Author's Note : I meant to post this at the beginning of the last chapter, but here it is instead :)
I wanted to clarify any confusion about the nature of this republishing of Halkegenia Online.
For long time readers, V1.1 in particular changes relatively little from V1. It's better to think of V1.1 as having undergone some much needed editing. Some scenes have been chopped for brevity, being redundant, or because they created loose plot threads in hindsight, and volunteers helped me to streamline some awkward dialogue and perform grammar and spellchecking.
A larger divergence is planned in the version 2.1 rewrite, which already has new material written and planned for later posting, I found that I wrote myself into a bit of a corner there and just couldn't find a way out. But unlike paper publishing, you can fix that on the internet XD
Halkegenia Online v1 – Refactored – Chapter 3
Kirigaya Kazuto, Kirito, former Beater of SAO and now a Spriggan from the world of ALfheim Online, found himself traveling at a leisurely trot atop a large black stallion. At his back the Sylph swordswoman Leafa, his sister Suguha, swayed gently from side to side with the gait of the horse. One of their escorts, a small blue haired girl, rode beside them holding the reins.
The small girl was named Tabitha, the tall one was called Kirche, and the blond boy was named Guiche. Aside from that, nothing they said made much sense.
Even the most dedicated LARPers had to break from character from time to time. Even in the death game of SAO, where the virtual world had become real life for many of the players, the illusion had never persisted for very long.
"Kirito-kun?" Leafa whispered at his back.
"Hmm?"
"What you said earlier, you don't really think that, right? How can people not know that they're in VR?"
"That was just my impression from speaking to the Professor. But I don't think it's possible to not know that you're in a virtual environment."
"W-what are you Elves whispering about!" the boy, Guiche, shot a nervous glance at the two of them.
"We're just wondering about this land," Kirito said. "Since we've never heard of it."
"You speak Tristanian," the girl, Kirche, observed with narrowed eyes.
"Is that what it sounds like to you?" Kirito asked. The system auto-translate was still working then. "Like I said, we've never heard of Tristain."
"A likely ploy to gather information!" Guiche accused. "A son of the Gramont family will never reveal military secrets to an Elf!" Guiche kept right on babbling, but Kirito had already tuned him out. From their looks the girls were trying to do the same.
"Guiche, enough," Kirche said suppressingly. "If they say they don't know, then maybe they really don't know."
"Not Elves," Tabitha said suddenly. "Maybe."
"But their ears! And that strange magic!" Guiche defended.
"Maybe," Tabitha repeated.
"It can't hurt to tell them what any commoner knows," Kirche decided out loud.
"We're currently in the Kingdom of Tristain, one of the Brimiric Kingdoms, that along with Germania comprise the continent of Halkegenia."
"Brimiric Kingdoms?" Leafa asked.
"Kingdoms whose royalty can claim descent from the Founder Brimir," Kirche explained without explaining. "I'm guessing that if you don't know what the Brimiric Kingdoms are, you wouldn't have heard of the Founder, either."
Kirito and Leafa shook their heads in unison. "So where are these different Kingdoms in relation to us?" Kirito asked.
"Well, we're almost dead in the middle of Tristain right now. Germania is to the north and east," Kirche said. "Gallia borders Tristain along the south. Romalia is on a peninsula on the other side of Gallia, and Albion is . . . hmmm, what's today . . . oh, it'd be over the sea a bit to the north-west right now."
Right now? Kirito wondered but didn't say anything as Kirche continued.
"Far to the east of Gallia and Germania are the Elven lands. So, where you're from."
"We're not Elves," Leafa said, but her heart wasn't really in it.
"Then, what are you?" Tabitha asked quietly.
"Leafa here is a Sylph," Kirito explained, "and I'm a Spriggan."
"You really meant what you said about being Faeries?" Kirche asked with interest. "They're just legends you know."
"Giant tree," Tabitha said.
"Yes, yes, I know dear." Kirche glanced over her shoulder at the World Tree.
"I think we mean different things by Faeries," Kirito said. "And I definitely don't think we're from the Elven lands." Kirito glanced to Guiche, "I guess these Elves must be pretty powerful if you're so afraid of them."
Both Tabitha and Kirche stiffened in their saddles.
"Powerful?" Guiche said in a brittle voice. "They can make pacts with the spirits of the land and use their heathen magics to lay waste to entire armies!" Guiche said. "A single Elf warrior is a match for a squadron of mages!"
"You know Guiche, if they are Elves you're paying them a compliment," Kirche teased.
"Is that so?" Kirito grinned. "It sounds like they're pretty tough. I wonder if I could beat one."
Guiche fell over his own words. Kirche didn't seem to really believe Kirito's bravado, but continued to answer his questions. The conversation left him reasonably sure she was not an NPC. If the world that was being perceived was indistinguishable from reality, the conclusion was that they must treat it as reality.
Unless he was hallucinating.
Before too long the castle began to come into view ahead of them. "Wait." Tabitha brought the group to a halt. She reined her horse up alongside Kirito and Leafa. "Hands," she ordered.
"You can't mean to unbind them!" Guiche protested.
"Looks suspicious," she said.
"Tabitha's right. We don't want people thinking we brought back criminals. Come to think of it, their head coverings look a little suspicious too." She frowned thoughtfully before perking up. "How about something like this," Kirche half murmured, half sang. Kirito and Leafa both perked up as their handkerchiefs rippled through the colors of the rainbow before settling into jet back and light green respectively.
The smaller girl gave Kirche an annoyed look as Kirito and Leafa examined the changed cloth. "Oh, I'll change them back later," Kirche defended.
"B-but . . . " Guiche stuttered.
"Well, you can always look at it this way," Kirche said. "If the guards take an interest, and they really are Elves, then these two won't have any choice but to fight their way out. Am I right?" she nodded to Kirito.
"I'd really like to avoid it," Kirito said in the sweetest voice he could muster.
Guiche seemed ready to burst, and then, with a shake of his head, "Fine!" Drawing his rose he gestured to the manacles and with a short incantation they began crumbling back into earth. "Are you happy now?"
"Yup!" Kirche said cheerfully.
They were greeted at the gate by a group of guards wielding crossbows and halberds. "Halt, who goes there? Oh, Lady Tabitha it's you." An older man nodded politely. "Where is your Professor? He left with you, didn't he?"
"Important business," Tabitha said tonelessly. The man glanced to Kirito and Leafa. "Messengers. Going to speak with the Headmaster." The man nodded hesitantly and signaled for them to be allowed past.
Kirito helped his sister down gingerly. "You okay Sugu?"
"Mmm." She nodded. "But my back really hurts." The Sylph swordswoman stretched her arms. "Guess I'm not made for the saddle."
Tabitha went to converse with a group of the instructors standing watch beside the stables while Kirche and Guiche did their best to keep their curious fellow students at bay.
"Did you go all the way to that tree?"
"What was it like?"
"It's some kind of illusion right? It can't be real."
"Where's Professor Colbert?"
"Who are these two?"
"They're messengers we met along the way. They're here to see the Headmaster, don't crowd them." Kirche started pushing a way through the crowd of curious onlookers.
"Are they foreigners?"
