Twisted Reflections

by vendetta543

She was a failure of a Mage, unable to cast even the simplest of spells. He was an Undead, a monster used as a pawn in battle he could never understand. They had nothing in common, and yet fate saw it fit to bind the two souls together.

42. Kindling

Well, we're finally almost to Albion :) Maybe we can finish Saxe-Gotha before the end of the year!

Thanks again, Hostis.

---

Raziel had a lot of things he hated. Gwyndolin and the serpents were at the top of that long list, but he had just enough anger to spread for many others: The other Gods; Demigods like Ciaran; insane madmen like Seath and Count Mott; the tyrant Queen; easily tempted craven like the Four Kings; most of the nobles of this new land; cowardly bastards like Chester and Patches; various dragons; and Louise on a bad day.

Right now he was adding 'being stared at' to that list.

Raziel squirmed in his seat as the Duke, Duchess and Witch stared at him from across the table where they were sitting. Ever since everyone caught wind of the second daughter's 'miraculous recovery' it was the only thing they were able to talk about. The second he woke up it was the first thing he'd heard out of the servants along with some rather audible 'tears of joy' at her recovery. He knew at this point that the servants had been looking out for her since she was a child but he still found their reactions somewhat disproportionate: It wasn't as if she was at risk of dying until he had accidentally provoked the mass of Humanity.

Speaking of which, he still had to apologize for that.

Of course when the parents found out about their daughter's condition they had immediately called a family meeting. It didn't concern him, or at least that's what he thought until Louise came into his room/closet and started dragging him without even bothering to explain why. He supposed it was far too naive of him to assume that Louise would have kept her mouth shut about his actions. She was, after all, rather keen to take 'responsibility' for his actions so he had no idea why she didn't do so now. Her parents would certainly give her leeway once she said she cured her.

"..." The Undead crossed his arms and looked away. Despite ostensibly calling him here for the purpose of discussing Cattleya's 'cure' no one had actually said a word. A few seats away Louise and Cattleya sat practically glued to one another. Ever since the older woman had been cured his master outright refused to leave her side; it was as if she was afraid her sister would become 'sick' once again if she stopped paying attention.

"Ahem...well then," The duke finally spoke. Raziel looked back at him, though he kept still kept quiet, "I suppose this is our first proper meeting. You are...Louise's Familiar, yes? She called you 'Raziel'. That is your name?"

"Yes," He nodded. When dealing with nobles he found that it was easier to simply answer as concisely as possible.

"Hmm, alright then. Good, good..." He took a sip of his tea, his movements rigid, "Well, let's get down to brass tacks: You are the one who healed my daughter?"

The already awkward atmosphere turned completely still. Raziel fought to keep his expression neutral as the gaze of the entire Valliere family bore into him. Gods damn it, why did he get himself involved? He should have left well enough alone and gone back once she gave him Louise's money pouch. But no, he had to be curious and ask despite every instinct telling him to keep quiet.

This wasn't supposed to be about her sister. They came here for the express purpose of getting permission for his master's desire to commit suicide for that queen of hers. He was supposed to be nothing more than her Familiar.

"...You could consider it that," He had to choose his words carefully, "You call it 'healing' but...she is not sick."

"Not sick? What do you-"

"Explain," Karin cut in, interrupting her husband.

"Ah...well, how do I explain this," No, his cheeks weren't warm. It was just their imagination, "The way you call my actions 'healing'. Miss. De la Fontaine described her condition as something similar to a disease," He shook is head, "Her condition was...less than ideal, but what she suffered under was no disease...at least in the way a sickness would normally be described."

"Not diseased? You saw what she was suffering under," The duke said, "Calling it anything other than a sickness is foolish."

"No. A disease or sickness is not what one considers 'natural'," He sighed, "It is...well, to use an example: Think of her 'condition' the same as you would look at your magic," He tapped the table, "Nobles are born with magic, master has told me this, and it is not something which can be gained if not through birth. Lady Fontaine's circumstances are similar in a sense. She was born with her condition like a noble is with their magic, and not through external circumstance. She is no different from any other human."

"What? No, that's...that's not possible," The witch spoke up, "She was healthy for the first fourteen years of her life. If she was born with this we would have seen it sooner."

"It would not have manifested yet," He replied, "Think of her condition similar to how you would view a glass of water," He took a glass and pitcher. Hopefully they wouldn't be offended, "Pour water in and the glass can hold it to an extent," He tipped the pitcher, "But the glass cannot hold too much water. Those first fourteen years would be akin to the water filling up the glass to the brim. But if the water does not stop flowing..." He stopped pouring. The water was nearly spilling over the edge, "Then the glass cannot hold the liquids. Miss. Fontaine's condition is similar in a sense that she simply could not hold all the Humanity."

"Humanity..." Karin looked down, eyes narrowed. She'd heard that term before, and not in a way that described their race, "So if we are to understand you correctly, Cattleya was 'overflowing' with this 'Humanity'?"

"Yes," He nodded, "This...'cure', if you could call it that, is nothing more than a reduction," He drank from the glass till there was nothing left but a few drops, "As you can see. I did not stop what caused this; rather I removed the excess Humanity. Like drinking from a glass of water; it can still overflow but not until the water reaches to the point that it would go past the limits of its container."

Silence once more. The entire Valliere family took a moment to understand the Undead's words. Their daughter's sickness...it was nothing more than a fluke at birth. All the treatments, all the attempts they'd made to make her healthy once more...and they were told that her condition was as inseparable as magic was to a noble. The past ten years they were grasping at straws for nothing.

Louise looked down and tightened her hold on her big sister's hand. She knew what she was to a certain degree, but last night didn't really offer her much time to question Raziel before honored sister Eleanor had ushered him out to check on big sis Catt's condition.

Next to her, Cattleya chewed on her lower lip nervously, her characteristic smile absent. She should have been happy all things considered, but finding out her sickness was something twisted into her since her very birth was rather disconcerting. His wording also made her wary of the permanence of this 'cure'.

"Do you know exactly what's wrong with my daughter?" The duke's voice was calm, though he could make out the slight edge to it. He was nervous, "You say it is not a sickness but the way she suffered speaks for itself."

"In my tongue she would be referred to as Coimeadai Doiteain - Firekeeper," Going back to his own language, even briefly, felt somewhat odd. Louise's translation spell was certainly effective, "In essence the distinction is similar a Mage would have to a non-Mage. Lady Fontaine's circumstances allow her special abilities due to her birth such as your breeding allows magic."

"Firekeeper..." Karin clenched her hands and furrowed her brows. Another familiar term, "And being a...Firekeeper...is this curable?"

"No more than you can 'cure' a noble's magic," He shook his head, "As I said, all I did was reduce her Humanity to a more manageable state. Stopped the water from overflowing, in a matter of speaking."

"Then I suppose our focus is clear: How did you 'reduce her Humanity'?" The duke's expression made it clear he was still wary of taking the Familiar's explanation at face value, but he had little choice.

Ah, now there was the conundrum. Raziel clenched his left hand from underneath the table. As far as they were aware he was nothing more than a normal human, but if he showed them the Dark Hand...well, he doubted they would consider him a normal human. With any luck they would focus on the 'cure' rather than 'how did you get it'. He didn't fancy explaining the workings of the Darkwraith covenant.

"Is something wrong?" The witch asked, her tone suspicious, "I saw you use it last night. Why the hesitation now?"

"...It is nothing," He ignored her suspicion and raised his left hand. All three of their eyes widened slightly as it was covered in a dark aura, "This is the 'cure' you speak of. Its intended purpose is not for healing, but similar to how fire can heal a wound so too can this be used for relief..." He dispelled the darkness, "I do not know its origins myself, but I came to find it and it is part of me now."

"Does this have a name?" The duke queried warily. The appendage's appearance was rather morbid.

"...The Dark Hand," He winced as they looked at him suspiciously. Perhaps he should have changed the name, "It sounds grotesque, but I can assure you that it is no more evil than fire magic; both are capable of destruction, but they ultimately rely on their master's intentions."

"I suppose," The witch put a hand on her chin, "In all my studies I've never seen anything like this. You require no catalyst, and it seems to be similar to an appendage of sorts."

"Correct," He nodded, "Its intended purpose is to siphon Humanity, which would normally kill the receiver. Again it is similar to fire magic; fire would normally kill those that suffer under its heat but with careful application it can burn wounds shut and allow one to heal. Lady Fontaine's soul was overflowing with Humanity and it needed to be reduced."

"Hmm," The duke pursed his lips before asking his next question, "Well then, since you seem to be the expert in this regard I need to ask you one final question: Is my daughter safe? Is she no longer 'overflowing with Humanity'?"

...Great, he knew this was coming. His gaze shifted to Louise and her sister; she was so relieved when her sister had been 'healed', but it was nothing more than a stopgap solution - In the end her soul was still that of a Firekeeper and would continue to produce Humanity. It would take years, but her condition would return eventually. There was nothing he could do to change that; an Undead couldn't manipulate souls.

There were only two ways to keep her condition stable: Either they repeated the procedure daily or she make her own bonfire.

"For the moment, yes," He started slowly, "But it will come back eventually. Her very soul is that of a Firekeeper and it produces more and more Humanity with every day that passes," He chased away Anastacia's image from his mind, "She will be fine for now, likely for the next few years even, but she requires a method to remove the Humanity. If what you seek is a permanent cure then I am afraid you will find there is none."

"I see..."

Another moment of silence. Raziel looked away from the family and tried to ignore their stares; truthfully he would have preferred being ignored and treated like a pet to this. At least then he didn't have to bother watching how he acted.

