God's Forsaken

Chapter Three

The full moon gawked at its reflection in the serene sea. Its dim light allowed one to see the pitching plains surrounding the ship. Michel, leaning on the crow's nest wall, sat down to play a game of solitaire. His eyes scanned over the rows for the next best play, yet his mind found it hard to focus on the cards. Since Vipa's departure, the assassin had been thinking of a cure to revoke the bonding hex. He had some general knowledge about sealing magic. Children learned magic - it was considered a life skill - throughout their school life.

Children separated themselves out into natural users and item users around the age of three. Whatever powers a natural user showed were then honed by specialized teachers throughout one school career. That's what Michel recalled from stories other people told him at the time. He, and the majority of people, learned how to use item magic. The level of difficulty one could achieve ranged from concentrating magic to start a device, to moving giant blocks to complete puzzles.

When it came to item users, one had to figure out the type of mana, the basic unit of magic, that worked best for them. Theories stated that item users could use any type of spell. This was only true with an already enchanted object. People working with pure magic had to know what type of natural mana matched with the mana found within their body. Trial and error, with a bit of textbook knowledge, told Michel that he had an affinity with plant magic. Although he long ago stopped practicing it due to lack of interest.

None of what he had learned informed him about the spell Vipa had bewitched him with.

"Oh," shouted a voice. "Where is this murderer you speak of?"

Michel started to stand, but felt a presence over his right shoulder. Keeping a neutral expression, he peered up at a pair of light pink eyes. Thin lips upon a heart-shaped face pulled back into a guiltless smile. The humanoid's canines were far longer than the average human's.

A vampire, noted Michel with slight annoyance. Why is the blood sucker pestering me? Shouldn't he be sleeping in a cave or something?

"Hey there. So you're the murderer that Vipa dragged onto my ship?" The vampire pulled a lock of blonde hair behind a pierced ear. His fingers fiddled with one of the three golden earrings. His feet were bare and the sleeveless blue shirt and black shorts scantily covered him. Both contrasted with his ashen-white skin.

"Let's get something straight," declared the vampire. "Do anything out of line and I will..." A pebble whacked the side of the vampire's head. He clenched the bump that was forming as he winced. "What the hell Sainh!" He threw a disgruntled look at the deck. "I'm trying to hold a conversation."

"Stop playing the tough guy," stated a feminine voice. "That assassin probably has more kills under his belt in the last month then you have in the last ten years. That's not counting the fish." Michel held back a chuckle. The vampire's indignant expression made his whole act tolerable.

Grumbled complaints slipped from the vampire as he leapt down from his post. Standing, the angel bowed to a humanoid reptile. Seated on the deck, she levitated pebbles above her clawed fingers. Michel assumed her to be skilled in earth magic. Her yellowed eyes watched the vampire storm over, while one of her fingers scratched her feathery, purple neck. Pale blue scales covered her front. A yellowed cloth covered her upper arms and chest, while a pair of shorts covered her lower section. The name of her species failed to form on Michel's lips. That either meant the reptile came from a foreign land or they were too few in numbers to be of any notice.

Stomping over to the reptile, the vampire tucked his fists into his pockets. "Look, Sainh, I'm making it clear to our prison-"

"Prisoner?" asked Michel warmly. Resting his arms on the crow's nest rim, the assassin offered a bittersweet smile. "Since when?"