[John's PoV]
Down. Was all I could think when seeing the upcoming strike, jerking my head down to avoid an horizontal kick aimed at my head.
I thought I had evaded it, but I suddenly felt the hair by the back of my neck stand up. And if anything else was to be considered, I could see the faint shadow of Jeremy's foot enlarging as it descended down on my head from upwards.
Instinctively, I side-stepped, nearly avoiding a downwards heel-kick that carried a strength which I am sure would break a normal person's neck if the kick connected.
In one single moment, I was a few steps away from him, observing the kick still coming towards the floor. Hopefully, not many tiles would break upon impact.
However, going against any outcome I thought of, the kick greatly – abruptly decreased in speed.
It was incredible. A spectacular demonstration of control over his physique. Despite the strength and velocity his leg carried, Jeremy successfully changed all its vectors amidst the strike, his feet just sliding over the floor's tiles in retreat.
A monster. That seemed like a good description of his abilities until this point.
"Good reaction there, kid." Jeremy said, facing me through the few steps of distance between us. "I thought I had you there." He said, his voice carrying the same rough and steady tone since I met him.
"I have a question." I said, raising my fists in guard.
"Shoot."
"What are you?" Before my question could fully scatter in the air, strength surged in my legs. And despite my cautiousness to not break anything, I could hear the wooden tiled beneath crack weakly.
Whoosh!
In one single movement, I crossed the distance of at least half a dozen meters between us. My right arm extended, my fist reaching out towards his face.
But surprisingly, despite witnessing him evade my first attacks as well, he casually avoided my fist, ducking under it as he stepped up in my direction.
Before he could attempt anything, my knee shot forward, the speed carrying my leg accumulating enough strength to break a wood trunk in half.
And yet, he somehow found a way to avoid it despite the difference in physical capacities between us. Despite the strange position he was in, he mustered enough strength in his legs, doing some acrobatics in the air, basically a flip to the side.
How the fuck he did that in that situation?
"Almost…" Jeremy muttered, swiping his finger across his cheek. There was a weak, already disappearing line of blood on his face. "You got some good movements there, kid. For how long have you practiced?"
"Four years by now." I replied, not minding his attitude. Throughout the little more than a minute of our fight, he has been behaving that way all the time.
"It makes sense." He said, putting up his fighting stance once again. "As for your question, I guess you weren't introduced to what I am. Though, you can still say I am a human."
"Believable, you… don't seem like the others." Yes, contrary to the werewolves, vampires and witches, his magic behaves completely differently. I still couldn't point at the details, but the general image I get is certainly different from the other races I had taken a look at.
Actually, I still hadn't taken a proper look at Hope. Or more exactly, at her magic. After this, I-
"You got side-tracked." Lost in my thoughts, Jeremy took the opportunity and launched himself in my direction. In a blink, his fist was approaching my face.
Instinctively, I dodged. But again, he surprised me with another strike, one perfectly using the previous one as bait as the hook he formed was ready to hit my chin.
Quickly raising my hand in a cup, I held him fist and attempted to hold his position by it while I threw an horizontal kick in his left ribs. Suffice to say I was surprised my leg hit something, even though it was his left forearm raised in a defensive stance.
I didn't have another opportunity to strike again as he used the strength behind my kick to propel himself away from me, his feet sliding over the floor while I kept my position.
"Shit." Jeremy muttered, raising his arm to take a look at it. "You did some damage, boy." He said when looking over the dark purplish color the skin suffering from the impact was taking. "What were you saying about I not 'seem like the others'?" He asked, quickly ignoring the injury he suffered.
Something I noticed in the few interactions I had with him, is that Jeremy was… more carefree than what I remembered him to be.
The image I have of him was different than the one presented before me. Yes, I still see that mental tiredness in his eyes, probably the result of years having to deal with every little danger that approached the town. But I thought he would be more grumpy, serious, not apparently uncaring.
Maybe it's just his way to cope with things. Maybe this world's Jeremy simply has a different personality than the one I am familiar with. I still have to understand these concepts a little better.
"Do you remember I can see magic?" I replied to his question with another.
"I do."
"From what I've seen until now, the magic in every being follows a certain pattern. Obviously, those of the same species share some similarities." I explained, taking a few steps closer to him. And again, guard up. "Yours is different. Different from witches, werewolves, etc."
