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Chapter 28: The Water Spirit's Request
"I'd like the cure now." Yuudai states walking into Montmorency's room.
"I'd like to tell you to get out with the stupid thing, but sadly we don't get what we want." Montmorency retorts irritably.
Yuudai narrows his eyes on her. "Are you saying you don't have it?" He asks.
"Yes. We went to the black market and the guy I got it from said he has no more." She explains sitting on her bed next to Guiche that had been sitting on her bed already.
Yuudai sighs. "I can't be mad at something like that. Supplies sometimes get sold out." Yuudai admits. He runs a hand through his hair. "When will the seller get more?"
Montmorency looks out her window. "That's the thing...they can't get it anymore."
"Why not?" Yuudai asks crossing his arms. His only hope for the cure is slipping away quick. The teen boy refuses to let fall too far out of reach.
"The specific medicine comes from the Ragdorian Lake. It is created by the tear of a water spirit." She tells him. "For some reason, they haven't been able to get in contact with the spirit recently."
Yuudai laughs a little bit at this. "No freaking way." Yuudai says shaking his head.
"What's so funny?" Montmorency questions eyeing him suspiciously.
"The fact that I actually have heard of the lake before. I even know what it looks like." Yuudai answers. "I don't know how to get there though. It's at some kind of border though, so that doesn't seem too bad."
"I'd ask how you know, but I've seen you accomplish the stupidly impossible." Guiche says.
"Looks like we are going on an adventure after all." Yuudai states. He looks at Guiche knowingly. "I know you are going to follow one way or another, so this time don't act like it's such a chore."
"Well screw you. I'm not going with you." Montmorency tells him as if she was the boss.
Yuudai places his glare on her. "I'll drag you by your hair if I have to. You started this and now you are going to help me finish it." He retorts. Yuudai walks over to the sitting girl. "Do I need to do that?"
She grits her teeth. The girl really wants to lash out at him. If it wasn't for the fact he usually keeps his word, she would have kept telling him no. "I'll go if it'll shut you up." She relents.
Yuudai gives her a hollow smile. It is at this point Guiche notices the scarf around his neck. "This may be off topic, but how is that scarf around your neck? I would have assumed Louise to destroy that." He says.
"I thought she would have to, but I got the scarf from a friend and it'd be rude to not wear it." He replies to Guiche. "Anyway, we will leave tomorrow morning for the lake. I'm going to go get the stupid tear myself."
Montmorency's eyes widen. "What?! The water spirit rarely shows her face before humans! And even if she did, she is very strong! If angered, the results can be disastrous!" She exclaims trying to convince him not to go now.
Yuudai summons his gun of pure darkness by using a portion of power from the ring. "If it attacks me I'll make it regret it. I'm not going to back down." He tells her. Backing down has never been his style. Except for the stone golem at La Rochelle. That wasn't going to be a happy ending if he stayed to fight it.
"We'll be ready when you are." Guiche assures Yuudai. "We'll see you later then."
Yuudai nods turning around. He walks out of the room not happy, but not too upset. After all, another adventure means that he doesn't have to stay cramped up at the academy. Perhaps this journey might even lead to more answers on getting Wales to be dead in peace. Yuudai likes his company, but if he were Wales, he wouldn't want to be stuck in the living world until the other person dies.
Tomorrow At The Lake
The three horses finally stop at a beautiful lake after a few hours. On on horse is Yuudai and Louise since she refused to get on a separate horse on the other two are Guiche and Montmorency. The four teens get off their horses walking to the water's edge.
"Well this isn't good." Yuudai mutters catching the other three's attention. "It seems that the lake is flooded." He says seeing the silhouette of houses beneath the clear water.
Montmorency kneels next to the water putting her hand in. She closes her eyes allowing her power to feel the lakes energy. She finally opens her eyes standing up. Montmorency turns to the small group.
"It seems the water spirit has been angered." She reports. "I can tell since my family has had a alliance of sorts."
"So what you are telling me is that the spirit is angered and I have nothing to do with it?" Yuudai asks rubbing his chin. "I wonder why."
"I suppose, my lords, are nobles?" An old man asks stepping out from behind a tree.
The four turn towards him while Louise hides behind Yuudai. "Yes we are, what's the matter?" Montmorency questions.
"My lords, did you come to negotiate with the Water Spirit? If so, then we have been saved! Please, quickly make your negotiations and solve this flood problem!" The old man requests sounding very hopeful.
Louise, Montmorency and Guiche look at each other knowing that he must be part of the village that sank. Yuudai knows this too, but he just stares at the man. The guy reminds him of the farmers back in his world when he visited a family friend's farm in the country some years ago. He can see the fear and hope clashing in the man's eyes even right now.
"While that is not our direct reason for coming, I promise we'll do everything in our power to bring down the flood." Yuudai tells him.
"What?!" Guiche and Montmorency exclaim.
The old man's eyes light up happily. The fear has been beaten in his eyes. Hope is all that remains now. "Thank you so much, my lords! The lake has been slowly flooding for two years now. So please be careful." He says walking away.
Montmorency tries to smack Yuudai in the back of his head, but he moves out of range. "You I only said I'd help with this stupid cure, so if resolving the flood requires traveling more then I'm done." She states. She straightens herself up.
Montmorency summons her frog familiar scaring Louise. Seeing as Louise hates frogs, she gets right back behind Yuudai. The blond girl pulls out a needle from her pocket poking his finger enough for blood to rush out. She proceeds to let the blood fall onto the frog familiar.
