Hostis and Mingyu - Are either of you free in the coming future? I need a proofreader and I'm not very picky :) Review and/or Message me back if interested. I just need someone to watch out for missing words and fragmented sentences.
The trip to the Ragdorian lake took a few hours by horse, and by the end of all of them had gotten rather annoyed with the non-stop journey. At both Raziel and Louise's insistence they hadn't taken a break for the journey and they arrived an hour or two before noon with the sun bearing down on them and hunger eating away at the pair of nobles. They couldn't afford to bring too much so they would have to buy some proper food at the village.
Montmorency's crying had persisted for at least half the length of the journey, but he honestly had no intention left in him to give her. She also made claims about breaking off her engagement with him, but he doubted she would actually do that. It was far more likely she'd poison him again to be her obedient thrall. She'd already attempted it.
"Woah, hold on!" Montmorency called back as she caught sight of the water, "Something's wrong. The shoreline should be way farther than this," She grabbed the map from her pack, "If I'm remembering it right the water shouldn't be this far ahead," She leaned forward and and narrowed her eyes to make out the obscure shape sticking out of the water, "Is that...is that a roof?"
"What's going on?" Louise asked, dismounting from her horse. The animal was skittish about going down towards the water given how deep it was.
"The water level has risen.." Montmorency dismounted as well with Raziel quickly following suit, "The water spirit must be attempting something if it decided to disregard the village. You have to gravely offend a spirit in order for them to do something that directly interferes with the lives of humans. Most of the time they're content with making pacts or blessings in exchange for something they want. This isn't a good sign..." She bit her lower lip.
"We have to try," He grabbed the unconscious Guiche from the horse's back and placed him under the shade of a tree. Leaving him at the academy wasn't an option given the risks that entailed should he have woken up, "You said you had a way to contact this spirit. If we cannot ask it for this tear then we might be able to take it by force. It is a spirit of water, yes?" He activated the pyromancy in his right hand, surprising the blonde girl with the display. She'd seen him use it on Tarbes to close shut wounds but it still shocked her that wandless magic was possible.
"Stop it with that," She clicked her tongue in disapproval, "If you think hurling fireballs into the water is going to do anything then you're stupider than I thought. The spirit's true 'center' is at the core of its element, so throwing fire at the lake is like tossing pebbles at castle walls. I'll go see if there are any villagers left here and ask them about what's going on. Maybe we can find the reason for the water rising."
They watched the Water Mage scour the shoreside for a while until she caught sight of an old farmer sitting despondently on the bank. He didn't hear what the two were discussing, but judging by the way the girl's expression visibly deflated he could reasonably assume it wasn't good. With an exageratted sigh and slump she trudged back to them with a frown.
"Well from what I gathered this isn't recent. The water started rising two years ago and the local lords haven't informed anyone of what happened so it got to this point. They don't know what's going on but if we're going to ask for a Tear then I suggest we remain careful. The water spirit must be angered since I can't recall it ever doing something like this before."
"How will you contact it?" Raziel asked.
"Using Robin," She placed her hand in her pouch and pulled out a yellow spotted frog. Louise looked away and nearly gagged; she hated frogs, "He can take my blood and contact the spirit in the lake. Assuming it deigns to honor the pact then it should respond and if not..." She pointedly eyed Raziel's right hand, "We're going to go back and not disturb it. We don't want to pick a fight with a primal being."
Placing her Familiar on the ground briefly Montmorency picked up a needle from her pack and pricked her pointer finger slightly, placing the droplet of blood on the frog's head before casting a spell to harden the liquid, "Robin, contact the water spirit and show it my blood. If it still remembers me then it will answer," She dropped the frog onto the water's edge and watched as it swam to the bottom.
A pregnant silence passed as they waited for a response. Raziel clenched his right hand in slight anticipation until the yellow frog returned with a small pop of water, the droplet of blood no longer atop its head.
"The blood is gone. She's accepted the summons," She called back to them. At once Louise stood up straight, unsure of how to greet a spirit, while Raziel had to resist the urge to draw Derflinger. He'd already dealt with the accusations of the sword about 'falling for Pinky' so he didn't want to provoke him into another tirade. Thankfully he stayed quiet when Louise threatened to melt his newly forged blade.
With a loud wave a sphere of water erupted from the water, its shape moving around in chaotic bursts. Raziel flinched and made to summon the Flame before Montmorency grabbed his arm with a hiss, "She's just forming. Don't do anything that could make her angry!" She let go of his arm forcefully and waited patiently as the sphere began to expand and press into different shapes. First two arms, then two legs and a head.
Montmorency's head. The spirit had taken the form of the Water Mage, though much larger and tranluscent. There was an ethereal beauty about her, though he would have much preferred it if she took the form of his beautiful master. Its face - her face - shifted irregularly going from a smile, to a frown, a cry and even rage before settling onto a blank expression that did little to put them at ease.
He'd fought monsters before, some even of great beauty like the moonlight butterfly, and all he could feel was a sense of dread. This was no human being and it did not understand them regardless of the form it took. He felt a rising sense of discomfort as she...it continued to stare down at them impassively.
Montmorency stepped forward and stood proudly, "I am Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency. User of water, member of the lineage of old oath. I placed my blood on my Familiar in order to summon you. If you remember me then please answer in a way and with words we understand."
Its expression shifted once again, the colors giving it an ethereal beauty, before it settled on an expression of slight understanding, "I remember you, Child of oath. It has been 52 moons since we have met last and 30 moons since our pact was strained."
"Um, yes, thank you," She bowed stiffly, "I come here now to ask for a favor. Though I do not know your circumstances I humbly request that you give us a part of your body for circumstances are dire."
A moment of silence passed once again before the expressions began shifting faster than they had done so before. Louise looked at it and stepped back nervously. Its head looked at each of them in turn, its gaze lingering at each each of them for a minute before moving on the the next in line. Raziel shivered as its gaze dropped on him. He felt...uneasy.
Finally, it decided to speak, "I refuse, child of oath."
Montmorency looked down and released a held breath. She should have expected that, in all honesty, "Then how do we-"
"Please reconsider," Raziel interrupted and stepped forward, ignoring Montmorency's surprised glare, "I was told that if we are not given this 'Tear' without cost then an exchange is needed. I offer a service in exchange for a part of your body. Is this satisfactory?"
Montmorency held her breath, preparing to run for their horses lest they were attacked for his demands, "That is satisfactory," She spirit nodded, "But first step into the water, child of decay. I wish to observe and understand."
'Understand what?' he nearly asked before biting his tongue. And why did she call him by that moniker? He didn't have the luxury of questions. With a mimicked breath he stepped into the water and immediately felt as if his entire body had been covered in a thick blanket. The spirit could control the water and could crush anything inside with a single thought. Forcing himself to stay calm, he stood stock still as it observed him.
"Water flows not in your body. Darkness and fire oppose one another yet both stay in tandem," Its expression turned solemn, "I have seen your kind long before, in a time where the Humans and Elves once worked together to ensure your destruction. And yet now you bear the mark of his champion with the girl as your master, bound to shard of a once greater whole."
He stayed quiet, hoping that the observations would end soon.
"You, child of entropy, step forward as well," It looked to Louise this time. The pinkette gulped removed her socks and shoes before joining her Familiar in the water. In her nervousness she took hold of Raziel's hand, which sent a blush through his cheeks despite his own fears, "A broken piece of a whole. Destruction given form, conflict woven into your nature. Your blood marks you as chosen, young one. "
"Trust can be placed. In time long past you have both made pacts and honored them thus, and thus a precedent as been set," The 'face' morphed into a smile, "I have been attacked by other children of the elements. I must focus on increasing the water and cannot defend myself fully. Stop these attacks from happening and I will give you a part of me as you request. Is the pact agreeable?"
