The Seventh Spirit

by Adam-Clay Webb

“That’s the thing… This energy… is in Libson.”

  “Libson?”

  The chattering soared to new levels. There was even some amount of laughter. This must have been a joke. The man held up his right hand, and the noise subsided accordingly.

  “You are usually a credible source, Hawthorne.”

  “Never wrong, my Lord,” she added.

  “But it is common knowledge that existing outside of Notherland are mere tens of magicians, at most a hundred, most of them unable to surpass the fourth grade of magic due to the impurity in their blood. You want me to believe that this centurial power, this great degree of magic that shows its head once every two or three generations exists outside of my continent?”

  Hawthorne remained silent of a while, holding her head down, knowing how ridiculous the idea sounded. She then looked back up at the continent’s leader.

  “Magma Town. That’s where this power is. I felt it for just a moment, yet I was able to track it down to its precise location. It’s very difficult to track sixth grade magic outside of a hundred-mile radius, and I tracked this power all the way to South Magma Town… I’d say this power is worth checking out,” she said confidently.

  “She does have a valid point,” an experienced man who was well over seventy and wielded fourth grade mana said. Hawthorne sighed, feeling more hopeful of being taken seriously.

  “As for Trium,” Hawthorne continued, “I can’t tell just yet his exact due date, but I’m pretty sure it’s well under a year from now.” Chattering began again. “It could be next week,” she said. “We must find this power and use it to our nation’s advantage!”

  “Nonsense!” a middle-aged man opposed, rising quickly to his feet. All eyes turned to him. He was the army’s sub-under-supreme general, and a magician himself, wielding fifth grade magic. Most of the higher-ups were magicians. “This is Notherland! We are the magic capital of the world, and by far the world’s most powerful, most united country! We need not even think to solicit help from the likes of Magmalian power! Our forces will be more than enough to destroy Trium!” A loud uproar began, and the SUSG took his seat.

  “You have no idea how powerful this force of darkness is!” Hawthorne blasted at the ignorant man.

  “Alright, alright, let’s settle down now,” Kaleb commanded, looking down at his war-battered left hand and holding up the other. He finally stood. Then, there was utter silence everywhere. “I may not be a magician,” he said, as he started many of his speeches, “but I am no fool or stranger to war… Firstly, there will be no panic, at least not from us, the leaders of the nation, who the whole world will look upon for aid when this spirit comes down on us. Measures are already being put in place for the coming of Trium, and however powerful this one witch or wizard is, their power is negligible compared to the strength of our forces.” He was, in his younger days, Notherland’s supreme general, and knew well how capable their defence force was. “Special training is in progress as I speak, and has been in progress for fifteen, sixteen years. Our special forces have been organized and are preparing to face this prophetic power, which even the gods, Oga and Kizer struggled to defeat.”

  “Of that I am aware, Mr. Prime Minister,” Hawthorne said, sounding apologetic.

  The man continued. “Our healing and sealing teams have never been this well prepared. I will not underestimate the enemy, Hawthorne, but you should not underestimate our forces. Have faith in our power. Even without this power you sensed, we will be a terrible force to be reckoned with. Oga will look on us from the realm of the gods and be proud of his glorious lineage.”

  ***

  “Heh! That’s mate in three moves!” Azar threatened, advancing a square with his queen. Huh? Azar looked at the smirk on Blade’s face.

  “Worked like a charm, princess,” Blade said, gripping his knight. “That queen’s as dead as your mother.” Azar’s eyes widened as he saw an inevitable fork that would cost him either his queen or two rooks.

  Damn it.

  “Hey! Blade! Azar!” an excited, kiddish voice called from the window. They turned their attention to the grinning Lex. Lex hurriedly opened the front door and went inside.

  “You finally arrive!” Azar greeted.

  ***

  Kyle looked down at the unconscious Star. He touched her forehead almost nervously, and felt her chest for a heartbeat, then her nostrils for breathing. Both breathing and heartbeat were slow and steady, and her body felt quite warm. Hmm. Is this woman getting more beautiful every day? “She’ll be alright, sis,” he told Clover, who was still sobbing behind him, grieving still in guilt and sorrow. That power… He thought of the strange power that Clover had wielded just moments ago.

