Army of the Damned

VOLUME 13 Chapter 8

Waking up. Jackson looks out the window of the busy rural town. Most of the townsfolk were already walking about the muddy paths with bits of snow scattered about in collected areas as the morning star climbed up once again to give shine to the buildings and the forest around it. "M'Lord! Breakfast!" With a smile to himself, the man stands up and walks to the door. Opening it, the hallway was properly heated with lamps strewn about giving off steam.

Walking back down into the tavern, Alana and Elizabeth were both already on their table. Eating some oddly golden coloured bread. "Hm? What's that?" he leans down on it and smells it. The aroma had a hint of roast and sweet to it, making him wake up fully as his brain went into full sentience. "It's the specialty bread of Gareth, M'Lord." The cylindrically shaped bread had margarine on it and upon tasting a small part, he got down on the seat and started eating more.

"Hm! This is great!" Seiness who was returning from the counter properly bows her head as she carries with her a plate of strips of pork and bread. "Ah, Lord Jackson." he lifts his hand, with a mouth full of bread. "I see you've tasted the local bread. Amazing isn't it? They'd even harden them and bring them along adventures. It'll last for months and can nourish you well." he nods as the two Vampires finish up on their plate.

He then swallows the food and livens up as he counts them. "Uhhhh..." immediately, Alana answers him. "We do not know, M'Lord."

Outside, near the outskirts of town. A Mage is kneeling down as in front of him is a pile of snow. With a Grimoire in one hand and his steel staff in another, he swirls it around, the orb on top of it lighting up and it creates a tiny badly shaped snow golem from the pile. "Ah hah!" The young man jumps in joy, his newly created friend also lifting its fingerless hands albeit with great weight as its Master celebrates. "Alright, so to get you to attack is..." in the sidelines, Bahamut had edged closer to the man.

As he buries his face on the white grimoire, the Dragon had already sneaked up behind him and is reading what he was. She nodded and looked at the pile of snow. Upon a bit of concentration, an extremely detailed and animated Wyvern was created. Though small, it had all the little things, even the scales though made out of snow seem to be molded after the real deal. It then flapped its wings, making the tiny snow golem lift its hands to protect itself. "Huh?" Getting its attention, the fur robed mage kneels down to inspect the intricately made snow dragon. "Since when can I do that?" his pointy hat then falls, showing his messy auburn hair.

Turning around, he gets spooked by Bahamut. The woman wearing a commoners ensemble was attractive, but her lack of sound nor presence was astonishing. "Woah! Who are you lady?!" she just takes the grimoire of his hand and continues reading it. "Hmmmm... very interesting." He then tries to take it back, but the Dragon just effortlessly dodges his hands. After multiple tries, she trips him. Making him fall head first into the snow. The tiny golem became angry and started punching her skirt, doing nothing.

"I find it odd that magic around this world revolves more around imagination. No wonder some species have it better."

"Just who are you, lady?!"

"Back in my world, it was more about Willpower. Imagination comes second."

"Magic isn't that one dimensional, you know?"

"I know. But the main point I am getting from this grimoire and the older fire one Master got was that your method of conjuring Mana into something tangible and physical is through sheer imagination, which is interesting."

The snow dragon she made then climbs up her skirt and sits on her slender shoulders. "Tell me magic man." He chuckles. "Magic man? What're you? Some grandma?" icicles then form around Bahamut, all pointed at him. "What's the tastiest thing around these parts?" he then points at the square in the middle of the town, where Jackson was. "Hah. I'll taste him later." The Mage then points his finger further at a stall behind the statue. "It's some of the local delicacies there."