"Halkegenia Online v1 – Refactored – Chapter 10"
"Levitate."
-Pop-!
"Again"
"Levitate!"
-Pop-!
"Again"
"LEVITATE!"
-BOOM-!
Magic, learning to use magic, to control and shape it, was always a hazardous endeavor. Even more so when the student was an agitated Vallière.
It had become clear very quickly that Louise possessed an excellent grasp of theory. She could recite the basic primers and deduce theorems from first principles. If she had been anyone but 'the Zero', she would have been a prodigy by grace of effort.
Alas, in the realm of actually doing something with the knowledge she possessed, Louise remained a thorough failure.
"I just don't get it," she spluttered, pointing at the small crater that was all which remained of her levitation target. The debris of the training field's previous users dotted the ground, patches of earth scorched to bedrock, mud filled craters and the remains of golems lay scattered about. "I perform the incantation, I channel with my wand, and then it doesn't work!"
"Your form looks right," Kirche agreed thoughtfully. "What do you think Tabitha?"
"Stand further back," the quiet girl replied without looking up from her book.
"Sound advice. But not what we're after," Guiche observed, and then added, "It is interesting how the explosion size changes. That's certainly a sign that Vallière has some control."
"Yeah," Kirche nodded. "That last one was something alright."
"Kirche?" Louise tapped her foot.
"If you can make your explosions bigger, then you can also try making them smaller."
"But I don't want to be making explosions at all!" Louise threw her arms in the air.
"Small explosions are the next best thing to no explosions," Kirche reasoned calmly.
Louise looked away with a huff. She had been hoping for more progress. Kirche had too. She didn't enjoy seeing the girl fail, least of all when her answer to failure was to pick herself up and try again, and again, and again.
"And why are you the one in charge?" Louise grumbled. "I thought Tabitha was supposed to be the best mage here?"
"Well," Kirche said, placing a hand to her cheek, "all of your failures have been explosions. That sounds like fire magic. If nothing else we need to treat your magic with the respect we would fire."
"Fire magic," Tabitha agreed. "Not my field."
"Tabitha's affinities are air and water," Kirche explained. "She can throw a mean fireball if she has to, but why settle for a practitioner when you can have a master?"
"A master would be fantastic," Louise said brightly. "I don't suppose you know one?"
Kirche smiled, "Ah, but there's none better than a Zerbst when it comes to mastering the most passionate element." She waved her wand languidly and traced out a thin streamer of rippling flame.
Louise did not seem impressed.
"Fire takes a careful touch, you see. It's quite like a man in that it has a mind of its own. A simple mind. One must understand its hunger and direct it by finesse, not force." Smirking, Kirche added, "If you of all people have an affinity for fire, it would be no surprise that your spells would either gutter or burst." She brightened as if thinking of something. "I know! We shall have you bedded. That should loosen things up!"
Louise reddened. "G-germanian harlot!"
"Frigid Vallière!" Kirche replied merrily. "But seriously now, have you ever considered that you really might be forcing yourself? We need to get you to relax a little. Have some fun."
"I wouldn't trust any fun invented by a Zerbst," Louise muttered.
"You'd be surprised Louise," Kirche laughed. "You know, I have ways to unwind that don't involve a man."
"I'm shocked."
"Maybe I'll show you some time," Kirche said with a smile."Oh, don't look like that! It's innocent fun." She winked, "Mostly." Her expression lost its mischief. "But I do wonder if that could be the problem."
Louise looked mystified by this, then shook her head. "Make sense, Zerbst!"
"What I'm saying is, it isn't unheard of for a mage to not be able to use their magic for one reason or another."
Louise's expression soured. "A mage losing their magic? That's preposterous!"
"I didn't say they lose it," Kirche responded quickly. "Usually it's temporary. You see it in fire mages most often." Kirche's tone grew level and serious, so unlike her usual jests. "Fire is hard to control at the best of times. It takes life and limb at the slightest error. An inexperienced mage may lack the courage to wield their own element." Now she had Vallière's attention.
Louise looked incredulous, "So what do they do?" .
"Some never recover. In that case, they end up favoring other elements. It weakens them, but they can usually get by well enough. But something is keeping you from using any type of spell. What if you can't bring yourself to do magic?"
Louise grew red. "I'm not afraid of using magic!" Her lips moved wordlessly. "If I could just cast, just prove I'm even a Dot, that would be wonderful . . . I . . . I'm not afraid!"
"Louise?" Kirche perked up.
The Vallière glanced around cautiously, sparing a particularly resentful look for Kirche, as if it was all her fault. "When you incant a spell, it's supposed to resonate with something inside you." Louise bit her lip. "I can feel it too . . . But it always feels . . . wrong. Like there's this buzzing in my head."
Kirche pursed her lips, "Louise, have you ever told anyone about this?"
Louise shook her head. "Mother says I should shut it out." She suddenly looked angry, at the world, at herself. "This is ridiculous. Why would I sabotage myself?"
Kirche exchanged glances with Tabitha. "Well, if that's what's happening, then starting small might help." Louise was unconvinced, but was willing to try.
And so she tried.
"Levitate," she said.
-Pop-
And tried.
"Levitate"
-pop!-
With each chant she managed to get the bursts smaller, until the noise was barely more than a faint -pop- accompanied by a white puff of smoke.
"They're kind of cute like this," Kirche observed, winning an indignant harumph from Louise. It was an encouraging sign. The fact that she could control something about her magic gave them a starting point.
As had become their tradition, they broke for lunch in the early afternoon. The field didn't offer many places to sit, but that was easily corrected by Guiche, who shaped a table and chairs from the base earth that would serve them well enough.
They had a fine time talking of gossip and rumors. Well, Kirche, Louise, and Guiche talked, Tabitha monosyllabled. Kirche was almost enjoying herself, in the company of a Vallière no less. Until the topic switched to the Fae and to her home country.
The Zerbsts and Vallières might be rivals, but soon they would be countrymen. That implied a lot of things, and one of them was not acting against the interests of Tristain and its rulers. Even in her self imposed role as the embarrassment of the House of Arnhalt-Zerbst, Kirche well understood that.
And yet, she was wading into the troubles of a Vallière, based on slim suspicions. Suspicions, it was beginning to dawn on her, that would have unfathomable consequences if proven true. Kirche didn't know what the Faeries would do if Louise had summoned them. Founder! She didn't know what her own countrymen would do if Louise had summoned the Fae!
It was about enough to make her wish she hadn't seen what she had seen, or put the pieces together. Or else, that she could be as confident in their falsehood as their blissfully certain professors.
"It looks like a dandelion," Louise said suddenly. Kirche followed the pink haired girl's gaze to the spiraling bulk of the World Tree. "I wonder what's up there."
"The palace of the Faerie King if Lady Sakuya is to be believed," Guiche said. Well, it was good to know the fop could at least listen.
"F-Faerie King?" Louise looked surprised. "But then, Princess Henrietta should be speaking to him instead of his vassals. Shouldn't she?"
"Probably," Kirche agreed, "but if he was brought along when the World Tree was summoned, don't you think he would have come down by now?"
"I suppose so," Louise said. "Mother mentioned that the Queen and Cardinal Mazarin intend to form the Faerie lands into new counties."
"It is a notion not without merit," Guiche nodded gravely. "They have assisted admirably in securing the roads and settlements." Against monsters that they had brought with them, it went without saying.
Kirche quirked an eyebrow, the blond boy had actually looked serious for once. "You seem cured of your fear of Faeries."
"Ah, well, that was all just a misunderstanding. Why, my brother's latest letter praised the work the Undines are doing with his men."
"Then it has nothing to do with all those Sylphs?"
More than a few academy students admired Lady Sakuya and her attendants. The Faeries offered something new for the boys, something exotic, and exciting, and most importantly, something they couldn't have.
"I will admit that I am an admirer of their beauty, but my heart belongs only to my Montmorency." The boy raised his hands. "My motives are wholly pure, if the Fae are brought into Tristain, many will certainly serve in the army."
Louise nodded. "That's what it sounds like." The girl screwed up her face. "Mother doesn't know what to make of them, but the Princess seems to like them."