"Yes..." Raziel answered. With a final wave of its hand the spirit collapsed once again into the water and the pair quickly scrambled back onto the shore with sighs of relief. Raziel frowned and stared down at his now-wet pants and boots. Bah, they would dry soon enough.
"What was that all about?" Montmorency immediately prodded, "Why did she call you 'child of entropy' and him 'child of decay'? What did she mean with Humans and Elves working together and shards of a whole?"
"H-How should I know," Louise ignored the chill at her feet and panted in relief, "All I know is we have what we need to get the 'Tear' and get both Raziel and Guiche back to normal. We'll have to stay till nightfall if we want to catch them in the act."
"That means fighting," She frowned distastefully, "Still, you both agreed to the pact so-"
"What makes you think I'm fighting?" Louise interrupted, "In case you've forgotten I have no magic," At least not any that she could reveal openly, "And its too risky to have Raziel fighting alone. You're always bragging about your skill with water magic, so watch his back so he doesn't get killed."
"You're deluded if you think I'm fighting!" Montmorency protested, "And you must be insane if you think I'm fighting with that thing-"
"Did you forget that you need this cure as well?" Louise snapped, "And lets not forget that you'd be in jail right now if we decided to tell the teachers. If Raziel hadn't drank that wine then you'd be doing this alone and Guiche would have taken your innocence by now. No matter how you look at it you need this much more than we do and this all started because of you."
"Grrr...fine!" She threw up her hands and stomped back into the tree's shade, mumbling curses all the while. Louise put on her socks and shoes again while Raziel continued to stare at the water. He'd heard of the Elves before from Louise's tales, but the spirit's words caused feelings of uneasiness. What did she mean that he wasn't the only Undead she'd seen? Had Undead traversed these lands in the distant past, long enough for the two warring races to unite in conflict against them?
Damn it all. With every new step forward he was forced to take three back.
Waiting for the attackers had taken till midnight, and by then Louise and Montmorency were nearly falling asleep. He had to admit that he was tempted to sleep on Louise's lap as well but he focused on thoughts of the cure to stave off the temptation. Soon this madness would end and their relationship would go back to what it once was. Then he could apologize to Siesta and all would be well.
"Just so you know I don't like this at all," Montmorency muttered. The two of them were staying next to one another - The plan was that she would cast a spell to knock them off balance and Raziel would kill...knock them out before they could recover. A quick and simple plan and if everything went according to plan then it should be over in less than a minute with no complications.
Of course at this point he'd given up on the idea of things ever going perfectly according to plan.
"The feeling is mutual. I must say I do not relish placing my trust on a rapist."
Her grip on the wood tightened and she grit her teeth, "Grave robber."
"Spoiled brat."
"Cannibal."
"Harpy."
"Monster."
"...Bitch."
"Why you little-"
"Would you two stop that!" Louise hissed, "You two need to focus! You can insult one another when we're finished with this!" His wonderful master was waiting at a another tree across from them. Since she wasn't fighting with them she decided to keep watch for anyone suspicious who drew near. That and it gave him a wondrous view of her rear end to which he would be forever grateful.
Soft footsteps crunched on the grass and drew nearer to the lake's surface. Two cloaked figures, one brandishing a wand and another a staff. Two Mages then like Montmorency assumed earlier. One punch to the face for each and they should be knocked out and his master would be happy with him for following her orders. What he wouldn't do to see her smile again.
"Get ready," He whispered, bending over slightly to propel himself forward. As soon as Montmorency finished casting the spell he would have to run. Montmorency nodded and started whispered the incantation. She focused on the basin of water she'd filled with water beforehand; they wouldn't expect an attack from behind.
Raziel watched the water go over his head before he rushed ahead. He needed to incapacitate the taller figure first then deal with the smaller one casting a spell.
"Nice try!" The taller figure turned around and waved her wand, erecting a barrier of flame to block the water from hitting against them. The water instantly evaporated from the intense heat and mist covered the area, impeding his vision.
"Duck!" His beloved master yelled. He dropped onto the ground and barely missed the stream of flames the figure threw at him.
Gritting his teeth he activated the Flame and chucked a fireball blindly at where the flame was erupting. A shrill scream and stamping footsteps made it clear that he had hit them in the leg.
As he made draw Derflinger from his sheath (surely even his master could see the necessity of defending himself) blades made of cutting wind charged at his direction. He rolled to the side and hissed as one of the blades cut his right arm, "Abyss take you!" He cursed his luck and wiped his bloodied arm on the grass.
"Flame, sniff them out!"
Before he could stand up fully something tackled him to the ground and he grunted in pain as the creature bit onto his arm and started trying to rip off the limb, "Get off!" He punched the creature in what he assumed to be its face before he kicked it away. It let out an oddly familiar yell of pain and retreated. He looked down at his arm and cringed at the burn marks marring his skin.
"Help!" His head snapped to his master's call and ran to where she had screamed. Louise screamed in a panic and scrambled for her wand. A dragon had landed behind them and began snapping at them. She needed to cast a spell, anything to make it back off.
"Explosion!" She pointed the wand at the creature and let out a sigh of relief as it gave a high pitched cry of pain. Crawling towards the other noble girl she forced her to stand, "Come on, we need to get out of here before it gets it bearings!" She yelled into the other girl's ear. Brimir, where did they get a dragon!? Just as she was about to consider casting another spell her Familiar appeared next to her and brandished his sword.
"Louise, I am here. I am..." Raziel knelt beside and stared at the attacking dragon rolling on the ground. Her features were hard to make out through the darkness but he could recognize that tail anywhere, "That...is Sylphid. Why was she attacking you?"
"Wh-What? That's Sylphid!?" Louise asked back surprised, "Wait, that means..."
"Hey, come out of there and we'll it a draw!" The taller figure called out. Louise quickly realized just how...familiar the voice sounded, "Look, we have a dragon and a salamander and you don't so just give up! We'd prefer not to kill you!"
"...Zerbst, is that you?" Louise called out hesitantly.
"...Valliere?" She called back with equal hesitation, "I'm...not imagining things right? Uh...alright, just come out with your hands up to prove its you."
Reluctantly Louise stood up and with raised hands stepped out of the tree's shadows. Seeing the gesture the cloaked figures removed their hoods and Louise didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she saw Tabitha and Kirche looking back at her with equal uncertainty. She fell onto her butt and let out a sudden yell. Even now Zerbst hounded her, even when there was no way that was possible.
"Uh...are you alright, Valliere?" Kirche asked
"I was nearly eaten by a dragon! What do you think!?" Louise yelled, desperately wishing she had something to throw at the both of them, "God, Zerbst, do you have any idea-" She interrupted her statement another released yell. Kirche was beginning to wonder if she was going insane, "I thought I was going to die! Sylphid nearly ate my leg because of you two!"
"Hey, you attacked us first!" She argued back, "I was just helping Tabitha and you decided to try and sneak up on us! If anyone's at fault here its you!"
As the two continued to exchange arguments Raziel and Montmorency recovered from their shock and followed Louise. Tabitha looked at them blankly, before she let out a sigh and shook her head. She had no idea what was going on.
Exchanging explanations had taken nearly an hour when compounded with healing themselves of the injuries that they sustained during their brief skirmish. While Tabitha, Montmorency and his Master (Praise the sun) had avoided injury Raziel and Kirche weren't so lucky. The Germanian had a part of her cloak catch fire and singe her leg while most of his right arm sustained heavy wounds. They'd apologized to one another well enough and he hoped she didn't hold a grudge.
