Of Mind and Magic

Chapter 5

Again Harry sat in the center of the attic, his new dagger strapped to his side his chest slowly rising and falling as the sun sunk below the horizon, stretching long shadows along the floor just below the window.

Easier than last time, he felt the sensation of falling backwards sweep over his body.

–XX –

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the circular maze of his mind. Still sitting cross-legged, he brought his hands together forming a circle in his lap.

With his new weapon complete, he decided it would be best to go find the woman in leather at night, that way there was less of a chance of him being spotted, before that though he had to reinforce his mind, he didn't feel like the maze was enough.

Slowly, he began enacting his plan. Thinking back to his earliest memory, he pushed it out of his mind in the form of a tendril of white energy. Catching it in his circled hands, he imagined the energy warping, changing into a star.

When its form was solid, he released it, watching it shoot above the two rivers that danced above him. An image of his father floating things around him when he was two flashing through his mind as it settled in the sky.

For the next hour, he repeated the process until there were hundreds upon thousands of twinkling stars in the sky.

Staring up at the sky, he slowly rose to his feet, the River of psychic and magical energies weaving their way through the sky reminding him of pictures he'd seen of the Aurora Borealis.

Taking a deep breath, he released it.

–XX –

Opening his eyes, Harry again found himself floating above the floor. A smile spread across his face as he untangled his legs and landed softly on the red rug beneath him.

He glanced out the window, his gaze hardening, night had fallen. It was time to find the woman in leather.

He glanced down at himself, taking in the white button-down shirt and dark slacks, but first if he was going into battle, he needed to be better prepared.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, images flashed through it, information flowing through his mind like a forgotten memory.

He paused, his head cocked to the side. Since organizing his inner world, he had gotten better with his psychic abilities. Even though it had only been a few hours since he started he could tell a difference.

Despite that, this information flowed into his head like his shields weren't even there. Was this the magic of the house? He knew it could repair itself, he knew it could protect itself, but giving him information, providing what he needed. This place was a lot more powerful than he expected.

Turning towards the attic door, he strode forward, his hand resting on his dagger.

–XX –

Making his way down the staircase, lights clicked on above him. Leaf shaped lanterns that beat back the darkness and were reflected in the polished railing.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Harry turned to the left. Directly across from him was the kitchen. Light from the streetlamps coming through the arched windows of the kitchen reflected off the stainless steel appliances.

Paying attention to the appliances for the first time, Harry paused wondering if the house updated every couple of years, or if his mother installed them.

Shaking his head, he continued straight, stopping at a door just past the stairs. With a gesture, it opened. Peering into the darkness, he blinked as bare light bulbs clicked on, revealing a staircase descending downwards.

Keeping his hand on his dagger, Harry took a step forward, descending into the darkness.

The door swung shut behind him, settling into its frame with a click.

–XX –

Clomping down the stairs, Harry surveyed the room before him. Racks lined the room in neat rows, different pieces of armor gleaming in the light along with close from almost every era.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, his feet scraped along the stone floor, the sound filling his ears in the silence.

Ignoring the racks of clothes for now, Harry moved to the armor. Walking along the racks, he eyed the chest sitting beneath each.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he knelt next to the nearest one. Placing his palm atop the lid, he pushed it open.

Inside was an assortment of papers, a diary, and a money pouch. Scooping the bag of leather into his palm, he hefted it, weighing the contents. Opening a gap with a finger, he peered inside, finding an assortment of coins, most were bronze or silver, but there was a few gold pieces mixed in.

Dropping the bag back into the trunk, he rose to his feet, surveying the line of trunks that sat throughout the room. He wondered how much money was hidden here. He shook his head. He would think on that later, right now he had a mission.

Not wanting a full set of armor, Harry moved over to the incomplete sets, eyeing a black chest piece with a golden dragon etched in its center. Magic radiated from the Dragon.

Withdrawing his dagger, he slashed across the armor, a golden barrier flaring to life around the chest plate and pushing the dagger away.

A smile curled his lips, he was definitely taking this. Raising it off the stand, he was surprised to find it weighed no more than traditional leather armor, but chocked it up to the magic flowing through it.