"Look at his hair."
"And his skin!"
"What sort of girl wears pants like that?"
"It's so undignified!"
"But look at her chest!"
"And her legs!"
Kirito's hand twitched idly. Tabitha waved for them to follow. Along the way they received more odd looks, but any questions about their identity were dispelled instantly by Tabitha with comments of "Official Business" as they were led to a wizened old man. His face was obscured by a long white beard and he leaned on his staff as he conversed with the faculty.
Tabitha walked straight up to him, ignoring the queue that had built up and beckoned for him to lean down. She whispered something into his ear. Whatever it was caused the Headmaster to become instantly alert. He turned to look directly at Kirito and Leafa, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"My, is that so?"
Tabitha nodded solemnly.
"I apologize, but an important matter has come to my attention. Please direct your requests to my secretary," he nodded to a green haired woman at his side, "Miss Longueville." He gave the woman a small pat on her posterior.
The young woman perked up in surprise. "Hey, wait but . . ." The pack of students and faculty closed in on her.
"Come along now." They took a flight of spiraling stairs upward, depositing them before a pair of large oaken doors deeply inscribed with runes. At the center of one of the doors, at eye level, a small brass placard was engraved with text. The old man tapped his staff against the placard, receiving a soft click in reply.
Beyond the doors was a large office, comfortably furnished in contrast to the cold stone walls. After closing the door the elderly man muttered something under his breath and inscribed a small circle with his staff. A flash of green light briefly filled the air. Satisfied, he looked at Kirito and then Leafa before removing a pipe from his robes and placing it delicately in his mouth.
"Now what am I forgetting . . ." the man mumbled. "Ah yes, my manners." He took the pipe from his mouth. "I am known as Osmond, Old Osmond if you prefer, Headmaster of this Academy."
"Old Osmond?" Kirito asked. "That seems a little redundant."
Leafa hissed in his ear. "Don't be rude!"
The old man took a puff of his pipe. "It's quite alright. Being called 'Old' becomes rather a compliment at my age."
The man looked them both over. "Now then, Elves is it? Show me." Far from being an order, the voice carried a note of almost grandfatherly concern.
They undid their handkerchiefs so that the Headmaster could see their ears. The man circled them slowly, examining from every angle. Leafa fidgeted nervously.
"Hmmm."
"What?" Leafa asked.
"These do indeed appear to be the ears of an Elf," Osmond decided. "Though I've never seen or heard of an Elf with dark hair and eyes. Your accents are not what I would expect."
"Might not be Elves," Tabitha said.
"So you've said," Osmond replied. "Your report, Miss Tabitha."
The girl seemed to frown at the request, though Kirito couldn't be sure. "Departed at ten hundred hours, traveled due south for two hours."
"She means that we left the academy with Professor Colbert at ten of the clock and got about halfway to the tree," Kirche explained, glancing to Tabitha for confirmation. The smaller girl nodded.
"Observed changes in flora and fauna." Tabitha said.
"The plants and animals we saw in the direction of the tree were different. Professor Colbert agreed," Kirche elaborated.
"The lay of the land has changed as well," Guiche put in.
"Were spotted by Elves." Tabitha glanced to Kirito. "Maybe not Elves," she added.
"Meaning?" Osmond asked.
"Claim to be Fairies, Spriggans and Sylphs. One had ears like a cat." The pale girl blushed as she pantomimed cat's ears. "Another had dark skin and red hair," she added.
"He would have made a handsome Germanian," Kirche agreed thoughtfully.
"Then perhaps a demihuman," Osmond said. "An alliance? Ah, well, go on." Osmond puffed at his pipe.
"They flew using an enchantment. We hid. Got spotted." Tabitha frowned. "They had the element of surprise and the high ground but surrendered both. These two, Kirito and Leafa, offered themselves, collateral. The Professor agreed to speak to their leaders." Tabitha, finished with her report, rubbed gently at her throat.
"She means that they got the drop on us, but they didn't want to fight," Kirche said. "They say that there's a town at the base of that tree that got transported along with it."
"Spriggans and Sylphs?" Osmond mused, "Like the old tales of Albion? You certainly do not look like the ghost of a giant nor a spirit of the wind." The man stroked his beard. "You said they flew using magic and not mounts?"
"Does that matter?" Kirche asked.
"Indeed," Osmond said. "Elves dislike using their magic while flying. It makes it more difficult for them to call upon the spirits of the land for aid. So it is quite strange to hear of one using magic to fly."
"How do you know that, Headmaster?" Guiche asked.
"Ah, well, even I was once Young Osmond," the man said with a hint of mirth. Was this person even taking them seriously? Kirito began to wonder.
"The surest way to tell if they are Elves would be to examine their magic," Osmond decided. "Could either of you cast something please? A small demonstration will suffice."
"Headmaster!" Guiche stepped forward in protest. "Certainly you wouldn't allow them to use their magic here of all places!"
"Calm yourself Mister Gramont," the Headmaster admonished.
Leafa stepped forward. "I think I know one that might be harmless enough."
"Please, proceed when you are ready," Osmond said.
Leafa closed her eyes and took a breath before beginning to speak. As she recited, the air around her glowed and was inscribed with circling runes. The Sylph's voice rose at the end of the incantation and the runes glowed brightly before collapsing and collecting down into a single point of light.
The light bobbed in the air before drifting to hover beside Guiche. The boy stepped back, only to be faithfully followed.
Kirito noticed his sister touching a hand to her head. "Are you okay Leafa?" he asked.
The Sylph nodded slowly. "Mmm, just felt like déjà vu." She nodded to the flickering light, which on closer inspection resembled a firefly. "This is Searching Tracer. The caster can sense the location of the tracer and use it to follow someone at a distance."
"An interesting use of magic," Osmond said. "In any case, those incantations were not any Elven magics that I recognize. Tell me your story and we shall see where it leads us."
"That might take a while," Kirito said.
"We have time," Osmond replied.
"You probably won't believe us," Kirito added.
"I've always enjoyed a good tale, one way or the other."
Kirito churned over what he had heard and seen so far. "Before I begin. None of you have ever heard the terms ALfheim, AmuSphere or Nerve Gear?" The gathered students and Old Osmond all shook their heads. "Then what about Virtual Reality, or the country of Japan?"
Again the answer was negative.
"Then," Kirito said. "there is one last thing I have to ask. I'll know the answer based on your response." Kirito sat up straight. "Quest Pause," he said flatly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kirche asked.
"Onii-chan?" Leafa whispered.
Kirito tried to be strong for his sister, he smiled reassuringly and gently squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Sugu. We're going to figure this out."
He looked back to Old Osmond. At this point all of his theories were exhausted. Kirito's thoughts spiraled in a million directions as he tried to make sense of how any of it was possible. "The land we came from is called ALfheim. It is a continent surrounded on all sides by oceans for as far as the eye can see, and at its center resides the World Tree."
"You mean that giant shrub?" Kirche asked.
Kirito laced his fingers before him. "That is the world we came from, but it not the world we are from . . ."
