The Lost Doctor's Soul - Chapter 31 - Initiating the encounter

 As I walked through the pouring rain in the early dawn, my plastic raincoat constantly pelted by raindrops as the howling winds threatened to push me over with the slick and muddy ground offering no support, I was filled with dread thinking about how we were willingly walking towards what could turn into a life or death fight. Thinking about my companions, I never appreciated just how hardened they were to the idea of death, to actually put their morals above the fear of their mortality. I was a trained soldier and been in combat twice during my service, but as a doctor who never had to fight on the field, coming from a mostly peaceful world, I felt like I was a complete greenhorn. I was even older than everyone here, except maybe Nisha (if elves had long lives in this world).

The plan was clean and simple. I was walking through the storm alone as everyone else waited in the completely dark waiting room. This was Starlight’s plan, since my anti-magic wouldn’t trip any detection magic the priest may have laid out, and if it was just me alone guards wouldn’t be able to easily see me through this intense rain. Once I reached, we’d use Vildost’s plan of him and Kanako infiltrating. Starlight would teleport them through a wall and they would take down a guard or two, letting Vildost get a disguise. He’d then distract the guards at the front for Kanako to sneak past and bring three freshly extracted vials of my blood. From there, they had to get the sword, and if the priest found them, they had to use the blood vials to disable her magic to run away or fight. Worst case scenario, I would be waiting nearby with Arashi and Nisha ready to rush out of the waiting room at any moment. Lastly, if things got too messy, was my plan: A special smokescreen mixed with my blood.

The last item was a simple smokebomb that should work, but it hadn’t been tested. I asked Starlight to make it while she was teaching me alchemy, but we don’t know if it will mix as well as we want or if the anti-magic would even function when so diluted. All I could do was hope. Well, all I could do for any of this plan was hope. Despite all the power I had with my soul-space, it only translated to having a pocket dimension in the material plane…. I was a glorified walking bag of holding.

[POV - Starlight Von Aurora]

A snake dancing in the bloody grass, a lost little half-infernal chimera, a broken monster in human flesh, a child, and a lich posing as a doctor.

This was quite the little selection of misfits and monsters I had stumbled onto. The child aside, I had a reason to turn each of these inside out to see what made them tick, but they were useful assets at the moment… as well as a danger I might not be able to handle the fallout of. The doctor especially, his body was but a shell stolen from me, his true self was so terrifyingly close that he could just wander into my domain without a second thought, and I had no recourse. Harming any of this thing’s friends could be more trouble than I could handle. If I were to use my true form, I could erase him to oblivion with a flick of my fingers, but how much of my precious collection would I lose in the process? It was safer to keep these creatures working for my interest, precautions needed to be taken before any decisions.

When the doctor brought the group to the shelter where my hard earned prize was kept, that disgusting sword, the snake and chimera slipped out from his little space, and I warped them through the shelter wall through my vessel. Carrying a mere two people already threatened to ripple the oversentitive weave, but the two faced no issues, oblivious to my annoyance at the endless restrictions I faced to just interact with the material plane without the dogs sniffing me out. [There’s a guard pacing to the left, she has perception enhancing magic.] I gave out warnings as I watched everything through the ethereal plane.

To give these fools credit, despite all of them being rather young for their species, they were competent in some fields. The snake and chimera quickly dispatched the guard, only knocking him out instead of killing him, despite death being in both of their natures. Then like the snake he was, he used this magic hat to change his form to mirror the guard’s before donning his armour, turning his hat into a helmet. The chimera followed behind as the two went to the front and the snake’s silvery tongue spouted some nonsense lies I didn’t bother listening to as he distracted the guards long enough for the girl to slip through another warp, take the doctor’s blood vials, and slip right past the guards.

It was annoying watching them prance around like idiots. If I could use even a sliver of my power, I could have just ripped these rookie guards, the priest, and the shelter apart with a single tear in space. I could still do it, but then my vessel and my warlock would be hunted down and killed, then I’d have to wait another few years to reach into the material plane again and find a new warlock. A guard was incapacitated, they snuck past another two… there must have been nearly twenty guards around this part of the shelter, with the rest of it only being used by townspeople.

“Hey Starshine?” the drivelling snake quietly called out. [The name is Starlight. Starlight von Aurora.] I corrected him, wanting to reach out and slap the back of his scaly head for insulting my name like that. “Cool cool, gotcha Starshine. I wanna talk about another deal, cause I just came up with a great idea~” he spoke as he walked around in full guard armour, quiet enough that Kanako who was following behind might not have been able to hear. What did he want this time? [Go on.] I replied, annoyed but curious. I could put aside some grudges for more knowledge. “First, you need to promise me something as part of our trade.” he started, giving a wide toothed smile in a general direction he thought I was, “You take all credit for what I’m offering if you take it.” It was a weird condition, but not uncommon. Maybe great abominations were created by authors, so they would not be held responsible for their actions. [I’ll agree to that.] I accepted.

