Chapter 4 'The Message, Master, and Partner'

"For you? It would be 10 gold a night, miss."

"Really? Thank you. Here you go." Nina paid with some of the money stashed in pack.

"Thank you, your room is upstairs, second room on the right. Good night, miss." The Inn Keeper did I slight bow then went back to his paperwork. Nina nodded and headed upstairs, into the second room on the right like she was instructed to. The room was small, only enough room for a bed, closet, and some spare space to stick any other belongings you may have. There wasn't any bathrooms in the rooms, but there was one downstairs so that wasn't a problem.

'It's small and pretty cheap, but I only need it til' morning. Might as well go to sleep.'

Nina had arrived in Alberna just after dusk, so finding Yana would be diffucult. So she made up her mind to go to the nearest inn and sleep, and get a fresh start first thing in the morning. After a quick look around, Nina found a inn called 'Arittelles Cots' and got a room.

Despite traveling non-stop for the last two and a half days, Nina didn't feel as tired as she thought she should. Nina ignored it for now and streched, and noticed a sharp pain in her back. It wasn't the first time she had this happen, but this hurt more than it did before. Also her left eye felt really itchy, but as quickly as it came it stopped. Nina checked herself, noticing nothing wrong went to shrugged it off as something else she'd have to do tomorrow.

Suddenly Nina felt very tired, more than she had a minute ago. Nina stumbled over to the bed and fell onto it, falling alseep almost imedeately.

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Nina...Princess...can you...me

That voice...It can't be...

"Emand? Is that you?"

Nina was in a vast plain of darkness, and suddenally the darkness broke, revealing the transparent figure of Emand.

Princess I've found you. My time is short, I have one more message for you, but first I wish you to know it is good to see you one last time before i move on.

"Emand, do you have to leave? I don't want to be alone, you're the only family I have left."

I know princess, but my time is over. Don't worry though we'll meet again, sooner or later, later I would hope, but now I have to tell you one last thing before my time is up.

Not giving Nina time to say anything, Emand continued.

With my death the spell that hid your idenity was broken. I don't know the specifics, but I remember something about I being the channel of the illusion spell. It was engraved into my back, which was why I was always carefull around you. With the spell gone your more darker traits will aslo be freed, it may not seem as if it's you, but you must accept that this is the real you, just don't let it drive you to hate or resent this side of you. It in itself is its own person. Your apperance will also change, but don't worry people see enough demons and angels that they won't really care. That is all, find Yana learn to defend yourself, just be safe. I will see you again, and don't worry, I'll tell your parents that you love them.

"Emand...Thank you. Goodbye, I love you." If Nina had been in her body she would be shocked, confused, sad, anxious, and crying, but that would come later.

Goodbye, princess, I love you as well.

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When Nina awoke, she was in a daze. She remembered everything from the dream, and she wasn't sure if it was real. Looking outside Nina saw it was after dawn, mabye around noon. Not bothering to change, Nina grabbed some money from her pack, and rushed out locking the door behind her.

Coming downstairs, Nina didn't see anyone, so she decided that her search would have to begin outside. Being in the town at day, Nina had the chance to see how big the town was. From what she could see, Alberna was only about twice as big as her own town, Cestend(Did I forget that earlier?) Right in, what looked like, the center of town was a very large tower, no secondary towers attached, just one fifteen story tower.

'I guess I'll head that way.' Nina started towards the large structure, not running into anyone and it was begining to creep her out.

'I know there's people here, I can...smell? Yes I can smell and fell them, but they're scared of something, and I don't think it's directed toward me.' Nina picked up her pace, feeling a foreboding from the tower.

Upon entering the clearing where the tower was, the town center Nina guessed, she saw a person standing there, yelling up at the tower.

"...damn beast! Come down and fight me, or open the gates so I can come and kill you in your own domain." It was an elderly lady, she had grey hair wrapped in a bun, and was yelling in a voice that betrayed her age.

'Is this Yana?' The woman was speaking again, this time quieter, to what seemed like a squirel. The squirel suddenly changed forms, from a small rodent to that of a young woman. Nina let out a stiffled gasp, alerting the two to her presence. The two were staring over at Nina and Nina in turn stared back. The shape-shifter girl has brown hair, and green eyes. She was about a foot taller than Nina, and was wearing a green robe.

"Master, do you feel that?" The girl looked inquisitively to her 'master'

"Yes Alita(Battle Angel reference, it was on my desk so it was all I could think up) I do, this one has almost as much potiential as you. You, girl, whats your name?" The old women turned her gaze to Nina in a no-nonsense manner.

"M-me? My names Nina, Nina Histas. Are you Yana?" Nina asked hopefully.

