AN: Hello readers! I'm back!
Sorry for how long it took for this chapter to be released. After I had my break in March, I had a fairly hard time trying to get back into the groove of things and figuring out what I wanted to do for this chapter, which sadly led to 3-4 weeks worth of unplanned delays. The rotation with my stories is a little messed up at the moment, but I'm hoping I can get back on track by next week or the week after.
Another chapter of COF, for instance, was suppose to be released this week. Though, I still haven't finished the chapter for the story that is technically before it in the rotation. So, I've decided to try and get that one released either this or early next week, and hopefully have Chapter 27 (28) written up for COF some time next week as well.
Since 4/18, it has also actually been an entire year since I've been doing this story and writing on this site in general. Thanks to all who have liked, followed, favorited, and reviewed this story so far. In just a year, this story is just a little under 20 away from having 100 followers, which is something I didn't even imagine would be so close in my first year of writing it. I've enjoyed writing it as long as I have and can't wait to show you all that have planned in the future:)
Now with that all out of the way, I hope you enjoy today's chapter!
As always, please leave a review on anything you liked, think I should work on, or just any questions in general! I enjoy reading them and I will answer them at the end of the next chapter:D
Just in case you get confused: Magic Location POV/Time Thoughts [Memories/Flashbacks]
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Clover or any of its characters...the only things I own are:
1. My characters and
2. my ideas
Chapter 26: Castletown Adventures I
Castletown of Kikka
Skylar let out a long sigh as she walked in between Vanessa and Noelle and stretched out her arms in the air before she placed them back at her sides. They had been roaming around Kikka for a small while now, going from shop to shop as Vanessa gathered some supplies she was going to bring back to the hideout.
Noelle and Skylar hadn't really been able to find much of anything that they wanted enough to use their first earnings to get, while Asta was just happy and amused by the fact that they had come back to a place that he had a lot of fun in before.
He was currently walking on right in front of them, while Vanessa stood off to the side and sent the younger girls next to her a sideways glance.
"Are you two sure that you haven't been interested in anything?" She asked with a smile. "I was sure at least one of you would have found something at that last one."
Both Noelle and Skylar shook their heads.
"I'm not much of a shopping type of person to be honest with you…" Skylar remarked.
"And I haven't seen anything here that even comes close to befitting the taste of someone of my royal class." Noelle stated.
"Mmmm, I see." Vanessa turned her attention to the blonde-haired boy in front of them. "Well how about you, Asta? I don't think I've seen you buy anything either."
Asta turned around with sparkles in his eyes and a large smile on his face, continuously keeping his attention on them as he carefully walked backwards. "There's just so many things here that I don't know what to pick!" He exclaimed.
Vanessa let out a chuckle or two under her breath at the rookies' current predicament as she had been the only one at the moment who had actually bought anything. As she began to think on the matter, Noelle's and Skylar's attention were pulled to the hushed tones going on around them, to where it felt like more and more eyes were directed towards them as time went along.
"Hey, look at their robes. Their magic knights." One said.
"Oh but check out that symbol." Another pointed out as he scoffed under his breath. "Ugh, it's the Black Bulls. There's Vanessa, the bottomless booze pit."
"Those two cute girls and the kid, are they also a part of that filthy group?"
"Yeah, seems like it. Haha, we should probably keep our distance."
Before any more chatter continued, most of them felt shivers run down their spines when Skylar's glare was pointed towards them, immediately shutting their mouths as lightning arched from her eyes for a split second.
As they quickly dispersed, Vanessa automatically laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, sending a silent warning for her to cool off before she made any hasty moves.
"They're making such a fuss over our robes, aren't they?" Noelle said aloud, not even noticing the storm that had been brewing right next to her.
"That's an understatement." Skylar said under her breath, annoyed. "They should just mind their business."
"Yeah, but don't worry though. They know that having magic knights like us around are a great crime deterrent." Vanessa reassured with a closed eyed smile. "And you never know, we may get lucky and meet a handsome gentleman that comes up to us."
Skylar remained silent as Noelle let out a nervous laugh to agree with her. It was only moments later that Skylar raised her gaze to look over Asta's head to see something that surprised her. Her eyes caught the glimpse of a teen's silver hair that she couldn't mistake for anyone else's walking towards them with another girl she knew right beside her.
"A guy may not come over to us, Vanessa, but it seems there's a chance that we'll get at least someone in a few moments." Skylar said aloud as she stopped in her tracks.
Both Noelle and Vanessa looked over at her in confusion until they looked in the direction her silver eyes were in, seeing the Celestial Rays insignia displayed on their squad robes.
"Wait, is that…Hikairi?" Noelle said aloud as her eyes widened slightly.
"Seems like it." Vanessa replied. "I haven't seen that girl in a while. I wonder who's the friend that she has with her."
Skylar was the only one within the group who had at least a little knowledge of who was accompanying the Silverlight mage, seeing a scowl that only Eyasei could pull off lying on the girl's bored features.
"Ugh, tell me again, Hika, why we couldn't just wait until nightfall to leave the hideout to avoid having to come here for hours on end?" Eyasei grumbled from afar as they gradually made their approach towards them.
"Because that's boring and we need to get some supplies, Yasei. Jeez, for a girl who literally slept an entire day yesterday, I would've thought you would've wanted to leave as soon as you could." Hikairi joked.
"Two can play that game, you know," Eyasei lightly scoffed. "Considering you look like you hardly slept at all from having to watch over said sleeping girl."
The two girls went back and forth for a time before Hikairi was the first to notice the Black Bulls group standing a small distance ahead of her, with her eyes lightening up when she caught sight of Noelle.
