Chap 13 – Frozen Blood
"I see someone up ahead." Kirito ran up another flight of stairs.
"Slow down, Kirito." Alice scolded. "It could be another opponent."
"Or it could be your sister and Royne. Come on."
Soon, the two afore mentioned girls came into view. Ronye was staggering on her feet; one hand wrapped around her stomach; blood oozing from her deep wound. Selka had one hand on Ronye's back while the other clutched Ronye's left hand in a firm grip.
"System Call: Transfer Human Durability, Right to Left." Selka spoke confidently as both girls began to glow. Unlike the first time she had used this sacred art; Selka had jumped in without hesitation; determined to heal the injured girl.
"What the hell happened?" Kirito's voice was a cross between anger and panic.
"Kirito sempai." Ronye winced out; a strained smile on her face. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this."
"Don't worry about it." Kirito placed his chained hands on Ronye's cheeks; bringing their faces close. "Just don't die on me. I can't and won't lose another person I care about."
"Kirito sempai…" Ronye's eyes widened.
"Linel did this." Selka bit out; bringing Kirito's attention toward her; his hands falling from Ronye's face. "She was caught off guard by something that Integrity Knight said."
"Let me take over." Alice stated with authority.
"I've got this." Selka refused to budge.
"Don't try to be the hero. You need to explain what happened."
Selka reluctantly backed off, pulling Kirito away. "There's no antidote." She stated regretfully.
"What?" Kirito growled.
"Linel said the poison was made minutes before it was forced into Asuna's body."
"She has to be lying."
"Ronye thinks so too; however…" Selka took ahold of Kirito's bounded hands and used a high level freezing sacred art on his chains. They cracked and fell to the ground; shattering on impact. "…I believe Linel was telling the truth."
"I can't think the worse." Kirito looked dejectedly as he tended to his raw wrists. "I have to believe there's still something I can do for her."
"You'll figure it out." Selka offered a smile. "Plus you have me and Alice."
"Thanks, Selka." Kirito returned with a sad smile.
"You must be a good mentor," Selka changed topics; hoping to cheer up Kirito.
"What makes you say that?"
"Not only did Ronye confront Linel, but she also fought and defeated Fizel."
"She did?"
"Yeah, the girl has skills and she's dedicated as hell."
"Sounds like Ronye. Once she puts her mind to something, she'll work hard to achieve her goals."
"There's something you need to know though…" Selka said ominously. "…she killed Fizel."
"What?" Kirito was in utter shock.
"She seems to believe things will work out as they did with you and Eugeo."
"That was completely different."
"What's going on over here?" Alice helped a more stable Ronye over. "Judging by your expression, Kirito, you must have learned something unexpected."
"I did." Kirito's grey eyes slid over to his page. "But we will cross that bridge later." Ronye gave an uneasy grin.
"Uh…has anyone seen Tiese?" Ronye spoke quickly; pulling the attention off herself.
"Tiese?" Kirito looked around, not seeing the red haired girl.
"She bolted as soon as she sent Linel flying." Selka answered.
"Tiese's responsible for what happened to Linel?" Kirito furred his brow, not sure of the facts.
"Yes. It was her plan that bested the knight."
"But I just found her." Ronye sighed. "Why'd she have to run off again?"
"I think it was something you said." Selka spoke.
"Really?" Ronye did a double blink. "I wonder what that could have been."
"Ronye," Kirito said calmly. "Are you well enough to continue up these stairs? Administrator and Eugeo are waiting at the top." Ronye gave a quick nod.
"I'm eager to get there too, Kirito," Alice chimed in. "however, if Selka could first remove these horrid manacles, I'd greatly appreciate it."
OOooOOooOO
Linel fluttered her eyes open to find herself staring at the ceiling. "Those girls are so going to pay for that." She ground out before slowly sitting up, her hand on her forehead. "Whoa!" Her other hand pushed against something metallic? Linel turned her head and saw an unconscious Sheyta, sprawled out beneath her; blood pooling and dripping from the back of her head. The older knight's body was laying at a strange angle as it covered multiple stairs. Linel jumped up; her gaze never leaving Sheyta's body. "Sheyta?" The woman didn't respond.
Linel gulped, an image passing through her mind that that could have been her. After clearing her thoughts, Linel glanced down to see if she herself had received any injuries; she didn't. "Thanks for the save, Sheyta." She laughed then quickly covered her mouth as an unknown voice filled her ears. Linel ducked into the shadows, curious as to who was there.
