Death Takes Unexpected Forms

Roswaal Mansion: The Third First Day

Ulric awoke with a start, breathing heavily as his eyes darted around the room and his arms were held up in a defensive posture. After another moment, he noticed it was morning and that he was back in his bed. 'The pain from whatever that curse was is gone,' he noticed, 'and my wounds are healed. So it happened again, I lost my life and was sent back.' It was at that point that he'd noticed the two frightened maids standing on the other side of the room.

"My apologies," Ulric said after a moment, "I didn't mean to frighten either of you." The two sisters didn't respond as they continued standing right next to each other, a bit of fear in their eyes. Thinking quickly, Ulric came up with what he hoped was a believable excuse. "It's a soldier and a knight's burden sometimes," he said, "For their dreams to be haunted with frightful images. I'm afraid you simply arrived at one of those times."

The maids seemed to accept this explanation, more or less anyway. "Will our guest be requiring anything," asked Rem.

"Perhaps going back to sleep might help," said Ram, not seeming all that sympathetic.

"Well since you asked," Said Ulric as he moved off of his bed and stood up, "I'd simply like to know two things. One, can you set up a meeting with Bet-I mean someone well-versed in magic, and two, do you happen to have some clothes for me?" The two maids glanced at each other before indicating the clothes they'd set out.

"Our lord and master Roswaal is still out on business," said Rem, "He will not be back until later."

"Which means the closest thing to an expert we currently have is Miss Beatrice," Ram continued for her sister, "Rather unfortunate for you given that she's rarely in a good mood."

"I'll work around that," said Ulric as he picked up the once again new pair of pants that had been left on the chair, "Would one of you mind waiting outside, I've no idea where this Beatrice is right now."

"Of course," they both said with a slight bow before leaving the room, but not without muttering what was likely a few insults under their breath. 'I need to remember that those two aren't necessarily thrilled to have me here,' he thought as he changed into the outfit he was given. After a few minutes, he exited the room to find, surprisingly, both maids waiting for him.

"Miss Beatrice is capable of appearing at any doorway within this mansion," said Rem, "I'm afraid the best we can do is point you to a hallway."

"Though the likelihood of you managing to find the door on the first try is," Ulric grabbed the next door down and opened it as Ram spoke, revealing Beatrice's massive library, "Unlikely." The knight had to stop himself from smirking. It was a welcome change to see the two of them actually surprised for once.

"As you said any door," repeated Ulric, "I guess we all can get lucky from time to time."

"Then we wish you luck sir knight," said the two maids with another bow, "and please be warned, she has a volatile temper."

"Thank you for the warning," said Ulric as he entered the library. 'Not that I need it, but it's appreciated.'

"Oh dear," said the child-like being, "It seems that an insect has wandered into my library I suppose."

"You're quite the harsh little one aren't you your ladyship," said Ulric, "Tell me, do you prefer Beatrice or Betty."

"I don't really mind either one," replied Betty, "Just so long as you leave this instant I suppose."

"Would you at least do me the honor of answering a couple questions?" Ulric asked, "I have a little problem that I lack the ability to solve."

"Betty doesn't really feel like answering your questions right now," She replied, "But if it gets you to leave I will answer them I suppose." Ulric nodded before speaking.

"I'd like to know about curses," he said, "Specifically ones that poison the body or drain strength from it."

"I see," said Betty as she hopped off her stool and pulled out another book from one of the many shelves. She opened it to reveal a map of what Ulric assumed was Lugnica and its other surrounding lands, "Curses are a rather specific form of magic, more of a subclass really, like the ones who specialize in them, shamans."

"I've never heard of such a magic user before," said Ulric with his hand on his chin, "Do they hail from a specific region or are they spread throughout the land."

"They hail, as you say, from a northern nation by the name of Gusteco," replied Betty as she indicated a point on the map, "In comparison to regular magic or spiritual arts users they're rather pitiful and one normally doesn't need to take them too seriously. Though what you describe sounds like a technique known as mana draining."

"Of course," said Ulric, "mana is life energy and if one's own life energy is forcibly drained then there'd be nothing left."

"Obviously," said Betty as she sat back down on her stool, "But mana draining is a rather rare skill. In fact, Buby and I are the only ones in this mansion capable of using it. Even Roswaal himself is incapable of performing it."

"But a shaman could perform something similar with the use of a curse," Ulric thought aloud, "Tell me, how does one stop a curse?"

"Well despite their uselessness, a shaman's curse cannot really be stopped once it's activated," Said Beatrice, "However, locating and removing a curse is a simple matter for one such as me I suppose."

