Well here we are again. I'll be honest, this chapter is definitely up there in terms of 'I didn't like writing it'. This might be subject to a re-write in the coming days if it needs changes but hopefully it's not too bad.
Finally finished school and graduation is gonna be in a few months so I should have some free time to write :p Lets start.
"Agnes, go!"
At the Queen's yell Agnes grabbed the bound traitor and ran to the back exit. Daphne looked in slight surprise at the sudden escape before quickly joining her, half the musketeers following while the other half surrounded the Queen. Agnes didn't fancy leaving the monarch without her protection but the Queen's orders were absolute and the remaining musketeers would hopefully prove sufficient.
"I suppose this venue won't be the center stage, then," Damien sighed before turning to leave, "Jack, Jeanette, Bleu, deal with the rest. I'll be going after the target."
"Three against nine, huh? Pretty bad odds for them," Jack commented with a malevolent grin.
"Let's just get this over with. It's boring enough as it is," Jeanette replied.
"I'll be borrowing the girl then," Jack picked up Louise and hung him over her shoulder. Henrietta turned her wand to him while Raziel tightened his grip on his sword, "No offense, Jeanette, but even you would be overwhelmed and they made it clear she's a priority. Don't worry, I'll bring her back safe and sound once this is over."
"Alright..." The female assassin pouted, "Just make sure you bring her back safe and sound. I still have a ton of things I wanna do to her."
"You got it," With a mock salute he turned and ran towards the side areas of the theater.
"Let go of her...!" Ignoring the others entirely Raziel chased after the perpetually smiling blonde. He could hear the assassin laughing, no doubt finding amusement in the idea that the 'frail one' was chasing after him. Raziel grit his teeth; he would make him choke on his own blood.
"I'm going for the Queen then!" Jack charged forward, arms raised to smash the Queen into the ground. The Musketeers unsheathed their swords but it proved needless as the giant was stopped with a powerful tackle from the remaining Vampire.
"You're not going anywhere!" Amethyst snarled. Grabbing his arm in a vice-grip she spun him around briefly before throwing him out of the front entrance with a large crash, "Protect the Queen! I'll deal with him!" She looked back at the musketeers before she quickly followed the mammoth of a man.
Jeanette watched the brief struggle dully before turning back to the Queen and her entourage.
"I always get the boring ones."
Jack grunted audibly as pushed himself off the ground. That was the second time someone had overpowered him in one night and it was beginning to grate on him. What was the point of the experiments if a kid and a woman half his weight could still beat him down? He was going to strangle that Mage when they got back.
Just barely through the rain he could hear footsteps in front of him. Looking up with a grimace he was met with a boot colliding with his face and the back of his head hit against the fountain's edge with a sharp crack.
Clenching her fist tightly, the Vampire stalked forward and grabbed him by his neck, "Who are you working for?" She questioned. His only response was to grin at her and place his hand at the fountain's edge, "I'll ask again: Who sent you to kill the old man?"
"Go to hel," He swung a conjured mace at the Vampire's head. Amethyst moved her head back but she noticed too late that it was nothing more than a feint when the large man swung his other hand at her gut.
It was painful feeling, being punched. While that should have been obvious it had been years - decades really - since she had experienced pain from such crude physical attacks. Releasing the air from her lungs she stumbled back and took deep, ragged breaths as she tried to suppress the pain she felt. She had to be stronger than this. She was a Vampire, she'd dealt with worse.
"What's wrong? That all the fight you have in you?" Jack gave her an open-toothed smirk and swung his mace again. Amethyst jumped back as far as she could, putting a fair amount of distance between him and her, "Damn, this is pathetic! I expected more!"
The male's smirk widened. He was perfectly in his element; surrounded by earth from which he could create weapons and golems. Whatever she was - Vampire, a fellow experiment like him - it didn't matter. She wouldn't be able to beat him.
"Don't you ever shut up?" She rolled her eyes. She'd seen his type before: Always too confident for their own good, believing that they were invulnerable the second they received an advantage. Standing up to her full height she took another breath as the pain finally faded. She had gotten used to holding back and never pushing for her full strength for fear of killing someone.
That wouldn't do for now. Besides, he looked like he could take it.
"Tough talk for someone who can't even take a punch," He taunted. Placing his hand in the ground he summoned half a dozen golems, three on each side of him, wielding crafted maces and flails, "Scared yet?" She didn't say anything, which he took as a sign of fear, "Listen, you got way in over your head, you have to see that. So just turn around now and leave cause it'd be a waste to kill someone who can't fight back if I'm not being paid for it."
Rather than verbally replying she raised her both hands before quickly shoving them to the side. He looked confused for a moment before he felt the earth rumbling. Mouth ripping open in silent surprise, Jack was forced to balance himself as the earth shook underneath his feet. The cobblestone road exploded into the air, waves of earth erupting from beneath; sending his constructs crashing into the buildings on either side.
Spirit Magic. She had used spirit magic. His gaze shifted from his golems to the woman and he finally noticed the sharp point of her fangs.
"Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me-"
She rushed forward, throwing another hand up. Jack jumped away from the rising earth only to be met with three strikes colliding with his head as she suddenly appeared in front of him. The first two strikes were painful, but it was at the third where he felt something cracking. Following up she grabbed his shoulders with both hands and brought her knee up against his sides.
"Guh!" He tried to back away but her grip on his shoulder was too strong. He barely managed to catch sight of her crimson eyes before another kick to the side nearly caused him to vomit out blood.
Amethyst's eyes narrowed. He was being hurt by her attacks, but the average human would have no doubt been reduced to a mass of broken bones and bruised flesh by now. She needed to dispel his enchantments.
Through pained breaths Jack managed to summon another golem. The mobile statue smashed the side of her head but it did nothing more than elicit a slight growl of pain. Thankfully for the assassin it was enough for him to force her grip off him and scramble away. He needed to reinforce the enchantment. Something stronger, like the one he used when they had been sent to kill that Minotaur.
Casting a quick enchantment he felt his wounds healing and the blood flowing normally once more. Another quick chant and he was once more armed with a spiked mace. He was caught unawares last time, now he wouldn't be left helpless once more.
Across from him Amethyst quickly grabbed the Golem's head and separated it from its body with a loud crack. Looking down at the copied helmet briefly she turned to face him, "What's wrong? Scared?" She crushed the Golem's head in her hand. The smile she had on her face was crazed, like a predator that had found its pray. He could see the glint of amusement in her red eyes as she bared her fangs.
"Didn't think I'd be fighting a Vampire, is all," No more fun and games. He had to get serious here.
"Another one down!"
"Fuck!" Agnes cursed, quickly dragging the struggling aristocrat against another side alley. Yanking her sword out of her holster she smashed through the closest door and ran through it, ignoring the protests of those inside.
Things weren't going well at all. One of the assassins had come after them and they were being picked off one by one. Three of her musketeers had been taken already and she didn't even know if they were still alive or not.
All to protect him.
Keeping her anger at bay, she cut through another door and looked behind her. Two musketeers left, the fourth having been taken less than a minute prior. Daphne was supposed to be running interference but they were still being off so where the hell was she!?