"I see…" He muttered, a thoughtful look rising to his eyes. "And what exactly do you see?"
"In regards to your magic?" He nodded at me. "Your magic is surprisingly similar to that of a human's." I eyed Alaric for a moment, but I could see from the corner of my eyes that my opponent did not even divert his eyes from me. Surprisingly, he didn't attack me at that 'opportunity'. "Compared to the few examples I have witnessed till this point, I can say a human's magic is… dormant. Very little, actually. Maybe that's why, comparable to witches, they can't practice magic." It's a little strange to use the same word for the practice and energy.
"Then why is mine similar to theirs?" Jeremy asked. I noticed he was ready to step forward again, and when I oriented my body ready to counter his advance, he immediately retreated his intentions.
I must admit, he is impressive by achieving the same thing I'm doing despite the differences in our reaction speeds.
"Yours is more active, a little similar to all other species in this case. And…" I took a look at his magic. "It flows according to all your body. It seems to strengthen it."
He slightly widened his eyes. "It's impressive you can see something like that." His words carried some sincerity.
"Thanks." I accepted the compliment. "I am still trying to figure out most things, but I'm liking the small progress. I admit there are still certain blurry things that I can't fathom precisely."
"And do you already have some way so you are able to see these things?"
"Normally-" He didn't let me finish my words as he launched himself again.
This time, we exchanged a few blows against each other. Through his combat experience alone, he somehow got to hit me under my ribs. No reaction escaped to my face, but damn that hurt!
When I almost grabbed him by the arm, he escaped and retreated again. There were some more visible injuries on him. And surprisingly, the first one I inflicted upon him in the previous round didn't get any worse . It seemed to have stabilized. Impressive.
"As I was saying…" I groaned. "Normally, my abilities just improve as I absorb more energy from the surroundings. For now, I'm just waiting to see if that's the only thing I need to pass this threshold."
"Energy?" He raised an eyebrow. "As in magic, you say?"
"Can be, but not only that." To be honest, magic was the energy I least absorbed till now. Yeah, I absorbed just a little as well of the others, the last thing I want is for the school to get into the ice age due to me absorbing all the heat. But even then, the amount of magic I absorbed was infimal.
"So what, then? Can you absorb sunlight?" He asked, but he didn't put much faith in his own words.
His ever present casual, nonchalant expression shifted slightly when I nodded.
"Are you a plant, kid?"
I really wanted to answer that, my 5th grade side of my mind really wished to answer that, but I refrained from that. Instead, I just rushed forward. Let's see if he can keep up with me if I increase my strength a little.
[3rd Person's PoV]
"It seems they are having fun." Hope commented, standing over the other side of the court. She held a small water bottle in her right hand and a face towel on the other, sweeping off the sweat running down her cheeks.
"Huff… Sorry if I can't keep up anymore." Alaric said, weakly gasping for air as he sat on the floor. Compared to the girl, who just had a few droplets of sweat running down her head and her body, Alaric was sweating profusely, with his shirt drenched and clinging to his body.
Hope glanced down on her headmaster and smiled bitterly. "Sorry."
The man just dismissively waved his hand. "None of that. It's… shit, my age." Alaric threw himself on the floor, narrowing his eyes at the lights on the ceiling. "Long gone is the time I went against even vampires, now I can't even do some sparring against a teenager."
"Most people would be proud to be able to fight like that in their 50s." Hope commented, raising her bottle and drinking some of the water in it. "Even more against said teenager being a werewolf."
"I guess so…" Alaric whispered, reaching out to a towel nearby and throwing it over his face, drying the sweat.
As the retired vampire hunter rested on the floor, Hope kept her eyes on the two figures ahead, trying to accompany their fight as they moved faster than any professional athlete could.
Their strikes carried along the wind, every single one aimed to deal the most damage in what the opponent's stance allowed and then, both men successfully evaded or parried the blows that were meant to at least fracture a bone.
Impressive. Hope thought, amazed by how the fight was unfolding. He is getting the advantage. She looked at the figure of the young man, his strikes cornering his opponent the longer the fight lasted.
But still… Hope looked at Jeremy, watching the hunter avoid hits that would surely severely damage him if they connected by a hair's breadth. And despite accumulating certain injuries which left his arms red and purple, he kept an even expression.
