CHAPTER 28

Dawn Scarlett



"Oh hi there new chosen one - I am Alaistair the necromancer who swore to serve the person chosen by the gods in order to save the world from the upcoming calamity and oh thank you for waking me up, I never thought that you could activate the spell that I created by just looking at my eyes - I actually formulated in such way that the chosen one should touch the painting before the spell should be activated but I guess you are just way too powerful," he said and I still cannot process what he just said like I am still shocked on the fact he - the one on the painting that is supposed to be dead for a long time now is standing right before us and he is fcking alive! Like okay, I get it he used magic but still who the fck wouldn't be shocked when they saw someone who is supposed to be long dead is looking so alive, healthy, and not to mention he looked exactly the same in the portrait.



"Hey, Archmage Raphael are you not happy to see me? It's been years or maybe decades since we last saw each other - I guess you got a little bit rusty after being reincarnated" he said and that instantly made me look at Raphael and back to the man named Alaistair. Wait did I just hear it right? A little bit rusty after being reincarnated? Who got rusty after getting reincarnated? Wait- Raphael?



"You fcking shut up Alaistair I am not happy to see you," Raphael said and his voice turned cold suddenly and that is when I realized that indeed the two know each other but what the fck how the hell do they know each other in the first place? I saw that the man named Alaistair is about to open his mouth to speak when I suddenly interrupted him - I do not care if I looked disrespectful for some reason I really need to have them clear this fcking shit up or else I will really go fcking crazy.



"Wait a damn minute! Can you fcking explain to me what is actually going on here? You are addressing each other as if you have known each other for quite some time now! Hello? I am freakin' new to these kinds of stuff so can you please explain everything right from the top because I am about to go crazy thinking on how is it possible?!"



*



After I said that, I noticed how the two looked at each other as if they are contemplating who will actually explain to me whatever the heck is happening.



"We do know each other in the past" Raphael suddenly said which made me look at him while raising an eyebrow. In the past what does he mean by that? "Simple, I already died once but the gods reincarnated me and for some reason retained the memories I have from my past life - in short, the two of us are almost the same the only difference is that you have been reincarnated in this world despite coming from a completely different one and I am reincarnated to my own world. And so, physically I am still in my twenties but in the soul, I am already more than two hundred years old. I am acquainted with that guy over there which is Alaistair the necromancer, we both worked together before in order to fight the calamity but he died first before me but I did not expect that he invented a spell that would actually literally bring him back to life" Raphael continued and that made me put my hand on my forehead and I started massaging it because I know that it is already the simplest and direct explanation I could get from my question a while ago and literally Raphael was able to answer it but although that is the case I still cannot fcking believe it.



What he said is too much information and I do not know how long will it take for me to digest everything.



"Give me a few minutes - I just need to damn digest everything that you have said and the fact that a supposed to be a dead person is standing right before my eyes is already too much to handle for a foreigner like me!" I said and the two nod their heads as if they have understood my situation well.



They should be! Like I am basically a foreigner in this place and there are a lot of things that I am still figuring out but here they are making it even more confusing and complicated - the hell! I am not some kind of supercomputer that could easily decode every information that has been given to me and convert it to something that I will easily be able to use - like what the hell? I am also a human being despite the fact that I am really quite intelligent compared to other people.



*



After a few minutes - I think about fifteen minutes I have already digested every information that they have given to me. And so in summary, Raphael has already lived decades ago, he lived in the same timeline as Alaistair and they were companions during that time however, of course, they have to die in one way or another. Alaistair died first but before he died, he made sure to program a spell that will revive him when the time comes, and that is when another chosen one touched his portrait in this room - however in my case, I do not have to touch it for the spell to be triggered, it only took a look from me and poof he is already standing right before our eyes.



And so, since Raphael already lived decades ago, he too already died once but then again he was reincarnated by the mercy of the gods of course also retaining the memories he had of his previous life and basically that is also one of the reasons why he became the archmage in such a young age. And so although that he is still in his twenties, physically by soul he is already old enough and the same goes for Alaistair but the thing is - Alaistair made sure that he will look the same as the painting when he is revived by his magic.



Okay, I get it, so basically I am not the only one in this place who has been reincarnated retaining the memories of our past lives. So, that is also why he was able to instantly vibe with me a while ago.



"I'm okay now. You can continue your lecture, Archmage Raphael" I said and Raphael - or rather Archmage Raphael looked at me while frowning. Oh well, I guess he did not expect me to actually use honorifics, like why wouldn't I actually use honorifics when in fact he is really way older than me! Like what the heck right? I am already pretty much embarrassed about the fact that I addressed him all this time like he is just a few years younger than me by soul but in reality, he really is older than me for fck's sake!



My eyes then landed on Alaistair and he looked at me as if telling me that I should notice him at some point and ask him a few questions or something like that but I do not plan on doing so because I am sure enough if I asked him the questions I have right now inside my brain everything will get even more confusing and also the fact I cannot take another information overload portion.



"I guess, Alaistair can better explain the rest about Grey Magic so I am giving the floor to him," Raphael said and he nodded his head at Alaistair, and as if on cue, the latter smiled wide as if he was given a one in a million chance of showing off his skills. Well, Raphael actually has a point - Alaistair can best explain Grey Magic because he is a necromancer and his magic is part of the Grey Magic and it is obvious that it is his forte.



"Archmage Raphael already told me that he already discussed necromancy as a part of the Possession type of magic so let us now proceed to the next one" - he said and he snapped his fingers and smoke started to form beneath him and then in just a few more seconds, the smoke is already encircling him and then in just a blink of an eye an animal - more of a panther came out of those smoke.



"The next one is magic bonds" he started and from the name, I already have an idea of what it is and it concerns familiars which I could also relate to. "Magic Bonds are slightly different from familiar bonds why? Simple because it is out of dark magic. Magic bonds are considered to be a special and unusual type of magic. Sometimes, when a mage meets another living being, usually an animal (or on rare occasions other humans, although it is not recommended because it can make both beings mentally unstable), they develop a lifelong bond with that living being. Magic bonds work similar to Possession Magic, but in the sense that in Magic Bonds, the two connected beings exchange souls. And just like possession magic, if your partner dies, the part of your soul that they carry with them will die as well. "



He said and then he looked at the panther who is sitting beside him and it is obvious that the panther is the being that he formed a magic bond with. But what the hell? If that is the consequence then why did he engage in such a bond? Why not just use the familiar bond or something? I am about to ask that question to him when suddenly he started speaking again and it is already the answer to the question I have on my head



"We, Grey magic-users cannot have familiar bonds so we have to rely on magic bonds and once a connection is made with the other being, they are able to sense each other, where they are, and get a feeling of what the other is going through. But the greater the distance, the less you can sense your partner. If the bond is unusually strong, then the two beings are able to communicate telepathically. Telepathy only works in close range and is a VERY hard thing to do for most people/animals. You mostly get "feelings" from your partner, rather than actually talking to them. If your partner gets hurt you will not feel the pain of your partner, though you will probably feel that "your partner is in pain". But the thing is that it is possible to nullify a magic bond if both parts want to."