"What you mean to say then is that she requires the 'treatment' you have her?" Karin inquired.

"Yes. There is another method, but truthfully the exact details are not known to me either," He replied.

"We'll get to that if needed," The duke commented, "For now, we have a method that works," He crossed his arms, "Our next course of action is clear then: Cattleya is a daughter of the Valliere family and her treatment falls under our responsibility," Raziel nodded. A perfectly reasonable claim to make, "With that in mind, I would like to ask you to relinquish this 'Dark Hand' of yours. We will compensate you appropriately, don't worry."

Ah...flames, he really should have seen that coming.

"...That would be impossible," He kept his expression neutral even as the duke's eyes narrowed, "My refusal is not out of ill will. The Dark Hand is a part of me as your magic is to you. Even if you cut my hand off it will not leave. What you are asking of me is similar if I asked you to give up your magic for someone else; it is impossible," He shook his head, "I cannot give the Dark Hand to you."

"Is there no way? Your 'appendage' is different from any magic I've seen," The witch prodded, "Surely there is a way."

"H-Hey, wait," Louise finally spoke up, "I don't think it's a good idea-"

"Not now, Louise," Karin interrupted, "We will discuss this later."

"The Dark Hand is no mere piece of equipment to trade," Raziel sighed, "While I would hesitate to call it 'alive' it is not inanimate. There is a way to give it to you, but it is rather risky," He clicked his tongue, "Think of it like a parasite. Once its current victim can no longer feed it, it transfers to a new host. And do not think that killing me will satisfy the conditions: If I die then the Dark Hand dies with me."

"So what do you suggest?" The duke questioned.

He would have been content to keep his mouth quiet - he still needed the thing, after all - but he had a feeling refusing on grounds of 'I need it more than you' would be a bad idea. Better he show exactly why he should keep it.

"Try and take it from me," He held his left hand out and released the dark aura, "Hold out your left hand and grip it tightly. If the Dark Hand finds you suitable then it will transfer itself over to you. I cannot simply give it to you, even if you wish it; it attaches itself to me of its own free will. I warn you, however, that the risk is unpleasant. I will do this only if you guarantee I will not be held responsible for any risks you undertake."

Husband and wife - no, he wasn't jealous, what would give that idea? - looked out each other briefly before the duke nodded and stood up. Reluctantly, Raziel stood as well and walked until he and the taller male were face to face. The transfer ritual was a way for the Dark Hand to not be 'wasted' once the Darkwraith eventually expired. The Dark Hand eventually consumed its wielders and to avoid wasting the appendage the ritual allowed one to transfer the Humanity eater to a more healthy host. He didn't know why he hadn't expired yet, but he wasn't going to question his few strokes of good luck.

"Whenever you are ready," Raziel held out his hand, "If you wish to stop then simply wish it and you will be back no worse for the wear."

The duke grit his teeth as he slowly raised his hand. He had dealt with worse: He fought in wars; he ran away from his family when he was barely a man; he watched the love of his life die from his own mistakes; he betrayed his country for his friends. Raising his hand and shaking someone's hand shouldn't have even counted as a bump in the road.

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the younger man's hand.

All at once he felt all warmth drain out of him. Opening his eyes, he could see nothing but darkness all around him. He released a tense breath and shivered; it was if he had been submerged in icy water. Looking down at his hand he forced himself to keep his grip strong. This was for his daughter; regardless of what kind of demonic magic this was he would do anything to heal her.

"...Weak."

The voice was right next to his ear. Turning to the side he nearly let go as he caught sight of the armored figure pressing its face close to his. He couldn't see its expression or even its gender from beneath the heavy armor, but the skull it had in place of a face made it clear that it didn't matter.

The duke glared at it. He could feel himself weakening but he forced himself to stand strong. Whatever Louise's Familiar was it didn't matter; if he had the cure for Cattleya's sickness then he would suffer under any punishment.

"Leave, human!" It hissed, "Your will is not strong enough! You do not desire to feed!"

"Quiet..." He growled out. He could do this. Anything for-

"Arghhh!" He let go of his hand and pressed them against his temples. He could hear a discord of noise. Opening his eyes again he nearly screamed once more as he saw what replaced the darkness: Writhing bodies pinned to walls, their screams blending into one another as they begged for release. The duke tried to keep his breathing level even as the armored figure drew closer.

"Leave now! Before you join the rest!"

He didn't scream, even as the bodies started to drag him. Their voices changed, beckoning him to join them. His struggles intensified even as he felt himself growing weaker.

No, he wouldn't be beaten here! He would-

"Father, are you alright?"

The duke opened his eyes and blinked away the sudden brightness of the sunlight. Looking around him, he found himself standing in his previous spot once more, his family looking at him worriedly. He looked down again and his eyes widened slightly as he saw his hands still intertwined with the younger male's. Forcing himself to move, he willed their hands to separate.

"How...How long?"

"How long? Father, you only held his hand for a few seconds..." Eleanor answered, "Ten seconds or so, but you stopped breathing as soon as you held his hand that we got worried. I...suppose it was difficult, then?"

"It was...tiring, yes," He released a held breath. He looked back at her daughter's Familiar, who offered him a mumbled apology, "I suppose that's why you warned me. That was...disconcerting," His eyes narrowed, "You'll permit me another question then: What exactly was that? And how did you use it to heal my daughter?"

"I...to be honest, I do not know myself," He looked away, "The source who gave me was not exactly forthcoming with its origins. Regardless I needed the benefits it offered and I accepted his deal."

"So you are not human then..." Eleanor and Cattleya's eyes widened, but the duke took no notice, "I could feel it as soon as I touched hands with you. No ordinary human could ever hope to contain it," He looked the Undead in the eye. He could see none of the demonic visage from his vision, I "What exactly are you, then? If you fear reprisal then do not worry. If you are my daughter's Familiar then you should know that we have made contact with other Firstborns. You need not fear the stake."

Ah yes, how could he have forgotten - The family communed with Vampires.

"I suppose you could say I am similar to those Vampires you call friends," He answered warily, "I do not require blood, but rather Humanity," He clenched his hands, "Do not worry, you are under no risk from me. Humanity can be taken from monsters rather than humans, as master can attest to..." He bit his tongue, "What exactly did you see, Sir. Valliere? I am not privy to what you experienced."

"It is better we not discuss it," He shook his head, "Let me just warn you now that you are lucky that my family has experience in communication with Firstborns. Any other person would have accused you of being a demon. I admit I am tempted to do so now as well," He rubbed his mustache, "But I know better now than to judge by appearances. I shall give you the benefit of the doubt because you helped save my daughter."

That was...much more reasonable than he expected. Raziel let out a small smile and sat back down, "You have my thanks. And...since this method did not work, would you like to attempt the next method? I am still unsure but Miss. Fontaine will not be at risk and she will be able to do so by herself."

"This second method, how safe is it?" Karina questioned. She was tempted to attempt the transfer with herself but her husband's solemn look caused her to disregard the idea. She would have to trust him on that.

"It should not put her under any risk even if she fails, but the chance of success might be even lower than the transfer," Raziel clicked his tongue, "She will have to-"

"Please, can we stop this for now?"

All of them turned to stare at Cattleya. She was smiling once more, but it was noticeably strained.

"Cattleya, what's the matter? Are you-"

"No, it's not that. Quite the opposite, in fact," She giggled, "I've never felt as alive for these past ten years as I have now. I wish to stretch my legs, so to speak. You heard Sir. Raziel; it will take years for the 'Humanity' to start harming me once more. Could we not postpone this for a few days at least? It's been such a long time since I could run without feeling faint."

"It is better if we finish this as soon as possible..." Karin started. Cattleya's smile faltered, "...But I suppose a momentary diversion will not be harmful," She sighed. It was shameful to be weak but her daughter's happiness was irreplaceable, "Fine then. Since this 'second method' does not require our assistance simply report to us when it is finished. I trust Raziel will tell you the details?"

"O-Of course," Raziel blushed. That was the first time she said his name, "I will tell Miss. Fontaine at her earliest convenience."

"Well, that settles that then," Cattleya clapped her hands together and stood up, dragging her sister out with her. Raziel stared at them briefly and made to stand before he felt someone grab his shoulder and pull him back.

"Just so we're clear: If this new method of yours hurts Cattleya then the punishment will be severe. Is that clear?" The duke tightened his grip on his shoulder, his smile promising pain. Raziel raised an eyebrow; if this was his attempt at intimidation then it was rather lax. He expected a lot more considering the fear Louise had with coming home, but the man seemed reasonable, almost affable in a way.

"Why would I risk her life? My master would not wish it."

"Louise...that's right, you're bound to her," He released him, "Very well, just remember the consequences."

"I will."

The duke watched him leave before practically collapsing in a chair, his breath ragged. He could see Eleanor and Karin looking at him worriedly, but he waved off their concerns. That vision...he had seen worse, hard as it may have been to believe, but it seeing a wall of bodies and a figure dressed in armor lined with bones wasn't what one would consider pleasant.

He was hesitant to put whatever this 'Dark Hand' was anywhere near his daughter, but he had little choice. Treatment and attempts at a cure had been ongoing for the past ten years and her condition steadily continued to grow worse; the healers had even informed him that they had no idea how much time she had left if she kept going at her current state. Without a cure her life would be forever at risk despite the Familiar's assurances to the contrary.

Whatever evil that tool was if it could save his daughter then he was willing to make a deal with the devil.

