BXBX NOVEL Chapter 257 256: Talk With Leone
All night was spent listening to and feeling her shiver, tossing and turning in her sleep as she tried to rest.
The rest of us slept rather easily though, much like normal; sure, Jahi and Anput were a little off put by the people they had killed, but...
Honestly, the day wasn\'t that bad, and the killing didn\'t get to any of us, even though I could tell that the other two had misgivings about it for a few moments.
Though, they got over it rather easily, and I simply didn\'t care enough for what had happened; in the end, it was an \'us or them\' situation, and I was always, no matter the cost, going to choose us.
I cared about few things in this world, but each of them was irreplaceable and extremely precious to me.
So if I needed to kill innocents to keep them alive, so be it.
Thankfully, by the time that we woke up at dawn, Leone had managed to get some sleep and she seemed to be coming to terms with everything.
The Vampire still had bags under her eyes and a melancholic look in those crimson orbs, but she managed to go about getting ready on her own, which made me relieved.
Washing ourselves off slightly, I helped clothe each of the girls before strapping on my own armor, handing them their weapons and following them out into the encampment moments later.
Nirinia came out a few minutes later, awakened by the smell of cooking oatmeal that I had boiling over a small fire.
We had packed a few large bags of various grains, but that was really it; we didn\'t go overboard by packing meats, cheeses, or fruits, since they would all spoil easily, and we were told to keep ourselves on whatever the Legion would be eating, to help maintain a sense of camaraderie between us and the soldiers.
Of course, when Nirinia did stumble from her tent, her hair in disarray and her clothes barely on, we all rolled our eyes as another woman exited moments later, her satisfied, yet tired expression telling us what had happened.
Giving the woman a smirk and a wink, the Djinn sent her off with a wave before grabbing a bowl, scarfing the meal down and moaning gently.
"You\'re damn lucky, Bluey..."
Jahi smirked at the Djinn, and everyone glanced at me, making me tilt my head.
Giving them a \'confused\' look, I continued stirring the pot before spooning out another helping into Jahi\'s and Nirinia\'s bowls, the two women swiftly devouring their second serving with ease.
When we finished eating breakfast, and I cleaned everything off, we got up and grabbed our weapons, setting out to spar.
This time though, only a few soldiers came to watch, and they weren\'t given the show that Nirinia had planned yesterday; instead, we were focusing on refining our technique, so we fought slower and used more precise movements, trying to get the steps for each move down before continuing onwards.
Leone and I sparred together, and I helped guide her through some of the more basic techniques, specifically how to block with a shorter blade...
Or more accurately, how to parry or dodge.
During our spar, I decided that the easiest way to keep her focused on the task at hand, as well as distract her from thinking over yesterday, was to ask her questions.
Specifically, about whether or not \'Blood Magic\' was possible.
"So... Leone, question."
Redirecting her short sword to the side, I stopped and reset my stance, watching as she mirrored me.
Nodding, I moved forwards and stabbed the dagger forwards, which she managed to barely redirect to the side.
"Better. Alright, as a Vampire, do you have any... control, or influence over blood?"
The pale skinned woman frowned, her crimson eyes meeting mine as she asked "Why?"
Going through the motions again, I sighed as I responded, keeping my dagger moving as I spoke.
"I had a few ideas for enchantments, but I didn\'t know if they were possible... they all revolved around blood, either acting as a catalyst to \'curse\' an opponent, or to use someone\'s blood as a weapon... I was just curious, since there is lots I could do with Blood as an arcane field of study..."
Leone pursed her lips, her eyes narrowed as she parried my blade and brought hers up to my neck, making me smile wryly as I gestured for us to continue.
"Well... yes and no. I can briefly gain control of an opponents blood, but I need to be in my True Vampire form. I can also create runes for controlling and utilizing blood in that form, but just like with the summoning circles, I can\'t remember what exactly they are... it\'s a selective form of locking away memories, and is something quite a few races and families do to prevent secrets from leaking...