"So you need a part of the water spirit's tear to cure Guiche and Razi of a love potion, am I getting that right?" Kirche asked. Montmorency was still healing her leg so she could walk properly, "Huh, funny, Razi seems to be fine considering he's supposed to be in love with Louise," She commented.
"It is...difficult. My thoughts are not my own, but I can resist the temptations to indulge myself in her great beauty," She barely suppressed a snorting laugh at his deadpan compliment, "I see you find this amusing. Guiche has lost his mind completely," He nudged his head to the sleeping noble, "And I fear I may soon follow him if this poison is not cured. As you can see, we need this 'Tear'."
"Well we need the water spirit to stop flooding this place. I'd rather not test my luck against you three a second time so we need to find a compromise," Kirche shrugged, "If you help us attack it you can cut off a bit of the body, right? Would that work."
"I would rather we didn't attack a spirit of the elements," Montmorency said. She had nearly finished healing the burns, "In addition to being dangerous we don't know what effect it will have," She finished with a flourish and sat back exhausted, "It could just make the water dangerous and make it start spewing tidal waves. There are stories of earth spirits who were killed and it caused earthquakes. I'd prefer not being swallowed by a tidal wave."
"Stops floods. All that matters," Tabitha intoned.
"So killing the spirit isn't actually necessary then," Louise concluded, "If we can convince the spirit to stop flooding the area you'll stop attacking and we also fulfill our end of the bargain. We both get what we want," His master was truly of a prodigious mind and kind heart, thinking of a way for both of them to get what they desired, "Can we contact the spirit again? If the water recedes it'll help both the villagers and Princess Henrietta from having to hire another Mage to calm the spirit down."
"Right, just give me a moment," Montmorency stood up and, repeating the same process as before, sent her Familiar down onto the depths of the lake to summon the spirit.
Speaking of Familiars...
"Is Flame..." Raziel trailed off. The salamander was resting near his master, his right eye swollen heavily as it breathed with a noticeable amount of strain.
"Flame's alright. He's a big boy," She rubbed his head playfully, earning an affectionate grunt in response. Ah, he wanted his master to rub his head like that, "Still, you have a really good punch and kick. It takes a lot to hurt a salamander and make them retreat," She looked at his right arm, "What about you? Tabitha has pretty good aim so she probably hit you at least once or twice and Flame can bite pretty hard."
"It is nothing that will not heal," He looked at the hastily bandaged limb and moved his fingers experimentally. A jolt of pain went up his arm and he sucked in a quick breath, "Sylphid seems to be fine as well," He looked back at the dragon with the...it was funny, the tail didn't seem so tantalizing now with his beloved master in his thoughts. Somehow it felt...wrong to not be craving it.
"Dragons can take a lot of punishment," Kirche replied, "Especially from one of Zero's useless explosions."
"Shut up, whore," Louise answered half-heartedly. Ever since Tarbes he noticed that she had gotten much more crass with her language, though he found that endearing as well. His master with the appearance of an innocent sometimes spewing vulgarities that ill-befitted her appearance and position. Ah, just thinking about it caused a smile to spread across his face.
"What are you so happy about?" Kirche asked, noticing his quirked lips.
"I was thinking of how adorable mistress Louise is," His master jumped up in surprise as he suddenly hugged her, though she appeared more irritated at Kirche's laughing than his sudden affection.
"Laugh it up, Zerbst..." She muttered. She would get her revenge one of these days.
It wasn't long after that when the spirit appeared before them, once again taking Montmorency's shape as its own, "My, my~" Kirche muffled a laugh and Montmorency's expression crossed between a blush and a scowl at Kirche's eyes wandering to its chest.
"Be respectful," She whispered harshly, "If there's one thing that you don't want to make angry its a spirit. Believe me when I say dragons might as well be lizards in comparison to them."
"You come again, child of oath," The ethereal voice called. At once he once again felt uneasy, "Have the attacks ceased?" This time it turned to look at both him and Louise.
"Y-Yes, the attackers have agreed to cease hostilities," She looked nervously to Kirche and Tabitha before continuing, "But in return we would like to ask why you have started flooding the lands. Have we done something to offend you to cause this?"
"Not you, child of entropy, but others of your kind," Its 'face' turned to one of rage, "They have stolen an item to which I hold dear. It has no proper name in your tongue, but others of your kind have named it the 'Ring of Andvari' for reasons I know not. Thirty months since the moon's passing has it been lost to me and so I do what is necessary until it is returned to me."
"How exactly does flooding the land help you get your ring back?" Kirche asked incredulously.
"Water erodes earth eventually, consumed beneath the waves. This entire land will be submerged until I retrieve my lost possession."
"That...That's a long time..." Montmorency muttered, though she knew the answer already.
"Time matters not for us, child of oath," Its face turned blank again, "Until the artifact is returned I will not stop."
"Th-Then what if we get it back?" Louise called out, "If you tell us who stole the ring from you we may be able to find it. If we do that then...then will you agree to place the water back until we do so?" Her hands shook nervously. She was asking for the spirit to place a lot on trust and if she caused offense she expected to be consumed by a tidal wave breaking her body against the bank.
It's expressions shifted through multiple phases before settling on another smile, "That is satisfactory," The answer sent the group breathing sighs of relief, "Twice now you and your champions and have honored deals and this shall be your third. Once long ago when you were whole and you champion held a connection to others of our kind and now as a shard broken from a while along with the child of decay."
"S-So, who stole the ring?" She asked.
"They used magic in order to steal the ring, making sure not to disturb me from my slumber, so their appearance is unknown to me," It frowned, "But one of the humans referred to another as 'Cromwell'. I care not for he may be, only that he has stole that which is precious to me."
"Cromwell...isn't that Albion's usurper? The newly crowned Emperor?" Montmorency whispered.
"Yes, the one who killed everyone in newcastle," Louise's hands shook, "We're going to war with Albion, but Cromwell is...he's hiding behind an army of fanatics and heretics. But if Tristain wins then..." Louise bit her lip. It was a risky deal, and the price of breaking a pact with a spirit would be severe if she remembered her studies correctly. Two impossible decisions.
"Is there a limit to how long this task may be undertaken?" Raziel spoke this time.
"So long as you both give it to me before your lives are extinguished, that is enough," Its gaze shifted to Raziel, "Time matters little to you as well, as it did with the rest of your kind. Should you give in to despair then it will fall to your master and her new champion to fulfill the contract."
"What is she talking about?" Montmorency asked Kirche, who merely shrugged in response, "Your kind? She said something about him and Louise earlier too."
"Then we agree to your terms," Louise had to force herself to avoid stuttering, "I, Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere solemnly pledge to return your precious item in exchange for decreasing the water levels."
"And so shall it be," The spirit nodded and prepared to leave before Raziel called out again.
"Wait, I still have questions," It took all his willpower to ignore Louise's pleading look for him to stop, "You said once before that there were others like me in time long past. That Elves and Humans worked together to ensure our destruction? What did you mean by that?"
"Long ago before the age of war between Humans and Elves, another stood as a threat to them both. Your kind," It pointed at him, "They required nothing, yet they had taken and corrupted all they could reach. Humans and Elves working together could not stem the tide of corruption and eventually your kid had almost driven them to the brink of absolute destruction. They were creatures of malice, spreading death and decay with every step in search of what they desired."
"That is impossible. I have seen no others like me here..."
