Energy, is beyond mere concept fabricated by scholars. It is beyond flesh, beyond our naked senses to see and hear it. One could only feel its existence if attuned to it. It is constant, as dictated by the laws of nature, which encompasses all truths and occurrences in this world.

The way to harness and manipulate energy is generally encompassed as "magic". Magic can produce specific spells.

The spells are controlled by drawing forth the energy needed, invoking the commands from an ancient language which we generally call the tongue, and given appropriate concentration, including mastery of the certain spell

When casted, specific words of tongue, like individual commands, will twist the energy within to take shape, visible as glyphs levitating on air or inscribed on solid items. The glyphs form and stack up to form even sentences if the caster is capable of such feat, which then materializes as the desired form. Such as a healing ray or a fireball.

*

Energy, is universally available. Yet, it must be taken from specific life vessels or realms, which divides the attunement of magic into three distinctive paths.

Which is Divine Magic, Blood Magic, and Dark Magic.

*

Divine Magic:

came to light when God descended among mankind ages ago, which it's worshippers marked it as 0 AD, the age of God.

He taught mankind to speak the tongue, and displays His unrequited divine love towards all mortals who accepts Him as the saviour, and the one and only divine. Teaching them to invoke divine magic and spells, to cleanse evil and continue life among humans.

Ways to invoke divine magic is meddlesome in particular. "Live vessels" that contains usable energy had to be infused by sacred scriptures that were left by God to the devout. Objects that were inanimate could be infused by energy, and invoke Divine Magic when utillized by a bishop or anyone who follows the teachings of God and receives His gift of speaking the tongue.

'In His compassion, thou shalt find salvation; In His generousity, thou shalt find abundance."

Ironically, God ain't generous enough. There's ONLY FOUR! FOUR SACRED SCRIPTURES!! Two in the possesion of some "Vatican" monastery in the middle of nowhere on a peninsula, One held by a cathedral in Jerusalem, God's birthplace when he descended, and one missing.

Production of "sacred vessels", usually vials of holy water infused with divine blessing are hard to come by. Production's painstakingly slow as supply is rare, even archbishops of every nation are competing to get one of them.

*

Blood Magic:

Existed since the dawn of men, accompanied by the tongue. Before the idea of God had been conceived, men before had already mastered the uses of it.

Also named "Life Magic". Energy are provided by life force that's lying dormant in a living being's body, usually blood.

By using blood, chanting verses from the tongue will invoke the energy within, forming magic.

Application of the magic can be done with a much wider scale, given the caster can perfectly recite certain verses and have enough concentration to pull it through. Therefore, mastering the tongue and enlightenment from God is not needed.

"Body, vessel of the soul; Blood, vessel of life."

Practices of blood magic are greatly condemned by the Church, which they claim as 'Heresy against our God' by acknowledging an alternative to invoke magic aside from God's divine power.

Still, it is not seemed as evil and demonic, as its performace is subpar when compared to divine magic.

*

Dark Magic:

Obtained through unidentified means, grants immense power, albeit corrupted and twisted, practitioners of dark magic commits atrocities and grants calamity towards everything.

Not to be directly related to blood magic, dark magic are often blood or divine magic casters, who desired more power.

Those who submitted to it, receives complete fluency in the tongue. Knowing all the words without learning, unlike bishops who pray for ages to receive revelation on a single word.

Furthermore, they become able to draw energy without a life vessel, but the reasoning behind such an act still remains unknown. Still it doesn't come without a price.

"Ave Satanas"

cried Archbishop Kandeil, as he ravaged the entirety of the Kingdom of England. Men and women were devoured, green flames burnt cities alight. According to codex entries, Horns grew out of his head, Black wings emerged behind his back. His eyes turned dark as coal, while his skin dyed crimson red.

His efforts alone corrupted the entire British Isles, turning the entire place into ashes, wiping the entire empire out within a fortnight.

Lying on my beloved bed, my eyes staring at the celling while wandering off into my thoughts..

Without magic.. I would've been a goner for sure..

*The night before*

After I've slipped into unconciousness, I experience what I'd call various stages of delirium.

My strength slipping, my feet numb, my entire body produced coldness that bites my heart. In that half concious state, my mind has been calmed to an extent.

Probably waiting for my eventual passing, although frightened, yet I felt a sense of calmness during that moment.

As I feel myself slowly leaving grasp of my body, something forcibly pulled me back into reality.

Opening my eyes once again, I could see familliar people huddling around, staring at me. A woman knelt beside me, seemingly tending to my wounds.

Heh.. leave me.. I'm already dead....

The woman snaps around and lightly grasped my face, allowing me to see her face..

As expected, the woman before me is Tilma, a herbalist in her elderlies. Her wrinkly faced looked at mine with distress, her grey, long flowing hair arranged into a braid, leaving it grappling down onto her shoulder. Blue eyes filled with immense gentleness caught my own, then she gave me a faint smile...

After she laid me down, she took then knife strapped onto her tunic and... cut herself...

No! Don't use that! It's not worth it!!

"nnn......" Words could hardly escape my mouth, considering that I'm on the verge of death, that much noise alone is commendable.

She.. slices the wrist of her left arm.. red, flowing blood flowed down her palm and.. suspended on the air...

Trying to bring a dead man back... heh.. pathethic...

"I call upon thee, hear my wishes.

A light that regenerates the flesh,

a ray that rejuvenates the soul.

It is my will, let it be done.

As it is beseeched, so shall it be"

Tilma performed a chant with the Tongue, if I were to guess, it probably won't be a spell to sacrifice me to God... probably..

Blood kept flowing out of her veins, her face pale, haggard, and disheveled. The levitating blood coagulated and formed glyphs, curving and bending on each other, it slowly joined together and formed an orb. The blood red orb pulsed with heat... soft light glowing from the orb...

Soon, the bleeding stopped and her wound seems to be sealed on it's own.

Meanwhile the orb slowly floated towards the gaping hole that once was the middle of my abdomen..

(DIIIIING)

"AHHHHHHHHH!" I yelled in agony, as pained surged through my entire being, probably trembling my very soul..

Still.. It's good thing that I can produce noise to annoy people once again...

After a short period of intense pain, my senses returned to me. The delirium I experienced from my near death condition got purged. Feelings of pain, tiredness and soreness returned to my body once again.

My mind snapped back into it's body, making sure that my conciousness retains in one piece..

"Tilma!" Someone screamed beside me.

By guessing, I would conclude that she collapsed as well. It's fine, she won't die from that..

But exhausting a great deal of her life energy will cause great setbacks on her vitality, it'll take her a long time to recover.. I'm sure of that.

Too exhausted to raise my head.. tiredness sets in and my mind started to become hazy.

I close my eyes.. and left the bustling world around me as I head to recuperate in another.

*Now/The morning after*

Lying on my beloved bed, my eyes staring at the celling while contemplating about the aftermath of the battle.

What exactly did happen after?

We have won, for sure.

But, at what cost?

...

Ah damn, my whole body is still sore as fuck!

I suppose the healing magic didn't see 'that' as an injury huh...

Not moving an inch, I allow my body to continue resting by laying on my bed.

Hovering my hands around my torso, I gently clutched my abdomen.

I can't believe it! It's completely restored! I don't even feel any pain from the spot itself!

Feeling the spot with my hands, I'm sure the previous encounter did left a mark.

Though the injuries are gone, the scar remains in it's place....

...

..

.

Not letting the problem cloud my thoughts, I kept my eyes closed to ease my mind.

Hey, at least I lived...

Of course, without magic.. I would've been a goner for sure..