"Elle!" Hikairi shouted, moving at record speeds to be right in front of Noelle in a matter of seconds and hug her. "I'm so so sorry that I didn't come visit like I said I was going to yesterday!"
"I-It's alright," Noelle strained as the girl's grip around her began to tighten. "But what isn't going to be okay is if you suffocate me here and now from how tight you're holding me…"
Hikairi's hold loosened. Noelle only let out a sigh as the hug remained, trying her best to stop the blush from coming onto her face.
Asta looked back at the silver-haired girl that was currently attached to Noelle for what seemed like an impossible amount of time, with him turning his green eyes over to Skylar who was standing right next to him.
"Hey, um Skylar?" He said as he pointed. "Who's that?"
"Oh, that's Hikairi Guregin. She's a part of a fairly well-known noble family around here in the Clover Kingdom." Skylar responded. "I don't know the full story behind her and Noelle, but from what I guess is that they may have grew up together."
"So, they're kind of like you, me, and Yuno?"
"Yeah, think so."
Asta nodded his head, before he felt a chill run down his spine, swerving around to see Eyasei trying to sniff him as he distanced himself from her.
"What the hell are you doing!?" He squeaked.
Eyasei paid no attention to him, taking in his scent for a few moments longer. Her eyebrows crinkled slightly in some confusion from its initial emptiness as she brought a hand up to her chin.
"I thought I made some sort of mistake during the exams, but you really don't have any magic, don't ya, Shorstack?" Eyasei casually asked.
As Asta's face went red with annoyance, Skylar let out a sigh and sweatdropped at the girl who seemed to have a habit at ruining first impressions.
"Shortstack!? I'm not that short that you have to make a name out it!" Asta exclaimed.
"Well with you being even shorter than I am, I'd say that name is a perfect one to describe you in my eyes, Shortstack. Now tell me, is it true that you have no magic? Or do you just not have enough that even my nose isn't interested in trying to detect it?"
"It's Asta, and yes I don't have any kind of magic whatsoever but that doesn't even make what you did any less wrong. Who just goes around and smells people like that!?"
Before Eyasei could even answer him, she saw some realization come into his eyes as if he knew who she was, sensing some contempt rise up inside him as he quickly grabbed his sword from his grimoire and positioned himself right in front of the lightning mage in a protective manner.
She didn't react that much in that moment, though, from how the scent of his sword caught her completely off guard, sensing an ominous power inside of it that the boy seemed to be controlling with just brute force alone.
"Wait I remember, you're that crazy girl that attacked my friend for no reason at all during the exams!" He remarked as he narrowed his green eyes. "Come here for a round 2, since she was able to wipe the floor with you last time."
Something dark flashed in Eyasei's eyes for a split second before a small smirk came on her face as she laughed under her breath. She went to grab her grimoire located on her satchel behind her back and opened it. It flashed orange as that same color threatened to come from both her hands and feet as the area began to heat up around her.
"Oh yeah, and what if I did?" She asked darkly as she narrowed her yellow eyes in his direction. "That whole fight would have been entirely different if Hokori wasn't involved. I hardly had any chance to even get a warmup out of that fight before your friend over there decided to play a dirty trick on me. So, do you really think this is the best way to go about this? I can admit that whatever power that weird sword of yours has is something I've never gone up against before. But you could possibly say that about me if you're not careful with the next words that come out of your mouth."
Asta's foot threatened to take a step forward before Skylar's hand came out to stop him from doing so.
"Cool it Asta." She said, calmly.
"But Skylar she-!" He said before he instantly went quiet when he saw sparks of lightning arc around her arm for a few seconds.
"Calm down," She pressed again as she turned her silver eyes towards him. "Yeah, she did attack me, but we got that all cleared up after the exams. We're on good terms and equal footing. Right, Eyasei?"
There were a few moments of silence on Eyasei's end before a sigh came out of her mouth. The heat around her chilled as she closed her grimoire and placed it inside of her satchel.
"Sure, I guess that's right." Eyasei said under her breath as she crossed her arms. "We may not see eye to eye on some things and I don't trust her enough to say I like her, but I'd rather be around Sparky than someone like Hokori if that says anything."
"It really doesn't." Skylar remarked as she dropped her arm in front of Asta and brought the other up to her face. "You had to compare me with Rubi of all people?"
"Sparky?" Asta said aloud in surprise as Skylar turned around and looked over at him. "She calls you that and you're okay with it!? If me and Yuno just so as much say Sky than your full name, it nearly leads to something close to a death sentence."
"I think we both know that those are different circumstances, Asta." Skylar stated as her eyes fell slightly without her control, though out of Asta's view. "And it's not like I love that nickname. It's more or less that I don't have the patience to try and fight it anymore. "
As this was going on, Eyasei sort of tuned out the conversation as she focused her attention on the lightning mage in front of her. For some reason, her mana felt off, though in a rarely good type of way. She hadn't even noticed her mana before when she had been walking with Hikairi, when just yesterday just a whiff of her scent had been enough for her instincts to go into overdrive.
It still contained the presence of power that she knew only nobles and royals could possess, but that lingering darkness that had been in it before at the edge of the mana she could sense was constantly swirling inside of her seemed to just vanish.
Her mana was actually bearable to be around, having about as much of a threat as someone like Hikairi and Demetria. She didn't know if it was because the girl seemed to be warmer than she usually was, barely even able to sense the underlying pain and sadness at her core she had been able to feel during the time they were at the Magic Knight's colosseum.
As she stood there, she hadn't realized how much her mind was wrapped around her thoughts until she nearly jumped when she felt someone clasp her shoulders out of nowhere. She stiffened before she relaxed unconsciously when she realized who the girl was, looking over and seeing the smiling face of Hikairi Guregin.
