Long time coming but seeing as just about every other DS crossover fic is updating, I figured it was about time to start with this as well. This chapter should be conclusive enough that another break can be excused :3
After this I may start streamlining how I write. This chapter shouldn't have reached 23k words considering the short span of events. Anyway, this chapter really wasn't my best, so I hope its not too bad for you guys. The Tristania Holiday arc might be a better fit for me.
For this chapter, I want to give BIG thanks to 'Hostis'. I'm not sure if all the kinks were worked out but its undoubtedly better because of him. Hopefully grammar quality gets better from here on out. If there are any cut-off paragraphs then gimme a heads up in the comments because I'm pretty sure we still missed some.
The Undead Parish certainly lived up to its namesake, at least in terms of appearance. Despite showing signs of age and decay the structure still showed signs of its former glory - Despite the layers of dust and grime coating everything almost all of the paraphernalia inside remained intact barring some minor cracks; had money any value left in Lordran an enterprising thief could steal them for a tidy profit had they not minded being labeled a heretic and being barred from some kind of afterlife.
Of course, the first word that came to mind when one looked at the parish would be sanctuary. During the first days of the Undead plague spreading the faithful had supposedly convened in the chapel, praying to their Gods to save them from the dreaded curse they were inflicted. Supporters would claim that the Gods tried their best to cure the devout while their enemies would say that they gathered all of the faithful and offered them up to Nito as the First of the Dead could surely end the twisted unlife.
Honestly, he had no idea which version of the events happened. Everyone, humans or non-humans, were inevitably biased in their views and twisted the truth to suit their benefit. Given everything he knew about Lordran it was completely possible that both events somehow happened or converged in some way. He tried not to think about it too much; such things were difficult for a 'mere Undead' to truly comprehend.
Blinking, Raziel looked up at the statue depicting a robed woman. Which God was this? In all honesty he had completely lost track; the Gods made so many statues of themselves and placed them side by side to one another that he wouldn't have been able to differentiate Gwyn from his uncle. The woman the statue depicted could be Gwyn's wife, Fina the Goddess of Love or any other minor God that he couldn't remember.
He stared at the statue for a bit longer before shaking his head and pressing forward. He was here for a reason, he was here to... "Huh?" He stopped and frowned. Something was wrong with this picture. He looked around once again; the chapel was its usual rustic self, barring the Balder knights he had killed just prior. The statues continued to stare down at him with their empty gazes and the oddly neat chairs still sat in perfect rows despite the monstrous denizens now occupying the building's interior. All in all it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
So why did he feel like he shouldn't be here?
Shaking off the feeling of discomfort, he continued pressing forward. Speaking of ordinary, the parish had gained the lone non-monstrous resident in the form of Rhea. A slight smile made its way to his face as he caught sight of her praying. Ever since he had rescued her she was always praying, always trying to gain salvation that she knew would never come.
Pointless. It was all so fucking pointless.
He stopped. Where in the abyss did that come from? "Must have been drinking too much of the Estus," He muttered to himself.
Hearing another person, the kneeling maiden turned around and gave him a surprisingly happy smile, "Ah, Sir. Raziel," She stood up and gave a short bow. Raziel raised an eyebrow slightly; since when was she so happy? She was always melancholy, always haunted by what had happened in the catacombs. Seeing her so happy was uplifting, yet also strange. Had something happened? If he remembered right the last time he had seen her was-
"I'll kill all of you!"
Sitting in a cell, beating her fists against the walls so hard that the bones snapped, escape barred by rusted metal grates that taunted her with the possibility of freedom. Weeping in the corner, torn between fear of death and happiness at everything finally coming to an end. Finally she would join her friends, leave this miserable world and achieve the respite she so craved ever since she'd been afflicted with this damnable curse.
"Is something the matter?" He was jolted out of his thoughts as Rhea leaned in, almost too close. He was about to step back before she both his hands and pressed them together in hers, "You need not fear. I am here; though my heart does not beat I am...alive, just as you are," She placed his right hand on her chest. Sure enough there was no heartbeat, though the skin still remained soft; likely due to the Humanity she still had due to not Hollowing.
Right...she wasn't Hollow. She was alright and standing in front of him.
"See?" She let go of his hands and stepped back slightly, "I must thank you again for saving me from Seath's clutches. Had it not been for you I would have perished alone and in the dark."
"Don't make me kill you!"
"Argh!" He clutched his head in his hands and closed his eyes. Why? What was happening?
"Are you alright?" She reached a hand out but he flinched away. She should be...she should have been dead...right? "Please, tell me what ails you so I can provide aid," Again she reached out and before he could back away she cupped his face gently and forced him to look at her. She was beautiful; it was clear that her father and mother's features were kind to her.
"I...I am fine..." He pushed her away gently and let out a choked cough. What in the abyss was going on? Rhea was in front of him, so surely things were alright and he was simply imagining things. There was no other way he could explain it. Everything was alright. He was still on his journey and everything would turn out for the best once he lit the kiln.
"Please, let me help you," Her voice was gentle. Looking down at her, her soft smile made him feel safe. As if his journey wouldn't turn out to be pointless after all and things would end happily.
"That...That is alright..." He forced a smile, "I was simply...suffering a delusion, but I am alright now," He took her hand in his, "Seeing you here, it is calming. It is a reminder of who I fight for. My friends, the people who would benefit from the kiln being re-lit and a successor of Gwyn being crowned. There has been enough suffering, that I think we can both agree with, Ms. Rhea."
She giggled. He'd never heard her laugh before, "Yes, truly. When you succeed Gwyn a new golden age shall begin. Finally the curse that rots this world will be banished and I can...I can go back to my father," She smiled once again, "You saved me from the catacombs. One as noble and heroic as you will make a magnificent successor for our Great Lord Gwyn as the new ruler."
"How long were you burning?"
"Ah!" Another headache. Closing his right eye, he rubbed his forehead and mimicked deep breaths; it was something normal humans did when they had headaches, or at least that's what Laurentius had told him.
"Perhaps we should sit down," Nodding slightly, he let her lead him towards the front most pew, "Perhaps you need a rest, Sir. Raziel. You have worked tirelessly to keep on your journey but everyone needs respite. If you would allow me, please allow me to heal you of your troubles. My teachings involved not just problems of the body but also of the mind. If you would let me, I could..." She left her sentence unfinished.
"I...thank you, I would appreciate it."
Taking both his hands in hers, she clasped her hands together in prayer and a bright light surrounded them. Raziel narrowed his eyes to shield them from the light while Rhea had kept hers closed, her mouth silently mouthing a prayer that he couldn't really make out. All at once he felt as if his troubles had been lifted, the worries plaguing his mind disappearing into the ether.
"This the most I am capable of, sadly," She looked down and frowned, "The relief is temporary, but even moments of peace should be cherished. I do not know how long this peace will last, I am sorry."
"N-No, this feels...amazing," He sighed happily. He couldn't remember the last time he didn't feel something gnawing at his mind. The kiln, his friends, the monsters he would kill and especially dealing with Louise from day to day-
"Louise!" He jolted forward, causing Rhea to scoot back slightly at the sudden his action, "Louise is...Louise is..." Again something was gnawing at his mind. He remembered a girl. She was haughty, quick to anger and believed herself superior to just about everyone.
But in the end she had also accepted. Accepted an Undead as her Familiar, allowed him to sleep in the same bed as her and trusted him enough not to hurt her even when afflicted with a toxin that induced lust. His summoner, his master...his friend.
"I have to go back-"
"Back to where?" Rhea's grip on his hand remained firm, "Please calm yourself. The miracle will not work if you do not rest your mind."
"Back to Louise. She should be at Tabitha's house, back in Tristain, we-"
"Tristain? Sir. Raziel, I have not been in Lordran for that long but there is no land with that name here."
"How would you know?" He scowled slightly, "I've been with Louise for so long now. It can't have all been a hallucination...could it?"
"I do not know," She frowned, "But I do know that there is no such place as Tristain. No books mentioned it and you haven't left this place," She squeezed his hand gently. He could feel it even through the metal gloves, "Sometimes we hide in our dreams, wishing for a better tomorrow. I have done it as well, more times than I cared to count," She pressed her lips into a thin line, "Sometimes I want it all to end."
"What are you saying? That I...dreamed the whole thing? That Louise and Siesta and everyone else are not real?" His voice was pleading, begging her to say she was wrong and that she could see them again.
"...I honestly cannot tell you," She shook her head.
"That is..." He sat down on the pew once again, staring up at the ceiling blankly. Everything that had happened...was it all a figment of his fractured mind? Burning at the kiln, being summoned by Louise, the time he spent with Siesta, the night with Wales...was it all a lie? Had his mind been so broken that he conjured a delusion to keep him sane?
"It is difficult, is it not?" She muttered softly, "To accept the reality of what we face. It is not simple suffering, but the complete absence of hope that drives as all to such desperate measures," She turned to face him. Tears were streaming down her eyes but it did little to mar her beautiful features, "Sometimes I wish my 'life' ended down in those catacombs. What is the point of staying on when there is no hope for a future?"
"I...perhaps you are right," He wanted to comfort her, to be cheerful like he was in his delusions of adventure, but he couldn't find the words. Hollowing was a slow and inevitable process, but surely it wouldn't be so bad. To let go of their burdens and join the rest of their brethren as they turned mindless.
"But a part of me still wishes to live," She laughed bitterly, "To go back to my father. To go back to the peaceful days of training when I had friends who would tease and laugh alongside me," She shut her eyes tightly, "I want to live, to find something worth living for so I do not hollow. Anything to keep me tethered."
"Rhea..." He brought his free hand up to caress her face gently. The gauntlet was cold, but she smiled at the gesture regardless even as she continued to cry. The Humanity she kept was significant; she was much more human than anyone else he'd seen, "I...I cannot help you...I do not know what to do myself," He lowered his hand and stood up to leave before a forceful tug kept him in place.
"Please...Please don't leave me..." The crying girl leaned in closer pressed her lips against his desperately. He knew. He knew it was not out of love, but a desperate attempt at comfort. She needed someone, anyone to give her hope even if it meant shallow actions. Undead couldn't have intercourse. The kiss, which should have been an act of intimacy, felt cold and lifeless as no warmth was shared between them.
She pressed the kiss deeper and his resolve weakened. It was a weak attempt at seduction, but the idea of someone needing him, someone who wanted him to stay by their side even if it was a lie was so tempting that he let her continue. Carelessly she grabbed for his armor to try and remove it, her fingers fumbling with the straps and only partially succeeding in removing them. She had never done this before, that much was certain.
It was sad. That was all he could feel from her actions.
She broke off the kiss, her expression torn. He didn't know whether she wanted to continue this charade or if she had come to her senses and realized it was all pointless. Suddenly her eyes widened and she turned away, covering her face with her hands. Embarrassment? No, they were too far gone for social subtleties like that. He reached a hand out to her before he felt something hitting against his teeth. With slight hesitation, he pulled the foreign matter from his mouth and held it in front of him.
It was part of a tongue. A maggot filled tongue, its color a sick gray and the maggots festering out of every orifice.
Eyes widening, he dropped the organ and stood up from the chair. Rhea had turned eerily still, her hands still covering her face. Raziel debated whether to reach out towards her or to run but the young maiden spoke before he could decide, "Is something the matter?" Her voice was hoarse now, as if she had aged by many decades, "We are monsters. Our Humanity is skin deep. Fake. We are all monsters underneath."
Turning around slowly, Raziel had to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying anything when he saw her face. Her eyes were gone, replaced with empty sockets dripping with dark blood. Her lips, which he had been kissing just prior, were halfway torn and he could see the rotting and missing teeth from the gaps of skin. Her hair had turned into stringy wisps and had already began to fall in clumps down to the ground.
"Am I not beautiful?" Her voice was desperate, pleading for him to accept her, "We are the same, you and I. Rotten, filthy creatures that don't deserve to live in this world. Neither of us deserve to be here, you know as well as I do," She reached out a rotten, bony hand, "Underneath that skin you are as decayed as I am. We are both disgusting creatures, why not take comfort in one another?"
Her hands moved to her robe's buttons and she let the cloth fall to the ground. What should have been an erotic sight only served to fill him with disgust: The skin was gray and rotting, maggots wriggling around in demented glee. Patches of her skin had been torn off and he could see the organs underneath, just as decayed as the rest of her body. With every step forward she took her skin stretched unnaturally to the point that it seemed as if it would tear off completely.
"Please...Please don't leave me..." She repeated her plea once more. Raziel felt himself fall backwards as he bumped into one of the pews and the former priestess followed suit, her bare body hitting against the armor and her rotting face inches away from his. He could feel the blood dripping from her eyes hitting against his cheek; it was the only warmth she could give him.
"...I love you," She captured his lips in another kiss.
Raziel sat up in his bed, barely resisting the urge to scream as the image was burned into his mind. Rotten flesh, he could still remember the smell of it. The maggots crawling across her breasts, the dark gray flesh stretching and peeling off, revealing her insides. The skin of her lips, cold and decayed, meeting his and the feeling of cold. He remembered her tongue, the organ ripping off as she inserted it into his mouth.