With his chest protection chosen, he moved over to a section of armed guards, letting his site show him anything that was magical.

Finding a pair of armed guards with a decorative serpent like blue dragon etched into them, he picked them up. The blue dragon glowed to his sight. Slipping them over his arms, they resonated with the chest piece, creating a magical barrier around his body that clung to him like a second skin.

For a moment, he hopped up and down testing the weight. Then he twisted at the waist checking his range of movement. Lastly, he threw a few jabs and kicks.

Once he was satisfied the armor wouldn't impede his movements, he moved over to the other clothes, picking out thick jeans, and a heavy pair of black boots as well as a black leather duster with dark red runes hidden in the seams.

Wrapping the sleeve around his hand, he pulled with all his might. When the arm reached its limits, the runes glowed pulling against his strength.

Satisfied, he threw the duster over his body, the brown leather gloves of his gauntlets poking out the sleeves.

Dressed for battle, Harry made his way towards the stairs. It was time to hunt down the woman in leather.

–XX –

Entering the attic, Harry moved over to the table with the cauldron on it, lighting the burner beneath with a flick of his hand.

For a moment, he stared at his hand, ever since constructing his inner world his magic seemed to flow easier.

Moving behind the cauldron, he curled the fingers of his left hand towards the alchemy shelf, bringing forward a jar of sand, feathers, and distilled water.

According to the Arataz book of potions, any ingredient could be used. It was more about the will of the caster, then anything to do with the ingredients. However, magical ingredients would give better results.

Pouring the distilled water into the cauldron he waited for it to come to a boil. Distilled water was important when it came to potions, removing the minerals from the water allowed the magic to flow through it more freely.

Next, he poured in the sand, the sand represented anchoring the spell to the earth, so the magic did not disburse back into the ether.

Placing his right hand over the cauldron, he rotated it clockwise before reversing to counterclockwise.

The muddy liquid stirred in time with his hand.

Moving the jar of feathers close to him, he pulled out a dark brown feather with a black tip. Rolling it between his fingers, he wrapped the hairs of the woman in leather around the feather with his left hand.

He released the feather watching it float atop the boiling liquid, before the liquid consumed it.

The feather would be what allowed the spell to go to its target.

Now for the most important part, exhaling he gripped the cauldron with both hands, feeling the heat of the metal through the leather of the gauntlets.

Ignoring the heat, he focused his will forward. Energy flowed through his hands before seeping into the liquid.

His will would be what powered the spell.

A bright flash pierced his eyelids.

Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times to clear the spots from his vision.

In the bottom of the cauldron was a glowing white tear shaped jewel.

Reaching his hand into the cauldron, he scooped the jewel out, feeling his magic complete the spell and bind itself to the jewel.

Moving away from the cauldron, he placed the items back on the shelf with a flick of his hand.

Standing before the half-moon window in the center of the room, he pushed it open. Holding the jewel in his palm, he stuck it out the window, feeling cool November air swirl around his skin.

The jewel pulsed in his palm before rising into the air and shooting off.

Focusing Psionic magic through his body, Harry lifted himself into the air, the jewel burning bright in his mind. A grin stretched his face as he shot after the jewel, wind whipping his dark red hair, his light blue eyes glowing with power. It was time to get to the end of this mystery.

–XX –

As the city fell away below him, giving way to pine, maple, and oak trees, the air grew colder, causing his fingers to burn. Flexing his hands, he stared at the half-moon more stars becoming visible as he ventured deeper into the Canadian wilderness.

An hour into his flight, the wind picked up and snow began to fall, soaking through his jeans. Cycling magic through his chest, he envisioned a candle flame burning at his core, growing bigger and brighter until it was the size of a bonfire.

The bite of the wind faded away, and steam began to rise off his clothes.

The glass tear shot downwards. Angling his body, Harry followed it, the trees giving way around him. Stopping at the edge of the trees, he watched the tear continue on to hover over the buildings before him.

Harry stared at the buildings, functional concrete structures surrounded by a metal fence topped with large strands of curled barbed wire.

Glancing around him, he knelt down, focusing extra heat into his left hand.