"What?" Eyasei asked after Hikairi didn't say a word for at least a whole minute.
"What was it that Tetra told you and Rubi not to do when you're here?" Hikairi questioned. "Not get into any…"
"Any fights, " Eyasei groaned. "I know, Hika. You don't have to remind me. That mana-less guy riled me up, but Sparky was able to calm me back down, so there's nothing for you to be worried about at least for right now."
"Great…" Hikairi said somewhat nervously, which caused Eyasei to grow wary of it to some extent. "Well, it's time that we go properly introduce ourselves to the others."
Eyasei sent her a hesitant nod before she began to guide her over to the group.
"And Eyasei," She whispered in her ear. "I know you're not a huge fan of nobles and royals. But please try your best to keep a level head and be nice here."
Confusion grew on Eyasei's face for not understanding what the girl meant by that as her mind began to think it through.
She can't be talking about Sparky, considering we already know each other. And there's not a high possibility that Shortstack is one since he doesn't even have a drop of mana inside of his body.
So, who could it be?
She got her answer as soon as she saw the other half of the Black Bulls group that was with Skylar and Asta, seeing one girl with silver hair that was lighter than Hikairi's that she recognized even before she allowed herself to take in the girl's scent.
It was the same girl that she saw Hikairi run off to before, recalling how excited and happy the older teen seemed to be when she saw her.
With how similar their scents are, she must be either a sister or first cousin of that Silva captain, Eyasei thought as her eyes narrowed slightly.
And also, one of the ones that Hokori had talked about in a way that nearly set Hika off.
["Like you're one to talk, Hikairi Guregin. Someone as high up in nobility as you are shouldn't even dare chastise me for making such comments. I bet you use that family name of yours to get whatever you want whenever you want, as expected from Kiyomeru Guregin's only child. I bet that's how you even got into the pockets of both the Silva's and Vermillion's, befriending their spawn to get even more of an edge."]
She wants me to try and play nice with her of all people? She thought as her fists clenched at her sides.
This has to be some type of joke. Even with that personality of hers, she wouldn't be able to sweet talk me into doing anything of the sort.
Like a stuck-up royal ass like her could ever even think to bring herself down to my level of filth they see commoners as is a ridiculous thought in itself.
Hikairi brought Eyasei to stand in front of both Vanessa and Noelle, lying a comforting hand on Eyasei's shoulder when she noticed how tense she was starting to become.
She sent a reassuring squeeze before she sent a smile to the women in front of her.
"Miss Vanessa and Noelle, this is Eyasei Kemono. She's one of my new squadmates that the Captain chose to be on the Rays during the Exams." She explained before she looked down at Eyasei. "And Eyasei, the nice woman to the right is Vanessa Enoteca, and the girl to the left that's around our age and also a rookie member of the Black Bulls is Noelle Silva."
"Why hello there, Eyasei." Vanessa said with a smile. "Demetria and Chikajo happen to be good friends of mine, so your name has come up from time to time over the years. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Yeah, same here." Eyasei stated as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked over at Noelle with a hard expression on her face. "I don't remember seeing you at the exams a few days ago. How does a Silva like you even end up picking a squad like the Black Bulls anyway?"
"That not really any of your business." Noelle said almost defensively as she pushed her hair out to the side. "Someone as high of royalty as I am shouldn't have to explain myself to someone like you."
Eyasei scowled at that as she was about to make some sort of retort before Hikairi beat her to it.
"Now, Elle that wasn't really nice." Hikairi remarked, which caused Noelle to stiffen ever so slightly from hearing either sternness or disappointment within her tone. "It shouldn't really matter whether she's a noble or some commoner, you should be nice to those that you just met."
Eyasei smiled at how crestfallen Noelle became for a moment or two before those stern, gray eyes were directed at her next.
"And what you said, Eyasei, wasn't necessary either."
"What? It was just a question." Eyasei replied, confused, especially with her seriousness of how quickly she dropped her nickname.
Though, Hikairi wasn't going to budge.
"We both know that it was more than just a question." Hikairi pressed.
Eyasei opened her mouth to talk back before she closed it, scoffing aloud and turning to the side due to knowing that this fight wasn't worth the effort in knowing she would most definitely lose. And she didn't really want to get on the girl's bad side by insulting her relationship with the royal in some way like Rubi had before.
"Hey Hikairi," Vanessa called out as the silver-haired girl turned to look over at her. "It seems that you've already met Skylar and know both me and Noelle. But there's one more person in our little travel group today that you haven't met yet." Vanessa turned to look over at the boy talking to Skylar a little ways away from them. "Hey, Asta!" She called out. "Come over here for a second."
Asta heard his name and did as he was asked and came over.
"Yes?" He questioned before his eye glossed over Hikairi's form when she got in his line of vision.
"Hi there, I haven't had the chance to introduce myself to you yet." She stated as she extended her arm out towards him. "Asta was it?"
"Yes ma'am!" Asta shouted as he went to bow, unexpectedly. "It's an honor to meet someone like you, Miss Hikairi!"
Hikairi and the others instantly sweatdropped at what he was doing, with the Silverlight mage herself unable to get over her confusion enough to say a word for a few moments as she kept her arm raised towards him.
"Um, hey Asta, what are doing?" Hikairi asked.
"Bowing." Asta causally responded.
"Yeah, we can see that genius." Noelle said under her breath.
"I think what Hika is trying to ask is why you're bowing and talking as if this goofy idiot has done something to deserve it." Eyasei added.
"I'm just showing some level of respect!" Asta explained as he rose up and looked up at Hikairi with bright stars in his eyes. "Skylar told me that you're a part of some noble family that's well known around here."