"Am I not beautiful?"
"I hate this..." He had to force himself to mimic breathing. To pretend to be normal, "No more dreams. Make it stop..." He placed both hands against his head and mimicked more breaths. He hated this. All the dreams. All the nightmares. At least back in Lordran he never dreamed, never saw anything that drudged up past follies. This was probably his only true nightmare; he was pretty sure Rhea had never tried to initiate sexual intercourse with him.
"Damnable nightmares..." He could barely make out his own voice. That was...new, even by his mind's warped standards. Complete falsehood, a delusion whose origin he couldn't fathom. What had caused such a nightmare? He should have known something was wrong as soon as he saw her tears; Undead weren't supposed to be able to cry.
He shouldn't have let this bother him. Violence was part of his nature. He didn't flinch when he'd seen the carnage at Newcastle and Tarbes, so why should some rotting skin affect him so much? He needed to calm down.
Next to him, Louise stirred in her sleep as she sat up slowly. Sharing the same bed had gotten so common between them that they had taken the first vacant room with a bed wide enough to fit the both of them and slept without saying a word. They could tell just by looking at one another that neither had particularly succeeded in comforting their half of the broken couple, though Louise assumed she had done better than her Familiar in that regard.
"Mmm, Raziel, what's wrong?" Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she let out a sudden squeak as her Familiar wrapped his arms around her and kept her in a tight embrace. Briefly she worried that the love potion had resurfaced once again before she shook off that thought. He should have been cured yesterday, and even if he wasn't he was easy enough to control that she shouldn't be worried.
"Warm..." His muffled voice reached her ears. She wasn't cold. He could hear her heart beating and feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
"H-Hey, what's going on?" Her face reddened slightly at the sudden gesture but when she caught sight of his face her heart calmed; his eyes were closed and there was a slight smile on his face, "I-I'm serious, tell me what's going on before I knock you off this bed!"
"Just...bad dreams," Her brows furrowed, unsatisfied with the explanation, "I...I thought I had lost you...that this was all a delusion-"
"You're talking nonsense again," She maneuvered her arm free and flicked him in the forehead, "A bad dream is just that; a dream. Just forget about it and move on. Everyone has them and only kids still cry about them," She sighed as her Familiar refused to let go of his hold on her, "Look, it was all just a bad dream, okay? I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, alright?" Her tone was somewhat annoyed though he felt comforted all the same.
"Right, all just...just a bad dream," He released his hold on her and mimicked a few deep breaths, "The contents of that dream were different. Not a memory, but a...figment," He shook his head, "Perhaps it was that love potion. That toxin could have lingering effects on my mind."
"What? Did you...have a wet dream?" She asked reluctantly. It wasn't as if she ever had them herself, of course. Definitely not.
"More like a nightmare..." He stood up and stretched his arms over his head, "Best not to think about it. It just brings up old memories. We should go see if the others are awake, we would not want to keep them waiting any more than necessary, Rhea-" He paused as his words registered, though Louise didn't seem to notice as she let out another yawn and opened the wardrobe to retrieve her uniform again.
"What time is it, anyway?" She put on her slightly wrinkled uniform quickly, "I'd prefer getting back to the academy as soon as possible. I've had enough countryside trips to last me for quite a while."
Following Louise down the hall, the pair was silent as they moved past the eerie walkways and down once again to the open area. The butler pointed them towards the dining hall, stating that the others had arrived not too long ago for their meals.
It was easy at a glance for him to tell that the atmosphere wasn't in any way jovial. Guiche and Montomorency sat in opposite sides of the large table, the former picking apart his food glumly while the latter did her best to mask her expressions. On the right side Kirche and Tabitha sat together, the blunette her usual silent self while the redhead tried and failed to prod answers from her.
Louise sat relatively close to Tabitha and far away from the arguing couple. Deciding to give her some space Raziel took a seat one chair away from Kirche. He didn't want to deal with the couple's bickering; they would sort themselves out and if they didn't then both would move on and find different partners. Either way it was nothing worth concerning himself over too much.
Eating was still a tepid affair for him. While he appreciated being able to taste, it was still an odd feeling to get used to. Tastes were overpowering and a part of him wanted to retch whatever he tried to consume; it felt unnatural to be able to actually taste the substances he placed in his mouth and he now had to worry about getting other substances into his system during combat. He had an inkling feeling that blood wouldn't taste all that pleasant.
"So...what's going on with those two?" Kirche nudged his shoulder and pointed to the awkward former lovers, "Guiche acts like the world is ending or something."
"They have split apart," He ignored her disbelieving look and forced himself to swallow small chunks of the meat in front of him, "She considers him at fault for what happened with the toxin. I do not claim to understand her reasoning nor do I care to do so. Let them handle their problems."
"Harsh," She said, "Still, I guess it was bound to happen at some point," She sighed, "I mean, ever since first year that guy wouldn't let up with the flirting. Tried to flirt with me too when he first saw me, but he backed off when I made it clear I wasn't interested," She let out a slight smile, "I've never seen him so depressed though. I mean they have their spats and she always breaks up with him whenever he pushes too far. Usually it lasts a week before starting all over again."
"Hm..." He didn't bother to reply. Again it was none of his business.
"Tabitha's been a bit more cheery too," She commented. Raziel briefly glanced at the younger girl and found no difference from yesterday, "You can't really see it, but she's happier. Happier than she's been in a long time," She took a sip of her tea, "Ah well, I guess life has its ups and downs. We can't all be happy, I guess," She shrugged, "So, you sure that the love potion is gone? Any lingering feelings of love for our little Zero?"
"Shut up, Zerbst," Louise retorted halfheartedly, massaging her temples. Brimir above, she shouldn't have drank so much. She didn't know how Montmorency remained so composed.
"No, I feel no sense of lust for Louise," Raziel frowned, "Perhaps it might have influenced my dreams.
"Ohhh, wet dream? Do you...guys have stuff like that?" Her voice had become slightly more cautious as it dipped into a whisper. Tabitha looked to the side slightly in their direction.
"'Guys' like me are not supposed to dream in the first place. I should never have been affected by that poison at all to begin with," He grit his teeth. The meat wasn't doing good things to his stomach, "And no, it was not what you would call a 'wet dream'. More of a nightmare that I have no wish to recount," He pushed his plate away. Eating was too difficult and his nerves shooting up wasn't helping, "I will go on ahead."
"Oh hey, we're taking Sylphid back to town," She called out, "Faster than horses and we'll stop off at the capital. Its already afternoon so lets just get an inn at town. Besides, it'll be better than spending summer at school."
"Don't touch Sylphid," Tabitha warned afterwards, giving him a pointed stare. He rolled his eyes; he wasn't going to touch her precious dragon even if he was well within his rights because she definitely owed him a favor.
Henrietta sighed. She'd been doing it a lot more in recent days and she doubted she'd be stopping anytime soon. Thankfully she was alone right now; she didn't want another lecture on proper Queenly conduct on how sighing must be done with the confines of one's own room lest it show weakness and improper behavior to others. She didn't want to hear their thinly veiled contempt and patronizing 'suggestions' on how she could 'better' herself.
She was tired of it all, tired of her subjects looking at her like a fattened roast to be feasted upon, tired of their impossible expectations. They wanted a Queen who was always in control, always knew what to do, and never showed weakness. They wanted someone who was perfect, someone neither she nor anyone else could ever hope to be no matter how much she tried.
Self-important nobles prodding at her to take their sides. Conflicts that wanted her official support and veiled threats and insults at any hints of opposition. Already two nobles were having a spat over some mine found to contain earthstones that had the unlucky position of being in contested territory. Given the profit one could make both nobles immediately claimed solitary ownership and were willing to start a conflict because of it.
"Can they not see we are at war? We need to band together, not be at each other's throats..." She muttered to no one in particular. With another sigh she stood up from the throne and made her way to the exit. She had another night of drinking ahead of her; her mother and Cardinal Mazarin certainly wouldn't have approved, but she found herself not caring for their approval in recent days. They weren't the ones who had to be Queen.
Passing by the entrance, she wasn't even surprised to see another pair of scholars examining the wall next to the door. Not too long ago they found a chain of runes that seemed as if they had been burned into the doors written in a language they couldn't understand. At first they wondered whether it was some kind of trap or curse, but a quick analysis by the court Mages showed that the letters themselves contained absolutely no magic, at least as far as they could see.
Ever since then there were always a couple of scholars or even just curious nobles spending hours trying in vain to analyze what the words meant. The most common theory was that it was Elven, but none of the translation books seemed to share any similarities beyond vaguely similar shapes. As of right now it was declared to be a non-danger, though they were currently trying to find a way to remove it from the wall.
She wondered what it meant. It was probably just a prank done by one of her annoyed vassals, though she wondered if anyone would really waste so much money on ink that couldn't be erased for something no one could actually read.
Just before she left the area completely, she heard one of the scholars call out excitedly, "H-Hey! I think I got it! This word means 'chest!'"
Closing the door of her father's...well, her room behind her she let out a held breath and shook her head briefly. She missed her old room, but of course as the Queen she couldn't reduce herself' to anything but the most lavishly decorated room in the castle. Her eyes looked over the decorations and she couldn't help but frown; ever since her father died years ago and her mother's refusal to take the Queen she had left the room almost immediately and the interior had remained untouched save for the daily cleaning by the maids.
She made her way to the closet and carefully removed her dress (she'd never hear the end of it if it got stained) before changing into her sleeping wear. The bed seemed to be beckoning to her to lay down and rest, but she ignored it. If she went to sleep now all she would get was restless slumber plagued by bad dreams. She needed something to clear her head.
She sat down at the table, pouring herself the wine she'd requested earlier in the day. She was allowed one bottle a day on the assumption that she wouldn't finish it all; it wouldn't do for the Queen to be drunk during official duties. Still, she had her ways of getting around that, "I should be careful..." She mumbled, pouring until the goblet was filled to its brim.
At the first gulp her face scrunched uncomfortably as she forced the grape wine down all at once. Wine should be savored, especially with the vintages her family received, but she had little time for that. The faster she could get to becoming inebriated the faster she could forget her problems at least for a bit. It was shameful behavior for a Queen to act this way, but even a monarch needed a time to lay down her burdens.
And so she spent tonight the same as she always did, drinking herself into a stupor to try and numb her pain. Already the veiled threats were receding as she continued to finish the bottle. Drinking to forget the pain...it was something she would never have thought she would end up doing. In old fairy tales the librarian told her when she was younger, the ones who drunk to forget were always the cowards, the weaklings, the people who were too afraid to own up to their mistakes.
Well, if drinking meant she was weak, then she would embrace it gladly. Let her be a weakling then; she would prefer to be called that over being called a Queen. A weakling didn't have any responsibilities, a weakling could love whomever they wished, a weakling didn't have people giving her impossible expectations. She could live life for her own benefit without having to worry about offending Lord such and such or Duke overtly self-important.
Elsewhere, as the Queen continued to drink herself to slumber, a guard stood nervously, his head twitching from left to right as if every shadow was a blade in the dark. In his hands he held a large pouch of coins containing twenty thousand ecu - One half of the payment promised to him in exchange for his cooperation. The other half would be paid as soon as his client reached him.
His job was simple: Open the bolt of the gate he was guarding to ensure whoever was supposed to enter could do so with no problems. A traitor they would call him, but what had this country ever done for him? Whether they were here to steal or assassination - or perhaps even both - it didn't matter to him. They assigned him to this area, a supposed 'punishment' for the 'grave sin' of falling asleep at his post.
"Stuck-up nobles..." Timothy sneezed. This was the post no one wanted; stuck out in the cold with a gate almost no one knew. It was an insult position, a way to tell everyone that someone was being ridiculed; guarding something no one wanted to take, it was a way to push them down ever further from their already lowly position.
Well, the joke was on them then. Apparently someone did know about this passage and the money offered was just too good to pass up.
A light knock caused him to jump before he calmed himself down. That must have been them, "You're late," He whispered to himself. He didn't want to offend whoever it may have been.
Opening the rusted bolt, he stepped to the side as a tall, hooded figure glided past him silently. Looking back at the entrance he could see a few more hooded figures, though none of them made to follow who he assumed to be their leader, "Close the door. I will need to be alone for this," Nodding, he closed the door and re-secured the bolt in place.
The figure looked around briefly before he made out his objective and a ghost of a smile played at his lips. The Queen's room; a quick levitation spell should be enough for him to get there unseen. He couldn't float up very high, but if he timed his spells right it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
"H-Hey," The guard called out. The shadowed figure turned slightly to face him, "M-My payment?" He held his hand out, hands shaking from either the cold or fear.
From beneath his hood, 'Wales' sneered and had to stop himself from laughing. Typical - Always thinking of themselves and their own material greed. Their selfishness never stopped continuing to surprise him. For a few thousand coins he was willing to doom his country, unaware that he wouldn't be able to spend it once that pathetic priest marched his armies here and began to kill indiscriminately.
"But of course," His tone caused the guard to shiver even more. There was something eerie about him, "A reward for a job well done," He tossed the pouch, causing the guard to fumble as he catch it, "The agreed upon payment plus an extra five thousand since my employer is feeling generous," He pulled out his sword wand, "I must pay a visit to an old friend now. Stay here and wait for me to return."