Colbert clung white knuckled to his staff and focused on maintaining the levitation spell. He was no stranger to flight, but when suddenly exposed to the control of someone else, at this height and at this velocity, the sensation of flying was more akin to that of falling. After a few long, terrifying moments the two Faeries leveled off, their wings glimmering in the sun.
He finally got his racing heart under control just in time to take note of his new surroundings. From the sky, the changes to the land were plain as day. Formerly open fields gave way to a mixture of forests and wild plains. Strangely, the roadway appeared to wind on unaffected by the change.
Colbert's fears and misgivings were forgotten as the flight took them around the great trunk and he caught his first sight of Arrun. He felt that the boy, Kirito, had deceived him. Arrun was not a town as he had expected, it was a full-fledged city.
Nestled in the roots of the World Tree, Arrun rose up, spiraling around the base of an enormous central tower that seemed itself to be nothing but a sprout beside the great trunk. Boulevards snaked like tributaries from the city's gates, impossibly wide and lined with banners and fountains.
The buildings grew from one and two story homes, shops and elegant villas, to mansions and structures as tall as cathedrals, possessing rooftop gardens that from the air gave even the heart of the city an impression of vibrant life. Colbert had seen the great cities of Halkegenia, but even he was dumbstruck by what to make of this.
Perhaps because of his familiarity, the Professor started to pick out that which did not seem quite right.
The city was arranged like a fortress town, with thick stone walls and gateway arches separating the districts, but the walls were bereft of walkways or crenelations for arquebusiers or cannons. The streets were almost empty. Shops and stalls stood unattended, their doors and windows shuttered. Only a handful of solitary figures stood watch on rooftops or flew at low altitude. A curfew, the old soldier in Colbert said. But it was more than that, the city felt half abandoned.
His escorts guided him down towards the central tower, seeming to be as much built as hewn from one of the World Tree's gigantic roots. Colbert felt his feet touch solid ground with an overwhelming sense of relief. KoKo settled beside him, her ears perked as she gave Colbert a grin and a pat on the back.
"S'pose flying doesn't agree with you," she said.
"Flying?" Colbert muttered. "No, I have no problem with flying. Atop a griffin, or a dragon, or a good solid ship." Colbert shook his head. "But that, yes, I do believe I might perchance walk back."
"Nyah-ha-ha," KoKo laughed. "Sorry, sorry, I wasn't trying to scare you, but well, you volunteered," she defended.
"And I've no one but myself to blame," Colbert agreed weakly, taking the opportunity to gather his wits and familiarize himself with the winged denizens of the tower.
Colbert was surprised at first by their variety. At very least a dozen heads sported the same feline ears as KoKo, while just as many possessed the blond hair, fair skin, and delicate features associated with Elves. The resemblance was certainly uncanny. He saw one giant of a man, dark skinned, his arms tattooed with strange runes and glyphs. Though his ears were pointed, no one would dare mistake him for an Elf. Still others were ashen skinned or fiery haired.
Colbert followed behind KoKo and Carmond as they approached a doorway leading into the tower's interior. Two squat, powerful looking creatures, vaguely akin to fire dragons but festooned in armor, stood guard on either side of the tower's entrance. A pair of the cat eared people rode upon their backs. The animals shook their heads and growled lowly, watching Colbert with beady eyes.
The doorway opened into a wide, domed atrium. Light spilled down from windows ringing the high walls, to be cast wide by a set of polished brass reflectors that turned slowly in a clockwork cradle, though at the moment the device seemed to be out of alignment.
Standing before the mechanism were the two Sylphs from earlier and two other figures. One of the figures was short, almost a child, with golden hair and large cat like ears. The other . . . Colbert's heart skipped a beat.
Colbert had seen many lands and met many people in his time as both a soldier and a scholar. He was no more a stranger to beautiful women then he was to beautiful cities. Even so, the woman standing beside the pair of Sylphs was very lovely. She was pale skinned with long dark hair that fell silken past her waist. Standing tall with straight posture and poise befitting a noblewoman, her hands clasped before her, face composed and serene. Bright green eyes, unusually shaped, regarded him thoughtfully. Her figure was garbed in strange, light green robes that were tied at her waist. If not for the pointed ears, he could have mistaken her for some exotic creature from beyond Rub' al Khali.
The woman bowed her head graciously. "I am Lady Sakuya of the Sylphs," she said, voice as clear as a bell.
"And I'm Alicia Rue, leader of the Cait Syth," the girl beside her raised her hand, bouncing easily on the balls of her feet as if filled with pent up energy.
"I am Professor Jean Colbert of the Tristain Academy of Magic. A young man named Kirito asked that I meet with you."
"Going off without telling us first." Lady Sakuya placed a hand to her forehead. "I see that Kirito and Leafa have disobeyed me. Honestly, those two must have thought it would be better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission."
"Looks like that Spriggan is teaching your girl some bad habits," Alicia Rue snickered.
"It's not funny at a time like this," Lady Sakuya sighed and looked back to Colbert. "Though if Kirito was willing to make himself a hostage, he probably thought it was important." The dark haired woman frowned. "The Tristain Academy of Magic? Alicia, have you ever heard of it?"
"Doesn't sound like anything from ALfheim," the cat eared girl said. "Maybe another VRMMO?"
What did that mean?
Colbert was about to ask when Lady Sakuya replied, "There aren't that many on the market are there?"
"Excu-" Colbert tried to speak.
"Eh, maybe American?" Alicia Rue suggested.
He decided to wait until the mystifying conversation spent its course.
"Mmm, it does sound like the system auto-translate," Lady Sakuya said. She looked at Colbert with a troubled expression.
"Pardon me," Colbert said, "but I believe that I am quite lost."
"You know. Another VRMMO game," Alicia said.
Game?
"Alicia," Sakuya said quietly.
"Yeah, ALfheim uses the same engine as most other VRMMOs. Maybe the servers got borked or cross connected, maybe it's a virus, that sort of thing? Could that do it? Is that a thing that's possible? Well anyways . . . "
"Alicia," Sakuya repeated more loudly.
"Cause there's definitely no place called Tristain in ALfheim," Alicia continued. "And I've definitely never seen an avatar like yours."
Lady Sakuya leaned down and whispered in Alicia Rue's ear. The ears stood up as the girl's eyes went wide. "But that doesn't make any sense Sakuya-chan!"
"We should continue this conversation elsewhere," the Lady of the Sylphs said. "Professor, would you please follow me?"
He was taken to an office on the same floor, large windows looking out over Arrun and the surrounding countryside for leagues. Carmond placed an arm across the doorway, barring the others from entering behind Colbert.
"We'll keep watch out here ma'am," the Salamander growled. Lady Sakuya nodded as she shut the door.
Colbert nearly jumped out of his skin as he came face to face with . . . well. At first he thought it was a humming bird, but on inspection it looked like a flower, no, that was just what it was wearing. It had the form of a beautiful child, hovering in the air before Lady Sakuya and Alicia Rue. She was no bigger than a sparrow, pale and slip thin with long black hair. Tiny translucent wings sprouted from her back like those of the Faeries in miniature.
"Is Papa back?" the child asked, voice anxious.
Alicia Rue smiled gently. "I'm sorry Yui-chan, but your Papa is still working to sort this all out. He sent this nice man to talk to us."