"When both races stood on their final gasps the invaders simply...disappeared," Even it seemed to be unsure with the statement, "I felt the corrupted water in their veins disappear as if they had never existed. My ring is capable of breathing 'life' onto the spirits of the deceased. Whoever wields the ring is granted control of all beings created within. You are similar to them, but not quite. You belong in a time that has long since passed, to a race that should no longer exist."
She pointed at him and he felt the darksign at his neck burn, "Fire burns inside, as does darkness. The ring implants life that hold strong connection to the water. Your spirit, dark and all-consuming, cannot be controlled completely with the ring or otherwise. You are a remnant, child of decay, and now you are bound as champion and servant to a shard of those that stood against you."
He could say nothing more, so the spirit took it as its signal to leave. As he watched it fall back to the lake he felt a pair eyes boring at the back of his neck and caught sight of Montmorency staring at him with what looked to be a cross between scorn and fear, "What?" He growled. She jumped back and pointed her wand at him, causing the others to back away in surprise.
"Andvari's ring is capable of bringing false life onto bodies; they're animated with spirits who are subservient to the wielder of the ring. Necromancers all throughout history have searched for this artifact."
"Your point?"
"She said you're similar. That 'your kind' are monsters. That...That means you're an Undead, doesn't it!?" The hand holding her wand shook with such intensity that it was a wonder that she didn't drop it entirely, "The people you killed, the corpses you were ravaging...it all makes sense now. You were never human to begin with. The display during the summoning was no illusion but what you really are."
Kirche and Tabitha were staring at him now. He felt anger boiling at her words. Normally he wouldn't have cared, but he didn't much care to hear her judgement, "Yes. I am a monster. Is that what you want to hear?" His left hand swirled with abyssal energy and the frightened noble backed away shakily as he took a step nearer, "Go ahead and attack me if it is what you desire. Others of 'my kind' were always treated like monsters even when we did nothing. Good people were reduced to being hunted down like animals in order to escape the wrath of 'your kind'."
"Did nothing!? You killed all those people! You desecrated the dead!"
"To protect the people of Tarbes and heal the wounded. They can hate me all they wish but at least they are alive to do so. If you wish to call me a monster for my choices then call me one because of who I am, not what I am. Being an Undead does not turn one evil and my actions are my own. If you have forgotten the only reason we are even here is due to your own questionable morality. Or would you have preferred that we let you reap what you sow?"
"That's-"
"We're not here to argue!" Louise yelled, startling them both, "Montmorency we're not here to talk about Raziel!" She pointed her wand at her, "And Raziel, we're not here to talk about what she did! All we need is a cure and we can go back to ignoring each other."
"Louise, do you have any idea what you summoned!? You could be-"
"I know that! I've been thinking about it ever since I summoned him!" She panted, "But he's proven I can trust him and I'm not going to abandon him so stop yelling so we can get a cure for this love potion you made," She took an exhausted breath, "And in case you think of telling the teachers know that the headmaster already knows so there's no point to it. Just...Just leave him alone and lets just go."
"...I was wrong about you Louise..." Montmorency shook her head in disdain and stomped back to her horse. Raziel looked at his master and wished he could have something, anything to her.
"It doesn't matter," She scoffed, "Montmorency and I were never friends so I don't care what she thinks about me," She turned her glare over to Kirche and Tabitha, "What, do you two have something you want to say too? Going to call Raziel a monster and me a heretic for summoning him? Come on, Zerbst, this is just the kind of thing you were waiting to hold over me! Say it now and get it out of your system!"
"Hah, no matter how bad you think of me I'm not going to stoop that low," Kirche sighed, giving the pair a wry smile, "Look, me and Tabitha always knew you and your Familiar were weird, we just didn't know what exactly it was. Granted I would have gone for the 'Gallian Golem' excuse but this is pretty close all things considered. As long as you don't start attacking everyone we can keep going as we've been so far."
"Used to it..." Tabitha nodded, not saying anything more.
"How good for me then..." She shook her head in dramatized annoyance, though he could see the hints of a smile playing at her lips, "Come on, we should go before Guiche wakes up. I don't want to know how mad he's going to be now that he's rested."
As they walked back to their horses Kirche took it as a chance to speak, "So...Undead, huh? Gotta admit that's new."
"Not really. It is this land's of the walking dead that surprise me," He replied off-handedly. He didn't wish to show it but he was glad for her joking levity.
"Still, you look pretty good for someone who's supposed to be dead," She grinned.
"It is an illusion, similar to this 'make up' you use during formal events. It is nothing more than a twisted reflection of the humanity all of us truly lack. I doubt you would be so humorous if you what I truly looked like."
"Come on, you're just exaggerating," She clapped him on the back, "Besides, it at least explains why you kept ignoring me. You don't know how much of a punch to one's self confidence it is to be rejected like that. At least you had a good reason so I can save my tears for more important things." She joked.
"Are you sure? Perhaps I just do not find you attractive," He smiled slightly, though right now the only he could consider attractive was his magnificent benefactor.
"Hey, you take that back!" She playfully pushed him, earning a subtle laugh from him, "Anyway, are you under Louise's control or something? Montmorency mentioned the ring granting control
"She holds some degree of control over me," His mind drifted briefly to the events with Fouquet, "But for the most part I seem to retain my free will. Though as I have nowhere else to go it matters rather little. She is still my master and I am still her Familiar...though I desire to be more with her if fate would permit it," He blushed as he processed what he'd just admitted.
"Oh, that love potion's really kicking in there, huh," She laughed, "So how does that work exactly? Do you want to plunge your sword in her sheath? Dive your sparrow at her treasure? Eat out of her cake? Dip your meat at her sauce? How about-
"Please stop, even I can see what you mean," He blushed even deeper, "No, I have no desire for copulation with her, magnificent as she may be," He brought a hand across his face as if wiping away sweat, "This poison simply makes me want to please her, to gain her attention. I am lucky parts of my mind remain my own or I would have gone as mad as Guiche."
"That's convenient. I can imagine he tossed her enough love poems to make her go mad," She stretched her arms and yawned. If she knew what Guiche had nearly done she wouldn't have made light, "So answer me one more thing; how is it that you're blushing? I mean does blood still go to your face or what?"
"I...do not know, in truth," They were nearing the horses. Tabitha was speaking to Louise and Montmorency about something, "Undead are not supposed to have blood at all so I can only assume being bound as Louise's Familiar is affecting me in ways that I cannot comprehend. It just...happens, even when I do not wish it to. Is there any way to avoid it? I wish to stop it from occurring again if possible...oh, and tears as well. They sting the eyes."
"You can't really stop those things from happening. Its part of being human," He had to resist the urge to remind her that he wasn't human, "Hey, what's going on?" She called to the conversing group.
"Tabitha's offering to let us to make the potion at her house as repayment for making a deal with the spirit," Louise answered. Already she could see the lake growing down slowly but steadily. In a day or so it should have gone back to normal. She supposed taking something back was easier than than spreading it around, "She has the proper tools to concoct the cure and its closer than the school."
"Let us get this over with then. The sooner we finish the sooner this madness ends," He ignored Montmorency's glares and placed Guiche at the horse's back once more. Hopefully she could take leaving her fiance at the hands of a monster.
Tabitha's house was large...no, rather than a house it could be more accurately described as a mansion. Raziel looked up at the towering building briefly before shifting his attention back to the cracked crest adorning the gate. The symbol was unfamiliar to him, but the others seemed to notice its significance given their gaping mouths.
"That's the crest of the Gallian royal family. Tabitha, are you-"
"Yes, yes, she's related to the king," Kirche answered Louise for her, "She doesn't like making a big deal out of it so lets just finish this so we can get some sleep. We've been out there for a while and I'm just about read to collapse."
