~Chapter 7~
It had been about ten minutes since Kayliegh and Pascal had left Halten. The girl from another world couldn't help worrying about the people they had left behind.
"I hope Professor Sage will be okay. And the villagers...", she began, "Those girls were scary. Especially that Tira girl..."
"Raine will be fine.", Pascal reassured her, "She may be a cleric but she has elven blood like me so she can use some powerful magic as well. You saw that light attack; it even hurt that psycho with the hula hoop!"
"I guess you are right, but I'm still worried. And if the villagers get hurt like that woman at the bakery, well...I would just feel awful.", Kayleigh looked away and tears started to form in her eyes.
Pascal gasped and ran to the other side where she was now facing, "Whoe, hey! Calm down, everything will be honky-dory once we find this Professor Valentine, m'kay?"
The mage gave her a hug and Kayleigh returned the embrace for once.
"You're right...", Kayleigh said, "I've always wanted to be brave and optimistic, so I followed Lium around. But without him, I guess I'm just a weak scaredycat..."
"You sure mention this friend of yours a lot.", Pascal teased, "Is he your boyfriend?"
Kayleigh blushed deeply, "N-no, it's nothing like that! H-he's just a friend I grew up with. See, I am the mayor's daughter and I was always alone and sheltered so-"
"Yeah, that's enough.", Pascal gave her a gentle shove and walked ahead of her, "I'll help you find him, okay? If it finally gets me out of that village!"
She couldn't help feeling a little guilty but smiled, "Thank you, Pascal. And...I want to go back to Halten...eventually. If anything happens...it will be my responsibility to atone for it."
For once, a look of determination filled the girl's eyes. Pascal smiled and nodded.
"You've got it, sister!", she gave her a thumbs up and kept walking.
~Skit: Professor Valentine~
Kayleigh: "Pascal? What's Professor Valentine like?"
Pascal: "Dunno, I never met him. Raine said he was an old friend of hers or something... But I've never heard the name until now."
Kayleigh: "A friend who she never talks about?"
Pascal: "Oh, I know! I bet he's a super hot guy who Raine was crushing on back in the day, and she was too embarrassed to speak of it!"
Kayleigh: *blushing* "A-a hot professor?"
Pascal: *smirking* "Getting kinda warm ourselves, aren't we?"
Kayleigh: *wide-eyed* "N-no! I-I'm not that kind of girl!"
Pascal: *closed-eyed smirk* "Oh Kayleigh! I had no idea you swung that way. And all this time I thought you liked men!"
Kayleigh: *blushing brightly* "I CAN'T STAND YOU!" *runs off*
Pascal: *shrugs* "Oh...I guess she really is in a hurry to see Professor Valentine. What a weird girl..."
~End of Skit~
About an hour later they had reached a large four-story house made of stone built in the middle of the forest. It had a long chimney that currently produced no smoke and tall double doors at the front stoop. The windows were round, iron, rings with crosses in the middle. There seemed to be little to no light within.
"What a gloomy-looking place...", Pascal began, pacing to the front door, "I bet Professor Valentine is a wrinkled old man with a beard. I mean, who would build a huge mansion in the middle of the woods?"
"Maybe he just likes his privacy...", Kayleigh suggested in a hushed voice.
To be honest, this place was giving her the creeps. Pascal lifted the doors large, brass, dragon-shaped knocker and dropped it against the oak. There was a loud, echoing, bang as it hit the door which made Kayleigh jump back.
"P-Pascal! St-stop being scary!", she whispered.
"Hey, did I build this place?", Pascal glanced back without turning her head away from the door.
About a minute had passed and there was no answer. Perhaps nobody was home, they didn't hear the knock, or the house was so large that they hadn't reached the door yet. It must have been the last possibility for the girls could hear footsteps approaching.
Pascal had an eery grin on her face, "And this is the part where an ancient butler with a hooked nose answers the door...", she whispered.
"PASCAL, YOU ARE NOT FUNNY!", Kayleigh yelled louder than she meant to.