OOooOOooOO
"Are you disappointed you missed me in the armory?" Cardinal asked coolly as she walked next to Renly on the stairs towards the twenty-fifth floor.
"…"
"I'd advise against trying that again. Remember, it's my ideas and instruments that are keeping you in this world and not the next one. You owe me your loyalty." Renly growled in response. "I smell blood." Cardinal dashed ahead; wanting to discover the source. Seconds later, Cardinal found herself looking down at the fallen Integrity Knight with Renly coming to stop next to her. "Do you know this woman?" The boy knight scrunched his brows, nothing registering with him. "Doesn't matter," Cardinal muttered before bending down to check the pulse at the woman's neck; it was slight but steady. "…whoever she is, she has presented you with an opportunity. Kill her and take her sacred power."
The boy knight reached for his Twin Wing Blades; holding them still in his hands.
"What's the matter?" Cardinal quirked a brow. "You have nothing to fear."
"I'm…." Renly dropped his weapons and lowered himself to his knees. "…hungry…." He then took ahold of Sheyta's limp shoulders; one in each hand. Using new found strength, he pulled at her armor until it fractured; revealing a black tunic and unprotected flesh underneath. Next, Renly bowed down; his mouth stopping inches above her throat.
"What are you doing?" Cardinal whispered harshly.
Seconds later, Renly's teeth clamped down, ripping into the knight's jugular. Blood gushed out, the tiny vessels ruptured from his powerful bite. Sheyta's body jerked before she unconsciously threw up blood, the warm liquid covering the sides of her face and neck as Renly continued to gnaw upon her throat as if it were beef jerky.
"Renly!" Cardinal called out as she watched in horror as the boy imitated a rabid, starving dog holding onto a scrap of meat.
Driven by the need to pass on this madness to another, Renly pulled Sheyta closer to him. His mouth continuing to tear and break the knight's skin; his hands crushing the bones beneath them in a vicelike grip. More blood rushed out; filling Renly's mouth to the brink. In order to consume all the crimson wine and blood-soaked flesh, Renly merely opened his mouth wider, his jaw popping with a loud crack.
Cardinal placed her hands against her ears, not wanting to hear the animalistic sounds coming from Renly. She then shut her eyes tight; focusing on her breathing. After a few minutes, she bravely made her way over toward the boy knight and raised a hand to open Renly's status window. It flashed an alarming red instead of the typical bluish purple color. Cardinal's eyes widened as she witnessed his life points drop from point five to point one.
While Cardinal was engrossed in his screen, Renly grabbed onto one of her ankles, bringing Cardinal down hard onto her back; her staff flying from her fingers. "Oof!" She yelped. When she came too, Renly had crawled over her; his fingernails shredding and twisting the fabric of her robe as a low growl emitted from his throat. Blood had stained his mouth, neck, and upper body. Saliva, in addition to blood, fell from his chin onto her face as he loomed over her.
Cardinal emitted a frightened cry as she looked into his all white eyes, any trace of gold, gone. "Renly…remember what I said…" she tried to fight against him but stopped upon noticing the change in his wings. What was once a beautiful and luminous shade of green now resembled shredded paper, the luminescent material hanging like skinned animal meat off their new skeleton frame. Each wing sprouted three, smaller arched rows of bones; creating the insides of the them. Finally, the wings matched the zombie they were connected to.
Without looking away, Cardinal reached around blindly for her staff. Once she felt its familiar texture and shape, she gripped it. "Back off!" She yelled as her staff connected with the side of Renly's face; knocking the boy out cold. Cardinal then wiped at her face and scrambled out from under him. "That was…rather…unexpected…" She panted before getting shakily to her feet.
After carefully stepping around Renly, Cardinal leaned down to examine the female knight. Her neck barely had anything left which connected it to either her head or shoulders. Her upper body had sunk in on itself due to all the broken bones she now possessed. Her blood flow had slowed, most of it within Renly's stomach or upon his face. "You poor woman." Cardinal shook her head sadly; for Sheyta's face expression was twisted in agony as if she felt the whole ordeal.
"If what I've read is indeed correct, I can not afford to leave you in such a state." Cardinal shoved her staff straight through Sheyta's forehead, assuring the brain could no longer function. Much to her relief, it took mere seconds to achieve this. Cardinal inhaled and exhaled while leaning against her staff. Perhaps saving Renly had been a mistake.