"Tabitha's a princess..." Montmorency muttered. Raziel felt a slight twinge of annoyance at the word though he forced it back down. He really needed to drop his prejudices against certain royals, "Well, that at least explains how she could have the proper tools," Most nobles weren't interested in potion-making and as a princess she could afford her own potion master to create concoctions for her.
Or not, as they soon found out. While the land and the villages around seemed to be populated with content subjects the mansion itself was barren, almost hauntingly so. Barring the old butler that had greeted them at the door there seemed to be almost no one in the house. It also showed signs of disrepair like cracks on the higher walls and cobwebs at the edges.
"I trust the task went well, Mistress Charlotte?" The butler - who introduced himself as Percival - bowed, "Ah, I see that you brought more guests. Shall we prepare the extra visitor's chambers?" Tabitha nodded, "It has been a long time since guests came here so it may take a small while. In the meantime please enjoy yourselves of the food in the dining hall. I always make sure to prepare extra for the Mistress' visits."
"Um, yes, thank you," Louise wondered how the elderly man could handle everything by himself, "Um...Tabitha? Why was he calling you Charlotte? Is that your middle name or..." She trailed off.
"Not now..." She unfastened her cloak and placed it on one of the smaller storage rooms, "Cure first," She pointed to the stairs leading left, "West wing. Third door on the right. Dinner in two and a half hours," A late dinner, but to be honest the two were so starving that they didn't care.
Synthesizing the cure took much longer than Raziel had thought it would; he always assumed she would take the reagents and just mix them into a broth and that would be that. Instead it had taken an hour of preparation and then thirty minutes of letting the mixture boil to the proper temperature before she could finally consider the solution properly mixed. With slightly scalded hands she manipulated the liquid into two vials.
"Here, that should be enough to cure it," Oh, he was an 'it' now? How charming, "Just make sure it watches what it drinks from now on."
"I will keep that in mind the next time you require help from your amorous lovers," He muttered, gratefully taking the cure from his master's hands and downing it without a second thought.
"Well...how do you feel?" Louise asked.
All of a sudden he grabbed her by the shoulders and stared at her. Louise squeaked in surprise but didn't resist, "...As if my mind has finally cleared, Louise," He breathed a sigh of relief and laughed a little as he released her grip on her. No longer did he feel the need to please her or the desire to sleep on her lap and be petted like some common animal, "I am free...relatively speaking."
"Aw, that's a shame. I was getting used to actually having an obedient Familiar," She sighed in relief as well despite her words.
"...How you two can joke about this I have no idea," Montmorency shook her head and pressed the vial against the sleeping Guiche's lips, ignoring the slight droplets that spilled down his lips. As long as enough of the mixture entered his body he would have been cured, "There, that takes care of that. That should counteract the sleeping draught as well so when he wakes up he should be back to normal."
"So...its over? Thank Brimir..." Louise yawned and sat back against the chair, "God, I'm so tired. How much longer till we have to meet Tabitha and Zerbst?"
"Another hour at least..." Montmorency's eyes drooped as well and she practically collapsed onto another chair, her head on her knees. After a moment of silence it had become evident to him that the two had fallen asleep sitting down. Laughing slightly he picked up one of the spare blankets and dusted it off before covering Louise, making sure not to disturb her. He still had an hour to waste and he didn't fancy waiting for all three to wake up. Curiosity gnawed at him and he left the room quietly. He could always come back to wake them.
Exploring the mansion proved to be an eerie experience. Age and disrepair had obviously taken root - Cobwebs caked the upper walls, grime stained the windows and a layer of dust covered the busts and large paintings. Given that its only caretaker seemed to be that Percival fellow it was a miracle that the place was standing as well as it did. There were at least signs that he had tried to maintain the interiors but they were few and far in between.
"So you all better now partner?" His face twitched at Derflinger's sudden call. He had been so quiet the past few days, "Get it out of your system? Cause if not I'm gonna have to tell you all about the dragons and the wyverns? And trust me that's not something you wanna talk about with your partner."
"You know it was induced, Derflinger. No need to add any more uncertainty," Raziel looked back slightly to the shining blade.
"Well, that's good, cause the last time I talked about it to that blacksmith's apprentice he took it way too literally and took this girl he liked dragon hunting. They both made it out alive but she never wanted to see his face again. I think he blamed me, cause he just left me in a ditch and never looked back. Dunno why though, didn't think the stupid bastard would take it so seriously."
"Did you not sense the poison? I thought you could negate magic."
"I can, partner," He clicked in perceived offense, "But a love potion's no more magical than a bottle of wine. Sure it makes you do crap and the ingredients are rarer, but its not a spell or anything I can break. Maybe you should watch what you drink next time."
He passed the door leading back to the entrance hall and looked curiously at the stairway leading to the right. That was the eastern wing, wasn't it? Well, he still had some time. He wondered if it would appear as dilapidated as the rest of the household. Given Louise's comments he expected nobles, especially a royal, to have estates filled with loyal servants and gold encrusted doorknobs. Not a house that wouldn't look out of place in a place like New Londo.
"Hmm..." He traced two fingers through the stairway's handle and observed the dust sticking to the tips, "This place almost seems as if it had been abandoned..." He muttered aloud. Why did Tabitha live here? This place felt almost...haunted in a way. He stared at the portrait of a blue haired adult male that seemed to stare down at all who entered. The bright smile just added to the feeling unease.
Taking his mind off the unfamiliar male he went across the stairs and opened the door to the opposite wing.
As he had expected the entire wing showed little signs of upkeep, but it was even worse compared to the other areas. Whereas attempts at keeping appearances were at least made the eastern wing looked as if it had been completely cut off. The hallway was almost completely dark, tattered curtains preventing the moons from providing light in the dark refuge. Many items and even entire doors had been covered hastily with dust-caked blankets and cracks appeared alongside many of the walls.
He waved a hand in front of his face as he walked forward, wiping off the dust and spiders that attempted to get near him. With every step he took the wooden floor creaked, as if the house itself found his intrusion into its darkest depths an affront, "Severe signs of disrepair..." He mumbled. Something had happened to this place. It was a remnant of something that was once grand.
"Hush little baby don't say a word~, mama's going buy you a mockingbird~" At once he immediately felt a chill as soft singing reached his ears. It reminded him all too much of The Fair Lady's domain with and the haunting hymns she prayed for salvation. But the voice was coarse, as if straining to speak out the words. He was tempted to unsheath Derflinger but he doubted Tabitha kept monsters in her house.
"Well, that's not creepy or anything," Derflinger clicked, "Listen, partner, I've seen enough to know where this is going. Better you turn back now before you end up in the middle of a Vampire's meal. A little girl tried the singing act too and the entire team of adventurers I was with ended up on her stomach faster than you can say 'I don't like this'. That and 'Its just too quiet', which it kinda is right now.
"I have fought Vampires before..." His right hand flared with heat just in case. Slowly he walked along the hall, the creaks of the floor seeming to increase the closer he few to the source.
"This door..." He stopped and stared at it. It was clean, almost pristine in a way...which made it all the more unnerving when everything else around it appeared to belong in a ruin. Hesitantly he grabbed the doorknob and turned, and almost instantly the singing stopped, "Whatever is here it knows we are here now..." He grit his teeth. He was being silly; if it was a monster then he was armed and prepared and if it wasn't (which was likely) then there was nothing to worry about.. No need for fear either way.
