"Double, Double, Toil and Trouble!"

https://www.fairytail-rp.com/t39447p525-job-sign-up-thread#391921

Solo Word Count: 12,500 words
Group Word Count: 25,000 words

Magnolia

Since becoming an S class wizard, Zachary took his drive into Fairy Tail far more seriously. He now was no longer a 'kid' wizard trying to impress the drunks in the guildhall-- but someone at the forefront of being the guild's ace and with the desire to make them a respected guild once more, Zachary was determined to take on more difficult jobs than just investigating some monsters or finding a lost item.

Dressed in his blue jacket and with Astral, the little adorable star fairy resting on his head, he now stood before the job board mulling over his next big quest. He had many adventures and collected many Spirits keys to help him. His summons was not just strong, but he also was strong in a new form of magic he learned for his S class trial. If anyone had any doubts about what he was capable of, they would learn better after clashing with him.

Still, with power came responsibility, and he was determined to put his power to good use. Zachary would read the board, a bit stumped at what to take. While he could have gone to the top floor and take one of the more 'difficult' jobs, he wanted to take a harder regular one in order to better grasp his new magic and make himself better known in a city. As he was reading each job cluttered on the request board, Astral, the little star fairy on his head, looked at the board for its pictures and colors. Curious, the little star floated off Zachary's blue-haired head and grabbed a random flyer of a bright purple color. Pwetty! Pick this wone, Pick this wone! he chirped.

Zachary gave a half-smile as he took the flyer, seeing it being a babysitting job. "Maybe next time, Astral-buddy. We want a grand adventure to go on,"he said as he put the flyer back.

"You should do one that has a good quality of experience, not just about increasing your 'fame'," a broad sounding voice spoke behind him.

Zachary turned to find none other than Leo, aka Ajani, behind him. In his idle form, he appeared as a tribal were-lion with white fur and leather armor. The lion had his arms crossed as he looked at Zachary and the board.

"Leo? When did you appear?" Zachary asked, not recalling summoning him.

The lion scoffed with a grunt and a brush of his paw. "I'm more than capable of coming here on my own magic. I was observing from the Celestial World and figure I come and give you a hand selecting it. If you are planning to do a big job, no doubt you will need me there, right?" he asked.

Zachary smiled as he saw the lion beside him, and appreciated his initiative. "Yeah. That's very much appreciated, Ajani. Thanks." he said with appreciation.

Astral's face lit up with joy to see Leo before him. His little arms went up in the air. Yay-yay! Leow's hewe! Huggies! Astral cried in tele-talk and flew to try and face-hug the lion, something it tried to do often to people.

Leo's face skewed with alarm and intercepted the cute star-critter with his paw, holding him easily in his paw and keeping him at a distance. "For the love of Andromeda, what is it with you people and hugs?" he growled, causing a chuckle from Zachary as Astral continued to try and fly forward against the large arm.

WC: 579

Returning to Magnolia was a strange experience for Aven. He had so many memories of the town, most of them fond; however, after having grown so much, it seemed... small. It wasn't so much a fault of the town's as a broadening of his perspective. If he was going to vie for the title of Wizard Saint, he'd be protecting more than just Magnolia- and more than just Fairy Tail, as well. Nessa had already gone far ahead of him, in his absence, finding her place among the heavenly ranks of Fiore's Wizards. Always the slow learner, I suppose. He been playing from behind for most of his life, thanks to the encroaching of the Void. If it weren't for Aviel stalling the inevitable, he was sure that he would have met an early demise.

Shaking the grim away, he strode into the Guild Hall, taking in the familiar sight. It felt like a home away from home, one that he'd sorely missed, and as expected, there were a crowd of new faces around. Nessa and Arcadia didn't seem to be in at the moment, but there was a striking figure stalking the Job Board: a young man with deep blue hair, conversing with a couple of what he assumed were Celestial Spirits. He'd become very familiar with the magical auras of living creatures in his time in the mountains, making it far easier to sense otherworldly beings, not to mention his long exposure to Aviel and Nessa's host of Valkyrie. On a related note, the new Wizard was obviously not exactly "new" to the trade; Aven could feel a steady pulse of potent energy from the young man, one he'd attribute to a relatively seasoned magic user. A new Celestial Wizard, hm? He'd noticed a rise in the popularity of summoning magic as of late, no doubt inspired by the overwhelming fame of Samira Nasaar.

