Sorcery back up

   In the Society of Sorcery Rhulan learned over the decade or so she had been doing almost nothing but reading their books that across the multiverse there are seven classes of magic; on many worlds only one type of magic can even work; in a few others it is as many as four. It is very rare for mortals and even magical beings to be capable of harnessing magic outside of that without assistance from outside forces such as internal natural powers, or a power source that carries the signature of the other magic. Such artifacts however can become objects of intense study, fear, and sought after as lost technology or sorcery. So if one can use magic not native to a particular world it is best to avoid doing so as it draws the attention of beings that are aware of other worlds with different rules of magic. Beyond this seven there are numerous sub-sets to them, with more specific limitations. The cause of this speculative as far as these books are concerned, but at least seven races are known to be capable of "cheating" these rules even if they have a preference; The Manazit, "Thoughts", "Shadows of Death", Amonel, Aethera'ion, Se'spectra, and the Amana. Each of which are regarded rightfully as gods even by beings aware of their existence who are gods themselves. Existing outside the rules of time and space. To encounter even one of such being, especially revealed as such; is extra-ordinarily rare, and typically only happens to those already with a connection to one or more of them. The books of the Society of Sorcery have this information thanks to obtaining over millenia the secrets of the multiverse's magic.

  The seven types of magic are listed as, Sin, Serenity, Shadow, Storm, Splendor, Science, and Stillness.

   Sin magic requires sacrifice, something is permanently lost. and usually requires making deals with higher powers; typically demonic pacts. More often than not magic like this is done through ritual, blood, dark practices to perform dark deeds.

  Serentiy magic is regarded as the opposing force of Sin magic and the two are frequently found together on worlds as Serentiy magic requires sacrifice of the self, but done through selflessness; it also requires making pacts with higher powers. The major differences between the two being tone, purpose, and the types of energies involved. This is holy magic while sin is demonic magic is how it usually works out.

   Shadow magic is done through the use of "virtual essence", a shadowy, darkness, or otherwise mirrored existence. In short, it obeys "unreal rules" and the "virtual laws". Often it exists in oppostion to worlds and its very use is dangerous to anything that isn't its self composed of it "dark essence".

  Storm magic is also called elementalism. It tends to distort the natural laws of a world and bends its natural phenomonon to it. This magic often appears not as magic but "super powers", creating the various form of "kinetic" powers over specific elements. Even obeying some rock, paper, scissor rules of elemental advantages and disadvantes. When done as spells one tends to get a diverse magical land with fire mages, water mages, lightning callers, and other such magic types.

 Splendor magic has been described as "hacking reality", it is often regarded as a more peaceful version of shadow magic. It is also much more colorful, being flamboyant seems to be a key feature. Others call it "poof magic" as things can just be done with it without regard to the natural order of things. Such as magically making an apple appear, there are no spell books on rules, on constructing sigils, or summoning higher powers, or dimensional imprint signature qualities, or anything to explain it...it seems to follow a faith based use. It just works, because it works.

  Science magic may sound like an oxymoron, and seems to be the true opposite of splendro and shadow magic. It is a magic that to the locals is seldom regarded as "magic", so woven into the natural laws of that world that it is taken as natural laws. Often it becomes "Alchemy" or "Ghost Phenomonon" as scientists know that *this* plus *that* equals this strange reaction, and it can be tested, and similar tests can weild related results, and different combinations work in predictable and repeatable ways but...there is nothing about the chemical properties or visible laws that makes it make sense. Sometimes this is mixing specific items to together to create something with special qualities, sometimes drawing certain symbols and applying specifi energy to them will have certain results, and so on. In the end no physical laws seem to be broken, and best most can say is, its a science on a different plane.

   Stillness magic is one of the more mysterious. On such worlds it is items and materials that just exist on their own possess magical properties. Unlike science magic whose worlds involve mundane items that can become blessed, in this setting its "demon stone", "mana crystals", "heaven tear drops", and other strange gems and metals that seem to just grow and emit powerful reality distorting energies. In a world dominated by this magic it is unlikely anyone can channel powers through themselves naturally and these itmes must be used as power sources or have powers channeled through them to perform magic.

    Right now this is important to Rhulan for the following reasons.

