The Spirits' Guide

Chapter 4

"Using magic will only get you killed." The demon scowled as Iris lit a blue candle next to the bed with a simple match.

She looked up at him with a raised brow. "This is the most basic of magic. Anyone can light a candle. However, only a witch can make this work. The only issue is that the breed of witch matters. If a Weather-witch were to attempt what I'm about to do, she would merely receive dreams of tranquility or just a sense of why she's depressed, maybe even call a Guide forth to ease her restless soul. Even a human will receive a similar effect. Thus, this is not magic but the first step in learning control."

"I'm sure you know a lot about that," he said dryly. Iris shrugged as she got into the bed, fully clothed.

"Using the blue candle is the first step for a Realm-witch to understand her abilities and responsibilities. Once she understands how crucial it is for her to know the dangers of being out of control, and those of the many different realms there are, she won't need such a thing. She would need to use her own magic, not that of a dyed candle," Iris mumbled as she began to yawn.

"When was the last time you were in another realm?"

"A week. I may have been 'laxed in my job as a demon hunter but I'm still a Guide. It's my priority to calm the distressed spirits in all realms, including the Dream-Realm. Night."

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Owen walked through the school, wondering where the exit was. His breathing quickened as he turned another corner to a dead-end.

After the fourth turn that led to a dead-end, he began to get frustrated. Turning around so he could continue his search for the exit, Owen tripped. Stumbling forward in confusion, he looked behind to see the object that tripped him up. It wasn't an object.

The small creature cowered beneath Owen, its entire teddy-bear sized body shook.

He leaned forward to see if it was unharmed when it stopped shaking.

Suddenly, the creature turned on him and hissed before it leapt into the air and onto Owen's head.

He screamed along with the creature's strangled hisses as his face was scratched and mauled by the terrorizing monster.

A sudden burst of blue and white light made both the creature and Owen stop. Both of them looked in the direction of the lights. He gasped.

It was Iris. The hooded girl was haloed by a brilliant blue light as she sent sparks of white onto the small creature's fingers.

The creature shrieked as it leapt away from Owen. He watched as it sliced one of the walls in the hallway, gawked as a black stain appeared on the wall.

Looking closer, he understood that it wasn't a stain but more of a tear in the wall.

Without hesitation, the creature leaped into the dark tear before Iris quickly closed it with a shot of her own magic.

Owen panted on the ground as he stared at the girl who had saved his life more than once in the same day.

Iris just turned to him and said, "At least you didn't piss yourself, that's an improvement." Owen blushed before he felt a flicker of anger flare in his heart.

"Thanks for helping me but I can take care of myself." Owen snapped as he got up carelessly, nearly falling back onto the ground.

Iris walked past him saying, "Whatever." That spark became a quick flame.

"I would never want the help of a witch. All your kind do is curse humans. Witches should just drop dead." Owen growled out, albeit half-heartedly. He couldn't stop the voice inside his head laughing at his pathetic excuses of insults.