Chapter 30

May 19th, 1701. “Only when you achieve Flow can you achieve Talos.” Grandmaster says this to me all the time. Flow is the state of being fully immersed in magic, one who achieves this state is able to become intimate with the elements and learn secrets that elevates one magic to a whole new level. Talos is the ultimate form of freedom. Even though I know these things I cannot comprehend what Grandmaster is getting at. Does Flow allow one to become free? Free from what? No matter how many times I ask this question, Grandmaster remains silent. He says one should discover the secrets of the elements on their own, no secrets learned can be imparted to others.

June 6th, 1722. I’ve achieved Flow! It took me twenty-one years but I’ve finally done it. My first venture into the Flow immersed me into the element of fire. Grandmaster says I should focus on one element. Arcane Mages are told they’re weaker than elemental mages because they’re attribute-less. Now I know this is false. Everyone has an element they’re stronger at. Elemental Mages are only identified as such because that element has chosen them. This might make them powerful in the beginning years of magic but this is detrimental to their future power. Because they’re immersed into their element they cannot comprehend the complexities. It’s akin to one not being able to see the forest for the trees. Elementalists can become strong at their element but there is a limit on it. Those who comprehend the Laws of the elements break through the limit and become powerful figures. I wonder if father reached this level?

June 7th, 1722. Father slapped me today! I tried to bring up my achievements in magic but as soon as I mentioned the Flow he became really angry. He told me to stop practicing magic, but who is he to tell me what I can, and can’t do? I’m fourty-five years old, although I’m still young for a mage I’m still old enough to make my own decision. When I told him as much he slapped me! He’s just jealous of my progress. I will continue down this path and become a greater mage than he could ever dream of being.

...

“You ready?” Nate said to Aiden.

Aiden looked terrified as he sat atop the golden spear like a witch on a broomstick, but he nodded his head indicating he was ready. Nate smiled, “Alright, hold on tight.”

Fly!

“AHHHH!” Aiden screamed as the javelin flew into the air. He leaned forward on the spear and held it for dear life. Nate burst out laughing.

“Do you want me to stop?” He shouted to Aiden.

“NO!”

Nate controlled the spear, making it fly around in the sky as if Aiden was on a roller-coaster. At first Aiden was too terrified to enjoy it, but eventually he began to loosen up once he was sure he wouldn’t drop. In the clear night sky, Aiden zipped back and forth in the air, laughing with glee.

“Nate! Nate bring me back!” Aiden shouted.

Nate was dumbfounded by the sudden change, and the urgenty in Aiden’s voice. Nate willed the spear to him. When the spear was near the ground Aiden hopped off and began to run.

“What’s going on Aiden?” But Aiden didn’t stop to explain. Nate enhanced his body with mental energy and took off after him. The spear floating behind him. Nate could’ve dissipated the spear, regaining the twenty-five percent energy used up by his spear, but he didn’t. The spear took several minutes to create, minutes that would be valuable in a life or death situation.

Aiden weaved around city blocks until he arrived at a parking lot of a building office. Nate saw several figures clashing against one another. Aiden ran straight towards them, his body shifting slightly as hair grew on his arms.

When Nate was close enough he saw there were two groups of three fighting against each other. One group he could tell were werewolves. The other group looked like vampires, although their eyes were crimson red. Normally a vampire’s eyes would turn black.

Aiden jumped into the skirmish, with a swipe of his arm he sent one vampire flying. The other two vampires should’ve realized Aiden was beyond their level, instead they ran at him with crazed expressions. Aiden easily dealt with them, smashing them to the floor, rendering them unconscious.

“What’s going on?” Aiden asked the werewolves as Nate approached.

“Boss, these vampires have finally lost it! Ever since you told us to stop hunting humans, the vampires have been provoking us. Now they’ve turned on the humans. We came upon these three slaughtering a group of humans, breaking into their homes and draining them dry!”

“I don’t understand… why would Anza allow that to happen?” Nate asked. Even though he hated the hybrid, he knew she wasn’t dumb. Vampires slaughtering humans wasn’t her style. She had rules, one of those rules was that no werewolf or vampire could break into homes to kill humans. It’s why werewolves never chased humans into their homes.

“Who’re you?” The werewolf said, eyeing Nate suspiciously.

“It’s okay, he’s my brother.” Aiden said.

“I don’t know about Anza or what she’s thinking. Its not like she spends much time amongst us werewolves anyways. She’d much rather be amongst the leeches.”

Aiden walked forward and glanced over the vampires who were knocked unconscious. “Their eyes are red, why is that?”

“Blood Craze. Vampires who drain their victims lose themselves in a haze. This state gives them tremendous power but it limits their ability to think.” An older looking werewolf said as he stepped forward. “Back before the Founding, vampires and werewolves were constantly at each other’s throats. During the Great War, vampires would often enter Blood Craze to take down werewolves. It’s dangerous, after the Blood Craze ends, the vampire develops an addiction to blood, they constantly need a steady flow of blood. These survivors are usually killed off. After the treaty, the Founding was established and one of the first things they did was proclaim the Blood Craze illegal.”