   Mission brief: the planet of Peres uses mainly Sin and Serentiy magic. There are some areas where Stillness magic is more common, as well as some touches of Science magic. However only the Fae, Witches, and Gods of this world are known to use Storm and Splendor magic, and even just stronger versions of the other four. Ruby as far as Rhulan can tell and sense uses a mix of "Storm" in that she has her own internal power, but she is channeling and focusing her natural power through enchanted armor and a sword; Rhulan has seen the item alchemy books back in the Society of Sorcery, her sword is the Mystic Battle Sword, and her armor looks to be made of Enchanted Blue Steel; only made to resemble witch clothes; giving it a rather odd design. So possibly a combination of limiting her power, protection, and focus. Nefaria on the other hand is distinctly shadow only. Apparently even claiming to be the tutor of "Sharon the Sorceress of Shadows", one of the seven sisters of sorcery. The books list them as seven individuals who each learned and completly mastered one of each of the seven types of magic, Sharon, Sally, Mae, Chay, Ro, June, and Crio; Shadow, Splendor, Serenity, Sin, Storm, Science, and Stillness...how one can master Stillness without using alchemy is a mystery the books never explained.

  Rhulan has used her natural power of quantum distortion and manipulation to produce an electromagnetic field to bend the light around herself to become invisible. This world is primitive, without the use of sonar or infrared detection simply bending light will be enough to not be seen, and as its not using magic their methods shouldn't be able to detect her. However using her senses, the same senses trained over centuries to detect power sources, the flow of complex energy lines, sense when a ship or mech was charging up to fire so as to dodge what otherwise should be too fast to dodge; and even locate other Aesperians; she can detect the movements of Ruby and Nefaria. Ruby is the bolder of the two, as Rhulan can see she is in a bar, likely gathering information, local gossip, adventurer guild intel, any new or strange individuals in town besides herself, and other such things. Nefaria's movements are already inside the castle, and given the movement of the life signs around her, she has also become invisible, likely using "Shadow Cloak" or "Blind Spot" spells to move about unseen as she is moving oddly enough that she can't be certain any sudden movement won't give away her position.

  Two very different approaches, both of which can take time. Rhulan has seen this as the head of the private security force the Aesperia Corporation. Ruby is the type of agent who'd engraciate herself in the local scene, gain trust, display herself as a person of knowledge and skill to get close to her target. After all anyone using so called "Forbidden Magic" that is also destructive would also be interested in someone who knows similar and powerful magic. Nefaria on the other hand is likely eavesdropping on conversations, getting a layout, and likely suspects it may be someone within the castle, a likely guess as Rhulan can also sense three individuals in the court yard giving off a great deal of magical power, a young woman in a white gown, an old man with a long white beard wearing blue robes and even a blue pointy cap, and a crazy looking woman with long yellow hair, blue leather bra, blue leather panties looking bottom held on by a thin strap and covering nothing in the rear; a pointy blue witch hat with a fanged skull on it, sharp looking boots, and carrying around a staff with a glowing goat skull for a top that seems to be looking around as if alive.

   ******

   In the court yard of the castle the old wise man strokes his beard and speaks with words as aged as himself, "Good, good my apprentice."

   He turns to the strange witchy woman and points down the way of the court yard, "Now Soltara you stand over there my apprentice needs to practice her spells."

   The strange woman glares at the man with eyes larger than a human should have, the skull of her staff growls as the blue spectral flames around it grow more intense.

   The old man pulls from his sleeves a large card with a crystal like structure, "I command you Soltara to stand forty feet in that direction."

   Soltara levitates, waves of blue flames roll beneath her feet scorching the grass as she moves into position.

  "No need to mope Soltara."

   Soltara growls, "Know this old man, I will visit upon you a thousand times a thousand worth the suffering you have inflicted upon me."

   "Come now," says the old man stroking his beard, "You should know by now your threats are empty to me, you were sealed in this card by the great champion sorcerer of the Blue Rune a hundred years ago, and will be sealed for hundreds more."

   "Master," says the girl in white robes, the wind blowing through her fluffy brown hair, "This...does feel wrong to practice my attack spells on her."

  "Oh fiddle sticks and witch's tits," scoffs the old man waving his boney fingers, "It can't feel pain my apprentice. It is just a spirit, a creature made of mana by the gods of old. It isn't even really intelligent, remember the words of Blue Rune, the beast will try to fool you, to impress you, to make you bow to its threats and release it. However never forget it is but a weapon of the mad goddesses that haunt the many hells, and would destroy every living soul in the kingdom were it not leashed by this card."

