A/N: Technically the Joel/fairy onitment incident comes right after the werepelt scene, but I wanted to do some orginal scenarios again. Else it would be like four more chapters before that happened since everything goes one after the other with no real break. So ignore the continuum/consistency errors and enjoy. Still triggers my OCD about keeping everything 'mostly' canon and in order with the manga though. Just wanted to write this scenario.
"I rather you not..."
"Why not, Elias? It's just a simple errand!" Her light voice pleads, those emerald eyes peircing me with their sincere gaze. I sigh, an odd twisting in my gut the longer I left my eyes on them. She wasn't wrong; it was just a simple errand, but...I was not sure. I'd rather not have her leave my side...I pondered the situation for a moment, wondering what gave me this sensation.
I admit, I was wary about letting her go out of the house alone. Even with Ruth at her side always, the forest near our abode was linked to the hill where the fairies lived; among other less peaceful things that may try to whisk her away. So one could possibly imagine my reluctance when Chise asked me if she could go out. Even if it was just to drop off a package to a client, which I was too busy to do at the moment, already busy with more important work. She needed to learn her way around our small town eventually, and this would be a good learning experience for her. I hesitantly answered her, my eyes peering over the tome I was researching in the study.
"Fine...Do not dawdle after you give the parcel. As I have told you, these lands are rife with fae, and their numbers increase as the light of day wanes..." Chise only responds with a small bow and a nod, her voice quiet as she mutters.
"Of course. I just want to get out and thought this would be a good time to do so. It's just a walk to the neighbors a few blocks away, right? I can handle that on my own." Her tone had an odd edge to it, one that I was not used to hearing from her. It was rough, a bit harsh. Was she...mad again? At what? I just blink as I watch her leave, her red hair swaying across her shoulders. It has grown long as of late; maybe it is due for a trim? I'd leave that to her discretion. It was her hair after all. I feel the knot in my gut only tighten as I hear the door shut, my mind a touch too frazzled to continue my studies. Was this really the best idea? I'm not sure...but I can't take it back now. She would be 'upset' at me if I did, I assume. I don't want that again, not after we just solidified things recently after last weeks...incident.
This girl certainly is a handful...If only I had some way to watch her aside from the tracking spell. That gives me her general whereabouts yes, but I do not know exactly what is happening to her. And if for some reason the stone is no longer around her neck, then the spell is pointless. I should probably develop better methods with which to protect her...I think, bookmarking the passage I was on, getting up from my seat and wandering around the study shelves. Thankfully this text is easier for me to find, seeing as it is a book focused on spellcraft; the kind which I often find myself referencing. I flip through the pages quickly, scanning for any key words that catch my interest. It takes a few minutes but I do eventually find a section on tracking spells and those of similar function. Hmm...Most of these are similar to the things I have already embedded in her necklace. Anything else and I feel it would be too much work; I don't want to have an alarm go off anytime she separates from me. Yet I cannot stop this knot from annoying me, my stomach twisting uncomfortably for some reason. Maybe I need to eat? It was going to be time for supper soon enough...Though I'd rather be polite and wait for Chise to come back home if that was the case. Ignoring the strange sensation, I continue leafing through said book, hoping to find a non-invasive way of tracking Chise if the need arises...
"Nothing...Ah well, it's not like it's imperative that I do so. This can wait," I mutter, setting aside another book and putting it atop the small pile I had amassed next to me. The methods I had found were quite...interesting. Still, they were nothing to try out on a living being; at least while they were still conscious and aware. No. Doing that would probably be a bad thing, I think...I muse, lost in thought for a few moments. I had considered putting a more complex tracking spell on Chise to guarantee her safety, but...If the means to do so were this complicated and risky, I would rather not. It might hurt her instead; that was the last thing I wanted. Many of these more powerful spells also took the recipients cooperation into account. Like most magic of a higher level, save for exceptions, the agreement between caster and recipient was crucial in determining its success. If Chise did not accept and I forced such a thing on her, I am not sure of the effects it would have on her body. Being closer to fae than most mortals, a Sleigh Beggy is quite different in composition and structure than most humans. Not to mention my inexperience with humans in general being another detrimental factor. I'd rather not risk the damage it could do. I shove that idea into the back of my mind, getting up from my seat behind my desk.
