Portpatrick, Scotland
After eight long days of travelling through Great Britain, the six girls arrived at the city of Portpatrick, where would be the determining point for them to leave on their journey in search of Hellene. They arrived at the city, where they had no problems with creatures of the night, besides the meeting with Elizabeth Lancaster in Dumfries, Even the Cavendish had a hard time, it wasn't the same against Daisy that was powerful enough, but Diana could handle her, or against Black Annis, that despite being a creature of the night, had some powers in relation to the strength of a vampire. Elizabeth was another level that the six girls had no notion that she was capable of reaching that precision, power and speed, besides getting more the idea that they will not deal with an easy fight from now on, they will deal with even more complicated situations.
Chloé crossed the English Channel and went from town to town in England in search of Diana, kind of going at a speed a little faster than the group was going, since she was with only one horse and was trotting, she was in the city of Glastonbury where she stopped to rest before leaving for good to continue the search for Cavendish, she spent coin by coin, but the information was always complicated to obtain, besides being very shallow, many just pointed directions, without saying cities, which made the Deppailer stop on the way to know information and many times the people didn't know or when they knew they said they only saw a cart passing by.
Elizabeth was called again by Bernadette this time to train some vampires to defend the castle from the imminent invasion that could happen, since there could be a return of the whole group of girls to the castle and they would need strength to defend this great attack, being the most powerful vampire after the countess herself she would be essential to mount a defense of a massive attack.
It dawns in Portpratrick, the six girls get up from the bed of the inn where they were staying, they leave a little gold and then follow the path to get the wagons in the stable and with that they go emptying the wagon, taking everything that is in them, putting the chests in the boats and this way getting ready to leave. Quickly the wagons were emptied, the group takes a deep breath and looks around just thinking about the trip
Diana: In 3 days, after 10 years, I will finally be able to see my sister, I missed Hellene so much, but now I will be able to leave here to see her again, I can imagine how difficult the years must have been.
Sucy: I hope she doesn't try to kill us, it's not enough that we were defeated by that vampire Dumfries.
All except Diana: Sucy!
Diana: It's okay, Hellene probably won't respond very well anyway, it's to be expected that we'll end up in some combat, judging by my condition, she wouldn't be someone easy to fight, but let's try our best not to end up with her dying, it would be the worst possible ending for this journey, I just want Hellene to stay on our side and be a strong enough person for the main journey.
Croix: If she is as strong as you are it will make the journey to get Chariot Belmont a lot easier, especially as we need more powerful allies, the six of us alone couldn't handle that Elizabeth, who's to say what's to come at Countess Cavendish's castle.
After this moment they all climb on top of the boat and this way they are crossing the sea this time in a much more peaceful crossing being only 32km which is able to be done in a little more than an hour and a half by the sailing boat that the girls are using to cross from Scotland to Ireland, in another point of this long journey. The girls were chatting as they passed the time, Cavendish at the most told a little of her childhood years and the little she remembered of the moments she spent beside her sister. How they were all the time having fun and playing around the castle.
Meanwhile in the same castle, there Ursula and Bernadette were watching everything from the crystal ball, thinking of some plan of how to finish off the girls while they were out there crossing the sea, Callistis was running her hand over her chin just imagining how she would make this grand plan.
Ursula: What are we going to do to make sure they don't cross, you know how they must be going after that ally before we do, if they succeed we won't be able to try and bring her over to our side.
Bernadette a little irritated: Ally? Don't talk that way about my daughter, have respect for her! And you couldn't make my Hellene's head so easy to ally with that, she's isolated alone in hers, besides her powers must be at Elizabeth's level, the only ones who could stand a chance against Hellene, is me or else Elizabeth herself.
Ursula: Don't you think you're giving Elizabeth too much privilege? She just got away with it by only training Hannah and Barbara to protect the castle, this way it's just going to be ridiculous, Bishop Cedric would have already put a stop to all of this, already given an end or a punishment worthy of that transgressor.
Bernadette: Calm down Ursula, don't let the envy take over you, go take care of the coliseum, I have already thought here how I will stop them, train the creatures of our castle too, the same way Elizabeth is doing, since you want so much to compete with her to prove yourself more deserving of my admiration, so do as I command.
Ursula doesn't question the Countess's orders and goes to the castle's coliseum where she makes sure to keep training some of the creatures of the night that are there, the more for the big moment. On the other hand Bernadette looks smiling at the crystal ball just imagining the possible plan she would follow to have the girls stopped by some sea creature she intends to send.