Still, he didn't think his daughter would summon a new kind of Vampire. It at least explained his youthful appearance, though the lack of reaction to sunlight was surprising. He could only hope for the Familiar's sake that the vision wasn't indicative of his true nature. He wouldn't let him hurt his daughter. It reminded him of the time Amethyst lost herself to her instincts-

No, now was not the time to think of that. The past two days had been a mixed bag - His youngest clamored to go to war while his middle child had, if not a cure, then a treatment for her ailment. Fate a funny way of playing them all.

---

"Come on, little Louise~ You're so slow~"

"B-Big sis Catt, wait for me!"

Raziel watched the siblings run around the garden, the elder doing nothing but laugh and smile even as she ran around in circles and climbed trees. He understood her happiness at such simple pleasures, though; it wasn't that long ago where rain could cause him to break out in smiles. She was deprived of faster movement for ten years, it was obvious that she would relish in it now while she had the chance.

He lied on his back, looking at the blue sky above. He had nothing else to do so he ended up following Louise, but since he didn't fancy playing children's games he had to content himself with waiting in the garden's edge while they finished their recreation. He had to admit, lying here with the warm sun and under the tree's shade was rather relaxing, especially since he wasn't being stared at any more.

Footsteps drew nearer her to him, crunching on the grass. Opening one eye he let out a slight smile as he caught sight of Siesta nodding before sitting down next to him. Their relationship wasn't exactly repaired, but she was a relief compared to the constant interrogation of the Valliere family earlier. He didn't have to watch himself with her.

"Morning," Her voice was somewhat rough, "Ugh, sorry...my head's killing me. I drank too much," She swallowed. Her mouth felt dry, "I didn't see you earlier. What happened? There a lot of buzz about Miss. Cattleya being healed."

"It is difficult to explain," He sighed and sat up, "Lady Fontaine had a 'condition' similar to an old friend of mine. Anastacia...she," He rubbed the back of his head, "She had a painful responsibility to bear which she shares now."

"I heard she was sick. Does that have anything to do with it?"

"Well, I suppose it would appear like a sickness to anyone," Raziel shrugged, "You can refer to it as that for convenience's sake. Yes, she was 'sick' and I found out that the Dark Hand was capable of healing her," He released the dark aura, causing the maid to jump slightly. She'd seen him use it before but it wasn't exactly pleasant seeing a hand become engulfed in darkness, "Normally siphoning Humanity from someone would kill them, but Lady Fontaine had too much."

"Too much? Wait, did you tell me it was risky to get some because it could kill people."

"Under normal circumstances, yes, but she's a Firekeeper. They have too much Humanity, to the point that others crave their souls and kill them for it," He looked down, "She is stable for now, but she needs a bonfire if she wants to- Oh, my apologies, I am rambling," He forced a smile, "Miss. Fontaine's 'recovery' has been getting so much attention that even Louise herself seems to have forgotten about this 'going to war' business."

"I almost forgot too," She sighed, "I mean, does Miss. Valliere even want to go to war at this point? She looks so happy being with her sister that I can't imagine she'd want to leave at this point."

"She will go. She is too stubborn to relent at this point," He replied, "In fact, she may be even more motivated to go now. She would want that sister safe. She has convinced herself that this war is necessary and that if she fails then all will be lost," He scoffed, "She will find a way to convince her parents, it is only a matter of time."

"Mgh...I really don't get nobles," Siesta groaned, "'Honor this, war that' they throw away their lives and everyone under them for nothing more than pride. I'll never be able to understand that kind of thinking."

"Funny. You have noble blood yourself..."

"What?" She looked at him as if he had spoken another language entirely.

He debated with himself briefly whether he should continue before disregarding his hesitation. He didn't have much time with Siesta left and she deserved to know at least part of the truth. He didn't want to leave her without telling her.

"Your great-grandfather...he was from Lordran, same as Sieglinde."

"Wh-What?" Her eyes widened, "I-I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong-"

"You did not mishear," He interrupted, "He comes from a land known as Carim. His name is Chester...or Earl Arstor, whatever name he might have used," He shrugged, "I care not for his titles. I knew him once, and similar to Sieglinde and myself he appeared in this land. Why he appeared earlier than either of us I do not know, but he came decades before either of us. He met a woman named Adalyn and...the rest is history."

"Y-You mean I...my great-grandfather's from this Lordran place?"

"Yes. Same as I," He forced another smile, "Do not worry, he is not Undead. He was a normal human."

"Wait a minute, you said you knew him. Was he a friend of yours?"

"No," She blinked. She wasn't exacting him to be that blunt, "Rather than being friends I suppose you could call us enemies."

"E-Enemies?" She suddenly felt nervous, "Wh-What do you mean enemies?"

"Yes, enemies. How else would I call someone who attacked me with no provocation?" He clicked his tongue, "I hated him, but back then I was foolish enough not to kill him. Perhaps I did not want to kill one of the few uncorrupted people left in Oolacile. He...was not a good person by any means. He cared for his family, but everyone else was nothing more than fodder for his experiments- Ah, apologies again, I am rambling," He shook his head, "I know it is unpleasant to hear such things about your family."

"N-No, it's alright...I suppose I never really knew him," She placated, "Truth be told, none of the other villagers were ever really happy with him if grandma's stories are right. She said he was sort of distant when she was growing up and that she rarely saw him. When my great-grandmother died he wasn't there, and I think she never forgave him for that. Still, I never thought that he was from Lordran."

"I would have never thought he would appear in this land either," He looked up, "But he was here as Sieglinde was. You are his blood," He bit his lip, "I admit, this caused me pause, but you are not him. You share blood but beyond that you are different from him. You are kind, it was because of you that my first days here were much more tolerable. I apologize for any doubt I may have showed."

"Yeah, I guess...wait, 'Chester'...you mentioned his name before," Her brows furrowed, "It was just after I found you digging up Elder Linda's grave, you said-"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Both the Familiar and the maid stood up at the sound of Louise's voice. Louise was standing in front of them, her arms crossed; a short distance away Cattleya stood behind her little sister, trying to stifle her giggle at their actions.

"Louise...what is it?" He didn't know whether to be thankful or not at his master's interruption.

"Big sis Catt says she wants to try your second method," She said, "As long as it's nothing dangerous, but I'm going to be there to keep an eye on you just in case."

"Really?" He winced, "It is...not a method that I would prefer be done openly."

"Why? Are you going to have a repeat of last night?" She stared at him suspiciously. Alright, he had to admit that the previous incident looked rather improper, but it wasn't his fault that a siphon based on mutual trust appeared as it did! According to what information he'd managed to glean the process was to be painless, a small mercy to those who gave themselves for 'the betterment of man'.

"No, that is the first method. The second method will rely on her rather than myself," He sighed, "Fine, let us go somewhere more...private. This is not a conversation I would like to have in the open.

---

Why in the abyss was Siesta here?

He looked back at the unlikely pair. Siesta and Louise were sitting next to one another, silently watching them. In front of him Cattleya was standing a few feet away, her smile ever-present. The room they had been given was one of the unused guest rooms; it proved private enough for his needs, but he would have preferred if there wasn't an audience for this.

He could at least understand Louise's reasons and they'd been through enough that something like this wouldn't be too traumatizing, but Siesta...she knew of his true nature but it wouldn't be a pleasant sight.

"Are sure you two wish to be here? I only need Miss. Fontaine and the ritual will be...unpleasant-"

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Louise clamored impatiently.

"It is just...does Siesta need to be here?" He looked back at them as he closed the heavy curtains, shrouding the room in darkness. This would make things easier, "I mean-"

"She wanted to come," Louise interrupted, "I can order her out of here but do you really want to do that?"

Siesta looked at him, her expression pleading. She wanted to know what he was about to do; curiosity was an understandable feeling, but that didn't mean he had to like it, "...Damn it, do not say I did not warn you," He clicked his tongue and faced Cattleya. The young woman was holding onto a spare sword, and the way she held it made it clear she wasn't used to handling weaponry.

"Um, what am I supposed to do with this?" Cattleya asked, keeping the sword balanced with both hands.

"I do not know exactly," He sighed, "The process of creating bonfires was never clear. I know the materials we need, but the exact steps needed were always unclear," He crossed his arms, "Anastacia once said that it was 'instinctual', that every Firekeeper knows how to create a bonfire. The ritual simply helps. And since I do not fancy repeating what they did to Anastacia we will be skipping the ritual."

"Alright then," Cattleya murmured. She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Let us try this then," He stepped forward and pressed the blade close to her chest, "Imagine the sword as an extension of your body, like a...catalyst or wand," He instructed slowly, "You have power, a different kind of magic. Blessing or curse, it is yours to control. Extend your 'fire' to the blade and we can continue."

"A-Alright," She nodded and hugged the sword. The sheath was warm against her skin and she felt herself relaxing as she focused on the metal. A warmth spread through her chest and she let out a relaxed breath. A gentle pulse crossed through her arms and the blade in her hold grew warmer. Opening her eyes she nearly dropped the weapon as she saw the orange blaze covering the metal.

"You actually did it..." Raziel shook his head and took the sword from her. Now came the unpleasant part, "This blade is bound to you now. Until you transfer your binding to another blade this will be your bonfire," He tapped the sheath against his wrist; he could feel how hot it was even through the cover. Hopefully this blade was sharp, "This next part will be rather...unpleasant. Do not move and keep calm, if you lose your concentration this will be all for naught. I would rather not repeat this."

Before she could reply he unsheathed the sword and slashed through the fingers of his right hand, cutting off the small appendages. Cattleya's eyes widened and she nearly let out a scream of surprise before a quick shake of his head made her force it down. To her side both little Louise and the maid had closed their eyes, holding onto one another for comfort. She couldn't blame them; she certainly wanted to leave as well.