As with most members he didn't know, Aven approached with his usual smile, stopping in front of the job board to catch the posted jobs with his peripheral. "Excuse me, I don't believe we've met? I'm Aven Alveron, a returning member; I'd guess you've joined recently?" He held out his hand in greeting, as was courtesy. As a bonus, a man's handshake also told one a lot about them, so he figured he'd find out a bit more about who this newcomer and his friends were.

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[Word Count: 403.]
[Word Count Total: 403.]

As Leo kept Astral at an arm's length away, Zachary kept his search on the job board. he was engrossed in searching the board-- till he heard a new voice. This time, it wasn't some voice of a drunk member who was mocking him. Curious, he turned around to find a new face he didn't recognize. The person seemed a touch older than Zachary with white hair and fair skin. His eyes seemed gentle and glistened like emeralds. It reminded Zachary of one of those members who were 'host club' guys like in Blue Pegasus, or something along those lines. It was odd to be approached like this since the only Fairy Tail Wizard he knew well enough was Arcadia.

Astral stopped trying to hug Leo and took interest in the new person. As a matter of fact-- Astral was not a Celestial Spirit, but a Star Fairy. A coveted creature who had a ton of magic energy contained in its tiny body and sought for his incredible healing powers and potential to grant wishes.

"Um...Hi there," Zachary said, a bit hesitant at the sudden approach. "Yeah, I joined a few months ago, but I been pretty proactive. Nice to meet you, too. I'm Zachary-- Zachary Sirius," It took him a second but he soon saw it-- the crest of Fairy Tail in green ink on his left hand. Realizing he was a fellow guild wizard, Zachary relaxed a bit and shook his hand. His grip was firm but gentle enough to not hurt the fellow wizard. It asserted a certain sense of confidence and determination he had. Someone who had progressed a bit-- but with more to go.

Curious to the new arrival, Astral floated in between them all and looked over the 'pretty boy'. Ooooh, new fwiend? Astral asked, and smiled with a cherubic little smile. I'm Astwal! the star cheered.

Ajani grunted with a nod to him, clearly being a more stalwart and serious one compared to the others.

Zachary had wanted to get know more Fairy Tail wizards, and he was actually feeling more and more welcomed in this guild with each one he met. Though Fairy Tail was a shadow of its former glory... Zachary wished with all his heart to restore it back to a guild that inspired hope and that where anything was possible.

WC: 392

Aven smiled wider. The little spirit was plucky, for sure, speaking with an innocent pander. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Zachary, Astral, and...?" He paused for a moment, glancing knowingly at the muscular lion-man. He knew those warrior types, likely not one for frivolous conversation or pleasantries. Still, a bit of pushing and prodding could probably get it out of him. "I hear warriors like to speak with their fists, but I'm afraid doing so here would just start a bar fight." He paused, a small glint appearing in his eye as he had an idea. "Say, you two are looking for a job, aren't you? I happen to be on the warpath, myself: why don't we team up for a while?"

As abrupt as the invitation was, he had good reason: as trustworthy as Zachary looked, Aven had resolved to make a point of learning more about his fellow guild members, to make sure no bad apples slipped through the cracks. He knew full well the guild's policy on Dark Wizards, but it gave him no joy knowing that scum slipped through the cracks of the Guild Hall. He couldn't stop them, but he could certainly discourage it in his own way. As another added bonus, a helping hand was always welcome, especially given Aven's particular specialty.

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[Word Count: 220.]
[Word Count Total: 623.]

Astral responded to the positive greeting with a telepathic 'cheer' and circled them all in the air, giddy to find new friends and to travel. All the while, Leo kept a neutral appearance. While Leo wasn't the most social of spirits, and had a poor history with humans... it wasn't like he didn't recognize to be somewhat polite to others. Had he not met Zachary and he had not prevented his key from falling into a wicked wizard's hands, Leo's feelings for humans might have never had changed.

Zachary glanced to Leo-- knowing how he felt reserved about his identity as the "Lion" of the Zodiac. As he glanced to him, the lion shared the glance and let out a breath. "I'm Ajani. Nice to meet you," he said with a nod to the stranger, Aven.

A sigh of relief came from Zachary, realizing that Leo unclenched enough-- and gave his alias of a name. Understandable, but that might come out soon enough. Either way, Zachary respected his ally's desire for discretion. At Aven's comment, Zachary let out a soft laugh. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time Fairy Tail wasn't renown for its rowdy rough-housing, right? " he joked.

