Chapter 12: Birds of a Feather
Name: Russell Vance
Age: 24
Personality: Easygoing, easily bored, "enjoyment minister" (as my mother would say)
Birthday: 9 January
Strengths: Creative fighter with great adaptability in combat.
Weaknesses: Easily bored and can get distracted during tasks, emotionally vulnerable (tries to hide it with humour)
Favourite Things: Loves his bed, challenging duels, and good food.
Lars and Russell, on brooms, arrived at the dungeon, weapons safely fastened on them, grins wider than the Cheshire Cat's, and bursting with anticipation. Their squadmates were there waiting for them. Sharya waved them over with a grin on her face, and Lilian's small smile looked equally inviting. Kirsch meanwhile, was looking at himself in a mirror.
"Typical," the mind mage sighed.
The dungeon was an old castle, seemingly converted by quite a powerful mage to hide something from the rest of the world. There were vines spreading around the outer structure of the building, and a recurring pattern of its bricks were tinted green by moss and mould. A crest hung precariously over the gateway, precariously balanced and too blackened for Lars to make out what it was depicting. The gateway took the form of a large
"Hey, when are the Silver Eagles arriving?" Sharya asked the vice-captain, who's eyes were still gazing into the mirror. Hearing this, Kirsch did an obligatory hair flick, and replied 'fashionably', "Most likely they are late. I don't mind. It gives me more time to observe my beautiful self!
Sharya, once again pissed off with the Vice-Captain's obvious response, responded under her breath, her voice dripping with venom, "No shit Sherlock…"
"Hello, Coral Peacocks!" A voice rang out, which Lars immediately recognised as Kian's.
"Yo!" Lars returned his greeting, and their hands met in a brilliant dap.
"The rest of my squadmates should be here any minute. I may or may not have used Force Magic to get ahead of them, but who cares," Kian said nonchalantly.
Right on cue, four Silver Eagles members appeared. The first two were Frida Mertens and Nebra Silva, who was someone Lars knew well from the days Frida had first become a Magic Knight. On off days, she would invite Nebra round to her house to hone each others magic, in battles that often culminated in them ganging up on a thirteen year old Lars. The other two, however, were people Lars did not know in the slightest.
The first was a tall, muscular man with broad shoulders, standing out with his imposing figure. He had dark bronze skin, and his buzz-cut hair was a vibrant shade of orange, the same colour as the flames that seemed to flicker in his fiery red eyes. His square jaw was set in a perpetual scowl, giving him a tough, no-nonsense demeanour. He wore the Silver Eagles' standard uniform, but it was sleeveless, showcasing his well-defined arms. Each step he took was firm and purposeful, as though every movement was calculated to demonstrate his strength. Across his back, he carried a large, double-edged battle axe that looked far too heavy for anyone else to wield, but he handled it effortlessly.
The other mage was a stark contrast to him. She was petite and graceful, with long, viridian hair that cascaded down her back, sleek and straight. Her sharp violet eyes gleamed with a quiet intelligence, and though she had a calm expression, there was an air of danger about her, as if she could strike at any moment. Her pale skin stood out against the deep aquamarine and silver tones of her Silver Eagles uniform, which was intricately embroidered with delicate patterns resembling the night sky. She carried no visible weapon, but Lars could sense an immense magical pressure emanating from her, hinting that her power was more subtle and possibly more dangerous than her counterpart's brute force.
Kian, sensing Lars's curiosity, quickly answered his unspoken questions. "So this is Soren, and he uses Lava Magic! That battle axe you see there was specifically crafted for him to use magic based attacks," he said, pointing to the muscular man.
"And that's Lyra," he said, pointing to the dark haired mage, who glared at him annoyingly. "She has Insect Magic. She kinda hates my guts…" he said, lowering that last part to a whisper.
"I heard that!" she retorted.
Lars, who had been secretly reading the emotions of everyone there, sighed inwardly. Oh Kian, you innocent soul. She doesn't hate your guts, in fact, she's madly in love with you.
"Now that we're done with the introductions," Soren said, his voice radiating power, "can we get to beating people up?"
Russell laughed. "You're coming with me, big guy."
Lilian then offered to go with Nebra, who obliged. Kirsch and Frida, naturally, decided to explore the dungeon together.
"Hey insect girl," Sharya said, her signature cheeky grin inhibiting her face. "Think you can keep up with me?"
Lyra's expression remained stoic. "Why not? I mean, you're basically the only viable partner for me."
"And that leaves the two most useless members of each squad together!" Frida smirked, her voice dripping with condensation. "Hey, where are they?"
Kian had already gone into the dungeon, and Lars was just about to enter when he looked back, hearing Frida's words. He defiantly stared into her eyes, saying:
"Race you to the treasure room, bitch."