Suddenly, golden orbs floated from Sheyta's body towards Renly; they were instantly absorbed into his collar. Cardinal quickly pulled down his shirt, giving the orbs access to his rings as well. Once all the sacred power disappeared, Cardinal brought up Renly's status window once more. It had gone up; but only held at point three.
OOooOOooOO
"Ronye's right." Tiese huffed as she climbed another set of stairs. "The only way to know for sure is to ask Eugeo myself." She forced her feet to keep moving even though she was exhausted and felt pretty rotten for ditching Ronye and Selka. She just wasn't ready to face Kirito yet. Plus, with Ronye hurt, Selka would take the reins and heal her. She'd just be in the way; Tiese reasoned with herself.
Finally, Tiese made it to the fiftieth floor and located the elevator operator; a young girl in a teal dress and white apron. The girl's hair was light brown hair and was kept away from her face by red clips. Her indigo eyes held no emotion as she's been doing the same task for over one hundred years.
"Which floor?" She asked blandly.
"Eighty." Tiese answered while stepping onto the elevating disk. It was a large circle, with gold trim along the edges, the trim also crisscrossing in its center. An elegant grey gate surrounded it; encircling the platform so that no one would accidentally fall off.
"Burst Aerial Element." The attendant called out; causing the disk to fly upwards to the desired floor.
OOooOOooOO
"System Call: Mirror Element." Linel called out, her words rushed and full of unease. She had raced up a few flights of stairs; but decided to stop and make Administrator aware of what she had seen. "Lady Pontifex, I must speak with you." Seconds later, Administrator appeared within a small reflective surface. Quinella was laying upon on her bed; her fingers stroking her belly as she cooed softly to her unborn child.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but…" Linel spoke quickly. "…it's Renly Synthesis Twenty-Seven, he's….""
"Renly is dead." Administrator stated coolly as she reluctantly sat up; her hands dropping to her sides.
Linel blinked in confusion then hammered through her thought. "I know it was Renly. I saw him bite Sheyta… with his own teeth." Administrator remained quiet as Linel pressed on. "Renly tore at Sheyta's throat like a vicious animal and then he ingested her flesh and swallowed her blood. It was like Renly was starving and trying to fill a void of some sort within him."
"He's become jealous of the living and wants to make others the same as he." Administrator simply stated.
"What do you mean?" Linel turned pale.
"Where did you witness this event?" Administrator narrowed her eyes; taking control of the conversation.
"Floor twenty."
"Hmm…"
"He's not alone. He's with Cardinal."
"I'm not surprised. Renly would never have made it this far without some form of help. Figures my other half would interfere." Administrator's tone turned bitter. "Did he seem obedient?"
"At first, he was entirely focused on Sheyta but once Renly had his fill, he turned on Cardinal."
"Is the little nuisance still alive?"
"Yes." Linel looked over her shoulder; verifying that she hasn't been spotted before turning back toward the Pontifex. "Cardinal bested Renly by whacking him on the side of his head. He blacked out instantly."
"Keep an eye on them but don't interfere. Learn what you can about their intentions. Once they get to floor ninety, wake me. I should be well rested by then."
"Yes, Lady Pontifex." Linel bowed deeply; annoyed that her own agenda would-be put-on hold to serve the Administrator.
OOooOOooOO
"Floor Eighty." The elevator operator stated robotically as the elevated disk came to a halt.
"Um….if you don't mind, could you stay here for a while?" Tiese asked the second she stepped off.
"Stay?" The girl looked at the red head, her expression neutral.
"Yes. I want you to deny the people following me access to the elevator."
"You're telling me not to do my job?"
"No, I'm asking you to wait for an hour or two before answering them."
"…"
"Please, I'm begging you." The elevator operator glanced at Tiese; her expression unreadable. Then, without saying a word, she lowered the disk out of sight.
OOooOOooOO
"Just two more floors until we reach the elevator." Kirito called out over his shoulder. "We can all rest once we get on it."
"Wait, Kirito." Alice grabbed his arm; pulling him to a stop. Both Selka and Ronye stood beside them. "I'm prepared to take on Lady Pontifex, but are you ready to fight Eugeo?"
Kirito remained quiet at first but then softly spoke, "I won't lie. I'm dreading it."
"Why, Kirito-sempai?" Ronye asked; for she was in the dark for what had happened the last time her mentor fought his best friend.
"Because he can defeat me." Kirito openly admitted; causing his page's eyes to widen to saucers. Selka's expression matched Ronye's. "Yeah, he's that good."
