Chapter 9: The Warlock

The warlock David Montrcroix, aged 28 years old, is at his residence in Summer field, Greensboro, North Carolina. 

He has already finished making preparations for the meetup with a certain middle-aged witch named Adeline Duclair. 

He went to the kitchen and made himself a breakfast consisting of pancakes coated with maple syrup and strawberry jam, with a topping of blackberries and mulberries. 

He also made himself a serving of bacon, and a pitcher of mango juice to wash everything down. 

After he finished making his breakfast, he went straight to the dining room of his residence while carrying a food tray filled with his food and beverage. 

He placed the food tray on the dining table, sat down, and began to eat and drink. 

He could still remember how he got to know the middle-aged witch Adeline Duclair. 

It was Adeline who  personally sought him out after obtaining information from her contacts that David is a close friend of the Flamels. 

Adeline personally went to his residence alone, and introduced herself as someone interested in making friends with him,and even gave him some gifts to try and get him to talk. 

She acted all casual and informal at first, but it eventually dawned on him that she was only making friends with him because she possibly wanted to get her hands on the two mythical treasures owned by the Flamels. 

He's already a close acquaintance of the middle aged witch, with the middle aged witch slowly but steadily managing to make him drop his suspicions of her at first by showing him glass vials of the potent witchy potions she sent him just a few days right after their first meeting. 

The potions that Adeline sent to him immediately caught his attention because of the quality and effectiveness. 

The advanced spell books on witchcraft and the gaming laptop that the middle-aged lady had come as a surprise to David,since he came from a middle-class high family, and he also had a stable source of funds because of his business. 

 That means he can afford to obtain any high-end gadgets and advanced spell book that he wants his hands on. 

But David didn't have the heart to refuse both gifts that Adeline sent over to him upfront, so he had no choice but to accept the two gifts instead, but he didn't even bother to use both, and kept them securely locked in the attic after. 

His suspicions were proved when upon close inspection of the laptop, he found out that it was bugged with keylogger spyware. 

He used it once, logged in with his  old and abandoned social media account, then turned off the laptop and kept it hidden in the attic. 

To sell or give away the laptop would make Adeline suspicious, and it's better to fool her for the meantime. 

While he was still eating and drinking, he went down the memory lane on how he got scouted out by the Flamels. 

He still remembered every single detail clearly, as if it just happened yesterday. 

Just like Adeline, David was at first skeptical about the existence of the Holy Grail and the Philosopher's Stone, and whether Nicholas Flamel really existed, and thought at first that they were just fictional myths and legends invented by those who craved fame, power and money. 

It all changed when one day, while he was up and about minding his own business, a mysterious lady who happened to be a witch, and seemed to ooze with ancient power personally sought him out. 

The mysterious lady knocked on the door of his residence one morning, accompanied by one elite male bodyguard who wore plain clothes and seemed harmless, but is in reality an ex-soldier who hid high caliber pistols beneath his clothes.

David, who had no idea of what was about to happen next, opened his door and let the mysterious lady and her bodyguard in, at first mistaking the mysterious lady for some ancient vampire because he sensed an ancient power oozing out of her. 

He could still remember the conversation that happened the moment he let the mysterious lady and her bodyguard right inside his residence, and the two of them conversed over a cup of coffee in the front porch of David's residence, while the lady's bodyguard made himself comfortable on the recliner chair, listening in on the conversation of the two. 

"Hello. Sorry for barging in at your residence without notifying you first and introducing myself beforehand. That was quite rude of me. Nice to meet you, David Montcroix. I'm Isabella Flamel, by the way." 

Isabella extended a hand for David to shake. 

David almost threw up and spit the coffee he was drinking at the mention of Isabella's last name.

" Are you surprised at my surname, David? It's to be expected, considering the fact that very few even among the witches and warlocks know the existence of the Flamel family because of the Philosopher's Stone and the Holy Grail. Imagine the chaos that would happen if the existence of both treasures were made common knowledge. "

David sat there, dumbfounded for a few minutes, unsure of what to say to the mysterious yet attractive lady right in front of him. 

" You took me by surprise, Isabella. Can I call you Bella for short instead? I have a few questions for you. How old are you in reality? You look 19 to me. Why are you here? What do you want from me?" 

David asked Isabella after regaining his composure and managing to find his voice again at the shock of hearing Isabella's last name. 

" Ahem. You must be wondering how I walked into your front door out of nowhere, and how I happened to know your name, your address, and the fact that you're a warlock, David?" 

"Yes, Isabella." 