   The girl whispers, "I understand master."

   She turns and pulls from her sleeve a purple card.

   The old man strokes his beard and eyes the card while thinking, "Now, this makes my fourth apprentice to try this Mystic Destroyer spell card, let's see how she reacts to it. Bernard was killed...thankfully I covered that up by claiming a fire fae attacked us in the woods, and Dorothy was driven insane, Markus only made a spark come out and his fingers and eyes bled...hmm...what is the variable."

  She aims the card at Soltara.

  "Know this child," hisses Soltara, "I will have my revenge upon you as well."

  She smiles and rolls her long prehensile tongue along her lips and chin, "I will find you in your next life, and I will make you love me. Your soul will know the suffering you caused me, and your memories of this life will ache away at you every day you cuddle to my breasts and lick my pussy as my love slave."

   The girl blushes, "pervert!" she shouts, "fine! Take this!"

  "Mana Slice!" an arc of purple strikes the ground between them.

  "Who dares interrupt us?...Who are you?"

  Ruby walks out into the court yard accompanied by three guards and another old man in purple robes with yellow crescent moons.

  "Oh, master Barnabas, I did not know you were here."

  "Indeed," says Barnabas, "I am here,"

  He strokes his white beard in much the same manner as the wizard in blue, "I have been looking over your studies, and I have found this witch in town. A warrior witch she says, we got to talking and she demonstrated her magic for me. Seems her spells are of the same sort of magic as this attack card our guild found in the Runemon mines."

  "Hmm, I see," says the wizard in blue, "Yes, that spell just now did have the same sort of aura."

  "A mystic monster?" asks Ruby pointing her sword at Soltara, "and an Overlord class one at that, the Vile Witch of Toxic Love."

   Soltara smiles, "They call us Runemon still in this kingdom, so outdated, would you release back to the Inferverse, I need to be upgraded."

   "Do not listen to its lies," says the wizard in blue, "For as the great sorcerer Blue Rune said...."

    Explosions rock the area, red spheres with fire symbols inside them cascade down destroying the entrances to the court yard in magnificent explosions.

   "Mana Chains!" the words fill the air as many purple sigils fill the air fifty feet above the ground and violet chains fly down from them like the tendrils of some unseen eldritch horror. They entangle both wizards, the girl, and Soltara, lifting them into the air. Ruby swats the chains away with her sword, they wrap around it.

   "You are not pulling my blade free!"

  She chants quickly, "Oh great spirits, Oh Amana, empower my sword and consume this spell!"

  The chains morph into the sword and are being drawn in along its sides, vanishing in purple smoke. Suddenly they stop and stick, Ruby sees a vision, the chains turning to thorn covered black vines with red lights coming from between the woven threads."

   "Disconnect!" she shouts and leaps back as the violet smoke turns black and then vanishes.

   "What is this?" orders the blue wizard struggling.

   "Help!" shouts the girl.

   "Why...why isn't...no why do I feel like my magic is being drained from me?" asks the purple wizard.

   "Shadow Bolt!" from another unseen individual a black fiery bolt flies into the air and strikes an invisible spherical barrier.

   "A technological cloaking device," from the shadows Nefaria emerges, "Should have guessed from what you said earlier. You're no sorceress!"

   The girl in white pulls free the purple card and aims it up, "Mystic Destroyer!" a jagged almost flat lightning like bolt of violet and purple energy flies into the air, however it is absorbed by the invisible presence.

   "No way," whispers Nefaria and Ruby. However the chains do vanish and the assailent appears.

  Rhulan is levitating far above them.

  "Listen here," says Rhulan, "or rather, behold you insolent children!"

  Her right hand glows with intense violet flames that spiral and gather into a sphere, she aims her hand down and fires a powerful violet beam. The ground where it hits at the corner of the court yard is not only destroyed but the surrounding area is distorted and twisted as if being smeared by a paint brush and yanked like yarn and putty.

   Rhulan glows with an intense violet aura, "Violet Phoenix!" a massive bird wings and tail aura flashes out from her body with her at the center of it, flapping wings that need not flap above the courtyard.

   "I am not know for being subtle. I will not engraciate myself into your ranks, I will not sneak around in the shadows. I came here with a job to do, and I intend to do it quickly."

   "You can't do this!" shouts Ruby, "you are influencing the natural development of this planet!"