The mention to team up for a job did surprise Zachary. While he didn't know the guy too well-- was better than the oddball Ghost he met a while back. He wasn't really the best person and made Zachary nervous as hell for his cryptic attitude. But this guy was at least direct and more important, nicer. Zachary gave a soft hum, then realized there was no harm in it. He had to learn to work with more people here. "That sounds like a great idea. I'd be happy to work with you," Zachary agreed, offering his hand once more.

Then it came back to what to do-- picking a job. He turned back to the board, and soon saw an older job posting-- with a picture of shaded in figures of people with a question mark inside. Curious, he picked it up and read it.

"Dobblegangers? In the town of Cedar, there are reports of a mysterious phenomenon going on of doubles of people being seen. These doubles are reported seen around town, often people who are wizards and respected people. However, when apprehended-- the subject has no recollection of their actions or were seen elsewhere-- suspecting a shapeshifter is framing people or worse. Cedar government is requesting help to discover the source of this trouble and apprehend the 'true culprits'.

It seemed crafty and dangerous-- but it was the type of job he felt would pay off the most. It would make them known well, and help people in need. In fact, Zachary felt his unique talents might be of help here. He soon took handed the flyer to Aven. "What you think of this one? I think this will be a good one to do," he suggested.

WC:492

Aven read over the specifics, scanning it for any more relevant details. Straightforward and to the point, however, it offered nothing but the short description. Normal doppelgangers were usually simple enough to find, as most copy appearance, but not the magical presence of their target; using this, people familiar with the true person's magic presence could spot the fake. However, there had been recorded cases of entities and Wizards capable of mimicking even the magic signature of a target, leaving no distinguishable different at first inspection. One instance he'd read, back when he'd been designing his Multiplication Circle, was a phenomenally powerful spirit creature, which could functionally mimic all aspects of their target, even to the point of memories and magic usage. It'd only been found by accident, when a passing wizard noticed the creature Shapeshift back into it's shapeless form, and happened to have a Sealing Magic to use.

With all luck, this matter wouldn't be as complicated as that. For one thing, Aven knew full well it'd be impossible for him to defeat an exact clone of himself, no need for testing the theory. "Dopplegangers? Interesting... I'll bite, just let Mura know we're taking the job, and I'll meet you outside; we'll be able to talk on the way." On the way, of course, he'd be taking every precaution he could, starting with memorizing Zachary and his companions magical signatures. He'd mention the matter later, after they spoke a bit more in depth about their respective magics. Aven could tell he was a summoner of some kind, but with so many different sources of summons, he could technically be any of them. It was going to be vitally important that they be familiar with each other's capabilities, if they were going to work as a team, and the process doubled as another way for Aven to gather what kind of person Zachary was.

Making his way outside, Aven sat near the door, his back against the Guild Hall, unwinding for a moment. Just gotten back to the guild, and he was already going out on assignment... it was a persistence he'd need, if he was going to reach as high as he was looking to reach in the Wizarding world, but a drastic change from the past year of training. It was good, at least, that the job was relatively tame, without the kind of crazy nonsense of Valkyrie politics and ancient evils.

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[Word Count: 406.]
[Word Count Total: 1029.]

After Zachary showed Aven the job, he seemed to like it. While it went a bit faster than Zachary anticipated, it seemed he just teamed up with another member of the Fairy Tail guild and hoped this would be a great learning experience for him. Aven seemed to be deep in thought on the matter, but it seemed he was willing to accept it. Perhaps there was an angle about all this Zachary didn't see. However, he was positive and told him that he would sign them up and Zachary would wait outside to get going.

As Aven walked away, Ajani gave a nod of approval. "He seems a bit peculiar but not as bad as the last one," he replied flatly, "Anyway, seems you will be in good company. When you need me, summon me, okay? I'll watch where I can." With that, as his form of goodbye-- the white lion's form shimmered with starry lights and vanished before Zachary.

A soft coo of disappointment came from Astral as the little star was disappointed to see Leo go. Awww... bye-bye, Leow... he chirped in telepathy. With a smile, Zachary gently picked up Astral out of the air and placed him on his head for him to rest on. Now with resolve, Zachary left to get transportation to Cedar.

