Twisted Wonderland

Dangerous Accumulation

"Headmage, may we come in?"

You, Deuce and Ace walk into the Headmage's office. You hold Grim in your arms. You still marvel at the floating paintings displaying the Great Seven.

"How's it going, sir?" Ace asks.

"Ah. Thank you all for coming." Crowley sits behind his large, wooden desk.

"I'll get right to the point. Now that the Heartslabyul incident is behind us... I wanted to give you a proper debriefing on the matter. If you're to become mages, you need to fully understand the malady that befell Mr. Rosehearts."

"You called it overblot, right?" Says Deuce.

Crowley nods. "Yes, that is correct."

"My brother told me a little about that." Ace adds in. "He said that could happen to anyone who builds up too much blot. Sounds like Cater was pretty much on the nose with berserker mode."

"Yeah but, what is blot anyway?" Grim asks.

"Ah, indeed. For your sake and Y/N's, it would behoove us to start with the basics. I shall teach you all you need to know. Charity, thy name is Crowley!"

You quirk an eyebrow and Crowley clears his throat. "Now, blot is a form of waste that is created as a byproduct of using magic. Just as cars run on gasoline, and in the process, expel dangerous gases as exhaust. Casting spells consumes magical energy, and in the process, expels blot."

"That doesn't sound very healthy." You hold Grim close to you. "Who knew magic had a carbon footprint?"

The Headmage nods. "Quite. Research into the nature of blot has been conducted since time immemorial. And yet, we still understand little about it. All we know for sure is that it is terrifically toxic, and excessive amounts can wreak havoc on a mage's mind and body."

Ace scratches the back of his neck. "I guess that's why Grandma was always naggin' me to not overdo it with the magic, huh? Here I thought she just didn't want me to break stuff."

"Power and peril are two sides of the same coin." Crowley continues. "Even the greatest of mages cannot cast spell after spell without consequence."

Grim tilts his head. "So you're tellin' me I'm gonna get sick if I keep usin' magic whenever I want?"

"Not necessarily." Crowley puts a clawed hand to his chin. "Hm. Perhaps a demonstration would prove more efficient than a mere explanation. Ghosts, assemble! I have a job for you!"

A couple ghosts materialized next the the Headmage. "Huzzah! You summoned us, Headmage?"

"Not these guys again!" Ace cries out.

"Would you be so kind as to help me put these young students through their paces?" Crowley asks the ghosts.

Deuce takes a step back. "This seems like a bad idea."

"Yeah, okay. We'll go a round or two with 'em." The ghosts turn to face you, mischief in their eyes.

"Now, students, ready your magical pens. Prepare to receive a special lesson from your headmage!"

Great.

Grim crawls back to you and hops onto your shoulder after defeating the last of the ghosts. He shoots a glare at the Headmage.

"Hey, Headmage, what's the deal? What does fightin' ghosts got to do with blot?"

"Direct your attention to the magestone on your collar, Mr. Grim."