The tiny girl gave a troubled nod and cast Colbert a suspicious look before flitting over to stand on Lady Sakuya's shoulder, using one of the woman's bangs to keep her balance. "Who are you and what have you done with Papa?"
"H-How do you do?" he said, confused. "Your Papa?"
"She means Kirito," Lady Sakuya explained. "This is Yui-chan."
Colbert blinked very rapidly as he tried to understand. "You mean that she is that young man's daughter?"
The girl nodded vigorously.
"For now, in all the ways that matter," Lady Sakuya said as she settled down behind a large wooden desk and gestured for Colbert to take a seat. The girl on her shoulder hid herself partially behind one of Sakuya's bangs. "We've more pressing matters to discuss. The strange happenings from earlier today," Lady Sakuya began. "As I understand it, we all experienced an unusual and violent phenomenon."
"Yes. Something to that effect," Colbert agreed. "It was during . . ." Miss Zerbst's speculations from earlier that day bubbled up in the back of his mind but he pushed them down. No, that was just not possible. " . . . It was during class hours. The students were gathered for their lessons. The land began to glow until it was blinding, and there was trembling like an earthquake. It was accompanied by an unearthly noise that went on for the entire time, though I cannot fathom its origin. I would estimate it lasted perhaps one to five minutes."
"One to five minutes?" Alicia Rue asked. "That's not very specific."
"Time is subjective," Colbert observed. "I wouldn't trust my own opinion on the matter without a timepiece. When it ended, the tree was visible from the Academy. The land had also changed. If I were to guess, I'd say it was some sort of spell, but I know of no incantation that could affect such a wide area. And even if it could, no human could channel the willpower necessary. A hundred mages would kill themselves trying to summon something as large as this tree."
"I see," Sakuya said. "The phenomena was very different for us. Everyone I have spoken to has reported that they felt the world stop around them and then they were suddenly assaulted by an overwhelming sense of pain. When we regained our senses, we were here. Wherever here is."
"Who's to say we're the ones that were transported?" Alicia Rue asked. "It could be the other way around, or both, couldn't it?"
"Perhaps," Lady Sakuya agreed. "But I think, given what we've observed so far, that it is likelier that we were the ones who were transported. Professor Colbert, could you please tell us about your land? It may help us to understand what has happened."
Colbert agreed, and aided by his years as a teacher he began to recite a brief history of Halkegenia. The lecture was complicated by the fact that neither of the Faeries had ever heard of Tristain or even of Halkegenia, forcing him to explain the Brimiric Kingdoms and their connection to the Founder, which then led into an explanation of the magic used by Halkegenian mages. As he finished, both Alicia Rue and Lady Sakuya were listening intently. Neither looked happy about what had been said.
Sakuya seemed to compose herself for several moments, gathering her thoughts before she replied. "Professor Colbert, if I might ask, where do you hail from?"
"Ehh, isn't that kind of personal Sakuya-chan?" Alicia Rue asked.
"I'm a native of Tristain," Colbert said, curious to see where the question would lead. "I was born in the Capital during the reign of King Leopold."
Sakuya did not seem pleased by his answer. "You don't look like an NPC," she said thoughtfully. "No, Kirito is too discerning to have missed something like that. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you aren't a player."
"Another of your strange terms," Colbert frowned. "I don't believe so, though I could be, not knowing what it is."
Alicia Rue listened, curious. "You're joking right? Sakuya-chan, I get that something weird is going on, but what are you trying to get at?"
"Think about it, Alicia-chan," Sakuya said. "The sudden jump in damage rendering and the pain response spike are both beyond the capabilities of the AmuSphere. But they are perfectly natural in real life."
"Yeah, okay, but that theory is even more crazy!" Alicia pointed out.
"Sakuya-chan's assessment is likely correct," the small girl sitting on the woman's shoulder said. "In the absence of additional information we must conclude that the world we are experiencing now is reality."
"But that's not possible!" Alicia's voice betrayed a hint of panic. "I mean, that's insane! The AmuSphere is a game machine, not a teleporter. There's not even a turntable to spin in reverse from the normal direction!"
Lady Sakuya nodded, "I would normally agree with you completely. What I'm saying is impossible. But as Kirito-kun said, an impossibility cannot be disregarded when we have observed it."
Alicia Rue pulled on her ears. "Let's say, just for argument's sake, that you're right, what does that mean for us, what's happening to our real bodies?"
"I can't honestly say," Lady Sakuya replied.
"Real bodies?" Colbert asked. Again the conversation had spiraled off into the indecipherable. The scholar had come here for answers, but he seemed to be faced with only more questions.
Both women seemed to remember Colbert's presence. Sakuya nodded. "To be clear. For you, this world is your reality and no other exists, am I correct?" Colbert stiffened. It was the woman's eyes, they stared right into him, measuring coolly. No matter what he said, she would have her answer. And yet, Colbert didn't even understand the question. "My Lady," Colbert said, eschewing philosophy entirely, "I have known only one world all my life, and it is the one I was born to."
"I see," Lady Sakuya said quietly. She glanced out the window. "In this world, magic is common?"
"In . . . this world?" Colbert asked."Are you trying to say that you are not of this world?" Colbert shook his head quickly. "Yes. It is common. Magic is used in every field and industry."
"What about Illusion magic?" Lady Sakuya asked.
Colbert frowned, "Such things exist, but why would you ask?"
"This place doesn't exist," Lady Sakuya said. "Or rather, it shouldn't exist. The World Tree, this city, these bodies, were all part of an illusion."
"You seem real enough to me," Colbert observed carefully. He was suddenly preternaturally aware of the sofa he was sitting on, the texture of the fabric, the way the cushions sank under his weight.
The woman smiled. "I suppose that is our problem."
Colbert listened as Lady Sakuya explained. Her story was fantastic, like something out of a children's tale. The Professor trembled to consider an enchantment powerful enough that it could touch the minds of thousands at once and draw them into a waking dream, but he couldn't deny the appeal. Foolhardy young men seeking glory, commoners dreaming of wealth and status, women seeking romance, and nobles thirsting for what even money and power could not buy them. If such a thing existed, then he was sure it would be used just as Lady Sakuya described.
"We realized that something was wrong after we woke up here. There are . . . spells . . . that are used to enter and leave the dream at will, but they no longer seem to have any power. Also, these bodies should be nothing but hollow shells, but from the injuries I've seen today, I'm certain that if you cut down, you would find muscle, bone, and organs. This leads me to my conclusion. Something has brought us here and made our fantasy into reality. If such a thing is even possible."
Colbert shook his head in disbelief. "That is . . . quite a story."
"I would not blame you if you didn't believe it," Sakuya said calmly.
"It is not that I cannot believe it," Colbert assured, "but how can I prove this? I am a scholar, a philosopher by nature, my Lady," Colbert explained. He shook his head once more. "Just, what are you?"
Lady Sakuya looked him in the eyes. "We're human beings."
Henrietta de Tristain, Princess of Tristain and heir to her father's throne, accepted the canteen offered by one of her guards and placed its rim to her lips. The water was cold and tasted wonderful after exhausting the last of her willpower. The first half hour had been trying as she fought to staunch internal hemorrhaging and preempt necrosis. The entire time, the Lancer Kagemune had sat at her side, alternately whispering prayers and words of thanks.