I did, but that didn't mean you had to go and do that Asta, Skylar thought to herself as she brought a hand up to cover her face.
"Ohhh, I see," Hikairi stated in realization, laughing slightly under her breath. She walked up to him, laid a hand on his shoulder, and bent down to rest one of her knees on the ground. "It's true that my family is well-known around here, but that doesn't mean you have to treat me differently. I don't really care for the perks that come from my noble origins." She joked. "I'm also only about 1-2 years older than you, so you can drop the "ma'am" and "miss" and just call me Hikairi if that's alright with you. "
"Oh, okay sure!" Asta remarked as he rubbed the back of his head and let out an embarrassed laugh. "Hehe, sorry about that."
"No apologies needed."
The group stood there for a while as Vanessa and Hikairi traded notes to see what the other was doing, to where they found a common goal in getting their rookie members to spend at least some of their first earnings here at one of the shops in the Castletown and also allow them to collect supplies for their respective squads.
Noelle stood towards the front with Asta as they both conversed with Hikairi and Vanessa. While, Skylar stood in the back of the group with Eyasei in silence, overhearing the conversations of their squadmates. Neither really knew what they wanted to say to the other that wouldn't lead to some sort of awkwardness due to the unknown status of their relationship, opting to remain quiet by default to prevent it completely.
Surprisingly, however, Eyasei was the one to finally break the ice between them.
"You know," She began, seeing Skylar's silver eyes look over at her out of the corner of her eye. "You smell different from how you usually do."
"Different? In a good way or bad way?" Skylar asked as an embarrassed blush threatened to come on her cheeks. "I ran out of the shampoo I usually use for my hair, so I had to borrow someone-"
"Oh! No, not that. " Eyasei said with a small laugh. "It's something similar but it's not completely what you're thinking. I'm not that much of an ass to just say that you stink out in the open like this. I actually have some level of decency."
"Okay then, what were you meaning by my smell is different? I guess it probably relates to why you were smelling Asta earlier?"
"Yeah, it's…"
Eyasei paused for a while and didn't say much else, leaving Skylar somewhat confused on why, especially from how nervous or self-conscious she seemed to get out of nowhere.
"It's…" She repeated again before she sighed and looked off to the side with a flat expression on her face. "It's nothing, just forget I said anything."
Skylar raised an eyebrow before some realization came on her face. Whatever it was must have needed some personal details that she probably wasn't comfortable sharing with her at least. Even if she was a little bit more open to civilly talk to her in comparison to their earlier encounters, Eyasei didn't trust her probably just as much as she didn't fully trust her either.
The lightning mage let the silence hang in the air for a few passing moments before she let out a sigh of her own and unconsciously grabbed her shoulder and pretended that she needed to stretch it out.
"If you share, I'll share something as well." She suggested, as Eyasei looked over at her in some surprise. "I get it, you still probably don't trust me enough to say whatever it is. I don't fully trust you either, so you could say that the feeling is sort of mutual. But …I've learned over these last few days that it's a good idea to at least try allowing others to get closer than arms reach."
Eyasei looked at her for a time before a soft chuckle came from her mouth.
"If you're implying that I have about as much trust issues as you do, then that's sort of pushing it. I trust people I know are worth trusting. You're just a wildcard that I don't know will help or screw me over in the end if I'm not careful." She joked, though kept some seriousness in her tone overall. She looked off to the side somewhat nervously. "The problem isn't that. It's something else that's honestly dumber in comparison."
Silence fell between them as the Chimera mage felt Skylar's eyes staring holes into the side of her face, promoting her to let out a breath and look back at the path in front of them.
"You've probably guessed by now that my Chimaera magic has a dual affinity, one being fire and the other being beast magic. What you and most probably don't know is that both give me passive abilities. If I'm not using my fire magic with my beast magic or with the spells inside of my grimoire, that side of my magic by itself acts as some sort of passive healing factor if I get injured in some way. Boring, but it is pretty helpful having accelerated healing to give me an edge over someone else in a fight. Though, with the beast side of my magic, it's an entirely different story."
She turned to look over at Skylar with an unreadable glance. "Do you remember that time I attacked you during the exams?"
"How couldn't I?" Skylar questioned. "It had been a while since I've seen someone move that fast. With you catching me off guard, I didn't have enough time to dodge. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Vice-Captain Chikajo hadn't come when she did."
"Well, would you believe me if I told you that I have hardly any memory of it?" Eyasei asked, allowing that question hang in the air for a few moments as she saw Skylar look over at her in confusion. "The Beast side of my magic is probably the strongest in comparison to my fire magic, but also the most volatile. I have a passive ability that gives me something close to what could be considered animal instincts and heightened senses in which allow me to read someone and their mana based on the scents that my nose picks up."
"So, when you were smelling Asta before, you were trying to catch his scent from what I'm assuming?" Skylar asked, seeing Eyasei nod in response. "That makes more sense, since it's probably harder to read him moreso than others due to his lack of magic. That brings me to the question of what did you meant by my scent being off and why?"
"If the presence of someone else's scent is strong enough, it can cause me to react in certain ways depending on the situation. In your case at least before today, it kept triggering my primal fight and flight response. There was something in the core of your mana that something inside me either recognized or didn't like enough to send me into somewhat of a frenzied state of a kind of beast who only wants to fight or protect either myself of those around me from whatever 'danger' my body thinks is present in my surroundings."
Skylar's eyes widened slightly as she opened her mouth to say something, only to stop herself when she saw a rare solemn look come across Eyasei's face,
"I've spent a lot of time over these last 5-6 years trying to get a hold of this stupid thing. I've gotten to the point where I can control these urges most of the time, but it still seems to be an issue from how many times I had to either stop myself from attacking you or someone did it for me when I got in that state of mind. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the one in control or if my magic is the one that holds more control over me and I'm just along for the ride."