His smile then dropped as he looked down into a room looking for something, before gesturing for Kanako to investigate it as he walked forward, making distance between the two. “You can’t use your magic as much as you want cause you’re in a weak vessel, right?” he asked, twirling a set of keys he stole from one of the guards. It wasn’t uncommon knowledge, but it interested me that he was bringing that up. “You link your soul to people and things to make warlocks and vessels, and the two are bound together through a deep connection, right?” he asked, turning to look directly at my vessel which was hiding in the ethereal plane… did he have the ability to see ethereal things this whole time? [What’s your point?] I snipped back, starting to get a little annoyed.

As if noticing how annoyed I was becoming, he put a hand on his hip as he came to a stop and looked my way. “I saw it, a door that only Armin knows of and no one else. That's the door to your domain, isn’t it?” he answered, bringing up that damnable door that I couldn’t do anything about. How could he know about that? A normal mortal wouldn’t be so attuned to the Astral realm to notice something like that. “No no, you don’t need to answer, that’s fine. We already know it is, so moving on, the reason you only have one warlock is because you need direct connection with them, which is really hard. And your vessel was made from something straight from the Astral realm, which is why it can go in and out of the ethereal plane so easily.” he continued talking, hitting the nail on the head each time. This snake… just how much does he know about the inner workings of patrons? He wasn’t just some Story-finder, he must have been a high scholar at least… Just who was this dragon he served!?

“Armin’s got some really amazing skills and that hospital is just ‘out of this world’... ” he chuckled at his own little joke. “But, you can’t use him right, can you? So, my offer to you is that I meet you in the Astral realm through Armin’s hospital, and you make me your warlock.” he said with a smile, placing a hand on his chest like showing off an expensive item. [And why would I approve of someone like you? Especially how you’ve screwed me over?] I asked back, holding back the urge to create a portal right through his guts. “Well I’m not done yet.” he snickered a little, waving me off. “I don’t just want to be any warlock, I want to be a business partner.” Everything he said just ticked me off even more. “Not as equal as Armin and you, but more than a no-body. It’s  a simple request.” he shrugged. “And you might be wondering how I could justify any of this value I hold myself too? My answer is: I’ll give you the golem core and let you bind it to me as a vessel.”

My mind went blank at that suggestion. Was that even possible? If it was safely brought to the Astral Plane, and I had a new warlock who I actually could channel my power through… there was no reason it wouldn’t work.

This man was truly a snake in the bloody grass. No, he was a damned viper! I couldn't tell if his tongue was silver or if it was coated in poison?

[That… is quite a deal you’re offering. What do you want?] I could only ask in response. “Nothing much, just a library card, miss librarian.” He had the temerity to reply with something so absurd. A library card, to THE Auroral library!? Did he think it was some worthless common library that anyone had the right to peruse and dirty as they wished? [And what makes you think a mere mortal like you deserves such a right?] I asked, feeling anger course through my mana network as I narrowly suppressed the urge to cast a spell that would cause ripples I couldn’t hide. “Nah, don’t see how that’s relevant.” he simply replied with a shrug. “The real question is: Do we have a deal?” he asked with a shit eating grin.

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions… and nothing was more unprecedented than my new warlock ‘doctor’. To think it would lead to such a humiliating situation like this… unfortunately, the deal was fair. [The Auroral library does not lend out books. But you can be granted entry, and you’re allowed to look through its knowledge while you’re there.] I finally replied, deeply ashamed that I had to make such a deal. “Sounds like a deal to me, then~ I’m sure we can work out the finer details later.” he added with a chuckle, before that chimera caught up to him. She seemed annoyed at him, and I empathised with her. Dealing with this bastard was going to be a headache and a half.

After the side-tracking, the two infiltrators finally reached the room the priest had to be. There were less guards along the way than we thought, but I didn’t particularly care. Their ignorance was but a stepping stone for our success, and so I led my vessel to phase through the wall that was as worthless as a curtain to the ethereal plane.