Captain Wardes had made himself busy seeing to Cardinal Mazarin and his men. Thankfully, as the Lancer had predicted, the effects of the pollen began to fade with time. The job of treating the General's wounds had been handed off to one of her guards, a water mage with training in field medicine.
The respite gave Henrietta a chance to take a step back, to observe. Cardinal Mazarin had told her once that eyes and ears were a ruler's greatest asset, do not turn a blind eye, and keep an ear to the ground.
They had not yet moved from the site of the battle. Her guards and some of the red clad soldiers who had called themselves "Salamanders" had formed a perimeter around the small clearing. The looks that the Royal guards gave the Salamanders were openly distrustful. It was their nature, of course, but they had grudgingly accepted an informal truce.
"My Lady." Captain Wardes approached.
"Captain," Henrietta said.
"The Cardinal's condition is stable. I expect we'll be able to move him soon."
"And your men?" Henrietta asked.
"Our wounds have all been treated. The griffins seem to be recovering now, though my own mount will need time to heal before it can fly again. We've found Sir Canning's body and the corpse of his griffin."
Henrietta nodded and closed her eyes. So two men had died in her defence. "I see. Thank you, Captain."
Wardes turned and then stopped. Looking over his shoulder he asked, "Are you sure we should be so trusting of these people?"
Henrietta looked to the Salamanders. Several of the red garbed soldiers had gathered close around General Eugene, watching as the water mage worked.
"They saved us, Captain," Henrietta said. "And the Royal Family of Tristain has always repaid its debts. Besides, they knew what that monster was and how to fight it. It might have something to do with what happened earlier." Henrietta stood slowly. "Perhaps it is time that we ask our questions."
The Princess made a straight line for the Lancer. Without his helmet, Kagemune cut a distinctive figure. His skin was slightly lighter than that of his General, and his hair a shade darker. Perhaps most striking feature was his pointed ears, the ears of an Elf.
"Princess Henrietta." The man bowed deeply. "Thank you again, thank you for saving our General's life."
"And thank you for saving the life of my guards and myself, Mister Kagemune," Henrietta said. "I must know, during the battle you displayed some experience with fighting that monster. Just what was it? Who are you? And where are you from?"
Kagemune cocked his head to the side. "You fight with Water magic, but you don't look like an Undine."
"And you have the visage of an Elf, but have been quite courteous," Henrietta said.
Kagemune ran a hand across his chin. "The monster that ambushed you was a Field Boss in this area, or at least it was before this area suddenly changed."
"Changed?" Henrietta asked. And what did he mean by "field boss"?
Kagemune nodded. "Yes. We were preparing to farm this area before . . . well . . . I think it was a server crash . . . When we came to we were in a nearby Undine village. We should be in the wetlands right now, but . . . I don't know what is happening."
"I'm afraid I cannot be of much help either," Henrietta sighed. "Your words only leave me with more questions. During the battle you said . . . you said that it was just supposed to be a game. Were you on a hunt?"
Kagemune seemed to be at a loss for words but shook his head. "N-no, that isn't what I meant. I don't know how to explain it to you, Princess. Forgive me for asking, but, this is real, isn't it?"
"Pardon?" Henrietta asked.
Kagemune shook his head. "It must be real, or what happened to Garsk . . ."
He placed a hand over his eyes and was quiet for a time. "A hunt," he said quietly, "I suppose you could call it a hunt. It was never supposed to be dangerous."
Henrietta glanced to the corpse of the Man Eater.
"While we were traveling, the whole world froze around us and there was this burning pain," Kagemune said. "When we woke, something was wrong, but we weren't sure what. General Eugene ordered half of our men to stay behind while the rest accompanied him."
Kagemune's face darkened.
"We thought it would be safe enough. We didn't take the situation seriously. One of the monsters killed a friend of mine, it caved his chest in." Kagemune clenched his fists. "Some of us wanted to run. The General wouldn't let us. He threatened to kill anyone who broke. That's probably what saved us."
Understanding dawned, and suddenly the peculiarities of the Salamanders made much more sense. The reason these men had seemed so undisciplined in battle was because they were not soldiers, they were huntsmen.
If their armor and weapons were used for sport, it was no surprise that only the General had not been terrified in the face of a life or death battle. Henrietta smiled kindly, "I don't believe I fully understand, but even so, thank you, you displayed great bravery Mister Kagemune."
The man shifted awkwardly and his skin darkened a shade. "T-thank you, Princess."
"You mentioned a village?" Wardes asked. "More of you Elves?"
Kagemune shook his head. "We're Salamanders, and no, it's a place called Lila Village, the inhabitants are mostly Undines, water Faeries."
"Faeries?" Henrietta asked.
Kagemune nodded. "We Salamanders are on moderately good terms with them."
"My Lady?" Captain Wardes said with disbelief.
"Mister Kagemune, it sounds to me as if you were transported here from someplace very far away. The only salamanders I know are lizards from the Fire Dragon Mountains. Perhaps if you start from the beginning."
"I will try Princess," the man said.
Kagemune's story took some time to tell, and Henrietta was forced to ask him to explain certain details many times. Eventually he managed to describe his homeland in terms that she could understand. He spoke of a land in his country where people went to play elaborate games of make believe.
He talked of this place with a sort of warm nostalgia, describing with pride how he skillfully acted out the part of a Lancer in the army of the Salamanders. Henrietta recalled his actions during the battle, it had taken courage to face that monster for even a wondered if some of the skill and courage of a soldier hadn't rubbed off on him.
It would have seemed too fantastic to believe, but there were many childish games that were tolerated in adults because they were indulged on a grand scale. But to imagine such a kingdom that they could afford to set aside vast estates just to play pretend, perhaps beyond Rub' al Khali, that fabulous and exotic land.
When Kagemune finished his tale, Henrietta was left only to wonder if it was a lie. Could a poor liar be so earnest? And would a good liar tell such a bold lie?
The Princess had finished with the General. The man was currently unconscious, put under while she treated his injuries. With the help of his subordinates, the outer and inner layers of his upper body armor had been removed to treat his wounds. The skin still looked impossibly tender where the roots had struck him through.
After some negotiations, the Salamanders agreed to accompany Henrietta and her guards back to the nearest border fort where General Eugene could receive further treatment. Stretchers were made from the remains of the carriage to transport the Cardinal and General. The body of the fallen knight was wrapped in cloth and carried on the back of one of the griffins while his own mount's remains were cremated with Fire magic.
The unicorns that had fled from the battle had not been found, but the one that had been tangled in its harness had turned out to be miraculously uninjured, and after calming the creature it had been presented to Henrietta to ride. The sacred beast seemed to understand that Henrietta was in part responsible for saving its life. She ran a hand gently across its head and cooed gently. The unicorn sniffed at her curiously and then kneeled down, an invitation for the Princess to ride on its back.