"Argh..." Raziel bit his tongue and tried to suppress his cries. Four fingers cut off - he'd spared his thumb - and the blood coming out of the stumps wasn't doing any favors, "Right, now I need to..." He shook his head. He'd been under worse pain, but he wasn't exactly a fan of self-mutilation. Of course, it was rather necessary considering the final requirement for creating proper bonfires.

The bones of an Undead.

"Sorry for the mess..." He brought the pommel down at the bits of flesh and bone, grinding the appendages to dust. Bonfires needed the bones of an Undead to function properly, that much was clear, but the exact amount was a mystery to him. He'd seen rather large amounts in some of them, including a few ribs and skulls, most of which were ground into dust. Still, it wasn't clear if there was an exact amount needed. He was guessing here.

"Um...what are you doing?" Cattleya winced as the final finger was mashed into a mix of blood, skin and bone. Holding back the urge to vomit she watched with morbid curiosity as he gathered up the bone dust into a small pile, the blood and skin clinging to the ash.

"Please let this be enough..." He gripped the sword with his left hand and stabbed the flaming blade into the small mound.

When Siesta opened her eyes she didn't know what exactly she would see, but she certainly didn't expect a flaming sword attached to a mound of bone dust. She could feel Louise holding onto her tighter, her breathing tense. She looked down at the pinkette; her reaction was to be expected - she herself didn't take the display very well - but the younger girl's groaning made it clear she was very sickened despite her experience.

Reluctantly she hugged the girl closer. She certainly wasn't expecting her to act this way given her previous actions.

"It...It worked..." Raziel fell on his bottom in exhaustion, pressing the bloodied hand to his shirt. He had to admit, he was doubtful this would even work, but perhaps Anastacia was right. Shaking his head he forced himself to stand and reached his free hand out to the burning blade. It had been months, but perhaps now he could unload all of his burdens and souls.

Cattleya felt a slight tingling course through her body as she watched him clench his hand in front of the weapon. Mouth parting slightly, she watched in amazement as his injured hand healed itself and the blood dried away. That was...because of her power? She reached a hand out in front of her; the fire was warm, but more than it was very comforting. She felt...right, as if the flame was hers.

"Big sis Catt, are you...okay?" Reluctantly Louise pulled herself away from the older girl and walked to where the bonfire was. Swallowing the bile rising at her throat she drew closer to the crimson flame. She had expected the procedure would be unpleasant, but Raziel could have warned her beforehand he would have cut off his fingers. At least then she wouldn't have whimpered so pathetically and clung to the maid.

Unlike her Familiar and sister she felt no comfort as she drew near the fire. Despite the heat the blade emanated all she could feel was a frosty chill. She sat down in front of it, Siesta quickly joining her. They watched with curiosity as the Undead prayed in front of the sword.

"Raziel, what are you doing?" Siesta piped up.

"Checking the strength of the bonfire," He unclasped his hands and sat down in a more relaxed manner, "This is...relieving. It has been months since I have seen a bonfire. The last one was at Count Mott's estate..." He trailed off while Siesta and Louise looked uncomfortable. They all agreed they wouldn't talk about the previous incident, and he couldn't blame their reluctance. He didn't exactly have fond memories of the would-be Seath.

"Anyway, I think you should properly explain now," Louise prodded, "I mean, we didn't get much last night considering all the panic, but I need to know: Firekeepers are from your home, right? How did big sis Catt end up like that?"

"You got a few good kicks in last night, if I recall correctly," He scoffed, "Regardless, I did not lie to your parents - Firekeepers cannot be created, only born. Seath and Count Mott tried to make Firekeepers, and you saw the results at the estate," He gave Siesta an apologetic look. He was drudging up unpleasant memories, "I can no more explain how she is a Firekeeper than you being a Mage."

"So this was all just a result of a fluke!?" Louise grit her teeth, "There has to be more to it than that! I mean, neither mother and father came from your land so why should she suffer from this!? Why her!? She doesn't deserve any of this! You're the one from Lordran, so explain!"

"Why are you angry at me?" He scowled, "I told you everything I know. There is no way to create Firekeepers, they are born. Why specific females are born as Firekeepers is not known; you are both lucky you were not born in Lordran else her life would have been much more unpleasant."

"But that explanation isn't enough! I need to know-"

"Louise, please, it's alright," Cattleya placated, "I know you're frustrated but letting your anger out in Sir. Raziel does nothing. He was kind enough to lend us his aid, and with this, um, 'bonfire' I will be alright now."

"Not perfectly, I am afraid," Raziel shook his head, "This will consume the Humanity your soul produces, but only to a degree," He clicked his tongue, "To explain more clearly: Imagine that you produce a single Humanity a day. This bonfire consumes that single Humanity, but not more. If you do not bind yourself to the bonfire for a day then that Humanity will not be consumed, and if it goes on long enough you will overflow once more," He tapped the sword's hilt, "If you wish to keep yourself stable you need to keep yourself bound to the fire. Any days you miss will be your risk to take."

"That sounds...tedious," Cattleya's smile twitched, "But it's better than my previous condition."

"My apologies, but no one has ever attempted to 'cure' Firekeepers before. Quite the opposite in fact," He murmured, "Regardless, you are bound to the fire, not its location. Take the bonfire with you; it will be cumbersome, but if you are too far from it then you will have to re-bind yourself," He scratched the back of his head, "There are no others like me in this land so you are under no danger. Though we can only hope there are no others like the Count..."

"That's not funny!" Louise hissed.

"It was not meant to be," He scoffed, "If there are others like the Count, then your sister is at risk because she would be considered their prize. Better for everyone here that no one finds out about her true nature."

They all grew silent, the only sound the crackling of the fire. Siesta looked at the three of them in turn before biting her lip; she'd come both out of curiosity and to make him divulge more information on what he knew of her family's origins, but the overbearing atmosphere made her reluctant to speak up. She had to wonder just when exactly had she gotten involved in such weird events.

Cattleya was the first to break the silence, "I do have a question, Sir. Raziel," She started, "You told my father you were some kind of Vampire, yes? Similar to Daphne and Amethyst?" He nodded warily. It was close enough to the truth and they wouldn't have reacted well if he called himself an Undead, and it explained his durability well enough, "How did Louise summon you then? I mean...maybe it will help us receive some insight for her magic."

"I should let master tell you that," Raziel looked away.

"W-What? W-Well..." Louise gulped nervously as her sister turned to look at her. She was easily tempted to confess everything, but- No, she had to keep it secret!, "I told you everything last night, big sis. I don't really understand everything myself, but Raziel's proved useful enough and my explosions allow me to defend myself if it comes down to it.

"I see..." The way her sister sounded wasn't giving the youngest Valliere any sense of relief, "Well, I suppose I can't force you to tell me if you don't want to-"

"B-But I did tell you! I-"

"Louise, please, I can tell when you're hiding something," Raziel's eyes narrowed. Her tone was unnerving, "It's alright, I know you have your reasons for it. I'll wait until you're ready to tell me."

"But I...yes, big sis," Louise chewed on her lower lip. Despite her frailty it was well-known within the household that getting into an argument with the Valliere's second child was an exercise in futility.

"Well then, I suppose mother and father would like to know the good news," Cattleya clapped her hands together, a light giggle escaping her lips, "I'll tell them myself, okay? You stay here with your friends," She stood up and made her way to the door, "Don't worry, you don't need to watch over me."

"She's not my-" The sound of the door closing interrupted her. Louise sighed and looked back at the fire: She'd gotten used to strange events, both for herself and her Familiar, but she thought at least her family would be safe from all the absurdity. Now she found out that her sister had some kind of...irregular soul? It was enough to nearly drive her insane given the thought of it all.

It didn't take long for the bonfire to extinguish itself without its keeper. Despite the darkness none of the three made any effort to stand and open the curtains; the darkness didn't bother them.

"Hey, Raziel?" Siesta's voice broke through the quiet, "Can we...um, finish our conversation from earlier?" It was slightly easier to see now, but for the most part all she could make out were their silhouettes. She found the lack of visibility made it easier for her to talk, "You told me before that you met this 'Chester' back in Tarbes. But if he was my great-grandfather he should have been long dead."

"Chester?" Louise questioned, "Wasn't that the guy you-"

"I would thank you not to finish that sentence, master," Raziel replied evenly. They couldn't see his expression but the edge of annoyance in his tone was evident, "To answer your question, Siesta: Chester was still alive until recently."

"What? That's impossible, you said he wasn't-"

"He was not an Undead, yes, but he had ways to extend his life; either inventing the methods himself or killing others and stealing theirs," He placed a hand under his chin, putting an elbow on top of his knee, "His exact steps are unknown to me but they change nothing. Either way he is gone..."

"Gone? What happened? Did he...well, pass on?" She surprised herself with how casual she was treating his confession. A part of her family was from the same world as him, that should have shocked her more, but...

Ultimately it didn't really involve her. It might have been uncaring but the affairs of her great-grandfather and great-grandmother were their own, not hers. Their time had passed; she didn't expect her own great-grandchildren, if she ever managed to get descendants, would ever look at her as anything more than a name at a tombstone nor did she expect them to.

"...In a manner of speaking," Raziel pursed his lips. Telling her the whole truth could strain their already stressed relationship, "Siesta...what I am about to tell you might be...unpleasant, but please-"

"You killed him, didn't you?"

Louise could practically feel her Familiar freezing up. She gave a look of pity at his silhouette though she said nothing. She didn't exactly agree at first with his actions but at this point she was slowly growing apathetic; a mindset that both relieved and scared her. She would have to kill a lot more in the coming days, and any self-doubt was something the upstarts could use against her.