"Why are you praising him so much?" Alice grumbled. "He didn't defeat Administrator, you did. All Eugeo managed to do was get himself killed."
Kirito clenched his fists in anger but retained a calm exterior. "It's not just the final battle that makes a swordsman. It's the journey to get there."
"You're right." Alice muttered; thinking about all the training she personally has done to improve. "I'm sorry my words were… disrespectful."
Kirito nodded in acceptance of her apology.
"Why do you think Eugeo can best you?" Ronye questioned. "Don't you have more experience than he does?"
"I do, but Eugeo has natural talent with the sword and a strong will to perfect the craft. Back when he and I sparred in the woods, we often ended in a draw; however, Eugeo held back. He'll deny that to this day but as his teacher, I knew just how skilled he was. In fact, the day I saw him swing the Blue Rose Sword against the Gigas Cedar, I knew I'd be forever jealous of my best friend." He smiled as tears gathered in his eyes at the memory. It was bittersweet but speaking openly about it was harder than he thought.
Ronye instantly put her arms around him. "You'll get him back." Mentor and page stayed together for a few moments until Kirito pulled away.
"Anyways," Kirito brushed the tears aside then turned towards Alice. "The last time I fought Eugeo, he was synthesized for a short period of time. After three years of being an Integrity Knight, who knows what his level is now."
"Level?" All three girls looked at him in confusion.
"Never mind." He ran a hand through his dark locks. "Bottom line, I can't formulate a plan because I don't know what I'm walking into and as odd as it sounds, I've always fought my best by going in blind."
"That's comforting." Alice huffed.
Just then a fiery arrow landed right next to Alice's head.
"It's Deusolbert!" Alice called out; bringing her sword up; easily deflecting the next two arrows. "At least we gained some time before he caught up to us."
"I'll handle him." Ronye pulled out her sword and nudged Kirito upwards. "You and Alice need to get to the elevator."
"I've got your back." Selka raised her hands. "System Call: Create Barrier." An unseen barrier formed between her and Royne and Kirito and Alice.
"Selka!" Alice called out; her fists banging on the invisible barrier. "Drop this barrier right now!"
"Only you two can defeat Administrator and save Eugeo." Selka answered. "Let us deal with Deusolbert."
"Selka's right, Alice." Kirito entwined his hand with hers. "They're waiting for us."
OOooOOooOO
"I hope that elevator girl gives me the time I need." Tiese stood before the door into Eugeo's room on the top floor; her hand resting on the doorknob. "I just hope I'm ready to hear and accept whatever it is that he'll tell me." She took a deep breath and then twisted the knob; the door opened with ease. "Eugeo?" She called out but only silence answered.
Tiese pushed the door wider and then slipped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her. "Guess I'll have to wait." She took a seat on his bed, her hands curled around the edge while her feet touched the floor. She glanced around the room, recalling Royne's words once more, "I have no reason to believe what you say. In fact, I'll confront Administrator directly and when I do, I'll find out the truth from her own two lips." She reached for the pillow and clutched it to her chest. "I really hope something good comes from this."
A few moments later, she noticed a covered object behind the door. She stood up and pulled the cloth off to reveal a full-length mirror. She coughed and waved her hands about as the dust settled. Next, Tiese wiped the glass with her hand, revealing the matronly dressed girl in front of it. "Ugh. No wonder Eugeo doesn't see me." She frowned as she took in the elite uniform that covered her from head to toe. "I look so…bland."
As she grew more frustrated with her appearance, Tiese quickly undid the buttons on her top and yanked her shirt off. She was left in a plain, white tank top which stopped at her hips. Next, she pulled down her long skirt, and stepped out of it; her bottom half sporting only white panties.
Tiese ran her hands down her body, smoothing out what little fabric still remained upon her then looked at the mirror once more. Although she had long, flowing red hair and a pretty face, her chest was small and the feminine curves she did have, were average at best. Attempting to raise her self-confidence, she unclasped her bra, letting it pool at her feet. She kicked it aside with her toes then stood up tall with her shoulders back. Tiese twisted from side to side, keeping her arms at her sides, seeing herself from all angles. "Nothing special, just like I thought." She spoke softly.
After a few minutes, she brought a hand to her breast. "I suppose this will be the only way…" She sighed before giving herself a soft squeeze, her thumb ghosting over her nipple. She gasped at the feel of her own touch; finding it more sensitive through the sheer fabric of her tank. Growing bolder, she gripped and rubbed her breast harder, relishing in the soft flesh amidst her palm. Her thumb and forefinger reaching out to pinch and twist her nipple; making her shiver in heat. Wanting to do more, Tiese slid her other hand down her stomach until it found her pelvic bone. Once there, she massaged the area; causing her legs to widen.