Their procession made haste from the forest, the griffins keeping pace with Henrietta's own mount, their riders unwilling to take to the skies until they were certain the effects of the pollen had worn off. Several of the Salamanders flew ahead to scout while the remainder helped to carry their wounded General. Henrietta breathed a sigh as she saw the trees begin to thin and the fields opened before them.
"My Lady, look!" Wardes pointed to the sky. The near distance was filled with tiny black specs that grew into a shape reminiscent of birds, and then of men.
Translucent wings and red armor. More Salamanders, and not just a small hunting party, there were over a hundred of them. They were a company on the march, flying in small formations of five or six which were then grouped into four larger formations fanning out in great sweeps from their shared center.
"You!" Wardes shouted to Kagemune and clutched at his sword-wand. "What is this?"
"I-I don't know!" Kagemune shouted. "That squadron is the Reserve Force. But that would mean . . ." The man's eyes widened. "No, it couldn't be, he's supposed to be in Gaddan!"
From the center of the formation a small group descended towards the roadway.
"Stand down!" Henrietta ordered her guards.
Before any could protest, she spurred her unicorn mount into a trot. She felt and heard Captain Wardes and Kagemune falling in at her side. The formation of Salamanders watched on stoically from the sky.
Henrietta noted their uniformly fearsome armor and the impressive looking swords carried on their backs. None of the grounded figures had drawn their weapons, the Princess felt certain that if they did so it would only be to cause ruin.
She remembered Kagemune's words, that it was an illusion, that it was make believe. But she also remembered the man's courage in battle, and the fearsomeness of General Eugene. If it was make believe, it was terrifying make believe.
The armored Salamanders calmly stepped forward to bar their way. Henrietta brought her mount to a stop and looked at the dark robed figure at their center.
"May I go ahead?" Kagemune asked. "I think it is best if I speak to him first."
Henrietta bit her lip but nodded. "Please do, Mister Kagemune."
The figure watched him approach to his side. The two conversed, though the Princess heard none of what they said. Finally, Kagemune stepped back and waved for Henrietta to approach. The Princess dismounted and, standing straight, approached the robed figure.
This close the figure could be seen to be masculine, and of medium height and build. His face was obscured by a fearsome helm like that worn by the Lancers, a cane was clutched in the left hand, while the right was held at his side.
Henrietta stopped four mails from the man and stared him in the eye. "May I please have your name?"
The man removed his helm. Fiery red hair spilled down to his shoulders, his face was pale as if from long days spent far from the light. It was a young face, handsome even, and from it cold red eyes regarded Henrietta. "I greet you, Princess Henrietta de Tristain."
The man bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving my brother."
Fort De Arlon was normally a sleepy post, meant more to keep an eye on the border and highway than to beat back an invasion. The events of the morning had put the Fort on high alert, and reports coming in from scouts and mounted messengers had only further ratcheted up tensions.
Corporal Bos scanned the horizon while clutching a crossbow tight to his chest. At his side the old Sergeant of the fort, Barents, sat reading a ratty, dog eared book. Bos had been slightly surprised to learn that the otherwise coarse Sergeant was literate.
"Well course I am!" the man had shouted. "Whos else in this place is gonn' read the men their letters from home and write'm back? The officers?!"
"Ey, Sergeant?" Corporal Bos said.
"Wha-izit Corporal," the man growled, turning the page of his book.
"Yah think happened out there?" the Corporal asked.
The old Sergeant sighed heavily. "Looks ter be magic ter me," he decided. "Best to leave it ter the nobles to deal with. You and me just hold down the fort an' keep eir heads down when they start throwing thunder and lightning, aye?"
"Aye, Sergeant!" Bos said quickly. "Eir, what you be reading, Sergeant?"
"Oy, this?" me sister sent it. "Da', always wanned ter be raising scholars. Me sister married a printer, she loves books and he loves her and making'm. This one ere's by some Romalian, called Niccolò di Bernardo, s'called The King, s'lousy bout all the things ya gotta know t'be a good ruler."
Bos struggled not to snicker. "Why you be reading something like that, Sergeant? Plan on marryin' the Princess?"
"Eh, shut yer trap boy." The Sergeant thumbed another page. "I's just figurin', if the nobles run things, might as well find out where they be getting their ideas. Get in their head ya'see." The Sergeant tapped his own temple seriously.
"Well, tell me if it says why I always get ordered on latrine duty." The Corporal took a swig from his canteen and then almost immediately choked as the sound of distant warning bells reached his ears and he caught sight of silhouettes in the distance.
"Cough, cough, ack! Sergeant, Sergeant!" Corporal Bos waved his hand madly at the sky.
"Wha-izzit boy?"
The book fell from the Sergeant's hands. In the distance a swarm of black dots had appeared. They were too far away to be birds, which meant they were big. Big meant mounts, and lots of them.
"Attack! Attack!" Sergeant Barent roared. "Mounts South, I say, mounts to the South!"
Bells began to ring through the fort. Men scrambled to grab their weapons, and gun crews ran to their stations along the walls, readying ball and powder. The fortress commander, a burly giant of a man, stormed up the stairs to the watch post followed by his aide and second-in-command.
"Report, Sergeant!" Captain Gramont demanded.
"Aye, see for yourself Sir."
The Captain squinted into the distance, frowning. "Are you sure there's something out there?"
"Aye sir. Perhaps with your eyeglasses, Sir?" the man suggested.
"Bah! Rubbish things!" the Captain waved his hand, before drawing a wand from his pocket.
Corporal Bos instinctively cringed and Sergeant Barent, with surprising forethought, stepped behind the Captain. A distortion formed in the air like the lens of a giant spyglass.
Sergeant Barent watched, arms crossed, while Corporal Bos peeked over the Captain's shoulder. "Eh, strange things. Are they using levitation spells?"
"Oy, Captain, what be that?" Sergeant Barent pointed his chin to something moving along the roadway.
The Captain adjusted the focus of the air lens with his wand. "My word, is that the Princess?"
"Sir?" The Captain's aide asked.
"Aye, it must be the Princess!" Sergeant Barent agreed.
"And how'd you know that, Sergeant?" Bos asked.
"That be a unicorn she's riding, boy! How many invading armies you know that bring along a Pure Maiden?"
"Watch that tongue Sergeant, or I shall have it cut out!" Captain Gramont threatened idly. "It would indeed appear to be the Princess."
The unicorn rode to the fortress gate in the company of a trio of griffins. Captain Gramont and his aide were waiting when they arrived.
"P-Princess?" the Captain asked.
The girl atop the unicorn was indeed Princess Henrietta, but far from refined, she looked to have gone running across a battlefield.
"Good day again, Captain," the Princess smiled warmly. "We met an army of Fairies and their Lord on the way back to the palace, and need a place to entertain them. Could we trouble you for the use of your fort?"
"Better?" the Cait Syth hunter named KoKo asked her passenger.
"Much better," Colbert agreed as he settled into the saddle atop the back of one of the Cait Syths' dragons. As evening fell, both the Faerie leaders and Colbert had decided it was as good a time as any to part ways for the day.
The two leaders had thoroughly questioned Colbert on Halkegenia and Tristain, and eventually they had come to the limit of what their dialogue could achieve. Colbert was no diplomat, and lacked the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Crown. Lady Sakuya and Alicia Rue were also desperately needed to keep order amongst their people. A pair of Cait Syth Dragoons would deliver Colbert as close as possible to the Academy, keeping a distance to avoid causing a panic.