Using his Ilac and his knowledge of the town-- he soon found a wagon that was making a trek to Cedar-- and they were free to take a ride with it for a small price. Zachary didn't mind paying the fee, and now they would be able to get there within an afternoon's time.

***

On the Road to Cedar...

The carriage ride to Cedar was indeed a bumpy road. It wasn't like airships or things were so readily available. He could have summoned Pegasus for a ride, but the Alcorn spirit wasn't fond of being summoned just for rides at times. He was a kind and friendly spirit, and Zachary's oldest friend-- but even so he wouldn't like being called on just for lifts. Either way, they would get to Cedar just as fast. That and Zachary should conserve his energy as well.

The carriage might have been a little bumpy, but they were getting there at a good pace of time. The driver was rather polite and the carriage was pulled by a few beasts renown for their speed and endurance. For the time, Zachary rested with his back against the carriage wall, trying to not get too excited or anxious as they drove to the destination. Astral sat on his head most of the time, occasionally floating around-- till the carriage's momentum starts to leave him behind, to which he returned swiftly to Zachary's head or to the carriage floor to sit and wander around, despite his movement limited to his levitation.

For the most part, Zachary was quiet-- not that he didn't want to talk, but he didn't know what to say. It would still be a couple hours before they reached Cedar, so they had to pass the time somehow. He couldn't be too shy to ask Aven about himself. "So... how long have you been a member of Fairy Tail?" Zachary asked, looking up to him.

WC:542

It was a quiet ride, for quite some time. The carriage Zachary had called was reputable, thank heavens, rather than some discount buggy that he'd seen some wizards ride in. In reality, it would've been far faster for the two of them to fly, but that came with it's own troubles, and he needed the time to get a better read on the new member and his entourage. Fortunately, the blue-haired wizard started the conversation for him. "Only a few years ago, actually. I joined only a short while after Nessa, a..." He paused, a quick flash of sadness in his eyes, which disappeared with a blink, "...A good friend of mine. It's embarrassing to admit, but I've been outclassed by most of my peers, by now. Still, enough about me, what about you? I can tell by your presence, aren't you a bit too strong to have just started Wizarding?"

There were a number of things he was looking to get out of conversation, while he studied Zachary's magic signature, the first being his aspirations. Flattery was a good tactic for drawing out answers, though Aven never lied: Zachary was suspiciously strong for a new wizard, he suspected the young man had some prior history of magic.

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[Word Count: 209.]
[Word Count Total: 1238.]

Zachary's inquiry to Aven's history with the guild was a mix reaction as he did reveal he was a member for a couple of years. He had a hint of distraction on his face, but he admitted he was a bit outclassed now by others. It was hard for Zachary to understand, since it was a guess-- but Aven probably was stronger than he was.

As Zachary picked up Astral to put him in his lap, Aven was quick to bring the topic to Zachary and ask about him. He blinked at his comment referring to him to be too strong for his early time in the guild. In truth, he did consider himself a fledgling mage as he never had any kind of formal training outside of his Mother. It was clear he had a sense of modesty that at times overshadowed him, but he smiled kindly to him as he raised a hand behind his neck. "Well... I have dabbled a bit in Celestial Wizardy long before I joined Fairy Tail. My mother is a renown Celestial Wizard and a member of the Rune Knights. She helped me learned and taught me the basics of Celestial Wizardry from the keys, gates, and stars pertaining to them. Some of my spirits are gifts from her," he explained, thinking back how she would summon spirits for him to play with and learn how to summon them. Though his skill had evolved stronger than that now, it was fond memories. "Anyway, after that I sort of dabbled with new spells and techniques on my own. I didn't have a formal instructor to teach me any major magics so I went off books, rumors, example and whatever else i could find. I guess I am kind of self-taught, as they call it. So I do have a lot more to learn. But I was surprised too when I was promoted and tested for S class so soon." he explained.

"I recently discovered this amazing new magic that is related to Celestial Wizardry. I studied it and used one of those spells to pass the S class exam. I'm still learning bits of it but it is very related to that Wizard Saint who used "Heavenly Body Magic" so its pretty impressive. " he got a bit overly excited to share that-- but he left out the part of it being Lost Magic for now.

At the mention of it, Astral perked up and spoke with excited waves of his little arms. Zachawy's magic is pwetty! He makes pwetty staws fly wound and wound! he said-- referring to the lost magic spell "Macrocosmos" in his silly way... especially with how he replaced Rs with Ws.