A few minutes later it was already possible to see the coast of Ireland close up, but at this point the girls felt some tremors followed by a very strange movement in the water, which made the girls alert, starting to get into a combat position, until suddenly a colossal squid emerges from the water and starts trying to hit the boat, which the girls jump scared.
Sucy: Our gold!
Akko: Ah gold you worry, these huge tentacles wanting to sink our boat is not of concern no?
Sucy: Itwas to be expected, but soon attacking our stuff like this.
Diana: Thisis not the best time to argue, let's defeat this thing soon before the worst happens to us.
On the other side of the sea, there was a group of three girls who were at the pier, a short girl with dark hair, a slightly taller one with a wider body and pink hair who was eating an apple, and a taller one with a slim body and salmon and red hair, who was hanging from the pylon of a sailboat, watching the sea from the bottom when they noticed the movement of the squid from far away. The shorter girl was watching everything from an artificial bezel she made, she could notice the movements and soon caught the taller girl's attention.
Girl#1: What happened Cons? Is that really a colossal squid?
The girl just grunts agreeing and then hands the bezel to the salmon haired girl who was watching and could notice the presence of the girls who were fighting against the colossal squid and that way she gives the bezel back to the black haired girl coming to slide down and then was celebrating jumping for joy coming to pull the anchor of her boat up and then her pink haired friend was untying the boat from the pier.
Girl#1: It's true, a colossal squid is attacking those girls' boat, they are fighting it, but they won't last long, let's help them! Maybe we can earn some more money.
Girl#2: Amanda you only think about money, want an apple?
The girl with salmon hair refuses the apple and with that the girl with pink hair gets on the boat taking a hand cannon that she holds, while Amanda and her friend go rowing quickly towards the other boat leaving the water until the girl with dark hair starts pulling levers that activate a device in the boat that makes it move forward, like a kind of water wheel moved by a crank that Amanda turns with her friend, which gives a good speed to the boat, with a lot of strength.
Amanda: Is that close enough Jas?
The pink haired girl only agrees with the head, this way she prepares a shot with the hand cannon, stays in a fixed position, and shoots with everything giving only a slight kick, besides raising a lot of smoke, that cannon ball gets everything on the colossal squid that stops attacking the boat of the six hunters and with that submerges towards the boat of the trio of the others.
They even look strange when they see the smoke and then a trio going towards their boat, while their boat was slightly sinking and in the desperation Sucy catches one of the chests that are filling little by little with water. The Manbavaran is getting desperate, on the other hand Croix was getting the other weapons and Lotte together with Akko took the chest with the clothes, they were trying somehow to put it on the other side and prevent the boat from sinking, the girls were trying to take the water, but nothing worked, the boat kept flooding.
Akko: Shit that giant squid got in the way, I had never seen one of those, I thought they were a myth.
Diana: At least those girls helped us, let's try to repair the damage before we sink, Lotte do you know any magic that would be useful for that, my powers don't have any that are included in stopping a ship from sinking.
At that time Marianne, all frustrated, kicked the boat's sail pillar and this way it ended up collapsing, falling right on top of where the parts that the water was entering were, besides the cloth served as a fence, preventing the thing from sinking, with a bucket the group was throwing more water out, which was helping a little, thanks to Leblanc's luck.
On the other hand the squid emerged from the water, but at that moment it went to the surface is where the black haired girl shoots with the pistol taking the left eye, the pink haired girl shoots with the cannon taking the body and at last Amanda finishes shooting a poisoned arrow with the crossbow that takes the right eye and this way that creature starts to struggle, But it didn't finish since they shot with harpoons the giant squid, but at that moment it starts to evaporate and then it starts to turn into ashes, little by little disappearing in the sky.
Amanda: Oh come on, that colossal squid is a creature of the night and it showed up early in the morning here, well I should have known better than to let it get here for a reward.
Girl#2: You only think about money always Amanda, let's help those people, they were lucky not to be sunk by that creature, poor people almost died because of that colossal squid.
Amanda and the two girls go to the boat that is starting to sink of the six hunters that are halfway down, Akko and Marianne jump into the other boat simply with the greatest confidence in the world, while the other girls do not seem to trust much in reaching it, but little by little each one is joining the boat, the last to step on it being Diana as little by little that boat of the six hunters was sinking.
Amanda: Whew, you guys have been really lucky, finally, let's go back to the mainland, Ireland is just around the corner, you look like travellers and hunters, just from your weapon you must have had the biggest problem with that colossal squid.
Akko: Look I really have to thank you guys for saving our lives.
Amanda: If the thanks comes in the form of gold I accept.