The snow melted away, allowing him to touch the grass hidden beneath. Closing his eyes, he sent his mind through the earth. Geo sensing wasn't usually one of his talents, but magic opened up a lot of possibilities.

He clenched his eyes shut as his probe impacted something deep beneath the earth, sending a rippling wave outward that gave a three dimensional image in his mind.

"Underground generators," he muttered, "powerful enough to run a small city." He opened his eyes staring into the buildings before him, "Just what have I gotten myself into?"

Rising to his feet, he stepped towards the buildings, power wrapping itself around him. He made it two steps before a growl caught his attention. Another psychic pulse shot from his body, filling his mind with an animalistic hunger.

Slowly, he turned locking eyes with three sets of glowing red orbs hidden in the shadows of the trees, "Well shit."

–XX –

Kimura, security commander for the facility stood staring at the screens before her, her green eyes flicking from one to another, her dark hair swaying with each move of her head. "What have you found my pretties?" She questioned, her bright red lips barely moving.

Each camera was connected to a predator, genetically engineered wolves designed to hunt down those with X genes otherwise known as mutants. The cameras were directly connected to the Predator's brains, allowing her to see what they saw in real time, but the only thing they were showing right now was a blurred outline.

She moved, her black and grey outfit accentuating the curves of her 5'9" frame.

Leaning forward, she stabbed her finger into a keyboard. A red overlay filled the screen.

Turning, she made her way towards the door, the sound of snarling wolves filling the room at her back. 'Let's see how our new guest does when the Predators attack.'

'Who knows, maybe I will be able to join in the fun.' Turning down in empty hallway, the footsteps of her thick boots echoed off the smooth steel walls.

–XX –

Harry tensed, his hand drifting to his dagger as three wolves emerged from the trees, the red eyes locked onto him, moonlight glinting off their metal bodies.

"What in the world?"

They moved with an animalistic grace that no machine could match. The telltale wine of servos was absent. "What are you?"

Their pointed ears twitched, their black rimmed lips rippled as they snarled, revealing all too realistic metal teeth. Clear saliva dripped onto the ground.

Harry took a step back, the crunch of snow sounding unusually loud.

The first wolf lunged, its mouth open to take a bite out of his flesh.

With a flick of his wrist, Harry launched his dagger at the wolves head, cursing himself for not creating a weapon with a longer reach.

The wolf went down with a yelp. The poison imbued blade buried in its head slowly eating away its metal face.

Rolling to the side, Harry brought up a light blue translucent shield. The second wolf bowled into it, digging a trench through the snow with Harry's knees as it drove him backwards.

Slightly curling the fingers of his right hand, Harry willed spikes to emerge from the barrier.

The wolf yelped as the spikes bit into its metal body, oil like purple blood staining the snow.

A weight slammed into Harry's body, driving him to the ground and causing his shields to flicker out. He shoved his left arm forward, the energy field around the gauntlet flaring as the third and final wolf chomped down.

With the wolf's weight pinning his left arm to his body, Harry reached his right upwards, wrapping his will around the handle of his dagger. With a mental tug, it flew into his hand. Without thought, he drove the blade upwards, seeking to Pierce the beast in the space between its collarbones.

The wolf twisted its head at the last moment, causing the blade to create a shallow cut on the side of its neck.

The cut began to steam, eating away at metal tissue.

With a yelp, the wolf hopped backwards, its red eyes still locked on him. The eyes began to glow as a deep growl built in the beast's chest.

Harry's eyes widened as red beams flew towards him, melting the snow and burning the ground beneath them as they close the distance.

"Metal dogs with laser vision, who in their right mind gives metal dog's laser vision!"

Spinning out of the way, Harry thrust his right arm forward, a psychic ripple exploded from his palm, rippling outwards to send the wolf flying away with a howl.

Thin white clouds drifted on the air before him, obscuring his vision.

Exhaling, Harry lowered his arm, blinking the sweat from his vision. It seemed to have gotten colder over the past few minutes, goose flesh rose on his body even beneath his clothes.

A growl brought him back to reality, the second wolf rose to his feet, its wounds healing before his eyes, "Great." He glanced at the third wolf, only to see most of its head reduced to a puddle of melted metal, "Well at least that's one bright side."

