Chapter 19

Kiru stopped chanting as the portal appeared, stood up, then suddenly produced a black book as if it popped out of thin air. “Go back inside.” Kiru said from the corner of his mouth as the figures stepped through the portal.

Too late. Anza was the first to exit and she saw him. Leaving now would only raise suspicion so he remained on the top step while Kiru went half-way, standing in front of the building.

“You sent those ghosts?” Kiru said in a chilling tone.

Amelia was the last vampire out of the portal, she briefly looked around in confusion then with the wave of her hand made the black portal disappeared. She looked at Nate briefly, her eyes lighting up in surprise. Then suddenly as if she remembered something her face paled.

“We’re not here for you, mage, step aside.” Anza said, her nose flaring in anger.

“Obviously not, otherwise you would’ve walked right over instead of creating a portal, but those ghosts could’ve easily killed all the humans here. Why would you conjure those ghosts Anza?”

“You’ve heard of the massacre that took place in the hunt. Those ghosts were conjured to attack their killer…”

Nate’s heart began beating rapidly. “That still doesn’t explain why they attacked me!” Kiru shouted.

“Did they attack you? Or did they ask you to stand aside so they could kill their killer?” Anza said looking pointedly at Nate.

Kiru glanced at Nate from the corner of his eye. “Nate what is she talking about?”

“I don’t know” Nate responded.

“Don’t bullshit!” Charlie spat from behind Anza.

“Charlie! I GOT THIS!” She said cutting Charlie off with a wave of the hand. She turned back to Nate with a sneer on her face. “Do you think we’re so stupid? You were at both places the ghosts attacked. That is no coincidence, furthermore you were there inside the Wilderness where the Hunt was taking place on the day of the massacre. You’re the killer.”

“That’s preposterous. I’ve seen the video footage; I can tell you now Nate wouldn’t be capable of such magic. Not yet anyways.” Kiru scoffed. “I’ll forgive this incident as a mistake but if you attack again there will be consequences.”

“That’s fine, but for now I’m going to ask you step aside as we talk to that boy over there.”

“No, he’s under my watch until he’s taken to the Academy.”

Anza’s whole body suddenly shimmered, in just a few seconds she went from a pretty girl of average height to a taller, more fearsome looking creature. She didn’t turn full werewolf but hair did sprout from her arm and on the sides of her face. Her hands also grew larger as her nails became harder and sharper. She looked like a blend of human and werewolf.

This is new, Nate thought.

“This is not a negotiation mage; the boy will come home with me, the only difference is whether or not I kill you first.” She snarled.

Nate’s heartbeat picked up as Kiru and Anza stared off. He felt as if his legs were going to give out on him, he was so nervous. Suddenly Kiru’s book ripped open by itself, with his other hand Kiru began gesturing as he spoke.

Kiru didn’t focus on the words, instead he focused on Anza, or to be more exact, where she used to be. She had disappeared so fast Nate had trouble keeping track of her with his eyes alone. She suddenly appeared in front of Kiru but he was also gone.

Anza immediately looked up, Nate was a few seconds slower as he also looked up and saw Kiru in mid-air yelling in Latin as his hands gestured wildly. Anza yelled in fury and with a swipe so fast he could barely see the motion her hand lashed out, a pale blue energy came out in a crescent shape soaring straight towards Kiru.

Kiru finally finished his spell as his whole body suddenly exploded with lightning, with his right hand he made a motion downward sending bolts of lightning towards Anza. Nate was fascinated, he thought he was powerful but seeing these two was like nothing he could imagine.

The two attacks met in mid-air and a loud explosion rang out making Anza slide back a few steps. Nate and the spectating vampires were launched dozens of feet away from the impact. “Take him!” Anza shouted pointing at Nate. “Luke, prepare the missile!”

“Stay in the building, behind the wards!” Kiru shouted at Nate.

That’s all the two combatants managed to say before starting the next round of attacks. Nate immediately scuttled to his feet and surrounded himself in a dense layer of mental energy.

“Luke watch out!” Charlie shouted.

Luke glanced over at Charlie first then at Nate and sneered disdainfully As Nate began running over towards him. Nate dashed towards Luke controlling his body with mental energy to run faster than humanly possible. With his hand cocked back, he hardened it before throwing his fist at Luke.

Luke’s disdainful sneer changed into a look of surprise. Nate felt a brief sense of satisfaction as his fist connected with Luke’s face. The impact was like a car collision, to say Luke flew backward was an understatement. He shot backward as if he was fired from a cannon.

Amelia stared at Nate slack-jawed. Charlie drew his sword as he began dashing towards Nate. Nate was ready, using several ethereal hands he looked for anything he could throw. Finding several fist-sized stones on the floor he began chucking them at Charlie who dodged them effortlessly.

Charlie was upon him, Nate stepped forward swinging his right fist. Charlie dodged the fist slightly, then with both hands on his sword lunged straight at him. Nate used his body like a puppet, with an ethereal hand he hit his own chest shooting himself backwards, out of the way of the sword. With another ethereal hand he swung it at Charlie in order to bind him.

He knew it wouldn’t last long but he just needed a few seconds. As the bind took place Nate punched at Charlie with all his might. Charlie easily shook off the bind and met Nate’s fist with his own sword. The two collided creating a small shockwave that sent them both sliding backwards.

Nate sent a few more rocks hurtling towards Charlie who easily defended himself by dodging most of the rocks, slashing apart the ones he couldn’t dodge. Nate and Charlie continued to fight but no matter what Nate tried he just couldn’t get the upper-hand on Charlie.