"They're certainly strange," Kirche agreed, leaning back in her chair and letting her eyes follow the trunk of the World Tree to its crest. Occasionally she could make out distant figures, Faeries traveling to and from Arrun, and higher above them, a pair of airships arriving.
Kirche smiled. "Well, back to practice!"
"What? Now?"
"You're done eating, aren't you? Though I suppose you could use a little more. Maybe then that figure will start to fill out."
"Milk cow!"
"Washboard!"
Princess Henrietta de Tristain let out a soft, low sigh as she observed the Academy courtyard from the vantage of her room. She wondered idly what it would have been like to have attended school here. Not that she pined for such things, not exactly, but at times they were a reminder of how alone she really was.
"Princess, are you well?" Viscount Wardes asked.
Henrietta brightened. "I'm quite alright, simply reminiscing." About a night beside a moonlit lake, she didn't say. "Tell me, have you had a chance to speak to Louise yet?"
"Princess?"
"Louise is my dear childhood friend, though I have had little chance to speak to her these last few days. Naturally I would learn that you are set to be wed in the future. Surely you have taken the opportunity to speak with her?"
"I apologize, Princess," Wardes said. "Our marriage was arranged many years ago by our families. While I do think fondly of Louise, it has been a very long time since I have seen her." The man turned his head. "In fact, I cannot say that I feel anything but fondness towards her."
"Perhaps with time then," Henrietta suggested.
"As you say," the Viscount agreed cautiously. "Is this why I was summoned, Princess?" Wardes asked.
Henrietta sighed once more. "No. There is a matter of marriage to discuss, but it is mine and not yours. Viscount Wardes, there is a task that I would wish for you to attend to."
Henrietta had thought long and hard about who to send. Eventually, with the endorsement of both Cardinal Mazarin and the Duchess Vallière, she had settled on the Captain of her Griffin Knights.
"My Lady?"
"My marriage to the Emperor of Germania will take place in just a few weeks time. Tristain will in turn be wed to Germania."
"And the Kingdom's future secured," Wardes agreed.
"Yes." She must always remember that this was for Tristain. "More than anything, Reconquista fears that they will lose their opportunity to establish a foothold on the Continent, and are no doubt madly searching for any means to smother our union."
"But by the Founder's grace there is precious little chance of that." Wardes frowned. "Your Highness?"
Henrietta shook her head, "Oh Founder, have mercy on this unfortunate princess for her indiscretion. Captain, there is one thing that Reconquista might use against us. There is a letter. I cannot tell you its contents, but know that if it were to fall into Reconquista's hands, then they would surely deliver it to Germania. Tristain would never be forgiven."
"Then it should be destroyed with haste, Princess," Wardes said with certainty. "Where is the letter now?"
Henrietta sighed, "Alas, it is in Albion, in the possession of Prince Wales Tudor."
"The Prince Valiant," Wardes breathed softly.
Henrietta nodded. "News from Albion has it that the Rebels force the Royalists back with every passing day. I've no doubt in my mind that the Prince would destroy the letter before allowing it to fall into their hands. But I fear that this matter is too delicate to risk any misfortune." The Princess turned to face the Captain of her Griffin Knights, who had already proven his courage and loyalty to her in battle. "Viscount Wardes, would you please aid this luckless princess?"
The Viscount bowed his head deeply. "It would be my honor."
Henrietta let out a soft sigh of relief, for she had mustered the courage to do what must be done. 'Forgive me, my prince.' She was broken from her thoughts as a rustling came from the bushes below.
Wardes dashed past her and vaulted from the window. The Viscount's sword-wand flashed as he cast in midair, shredding the bushes and very nearly the person hiding beneath them.
"Captain Wardes?" Henrietta raced to the window.
The Viscount stood ominously over the eavesdropper. A blond boy trying and failing to crawl away.
"It appears that we have a spy, Princess," Wardes announced, brandishing his sword. "How much did you hear, boy? Know that for your offense, I could execute you."
"Viscount Wardes, that won't be necessary," Henrietta called down. "Please, bring him up here and we'll sort this out."
'After I close this blasted window,' Henrietta thought, kicking herself for her stupidity. The finest protective wards in all of Tristain and a full escort, and a passing student had been able to simply eavesdrop due to her carelessness.
Wardes returned presently, the boy standing before him looking about as chastised as Henrietta felt.
"Now then. You may explain yourself," Henrietta said gently.
Standing straight the boy bowed deeply. "Princess, I meant no disrespect, but when I saw you from afar I wished only to glimpse you closer."
"Which is why you snuck past a full squad of musketeers?" Viscount Wardes asked. "Execution is still very much an option."
"Please Princess, I submit myself to your will!" the boy said. "Allow me, Guiche de Gramont, to be added to this mission!"
"So you overheard everything?" Wardes grimaced.
"Gramont, as in General Gramont?" Henrietta pondered. "Then you are a relation of his?"
"His fourth son, Princess," the boy answered solemnly. "Assuredly this mission is much too important to be entrusted to one as lowly as myself, but it would be my great honor and privilege to aid your Knight Captain."
"I would advise against this," Wardes said with a note of agitation.
Henrietta raised a hand. "No. This is quite alright." She turned to the blond boy. "Your father is an honorable man. I can see that his courageous blood flows in you, that you would so readily stand to aid such a luckless princess. Viscount Wardes, I'm sure you can find some way to make use of this brave young man."
With a very mild look of disbelief, the Knight Captain turned from Henrietta to the son of General Gramont. "Certainly. He'll make a fine diversion."
Ayano Keiko, Silica, Dragon Tamer Silica, now a Faerie of the Cait Syth race, reached the apex of her arc, and with acrobatic grace dispelled her wings to drop lightly on to the parapet of Freelia Tower. A moment later a familiar weight settled onto her shoulder and gave a shrill cry.
Silica affectionately stroked her pet's neck as she skipped along the parapet towards the dragon stables. The passing Cait Syth guards and tamers gave her appreciative waves and calls. The girl smiled back brightly.
Her reception here was so much different than in Aincrad. The way she had stayed calm and collected when everyone else was on the verge of panic had earned her a degree of respect that she'd never experienced before in her young life. A feeling that was both exciting and scary.
When she had first heard about the Asuna Rescue Operation by private messaging on the SAO survivor forum, she'd been a little hesitant to respond. But for Kirito, one of her precious few friends during her time in Aincrad, she couldn't just stand idly by.
She'd laid awake in bed for a long time that night, slowly building her resolve, and the next morning she had pleaded to her mother and father at the breakfast table to be allowed to buy an AmuSphere.
Her parents had been shocked of course. At first they thought that it was some symptom from two years of being trapped in SAO, that being removed from the game was causing her distress.
Keiko had expected her parents to react that way, and had presented them with a magazine article featuring the AmuSphere. She had been extremely careful not to point out its primary purpose as a gaming console, instead emphasizing the safety features and all of the new educational and productivity software. Keiko had been pleased with how mature she had sounded.
Having lost two years in school, the ability to receive tutoring and attend remedial lectures online had sounded convincing to her parents and they had reluctantly agreed.
All that had been left to do after that was to go buy one. She couldn't go to a game shop, not right away. She didn't want her parents to worry. Instead, they had gone to one of the big department stores and purchased the console from a clean shaven man in the PC department. Later that same day she'd bribed her cousin to take her shopping.
She'd un-boxed the AmuSphere at her cousin's apartment, removing the lightweight headset and peeling away the glossy plastic wrapping. Holding it in her hands, she suddenly felt a sense of deep apprehension.
"Is something wrong?" Ayano Daikichi asked. Seventeen years old and with a posture and face like a thug, they'd received strange looks in the shopping district. Cute Keiko followed closely behind by ominous Daikichi. But her cousin really wasn't a bad person. He'd even made cookies for her while she was recovering.
"I'm a little scared," Keiko admitted clutching at the pendant she wore around her neck. A silver chain threaded through a black plastic rectangle. It wasn't the sort of thing that a young girl would normally wear, but it was important to her as proof that her friend Pina was still with her.
"That's a good luck charm right?" Daikichi pointed to the memory card hanging around her neck.
"Mmm. It's my Nerve Gear's memory. It's a little strange, but I think my Nerve Gear worked really hard these last two years. It's not its fault that SAO happened."