  ***

  “So that’s the plan,” Azar finalized, rolling up the map. Blade could hardly pay attention to the little meeting. His mind was plagued by other things. He almost constantly saw the horrid image behind that dark steel mask. Lex looked up quickly as he saw Blade fling his hand back as if to grab his sword. He only clenched his fist; no sword was present. The feeling of fright he felt moments before he died came back to him with deep force.

  It will have to wait… But somehow… I will seek you out, brother… I’ll be sure to join you in hell.

  “Hey, Blade,” Lex said. The sword master’s mind returned to where his body was as Lex called out to him. “You okay, man?”

  “Are you afraid, prodigy of Zakashi Village?” Azar came in.

  “Ha!” Blade laughed a little, trying to focus on the mission at hand. “Far from it, princess.”

  Chapter 34: The Backdoor

  Rain reigned from the skies of Rander. Kyle, Star and Clover were pretty dry, though. They’d set up camp under the broad leaves of a rather thick cluster of trees they had found, so their tents weren’t bothered by the rain. Kyle sat by Star in her tent as Clover prepared some tea.

  “First Blade and now Lex… And Zen…” he muttered to himself. “If I only had the strength to walk.” He clenched his teeth and held his belly as he felt more pain. Damn it, Clover… I wonder…Where’d she go? Is she… Kyle hissed, looking back down at Star’s peaceful face. You better wake soon, Star… Zen… Stay alive out there…

  ***

  Azar looked down at the complex map. The Icemaker, the wizard and the swordless swordsman peered out at the line of cottages before them.

  “Just more roads and houses,” Lex said, a bit perturbed. “We’re getting nowhere.”

  “This map is extremely detailed,” Azar said, “and it’s saying this portal we’re looking for is right here before us.”

  “In the house?” Lex asked with a wrinkled face.

  “That’s right,” Azar answered, still looking down at the map.

  “Let’s go then,” Blade said. They moved to the nearby cottage. On reaching, they noticed quickly that it was unoccupied. The houses to its immediate left and right were occupied, one by and old couple and the other by a youngster. “The door’s locked,” Blade told them, releasing the knob. People around looked at them, wondering what they were about.

  “Step aside,” Azar told him, and grabbed on to the knob. “Emotnepo,” he said in a whisper, as he shielded with his body the bright red mana that glowed from his hand. He then turned the knob and entered the house.

  “Wielding such amazing door-opening abilities, how did you manage to die?” Blade said. Azar hissed and laughed a little.

  They entered the cottage, which looked exactly like every other one in the world. “Oh, that!” Lex just remembered. “Maximo told me that Mike had killed you. How’d that happen?!”

  “That’s right,” Azar answered, no amount of anger or hate in his voice. “I might have deserved it, though.” Blade looked over at Azar in wonder, having never asked him about the matter. “I tried to take advantage of his fragile state of mind, to use him as a ‘card in my deck’.”

  “Use him? To do what?” Lex asked.

  “Kill you,” the prince answered quite frankly. Lex stepp
ed back from Azar.

  “What?”

  “Fret not, child. If my intentions were remotely similar to what they were before I was killed, I wouldn’t have revealed such a truth to you… I was using you as well, and your friends.” He glanced at Blade, who didn’t show any particular expression. “But things are different, now,” he continued. “Since my death, I have been in deep contemplation. It’s because of my connection to you why I have this second chance at life in any event, so it wouldn’t be honourable for me to continue plotting against you. As a matter of fact… I will give you a well-needed gift when we return to our world, which you will need should you stand a chance against Trium.”

  “Let’s move,” Blade reminded. “Leave the pleasantries and sentiments for later.” With that, they began their search through the house.

  In under a minute, they had combed through and ransacked the whole house, even the yard.

  “What exactly are we looking for?” Lex asked.

  “A trap door under the rug, maybe,” Blade said as if he knew of such a thing all along. The three looked at each other, then they dashed back into the house, together dragging away the rug, even moving with it the dresser. Before them, as they had half-expected, or at least hoped, was a suspicious square, no doubt a hidden trap door. Blade snickered a little as they pulled it open, gripping it with their fingernails. Lex stared down at the indefinitely deep hole. There was a ladder there, leading from the very top downwards.