"I see," said Ulric, "Well how is a curse typically contracted or cast I should say?"

"A number of ways I suppose," Replied Beatrice, "The most common is by touch, but shamans can also use intermediaries such as animals to pass a curse on to someone."

"Well that narrows it down to potentially an entire village," said Ulric with a bit of sarcasm, "But it's a place to start."

"If that is all you wanted to know," said Beatrice, "I believe you said you would leave after your questions were answered."

"Yes I do believe I know what to do," said Ulric with a slight bow, "Thank you again for your assistance."

"Betty doesn't require thanks from one such as you," said Betty as she waved him out, "But at least you are somewhat aware of what manners are I suppose." Ulric nodded as he stepped out of the door and began his way back down the hallway. 'Well that answers one question,' he thought, 'Now I know what exactly started the process of my last death, so the next thing to do is discover who's responsible. Because I'm back to day one, everyone but Emilia and Puck thinks I might be a potential spy or enemy so I doubt they'd easily believe me if I warned them about a specific date and time of an attack, or assuming they did, they'd probably lock me up somewhere until the time passed. So for now, I'm just gonna have to play along once again without giving away the fact that I more or less know what will happen next.'

It was something he was getting good at, meeting Roswaal, making his request to be trained in the use of magic and hiding the fact that he'd seen the mansion and its many passageways before. But on the upside, it helped him in the occasional verbal sparring session he would have with Ram or Rem, given that he knew what some of their first insults would be. It also saved him a lot of time searching, given that he'd been over the mansion numerous times before his last death and hadn't found anything too suspicious, at least until the fifth day.

So instead, after his first magic lesson, he began to put a little bit of his time into practicing his sword and dagger technique while Jiwald was activated. Now that he knew he could use it to fight, he needed to test how long it could last before exhaustion and threatened over use of his gate forced him to stop. 'I can currently maintain the spell for at least two minutes,' he thought, 'If I continue to expand my time on it, I'll be in an even better position to face the attacker when the time comes.'

He also took the extra time he'd given himself to increase his knowledge of Lugnica's folklore. He'd gotten better at reading and writing over the course of his last two lives and could now read simple fairy tales. Two that stood out to him were the tale of how the royal family made a deal with a dragon and the tale of the jealous witch or the witch of envy. 'I can see why Emilia was so upset when I insinuated that she was a witch,' he thought to himself as he reread the story, 'being compared to a terrifying being like this would not be all that pleasant.'

It was at that moment that Ram walked in with a tray of tea. "Wonders may never cease," said Ram as she set the tray down, "Finding you here taking your studies seriously in something that doesn't involve swinging a blade." Ulric simply shook his head with a small smile.

"You never fail to speak your mind," said Ulric as he finished up writing down his latest sentence, "I'd say you should probably treat a guest with a little more respect, but I know you don't think of me that way."

"How very perceptive of you," said Ram as she sat down to sip some of the tea she'd brought, "While it is true you've been allowed to reside here for your training, you're still more of a-."

"A freeloader, yes," said Ulric, having had this conversation before, "And to a degree you are right. Roswaal is allowing me to stay here as a favor to Lady Emilia and nothing more. Should Roswaal deem me dangerous or troublesome in anyway, I imagine he'd throw me out or simply kill me with his exhaustive supply of magic."

"Hmm," Ram said as she tilted her head a bit, "It seems the precariousness of your situation hasn't escaped you. It's good that you understand then and saves me the time of explaining it to you."

"Yes it does," said Ulric, "But I imagine you didn't come here initially to threaten me with the consequences of causing trouble around the mansion."

"I was merely bringing the tea," said Ram, "But since I am here, I may as well check up on your progress. After all, it would reflect poorly on me if you were failing to comprehend the written language."

"Well since you asked," said Ulric as he held up the book of fairy tales she'd given him at the start of their lessons, "I can actually read a few of these stories now. It takes me more time to read than I'd like but that's what practice is for."

"Did any of the stories catch your fancy?" Questioned Ram as she set her tea cup down.

"Well now that you mention it," said Ulric as he opened the book, "I was curious about two stories. The one that speaks of the dragon and the one about the jealous witch." Ulric saw a slight hint of anger cross Ram's face before it returned to her normal neutral expression. "I've heard this story of the dragon before, if I recall, it's how the kingdom of Lugnica came to be according to its people."

"That is correct," said Ram, "The royal family signed a contract with the great dragon and now it watches over the kingdom from far away behind a great waterfall. Since the story itself is true, one could consider it more of a folktale."

