She was back here again, standing alone as she stared up at the sun. The large ball of light searing into her eyes.
She didn't want to be here, everything about this situation it tugged at something within her. It told her that something was wrong, and that she shouldn't be doing this.
That she shouldn't be staring at the sun like this.
But despite the tugging from within her, she couldn't find it in herself to move. She stood there, head tilted upwards as she continued to stare unblinkingly.
REMEMBER...
There was a whisper, a voice that was calling out for her. A soft voice that pleaded as it said its words.
REMEMBER...
Where was it coming from?
Then as she was staring at the sun, for the first time since she had found herself here she blinked.
The moment her eyes closed, the ground under her fell away. She descended further and further down.
The more she did, the less she could see of the sun and the quieter the whispers became. Until finally, both of them were gone.
She slowed to a stop, no longer falling down. Her body floated within the water that had appeared underneath her.
All there was, was silence and darkness. She welcomed it, feeling it comforting especially as the water around her seem to hold her.
Then, there was a flash of light.
[Scene]
Louise woke up from a dreamless sleep, the mage sat up immediately as she thought about the events that had happened last night.
She closed her eyes for a moment, to organise her thoughts and feelings about what she was about to do.
It was crazy, to go to a country that was currently experiencing a massive civil war that could result in the change of leadership? Anyone else would've just said no.
But she didn't, for how many reasons she can think of at the moment. For the sake of her country, for the sake of the princess and her friend.
No matter the reason, all that mattered was that she did was she was asked.
She opened her eyes, determined and now fully awake. She turned towards the bed beside her own, both of the Void Vessels were asleep. She clapped her hands "Bug, Sib!" She called out for them.
Immediately they sat up and turned to her.
She nodded her head "We have a mission to do today," both of them jumped to attention immediately, leaping from their bed and landing in front of her own. She blinked but nodded her head "We need to get to Albion," She saw how Bug's head tilted at the unfamiliar name "It'll be a two-day trip to La Rochelle, and a two-day trip," Sib did the same as Bug "And that's not counting how much time we'll need to wait for the ship."
She stood up and placed her hands on her hips "Right, let's get ready to go!"
At her words the two moved. Bug moved towards her desk and rummaged through it, grabbing a couple of parchment and quills. Sib moved towards her closet and started to pull out the clothes that she usually wore.
She was surprised at their seeming eagerness, but she shook her head and did her own preparations.
Walking towards her desk, Bug moved a bit to allow her to approach it and grab the two most important objects for the mission that she had received.
One of them was a sealed envelope, within was the letter that she needed to give towards the Prince and once he got it, he would give her the letter she needed to retrieve from him. It was important that this was given to him.
The item next to it however was a Water Ruby, a precious gem that the princess had given towards her. It was a good luck charm, or a way to acquire funds if things got tough. She slipped on the ring on her middle finger, and she smiled a bit as it seemed to glow.
Soon Louise had her belongings and her riding boots. Both Sib and Bug, as they were, didn't really have any belongings besides the former's Soul Wand. They left her room and headed towards the stables. Despite that dawn was just starting to break, she figured that it was better to prepare now than later.
When they got there, a hint of irritation filled Louise's heart when she saw that Montmorency was already there waiting for her. The Water Mage had her arms crossed as she stood by the horse she'd be riding.
She spotted them, and immediately she moved a hand over the Void Vessels that were walking beside her.
Montmorency's frown deepened when she did.
"Montmorency," she said with a hint of ice in her tone.
"Louise," the blonde replied with a wary tone herself. Her eyes flicked towards the two Void Vessels by her side, and she saw how her hands twitched.
Louise was quick to step in front of them when she noticed, before she walked towards her own horse.
Neither of them really spoke to each other as she was preparing her mount.
There was just silence for a while, before it was broken with a question.
"Why are you bringing them along?"
Louise had just finished putting her belongings on the horse's saddle when the question came. She turned around "Excuse me?" She asked the other mage.
"Them," Montmorency pointed towards the Void Vessels that was staring up into the face of the horse "Why bring them along."
Louise's eyebrows furrowed "Why does it matter to you?" She asked back, "They're my Familiars, I can bring them if I want to."
"We might go into a war zone Louise," Montmorency stated "It would be dangerous bringing them along."
Her eyes narrowed "I'm more worried about you hurting them than the soldiers if I'm being honest." She growled out.
The blonde looked away with a shameful expression for a split moment, before she shook her head and her frown returned "That doesn't matter. What matters is that they could mess up the mission that the princess us gave that could determine the fate of Tristain as a country."
"I know that this is a mission that the princess gave us," she looked down "And I know how important this mission is." She lifted her head and stared her in the eyes "And that's exactly why I'm bringing them along."
"Why?!" Montmorency demanded "Why would you think to bring your Familiar to such a delicate mission!"
"Because I want to!" Louise snapped, arms at her side as she stomped her foot.
Both Bug and Sib turned away from the horse, they faced her for a moment before they turned their attentions to Montmorency.
The water mage's composure faltered slightly at the sight of the two Void Vessels looking at her. She gritted her teeth "You're being unreasonable Louise! Bringing your Familiars without even know what they can do?!"
"If you're so against it, then why don't you leave!?" Louise questioned "Just let me and my Familiars do the mission and you can just go to sleep!"
"You think I can just sleep?!" She gestured towards the Void Vessels with a snarl "Knowing that you're sending these things to Albion where they can do Brimir knows what?!" She stepped forward and jabbed a finger into Louise's chest.
Sib reached for its Soul Wand, but was stopped when Louise held up a hand.
"I came to your room last night to tell you about what your Familiar did to me!" She continued "Why did you think I would visit you so late at night?"
"I don't know," Louise slapped the hand away "And I don't care. Just because you think that they're bad, doesn't mean that you're right."
