Chapter Thirty-Three: Windswept

Note: Hope your all having a good week! I loved the comments you left for the last chapter! They were so wholesome and sweet! Now then… onward!

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Rain ran down the inner courtyard windows, soaking the pavement and topsoil below as the once light rains steadily progressed into a full-on storm. Thunder rattled the windows, and the occasional flash of light was the closest thing to mid-morning light that they would probably experience today. Wind whipped through the covered corridor, spraying water up the bottoms of the windows and caking mud and grime between every grove and seam in the stone foundation. It would be a mess to clean up, but at least they didn't have to worry about that for a while now. They were safely inside of the old house, and that was where they would stay until this storm let up.

Some would consider the conditions dreary and even disheartening, but V welcomed them. There was something about the sight of rain that soothed him, the ambient trickle of water that threatened to lull him to sleep if he didn't keep his wits about him. The addition of whatever kind of tea they had been served didn't help, the warm mixture of herbs and spices tingling his tastebuds and swaddling him in an inviting warmth that he didn't want to leave. All he was missing was a good blanket. He already had access to the fireplace on the right side of the room. He would have to make a note of asking what this was so that he could venture out and procure some for himself. Or maybe he could order it. Going to the grocery store wasn't something he was keen to do for a while. Perhaps a grocery delivery service.

Noticing that the storm was picking up again, Magnolia leaned over and lazily rested her chin and neck on her open palm, her elbow doing most of the work in keeping her head upright. Now that she was able to truly appreciate the view from within her ancestral home, she had to admit that her assumptions about this storm were true. And something told the botanist that her young niece might agree with her. "This storm is unnatural. It has been for some time.

"It's been storming quite a bit lately, hasn't it? I mean, it's always dreary in this region, but this year has truly been something else." Hydrangea said casually as she sipped her tea, looking out at the rain-drenched garden just behind the glass on the far side of the room. Overcast weather didn't help the encroaching darkness that had consumed the manor by this point. "Well, I can't say the whole year. Just in the time since that whole ordeal in Redgrave City. I wonder if any of the locals have noticed. A storm rolled in a few weeks after it, and it just hasn't let up since. This is going to be a winter to remember."

"Oh, I would think they have noticed. No one stays out late anymore. The streets are bare and lifeless. One would think the entire region was on lockdown, but I think people have just become afraid to venture very far beyond their own front doors." She shook her head slowly, quietly morning the loss of independence that she knew most of the locals must feel in regards to their situation. All they probably knew was that ever since that demonic tree had sprouted from the depths of hell and sucked the blood out of the unfortunate denizens of several city blocks, nothing had been the same. And it probably never would be again. Damage like that left a gaping wound, both physically and metaphysically. "Those of us who actually know what's going on have seemingly done the same if this lockdown is anything to go by. Would you mind explaining the nature of it to me, dear?"

Hydrangea shrugged nebulously, yawning as she stretched and attempted to wake herself up. "Mom called for basic precautions about two weeks ago. Auntie Aluta said she had a bad feeling and that she suspected that something ominous might happen. And then there was a fire at a convenience store, and some of our scouts found evidence of dark corruptive magic on a scale that hasn't been seen in a long time." She shrugged again, clearly not really sure what else she could say about the matter. These were matters that she honestly didn't know much about. After all, she didn't help make those decisions. "Mom locked up the place tight after that, and then Auntie Aluta skipped town. Said she would be back sometime this week. Apparently, she has to check on something, or whatever. I don't question her. Sometimes she has a hard time grounding herself in the present, what with her premonitions and all."

Vergil shared a questioning glance with Dante before turning back towards the young girl, drinking the tea that they had been served. It was quite good, and barely anyone had spoken since it had been poured into their cups and the first sips had met their lips. "Does she leave town unannounced often due to these… premonitions?"

Dante nodded, admittedly curious as to what she had meant by that statement as well. Did Magnolia's younger sister have truly strange powers, or was something more going on here that he just didn't quite comprehend? He would be the first to admit that he didn't actually know much about magic, or whatever the Ludwig family considered it. This was a learning experience for him, just as much as it was for most of the rest of them. Lucia seemed to be the only one in this situation who wasn't totally out of the loop in regards to these sorts of matters. While she didn't seem to fully understand what they were talking about, she was at least able to nod along and comprehend it. Either that, or she was a dab hand at faking it until she made it. Either way, she was leagues ahead of him in that regard.

"Yea, about that… can your aunt see the future or something? Is that, you know, a thing? Because I didn't know you could do something like that. That's news to me." The youngest son of the Dark Knight Sparda said, gesturing to emphasize his surprise. If that was possible, then he wanted to know if it was something you could learn, or a gift you had to be born with. It couldn't be all that common, or he would have heard about it by now. What an interesting revelation.

