Corruption is Magic: Iosis

“So, how do you two feel about a hand to hand duel?” Korzak asks as he comes to us, having finished testing Luna’s many transformation potions, we now sit waiting for the potions to restore Vo to a not dying state.

“Hand to hand? Seems interesting, though I have a feeling you might have an advantage against me.” I say with a smile as I look at him and he lets out a snort.

“You say that yet you have wings.”

“Would these be allowed?” I ask and instead of Korzak answering it is Luna who speaks up.

“Well, Hand to hand usually means just body oriented weapons, hooves, horns, hands, claws and so on. So wings would be allowed.” Getting a nod from Korzak he adds to Luna’s statement.

“That and if it were a true battle you would still have access to them.”

“Alright, then who first?” I ask and the two look at me then to themselves only to look back to me. Okay, I get the message you two. Getting up to my feet I look at Korzak and shoot him a grin. “Don’t hold back, okay?”

“I wouldn’t bring you dishonor like that.” He explains as he gives me a slight bow. I nod and follow him out away from the other two a bit but when I see him turn I prepare with my fists clenched but he just turns to me and looks down at me. “You're not centered.”

“What?”

“Your way of standing has your center of gravity off. You’ll be knocked over easily like that.” He says seriously and walks over to me and with some light nudges and adjusting my stance. “There, now you should be more ready for any incoming blows.” Feeling nothing really different I arch an eyebrow but just as I do I watch as his fist darts towards me and just in the nick of time I block it with my forearms but in doing so I skid back a few feet from the impact.

“Good. Now block and respond.” He says as he walks towards me, his fist clenched and I see his muscles in his arm pulsating with each beat of his heart. Oh sweet Celestia, he is strong. Having my arms still up I prepare but instead of swinging straight on he swings to hit me around my guard, reacting fast I block his fist feeling my bones ache from the hit. Thinking fast I grab his arm once it had stopped, turning on the spot I put my back against his chest as I firmly grab the arm in both hands and heave with all my might to fling him over me and into the ground. I feel him slowly being pulled up and over myself but before he hits the ground I watch as he stretches out his arm and stops himself from impacting the ground. Letting his arm go, I back away from him as he gets up.

“You… that’s cheap.” I groan angrily.

“You need to get used to it. War and conflict isn’t fair.”

“I… guess you’re right.” I grupily say but I hear him snort.

“I do have to say though. You did good on the follow up, could use a lot of work and you didn’t utilize the leverage you had available fully.” Korzak explains as he looks at me with a satisfied look on his face. “Now, hit me with all the magic you have in your punch.”

“Wait what?” I ask, confused by what he just asked. Does he want to have me break his bones or something?

“Hit me, I want to see what you’re capable of.”

“But you’ll get hurt.”

“Oh, my apologies, my Queen. I have a special trait that will ensure you won’t hurt me.” Korzak says and I look at him in curiosity and speculation as my mind thinks about what he means by special trait.

“I… very well but if you get hurt it's not my fault.” I say as I clench my fist and begin feeding magic into my hand. While I do so I feel a sting in my eyes and as the stinging grows in my eyes I can see swirling colors growing in my hand, ebbing with the fueling of my spells but mixed in I see a black pustule mass writhing, mixed into my magic. This mass soon forms into a blob of sorts and develops gray, cloudy eyes that look at me. I try to scream, look away, or anything by my view is transfixed on this thing and as I watch in horror as it grows and grows away from my magic, a mouth forming as red hot liquid rock cascades from its mouth and splatters on the ground.

“You’re…” A deep and rumbling voice says that I recognise from ym hallucination of Luna’s face being different. “My…” The thing says as its mouth opens wider letting more lava spill out of its maw as it begins to tower over me, looking to swallow me up. “Vessel.” It grows and with that my world spins inwards and fades away from me.

***

I awake with beads of sweat covering my entire body, looking around for the thing I have etched into my mind I find it is nowhere to be found and with a sigh of relief I notice I am in my bedroom, Korzak standing at the door to my chamber. He watches me and a gloomy look on his face. “You’re awake my Queen.”

“I am… how long was I out?” I ask, rubbing my head as a throb of pain shoots through it.

“Two hours.” He says.

“Two hours, twenty eight minutes, seven seconds.” Corrupt me says right after Korzak as if to correct him. Really? “What? It got boring waiting for you to wake up.” Rolling my eyes I realize once again she is still a lot like me.

“I’m sorry I passed out like that. I think I might have a cold or something.” I lie but Korzak looks at me longly. I feel as if he is analyzing me, sizing me up and criticizing my very being as he remains silent. It’s only after five minutes of silence that he speaks.

“You can’t see magic fully, can you?”

“I…” I hadn’t expected to hear a question like that when he spoke. “I can’t. Why do you ask?”

“There is something that was messing with your magic… mixing with it. That was foreign.” Then… that thing I saw, it wasn’t just a hallucination?

“I think something is going on. We need to grill him.” My Corruption says and I mentally agree.

“What is this foreign thing?” I ask softly, Korzak rubs his jaw in silence for a bit but with a heavy sigh he shrugs and says.

“I’m not sure. I saw it when you started casting and using a large amount of magic. I’m not sure what it was you did but drawing all your magic made you a sort of… beacon for those that can see magic. That magic drew in a black mist that settled on you and mixed with your wellspring as you drew on it.”

“Then… is the thing gone?”

“I… don’t know, it seemed to eat you but then it shrank as if you absorbed it.” That… doesn't sound good. I need to talk to Alexander about this.