them less than ideal for use in combat.”
“If that’s the case, then why are these artifacts so valued?”
“That’s because almost every single one can somehow store magic.” He pointed to the picture of the staff. “The crystal here on the top stores an absolutely absurd amount of magical energy, which can then be used to power the and enhance the wielder’s spells.”
“So, they’re just like the artifacts Thel’al made.” Thanks to Malkael’s explanation and having watched Lesti analyze Fang’s collar, I knew why no one was bothering to study the runes on these artifacts. People felt you needed a magic energy source in order for them to be useful, but they couldn’t create anything like the crystal. Despite all the research Lesti had done into Thel’al’s runes, not a single one of them had been related to storing the magical energy inside the collar. There was some other piece of the puzzle that was missing there.
“Based on your expression, I take it you’ve realized the issue?” Malkael placed the drawing he was holding on top of a nearby stack of books. “No one has been able to discover the secret to storing magical energy inside an object; without that, these runes are useless. In fact, I find it quite strange that your master is so fascinated with them. It seems like she could find more productive things to do with her time.”
Ah, that’s right. He doesn’t know that you can use magic circles as a stand-in for instruction-magic chants. Of course, it seems like a waste of time to him, but if that’s the case…
“Then, let me ask you this, Malkael.” I looked him right in the eye as I addressed him. “Why are you studying the artifacts?”
At my question, the pained expression returned to his face, and his tone became self-deprecating. “Maybe it’s because I’m a fool who can’t let go of the past. You heard my exchange with my brother on the night of the attack, yes?”
“I did.” I furrowed my brow as I tried to recall what exactly Ulrich had said. “You said he killed your family, but he claimed you had your own part in that. What exactly did he mean by that?”
“I would advise you don’t listen to anything a filthy demon worshiper like my brother says.” Malkael’s response was calm, but I could feel the rage and anger that were bubbling under the surface as he spoke. “My brother was a talented mage who had graduated near the top of his class here at the academy. He was even selected to be one of the students who learned instruction-based magic, the first in my family’s history. My parents were so proud of him, and I was, too.
“Then everything fell apart.” Malkael looked down at the drawing of the artifact he had set nearby. “One day, he was hired to join a research expedition to look for artifacts in one of the many ruins scattered about our territory. When he came back, he was a changed man. He had always strived to be the best at his studies before. However, after that expedition, he threw himself into studying everything he could about magic runes. At first, it was fine. Researching magical runes was odd, but there was nothing sinister about it. Then the rumors started.”
Malkael paused, his gaze distant as he recalled what seemed to be a rather dark period in his past. “At first, it was nothing but small animals, things like snakes and birds. The maids found their corpses, cut open and disfigured. However, reports soon came in about my brother trying to buy livestock. My parents confronted him on why he needed such things, but when asked, he would only tell them that he needed it for his research. They forbid him from making any such purchases, of course.”
“I’m guessing that did
n’t stop him, though.” I felt my own gaze grow stern as I listened to Malkael’s story. Based on what he had said so far, I could guess where this was going.
“That’s right. When he was forbidden from purchasing them, he simply stole them, took them out into the woods, and performed his heinous experiments there.” Malkael began to shake, his knuckles going white as he clenched his fists. “Finally, one day, my parents had had enough. They went to confront him in his lab that he had set up in the cellar. When they didn’t return immediately, I began to worry, so I went after them. What I found there was madness.”
Malkael gritted his teeth, his eyes wild as he recalled what he had seen. “When I went into the cellar, I found my parents bound and gagged. Meanwhile, my brother was bartering away their lives to a greater demon to form a pact with it. He had constructed some sick, twisted form of the summoning ritual.
“When I saw what he had done, what he had become, I flew into a fury and attacked him and his greater demon. However, the demon was far stronger than I had realized. Only being a third year at the academy at the time, I had barely begun to use instruction-based magic myself.” Malkael’s voice began to tremble. “I-I knew it was risky, but I had to do it. Otherwise, none of us would have survived, and that thing would have gone free.”
He stopped, breathing ragged, eyes hollow. I could tell how much this was tearing him up inside. “Malkael, that’s enough. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Malkael’s eyes lost their distant look as she stared at me for a long moment. Taking a deep breath, he spoke once more. “No, you need to hear this so that you can protect your master. Keep her from making the same mistake I did. I-I hastily constructed a flame spell using instruction-based magic, one strong enough to destroy the greater demon. However, I made it too strong.”
Malkael pulled up the sleeve on his right arm. Up to his elbow, everything was normal. However, past that, his skin was disfigured and scarred, as though it had been burned many years ago. “The spell reduced the greater demon to ash along with my parents. My brother and I were the only survivors. He was able to escape by using the demon as a shield. Meanwhile, I was severely injured by the blowback from the spell.”
I stared at Malkael’s arm for a long moment, unsure what I should say. But I couldn’t sit there all day and say nothing, so I steeled my resolve. “I-I’m sorry. To lose your family in such a manner. That’s horrible.”
Malkael ran his fingers over his scars. “I was never able to forgive myself for my mistake that night. If I hadn’t messed up my spell, my parents wouldn’t have died, and my brother wouldn’t have escaped. Don’t let your master make the same mistake I did, Astria.”
It broke my heart to see Malkael blame himself for everything like that. He was nothing more than a child when this had happened. I doubted that facing off against a greater demon was something most people could survive, not to mention defeating the thing. Most likely, if he hadn’t taken the gamble that he had, both he and his parents would have died, and the greater demon would have gone free.