The flicker of light outside the window catches my eye, the sun's deep orange hue as it waxed over the hill behind our house surprising me a bit. I had not known it had gotten this late; I must have taken more time to research things than I thought. It's gotten late, and the house has been unusually quiet. I am concerned that Chise has not yet come back...I do a check on the tracking spell using her necklace as a focus; she seems to be in the area, though I don't see her from the outside window. Yet I try to push the odd probing to the back of my mind. Certainly I am being paranoid, which is quite unlike me. Some of our human neighbors can be talkative, and knowing Chise's meek personality, she wouldn't be one to interrupt them. I don't see why not. Surely they understand that there are more important things to do than pleasantries? Or was this another facet of human behavior I had yet to understand? I'm not sure...I only know that I am 'concerned' that Chise has not yet come home. I quietly turn off the lights in the study, having no more use for that room at the moment, shutting the door softly as I do so. It would not hurt to at least check, I suppose...I think, calmly walking to where Chise's room would be. Unlike before, I do knock before I put my hand on the knob, attempting to show some level of decorum. Now that I have followed the proper procedure, as told to me by Chise herself and the books I have been pouring over, I don't think it would be wrong of me to enter the threshold. The handle turns and gives way easily under my hand, the door creaking open to show me an empty room. The lights are off, but that is of little consequence; I know that Chise is not here. Then where?
I carefully shut the door, walking away from the empty room to find our always attentive landlady. Maybe the Silver Lady could inform me if Chise has come home? Chise could be taking a bath, for all I knew. With that thought in mind I began searching for the pink clothed fae, which wasn't truly difficult. She was in the kitchen as usual, tending to the oven and our supper with her regular diligence. She was such a convenient person to have around; I could not imagine doing all of these menial tasks on my own. I'm quite glad that she came into my abode. Her tiny eyes catch sight of me, her graceful movements pausing as she studies me for a moment.
"Have Chise or Ruth arrived home yet?" The only response I receive is a quick shake of the head, which only heightens my suspicion. If the Silver Lady has not seen either of them, and she would be the first to know due to her proximity to the front door, this is trouble. Did she deliberately ignore my warning? After I told her so many times...! I feel an odd heat rise in my stomach, combining with the odd knot that I cannot describe. It's an odd sort of...almost pain, yet not quite. A phantom pain of sorts, I suppose, though I'm not too sure what that is. Nonetheless, those two might be in peril. Or I could be over exaggerating; I confess that much. Still...it would probably be better to scope things out myself. It was getting late, near the time when the evening gives way to night. Not to mention past our usual time for supper. I turn to walk towards the front entrance, my voice soft as I attempt to sound calm.
"Please watch over things for the time being. I will search for those two myself. Titania knows what they've gotten into..." I briskly walk outside, the door opening easily under my touch, the cold breeze of the evening wind causing my robe to flutter about. I ignore the slight chill, my fingers grasping my wand tightly as I hold it in front of me. I focus my efforts on the tracking spell I had placed on Chise, her aura coming from a different direction than when I checked it last. And much farther away as well; what in the world happened? I don't understand; she was fine just a few moments ago. How could her location have changed so rapidly in such a short time? As I approach the end of the walkway, a familiar shape comes into view, along with an unusual scent. My chest throbs rapidly as I notice Ruth, the fae dog trotting towards me as fast as his limping gait would allow, his sleek black fur matted in places with what I assume is fresh blood. What in the world? For something to hurt Ruth this badly...The Grim is no pushover, more so when it comes to protecting Chise. How did this happen? And how did such a powerful being go overlooked by the church? I have only myself to blame as well; I should have been able to predict this. I muse, rushing to the dog's side, my gloves quickly stained with his blood. I didn't care; I needed to get information on what happened. Ruth's eyes peer at me, his voice rough as he tries to speak through pants of exhaustion.