The young woman looked skeptical in regards to her ability to answer that question. "You're probably not going to believe me, but I never really questioned how she was able to do that. I heard she came in contact with some statue or something, and she just sort of developed the ability to sense when things just weren't right. They were called the Beast Heads or something like that. Can't be sure. I was probably five when that happened, si it was almost a lifetime ago. My mom was there, so you should probably ask her. If you really want to know more about it. Honestly, she probably doesn't know too much about it either. Auntie Aluta can't really control it. It just sort of happens every now and then."

Dante cringed internally. Great. Things just got better and better.

It was Nero's turn to interject. He had been sitting next to V this entire time, quietly awaiting the moment when something would be said that would actually pique his interest, and this was it. He could sympathize with having gifts thrust upon you that you never would have asked for in your wildest dreams. What she was going through sounded hellish to him. What on earth did she see or sense? He'd like to ask her, if he ever got the chance. There was no way of knowing if they would still be over here when she returned from whatever she was doing.

Little did Nero know that V shared much the same opinion in regards to this revelation as he did. The older of the two had been quietly listening to them as he indulged himself, enjoying the tea and opting to only speak up if he thought he had something useful to add to the discussion. Unfortunately, he only had questions, but that didn't mean that he couldn't still contribute something. None of them had thought to mention what had happened inside of Belial's illusion to her. If her family was concerned with the attack that he had orchestrated that had resulted in that store being burned down in the first place, then it might be a good idea to explain to her what had happened. For all he knew, she might be able to put his mind at ease.

"We happened to be inside of that anomaly when it occurred. It was certainly dark." V said as he calmly gestured towards Sirrus. The man with the red hair had seemingly checked out of the conversation and seemed to be nearly ready to doze off. Much like himself, his wounds had healed quickly, but he couldn't say much in regards to his energy levels. He had remained somewhat drained, but Sirrus seemed to be able to manage a little bit better than him, despite the severity of his injuries. It was hard to say what he was going through, but if he was falling back asleep this early in the morning, then V was willing to bet that they were largely in the same boat. "I have no idea how the attack was orchestrated, but I believe I was the target of its creator. Of that, I have very little doubt. Belial was very clear about that fact."

Hydrangea gaped, clearly recognizing that name. She looked between V and Sirrus, a look somewhere between wonderment and concern spreading across her face. It seemed that that wasn't a consideration that they had taken into mind. Belial might not have even been on their radar. V remembered Sirrus saying that his organization had been keeping tabs on the Devil Prince's activities, but that didn't mean that that organization had to be his relatives. Sirrus was here because of work, even if they didn't understand that work. Magnolia had asked for his assistance, and he had made it work equally within the constraints of both parties. That didn't mean that V necessarily knew who the other party involved was, or that he needed to. So long as Sirrus was on their side and was trying his best to help them, that was all he truly cared about.

"You lost a fight to Belial? Wow Siri, I thought you were tougher than that." Hydrangea leaned over and punched him in the shoulder, giggling frantically as she took the opportunity to shame him and everything he stood for. This wasn't a regular occurrence that she could normally capitalize on. Sirrus was usually very difficult to take down in a fight. "Why didn't you just do that thing? You know, that one thing? I can't remember what it's called. You're really good at it, though."

"First of all, I've only done that once. It's very dangerous, and I probably would have caused far too much damage to the integrity of the illusion for it to be a feasible option." Sirrus said, shaking his head and leaning over to playfully point at her. There was a note of seriousness to his tone, but he was still trying to keep things civil and lighthearted, and it showed. But then something changed in his eyes, a certain mournful pain glittering in them for a moment as he swallowed and glanced over at V. "Power like that has a terrible cost. I could only bring myself to do something like that if I was the only one in danger. When you wield weapons of that magnitude, you have to consider the lives of those who walked into that fight with you. You have a responsibility to make sure they see their families again. Victory at the cost of everything is not victory, it's egotistical and an example of hubris in its purest state. A war of attrition is preferable to a pyrrhic victory."

Pausing for a moment to consider her relative's words, she seemed to allow them to really sink in. She then nodded, looking over towards V and then back towards Sirrus. "Is it a victory if you never live to see it, either? I agree with you… but in situations like that, is there ever a way to truly win? Because it doesn't seem like it."

Sirrus nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. He then shared a final look at V before turning away. "Sometimes your lucky enough to share the battlefield with someone who has integrity. It's especially rare when it's not a battle that you willingly walk into, but I believe that is when one truly demonstrates their true upper limits of character. It's about what you do when you think no one will be able to judge you for your actions that truly matters, and that is when you glean the true worth of another. I was simply fortunate to be stuck in an unfortunate situation with the kind of person who understood that."

The room fell quiet for a moment as V took in Sirrus's statement in silence, unsure as to what to say to something like that. While Everyone present seemed to grasp the bare essentials of Sirrus's ethos statement, he was the only one present who truly understood what the other man was talking about. This was about more than the battle that they had not been able to fight. He understood that now. This was about the moment when he had made the decision not to turn tail and leave Sirrus for dead. After all, he was right. He would not have been able to pass judgment on him for something so basic as not wanting to die. But the fact that he had been willing to intervene and risk everything in spite of that meant a greater deal to the Adjudicator with the long red hair than he realized, and in turn, that meant something to him that he couldn't quite put into words.

