Streets of Sorcery: Chapter V (Patreon)

Chapter Five

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –​

|Four Months Ago|

“Protection spells are troublesome, for a reason,” Markus began, one hand over his face as he tried to fight the urge to yawn. Across from him sat a young blond boy, silver eyes wide with curiosity as he wrote down his tutor’s words with the reverence of scripture. “While effective at what they do and undoubtedly useful, they are rather more draining than almost any spell of similar rank…”

The tutor paused, head tilting to the side for a second before correcting himself by quickly adding, “with the noted exception of summoning spells.”

Alden nodded slowly. “But why? Don’t they just… protect you? That doesn’t seem like it should drain more than making fire or calling down lightning.”

Markus shook his head, the action slow and deliberate. “You need to understand that most protection spells of any level are not like a simple Mana Bolt. This is not a cast and combat situation.” The tutor paused to sit up in his office chair, the frown on his face deepening as the  lightbulb hanging over his desk continued to flicker.

After a long sigh, he held up three fingers. “At the risk of being reductive, there are effectively three branches of protection spells; reactive, concentrative, and adaptive. Reactive protection spells are generally your standard elemental defense; Fire Wall, Wind Shield, and of course the basic Protect.” Markus raised his right hand as the last syllable left his lips, a simple white aura surrounding his limb as he showed the effects of the spell to his enraptured student.

Canceling the spell with a simple thought, he allowed his hand to drop back down to his desk, the old thing cluttered with scattered papers and various books, before continuing with his lecture. “Cheapest, fastest, simplest of all defense spells. While you can cast them before you have need for them, like Protect for example, they are the easiest to break through and often end up being even more wasteful because of their ease of use. If you can use it at any time, you’re going to use it for every time, you understand?”

“Got it.” The young student nodded again, half a page already filled with his notes.

“Good.” Markus lifted his glasses to rub his tired eyes, the strain of his other jobs wearing down on him noticeably. “Now, next we have concentrative protection spells. Far more powerful and less likely to shatter, these require a mage’s attention and focus. It's not just a matter of casting the spell and forgetting about it. It needs to be constantly fed with magical energy, or it will dissipate and leave you vulnerable. In many cases, especially with anyone short of a senior mage, they require stillness and no other spell can be cast with one active. Past that, they drain your mana with every single hit, making them the worst of the three for anyone with low levels of mana, poor efficiency or a lack of skill, so…” the tutor paused to let out a mocking snort, “...that would be most people, really.”

“And the third type?” Alden asked after a few moments of quiet. “What about adaptive protection spells, Markus?”

Markus allowed himself another snort, shaking his head at the question. “Yeah… no, kid. Those are a different beast altogether. They belong to the Third-Star and above. Using a spell that advanced? You’d need a much deeper understanding of magical principles for that. Definitely not something you’d find in a place like this”

“But you know how to cast them, don’t you?” Alden’s innocent question hung in the stale air of Markus’s cramped office for several seconds, silver eyes almost begging the man to give an answer. “... Markus?”

The bespectacled tutor finally offered his student a smile, his head moving slowly in a deliberate nod. “In theory… but before we get to that theoretical future, you’re going to have to prove to me that you can cast at a level a Second-Star would be proud of first.”

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –​

|Now|

“Ariel!” Markus's mind raced faster than his body as he rushed forward. As he grabbed the small blonde, Ariel, with one hand and spun around, his other hand stretched out behind him. In an instant, a formation burst to life in front of his palm, four runes within each quadrant pulsating a bright blue as the lines in between and surrounding them.

Time seemed to slow as Van's lightning-covered fist connected with the runic shield. The violent energy crackled and snapped against the barrier, attempting to pierce through with all the power behind it and yet, Markus didn’t feel his energy dip in the slightest.

And then, just as suddenly as it began, the runic circle rebounded Van's attack.

Said blue light surged into the man’s body as he was thrown back by the impact of his own magic, careening across the room and slamming into a wall with a hard crunch. Without a conscious mind to control it, the electricity from his strike went haywire, bolts of energy shooting out in all directions, sizzling and scorching everything they touched. As if on cue, the bar's atmosphere went from tense and hesitant to absolute chaos.