On the rooftops above, Daphne released another breath of exhaustion as another Golem fell. Despite his child-like appearance this 'Damien' was a very formidable Mage. His control of the elements was close to that of the Elves or other Vampires. While she was busy taking care of his summoned creatures
Raising her head slightly she sniffed the air: Nothing. She scowled slightly; Vampires could make out the scent of one person even through a crowd of hundreds but the assassin may as well have been nothing but a shadow. No smell, no heartbeat...it was as if she was trying to track a statue.
"Let go of me!"
Another musketeer. She ran to the source of the noise and found the owner of the voice cocooned to the wall with a web of branches, "H-Hold on!" She grabbed the branches and pried them off before catching the woman gently and setting her down. She didn't appear to be too injured apart from the bruises on her arms but her breathing was ragged and her eyes refused to open.
"H-Hey, wake up!" She shook the woman's shoulder, but that only earned her another groan.
"She won't wake up," A voice from behind her spoke, "I made sure of it. I don't want to kill anyone if I don't have to, it's not professional."
Standing up abruptly she turned and caught sight of the smiling young man...no, he wasn't a child. His movements were practiced and his magic was beyond the level of a normal human.
"I am curious what a Vampire is doing working for the Crown, however," Damien continued, "Had we known that there would be firstborns under the Crown's employ we would have been more cautious. Your kind are very formidable."
"What do you want?" Daphne hissed. She wasn't as adept at fighting or able to tap into her primal instincts as her sister but she wouldn't fail in her mission like this, "You're no ordinary assassin. You waited till we were all gathered at once before even trying anything."
"You call us assassins, but killing is not our only end," Damien shrugged, "We follow orders, as you do."
"Then what are you doing here? Why waste your time with me when you have a target?"
"The old man is nothing more than a tool. Our true purpose was never to kill him, but to provide amusement," He nudged his head to the crow looking at them from up above, "Had we known that there were Vampires under the Crown's employ we would have never targeted him. Killing an old man is quick, but a Vampire? My employer has never seen those of your kind and he finds you to be more intriguing."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"To set a wager," He answered easily, "Right now I'm not chasing the knight and her target but my golems continue to do so," He laughed, "Imbuing spirits into objects is a simple enough craft and they will not stop unless I command them to. The old man will die and so will the knights if they insist on defending him-"
His smile never changed even as Daphne grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the well. She felt something screaming inside her head but she did her best to ignore it, "Call them off!" She snarled.
"You're not my employer, so I'll have to decline," With a flick of his hand a large root circled around her waist and pulled back roughly. Daphne grunted in pain as she was slammed against the wall hard enough to crack the surface. Ignoring the dull thuds of pain she forced herself to stand, "Well, well, it seems the rumors of a Vampire's durability are true after all."
Shaking her head slightly she conjured a spear from the earth and charged towards him. Damien jumped to the side and with a flick of his wand the firstborn was encased in a thick blanket of earth.
"I have a proposition then," Damien offered, "If you best me in combat then I shall call off my Golems and I'll come with you willingly. Whether I win or lose I accomplish my mission so I believe it's more than fair. What do you say?"
One hand broke free of its bindings and grabbed his head painfully. He felt himself soar through the air before his head collided against the stone of the alley's walls. Daphne broke apart the earth holding her and placed both hands against the sides of her head. The screaming was getting louder now, discouraging her from fighting anymore. No, she had to ignore it. The others were counting on her.
Despite the pain he still found it in him to laugh. He was glad that he had cast the enhancement spells beforehand, "Well, I should have expected that," He grinned, a gesture she reciprocated by summoning another spear.
"This is going to be fun."
"Where are you..." Raziel scanned the hallways, one hand on his sword and another wielding his Flame like a torch.
The side paths of the theater were far larger than any building of entertainment had any need to be. He turned another corner and was met with another terrace booth, "Gods damn it..." He kicked a chair over and turned back. This place was nothing more than a glorified maze and the lack of people only emphasized how eerie the darkness all was. He couldn't imagine why a theater needed so much room.
He opened the closest door and was met with yet another hallway. He was tempted to turn back before a deliberate pang of laughter resounded from inside. He grit his teeth; the bastard was playing with him. He wasn't blind (anymore) He had seen how fast the young man had ran and how high he had jumped. Whatever magic he was using it had been enhancing his physical attributes.
He wouldn't be laughing once he stabbed him through both eyes.
"Come on~ You're so slow~" The voice was light and teasing, baiting him forward. It was no doubt a trap of some sort but he had his master so he was forced to take it.
Opening the first door on his right "Not there, over here~" The last word was dragged out, long enough for him to hear where the source of the voice originated from. The second room on the left was slightly ajar and he trudged toward it cautiously, "That's it, come closer~" He grit his teeth. He would cut his tongue out first so he wouldn't be able to able to scream once he got his hands on him.
The room he had been baited to was some kind of storage room. It was filled to the brim with mannequins along with costumes and props to be used for the the performances; he didn't even bother looking back as the door closed behind him with an audible slam. The smug bastard was using magic to play tricks on him. He stalked deeper into the room, careful not to set his Flame too close to any surface.
"Look behind you..."
Turning back he was met with the vacant expression of a costumed mannequin wielding a rapier prop. He rolled his eyes shoved it out of the way, "Is this supposed to scare me?" He called out. There was no reply. Looking closer at the mannequin he found that it was sporting a blonde wig similar to his master's kidnapper. His lips curled into a sneer; this was pathetic and childish.
"Are you scared to fight? Is that it?" He called again, though once more he received no response. He could hear shuffling footsteps all around him, far more than four. Looking around him once more his eyes narrowed as the mannequins undoubtedly moved from their previous position. So he was using the mannequins and enchanting them with movement? If so what was the purpose beyond petty scares?
"I'm not the one who's scared. If I didn't have to put on a show I'd kill you right now."
As if to emphasize his threat a mannequin threw itself at the Undead's back and pressed the rapier prop against his neck. Raziel looked at it blankly before shaking it off and throwing it to another pile of mannequins.
"Besides, you chased after me, remember?"
Footsteps came from the right. He followed after them and blinked in slight surprise as a mannequin's head suspended on a rope dropped from above. The first thing he noticed was the pink wig adorning his head quickly followed by the fake blood smeared across its nose and mouth.
"All for that 'sister' of yours! You were so easy to bait!" Laughter echoed all over the room. Raziel growled and cut the rope. Watching the head roll away with a dull thud, "Aw, what's wrong? Don't like my work? If you wanted a change you could have just said so!"
He couldn't pinpoint the voice's origins. The voice seemed to come from all over and every laugh or chortle was followed by the footsteps of moving mannequins. It didn't matter how many of them he enthralled, they couldn't protect him forever.
"I'm curious, though, how'd you manage to beat Jack?" A mannequin charged at him. Raziel cut it in half, "Strong with a sword as well! You and your 'sister' aren't normal, are you?" Two more mannequins, both sporting pink wigs. They fell all the same, "Woah, not even a hint of hesitation! I thought the pink hair would at least make you more reluctant to kill them."
He didn't give him the satisfaction of a verbal reply. The smiling assassin sent more crude figures after him, each appearing vaguely similar to one of the others he'd seen in the theater's hall, and all were cut down without hesitation. Was he truly foolish enough to believe that a few crude wigs and costumes would be enough for him to mistake the mannequins for their real life counterparts?
Besides, it wasn't as if he would have hesitated even if the real person came at him with intent to kill.