Girl#2 slapping Amanda: Don't mind what my friend meant, no need to reward.
Amanda: But if you want I'll gladly accept, anyway I'll introduce myself, I'm Amanda O'Neill, I'm from here in Ireland, these are my friends, the one with pink hair is called Jasminka Antonenko, she came from Russia and finally the short one is mute, she came from Frankfurt in the Holy Roman Empire, from what it seems you also seem to have come from distant lands.
Akko: I came from Japan, my name is Atsuko Kagari, it's a very distant country, an island on the other side of the world, Sucy Manbavaran is the pink haired archer, she also comes from a region nearby, the Philippine islands, Lotte Yanson is the blonde in the book, she's our wizard came from Finland, Marianne Leblanc, French and she's learning to get the hang of being a hunter she's the youngest of us at 16, she is an extremely lucky girl take it from me, Diana Cavendish, she is Scottish but we met in France, she has some peculiarities, she is a swordsman like me, not as skilled but she is pretty good and lastly the oldest of our group, I don't know her age but she is the most experienced, she is the former partner of Chariot Belmont, she came from Lombardy and she is our experienced marksman, Croix Meridies.
Amanda: Chariot Belmont, I've heard about it, I was exploring around here looking for something to do and we seem to have found something perfect by meeting up with you guys, so what route will you be taking through Ireland?
Akko: When we dock we will tell you.
Amanda nods her head in agreement and in this way they moor the boat at the pier, leaving it anchored and also tied with strong knots given by Jasminka. In this way the nine stay at the pier watching the seagulls and also admiring the landscape, until Akko begins to tell the trio about the mission.
Akko: If you really want to join us and for saving our lives let us confide in you the intent of our mission. We are going to Dublin on a mission to see our friend Diana's sister again, not only that but we are also going back to Scotland to find out the whereabouts of Chariot Belmont, her last appearance was in Edinburgh.
Amanda: Dublin... I was born there, I've always heard about the ruins of the McLaren castle being haunted by the Banshee and also by a dangerous vampire, all this after they burned the witch Laura McLaren 10 years ago, I remember well, I was in the square watching that horrified, my mother told me that that's what happens to those who don't obey the church and all the rules of God, nowadays I'm sure that was an unfair death.
Diana turned back: It was, my mother didn't deserve to die like that, she did nothing wrong and just wanted to find a cure for my other mother, now I'm trying to find my sister who I haven't seen in ten years and I'm sure she's alone lost out there in Dublin, she's probably in those ruins.
Amanda: And you want us to join you, people we've only just met, for a mission to a place where no one has come back alive? For a suicide mission?
Akko: Really my notion...
Amanda: But I'm on it! What are you waiting for?
Akko: Are you sure? If you want you can just leave it and we'll go on our way, since it would be kind of the way back.
Amanda: So what,I've been back and forth all over Ireland since I ran away from home, I've been in a polygamous relationship with these two and we've had our share of good times, you have no idea, now something like this, a suicide adventure to take on Banshee just to find this girl's sister who can't hide the fact that she has vampire fangs, apparently it's going to be an interesting adventure, but tell me how? Vampires can't walk around during the day.
Diana: I'm not totally a vampire, I'm a hybrid, my mother who was killed by the church was a human and when humans have children with vampires one becomes immune to a lot of the weaknesses that normal vampires have, one of them being in relation to the sun and also in relation to running water, although I can't use my vampiric powers if I'm in a situation where the weaknesses of any vampire end up being exposed and with that I can't, I kind of have a little bit of that control over when I want to use this power or not.
Amanda: That's kind of interesting, being that we already know how we're going to have to deal with the whole situation in case your sister comes to attack us.
Akko: We will not attack Diana's sister, only in case she comes to attack us and we will do that to defend ourselves we will not attack anyone, she can only be confused.
Amanda: Whatever, if she comes in for a fight, a fight she's going to get, or my name isn't Amanda O'Neill.
After this introduction the girls followed Amanda's group to where their residence would be and from there they noticed that it was a hidden basement a little isolated from the rest of the city of Donaghadee. The basement surprisingly had plenty of space with a huge bed where the trisal always rested, a place just for tools where was the place that Constanze worked the same surprised Croix who never thought to find another person who was interested in technologies and innovations, with some of many interesting machines made by the shorty.
They also had other beds left, but even so it was not enough for the six girls to fit, they were only two more double beds for which the group came to a conclusion, a game of take away sticks, marking a stick with a rope, being this the chosen stick who caught it would have the chance to sleep in the double bed, they had four of these sticks.