"Well Nina, yes I am Yana the Sage, but we'll talk more later, come here," Nina approached the duo being looked upon by the cold glare of Yana and the curious one of Alita, "I have a little test for you, if you do it I'll teach you magic if you want. That is why you came right? To learn magic." Nina was a bit taken aback, a test? and she hadn't even said that she wanted to be trained, but this old woman knew.

"Well? Is it?" Yana asked impatiently.

"Y-yes it is. My godfather, Emand, told me that you'd teach me magic." Nina asked a bit bolder.

"You know Emand? I mean, never mind, I'm going to break down this door, when I do I want you and Alita to go in and stop the beast at the top of the tower any way you see fit. If you succeed, I will train you to use magic. Deal?" Yana asked, raising a eyebrow.

"O-okay." Nina nodded her.

"Stand back, this will be loud." Yana moved forward, Nina and Alita moving back, and stood in an open postion, legs spread palms open and out. Yana took a breath in, then released it. Nina could feel the energy begin to bubble and form around the Sage, as Yana began to mutter incantations under breath. A red ball formed, red light filling the area, dim at first, then quickly grew brighter until Nina and Alita both had to look away. A loud explosion sounded, followed by another flash of light, then the red light began to fade. When the smoke cleared there was a giant hole in the four ton doors, more than large enough for Alita and Nina to get through. Yana stood, panting and sweating slightly. She relaxed her musles, then dusted herself off.

"Alita, I want you to accompany Nina, don't help her directly, just make sure she doesn't get too banged up. I will be at home when your finished." With that Yana stood and walked offf before anyone could say anymore.

"She seems really confident that we'll beat this guy." Nina commented to Alita, who was still looking at her curiously.

"Yeah, she's like that." Alita looked at Nina a few more seconds then finally commented "How do I get eyes like that? What spell did you use?" Nina just looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean how do you get two different eyes like that? One is blue," Alita pointed to the right eye "and one is red." Alita finished pointing to the left eye.

"What?" Nina looked around desperately for a reflective surface, and spotted a small water fountain.

Nina ran over to the fountain, and sure enough her eyes were a sky blue, and a fire red. Also she had a fangs suddenly growing in on the left side of her mouth. Thats when it happened, the pain in her back came back, but this time it felt ten fold to last. Nina dropped into a fetal postion, writhing, and would be screaming if she could find her voice. Tears of pain were streaming down her face when the pain stopped. Gasping heavily, Nina dragged herself up, and looking again in the fountain she saw that she had two feathery wings, her right one a pure white color, her left almost pitch black. Fully standing up, Nina began to register this through her mind.

'Is what Emand meant by changing? Well he doesn't need to worry, this feels almost...natural. I didn't notice before but it felt off, like I was missing a part of me. I guess I was.'

"Woah, cool! These are real, no magic used to change it." Alita was up still with her curious look and started rubbing Nina's wings. The feeling was strange to Nina, it felt really good, but she didn't even really know Alita.

"Please stop...they're really sensitive." Nina got out weakly, though really she didn't want Alita to stop her ministrations on her new senisitive wings.

"Well thats just a reason not to stop, isn't it?" Alita continued to expertly massage Nina's wings and the joints inbetween her shoulder blade and spinal column. Nina really thought she should stop Alita, but couldn't bring herself to do anything.

'Mabye having wings isn't such a bad thing after all.' Nina mused to herself, before losing all thought once again.

Even Alita was enjoying herself, 'Her wings are really soft and feel very nice to touch, she is very beatiful as well.' Alita's hand found it's way to Nina's hair and she started stroking her fingers through it 'Even her hairs soft, and it's white color is so pretty, better than Yana's grey anyway.'

Alita started to let her hands roam when she realised what she was doing 'Think fast, think fast, I know!'

"Well everything seems to be fine with your wings. Enjoy them, and floss them once a week, they're the only ones you'll get. I'm just kidding." Alita started nervously laughing 'Real smooth, Alita.' Nina was still recovering from the intense feeling of her wings being so delicately rubbed that she really didn't care about the bad joke. She had thought, and part of her hoped, that Alita would keep going, not that she was really sure to what.

"Thanks, we should really get to that beast guy now."

"Your right, let's go!" 'Anything to change the topic.' "Oh and it's beast 'girl' not guy." 'I wonder if she'll let me do it again?'

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4:30 in the morning, I'm bushed, spelling mistakes I probaly didn't notice. How will the rest of the world react to Nina, what does Nina think about the little massage that almost turned more? What about this mysterious beast girl, what will happen to her? Find out, some of these things, and more in Chapter 5'The Angel, the Witch, and the Beast'

R&R, or a least rate pls.