"I...well, yes..." He felt guilty; not for killing Chester, Gods knew he should have done that long ago, but making Siesta find out this way, "I...admit that perhaps I should not have taken that course of action, but-"

"Raziel, just...stop," She sighed, "I'm not mad...well, not exactly. I don't really know how to feel, I guess," She paused, thinking on what else to say, "I mean...well, you already did save me from the Count's estate and you saved my father during the fighting in Tarbes. Without you I would be missing a parent, and..." She stopped again. She had a feeling it would be bad news ever since he called him 'an enemy' but the reality was still awkward to face.

"...Sorry..." He couldn't really say anything else. Telling her that Chester might have saved her and her siblings in the forest wouldn't have earned him any favors and, following his better judgement, he said nothing more.

A 'good man' would have said he was a dishonorable craven for keeping that information, but he never claimed to be a good man. Quite the opposite given his actions.

Louise looked between her Familiar and the maid. This wasn't exactly what she was expecting given their relationship. Granted she didn't know exactly how she'd react given that information; part of their rivalry with the hated Zerbst family was, after all, heavily rooted in the actions of their ancestors.

Before the awkward silence could continue any longer the door opened once again and Cattleya walked inside, humming to herself happily. Raziel raised an eyebrow; what was she so happy about?

"Mother and father were pleased," She held her hand in front of the bonfire and lit it up once more. He was happy to see that Siesta at least didn't appear angry, "It's not the best solution, of course, but as long as I don't skip out on binding myself to this 'bonfire' then I shouldn't be in any danger, right?" She sat down again, "Besides, the 'siphoning' wasn't really unpleasant so there's no harm done."

"I would rather not repeat it if possible..." Raziel muttered. Shaking his head, he got on one knee and returned to his prayer position. Now was a good chance, "Lady Fontaine, I hope you will pardon my rudeness but I would like to properly use this bonfire."

"Um, alright?" She smiled, "Do I have to do anything?"

"No. I just need you to keep it burning," He closed his eyes. It had been a while since he had given himself to the flame like this - Reinforcing their bodies with souls was a basic instinct for every Undead, but given the changes his body was undergoing he had to wonder if he could still properly manage it. How much did he have anyway? He had to have a decent stock of them by now-

Empty.

His concentration broken, he opened his eyes and stared down at his left hand. Souls...he had no souls...but how!? He'd killed dozens by now, surely he should have had a large amount!

Something was wrong. Concentrating once more he clasped his hands in prayer and closed his eyes again. Strengthening his body with souls, he still remembered. There was no way he could have forgotten. Now, just focus on what he wanted to improve. To empower himself, he had to use the energy of others. Such as a blade could be tempered in a forge, so to could could an Undead's body in the fire.

"It cannot be gone..." He muttered in frustration. Perhaps if he-

"Ngh!" He nearly fell on his back as a sudden jolt of pain engulfed his side. Looking down at his left hand his eyes widened as he saw the the pulsating dark energy that consumed the limb, "What the-" He bit back another scream as the abyssal taint spread to the rest of his arm. What was happening? It felt as if his arm had been set ablaze.

"Raziel!" Siesta and Louise stood up and tried to support him. They were saying something to him, but all he could make out were garbled words. Why...Why was this happening? He clenched his left hand; he had to keep the Dark Hand in control. He slammed his hand on the floor, causing another jolt of pain to go up his arm. Anything to keep him focused. He could feel it fighting, trying to claw its way out of him.

It was afraid.

In front of him he could barely make out the bonfire growing brighter. The fire seemed to reach out towards him, trying to consume him. Glaring at the flame he stood up and, shaking off the hold of his two friends, stumbled out of the room.

"Ah, Raziel, wait!" Louise stood and made to go after him before Cattleya grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, "What- Big sis Catt! I have to-"

"We should leave him alone, Louise," Cattleya shook her head. Louise could see her other hand holding onto the maid, "I have a feeling it'll get worse if either of you try to go after him now."

"But-"

"It's alright," There was that pleasant smile again, "Just trust your big sister, okay?"

"But I...yes, big sis..." Louise looked at the door before reluctantly sitting down, Siesta following her. She thought the maid would ignore her sister's command but there she was sitting across from her, staring down at her knees. Was it obedience or fear that kept her from following?

She could only hope her Familiar was okay.

---

Raziel felt like vomiting.

Forcing himself to keep walking, he held his left arm close to him as he lurched forward. Every step compounded his growing headache and his arm was beginning to grow numb. It was no longer painful, but the dark aura still covered the entirety of his left arm.

But what in the abyss had happened back there? He opened his soul to the bonfire many times before and nothing of that nature had ever happened to him. He raised his left hand and stared at it; it was as if he was looking at a shadowy limb, but beyond the numbness it still felt like a normal part of his body. With every few second a burst of energy pulsed through his arm, causing the fingers to twitch.

Another abnormality...

He had no idea where he was going, but he no longer cared so long as he was away from the bonfire. Slowly but surely he could feel his fear abating and himself calming down. Looking around him he caught sight of the small body of water and the boat moored at its edge. He was back here again? Well, at least he was alone. Shaking away his dizziness he trudged over to the boat.

"...Nothing..." He traced a hand through the boat's edges. Nothing, he couldn't feel anything with his left hand. Was this permanent? He sincerely hoped not, he didn't need another complication. Frankly the blood and tears were enough.

In his frustration he grabbed the boat and threw it as hard as he could. An Undead's strength was much more than that of an ordinary human, he knew that, but given the boat's size he expected it to go for only a few feet; especially since he had only used his left hand.

He certainly didn't expect it to fly off and nearly hit the mausoleum on the other side.

"What in the..." He let out a sigh of relief as the boat embedded itself on the other side's shore; the boat was no doubt broken, but he had a feeling that was much more preferable to the possible damage to the building housing their deceased ancestors.

That...was not exactly what he hoped for when he tried to improve his body. Feeling slowly returned to his left arm and the taint disappeared, turning his skin back to its normally pale color. Perhaps the parasite had finally gotten tired.

That was one problem dealt with for now, but it only opened more questions: Why did it react that way to the bonfire? What exactly had consumed his souls? Questions but never answers, it was beginning to remind him of his time in Lordran.

"Haaa..." Sighing, he sat on the lake's edge and dipped his hands into the water. Why could things never be simple?

The sound of approaching footsteps from behind him caused a sense of panic. Looking back he let out a breath of relief as he saw the Valliere matron. As long as it wasn't the witch or Ms. Fontaine he had no reason to panic: No offense to the middle Valliere child but he would have preferred if they only talked when necessary; being around her gave him a sense of dread. Not a sense of danger, but a notable discomfort.

"Was there something you needed, Ms. Valliere?" He stood up, wiping his wet hands on his trousers. His face didn't feel warm, so he was reasonably sure that he wasn't blushing. He would have to ask someone for advice to keep that reaction down.

"I was merely taking a walk," Her tone was even, though he caught sight of the way her hand clenched. Despite her words she was anything but relaxed, "I have some more questions for you, if you don't mind."

"...Okay?" He crossed his arms, standing rigid, "What is it that you are curious about?"

"Many things come to mind, but I shall ask two for now," She replied, "I would again like to ask about my daughter's...condition," She pursed her lips, "You told us earlier that she was a 'Firekeeper' and that her condition could not be prevented. This is correct?"

"Yes," He nodded, "Similar to your magic she was born with it. I do not know much about how you were gifted with your sorceries but I have never once heard of a Mage who was able to strip themselves of their power."

"I see..."

"If you blame yourself for your daughter's 'condition' then please do not," He reassured, "Firekeepers...there is no way to determine whether one's soul will be a Humanity font. Pardon the term, but it is, as they say, 'in the hands of fate'," He disliked using destiny as an answer, but with the Firekeepers there was no other explanation than fate or chance, "Still...you have my sympathies."

"It is appreciated," She nodded, "Now, on to my next question then: What exactly are you?"

"I told you before," He looked away.

"No. What you told us was what you were similar to, not what you are," She answered coolly, "When I first saw you I assumed you to be nothing more than a human; an odd choice for a Familiar, true, but nothing dangerous. I see now that you are much more than that," She nudged her head to the other side of the lake and the cracked boat, "No human could perform the feat you just pulled or heal my daughter."

"..." He still refused to look at her.

"The Familiar is a reflection of the master. That is what is told to us prior to our summoning," She continued, "If that is truly the case, then I am curious as to what exactly you reflect of my youngest. Her magic has always been strange, and yet now she gains confidence in herself enough to participate in war; this is no coincidence," She stepped closer, "I ask again: What are you?"

"...Raziel..." He looked up at her, his expression neutral, "I am Raziel...Risen Soul," He clenched his left hand, "Any more than I cannot say, my lady. I am bound to my master, and if she deigns to tell you it is only then when I can speak," He uttered, "If you worry for her safety, then fear not. My life is hers as it has always been until the day I pass from this world."

Karin stared at him, her expression unreadable, before finally closing her eyes and let out a fatigued breath, "Fair enough. I suppose you know your place," She looked to the boat again, "Whatever you may be, protect my daughter. You are clearly able despite appearances."

"Of course."

---

They spent a few more days in the Valliere estate. Bizzarely enough they had all managed to settle into a routine: During the day Louise would meet with her family to try and convince them of approving in her assisted suicide and at night she would barge into his room, sometimes with Siesta in tow, to 'plan' for the next day's events. Neither of them were very helpful, but it was rather obvious that his master was just looking for someone to vent to.