Diana: All this just for a bed, come on girls you don't have to do the whole thing, I'm happy to sleep on the floor, I've slept in worse places.
Croix: Stop being such a pain Diana, that's just to lighten the mood, Marianne might as well take off her bow tie.
Amanda returns with the glass full of sticks, being four of these special sticks and with that the girls were taking a stick by stick, once of each, the six participated, being that Diana was with enough fear in being in that game, but she saw herself without much option, some minutes were passing, they were dozens of sticks, The chance of getting a good stick was minimal, but soon the first one gets a good stick, Akko, who comes out celebrating all jumpy, then the next time she gets one too, Sucy who already shows a smile, after a while more rounds went by, as the game was going on the tension was also created.
The girls were looking at each other, giving serious and surgical stares, any movement determined the destiny of who would stay on those double beds, Lotte takes the third stick, for the joy of Sucy that exhibits a malicious smile, but at the same time of happiness and with that only one was left and everybody already imagined for whom it would be.
Akko: I don't know why to go on, Mari is so lucky that she will end up being the one chosen to sleep with me.
Marianne: I don't know where they got that idea that I'm so lucky, I never thought that, in fact I think I'm the unluckiest.
All of them just stared at her without saying anything to Leblanc, who scratched the back of her neck and then continued to play normally, there were few sticks left, there were only Diana, Croix and Marianne left for the game, who took them would end up lying next to Akko, since the bed where Sucy would sleep was already kind of destined to be next to Lotte.
The chosen ones together with the trio of Amanda didn't stop creating more tension, giving that emotion, but little by little the sticks that were left were of few to almost nothing, the game was already coming to an end, the sticks that were left were only 10.
Amanda: Woah who would have thought that a little game to determine who gets to lie on the beds would out of nowhere be this exciting, come on 10 sticks to go.
The countdown began, for each of the sticks that were taken, the tenth was taken by Diana, the ninth by Croix, the eighth by Marianne, the seventh by Cavendish, the sixth by Meridies, the fifth by Leblanc, the game was getting tighter with each round, the fourth was taken by the Scot, the third by Lombarda, The second and penultimate was taken by the Frenchwoman and with that miraculously all were ecstatic, it was the first time they saw Marianne Leblanc not being so lucky and the remaining stick was with the dhampir that when she took it and noticed that she would end up sleeping with Akko, she was even a little bit embarrassed.
Marianne: I didn't say, I'm not as lucky as you think I am, well at least Diana had the big break, she's going to sleep in bed with Akko.
Croix: The two couples going to sleep together haha, who knew it would end that way.
At this time, the four are a little embarrassed when they are called couples, mainly because of Diana and Akko, the two have a little bit of rivalry feeling, but they weren't lighting up for a bigger feeling, Sucy on the other hand was celebrating inside, being with Lotte for her was a wonder, the Finnish girl on the other hand was just calm, she always took these couple's lines in the most joking.
Amanda: So we have other homosexuals among us, how interesting, you can rest assured that you are welcome here.
Diana: We noticed just by the way you three are getting more comfortable, aren't you really ashamed of kissing like that in front of everybody? And if someone looks and tells the church that there is a couple, not only homosexuals, but also polygamists, another thing that the church is repulsed by.
Amanda: Rules are there to be broken, if there is something wrong with being like this then why is it so good? I have never before felt so alive as I do now next to these two girls, I wanted to understand why banning things that are fun and pleasurable has something wrong with it, if god is really like that then he is a big dick in the ass.
At that moment a quietness takes over the environment, the girls are just quiet with what Amanda had said, even just leaving aside that climate on the bed, since the girls were forgetting all the talk, then this way, Croix and Marianne were preparing mattresses to lie on the floor.
Then Croix met with Diana and also called the other girls, they began to look at the map and trace a route by which they would follow to Dublin and with the help of Amanda and the girls would be the best route they could do since O'Neill has experience with Ireland.
Amanda: You were intending to go straight to Belfast today, well now you are going to have to stop, the route is going to have to change, well we have safe houses in Belfast, Dundalk and also the main one in Dublin, we still have some tracks, hopefully no one has found anything.
O'Neill, was already drawing some X's on the map which was slightly leaving Akko feeling annoyed by Amanda's attitude, for having done it that way, but didn't question and just went observing her action marking with the map, then smiling.
Amanda: After this one me and the girls are coming back here, we'll meet up again in Edinburgh, we kind of have to sort some things out with our boat and we also want to go on a journey just the three of us to see if we're strong enough, either way it'll be interesting.