Skylar thought on that comment for a while, to where she found at herself at some point relating to it in more ways than one due to her own unique condition when it came to her own magic.
"I know the feeling," She said under her breath, to where Eyasei only let out a hollow chuckle.
"You don't have to sit there and lie to make me feel better or any less of a total freak." Eyasei said in a low voice. "I've met less people who would waste the time or effort in trying to understand versus those who would judge or blame it on my lack of class as a low-life commoner from the Forsaken Realm."
"Well, I guess depending on how many you've met in the former you could also add me to it as well." Skylar said aloud as she looked up towards the sky. "I have this mana condition that used to be pretty common in my family line. It makes it to where I'm deeply connected with the mana around me practically 24/7 in which causes me to absorb and expend mana even when I'm not trying to actively use any. I guess the biggest perk is that I have a high supply of mana most of the time, but during others it can go downhill fairly quickly if it decides to randomly make my body take in or expend too much too fast all in one time. I've gotten used to this constant influx of magic over the years, but even then, my own magic can turn on me no matter what I do, especially during the times I get too emotional. I either end up hurting those around me or myself, since it usually ends up going out of control when it gets to that point…"
"So yes, I do understand where you're coming from." Skylar finished.
She was going to go on into something else until she noticed that Eyasei started to slow to a crawl with her steps before she stopped completely. When she looked up, she could see some disbelief shining in her yellow eyes.
Their circumstances may have been different, but Eyasei could tell now that the lightning mage was telling the truth from how much it explained the odd flow her mana tends to have.
This was probably the first time ever in her life that she could remember that she met someone else who could truly understand what she went through when it came to her magic. There was always some part of her that always felt like an outsider due to both her memory loss and the magic that at times never felt like her own when it turned on her. That half was also scared that she would end up killing someone close to her because of her inability to control that side of her magic.
This girl, she thought as she stood there and stared at Skylar who stared right back at her as if she knew what thoughts were running through her mind.
She's actually starting to make it hard for me to try and not fully trust her.
Even though she knows that I'm on to her whoever she is and that there's a chance at any moment for me to full on attack her because of that weird mana she has, she doesn't seem all that nervous or guarded about it like last time.
What happened? What happened between then and now that I don't perceive her as much of a threat as before?
"Eyasei."
Eyasei jumped slightly when she heard Skylar's voice call out to her. She tore her gaze away from the mage and looked off towards the side.
As the silence persisted, Skylar took a few steps forward and went to open her mouth to speak.
"Is there something…"
Before she could finish, the sound of steps coming towards their direction grew progressively louder, prompting Skylar to look over and see Hikairi standing behind her.
"What are you two doing all the way back here?" The Silverlight mage lightly asked. "It sounded like you two were having a nice conversation going on."
A patented scoff came out of Eyasei's mouth as she began to walk past both of the teens that were in front of her. "Nothing that even concerns you, Hika. My and Sparky's conversation just ended anyway."
Skylar looked over at the girl in some confusion as she walked towards the other half of the group, wondering what happened for the girl to go from shock to cold in a matter of moments. She honestly thought that she was mad at her for some reason, until she heard Hikairi let out a small chuckle under her breath.
"What did you do?" Hikairi giggled as Skylar came up to stand next to her.
"I honestly have no clue. None of what I said was supposed to anger her in any way." Skylar sighed. "Though I tend to have a habit of doing that to at least someone everyday it seems."
"Well, I think you're wrong about that. Yasei didn't seem all that upset to me. 'Embarrassed' is probably the better word for it." Hikairi remarked as Skylar looked over at her in surprise.
"Really?"
"Yeah definitely." Hikairi reassured. "I've done it enough times to recognize that look anywhere, so don't worry." She began to walk towards the group, looking over her shoulder at Skylar with a smile. "Come on, let's go ahead and go and find a shop that at least someone other than Vanessa and me will shop in."
Skylar automatically went to catch up with her, walking side by side with the older teen. They met back up with their group to continue on with their search and adventure around the Castletown of Kikka.
30 minutes later…
After a while from going to shop to shop, Skylar, Noelle, Asta, and Eyasei still hadn't found anything that interested them enough to actually buy anything. It was starting to look sort of grim from Vanessa's and Hikairi's standpoint since they were about to run out of shops that they had either been to or knew that there was a chance that at least one of their squadmates would be interested in.
They decided to go into a place that they knew contained supplies that they needed to obtain, going inside alone in order to figure out some sort of plan before Hikairi and Eyasei had to leave to meet up with Rubi and Tetra for their mission some time later.
Hikairi found everything she needed with ease since it was only a few things and went to the side of the shop that she had seen Vanessa last. She found her in an aisle that had a variety of herbs that ranged from healing to ones that counteracted poisons.
"Found all that you needed here, kiddo?" Vanessa asked as she bent down towards a lower shelf.
"Yeah, I think so." Hikairi stated as she looked down at the list that Tetra had given her before they had split the group. She sighed aloud as she put her back onto the shelf behind her. "Any ideas on where we should go next?"
"Unfortunately, no. It seems we have a pretty tough crowd to please. Do you happen to see any stamina restoring herbs on the shelf next to you by any chance?"
Hikairi looked around before she found what the woman had asked for. "Here you go," She stated before she let out a nervous laugh. "And that's an understatement. Yasei and Skylar don't really seem like the shopping type. And Elle has always been pretty hard to please even when we were kids, so it'll probably be about as hard to find something that interests her. And then there's Asta who seems to have the opposite problem and is too interested in everything around him to even settle on just one thing."