"Cold as a Golem's heart~" Bleu teased, "Everyone else gets freaked out or asks questions but you just kill and kill and kill," The voice was becoming more audible, "Do you really care about the girl that badly? I can't quite place it but there's something not right about you," Even closer now, "Not like me and my siblings, but you're definitely not a normal servant or retainer. I can feel the magic practically covering you-"
Behind him.
Raziel turned around and brought his sword down. Bleu's grin faltered and he jumped back to avoid the dull sword, "Tsk tsk tsk, too slow!" He wagged his finger in mock disapproval, "You got me ranting so I'd forget to mask my sound. It would've worked if you're not as slow as a snail."
"Where is she?" He dispelled the Flame and held the sword with both hands. He was human, enhanced or not, and at some point he would slip and get careless.
"Right here," Bleu stepped back and flipped a chair around. Raziel's posture stiffened as he saw his master propped up on the chair, her eyes unfocused and empty as she gazed blankly at him.
"Master? ...Louise?" He called, but she gave no reply.
"It's no use. Jeanette paralyzed her, so she's not going to be moving for a while," Jack placed his elbow atop the pinkette's head, "Oh, she can see just fine, but as for moving?" His fingers played with her mouth, forcing them up and down into tormented smiles and frowns, "Not until Jeanette breaks the spell, which she's not gonna do until we go back to Ga- home," He bit his tongue. Nearly spilled the secret there.
"Leave her out of this," He moved to grab her but the taller male blocked her from view.
"Now, now. I promised Jeanette I'd keep her safe and sound. Besides, right now she's probably playing with that Queen of yours. Aren't you a servant? Shouldn't you worry about her more than this girl?"
"What happens to the tyrant is of no concern to me," He forced himself to calm down, ignoring the burst of dark energy from his left hand. He was baiting him, and he needed to keep calm so he wouldn't hurt her by accident, "Keep her from me and you will die."
"Really?" Bleu's eyes opened slightly and his calm smile turned manic, "We'll see about that then."
"Man, why do I get the leftovers?" Jeanette rubbed the back of head and yawned. She could see all six musketeers pointing her guns at her but really compared to the Vampires and whatever the hel Louise's servant was a few guns certainly weren't going to intimidate her. Yawning once more she trudged lazily to one of the chairs and sat down atop it, propping her feet up in a relaxed manner.
The musketeers looked at one another in confusion though their hold on their weapons remained steady. The purple-haired assassin hadn't made any threatening gestures but she was still a danger to the Queen.
"So are you just gonna stand there?" She called out, "I mean, I'm not gonna bother attacking you if that's what you think so if you wanna get out of here then I'm not gonna stop you. The fact that you're not running means you either wanna talk or you really wanna get killed so which is it?"
Hesitantly Henrietta moved past the musketeers and drew nearer, ignoring the protests of the knights behind her. Every instinct in her body was telling her to run but her need for answers dampened them. If the others were risking their lives to fulfill her wishes then she would be able to do so as well.
"There, isn't that better?" Jeanette smiled pleasantly as Henrietta sat a few chairs away on her left, "It's a shame there's no show going on except those musketeers up front- Oh, I know!"
Henrietta was about to ask what she meant before a sudden bout of screams drew her attention. Her musketeers were all pointing guns at one another, their bodies rigid even as their expressions made it clear they were struggling to resist.
"Wh-What have you done to them!?" She pointed her wand at her before another scream forced her to lower it, "You are...controlling them?"
"Just a little insurance," Jeanette winked, sticking her tongue out mischievously as if she'd only done a minor prank, "I don't want them shooting me up in the middle of our conversation so they're going to be staying right there until we finish," She clicked her tongue, "It's not like we'll have much time to talk anyway. Once Leuleu finishes off Louise's servant we'll be out of your hair."
"Release them!" The monarch yelled back. She made to stand from her seat but another scream forced her down.
"It's your fault, you know," Jeanette rolled her eyes as Henrietta bit her lip, "You could have just turned around and ran but curiosity killed the griffon, as the saying goes," She smiled once more, "Now that we're here, though, you can ask all the questions you want. If it's nothing too bad I suppose I can answer that. My employer doesn't want you killed anyway, it'd spoil his fun."
Henrietta forced herself to calm down before replying, "Who is your employer?"
"A rather obvious question, so you should know my answer," The assassin replied, "I'll leave them unnamed, but you should know that you're safe from me and my siblings. Killing you might stop the invasion of Albion and that would just spoil all the fun."
"Fun? Thousands will die..."
"And you'll be responsible, yeah. I've heard it from other nobles before," She replied in abject boredom, "I don't ask questions but they want this war to happen and your continued presence ensures that,"
"You do not think telling me this to be a risk?" Henrietta asked back.
Jeanette leaned back in her seat, "It's not as if knowing this will change your mind. By all means stop this war if you think you can but we both know it's too late for that," She gave her a toothy grin, "Even the old man's death isn't required. His information might tip the scales to your side but what they really wanted was a show. We didn't think you would actually try to protect those spies."
"As you said, their information could prove useful," Her eyes remained glued to the musketeers. Their guns were still pointed at one another but beyond that they had stood still, "If you didn't care about Richmond then why did that child make an offer to leave?"
"Because he knew you wouldn't take it," She answered, "You're a Queen, you should know when people are lying to you. In the off-chance that you had said yes our mission would technically be complete but we'd get half our pay because we wouldn't have provided a show," She shrugged, "It's longer this way but at least we won't waste our time for half a reward."
"This is all a game to you then..." She muttered bitterly, "Everything we've done, all our efforts to save those people...wasted."
"Hey now, it's not personal," A half-hearted apology came from her, "It's all a job. If you really want to blame someone, blame those people for turning traitor. It's not our fault that happened, we're just cleaning up a mess."
"And taking Louise hostage? Was that 'all a job' as well?"
"Louise? Nah, she's special," Jeanette licked her lips, "I could practically taste the power radiating off of her. Dunno what it is, but it's certainly interesting. I'll have to examine her closely when we get back home."
"You know I can't let you do that," Henrietta stood, pointing her wand at her, "Release the musketeers and face me in combat if it pleases you. Should I win then Louise goes free."
"Are you stupid, Queenie?" She asked back blankly, "I can't kill you, but those Musketeers are dead the second I snap my fingers," Following her warning she snapped her finger and the musketeers drew closer to one another, guns still aimed at each other's heads, "At that range they can't miss. Still wanna try it?"
"Leave them out of this," Henrietta snapped, "If you're not a coward then you'll settle this with me.
"Oh, that's rich. Yeah, thanks but no thanks," Jeanette said, "You can bluster and threaten all you want but you have no power over me. So just sit down and be a good little Queen or watch all six of their heads go pop."
"They knew the risks of coming here. All of us are willing to give our lives, myself included. We knew the dangers of undergoing this task," She forced her voice to remain calm. She was treating their lives as expendable, but the alternative was letting Louise be taken to Brimir knows where,
"Oh really?" Her smile widened, "Alright, let's see how long that resolve lasts," She snapped her finger. A loud shot burst from the stage and a dull thud followed soon after.
Strong. She was far too strong.
Jack was knocked back with a gasp of pain, his arms sore from blocking the nightstalker's strikes. Looking up at her descending figure he scrambled out of the way as she smashed her fist at where he previously stood, the cobblestone cracking underneath her fist.