With that last instruction, the revived Prince cast a quick levitation spell and made his way to his target.
In her room, Henrietta looked with blurry eyes at the now empty bottle, "Already finished..." She was extremely tempted to throw the bottle against the wall, if only to relieve her frustration, but she relented. She would rather not explain why exactly there was a wine stain and broken glass to the Cardinal come morning. Closing her eyes briefly, she placed her head in her hands and let herself crash onto the table haphazardly.
She didn't know how much longer she could keep going like this. At the rate she was going she would end up stealing tobacco from the guard's barracks and smoking that instead. While she didn't know their exact effects she'd often heard it was used as a sort of relaxant. If it could help her sleep better then she might have honestly been willing to risk it despite the supposed vulgarity of it. Anything to stop the dreams and regrets.
"Why...Why did you never say it...?" Tears escaped from her eyes, her mind a haze of blurry memories of both good and bad experiences mixing together haphazardly, "I wanted you to say it, at least once..." She clenched her hands tightly. 3 years they had been together, 3 years of love and affection...and yet he never vowed to love her. She loved him. She vowed that she would love him forever, but all he had promised was to walk hand in hand with her in that lake once again. The place where they had met and fallen in love.
A soft tapping at her terrace door caused her to sit up, "Who-Who's there?" Her hand grabbed for her wand, "Cardinal Mazarin? Agnes? Is that you?" She knew it was a silly question to ask; how could they have gotten to the terrace? And more importantly, both could have just knocked on her front door if they wanted to contact her. Her heart sped up in nervousness as she stood up and slowly walked towards the covered doorway.
"I say again, who's there?" She called out slightly louder this time, "I warn you, trespassing into the chambers of the Queen is a serious offense. Identify yourself now or-"
"Henrietta, it's me."
The voice caused her to pause, her eyes widening and her lips parting in disbelief. That voice...she would recognize that voice from anywhere. It was the voice she had wanted to hear for so long, and yet...
"N-No, I must be hearing things," She shook her head harshly, "Prince Wales is dead. I have...drank too much."
"Henrietta, please, believe me," The voice was pleading now. Her heart ached at the sound of it, "It's me. Just look at my face, I'm not lying to you. I am Wales," A hand touched the glass gently, "I wanted to see you again, my love. Please don't turn me away."
"Y-You're not Prince Wales. Prince Wales is-"
"Henrietta, remember the time we spent together at the lake?" He interrupted. Her breath got caught in her throat; no one else knew about that, not even Louise, "You vowed to love me forever, and I regret every day that I did not make that same vow. Please...Please let me see you again, my beloved Ann."
With trembling hands, she raised her hand and started to unlock the door. Her mind was screaming at her to stop, to realize that her lover was dead and that this could just be an assassin masking his voice. But in the end, pain and hope kept her going. She wanted to believe that it was him, that everything was all a bad dream and her beloved prince was still there for her.
Opening the door slowly, the hooded figure slowly stepped into the room and pulled off his hood. Henrietta choked back her sobs: The same golden hair, the same blue eyes, and the same smile that captivated her so. 'Wales' spread his arms and shrugged lightheartedly, as if his sudden revival from the dead was nothing more than a casual visit to a loved one.
"It...It's you..." More tears escaped her eyes and she grabbed his face before pulling it into a deep, hungry kiss. Her tears made the act uncomfortable, but her hands refused to let go, afraid that if she released him that he would disappear again. Almost desperately her hands went from his face down to his body. She had no idea what she was trying to do, but she had no desire to stop.
Before she could go any further, 'Wales' pushed her away gently and smiled, "Ann, please, now is not the time," She looked saddened by his refusal, but she still managed to return a smile, "It's...It's good to see you again, Ann. After so long I thought..."
"I...I missed you," She embraced him tightly, crying into his chest. The prince smiled gently and petted the top of her head affectionately, "When I-I heard that you...you...died," She took a deep breath, "I lost all hope. B-But, how are you still alive? Why didn't you come back soon? Why-"
"A decoy," He interrupted, "Ann, I apologize for deceiving you, but you must understand that to deceive your enemies you must first deceive those closest to you. I...I couldn't put you at risk. I wanted to keep you safe, but..."
"I would have risked being in danger if it meant knowing you were safe," She bit her lower lip and tightened her grip on his shoulders, "Please, you must be exhausted. Come in, we can give you sanctuary here. I must inform the Cardinal-"
"Please don't," He grabbed her hand as she turned to leave, "Henrietta, I wanted to keep you safe, but I'm...I'm weak..." He looked down in shame, "I had hoped to escape and start a rebellion with other loyalists, but I...I couldn't do it on my own," He took both of her hands in his, "Ann, I need your help. I need you to come with me. You're Tristain's Queen, with you at my side we can inspire the people."
"Wh-What? But we should at least tell-"
"We cannot tell anyone," He pleaded, "No one is supposed to know I am alive. Ann, I would not have come here, would not have put you at risk, had I any other option. I do not wish to put you in danger, but please...please help me save my home." He knelt down and kissed the Wind Ruby ring, the ring that by birthright belonged only to him,"
"Prince Wales, I..." She was torn. Her disappearance would cause a panic, but the idea of being with her loved one again, to make the pain stop, it was all so tempting, 'Who cares if everyone disapproves? Nothing you do will ever be good enough for them!' She chided herself, 'This is your chance to take what you want! Would you truly give up your happiness for them?'
"Ann, please..." He brought a hand through her hair before cupping her chin and gently nudging her to look up, "I promise no harm will befall you. Did I not vow that we would walk hand in hand at Ragdorian lake once again? I intend to keep that vow," He smiled, "And once we do so, I will make a new vow. One that I should have made three years ago and that I regret not doing to this very day."
"Prince Wales..." She felt her resolve weakening.
"I love you," He captured her lips in another kiss.
Timothy sneezed and backed away as the hooded figure landed in front of him slowly. He was content to not say a word before he caught sight of the sleeping woman on the figure's arms, "Huh? Izzat the Queen?" He rubbed his eyes to make sure, and sure enough the Queen was being carried in his arms, her breathing peaceful and her eyes closed in deep sleep.
"Indeed. A sleeping spell as well," Replacing his comforting expression from before, 'Wales' face was now marred with a scowl. Pathetic humans, always so reliant on emotions and...copulation. He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand. He never understood their fixation with airing out their emotions for all to see; it reminded him of infants crying for food or relief after they had defecated themselves.
And the insistence on 'intimacy, it was abhorrent. Humans procreated with one another to such a degree that it was a miracle that they hadn't bred themselves so thin that every inch of the land was covered in their fleshy spawn. Spirits such as he were eternal, and better yet they didn't spread their seed - not that they had any - to their fellow spirits whenever they desired to.
"So, uh...we done?" Timothy unbolted the gate again, though now he was starting to doubt that things would be that easy. Surely they would require more from him for forty five thousand ecu; that was nearly enough to buy a fort.
"Yes, thank you for your cooperation. If you ever need employment, try Albion. We need 'loyal' men such as yourself to bolster our ranks," 'Wales' couldn't tell if the man could understand his sarcasm, but with a last nod and a shutting of the door he was once again with his companions.
"The mission is a success," He called out to them. Now all that's left is to wait," Putting the Queen atop his horse, he rode ahead into the darkness.
Back at the gate, Timothy stood rooted at the spot, counting his coins, "One hundred ecu coins...!" He held a single coin up against the moon and laughed. Gold coins mixed with metal were worth a single ecu each; but the purest gold, untouched by other metals, each coin made of such material was worth the price of a hundred ecus. Each coin in the bag was a hundred ecu coin.
"Haha...hahahaha!" He closed up the bag and couldn't stop himself from grinning. He was set for his entire life, and all he had to do was open a fucking door! He was tempted to thank that snooty captain who demoted him down to this position.
He continued to guard his post, the smirk never leaving his face. Best stay here to not cast suspicion on himself. He would stash the coins in his bunk come the morning. Leaning back against the wall, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Even if they caught him now he could shove their reprimands right up their bloated asses. With those happy thoughts in mind he let himself drift off to slumber.
His plans were waylaid by sudden screaming a couple of hours later. He awoke from his daze to the sound of stamping footsteps and barking orders.
"The Queen is missing! Send out a search party!"
"Get the Griffon Squad! We must give chase!"
"Check to see if any of the entrances have been broken into!"
Not too long after a panting guard came running to him, his face coated in sweat. Timothy quickly hid the sacks behind his back.
"Has...Has anyone been here?" He asked, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"No one. I doubt anyone who's not supposed to really knows about this place," He replied neutrally. The guard didn't bother to give him a second glance before running back from where he came from. He wasn't completely lying; No one really did know of this place and he still had no idea how that kidnapper had found out, but he had a feeling that he wasn't the only turncoat in the castle.
Deciding it would be a good time as any to keep his prize, he started making his way to the barracks, the smirk never leaving his face. All around him guards and other castle inhabitants were either running around in a panic or gossiping to one another in confusion. The idea of a Queen being kidnapped was almost unbelievable and there were no doubt those who assumed she'd simply decided to sneak out for some alone time.
He ignored them all. No one took notice of him, as was always the case, and by the time he entered the barracks he wasn't even surprised that it was empty. Judging by the messy condition of the beds and the cluster of clothes strewn everywhere it was likely that they had all been forced to wake up and aid in the search. He shrugged: Oh well, that just made this all the more easy.
He went to his bunk and opened the lock. He would have to be careful in making sure that no one went pilfering into his stuff, but then again no one did so before and they had no reason to do so now. "I guess this is a Queen's ransom," He laughed to himself. He would retire once the panic passed. There was that mansion that had caught his eyes before and with this prize it would be chump change.
He could hear more yelling about trying to mobilize the Griffons. He rolled his eyes, "Damn idiots. Don't they realize he's long gone by now? It's been two hours since he took her-"
"And how would you know that?"
Feeling his heart jump to his throat, he turned around and gave a wide-eyed stare at the pale woman standing across from him, her arms crossed over her chest. The first thing he noticed about her was that she was beautiful, and it surprised him that he could focus past his panic to even care about that. The second thing he took note of was that he didn't hear her come in, and she certainly wasn't here when he first came in.
"Wh-Where did you-"
"I'll ask again, how did you know what?" She interrupted sharply, "We had no idea how long ago she was kidnapped or if she was even kidnapped to begin with. How could a lone guard know so much?"
"It was...it was just a guess!" He almost yelled, "Y-Yeah, it was just a guess! I mean if they just took her now they would've been found by now, right?"
"Is that so?" She tilted her head to the side, obviously unconvinced.
"What...What are you doing her anyway?" He asked back, "These are the men's barracks. A lady such as yourself shouldn't be here."
"I could ask you the same," She stopped crossing her arms and her expression hardened, "Everyone is panicked and confused right now, but yet here you are smiling and carrying two sacks of what I can assume to be coins, given the sound they were making. I'll admit it was easy to pick you off compared to the rest of the guards who are running around like headless children," He flinched. The image wasn't pleasant.
"So I wonder," She continued, making him more uncomfortable, "What would make you so happy and where did you get that sack of coins? Everybody else was too busy to pay notice to you but you were practically skipping all the way here," He gulped as she drew closer, "So I'll give you a chance to answer before I do anything: What do you know about the Queen's kidnapping?"
"N-N-Nothing!" He pushed her off. She didn't seem fazed by his reaction, "Who the helheim are you anyway!? If you're just another court lady trying to find a scapegoat, you're going to be disappointed! Now get out!" He pointed to the door with his left hand, his right hand not-so-subtly inching for his sword. She saw the blunt threat and sighed. At least she could tell Daphne she tried it the nice way.
"Well, I tried," Before he could raise his voice to warn her again he found himself choking as she rushed forward and, before he could even blink, slammed him against the wall by his throat.
His hand immediately went for the sword at his hip but again she was faster and he found himself grabbing for nothing but empty air as she tossed the sword away. His eyes followed the clanging weapon before they focused back on her.
"I'll give you one more chance," She loosened her grip ever so slightly to allow him to talk, "Tell me what you know about the kidnapping. There's no use lying, I can hear your heart beating. I'll know if you're lying to me," She smirked as his eyes widened, "Lets make this easier on both of us and just tell me what you know. I'd rather not have to resort to violence or give you over to Agnes. Trust me, you'll be wishing you talked to me instead of her.
"You...You..."
She raised an eyebrow, "Yes?" She leaned in a bit closer.
"You'll get nothing out of me!" He spit in her face. Instantly her face turned from curious and slightly playful to unamused.
"You really shouldn't have done that..." Her voice was cold. Her grip on his neck tightened and he tried kicking at her in a panic, but she showed no indication that she even noticed his frenzied attacks.
And then he saw it.
Fangs. Baring her teeth at him and letting out a hiss, he felt a primal fear take over his entire being and the contents of his bladder being released. He didn't care, focusing on trying to loosen her grip on him by any means necessary. Amethyst ignored his pathetic struggles and leaned in closer, close enough that he could see the feral look in her eyes and just barely avoided voiding his bowels.