"It's easy. A majority of witches and warlocks all over North Carolina don't know about the existence of the Flamel family, but us members of the  Flamel family make it a point who's who among the witches and warlocks living in North Carolina. And you wonder how I knew your address out of nowhere? Easy. After I sent a few undercover people over to keep a close watch on a select few young witches and warlocks we could tap to help protect the secrets of the Flamel family, after a lot of observation, I noticed that you are the one who's the most suitable. After doing some digging around, I found out that you have a lot of common contacts with the Flamel family, and it makes things easier. "

" I see, Isabella. But why me? What do you need from me? And how old. Are you exactly? "

" You're obviously someone capable, and worthy enough for us to divulge our secrets with. We need your help to keep the existence of the Holy Grail and the Philosopher's Stone hidden from the rest of the world, David. "

Isabella paused from speaking, took another sip of her brewed cup of pure black coffee, then spoke again. 

" Don't be fooled by my youthful appearance, David. I'm in reality older than you. I'm already a thousand years old. I retained immortality after making the Philosopher's Stone through alchemy, and drinking it with the Holy Grail. If you wonder why I look like a 19 year old, I obtained immortality at the age of 19 years old. "

Isabella paused for effect, noting that David almost jumped from his seat in surprise at hearing her real age after she paused from speaking. 

" That explains why I mistook you for an ancient vampire at first, Isabella. Vampires are known to be immortal and have eternal youth,never to age. Does that mean you can be considered as an equal of  ancient vampires roaming all over North Carolina?" 

"Don't state the obvious, David. Being immortal sure has its perks, but it also has a lot of disadvantages. The minions of the Roman Catholic Church has been trying to get their hands on the recipe for   the Philosopher's Stone, and the Holy Grail, and take those treasures away for ages. But as long as the Flamel family is around, we won't let it happen. So, will you help us? You'll get a lot of benefits if you do, no questions asked. "

David immediately agreed after he realized that he could get his hands on recipes of ancient yet powerful alchemical brews of the past that are now forgotten by modern witches and warlocks. 

A few days later after David and Isabella talked, David got invited to the residence of the Flamel Family. 

Nicholas Flamel himself allowed David to drink from the Holy Grail which contained Philosopher's Stone in liquid and drinkable form. 

Nicholas also gave David a digital copy of the recipe for the Philosopher's Stone, and charged him not to divulge the recipe and existence of the Philosopher's Stone and the Holy Grail to anyone.

To further make sure that David won't break his promise, Nicholas made David do a blood vow never to betray the Flamels. If the vow is broken, the immortality of David will be instantly revoked, and David will die a slow and painful death after triggering a magical curse as a result of breaking the blood vow. 

David returned to the present, and he knew that right after meeting up with Adeline, he still had to meet up with the vampire hunter Rodrick. 

I know what the both of you want to obtain from me, Rodrick and Adeline. 

You both want the secrets of the Flamels, and both of you are just trying to take advantage of the fact that I'm a close friend of the Flamels. I've suspected it all along, but I was just playing the part of someone dumb and slow-witted to catch both of you red-handed. I'm sorry, but I'll have to disappoint both of you, and be ready for the surprises I have prepared for. I won't let the meeting go your way. If a fight breaks out, so be it. But I won't risk my life, and break the blood contract, and I made with the Flamels in exchange for immortality and the chance to use both the secrets of the Flamels. 

David thought to himself with a clever smirk as he just finished eating and drinking his breakfast. 

He went back to the kitchen, and after he finished washing the dishes, he went straight to the attic to retrieve the gaming laptop, the spell-book, and the glass vials filled with witchy potions that Adeline sent over to him. 

"Heh, those spells may be powerful to you, but the ancient spell-book that the Flamels gave to me is 90% more powerful than the weak, diluted spells you old witches from the modern era use." 

David said to no one but himself in particular while carefully wrapping up the spellbook. 

He also did the same for the witchy potions. 

He didn't even need those potions at all, as the book of recipes for ancient potions proved to be 90% more potent than that of the potions that Adeline, the so-called Lady of the Fayetteville Witch Coven made herself and sent over to David for him to examine for himself. 

He also wrapped up the gaming laptop and the attached accessories of the gaming laptop, as he didn't need them. 

He could afford to buy a high-end gadget of the same exact quality as the laptop himself without the help of some high and mighty witch. 

He did the same for the items that the vampire hunter sent over to him, as he didn't want to get entangled with the risky business of vampire and werewolf hunting that they usually do in their spare time. 

He felt a sense of unease wash over him. 

He felt a sense of foreboding that there is a high chance of things going haywire in the meeting later, and he hoped against all hope that his premonition wouldn't come true later. 

At least, David took assurance in the fact that he is well prepared for any unexpected situation that might be thrown along his way.