Running and laughing as they went, Drake raced the brothers out of the grounds of the college, feet pounding on the smooth grass in huge strides. It was far too lovely a day today to be trapped inside. Outside the gates of the college the streets of the town were busy, and people turned their heads as the three sprinted past them. Taking the shortest route from the college they cut across the streets, leaping over railing and darting across traffic causing strife as they went. The three were able to cover huge distances within mere minutes. Jumping impossibly high jumps rolling and running they carried on. They knew the streets well, had been born here, raised here.

It was their home.

They reached the edges of the town, where the buildings became fewer and more spread out. Now there were mostly just homes and a few corner shops. But they kept going.

About half a mile or so beyond the homes and past an industrial estate, was an abandoned building. It had been empty for many years now, and was secured by a chain link fence that ran all the way round. This used to be an old hotel, but the owners had run out of money and the building was never finished. It was just a structure of brick and stone now, the only part of the building that seemed in any sense recognisable as a hotel was the reception at the front. There was a faded red carpet on a finished floor and a half-oval desk in the middle, with little else within the smooth walls.

There was the smallest gap in the fence outside. Lucas glanced about them cautiously as he pulled back the chain links, making the hole big enough to crawl through. Reuben went in first, scrabbling through the dirt as he squeezed through the gap. Drake followed next, holding back the fence for Lucas to follow after him.

The building was the perfect place for what they planned to use it for, however it was dangerous. Drug dealers and criminal gangs often chose this as their favourite spot, and very occasionally the homeless. Though they stayed no longer than they had to, and only if it was quiet. It was said by some that people had been killed here, and it was said by others that there were bodies hidden in the area. Lucas had scoffed at this, dismissing it as nothing more than an urban legend. The hotel was well known of, and people liked to fabricate all kinds of crazy fairy-tales about it, including those that said it was haunted. It was rarely visited by ordinary people. However, the three that entered it now, were far from ordinary.

‘Check the area’ Lucas whispered to the others as they drew closer, quietening their footsteps. ‘I’ll go in first, you two scan around the building, and be careful of the windows. Someone may be looking out.’

Reuben and Drake nodded seriously. The three had visited this place often, yet it had become no safer for them. On one occasion several months back, Lucas had rounded a corner within the hotel and been jumped. The man that attacked had seriously injured Lucas, catching him by surprise. Had his brother not been there, Lucas would likely have been killed.

It took only minutes to search though every room, and once the three had determined the building was truly empty, they relaxed slightly.

It was filthy here, the typical used needles and fag ends lay about in many of the rooms amongst other rubbish, even the occasional empty bullet cartridge could be found. The three made their way up to one of the higher levels and situated themselves in the largest room they could find, the one they were most used to. It was cleaner than the others, being brighter and more open. The sun in the sky was in the correct position to give them plenty of light while they worked. The floors were mere concrete and the edges of the open windows were sharp with brick and cement. It was chilly here, most of the building shut out the heat from the sun, yet the open windows and doorways let in the wind. Its howling could be heard throughout.

‘Are you ready?’ Reuben asked Drake.

‘Sure am.’

Lucas situated himself in the usual position by the window and gazed outwards, scanning the environment.

The two took their positions on opposite ends of the room and readied themselves.

‘Do you want to go first?’ Reuben asked.

Drake cracked his knuckles eagerly in anticipation, sneering at Reuben smugly. He stepped back, making a flourishing movement with his hand. A dark light fell around him.

Magic.

He became shrouded in a dark purple shadow. Long metallic poles of dark metal criss-crossed before him forming a sort of barrier. These metallic things were blunt at one end, and pointed at the other, their sharp ends jutted backwards in a sort of cruel angular hook. They levitated in the air around him, hovering up and down gently.

A flicker of a grin crossed Reuben’s face. He thought; then cast his own hand out.

From the ground at his feet lifted great vines, like the wide stems of huge deformed brambles, they twisted and curved in unnatural ways. They very slowly grew towards Drake, curling round themselves and twisting back they writhed, like their own existence caused them pain. They lifted up; touching the barrier Drake had created. Their contact created a series of flashing lights, a zapping sound, like an electrical current.

Lucas meandered around the pair and into the other room.

The vines drew back suddenly as if they had been struck. Calmly they crept forwards again. They were freakish; their relaxed persistent demeanour was almost frightening.

Lucas returned to the room and resumed his stance by the window again.

The metallic stakes lifted higher in the air, lowered again. They shot suddenly straight towards the vines, spinning so fast in the air that they became blurs. Screeching a high pitched sound so horrific it curdled the blood. The vines were struck, and faded out of existence with nothing more than a sigh.

Reuben stared coolly back at Drake, and summoned his next spell.