Humble Beginnings II
Zaton
14:12
"Honestly, where are we going?"
Siesta stared straight ahead as she walked. She was already thoroughly annoyed at this little pink-haired demon following her, and had begun to consider if this was a mistake or not. She had things planned for today, things that didn't involve this headache. "I told you I'd explain everything at the Skadovsk didn't it? So we're obviously going to the Skadovsk."
"Yes but where is the Ska... Sk –" Louise let out a frustrated growl. "Where is it!?" Siesta didn't seem particularly inclined to respond.
Louise glared at the back of the head in front of her. This 'Siesta' person had already grated heavily on her nerves. She simply referred to Louise as 'Noble Girl' instead of Milady, or Miss, or even by her actual name. The woman spoke Tristainian fluently, so Louise immediately assumed that her classmates must have cast a sleeping spell on her and simply placed her somewhere strange while they forced a servant to dress up in some strange clothing to convince her that was somewhere very far away.
While that would have been greatly annoying, it would have been much better than actually being stuck in a strange place very far from Tristain. As the strange husk of the ship neared, Louise was slowly beginning to think her classmates had nothing to do with this.
"It's that ship," Siesta finally said after heaving an annoyed sigh. She pointed ahead to the nearing steel structure.
"That thing?" Louise gawked at the sight. "Are there people there? I don't like the look of it." She looked to her side, catching something in the corner of her eye between the marsh plants and withering shrubs. "There's another one!"
Siesta glanced in the direction Louise had turned her head with an uninterested hum. "Oh, yeah. That's the Shevchenko."
Louise let her eyes linger on the ship for only a few moments. The approaching Skadovsk and the Shevchenko were both strange looking ships with even stranger names. Wincing as the mud squelched beneath her shoes, Louise continued forward.
They entered the ship through a gaping section of open hull. Louise looked up, seeing sky through missing sections of deck. The ship seemed to be made entirely of metal, which bewildered Louise, because she hadn't heard of a ship being made entirely out of metal before. Everything around her seemed to have rusted to a disgusting degree. She found herself being led to a thick metal door.
"So, are there actually people here?" Louise asked again. Her question was promptly ignored as Siesta worked the door's lever and pulled it outward. Louise frowned as the metal groaned in protest, and frowned even more so as the odor of tobacco smoke and the sounds of drunken laughter reached her ears. Siesta had brought her to a tavern in a rusty old ship.
Louise's eyebrow twitched in agitation. A tavern of all places! For the love of the Founder, she was a Noblewoman! She couldn't just go into a tavern on the heels of some commoner.
"Come on. We'll be safe in here." Siesta motioned for Louise to step through the doorway. "At least... well, mostly safe. Uh, yeah, it'll be fine."
Louise's eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's supposed to mean get inside so I can shut the damn door."
Louise didn't move, but her expression twisted. "Now I've had just about enough out of you, commoner." She pointed dangerously. "Don't you realize who you're talking to? The gall of you. I should have you-"
The pink-haired girl was quite surprised to find Siesta cutting her off with a dismissive flap of her hand. "Right, right," Siesta drawled, sounding bored. "If you don't want to come in then fine, don't come in, but I'm going in, so if you want to just stay out here in the cold by yourself, then fine, go for it."
Louise mustered up the darkest and most intimidating glare she could manage. It didn't have her intended effect, however. Siesta merely stood with the same bored look on her face while she waited for Louise to move. Louise's hands balled into angry fists as she silently conceded to Siesta's unspoken point. She was alone here and had no idea where she was. She needed help, help that Siesta seemed to be offering.
As if her thoughts had been mirrored, Siesta spoke up with growing impatience at the edges of her voice. "Listen, I want to help you, alright? This is seriously the only safe place for miles, and if we leave the door open any longer we're going to get yelled at."
