Fourth Night [Part 3]
continued from here
Even with the purposeful delay, they made into the castle proper and the vampire resumed his natural form.
The buzz of magic had faded slightly, but not completely. Hansel's eyes were glowing more strangely than usual, and he barely registered that they'd returned to the castle, other than that they were no longer moving.
"Hansel?" Dracula questioned.
He blinked and looked at him. "I still feel funny."
"It's the residue magic, it will linger in your blood before it fully absorbs. You may even get a small cantrip out of this."
"Cantrip?"
"A minor bit of magic, usually nothing more then winking candles out of existence or creating phantom sounds." Dracula explain. "Things that most magically-inclined humans without training can do. Usually the only thing they can do."
"Oh." He wondered idly what it would be like to use magic.
Dracula takes the bookbag. "We're heading to the library, child."
Nice, simple instructions. He can do that. And he does, scampering up the stairs in front of his Master.
Dracula kept the monsters away by his mere presence and pulls open the door. "Librarian, I have some tomes that might be of interest to you."
Hansel was curious as to the tomes as well, so he found a close chair and waited for the arrival of the Librarian.
It didn't take long for the Master of books to appear, somehow without giving any aural sign of his presence.
"What do we have here Master?" a curious smile spread across the thin lips
"Magic books," the fledgling answered for him.
Both men give him an amused look as Dracula bulled out two tomes out of the bad, one old and ragged and the other was a custom binding, orange leather with gold leafing with Japanese text.
The Librarian's fingers twitched in excitement. "Hand them over, let me see."
Hansel hadn't actually seen the books yet, so he was curious as to what was in them.
Dracula handed the older tome over, and the Librarian read through it with blinding fast speed, somewhat not doing damage to the careworn pages. "A Spanish treatise on the Aztec Magic, detailing rituals and prayers, I thought all copies had been eliminated from the world!"
The boy was amazed at the speed that the Librarian skimmed through the book. However, the Japanese writing on the other book had caught his eye, and he was trying to read what the cover said, without appearing to be reading it.
The title was poetic 'To step in the void between life and death'
Hansel was curious as to that book's contents. In the 'Omi' part of his mind, he wondered if there was a way to change him back in the book.
The Librarian floated the old book up, and examined the new one. "The owner put a lot of expense in binding this, hmmm... hm, not often I get the pleasure of Asian texts."
"What's in it?" he asked, trying not to sound too curious.
"Necromancy for the most part, mediumship." The Librarian answered
Necromancy he knew. The other... "Mediumship?"
"The channeling and manipulation of spirits," Dracula explained.
"Manipulation of spirits..." Hansel repeated softly. He didn't like the sound of that.
"Something our wizard friend was trying." Dracula commented.
The boy's face darkened. "Dark magic," he defined it.
"Indeed Dark Magic for most times," The librarian concurred. "Though it has benign uses in allowing closure for families." He started to go off with the books to shelf them
Hansel looked to Dracula. The magic's influence had mostly passed by, and now that he wasn't on a feeding high, he was becoming slightly uncomfortable in his Sire's presence again.
Dracula seem to let out a sigh. "Hunters and rogue wizards, what is the world coming to?"
Was he talking to Hansel? "S--Master?"
"Ah, my apologies Hansel."
Hansel didn't know how to reply, other than "Are we in danger?"
"If we are careless."
'Or inexperienced, he knew.
The vampire frowned, it wasn't a Belmont, but even the lesser hunters had been a thorn in his side.
It wasn't going to help the situation, but Hansel knew it had to be asked eventually. "What about Weiss?"
Dracula looked to him. "I have no argument with them."
"What if... they come after you again?" Of course, they didn't know specifically who their target was, but given that he'd 'killed' Omi, they wouldn't pass up the mission if it came.
"I will defend myself if I must, but for your sake - I won't kill them." Not any time soon.
"Thank you."
Dracula searched. "Now where was that book?"
"Which book?"
" 'De Vermis Mysteriis'." He answered with some irritation.
"Oh, from earlier..." Hansel didn't know where it had been put.
Dracula moved around, and looks on the various tables.
Hansel slipped down an aisle, not wanting to irritate his Sire further, and looked for botany books.
There's a quiet a-ha as Dracula found it. "You know misplacing my books is not amusing," He called out to thin air, though it's clear who it's directed at.
Hansel hoped it wasn't directed at him, as he curled up like a cat in a large chair, a heavy tome in his lap.
The vampire returned to his seat, and started to read through the book.