"What does the dragon's contract say about the royal family dying out?" Questioned Ulric, "Where I come from, most people are released from such agreements upon the death of the other party. Not much point making deals with the deceased."

"That's difficult to say and I'm afraid I could only offer my own opinion on the matter," replied Ram, "These times are quite uncertain and likely only the dragon himself knows what needs to happen next."

"Well dragons were a mystery for my people too, assuming they even existed," said Ulric, "of the few stories I've heard of dragons in my travels, most referred to them as vicious beasts at worst and creatures not to be trusted at best."

"Well you need not fear this dragon," said Ram, "He, at the very least, is one who honors his contracts."

"I suppose that's good news," said Ulric, "But then again, I've never run into a dragon in my life and if the lord continues to will it, I never will. Of course, since we're on the subject of folklore, would you mind also telling me about this jealous witch?"

"I'm afraid I don't wish to discuss that," said Ram as she picked up the tea tray, "In fact I've lingered here for too long as it is." The pink-haired maid quickly made her way out of the room then, stopping only long enough to mention that she would be back to let him know that dinner was being served. 'It seems this witch is a sour subject for many people,' thought Ulric as he reread a few lines from the story, 'The jealous witch of envy. A practical personification of one of the seven deadly sins.'

Roswaal Mansion: The Third Fifth Day

It had taken a bit of planning on Ulric's part, but he believed he finally came up with a viable strategy to lure out the attacker. Or at the very least, intercept them before they got to the mansion. He was going to position himself on one of the hills overlooking the mansion that he'd spotted during his last life. He may not know where the attacker is coming from, but he did know roughly the time that they arrived and what he believed to be a few of the routes which the attacker might use. He'd also taken the precaution of alerting Puck, though he had to be vague about it because there was still too much he didn't know himself.

The difficult part was coming up with a believable excuse for him to be on the hill, or at the very least, outside of the mansion after dark. That's when he was struck with the idea of going on a journey to another town to find work. It was a plausible excuse and what was more, he could claim that he'd gotten news of a possible attack or that he'd seen someone suspicious heading for the mansion when he put his plan into action. So, on the fourth day, he announced to Emilia that he wanted to explore more of Lugnica and find work that would fit with someone of his skills. The half-elf was of course surprised by his sudden declaration, but respected his decision nonetheless.

Now here he stood at the doorway of the mansion on the fifth day with a pack of his belongings and extra supplies. "Are you certain we can't call a carriage for you," asked Emilia, "It wouldn't be any trouble at all."

"Your ladyship has already done more than enough for me," said Ulric, "But the next town is merely a good day's march from here, at least for a knight it should be."

"Well in that case I hope you packed well," said Emilia, "And continue to practice what me and Puck taught you about magic, it could get you out of some bad situations."

"I won't soon forget it," said Ulric, "And good luck to you on the royal selection." Emilia nodded with a smile on her face.

"A Saaafe journey to yooou sir knight," said Roswaal as he shook Ulric's hand, "And pleaaase, try not to lose the giiiift I gave you."

"Ah yes," said Ulric as he shifted his pack a little, feeling the coins move, "You said it was to commemorate my four days in your mansion. Worry not, I swear on my honor as a knight that I will use it well, and I won't reveal anything of importance I've seen or heard here."

"Most eeeeeexcellent," said Roswaal, "I do so appreciate your chivalry." Ulric nodded before turning to Ram and Rem.

"And I'd also like to thank the two of you as well," said Ulric, "Verbal sparring aside, you both made the best meals I've had in ages and Ram, I can't fully express my gratitude for teaching me about reading and writing the language here. As for you Rem, my sincerest thanks for showing me around the area. I'd doubt I'd know which direction to go if you hadn't."

"Safe travels to you sir knight," they both said as they made a quick bow, "Be sure not to bring too much trouble on others." Ulric simply sighed at that. 'Just had to get one last barb in, didn't they.' With a final wave, the knight departed from the mansion and began his trek down the long path. After several minutes of walking, Ulric moved off the trail and cut into the woods, moving uphill until he came to a cliff with a good overlook of the mansion.

'The overlook is even better than expected,' he thought as he unpacked his bag and pulled out his armor, 'Unless the attacker turns invisible or comes up from the ground inside the mansion, I should be able to spot them.' It took another couple of minutes for him to fully don his armor, a process which he could practically do in his sleep given how many times he'd put it on. He only hoped that it would be enough.