Resigning herself, Louise's shoulders slumped as she reluctantly moved forward and stepped through the doorway. Inside, she ground to a quick stop. The room was a fair size, full of old tables and chairs with a bar at the far end. People sat or stood about smoking and drinking, some wearing strange outfits similar to Siesta's while others seemed to prefer well-worn clothes and long coats. Firearms lay scattered about the room, leaning against walls and tables and hanging from the sides and backs of nearly everybody. Louise had initially thought Siesta's gun had looked kind of strange, but the guns she saw in here were completely beyond her. What kind of place was she in?
But the most troubling thing of all was that everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare directly at her.
Behind, Siesta grunted as she pulled the heavy door shut, blissfully unaware of the stares they were receiving. Turning around, Siesta halted next to Louise and raised an eyebrow at the room. To Louise's surprise, Siesta snorted and barked something in a foreign language. Most of the room returned to what they were doing with a grumble, although she still noticed a few curious stares coming her way.
"Come one," Siesta began, walking deeper into the room. "Let's sit down."
Choosing an empty table in a dark corner of the room Siesta plopped down with a happy sigh, her feet relieved to no longer have the weight of her body pressing down on them. Louise moved to sit across from her, giving the chair a look over and a quick brush before gently sitting down.
"What language was that?" Louise asked immediately, thoroughly surprised. Most commoners barely had the knowledge of their mother tongue. It was extremely rare for a peasant to be bilingual. "Everyone's speaking it... I can't understand a thing."
"That was Ukrainian," Siesta replied, setting her rifle to lean against the wall. "Most of the guys around these parts speak it. A lot of people speak Russian too."
Louise frowned. "Um... no Tristainian?"
Siesta crossed her arms. "It's not very common. They call it something else too. I've had to try my best to learn the languages here. I've got a half decent hold on Ukrainian and Russian I guess, since they're pretty similar. I can understand them well enough but I'm not that great in a conversation."
"I... see," Louise sighed rigidly, folding her hands together on the table.
"Enough of languages though." Siesta leaned her chair precariously onto its back legs. Louise's agitation seemed to have drained rather quickly. She smirked, hoping it would return. She was going to have some fun with this one. "There are more important things to talk about."
Louise nodded in agreement. "Yes, there are. First of all, where exactly are we?"
"Well," Siesta began. "This place is called the Zone. It's between the countries of Ukraine and Belarus."
Louise was silent for a few moments as she processed what she heard. "I-I've never heard of those places before. Are we... in the lands of the Far East? Beyond the lands of the Elves?"
Siesta shook her head with a snort. She didn't know much about that sort of thing. "Nope."
Louise's face took on the makings of anger. "Then where are we?"
"Okay, okay," Siesta leaned forward. She wasn't sure how she was going to get this point across, but she had just gotten an idea. "You know the Halkeginian moons, blue and pink right?"
Louise's face melted into confusion. "Well... yes? They're the moons after all."
"Not here they're not."
"...What?"
"They've only just got the one moon here."
Louise eyed Siesta in disbelief. "What in the world are you babbling about? That can't be possible! How can there be somewhere in the world where you can only see one of the moons? That just doesn't make any sense."
Siesta shook her head. "No, no, not one of the moons, a completely different one. Different color and everything. It's white."
"It's... white?"
Siesta nodded. "Yeah. It's small too, so it gets really dark here at night, but you can see a lot of stars. It's kind of pretty, actually."
Louise opted to cross her stick-like arms and glare. "No. I don't believe you at all. Stop telling lies."
Siesta shrugged, her face plainly showing that she didn't care if Louise believed her or not. "Don't then, but think about it, Noble Girl. The Halkeginian moons are visible all times of the day, right? Did you see them when we were outside? Don't you think they'd be pretty hard to miss considering how big they are?"
Slumping in her chair, Louise let out a defeated sigh. She hadn't noticed if the moons were present or not, but it wasn't like she went looking for them every time she stepped outside. They were always there anyway. "On the nearly impossible and very slim chance that you're telling the truth," Louise's eyes darted about, "...what could that even mean?"
Siesta thought for a moment, having wondered the same thing for a long time. "As far as I can tell we're in a different world or something."
