Standard disclaimer applies.
A/N: My apologies for the preview of the previous chapter, it was meant for chapter 11. So there will be no preview this time^^ Enjoy!
Grow On You
Chapter 10
~ Hilda's Resolve ~
"If only," Graphel raised his sword, the moonlight glinting off the steel menacingly. "I never imagined we'd be crossing swords in this manner, Hilda."
With a grunt he exploded forward and Hilda sharply swung her sword at the perfect moment, parrying his blow with a shower of sparks. Simultaneously she blasted him with an energy ball but Graphel was prepared this time. Leaping back, he blocked it with his arms raised defensively. "That won't work twice!"
"… Whoever said I was using the same move twice?" A hint of a smirk crossed her face and he blinked before becoming aware of a shadow was blocking the moon behind him. With horror he realized she had done that to create an opening in his back so that Tatsumi could attack.
"This is for running my fishing!" The drenched, pissed-off thief snarled and viciously smashed Graphel's head into the ground with a satisfying crack. In some ways he was actually somewhat relieved that these two clowns showed up, because he really was angry at Hilda. Nothing was quite as stress-busting as a relieving punching session.
"Where is Hecatos?" Hilda demanded, stepping over the passed-out Graphel.
"River," Tatsumi replied succinctly – but too soon. The soldier burst out of the water with an enraged cry. "Hecatos has a lot of pride," Hilda observed as both of them leapt back. "He must be spitting mad that he keeps getting thrashed."
"More importantly, I didn't know you can fight like that," Tatsumi looked at her with a troubled expression. "You could have kicked my ass to Makai with that kind of strength."
She gave him a small triumphant smile. "I am Prince Belze's nursemaid and guard."
"Yeah yeah," Tatsumi grumbled and made sure the baby was still securely strapped to his back, eyeing Hecatos. The soldier was just standing there, breathing hard.
Hilda had just a moment's warning before she was attacked from behind by a fire blast. She managed to block it – barely. With a pained wince she banished the flames away – and her face instantly twisted in anger when she saw what emerged beyond the smoke. "SALAMANDER!"
The trusted advisor to Prince En and currently the thorn in Hilda's side, Salamander stood there with a smirk on his face. And on his side…
"… Hilda?" Tatsumi blinked at the woman standing next to Salamander. But he quickly realized it wasn't – just a copy of the real thing who was standing nearby with fists clenched in rage.
"Hello Hilda," the other 'Hilda' smiled pleasantly. It was uncanny to see how similar they looked, though he could not imagine Hilda ever smiling so maliciously. "How unfortunate to see you're alive."
The pulsing black wave behind the duo caught her attention and she paled. "You… You've mastered teleportation, Yolda?" Hilda clutched her arm, trying to will the pain away. Inside panic was building. She had barely recovered and had jumped straight into a fight. Salamander and Yolda's presence was a big problem for both of them.
… Both of them?
She frowned slightly, feeling strange at the notion. But why should it? Two of them… Her and Prince Belze. Of course. Who else was she thinking of?
"Hecatos' use of the tracking spell has alerted us to your survival," Salamander smiled mysteriously. "And it seems you've gotten yourself a friend," His eyes drifted over to Tatsumi, who bristled. Both he and Hilda simultaneously bit out; "We're not friends!"
"Oho?" Yolda snickered behind a dainty gloved hand. "What an amusing sight – the great Hildegarde, pride of the royal guards is in cahoots with common riffraff. It makes me almost happy. Almost."
"Shut up." Hilda was clenching her sword so hard her knuckles were white. "You, who conspired to curse Prince Belze cannot even call yourself a royal guard."
"Don't think so highly of yourself Hilda," Yolda's eyes flashed in anger. "You're the one who's currently on the run for a heinous crime while I am serving Makai's ruler. I'm not here to gloat – I'm just here to make sure Prince En stays the ruler!" With a whoosh of teleportation wind she summoned her staff and Salamander took a step back, still smiling slyly. "I won't interrupt this fight between sisters," He snapped his fingers and will-o-wisp flames manifested in the air, floating. "Let's bring her dead body back, Yolda."
Sisters, Tatsumi thought as Yolda launched herself at Hilda. The latter easily blocked the attacked and flung her back but Tatsumi noticed some awkwardness in her movements. Whence before she freely twisted to avoid attacks, now she blocked more. She's injured.
In that moment of distraction he felt the touch of a cool blade against his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hecatos holding the blade. "You're mine, trash."
Pride.
"Right." Tatsumi said simply, pushing the blade away with a fingertip even as he still envisioned Hilda fighting in his mind's eye. "You so need to sleep, pal."
Lamia squeezed her eyes as an incessant puttering sound disturbed her sleep. Annoyed, she tried swatting the sound away but it just got louder. Fed up with it she sat up with a jolt, fully intending to throttle the offending creature.
Instead she found herself face-to-face with a Mu.