–XX –

Kimura raced across the snow, using her powers to make her body feather-light. A flash of red in the distance caught her attention, causing a smile to curl her lips.

'Well, it looks like one of the dogs used its new toy,' she turned her head, following the howling spec as it flew into the distance.

She started forward again, gritting her teeth as the wind whirled around her, trying to push her weightless body back.

–XX –

Flipping his dagger around, Harry let the spine of the blade rest against his forearm. Locking eyes with his opponent, he sent mystical Psionic energy through his body. In an instant he felt stronger, his body lighter, his senses sharper.

With his eyes glowing a luminescent blue, a deaths head grin stretched across his face, "Alright Fido, show me what you've got."

The wolf spread its legs, its muscles tensed readying itself to jump. Its blacklined silver lips rippled as a growl reverberated deep in its chest. With a snarl, it launched forward, its jaws open wide, its red eyes shining with energy.

Harry dove forward skidding in the snow on his knees. While continuing to move, he flipped his dagger around so that he could thrust it upwards.

The wolf yowled as the blade pierced its stomach, its own momentum digging aligned down its body.

Harry grimaced as the hot purple oil like blood splashed all over his clothes. Raising his left hand, he wiped the liquid from his eyes as it began to burn. A resounding thump behind him caused him to jump.

Tense, Harry spun on his toes.

They're lying on the ground just a foot behind him was the wolf. The last vestiges of its strange blood seeping out on the ground from a near foot long gash starting just below its ribs.

Slowly, Harry pushed himself to his feet, his right hand tightening around his dagger on instinct. The primal part of his brain was screaming at him to leave the beast alone, to continue on his mission, to leave, to do anything but what he was about to do.

He moved forward, his eyes locked on the beast, with each crunch of the snow beneath his boots he expected the beast to leap up.

Kneeling beside the wolf, Harry poked around the wound keeping one eye on the creatures glazed over gaze.

Its insides sizzled, the basilisk venom the blade turning its organs to mush.

"Purple blood, metal skin, laser eyes, there's no way this thing was born naturally."

"You are right about that."

Harry spun, mystical Psionic energy wrapping around him.

A woman about 5'9" stood before him, her dark hair speckled with snow, strands of it partially hiding her tan features. A black and grey bodysuit hugged her curves, holsters wrapped around her legs holding different kinds of weapons.

On instinct a psychic probe connected with her mind. Her name was Kimura, Images of a drunken father, and a mother who was always asleep on the couch when the beating started flash through his mind.

That was when the darkness began to be born, the scene changed, showing him a teenage Kimura being picked on at school because of her shoddy clothes. Uninterested teachers ignoring the signs of abuse to prorate her on unfinished homework, and the darkness grew.

A grandmother's futile attempts at repairing the damage, but by this time only a creature that wanted to hurt was left.

Breaking eye contact, the probe shattered, causing Kimura to stagger.

With a hand on her head, Kimura stared at the boy before her. She had just relived her entire life in a moment, her gloved hand curled into a fist, her crimson lips twisting into a sneer, "What are you?"

Harry barely raised his shoulders, exhaustion pulling his arms towards the ground, "Still trying to figure that out."

Kimura's green eyes swept over the bodies of the predators then back to the boy. Whoever this kid was, he had managed to take down three of the facility's greatest weapons. He could definitely be of use, a cruel smile spread across her face, and she could show him the consequences of messing with her mind.

Raising a hand into the air, Kimura made a fist.

Men in white combat fatigues shimmered into existence, their blocky rifles trained on Harry.

Kimura leaned forward, "You're coming with us."

Harry scanned the people before him, a dull ache settling between his shoulders, he counted six soldiers? Guards? Plus Kimura, he could probably take them, but did he really want to waste the energy, his body ached, and the cold was starting to seep deep into his bones.

Besides, he was trying to get into the facility anyway. This was much easier than sneaking in. Slowly, he raised his hands.

A sharp pinch to the neck caused him to flinch backwards. Reaching around with his left hand he pulled a feathered dart from just above his collarbone, he raised an eyebrow at the soldier with the smoking gun, "Really?"

With that, he crumpled to the ground, darkness consuming him.