The room inside was wide and lit up by the moonlight, but it contained almost nothing. No beds, no luxuries, simply a small table and a chair facing the window at the far edge of the room. At the chair a woman, or at least he presumed she was a woman by the long blue hair, sat staring out the window as she hummed to herself. In her hand she held a doll that held obvious signs of age and frequent repair. Its stuffing was nearly falling apart at the seams and its right arm had been ripped of messily.
Something drew him forward. Quietly he stepped forward, making sure not to breath anymore; he wanted to avoid startling her. This was...odd. What was she doing here? He looked at her loose nightgown; it hung off her thin malnourished body loosely, the arms and legs that he could see being unhealthily colored an unhealthy pallor...she looked almost Hollow in a way.
"Percival, is that you?" Her coarse voice caused him to stop, "It's so good of you to come. Charlotte has gotten hungry and I think she would enjoy some of those hazelnut leaves you always prepare for her. Would you please-" Her voice paused as she turned and caught sight of him, "You...You are not Percival! Who are you!? Did he send you!? How many will he keep sending till he's satisfied!?"
She picked up the plate at the small table and threw it at him in a frenzy. Raziel ducked and backed away as she threw the utensils at him as well, "You won't take her from me! You took Charles, but you won't take my daughter! I won't let you!" She hugged the doll to her chest protectively, "Shh, its okay, darling. Mommy's not going to let them hurt you again~ We'll be together...no matter what..."
She was insane. Raziel's eyes narrowed and stepped back as the woman continued to whisper comforts to the doll. As he continued to walk back he felt something bump into his back, causing him to turn back with his sword drawn.
What greeted him was Tabitha's unamused face, her gaze chilling enough to freeze him on the spot, "Leave. Now." The barest traces of a scowl marred her face before she grabbed him by the arm and, with surprising force ill-befitting a girl of her stature, pulled him back roughly, "You should not be here," She muttered darkly, "Leave. Forget what you've seen." She stepped forward and knelt.
"What is-"
"You again!?" The woman pointed a bony finger at Tabitha, "I see now! You couldn't take Charlotte from me alone so you brought allies! It doesn't matter how many you bring! I would rather die than let you hurt my dear daughter again!" She picked up the second, smaller plate and threw it at Tabitha's head hard enough to crack it slightly. Raziel's mouth opened slightly in surprise; she made no attempt to avoid the thrown projectile.
"Please calm yourself..." Blood dripped from her wounded forehead, but she forced herself to smile, "You are both safe...please keep your daughter safe as always..."
She stood up and, ignoring the woman's crazed insults, bowed politely before turning back to him with her chillingly emotionless stare, "Leave. Forget what you've seen," She repeated again.
"...Is she who you wanted the Humanity for?" She tightened her grip on her staff and didn't answer, "Curing poison, ills of the mind. You would not care so much for a stranger...she is your mother?" Their resemblance could be seen despite the woman's emaciation.
"...Yes," She closed her eyes and looked down, her lips pursed, "Not your affair. Leave."
"..Is she dead?" He ventured to ask. Tabitha pointed the staff at him in response, "It is no threat, I ask with no ill intent: Has she passed on? Was this...poison that afflicted her fatal?"
"...No. Madness, not death," She answered reluctantly.
"Then...perhaps we can attempt something," He pulled a dark clump out of his pack and held it out to her, "Take it into her palms and crush it. Humanity can cure all poisons, anything that can be considered harmful. ...If fate is merciful to you then it will cure her, assuming this madness is considered severe enough to require a cure. The poison I was afflicted with was not considered as such, but perhaps her condition shall be."
"..." She just stared at him and the clump he held.
"Do you think I wish you harm? I owe you a debt and it must be repaid. I have nothing to gain from hurting you or your mother. You were the one who wished for it, and now I give you the choice," He stepped closer and pressed it against her hands, "Try. Or discard it if you wish. It makes no difference to me."
Tabitha looked down at the substance. It was...warm, almost comforting in a way. She looked at the Undead's eyes and nodded slowly. She stepped closer to her mother, the manic woman looking at her with a gaze full of hate and spite. She would have to approach her carefully.
"Please..." As Tabitha drew nearer and the woman's yells gradually lessened and she focused all her attention on the dark substance, its presence alone seeming to calm her. Raziel narrowed his eyes in suspicion; it was very similar to how Hollows acted when faced with what they craved, "Take this..." She pressed the Humanity onto her hand and slowly closed her fist.
The dark substance collapsed into white mist and the woman gasped, taking deep, frantic breaths as she fell back onto her chair. Tabitha stepped back, unsure of what it had done, until she spoke, "Char...lotte?" She looked up and Tabitha gasped. No longer filled with hate, her eyes looked remorseful as she reached a weak hand out to her daughter, "What...What have I done..." Her face broke into guilt and shame as she touched the drying blood on her daughter's face, the doll laying forgotten on the floor next to her, "I am...so sorry, my dear daughter..."
"Mother...is it..." At her continued apologies Tabitha's face finally cracked and she closed her eyes to suppress tears. Ignoring her injury she hugged the woman tightly, afraid that if she let go then she would disappear, "Mother...please don't leave me again..." Her hands gripped the back of the gown tightly, "Blood stained her mother's dress and it hurt to press her wound but she disregarded the pain."
"Charlotte..." She returned the hug and cried openly, her voice hoarse as she held her daughter close. Raziel looked as the two continued to hug one another, tears escaping their eyes. It reminded him of The Fair Lady; did the two care about each other like this? That they would let loose tears at simply seeing one another? His eyes drifted to the doll and he walked forward to pick it up.
It brought back memories of a lonely girl who was hated by the world.
"Charlotte...please forgive me...all these years..." Her memories were faint, but she could still remember bits and pieces. Yelling at her daughter, calling her a killer sent to attack a doll, attacking her and calling her the king's puppet, "Had I known..."
"Please, mother...it is alright..." Tabitha tried her best to give a reassuring smile, "You are here now...we will be together again..." She didn't care if she had to give up her nobility. If she had to spend the rest of her life running from him. No one would take her again.
"It is no excuse. Charlotte, I lo..." Her mother suddenly stopped, her breath becoming frantic once again. Tabitha and Raziel looked at her worriedly before she tightened her grip on the younger girl's shoulder, "Lies! You tricked me! Monster! You're not my daughter! Give me back my daughter!" She pushed Tabitha towards him with surprising force and crawled frantically to the discarded doll.
"I'm so sorry, I allowed her to trick me..." She cradled the damaged doll close to her and cried, "Charlotte, forgive your mother for giving into an illusion. Please forgive me..." She rubbed the dolls head gently. Raziel shook his head and held Tabitha loosely as the tried to untangle themselves from one another. As the young girl saw her mother whispering comforts to the doll once again her fingers dug painfully onto his skin.
"No...mother..." Raziel flinched as her fingers clung onto his arms. Her face shook as she desperately tried to keep her expression blank. Recent tears still marked the sides of her face and he was only too relieved that her wound hadn't gotten worse.
"She is dead..."
"She is alive," She looked down at him. He pushed her off and stood up, rubbing his arms in slight irritation.
"She is Hollow," Raziel sighed, "Undead Hollow when they lose hope and give into despair. At times, when they gain Humanity, a part of them returns but it is only fleeting. I have no other explanation for her relapse."
"Her heart beats. She still requires food and drink. She is not dead," Tabitha picked up her staff and held it close to her tightly, "Poisoned into madness, but alive. Cruel mercy...for us both..."