He rushed forward to deliver a kick but she grabbed his leg and tossed him against the fountain once more, "Argh!" He forced himself to stand as the water around him shook. Jumping out of the fountain he barely managed to avoid the sudden pillar of water rising from stream. He crashed into the ground face-first with a loud thud and forced himself to stand and ignore the pain.
"You damn bitch!" He conjured a small axe and threw it at her.
She grabbed it out of the air and snapped it with a gesture of her hand. He'd heard tales of a Vampire's strength, but he had always assumed them to be nothing more than hearsay and rumors; the product of fear and superstition.
Now he knew that all of it was true.
"Hold it right there!"
Both combatants turned to the new arrivals. A dozen guards, all brandishing weapons though also unsure as to what exactly was going on. They must have heard the noise and came to check. Jack allowed himself a small smile; they could prove useful.
"It's a Vampire!" He yelled, drawing their attention, "Look at her eyes and fangs! A firstborn has come to take us all!"
"Don't listen to him!" Amethyst yelled back.
But the damage had already been done. A dozen eyes looked at her bloodstained form and the fangs on her mouth and soon they were all charging at her weapons drawn. Amethyst deftly avoided their strikes and just barely caught sight of Jack running towards the shipping district. Trying to escape? No, likely setting a trap and using the guards to weaken her beforehand.
He wouldn't get away from her.
"I'm not here to fight you!" She grabbed one's halberd and threw it away. She didn't know whether it was out of bravery or sheer surprise that none of them had run. That was the normal reaction upon seeing a firstborn.
More were coming, drawn by the sounds of conflict. She grit her teeth; she didn't want to kill anyone she didn't have to.
"I said: Get. out. of. my. way!" Following her command the ground shook and the soldiers were forced on their backs at the sudden quake. Not showing any signs of caring at the shaking she chased after the assassin, her bloodlust growing stronger with every step. She was going to kill him. It didn't matter if her nature told her not to, she was going to drain him of all his blood.
It wasn't long before he arrived at the district, only to find that it appeared to be abandoned, "Where are you..." She sniffed the air. She could smell the trail of blood he left.
"Careless..." She knelt down and traced a hand through the blood. The trail led to a warehouse. If he was leading her to a trap then he was being blindingly obvious about it. Still, she couldn't let him get away.
Forcing open the doors she was met with darkness. She and others of her kind could see better in the dark, but all she could make out were stacked crates and little else. Looking behind her briefly she closed the door behind her before stalking ahead; no sense in leaving him an exit. It would end here.
The inside of the storage building was eerily quiet. The only sound she could make out were her own footsteps and the beating of the rain on the roof. She sniffed the air once more: She couldn't smell the life fluid anymore. He must have healed himself again. She scowled - While she couldn't deny the convenience of Spirit Magic having it used against her was something wasn't used to. Not since Karina, anyway.
As she turned another corner the sound of clinking metal from above drew her attention, "What the-" A blur of sharp metal dropped and forced to her to jump ahead. Two golems brandishing spears. Had he been hoping that would be enough? Making another gesture with her hand she summoned a bolt of lightning and blasted apart the crude constructs. Honestly, what was he playing at-
It was only once she smelled the overpowering odor of oil that she realized she had been the fool.
Looking down at her feet she finally made out the clear liquid that surrounded her. When had he-
The sounds of smashing glass interrupted her train of thought. No sooner had the sound come and gone she felt the air around her heat up and a rising fire engulf the clear fluid.
"Shit!" Her instincts flared, screaming at her to run. She turned and rushed away from the incoming stream of fire even as fear began to rack her body.
Another pair of shattering glass; in front of her this time. Amethyst doubled back and cursed, trying to keep herself from shaking. No matter how badly she wished it Vampires always feared the flame.
Before she could contemplate casting a spell to extinguish the inferno more Golems dropped from above, each of them holding tight and pushing their full weight onto her, "Let go!" She smashed them away easily, but more continued to appear. The flames were growing closer and her insides screamed at her; yelling, pleading and ordering her to get away from the fire.
"I said let go of me!" A burst of air knocked them away and she scrambled to climb the shelves. The fire nipped at her skin and she let out a roar of pain as what felt heated knives danced across her legs.
As soon as she reached the top she toppled over the edge and landed on her back with a painful slam, "Ahhh..." She sat up and looked down at her burnt leg and arms. Vampires feared the flame almost as much as they feared the light of the sun and, though she was more tolerant compared to their rest of her kind, it hurt her all the same. Hissing in pain she rubbed the reddened flesh. She would have to heal it later.
She had company.
"Well, guess the rumor about Vampires and fire was true after all," Jack chuckled. Amethyst glared at him and he responded with a harsh kick to the reddened skin. She let out a strangled gasp of pain, "All that power, and a wick of fire has you running for the hills."
As she moved to stand she was forced onto her back once more as he kicked her in the jaw. She could taste blood in her mouth, and for once it brought her no satisfaction, "What's wrong? Can't get up?" His smile widened as he stepped on her neck. He wanted to relish this moment. After all, since when else could he say that he had beaten a Vampire?
"Akhhh..." Her mouth tried to form words, but all that came were pained coughs. She couldn't lose here. She forced her legs to move, but the pain was unbearable. She remembered the tortures she endured under Eustace: The burning metal being pressed against her skin, the drops of blood she'd been forced to drink in order to numb the pain and keep her alive. All so she could be used to manipulate her sister.
Her voice grew hoarse from the screaming. All her begging, her crying...it just made her torturer happy. Trough tear-stained eyes she managed a glare at the monster in front of her - Her blood-soaked yellow hair and nun habit, the amused smile on her face as she pressed the metal against her chest. She would kill her. Tear her soul from her body and torment her as she did her.
"Why can't you be obedient like your sister?" She sighed briefly before sporting another smile, "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. We have all the time in the world and you can't stay defiant forever," She leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "You will break."
She screamed as the metal was pressed against her cheek.
No. Not again.
Jack's smile was replaced with a scream as Amethyst grabbed his leg. Her nails dug into his flesh despite the reinforcement and with a sick tearing sound the flesh was ripped away.
"Ahhh!" Jack stumbled back, his mouth stuck in open scream as he looked down at his leg. The skin had been ripped away at the side and through the spilling blood he could see the bare bone. It took all of his willpower not to faint as he forced himself to stand. It was okay, he'd dealt with worse. He'd had all of his limbs taken away before! If he could survive the experiments then he could survive this!
Across from him Amethyst looked down at her blood soaked hands. The lump of flesh in her palm was warm and she threw it away without a second glance. What they needed was blood, not flesh.
Jack watched with rising dread as she licked the blood coating her hands and the wounds covering her body slowly healed. He cast another enchantment at his leg but all it managed to do was stop the bleeding. As he continued to stand it still felt as if his leg was about to collapse.
She looked back at the fire behind her. She didn't have much time.
The first punch struck him across the jaw. He stumbled back against the wall and barely avoided the kick that followed, "Hold still!" She raised her elbow to strike his face but he managed to grab the limb and slam her against the wall.
She let out a pained snarl and twisted him around, slamming him against the ground. Scrambling to stand he blocked the knee aimed at his face and smashed her head against the wall again.