Daikichi looked thoughtful. "Well you know, the essence of a computer is its memory. I'll show you a trick that the old man at the bicycle shop taught me." He picked the AmuSphere up off the table and flipped it over. Using a screwdriver he pried open a port located just above the earpiece. Something small and black popped out.
Daikichi removed the AmuSphere memory card and accepted the Nerve Gear card from Keiko. "I now transfer the spirit of this Nerve Gear into this AmuSphere," he intoned, before slotting the memory card into place.
"There you go. I used that trick to port all my old game data over when my parents made me switch to an AmuSphere. The formats are the same. Just be sure you select 'NO' when the prompt asks if you want to format the internal memory."
Keiko looked down at her AmuSphere and then back to her cousin. She'd thanked him with a hug before packing her things away and hurrying home. That night, plugging in the AmuSphere and inserting the flash installer for ALfheim Online, she'd changed into a sweater and sweatpants before pulling the AmuSphere down over her head.
"Link Start."
"Welcome to ALfheim Online!" a soothing computer generated voice announced as Keiko found herself before a character creation interface not too dissimilar to the one in SAO. After reading 'Argo's Primer' and then looking the game up online, Keiko already had her heart set on playing a Cait Syth.
She was just about to confirm her selection when she noticed a tab at the bottom of the menu marked Character Customization.
As in SAO, it was possible to customize an avatar's appearance, but the game's operators charged a fee to do so. Still curious, Keiko tapped the glyph to open the character customization window.
'There is an Existing Avatar. Continue Editing?'
With her curiosity piqued she selected 'Yes.' The lean cat eared avatar in front of her vanished in a shower of light and was replaced by . . . A cute young girl stood before her, face downcast, cat ears drooped, eyes closed as if in sleep.
Keiko's heart skipped a beat. This was . . . It was her. Or her SAO avatar, a near perfect likeness of her past self. Looking at the familiar face reminded her how her real body had changed while she had slept. How was this possible? She thought back to her cousin's actions. She thought she understood. It seemed her Nerve Gear, and Pina, were still trying to help her.
Keiko pressed ENTER and then accepted the charge that would be forwarded to her account.
"You will now be transported to the Cait Syth home territory. Good luck!"
And then Silica was falling; for a moment she was scared, but then she realized that far from plummeting, her body seemed buoyed as she descend towards a fantasy castle spread out in afternoon light.
She was deposited gently in a vast and busy city square, one face among many. Every way she turned she caught sight of other players talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves. She took a breath, smelling the sea air and stretching her arms wide, and then let out of a shout of delight.
She'd barely begun to look around when a shrill cry came from above.
Silica only had an instant to look up before she was dive bombed by something warm, and soft, and blue, a familiar weight crashing into her arms. The missile stretched its wings, fluttering down gently atop her chest.
"P-Pina?" Silica asked. Standing hunched forward on her hind legs, body no bigger than a cat, and regarding her master with ruby red eyes, the feathery dragon let out a shrill cry of confirmation.
"Pina!" Silica threw her arms around the dragon and squeezed her friend tightly against her chest, feeling tears of joy beginning to stream down her face. She didn't fully understand what had caused this miracle, and she didn't care. All of her apprehension melted away.
She was just about to leave town, Pina at her side, when things had gone wrong. The world froze and everything went white with pain.
On that first day, Silica had been as frightened and confused as everyone else. Horrible memories of Aincrad had returned, of how her cry of fear had served to shatter the spell cast by Kayaba Akihiko, the first pebble in an avalanche of human panic.
But there had been something else there this time, along with the fear. There had been something that stood against it, that bolstered her and didn't let her break. And as people noticed the calm girl putting others first and reassuring them all, they found some of that courage in themselves.
The Cait Syth Leader's personal lieutenants had swung into action. While they were as scared as everyone else, they had worked hard to keep order. They had definitely had their hands full.
"Welcome back Silica-chan!" The greeting came from a huge Cait Syth with wild white and gray hair sitting astride the back of a flying dragon.
"Good afternoon Isaac-san." Silica waved up at the man. On her shoulder, Pina hunkered down and began to hiss. It seemed that Pina didn't care for her larger brethren. In fact, Silica had noticed other oddities about Pina recently, she suspected this was because the feathery dragon was now a physical existence.
"Seems you've finally got the hang of your wings. I knew you'd master them like a pro." Isaac laughed deeply as he reined his dragon. "So, what are you still doing in Freelia? I thought you were heading to Arrun as soon as you could fly?"
"Un, I still am," Silica nodded. In fact, she'd received a letter from Kirito not long ago. It had been short and strangely formal. Silica got the impression that he wasn't used to writing a proper correspondence. "Now that I can use my wings, I volunteered for courier duty," she explained. "So I'll be leaving later today."
"Well, have a safe trip." The man spurred his mount back into motion, crawling from the shade of the stables out into the sunlight of Freelia Tower's landing platform.
Silica made her way through the stables and down several floors to a chamber reserved for 'official' business. Bookish looking Cait Syth made themselves busy over a map of Tristain's coast, marking off the areas that had been reported clear of mob activity on vellum sheets .
A martial looking man in khaki attire oversaw the effort and turned to face her. "A messenger? Report!" The tawny haired Cait Syth was called Gaius, and was one of the Cait Syth's military leaders.
Silica resisted a sudden urge to salute. She retrieved a letter from the pouch at her waist. The Cait Syth commander slit the envelope with a sharpened nail.
"The Far Northern patrol group has reported sightings of a Bahamut class Field Boss off the coast."
The Faeries standing around the table groaned. "We just confirmed that area as cleared."
"Well, un-confirm it. Check with the hunters, they can probably pin down which one it is. We'll have to alert the garrisons and sortie Undines in support." The commander made her wait while he drafted his reply.
Silica was on her way back to the Courier Office when she noticed Isaac dismounted and patiently petting his restless dragon's neck. "Isaac-san? I thought you were going out on patrol?"
"I was, before I got flagged down. They need a dragon to deliver a passenger to Arrun."
Strange. Silica had thought most anyone who'd be needed in Arrun would have mastered voluntary flight by now. "Nobody told me what's going on. Just that it's urgent." The man grinned, "Why don't we fly out together? Not like you need an escort, but company's nice."
"Un." Silica nodded, she got along well with Isaac so it wouldn't be a problem. Also, his dragon would be sure to make short work of any lingering mobs. Pina gave an indignant cry, "Sorry Pina, but a full sized dragon is pretty helpful to have around."
A streak of Caits arrived, with a brown haired woman, a human woman, in tow. She looked to and fro, eyes filled with curiosity and wonder as they fell on every Cait Syth. Silica recognized the scholarly leader of the group as Alden, the newly appointed Mayor of Freelia.
"What's this about Alden-san?" Silica worked up the confidence to ask.
"This is Emily-san, she arrived late last night with vital news. I'm afraid it took time for her to tell us her story, but it appears that some of our people may be in trouble in Albion."
"Y-yes." Emily tore herself from her sightseeing. "They saved my life. It is thanks to them I was able to find my way to a sympathetic ship which smuggled me from the country. When I heard of other Faeries in Tristain I had to find you." The woman closed her eyes. "If the Rebels were to capture them . . . I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen to Lady Asuna and the others."
Silica's tail and ears rose as her heart raced. "Wait, say that again!"
"L-Lady Asuna?" The woman looked confused.
"Emily-san? What did Asuna-san look like?" Silica had never met Asuna the Flash in person, but she had seen her picture often in the Weekly Argo. "Did she have long chestnut hair?"
"Why yes," Emily said. "And brown eyes. Why do you ask?"
Silica thought quickly. "Did Asuna-san ever tell you anything about a place called Aincrad?"
"She said that she and the others were imprisoned there for two years."
"Aincrad?" Alden said. "SAO survivors?"
Silica breathed, "Not just SAO survivors." She spun around to face Isaac. "We have to get this person to Arrun right away!"
It was the eve of the World Tree raid and Kirigaya Kazuto, the swordsman Kirito, was restless. It had begun almost a week ago, a slowly building pressure, a need to do something, to move, to act.
"You okay, Kii-bou?" The information broker, the Cait Syth Argo, gave her old contact a concerned look.