“Why would anyone enter this state?”

“It’s a desperate move. A last-ditch effort to overpower the enemy. Although why these vampires are doing this, I have no idea.”

“Maybe I can do something.” Nate walked over to one of the vampires and bent down. The vampire was a young girl who looked like she was in her early twenties. The young girl’s face was marred with burn scars.

Nate placed a hand on her head and focused his mental energy. A hundred energy threads shout out of his mind and entered her brain. As soon as he entered her brain Nate began to access her memory. Rather than try and figure out what part of her brain possessed her memories, Nate simply shaped his intention: Memories.

He’d learned from his mother’s diary that intention played a pivotal role when it came to magic and the shaping of it. One needed to have strong intention and willpower to make their constructs reality. Even though this principle was for Mages, Nate applied it to his telekinetic abilities.

Immediately a wealth of information flowed from the girl’s brain and up into Nate’s. It took him several minutes to piece together the information. Once he had it, he let go of her head, then with three ethereal blades, cut the throats of the vampires.

He looked up and saw the werewolves staring at him, slightly horrified. Aiden looked at him questioningly.

“Girl’s name is Casey. Charlie turned her months ago. She was just one of many Charlie turned. About a month ago Anza imprisoned Charlie underground and ever since then the vampires turned by Charlie have rebelled. Draining humans dry as a way of causing trouble for Anza, trying to force her into releasing Charlie. Few days ago their group was attacked by another group of vampires, I guess Anza wanted to eliminate all of them. Some of them managed to escape. But now there’s something driving their madness…” Nate trailed off as his mind turned contemplative.

“Well? What’s driving them?” Aiden asked.

Nate snapped back to reality. He looked at Aiden. “Blood.” Nate lied.

“And they don’t know blood’s driving them?” The older werewolf said doubting Nathan’s words.

Nate shrugged his shoulders. “Like you said, they’re in a haze. All they want is blood.”

That answer seemed to pacify the werewolves. As they began discussing plans Nate glanced back down at the dead vampires. It’s that demon, she’s controlling them. But why? And how does she remain in the mortal world? Kiru clearly said demons cannot remain on this realm. Nate had no clue, but he did know one thing: he hadn’t seen the last of that demon. For some reason, she remained on this realm, and sooner or later he had a feeling their paths would cross.

…

“Why my son?” A miserable voice moaned.

“Why’d you have to take my son?!”

In a pitch, black room, Luke sat with his head in his palms. For the past three weeks he’s been hunting down the children Charlie had turned.

She made you sacrifice your son. She made you kill his children. Do you remember that? How did it feel when you took the lives of his children?

Luke’s mind flashed back to two days ago. He’d went to Charlie’s little hangout, that lounge was filled with vampires turned by Charlie. He went in with a team of vampires and apprehended them. He wanted to talk some sense into them, to make them understand draining humans was against the rules. But things had gotten out of hand.

One of the vampires he brought along had gotten too rough with Charlie’s children. The young vampire didn’t appreciate being man-handled and a fight broke out. One of Charlie’s children had died.

“Grandfather!” Charlie’s children turned to me, hoping I’d enact some sort of justice for them. Yet his hands were tied.

“We have to wipe them out. I know they’re close to you but there’s nothing you can do for them. Just look at them, they’ll become thorns in our sides if we let them live.” One of the vampires he brought whispered into his ears.

That’s when hell broke loose. Charlie’s children rebelled. It was an all-out battle and Luke was forced to slaughter Charlie’s children. Dozens escaped, but those he killed… the way they pleaded, their eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. It had broken Luke’s spirit.

They don’t care about your unwavering loyalty. All they care about is using you.

“I’ve served loyally for centuries…”

It’s time you took care of you and your own. You deserve happiness, don’t you?

“I do.”

Don’t you want to redeem yourself, for what you’ve done to your child’s children?

“I do.”

Then stop hesitating and take charge!

Luke stood up. With his mind made up, and his heart resolute he walked out of the dark room. He’d find a way to break his son out of that prison. When Anza left for the wild hunt, he’d dig his son out of that grave and escape from this place. No more serving Masters who could care less about him. It was time he fought for his own.

The door closed behind him. In that dark room, shadows began to swirl into a humanoid shape. The figure chuckled quietly. “It’s about time…”

The figure had a wide grin on its face. It took out a leathery scroll, un-rolled it and began to read the contents out-loud. Power gathered with each syllable spoken. When it read the last word, the power suddenly released. The scroll erupted into fire. The figure dropped the burning scroll to the ground.

“Everything is falling into place. Soon the seed I’ve planted and cultivated for months will ripen…” The figure spoke aloud into the dark and empty room. “Soon…”

The shadowy figure collapsed and the room returned to emptiness.