Ignoring the attack, she rushed forward and tackled him. Jack planted his feet but it did little to stop the firstborn's advance and he was pushed to the opposite wall with enough force to dent the surface. Not letting up she started punching him across the jaw. Again and again, he could feel the bones of skull beginning to crack as she continued her relentless assault.
Through blurry eyes he grabbed her leg and tossed her to the side. The Vampire flew through the air briefly while Jack landed on all fours, trying to keep his vision clear, "Damn Vampire..." He forced himself to stand once more.
He threw another punch. The blow was too sluggish. He knew that the second he launched the attack. The Vampire grabbed his fist with one hand and, before he could register it fully, another shot to his ribs sent a fresh ripple of pain through his torso. Stumbling back he leaned against the wall as the Vampire slowly drew closer to him. Not like this. He wouldn't die like this.
Mustering his remaining willpower he summoned another chained mace and smashed it as hard as he could against her.
She made no attempt to avoid the attack. Jack's mouth dropped in disbelief as the spiked ball embedded itself to her side, drawing a large amount of blood. She gave no indication of even noticing the weapon attached to her side as she grabbed his neck.
Again he felt pain as he was attacked with a flurry of vicious strikes. Once, twice, he had lost all feeling in his jaw after the eighth strike. Feebly he raised his hand to block another punch but she easily overpowered him and smashed her fist down once more. With a sickening crack Amethyst watched the jaw stretch down, exposing his bloodied mouth.
It was over.
Jack let out a grunt of pain as her hand pierced his shoulder. Just barely feeling himself being tossed aside, he raised his hand for one last punch before another strike at his head sent him sprawling on his back.
Amethyst panted, prying the spiked mace from her side with a hiss of pain. It had been decades since she'd entered combat and she was more than a little rusty, though she supposed it didn't matter now. She stared down hatefully at the broken young man; he was still alive, he had his magic to thank for that, but his jaw had undoubtedly been broken and the rest of his body fared no better.
Now there was only one thing left to do.
Kneeling down, she grabbed his neck and forced him to face her. One strike at his exposed mouth, a grab at his throat, it wouldn't take much to kill him.
"Ngh..." She was forced to let go and grab her temples as an ungodly scream overwhelmed her senses. She couldn't kill him...her very nature didn't allow it. Closing her eyes tightly she forced herself forward. No, not this time. He was no ordinary human. Her nature prevented her from killing normal mortals, which he most certainly wasn't. All she had to do was rip his throat out.
"Get out of my head..." The screeching grew stronger, almost strong enough to make her faint. She grit her teeth and forced herself to back away.
She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill him. Punching the wall in frustration she looked back at the spreading fire. She didn't have time for internal debates.
"You're coming with me," She grunted with effort and picked up the mammoth of a man. Assuming the old man died then they would simply make him talk.
Three thrusts of the spear and all of them had missed. Daphne growled in frustration as Damien danced away from another thrust, laughing all the while. Charging forward she swept the spear and just barely grazed his shoulder.
"You're holding back, aren't you?" Damien teased. She didn't bother to reply and aimed another thrust at his legs which he easily avoided, "I can tell. Your posture's far too stiff and you never once aimed for anywhere vital," He almost danced away as she slammed her spear against the ground, "I always heard tales of how bloodthirsty Vampires were. You're supposed to be a creature that destroys entire families for a meal?"
"Shut up!" She clenched her fist and the wall behind him exploded with a torrent of stone. As the dust cleared he still stood at the same spot, seemingly untouched.
She held the spear with both hands and drew closer. The young man hadn't attacked her at all, content to simply avoid her clumsy strikes and tease her. She grit her teeth; she couldn't afford to waste time here. Every second she spent fighting him was another second those Golems could use to kill Agnes and the rest.
"It's a shame we had to meet under such dire circumstances," Damien continued, "It would have been fascinating to talk to an immortal, but alas it was not meant to be," He swiped past her and leaned against the opposite wall, "Though I am curious as to why you're still intent on holding back. I would have thought you would do your best to kill me if it meant saving your friends. Are you trying to capture me, perhaps?"
Magic wasn't working on him. Daphne threw her spear at him and he leaned to the side to avoid it. He was right; she wasn't like her sister. Combat wasn't an outlet for her, it was something she would have preferred to avoid. She couldn't afford to waste time here.
"What? Giving up already?" He watched with a mix of curiosity and amusement as she picked up the fallen musketeer in a gentle cradle, "If you leave now then you're never going to see me again. Any information I have will be lost to you."
She bit her lip. Agnes would have no doubt preferred she stay behind in order to capture him but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she had to put them at risk in order to do so. Ignoring his calls she turned and rushed out, intent to search for the others.
Damien watched her go with a sigh. Looking up at the crow he could only give a halfhearted shrug, "I suppose this show was rather disappointing, wasn't it?" He asked. The crow only stared back, "Well hopefully my siblings are faring better. Either way this wasn't what we were hired for."
The crow cawed and flew away, leaving him to his lonesome. Damien smiled wryly and looked at where the crow had previously perched. The mission was a success, at least on his end - If it wasn't they wouldn't be alive right now.
A few streets away inside an inn, Agnes let out a groan of pain as she was slammed against a table by a large Golem. Ignoring the bursts of pain spreading throughout her back and the screams of panicked customers she fumbled for her pistol and aimed it at its blank face.
The sound of the gun exploding near her ear was deafening, but it was nothing compared to the scream of her fellow musketeers as another golem stabbed her shoulder with its arm blade. Pushing off the destroyed Golem, Agnes grabbed for the closest thing on hand - a plate - and threw it at the back of the construct's head. Immediately its attention was drawn from the bleeding knight to its new attacker.
"Come on, you piece of shit!" Agnes yelled. It released its hold on the musketeer and charged for their captain. Agnes grit her teeth and side-stepped the clumsy strike. These things had no technique to speak of, but their strength was more than enough to compensate for it. Holding her sword with both hands she brought it down against the construct's body thrice.
It still wasn't dead. Jumping back to avoid its counterattack, she nearly tripped over the prone and bleeding form of another musketeer. She was the last one standing and off to the side she could see Richmond trying to yell at her. No doubt pleading for her to untie him from the post she'd tied him to, but there was little chance of that happening. If she was going to die here then she was damn sure going to drag him to helheim with her.
The front entrance splintered open and another pair of golems charged in. Agnes only looked at them briefly before she scrambled over the counter, avoiding their heavy slashes. How many of these things were there!? The three of them had already killed half a dozen and more just kept coming. She ducked to avoid another sweep and slashed at its 'waist'.
"Shit!" Her sword was stuck. She let go of the weapon and rolled back but it was too late. She held back a scream as she felt a blade slice through her side. Staggering to stand, she backed away as the three surrounded her.
She grabbed her remaining pistol and fired, only to be met with nothing. She hadn't reloaded yet, of course it wouldn't fire. In frustration she tossed the firearm at them, watching as it bounced away harmlessly upon contact with the metallic earth.
So this was how it would end? She wasn't afraid of death, but she certainly didn't think she would die for that prick. Her eyes scanned over her two remaining subordinates; she didn't even know whether they were still alive or dead.
"Come on then you metal fucks," She bit out. She wouldn't beg.
As the first golem raised its blade it was suddenly pulled back with a loud snap. Agnes' expression turned to disbelief as she saw Daphne, the girl who hesitated to even swat a fly, tear the second golem in half before smashing the third against the wall.
