Spirit Domain II

As the season came and went, a year faded in the vast expanse of time. Aurelia stood before Zariel, gripping her wooden sword, circling him like a graceful cat with anticipation in her beady eyes. Just one meter outside his Spirit Domain of Ten Meters, her sword twirled playfully in circles. 

Her knee bent, and with a single push, two vaporous domains clashed, and with it, swords crossed in a fearsome storm of blows crackling against the other. The weapons whirled like two serpents, dicing through the winds like knives. 

Aurelia's blade was vicious, seeking to draw blood, while Zariels was like water, allowing her sword to glide along the edge of his sword, redirecting her raw power. His body was significantly weaker, and yet the skill he used pulled at Aurlia's blade, forcing her to dance to his whims. She was forced to waste more of her stamina as Zariel stood still and unmoving. 

"This isn't fair! How can you always know where I'm going to strike!" Shouted Aurelia, unable to anticipate his movement despite her Spirit Domain encompassing him.

"Because my Spirit Domain is stronger,' Said Zariel, envisioning a translucent figure of Aurelia stabbing her sword toward his abdomen. His sword moved to intercept as the real Aurleia's blade followed the very course of action as the translucent image. 

 The blow was parried. 

Aurelia shouted a cry of frustration and backed off, lowering her blade. "What realm of Spirit Domain are you in? You said I was a novice, right?" She stomped her foot. "Are you in the realm of Advanced, Expert, or Master?" 

"Those are mortal ranks. "said Zariel, massaging his sore wrist. "After that comes Spirit Mastery: Truth, Soul, and Void. Respectively." 

"Then what are you?" 

Before Zariel could answer, Genny emerged from within his courtyard with Quinn and Sura on her heels.

Sura was gripping a book in her hand.

"so we're allowing strangers in now. Cool."

Quinn rolled his eyes. "We've been having dinner every week for the past year. And we're still considered strangers?"

"Uncle Quinn, how ya been? Did you bring Aurelia sweets? "

 "Is that what I am now? A sweet Courier," said Quinn, defeated. 

"That sounds like an awesome title," said Aurelia happily. 

"Your sweets are in the kitchen, my lady," said Genny warmly, watching as Aurelia jumped for joy. 

Zariel rolled his eyes. "well? It's not Friday, so what are you two doing here?"

"Transfigurations for Dummies, by Malos Blackwater, " said Sura, lifting his book with a sigil on its cover. 

"Oh. You bought my book. Did you like it? I've gotten a few million rel these past few months. The people of Salem seem to love it." 

"That's because transfiguration seems normalized in this book!" shouted Sura, both horrified and ecstatic. "what was once the hardest of the schools of magic is now trivialized into something anyone can master."

"so?" 

"Told you he'd say that. The boy literally doesn't give two shits," said Quinn with half a smile. 

"The issue is…" Sura began, "is that you have a target on your head, and you are making yourself a literal beacon. Your book is so good that Trinity is sending a messenger to recruit you."

"Oh, Dumb-Dumb is quite popular," said Aurelia happily. 

"Well, I do need the money. People keep asking for it," he said, scratching his head. 

"which we've been meaning to ask. Why are you giving people so much money?" asked Quinn. "everyday people are entering your manors and leaving your estate with dark or happy faces." 

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were spying on me. " smiled the silver devil. Quinn's expression went stiff. 

"You're the talk of the town, " said Sura. "Granting favors for… now that is the question. No one seems to know." she narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Mind telling us."

"Are you interested in making a deal, Lady Sura? I'm sure there is something you desire. Depending on what it is. I'm sure I can grant you whatever you seek. Money, lovers, spells, knowledge. I've even had some ask me to transform them into a man. No idea where they were going with that, but meh, to each their own, I guess."

Sura was astounded. "And you just do this out of the kindness of your heart?"

"What heart? " he laughed, nearly spitting in disgust. "There is a price to everything. But it always comes down to one thing." —his eyes grew sharp, and his smile devious— "How much do you want it?" 

Sura felt something akin to foreboding as she stilled the need to take a step back. 

"My price is always high. Whether you see it or not. I only tell when all is said and done."

"Aurelia, do you know the price? " Quinn asked, a little hopeful. 

"No, he said I'm too little." said the little lass brooding. 

Quinn patted her head to Sura'samazement. She had never seen Quinn show any kind of affection for another, especially a child. 

"You are too little or perhaps too green as for my book. There is not much I can do. I've already written parts two and three. Alongside the other branches of the school of magic. Unless you want to buy them off me. Ten million each." 

"That's far too much!!!!" shouted Quinn, slightly outraged. "six million." 

"That's what you're outraged about! Not the fact that a boy has that much knowledge?" shouted Sura

"eight," said Zariel, 

"seven. " 

"eight," 

"We can do 7.5 million Rel," Quinn argued, unbothered whether Zariel was a boy or not. The knowledge he wielded was acknowledged by some of the most knowledgeable men and women within the kingdom. That was all he needed to know. The rest was irrelevant. 