“You’ve finally shown yourself, infernal.” with those words, I saw a glint of steel as a blade cut through the air and slashed into my vessel’s face! The connection was cut as it felt like a searing hot iron were thrust into my eyes! I could feel every single nerve connected to them burn in an excruciating and slow process. My sight was cut and I found myself on the floor, gasping for air in a body with no real lungs. It felt like it would take tens of slow and painful minutes or hours to finally rebuild my nerves and eyes. But in that world without sight, I still knew that I had completely lost my vessel. It was safe to say it was gone forever. “THAT DAMNABLE SWORD!!!” I could only scream as I slammed my fists against the floor boards. In the end, my vessel still counted as an illusion, so the sword ripped it apart in an instant, even hurting me, but how did she see me in the ethereal plane!? Pain and questions filled my mind, but I had no means to do anything else, the only connection to the material plane I had was my warlock, and I couldn’t channel mana through him because of what he was…

As I felt warm liquid drop onto my quivering fists, I fought against the pain and reopened the telepathic channel. [Things have gone horribly wrong.] I started explaining the situation as fast as he could understand, hoping that the others would be able to handle the situation on their own. “I hate this… Why do I still have to be hurt even after I have all this power…” I whispered to myself, the rage inside me boiling almost as much as my fried nerves.

[POV - Kanako]

Everything was going just like we planned. We snuck around, knocked out a guard or two, snuck around more… but it was weird. Was it supposed to be this easy?

Lady Aurora’s abilities were unfathomable. Even though a higher infernal can’t use most of their power through a vessel, she could go through walls and become completely invisible while still mentally talking with Vildost and me. She could even let us pass through walls!

I was scared I might have to kill people again while sneaking around, but thankfully it didn’t happen. Vildost did do some weird things though like picking through the guard’s pockets and stealing random things. I thought he was stealing money at first, but no. I think he took a mirror, some pieces of paper or holy symbols and stuff? I couldn’t see everything he took but it didn’t look useful. He also told me to investigate a room but there was nothing there and he went ahead without me by the time I came back!

“I’m curious, what’re you doing this for?” Vildost asked me as he leaned against a wall while waiting for Lady Aurora. Was he talking about why I was here trying to get the sword back? It was weird hearing him not being drunk, but it was an important mission, so I ignored how weird he was and thought a bit. “When a war happens, it’s the innocent people in between the two armies that get hurt.” I answered, not wanting my inaction to lead to the death of who knows how many people from a holy war.

“So you’re sneaking around like this and risking your life for the sake of these people? How noble. So, were the few people who died earlier acceptable losses?” he asked with a thin smile. That question felt like he jabbed a knife into my gut. “N-no? It’s awful that people died… w-why would you ask that!?” I stuttered as I tried to deny it, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. Was I doing the right thing? Was I just blinding following a leader again? Vildost’s smile widened as the helmet’s shadows hid his eyes. “Why’re you getting so flustered? I just wanted to know how I should think about it all. The people we killed and the people we’re going to kill.” he replied so… so casually I couldn’t even say anything.

I wanted to ask him what he thought about it all. Seeing him like this, he was like a different person when he wasn’t drunk, I can’t read him at all! Holding Armin’s blood, I can’t even feel his mana, so I felt even more lost. “You-” A message from Lady Aurora cut me off, so we dropped the topic there and continued moving forward. I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said, though. Was I really just doing horrible things the same as always?

The next room was the one we thought the priest lady would be in. There were two guards in front of the room and more nearby. Lady Aurora has to confirm if this was the right room, then we quickly ambush the guards while she cuts sound off for the room. It was a simple plan, but it was good. ‘Only idiots conflate complication with intelligence’ was something my mentor would always tell me.

A horrid scream suddenly came from the room! I reached for the three vials of blood. Did the priest prepare a trap!? There was going to be a fight, but I was caught off guard and didn’t know what to expect. Did lady Aurora get hurt!? Unlike me, Vildost didn’t hesitate.

As the two guards at the door turned to look towards it, he ran at them full speed and threw himself at one of the guards, kicking him in the chest and knocking him against the wall. The other guard already pulled out his sword and before I could think I… I pulled out one of my throwing daggers and slung it at him. The dagger found his exposed neck, and the next thing I knew he was on the ground clutching his throat, spraying blood and choking to death… I killed him. After trying to be careful all this time, I let my guard down for just a moment, and my years of training took over.

Vildost knocked out the guard he was fighting a second later and just stared at the guard dying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood. He looked at me, but didn’t say anything, there was no time. He just kicked down the room door as I picked the dagger from the man’s throat. My hands were far too steady, it sickened me that I really felt nothing after killing someone.

