章 23: Mystery of magic
The hour rapidly passed as Adrian was still, blissfully unaware of Aethelstan's actions.
Aethelstan, who was now dirtfree, waited outside. Village chief right next to him, as if he would be safe from Avery's scorching gaze.
Humans, always busy with overthinking and most of the time in a useful manner.
Maybe that's what armoured him about them.
How could there be such a difference in races?
One race couldn't get enough of being in the spotlight and the other couldn't stay far enough out of it.
Avery retrained that need for spotlight and power perfectly.
It wasn't a nice feeling, having hundreds of lives hanging over him but it wasn't anything new. He had dealt with worse, so what was this in comparison?
His life would have been easier if he had let them to their devices but what happened had already passed. And there was no use crying over spilled beans.
With a shake of his head, the thought flew away, never to be seen or heard again.
"Took you long enough.''
"We are ,in fact, going to do something illegal, which could result in my head rolling.
Show some respect, elf.''
''Let's just go."
"Yes, yes indeed. Let's go master elf, bodyguard."
Not helping, not helping at all. Avery's eyes glared holes inside the village chief's back when the difference of titles became clear.
Kwana noticed his mistake quickly as he tensed. Eyes going between him and Avery, a huge apology in it.
Master elf, how ridiculous. He hadn't been a master in a very, very long time.
It was insane how fast his mood could switch so fast sometimes as the twinge of sadness made way for his usual emotionless and impassive face.
Kwana turned away after the obvious way, discomfort displayed in the way his fingers rubbed over each other as the thought of having displeased Aethelstan made him try and rectify it.
"I...I mean master bodyguard.
We are almost there, just down..there.
Come on."
Avery was pleased, a pleasant smile with a twinge of victory stretched wide over his face. Clearly thrown in the elf's direction
It didn't even diminish when Aethelstan just straight up ignored it, he didn't bother with it and neither did he care.
The ride had passed with much carefulness, just like Dawn, Aethelstan didn't trust humans very much.
In some cases they were alright but there were more and more cases that they could be outrageous. They got scared by things they didn't understand, a trait that had survived even magic and the coming of the species.
And what they didn't understand, wasn't allowed to live a normal life.
While stupid, fragile, they were also sneaky.
He was aware of how sneaky they could be, so he wasn't all that surprised when a trapdoor with spells upon spells appeared.
Spells that weren't very high grade, clumsy as well.
Obviously applied by a mage that had just gotten over a new crosswalk.
Probably as a thank you for the help of the drug.
Old oak staff the chief used in support for his weak and frail body, wasn't only for support as he encircled the trapdoor in three wide circles before letting the staff come down in the middle.
Groud ,once burned to ashes, now vanished and turned colorful and lively.
A cloaking spell, one of the many spells woven between the net of others.
"You must have had quite a capable mage passing by."
"T-thats right! Noble elf-'' Back to noble elf, it seems. A change that Avery caught as well as he threw a smug look in his direction. "She just appeared, just like the plant. About fifteen years ago. If you would follow me, please."
A staircase had shimmered into existence as soon as the trapdoor opened with loud, creaking noise.
"What a conflicting place." Aethelstan pondered as they moved down, before having hit the bottom. A dark, narrow passageway made him create a silver light.
"Our magic doesn't work in this part."
"Ah." The silver glow struggled to stay in existence and with a snap of fingers it vanished completely. "What do you mean it just appeared?''
Even Avery didn't dispute the question, deeming it interesting and even making sure his eyes took in everything, going back and forth in the suspicious passageway.
"You know...it just appeared.
Weird thing was they both appeared at the crack of dawn."
The sudden lack of anything was worth looking into as Aethelstan had fallen silent before regaining his composure, casually asking.
"Crack of dawn? What an unusual thing, are you sure?
The elf was acting unusual as well, Avery quite liked the fact he could tell already.
"Yes, both.
I'm sure if it was only one I wouldn't have remembered.
But both. Weird ain't it?
Either way we thought it was special but we didn't try and figure it out.
It was a god sent at that time, a lot of our people died like flies back then."
He didn't know why, maybe it was the way the chief stared gratefully at the elf but he interrupted.
"Why?
Kwana snapped out of it, looking like he forget they were with three and not two.
"Master bodyguard-'' Alright that made the frown vanish "-it...this happened fifteen years ago.
When all vampires vanished without a single reason or trace.
Afterwards the kingdom even locked itself in a barrier.
We are the closest village, what do you think happened?"
Venom was hearable in his voice, there was after all some back bone in that weak male.
"An investigation from all races."
"Indeed, noble elf.
All races came, seeking out answers as to why.
They hated vampires but when they vanished they thought a disaster was happening and they could be next.
We weren't always like this, we were stable. Negotiating between villages but when that happened we experienced a big boom in everything and it had been good.
But before long the economy of our village crashed, illnesses we had never even heard or seen before spread far and wide. Crime suddenly increased and we weren't equipped to handle it because all authority had been taken away as soon as royalty waltzed in."
Silently, they digested the information.
''That's just how much attention the vampire world got, when they vanished.
I'm sure this isn't the only town that had this happen and now that they're open again I am afraid of what could happen."
Just as words reached their ears, they stumbled across a big, old and heavy door.
A door that opened easier than they thought it would as with a shaky push it door swung wide open.
As soon as that happened a long passageway appeared, before disappearing and then returning and dividing into others.
Magic was playing illusions as it kept dividing, disappearing and reappearing in front of their very eyes.
Bigger passageways, smaller and ones just plain out fading in and out or appearing exactly the same in another spot.
This place...was messing with their senses, as nonexistence water dripped and the smell of burning flesh rose in the air.
The cracked pavement beneath Aethelstan was hard yet the wall underneath the touch of his palm was wet.
"What is this place?"
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