"Hmm, toss in some five hundred pounds of Svel Steel, and we've got a deal." 

Quinn made a pensive face. "Svel Steel? That idiot Castilan controls that in this city. Right?"

"Yes. He has been annoying me lately. I'd have killed him if he wasn't of some relevance to this empire." Zariel mused, rolling his eyes.

"we'll deliver you the Svel, but I want to make sure you don't make another copy of—"

"I've no interest in writing another book; they were all for this dummy here." —Zariel pointed to Aurelia— "I've dumbed down the material so even an idiot can understand it. Shit took a week to do. I feel like I'm getting cancer simply by reading it."

"You're the dumb dumb! Dumb-Dumb," said Aurelia childishly, feeling attacked. 

Zariel rolled his eyes, "I—" he stopped when a virtual screen popped up, revealing an elderly man at his door. Bald with a well-groomed beard. "oh… a new customer. See him in Genny. I'll be out shortly." 

Genny bowed, hurrying off. 

"How the hell?" Sura muttered, taken in by the magical projection. 

"a mixture of evocation, abjurations, and animus. The moment anyone with spirit approaches, I get a mental notification and then a live feed of my front door. Impressive, right."

"... I didn't even sense it. Where we captured in… "

"maybe. I was a little busy before you so rudely appeared. Well, I've got work to do. Aurelia… spars with Quinn. Show him your Spirit Domain. I'm sure a fight like him has a few pointers. " he said, taking his leave to devour yet another soul. 

***

As Zariel entered the study, where the elderly man awaited him, his gaze measured the man. His palms were coarse, and his robes seemed more like rags, dirty with a scent of manure. 

There was something hard about the man, something Zariel could not place. It was his face. It was hard… too hard for a simple farmer. 

"I want gold…" said the old man in a raspy voice. 

"To quote my brother, I want bitches,' but we can't always have what we want now, can we?" Zariel teased. "Tell me your name." 

"Marcello…" he said, lowering his gaze. 

"fancy name." 

"I get that a lot, " he said, fist slightly clenching. "I heard you grant wishes. They say you're the devil…a devil in the form of a boy that grants wishes for a steep price."

"That I do without exception."

"You give them to women?"

"They are my favorites. Vane little things: I want pretty children, strong husbands, better looks, big butts, breasts, friends, and more. The lists are endless."

"Children?"

"Kids are quite insecure; they take without thinking: I want to be tall. I want a big dick, I want Father to stop hitting Mommy. I want this girl to love me. I want a sword that'll make me strong. Needy little shits, eh?"

 Marcello looked pale. "You demanded a price from them, too?" 

Zariel chuckled. "When you go out to eat, do you think the restaurant of your choice cares if you have kids? Of course not, so long as you pay for your meal. I offer people wishes; your age is irrelevant. So tell me… what is it you truly want? I'm sure all these questions must have meaning."

Marcello gulped. "... I wanted to know if you had a heart. For what I ask… " he stopped trembling as something acidic spilled over his tongue. "I want you to exterminate someone for me. A family. "

"Murder? That's mildly interesting. Mr Marcello, how old are you?" 

"Nearly two hundred… ate an immortal root when I was young, you see. " Marcello explained, his wrinkled face bitter with resentment. 

"So it's about revenge. What did they do?"

"I had a daughter… a beautiful little girl. She was one of the most stunning things I've ever laid my eyes upon. Blue eyes that seemed like elegant sapphires, snow white hair, and peach white skin. My wife died giving birth to her. So she became my world. Twenty years I raised her. Twenty years, m'lord. Twenty years, I fed her, clothed her, and held her until she could stand on her two feet. She could read and write and had a mind for the arcane. Best of her class." ugly tears slithered down his chest, seeping into his rags. "until one day some lord saw her… he asked her to marry, but my Vyana refused. Said her heart lay in the sorceries of the world. Do you know what he did to her?" 

"rape?" said Zariel plainly. 

"I wish… if it was just that my daughter might have lived. She might have been hurt or broken, but she would have lived for tomorrow. She would have healed. Call me a monster for saying that… I don't care. I don't fucking care. She would be alive. I'd have been able to hold her, still care for her. Kiss her. That monster… that bastard tied her to his horse and rode day in and day out as she hung from the reigns. When he returned… he handed me her torn-off arm and said, 'The rest of her didn't make it." 

Zariel watched the grieving man, unsure what to feel. He was sure he could relate, yet all that hung in his chest was a desolate abyss of nothingness. 

"He laughed, claiming I should have raised her better… " Marcello wiped his eyes. "he had a kid a few days ago… a baby girl. I want her dead. I want him to watch her burn. I can't wait for him to see his wife clutching the char remains of—" 

"You ask for many things, " Zariel interceded calmly, "but you only have one wish. 

The old man laughed painfully. "Can a wish not be detailed."

The Silver Devil smiled. "Do go on."