A different world? Louise was sure that couldn't be possible. How could there be a different world? "You're lying."
Siesta shrugged, leaned back, and folded her arms behind her head. "Don't believe me then. See if I lose sleep over it."
Louise glared harshly. After a solid staring contest, she gave up. "So," she began, sighing heavily. "How did you find yourself here?"
Siesta let out a snort of laughter. "I saw a big green floating oval one night while working at the Academy and I was dumb enough to touch it. Next thing I knew I was waking up in a tree."
Louise broke out of her slump and perked up almost instantly. "T-The Academy? The Tristain Academy of Magic?"
Siesta nodded. She gestured towards Louise's school uniform. "I recognized those clothes. I was a maid there."
"You were?" Louise asked, trying to dig up a relevant memory. "When did this happen to you? Was it recently?"
Siesta scoffed. "No, it's been a while."
Louise sighed, quickly returning to her slump.
"So did you find yourself a big oval too?"
"No, I didn't," Louise said, still finding herself unable to remember the specifics previous to waking up. "Actually maybe I did, I don't really know. I don't remember what happened to me before I woke up outside. I remember going to bed the night before, and I know I must have gotten out of bed since I'm dressed. I was supposed to take part in the Springtime Familiar Summoning today. I... dread to think that this is the result."
"Oh, so you were supposed to do one of those," Siesta said wistfully, leaning back as she remembered. "I miss seeing those, so very interesting."
"Indeed," Louise responded. "So tell me about the Zone, it's a country between... You-crane and Bella-roose?
"Well the Zone is actually part of Ukraine. The military's supposed to keep people out." Siesta motioned to the room around them "Obviously they haven't really been doing their job."
"What does that mean?" Louise asked, confused. "Isn't that breaking a law? That would make these people criminals."
"Yup. Congratulations, by the way. You're a criminal now too."
"W-what!? No!" Louise protested, sitting bolt upright. "My coming here was an accident! T-they can't arrest me for that!"
Siesta laughed and spoke dryly. "Yeah I'm sure the military goons would be real understanding. They used to let people in and out if you bribed them enough, but after a few skirmishes with the stalkers they just started shooting on sight. I can only hope they calmed down."
"Stalkers?"
"That's us," Siesta told her. "That's what the government calls anybody in the Zone."
"Oh," Louise replied, sniffing and crossing her arms. "You haven't explained why nobody is allowed here in the first place."
"I was getting to that," Siesta said, drumming her hands on the table lightly. "I think it was because of a disaster that took place a long time ago, it made the land unsafe to live on. But now I think it's just because reality has been broken."
Louise scoffed loudly. "Reality broken? How could such a thing be broken?"
"Dunno," Siesta said. She picked at her ear and eyed her finger. Louise looked mortified. "I've heard lots of people talk about the disaster, but nobody really seems to know what happened in the Zone that made it into what it is today. Or maybe they do, I've never really bothered to ask about it much. I've just accepted that things are how they are. This place isn't like Halkeginia at all, honestly. It's almost like somebody told reality there aren't any rules, and it's been left to run wild and do whatever the heck it wants."
After a few moments of silence Louise spoke up and made a rolling motion with her hand. "Well, continue."
Siesta grunted. "Continue? I've got nothing left to say about that, unless you want to hear some stories."
Louise pursed her lips. "I don't suppose that I'll find them very interesting?"
"No," Siesta laughed. "Not at all. They'd probably make you never want to step outdoors again."
"O-oh." Louise's stomach twisted in apprehension. Siesta didn't do well in playing the reassuring card. In fact, she obviously wasn't playing it at all.
"I haven't spoken that much in ages." Siesta stood up. "Do you want anything to drink?"
Louise placed her elbow on the table and let her head rest on her hand. "Milk I suppose."
Siesta gave her a flat look. "Do you honestly think that they have milk in a place like this? Look around."
Louise glared. "Water then. Do they have water?"
"You really are a little Noble girl, aren't you?" Siesta remarked, smirking. "So innocent and sheltered."
