“So. Your magic.”

“Yeah?”

“How does it work exactly?”

Dragonick and Gotthold had taken, under the latter’s advisement, a quick break following the safe return of a couple whose car had broken down. They had apparently checked in on one set of grandparents and had been going to the other, only for the car to stop working.

Now the pair each clutched a beverage in hand, illuminated by one of the many bright streetlamps on this road. They stared out over the city in the distance, able to observe the glowing number of rectangle lights suggesting residents at home whilst the number of stars in the sky also began to form.

The yellow signified the abodes of the living. They were the ones who were at relative peace, whilst they remained outside and feeling the gentle caress of darkness against their skin.

Dragonick was leaning against the car, resting his back against the vehicle, whilst Gotthold sat on the roof with his legs crossed.

“Honestly? It’s relatively simple, in truth,” Gotthold said, somehow managing to drink his coffee without revealing the law half of his face.

Was he perhaps absorbing it through the skin? Dragonick wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“Is there a version of the explanation that isn’t simple?”

“…Eh?”

“Well, I mean, people tend to say that things are simple but I’m curious if you have a version of explaining your magic that is actually super in-depth, difficult, and confusing.”

“What a… ridiculous question.”

But in fairness to him, Gotthold thought about it as his eyes glanced upwards towards his brain as if physically trying to read it for the answers.

The conversation died in that moment and moved on to other things. A brief conversation was had about favourite movies and appreciation for upcoming releases, but soon the night began to call out and another job was soon granted to them…

***

 “So how does it work then?” Dragonick wondered as they walked back to the car; “I’m thinking about going for my exam as soon as I’m out of probation, so…”

The pair had joined another four Dentists in searching a neighbourhood after a child had walked out of an open door. The concern was that the three year old had been targeted by a Vampire and lured outside, but it appeared instead that the front door hadn’t been closed properly by an older sibling and the child had simply wandered off.

Mercifully, she had been found and Dragonick escorted her back towards her parent whilst Gotthold kept his distance, and only now did he continue his earlier conversation.

“There is a saying that anyone who wants to take a magic exam is someone who will willingly sacrifice themselves.” Gotthold said as they climbed into their car; “So, essentially, someone with a death wish.”

“I don’t have a death wish.” Dragonick said; “Well, unless you count my wish of exterminating the dead as a death wish, but it seems like an odd way to phrase it. I merely want to become the strongest Dentist, and it’s an unobtainable dream unless I have magic.”

“Sure, but to say it with such boldness is… how to delicately put this- stupid. It’s a stupid thing to say.” Gotthold laughed; “You’re asking for the right to be put to death by the Government on the off chance that you will find yourself back to your body and with accessibility to a hidden power within your own essence.”

“Sounds great. I want it.”

“I think this is proving your immaturity, but hey… I’m learning about you the more you learn about me.”

***

The next part of their evening had taken place when a member of the public had flagged them down as they drove through a suburban neighbourhood. The resident, an older woman who stayed within the inside of her doorway, pointed down the street and hold told them that a figure had been standing in the alleyway and talking loudly at the walls.

It was a Vampiric strategy called; Ear Worm, in that they attempted to burrow deep into a person through incessant and non-stop chatting.

With the car unable to go down an alleyway between houses, Gotthold had led them and demonstrated to Dragonick the importance of residing in the shadows, but with the darkness growing the deeper they travelled he eventually changed tactic.

“Wait a moment,” he said, stopping Dragonick; “I’m going to light up this space.”

He then raised his right hand and, with the briefest pause of concentration that was noted only in the silence, a sudden emergence of fire extended upwards from the fingertip. The pink light illuminated the space, flickering outwards and casting long shadows on the walls and fences surrounding.

He let it float above them, with Dragonick staring at it like a moth obsessed, and then realised his tutor had a frown to his features that was confusing.

Despite their stealthy approach, he had to ask;

“What’s up? You look annoyed.”

“It’s a lingering facial expression when I use my magic,” Gotthold said; “I’m trying to not look so… bothered. I’ve since made peace with what I can do.”

“Why be annoyed in the first place then?”

“It doesn’t seem like an appropriate conversation given we are wandering in the direction of potential Vampires… though, thinking about it, the fire has likely driven them away anyway, which basically makes my point for me.”

“You prioritise stealth,” Dragonick said, gesturing at the attire he was currently in; “I can figure it out.”

“Exactly. Bright pink flames- as lovely a colour it is, especially in hair- I sometimes feel as though it flies in the face of my natural ability… BUT, and this is crucial when it comes to magic, it comes with a revelation.”

They reached the end of the alleyway and, seeing no-one, Gotthold added quickly; “Let’s do a quick patrol around the other streets to show visibility to the residents and then we’ll head back to the car.”

Most normal Dental Cadets would have asked in that moment something along the line of whether it was a good idea to remain in the outside world. It spoke to their training, since they had been taught very simply that exposure to the darkness for an elongated period of time was to be in the den of lions whilst covered in meat juice and gravy.

But Dragonick, well…

“Let’s do it! Hell, I’ll race you to the next alleyway!”