"Listen to me Louise," Montmorency pleaded "Your Familiar isn't what you think it is!"
"And why should I?!" She stepped forward, glaring at her "Just two days ago you thought that it was a Water Spirit, just like everyone else. Then you decided to call it some kind of monster that you couldn't even name or describe!" She placed a hand on her chest "I know what my Familiar is, I know what is can and can't do."
"Louise-"
"So shut up about what you think about my Familiar!" Louise shouted.
They two mages stood there, breathing heavily.
"Are you two serious arguing before we even leave?"
A voice suddenly called out towards the two. Both of them were startled by the sudden voice, turning towards the source of the sound.
Approaching the two was a woman on a horse. She had a stern look on her face, her blonde hair was cut short and she wore a cloak over her green attire. The horse stopped just outside of the stables, and skilfully the woman dismounted the horse.
She was taller than them both, more muscular as well. Louise noticed the scabbard by her left waist, and the flintlock pistol and Lumafly Lanter on her right.
"Who are you?" Louise asked, her body was still tense.
Bug and Sib moved away from the horse and stood by her side as the woman walked closer. She eyed them both with a critical look, and then her eyes fell towards the two Void Vessel that stood at her sides. Her mouth pulled into a line "This is who the Princess trusted for the mission?"
"Excuse me, we asked who are you!" Montmorency stepped in.
The woman looked at her "My name is Agnes Chevalier de Milan, the princess sent me here to assist you two in the mission."
It was their time to scan the woman, both of them ending by looking at the scabbard at her hip. It was then they noticed that it didn't look like a Wand-Sword.
They looked at her incredulously "She sent a commoner to help us?" Louise asked in disbelief.
The woman frowned a bit at the tone "Is there a problem with that?"
"Of course," Montmorency scoffed "What good can a commoner do for the mission? We're going to head into territory where your sword and gun won't be any use."
"It's to guide you two," Agnes replied with a sigh "She sent me so that you have some form of protection, but she didn't want to send an army or else people will get suspicious. She also sent me, because she can't trust any of the Nobles, something's gotten her worried about the loyalty of the people around her" She explained.
"So why did she sent you then?" Louise asked.
"I'm her bodyguard," Agnes replied "I'm the closest person with a sword that she can trust." She jerked her head towards her horse "Now come on, we're burning daylight and it's going to take us a while before we get to La Rochelle. Do you have the letter?"
Louise nodded, patting the bag by her saddlebag.
"Good," Agnes was about to climb her horse once more, before she paused. She turned to Louise, and looked her dead in the eye "Before that."
A gauntleted hand pointed towards the Void Vessel at her side, it was Bug who looked at her with a tilted head.
"Those things," she said, her voice was low "Are they loyal to you?"
"Huh?" Louise was surprised at the question, it was the second time she had received it. She looked at Bug, the Void Vessel was still looking at the woman, before she turned back towards her "Are you asking if my Familiar is loyal to me?"
"Yes. Now tell me, are they loyal to you or are they not?" Agnes asked again.
Louise's eyebrows furrowed at the tone, but she replied with a "Yes, there are."
"Good." She lowered her hand and climbed onto her horse without another word "Then let's get going, we'll need to get there as fast as we can."
[Scene]
"Early…" Tabitha complained, rubbing her eyes when the door to her dorm opened.
Outside of it was Kirche, the red head was giving her a smile that didn't seem to hold the usual playfulness. In her hand was a bag that was filled what she can only figure out is her clothes.
The blue haired mage narrowed her eyes at the bag, before she turned them towards their owner.
"Want to go on a trip?" Kirche asked, "I just thought we could have a break?"
"Something wrong?" Tabitha spoke past the attempt at levity.
The red head sighed "You could always follow along with one my jokes Tabitha."
"Hmm…" Was all she replied.
"Fine," Kirche looked past her and out the window "Apparently Louise and Montmorency left just earlier, if I hadn't woken up then their screaming would've done so for me."
"You want a ride?" Tabitha asked, she looked away "Not sure."
"She's also bringing along her Familiars."
Her eyes snapped back towards Kirche at the mention of the Void Being, and she saw how the Fire Mage smirk when she did.
"I know that you're interested in that Familiar~" She teased, and then lifted her bag "C'mon I'm just worried that Louise and Montmorency might kill each other and toss whoever died into the woods." She winked "And you can spy on that Water Spirit all you want."
She raised an eyebrow "Worried?"
"Yeah," Kirche nodded "With her new Familiars, I'm scared she might run into bandits and it'll just watch as she gets skewered."
"And Montmorency?"
Kirche was silent, before she shook her head "I don't know how to say this," she paused before continuing "But something just tells me to follow her along, don't know what."
Tabitha hid a questioning hum before she nodded "Fine," she turned away "Let me change."
"Thanks Tabby!" Kirche cheered "You're the best. They're on horses so we should catch to them in no time."
[Scene]
It continued to run, every step dug into the earth before it tore out a chunk of it every time he kicked off the ground to move.
The Vessel had been running without rest ever since it had left the it's Master's side. Its destination was one that it been to before.
Tristain.
It had found one of its Siblings there, huddled and trapped within a box. It tore it free and dealt with the ones that had captured it.
Now, there was hope that there was another of them there.
However… it's Master had told it that if it was a Familiar it was leave whoever had the Sibling alone.
It didn't want to leave it alone, it wanted to bring as many Siblings back to where it was safe. But it also didn't want to disobey its Master.
So it continued to run, zipping past the trees and animals that spotted it for a mere moment before it vanished from their sight.
It had long past the carriage that carried the messenger that had brought them the information. And it was already closer towards the location where its Sibling was held.
Just a little farther until it was there.
So the Vessel ran.