"...Chise's in trouble...Never seen this...thing before. Don't think it's...one of ours...She forced me to go...find you..." I am puzzled a bit at his words. I understood he was talking about a fae, but what exactly did he mean by not 'one of ours'? Was this a foreign creature who took Chise? Fae migrating from place to place isn't a very common occurrence, as their power lies primarily in the country in which they were 'born'. If they leave, their power would be reduced drastically. Most fae know to stay out of my way, or just avoid the general human populace due to the church being in such close proximity. If this was a foreign being, and it thought itself powerful enough to challenge the church, then it probably had no such qualms. And if this...thing...was strong enough to hurt Ruth, despite being weakened like this...This is no good...I reason, gently cradling the dogs scratched muzzle in my hands. Ruth attempts to break free of my grip but cannot do even that, his head focused on the pathway outside of the house. I nod at his gesture, understanding the intent behind it. I will still need a guide however if I wish to get there fast enough.
"Which direction is it, Ruth? I need a general idea if I am to go after them..." I state, the dog looking almost pleadingly at me as he opens his mouth to speak.
"Northwest..." Okay, that should make things a bit easier. I gently lay his head down onto the grass, but he stubbornly stares at me, his legs shaking as he attempts to get up. I sigh, understanding why he was so adamant on following me, my gaze stern as I begin to blend into the shadows.
"Just stay there, Ruth. You've done enough...I know you are concerned for Chise, but I can handle this now. Rest and recover until we return." The dog only makes a small whine, the pitiful sound already fading in my ears as I shadow walk away. I focus on the general northwestern direction, checking Chise's tracking spell every so often to confirm my course. Within a few moments, I come upon one of the small forests that dot our small community, quite far to the small congregation of houses around the outskirts of the town. It was a bit out of the way when considering the distance from our home, but nothing out of the ordinary lived there. I did not feel much in the way of magical energy the last I had checked the area for any possible problems. Or so I had thought...I feel an unfamiliar presence, a fae like aura as I go deeper into the woods, quite unlike any of the usual creatures I have 'driven out'. It felt quite powerful; more than just a simple 'pest' buzzing about out of curiosity. This one seemed to have a purpose of sorts, a reason for being here that made it ignore or be oblivious of my own presence. Most fae just fled when they felt my aura, understanding my power and magical prowess to be above their own. This didn't mean that the lesser fae would ignore me, no. In fact, that was probably what incited their taunts and ridicule, I assume.
I attempt to examine my surroundings, turning back into my corporeal fae form, hoping to find any hint or clue to where they could have gone. The sight of a familiar circular stone causes my chest to tighten, the amulet laying haphazardly on the ground, it's cord cut. The darkened hue of what could only be fresh blood painted the grass, small trails heading much deeper into the forest. Yet, it's smell was not familiar...Then it is not Chise's; I have tasted her blood before and memorized her scent. This was neither. I scoop up the familiar trinket with one clawed hand, gazing at it as if my will could somehow bring Chise back, the intense heat running through my form again. I focus on that strange sensation for a moment before setting my eyes forward, wondering what could be causing it, knowing that right now I have much more pressing concerns. The trail in the grass is easy enough to follow, the only thing catching my attention are the burnt, bloodied limbs and torsos sparsely scattered among the trees and pathway. They set an odd tone to this usually quiet forest; one that I did not find comforting. As for the bodies themselves, I could not identify them, other than the fact that they seem to be those of fae; fae I have never seen before. The damage that was done to them however was quite familiar; it must have been Ruth's flame breath, along with the familiar claw marks and cuts along the bleeding body parts. They were small, humanoid corpses with pallid skin and gaping maws; certainly the predatory type of creature one imagines as 'demons'. They fit that type of description to my eyes, and going by their kidnapping and brutal behavior I was quite likely to label them as such.
Judging by the number of corpses, he likely put up quite a fight before becoming injured himself. I highly doubt these pesky creatures would have given him too much trouble; yet I do smell quite a few different scents in the air. Multiple beings must be roaming about, though how have I not felt them until just now? Ruth was not the type to abandon others; Chise might have given him a command to follow, being his master, but I am not sure. If she decided her best chance would be to find me for help, he probably agreed with her idea, unwilling as he was to leave her side. If this was the result of multiple fae teaming together, and it seemed to be so, then even Ruth would have had a difficult time overcoming this. Whatever did this...is going to pay dearly. I promise, my hand fiercely clutching the amulet as I dissolve into the darkness to track my prey.