"Then I have nothing more that I can say..." He frowned, "Her actions...it reminds me of Hollows who cling desperately to their strongest memories," He pulled out another clump of Humanity and stared at it wistfully, "Humanity brings them comfort, but soon the madness returns and they will have forgotten," He crushed it in his hands, "It is what keeps us going, at times the only thing that does so. It also heals us, allows us to survive where humans could not," He pulled away the bandages and exposed the now healed skin, "Every human can benefit from their effects, whether physical or at times even mental healing."
"What are you saying...?"
"Whatever this poison is, it induces something similar to Hollowing," He said, "Her behavior, the way she clings to the doll as if it were her own daughter, her violence when she sees something she doesn't recognize...all similar to that of a Hollow," He placed his hand on his chin, "She does not actively seek out Humanity, but it comforts her all the same. She calmed herself when presented with Humanity. Most just feel a vague sense of comfort, not such large temptation."
"...Permanent cure?" She asked, her voice much softer this time as she watched her mother take her seat on the chair once again. She was content to ignore them now, focusing instead on caring for the doll once again. She looked much healthier now, no longer looking as if
"5 minutes," He held up his right hand, "That was how long her sanity lasted. I had attempted giving Humanity to Hollows...my friends...when they had gone mad. It gave them only a brief window of remembrance before they were reduced to their madness once again. Given enough she could function for an hour, perhaps even a day or a week, but the madness is always waiting."
"..." Her hands shook and she barely suppressed the urge to cast a spell in rage. A cure, the closest thing she had to one in all her years of searching, and it was nothing more than a stopgap solution. Her mother had been taken from her yet again, the cruel illusion of hope that things could get better again shattered. She looked up at him blankly before speaking once more.
"Again..." She demanded.
"It is of no use. I have tried and failed to save my friends, there was no going back. I had to accept it and you should as well...she is lost to you," His words were cruel, but she needed to accept the inevitable. There was no cure for madness, and when he lost his sanity Louise would have to kill him as well to prevent him from hurting her and others.
"Again..." She pointed her staff at him.
"Or what? You will kill me?" He glared back at her, "Even if you succeed I only have a few clumps left. How long will they last? An hour? Half of that? Normal Humans cannot get Humanity without this," He raised his left hand and let the abyssal energy swirl briefly, "Once you kill me then you will have lost any chances of gaining any more. Vain hope is best discarded before it consumes us."
"I can cure her. She can be..." She was interrupted as her mother had enough of their continued presence and threw her glass at her, hitting her at the back of the head. Thankfully it hadn't shattered, but the girl was forced down onto her knees by the sudden impact.
"Leave, both of you!" The blue-haired woman yelled, "Haven't you done enough!? Leave me and Charlotte in peace!"
Raziel knelt down and offered her a hand up but she ignored him, continuing to stare at the floor. He looked at the crazed woman before he stood up once more, "...We should go," He turned to leave before she grabbed hold of the hem of his tunic gently, looking up at him through pained eyes.
"Just once more...to say goodbye..." The edges of her wet eyes seemed to glisten in the faint light and she held onto him tighter, the crunch of the fabric reaching his ears. He could see her shoulders shaking from barely restrained sadness, "Please..." Her voice was barely a whimper.
Raziel looked between her and the humming woman and growled in frustration. She was deluding herself: A cure for Hollowing? He had tried to find it in his own journeys only to be proven wrong at every turn. The madness consumed all and once you slipped there was no going back. He had to learn that the hard way.
And yet, she still hoped. It was true that he had never seen an induced Hollowing on a living person before, but all signs pointed to them being the same whether alive like her or dead like he was.
"You keep persisting, even when there may be no hope. You know this..." He tried once more to dissuade her.
"I must try..." She replied solemnly.
"As you wish, then," He closed his eyes briefly and pulled out his remaining clumps, leaving two for himself, "Use it however you wish, whether for yourself or for her. Say your goodbyes or promise to save her, it matters not. But with this any debt I owe is paid. Do not expect free hand-outs should your need arise. I need it for myself as well," And he had spent some time doing contracts in order to get those. She hoped it would give her what she wanted at least.
She nodded and pulled herself up before taking the clumps gratefully. At least 10, which meant nearly an hour of her mother's revived sanity, "Thank you..." She looked back at her before regretfully keeping the clumps close. She wanted her to take them all now, to talk to her mother again and reassure her that everything would be fine, but she had a limited number. She picked out two and kept the rest. 10 minutes...enough to explain, to tell her that it wasn't her fault and that she would see her again.
"I will wait outside..."
He left the door as Tabitha reached her mother once more. Derflinger attempted to speak, to cheer him up, but he wasn't in the mood to humor his banter. He stood silently and waited until Tabitha came out and walked past him without a word.
"...Did you achieve what you desired?"
"..Close enough..." She replied, "She knows what is happening...she believes we can be together again," He saw what appeared to be a slight smile grace her lips, "It is...enough. Until I find a cure. Seeing her again...I know why I fight," She pulled out the clumps and stared at them. They comforted her somehow, like a warm fire on a cold night. She would have to leave them here just in case.
"Hmm...there is a curative from my land, they called the 'Divine's Blessing'. Said to be blessed by the Lord of Sunlight's daughter," She looked up at him with a slight twinge of hope, "It was a rare substance, but it was to cure any ailment even those that could be considered fatal. It cannot cure Hollowing, but your mother is in a condition I have never seen before. Perhaps it could be a cure for her as well."
"Do you have it?" She asked.
"No," He shook his head, "It was rare even back in Lordran, but in this land it would be near impossible to find. It is merely a suggestion. If I find it here...then I may give it to you to repay another debt or in exchange for something. Humanity is enough to feed me and I do not need it as much as she seems to."
"...Thank you."
The two of them walked in comfortable silence back to the halls and towards the room where Louise and Montmorency slept. With any luck they would be awake and they could finally put this day to an end.
When they finally arrived at the door they weren't surprised to hear more yelling. Looking at one another briefly, Raziel reluctantly grabbed the knob and opened the door, "There you two are!" Louise barreled out in a rush, nearly pushing him to the floor, "Can you please do something about these two? They've been going back and forth for a ever since Guiche woke up and its driving me mad."
Looking past her he saw the all-too familiar sight of Montmorency saying something at Guiche as he tried to stutter out a reply. He scoffed; this entire incident was her doing and she still had the gall to yell at him? This was getting more absurd by the minute. He was tempted to step in when Tabitha pulled him back and shook her head, "Wait..." She muttered.
"B-But it was a mistake! I-I wasn't myself!" He attempted to reach out to her but she backed away with a shiver, "Montmorency, you know I love you!
"No, you don't," Montmorency frowned, her voice surprisingly soft, "I'm through with this. Look, I made a mistake with the love potion, but your behavior is...its too much. Even before all of this when we were engaged it didn't stop you from trying to seduce other girls. Remember Katie?" He stumbled back as if he had been hit, "I still do. And I know she's not the only one you did it to.
"Montmorency-"
"Let me finish!" She took a deep breath, "You've been doing this for years. Years, Guiche. I've hidden the extent of it from my family and tolerated it because our families wanted us wed and...and I hoped that some day you would stop and prove that you really loved me," She laughed bitterly, "I was wrong. Do you even know their names? Or does it not matter if they're attractive enough?"
"Montmorency, I'm sorry. I never-"
"You never meant to hurt me?" She interrupted again, "But I've been dealing with your antics for 2 years now and you've only gotten worse recently," She grabbed her head with both hands and shook her head, "No. No more. I don't want to hear anymore flattery. More lies. I don't want to believe that you really changed and get disappointed every time I see you trying to seduce another girl behind my back."