"D-Daphne?" Agnes felt her knees go weak and she fell on her backside as the girl continued her assault. A few more constructs came, but none of them even made it past the entrance before they were torn asunder by the Vampire's bare hands.
As the last golem fell Daphne looked back at, a relieved smile on her face. Eyeing the gash at the younger woman's side she grabbed some cloth and pressed it against the wound. Agnes hissed in pain but tried to smile regardless.
"Where...Where the hell were you?" Agnes asked weakly.
"I'm sorry," She shook her head, "The assassin challenged me to a fight. If I beat him then he said that he would call off these constructs and come with us willingly. I thought that if I incapacitated him then it would solve both problems."
"So you won?"
"No," She frowned, "He was...stronger than he appeared. I couldn't risk you all even if it meant his information so I ran and...well, you know the rest," She tried to ignore the tantalizing smell of the life fluid as she grabbed another cloth, "I'm sorry. I should have come sooner-"
"No, don't be," She clicked her tongue and stood up on wobbly legs, "If he made that offer to me I'm not sure if I would have left like you did. You saved my ass, so thanks," She released a held breath, "What about Cyrille and Danette? Are they..."
"Dead..." Daphne looked down and bit her lip, unwilling to face the younger woman, "The others are alright. That assassin didn't kill them, but..." She clenched her fist, "I'm sorry, I should have come sooner. It's my fault..."
Agnes took a deep breath and looked up blankly. It was to be expected: After all, they were supposed to be expendable. Still, it didn't stop it from hurting when one of them died in the line of duty.
Despite her pain she forced herself to go to them. Their eyes were still open, "God damn it..." She closed their eyes and released another breath. Two more dead, and that was only on her end. If that assassin meant to kill the queen then the other half of the group could be dead for all she knew.
Her gaze shifted from the corpses to Richmond. The old man looked halfway to fainting but was otherwise unharmed. She scowled and trudged over to him. Two good knights were dead, all to protect the life of this corrupt pig.
"This is your fault," She kicked his side, eliciting a muffled scream of pain, "They gave their lives to protect you," Another kick, "A traitor to Tristain," She smashed her fist against nose. It started to bleed, but it did little to deter her, "Your worthless life in exchange for theirs?" She snarled. Richmond tried to say something, anything, to make the frenzied musketeer stop but it was muffled by the gag.
"I should kill you right now," She slammed his head against the wall, "After everything you've done, you deserve to burn in helheim," She kneed his face, "You don't get to just walk away from this. First my village and now the musketeers."
"Agnes?" Daphne called out hesitantly. She ignored her, "Agnes, that's enough," She repeated, "Our orders were to keep him alive."
The knight captain continued to beat the noble. It after the sixth strike that Daphne finally mustered up the courage to stop her.
"That's enough!" Daphne pulled the injured woman back, "I know you must hate that he's alive while they're dead but they died to protect him!" Agnes glared at her and wrenched his hand away from her, "Everything we struggled through was to stop his death. Do you want to waste all of our efforts?"
"Shut up! I know that!" Agnes pinched the bridge of her nose and growled, "Her Majesty's orders are absolute, I know that, but..."
"I know it hurts. Amethyst and I felt the same when Eustace was given nothing but a slap on the wrist. We...don't always get what we want," She looked down at the old man. Bleeding and bruised, but undoubtedly still alive, "Come on, we have to go back for the others. Mission accomplished, I suppose."
"Yeah..." Agnes took one last look at the dead musketeers before leaving. She would give them a proper burial once everything was over.
This was infuriating!
"Can't catch me~" Bleu laughed, jumping away from his angry slashes. The blonde wasn't that powerful - far from it, actually, as he came as a relief compared to that impostor Wales - but he was grating in another way entirely.
"Stop your incessant moving!" Raziel cut apart another tangle of strings the supposed assassin threw at him. Despite his attempts to and his life this 'Bleu' was content to simply throw puppets and mannequins at him before dancing away. Was he trying to tire him out? Make him careless? It didn't matter to him. Whatever his objective was he wouldn't fail here.
Bleu's smile faltered as he bisected another pair of mannequins. He was running out of toys and had nothing to show for it. He would have thought that the young man would tire at some point, but he didn't appear to be even winded.
Well, time to bring things up a notch.
He waved his rapier-wand and all at once the puppets stood rigid. Raziel's eyes narrowed as the mannequins and dolls were covered in a coating of gray. What was he doing?
"Reinforcement," Bleu announced. A puppet jumped at him, slashing a miniature dagger at his shoulder. Raziel smashed it underfoot and hiss in pain. Blood; the toy had managed to cut him, "Spirit Magic sure is convenient, isn't it?" Raziel ducked and cut apart another mannequin, "Even toys like these can become deadly weapons," Bleu shrugged, "You seemed like you were getting bored so I thought we'd play another game."
The reinforced 'army' charged him all at once. A couple stabbed at his back while the rest aimed for his torso. He grit his teeth and knocked them all away, cutting apart a few more in the process. Bleu wasn't worried; he had at least another couple dozen of these things. He had to thank Tristain's propensity for drama.
Raziel rolled away and activated the Flame. Spinning around in a circle, he expelled a quick burst of fire before blocking a cleave by a heavyset dummy. He pushed forward and bashed at the mannequin's head until there was nothing left but a few splintered pieces.
"Well, he's lasting longer than I thought," Bleu placed his shoulder above Louise's head and watched in amusement as a group of puppets began stabbing at his heel, "Whatever magic you cast on him must be saving his life."
Louise said nothing as she was forced to watch her Familiar's struggles. Bleu looked down at her and sighed. Paralysis was a rather infuriating spell to be hit with. Jeanette had hit him with it at one point during an argument and it wasn't an experience he hoped to repeat, "Well, you have my sympathy," He clapped her shoulder before unsheathing his sword-wand again, "This is has gone on long enough."
The pinkette watched with empty eyes as Bleu stabbed her Familiar in the back. Raziel looked back at the smiling blonde and swiped at him but he jumped away before the blade could make contact. With another gesture the puppets started to swarm him again, their miniature weapons stabbing into whatever flesh they could grab. The Undead could feel himself growing weaker as the attacks continued.
She had to do something. Raziel was going to die, "Ra...ziel..." Even speaking was difficult. Neither combatant heard her call and continued to attack one another. Raziel ripped off the last puppet with a pained roar and slashed the puppetmaster across his chest. Bleu's only response was to laugh and step back despite the deep gash in his midsection.
"Fine, I'll give you that one," Bleu shrugged. He didn't want to show it but the attack was painful, much more than it should have been given that his body had been enchanted with protection magic. At this level even bullets wouldn't do more than bounce off his skin and yet he had actually managed to cut through the skin. Whatever magic he was enchanted with would prove difficult to break.
Raziel lowered his posture. His injuries were slowly worsening but the assassin only had three puppets left. Whether the bastard could feel pain or not didn't change that he would die all the same once his head was severed from his body.
"Ra...ziel...!" Another attempt at a scream. Louise managed to tear her eyes away from the battle and looked down at her lap. They had left her wand with her, no doubt believing she had been neutralized as a threat. She had to help him.