Next, Tiese decided to pull her panties aside; exposing her womanly folds. She took a deep breath before sliding her fingers along her clitoris; jolting at the intimate touch but still wanting and needing to continue. She tested out various speeds and amounts of pressure until she felt moisture pool between her legs. Her thighs instinctively went to rub against each other, but Tiese wouldn't let them. Instead, she used one finger to collect the wetness before inserting the digit into herself. Her eyes widened at the feel of the intruding object, but she was able to calm her breathing. She didn't want to stop, not yet.
Once her finger was deep inside, she started to curl and uncurl it; making herself pant. Tiese snuck a peek at her reflection while she explored and played with the feminine parts of her body. She let out a soft moan as she imagined a certain blonde touching her like this.
"Having fun?" A familiar male voice asked.
Tiese's eyes popped open. "Eu..Eugeo!" She quickly spun around; her crimson eyes landing on the perfect male specimen before her. He was leaning against the door with his arms crossed; his wings flat against his back. Water droplets went from Eugeo's flaxen locks down the contours of his chest and toned stomach, absorbing into the plush fabric tied around his hips. "I…I…" she wrapped her arms around her chest; her face a million shades of red. "How long were you watching?" she hammered out.
"Long enough." Eugeo raised one corner of his lips.
"This is so embarrassing." She bent down to grab ahold of her clothes.
"Leave them." The blonde told Tiese after shutting the door.
"I..I can explain…" Tiese dropped her clothes and slowly stood back up; her face reddening even more.
"You were thinking of someone." The blonde spoke casually while shaking out his wings. "Care to share who that is?" Tiese bit her lower lip not wanting to confess to anything. "So after all that I've seen, you're going to turn shy now?"
"I was thinking it was…" Tiese's answer was hardly audible. "…you."
"Tiese…"
"I..I want to be her, just once."
"Trust me, you do not want to be Lady Pontifex." Eugeo stated plainly while placing the Blue Rose Sword against the wall.
"Why not?" Tiese rebutted; taking a few steps closer to the blonde. "She's beautiful, powerful and she has you."
"…"
"Do you love her? Tell me that you do and you'll never see me again."
Eugeo hesitated before answering, "I can't answer that."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know." Eugeo ran a hand through his flaxen locks. "What I do know though is, I like what I do with her."
"You like having sex?" Tiese blurted out.
"More so than I like to admit." The blonde answered straight out and then gave a long sigh, "I know that's not what you wanted to hear."
"I'm surprised but at the same time, I'm not surprised." Tiese grabbed her upper arm and glanced away. "If I was hot, I'd probably be doing it all the time wherever and with whoever."
"She's pregnant you know."
"What?" Tiese's mouth fell open. "You're going to be a father?"
"Eventually." He shrugged. "But here's the thing, each day that goes by, Lady Pontifex, she's becoming more exhausted and doesn't have the energy for certain physical activities." Eugeo stepped in front of Tiese, his fingers grazing her cheek. "You, on the other hand, well…"
"You mean?" Tiese's heart fluttered.
Eugeo smiled.
OOooOOooOO
"Floor eighty and make it fast." Kirito spoke directly to the elevator attendant.
"We're in a hurry." Alice added.
"Hurry or not, I could only go one speed." The attendant replied in a stoic manner. "Burst Aerial Element." The disk started to climb.
"We're leaving them again." Alice leaned over the side; hoping to see her sister appear down below.
"They will be fine." Kirito said; his arm resting on the gate. "Remember who taught them, we did. They're probably going to do the same things we would do, so there's nothing to worry about."
"How do you always know the right things to say?" Alice raised a brow.
"Just comes natural, I guess." Kirito flashed a smile.
Suddenly the elevator came to a grinding halt. "Why did we stop?" Kirito asked the attendant.
"I'm sorry but I have received information stating that the elevator is to cease operation immediately."
"On whose authority?" Alice demanded. "Administrator?"
"That information is classified." The attendant answered. "For now, we must remain here between floors sixty and sixty-one."
"Fantastic." Alice stated sarcastically.
"How long do you think it'll take for us to get going again?" Kirito asked.
"I'm predicting two hours." The elevator attendant answered. "But it could be more."
End Chapter 13