Kirito crossed his arms as he leaned against the curved wall of the Grand Chamber. "It's been nearly two weeks," Kirito said without opening his eyes.
The information broker's puffball ears drooped. "Aa-chan will be okay, she's tough."
"Asuna has been at the top of the World Tree for almost two weeks," Kirito replied. "We don't know what the conditions are like." The nightmares had become worse in the past days too, last night, he'd found himself awake in a cold sweat.
"Like I said, Aa-chan is tough," Argo repeated like a mantra. "She'll be okay. But you'll still have to fight through an army of Guardian Knights to get to her."
"Mortimer's plan is solid," Kirito replied. In fact he was trying to figure out why they were all still here, preparing to listen to it again, when they could be putting it into action.
"You'll have your work cut out for you," Argo said. "This isn't Aincrad's front liners you'll be fighting beside. I can't say how they'll react when the crunch comes."
"I know that." Kirito shot the Cait Syth an annoyed looked, she was acting like he was a rank amateur.
"You're not acting like it, Kii-bou."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means something about Aa-chan makes you stupid," the Cait Syth hissed under her breath. "We need you in top form. You need you in top form!"
Argo nodded to the surrounding room. The chamber at the top of Arrun Tower was filled with players . . . with Faeries. When the faction leaders had agreed to pool their resources, each had requested volunteers from among the strongest former players. They mingled, though most stayed close to members of their own race.
Kirito's blood cooled just a little. He remembered how he had remained calm at first, there were other people with a stake in this. He could be patient for just a little longer. People weren't doing this for him and Asuna. But that didn't mean he didn't appreciate the risk they were taking.
The official story was that the raid was meant to exterminate the Guardians in order to safeguard Arrun. This was strictly true. Arrun was an important Faerie settlement. As the largest settlement in ALfheim, Arrun's population was swelling as the city took in refugees, Faeries who had been caught in the neutral areas who didn't have homes in one of the faction capitals.
With that in mind, any threat to Arrun could not be tolerated. The dangerous mobs in the surrounding areas had been hunted down and exterminated with ruthless efficiency by the combined forces of the Sylphs, Cait Syth, and Salamanders. That left only the Guardians to threaten Arrun.
From the perspective of most of the participants, the rescue of any players or GMs trapped at the World Tree summit was a secondary consideration, albeit one that added to the urgency.
Only the Faerie Lords had been privy to the raid's third purpose. The potential existence of a GM console someplace within the Tree's crest was a prize that was worth launching the raid all on its own. It had been decided to keep this secret to avoid spreading false hope.
A voice called over the gathered crowds. "If it isn't the Spriggan bastard who beat me. Kirito!"
A huge, deeply tanned Salamander dressed in high class body armor was parting the crowds like an icebreaker. The former opponents bumped fists in casual greetings.
"Oh? Has Kii-bou made a new friend?" Argo chided, receiving an annoyed looked.
General Eugene examined the diminutive Cait Syth. "You must be Argo. I've heard about you."
"Depends," Argo looked up at the Salamander with a smirk on her face. "Is what you've heard good or bad?"
"Should I be charging you for that information?" The General received an unladylike gesture from the information broker. "My brother thinks highly of you. That's endorsement enough for me. He says you've already proven yourself above and beyond his other sources."
"Tell your brother that If that's the case, I'll be happy to take his repeat business."
"Excuse me, Eugene-san," Kirito interrupted, "I thought the Salamanders were busy keeping peace in Orlein. Is it okay for you to be here?"
Eugene nodded seriously. "I was, but the Undines are finally getting their act together. A man called Thinker is taking charge of the situation for us."
Kirito perked up. He hadn't heard from the old Army leader with the chaos gripping Orlein. But it seemed he was putting his experience and charisma to good use. "I know him, he's a good man for the job," Kirito agreed. "Did Lord Mortimer recommend him for the position?"
"As a matter of fact he had about half the Undines in line before we even arrived. Aside from a few stubborn idiots who thought we were there to invade them," Eugene said, face growing disgusted. "As if the old divisions matter now."
"Then I guess we're lucky to have you leading the assault team," Kirito said. It was good to hear that the Salamanders weren't taking their old rivalries too seriously. Although Eugene seemed to be enjoying the prospect a battle just a little too much.
"I have to say I'm impressed." From his vantage standing head and shoulders above most of the other Faeries, Eugene scanned the crowd. "Some of the top clearing guilds are here." The man grinned. "And her."
Kirito wasn't left wondering as the crowd dispersed before a striking woman. It wasn't entirely clear at first whether the other Faeries were parting out of admiration for her beauty, or fear of the wicked spear which she carried easily across her right shoulder, its glossy obsidian blade glinting with menace.
She was tall, with Western features and storm gray eyes. Her long black hair had been gathered in a thick braid that fell over her caped left shoulder, and she wore a sleeveless black dress decorated with white geometric symbols and slit up to her thigh so as not to restrict her movement. Kirito noticed that she had accessorized with fingerless gloves and a pair of heavy combat boots.
Trailing behind her were over a dozen black clad Spriggans. Even more than the glamorous woman at their head, the other Faeries gave these Spriggans a wide berth.
"Look, it's the Kii-bou family reunion," Argo snickered softly.
"Who are they?" Kirito asked. He could already tell they were something different. Calm and easy going even on the eve of battle. They reminded him a bit of the Fuurinkazan guild.
"The one at the lead is Morgiana, the Lady of the Spriggans," Eugene replied. "And the others with her are the mercenary guild Kurotaka, the Spriggan elites. They've been leading the mob clearing efforts up north."
The woman noticed Eugene almost immediately and a smile spread across her face as she came near. "It's been a while, Gene-kun," she said, cradling her spear in the crook of her arm.
"Not that long," Eugene said with emphasis. "I see you're the Lady of the Spriggans again."
"I got bored being a mercenary, so sue me. Besides, would you rather have Valdi running the Spriggans at a time like this?" Morgiana's dark eyes wandered to Kirito. "Hey, who's this? I'm pretty good with faces but I don't recognize you. I thought I knew all the top ranked Spriggans."
"We've never met before, Morgiana-sama. I'm called Kirito."
"Kirito?" Morgiana looked curious. "Kirito." The woman's lips suddenly curved up in an evil grin. "Now I remember, you're the one who beat Gene-kun and saved the Cait Syth and Sylphs. Not too shabby kid, but I bet you didn't charge Sakuya-chan nearly enough for pulling her ass out of the fire."
He smiled. "Well, I wasn't doing it for money, it was more like I was helping out a friend." Kirito admitted.
Morgiana nodded sagely. "Must be one hell of a friend you have. Though, there's still one little problem."
"Oh?" Kirito asked.
The Spriggan Leader placed one arm languidly around his shoulders. "From what Mort-kun tells me, you ran your mouth off about a Spriggan-Undine alliance. That was a pretty good bluff by the way." Morgiana's arm constricted, drawing Kirito closer. "But next time, check in with Big Sis before you go and put words in my mouth." Kirito was suddenly acutely aware that beneath that pale, smooth skin, the muscles in the Spriggan Lord's arm were as hard as steel.
"Understood," Kirito said quickly. Morgiana's smile widened further to reveal a hint of white teeth. She ruffled his hair before letting him go.
"Good boy. You were helping a friend, so it's alright. Just remember to listen to Big Sis and we won't have any problems." Morgiana turned back to Eugene. "It's been a while since we've been on a raid together, Gene-kun. At least I'll know someone has my back out there."
"Likewise," Eugene answered. "You still owe me for all the Salamanders you gave the death penalty."
"Still mad about that?" Morgiana quirked an eyebrow.
Before Eugene could answer, a bell rang at the center of the chamber to announce the beginning of the raid meeting.
"We'll have to continue this later," Eugene said to Morgiana
"I should be going too," Morgiana sighed. "How boring, but I'm expected to show the flag. Let's all do our best, Kirito-kun." The Spriggan Leader departed after General Eugene, the other Spriggans falling in around her. Kirito's eyes didn't leave her until Argo spoke up.
"So that's Morgiana."
"You know about her?" Kirito asked, and then shook his head. "How much?"
"Public info," Argo replied. In other words, she wouldn't charge for it. "Morgiana has some history with General Eugene. About six months ago she camped out on the Salamanders' northern border and for eight hours and PK'd every Salamander who came out."