The person who answered the door raised his eyebrows at the two girls, "My, we have some loud guests today. Lower your voices; the professor doesn't like obnoxious young girls..."
He wasn't ancient at all and didn't even have a hooked-nose. The man appeared just a few years older than Lium, was slightly muscular, had dark tanned skin and light blue hair. He had dark blue tattoos on his face and arms, wore a gold colored, sleeveless shirt, red baggy pants, and over it all a brown, sleeveless jacket with long coat-tails and a matching hat.
Kayleigh's eye widened and she blushed slightly, "S-sorry..."
Pascal's eye narrowed and she crossed her arms, "Obnoxious?! I find that offensive, Mr. Butler!"
"I am not a butler.", the man spoke not unkindly, "My name is Lester F. Claus and I'm a scholar of magic who lives with the professor. I for one do not mind cute, free-spirited, young women. Follow me..."
He gave a light smile and headed into the house. Pascal closed her eyes and smirked.
"Cute and free-spirited... That's more like it.", Pascal said as she followed while keeping out of earshot, "Hey Kayleigh, what do you think of him."
Kayleigh crossed her arms, "I have no opinion on the matter, Pascal..."
Pascal giggled and Clause brought them into a huge, round library in the center of the mansion. Kayleigh had never seen anything like it.
"Or visitors always come to see the professor, so this is a normal protocol to us. Please wait here; I will go and fetch Valentine..." Clause exited the library from the opposite side of where the entered and disappeared though the sound of one climbing stairs could be heard.
Pascal relaxed and placed her hands behind her head, "Still feeling scared?", she said teasingly.
"Well...", Kayleigh looked in the direction he had left, "Mr Lester seems nice enough. But what about-"
Suddenly they could heard footsteps getting closer. The unseen stairs were being descended not just by on pair but two. Clause emerged from the left side of the door way, stood to the right and bowed slightly. The person who flowed entered as well. Pascal and Kayleigh were both surprised by the professor's appearance; the women who was Valentine had very light purple, almost white hair which was cut short and a wore an indigo garment much like the cat girl from Halten. This women wore gold colored gauntlets with purple details on them. Her thigh-high boots matched her unitard and unlike Tira's comrade was considerably more top heavy to say the least.
"I am Isabella Valentine...", she said coolly and with light blue eyes that pierced right through the two girls, "What business do you have with me...?"
Kayleigh had to pause to take this all in, Professor Valentine is a women?! ...And why do I feel flat all of a sudden...?
Pascal made a closed-eyed, fox-like grin, "What do you think of her...?", she whispered.
Kayleigh tried not to kick her as she kept her eyes on the speaker, politely, "W-we have come from Halten. M-my name is Kayleigh and this is Pascal...from Halten. We were attacked by two women who used strange artes...and Professor Sage sent us here..."
"Enough...", Valentine held up her hand and gracefully strided over to a bookshelf and pulled out a certain leather-bound book, "Raine Sage sent you two, you say? Tell me about these women..."
Pascal was the one who answered, "Well one kinda looked like a cat and sorta dressed like you and the other was kinda psycho...and had a hula hoop!"
Kayleigh nearly face-palmed but restrained herself in her current public. A certain shine flashed in Valentine's eyes and she turned around from the bookshelf.
"Do you mean...a ring-blade?", she gave the young mage a not unkind yet serious look.
"Um, yeah. It was all sharp and metal like a sword.", Pascal said nodding, "Why do you ask? Are they rare? Limited edition?"
"Very rare and limited edition...", the busty woman replied, "And their is only one known 'psycho' who wields one: Tira the Death Dancer..."
Kayleigh's eyes widened, "Th-that's her! Tira! D-do you know her?"
The professor looked away with remorse, "She is the reason I became an alchemist..."
"That girl is an alchemist?!", Pascal's eyes widened.
"No...my father was an alchemist...", she blinked and Kayleigh could have sworn she saw a brief sign of a tear, "But because of her, he died. That girl is connected to an organization: Neogaia."