Taking a deep breath, she eyed his neck and smiled, her mouth inching closer to his skin.
"Let us see how long before you talk."
It was already late by the time they arrived back in town. Lowering Sylphid to the ground, the assorted teens scrambled off the dragon's back and breathed sighs of relief at stable ground once again being under them.
"I forgot how cold it was up there," Kirche shivered and rubbed her arms, her exposed eye looking up at the twin moons, "How long were we riding out for? I could have sworn we'd been up there for days, though that might have just been because of our tentative lovers," She shifted her gaze to Montomorency and Guiche, the former of who still had an expression on her face as if she'd swallowed a whole lemon.
The trip back hadn't been pleasant. Despite her size Sylphid was actually pretty small as far as dragons went, and Montomorency seemed to insist that she and Guiche remain a fair distance from one another, ignoring the logical fallacy of there not being much room on Sylphid's back to warrant such a demand. It ended with the irate Montmorency practically glued to Tabitha's back while Guiche was just about a hair's breadth from riding on Sylphid's tail.
As expected this had caused some problems. Guiche had fallen off at least once and Raziel had fallen after him, trying to grab him and ensure the depressed noble wouldn't end up as a stain on the road. The pair were lucky that Tabitha had been attentive enough to cast a levitation spell on the both of them - He doubted he would be able to survive a collision from that height...at least not with both his legs intact.
"I still can't believe you can make jokes about this," Montmorency scowled at the redhead, "Doesn't any of this worry you? Louise's Familiar is a monster, the water spirit mentioned things about the Elves that we've never even heard of before and Guiche, he..." Guiche's eyes closed in discomfort and Montmorency stopped herself from finishing her sentence. She didn't want the others to know exactly how far he'd gone.
Kirche shrugged, "Hey, we're only human. Human's history with the Elves, Razi's 'condition' - Whatever. We can't change it so what's the point in worrying? Knowing Humans and Elves were friends once doesn't change that we hate each other's guts now. Raziel being a you-know-what doesn't change everything he's done like helping me, Tabitha and Zero out with Fouquet," She brushed her hair out of her right eye, "You act like knowing something afterwards changes everything that happened beforehand. Action matters more than words."
"That's a Germanian way of thinking," Louise cut in, "But for once I agree. Running into things blindly isn't a solution but just because you find out something else later doesn't change what happened before..." Even if she was a Void Mage now, her experiences as the 'Zero', the angers and marks it left in her...they didn't just suddenly disappear or made her feel differently about everything that had happened to her before knowing.
"That's...I'm not even going to bother arguing," She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. She needed a drink, "You're all so convinced of yourselves that I know there's nothing more that I can do," She looked at the town gates, "I have enough money for an inn. You guys just...go wherever you want. I'll get a carriage as soon as I can and...well, I suppose I'll give them the news," Both Guiche and Montmorency looked pained, "What are you guys gonna do?"
"Guess we'll follow your lead; looks like it's gonna rain soon anyway and I don't fancy being out in the open when it does," Kirche answered. Tabitha nodded, "Guiche should come with us. He looks like he's going to pass out on the street if we don't let him," Montmorency looked ready to protest, but again held her tongue. She couldn't exactly stop them from bringing Guiche along, she just had to make sure to lock her room, "So what are you going to do, Zero?" She turned to Louise.
The pink haired girl grit her teeth at the insistence of the nickname, "None of your business, whore. Come on, Raziel," She grabbed her Familiar's wrist and started dragging him away from the four Mages. Raziel could barely manage a wave of goodbye before Louise dragged him at high speeds towards the castle, though Kirche still called out to them to say where they were staying unless his master changed her mind.
It was only when they were a fair distance away that she stopped and, with a frustrated yell, stamped her foot on the ground.
"Brimir above, I hate her so much!" Louise yelled, though everyone seemed content to ignore her, "'Zero this, Zero that'! Oh, I wish I could tell her what I could do! I would love to wipe that smug grin off her face with an explosion!"
"Calm down..." He shook his head and patted her head. Thankfully she didn't react violently to the gesture, though she still seemed angry, "Come on, let us go to where it is you wished to go to."
"Y-Yeah, you're right," She took a deep breath and calmed down. She couldn't let that Germanian tramp get the best of her. She was a Void Mage now, blessed by Brimir and fate. Such trifles weren't worth worrying over, "Well, I wanted to see Big sis Amy and Big sis Daisy before anything else. It's nighttime now, so..."
At the mention of the Vampires the Undead's face soured and he rubbed his neck uncomfortably, "And why do you need me here then?" His voice was annoyed, "I think I have made it clear by now that I do not share any pleasant feelings with either of the pair. It would be better if I stayed here as to not bother you," Besides, it looked as if it was about to rain. Shelter would be appropriate.
"Come on," She rolled her eyes and kept dragging him towards the castle, "They're both great people, alright? I mean...yes, when I found out they were Vampires I panicked at first, but considering my Familiar is a you-know-what and they had my mother's approval then I understood that I should trust them," She smiled, "Sometimes they even watched over us when I was younger, kind of like babysitters. Those days were fun..." Her smile faltered a bit.
"So they have been watching over you since you were a child and...you never questioned why they did not age?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Sh-Shut up!" She blushed and tightened her grip on his wrist, "When I was younger I had no idea I'd have an Undead for a Familiar or Vampires for big sisters. Growing up I was always taught that non-humans are to be avoided at best and killed at worst," She laughed wryly, "At the rate we're going I won't even be surprised if we meet a friendly Elf, though I'm not holding my breath for that."
The rest of the walk to the castle was spent in comfortable silence. While he didn't fancy the idea of spending time with the Vampires he would do it if it meant pleasing Louise. It was better than her being depressed due to the upcoming war.
"Stay out! The castle is on under a state of emergency!" The guard's yell was rather sobering reminder that all good things came to an end.
"St-State of emergency!? Why, what's happening!?" Louise ran up the guard, trying to look past him to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
"Nothing that concerns you, Miss," The guard replied stiffly, "Please go back home and know that the castle will not be entertaining guests for the foreseeable future."
Louise opened her mouth to protest before decided it would be pointless. Instead she fumbled inside her pocket and pulled out the sealed paper, "L-Look, the Queen gave me this writ of permission! If there's any danger then by right I shouldn't be barred from participation!"
The guard looked at the seal on the paper and his expression turned conflicted, "...Be that as it may, a matter such as this-"
"I'll deal with this," Amethyst's voice cut through the guard's rationalization. The Firstborn woman passed by the flabbergasted guard and gave him a disarming smile, "Miss. Agnes has ordered that you join the western search party. I will deal with Miss. Valliere's inquiries, if it pleases you," Raziel's eyes narrowed as he saw the guard's eyes becoming unfocused follow by a sluggish nod. She was using her 'Charm' magic.
"Big sis Amy, what's going on!? Is the Que- Princess okay!?" She asked frantically. The castle itself being under a state of emergency implied a lot of things she would rather not imagine.
"Unfortunately not," Amethyst shook her head, dashing Louise's hope that she was just worrying over nothing, "We don't know much at the moment but it appear that Queen Henrietta has been kidnapped."
"Kidnapped!?" Louise opened and closed her mouth, trying to form words but only succeeding at letting out choked gasps.
"Yes," She nodded gravely, "The circumstances aren't fully clear, but it seems as if she was taken two hours ago at the very least," She frowned, "I managed to...persuade a guard and I found out he was paid a hefty sum to allow the traitors to sneak in and take the Queen. The trail was followed and given recent events we can assume that the culprits are from Albion and on the way to La Rochelle."
Looking closer now he could make out mud caking her boots and slight traces of blood staining her blouse. What exactly had she been doing?
"Wh-What!? Th-Then I have to-"
"You shouldn't get involved," She cut off, "This is none of your business, Louise. I understand that you have a personal connection to the Queen but you will only get hurt if you pursue this. Let us handle this and go back-"
"Don't treat me like a child!" This time it was Louise who interrupted, "Princess Henrietta made me her court lady for a reason! By the Void, I'm going to war once it's declared! So don't you dare tell me to go back and pretend nothing's wrong when my closest friend might be dying right at this moment!"
Amethyst's expression was one of surprise, her mouth hanging open slightly as she tried to process that the girl yelling at her was the same 'little Louise' who would often shy away when faced with danger, "Wait, you're going to war?" She blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "When did you decide this? Do your parents know? I highly that doubt Karin and Pierre would approve of you-"
"We're not here to talk about me!" Louise scowled, "Just...please tell me what you know! Every second we spend here is more time for whoever kidnapped the Princess to get away!"
"Ngh..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Fine then, but only if you promise me you'll be careful. Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes! I'll be careful! So tell me!" Raziel doubted she really meant that.
Another sigh, "We don't know exactly how many of them there are, but judging by the amount of tracks all blending together I doubt it's a small amount," She put a hand under her chin and frowned, "The Griffon squad was sent after them because they're the fastest ever since the Dragoons all died on Tarbes. With luck they will catch up to them before they take ship to Albion."
"Will the griffon squad be enough?" Louise asked back.
"I do not know," She shook her head, "That is what we are hoping for, but in all honesty I have no idea. I would prefer to find out for myself but our taskmaster has given Daphne and myself explicit orders not to come along and we aren't in any position to disobey."
"Why so?" Raziel finally decided to cut in, "Given how quick you were to arrive in Tarbes after the fleet's crash I doubt you would not be able to catch up to them."
"If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be confused," She answered flatly, "Regardless, Agnes is rallying the troops in the castle now but I don't know how much longer it will be before she can actually march out. If you're truly insistent on being involved, Louise, then I suggest you search for something faster than a horse," She looked at the sky distastefully. It was going to rain soon, "My orders don't allow me to assist you but I'll see if I can find out anything more about what happened here tonight. I doubt there's only one traitor in this castle."
"Thanks, Big sis Amy!" She gave the older woman a quick, relieved hug before turning around and grabbing Raziel's hand, "Come on, we need to find Tabitha! With her wind dragon we should be able to catch up to them!" If she had any chance of catching up to a squad of Griffons, she would have to rely on the one thing she was sure was faster than the bird-creature.
Finding Tabitha had proven easy enough; the inn they were staying at was one of the only few high class ones in town. Seeing Louise's cape, the doorman let her through and she practically bolted towards the table the four mages were sharing, all nursing different drinks.
"Tabitha, I need your help right now!" Louise slammed her hands on the table.
"Nice table manners, Zero," Kirche commented, "So, what's going on? Need extra coin to stay at an inn?"
"I am not in the mood, Zerbst!" Louise's intense glare actually caused the Germanian to back away, "The Queen has been kidnapped!" Her voice dipped lower, though she now had the attention of everyone on the table. Even Guiche finally changed from his plastered frown to shock, "It was...it was two hours ago," She swallowed audibly, "A horse won't be fast enough. I need Sylphid!"
"Where?" Tabitha asked, her face unchanging.
"La Rochelle at the best estimate," Raziel answered, "It could just be that we are chasing false leads, but this is important to Louise."
"Hm..." Tabitha looked down at the table briefly before standing up with a nod, "Must hurry then."
"H-Hey, wait, if Tabitha's going then I'm going too!" Kirche opined. At the smaller girl's nod she turned her attention to the pair of blondes, "So, you guys just gonna sit there or are you coming along too?"
"...I'm going," Guiche's voice was soft, rather uncharacteristic for someone who would jump at the chance to be a hero, "If I can help save the Queen then it's something right I can do. Not sure how much help I'd be though..."
"Tch," Montmorency clicked her tongue and slammed her glass on the table, "I guess I'm going along too. If nobody heals any of you I'm sure you'd all die," Her gaze lingered on Guiche for a moment before continuing, "Some more than others I'm sure."
"M-Montmorency-"
"Don't talk to me," She snarled at her former fiancee, "I don't want you to die but that doesn't change what I've said. Lets just get this over with before I change my mind."
"Let's go then!" Louise all but yelled.
When Henrietta awoke it was to the sound of clopping horses, "Prince Wales?" Rubbing her tired eyes (when had she fallen asleep?) she saw her beloved covered with a thick hood, his eyes focused on the road ahead. Looking around her she saw nothing but darkness and the faint figures of other horses keeping pace alongside them. More rebels? Well, it wasn't a surprise; she doubted those loyal to him would allow him to take such a risk alone.
"Ah, Ann," He smiled down at her, "My apologies for the sleeping spell. You must understand-"
His words were drowned out by the horse to their left suddenly neighing. Henrietta's eyes could barely make out something slicing the horse's front leg before both it and its rider crashed, consumed by the darkness. 'Wales' didn't even give a second glance.
"H-Has Albion followed you here as wall!?" She gripped his arm tightly.
"It's not Albion," His smile twitched, "It appears your protectors assumed I kidnapped you and have come to stop us," More neighs and another horse fell. They wouldn't last too long at this rate.