How Siesta had gotten roped into her antics he had no idea. When he had asked she had simply said that "Miss. Cattleya made them talk" and that somehow convinced Louise that the maid was a decent enough person to unload her frustrations on. Siesta didn't like it, but she wasn't entirely against it; it was better than being forced to guard their luggage for the entire day.

Both of them had prodded him about his bizarre actions, but after showing them his healed hand they had dropped it. He had no way to explain his previous behavior even if he wanted to, and they could only hope that it wouldn't get worse. To compound that he made sure to keep as far away as possible from the middle Valliere child; it wasn't her fault, but it was becoming quite clear that close proximity to bonfires wasn't healthy for him.

It was on the fourth day that they finally made some progress...well, progress in the sense that someone had solved Louise's problems for her.

A letter from the tyrant Queen arrived, specifically asking for Louise specifically to join. He was still outside the terrace's door when Louise and her father argued about it, but there had been a lot more yelling compared to before. Their words ranged from "It's my duty!" and "I'll be safe since I won't be in the frontlines!" to "War is no place for a child!" and "What is the Queen thinking!?"

But in the end the family wasn't willing to openly defy the tyrant and they reluctantly let their daughter join the war.

They would be leaving the next day, and so they all gathered at his room once more. Despite her 'victory' Louise looked as if she had been dealt a heavy loss. Siesta fared no better, spending over an hour just staring down at her lap and not saying a word. He looked between the two let out a tired breath; why had they even come here?

"Louise, what is wrong? You got what you wanted," He leaned back in his bed. It would be the last time he ever stayed here.

"I-I know that, it's just...well," She sighed, "Mother and Father were disappointed. I had hoped to convince them on my own terms, without having to rely on the princess' power to help me," She bit her lower lip, "And, well...I wanted to spend more time with big sis Catt. I mean, I never thought she'd be healed of her sickness when I came here. I wanted more time to be with her."

"If you wanted more time why were you so insistent on going to war?" He asked flatly. She didn't reply, "Never mind, what is done is done. Maybe you should say your goodbyes."

"I already did," She said, "She was just smiling. I don't know why, though."

"She never stops smiling..." He rolled his eyes. Remembering the events that transpired a few days ago he rummaged under the bed before tossing the pouch at his master, "I almost forgot. She gave me this so I could give it to you. Were you planning on escaping if you were not given permission?"

"I don't know..." Louise looked down at the gold coins. It felt rather useless at the moment.

"Um, hey?" Siesta finally spoke up, "Ms. Valliere, was what you said true? About being in the back ranks?"

"That's what I told them, yes," Louise replied vaguely. Siesta had no knowledge of her void magic and many Mages were frequently placed in the back ranks to serve as artillery. Granted proper female Mages never joined in wars, but as far as the commoner knew the same rules should have still applied/

"I see...please keep safe then..." Siesta allowed herself a small smile. Raziel could see that the lie gave her no small amount of relief.

He still found it difficult to talk to her. Killing her great-grandfather...his best friend cared a lot about her family, but did that love extend for a man she thought was long dead before her own birth? He wasn't keen on bringing up the topic again and neither was she, so there was always a hint of awkwardness whenever they started talking again. He knew he was only putting off the inevitable but he still found it difficult to say anything.

"I'm more worried about Raziel. That little show you had a few days ago wasn't pleasant," Louise stared at him, her arms crossed.

"I already told you I do not know what happened," He scoffed, "If you wish to dwell on it then be my guest, but you will not get any answers."

"Well it involved my sister, so of course I'm worried!" She clicked her tongue, "What the hel was up with your left hand? It's bad enough that you don't know what exactly that thing is but if you lose control you might end up hurting big sis Catt. Siesta was worried too, right?" She turned to the older girl.

"Huh? O-Oh, yes," She nodded. She still wasn't used to the noble suddenly calling her by name.

"Worry all you wish then. I am keeping it under control, as I have since you first summoned me," He replied. It still worried him, but his attention was focused more on the upcoming war. His master wasn't going to be in the back lines like she told her family. Really he wouldn't have been surprised she was to be used as a shield given how powerful she was. An explosion strong enough to take down an entire fleet...he doubted anyone but a God could match that.

"Right, I guess you should pack your things then," Louise stood up and stretched, "Don't forget, we leave early tomorrow."

Raziel waved goodbye to his master as she left, "...Was there something else you needed?" His gaze shifted over to Siesta. Unlike Louise she made no attempt to leave.

"It's nothing really, I just..." She sighed, "These past few days have been tiring, that's all. I'm still trying to understand everything that's happened. You and Ms. Valliere going to war, my great-grandfather coming from your home, and the...well," They both looked away. Maybe he shouldn't have told her they were enemies; in hindsight that should have made it obvious that their encounter wouldn't have a happy ending.

He had lost control, he could admit that easily, but he didn't regret his actions. Perhaps it was ungrateful given the aid he had given him, but it wasn't the first sin he had committed and he doubted it would be his last.

Speaking of the Estus, he sorely wished he had brought it with him now. Well, it wasn't as if he knew he would run into a Firekeeper here of all places...

"I guess I should help Ms. Valliere pack," Siesta made to leave before Raziel grabbed her wrist gently.

"Siesta, wait," He swallowed his nervousness, "I wanted to apologize for any harm I might have caused. I..I know that I made mistakes but I do not want to leave with any regrets. I want to-"

He was silenced when she leaned down and kissed him.

The contact was brief, and it didn't take long for them to separate, but already he could feel his face heating up in embarrassment as Siesta stepped back, her face equally red. Given how wide her eyes were and how she seemed to be attempting to speak it was clear she hadn't planned her action out beforehand.

"Siesta...um-"

"Th-That was..." She coughed, "W-Well, I really have to go help Ms. Valliere pack, so-"

As she turned to leave Raziel grabbed her wrist again and pulled her back. Letting out a squeak of surprise she stumbled back, losing her balance in the process, and fell onto the bed. Raziel's eyes widened and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her as she landed on the mattress. It was a pointless action; it wasn't as if she could hurt herself from falling on a bed.

"My apologies, I did not mean to..." His words died in his throat as he became aware of their position - He was lying over her, one hand still holding onto her wrist while the other was circled around her back. He swallowed nervously and tried to keep himself from blushing. Siesta was his friend, she'd seen him at his worst, there was no need to feel embarrassment from something like this.

"Um, Raziel?" Her voice was soft. Her hands pushed against his chest gently, "I...really should help Ms. Valliere, so..."

He felt a warmth course through him as he looked at her. She mumbled something else, but his attention was focused elsewhere. Her lips, the ones she'd kissed him just a few seconds earlier. He could make out the blush marring her cheeks, turning her pale skin red.

Ignoring every instinct telling him to get up, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a kiss.

---

"What do you mean you're coming with us!?"

Raziel had to restrain himself from attacking the witch as she ravaged Louise's cheeks in punishment for her 'disrespect'. As instructed they were to leave early; or at least that's what he thought. The witch informed them that she was coming along, which his master took with...less grace than she would have liked. Rather, she forgot proper manners and looked as if she wanted to throttle her eldest sister.

Behind them he could make out at least three carriages, the last of which was moving around rather oddly. Siesta glanced at him briefly before turning away, her face flushed. He wanted to help her with the luggage but he had a feeling going to help her now would only cause more problems. Last night's events were rather...embarrassing, even if he didn't fully understand why.

He did something similar with the tyrant, and remembering it caused him to feel nothing but disdain. His experience with Siesta was much more...pleasant.

"I'm sorry, honored sister!" Louise forced out, rubbing her red cheeks, "B-But it's a legitimate question! What reason would you have to accompany us?"

"Mother and Father want someone to keep an eye on you," She sounded just as irritated as her younger sibling, "And I also received an offer to teach at the academy not too long ago, so until you go to this damnable war you're so eager to throw your life away for they told me to watch over you. Be grateful."

"What? But-"

"She's not the only one," Cattleya's voice interrupted. The middle child giggled as her sister tried to sputter out more words, "I wanted to see what little Louise's school was like and since I've gotten healthier father has given me permission."

"Many of the teachers are going to be joining in this war, so Cattleya will temporarily substitute for the etiquette professor," Eleanor explained, "Regardless, I need to have a word with you about proper manners."

Raziel clenched his hands as Louise was dragged away to the first carriage. He made to follow them before Cattleya grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Please calm down, Sir. Raziel."

"She is hurting her," He hissed, "You are her sister, are you not? Do something."

"When Eleanor gets that mad there's nothing even I can do," Her shoulders slumped, "I tried telling mother and father that I could watch over Louise myself but they insisted that she be involved as well. She was...frustrated because of it, and I spent the better part of last night trying to calm her with no success," She placed a hand on her cheek, "I just wish they can both get along."

"Wishing is not good enough," He rolled his eyes, "Regardless, where is your bonfire?"

"In the carriage, with the rest of my companions," She gestured to the moving carriage in the middle, "I apologize for any trouble I might have caused you a few days ago. It wasn't my intention to hurt you."

"It was not your fault," He shook off her hand, "It was a mistake I made..." He subtly moved away from her, "...What did you mean by companions-"

"Eeeekkk!" His question was answered as Siesta squealed and jumped back from the moving carriage. A bear poked its snout out of the door, scaring the dark haired girl with its quiet grumble. From behind him he could make out the rest of the animals belonging to her pack; how they all fit into a single carriage was a mystery he could never have hoped to solve.

"Beauregard, no!" Cattleya scolded, "What did I tell you about scaring people?"

"Grrrrr," It looked away in what appeared to shame.