"I wish you a safe journey." Lady Sakuya said. "Tell your Headmaster that I would like to meet with him tomorrow, at the place you and Kirito met. We will be there at sunrise."
"Understood Lady Sakuya. May the meeting be fruitful for all our sakes." Colbert nodded and placed a hand on KoKo's shoulder. The Cait Syth tightened her grip on the reins of her mount and clicked her tongue. The squat reptile spread its wings, taking on a kite like profile, and flung itself from the platform.
Lady Sakuya and Alicia Rue watched the dragons turn into silhouettes and then vanish around the curve of the World Tree. A soft sigh escaped the Sylph's lips.
"You alright, Sakuya-chan?" Alicia asked.
"Of course not. How could I feel alright?"
Alicia's expression turned uncharacteristically sober. "Yeah. This is going to be tough."
"Alicia, I'd like to try and use the Moonlight Mirror again once the sun has set."
"Eh?" The Cait Syth Leader seemed surprised. "But Sakuya-chan, we couldn't reach anyone when we tried it earlier."
Sakuya had been reluctant to send scouts further afield until they had a better grasp of the situation, a decision that had been proven justified after meeting the Professor.
"The Mirror is more potent at night," Lady Sakuya observed.
Alicia pawed at her ears. "Mm- yeah, it should be if it works like before." Her ears perked up and she grinned, "You know what this means right?"
Lady Sakuya shook her head.
"Magic," the Cait Syth Leader said. "We can do real magic!" Alicia Rue was bouncing on the balls of her feet, worries briefly forgotten.
"I wouldn't be so excited."
"I'm just trying to find a silver lining," Alicia defended.
"It's a dim lining," Sakuya observed. "But I guess it will have to do." Anything to help them through this crisis.
Back in the atrium on the top floor of Arrun Tower, the ore lanterns had been lit and now shone off the brass reflectors at the center of the room, filling the space with a warm light. Activity had not yet abated even at this hour. Lady Sakuya spotted Novair amongst the crowd.
The man jogged up to meet her, looking more troubled than he had earlier in the day.
Novair, who had been tasked with taking inventory of the materials and resources within Arrun, had been amongst the first to suspect the truth about their situation. There was no point trying to hide it. With the gossip obsessed culture of MMO players it would leak out all the sooner if they tried.
By the end of the night, everyone in Arrun would have heard. Most would believe, if only because of their own experiences providing unimpeachable proof. The players gathered in the Tower were the fortunate ones, they had a purpose to occupy themselves. The people huddled down in Arrun had all too much time to entertain their thoughts.
"Lady Sakuya, this is the list we've compiled of foodstuffs from the commercial district, and also a list of all of the inns in the city. There should be just enough room for everyone." Novair handed his leader a small ledger.
Sakuya scanned over the first few pages. "Start by distributing food items with the lowest durability for now," she instructed. "Then we'll need to stockpile the rest at a central location to prevent theft or hoarding."
"There's the Dragons to worry about too," Alicia Rue added in.
"It's an issue of whether we can afford to keep feeding them." Sakuya bit her lip. "They eat mostly raw meat, right?"
"Mmm. Meat, fish, small mobs, anything high enough up the evolutionary ladder to flee in terror," Alicia said.
There were twenty two Dragons in the Cait Syth forces. For now they represented a powerful military force with their AOE breath attacks, high flight endurance, and thick hides. Sakuya hated the idea of losing them.
"We can feed them for the next few days at least," Sakuya decided out loud. "Perhaps we can arrange to let them hunt in the local forests, that should fill their bellies for a while."
She handed the ledger back to Novair. "See to distributing the food. Start with the people at the inns first and then work your way to individual residences. Don't argue with anyone who you suspect might be hoarding supplies, the fights aren't worth it right now."
"Understood, Lady Sakuya." The man turned smartly on his heel and dove back into the traffic.
"Who's next?" Sakuya wondered aloud.
"Carmond is supposed to be organizing volunteers into a city watch," Alicia said. "I'd rather not have a field mob march through the front gates."
Sakuya grimaced. It was going to be a long night.
Leafa, Kirigaya Suguha, swordswoman of the Sylphs, sank slowly on to the bed of her borrowed room.
While there were many empty houses within the limits of Arrun, the faction leaders had made the decision to forbid breaking and entering. For now, their first priority was to enforce a sense of order. In the meantime the inns and hotels had been made freely available to everybody, along with food and basic necessities.
The room was small but comfortable, a pair of well-stuffed beds sat against one wall opposite a fireplace, a small coffee table, and a pair of sofas. The window looked out on a small garden dominated by a beautiful fragrant olive tree. The night air that drifted in was warm and sweet.
After giving their report Lady Sakuya had insisted that they take the opportunity to get some rest. Only after departing the Tower and settling to the ground in the central plaza had Suguha realized how exhausted she really was.
All of Arrun was in a stupor, ore lights along the roads and in the windows of houses remained unlit, giving the normally glowing Faerie city a sense of oldness that it had not possessed before. Anxiety had transformed into a sort of dulled shock that hung over the city like a fog.
Leafa felt the wide cuff of her shirt. She was currently dressed in a loose cotton shirt that fell to mid thigh, and a pair of drawstring shorts. They were low level dress items from a clothing store nearby. She hadn't felt much like sleeping in her day clothes.
Changing had been an ordeal in itself. She had never thought of her avatar as anything but a dress up doll. But now . . . She kept reminding herself that it was her own avatar; it was basically her body, but it felt uncomfortably voyeuristic. She'd ended up changing while keeping her eyes squeezed shut.
She heard a gentle knock on the door.
"You can come in."
Her brother must have found someplace else to change, he was dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt and a pair of black shorts, and carried his clothes folded up in his arms. Yui sat on top of the pile. It seemed that her brother's fashion sense was the same in any world.
She couldn't help it, the thought made Suguha giggle.
"What is it?" her brother asked.
"It's just," she wiped a tear from her eye, "you've always liked black," she observed.
Kirito's face soured a little. "I just look better in dark colors," he defended.
"It's true," Yui agreed, flitting up beside Kirito. "In SAO almost all of Papa's equipment was either purchased or dyed black. That's where he got his title, the Black Swordsman of Aincrad!"
Kirito shot the little navigation pixie a betrayed look.
"You've never been very fashionable." Suguha enjoyed watching her brother grouch. Leafa noticed a pair of small bottles in her brother's hands.
"What are those?"
He handed her one. "Dew milk, they gave me a couple of bottles with our rations. The durability isn't very high so nobody's worried about rationing it."
It reminded her of coconut milk with a strong cream aftertaste. They finished the bottles in silence, Kirito carefully offering some to Yui as she sat on his forearm. A simple sense of belonging settled over her.
Leafa gazed out the window. Over the top of the buildings two moons hung quietly in the sky, unlike either Earth or ALfheim. As she stared up at the moons she felt the moment stretch on and on. Something inside of her, something that had been frozen began to slowly turn over once more. A hollowness replaced the warmth she had felt just moments before.