Vampire\'s were forced to do it when they were persecuted years ago. Blood is a terrifyingly potent \'element\', since each droplet of blood is similar in power to a shard of a Mana Crystal. Because of that, Vampires were hunted to near extinction, since everyone was afraid of the power they wield. A low reproduction rate, paired with desires for solitude or reclusiveness, and the True Vampires of the past were slaughtered. Mother\'s mother barely managed to escape the persecution, and by then people had forgotten their fears for Vampires.
However, it was that exact period of time that made the Vampire\'s begin to seclude their magics even more; they were already tightly kept secrets, but now? No one, besides former Vampire Families and True Vampires know Blood Magic, and even then, it\'s an incomplete, tattered page from one of the greatest grimoires ever created... we know so little about such an insanely potent field of magic due to fear."
She let out a sigh, before she narrowed her eyes and stared at me, asking "Why did you want to learn how to use Blood Magic, Kat?"
Pursing my lips, I took a step back and stopped our duel, letting out a sigh of my own as I said "Two reasons, really. I had a feeling it was a powerful field, so I wanted to see if I could learn it myself. The other was for enchantments; pairing it with anything would effectively... supercharge that enchantment, allowing for incredibly potent spells to be wielded. For instance, the main one I wanted to create, was a healing spell that drained the blood from your enemy and healed you."
Leone nodded at that, a slightly smug look on her face as she said "Vampiric Drain? It already exists, but I do have to commend you for thinking of it like that. Most instantly go for offensive spells, mainly Dracul\'s Fangs and Blood Moon... which are just fancy ways of saying \'a rain of spears\' and \'giant sphere that shoots smaller spheres\'.
Sadly, until I myself manage to keep those memories unlocked, I can\'t help you. I barely have control over Mom\'s powers, so I haven\'t really tried to tinker with Mother\'s yet... Though, I can certainly see if she will let you have a peek at her grimoire when we go back home. Doubt she\'ll let you though."
Giving her a grin, I nodded, before I raised my dagger and gestured for her to continue our spar.
This went on for a few more minutes, and the other two sparred alongside us as Nirinia watched, but eventually we were stopped by the arrival of Adelina\'s banner bearer, the Wolfkin woman.
Her arrogant features and permanent sneer made her seem unlikable, and her gray fur contrasted against her black hair, all of which bristled slightly.
The black hair was cut into a pixie cut, leaving it out of her face and out of the way, while her fur was straight and spiky.
One of her eyes was a pale, arctic blue, while the other was a deep, rich amber, and her tanned, weathered skin displayed her experience on a battlefield.
Hanging on her waist was her heavy mace, while her black armor only made her skin seem darker, adding to the thick, somber aura around her.
Seeing her approach, Nirinia stopped us and stared at the Wolfkin, who growled softly as she glared at the Djinn.
However, she didn\'t snarl, nor did she say anything uncouth; instead, she kept her words sharp and concise, though the disrespect and anger in her tone was palpable.
"Commander Leonisa wishes to speak to you."
Sweeping her heterochromatic gaze over the rest of us, she added "All of you." before turning back around and stalking away, her tail stiff.
Exchanging glances, we looked at Nirinia as she sighed, her jade eyes already tired as she muttered "Always hated that bitch... Come on then, let\'s go see what our glorious Commander wants..."
Her unenthusiastic voice made each of us shrug, and we fell in line behind her as we returned to the Command Tent in the center of the encampment, where we were greeted with the sight of Adelina looming over the table, her golden eyes narrowed as she stared down at a map.
Various flags and markers were scattered around, and the Lioness continued to rake her gaze over the different symbols, lines, and more even as she said "Nirinia, things\'ve changed."
Tapping a part of the map, Adelina looked up, startling us as we saw that the previously angry, and slightly bitter woman was gone.
Nirinia took that in stride, approaching the table and staring at the point that Adelina highlighted.
"The Romagi King has moved up his timetable; the First Army lies there, whilst the Second Army is moving to meet them. However, our scouts have informed me that..."
Taking a deep breath, Adelina\'s gaze turned hard as she spoke again, making Nirinia frown at her words.
"Two Justiciars have been dispatched to the First Army, and they\'re armed with the newest weaponry that\'s come out of the Dreadki Conglomerate. They\'ve been armed with mana infused Stygian Silver..."