Witchcraft: OriginsVol. 1

Chapter Six

The seven teenagers walk through a forest, Alex carrying Aietaon as grass reaches halfway to her calves. "Onee-Chan," he asks, looking up at the girl. "Yeah?" she asks. "What is magic, exactly? I know there's a lot of stuff it can do, but what? And how?"

Alex giggles. She remembers the day she asked the same thing. "Magic," she starts, "is something that is within us all. It flows within us, enhancing our abilities. The strange thing, however, is that it is not a part of the body, but of the soul."

James looks her way, listening intently. "The stronger your soul, the stronger your magic. Those of human birth with extremely strong souls are the Witches and Warlocks."

"Like you and James-Kun, Onee-Chan?" Aietaon asks, to which Alex nods with another giggle. "Yes. A witch's soul is so strong that it is able to manifest outside of the body, but still have full control over it, as well as being able to manipulate the environment and additional things. Magic is basically the transfer and manipulation of energy."

"What types of magic are there?" he asks. Alex looks up in thought. "Well," she says. "There are actually three main types. Light, Dark, and Elemental. Light is good, Dark is bad, and Elemental magic is neither good nor bad, but neutral. Light magic is basically any magic that is only beneficial. No matter what, you can't use Light magic to harm someone. Elemental is neither good nor bad. It can be used to benefit or harm others. Dark magic, however, will always harm in some way, and is forbidden. The consequences of using Dark magic range from exhaustion to death to the loss of your soul.

"Transformation magic is another, much less common neutral magic and is not learned, but genetic. This is the magic possessed by Spirits and were creatures. Certain witches poses this, however, and are called Shifters."

"Are you a shifter?" James asks, looking at Alex. "Of sorts," she answers with a mischievous smile, her teeth at slight points. James chuckles as he turns his head away. This girl can be intimidating at times, but she's clearly a kind person. He thinks back to the Inn this morning, the look in her eyes. In them was a look of anger, sadness, and determination. She must have been really close to her teacher.

"What was that?" Amethyst suddenly asks. They all stop in their tracks. Alex hands Aietaon to Signet before, slowly, drawing her sword from behind her cloak. The forest is too quiet. Moments ago the creatures were chirping, hooting and growling with life, now it's almost completely silent. A heavy feeling hangs in the air, making it harder to breathe. Amethyst lowers her head searching all around with her eyes and nose as she struggles to hold in a growl. Spin's nails turn to claws as his spiky hair rises on end and his teeth sharpen.

James opens his mouth to speak, but Alex hushes him. Her nails sharpen and her canine teeth form into points. Something isn't right. Alex can feel a presence, but she can't tell where it is. She should be able to pinpoint its exact location, but, for some reason, she can't.

She looks to her Familiars and sees that they have the same problem. Suddenly, she senses a shift in movement and makes her move just in time. She stands in front of James, using her dark blade to protect him from the creature that just tried to attack him.

The beast is quite a strange creature. It has the face of a man, but it has a huge, gaping maw with multiple rows of razor sharp teeth twisted into a horrific grin. It has the body of a lion and the end of its tail is covered in needles. The claws are long and sharp like razors, hooked onto the sword so it is able to stand on its hind legs. It looks Alex in the eye.

With a grunt, she swings her sword, pushing the beast off. "Thanks," James gasps, eyes wide as he stares at the creature in disbelief. "What the hell is that?" he asks. The beast lunges at Alex with a roar. "It's a...Manti...core...." she grunts, struggling against the full weight of the beast. The monster's grin widens horrifyingly.