Even with the purposeful delay, they made into the castle proper and the vampire resumed his natural form.
The buzz of magic had faded slightly, but not completely. Hansel's eyes were glowing more strangely than usual, and he barely registered that they'd returned to the castle, other than that they were no longer moving.
"Hansel?" Dracula questioned.
He blinked and looked at him. "I still feel funny."
"It's the residue magic, it will linger in your blood before it fully absorbs. You may even get a small cantrip out of this."
"Cantrip?"
"A minor bit of magic, usually nothing more then winking candles out of existence or creating phantom sounds." Dracula explain. "Things that most magically-inclined humans without training can do. Usually the only thing they can do."
"Oh." He wondered idly what it would be like to use magic.
Dracula takes the bookbag. "We're heading to the library, child."
Nice, simple instructions. He can do that. And he does, scampering up the stairs in front of his Master.
Dracula kept the monsters away by his mere presence and pulls open the door. "Librarian, I have some tomes that might be of interest to you."
Hansel was curious as to the tomes as well, so he found a close chair and waited for the arrival of the Librarian.
It didn't take long for the Master of books to appear, somehow without giving any aural sign of his presence.
"What do we have here Master?" a curious smile spread across the thin lips
"Magic books," the fledgling answered for him.
Both men give him an amused look as Dracula bulled out two tomes out of the bad, one old and ragged and the other was a custom binding, orange leather with gold leafing with Japanese text.
The Librarian's fingers twitched in excitement. "Hand them over, let me see."
Hansel hadn't actually seen the books yet, so he was curious as to what was in them.
Dracula handed the older tome over, and the Librarian read through it with blinding fast speed, somewhat not doing damage to the careworn pages. "A Spanish treatise on the Aztec Magic, detailing rituals and prayers, I thought all copies had been eliminated from the world!"
The boy was amazed at the speed that the Librarian skimmed through the book. However, the Japanese writing on the other book had caught his eye, and he was trying to read what the cover said, without appearing to be reading it.
The title was poetic 'To step in the void between life and death'
Hansel was curious as to that book's contents. In the 'Omi' part of his mind, he wondered if there was a way to change him back in the book.
The Librarian floated the old book up, and examined the new one. "The owner put a lot of expense in binding this, hmmm... hm, not often I get the pleasure of Asian texts."
"What's in it?" he asked, trying not to sound too curious.
"Necromancy for the most part, mediumship." The Librarian answered
Necromancy he knew. The other... "Mediumship?"
"The channeling and manipulation of spirits," Dracula explained.
"Manipulation of spirits..." Hansel repeated softly. He didn't like the sound of that.
"Something our wizard friend was trying." Dracula commented.
The boy's face darkened. "Dark magic," he defined it.
"Indeed Dark Magic for most times," The librarian concurred. "Though it has benign uses in allowing closure for families." He started to go off with the books to shelf them
Hansel looked to Dracula. The magic's influence had mostly passed by, and now that he wasn't on a feeding high, he was becoming slightly uncomfortable in his Sire's presence again.
Dracula seem to let out a sigh. "Hunters and rogue wizards, what is the world coming to?"
Was he talking to Hansel? "S--Master?"
"Ah, my apologies Hansel."
Hansel didn't know how to reply, other than "Are we in danger?"
"If we are careless."
'Or inexperienced, he knew.
The vampire frowned, it wasn't a Belmont, but even the lesser hunters had been a thorn in his side.
It wasn't going to help the situation, but Hansel knew it had to be asked eventually. "What about Weiss?"
Dracula looked to him. "I have no argument with them."
"What if... they come after you again?" Of course, they didn't know specifically who their target was, but given that he'd 'killed' Omi, they wouldn't pass up the mission if it came.
"I will defend myself if I must, but for your sake - I won't kill them." Not any time soon.
"Thank you."
Dracula searched. "Now where was that book?"
"Which book?"
" 'De Vermis Mysteriis'." He answered with some irritation.
"Oh, from earlier..." Hansel didn't know where it had been put.
Dracula moved around, and looks on the various tables.
Hansel slipped down an aisle, not wanting to irritate his Sire further, and looked for botany books.
There's a quiet a-ha as Dracula found it. "You know misplacing my books is not amusing," He called out to thin air, though it's clear who it's directed at.
Hansel hoped it wasn't directed at him, as he curled up like a cat in a large chair, a heavy tome in his lap.
The vampire returned to his seat, and started to read through the book.