"That does pretty much summarize our current predicament." Vanessa stated as she put the item into her bag. She rose up to her feet and walked towards the spot that should have the last item on her list. "Though I have some ideas of what Noelle and Skylar may be looking for at least."
"Oh, really? What is it?"
"Well, Noelle would definitely benefit in finding a magic item that would help her out with her magic. And Skylar needs something a little milder than Cassius's tonics to help her sleep through the night without any issues."
Hikairi contemplated that for a while before an idea popped into her head. "How about we go to that hidden area that you and Vice-Captain Chikajo took me to during my first week on the Celestial Rays?"
Vanessa's eyes widened as a smile came across her face. "The Black Marker?" She asked, seeing the teen send her a nod. "That sounds like a great idea."
They went up to the clerk to pay for the goods they had acquired, walking outside to find where they had left their group of rookies.
"Say I've been meaning to ask." Vanessa said aloud with some seriousness in her voice. "With that get-up that you have on, I'm guessing today's mission day?"
"Yeah." Hikairi responded as her eyes fell slightly. "Like the Captain told you and Finral yesterday, it's a recon mission into one of their camps. It hopefully won't be too dangerous for me and Tetra having to keep an out for Eyasei and the other girl we're bringing with us that's new. But for once I think that's just wishful thinking to believe that this will go as planned."
"It's rare to hear such negativity from you. You're usually the most positive one out of any group you're in. What brought this on today of all days?"
"I've been having a bad feeling is all that just won't go away no matter what I do." Hikairi sighed. "Just after everything I've learned these last couple weeks relating to this cult, it just makes me wonder if Skylar really has been their true goal after all this time. And if she really is, then, what kind of power are they trying to force her to gain for their own benefit? I saw personally what happened to those in Misuteru and Zeel when their magic went out of control. Nozel had forced both me and Noelle to go into his room and hide after a couple of them had managed to get on the estate. He barricaded the door with his mercury magic on one side and had me cover the inside part with my magic. It's a day I won't ever forget. And the brotherliest thing I've ever seen him do in years, meaning whoever was affected by the shadow magic must have had enough power to even prompt him to be concerned about his youngest sister for once…."
"It's just sort of scary or nerve racking I guess, for me to know that other than Captain Demetria, I'm probably the only other light mage within the Magic Knights that's able to counter that dark and twisted magic the leader uses. I'm starting to have…doubts…on both myself and magic considering there's a chance that it may not be effective enough to do anything since my light magic isn't the only attribute that I have, most likely lessening its purity. If that's the case, what would I be able to do if they somehow get what they're after and get Skylar, and I'm her last chance to both reclaiming her sense of self and not…dying such a miserable, painful death?"
Vanessa's eyes fell slightly from the shakiness that seemed to be threatening to come up to the surface in Hikairi's voice.
Silence fell between them before she raised her gloved hand to lightly land on Hikairi's hair. "I know. I'm sorry that you have this much pressure on your shoulders at your age." She said before she smiled when she saw Hikairi's eyes look over at her. "But I think you're the right person for the job. You're a strong, compassionate, and excellent mage. Have faith not only in yourself, but also your squadmates and comrades. You're not alone in this as there are more people other than you and me who's looking out for Skylar's safety."
Hikairi thought on those words before she sent Vanessa a smile of her own and nodded her head. "You're right. Thanks."
Vanessa sent her a reassuring nod before she let go of her hair and quickened her pace, seeing the younger half of their group in the distance waiting on them to return.
Hikairi walked behind her at the same pace for a few moments before she walked faster to catch up to her.
"Hey, Miss Vanessa, before we go to the Black Market, is it okay that I talk to Noelle privately for a bit?" She asked.
Vanessa looked at her in surprise before she nodded her head. "Yeah, I'll probably roam a little more to see if there are any shops I may have missed that may interest them at least a little bit. Just meet up with us at the entrance and we'll go inside together."
"Okay I will."
They had to walk for a few minutes before they were in talking distance, with them both hearing whatever conversation the teens were having pause as they either raised or stood up from their respective positions.
"That was quick." Skylar commented before moving to the side as Asta got in front of her.
"Did you both get what you needed?" He asked.
Vanessa and Hikairi nodded in response. Vanessa turned around and began to walk to their next destination. "Come on guys. There are a couple more places I want to go to before we make it to the final stop."
They went to follow her, including Noelle who took a small step forwards before she felt a gentle hand grab her wrist. She looked back and saw Hikairi sending her a warm gaze.
"Is there something wrong, Hikairi?" She asked, seeing something flash inside her gray eyes that seemed to be trying to hide something from her to see.
"Not really, there's just something I want to talk to you about." Hikairi responded. "It shouldn't be long, so we'll catch back up with the others since I know where Vanessa is taking them."
Noelle sent her back a small nod and followed behind her. They both missed a look from Eyasei who had been listening in on their conversation from afar. She looked over at the older teen's back with a narrowed gaze, sensing some underlying emotion growing under the surface of the girl's current demeanor.
Whatever they're going to talk about, she must not want me at least to hear about it since she's trying to walk out of my hearing range. She thought. She went to take a step forwards to follow, before she heard Vanessa call her name from behind her.
"Come on, Eyasei, or you're going to be left behind!" She heard her say.
She sent her yellow eyes to look over at the woman behind her and contemplated on whether or not to comply. After a few moments, she let out a small sigh and turned away from Hikairi's and Noelle's direction.
That woman must be in on it, she thought as she moved towards Skylar, Asta, and Vanessa, looking up and seeing the older woman sending her a small though suspicious smile as she turned around to lead the group somewhere else.
It's probably nothing for me to spend any time wasting on trying to think too much over it though.
From what I've gotten to know of her these last few days, Hika isn't the type of person to withhold information unless she feels that it's absolutely necessary.