Is he waiting for an opening? Hope thought, furrowing her brow. No, probably not. John is making sure he can't find one through his physical superiority. Then, what is it that Mr. Gilbert is waiting? Does he want to force an opening or-
Creak…
The sudden sound broke Hope's thought process as the girl snapped her head to the building's entrance, spotting a figure peeking her head in the space between one door opened and the other closed. Her narrowed eyes told of her just recently awakening for the day.
"Josie?"
"Hi…" The brunette shyly smiled, still suffering some sleepiness as she pushed the door further open. She walked into the court wearing a loose blouse and sweater pants, arms crossed in front of her chest.
In her slow steps, Josie approached her long-time acquaintance and normally, the gemini witch's eyes would be on the girl. However, as soon as she entered the building, Josie couldn't help but shift her focus to the ongoing fight nearby, the scene doing wonders to shake off the groginess in her eyes.
Alaric, having heard his daughter's name, moved away the towel on his face. "What are you doing here, honey?" The man moved, slowly standing up despite his tiredness.
"Mom called…" Josie replied, her eyes still hovering over the fight before pulling her sight away. "She said she wanted to talk to you." She reached her hand into a small pocket by her pants' side, pulling a smartphone from it. "She said it was important. Apparently, aunt Bonnie is with her."
"I see." Alaric said in acknowledgment, gently taking the phone from the girl's hand. He noticed the phone was still on call, but muted. "Thanks, honey. I will talk with her." He offered his daughter a smile, walking away. "Be back in a sec."
"Okay." Josie said, her voice a sweet and soft tone pleasant to hear.
Right after Alaric went a little afar, Josie retreated her gaze from her father and stole a glimpse at the girl by her side before once again focusing on the fight nearby.
"Is that… John?" Josie asked, her eyes still focused on the blurring figures.
"It's him." Hope confirmed.
Slowly, the gemini witch turned her head to the girl once more. "Yesterday… I thought he said he wasn't a vampire." Josie said, reminiscing the small time spent with the boy during dinner, another attempt of her sister to befriend the young man.
"He isn't." Hope shortly answered.
"Then how…"
"Not my place to disclose." Hope said, returning a casual look to Josie. "However, he hasn't been someone so secretive about it. If you ask him, chances are he will respond."
"You think?" Josie slowly said, her eyes darting to the fight again.
"He is more easy-going than he appears."
"I noticed." Josie nodded, an opinion already forming in her mind in regards to that topic.
I guess he must be, considering he did what I already gave up by now. Josie thought, her mind placed elsewhere from where her eyes looked.
Rrrip!
A strange sound echoing throughout the court pulled Josie's attention, her eyes instinctively looking for the source of the noise. And quickly, she found it when the girl noticed the young man got distracted from the fight as well. He was looking at a huge rip stretching along the cloth over his torso, revealing his skin.
"Shit-"
Taking the opportunity of the boy getting distracted, Jeremy made use of the millisecond opening in the boy's stance, the hunter's fist connecting to John's chest. The first significant strike dealt by the man.
By the sheer force behind the impact, John felt his feet detach from the ground, with his body shooting into the other side of the court, drawing a perfect arch in the air.
Due to the pain he felt, John couldn't do much about his landing but making sure he wouldn't fall face-first. Even then, the boy still fell with his back on the floor, sliding over it for some time as he stopped just a few centimeters before hitting a pair of feet.
Ignoring the growing pain on his solar-plexus, John looked up and noticed a pair of timid, scared eyes staring back at him. And almost instinctively, he offered a smile to the owner of those brown eyes. "Hey, Josie. Come often here?"
A short silence followed, broken by Hope. "Really?"
"Allow me my fun." John said, slowly sitting up on the floor. He pulled his sweater, taking a look at the result of his movements and distraction. "Shit, I can't believe I got hit because of this."
"Take it as a reminder to properly pay attention in a fight at all times." Jeremy approached, his face drenched in sweat. "Damn boy, it's been some time since I've exercised this way. Reminds me of the days I was on active hunt." He reached out his arm towards the young man.
Taking it, John was pulled up to his feet. "Hunt?"
"Right, I didn't give you an exact answer." Jeremy said, moving around. "As I said, I'm technically still human. I am a magically enhanced human, a magical hunter." He grabbed another towel nearby, throwing it over his head before grabbing a bottle of water as well.
