Code of Shadows

Chapter 9: Cards

Aala smiled. It was a warm and welcoming smile. One that comforted and warmed your heart. 

"Yes. I did show up to protect you from the Malacri when it attacked you."

"Wait, Malacri? What is that?"

"More like who. The Malacri are people that use magic by force. They steal their magic from other people or invade magic-user's minds, controlling them through dark thoughts. They despise people who are naturally magically gifted, as they stand in the way of them having power. We have been fighting the Malacri back for centuries, almost a thousand years now. They will kill anyone that steps in between them and their goal, even innocence that happen to walk by. They are what the Fantasies fight now of days, to protect the world from total destruction." 

I groaned and rubbed my temples again. How in the world did I find myself here being told about something imaginary again? 

"So why did the Malacri attack me then?" I asked. 

Aala's face scrunched up in confusion. "You know why. It is because you are Belle, and you stand in the way of the Malacri gaining power. That is why I am here to protect you."

"I think I am more than capable of fighting of a Malacri," I said.

Aala snorted. "I doubt that you could beat me in a fight."

I raised my eyebrows and looked back at Aala again. She didn't look like a very menacing opponent. 

Aala chuckled. "You can try to beat me right here and right now if you wish to."

I took a moment to consider it. The room was just slightly a tight place to fight in, but it was manageable.

"Sure," I said. I was pretty confident that I could win this.

I stepped back in a defensive stance.

Aala raised her eyebrows at me, then copied my stance.

I took a step forward preparing an offensive attack. Aala watched me thoughtfully. I whipped around and planned for a kick to her knee. 

Before I was even half way around Aala had thrown a card on the floor, and my foot slammed into an invisible wall. I yelped at the unexpected impact and stumbled backwards. 

Aala didn't wait. She put her hand into her pocket again, and threw another card at my feet, I noticed this time that she mumbled under her breath. It slid under my foot and my body froze. I stared wide-eyed at Aala as she casually walked over to me, pulling another card out of her pocket mumbling again. I watched, heart beating a million miles per hour as the card transformed into a knife. Aala brought the knife to my neck.

"You may be a fighter, but you have never fought magic before. Malacri use magic to fight, and right now, against them, you would be a gnat they squished in between their fingers." I stared at her dumbfounded for several seconds.

She looked at me for a second before pulling the knife away. I watched as it turned back into a card. Aala then bent down and pulled the card out from under my foot.

I stumbled as my ability to move came back to me. Aala continued forward and picked up the last card that was on the ground and slipped them all into her pocket before I could get a good look at them. 

"What were those things you just used on me?" I watched her hands intently to make sure she didn't use the card things on me again.

Aala chuckled. "I used cards that I activated with my magic." She glanced at me. "Don't worry, I won't use them on you again."

"Can I learn to do that?" I asked excitedly.

"To throw cards? Yes you can, but you don't have to use cards being a Fantasy. Only normal magic-users have to use cards to access their magic. You use a card by saying one of many activation codes for each of the cards. Like just now I used a barrier card to stop your attack on me. Then I used a freeze card to prevent you from moving. Followed by a transformation card to make the knife.