"S-So what are you saying?" He gulped. This wasn't how he had expected to wake up, being untied from ropes only to be freed as Montmorency started listing off complaints about his flaws.
"I'm ending this, Guiche," She looked away and swallowed her hesitation, "Permanently. I'm calling off our engagement and informing my parents to find a new fiance for me. I know they'll be disappointed but
"C-Calling it off!? But Montmorency-"
"Aren't you happy?" She gave a sickly sweet smile, "You can get together with that girl you were with a few days. What was her name? Margaret? Bah, I'm sure it doesn't matter as long as shes a pretty first year," She took a deep breath, her smile wavering slightly, "Well...I guess this is it. I'm sorry for the love potion so lets just forget about any relationships between us. From now on we're classmates and nothing more, got it?"
"Mo-Montmorency..." She went past him and, ignoring his blubbering, left the room and went back to the main entrance.
Guiche fell onto his knees and...laughed, "Hahahahahaha...Hahahaha..." He forced himself to laugh even as tears spilled down his face and he looked up in despair. His mad cacophony of laughing cries caused no small amount of discomfort for the others.
The three remaining watchers looked at each other in uncertainty and Louise jumped back as she finally saw Tabitha's injuries, "What happened to you? You looked like you ran headfirst into a wall!" She pointed at drying and the slight tear marks the younger girl sported.
"Not now," She pointed at Guiche and Montmorency, "Them first."
"R-Right, I suppose we need to see if they're both alright," She rubbed her head in irritation," She sighed, "Look, I'll talk with Montmorency. We aren't friends but she was trying to stop herself from crying so I know she's not okay. Raziel, you go talk to Guiche. You know him better than I do at this point and Tabitha just...clean yourself up. You look like a mess."
The two girls left the wing as well, leaving him alone with the formerly engaged noble. Raziel mimicked a cough and tapped Guiche in the shoulder, "I...have no idea what to say. My apologies."
"Heh, its not like you can say anything to change this," Guiche muttered, "You know we've always had fights like this, but it never got this bad. I want to believe she was being dramatic, that she just wanted to make a point, but I'd be lying to myself. She's...She's serious about this. Two years of engagement from our families and she wants to end it and find someone else," He tucked his legs onto his chest, "Its all my fault..."
"You are not at fault," He insisted sharply, "She manipulated your mind for her own whims, surely you remember this?"
"Yes, I remember, all to clearly," He looked down and pressed his face on his knees, "But that doesn't change the fact that she wasn't wrong. I took her for granted, always assuming that it would be alright if I said a few kind words. When you nearly killed me she was right there, begging you not to do so," He sucked in a nervous breath as more tears escaped, "But now that's over. I've pushed my limits and she's had enough. I don't know what I was thinking."
"Hmm..." He couldn't say anything else.
"I know I've gotten worse this past week, but I was just so nervous," He clenched his fists, "All that death in Tarbes, being shipped off to war when its declared...I just wanted for things to go back like there were and...and I acted like a fool. That dinner we had was my chance to prove it to her - I even bought expensive wine and everything - and fate decided to take that from me to punish me for my foolishness." He punched the floor and yelled, "I messed up! I want another chance! I want to tell her how sorry I am! That I'll change if she'll let me and...and..."
He stopped speaking just collapsed backwards, staring blankly at the ceiling with lifeless eyes. Raziel could do nothing but sit next to him and offer his silent companionship. Elsewhere he hoped his master was having better luck.
"What do you want?" Montmorency asked sourly. Dinner had been postponed and the two were alone in the vast dining hall with only a few candles to keep them illuminated. Louise could see the flush on the girl's cheeks and the already opened bottle of wine she was nursing.
"Look, I just wanted to-"
"If you're trying to comfort me then stop. We're not friends," She poured more wine onto her glass and sipped a bit of the burning liquid, "And given recent events I really have no interest in striking up a friendship right now with you of all people."
"I'm not trying to be friends with you, but its common decency to see if your fellow nobles are alright."
"Its also common decency to not be a heretic, but we both know you've broken that rule since the summoning ritual."
"I'm not here to talk about Raziel," She grit her teeth, "Alright, I just wanted to see if you were okay but if you're going to be an arse about it then fine, sit here and stew in your misery like the tragic maiden of a cheap book. Like you said it doesn't concern me." She pushed back the chair with much more force than needed and turned to leave before Montmorency spoke once more.
"...I trusted him, you know," She muttered, "Trusted that if push came to shove he would always pick me," She pursed her lips, "But he always goes for other girls. When we were first engaged I was so happy, he seemed so charming and dashing that I thought my knight in shining armor had come at last. I tolerated two years of blatant unfaithfulness and...and in the end I tried to change his mind even when I knew it was wrong."
Louise looked back at her and sat down, taking her own glass. She would need to be a bit tipsy for this, "Do you really think this is the best choice? Annulling an engagement isn't something to be done lightly. And does this...does this have anything to do with..."
"Partly, yeah. I can't just ignore it even if I know it wasn't his fault. I mean, how do you ignore something like that," She waved her arms dramatically, spilling some wine from her cup, "Ugh..why am I even talking to you about this? Its not like you know what I'm going through."
"You might be surprised," Louise took a gulp and coughed slightly. The wine was strong, "You remember Jean-Jaques Wardes? The former leader of the Griffon Knights?"
"Who doesn't?" Montmorency asked back, "Everyone in the academy was talking about him non-stop. The leader of the Griffon knights, the one many of them aspired to be, turned out to be a traitor. Its hard to believe. Now he's known as a traitor, a snake. He-"
"He was my fiance."
"I..." She tried to find the words, but nothing came.
"I admired him ever since we were engaged ten years ago," She swirled the wine wistfully, "We'd grown distant over the years but when I saw him again...it was like I was a little girl again, looking up at her first crush. I let him fool me into thinking he loved me. He whispered comforts into my ear as he plotted to betray our beloved country. He was part of the conspiracy that killed Prince Wales. So yes, I know what it's like to be betrayed by someone I trust."
"...I guess we're more alike than we thought," Montmorency admitted with slight hesitation.
"How about you, Montmorency? Do you know what it was like? To see someone you admired, someone you thought you loved, be treated as Tristain's worst traitor since Lord Aberlard of years past betraying his king to spies? The man I looked up to, who I thought cared about me...he was nothing more than a lie. A mask to manipulate and deceive. And you know the part I hate the most? A part of me still cares about him, still remembers that young man who was there for me when I cried and hoping that at least a part of that was real."
"Hmph, I get it," She clicked her tongue, "Both of us know, I get it," She swallowed the last of the wine and sighed, "I know its not proper, but I just want to drink and forget that this is all happening. A toast to guys being idiots," She raised up her glass.
"I'll drink to that," She smiled wryly and clinked their cups together before downing her own glass. She was going to regret this come tomorrow.
Right, I'm cutting this chapter here again. REALLY sorry, but on-the-job training starts tomorrow along with other projects and the word count is bloating even higher than the last chapter. Its actually 4k words bigger :/ Well anyway some plot events happen in this chapter and unfortunately I have to shelve the Zombie!Wales finale for the next. I PROMISE the next one will be the end of this arc.
As for who's at fault between the two, its up to you guys to decide. The chapter gives both reasons and doesn't lean towards one right or wrong answer regardless of how the characters themselves feel. They're biased and that's to be expected.
BloodTrinity - Hmm, I'll see if I can get a good word count on that.
kishinokurobi - Maybe that was the wrong choice of words...master and pet maybe makes more sense? Also, I doubt I can do full-on rape and its ramifications true justice in this fic. Attempted is as far as I can go.