Still, I knew that nothing I could say to him at this point would help him. If anything, it would only make him resent me. So, I said the only thing I could. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect her. After all, that’s my job as her familiar.”
Malkael closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze was steady, and a gentle smile played across his lips. “Thank you. I’m sure you’ll do an excellent job. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to prepare for class.”
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time, Instructor.”
When Malkael didn’t move, I made my way to the door and let myself out using magic. I had gotten the answers I wanted. It wasn’t that Malkael didn’t know how to use instruction-based magic, but rather that his regret stopped him from doing so. With a heavy heart, I closed the door behind me and made my way down the hall to join Lesti, wishing I hadn’t let my curiosity get the better of me.
A Lonely Nightmare
A young girl stood in the kitchen, helping her mother prepare dinner. Everything was peaceful in their small home as the family chatted happily about nothing in particular. Yet, for some reason, the girl couldn’t shake the anxiety welling up from deep inside her. Perhaps it was because she already knew what came next.
As she struggled to ignore her impending sense of doom, a knock came at the door. Her mother set her knife down and headed over to answer it, mumbling about the late hour. Inside, the girl screamed at her not to answer it, begging and pleading for her not to open the door. However, no matter how much she wished for it, her body wouldn’t move. She simply stood there, cutting vegetables.
A few moments later, there was a loud shout and a thud. The girl turned to find her mother knocked to the ground, several dark figures pushing into their home. She tried to flee to her father’s side, but they reached her first and pulled her toward the door. She struggled with everything she had to break free, but they forced her outside and began to drag her down the street.
Her father rushed out after her but was quickly grabbed by several of the shadowy figures. Pulling as hard as she could, the girl managed to slip free from her assailant and raced down the street toward her father. Before she could reach him, another large, shadowy figure dashed in front of her, filling her vision.
Unlike the others, this one wasn’t human, but some form of beast. Large, piercing yellow eyes that seemed to stare into her soul were accompanied by a mouth full of razor-sharp fangs. Again, she tried to run, tried to fight back, but her body wouldn’t move. She could only stand there frozen with fear as those piercing yellow eyes drew closer and closer, filling her vision.
Then, just as suddenly as it had all begun, it ended. Rose jolted awake in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. The first light of dawn peaked in through her window as she stared at the ceiling of her barren room in the girls’ dormitory. It took her several minutes to get her emotions under control enough to get out of bed and begin preparing for the day. Even then, the piercing yellow eyes stuck in the back of her head, refusing to fade away.
She let out a heavy sigh as she finished dressing. The nightmare had haunted her for years, but it had grown more frequent recently. If she had to give a reason, it would probably be them. The image of a cheery red-headed girl and her much more mellow friend with unusually green hair flashed through her mind, along with their two familiars. Every day for the previous week, they had tried to approach her, going so far as to chase her around campus.
She had told them she wasn’t interested in talking, that she simply wanted to be left alone, but the girl named Lesti had insisted on getting to know her. At first, she had just assumed that they would give up after a few days, but each day the group had become more aggressive, and Rose was beginning to reach her wit’s end. The baron had gone to great lengths to ensure she was alone, and she had done everything she could to keep it that way. She had to. Yet, those four were wrecking everything.
As she headed out to the field to do her work for the morning, she swore to herself that she would properly chase them off today. No matter how much they insisted, she was going to get them to leave her alone. She slowly built up her confidence as she circled the dorm, repeating the same thing over and over in her head. I’ll make them give up for sure today.
Finally, with an emphatic nod, she picked up her gardening hoe with a determined look on her face. But in her determination, she failed to realize one thing. The piercing yellow eyes that so frequently haunted her even after she had awoken from her dreams were nowhere to be seen, replaced by the image of a cheerful girl with fiery red hair and bright green eyes.
* * *
Later that afternoon, Rose once again headed out to her little garden behind the girls’ dorm. But this time, she was constantly glancing around, keeping an eye out for any signs of the second-year girls and their familiars. A few other nearby students looked at her with perplexed expressions, but s
he hardly noticed them with how focused she was. To her surprise, she managed to make it to the garden without ever spotting said second-years.
That’s unusual. Normally, they come running over the moment classes end. It really is such a pain. The pair of girls were rather famous. Not only were they both near the top of their year, but they both had familiars, despite only being second years. Having them run up and try to talk to her in front of so many other students drew a lot of unwanted attention.
As she picked up her garden hoe, she scanned the area one last time. All around her, students moved about in small groups, chatting with each other, laughing, and talking about the tournament preparation classes. For a long moment, Rose just stood there watching them, emotions that she had long forgotten beginning welling up within her.
Since starting at the academy, she had accepted she wouldn’t be a typical student. The baron had only enrolled her here in the hopes she would be able to use the academy’s resources and knowledge to figure out how to use her ability better. Nothing else mattered to him—not her classes, nor her relationships with her fellow students. Until now, she had been fine with that, going so far as to start this garden and sacrificing the time she could be spending studying or making friends to instead try and learn just a bit more about her ability.
It wasn’t that she didn’t feel lonely or that she didn’t want to study magic. Rather, it was that she knew there was no point in trying. She had to follow the baron’s orders, or she would lose everything. Knowing that, she had taken her true feelings and pushed them deep down inside her, locking them away.
Yet as she stood there watching her fellow students, she felt the pangs of loneliness surfacing, forcing themselves out of the prison she had locked them in. Shaking her head to try and ward off the feelings she couldn’t acknowledge, she took her hoe and began to till the field. With each swing, she slammed the tool into the ground with far more force than necessary, desperate to shake off the emotions continuing to plague her.