'I haven't tried using my magic while in my armor,' he thought to himself as he sat down to wait, 'And I still only have this purple, curved blade to fight. One of the few things I miss about war, a more ready supply of blades and comrades to stand shoulder to shoulder with. I wonder how Rodrick or Galahad would've handled this situation.' The thought of his former life, as it did often now, drummed up numerous images as he sat and waited for the coming night.

Jerusalem 1186:

A head count of the prisoners they'd brought in revealed that, of the fifty prisoners they currently had, only forty-nine were accounted for. Ulric managed to get a vague description of the assassin from the guards and a few of the prisoners and now he was on his way to the tents where some of the higher ranked knights were. From what he'd come to understand, the woman had managed to convince the commander to take her back to his tent before she killed him. It was very possible that the assassin could've merely slipped away, but Ulric severely doubted it.

The reason being that while the commander had indeed been a vicious fighter, he was still low enough on the chain of command that his death hadn't done any serious harm to the army's organization. Ulric had a theory, one that he hoped was wrong, but he was going to investigate it anyway. Given the amount of trouble the assassin likely would've gone through to get into enemy lines, he believed that the commander was not an actual target, but the generals were. A number of them had built up rather nasty reputations with the enemy, and for good reason. Some of them had been responsible for the strategies which had ended in the taking of Jerusalem.

He was about three quarters of the way there when he noticed that some of the generals were currently walking along one of the other streets. 'Well that saves me a little time,' he thought to himself when he noticed a shadow moving within the rubble of one of the buildings. They were still several feet away and it was likely none of the generals would notice the figure until she was right behind them. Making a quick decision, Ulric moved as stealthily as he could, a rather difficult process in chain mail, armored gauntlets and greaves. But soon enough he had a view of his target and made his move.

On the Hillside in Lugnica: Current Day

The sound of rustling broke Ulric from his memory as he looked behind him. 'This seems a bit early,' he thought as he noted the sun was still setting, 'The attack on the mansion shouldn't be until later tonight, unless.' That was when he heard it, the sound of shifting chains, the same sound he'd heard right before. Ulric rolled out of the way as a large, spiked ball on a chain came crashing down on the spot where he'd just been barely a moment ago.

'I thought I recognized that sound,' Ulric thought as he pulled out his weapon before dodging another vertical strike, 'A flail, with an unusually long chain on it.' The flail came at him again, this time at a horizontal angle. Having nowhere else to dodge, Ulric rolled off the cliff, grabbing a hold of the rocky side with his armored left hand. Fortunately, the drop wasn't too terribly far and his grip on the rock wall allowed him to slide down relatively unharmed.

'If I'm up against a flail, I've got about two ways to stop it,' he thought frantically as he hit the ground running, 'I either need to restrict it's field of movement or grab the chain.' Of course as he was thinking this, he realized he had another problem when he came to a dead end in the form of a clearing with a rock wall on the other side, one he was sure he couldn't scramble up in time while he was wearing his chainmail. 'I guess I'll use the second approach.' Turning around to face his attacker, Ulric readied himself to move as he glanced around the trees, straining his eyes and ears for any sign of movement.

Soon enough, the chains sounded again as the spiked flail came rocketing out of the trees heading straight towards him. Ulric just managed to react in time as he moved to the left while also hitting the weapon with his blade. The force of the impact still surprised him as the flail buried itself in the rock wall behind him. Wasting no time, the knight seized the chain, wrapping some of it around his wrist to keep the weapon from being pulled back to its owner.

"You clearly know how to use this weapon," said Ulric as he pulled the chain taut, "But you've lost the element of surprise. So why don't we do this like men and you come out and fight me face to face!" He felt the chain loosen as the silhouette of his attacker came into view. They were much smaller than he expected, and the form most certainly didn't belong to a man.

"This is rather unfortunate," said a familiar voice as she walked into view, "I had hoped to finish you off quickly and without being seen. But it seems that's impossible now."

"What is this," said Ulric as his attacker revealed herself, "Why are you here, what sort of devilry is this supposed to be?!" The girl responded by grabbing the chain of her weapon with both hands and yanking on it. The knight was pulled off his feet by the petite girl's surprisingly monstrous strength as the chain came undone from his arm. Ulric managed to roll over and right himself as he stood up once more. "How and why are you trying to kill me Rem! Just what is all this!"

Ulric's killer is revealed as the land of Lugnica continues to show just how different it is from where he came. But what are the maid's reasons for visiting this wrath upon the knight? But in the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked, hated, or if you got an idea I might want to try. Be sure to stop in next time as Ulric duels against a monstrous maid. 'Til next time.