   "I was told no such restriction," says Rhulan her voice echoing upon the wind, "Nor do I care. I have no intention of spending more time here than I have to. Remember what I told you both earlier. I am over 500 years old, I have been a mercenary for more than 400 of those years, the leader...the executive of a massive personal defense force spanning tens of millions of members. This may be my first job with your Magical Mercenaries, but this is far from my first mission."

   Nefaria has been whispering something and unleashes a barrage of boomerang blades of darkness blacker than the deepest black these people of Peres have ever seen, they slice through the mana chains, dropping the people to the ground. Soltara floats in the air.

   "Will you release me?" asks Soltara, "Oh great goddess of chaos? Oh Supreme Overlord Rhulan."

  Rhulan holds out her left hand, "Come to me."

   From the blue wizard's pocket the crystal card is yanked and flies up to Rhulan, she holds it and crushes it into shards in her hand.

   Soltara's eyes are wide, her expression blank otherwise. Blue lines that stop and turn at sharp angles appear over her body, her form slowly vanishing like a ghost as a bright yellow sphere appears inside her chest. She looks up, "Thank you...Rhulan." Her body vanishes as the yellow orb flies up and fades away like an ember.

  "So she is a mystic monster," murmurs Nefaria.

  "Supreme Overlord," thinks Ruby, "No...then...I have to know."

  She leaps into the air over a hundred feet, her sword glowing purple trying to come down on Rhulan. Rhulan doesn't take her eyes off the people below and moves her right hand, "Telekinetic Hold!"

  Ruby is stopped dead in her tracks, sword raised frozen in the air.

  "Release," says Rhulan.

  Ruby drops to the ground, "She stopped my momentum," remarks Ruby.

  "What...what is this monster," huffs the purple wizard Barnabas.

  "Rhulan," whispers the girl, "Masters, is that not the name of the swamp witch once sealed in the great mountain by the hero Suranaku a thousand years ago?"

  Both wizards eyes go wide, "By the goddess Rokona!" shouts Barnabas, "this demon has the exact likeness as in the great book of fae!"

  "Hear me!" shouts Rhulan, soldiers gathering on the walls stop and shake as her voice penetrates the air, the stone, and their very flesh, "I have destroyed space stations larger than this entire kingdom. I have come here for two things, and I will..."

  Rhulan stops as the Mystic Destroyer card flies up from the girl and to Rhulan's hand, floating around her hand as if in orbit, likewise a black card flies from Barnabas and does likewise.

   "You had that on you?" asks the blue wizard.

   "Of course," says Barnabas, "I am the great master wizard how much more safe could that spell of ultimate destruction be than in my personal care?"

   "Uh..." starts the girl, stopping herself as her life belongs to their guild, until her apprentice status goes up a few more ranks they could kill her for spell components and no one could do a thing about it."

   "What is that thought?" asks Rhulan, "in this state such strong fears are known to me...you girl, fear they will kill you and chop up your body for spell components."

   The girl's eyes are filled with tears as she turns to the two old men, "I swear masters I did not mean to let go of the Mystic Destroyer I..."

   "Combustion," says Rhulan, both men burst into flames.

   "Dark Bolt!" another blast from Nefaria hits and is absorbed by Rhulan, arrows fly from the soldiers but they are incinerated in purple flames before they can even come close.

   *Sigh* the wings of the Violet Phoenix come down and destroy the walls of the castles, the screams of the soldiers as they are burned to nothing are over quick.

   "This is not magic," says Rhulan, "This is not sorcery, no spell called upon from anything, this has all been my own natural power. I am a quantum Aesperian, and an immortal one at that, centuries of experience using this power over the fundamental forces of reality."

   "Shit," exclaims Nefaria looking over at Ruby, Nefaria is picturing in her head her master Sharon, who looks almost exactly like Rhulan, only pale, with red eyes, black hair, and wearing black carapace yet somewhat form fitting armor.

   "Are you Sharon's daughter?" asks Nefaria, "was this all some set up for her or your own sick amusement? Does she hate my joining the Magical Mercenaries so much as to try and sabotage my standing with the guild?"

   "No," says Ruby pointing her sword up, "I know this power! The Amana said it, the daughter of chaos. You are Rokonaka's daughter arn't you?"

   Rhulan's eye twitches, and she whispers; "How...that is my last name...so...it never occured to me to index my own name in the library. I wander, is this all coincidence, or am I the orphaned and abandoned child of some chaos goddess...would explain more than a few things..."