The Undead let out a choked cry as Bleu stabbed the rapier at his throat. The assassins' eyes widened as Raziel grabbed the blade and stopped him from pushing it in deeper. Releasing his hold on his own sword, Raziel grabbed Bleu's wrist and threw the assassin against the wall before pulling the sword from his neck and snapping it in half. He could feel the blood dripping from the fresh injury.
"Well now, that was rude," Bleu dusted himself off, trying to keep his voice even, "I expected you to be durable, but not to this degree. You are just full of surprises," He pulled out the spare wand from his belt and pointed it at him.
She managed to grab her wand. Through shaking hands Louise managed to raise the wooden catalyst and aim it at the assassin. The young man was too preoccupied with her Familiar to notice her actions.
"What magic are you using?" Bleu questioned. Raziel said nothing, "Come now, certainly you would indulge my curiosity. Spirit Magic is certainly a powerful art, but what you exhibit is something else entirely. Are you a Vampire hybrid of some sort? Or perhaps I should ask you master-" His words died in his throat as his gaze shifted to the immobilized girl and found her pointing her wand at him.
"Ex..plo...sion!"
Henrietta held back a scream as one of the musketeers on the stage fell, a puddle of blood excreting from the hole in her head. She had expected that to happen, but it still didn't remove the feeling of guilt weighing on her.
"See what happens when you try to play brave?" Jeanette sighed, "Did you think I was bluffing when I said that I'd kill them? Come on, Queenie, you should know how to read people!"
"I can't let you leave with Louise," Henrietta forced out, "More than your mission to assassin Richmond, I can't let you take her."
"I still have five girls to break," Jeanette replied. Henrietta forced herself to remain expressionless but the assassin could tell she was breaking, "Trust me, Queenie, you don't have what it takes to watch that. I've seen your type before; you can act tough, but as soon as one of your servants gets so much as a scrape you start crying about how 'it's all your fault'. It'd be sad if I hadn't seen it before."
"Is this amusing to you? Do you enjoy killing?" Henrietta spat out. She didn't know what else to say, "You're a monster..."
"Yeah, yeah. Anything else you wanna say?" Jeanette yawned, her boredom palpable, "Really there's nothing you can say to me that I haven't heard before. 'You're a monster', 'Please don't kill me', 'How can you live with yourself' bla bla bla. Really you're just repeating things everyone else already said," She shrugged, "Don't worry, we won't be talking for long. Once Leuleu finishes up we'll be out of your hair."
Henrietta's reply was drowned out by a sudden explosion. Covering her ears in shock, her eyes were drawn to the source of the noise and she gasped at the large chunk of the upper wall that had been blown off. Through the smoke she could just barely make out a falling figure landing on the floor before another jumped after it.
Bleu coughed as the smoke entered his nostrils. Holding back a scream of pain, he struggled to crawl away even as more blood seeped from his wounds. His enchantment...it had been dispelled. Taking deep, ragged breaths he waved his hand to try and cast another reinforcement spell.
Nothing. Bleu gasped and repeated the incantation, but again nothing came, "No, no no! Why isn't it working!?" He shut his eyes tightly. He could taste blood and every move he did only seemed to worsen his pain.
His reprieve was cut short as a kick to his side forced him onto his back. Through the smoke and his own fading eyesight he could make out the enraged scowl if the white haired teen he had been fighting previously.
Raziel's left hand pulsated with dark energy. He needed to feed.
"Arghhhhhh! Ahhhhhh!" Bleu screamed as the blackened limb stabbed into his chest. It felt as if he was being torn apart from the inside. The pain was unbearable; he struggled and fought, beating his fists desperately against the other male's chest, but it did little than speed up his feeding.
"Leuleu!" Jeanette screamed, her attention shifting from the Queen to her brother's attacker. She pointed her wand at the Undead but the monarch was quicker. As soon as her back was turned Henrietta cast a quick incantation and the girl was flung with heavy force against the wall with a torrent of water.
Another spell. Combining air and water she summoned four icicles and stabbed them towards where the girl lay. Henrietta winced as she saw the spikes piercing the girl's flesh and she heard her screams of pain. A part of her wanted to stop, to take the girl alive and keep blood off her hands. She looked at the stage once more: A loyal knight killed simply to prove a point; her best friend nearly kidnapped out of nothing more than pure amusement.
No, she couldn't afford to show mercy.
Raziel ignored Jeanette's choked cries and looked down at the bloodied assassin. His struggles were weak, reduced to ineffective slaps and mumbled protests. He looked down at his bloodied hands and shook off any thoughts of taking him in alive.
He jammed his thumbs into his eyes.
Louise leaned into one of the chairs as she finally stumbled out of the hall. The paralysis was wearing off, but her body continued to remain heavy. Reigning in her urge to vomit she grabbed one of the seats and continued her walk back at the entrance.
The screams she heard made her wish she hadn't been so quick to get back. She turned and looked away as Raziel pressed his fingers through the assassin's skull, his face impassive even as the young man's screaming became louder. Louise sat down against the wall and covered her ears, closing her eyes tightly. It was alright...everything was alright...soon the screaming would stop and everything would be back to normal.
She didn't know how long she kept her eyes shut but it wasn't long before she felt someone gently trying to pry her hands off her ears, "Louise...it's alright..."
"Princess...?" She looked up. The older girl was giving her a re-assuring smile and the pinkette almost collapsed into her, hugging her tightly as tears escaped her eyes, "Are you...are you alright?"
"Yes, Louise, as you will be," Henrietta separated from smaller girl and her smile faltered as Louise caught sight of the blood on her blouse, "It's alright, Louise. It's not, it's..."
"You don't have to say anything," Louise interrupted. She knew whose blood it was, "What about Raziel and the other musketeers? Are they-"
"Still 'alive', which is more than I can say for those attempted assassins," He nudged his head to Bleu's still corpse. Louise looked only for a brief moment before she turned away; a skull wasn't meant to be shaped like that, "Your musketeers are fatigued, but they appear to be alive barring one of them," Henrietta cringed, "We should leave now. Louise's explosion caused a fire to spread," He pointed to the slowly spreading blaze on the second floor.
"R-Right," Henrietta nodded, "Musketeers, move out!"
Raziel sat against the damaged fountain, letting the rain lap at his skin. Not too far away Daphne had smothered Louise in a hug while the rest convened on what exactly had happened on their end. He shook his head: How had he gotten involved in this? He was a brute; send him to kill someone and he would do it. But something like this...assassins and politics.
Not too far from him was the unconscious form of Jack, his hands and legs bound by a metal chain. How Amethyst had managed to capture him was a mystery to him but honestly it didn't matter. No doubt they would do their best to interrogate him for information but whatever it was they would get it didn't involve him. His role in this was done...provided his master didn't volunteer herself again.
"You couldn't have kept the damage to a minimum?" Amethyst sat beside him, arms crossed. He gave her a flat look, "I've had enough fire to last for a long time," She gestured to the burnt remains of the theater building. The rain ensured that fire wouldn't spread too far but the insides of the building had been irreparably consumed by the flame.
Marlene was going to be disappointed.
"I should not have been involved in this to begin with," Raziel bit back, "If you are here to scold me for killing the assassin when I could have let him live then save your breath. I do not need your lectures."
"No, I'd have done the same in your position if not for my induced nature," He gave her a confused expression and she shrugged, flashing a small smile, "Long story. Regardless I wish to thank you for taking care of Louise. I had my orders and I appreciate that you were able to keep her safe."