"Nia Whata?", Pascal failed to repeat.
"Neogaia...'new earth'...", Valentine clarified, "Originally it was a group of activist hoping to unite the two countries of Pakumen and Kamalari but after the death of it's former leader, another man bent on domination took over. He employed mercenaries and assassins. Tira was an assassin they hired. She was always, as you say, psychotic and killed her own foster parents when she was a child. Some say she has the power of an evil spirit..."
"Raine Sage said something like that.", Kayleigh added, "Can you help us? Oh, Pascal, what was that thing that you and Professor Sage were so interested about? About me?"
"Oh yeah!", Pascal reached into her waist-pouch and pulled out a photo and handed it to the woman, "Found this picture in a cave and several others just like it in different places. I've got more!"
Looking from the picture to Kayleigh, she nodded, "I see...I have no doubt that Neogaia is sending assassins after her. Very well, I will lend you my assistance."
Kayleigh nodded, beaming, "Thank you, Professor Valentine. I feel so much better we have someone as knowledgeable as you on our side!"
"Please...just call me Ivy.", she said, "Pascal, where did you find this picture?"
"In an underground ruin south of Lilibron.", the mage answered smiling.
"Then that is where we must go.", Ivy responded closing her book, "Clause, prepare a travel bag."
Claus nodded and headed out of the library. Kayleigh's eyes widened.
"You are coming with us?", she asked shocked.
"I must explore these ruins.", Ivy said seriously, "Something about this is connected to Neogaia, and I will find out..."
Clause returned with a bag of supplies and attached it to his belt, "I assume you want me to come too?"
"Yes.", nodded Ivy, "Lester F. Clause is the most knowledgeable human when it comes to magic. Ancient ruins are one of his specialties."
She directed this at the girls. Clause walked over to Kayleigh and knelt.
"It is my pleasure to serve you, Miss Kayleigh.", he gently took her hand and kissed it.
Kayleigh blushed slightly yet smiled, "Thank you very much, Mr. Clause."
"Just Clause is fine.", he got up and smiled warmly, "If you don't mind leading the way, Miss Pascal."
"Rightee-yo, boss!", Pascal punched her fist into the air and shouldered her staff, "This is gonna be fun!"
The group had been walking in the woods for a few minutes now with Pascal leading and Kayleigh following close behind. Being new to this world, she had no idea how long it would take to reach Lilibron. For all she knew, it could be an hour or even several days away. She chose to save this question for later though. Suddenly they heard footsteps: pretty loud footsteps. From the left came a very large man with a long black beard that split in two. He wore a black cylindrical hat and a long, yellow with white on the shoulders, fur jacket that covered most of his body. Underneath her wore a black shirt and pants with yellow Chinese-like designs as well as black boots. He was accompanied by two dogs the size of wolves. One was dark blue with a white underside and the other was blue-ish grey with teal ring-like patterns on it's fur. The dark blue had serious-looking eyes with a scar across the left but the blue-grey's were small, round, and had no fight in them.
"I have come for that girl.", the large man said in a deep, strong voice, motioning to Kayleigh, "Do not think ill of me, for this is not for my own benefit."
"We know...", answered Ivy who stood behind Kayleigh, "You are of Neogaia and your group wants her because of the prophecies."
"That is correct...", the man answered, "My name is Jiao...the Monster Tamer. If you do not hand the girl over to me, I will have to use force."
"You know well that we'd never do that.", answered Clause who was leaning against a tree to the left side of the party.
"Very well...", Jiao drew a huge metal hammer from behind his back, "Then we must fight. Try to forgive me in the afterlife. Repede! Noishe!"
The dogs bolted toward the group and and Jiao took his time following.
Clause walked over next to Ivy and behind Kayleigh, "Here's the plan: Pascal, you and Kayleigh stand a distance from the enemies but close enough to cast artes, I'll stay behind you casting buffs. And Ivy...you know what to do."
Ivy only nodded and calmly walked toward the approaching dogs. Pascal readied her shot-staff and Kayleigh shouldered her boomerang, gulping.