Which of course meant that Gotthold was having to chase after him.

How embarrassing, and yet also amusing.

***

The next moment of conversation about magic took place as they drove along an empty stretch of highway. They had received reports of a broken down car, though not one that had been called in. The concern was that this was being used as bait, as a source had said that their was a car seat in the back that wasn’t empty and yet the front was void of driver and passenger.

“It’s possible,” Gotthold said; “That it’s real, so we check it out. But it’s also likely it’s being used by Vampires to draw us into one spot, so we’re not doing anything until we get another two pairs to join us. If it is an ambush, let’s ambush them right back.”

“Cool.” Dragonick said, stretching in his chair; “So what was the magic revelation you had, again?”

Gotthold sighed. The student was obsessed with his magic. He had been since the moment Gotthold had received his certificate that it was able to be used in the field all those hours ago. It was like Dragonick was more excited for its use then he was, and he was pretty damn excited.

“So, stealth is my priority.” Gotthold said; “On an unrelated but I promise related note- did you know that for pink light to exist in this world, it has to be made up of light from multiple wavelengths?”

“I did not know that. So it doesn’t just exist on its own?”

“Exactly. It’s created in collaboration. It was after that moment of reflection when I was in recovery after my death that I accepted that the Light of my Soul was telling me something important about my power by its creation of the natural pink fire. I can play with different wavelengths, I just need to be able to… use them, creatively.”

“Like what?”

Gotthold wondered for a moment as they drove and then, once again, he utilised the Pulse of his magic. A flash of pink signified the activation though not as a flame, but rather a spark which Dragonick was able to track from his passenger position.

Sitting in the backseat, silently waving at the pair, was another Gotthold. This one was wearing identical clothes and even appeared to have the same weight as it pressed against the seats and yet, as Dragonick reached out and his hand phased through it…

“This,” the one in the front seat said; “Is ideal for someone like me who specialises in stealth. This is a light-based replica, made out of the light of my own magic.”

“It’s identical,” Dragonick said in amazement; “That’s a perfect amplification of your abilities, thinking about it. It complements very well.”

“Exactly,” Gotthold said, waving the replica away who (for some reason) pretended as though it was dying in an overly dramatic fashion; “And, crucially, I’m not limited to what I can make. I can make anything that I have a good understanding of, or even someone who is dressed similar to me.”

“I think that explains my uniform then.” Dragonick admitted, glancing at his almost identical clothing; “I’d make a great distraction.”

“I’m counting on that if we run into any Vampires tonight.”

This got Dragonick excited. He wanted to come across some Vampires anyway tonight, but to think that his tutor actually had a task for him in mind when it eventually transpired was beyond exciting.

This magic- this Nova Pulse- would make for some great fun against the Undead, though he did have further questions itching away inside his mind that were desperate to be answered.

“Why not just stick with the fire? Surely just straight up burning the enemy to death would be easier.”

“Sure, if the average Nova Pulse was capable of such a thing. I’ve seen the combined efforts of maybe two or three Dentists using their Pulse together to kill a single Vampire.”

“So it’s not really that powerful on its own? Disappointing.”

“It has a role.” Gotthold defended; “The fire is honestly most often used as a means to drive a Vampire away. Think of the flames in the same way as religious iconography or garlic.”

“I suppose. I guess I was just hoping to be able to spam fire and burn my way through the enemy…”

“Some Dentists can do that.” Gotthold added but didn’t elaborate any further on the strongest amongst them.

“Do you have any contingency for your Light Clone so that they can have an impact?”

“I’m not calling it a Light Clone.”

“You should, it’s a great name. And besides, it’s all well and good to have an LC (or Light Clone, trademark) evading constantly, but if it gets hit or has an opening to hit a Vampire and doesn’t take it then your enemy is going to realise it’s a trick.”

Gotthold sighed loudly as he drove. It was almost as though this was something he didn’t want to get into but was finding with every passing second that it was something he was going to be forced to.

He paused again, and then proceeded.

“Okay, so, you remember earlier when you asked for the complex answer?”

“I do.”

“I’m going to… try and make this not that complex. But bear with me, okay?”

“I am way too fascinated to be bothered by how you present your information.”

“Okay. So… I can transfer up to a pint of my own blood inside one of my… LC’s. My magic can then use the blood to create a layer of physicality within my creation.”

“So if your LC- loving you’re using that by the way- gets grabbed, for instance, or punched, it will feel like there is an impact.”

“Exactly. It depends entirely on what I’m trying to achieve, but having a copy get seriously injured by a Vampire may result in me losing a pint of blood, but it will almost certainly give me an opening.”

“What about if your LC gets bitten?”

“That’s the best part. If any of that blood gets consumed, I can turn it back into fire and see that it immobilises the Vampire who has drunk it. It would be temporary, but… it would be useful for the real me to come in and finish the job.”

“It could.” Dragonick said, tapping the dashboard; “Or, you could let your favourite student handle it. Nobody would suspect that. That would be the ultimate stealth.”

And Gotthold wondered on that for a brief moment.

“You know,” he said; “That’s not a terrible idea.”