As Zachary spoke, Astral let out cooes and humms of amusement as he looked to the two of them. "Anyway, certain events did allow my abilities to press forward. More happened since joining Fairy Tail-- though I hate to admit it, some parts of Fairy Tail sort of disappointed me. it's not like how I read about it growing up. I wanted to join it since I was 10, but seems a bit..." Zachary let it trail off, afraid to offend. He loved Fairy Tail, but he learned the flaws of what happened and that saddened him. He hoped to see Fairy Tail become a family, hope-inspiring guild once more.

WC: 563

Aven listened intently, nodding every once and a while. Zachary's tale was all too familiar, surprisingly, with parallels at every corner. His worries began to fade, as he didn't see any blatant lies or attempts to omit. Zachary was a good man, from the look of it, a conclusion that put Aven's mind at ease. This feeling only grew stronger, as the wizard spoke of his disappointment in the guild.

Aven took a stab at finishing the sentence. "...Darker than you'd imagined?" He leaned back against the carriage wall, letting out a soft sigh as he crossed his arms. His usual smile was dimmer, a reflection of his own opinion of the guild's current state. "You're not alone, Zachary, believe you me. I joined with the same illusion: one that, looking back, seems optimistic at best, and pure fiction at worst." He chuckled, a bit of that sadness sneaking back into his voice. "I saw the world in black and white, wishing for color... but, when I found the rainbow, there was no pot of gold; just a sea of grey." Taking a moment to pause before he continued, a small memorial to lost innocence, he relished a small grin at the bit of poetry he'd created. "You aren't the only one who feels the guild has declined, not in the slightest. I didn't always agree with Sorano's policies, nor do I relish the fact that Mura is following so closely in her footsteps."

Aven shut his eyes, and shook his head softly. "Forgive me if I'm rambling, I suppose this was a floodgate for me. I had that same experience when I joined, and found it was nothing like I'd heard. I made friends, of course, which gave me a reason to stay; but, as an institution, I have no great love for Fairy Tail's underground."

Another sigh, before he made eye-contact again, a smile spread across his face once more. On a lighter topic, I'm intrigued to hear about any insights you have into magic? I was self taught, as well- at least until a few years ago- and I discovered that the most primal and powerful of secrets are found off the beaten path! You mentioned a Celestial technique related to Heavenly Body Magic?"

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[Word Count: 378.]
[Word Count Total: 1618.]

A part of him felt like he stepped on a proverbial mine due to mentioning Fairy Tail's decline. He probably shouldn't of been too open on his opinion for that, but luckily Aven was able to take it well and sympathized with him. In truth, Zachary was a bit idealistic-- even a bit naive in believing in the good in things. Even when proven wrong, he would. It was just the type of person he was and raised to value. "I was going to say , shady, but tomato-tamatoh, Zachary tried to shrug off the concept. Still Aven was kind enough to explain a bit more in detail. He was surprised to hear regarding Mura. "But Mura seems to want the same thing-- to make the guild better too." he said, from what he knew about Mura for the brief moments he talked to him and after how he promoted him to S class.

At the mention of rambling, Zachary shook his head. "It's okay. I have the same habit to ramble too," he said, realizing the topic was not the best to bring up casually. The conversation, of course, went over Astral's head as the little star fairy blinked at Aven, confused by his words and responses. "But I want to make this guild great again-- bring it back into being a Guild of Hope and Family, so I guess that is my immediate goal."

The conversation once again turned towards his magic. Clearly there wasn't much interest for him to know more about his Celestial Wizardy-- surprises for him later, Zachary supposed. He wanted to inquire more about the magic Zachary had studied. Slowly, Zachary took out the spellbook he had-- where he found in an old abandoned wizard's tower in Oaktown. "Well, i had followed the history of the Astromancer I mentioned for a while, since Celestial Wizardy is kind of related to it. I eventually found this book that contained... well," Zachary paused for a minute to think it through, but Aven seemed trust worthy. He had to take a shot with trusting him with these kind of details... but no way was he going to mention Astral too loose-lipped. "... sigh, its called the Arc of Cosmos. It's a form of Lost Magic. In truth, its like, well, several steps far more advance that make 'Heavenly Body' magic , a lesser form." Zachary explained.