Diana: We're not heading straight to Edinburgh from here, possibly we're going to Leeds, where we're meeting my aunt, she told us about what's been going on, she sent me a letter a few days ago, it's probably already come to her attention.
Amanda showing disgust: Bleh no fucking way I'm getting mixed up in family matters, so good luck with that part, you guys go your separate ways, I just know we're only going to help out here in Ireland and then see you at Countess Cavendish's castle.
From there the girls talk more about the mission and the steps they are taking, in this case the three main ones, Amanda, Akko and Diana, discuss about this plan, on the other hand Croix decides to take a look at Constanze's tools and many of the machine projects, which even leaves her fascinated, such as the "compact cannon" that Jasminka uses, which is a little smaller than a common hand cannon, but much bigger than a firearm, with a balanced potential between the two.
Far away from there in Dublin port a ship docked in the city, it was Daryl, who arrived there, together with his daughters, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief, then stayed in a castle as they were received by a countess who was a friend of the Cavendish and with that they were getting comfortable in their room, just waiting for the arrival of Diana and her group.
Merrill: So mum, is the plan ready?
Daryl: Almost done, now we have to wait for Diana's presence and her group, who knows they can really survive, anyway I want them to go in disguised too, I don't want that poor disgusting Hellene to get out alive, so when Diana arrives, you go there and hide and try to attack Hellene.
Merrill: But Mom, she's a Dhampir, she'll do little service from us.
Daryl: Not if she's already tired, but okay, you may not necessarily need to kill her, in case you see that it's not necessary, the most important of all is that I want them alive, I'll only need Hellene's blood and also Diana's blood, even if I try in a more polite way, without seeming invasive, we'll manage to sign this pact and then it's just joy, let's just let things roll.
Merrill with fear: Are you sure mum, you know we don't know the weakness of a dhampir, only a vampire and even they are powerful, we can't just defeat dumb vampires with intelligence, like you trained us to do.
Maril: And you as always being a coward Merrill, ridiculous how our mother trained you and you are still afraid, for me I gladly accept, if it is to purify the Cavendish bloodline once and for all I will make it a point and gladly get rid of the scum that was Laura McLaren's bloodline, we just need her blood don't we, so that's easy.
Daryl: That's it Maril, you fill me with pride, that's the way it has to be, anyway, like you said yourself, they just need the blood, but preferably if they can, keep a, Hellene doesn't deserve to live, that girl and the rotten of our bloodline, it amazes me how the city of Dublin still hasn't managed to capture her and then leave her dead, but soon we'll change that, the girls will hurt Hellene enough, she won't react in a friendly way, not even with Diana's presence, I imagine that someone who was abandoned for 10 years since she was 5 years old wouldn't be without any resentment and that's wonderful, haha, she won't get out of there without a fight first and that's where your plan comes into action, she'll be hurt a lot, you guys take whatever blood you can get and also try to give her a fatal wound, use this dagger, you just need to stick it in some vital part of her body and then Hellene's vampiric power will be blocked, but it needs to penetrate to the end, because if she takes the blade out, she'll go back to normal, at the end hooks will open and attach to Hellene's body and this way it'll be impossible for her to try to take it out, which could kill her easily.
Merrill: And why don't you do it then mum?
Daryl: I could slap you right now, a good daughter does, doesn't question, you'll be rewarded for that, so stop complaining, all of this is for the greater good of you, I thought of every detail to make this pact work, I don't want you to ruin it, I'll need your help, by the way I'm the eldest, you owe me obedience and respect.
Maril: You're just complaining Merrill, instead of looking at how our mother has given us all the good and the best, stop being so ungrateful, look at all we've had, we haven't been forced to marry anyone, we can live in a castle now, we're just going to help, and the least a daughter should do to her mother, is not more than her obligation.
Daryl: Well done Maril Cavendish, you know how to be an obedient daughter, keep it up and the leadership of the family can be trusted to be passed on to you, I see a strong hand, as for you Merrill, think hard and improve who you are.
Daryl is simply stroking his daughter's head, throwing in the other twin's face how superior she is and how the other one is a weakling, causing that psychological pressure, in a plan for the pact that has this strange condition of needing Hellene's blood to be signed, something that was totally unexpected, a pact that will still cause a lot of controversy and polemics.
At last the girls are at the end of the first part of their journey. They arrived in Ireland and in three days they will be in Dublin, where they will finally meet Hellene and will also meet the much feared ruins of the McLaren castle, where there is this Banshee that is protecting the place. This time with three new allies to the group that is growing with each part of this epic journey.
See you, Irish witches.