"She was solo PK'ing?"
"Mmm, against whole parties. She had a group of Spriggans with her, but they only supplied heals and buffs between fights," Argo explained. "Eventually, Lord Mortimer got fed up with the EXP loss she was causing and sent Eugene to deal with her."
"And how'd that end?"
"With Morgiana's avatar sliced in two. Someone recorded it and posted the battle online, it was one of the longest duels in the history of ALfheim." Kirito remembered what Lord Mortimer had said about his brother being addicted to combat, and had to wonder about the familiarity between the Salamander General and Spriggan Lord.
"Wait . . . They aren't . . ."
Argo grinned and extended a hand in request for payment.
"I would like to have everyone's attention," Lord Mortimer called from the center of the chamber. "Good evening everyone, I thank you all for your attendance. Within the next day we will be conducting a raid on the World Tree with the intention of exterminating the Guardians and ensuring the safety of Arrun. It will be the largest operation ever coordinated by our forces . . ."
"Operation?" an imp mage asked. "Didn't know this was the JSDF now . . ." A round of snickering spread through the chamber, while Mortimer fixed the man with a bloody stare.
"I meant operation. Make no mistake, this will not be a raid. We are all familiar with raids. We must not allow ourselves that comfortable fiction." Laughter was replaced by silence.
Kirito noticed Lady Sakuya's assistant, Novair, speaking quietly to the Sylph Leader at the edge of the platform. Without excusing herself, the Sylph quietly slipped away. Had something happened?
'I might as well go check it out. Besides, I've heard all this before.' Kirito had been standing near the back of the crowd, so it was easy to slip away without creating a disturbance. He noted Argo trailing close behind. The Rat's nose had also picked up on it.
He caught up with Sakuya just outside, speaking with a pair of Cait Syth and a young woman. One of the Cait Syth was small, almost childish. He couldn't see her face from this angle, though a familiar blue feathered form clung to the girl's shoulder. Was that Silica?
"In Albion? How is that possible?" Lady Sakuya was asking. "People and places appeared in the same location relative to the World Tree. That is the one thing that has been constant. There shouldn't be any way for them to appear in a place like that."
"They said they used something called the Chalice of Rebirth to escape their prison. I don't think they intended to end up in Albion," the woman beside Sakuya explained. "Please, their lives are in danger as long at they stay in Albion. I owe them a great deal, Miss Asuna and her Knights of Blood . . ."
The woman was still speaking, but the rest of the sentence was drowned out in the sudden hammering of Kirito's own pulse in his ears. His breathing grew labored. "Asuna." And then he felt something break.
Asuna, in Albion. There was no logic to this! His mind raced. No, that wasn't right, it couldn't be, Asuna was at the top of the World Tree, Yui had confirmed it. Had he misunderstood?
"Kirito?" Lady Sakuya said, eyes going wide as she saw him and the expression on his face.
"Kirito-kun!" the small Cait Syth said, having turned to face him. The feathery dragon on her shoulder took flight. A small part of his mind registered that it really was Silica.
Kirito barely noticed as he shouldered past Sakuya and took hold of the brown haired woman. "Where did you hear that name?!"
"I . . . I . . ." the woman stuttered. She looked frightened.
"Please, I need to know!"
"Kirito!" He felt a hand clamping down on his shoulder, soft but firm. Kirito looked up, wild eyed. A grave expression graced the face of the Sylph Leader and her tone carried the weight of an order. "Pull yourself together, Kirito. Scaring this poor woman won't help anything."
He wanted to run right now, to rush out onto Arrun Tower's landing deck and fly straight for Albion. Tremendous forces fought against one another within him, the need to do, tempered by the need to think. One of them finally won out. Kirito gritted his teeth. It took all of his will to let go and take a step back.
When he spoke, he was surprised by how tired he sounded. "Please, tell me where you heard that name. You said Albion. That isn't possible."
"Be that as it may, that is where I met Miss Asuna and her Knights," the woman said. "I came here on their behalf to seek aid. Please, I beg your help, they are in danger so long as they remain in reach of the Rebels."
"The Knights of Blood?" Lady Sakuya asked.
"Kirito-kun, are you okay?" Silica was suddenly close at his side, ears pressed flat against her head.
"I . . . I'm fine," Kirito said slowly, his expression softening. He reached over and patted Silica on the head. "What are you doing here?"
"When Emily-san showed up in Freelia, I overheard her story. Isaac-san and I brought her here as fast as we could."
"I see," Kirito said slowly. "Thank you, Silica." Turning back to Lady Sakuya he said, "Sakuya-sama, this changes things. I'm sorry, but I can't participate in the raid."
The Sylph Leader nodded slowly. "I understand. This means that the raid is no longer quite so urgent. We can devote more time to training and preparation. I expect you will want to find a way to reach Albion."
"That's going to be a problem," Argo spoke up. All eyes turned to the information broker. "Albion is a war zone right now. And then once you get there, you'll have to find Aa-chan and the others. It's not going to be easy."
"I believe they will be in the company of Prince Wales," the woman, Emily, said. "At least, when last I was with them, the Prince was going to their aid."
"That's all very well," Sakuya said, "but it doesn't tell us how we can do any of this." The Sylph Leader's lips had set into a thin line as she meditated on the situation. "Kirito, I can charter a ship if need be, but with the blockade in place that won't help."
"Then just send me for now," Kirito said quickly. "Send me and I'll find a way to Albion, to Asuna and the others. Alicia knows me, so we can use Moonlight Mirror to communicate. We can figure something out from there."
"And what about once you're on Albion?" Argo asked, her tone growing angry. "You don't know anyone there, you don't know the land, and from the sounds of it the locals have decided that Faeries make great stand-ins for Elves."
"I'll just have to deal with it when I get there," Kirito replied. "Sakuya-sama, I appreciate any help you can give, but either way I'm going."
Sakuya nodded. "I know there's no convincing you otherwise. I think the Tristanians might be able to help us."
How long would that take? Kirito grit his teeth. A few minutes was too long now. He'd been willing to wait until the next morning not ten minutes ago. Now he had to fight not to bolt.
"We'll depart as soon as I can speak to Mortimer and the others," Lady Sakuya assured him softly. "Please Kirito, we want to help you. Just give us this chance."
He felt a hand taking hold of his own. It was Silica giving him a look of wide eyed worry. He made himself stop and take a breath.
Kirito sagged visibly, looking to each of the people around him, some of whom he barely knew. He whispered something almost too quietly to be heard.
"What was that Kirito-kun?" Lady Sakuya asked.
"I said, 'thank you'."
It had been a long time since Henrietta de Tristain had enjoyed the opportunity to indulge herself, least of all like this.
"Four Crowns beats a Queen's hand," Henrietta announced as she placed her cards on the table.
"What! But you were betting so low!" Louise Vallière cried in disbelief.
Cardinal Mazarin was a good hand at Crown, but he wasn't nearly so much fun to play against as Louise. Also, not nearly as profitable.
"That's diplomatic training for you," Henrietta said as she raked in her prize of custard pastries.
They'd each started off with an equal pile, but between Louise's inability to bluff and their shared snacking, the pot had been greatly diminished. Playing like this in the privacy of Louise' room, oh, how it reminded her of happier times.
"So my dear Louise, I've been meaning to ask about your studies?"
"My studies . . . " Louise's voice filled with sudden tension. "They go well. My marks in history and etiquette are excellent, and in magical theory." Louise fidgeted. "Practicals have been . . . less satisfactory."
Henrietta smiled gently, she already knew all about that. "I mean to say, how are you enjoying yourself? Have you learned anything of interest? My tutors always made it so dry and boring, I think it would have been far more fun having people my own age to talk to."
"Oh!" Louise perked up. "Well, theory classes are always interesting. We're discussing the Romalian Schism and the role of the diocese in history. Etiquette class is boring, it's all easy stuff we learned when we were little."
"And well, practicals . . ." Henrietta perked up. This was unexpected. "Practicals are the same as ever. I can't cast anything properly. But . . ." She smiled a little. "Today, when I tried to cast Levitate, it still didn't work, but before the pebble burst it wobbled a little! I got it to happen ten times in a row, and on the tenth time it bounced before it exploded!"