WC: 400

Leaning forward off the wall, a spark lit in Aven's eyes, one of discovery. "Is that so? Bold claims, considering that Heavenly Body Magic encompasses some of the most powerful Celestial spells." He gave Zachary a teasing grin. "You wouldn't happen to be messing around with powers mortals aren't meant to wield, now, are you?" He had to suppress a chuckle, as Aven himself was a fine one to talk on the issue, sporting a Light magic granted to him by his Guardian Angel. Not to mention his darker heritage, but that could hardly be called 'magic'.

Aven's eye took in the details of the book. He didn't ask to touch it, knowing both how protective most wizards were of their knowledge and how certain magical tomes could react to unknown forces, settling just for a glimpse. "Arc of the Cosmos... I don't suppose it's related to the other Arc Lost Magics, such as Arc of Time and Arc of Embodiment?" He brought his hand to his chin in thought. "If it is, you have my condolences: it'll be an awful lot of work to learn how to properly control a Will-based magic like that, rather that Emotion-based or Logic-based derivatives. Took me nearly a full two years of intense study and practice just to get to where I am with my Will-based magics, and some aspects still aren't a walk in the park."

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[Word Count: 235.]
[Word Count Total: 1853.]

The teasing tone of Aven's voice made Zachary give a sour frown at his 'mocking' of his claim. He wasn't one to make a claim like that unless he had the evidence to back it up. "Here-- see for yourself," Zachary countered, pushing the book in his direction.

As he would see the pages inside-- the diagrams were incredibly complex. Some where simple, written direct with clear instructions and incantations. Others were far more complex. There were catagories of spells, and others with far more intricuit methods and mechanics. Some of the spells were mapped related to star charts and constellations in the book, showing that the caster needed to tap into those specific sources of magic to use certain spells. Nothing like Heavenly Body Magic could do alone-- or at least, the more basic spells it used. That being said, notes were included to show what spells of Heavenly Body Magic was there-- including Meteor or Grand Chariot. He was alright with Aven looking at it briefly, partly cause even Zachary had not encrypted all those new spells yet.

"I'm self-taught, not an idiot. " he replied sarcastically as Aven finished looking it over. "I know Lost Magic is a serious deal, but its why I was only keeping to the easier spells for now. The other ones are far more advance, harder to control and needs more time to prepare. Though the one i used on Tenrou Island was advanced, and I did cast it, it was constantly changing."

Pwetty spell! Pwetty spell! Astral chirped again telepathically, the memory of it still fresh in the little creature's mind.

Zachary rolled his eyes at his companion's exuberance. Anyway, I know it will be a lot of pratice but this is LOST magic we are talking about here. I was lucky enough to find this magic at all. Though this is the first time I heard of Will, Emotion and Thought base magics. " Zachary asked.

WC: 327

Aven took the book graciously, his eyes focusing in on it's contents as he flipped through the pages. Every once and a while, he would stop, and review one of the diagrams for an extended period, analyzing the scripts and syntax of the inscribed spells. Meteor... Grand Chariot... Sema? It was the real deal, all right, boasting a collection of incredibly detailed and intricate formulas, some bordering on transcendental. From what he could gather, it was likely related to the other Arc Lost Magics; at the very least, hailing from the same era. He flitted from spell to spell, identifying the patterns between each spell, before suddenly closing the book, and handing it back to Zachary.

He remained silent, as Zachary explained further. A smart move, he reasoned, to stick to the more fundamental Arc formulas. "You've certainly found a priceless treasure in this book, and it's reassuring to hear you're wise enough to take your time. As a magic researcher myself, I'd warn against any overuse of these spells, particularly the advanced versions. Magics like these were kept secret for good reason, and not usually because of their strength: most Lost Magic come with incredible risk even when handled correctly, and disaster for the careless." Relaxing back, his demeanor shifted softly, a bit less casual. "Your Arc of the Cosmos, from what I can tell, falls under the same category of my Circle Magic, a Logic-based system. Unlike Will-based magic, these spells may fail, or even backlash, if performed incorrectly. Also, unlike Emotion-based magics, it's unlikely they'll grow any stronger or weaker based on your emotional state, which, given their innate power, should be a major upside. That said, Logic-based magics require a lot of memorization and study, so I sincerely hope you'll give it the proper attention." He raised his hand, a few black particles appearing around it, and beginning to orbit like a small field of dark stars. "Lost Magics are powerful, but most come with a cost in time. If I were you, I'd be prepared to lose something if you continue pursuing Arc of the Cosmos."