"K-Kidnapped!?" Her eyes widened, "But I came with you of my own free will! Surely once I explain-"
"They will not understand," It was getting harder to keep up the act. Foolish girl, so blinded by her emotions that she would make this all for nothing, "They would-"
The sudden crashing of their horses interrupted his explanation. The horse neighed, its rightmost hind leg spewing blood from the wind blade cutting through the flesh. Henrietta closed her eyes and braced herself while 'Wales' wrapped his arms around her to cushion their fall. He'd be damned if she died from a broken neck when they were so close to escaping.
The couple skidded forward a bit before stopping, the cacophony of horses following them for a brief moment before everything suddenly turned still. Wales looked down at the Queen - Some slight scrapes but she was intact enough that he had no fear to worry about her dying.
Unfortunately his 'comrades' didn't share their luck. Seeing no reason to spare them their pursuers had quickly neutralized them and he could see the blood pooling from their fresh corpses that left little doubt that the life had faded from their bodies. He sneered; it was a minor inconvenience at best but it would make convincing the girl that much more difficult.
He sighed. Still, her emotions should make her easy enough to coerce in the end.
"P-Prince Wales, are you alright?" He didn't bother to look at her. His attackers were the priority now.
Standing up slowly, he gazed into the darkness and, as if on cue, the griffon riders dismounted from their mounts, "Release her majesty at once," They all pointed their wands at him. He simply smiled.
They were so focused on him that they didn't notice the bodies rising behind them.
"We won't say it aga- AHHHHHH!" The rest of the knights turned around and nearly dropped their weapons in shock. A body, its posture limp and its neck cut open, had torn their captain's throat out with its bare hands.
"Wh-What is that!?" The knight began to cast a spell before a pain up his leg caused him to fall on his knees. Another corpse, this one with its left leg cleanly cut off, had grabbed onto his leg and bitten the flesh off his ankle. Seeing him fall it took the chance to climb on top of him and cut open his stomach, pulling out his internal organs with clumsy grabs and swipes.
The rest of the knights fared no better. Panic had set in at seeing the impossible and those who tried to fight back were attacked either by the corpses of the enemy or the recently risen bodies of their former comrades.
'Wales' continued to smile. He expected it would be simple, but this was even going above his expectations. He didn't even have to cast a single spell, "Such fragile beings..." He muttered to himself passively. Even the griffons and horses had turned to run, seeing their masters being slaughtered.
Soon the only sounds were the dying gurgles of the rare survivors. The risen corpses now stood passively, ignoring their gaping wounds. He had to admit mindless thralls were much easier to trust compared to sellswords of dubious loyalty.
"Wh-What have you done...?" Henrietta gasped, her hands covering her mouth at what she'd seen, "H-How could you...? They were simply-"
"They would not have understood," He turned to face her, the same smile as always on his face, "Ann...I haven't changed, I'm still the Wales you know. The same young man who fell in love with the woman he met three years ago."
"You've killed them all..." She looked down, horrified at what she'd seen.
"Henrietta, please," He dipped his voice lower, made the body's tone sound desperate, "I...I have done things that I will never forgive myself for, but if you were to abandon me then...then there is no point in living..." Despite her earlier horror it seemed to pale in comparison at his words. Playing at her emotions was such a simple thing; cry for hope and they would throw themselves on their knees to give it.
"Prince Wales...I..."
"Someone's coming," He interrupted her, his voice hardening again. He could feel the circle in his heart burning.
Hmm, this was going to be intriguing.
They had landed in a scene straight out of a nightmare. All around them they could see the bodies of the griffon knights and a few other unknown figures, all sporting wounds that made it clear that someone - or something - had wanted to make sure they were all dead. Tabitha eyed the wounds passively; hardly the worst she'd seen, but the placement made the attacks seem...feral. It was unlikely that average soldiers would inflict wounds of this severity; it was simply impractical.
Guiche was the first one down. His eyes widened as he saw the severed limbs and exposed innards of the soldiers. He counted at least 12 men, but he couldn't be sure that there weren't any more corpses, "These are the Griffon knights," He pointed at the emblem on their armor. "Who could have done this?"
"My God...what happened here?" Montmorency looked horrified at the sight. She winced as her foot landed on pool of blood with an unnerving squelch. When she had come here she halfway expected that they would find nothing or at best they would arrive late and the Griffon corps would have already solved the problem. She certainly wasn't expecting...this.
Tabitha knelt down and placed her palm on one of the less mangled corpses, "Bodies are fresh..." Her hand went to her staff. The bodies were still warm, which meant whoever or whatever had done this to them must have been close by.
"The one who...who took the princess...did this...?" Louise felt the urge to vomit. It reminded her too much of the battle at Tarbes - She shook her head to banish the memories. She didn't have time to worry about herself - If whoever kidnapped the Princess was this brutal then they needed to hurry and find her.
Kirche followed Tabitha's lead and scanned the area before she noticed Raziel looking pained, "Hey, Razi, what's wrong?" She asked the shaking Undead. Her eyes narrowed as the circle on his neck burned orange, as if someone had set a match against his skin, "Uh...That's not normal is it?"
"I...do not know," He scowled and placed a hand against the darksign on his neck. It felt like the circle trying to burn a hole through his neck, "Ignore me. We have to focus on the danger at hand," Despite his words he found it difficult to look at the bodies. The darksign never acted like this, but now it felt like something was pulling and calling at him to lose control himself.
Montmorency scanned the ground once more and she gasped as she saw movement. Wasting no time she knelt down and began casting a spell, not even bothering to check whether it was a knight or an enemy she was healing. No one deserved to die like this.
The others gathered around the fallen man, waiting for Montmorency to finish. Raziel eyed the man's leg; while it hadn't been torn off his right leg was nothing more than meat barely held together by a bunch of tendons. That wasn't even getting to the fact that his stomach looked as if it had been chewed through by some kind of hungry beast.
Judging by the crimson liquid pooled around his body he'd also lost an inordinately large amount of blood - He doubted she would be able to save him but he kept his thoughts to himself.
It was only after a minute of healing that he stirred. He opened his eyes, an unfocused gaze meeting theirs, "Ah...kkkkhhh," As he opened his mouth blood dribbled down his mouth and he gave a hiss of pain. Montmorency closed her eyes and tried to keep focused - She could save him, she knew she could!
"Come on!" Stay with me!" She grit her teeth as the draining of willpower became more evident. Her healing magic was only dot level; she wasn't built to heal anything more than light cuts and bruises and this man's wounds were far too severe, "Just hold on and-"
"He's dead," Tabitha tapped her shoulder, but the healer ignored her and continued her attempt at healing.
Light footsteps from behind caused all of save Montmorency to turn around. The figure that came from the darkness smiled at their actions and let out a small laugh as Louise and Guiche gaped.
"It...It can't be..." Louise's eyes widened and she pointed a shaking figure at the resurrected prince, "P-P-Prince Wales!? But...no!" She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, "But...you're dead! I saw you...you..." Doubt crept into her mind. She'd never actually seen him die, she'd only heard Raziel's explanation of him being killed out of mercy. Could...Could it really be him?"
"It's me, Ms. Valliere," He smiled, "Do you not recall the words we spoke of in confidence? I would hate to repeat them but know that I am alive and-"
"Th-That's not possible!" Guiche yelled, "I saw Raziel kill you! You begged him to do so of your own volition!" His hands shook as he grabbed for his wand, "You must be some kind of impostor! Give back Queen Henrietta!"
Raziel said nothing, though the way he staring at the so-called Prince made it clear he didn't believe he had survived. The burning at his neck intensified...something was drawing him to him.
This was not Wales.
"Give her back? She came of her own volition," His smile widened and he beckoned her forward. Guiche and Louise's mouth gaped as they saw the Queen walk forward, her eyes cast downwards but dutifully standing by his side, "See? Ann chose to come with me of her own free will. This is no forceful kidnapping, but a mere misunderstanding that ended...let's just say, badly."
"Misunderstanding? This looks like a slaughter to me," Kirche gestured to the dead bodies, "Whether you're the prince or not it doesn't really change that you killed the knights sent to recover the Queen safely. Doesn't seem very princely to me," Her grip on her wand tightened.
"Ah, yes...they wouldn't have understood," He adopted a frown, "I didn't want to kill them, but they forced my hand," He smiled again, "All I wish is to leave this place in peace but, as you can see, they killed our horses," He pointed to the dead animals, "I see you came with a dragon, so I was hoping to cut a deal-"
His words were interrupted by a sharp icicle piercing his chest. Everyone turned to gaze at Tabitha, who wordlessly pointed her staff at him with narrowed eyes, "Sylphid, go..." At her command the dragon took to the skies and left. She couldn't risk her being taken.
Despite the spike protruding from is chest his expression never changed. He looked down at the projectile blankly before pulling it out with a small laugh, "It's no use. You can't hurt me," Blood flowed for but a moment before it stopped, "So let us stop this charade before it pushes too far. Call back your dragon and let us be pleasant about this; Neither Ann or I wish to see more death."
"He...He just..." Louise clenched her fists and yelled for her best friend, "Princess! This thing isn't the prince!" She pointed frantically at the smiling revenant but the Queen still said nothing, "Can't you see!? It's not the prince! It's a monster! Princess, please come back!"
Again she said nothing. 'Wales' laughed, "A monster? Now that is an odd accusation to make," His smile faded and his gaze turned to her Familiar, "I know what your Familiar is, Ms. Valliere. Both in my memories and now, I can see him for what he is," Raziel felt the darksign tugging at him, "Difficult to control. Not like the rest, but inferior to myself. He bleeds and dies just like any other."
The girl's Familiar was nothing more than a pale imitation. He was a spirit, a being that had been here since time immemorial. The pretender's soul was nothing more than stitched together fragments that had taken refuge in the closest corpse it could inhabit. It was pathetic and almost a miracle that what it had for a soul hadn't severed itself already.
Narrowing his eyes, Raziel charged forward and unsheathed Derflinger to attack the fallen prince. The fallen prince waved his wand to cast a counterspell but it had proven pointless when a wall of water had appeared in front of him, defending him from the opposing Undead. Raziel struggled within the watery confines for but a moment before he was pushed back with enough force to nearly break his arm.
"Raziel!" Louise knelt down and helped her Familiar up before staring wide-eyed at her best friend, "Princess Henrietta, what are you doing!? This is not Prince Wales! Please, can't you see that you're being deceived!? Stop defending him!"
From behind the spirit, Henrietta pointed a shaking hand at the wounded Familiar, "I won't let you hurt Prince Wales," Her voice was hollow, "I...I know, Louise. Ever since I saw what he did to the knights, I knew, but..." She bit her lip, "Please, lay down your arms and let us pass. I go with him of my own free will, and any consequences that befall me are of my own doing."
She knew that it was wrong, she knew that she was betraying her fiend and those who chose to aid her, but she couldn't let them hurt him. A part of her beloved still must have remained. She knew...hoped that she was right.
"Princess, I..."
"Foolish..." Raziel stood up and clenched his injured hand, "He is not Wales and you delude yourself pretending he is," He grabbed for his sword again and glared at the risen prince, "I promised to kill you should this ever come to pass..."
"Ah yes, that foolish promise," 'Wales' clicked his tongue, "Such troublesome things you remember," He frowned, "Very well, if you wish to incite conflict then I suppose I shall indulge you."
"Aiiieeeee!" Montmorency's sudden scream caused grabbed their attention, "Let go of me!" The soldier she was healing but a moment ago had taken her arm in a vice grip, his eyes blank and his hold on her strong despite his wounds. She could feel her arm being crushed and the soldier's groans were punctuated by a dark circle burning through his skin.
"Montmorency!" Guiche was the first to react, kicking the soldier away from his former fiancee. The risen soldier was knocked away and rolled a short distance away before stopping. The corpse continued to twitch
"That...That was..." Louise shivered as Wales smiled once more.
"Do you see now?" He moved his hand slightly and the rest of the bodies rose up, completely ignoring the grievous wounds on their bodies. The six bunched up together as the other Undead drew closer to them, "This is a fight you cannot hope to win. Whether by magic or sword they cannot be killed."
As one of the risen corpses drew closer Raziel drew Derflinger and slashed it across its chest, "What the-" The blade stopped halfway across the midsection and he was forced to kick it away as it swiped at him. Hardened bodies...almost similar to his own condition. From behind him Tabitha fared no better as her cutting winds did little to impede their slow gait.
"Please! Put down your weapons and we can end this!" Henrietta pleaded desperately, "It's not too late! Don't die for this!"
"They will not listen, Ann," 'Wales' chided gently before raising his wand. The pink-haired girl had power, he could sense it; she would have to be the first to fall.
Mimicking Tabitha's spell the reborn noble created four spikes and aimed it at the Void Mage. Louise raised her hand to counter the spell but she knew it would be futile; she couldn't cast fast enough to deflect the projectiles.
"Louise!" The pinkette felt arms enclosing around her and the sounds of piercing flesh.
Opening her eyes, she looked up and saw her Familiar looking down at her worriedly, "R...Raziel..." Her voice was soft. As she reached a hand out he backed away and she saw blood dropping down his back, "R...Raziel...?" She called out again. Her Familiar forced a smile even as his body shivered.