"So, when you say you used to hunt…"
"Yeah, what you are probably thinking." Jeremy replied after taking a sip from his drink. "I used to hunt vampires with a certain frequency."
"And the sarcasm of you being part of a school with vampires never hit you?" John asked.
Jeremy chuckled. "Heh… I thought the same when Rick offered me the job to scout students."
"You know what is even stranger than that?" Hope spoke up, dragging everyone's attention. She pointed at Jeremy. "Mr. Gilbert once killed my uncle, and not in the way vampires supposedly return from." Her words were even, almost nonchalant when stating the fact.
Despite knowing about that fact, John still couldn't help but hold a blank face over how Hope expressed it. "I will take that there isn't bad blood between you two, considering-"
"She is not jumping in to kill him?" Josie said, getting into the conversation.
"Yes, that."
"It was before I was born." Hope said, dismissively. "And since Uncle Kol ended up returning from the dead, it's not a grudge held by my family." Her tone was dismissive, and the words she muttered helped in understanding.
"Those weren't the best of the times." Jeremy said, reminiscing a little about the events of decades ago. "Anyway… nowadays, I'm not so active. I use my abilities mostly to find young vampires and scout them to the school. After what we can say as a warring period in the american supernatural community, things got peaceful, so there isn't much else work for someone with my abilities."
Warring period? The boy mentally raised an eyebrow at the term, curious at the hunter's words. Something I have to take a look at later while at the library. Better get acquainted with everything I have no knowledge of. "Good thing everything is okay there." John said, turning to face Hope. "And your uncle returned from the dead? How does that work?"
"His case was special." Hope replied. "And the others I am aware of require special circumstances and much power. A lot of it."
"And even if you have all of that, I suggest you don't attempt it." Jeremy said, his tone severing. "Nature doesn't exactly adore the fact of people interrupting the cycle of life and death."
"This conversation took a really long interesting turn in its path." John muttered, making everyone look at him.
"You get used to it." Jeremy said, patting the boy's shoulder with a reassuring smile.
"I guess I will." The young man replied, weakly nodding in acknowledgment. "It's just strange. It hasn't been a week yet since my worry was to know what game I should play next or what to read. Now, I hear people talking about events defying a certain level of common sense like resurrecting the dead."
"If it's strange, then why are you smiling in amusement when muttering these words?" Hope asked, seeing the boy's lips curl up slightly.
John's smile just widened. "I never said it wasn't something I find amazing." He replied, staring at the girl's blue eyes.
While everyone conversed around to cool down from the sparring, Alaric walked back to the group. When Josie noticed his presence, the headmaster handed back the cellphone to his daughter. "Thanks, dear."
"Remember to bring your phone next time." Josie chided at her father, grabbing the phone. "Waking up this early should be a crime."
"You could make use of some exercise, honey." Alaric patted his daughter on the head, his tone fatherly, one of worry and love. "And some sun as well. I know we are in winter, but it's not enough reason to get stuck in your room the entire day."
"I will consider." Josie muttered. Her words had the same meaning as 'leave it', but gentler and considerate.
Alaric, knowing full well of his daughter's intentions, just humorously sighed as he ruffled the girl's hair a little more.
"I guess this is it for today." The headmaster announced, giving a look over the group. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, better finish up here for today."
"Okay."
"No problem."
"Hm, Dr. Saltzman…" John raised his hand.
"What?"
"Would you have a sewing kit in the school?" The young man slowly asked, showing the rip in his clothes.
Alaric blankly stared at the cut apart piece of cloth and nodded. "I think we have. Let me just remember where." The man said. "I will hand it to you later." He added before turning around, walking towards the building's entrance.
Similarly, everyone followed along. They all needed to prepare for the day.
And while they walked, on the back of the group, Hope tugged John's clothes. "You know how to sew?"
"Not at all." John promptly replied. "That's what the internet exists for. I just need to find a good tutorial of some granny teaching how to sew."
"It certainly seems like a way to spend your time." Hope commented, retreating her look ahead.
"Isn't that right?" John replied, a small smile on his lips. It also should be a good enough activity to test some things out. I bet it will be fun. Thought the young man, planning his schedule for the day.
————————————————
In case you wish to support me and read 3 chapters ahead, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n and donate me your power stones
patreon . com / Endless Phoenix 186 (remove the spaces)