He then entered the dungeon, broom in hand. Frida growled, her usually well kept hair having more than a few strands out of place.
"Why, you little… Amethyst Crystal Magic: Glissando!"
Her boots became enveloped by crystals, and she glid after them, grabbing Kirsch and lifting him over her head. Kirsch, who was quite taken aback by this, something out of character for him, said nothing. They both disappeared. Nebra and Lilian, Lyra and Sharya, and finally Soren and Russell followed suit. The dungeon's portal gateway died down and lost all its light.
They were really in for a wild ride now.
…
As Sharya and Lyra navigated the obstacles, Sharya smirked. "Where'd you learn to move like that, insect girl?"
Lyra smiled confidently. "My mentor, Aurora Hansen, was a skilled assassin. She taught me most of her movement techniques."
Sharya gasped, her eyes widening in recognition. "Hold on, your name isn't…Lyra Nocturne, is it?"
Lyra nodded, a hint of pride in her voice. "It is! Why do you ask?"
Sharya's eyes lit up with excitement. "Lyra! I remember you now! You were that girl who begged my mother for two weeks straight to train her!"
Lyra's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she quickly brushed it aside. "Sharya? Is that you? What did you do to your hair? Why's it so short now?"
Sharya grinned, clearly enjoying Lyra's surprise. "I thought things needed a change," she said, kicking a rock away as they moved in sync, the familiarity sparking an unspoken bond between them.
Lyra blinked, the embarrassment still lingering. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! I didn't recognize you at first because of your hair… please forgive me!"
Sharya waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I was thinking of growing—"
Before she could finish, a blast of molten rock erupted before them, cutting off Sharya's sentence. They turned to face a lava golem, a towering, humanoid creature forged entirely from molten rock and magma. Its body glowed an intense orange-red, veins of lava coursing through its cracks like blood, while hardened patches of stone formed an armour-like shell across its chest and limbs. With every move, it let out plumes of smoke and heat, casting an ominous shadow over the pair.
Instinctively, Lyra and Sharya sprang into action. Lyra crossed her hands in an X motion, summoning her magic.
"Insect Magic: Web Trap!"
Reinforced strings shot out from the ground, binding the golem's limbs in a thick, sticky net. Seizing the opportunity, Lyra quickly followed up with her next spell.
"Insect Magic: Mantis Scythe!"
Her hands transformed, morphing into giant mantis-like appendages. With a swift, powerful slash, she cut deep into the golem's chest, causing it to stumble back, a roar of pain rumbling from its molten core. Without hesitation, she unleashed another Mantis Scythe, and the golem's fury intensified. It slammed its massive arms down, causing the ground beneath Lyra to bubble and turn into a river of lava. Reacting quickly, she called upon her next spell.
"Insect Magic: Moth Wings!"
With a flicker of light, a pair of iridescent wings sprouted from her back, allowing her to soar high above the molten threat, narrowly avoiding being turned into a crispy insect.
"Nice job, insect girl. But allow me a chance to show you what I can do," Sharya chimed, her voice laced with enthusiasm. She imbued her dagger with a shimmering layer of Mana Coating, then threw it at the beast with deadly accuracy.
"Clone Magic: Dagger Squall!"
In an instant, the single dagger multiplied into a torrential storm of blades, a veritable wall of daggers hurtling toward the golem. The daggers pierced through its form, breaking it apart like brittle clay, each blade driven with precision and intent. As the golem roared in defiance, the fiery lava that once formed its body began to cool, cascading into a hardened shell around the two mages.
"Now that's what I call teamwork!" Sharya exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
But just as they began to celebrate, the ground shook beneath them. The remnants of the golem shimmered ominously as it began to reform, molten rock swirling back together to create an even larger, more furious version of itself. "Looks like we're not done yet," Lyra said, her voice steady as she prepared for the next assault.
…
Lilian and Nebra were seated inside Lilian's Prism Construct Magic: Chromatic Prism. It was essentially a giant prism capsule that took them at high speed toward what Lilian believed to be the dungeon's centre. Neither had said a word to each other since they got into the capsule, just staring at each other awkwardly. The short prism mage was the first to break the silence.
"So…" she said, a bead of sweat running down her forehead. "What should we talk about? This silence is killing me."
Nebra simply glared at her, stating, "I have no intention to engage in any social activities with you."
"Oh, come on, don't be like that! I'm sure that we could at least find something to talk about," Lilian retorted.
"Fine then, let's talk about you. At the Magic Knights selection exam a few years ago, I saw you use a particular spell," Nebra began.
Lilian nodded. "It was when I was fighting against this one girl. She'd been quite unpleasant to me the whole exam, so I took delight in beating her."
"That spell… Prismatic Armour, I believe you called it? It was quite reminiscent of one of my mother's spells."