People ducked and screamed, attempting to avoid the rogue currents of electricity as glass shattered, and the scent of smoke and burning wood filled the air.

Oh no. Markus’s eyes went wide behind his glasses as he witnessed someone throw a punch in the confusion, people already fighting on their path towards the only exit.

A few seconds later, chaos devolved into disaster.

"BAR FIGHT!" Someone shouted at the top of their lungs, their voice booming and excited as if eager to label the madness unfolding around them. Any thoughts of escape were abandoned as the bar erupted into chaos: fists flew, chairs were wielded as weapons, and the air was filled with the cacophony of shattering wood and glass steins clashing.

As the fight began to rage in earnest and the bar began to fall apart at the hands of the drunken brawlers, Markus found himself in the unenviable position of trying to protect the girl in his arms while simultaneously fending off attackers. Ariel, her eyes wide with fear, gripped Markus's arm with the sort of a force only a panicked woman could muster. "I’m scared, Markus. P-please get me home,” she pleaded, her voice quivering.

Markus shot her a determined glance as he carefully set her down and shepherded her to his back. "Just stay behind me, Ariel. We'll find a way out of this m-"

He spun on instinct, arm shooting out to pluck a nearby chair hurled at them by the leg. Without hesitation, Markus hurled it back and into the chest of the nearby mage who sent it at them, the last syllable of the telekinetic spell still on his vomit-covered lips. Wood shattered and sent the would-be attacker sprawling but Markus didn’t even get a moment to breathe as another assailant lunged at them. He swung his fist like a hammer, cartilage crumpling against the side of his fist as he slumped the drunk in a single blow.

“I should have stayed at home,” he muttered to himself, only to glance behind him as a pair of arms clung to his midsection. He could feel the fear in Ariel’s body as he looked down at her head, the woman trembling against him as the chaos continued to escalate, and he knew that he had to get her to safety. A direct fight is no place for a Restoration mage, anyway.

With each passing moment, the fight grew more intense, and the destruction around them worsened. Markus's thoughts raced, searching for a solution while his body moved instinctively to protect Ariel.

"Duck!" he shouted to Ariel, pushing her down just in time to avoid a streak of magical energy that whizzed past her head. How are these idiots clear-headed enough to use spells during a bar fight and still think it a good idea? "Stay close to me. I'll keep you safe."

His concentration spell long-forgotten, Markus resorted to using his body as a shield as he waded forward through the melee. Even despite the various blows and spells that grazed or struck him, he somehow remained focused and unfazed, his expression almost unchanging as he continued forward. He parried and countered his assailants, his main priority being Ariel's safety, even as the brawl wore on him.

Around them, other patrons were locked in their own battles, too obsessed or far too inebriated to notice how much damage they were doing. A burly man swung a chair overhead, smashing it into another brawler, while a petite woman deftly dodged the uncontrolled onslaught of a drunken mage, returning fire with a weak force blast of her own. The cacophony of yells, shattering glass, and clashing spells continued to fill the air.

A lanky red-headed brawler charged Markus, fists swinging. "You think you're so high and mighty, don't you?!" he snarled, a punch aimed at the defensive man’s face. His face was familiar but Markus didn’t really care to think about that as he simply leaned out of the way of his blow.

Effortlessly dodging yet another strike, Markus moved with fluid control and seized the man’s wrist, a quiet crack unheard in the chaos as the ginger went pale. "I never wanted any trouble," he replied quietly. With that said, he swung his attacker one-handed by the arm as the man screamed at the top of his lungs, and sent him off his feet with enough force to send him crashing into a crumpled heap through a nearby table.

His fist lashed out a single moment later without missing a beat, five knuckles connecting hard with the jaw of another brawler who attempted to tackle him. The single blow did the job he needed it to and sent the man spinning like a dancer before he fell to the floor, already unconscious. “Woden Above, these idiots are getting on my nerves,” he muttered to himself, stepping over the attacker’s body as he led Ariel by the hand. “When will this en-”

The doors to the tavern slammed open, silencing him and so many others as a half-dozen individuals swarmed into the establishment, every single one of them wearing crisp, authoritative and identical uniforms as they barked orders at the top of their lungs.

“Bless the spirits, M.A.G.E.,” Ariel vocalized, relief audible in her voice.