Griffon suddenly manifested a moment later, perching himself on the back of the couch as he cackled mischievously at V's silence. The young summoner blinked slowly, giving his trusted companion a knowing look and a disapproving head shake. There were far too many people in this room for him to even consider allowing the dastardly little troublemaker to do what he knew he probably planned to do. "Don't you dare start."

Unable to help himself, Griffon's laughter picked up and became more noticeable, drawing eyes from throughout the room. "Don't what? Point out the fact that you have the communication skills of a smirred love letter to an unrequited lover? Or is that too topical, V?" The bird's eyes darted across the room, lingering on Lucia for a moment before they returned to V. Thankfully she couldn't see him do that from the angle that she was sitting at. "What, too soon? Look, just take the compliment! It won't kill ya, will it? Or are you allergic to being proud of yourself?"

Shadow manifested a moment later, swatting Griffon away as he darted out of her reach and onto the top of one of the bookcases. The large panther then walked around the couch and plopped down on the ground, allowing her head to rest against V's ungrateful legs. He wouldn't complain though. She had just saved his hide. She had earned head scratches for that timely rescue. He had been too mortified to react, and she seemed to sense that. He had to appreciate that about Shadow. The demonic housecat was always there for him when it truly counted, even if she couldn't say anything. And she made a good pillow, all things considered. Truly a versatile companion.

Just then, the sound of heels clicking echoed down the hallway as a woman in a long blue dress rounded the corner and, upon seeing the room full of people, stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes seemed to linger on her older sister, a sort of festering white-hot furry threatening to bubble over as she attempted to compose herself. This had to be Willow. The resemblance between her and Magnolia was uncanny, almost startlingly close, in fact. At least as far as appearances went.

Before anyone present could say anything, Willow looked over across the room and went from frustrated and seemingly livid at her older sister's presence, too flabbergasted and flustered. Practically every set of eyes in the room traveled to her and then from there, to the object of her attention. And when they realized what she was looking at, confusion and surprise set in in equal measure. Was she actually looking at…

"Well, one of us is going to have to change, and it isn't going to me, Vergil. By the gods, do you age? What's it been, twenty-five years?" She folded her arms, an amused smirk spreading across her face into an actual full-blown smile as he allowed her arm to fall and rest at her sides. As much as she was trying to hide it, she was thrilled to death to see the Darkslayer, and it wasn't a reaction that he or anyone else in the room was accustomed to receiving when he met a long-lost acquaintance. "I'd hug you, but I enjoy having two arms. I'm sure you'd be just as liable to remove them from my body as you were back when we were teenagers! Some things never change. I don't even need to consider my chances."

"Twenty-three years, five months, and one week. Not that I was counting." Vergil said in a tone so deadpan that it was hard to tell if he was being disingenuous or actually had counted the precise days. Either way, it elicited a humored giggle from the tall woman in the trailing blue dress. Her gray and brown-streaked hair trailed down her back and fell in curtains around her shoulders as she brushed it out of the way and looked over at Dante, a surprised look crossing her face. "Oh, and you finally brought your twin brother to visit us like you said you would. And here I thought you were lying."

Dante looked between his twin brother and the tall woman in abject shock and confusion, sure that he wasn't the only one in the room who had picked up on the change in atmosphere around them. There was no way that Vergil hadn't noticed it, even though he seemed to be doing his level best to neither acknowledge it nor contribute to it. This reunion was surely the only thing keeping peace in the room, a fact that was supported by the uncomfortable look that Willow and Magnolia shared a moment later, clearly uncomfortable with being in the presence of one another.

"I was, Willow. This is just happenstance." Vergil said in a slightly more accommodating tone, sensing the growing hostility between the two sisters. "Speaking of things that didn't change… My eldest has found himself in something of a predicament, and as such, we came to seek your expertise. My brother is rarely up this early otherwise."

The Youngest Son of Sparda shrugged in reluctant agreement. Vergil wasn't wrong, but he also didn't appreciate him negatively contributing to the possibility of this frankly drop-dead gorgeous woman ever speaking to him. But surely if she tolerated Vergil, she could at least allow him a moment of her time once things calmed down a little. Oh, who was he kidding? He had rotten luck with beautiful ladies. It was only a matter of time before she impaled him with something, shot him, or ran him over. Maybe he should just quit while he was ahead…

"Honest as ever, old friend. And even less funny. Oh, how I've missed our talks." The smile returned as she shook her head, genuine amusement present in her face as she glanced over at Nero and V. A soft smile spread across her face. She didn't need to ask if they were his. She just knew. Especially Nero. The resemblance was uncanny. "So then… how can I help you?"

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Well, this was a fun chapter to write! Books are in the mail! Supposedly they will take two weeks to get here, so I'll update you when they arrive. Wasn't willing to pay $28 for faster shipping. That's insane. Can't wait to read your comments on this one!