  “Wanna go first, Blade?” Azar asked, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little darkness. Surely the portal’s down there.” There was a silent moment of contemplation.

  “Can’t you give us some light?” Lex asked Azar. Azar sighed, like he had wished Lex wouldn’t have thought of that.

  “Very well.”

  “Yes, Azar, show us your magnificent--”

  “Oh shut it, Blade!” Azar snapped, triggering Blade’s laughter.

  Lex wondered. They seem much less glum and serious than usual… Could it be an effect of this strange dimension?

  “Lumina!” Azar commanded, stretching his hand down into the dark vacancy. A bright, yellowish light shone from the prince’s hand, and downward meters of narrow walls were illuminated. Still, the very bottom was not perceived.

  “Wow, that looks pretty steep,” Lex muttered, already dreading the descent.

  “Well, sitt’n here lookin’ at it won’t make it shallow,” Blade said. Azar withdrew his hand and the light faded.

  Blade sighed. “Fine, then,” he said, and began his descent. Azar followed suit, then Lex went last, closing the door above him. “You… closed the door?” Blade asked, making him feel stupid for doing it. The place had become pitch-black. He tried to push it back open.

  “Errr… It won’t open.”

  Blade sighed. “Forget it. How deep can this thing be anyway?”

  “Do not provoke this world with such questions,” Azar said.

  NOTHERLAND

  NOTHERLAND SCHOOL OF MAGIC

  “Thank you all for coming out to this short-notice assembly!” Principal Hawthorne began. Before her were the thousands of students of her infamous, world-renowned school of magic. “We are all aware of the prophecies regarding Trium’s return!” Chattering began amongst the thousands of students. “Silence! All of you!” Hawthorne yelled. Suddenly, there was perfect silence. “Thank you, my precious students!” The mass of students were so great that they couldn’t all possibly hear the principal’s voice at once. Select teachers repeated her words, and the message was sent down in a sort of chain so every student could understand. Because of this, Hawthorne had to be speaking with unnaturally long intervals between her sentences. “Being one of the seven highest ranked magicians in the world, being a part of the Ogal council, I have sensed the nearness of Trium… Each passing moment, the tense feeling of this strange and horrid darkness grows more vivid… The school, as of today, is in a state of emergency!” Chaotic chatting ensued amongst the students at that decree.

  “Silence! Silence, now! I said SILENCE!” the elder blasted in annoyance. The teachers and prefects aided the principal in restoring order to the large body of students. “Thank you!” Hawthorne continued, “So until further notice, there will be no more classes!” The jittery, nervous, excited students tried not to raise the noise level too high. “So you will remain in your dormitories until further instruction!” She paused again for a moment. “Any uncalled for trouble or excitement, as we are in a state of emergency, warrants immediate expulsion without a hearing at the board level!” With that announcement, the noise sort of returned, but the more senior students, who knew what a ‘state of emergency’ was like, expected such a pronouncement. The principal ignored the chattering and continued her address. “We will constantly be on our guard! We know not the form the enemy will take or the measure of its strength! … Hopefully, as a school, we will not have to get involved! Still, be prepared to be called to action! Dismissed!”

  ***

  Lex sighed heavily. “Damn it, I’m tired…”

  “This is unbelievable… How far does this thing go?” Azar complained. “Lumina!” The place lit up again. They were so far down that they couldn’t see the trap door, and so far up that they couldn’t see the base still. Azar looked up at Lex – quite a bit of distance was between them. Blade was a number of rungs below Azar.

  “Damn, I’m tired… I’m gonna…” The exhaustion was evident in Lex’s voice. They had been climbing down for quite a while.

  “You better not fall down on me!” Azar warned fiercely. Their voices echoed as they spoke. The place was so narrow and hot and black. It was a horribly uncomfortable place to be as one would imagine. The situation brought many fears to the forefront of their minds.

  “What if this thing is infinite?!” Lex asked loudly, trying to frighten the others with the fear he felt.