None of this was meant as admonition, of course, but as a courtesy, in Aven's eyes; things he'd wished he'd known when first delving into the realm of the lost. Still, his guild mate had revealed his magic, and it was only proper for Aven to respond in kind. He averted his gaze to the particles revolving methodically around his hand. "Fascinating, aren't they? It's a substance coined 'Dark Matter', the reciprocal of the world around us. It's properties are strange, almost nonsensical; each of these particles you see here is non-living, yet has a near immediate effect on contact with normal matter, almost like a Virus. There is no distinction between non-living and living dark matter, both animated and held together by differing forms of Dark Energy, the likewise reciprocal of the energy we've come to know." He looked toward Zachary once more. "It's a birthright of mine, I guess you could say: an Ancient power that, in truth, has nothing to do with Magic whatsoever. As a consequence, I've been overtaken by it, every cell of my body composed entirely of the substance. One could easily make the argument that, in fact, I'm not a living person, due to Dark Matter's paradoxical nature." He took a moment to breath, before returning with a genuine smile. "Not that your Arc of the Cosmos will come with such a hefty price, I'm sure! Transparency was all I was after, only fair seeing as you shared your Lost Magic with me!" He gave Zachary a quick wink. "Though, you should know, seeing the breakdown of those spells makes it far easier for me to break their formations and negate them, in the future."

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[Word Count: 634.]
[Word Count Total: 2487.]

The conversation was pretty heavy as Zachary took the book back. While he knew there were risks of using Lost Magic, he didn't consider how heavy it was that there was a bigger price to use the spells. THe spells he studied were so far as he understood safe. Even Macrocosmos, while taxing physically, didn't have any long-term consequences. Even the Zodiac spells he was studying now didn't seem to contain any serious risks. The others, however, would imply a bit more. Regardless, he was quiet and listend to Aven's advice. He likely had even more experience with magic than Zachary had. It was humbling to say the least. "Well, bare in mind these diagrams and encryptied spells take time to learn. I do know they involve physical gestures not just words. What is surprising is some are almost similar to what i use for a special spell of mine for my Celestial Summons-- but I understand what you are saying. I am aware it might be dangerous, but still even the lesser spells here are very valuable that I wouldn't of wanted to not learn, you know what I mean? It's a real treasure to learn this kind of magic."

It was then he shared about his magic-- or his unique trait as he conjured some form of black bits that bubbled and moved in the space above his palm. It was a complicated magic, the concept of matter, energy and antimatter. From what Zachary could tell, it would of been dangerous on any level to have that stuff in one's body! "Wait a minute, if that is the case-- doesn't that make you 'dead' or a 'zombie' if that stuff is inside you?!" Zachary reacted, a little nervous from how he described it.

Astral too was nervous by the black substance, sensing the 'anti-life' that it was composed off. He leaned back into Zachary, not wanting to get too close.

As things eased up a bit, Zachary tried to smile at him too. "Well, i don't mind sharing about my--- wait, you do what now?!" he said dumbfounded at the mention of negating his magic.

THUMP!!

THe carrage soon came to a rushed stop as Zachary teetered forward a bit and Astra clung to Zachary's jacket. With the ride now stopped, Astral flew up to Zachary and into the hood behind his jacket. "Great, what now?" Zachary said as he got up to check with the driver of the carrage. "Everything okay up there?" he asked.

"Sorry, sir-- but we got a bit of trouble up ahead. If we go any further, we might get involved," the driver said.

Confused, Zachary climbed out from behind the carrage and went to see-- he got beside the man who was driving the wagon. "Involved with what?"

The man pointed forward to a bunch of people at the bend of the forest road-- surrounding someone. "Bandits, lad." the driver said plainly.

Further ahead, a bunch of rough, looking men had cornered someone. There were about five of them, all brutish and ruggedly dressed with swords in hand. At first, the person they were surrounding was hard to make out... till later Zachary focused and soon saw it. They were surrounding a woman-- a young girl no more older than Zachary by appearance with deep blue hair and a white jacket and shorts. Her hair was shoulder length and also her attire was a mix of white and orange clothing. She stood out easily in the forest. She clearly was surrounded and outnumbered.

"Oh no!" Zachary said as he jumped out of the carrage, reaching for his keys. It was instinct but he knew he had to do something to stop those bandits before they would hurt her. "We have to help her!"

Little did Zachary know that there was more to that girl than what met the eye...

WC:648