"Now, now. I know you didn't mean to," She petted its furry head gently, "Now apologize to Ms. Siesta for scaring her."

"Hraahhhh," It looked at Siesta and let out a throaty growl. The maid could do nothing but nod and scramble away to the last carriage. Raziel looked at the scene with a slight smile; it was juvenile to find entertainment in something like this, but he would take what little enjoyment he could receive. He took one last look at his master and the witch before going to his own carriage. He would see how she was doing later.

---

If the trip to the Valliere estate was awkward, the trip back was even more so. Raziel pointedly stared out the window and Siesta did the same, neither willing to say the first word. The events of last night played out in their heads and both blushed heavily at the memory. It was certainly...unexpected, though whether it was unwelcome was another matter entirely.

Raziel frowned. It was wrong of him to force himself on her. They were friends, and he was already on thin ice with her; he didn't need to add complications like this.

"...Sorry," He forced himself to speak, "I mean, I forced myself on you and...sorry..."

"N-No, it's alright. You didn't force yourself on me. I liked it..." Her cheeks reddened as she realized what she said, "I-I mean, don't take that the wrong way! What I meant to say was...well, you didn't force me to do anything I didn't want."

"But still...it was not proper of me," He turned to face her, "You are my friend and...I do not want to ruin that with my mistakes."

Friend. There was that word again. She took a deep breath to calm herself: She knew for a long time now that he was oblivious, and while his Undeath could have been an excuse she was beginning to suspect he would have been that way regardless if he was a Human, Elf or Vampire. She would have thought that last night's activities would make it obvious but he appeared to be as clueless as ever.

"Raziel, look..." She took another deep breath, "What happened last night...I didn't mean to start it but I don't consider it a mistake. Do you?"

"A...mistake would not be the term I would use," He answered slowly, wringing his hands together, "I..do not know what came over me, to be completely honest. I would be lying if I said it was...unpleasant, but I lost control of myself and..." He coughed, "I...hope you were not injured. I did not think I would be tempted to bite-"

"Okay, that's enough of that!" She interrupted quickly, "Look, we both know what we did last night and...well, you're not the best kisser, but it happened, alright? We shouldn't dance around it."

"My apologies, I do not have experience with these matters," His previous partner wasn't exactly one he would have chosen, though he kept that to himself, "But...what exactly does this mean? You told me before that kissing and such was an act done for...intimate partners," He clenched his hands on his knees, "And our actions last night were...sorry, I do not know what to say."

"It's alright," She sighed and tried to smile again, "It's not like we went too far, your weird attempt at biting aside," He winced, "I mean, it's not like we went all the way, you know? You...don't have to be so embarrassed."

"All the way? ...I thought kissing was the most intimate action?"

"I guess no one ever gave you that talk in Lordran," She sighed once more, "Look the point is that what we did last night happened and we need to talk about it. I mean...you kissed me, that has to mean something."

"That was..." Why couldn't this carriage go faster?, "In all honesty, I do not know any more than you do why I did that..." He rubbed his lips together, "I care about you, Siesta. But I do not know-"

"I love you."

Raziel opened his mouth to say something, anything to push back against the silence, but all he could force out were garbled words. She said...she said she loved him? No, he...he must have misheard. Or she meant it in a different way. There was...there was no way that she loved him in...in that way.

It was...impossible.

"Um, uh..." Gods his face was warm. He wasn't the only one; across from him Siesta seemed equally stunned by the declaration, though she was doing her best to keep her gaze leveled at him, "Siesta, you just..." He licked his lips. Gods, he didn't know what to say. He wasn't prepared for something like this. If she had told him he hated her he would have expected it; it would have hurt, but he would at least seen that coming.

"I...love you too," He mimicked a cough, "You are my best friend and-"

"No, n-not like that!" She steeled herself. She had to make this clear, "God, Raziel, I shouldn't even have to say it! I wouldn't have done that last night if I didn't love you! Even if...you don't share the same feelings you should at least know that..."

"Siesta, I...you know I am an Undead!" He tried to keep his voice stable, "You cannot possibly mean that! I mean..." He looked away, his expression pained, "You know what I am...you know that I am not human. What you seek, this 'love'...I cannot give it to you. I am going to die soon; whether at the hands of this war or my own Hollowing. And even if I do not...I have no experiences in matters of this nature. Surely-"

His ramblings were silenced when she grabbed both sides of his face and pulled him into another kiss. The contact lasted longer this time, though it wasn't long before Siesta had to separate, gasping for breath.

"Does that make it clear?"

---

Raziel groaned, smashing his face into the table. He would have thought arriving back at the academy would bring a sense of relief, but he felt just as pained as he did back at the estate.

She loved him...Siesta loved him. He couldn't help but let his lips quirk upwards despite his better judgement. Gods damn it, he should not have been happy about this! He...He was going to die, she should not give her affection to someone who was going to leave her. She deserved someone better, someone who could actually stay with her rather than running away to die.

Still, did he want to reject her? He should have said 'No' back at the carriage, but something stilled his tongue. He had to admit he was...tempted, much as it shamed him. He didn't fully understand the concept of 'romance'. The only example of ongoing courtship he could truly remember was with Wales and the tyrant, and that had ended rather poorly all things considered. Wales couldn't be together with his beloved, and he couldn't be together with Siesta. Whatever relationship they could possibly have would be futile in the end.

Still, her lips felt nice...

He smashed his face into the table again. Bad thoughts...

"I would appreciate it if you didn't break my furniture, Raziel," Colbert warned, "I'm still currently using it, after all," The bespectacled professor picked up a test tube full of viscous liquid and shook it. It needed more heating, "I must admit I was surprised to see you here. It's been a while since you came here," He recalled the events of the ruins and shook his head. He made an oath to say nothing, "Was there something you needed?"

"No, it is just..." He sat up and sighed, "I needed a place to gather my thoughts. You told me I was welcome to come here, has this been retracted?"

"Well, no, just a surprise is all," He laughed nervously and rubbed his bald head, "But I can tell something is troubling you and it would be wrong for me to not offer my help," He sat on the chair across from him, "Tell me what ails you."

"I...appreciate the offer," He gave the professor a rare smile, "It's just...have you ever been 'in love'?"

"Wh-What?" The teacher's eyes widened briefly before he calmed himself, "Ahem, sorry, I simply wasn't expecting that question," He forced a smile, "I'm well past the age of respectable marriage, I fear. I have neither the wealth nor position to attract prospective partners nor do I wish to force anyone into a marriage. Besides," He laughed, "I'm afraid I wouldn't make a very good husband. My focus is with my projects, I wouldn't have the time for a proper wife."

"Marriage..." He winced. That was a goal of romance in the end; he almost forgot about that tidbit. Siesta had told him back in the carriage that she was willing to wait for his answer, but he still had no idea on how to answer her.

"Professor...what would you do...if someone told you they loved you?"

"Hmm, another odd question," Colbert leaned back in his seat, "I must say I have little experience with such things. In the case of confessions in my youth I was the one giving them rather than receiving," He shook his head. The follies of youth, "But why do you ask? Do you plan to confess to someone?"

"No..." He sighed. It was best he didn't reveal too much, "Just a curiosity," He tapped his fingers on the table, "The school seems much emptier..."

"Yes, well, such is the result of war," The professor's shoulders sagged, "Many of my fellow teachers left to enlist. The only other male staff on duty here would be Headmaster Osmond and myself," He looked out the window wistfully, "The male students leave today as well. I would have thought you'd be down there to say goodbye to Sir. Gramont. I thought you two were close?"

"I was never good at goodbyes," He dodged. He doubted Guiche would care enough about him to receive his farewells, "You have no plans to go?"

"Me? Oh no, of course not," He shrugged his shoulders, "I despise war and its entirety. If that makes me a coward then I welcome the term."

"I would call you sensible," Raziel laughed wryly. He stood up and walked to the window; he could make out a large crowd of students. The 'brave heroes' were saying goodbye to their lovers, trying to dry their tears. He idly wondered how many of them would make it back from this, "They will die for that Queen's ambitions..."

"Such is the way of the world, I suppose," Colbert commented, "I can only pray for their survival. I admit the thoughts of my colleagues simply not coming back once this war ends keeps me up at night. Headmaster Osmond hiring Ms. Valliere's siblings does little to put my heart at ease."

"They are here to keep an eye on Louise," Raziel replied, walking back to the table, "Let us speak of other matters - How was your trip? Did you find what you were searching for?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, it was very fruitful!" He picked up a blueprint from the shelf and spread it over the table, "The ruins were rich with unexplored treasures, but what caught my attention was this blueprint," He tapped a finger against the diagram, "I was working on a machine that could be powered by fire, and these plans have similar properties. Imagine the potential if we managed to make it work! Carriages would no longer have to be pulled by horses or boats would no longer rely on windstones!" He grinned excitedly, "Fire could be used to advance our knowledge, not destroy what we've built."

"Fascinating..." He narrowed his eyes at the paper. The design was somewhat familiar...no, he was just imagining things, "It would be a sight to see, at the very least. The mechanisms I have come across in both my land and this one were easily subverted. Creating a machine of this manner would be difficult."

"The challenge makes the success all the more satisfying," He laughed, "So long as I am breathing I will do my best to see it realized."

"It is nice to have a goal to focus on," Raziel smiled slightly, "Perhaps if-"

"Rrgh!" He released a scream as a sudden burst of pain once again engulfed his side. Closing his eyes briefly, he tried to move his left arm and winced as it shook uncontrollably, knocking away the beakers and books stacked atop the table.