  “Nonsense!” Azar blasted, not wanting to contemplate such a horror.

  Slow, tiresome minutes passed… An hour passed… an hour and a half… Fatigue paralyzed Lex, and he could go no further. “I’m gonna… let go…” he said faintly, but Azar heard him. He neither could find the strength to carry on. He was breathing as heavily as Lex. Blade was quite some distance below them.

  “Lumina,” Azar commanded again, and a dim light appeared about his left hand and quickly faded.

  “Alright, I’m jumping!” Azar heard Blade shout. Blade’s endurance hadn’t quite found its limit, but he feared theirs had, and they would crash down upon him fatefully.

  “Will we all… die here?” Lex asked himself.

  “Here goes,” Blade told himself, hesitating for a moment. He sighed heavily, then released his sore, tired grips, prepared mentally for an everlastingly long fall. The very moment he let go, he landed on solid ground. What the hell? Could I have such luck?! Azar and Lex heard an echoing laugh from the distance below.

  “Blade! Are you getting mad?!” Azar shouted, wondering if the dismal situation had gotten to Blade’s sanity. “DAMMIT!” He shrieked as his sweating hands lost their grip. He stood silently in ponder, his heart racing away. “I’m alive! I’m alive! Blessed Kizer, I’m alive! Solid ground!” the man rejoiced, almost sounding like a madman. He felt a pair of hands grab him. He jumped back with a scream he wasn’t quite proud of. Blade laughed. “You imbecile!” Azar blasted. “This is crazy! Weren’t you like a mile below me?!”

  “I thought so too.”

  “Lumina!” A dim light appeared on his hand, but quickly went out. Azar hissed.

  “You two standing, you say?!” Lex shouting down, sounding pretty distant.

  “Yeah!” they chorused.

  “Damn… They sound so far down… But I’m really at my strength’s end here…” Lex’s hands finally gave way. Azar and Blade covered their ears at the horrible screaming.

  “Relax, Lex!” Blade told him.

  “Huh?! I’m alive! I can’t believe it!” His shouts echoed over and over about the narrow wa
lls.

  “What a bizarre place,” Azar said, “it seems if we’d never let go, we would have never reached ground.”

  “Well, I suppose we can’t bind this dimension to what we learnt to be logic,” Blade said. As Blade said that, Lex remembered how incredible and absurd what Blade and Azar knew as the real world seemed to him at first.

  “My mana drains much faster in this place… Such a basic spell and it’s dry already,” Azar said. I’ll still give it one more shot. “Lumina!” The place lit up a bit more brightly than it did the last few times he made the command. They looked about quickly, knowing the flickering light would soon go out. There was no ladder or upward path above them. The roof was only a dim wall that was under a meter from their heads. Damp, soft walls surrounded them, and they could only go one way – forward. Just behind them was walled up. There was a narrow path up ahead. The light grew dim until it was no more. “My mana’s out clean… Shut up, Blade,” he said before the swordsman could say anything.

  “Well let’s go then,” Lex said, still very tired, “that portal isn’t gonna go through itself.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Azar said, thinking of another weird idea. They advanced slowly, Azar holding on to Blade’s shoulders and Lex to Azar’s. They felt the walls as they snailed along. Each step Blade took, he almost half-expected his foot to sink down into an everlasting precipice.

  ***

  Kuriu Sadasaki stood before the principal’s office door nervously. She heard the rapidly successive tapping of fingernails on a wooden surface. She was in her final year at the Notherland School of Magic, and was around Star’s age. She was brilliant – an A student and a prefect who never got into any trouble, yet she was nervous to meet with the principal. She had never met with Hawthorne and spoken to her face-to-face before. In most occasions, when the principal and a student were conversing, a suspension or expulsion was looming ahead. Finally, the redhead raised her knuckles to knock on the door.

  “For goodness’ sake, are you going to stand at my door all day, student?!” an annoyed voice barked from the room. Kuriu’s eyes opened wide and she shook with a hastened heartbeat. She began knocking on the door nervously. “Bang that door again and you’re bloody expelled!” the voice warned sternly.