   She remembers driving off after actually harming an Amonel, the Croon bio-ships, speaking with Sahralia.

   The sky above suddenly turn a wavy blue, a massive roar fills the air.

   The girl has already fled, to where is unknown, Nefaria and Ruby stand strong as unnaturally deep blue lightning bolts strike Rhulan. She winces, her Violet Phoenxi even bending as if feeling the blow as well.

   Rhulan gathers violet energy into both her hands, brings them together and aims over her head, wrists together, "Quantum Annihilation Wave!"

   A massive violet beam strikes up into the blue. It barely ripples like a sea of pure energy blanketing the sky. A column of blue light strikes down, ripping the violet phoenxi aura apart and smashing Rhulan into the ground.

   "Fuck," curses Rhulan holding her side as she rises, she can feel several teeth broken, her nanites, empowered by her natural power, will restore those in minutes, and repair her ruptured organs.

  The blue wave above speaks in a masculine, commanding, yet soothing voice, "I am the elder god; the great Miracle of magic, known to this world through my prophet known as Blue Rune. I had them know the locations of the Runemon, the locations of these magics, so that they could unburden themselves from the shackles of the false gods."

   "If they are so false," growls Rhulan, "you nebular creature, then why do you not fight them yourself."

  Rhulan screams as another blue column of light comes down on her, striking her to the ground, she is breathing hard in the crator, her clothes torn to pieces, her body nearly naked, yet surprising not badly injured save a few bruises.

   "I will strike thee down, you cannot absorb my power foul Netherian Succubus, foul witch, soul sorceress, soul mercenary, whatever form you choose criminal creature. I...I..."

   A sound like machines being scratches, horrible electronic noises unknown to these people, fill the air. As a massive purple wave collides with the blue, the air grows violent and hot.

  "Gods are fighting!" shouts Ruby, "we have to flee."

  Ruby starts towards Rhulan.

  "Leave it!" shouts Nefaria, "if its an Amana then that must its mother or another Amana come to rescue it. Their game just turned serious."

  Ruby nods and presses something under her gauntlet and vanishes in a burst of blue light. Nefaria does the same to something behind a feather on her circlet and likewise vanishes in a flash of blue light.

   The two cards float over Rhulan's bruised eyes, she opens her mouth and a stream of whispy blue smokey tendrils float out and wrap around the cards. Suddenly her eyes flash a brillaint blue, and the whispy tendrils become a powerful beam of bluish white light and the cards are consumed by the energy. Rhulan's body is encased in a red aura as she stands as if in a daze, levitating to a standing position. Her eyes are solid red as she looks up, a horrible smile with thick fang like teeth as she twists her head looking at the stuggling waves above.

   "Foolish little thing," she hisses. She *ROARS* to the sky as a black beam with streaks of deep blood red flies from a sphere just in front of her mouth and strikes the blue sky, it releases a horrible dial up internet like noise that to anyone on Peres would be impossible to describe properly. A black spit spreads from that point, she *ROARS* again and straifs a second beam along it, spreading the cracks of darkness. The blueness pulls away, clearly massive, miles across, and going up into the sky to vanish into space. The purple wave turns to purple flames and pulls over to the mountain.

  Rhulan's clothes spread and repair themselves, as her body quickly heals, even faster than her nanites should have been able to heal her.

   "What the hell was that?" asks Rhulan looking at her hands as her eyes turn back to normal and her mind clears, "Chaos goddess blood...awesome."

   She smiles and looks at the mountain, "Well...I did the job...then again."

   She touches her lips, "Did I...eat those magic cards..."

  She closes her eyes as she levitates up and uses her electromagnetic shield to turn invisible again, "I can feel it, I know...the spells...the Mystic Destroyer is redundant, I can do that naturally but...Chaos Destroyer...that's....alot of...mana usage...I will need to practice..."

   As she flies towards the mountain, "That Amana though...she saved my life...for all my quantum powers, and even that transformation skill from absorbing different types of magic...which mental reminder, practice with that, maybe I can unlock some other transformations...but even so, that thing...that elder god...I read about them...I can't absorb its power, I can't even harm it...that power I....think I used...I'd need to learn how to control that...but also...I need a defense against them, If I am going to be targeted by gods and wizards on these jobs...I will need a sure fire weapon.