A Crumbling Society

Part 2-7

"Reveal yourself", I called but nothing happened, "oh you're stubborn aren't you", I said, hoping it would do something.

A couple seconds and the girl from Thornrift slowly emerged out of the shadow on the wall. Her body floated forward almost like coming through a portal, her school uniform was the outfit of choice. A coat and tie, the undershirt tucked into a skirt with knee high socks and black boots. The black hair on her head gave a shine in the light as it hung down her back. Wiping the cut on her forehead moved her bangs away showing me the scowl. "I didn't think anyone was in the shadow in my defense", I pleaded.

"Leave it be, I don't care for your pity", she spat coldly

"Well okay then"

"So, I guess we'll 'ave a go ah it then", she spoke revealing an accent.

"I guess so", I told her. Now standing here waiting to see who makes the first move, I was curious about what she would try. Multiple things crossed my mind as to what magic she had and how to counter. Her hands stayed in place below her waistline, only the girl's fingertips moved apart. Suddenly the whole ground began to darken, a huge shadow moved under the rubble across the way. Reaching over to where I was standing, my own shadow disappeared and some of the objects began to sink. "Are you using dark energy?", I asked.

"Noh", she rolled her eyes, staying focused too.

The ground below me began to pull me in, I looked around to see if I could grab onto something. An object stuck out from the wall behind me, this would be ideal to stable myself. Trying to grab at it some of the shadow extended up, it began falling in my direction, reaching to catch it the girl yelled at me.

"I don think so"

Some of the other ruins began rolling towards me, now I have to figure out how to stop one from falling and the others from hitting me. I guess they'll all do the same in the end, the one above was moving slowly so I acted. Hands out on both sides forcing the two rolling in my direction to stop. After sending them away I turned back above me casting to hold it in place. Nothing happened, I tried again with more focus and slowly the column came to a stop. Just in time to catch it but it was heavy even without my actual hand holding it. It forced me into the darkness as it weighed me down, there was no time to cast. My body sunk deeper, and I couldn't move in the shadow at all, the only free hand was occupied. A moment later and my face entered like I went underwater, there was only dark. The only thing that blipped in my head was to change the weight of this heavy thing. The relevance of the object went out the window since I was already under, it too probably got absorbed. Casting on it, hoping I was still clutching to it with my hand, it reversed in motion. I could still feel my attachment to it through magic, slowly pulling itself back into the world. Flicking my wrist to pivot the object in the other direction I cast again, and it returned to its normal mass. It landed in a spot where there was no dark area pulling me out just a little to still see the girl. My left shoulder and face were sticking out the ground, everything stopped, and I was unable to move still. Feeling as if I were glued to the floor the girl approached me closer to gloat.

"Look'n comfy", she teased

"Eh, I've been in worse situations", I told her.

A shrug and she asks if I figured out what her magic was. "If you can't have figured it out by now", she trailed.

"I have ideas", I cut her off. "We only just got started", I told her.

"How do you mean", she asked with confusion.

I gave her a look, "well, specializing in black magic I sort of know a lot of its tricks".

"How would you kno' about black magic, you're a hero", she seemed annoyed, also contradicting my life choice in the process.