Did this commoner honestly not care who she was speaking to? Louise couldn't believe this. "Just go."
Siesta laughed as she left the table for the bar, leaving Louise alone with her thoughts. If what Siesta has said about the moons was true, could it possibly mean that she was in a completely different world? Never in her life would she have thought that there could be another world. If she truly did summon herself into a different existence then how would she ever get back to Halkeginia? Magic was out, she had no wand. Even if she did, she would be hesitant to try and summon a familiar again. She would probably just send herself somewhere even worse.
In fact, she realized that without her wand she was completely defenceless. She sighed. It wasn't like she could throw a punch either. She feared she would hurt herself more than the other person. Siesta returned to the table, holding a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other. She placed the bottle down in front of Louise before taking her seat across the table.
"What is this bottle made of?" Louise asked. She grabbed at it and found that it gave way quite easily in her hand. "It's... squishy, for lack of a better word."
"It's plastic," Siesta replied flatly. "Anyway it's got water in it, so drink."
Seeing that Louise was obviously having trouble in pulling the cap straight off, Siesta began to snicker. Louise immediately took notice and glared.
"You have to twist it," Siesta advised.
"I have to twist it?"
"Yes. Twist it."
"How?" Louise asked.
"With your hand, obviously."
Louise caught the plastic cap between the meat of her thumb and the side of her index finger. She twisted, but the cap didn't move.
"Other way," Siesta pointed out.
Growing frustrated, Louise put all of her available strength into twisting the cap the other way. It came away easily. Louise then eagerly drank in silence, thinking about her situation over and over again. Siesta had said that in the Zone reality was broken. She couldn't help but wonder what exactly that meant. No doubt she would see for herself, most likely sooner rather than later.
What could a broken reality produce anyway? She was sure there could be some interesting possibilities, but she knew Siesta was carrying around a gun for good reason. This probably wasn't a nice place.
"So what are you going to do now?" Siesta asked suddenly. She placed her half empty glass down on the table. Louise noted that the liquid in Siesta's glass was clear, was it water as well? If so, then why was it in a glass rather than a weird bottle?
Louise sighed and downed the remainder of the water. "I have no idea, honestly. I need to get back to Tristain."
Siesta snorted. "Well, good luck with that."
Louise looked up, her face serious. "No, I really need to. I'm a Noble. I have responsibilities. My family..." She trailed off in a sigh.
"You could walk for the rest of your life, but you'd never get there," Siesta pointed out solemnly. "Do you think I want to be here? I have a family too you know."
"Oh God," Louise lamented suddenly, leaning forward and bridging her brow with a hand. "What am I going to do now? I've really done it this time..."
Siesta nodded in understanding, giving her glass a swirl. "You could come and work with me if you like." Siesta saw the skepticism and surprise cross Louise's face. "Or if you'd rather deal with being tossed into this horrible place by yourself that's fine too."
Louise huffed, glaring at the stalker. "And what is it you do around here anyway?"
"Well to earn money I mostly hunt artifacts and trade in scavenged equipment. It can get pretty dangerous sometimes, but it pays well enough," Siesta explained.
"Artifact hunting?" Louise asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Artifacts are...?"
Siesta waved a hand dismissively. "Hard to explain, I'll just show you. That is, if you want to come with me?"
Louise was silent for a moment, considering her situation. "I suppose I don't have much choice in the matter, do I?"
"Of course you do. You're free to do whatever you want. If you want to live to see tomorrow though, staying with me is probably a good idea," Siesta said while Louise stared. Siesta saw the look crossing Louise's face. "Oh come on. I haven't kept myself alive for this long by being stupid. I know what I'm doing. We can head out after I finish my drink, and you'll get to see how lovely the Zone is this time of year."
Tristain Academy of Magic
20:38
"Where could she have gone?"
Kirche von Zerbst paced back and forth with a hand playing at her chin. The student dorms in the Academy of Magic were fairly spacious, giving Kirche plenty of room to roam around and contemplate her thoughts. Her fiery red hair swung wide as she turned to pace briskly again.