"Raziel, what's wrong?" The professor reached out a hand to help but the smaller male pushed him away and tripped, hitting his head against the floor.

The Undead grabbed his left hand with his right and forced it still; it still pulsed with dark energies, sending waves of pain that nearly forced him to scream. What in the abyss?

"Raziel, are you alright?" Colbert knelt in front of him. The young man was obviously pained, but the dark energies coursing through his right arm was unknown to him, "Is there anything I can to do help?"

"No..." He shook his head and forced himself to stand. He had to leave, "Just...this has happened before...just let me deal with it."

Despite his offers of help the Undead forced open the door to the laboratory and closed it behind him with a slam. Sighing, Colbert turned back and winced as he caught sight of the broken glass and ruined books. It wouldn't take much to replace, but his thoughts were still on the young man. He was obviously suffering and he knew he could offer no true aid.

He looked outside the window once more and blinked in surprise. A dragon was landing in the courtyard.

Down the winding steps, Raziel let go of his left and mimicked a deep breath. He could control it now, but it was still painful. He bit his tongue, trying to keep himself from screaming. Perhaps some fresh air would do him some good.

It didn't take him long to spot the dragon once he finally managed to leave the tower. He raised an eyebrow; it's size was rather distinctive compared to the students or even Sylphid. Despite its intimidating presence, however, the attention of the female crowd was at something a few feet away from it and they ignored it, treating it as if it wasn't even there.

"There you are!" He let out a slight of pain as Louise walked up to him and clapped his shoulder, "Sorry, it took us a while to finish the meeting with Headmaster Osmond. I still can't believe big sis Catt and honored sister Eleanor are going to teach here. I'm happy that big sis Catt is here, of course, but-" She finally noticed his expression. "What's wrong? You don't look so good."

"Another incident," He raised his left hand briefly before putting it behind him, "It does not matter. What is the commotion?"

"No idea," She shrugged, "We should check, I suppose."

Louise walked to the crowd, her Familiar trailing behind her slowly. Away from the crowd of females she couldn't help but groan at the sight of the boys glaring at whatever had taken the attention of the girls. What was it now?

The 'what' came in the form of a handsome priest. Pushing past the crowd, she finally made out the solitary male among the crowd, his white and blue longcoat giving him a distinctive figure. Louise looked him up and down: He was tall, easily reaching or surpassing the heights of the other male students, and the easy smile he wore attested to his confidence. He raised both hands, easily placating the female's questions.

Her eyes widened as she finally got a good look at his face. He looked just like-

"Oh, there you are!" His smile widened as he caught sight of her. Weaving through the crowd, he made his way towards her and, without giving her a chance to react, took his hand and placed a kiss on it, "I've been waiting so long to finally make your acquaintance," He bowed, "If you would pardon my rudeness, I would just like to say that you look even more beautiful in person. Clearly those rumors have done you a disservice."

"What? Rumors? I don't-" She untangled his hand from hers, "Who are you?"

"Ah, of course, how rude of me!" He bowed once more, "My name is Julio Cesare. As for those rumors, they are of no import. They pale in comparison to the genuine person," He suddenly looked ashamed, "Oh, forgive my rudeness. I only-"

"Let go of her."

Louise squeaked in surprise as her Familiar pulled her back with one hand and pushed the priest away with the other. Julio grunted softly and rubbed his chest; for a one-armed push with was rather strong.

The crowd behind him grew silent and one glance at the male opposite him made it obvious why: The style and color of the hair and his expression were different, but beyond that it was as if he was looking at a Familiar. Julio nearly laughed; he hadn't noticed it before since he was wearing a disguise, but he had to admit that it was a pleasant surprise.

"Hey, doesn't Valliere's familiar-"

"He does! Did Valliere model her Golem after him?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. But does that mean she knows him?"

Louise wanted to yell out a protest, but her attention was once again drawn to her Familiar and the moon eyed priest. Raziel was glaring at him, but Julio only seemed amused by his actions.

"Well now, this is a surprise," Julio laughed softly, "I did not expect I would meet you again so soon. I didn't recognize you back at Albion," He brushed his hair back, "I wonder, do you recognize me? No, I suppose that's impossible. We share a face now but I look much different than when we last met. Just as I have changed I imagine so have you," He smirked, "You did steal my face, after all."

"What are you talking about?" Raziel spat. The pulsing on his left hand was growing stronger and he kept it behind his back, "I have never met you before."

"Have you forgotten? Ah, such a shame," He sighed, seemingly disappointed, "Well then, I suppose for you this will be our first meeting."

Julio took hold of his right hand and pulled him into an embrace, his smile never faltering, "Let go..." Raziel snarled. The priest's grip was strong despite his lean physique. He caught sight of the abyssal taint covering the Undead's left hand and held back a laugh. Sometimes they made it too obvious. He leaned in close and whispered in his ear before his smile returned once more.

"It's good to see you again, old friend."

---

Well that chapter's over and done with. Some might be underwhelmed by the performance in this one, but if I put everything in one chapter I'd lose content for the future so I tried to glide through as quickly as possible. Cattleya's still at the academy, so don't worry she'll put in her appearances. Lousie got the shaft for this chapter, but the next one will be more focused on her with the appearance of Julio.

So...yeah, this chapter does make some leaps with the relationships at the very least. I was rather reluctant to put that in but screw it we're nearing the war arc and I couldn't have them be interrupted again so she finally fesses up and he (sorta) reciprocates. Before anyone starts raging: That segment pretty much wrote itself, legit didn't plan that, and it's not exactly permanent given how anything can change during the course of the story. Emotions are running rather high at the moment. Hopefully no one gets too ticked off.

To anyone disappointed about the lack of level ups: Those abyss powers don't come cheap, you know! In all seriousness though, I don't want this to be a power-trip roflstomp. The CU is weak in Dark Souls, but as many stated before it's also because everything else is insanely strong in Lordran which doesn't carry over in Halkeginia. If he leveled up too much there'd be no suspense at all since anything Halk throws at him barring dragons would be doing scratch damage. His estus is still free game though :)

Besides, it's not like he's exactly weak at this point considering the multitude of other things he has access to like regenerating health, abyss powers, better pyromancy etc etc. Even if he doesn't 'invest' his souls manually he's better compared to the early chapters. This chapter also showed an improvement to his Dark Hand, though unintended.

LazyDragonSlayer - As stated above, nix on the level up, though he does seem to gradually gain levels anyway. As for iron flesh pyromancy, that got nerfed. Gameplay-wise the pyromancy can outright prevent you from dodging and running, implying your character becomes EXTREMELY heavy: If we treat that halfway fairly that also means ATTACKING would be extremely slow to impossible since his body's weighed down so much. Raziel's fighting style, if you can even call it that, relies on a mix of aggression, brute force and speed.

That and he just doesn't use pyromancy all that much. He also has all the spells memorized but he never seems to want to look for a catalyst. He's much more comfortable slashing his way through combat, and even when he does use pryomancy he always uses it in an aggressive or blunt way.

Mingyu - It's just his type, like how some people like redheads he prefers a more mature charm, at least in physical appearance. Jury's out on what kind of personality he likes.

Kishinokurobi - Possibly, though I'd have to do some major writing to do that believably and not have them be strangled by the red string. I do agree with you that it has a lot of plot potential, but that logic so does Tiffania, Tabitha or even Louise.

Also, it would be very easy to keep her imprisoned: Just swipe her wand. Also, as canon dictates, Louise's family actually is overprotective and she had a 50/50 shot of them accepting it or keeping her locked up 'for her own good'. Many parents who have kids with talents might actively dissuade them from cultivating them if it puts them at risk, and telling them she essentially has parts of Jesus Christ's powers has a good chance of them treating her like a lamb to be protected from the big bad wolves.

HiddenMaster - Hey man, he has a type :p As for Cattleya it's either he finds her personally discomforting or like you said he's resisting the urge. This chapter does show that he's rather put-off by her despite her never doing anything to hurt him, though he does say he it's not because he dislikes her. He also does make an active effort to resist his instincts like when he refused to siphon Siesta.

That and as seen in this chapter while he can still use bonfires to a degree opening himself up to one causes problems.

Draco Oblivion - Well as they say 'no man is an island'. You can count on hand the number of people who could truly count as 'One man armies' in real life, and even they had backup. Undead and Vampires make great shock troopers, but humans have the advantage of there being a fuckload of us versus the handful of them. Throw enough bodies and even a dragon will fall eventually.

Drake202 - No on the marriage and no on the harem: Raziel is a pet, you don't marry the pets because it has something you need. Also, no, Louise meant that she cared about him platonically. Likewise Cattleya never shows much attraction to him - Believe me I planned so before, but I'm cutting most if not all the harem elements out cause it feels somewhat cheap. That and as shown in this chapter Raziel doesn't take 'I love you' declarations very well considering his stunted mindset.

Reader and Dareth - If so it was not really my intention, sorry. Cattleya would most likely focus more on her newfound freedom than spend time seducing malnourished-looking teenagers. Louise just made some quick assumptions.

Luna's Tsun Tsun - Tried my best at an explanation, but really the Firekeepers are just there. It doesn't really matter how they became that way - Especially since The Fair Lady, a freaking Goddess who wouldn't have a Dark Soul, can become one. The how and why don't matter, we just focus on how it affects them.

Neverending000 - Nope. In-game it's a piece of equipment like the Pyromancy Flame, but

Kolonist - That serious talk will have to wait, though they do have a small exchange here. If I gave away everything at the first chapter etc etc I already said it above. Besides, I'm already lagging behind so there's no need to write another chapter of just them faffing about the estate before making them go back to the school the next chapter.