"I...I am alright," He reached behind him and pulled out a bloody icicle. Louise let out a panicked breath when he dropped it to the ground, "I...have had worse," He turned back to another risen body and sliced at its arm, but again it proved futile. Louise cringed as she saw the three other spikes embedded on his back but the presence of the other corpses surrounding them grabbed her attention.
"Hm, amusing," Wales lowered his wand, "Fine. Enough fun and games," His smile disappeared and was replaced with a sneer, "Kill them, and make it quick."
At his command the revenants abandoned their slow gait, charging at them with surprising speed. Guiche waved his rose wand and summoned a few spear golems to stop their charge. The spears pierced their flesh, but the soldiers continued to charge forward, "Everybody, move back!" He yelled. Slowly but surely the Golems were being overpowered.
One broke free and came for them, the spear still embedded in its stomach. "How many are there!?" Kirche yelled, casting a quick fire spell. The skin burned, but they continued their charge. The redhead jumped to the side and barely avoided the clumsy grab, "Damn it, we can't kill these things!" She ducked as another swiped at her face jabbed her wand straight at its stomach, "Fireball!" A ball of flame exploded point blank, blowing it away with a sickening pop of blood.
"Too many," Tabitha stabbed an icicle to another, piercing it through its eye. It gave no indication that it even noticed the attack and grabbed at her shoulders, pushing her down forcefully. Tightening her grip on her staff she smashed it across the corpse's bloodied face and kicked it off before standing up again, "Wind blade," She aimed it at the prone body's arms, but the tendons still held.
"We can't hold them off!" Montmorency concentrated and aimed a burst of water at another attacker. The waterball hit against its jaw and forced its head up with a sickening snap, but it did little to slow it down, "How do you kill these things!?" She aimed her next attack at its legs. The monster was forced into the ground at the impact, but it still continued to crawl forward with fearless abandon.
"He is the one controlling them," Raziel pointed at the scowling prince, "Kill him and the rest follow," The darksign burned at him again. He was trying to twist him, to turn him into a mindless thrall. Bracing himself he pulled the rest of spikes from his back and let them drop the ground with a dull thud. Getting to the controller was impossible at the rate they were going.
Guiche cast another spell, attempting to bury them beneath the earth. Most of them avoided the attack, and those that didn't were quickly trying to dig themselves out. He quickly summoned another golem to stop the rest from getting nearer.
Tabitha dodged a clumsy slash and swept her staff through the monstrosity's legs. She followed by quickly smashing the end of her catalyst against its skull before jumping back. Despite its shattered jaw it still tried to clumsily grab for its sword.
"We're not gonna last much longer!" Louise quickly chanted an incantation and aimed it 'Wales', but again another wall of water protected him from harm, "The princess is defending him...can't she see it's not him anymore?" She muttered desperately.
"She is deluding herself," Raziel grabbed one of the Risen charging for his master and tossed him away, "We need to find a way to get to him before we are overrun," Another slashed at his face with a barely held sword. Raziel scowled and summoned the Flame in his hand and punched the risen body away, ignoring the blood that fell down his right cheek.
"Die already!" Kirche strengthened her spell and aimed it another group of thralls. Mercifully at least one of them finally succumbed to its wounds, though the rest caught in the flames continued to crash forward even as the skin burned from their bodies, "How strong are these things!?"
Montmorency concentrated another spell, catching another three in a wave that sent them crashing against the trees. Despite the sickening snap they immediately stood up, ignoring the bones jutting out of their skin.
Despite their best efforts, however, they soon found themselves surrounded once more. Raziel made sure to keep Louise behind him as the revenants drew closer, "Louise, can you do anything?" He whispered, "The...The magic from Tarbes. Could you use it once more-" He winced as the Undead Guiche had buried before finally clawed their way out of the ground. These people were tenacious, even above the Undead of his own land.
"Keep them away!" Kirche wrapped their circle in a ring of fire. The thralls backed away from the bright flame, seemingly wary. It was a temporary respite and both sides knew it.
"We're trapped!" Guiche cried out.
"Yeah, I can see that!" Kirche bit back, "Hel, if the Queen over there wants to she can put that fire out whenever she wanted to," She strengthened the flame once more with another incantation, "Shit, I don't know how long this will hold!"
Thankfully she didn't seem heartless enough to do so. Louise looked to her best friend, her eyes pleading for help, but the reluctant attacker only looked away in guilt and shame. Raziel grit his teeth - Her reluctance didn't excuse her. She would die for this, joining that spirit that had taken Wales' body.
"How...How can we hurt him?" Louise muttered frustratedly, "Even if we stop all of his minions there's nothing we can do to hurt him..." She closed her eyes and shook her head, "We...We may have to run..." Her voice was pained, "If we stay here any longer we'll die..." She held back tears. In the end she was still useless,"
"We can't run," Montmorency reminded, "We're surrounded and he's not going to let us go," She pressed her lips into a thin line, "I knew I shouldn't have come along..."
"Not the time," Tabitha debated calling Sylphid back. The only reason they had lasted this long was because the prince and queen hadn't deigned to attack them. A ring of fire wouldn't protect them from a tornado.
Their deliberation was cut short as the blunette felt something hitting against her cheek. Eyes widening slightly, she looked up and twitched as another drop of water hit her cheek, "Rain..." Her pained expression was matched by the rest of the group as the water intensified, going from a light drizzle to a sudden storm.
"Oh come on!" Kirche yelled in frustration. She attempted to cast another spell but it was quickly extinguished by the torrent of water, "Things are not going our way!" She edged closer to the others as her wand let out nothing but smoke, "Uh...guys, a little help here?"
"I'm...I'm nearly out of willpower," Guiche answered back nervously. Montmorency nodded as well. None of them had exactly been at top shape given recent events. Even if she still had the power to cast more spells she doubted she could overpower the Queen.
The thralls slowed to a crawl once more, slowly surrounding them. 'Wales' had to admit, they'd proven more amusing than he had expected - To think that they lasted longer than the knights despite being children, it was amusing to watch if nothing else. Ah well, he had tried to parlay with them and they had rejected his offer. What they suffered now was of their own choosing.
"Please, stop this!" Henrietta yelled once more, "In this rain you cannot fight! Don't make me kill you! Please..." She gripped her wand with both hands. She didn't want to hurt them, but they were standing in her way!
"So...is this the end?" Montmorency couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
"No, there must be something..." Louise placed her arms in front of her chest in prayer...wait. Eyes widening, her hand went down her uniform and pulled out the prayer book. Despite the torrent of rain the book had still remained dry, "Just like Tarbes..." Her heart beat faster in anticipation. She was a Void Mage, and the Founder's Prayer Book was a tool of salvation.
"Raziel...I think I know what to do," She whispered to her Familiar. He looked back at her in slight surprise, "Just like in Tarbes. Think about what I want...and hopefully it'll save us..."
"We need to get past his thralls first," He noted grimly. He looked back at the others; their willpower was spent, and even it wasn't their attacks had proven futile. He clenched his right hand - Pyromancy wouldn't be enough, the flames would still fade given the rainshower.
What he needed was an undying flame.
"Louise, what do you plan to do?" He blocked her from 'Wales'' sight. He'd already targeted her once.
"I...I think I found it!" She clutched the book closer, "Dispel Magic. I think I can banish that spirit from Wales' body along with everyone else here, I just need a chance to cast it-"
"Valliere, what are you doing?" Montmorency interrupted, "Now's not the time to be reading books! We have to-"
"Everyone, just pool all your willpower for one last attack!" She cut back, "I-I know what to do now, but we have only one chance at this!"
"What are you-"
"Just do it!" She yelled back.
The rest of the Mages looked at one another hesitantly before they began casting their spells. Raziel grit his teeth; it wouldn't be enough even if they spent enough willpower to faint. Looking down at his right hand, he closed his eyes briefly and bit his lip. There was something he could do, but the risk was difficult to fully grasp. Still, if they all died here then it wouldn't matter.
"I'm out!" Kirche announced. Her flame barely licked their skins before the fire was put away.
"Same here!" Montmorency had done better given the rain, but it still proved to be but a momentary distraction.
"I'm...starting to feel faint..." Guiche muttered. He waved his wand weakly but no more petals came.
Tabitha said nothing, though her hands shook and fought to keep hold of her staff.
"Everyone get closer," Raziel ordered. They looked at him in confusion before they noticed the crimson fire trailing up his fire, "Do it!" She ordered again. The four followed his command and drew closer to him.
Releasing a pained yell, Raziel smashed his right hand against the ground. All around them pillars of crimson fire rose up, engulfing the thralls and leaving nothing but ash. Those that were far enough to avoid the brunt of the hit were still set aflame and the fire continued to spread across their bodies even as the storm raged over them. Soon there was nothing but ash.
"Woah!" Guiche took and audible gulp. The air around them had turned stiflingly hot and the water instantly evaporated into mist as it made contact with the crimson fire.
Louise was still casting. Raziel was forced to kneel, the fire slowly spreading across his arm and reaching his shoulder. None but the witch and her daughters were ever truly meant to use the flames of chaos, "Louise, hurry!" His voice was raspy and weak. If he had heard her right then her spell would be able to dispel any magic, and if fate was even a tinge merciful that would include the chaos fire.
'Wales'' eyes widened in shock as he saw his minions consumed by the fire, "What the-" His voice was caught in his throat as he saw Louise casting. Those words, he recognized the incantation from years gone by. It was... "Ann! Cast a spell with me!" His voice no longer retained its hint of calm and control, only that of fear.
"What-"
"Just do it!" He started casting a spell. As if on instinct Henrietta had followed him, combining her magic with his.
The winds grew stronger once more. Through pained eyes Raziel saw a tornado rising in strength and heading straight towards them. The rest of the Mages were frozen on the spot, split between running or not, and his master kept casting. How long was this spell?
"Arghhh," Grabbing Derflinger with his left hand, he charged forward. Just barely he heard Kirche and Guiche yelling at him to turn back, but soon it was replaced by the overpowering sounds of the wind assaulting his ears. He stabbed Derflinger into the center of the raging twister, hoping in his mind that the sword would be able to consume the magic. It was his only chance.
Pain. There was no other way to describe it. He had stopped the cyclone in its path but in exchange he had become its lone target. He felt his skin ripping apart, his eyes blowing apart with a sick pop as and his bones nearly breaking as the force pushed him forward.
Derflinger's grip on his hand began to loosen. It wasn't enough, he would be overpowered, "I am trusting you, Louise..." Swallowing a mouthful of blood, he placed more power into his right hand and stabbed it into the center.
Henrietta covered her eyes as the tornado exploded in a burst of force. Taking deep breaths, she called out, "Prince Wales, are you alright-"
Raziel charged towards him. 'Wales' drew his wand to cast a spell but the bloodied Undead knocked it out of his hands before going behind him and wrapping his arms around his neck in a vice grip, "Let go of me, you insolent wretch!" He reached for his back and grabbed at his hair to try and dislodge him, but he remained strong. Raziel ignored the pain of Wales ripping at his skin and kept holding on.
All he had to do was keep him busy till Louise finished.
"Prince Wales!" Henrietta raised pointed her wand at the struggling pair of Undead before stopping. Any spell she cast would hurt the prince as well.
"Insignificant whelp!" 'Wales' elbowed his stomach, causing his grip to loosen slightly as the rib snapped, "You are nothing but stitched together monstrosity!" He bit down on his arm. He could taste blood, "A soul stitched together like a child's plaything! You are nothing to a true spirit! Release me at once!" His struggled grew more desperate as he recognized the incantation coming to a close.
Raziel bit back a scream as he felt his bones breaking. At this rate he would lose his grip on him.
Just a bit more. All Louise needed was a bit more time...
"Let...go...of...Wales..!" Raziel raised Derflinger in the air and stabbed it through him...through them both. 'Wales' gasped as the sword pierced through his stomach, not out of pain but horror. Sensing the foreign matter intruding upon the body the flesh quickly stitched itself together once more, trapping them both in the blade's hold.
"N-No...! No!" 'Wales' tried to pull the blade from his stomach but Raziel pushed it further in. The Undead Familiar spat out more blood as the magic blade pierced through Wales and into his body.
Now they were both trapped.
"You fool, don't you realize!?" 'Wales' screamed once more, "I will not be the only one to die here! Your master's spell will kill you as well as me! Release me now before we-"
"Shut up...!" He dug the sword inside till only the hilt remained. Eyesight fading, he looked to Louise once more and smiled as she pointed her wand at them. A bright light engulfed his vision before he lost consciousness.
It was over.
Louise collapsed onto her knees, barely holding herself up with her hands as she took deep, ragged breaths. As soon as the spell had been cast she felt as if every ounce of energy had been drained from her body and she was tempted to collapse then and there and let sleep overtake her.
"No...gotta stay awake..." Dully she heard a few thuds behind her. Turning back she saw the rest of her classmates had collapsed as well, all face down in the road. She forced herself to stand and just barely made out the Henrietta, 'Wales' and Raziel collapsing in turn. 'Wales' was the last to fall, separating himself from the other Undead and walking forward a bit before falling down lifeless, the sword still embedded in his stomach.