"My life is bound to hers..." He muttered, "So...what happens now?"
"That depends on our illustrious Queen," She shrugged, "First things first: Are you sure you killed that assassin?"
"I smashed his skull and gouged his eyes out. Would that not count?"
"Maybe, but look at you and me," She traced hand through the recently healed wound on his neck, "Stabbed in the throat, and yet you're talking just fine. Spirit Magic is a powerful art..." She sighed, "Almost too powerful sometimes. It makes things unclear sometimes. Humans being unable to utilize it is probably the only reason why they haven't won against the Elves."
"You say that, and yet those assassins appeared to be human."
"That's what we're going to try and find out from sleeping beauty over there," She pointed her thumb at the unconscious man, "Well, dead or not they won't be in any condition to rescue their sibling. We need to be careful about that Damien fellow, though. Daphne mentioned unable to incapacitate him so he's still at large. I'm not sure if he's willing to risk rescuing him all by himself but I'll be on guard regardless."
"Good luck to you then," He stood up from the fountain and made his way to his master. She was having a conversation with the tyrant.
"You might have to write a letter. I'm not sure if they'll allow me to go without it."
"Of course," Henrietta nodded, "Louise, are you alright-"
"I'm fine," Louise snapped. Henrietta looked as if she'd been hit, "I...I'm sorry. It's just...I'm fine, princess," She sighed, "I've dealt with progressively worse things in the past few weeks. A little paralysis is nothing in comparison."
"Well, if you're sure- Oh, Sir. Raziel," Henrietta bowed slightly, "I suppose you both would like some privacy."
Louise waved goodbye to her closest friend before turning to her Familiar, "Are your injuries still painful?"
"I already fed," He half-answered. Truth be told they still did but the wounds weren't open at least, "What were you talking about with her?"
"Visiting my parents," She rubbed her shivering arms, "I've been putting it off but I'll need to ask for their permission. We'll go back to the academy tomorrow and in a few days we should go back to my home," She never imagined that there would be a time where she dreaded a chance to visit her beloved sister but here it was. Her parent's reactions would be bad enough but she didn't want to imagine how big sis Catt or honored sister Eleanor would react at the news.
"Hmm..." His expression remained neutral, "I go where you go."
"Raziel, look, can we just-"
"No," He walked away from her before she could finish. She let out a slight yell of frustration before following after him. Sometimes she just wanted to strangle him.
Up above, the last crow let out a caw before flying back to its master.
Miles away, in a country cut off from the war, a man watched the preceding events in amusement.
"Well, this has been an entertaining little drama," Joseph, King of Gallia, clapped his hands like a child that had seen a magic trick, "I would never have expected them to meet such resistance but it made events go in a rather entertaining manner."
He was rather disappointed when he had seen one of the Vampires run, but the rest more than made up for it. He had to chuckle at the young man's screams as his eyes were mashed out of his skull or when the Queen had involved herself. He had thought that the new monarch would be incapable of killing, but she had just proven him wrong.
He wondered how far it would take for them to all break.
Next to him, Sheffield bowed, "Indeed, Lord Joseph. It would seem the crown of Tristain is more resourceful than we gave them credit for. To think they would have both Vampires and Undead at their disposal and that they managed to repel the siblings. Should we exact retribution?"
"What? Why?" He looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head, "That would spoil all the fun! Leave them be. Those siblings are expendable. Just take a few more test subjects to replace them."
"Of course, Lord Joseph," Sheffield bowed once more, "If you'll excuse me I'll be visiting my sister."
"Of course," Not looking away from the projected image, he waved his Familiar off as he continued to repeat the sequence of events. It was fascinating, the varying emotions they went through. How the girl went so quickly from being smug to desperately trying to save her loved one. How the knight's anger nearly caused her to fail her mission. Emotions were such fickle things.
It came so easy for them. Anger, happiness, fear, sadness...why was he deprived of all these things?
He leaned back in his chair and set the moving images back to the beginning. This should entertain him at least for tonight.
Holy crap, this chapter was painful to write! The next one is the visit to the Valliere house, which should have no actual fighting so I'm completely safe. Right, so if you managed to stomach through this chapter please accept my apology: I did my best, looked online at various sites for tips and various examples, but really I'm just not that good when it comes to free-flowing and dynamic movement. If it's cringeworthy then I accept it cause you guys should know by now this stuff isn't my strong suit.
Henrietta was also supposed to have a fight scene where Jeanette used the mind-controlled musketeers to attack her, but really I had no fucking clue how that would work given that Henrietta is, by all accounts, a non-combatant and it would just end with her getting shot in the face. She's basically a civilian with a gun, so I changed it so that she basically cheap shots Jeanette while her back is turned and then whales on her.
Whatever the case, thanks to anyone still reading and look forward to the next.
Odin's Tome Hand - It wasn't stated that she didn't say anything, just that she had not much luck. A random rune and a first name really aren't enough since 'Joseph' is a pretty common name. It was nothing concrete.
Also, I'll be checking the novels out, but only to see how they actually plan to finish the windstone catastrophe plot.
Demons Anarchy of Pride - Henrietta doesn't have to prove anything. Raziel is biased against her and, as she points out, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place: People love to insult the person who makes the bad choices even when they're unwilling to make those same choices or look for alternatives. It's part of human nature to shift blame. As for Louise, it was really stress more than anything.
Sperance - No prob. The Marianne thing just came to me and it's not really referenced much nowadays as the arcs became more morbid. I might reference it again if shit get less overbearing.
Loyaltothelegion - Then where does it end? Raziel can be a killing machine all he likes but perpetual conflict isn't something anyone should really live for. Also, as proven in this chapter, he's not the only one who can fight.
HiddenMaster - Always love reading your long reviews :) Anyway, to start off: Yes he does know Gwynevere was an illusion, and he takes it to mean she ran away for selfish reasons. And of course he's biased: Human beings are by nature going to be biased to one side rather than impartial. That and Henrietta shredded his eyes, so that's even more bias.
As for not looking at the truth, its a bit of hypocrisy and a bit 'elephant in the living room'. Raziel insults Henrietta for refusing to see the truth while he himself ignores his various changes. EITLR also applies since even though it's obviously strange no one is willing to comment on it, again a real life behavior where people will ignore strange shit because they don't want to be the first to say anything. It's why the others never really asked what was up with his weird summoning or why he ignores his weird changes.
Rexis19 - Prior to this chapter his hatred was based on 'Informaed attribute', simply equating 'Princess = Evil'. Louise isn't completely 'wrong' for pulling the card on Raziel, however, as she at the very least has understandable reasons: She assumed assassins might come for her best friend and yet he was willing to let her go off alone. It was done in the heat of the moment rather than a deliberate attack against him.
Kishinokurobi - Unless you think a relationship built on hate sex (which Raziel is incapable or unwilling to do) will work I doubt it. Partners can argue, but they also need to reach an understanding first.
Goose Attack - Raziel would be just as screwed: He has no home, no income, no contacts etc etc. For all her faults Louise essentially gives him a place to stay and some protection from the law/scrutiny. Being a great warrior doesn't mean you can just suddenly be set for life. Likewise, Louise isn't completely white-washing Henrietta's actions but rather she's willing to set them aside until assassins have been dealt with. Flaws or not Henrietta is still her friend and she doesn't want her to die.