"Louise, that's wonderful news!" Henrietta smiled genuinely. "So, what brought this on? Was it something the Headmaster taught you?"
Louise's face soured. "The Headmaster just comes by to observe now and then. No, this is something that . . . that one of my tutors showed me."
"Is something wrong?" Henrietta asked.
"No." Louise waved her hands quickly and grabbed one of her precious remaining pastries. "Well, it's just that, they aren't what I thought they were."
Henrietta began to reshuffle the deck. "Another game?" she asked, while looking at Louise quizzically.
"Of course," Louise said. "I guess, I don't know them very well, and now I'm finding out there's more to them than I thought." Louise frowned, " And they've all been trying to help me." She pulled at her hair. "I just don't get it! Why can't people just be what you expect them to be?"
"Because people are complicated, Louise." Henrietta laughed. But Louise had always been like this, the world seen through her eyes was clear and certain. "It sounds like you've made a friend."
"What! Me and a Zerbst?!" Louise nearly jumped out of her seat. "We are not friends!"
"You should have invited her."
"Invite Kirche von Zerbst? She's an unrefined Germanian barbarian woman. A scandal in the making!"
"She sounds like quite a lot of fun." Henrietta laughed at Louise's exaggerated look of horror.
"I think your mother would have me executed if she found out I invited a Zerbst to play cards with you," Louise lamented. "Please Princess, offer a stay of execution on your humble servant."
"I'll consider it once I've taken you for all you're worth." Henrietta discarded her first card. A knock came from the chamber door. "Enter," Henrietta called.
"Princess." One of her musketeers saluted. "A message has arrived. The Sylph Lord has sent word. She requests an urgent audience with your Highness."
Henrietta held her cards close to her chest. Sakuya? It would be important, whatever it was. "Tell Lady Sakuya's messenger that I will be happy to receive her when she arrives."
"Yes Princess." The musketeer stepped back into the hallway, closing the door.
"Is there something wrong Louise?"
You seem so confident these days."
"Really?" Henrietta asked, "I don't feel any more confident."
Louise shook her head. "No, Mother says you've been decisive. Mother wouldn't say that if she didn't mean it."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Henrietta said, "but the Duchess and the others have done much more than me. Let us change to a happier subject."
"Actually," Louise said, voice cautious as if unsure if the subject was permitted, "Just now you looked happy to receive Lady Sakuya. If you don't mind me asking, what is she like?"
Henrietta gave the question some thought. The more she talked with the Lady of the Sylphs, the more she found that she very much enjoyed her company. Her manner was admirable, conscientious, kind, and strong. There was a sense of strength and worthiness that was seemingly natural to the Sylph Lord, yet tempered by humility. Sakuya seemed to treat everyone as if they were worth as much as herself, even showing consideration for servants.
"I think I believe her when she says she isn't really a noblewoman," Henrietta decided.
"But isn't she the Lady of the Sylphs?" Louise sounded surprised.
"It was all meant as make believe. Only now, everyone rallies around her. Talking to her, I rather think she's some sort of scholar." Henrietta thought a bit more and then smiled. "She's also something of a swordswoman."
"A swordswoman?"
"Yes, I thought it strange too," Henrietta said. "But she carries a sword with her like a noble officer. She told me that in her homeland, she often represented her school in dueling tournaments. Can you imagine girls swinging swords?" Henrietta almost giggled.
Of course, the idea of a swordswoman wasn't completely unheard of. Henrietta's own Musketeers included many women skilled in swordplay. Still, it was strange to think of a woman of status being accomplished with a blade.
Louise's face went blank for a moment. "Silly. Yes. Silly, silly, silly."
"Are you alright Louise?" Henrietta asked, and then smiled. "Are you hiding something perhaps?"
"What? No! I'm fine, fine, I'm fine! Better than fine!"
Henrietta rested her chin in her hand. "I wonder how hard it would be to learn fencing. Now then, are you going to throw in or fold?"
The two girls spent the next hour catching up, chatting and fondly reminiscing about their shared childhood. Things had been so much simpler back then, for both of them.
Her guard returned to announce the arrival of Lady Sakuya and Lady Alicia Rue. "I'd best not keep them waiting." Henrietta stood reluctantly, "It has been wonderful seeing you again Louise, truly." She gave her childhood friend a pained smile. "Actually, I'm glad to see you now of all times. You've heard about the wedding."
Louise looked down. "I've heard." Did Louise suspect how she really felt? No, that was nonsense. Louise's reluctance was, well, it was more innocent. Henrietta's smile grew easier as she stepped forward and hugged her oldest friend tightly. "Oh Louise, I'm so happy to have seen you again."
"And I you, Princess."
Parting company with Louise, she followed her escort to the Academy Tower. It was already evening and a faint glow was beginning to emanate from the direction of the World Tree. The countless ore lights of Arrun.
Lady Sakuya was waiting for her, alongside the Duchess Vallière. They were ushered into a small sitting room. Lady Sakuya and Lady Alicia Rue took up one sofa while their attendants stood behind them, the Sylph Novair, and the Spriggan swordsman Kirito. Everyone looked quite sober this evening.
"Princess," the Duchess began. "It appears that we have a complication on our hands."
Henrietta blinked, she'd heard the euphemism from Cardinal Mazarin in the past. She had determined that it was a polite way to utter an obscenity.
Lady Sakuya stood, gathering the sleeves of her robes. She was followed up by Lady Alicia Rue and a brown haired woman who looked vaguely familiar. The Sylph's expression made Henrietta pause. "Less than an hour ago, we learned that a group of our Faeries have appeared in Albion."
"In Albion," Henrietta repeated. "And how did you learn this?"
Little news arrived from the White Isle these days. Even Tristain's spy masters had been unable to fully piece together what was happening. What hope could the Faeries, recently arrived, have of succeeding where they had failed?
"That would be because of me," the brunette woman said. She was a mousy thing, pretty in an unremarkable way. "Princess Henrietta, my name is Emily Florence Windsor. I'm the daughter of the Earl of Windsor . . ." The woman looked down. "Well, his successor now. I don't know if you remember me. I might not have left a strong impression."
"I remember. From the celebration four years ago," Henrietta said softly, recognition dawning. Emily Florence Windsor, four years her senior, yet so shy she'd been swept up in the games played by children. "Yes, I remember. You read novels the whole time. I'm happy to see that you were not caught in Albion."
"I very nearly was," Emily replied quickly. "If not for the help of the Fae I would be dead now."
"We think that the three hundred Faeries in Albion were those trapped at the top of the World Tree. They used an artifact at the Tree's crest to transport themselves," Sakuya explained. "They couldn't have known it would send them to Albion."
"Does it matter how it came to be?" the Duchess Vallière asked. "Lady Emily has already informed us that Reconquista has taken to calling the Fae as Elves. They will not hesitate to use this as pretense to attack us."
"They hardly need one," Henrietta said, masking the bitterness she felt.
"That is why we would like to remove them from Albion as soon as possible," Lady Sakuya said. "The sooner they are off the Isle, the less chance Albion has to run them to ground and use their presence against you." Sakuya bowed her head respectfully. "Furthermore, we feel responsible for their lives. They are our countrymen. We will not abandon them."
"A noble sentiment," the Duchess Vallière said, "but I fear quite impossible. If it were but a few Faeries it might be possible for a team of Dragon Knights to slip in and remove them. But for so many, you would need a ship."
"A ship might be arranged in Albion," Emily spoke up. "When last I saw them, Prince Wales was on his way to lend the Fae his aid."
"Wales?" Henrietta struggled to keep the feeling from her voice. "Then the Prince Valiant is in the company of Faeries?"
Lady Sakuya and Lady Alicia glanced at each other before Lady Sakuya spoke. "We've discussed this with the other Lords. We would like to send an agent to make contact with our people."
"I don't see what a single Faerie could do," the Duchess observed.
"It isn't what they can do," Lady Alicia said with what was almost humor. "It's who they know."
"Alicia is a practitioner of Darkness magic," Lady Sakuya explained. "The spell Moonlight Mirror allows her and other mages to communicate over long distances."
The Duchess's eyes glinted with interest. "If you have such a spell, why would you not have used it already to contact your missing Faeries?"