It was quiet now. Louise put her hands on her knees and panted. The spell she had cast...it hadn't just dispelled all the magic in the area, but it had taken all their willpower as well. To a Mage willpower was as close to being their energy - Cast too many spells and you would find yourself face down in the muck and helpless. Her spell had done this, and right now she honestly didn't know whether she herself had been afflicted as well or it just took a large willpower reserve to even cast.
"Where...in the void...is Agnes?" She muttered. Surely they should have arrived by now; how long did it take to rally a few troops? "Damn it..." She shook her head. She had to keep focus. It wasn't over yet.
Forcing herself to move, she placed one leg in front of the other as she made her way to her best friend. Her vision swam and the temptation to void her stomach of its contents was massive but she kept going, "P-Princess," She knelt down and shook the monarch by her shoulder, "Princess...wake up...!" She shook her shoulder harder.
Slowly, Henrietta's eyes fluttered open and she looked tiredly into the pinkette's eyes, "L-Louise...is that you..." She sat up and groaned. Her body felt as if it had been running for hours with no respite, "Wh-Where are we...? I...I had the strangest dream..."
"It was no dream, Princess..." Louise looked down and frowned, "That...That monster pretended to be Prince Wales and..." She bit her tongue to keep from saying any more. 'You tried to kill us,' she wanted to say. It would have been the proper reaction: To scream, rage and call her out on her actions. She was her closest friend, and she had betrayed them to chase a lie. She was well within her right to react that way.
"Louise..." Henrietta looked down, tears going down her cheeks, "I...I don't know what to-"
As the Queen looked up she was surprised by the sudden pain stinging her cheeks. Louise had slapped her.
"L-Louise, I-"
"Do you know what you've done!?" Louise's yell caused to shrink back, "How many people died here!? That...That impostor tricked you and I know you weren't fooled!" Angry tears cascaded down her face, "You let him kill the Griffon knights! You nearly let him kill us! And all for...all for..." She took a deep breath, trying to reign in her anger and sadness, "Princess, you would have died if you had gone with him! You were going to kill us in order to commit suicide!"
"I know that...but..." Henrietta couldn't say anything. What could she say? Apologies wouldn't bring back the dead, her tears wouldn't erase her actions. She had betrayed her friend and those who followed her, all because she didn't want to wake up from the comforting lies, "...I know I can't say anything to erase what I've done, but..." She bit her lip, "I won't ask you to forgive me...what I've done, is..."
Could she forgive her? Henrietta was her closest friend and Louise desperately wanted to believe her loyalty to her was absolute, but this... she needed to think about everything that had happened.
"Now's not the time for that," Louise took a deep breath and stood up, "I want to talk about this, but now isn't the time," She could see her friends...classmates stirring from their sleep. Collapse from Willpower drain typically never lasted long, but they never felt pleasant, "Agnes should be on her way here. And I...I need to talk to them first," Her eyes traced over Raziel's unconscious figure before as she walked. She didn't know what she could do for him now. She would make sure the others were okay first before checking on him.
Henrietta watched her go with a pained expression on her face. Louise was well within her rights to hate her for her betrayal, but the thought of her childhood friend leaving her, however much she may have deserved it, caused no small amount of pain in her heart, "...Please don't leave me..." She whispered to herself. She was wrong, she'd made a mistake, and now it might have cost her everything.
"Mmm, Zero, what's going on?" Kirche rubbed the dirt from her eyes and expelled a fatigued breath as she sat up, "I remember you casting a spell, then..."
"It's over..." Louise offered her a hand up, which the Germanian reluctantly accepted, "The Queen's alright and what Willpower you had left was drained so you all fell unconscious," She saw the others slowly standing up as well, "But...that impostor is dead now..."
"Ugh, my head feels like it's been dunked in too much sleeping drought," Montmorency covered her mouth as she nearly vomited. Guiche was letting her lean into him to balance her and she was too tired to push him away.
"So...did we win?" Guiche asked. He was thankful that the rain had lightened into a drizzle now.
"We survived," Tabitha answered for her.
Henrietta watched the scene sadly. To them she must have appeared as the monster, a willing participant in their attempted murder. Forcing herself to stand up she walked groggily to Wales' fallen body, "Prince Wales..." She pushed him onto his back and, with no small amount of effort, pulled the sword from his body. She looked at the darkened blade before letting it drop to the ground with a thud.
"I'm so sorry..." She knelt down in front of her beloved and cried. She was so desperate to see him again that she let an impostor turn her against those who came to snap her out of her delusions, "Prince Wales...how did they do this to you?" She knew she would get no answer. She held the prince close to her and cried, her emotions from weeks ago coming out once more.
She was so focused on her beloved that she didn't notice Raziel slowly standing up. Raziel bit back a scream of pain and focused on the kneeling Queen; his eyesight was fading and tinted red, but he could still focus enough to see her. He clenched his bloodied hands and forced himself to get closer to her. She was the last one here...the last one who had tried to kill them.
Henrietta was forcefully knocked out of her mourning as a pair of hands circled her throat and pushed her onto the ground, "Argh...gak..." She opened her mouth to say something but all she could let out were strained gasps as the Undead tightened his hold on her neck. Looking at her attacker, her mouth was frozen in open shock as he seemed to flicker between life and death. One moment he was bloodied but undoubtedly alive, and the next he was a corpse, his flesh rotting and his bones exposed.
She was beginning to feel lightheaded. She supposed she deserved this for her betrayal, but her hands still tried to desperately pry his grip off her.
"Oh God, Raziel!" Louise ran over to her Familiar and pulled at his shoulder, "Raziel, its over!" She pleaded, "Raziel, listen to me! Let go of her now! That's an order-"
"Grah!" His attention had shifted to her and all at once she wished it hadn't. The face that turned to face her reminded her of her first summoning. A living corpse, but even worse. She saw the tears of the injuries on his rotted skin and the blood that flowed from his eyes like tears. Before she could say anything else he knocked her away and resumed his attack on the Queen.
Louise was thrown back painfully. Knowing she had no time to waste she took out her wand and aimed it at him, "Last chance! Let her go!" He ignored her. Her grip on her wand tightened and she said the first word that came to mind, "Explosion!"
Henrietta breathed deep as the hands left her neck and she was forced to stand as Louise pulled her back to safety. Raziel was knocked away by the explosion and rolled away with a meaty smack on the road. It was hard to see, but she could feel one of Louise's arms wrapped around her shoulder protectively and another aiming her wand at her Familiar.
"What's going on!?" The other four ran to her side, "We heard a noise and- Oh my God!"
"Graaahhhhh!" The creature staring at them bore almost no resemblance to Louise's Familiar. A rotten corpse staring at them all with hatred. The only sound he emitted were feral growls and with every moment his injuries seemed to worsen. His stance was like that of an animal and they couldn't tell if he was going to turn and run or charge at them.
"Is that...Razi?" Kirche asked. He'd told them he was an Undead and she still remembered the day of the Familiar summoning ritual, but this...this was another thing entirely.
Louise kept pointing a shaking hand at him, "Raziel, that's enough!" Her voice cracked as he gave no reaction to her command, "Raziel...don't make me kill you!" She couldn't let him hurt the Princess. No matter what she'd done it didn't mean she deserved to die like this.
"Valliere, I don't think he can hear us," Montmorency cautioned, "We should-"
"Shut up!" She scowled at Montmorency before looking towards him again, "Raziel, I know you can hear me! Stop this now! You're not Hollow, get a hold of yourself!"
Recognition finally flashed in his face and, with shaking hands, he put a hand through his pack and pulled out a Humanity clump, "...Lou...ise..." He crushed the dark substance in his hand and growled once more, though it was noticeably less strained from before. He was briefly covered in a sprites of before he changed back to a form that resembled what they knew of him before he collapsed on the ground.
"Protect the Princess," Reluctantly Louise let go of the Queen's hand and cautiously moved towards her unconscious Familiar, "Raziel..." She reached a hand out and touched his shoulder. No response, "Raziel...wake up..." She shook his shoulder, a hint of panic in her voice.
Thankfully her Familiar opened his eyes. Louise jumped back as his eyes temporarily took on a black coloration before going back to their normal golden brown.
"Raziel...?"
"I...I am in control..." He held up a still-bloody hand. Some of his injuries had healed but most of them still remained. He could feel the darksign in his neck weakening. Had Louise's spell done something to him? He shook his head. At least he was alive...well, as 'alive' as a corpse could be.
Looking up, he saw the rest of the group looking at him in horror and fear. He looked down and scowled - Typical. The Queen had been the one who attempted to kill them but they were willing to defend her and once again he was a monster. He forced himself to stand up and rubbed the blood from his eyes as he walked towards Wales' body. There was one more thing he needed to make sure of.
Henrietta watched as he knelt down in front of his Wales and tore off his coat. She wanted to say something, but it was still difficult to talk.
"A darksign..." Raziel sighed. He should have expected that, of course. For all that spirit's talk of superiority they were both Undead in the end. Invincibility or no they all had one source. He rummaged in his pack before pulling out one more clump of Humanity - His last one. Gently he placed it in Wales' hand and crushed it. If he was right about one thing then this would work.
Henrietta's eyes widened as she saw her beloved stand once more. Another trick? No, he appeared confused and pained, "Where...what happened?" His voice was hoarse, "I...I remember..." He looked around and caught sight of her, "Ann...is that...is that you?"
The Queen stood up on shaky legs and made her way to him. This might have been another trick, but she couldn't just stay away, "Prince Wales...is that...truly you...?"
"Yes," His face grimaced in pain, "I...I don't know exactly what happened. Everything was like a dream. Disjointed events that..." He closed his eyes briefly, "What happened? Why am I...why are you all here..."
"A spirit took over your body," Raziel answered, "A part of your soul remained, and you are here now," He grabbed his side in pain. The rib had been broken, "You have been turned Undead, Wales. But...I do not know how long you can remain," He looked down sadly, "You were never meant to be an Undead. Someone...induced this on you. Most of your soul has passed on already."
"Haha, of course," He gave a wry smile and took held Henrietta's hand, "Ann, perhaps this fate giving me a chance. My only regret was not being able to say goodbye to you, and with this-"
"No!" She tried in vain to suppress her tears, "You're alive now! You can still-"
"Slowly but surely I can feel my wounds returning..." His reply caused her to go silent, "It's as Sir. Raziel said. I can feel my soul fighting to leave this body...and I don't know how much longer I can stay," As he spoke Raziel spotted the pool of blood spilling from his heart. He was dying again, "But I am glad...that I saw you once more. I..."
"No, Prince Wales, please..." She shut her eyes to stem her tears. Raziel turned to leave before she grabbed his wrist, "Please, give him more time! Please-"
"Let go of me," He pulled his arm away from her forcefully and walked away. His fit of madness hadn't changed anything - She had attempted to kill them, kill the one who she proclaimed to be her closest friend. And for what? All because of a lie. He swallowed more blood, ignoring the taste of iron in his tongue. He despised her, but Wales at least deserved to pass on peacefully.
"Henrietta...it's alright..." Wales took her hand once more, "Fate has given us a chance," His gaze was becoming unfocused, "I have one last request."
"A-Anything..." She placed his hand against her cheek. He was growing colder.
"I wish to go back to Ragdorian lake, but to where we promised one another," His hands shook, "Just...grant me this one thing."
"Tabitha..." Louise gave her a pleading look. Hesitantly the girl called her dragon back, though she still kept a wary eye on the Prince and the Queen, "Princess, we'll go with you," She said. The monarch nodded blankly before she supported the prince towards the dragon.
Tabitha and Kirche followed after them while Louise pulled her Familiar towards the dragon, "Come on, we shouldn't stay here..." Raziel wasn't looking at her, "Raziel, please...we have to go..."
He still said nothing but he let her drag him forward. It was only when she was on the dragon that she realized they were missing Guiche and Montmorency, "Hey, aren't you coming?" Louise called out to the hesitant pair.
"I'm staying here..." Montmorency replied, "There...There may be some more people here that need help, someone who's still alive. I may be able to help them."
"But you're out of Willpower! How do you-"
"I have do something!" She interrupted, "Just...go! Come back for me later," She pulled out her wand, "Besides, someone needs to explain to the coming knights what happened here and that the Queen is safe. Might as well be me."
"I'm staying with you then," Guiche affirmed.
All she could do was sigh, "Guiche, you-"
"Montmorency, please, just...don't," He shook his head, "Hate me all you wish but I'm not leaving."
"...Fine..." She looked away from him, "But I'm gonna need your help. We need to...gather them all up in one place. We can't just leave them like this..."
Leaving the pair to their work, Sylphid took to the skies and went towards the lake.
Henrietta felt Wales' life weakening as they drew closer to the lake. The prince leaned more and more against her and his steps began to become lighter as they moved deeper into the lake's water.
"Prince Wales, we're here..." She shook him gently. The blood from his body was being washed away by the lake's waters.
"Ah, yes, so nostalgic," His voice was faint. She had to strain to hear it, "I remember the day we met. It was...over there, yes?" He pointed in a random direction. He was wrong, but Henrietta nodded regardless. His eyes must have been nearly blind.
"What is it that you wanted here?"