Woden be damned, M.A.G.E., Markus thought with a scowl.

Markus watched in nervous silence as the M.A.G.E. enforcers, adorned in their distinct black-and-blue uniforms, did their duty with formidable brutality. Some wielded electrified Spark-Sticks, delivering stunning blows to the brawlers and beating them relentlessly even as they fell to the ground, words of surrender already on their lips. Others wore Shock-Strikers, easily disabling their opponents with paralyzing jolts along with powerful strikes only to finish them properly with heavy boots to the skull.

Together, they employed a combination of magic and sheer physical force, effortlessly and violently subduing the drunken brawlers to restore peace and order to the surroundings.

Markus couldn't help but feel a pang of unease as he witnessed the excessive force being used by the officers. He understood the need to regain control, but he’d been at the mercy of M.A.G.E. and their ilk before and he wouldn’t wish it on most people, especially those who weren’t him.

As the chaos came to a sudden halt, a single M.A.G.E. officer, a standard enforcer like all the others,  approached Markus, her expression more stern than inquisitive. "What happened here?" she questioned, voice as harsh and demanding as her gaze. Her dark eyes scanned the scene, resting on the unconscious form of his original attacker, Van’s body still slumped against the wall, before slowly and carefully tilting her head up to lock onto his blues.

His mind raced as he contemplated how to explain the situation, knowing that the truth might not be enough to protect him or Ariel from further harm. The enforcer's gaze was unyielding, and Markus couldn't help but feel the weight of her suspicion bearing down on him.

“I asked you a question, civilian.”

Markus tried not to sweat under the officer's stern, intimidating gaze as he attempted to explain the situation. He could feel the weight of the bar patrons' eyes on him, as well as those of the other enforcers who stood at the ready, weapons crackling with electricity-attuned mana. "I have no idea how all of this happened," he insisted carefully, his voice level and cautious in order to not sound too firm. "I was just trying to go home before I was attacked all of a sudden."

Unfortunately, he was not the only one to speak.

"That’s not true. He started it!" one of them shouted, eyes narrowed in anger as she cradled the body of an unconscious red-headed man. "He's the one who threw the first punch!" The conscious bar goers shifted nervously, their eyes darting between the girl and Markus.

Markus’s gaze snapped over to the accuser, a dark-haired girl whose name he purposely never bothered to remember. A look of pure confusion crossed his face as he questioned her lies with an honest and bewildered, “What?”

“Yeah, he even used combat magic first. He enhanced his body,” another bar patron yelled out from his spot on the floor, somehow audible despite an enforcer's knee on his neck. “I saw it!” Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, drunk and barely conscious people as agreeable as they tended to be.

"Is this true?" the enforcer demanded, stepping forward aggressively. "Did you use combat magic?" Several other officers began to close in on Markus, Spark-Sticks crackling with energy in their tight grips and gauntlets sparking with electrified force.

Markus glanced around nervously at the encroaching M.A.G.E. enforcer, a forced smile on his face as he attempted to plead his case without lying. Never thought I would have begged to deal with an Inspector. At least they have more brain cells than mana. "Ma’am, that's not exactly true. There is context to this that—”

"Did you..." The enforcer cut him off, brandishing her own Spark-Stick as she took another step forward, her expression cold and unyielding. "...use combat magic? Yes or no."

The young mage glanced back at Ariel, the woman looking terrified at the harsh questioning, the implication of violence seemingly frightening her into silence as she stared back at Markus with trembling eyes. Fuck.

He bit his tongue and looked forward again, doing his best to avoid eye contact with the officer as he admitted to the question with a reluctant, "...Yes."

"Civilian," the enforcer barked, pointing directly at him. "For the crime of using magic to incite a disturbance, you are under arrest. Resist and force will be used against you."

Markus didn’t even bother to protest, but the grip on his arm was as harsh as she could muster, as if daring him to resist. The other M.A.G.E. officers moved in on him, their expressions unflinchingly resolute. It was all the young mage could do to hold back a sigh the instant he felt the familiar cold drain of Void Manatite slightly numb his arms as handcuffs were placed on his wrists.

“Fuck.”

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –​

“Markus Kaine, we meet again.”

“Fuck.”