"It's not that easy." Lady Alicia's ears sank. "The spell is more limited here than it was in ALfheim. I need to know the person I'm contacting. And it needs us both to be under an open sky."
"That's why we need to send an agent," Lady Sakuya finished, and then shook her head softly. "Forgive me, now I'm sounding like Mortimer. Once we've made contact, having a view of the problem from the inside should help us devise a plan."
"A possibility," the Duchess agreed, tone remaining neutral. "And one Faerie would be deniable. Certainly no worse than three hundred. Who would you send?"
The Faeries all looked to the lone Spriggan standing silently against the wall. "Kirito is one of our best fighters, and a veteran of . . . the Aincrad Crusade." The Spriggan gave the Faerie Lord an odd look. Lady Sakuya locked eyes with the Duchess. "I can think of no one better qualified."
The Duchess appraised the youth critically. "You've seen battle."
The swordsman hesitated before replying. "Un . . . But probably not like you."
What did that mean? Henrietta did not miss the way the Duchess's eyes had widened for just an instant.
"I was under the impression that you were all actors playing out a masquerade," the Duchess observed.
"Kirito is a little different from the rest of us," Lady Sakuya said, stepping forward. "I wouldn't call him a soldier, but he's more familiar than most of us with the hazards of battle."
"Please," the boy spoke quietly, a faint tremble in his voice, bowing his head to Henrietta. "Someone very important to me is in Albion. I can't afford to fail."
"Excuse me, Mister Kirito," Henrietta said softly, "but may I ask who this important person is?"
"She's . . ." he took a breath, "she's my wife." The Duchess looked on disapprovingly while Lady Sakuya placed a reassuring hand on Kirito's shoulder.
"I see," was all that Henrietta could say, or had need to say.
"I have to go to her. Whether it is approved or not." Looking into the boy's eyes, Henrietta saw that his words were not a threat, nor an ultimatum, but a simple statement of fact.
"You would need a guide." All eyes turned to the Princess. Louise thought the Duchess was letting her make decisions, it was time to see if that was true. "There are affairs in Albion that must be settled. We are sending our own trusted people to the Isle. I would not be against you accompanying them."
"Princess, I would advise against that," the Duchess warned. "The chance of detection would be too great if a Faerie were added to their company."
"Miss Asuna and the others were able to get by with hooded cloaks." Emily shook her head. "But when I left York, the Rebels were demanding that everyone submit for inspection. A cloak or hat will draw suspicion now."
The Duchess added, "The Gallian and Germanian border patrols have been keeping a close watch for any Fae attempting to cross into their territory. And then there will be the time spent aboard ship. Each is an opportunity for detection."
"Excuse me," Kirito said, drawing the Duchess's attention back to himself. "So the problem is just my appearance?"
"If you are truly willing to dedicate yourself to this mission, I imagine a water mage could pare your ears down," the duchess suggested clinically.
A look of queasiness crossed the Spriggan's face, followed by a growing expression of discomfort. "Actually, I . . . I might be able to do something about that myself." The boy scratched at his cheek, looking strangely unhappy.
Guiche de Gramont, fourth son of General Gramont, and a proud wielder of his noble father's affinity, was woken early. The boy rolled over once, twice, and then fell from his bed with an "oof" onto the bulk of his beautiful giant mole. Verdandi let out an indignant snort.
"What is this?" His eyes turned to his bedroom window. The sky was still dark, the stars only just beginning to fade. "Why are you waking me at such an ungodly hour?"
"This is the time that you asked to be roused, Master Gramont," the maid said politely. "You insisted on it last night."
"Last night?" Guiche thought back . . . last night, yes. He'd celebrated last night with a bottle of wine. Which explained the hammering in his head. Celebrated his assignment to the mission.
The mission!
Truthfully, he hadn't expected such a boon to simply fall into his lap the way it had. Yesterday, when he had parted company with Kirche and the others, he had fully intended to return to his dormitory. However, having spied the beautiful Princess Henrietta, he had been unable to resist a closer look. Guards and magic be damned.
What had come next had been both terrifying and defining. This would be his opportunity to come into his own. The first step towards becoming an officer, perhaps even a knight! An earned title could open doors for an aspiring noble.
Guiche dressed quickly, opting for rugged and anonymous travel clothes. Verdandi sniffed curiously at the mud caked along the bottom of his boots. He took inventory, his purse, he'd collected up a few Romalian silver coins as they were accepted most anywhere, his wand, both his beloved bronze rose and a less flamboyant spare, and a sturdy cloak, good for rough weather and serviceable as a blanket.
There was a strong box beside the dormitory door where messages and instructions could be left for the servants. He dropped a short missive to his beloved Montmorency, sweet Monmon, so tolerant and understanding, letting her know, non-specifically, that she should not fret for his absence.
With that done he departed in the direction of the stables, Verdandi trailing at his side.
Viscount Wardes awaited him while attending to his griffin. Hoisting a large bucket filled with something dark and bloody, the Viscount reached down with one gloved hand, extracting what appeared to be a skinned lamb's leg. The griffin snapped down on the offered morsel, slicing meat and shattering bone before swallowing it whole.
Verdandi had waddled over to sniff at the contents of the bucket, but retreated fearfully when the Viscount's griffin gave an angered squawk.
Guiche stood stock straight as the Viscount gave him a peculiar glance. "It's good to have you with us, Mister Gramont."
The boy nodded eagerly. "When do we depart?"
"We're waiting for one more," Wardes said. "A last minute addition who will be journeying with us."
"Then he's not part of our mission?" Guiche asked.
"Not as I understand it." The Viscount tossed another hunk of meat to his griffin. "Which is why you are not to speak a word of it to him. As with our own mission, his will be a secret to us."
"Understood, Sir," Guiche said. It was a sensible policy. The less he knew the better!
"Well, it would appear we won't be waiting much longer," Wardes observed.
Even in the early morning light, Princess Henrietta was as radiant as ever as she approached, clutching a shawl around herself in the chill morning air. The Duchess de La Vallière and a cloaked attendant followed her.
"Viscount Wardes. Mister Gramont." She smiled. "Are you both prepared?"
"Yes, Princess," Wardes replied as he stripped the gloves from his hands and left them in the feed bucket. "Is this our traveling companion?"
"Yes," Henrietta said. "Allow me to introduce you. This is Viscount Wardes, Captain of my Griffin Knights. And this young man is Guiche de Gramont, son of General Gramont."
"It's a ple . . . eas . . . ure . . ." Guiche trailed off as the cloak was pulled back.
She was delicate. She was exotic. Skin so pale it was almost translucent contrasted against ink black hair that spilled down her back. Dark and gold flecked eyes were set into a porcelain face with thin crimson lips. Her beauty was enough to make his mind forget to question the sword strapped to her back, or the top of a metal breastplate that peeked out from the collar of her cloak.
"I'm honored to meet you both. My name is Midori, I'll be accompanying you to Newcastle," the girl said in a voice that perfectly matched her delicate features.
Viscount Wardes looked to the Duchess Vallière, quirking a brow. The Duchess simply closed her eyes and gave a small nod.
"Midori is an agent in service to the Crown just as you two are. You are to offer one another whatever aid possible on the way to Newcastle," Henrietta announced. "Is this understood?"
"As you will, Princess," the Viscount said.
"As you will . . . Princess," Guiche said distractedly.
"Understood," Midori said softly, receiving strange looks from her traveling companions.
In the bathhouse of an inn with a fragrant olive tree in its garden, Kirigaya Suguha, Leafa, soaked quietly, eyes looking beyond the walls of the bath.
Her brother's departure had been so sudden there had hardly been any time to say goodbye. And like a cut that had been made quickly, though it hadn't hurt at first, it was starting to sting now.
Her brother was going off to do something incredibly dangerous, but there hadn't been a shred of hesitation in his voice. So she had accepted it, and put on a brave face, and been sleepless through the night.
The next morning had come too soon. Waking before dawn so she could see her brother off, she had found Klein and Argo waiting, along with a Cait Syth girl she didn't recognize.
"Klein," Kirito had started with his friend. "I have a favor to ask. I'll be back soon, but drop in and keep an eye on Sugu and Yui for me."
The Salamander had nodded seriously. "You can count on me. Bring her back so we can all celebrate."
