The Riddle Of Magic

Chapter 12: Redshift

"Charlie!" Vaggie shrieked and Cherri couldn't keep a grip on her as she launched herself at where the pair had been just seconds prior.

"Oh fuck, where'd they go?!" Angel asked, looking around in alarm, his weapons still at the ready.

"Come out, ya piece of shit coward!" Cherri snarled, looking around with her own gun drawn.

"That was different from his other techniques," Baxter observed.

"You mean they teleported?! Then they could be anywhere!" the moth demoness cried, slumping to her knees.

A horrific moment of panic rolled through their group as they all tried to process what had just happened.

"Wait, Alastor! Your shadows!" Baxter said, and looked up to him as he knelt beside Niffty. "He uses the light to move! There might be a way to see him with your shadows?"

The blue-faced shade appeared, its form twisting as it encircled him, casting its far-seeing gaze about.

"Where are the shadows in the area being disrupted?" he demanded of the spectre.

"You can find them?" Vaggie asked desperately, looking between him and his shadow.

The spectre glanced towards her, grinning wide with confidence as it nodded. It looked back toward Alastor, manifesting its own black grail, and holding it toward him.

We'll need something stronger for that one, it whispered, holding the chalice. But you won't be able to drink more after this without damaging yourself.

The Radio Demon took the cup and drank. The light of the room faded, until there were only pinpricks in their space. His antlers branched out, his limbs growing as his remaining wounds were banished.

His light is blocking the way, but I can get us close. His shadow's body mimicked his own, limbs and antlers extended, but grew far, far larger, its shadowy body forming its own Gate toward its feet as runes crackled through the air around it. It'll be slower than Phase, but it won't break as easily.

"We're coming with you!" Vaggie called and she, Cherri, and Angel went to follow him.

"Not through the dark," he said back through the static blaring through his senses. His mind reeled to remember what speech was, and not try to rip apart what was in front of him.

The trio cringed back, and Vaggie nodded reluctantly.

"Then go now! Go get her!" Cherri yelled, but Alastor was already through the Gate.

**

The light around them was shimmering, as though they were in a shattered box of glass. It would have been beautiful if the fiend creating it wasn't a monster likely planning to kill her.

Charlie struggled against the tendrils binding her. Her hands were caught at her sides and she tried to get off a bolt of flame, but her arcane energy vanished the second she seemed to have it in her grasp. Fatigue was in her veins like some kind of drug, and she was barely able to keep her eyes open.

The blue Radio Demon watched her with a curious smile as he stroked his chin, as though still deciding what to do with her. For the moment he seemed intent to merely hold her with his luminescent tendrils, letting her take in her situation.

She was caught up in four of them - bound at her shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. The grip of the light was firm, although there was a curious lack of pressure to its grasp, similar to Alastor's shadows.

Her heart caught in her throat, remembering the blue Radio Demon's awful attack. What had happened to Alastor? Was he okay?

What about Vaggie and the others?