"This is really happening, isn't it," she said suddenly.
Her brother gave her a concerned look. Yui flitted from his forearm and came to rest on her shoulder. "What's happened shouldn't be possible, I think," he said. "But it's definitely happening."
"By now, Mom probably knows something's wrong," Suguha said. "And she'll have called Dad. If we're here, and these bodies are real, then what about our bodies back home?" She began to tremble.
"I don't know," her brother said. "I think we should just focus on staying safe for now."
"When will we be able to go home again?" Her eyes began to sting.
She'd . . . She'd just talked to Mom that morning, she'd said . . . what had she said? 'See you tonight.' Not 'goodbye', or 'I love you.'
Was that the last thing she would say to her mother? The sudden realization of what was happening, of what had already happened, was overwhelming. This was real, this was really real.
"I don't know." Her brother's arm tightened gently around her shoulders.
"I'm scared," Suguha whispered, her voice trembled. "How can this be happening. Why am I shaking now?" Up until this moment it had all seemed too unreal, it was just a waking dream. The world she had fallen in love with had become a nightmare.
"It can take time for people to believe unbelievable things," her brother said. He pushed her away so she could see his face. "You should let it out as soon as you can."
Suguha looked into her brother's eyes. He was telling her that he knew it was painful. Was this what he had felt? The trembling grew and grew. No matter how hard she tried Suguha couldn't control it. She felt the first streaks of heat running down her cheeks.
Suguha bawled into her brother's chest, clinging to him for dear life.
She didn't know for how long she cried, it might have been a few minutes, it might have been hours. All of her fear and anxiety drained away with those tears. When she was at last done, all that was left was a dull ache in her chest and an overwhelming sense of tiredness.
Suguha felt herself being laid down. Her head came to rest against her pillow. She felt a blanket being pulled up to cover her. She opened her eyes blearily in time to see the ore light fade as her brother adjusted the pedestal, and then he came back and sat on the edge of her bed.
He was like her. In this world his face had changed, but the expressions were exactly the same. It was strange. Comforting. It reminded her of when she was little, before her brother had grown close again, before he had ever grown distant.
She fell asleep to memories of cold days and hot ginger tea.
In a small room, tucked into the corner of the school infirmary, a young girl rested in a cot. Covered in blankets and head propped up by a pillow, only her face and hair were visible as she slept peacefully. She looked to be a child of ten or twelve, it was hard to believe that Louise Vallière had already reached her sixteenth year.
At her bedside, Kirche von Zerbst sat and waited. The school physician had barely spared her a second glance when she asked to see Louise.
Normally, a Zerbst wouldn't be caught dead helping a Vallière. Normally, giant magical trees didn't appear in the middle of Tristain accompanied by Faeries.
It had been a very abnormal day.
It was eating at Kirche, the whole situation; there was an explanation that fit perfectly, too perfectly, but nobody else seemed willing to accept it. And maybe it really was nothing, after all. Maybe the Zero's summon really had failed and this was all a big coincidence. But . . .
Kirche shook her head at the memory. If she could get along so well with Tabitha, then she could at least tolerate a Vallière. Kirche leaned in; sleeping, without the constant aura of boiling anger, Louise was kind of cute. She looked like, well, she looked like everyone's kid sister, Kirche decided.
"Look, Vallière," Kirche said to the sleeping girl. "I've been giving this some thought, and I think maybe I've been a teensy bit unfair to you." She paused and shook her head. "Okay, I've been really unfair to you."
She sighed. "Tabitha says that I've been bullying you, but it's not bullying when you fight back right? I mean, it's just training for when you're older and a Zerbst steals away your husband."
Louise didn't say anything, of course not!
"But Tabitha did make a good point. You haven't really had a fair shot. Maybe we can give you a fresh perspective," Kirche trailed off. "Honestly, you're probably wondering why I would even bother to help a Vallière. The truth is, I've had a lot of fun with you Louise." Kirche smiled a little. "Back home, I'm kind of considered a joke, and the only person I have here is really Tabitha, but you've taken me seriously, and you've never backed down. Vallière, you're the best enemy a girl could have. So I'll make you a deal. The only one who gets to insult you is me."
Louise shifted a little, her face tensed.
"Vallière?" Kirche asked.
The girl groaned softly.
"Vallière, can you hear me?" Kirche asked. She peeked out the door to the small private room. The infirmary was empty save for the school physician at her desk near the infirmary door. Every little while she would come by to check on Vallière, her most recent round had been about five minutes ago. Kirche quietly shut the door to the private room and went back to sit beside Louise.
The girl's eyes had cracked open blearily, squinting even in the dim candle light.
"Vallière, are you okay?" Kirche whispered.
"Thirsty," the girl rasped. Kirche looked about, there was a glass and pitcher of water on the table beside the bed.
Kirche filled the glass and then helped Louise to sit up. "Take slow sips," Kirche said gently. Louise drank the whole glass and then demanded more.
"Where am I?" she asked, squinting. "Zerbst?"
"You're in the infirmary," Kirche said. "What's the last thing you remember?"
The girl winced trying to sit up. "Familiar summoning. What happened?" She shook her head slowly. "I failed, didn't I."
"It . . . seems that way," Kirche said slowly. She wanted to tell Louise her theory, but there was lingering doubt, what if she was wrong? Not even a Vallière deserved that cruelty. "You passed out from willpower exhaustion."
The tiny figure in the bed seemed to deflate before her eyes, there wasn't even any fight left in her. Kirche felt a sense of pity for Louise, a Vallière without her simmering anger was like a Zerbst without her passion.
"Did you come to gloat?" Louise asked, she sounded tired, not just physically tired, but weary, old.
Kirche sighed and put a hand on Louise's shoulder. "No, Vallière, I didn't come to gloat."
"Right . . . I wouldn't be enough sport," Louise said bitterly.
"Vallière," Kirche breathed slowly. Any other time she would have taken this as an invitation for some verbal sparring. But this was different, it wasn't fair that Louise got to punch low.
"Then what are you doing here? I don't . . . need pity either." She threw Kirche a halfhearted glare. "Not from some Germanian harlot."
"I'm not here to pity you," Kirche said. Okay, that wasn't entirely true.
"There's nothing for you to say to me," Louise said softly. "I failed, that's all I needed to know. I'll be sent home soon. Until then, just let me sleep." The girl tried to turn over in bed to face the wall.
"Vallière," Zerbst said. There was no reply.
"Vallière." An arm weakly pulled the blanket over her head. Now this was getting ridiculous.
"Louise."
The covers didn't move, from somewhere under the blankets a small voice squeaked out on the verge of cracking. "Just . . . go away." The words were so soft and final that for a moment she couldn't believe that they'd come from Louise.
Nothing more passed between the two girls. Slowly Kirche stood. She filled the glass from the pitcher once more and left it by the bedside. Walking out of the room she leaned against the wall beside the door and pretended not to hear the soft sobs that issued from within. The pain that Louise only let out when she thought no one was looking. The doctor would come back soon and see that her patient was awake.
Kirche von Zerbst sighed. This was going to be a lot harder than she'd thought.