The moment Vildost stepped into the door he suddenly threw himself backwards as three javelins ripped past him and slammed into the wall behind him. They set another trap! And it hurt him, he was bleeding from his side! “Clever trick there.” he let out a small laugh, just standing there with that smug smile like he didn’t even notice the bleeding.

“It wasn’t as effective as I hoped.” I heard the priest’s voice again, before black smoke poured out of the room, filling the hallway with this thick acrid smog, blinding me! I couldn’t see anything and I couldn’t see mana! Knowing the priest lady would take the first move to fight Vildost, I grabbed one of the vials and prepared to throw it. I just had to rely on the sound of her fighting Vildost and trust him.

There were heavy footsteps and really really light footsteps, metal cut through the air, metal hit wood, and I just threw the first vial. It cut through the smoke and immediately smashed against something and shattered! I heard a woman’s grunt followed by several dull thuds and grunts, but no one said anything, but Vildost must have the upper hand now, so I did it!

I heard people call out from another side as they approached with heavy footsteps. More guards would make this much harder, so I threw another vial at them. I heard the bottle smashing and a pained grunt, so it was a good hit too! The last vial I dropped onto the ground and let it roll to the corridor wall, finally stepping out of the anti-magic so I could feel my environment so much more! I could feel the mana all around me again, with three pockets of nothing. Vildost and the priest lady were fighting in a place where I could only feel a bit of mana swirling around weirdly, the antimagic worked there. Then there were the guards, and I could see one clearly, but I could hear more people I couldn’t feel so I got them with the second vial!

Pulling out a dagger, I immediately threw it at the only guard I could feel, assuming their height and how their armour worked. The familiar sickly gurgling sounds after impact let me know that I cut right into their neck. I heard them drop to their knees then collapse a few seconds later as his companions shouted. He was gurgling as he started to drown in his own blood, and maybe he could survive with emergency healing, but that wasn’t likely. I killed another person again… just like that. Years of training, decades of life, ended in a single strike.

Once again, I wanted to puke at how I felt nothing and just drew another dagger. Vildost and the priest were silently fighting, both unable to see or use magic, relying on mind games and distractions to best each other. Everyone had gone completely quiet as the struggle continued, but the sounds of heavy armour and footsteps were everywhere. The strange smoke was starting to make me dizzy, but I think it was slowly fading away. There were too many footsteps, too many guards were coming. I could feel the mana shifting and I didn’t know what to do! We needed the sword but I couldn’t see anything and I couldn’t feel the sword’s mana… so the priest lady was using it! If we beat her, we’d get the sword, but I didn’t want to hit Vildost by accident and if we waited more guards would come!

With my head pounding it was hard to think… What was in the smoke? Then I heard metal cut through air near me so I threw myself to the ground just before something hit the wall where I was! I couldn’t feel any mana, so he was covered in Armin’s blood… How did he find me!? I struck out with my dagger, but the weak weapon only clanked against thick metal armour. They swung again and I sidestepped around them, estimating their height and arm length before jabbing my dagger into it. I felt it break skin and slide between bones, making the large woman(?) let out a howl of pain. I stabbed her in her elbow but she didn’t drop her weapon… pulling out the dagger I took a step back, bumping into another of the guards! How were they this close!?

An arm came down and grabbed the edge of my cloak, but I ducked and let that layer effortlessly peel off. I quickly reversed my grip on my dagger and stabbed downwards, cutting into this guard’s unarmoured thigh. They let out a grunt as I pulled the dagger out and he sounded like a man, shorter than the woman from where his voice came out and not as armoured.

I was trapped in a situation where I could only see two options: Run away by myself again, or try to kill these guards and likely die. I… couldn’t do the first again, but I promised that I would find Sora’s family… I don’t want to die…

“Don’t just stand there, run run run!” I heard Vildost’s voice hiss as three solid thumps resounded from where the larger woman, then a thump as I think she dropped her weapon. I didn’t even realise it, but he must have beaten the priest lady and stolen the sword! Turning on my heel, I dove down to where I could feel the most consistent area of antimagic and grabbed the third vial of Armin’s blood. This time I popped open the vial and just let it roll on the ground as I ran, staining the corridor in anti-magic, then I ran as fast as I could- or I was about to, when something struck my back, painfully ripping flesh and pulling skin.

I stumbled to the ground, but I could still move, so I fought against the pain and rolled away from whatever hit me before I sprang to my feet and started running again. I used every ounce of mana I could to both support my body and wrap an illusion that bent light around me, turning me invisible. I silently screamed at how much it hurt and how little mana I was born with as I followed Vildost through my blurry vision. We succeeded, that was all that counted, right? This would make all the deaths okay, right?

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