"Stop doing that."
Kirche stopped to eye the owner of the room, Montmorency de Montmorency. She sat before her mirror, brushing the curls out of her lengthy blonde hair.
"Doing what?"
"Pacing," Montmorency groaned. "It's beginning to drive me insane."
"What happened to Valliére is driving me insane!" Kirche said, firmly feeling that pulling her hair out might remedy the situation. She turned to Montmorency's bed to eye the third person in the room. "What do you think, Tabitha?"
Tabitha peered at Kirche from behind a book, her only response being a light shrug. Kirche sighed, knowing that Tabitha wouldn't have much to say. The blue-haired girl had probably said her fill of words for the day.
"You know," Montmorency began, placing her brush down with her hair somewhere between curly and straight. She felt disgusted with herself. "I feel incredibly terrible. All... all those things we said to her."
She and Kirche had both been the bane of Louise da la Valliére's existence, constantly poking fun at her terrible performance in the magical arts and generally making her life at the Academy a living hell. Their days had never been complete without making Louise storm off with her face red and tears in her eyes.
Now she was gone.
Kirche sighed, choosing to plop down on Montmorency's bed with her arms crossed. "I know how you feel. The only thing Louise ever wanted was to be a normal mage, we all knew that. She must have tried harder than anybody in the Academy. All she's gotten in return is what might have been a swift death."
"K-Kirche!" Montmorency cried, her head snapping to glare at the redhead. "For the love of the Founder, don't say that! She might still be alive... somewhere."
Kirche's shoulders drooped. "Honestly, you saw what happened. There was nothing left, only her footprints."
Montmorency turned away and bit her lip, wishing she could forget what she had seen. The explosion that had resulted from Louise's attempt to summon a familiar had scorched the earth nearly half a dozen feet around. The only places left untouched were where her feet had been planted. Kirche was right when she said there had been nothing left, Louise had simply disappeared. It had only happened the day before, but rumors were already circulating saying that the force of the explosion had been enough to disintegrate Louise.
"I went there later that night," Kirche revealed, causing Montmorency and Tabitha to both eye here curiously.
"Went where? To the summoning circle?" Montmorency asked weakly. The summoning circle was located outside the walls of the Academy, a fair distance away.
Kirche nodded. "I wanted to see if she was just hiding out or something, you know how she is... was."
"Kirche..."
"Anyway," Kirche continued before Montmorency could say any more. "Her footprints were gone. There was something else there."
Montmorency narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What... do you mean, Kirche?"
"It was like some kind of crack, or fissure in the ground," Kirche explained, crossing her legs. "I could feel the heat coming from it from far away, and not just because my affinity is fire, it was ridiculously hot."
"Hot?" Tabitha asked, speaking up for the first time since being in the room.
Kirche nodded. "I could feel it from over a dozen feet away. It became almost unbearable when I got close. There was a haze coming out of it too, like you see on a hot summer's day sometimes, you know? I didn't want to wave my arm through it or anything, so I levitated a rock through it."
"Well? And?" Montmorency asked curiously.
"It caught on fire."
"The rock caught on fire?"
"Well," Kirche shrugged, unsure of her own explanation. "It was more like the air caught fire. A huge jet of flames shot straight up and burned for almost a minute before it died out. I did it again after and the same thing happened."
"That..." Montmorency trailed. "That doesn't make any sense, at all."
"None," Tabitha added, having put her book down.
"I know," Kirche agreed. "But it's still out there, and I'm positive it has something to do with what happened to Valliére. I'm sure the teachers will find it soon and have the whole area closed off."
Montmorency sighed, turning to stare at her reflection in the mirror as she posed a question to herself. "What could that mean, I wonder?"
Chapter two guys! Not much happening here, only more setting up for the story to kick into gear with a little foreshadowing at the end.
Stay tuned for chapter 3! Where the stalkers get into some proper... stalking.