Noelle walked casually right next to the Hikairi, sending a sideways glance towards the girl who had yet to even say a single word since she had asked to follow her. After having some time alone with the older teen, she noticed how worn she seemed overall even with the amount of happiness she was most likely forcing into her expression to derail any thoughts that Noelle was currently having. She didn't seem like she was sick in any way, though, the Silva could tell that she probably still hadn't fully recovered from the last mission she had gone on.
Even if the girl hadn't mentioned it aloud, Noelle knew that she was going on another one later today due to the current attire she was wearing. Hikairi typically didn't care much for following the usual standards for nobles when it came to what they wore, with the only indication of her nobility being her likeness to her mother and the Guregin crest most likely hidden in her squad cloak or pockets.
She wondered why Hikairi had singled her out like this, with some part of her thinking that it could have been due to the way she had acted earlier towards Eyasei, her new squadmate. She never let it on, but she didn't really enjoy the times Hikairi called her out on her behavior in any way when it came to things like that, holding her opinion higher than anyone else, even when compared to that of her own siblings.
Even if she hadn't shown it, maybe she was still upset with her, since she hadn't even apologized for it in any way. It left Noelle somewhat nervous to find out what this whole situation was about, tearing her gaze away from the girl after a while of thinking of the potential reasons they were walking alone without the others.
Calm down Noelle, it's probably nothing, she thought as she took in and let out a small breath.
It's probably something stupid like the aftermath of Demetria most likely finding out what she did during the exams that day….or whatever Mimosa decided to do when it came with what squad she chose.
It could be about whatever mission she's going on or a whole bunch of things that don't end in her being angry with you in any way for what you said about that brute of a girl. She knew that what she said to me was uncalled for and what I said was unwelcomed but also warranted for the situation.
So, there's nothing to fret over. I mean, who cares if she's angry or upset with you in any way? You sure don't.
She was doing well in calming herself down before that last thought came across her mind, feeling her nervousness return with a vengeance considering she knew that to be a complete, and utter lie no matter the way she spun it.
Hikairi seemed too preoccupied with her own thoughts to even notice her inner turmoil, though, walking on until she found a side alley that seemed like a great place to talk.
When she figured they were deep enough, she brought out her grimoire from her satchel.
"Alright, this should be a good place." She said under her breath as her grimoire flashed silver-white. "Silverlight Magic: Light Refraction."
A barrier of silver was instantly created around them before it seemed to fizzle away back into their surroundings from before. The spell that she casted allowed for them to see what was around them while those on the outside saw a reflection pretty close to what was really there other than those on the inside. It made for a perfect place to have private conversations with someone else just in case someone was trying to listen in since it was pretty much soundproof.
Hikairi let out a long sigh as she put her grimoire back into her satchel and stretched her arms above her head. "Sorry how long it took me to find this spot. Some of what I'm going to say is probably not the best to say out in the open." She said before she smiled over at Noelle. "Before we get to that, though, how have you liked your time with the Black Bulls and your two other rookie squadmates?"
Noelle blinked a couple times in surprise for the simplicity of her question. She relaxed after a few moments and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, in my experience, they're a bunch of loudmouth, annoying brutes who pay little attention to authority."
"Oh wow…okay," Hikairi sweatdropped. "I knew it would be an adjustment for you, but I didn't think it would be that bad. I can try my best to see if I can ask Captain Demetria if she can get Captain Yami to transfer you to the-"
"Kairi, you didn't let me finish." Noelle said before Hikairi could finish. She saw the older teen look over in surprise as she smiled, slightly, at her reaction. "It's true that squad is filled to the brim with people I wouldn't normally surround myself with. But that doesn't automatically mean that it's something I can't try to be a part of for the time being. They don't seem to care much for who I am or my lack of control when it comes to my magic just as much as you and Mimosa it seems, which is something I honestly didn't think I would ever find again…."
"I'm just another addition to their cast of characters they already have: a street punk and battle crazed lightning mage that constantly fight each other, a young girl that eats about as much as another downs alcohol, a hopeless flirt, a self-absorbed guy who has a obsession over anything involving his sister, a mana less boy who has more muscle than brains, and an annoying, overly sarcastic girl who has about as much control as I do with her magic due to either her emotions or condition going out of control at the worst time. And these are just some of the people I deal with day in and day out. It can be trying at times and downright exhausting during others whenever I'm around them, but I've found myself actually able to grow used to it over these last few days. So, there's nothing for you to worry about. I'm fine where I am, so there's no need for you to go to such lengths to get me transferred elsewhere."
Hikairi kept looking at Noelle with disbelief radiating inside of her eyes before a chuckle escaped her breath. "That's good to hear, Elle." She said with a bright smile. "I'm glad that you've enjoyed your time with them so far. Sorry for jumping to conclusions too quickly. I guess it's the older sister in me trying to make sure her little sis is alright."
Just as she hoped with that last comment, Noelle's face went bright red before she tried her best at hiding it by looking off to the side. "You overly apologetic dummy. There's nothing you have to even say sorry for."
Hikairi just giggled in response before a serious look fell in her eyes after a while, prompting Noelle to grow tense from seeing it on a face it rarely comes from.
"Well with that out of the way, I'm going to move on to something else that may seem silly and out of the blue right now, but please just answer the best that you can." She stated hesitantly. When Noelle nodded for her to continue, she let out a small sigh and raised her back up from the wall she was lying against. "Okay, so….I know you two haven't been with each other long, but have you noticed anything weird or off about Skylar these last few days?"