Dam. Nate was running out of mental energy as his brain began to throb. Furthermore, he had no idea how to take Charlie down. All he knew how to do with his telekinesis was to enhance his body and throw projectiles. Anytime his mental energy encountered Charlie to bind, Charlie shook it off as if it were made of string.

“I knew something was off about you.” Charlie sneered as he began walking forward.

Nate was aware of the battle between Kiru and Anza somewhere behind him, and Amelia standing ten feet away not moving a muscle. Why hasn’t she gotten involved yet? Nate shook the thought away; he couldn’t afford to be distracted now. He had to quickly finish Charlie so he could stop Luke, the missile Anza mentioned was a rocket launcher inscribed with sigils that radiated with power, if that thing struck him there would be no pieces of him left to bury.

Charlie was upon him slashing with the sword. This time Nate didn’t bother dodging, hoping the mental energy surrounding him was enough to stop the blade. Instead he unclenched his right hand and imagined the mental energy becoming sharper, instead of denser.

As the sword fell on him Nate jabbed with his right hand straight towards Charlie’s face. The two collided, Charlie’s sword didn’t cut him but he felt the strength behind it hurl him backwards. Nate stumbled backwards but then righted himself immediately as he felt something wet on his right hand. Looking down he smiled.

“I’ve hated you since the first day on that elevator. You don’t know how many times I’ve imagined beating your smug face in.” Nate smiled as he waved his right hand still dripping with Charlie’s blood.

Charlie looked at Nate in un-disguised fury as he held onto the wound in his shoulder trying to stem the blood flow. “I will kill you.” Charlie promised.

Nate flashed forward focusing all his energy onto his right hand, imagining his right hand was a spear. Charlie didn’t move at all as Nate’s hand pierced right through his chest and out the other side. Nate smiled, but his smile turned to confusion when Charlie also smiled. Suddenly Charlie’s whole figure dissipated turning to black wisps.

“What the hell?” Something struck him from behind sending him flying forward. Nate felt pain on his back and from his awareness he could tell his back was bleeding but luckily the wound was shallow, his mental energy absorbing most of the impact.

He looked backwards at Charlie whose whole figure seemed to be wreathed in shadows. “I’ll be in trouble for having this power, it’s unfortunate, but I’ll certainly enjoy ridding the world of you.” Charlie disappeared.

Nate looked around frantically but he found no trace of Charlie. All he could think to do was to harden his body as much as possible. His awareness alerted him Charlie had entered within striking distance but even though he knew it he couldn’t react in time; Charlie was simply too fast.

Another slash sent him rocketing forward as another slash appeared on his back. Nate quickly balanced himself then turned back towards Charlie who had a vicious grin on his face. He walked towards Nate step by step, raising the bloodied sword to his lips, he licked it before smiling. “Amelia always said your blood was the best, I find myself agreeing with her evaluation. I’ll enjoy bleeding your corpse dry and adding it to my private collection.”

This isn’t going to work. Nate thought. All he was capable of doing was defending himself but something told him If Charlie wanted he could’ve killed Nate already. He had to do something. Nate thought furiously as Charlie walked towards him slowly.

It’s a long shot but it just might work. Nate drew on what mental energy he had left, then constructed the diagram Kiru had taught him. World energy began to pour into Nates body sending him into pure ecstasy but Nate ignored the feeling as he concentrated, he could feel his body reach the limit of world energy absorption but he continued even as blood droplets appeared on his skin.

Charlie’s face changed as he felt something radiating from Nate. He grew alarmed as the power grew. Ending his game early he shot towards Nate at max speed.

“Impetus!” Nate shouted focusing the direction of the spell in 360 degrees. Charlie was moving too fast, picking one direction would be suicide.

He closed his eyes when casting the spell, focusing on the spell while holding the world energy diagram was hard to do, but with his awareness he saw Charlie’s whole body fly backward soaring into the air. Nate opened his eyes and watched as Charlie flew for several tens of feet before crashing on the floor and rolling several times. His whole body looked like a ragdoll.

Nate quickly dispelled the World energy diagram as he looked around at the devastation his spell cast. There were large rents in the ground as if a twister had come through scorching the earth. Nate looked at Charlie’s bloody body as a large grin crept onto his face. “Ha!” he shouted. Nate then turned to Luke who was assembling the rocket launcher. He couldn't allow Luke to finish assembling the rocket.

“Nate!” Was the only warning he received as Anza's fist collided with his body sending him flying. Nate felt like he was on the verge of blacking out as his body crashed on the floor rolling several times before coming to a stop.

He tried to inhale but a sharp pain in his insides made him choke, it felt as if something was stabbing his lungs. Blood poured out of his mouth and breathing was painful. Nate took shallow breaths as he tried to get back on his feet.

“Do you dare?!” He heard Kiru shout.

Nate looked up and saw Anza heading over in his direction but her image was blurry. Is this how I die?

The blurry figure paused right before him with her right arm cocked back. Nate didn’t want to imagine how painful her punch would be. Hope its quick.

He closed his eyes but it was useless, his awareness allowed him to see everything within his immediate surroundings. As the fist came hurtling towards him he saw a diagram appear beneath Anza’s feet with neon-blue tendrils of light bursting upwards.

“Ahhh!” She screamed as her whole body lit up.

Anza’s whole body glowed blue as bolts of lightning coursed through her, immobilizing and frying her whole system.