"Listen Robin, I need you to contact the water spirit here. The spirit knows me and now should know you as well. Robin, please, in the name of the great spirits of the dead, seek the old Water Spirit, and tell her I wish to speak with her because of our alliance. Do it for me, understand?" She asks the frog in her hand. The frog nods before jumping into the water.
"I know this may sound crude, but why is your familiar a science project?" Yuudai questions jokingly.
The blond turns to him. "What do you mean?"
"In my world we would disect dead frogs to see their organs and whatnot. I don't know too much since that is a day I missed since I was sick." He explains.
"Your world is sick!" Montmorency accuses horrified at the mere idea of Robin being disected.
Yuudai shrugs his shoulders. "I'm sure that it happens here too." He says looking to the water. "Seriously though, this lake is beautiful." He sees the water glisten with an unusual glow. "Looks like the water spirit is here."
Out of the water rises a great mass of glowing water. Yuudai stares in awe at the amazing sight. Robin jumps out of the water as the mass of water comes their way. Montmorency thanks her familiar by petting its head with her finger. She then looks to the spirit.
"I am a Montmorency Margarita La Fère de Montmorency. User of water, member of the lineage of old oath. I have put my blood on the frog to help you remember. If you remember, answer in a way and with words that we understand." She requests of the powerful being.
The water spirit's continuous changing finally takes the shape of a nude Montmorency. The only other difference is the fact it is changing its facial moods by the second. It finally settles on a neutral expression.
"I remember, human. I remember the liquid that flows in your body. The moon has changed fifty two times since our last meeting." It answers with a feminine voice.
"I'm glad. Water Spirit, I need to ask you something. Although it might seem somewhat insensitive, could you give me a piece of your body?" She requests of the spirit.
"Hey Monty, I don't think hitting on the water spirit is a good idea." Yuudai comments deadpanning at her.
She whirls on him irritated by his comment. "I'm not hitting on it commoner! The tear is comes from its body." She explains to the now enlightened familiar. He nods in understanding. With a sigh, she turns back to the spirit that is now smiling.
"That smile doesn't reassure me in the least." Yuudai mutters to himself. The smile seems innocent enough, but he knows that nobody would smile about giving someone part of their body without something in return.
"I refuse, human." Sne tells her.
"Is that so? Well that's unfortunate. I guess we'll be on our way then." She says trying to leave.
Yuudai places another glare on Montmorency. "Not so fast Monty." His voice stops her in her track as he places his gaze on the spirit now looking at him. "I'm not going to lie, asking for some of your body is pretty stupid, but I'm not leaving without it." He states as if the spirit is another human.
"Shut your mouth commoner!" Montmorency exclaims.
"I think it'd be a good idea too." Guiche agrees backing away slightly.
The spirit raises an eyebrow at Yuudai. "Is that so?" She asks.
He nods his head. "Whatever you ask of me, make sure it lowers these water levels as well. These people don't deserve to have their homes flooded." He tells her.
"I don't much like your careless tone. However, I might think of something depending on one thing. Why do you seek a portion of my body?" She asks testing him.
"My friend had been given a potion that has changed her. I only wish to get her back to normal before something bad happens." He answers the water spirit.
She nods. "This is your lucky day, human. I shall give you what you seek if you repel those who attack me." She says making Yuudai feel relieved. He doesn't let it show though.
"I promise that we'll make those that attack you stop. I'm sure I know them too." Yuudai replies. He has a feeling Albion has something to do with this.
The water spirit smiles at him surprising Guiche, Montmorency and even Louise. "Then follow me. I shall show you where to wait."
Later
"Go to sleep Blanc." Yuudai orders her.
"B-but what about the G-Ghost ship?" She asks seeing the water in the night.
Yuudai sighs shaking his head. "Don't worry. I won't let them kill you."
"If you say so." She relents finally closing her eyes.
"Ghost ship?" Montmorency asks curiously.
"It's something I told her to scare her last night." He informs her. He hears Guiche start to sing to himself after taking some drinks of wine he brought. "So tell me, about the water spirit. She seems fairly weak if she is constantly being attack each night."
"The Water Spirit's movements are slow. If you separate the Water Spirit from her source of water, her magic will eventually wear out. Using a strong flame would make her evaporate gradually as well. It becomes impossible to change it back into a liquid again after being turned into gas." She explains to him.
"I see." He says listening to her.
"However, the Water Spirit's soul is like moss. Even after being torn to pieces, it can reconnect itself into one again, as long as it has all the pieces. It is a really complicated creature compared to us." She continues to explain. She leans against the tree more relaxed now.
"She seems weak without her water. Although, water makes up seventy percent of the human body, so I guess if one was to enter it then they would greatly suffer. That being the case, I can safely assume that it is an air type mage." He reasons. His senses tell him that someone is near and the person is not friendly. "Listen everyone, you all must stay here when the fighting starts. I'd rather not have you all in the way."
"I have no problem with that." Montmorency states.
Yuudai proceeds to watch the water's edges now. "It's almost time."
End
How was that? Pretty quick I'd say. I got the groove back! Yay!
Anyway, I don't want to say the next chapter will be release just as quick, but I am going to say that you shouldn't expect a chapter on a specific schedule since I long thrown out that idea. I post these when I finish the chapter.
I know a lot has happened in this chapter (Not), so let me know if you have questions about anything previous in the reviews or something. Without anything else in mind, thanks for reading, favoriting, following, reviewing and have a great day/night/morning!