Argo handed a satchel to Kirito. "I got you a map and copies of all my notes. I twisted Novair's arm to release some supplies from the Sylph stockpiles too. There's some healing potions and other useful items in there."
"Thanks, Argo."
"Tis nothing." The girl looked away. "Just be sure you bring Aa-chan and the others back. You bring them back with you, Kii-bou."
Kirito had turned next to the young Cait Syth girl at Argo's side. "Silica, sorry that you got caught up in this. It shouldn't have happened."
"Mmm, mmm." The girl shook her head. "I'm here because of choices I made. Now go get Asuna-san back." The feathery dragon on her shoulder cried in agreement.
Kirito smiled and stroked the diminutive dragon on its head. "You watch after her, okay Pina?"
Her brother stepped up to her and smiled. "Sugu. I'm coming back soonest, but I don't want to leave this unsettled."
"Onii-chan?" Suguha breathed.
"I'm still being selfish." Her brother's expression grew pained. "I know this has been hard for you. But not just that, there's a lot of things I have to make up for, most of all how I've treated you these last few years. I let a lot of childish worries get between us that made me forget what you were to me, and I'm still trying to figure out what you mean to me now, but there's one thing I'm sure about." Kirito looked into her eyes, face serious. "Sugu, I'm sorry I took your big brother away from you for all of these years."
Suguha squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't going to cry in front of him. "What am I supposed to say to that?" She forced a smile, "You really are dumb sometimes."
"Well, you don't have to be so hurtful about it," Kirito replied softly, but he smiled, before looking down to his pocket. "Yui."
There was no response save for a faint rustling.
"Yui," Kirito repeated gently, before extracting the navigation pixie, lifting her by the tips of her wings and depositing her in the palm of his free hand. Yui's eyes were downcast.
"Please let me come with you."
"It's much too dangerous," Kirito told her. "I couldn't live with myself if I put you in danger. And neither could Asuna. So please, Yui, let me bring her to you."
Yui stood up in the palm of Kirito's hand. She looked up and gestured for Kirito to bring her closer. Then extending her wings she gently placed her hands against Kirito's brow and kissed him tenderly on the forehead.
"Promise you'll stay safe?"
"I promise," Kirito said solemnly. Yui drifted back, taking hold of the tip of Kirito's index finger as she came to rest on Suguha's shoulder. "Be a good girl Yui, and watch out for Sugu while I'm gone."
"Ki – Onii-chan." Suguha reached out.
"Un?"
Suguha searched for the right words, she needed to say something, but she thought if she said the wrong thing, something bad might happen. So instead, she settled on "Good luck."
"Un. Thanks, Sugu." And then he had turned and departed. The last Suguha had seen of her brother was his form silhouetted against the streetside ore lamps.
There came a splash in the water at Suguha's shoulder. A tiny dress floated to the surface, Yui bobbed up a moment later, using her wings like oars to backstroke. Suguha couldn't help but laugh.
Yui smiled. "I'm glad to see you happy Leafa-san. You haven't really smiled all day."
"I'm sorry," Suguha said. "Have I worried you?"
Yui nodded. "It's normal to feel anxiety, I'm worried about Papa and Mama too. But it's not healthy to think about it all the time."
"What about you, Yui-chan? How are you handling it?"
"I hate it," she said, suddenly coming to a stop in the water. "I should have gone with him. I could have helped." The girl's face was scrunched up in frustration.
"No, Onii-chan was right, it's too dangerous." Not just that, Yui was so tiny. There were so many things that could hurt her, kill her even!
Yui gave her a defiant look and, taking a breath, dove under the water.
"Yui-chan?" A brilliant light flashed beneath the surface and suddenly the water level rose, spilling over the rim of the tub. With a much larger splash, Yui burst from the surface. She was now the size of a human child.
"Y-yui-chan?"
With her long black hair clinging wetly to her head and back, leaning forward towards Suguha, Yui gave her temporary guardian a troubled look.
"See, I could have helped," the girl repeated. She tilted her head to show her completely human ears. "I could have gone as Papa's little sister."
Suguha blinked a few times and then shook her head. "Yui, how long have you been able to do that?"
"Do what?" the girl asked, as if she didn't realize what she had just done. She still hadn't realized where she'd put her hands. At least buoyed by the water she wasn't too heavy.
"Change!" Suguha said.
Yui finally shifted, sinking back into the tub. "I've always been able to do it." Now that she was properly sized, Suguha could definitely see the resemblance to Kirito. Was that a coincidence, or had Yui chosen to look like this?
"Does Nii-chan know you can do that?" Suguha asked.
Yui nodded, and then looked at her hands through the water. "We decided it was better I stay as a navigation pixie. It would cause fewer questions."
"And you didn't think to tell me?"
"You didn't ask." Yui tilted her head. "Leafa-chan . . . Papa and Mama are both really strong. They'll be okay, right?" She had never seemed so uncertain before.
Suguha looked at Yui carefully. How to answer?
Yui was smart. Much smarter than a human child in a lot of ways, while still being nothing but a little girl in others. She could think so quickly, all the horrible "what ifs". And being only a child, she didn't know how to sort them out. She had to answer Yui's question, but she couldn't just answer, she had to make herself believe.
"Onii-chan is amazing, you know. He always manages to do something impossible." Yui nodded in agreement as Suguha went on. "He figured out that our mom and dad were really his aunt and uncle when he was only ten. And then he managed to survive and beat SAO. I can't imagine how hard that must have been. And he also met Asuna, and he met you, and he came back to me." Suguha looked at Yui and with all the confidence and faith she could muster she smiled. "So I know he'll come back again."
Yui's eyes widened. She could tell that Suguha meant it, and with that feeling came a sort of relief. The girl relaxed just a little, and Suguha could believe that Yui wasn't just wearing a brave face.
"Now then. If we soak too long, people will start to complain. Want to get out?"
"Un."
Suguha helped Yui to dry her hair, long hair was always so much trouble. While Yui sat wrapped in a towel, Suguha got dressed in her night clothes. When she was done, something occurred to her and she smiled. "Wait here Yui-chan, I'll be right back."
Suguha returned with Kirito's sleep shirt and shorts. Even with her brother's slim build, the shirt covered Yui like a tent and it took Suguha some work to pull the drawstring on the shorts tight enough. When she was done Yui stood before her, examining herself in the bathroom mirror.
"How is it, comfy?"
Yui hugged herself tightly and smiled. "It smells like Papa."
When they were safely back in their room Suguha flopped down on her bed with a sigh. "Feeling better now?" Suguha turned to Yui who gave a small nod. The girl was standing beside the bed, her hands behind her back.
Suguha sat up. "Is there something wrong?"
Yui shook her head. "Leafa-chan . . . Uhm . . . I've been wondering . . . Papa's your cousin, but you were raised as brother and sister, right?"
Suguha winced internally. It was painful, but true, and no matter how she might have hoped otherwise she was coming to accept that fact. "Un, that's right."
"Leafa-chan . . . Suguha-san . . ." For the first time, Yui looked nervous, anxious. It was so normal that Suguha almost had to blush in sympathy.
"What is it Yui-chan?"
"Are you . . . Obasan?"
Suguha blinked a few times, completely stunned by the question. Yui was such a sweet girl. The little sister she'd never had. And Suguha had also seen the little ways that she was like her brother, the mannerisms and attitudes that they shared, and also how she was different.
"Un." The older girl reached up and grabbed hold of her 'niece' to pull her into a hug. "But you have to call me Aunt Sugu!"
"Un!"
"Let's both do our best to smile until your Mama and Papa get back. That way we'll only have happy tears to show them. Okay?" Things were going to be alright, Suguha thought. They would make it all turn out okay in the end.
Suguha pulled Yui down onto the bed and brought the covers up over both of them. Yui watched with drowsy eyes as she dimmed the bedside light and made herself comfortable with a second, smaller body in the bed. The girl shifted, once, twice, and then went still.
Was she already asleep? Suguha wondered. She prodded one cheek experimentally, receiving only a small twitch in reply.
Suguha watched the her for a while longer, and then, feeling her own eyes growing heavy, she pulled the blankets all the way up and wrapped an arm protectively around Yui.
That night, there were no bad dreams.