"Another oath," He tried to stand on his own but his legs failed him. He could feel his soul begging for release, "Just one more and I can rest easy," He took a strained breath, "I want you to vow to me, Ann."
"Vow...Vow what?"
"To love somebody else," He didn't have to see her expression to know that she was against the idea, "Please, Ann. I can't...I can't pass on knowing you will mourn forever," He couldn't see anymore. Everything was dark. He could barely feel the water against his skin, "I beg of you. Grant my final wish."
"How could you ask me of that? I love you..."
"Please! Ann, this is my final request. Vow to me that you will love another so that I may rest in peace."
The pain in the Queen's face palpable, "Very well then, I shall...but you must vow something as well."
"Anything..." He smiled.
"Vow to love me. Say the words you hadn't three years ago."
"Yes, I promise..." His soul was fading. He couldn't feel the water anymore, and her voice was distant.
"I, Queen Henrietta, solemnly vow to love somebody else. To mourn for my beloved but to let him rest in my memories."
"Good..." Using the last of his strength he forced himself to smile as he felt release and everything faded.
"Now, vow to me," Henrietta looked at him. His eyes were closed, "Prince Wales...please vow to me..." She shook him, "Prince Wales...?" He didn't move. A single tear escaped despite her best efforts.
"How cruel. Just like before...you didn't vow..." An empty smile curled her lips as a fresh wave of tears flowed. She hugged her beloved's body closer to her and released the emotions she'd tried to suppress all this time.
At the shore, Louise looked at her closest friend, a few tears also leaving her eyes. Despite everything, despite what she'd done, she was just a girl who wanted to see her beloved once more. Had she been in her position would she have done the same? Lied to herself because her love blinded her from the harsh truths. She wiped away the tears and hugged herself to stave off the cold.
Raziel's gaze was focused elsewhere. He looked down at the ground and scowled as his sight slowly but surely faded. He could see drops of crimson blood dropping from his eyes like tears and the pain was almost unbearable. Just barely he could see Louise crying while Kirche and even Tabitha looked at the Queen in pity.
How could they be so quick to forgive? She stood by and did nothing as that spirit tried to kill them but now...now they cry for her and give her their pity? She didn't deserve it. She had no more right to survive than that spirit did.
He could feel the Humanity fading. Whether it was Louise's spell or something else his injuries were coming back. He didn't know how much longer he would last before-
"Urgh..." He gasped as everything went dark. Suppressing his panic he mimicked a breath and clenched his hand. He could still feel pain, he was still awake, so that meant...
"Raziel...what's wrong?" She looked up. Despite the blood going down his face her attention was drawn to his eyes - White and opaque, almost as if he was...
"..I cannot see..." He closed his eyes. He couldn't see what Louise's expression was but he heard her gasp. He wiped the blood away and tried to get used to the darkness. He had a feeling this condition would last quite a while.
Sheffield looked down at the ring she wore. Andvari's ring was a unique artifact, for both worlds. Yes she'd seen ways to turn people Undead - Poor, deluded Havel was the first to come to mind but he certainly wasn't the last. Once someone became an Undead they lost all rights and it was no longer 'wrong' kill, enslave or do all manner of things. A priest with an Undead sex slave wasn't uncommon in that time.
Personally she found it an arbitrary limit - A comforting lie to give the appearance of morality. 'She's an Undead! Her very existence is a sin!' or some other such tripe. They tried to justify their atrocities both to others and to themselves.
Her beloved master was better than that. He was open about his desires; he wasn't like those weak puppets who had to justify their actions to themselves. To him whether they were man, woman or child he would kill them without having to resort to weak justifications to try and delude himself. She loved that about him - His strong will to take what he wanted.
"Hmm," Her eyes narrowed as she felt the magic of the ring lessen. Strange. Should the body the spirit was inhabiting somehow get destroyed the spirit would come back to the ring, but it was simply...gone, "I need to take note of this," Just perfect. She hoped it wouldn't put too much of a bother to her master's plans. Regardless, she made a mental note to create countermeasures should it become an obstacle. Someone or something had destroyed a spirit, something she hadn't seen in her time in this world.
"Lord Joseph is away..." She mumbled sadly. Some business with another noble and he had insisted to go alone, even ordering her to not send any constructs to come after him. As compensation he had decorated her already lavishly decorated chamber with another painting. She sighed and looked out of the window. Right now that prelate was still trying to enslave firstborns for his pathetic army and that would no doubt take the better part of a month.
She supposed it was about time to visit her sister.
She moved through the castle halls like a ghost, those few who had taken notice of her quickly averting their eyes in fear. No one knew exactly what her role in the castle was, whether she was another mistress or something else entirely, but they knew better than to ask questions. The one servant that had tried spying her had simply disappeared from his cot one day as if he had never existed.
She thought he could have ran better. As far as moving targets went his reaction time was rather slow, especially considering the gargoyles were trying to rip his arm off. Oh well, at least her pets were happy. His family had wisely decided not to ask any questions, though it meant less playthings for her pets.
Weaving through the rooms down to the dungeons, she pulled out her key and unlocked the door at the end of the hall. It was designed to hold only one prisoner and enchanted to be soundproof. In addition only she owned a copy of the key, her beloved master deciding that she could handle its sole occupant within by herself. And for that she was eternally grateful.
The prisoner inside didn't bother looking up as light flooded her dim room. Despite the dire conditions of the prison the woman inside appeared beautiful, like a candle against the darkness. Traces of dirt marred her pale skin and hair but it did little to mask her beauty. All daughters of chaos were born with such traits, a gift from their mother others would say in awe.
She knew who it was and she had nothing else to say. She was tired: Tired of the constant arguments, tired of the futile conversations where both would try to convince the other to give up what they believed in. How many days had it been since her sister's last visit? Time became difficult to tell in this cage. Barring the bars keeping her bound from freedom the room contained nothing save a single high window from which she could tell the vaguest time of day before she was left in the darkness once more.
"Quelaan," Sheffield stood in front of the bars. The pale woman didn't give her the satisfaction of looking up, "Must you make this difficult?" She sighed, "You have been in this cell for months now, dear sister. Would it not please you to leave this cage?"
"The cage you put me in," She replied bitterly. She hadn't been given food or water; another way to break her mind and spirit, but she refused to give in. If she could spend decades blind and in poison from blightpus then she certainly wouldn't break from this, "Does this please you, sister? To keep me trapped like some animal while you and your master convene your plans with one another.
"Of course it doesn't," Sheffield frowned, "But you know what you have to do to get out, right? Just a few simple words and all of this," Her finger traced one of the bars, "Will be a thing of the past. We could be together again."
Ah yes, here came the usual temptations. She was sick of it, "You cannot make me swear loyalty to him," Her voice remained strong despite her weakness, "You shame our mother, our family, acting like this. I know what he is like, that man you adore so much," She frowned, "He is a monster-"
"Do not speak ill of Lord Joseph!" Sheffield rebuked, "You are one to talk of monsters, dear sister. Was it not too long ago that you were one yourself?" Quelaan winced at the reminder, "And who was it that allowed you to return to normal once more? It was him," She gripped the bars, "The only reason you're not a spider anymore is because Lord Joseph graciously allowed me to heal you. And yet your 'loyalty' still remains with our pathetic family."
"What good are my legs if they're what bind me to this cage?" She shook her feet and, sure enough, the short chain didn't allow her to go more than a few inches from the wall, "Trapped in my own body or trapped in a cell, there is no difference," She looked down once more, her features twisting in sorrow, "What happened to you? Why are you doing this?" She gripped her knee painfully, "What happened to the days we spent in happiness, Quelara-"
"Do not call me that!" Sheffield's eyes narrowed, "Our mother...she clung to the past as if it would save her. It was because of her that you turned into a monster, and yet you still remain loyal to her," She scowled, "Fine then. I can see I won't convince you this day. Go ahead then, mire yourself in your memories. Pretend that our lives were the paradise you deluded yourself into believing it was."
"...Where is Quelana? Quelaag? Our dear brother?" Quelaan whispered to herself, honestly not expecting an answer.
"All dead," She answered stonily, "You can wish they will come back, sister, but in the end I am all you have left."
All dead? She couldn't believe that, wouldn't believe that. She watched her sister close the door behind her and once again she was shrouded in darkness. It must have been nighttime.
She put her hands together, but as expected nothing happened. She had heard rumors of her sister Quelana teaching another art to the humans. 'Pyromancy' they called it. Much weaker than their fire sorceries, but one didn't need a catalyst in order to use it. Closing her eyes and concentrating, she tried to will the fire to her hands and conjure a flame.
Nothing.
She let out a held breath and tried once more. If her sister could do it then she could as well. Anything to escape this cage. She would face the unknown if it meant escaping this nightmare.
Just one spark. All she needed was just one spark...
Well that chapter took way too long to write. So...yeah, Zombie!Wales arc finished with a bit of an addon at the end. Once again another thank you/shout-out to Hostis. I definitely needed help with language in this chapter. Repeating words or misspelling were pretty common.
Now, before we get into the whole deal with pyromancy and fire sorcery: Near as I can tell fire sorcery is separate from pyromancy - The former is what the Witches use and Quelana made the latter once the rest were consumed by the Bed of Chaos. This is from the wiki, so if I'm wrong then at least I did my research.
And yes, I know, shitty fight scenes or whatever. You guys know by now I suck at em. Anyway, after this I should probably update other fics...been putting it off for too long. Should at least update 'The Princess and Her Knight'. Maybe my IS fic if I'm in enough of a slump.
Next thing - Chapters are getting way too long. This one reached 22k and that's before authors notes, so I need anybody still reading to decide something: Either I quicken the pace of the story so we can actually get to the next volumes before 2025 or I keep going at this pace where its unnecessarily detailed. In the former option I'll rely more on saying events happened offscreen and its up to the audience to imagine how exactly it went while I give a general idea. An example would be in this chapter: Stuff like Henrietta being kidnapped would be mentioned, but not shown etc etc.
Anyway, notes time. Will only answer those who I can.
Loyaltothelegion - Guiche is a good friend, but he's a shit boyfriend: Yes, you can be both, they're not contradicting. You can't deny he's not a very good boyfriend considering he's engaged but flirts with anything wearing a skirt.
kishinokurobi - I did have Louise checking Monty's crotch for blood and saying there was nothing, though that was emphasis enough.
OakheadLord - No bonfires here, so take what you can get.
Longinus-209 - Romance really isn't a priority for me. And as the dream and Henrietta's segment shows, romancing an Undead can only end with at best angst and drama and at worst complete madness. Might put it later, but that's up to the audience to decide if they even want it at this point. Romance for other characters, though? Definitely...though it'll still be dysfunctional like Monty and Guiche.
SalemTheSpeakerOfTruth - Wouldn't it be the cycle beginning its eventual collapse rather than ending per-se? That's what I got from the fluff.
InterestedDude - All of those are subjective: Hollows are mercy kills (lets not pretend otherwise), Lautrec screws you over first and he's morally repugnant, Quelaag attacks you first (players seem to ignore this for some reason) and your CU never pretends to be her to the Fair Lady, she just assumes you are and you can even try to heal her for no reason beyond altruism; I'll give you Discharge though, that really was a dick move. As for Dark Souls 2 elements...just wait and see.
Besides, it's not like Raziel's a hero in the traditional sense. He's shown multiple times to be self-aware of his being a monster and never pretends otherwise.
Ias - Yeah they have that, but I'm talking about the blood. They literally believe that those of 'blue blood' are inherently better no questions asked. Even if the commoner was raised the same way as a noble the noble would still be considered better for no reason beyond 'He's a noble'.
Sendicard - Thanks for the heads up, though I can't change it now. My word files that had those chapters are gone due to the laptop being stolen and you can't copy paste anymore.
Dark Cryo - Siesta's generally someone who doesn't angst. Her family's safe and her village is being rebuilt, so she's doing her best not to be depressed about it :) And thanks as always for your long reviews. Really appreciate it.
Jeremiah Bull - Don't really know how to get better about this. I'll admit my grasp of language for writing is awkward at best, though I have proofreaders now so hopefully they help.
JagerIV - What? Bit off her nose? Where did I say that? The only one who bit anyone was Amethyst biting Raziel and she bit his neck. Also, yeah, I'm probably being stretched too thin. If the readers decide for the quickened pace then I remove parts like extra character POV's such as Richmond, Sheffield or whatever and let the audience imagine what the 'bad guys' are doing instead of being shown.
Ironically-delicious-donuts - Mmm, maybe. Ever since the downward spiral of the novels I've been feeling burn out for Infinite Stratos. We'll see how it goes.
HiddenMaster - Thanks for the review :) Hopefully with Hostis on-board most of the problems can be fixed. As for not asking questions, I'll admit that going back I would fix it but ZNT in general seems to have a theme of not questioning the unknown. I mean in canon Saito's gandalfr runes give him blatantly supernatural powers like super speed, enhanced durability, creating mini-tornadoes by swinging his sword etc etc and no one bats an eye. Neither do they EVER question Derflinger despite him being a talking sword who knows about Void Magic. Here they just assume that Raziel's some defective Gallian golem/experiment, which canon shows can be extremely lifelike.