A Mu. In her sleep-addled mind she registered the wobbly fleshy body, the blank milky stare that so characterized the creature native to Makai. But she wasn't in Makai. Her mind struggled vainly to make sense of the situation… and failed. The sum of all her thoughts spilled out in a confused; "… EHHHH?"
"Hello Lamia," The Mu spoke with a distinct lisp. "How are yoush?"
"It speaks!" She shrieked but quickly got a hold of herself. Calm down. Mus can't speak so this must be a dream. I must be sleeping still. Yes, I can hear Toujou snoring. And Miss Hilda –
Isn't there.
"That shtubborn nursh ish engaged in battle wish shome Pillarsh." The Mu said simply. Lamia stared at it, wide eyed. "Pillars? They've tracked her here?" Lamia scrambled up, completely forgetting her earlier conviction that this was a dream and literally ran out only to run smack into Aoi, who looked like she was also running out. "… Princess?"
"I can feel anger. Fighting," Aoi gasped, a hand to her chest. "Someone is in danger. I need to help them."
Lamia hovered, treading water. With a frustrated growl she rushed inside the room and came out again with Aoi's sword which Tatsumi had confiscated. "You might need it. Let's go!"
Meanwhile Hilda was starting to feel the strain of battle on her body. Yolda noticed it as well and increased the ferocity of her attacks. "Come on! Don't tell me all those years of holding the Queen's skirt has slowed you down?" Yolda shouted maliciously. Hilda responded with an explosion of black energy that forced her sister to somersault back. Without missing a beat Hilda continued to channel the energy to Alaindelon, causing the sword to pulse with a menacing black air. "I have not rusted," Hilda said coldly; "But you on the other hand have become delusional. No matter, I will beat reality into you."
Salamander watched this with pleasure. He had not expected to have an easy time capturing Hilda, but the task of whittling her strength down was best left to someone with a grudge. Grudges, he knew, were amazing things. They could turn a pure-hearted maiden into a rotten core. Perhaps a grudge would be enough to topple the giant.
A prickle at the edge of his awareness caught his attention. A slow smile spread over his face as he softly sing-songed; "… Visitors…"
Tatsumi plummeled Hecatos but found that he was no longer interested in pounding the man down. He was more concerned with the black energy Hilda and Yolda were emitting.
"Don't look away from me, damnit," Hecatos spit out blood. "She doesn't need your concern, that damn wet nurse."
"Just die already," Tatsumi disinterestedly kicked him. He didn't like the look of Hilda's fight. Though they may look similar, Yolda looked like the type to play dirty.
"Hah!" Yolda triumphantly blasted Hilda away. "Pitiful," Yolda grinned, twirling her staff. "Well as a parting gift I'll show you the technique I mastered. Consider it an honor, dear sister."
Hilda's chest rose and fell with each labored breath. Without a doubt Yolda had the upper hand here, but she wasn't giving up. She had… to protect…
Within the blink of an eye Yolda vanished and Hilda tensed. Teleportation without an incantation?
"You're slow," Yolda's cold voice came from behind her and Hilda reflexively swung her sword but connected with thin air. Her blood ran cold. Where was Yolda?
"This technique allows me to use teleportation in battle," Yolda's voice came from seemingly everywhere. "You'll die without knowing how!"
The clash of metal on metal caused her to leap backwards, the scent of sakura blossoms filling the air. She saw the dark hair of the Touhoushinki princess as she defended Yolda's strike, the surprise on her sister's face at the unknown savior.
"Miss Hilda!" Lamia cried as she slid down a small hillock. "Oga!"
Hilda tottered and pitched forward only to be caught by Tatsumi. "Oi!" He groused. "Get a hold of yourself!"
"… The prince," She weakly clutched at his shoulder. "The prince, is he safe?"
"You insane woman," He let her see the sleeping baby. "Oi Lamia I need a hand here!"
Lamia took a step towards them but was repelled by a wall of flame that leapt out of nowhere.
"Now now, that just won't do," Salamander crossed the barrier, completely unaffected. "I need to bring the traitor and the prince back. Having her treated would waste everything we've done."
"You shithead," Tatsumi started forward but felt Hilda's restraining hand on his chest. "Go," She whispered softly so that Salamander couldn't hear. "I'll open a path for you. Take the prince away."
"Wha – "
He barely had time to react when he felt the black energy swirling under his feet and launched him off like a parabola over the fire barrier. "Alaindelon!" Hilda threw her sword following him and the shapeshifter turned into a large bird, zooming after Tatsumi. Salamander watched all of this with interest. "So you still had that much energy in you eh? You are indeed the better of the two sisters."
"Shut up," Hilda snapped. "Compliments from you make my skin crawl."
"Well what will you do now, Miss Royal Guard? You are unarmed, in my territory."
"…Hmph." Hilda took a deep breath, calming the energy flow around her. That brainless half-wit would protect the Prince, she knew. He was strong and he kept his word. That reassured her somewhat.
"You will only cart my dead body back to Makai, no less." She flicked her hand and a sword of pure black energy materialized in her grasp. Salamander's smile widened.
"That can be arranged."