"Skylar?" Noelle questioned, though mostly towards herself before she contemplated the answer. "I don't think so. She did seem a little off during our first mission yesterday. She was frustrated or angry at something before we confronted the mages that were attacking the village when we happened to be there. She acted off during that time as well, but….I sort of know the reason behind as to why that occurred…"
Noelle decided not to go into much detail about how the rogue mage had revealed some pieces of Skylar's past, something that seemed to anger the girl for a few moments enough that she looked almost ready to end his life right then and there. She didn't feel it was her place to say such information aloud to even Hikairi without Skylar's permission and Yami had told her, Asta, and Magna to keep that information under wraps for right now.
Before she had any time to move on, Hikairi decided to finish off the statement she knew the Silva had hesitated to complete.
"She was upset during the confrontation with the rogue ice mage, Heath Grice, that attacked Saussy village due to how he revealed to everyone that she was born as a child of both House Zeel and Misuteru, right?"
Noelle's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait what, you know?" She asked, seeing Hikairi nod her head in response. "Did she tell you or did you find out for yourself somehow?"
"More the latter than the former." Hikairi answered. "Due to the last couple of missions and this current mission that Captain Demetria and King Julius have assigned for the Rays to investigate, the Captain and Vice-Captain thought it was probably necessary to provide both me and Tetra with that information yesterday late afternoon."
"Why would that information been valuable to know? Unless…" Noelle questioned under her breath as she narrowed her eyes in thought. They widened as soon as something seemed to click inside of her head. "Unless she's either somehow involved, or in some type of danger?"
She looked up at Hikairi for her answer, flinching slightly at her friend's solemn gaze as she let out another sigh under her breath.
"There's this group called the Shadows of Teruzeel, where their goal resides in a prophecy that was presumably created centuries ago, after House Teruzeel split into both House Misuteru and Zeel, sort of how House Silvamillion spilt up to form both House Silva and Vermillion. " Hikairi began to explain, using her magic to create both of the seals from her memories of the many books she had read inside of the royal archives.
"They believe that someone will be born with powers akin to some sort of God when the blood of House Misuteru and Zeel is combined once again to create the blood of Teruzeel once more. This said child will lead them to their so-called salvation, which even Captain Demetria agrees is just another way of calling for the destruction of this kingdom and probably the others down the line as we know it if they're not stopped…"
"Their leader, a mage that uses some sort of Shadow Memory magic, is the one who has been pulling the strings for this cult for years, along with the fates of probably everyone who died during that day when those in Misuteru and Zeel lost control of their magic. He uses his magic to corrupt the memories inside of an individual to fit his own needs and-"
"Kairi, slow down for just a moment. You're going too fast." Noelle said before the girl could go any further. She was being overloaded with sensitive information too much too quickly. She could tell that it was most likely because her friend was getting progressively nervous every passing word. "You're starting to honestly lose me. You're saying that this shadow mage and cult were the ones responsible for that day and the deaths for nearly everyone within both of those houses?"
"Oh, sorry and yes." Hikairi responded before her eyes fell slightly. "But not just them sadly since the deaths of a few others were what escalated tensions that were already between them. Though years a part, we believe that the deaths of each of the former heads of both houses, Kazon Zeel, Moeru and Dinah Misuteru, are probably what pushed the Houses to the brink before that mage did anything to them with his magic."
Noelle's eyes widened when she heard two very familiar names come in her ears.
Dinah and Moeru Misuteru? She thought to herself as the gravity of the situation began to weigh on her.
That's Skylar's Aunt and Mother if I remember correctly. From what I overhead from Nebra and Nozel, Dinah died from her injuries during a mission a few years back. And Moeru…
Her mind unconsciously flashed back to her and Vanessa's encounter with Skylar when her magic went out of control.
["Where was that when she needed it the most?...where was help when my mother died right then and there for no reason at all?...But how would you understand something like that? How would you or any of you understand what I'm feeling right now to even begin to want to help me!? You don't know me nor does that Black Bull's captain, and you both sure as hell wouldn't be able to understand the pain I'm feeling right now!"]
She died a couple years earlier, right in front of…Oh no…
"Kairi," Noelle called out as realization spread on her face. "Why are you telling me all of this? Why is it that you wanted to know if Skylar has been acting strange at all during these last couple days?"
Hikairi was silent for a while, debating with herself on if she should voice something that had been eating at her soul for a while now, ever since Eyasei had described the lightning mage's mana.
["It's faint and doesn't happen all the time, but the only way I can describe it at least after the few times I've smelt it is that there's something swirling and shifting inside of her with a darkness lingering at its center."]
She let out a breath after a few moments to prep herself for Noelle's reaction, looking over at the girl with seriousness layered in her eyes.
"I'm telling this to you because I want you to keep an eye on her. I know that some like Captain Yami, Miss Vanessa, Finral and even some in my own squad are already, but I've known you longer than anyone. I know you better and been around you more than even my own mother. I trust you and just want to make sure Skylar, you, and everyone in this situation is safe…because…"
She paused, finding herself unable to go any further before she pushed herself to say the words.
"Because," She repeated again. "I think there's a chance that Skylar has already been corrupted with the Shadow Mage's Shadow magic."
Word Count of Chapter: 9877 |Pages: 17 pages |Reviews: 24 |Follows: 81 |Favorites: 72
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savagemaster1999: With characters like Skylar and even Eyasei around, it's probably going to be a little harder for our resident bird to keep her cover as one. The history behind the Guregin's connection with the royal houses will be gone over more in later chapters. Though, right now I'll say that Kiyomeru has been the main doctor/healer to those in Clover Castle for years. So she is one of the few that does know of Skylar's background and the lives of Dinah and Moeru fairly well since she did watch them grow up along with others like Nozel and Fuegoleon.
Thanks for your Review!
-PurpleClover99