"Okay, we want to start with the dogs. Get ready...", Clause pulled out a book similar to the one the cat girl had and started flipping through the glowing pages.
Pascal closed her eyes, "Hither and yon..."
Ivy drew a sword and waited for the dogs to get into range. They were both about seven feet away when she swung.
What is...?, Kayleigh thought wondering how Ivy was going to attack with her targets so far away.
Suddenly her sword extended and lashed out like a whip and it cut the beasts simultaneously before they came in five feet of her. The woman had hardly moved at all. Kayleigh gasped.
"Wind Needle!"
"Acuteness!"
Green spears hit the already falling dogs as a light covered Ivy's extending sword. Ivy continued to lash out at the dogs, sending them flying this way and that. Her whip-like blade was sparking with mauve electricity.
Jiao narrowed his eyes, "Isabella Valentine of the Ivy Blade. We meet at last..."
Ivy sent the dogs flying into a tree and her sword retracted, "Correct... You still wish to fight us?"
"I must...", Jiao charged at her with his hammer.
She lashed her sword out at him but he used his massive weapon to block. Meanwhile the monsters, Noishe and Repede had gotten up and were now charging at Kayleigh, Pascal, and Clause. Clause flipped through his magic-infused book.
"Deep Mist!", a fog covered the beasts in attempt to lower their accuracy.
"Azure seas! Spalooosh!", Pascal waved her staff and doused the dogs with high-pressurized water.
They fell back but they kept coming closer. Kayleigh lighted her boomerang and hurled it at them, knocking them back and caught her weapon as it returned. Ivy was holding back Jiao but so far they were at an impasse; he was stronger than her yet she was more agile than him.
Pascal stepped out farther as the dogs came close, "Scorching flames burst...Pyrogenic Ring!"
Flames surrounded her and blasted the beasts just as they fell upon her. She stepped over their knocked-out bodies and ran over to Ivy and Jiao.
"Let's go, guys!", she yelled.
Clause and Kayleigh did so. When they approached Ivy, Kayleigh held her hands together and closed her eyes.
"First Aid!", a white light surrounded Ivy who felt a little stamina returned to her.
"Acuteness!", Clause cast another light that enveloped her blade. Pascal slid behind Jiao and started shooting him machine gun-style. Finally Ivy hit him with her snake-sword from underneath, lifted his large body up and slammed him back into the ground.
"Th-that's it...", Jiao breathed heavily, "I withdraw..."
Ivy retracted her swords and sheathed it, "My task...is far from complete..."
Kayleigh, Pascal, and Clause posed behind her. Jiao used his hammer to lean on as he lifted himself up. Ivy held her blade to his throat and looked into his eyes.
"Ivy, don't!", Kayleigh said to her, "He withdraws: this fight is over."
"The girl speaks the truth...", he winced and truly showed no signs of hostility.
Ivy put away her sword and Jiao whistled. Three large bird-like creatures came down from the tree tops. The largest one was huge and had a little pink-haired girl in a black dress and wearing a hat similar to Jiao's say on its back.
"Arietta, it's time to surrender...", Jiao walked over to the giant bird and sat behind her.
The two smaller birds picked up Noishe and Repede and all three flew off above the threes.
"You are aware...", Ivy began, "That letting that man go only ensured his later return?"
Kayleigh nodded, "Maybe it does, but if you killed him...then you'd be no better than Tira."
Ivy's eyes narrowed but then she smiled, "You are right... Thank you for that advice.", she did a survey of the area to ensure they were clear to keep moving, "Pascal, lead the way to Lilibron."
"Yes ma'am!", Pascal make a fox grin and went on ahead, shouldering her staff.
Kayleigh smiled and went ahead of Ivy to follow Pascal.
When the two girls got out of earshot Clause approached her, "I haven't seen you smile in years, Isabella."
"That girl...she just reminds me of someone I met a long time ago...", Ivy close her eyes remembering, "That brown-haired boy in red...Lloyd Irving."
~End of Chapter 7~