Lilian smiled. "Thank you…" She couldn't believe that she had remembered it, and that meant a lot, especially coming from Nebra, who she hadn't perceived to be a very nice person.
Suddenly, she gagged and fell to her knees inside the prism. Nebra quirked an eyebrow, seemingly unbothered. "What's wrong, Lilian?" she said. Then she audibly gasped.
Lilian stood up, her hair having turned red.
"What happened to your hair?" Nebra asked, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.
With a sly smile that felt foreign on her lips, Lilian replied, her tone dripping with malice, "Oh, you know, just a little transformation. This isn't the first time it's happened, but trust me—it's going to be a lot of fun!"
Nebra's heart raced as she sensed a shift in the atmosphere. The once-innocent Lilian had vanished, replaced by a more dangerous version of herself. "Fun? You're not talking about the same kind of fun I am," she said cautiously, her hand instinctively moving to her grimoire.
"Exactly! I'm talking about the thrill of battle!" Lilian's voice was laced with an unsettling excitement. "Let's see what we can find to kill, shall we?"
Before Nebra could respond, the capsule jerked to a halt, the prism's shimmering surface flickering ominously. The air thickened with an oppressive energy as a low growl reverberated through the chamber.
"What is that?" Nebra whispered, her pulse quickening.
"Something big, something strong," Lilian replied, her red hair now swirling with an unnatural energy. "Just how I like it!"
As the walls of the Chromatic Prism began to dissolve, a hulking creature emerged from the shadows. It was a monstrous amalgamation of rock and shadow, its eyes glowing with malevolence. The creature roared, sending shockwaves through the air, causing the very ground beneath them to tremble.
Lilian laughed, a sound that echoed with both excitement and insanity. "Oh, this will be fun! Let's show this thing what we're made of!"
Nebra steeled herself, trying to focus despite the unsettling energy radiating from her companion. "Wait, Lilian, we need to strategize! This thing looks tough!"
But Lilian had already leaped forward, her body shimmering with a kaleidoscope of colours. "Mind Magic: Prismatic Assault!" she yelled, unleashing a flurry of light-infused projectiles that struck the creature with blinding force. Each hit echoed with the sound of shattered glass as shards of vibrant energy pierced through its rocky exterior.
The creature staggered but quickly retaliated, swinging its massive arm toward Lilian. "Watch out!" Nebra shouted, throwing a tendril of mist from her Mist Magic to obscure the creature's vision, creating a shroud around Lilian to help her evade.
"Good job, Nebra!" Lilian called, her voice filled with twisted glee. "But I want to see it suffer!" She twirled her hands, channelling more energy. "Prismatic Flare!" A blinding explosion of colours erupted from her palms, illuminating the dark chamber as it slammed into the creature's face.
The golem howled in pain, disoriented and reeling from the assault. Taking advantage of its momentary vulnerability, Nebra gathered her magic. "Mist Magic: Enveloping Fog!" A thick, swirling mist enveloped the creature, obscuring its senses and making it difficult to locate its targets.
"Nice! Now it's my turn!" Lilian shouted, her red hair glowing with chaotic energy. She raised her hands, channelling her magic into a massive prism, which floated to the top of the dungeon. "Prismatic Judgment!" The orb swelled, radiating an intense spectrum of colours. Nebra felt the heat and energy pulsating, a reflection of Lilian's volatile state.
"Lilian, we can't let it get out of control!" Nebra warned, trying to pull her friend back from the edge. "Focus on the battle, not the chaos!"
"Chaos is exactly what I want!" Lilian replied with a manic grin. With a final, dramatic flourish, she hurled the prism toward the creature, which met it head-on.
"Detonate~"
The explosion that followed illuminated the entire chamber, drowning everything in brilliant light. When the dust settled, the creature lay in ruins, its dark energy dissipating into the ether.
Breathing heavily, Lilian turned to Nebra, a wild gleam in her eyes. "See? That was exhilarating! More, please!"
Nebra felt a shiver of unease. "Lilian, I need you to snap back to reality. You're not yourself!"
Lilian's expression shifted for a moment, the chaotic glee fading as her normal demeanour flickered back into place. "I—I know," she stammered, her hair returning to its original colour. "I don't know what happens when I use my magic like that… I think it's a side effect of my Prism Magic, like my personality is being refracted."
Nebra, still slightly petrified, shook her head. She's an odd one, for sure, she thought. The two got into Lilian's Chromatic Prism and continued advancing throughout the dungeon.
A/N: Here's my question of the chapter: who's your favourite character so far? I'll ask this question again in 4- chapters and see how things change.
Also, this question of the day thing is going to be regular from now on, since I'd like to use it to inform my chapters in the story: who you see more of, etc.