Overcoming Destiny

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Wireless communications"

Ch 15

"They're coming for me." A little girl said as she seemed to stare at nothing.

"Nobody is coming for you freak." The guard said as he sat in front of the cell. "Now shut up."

OOooOO

"She got away. I hate the ones that get away." Sinon mumbled in frustration as she left the armory after finding her clothes and weapons. "The pull is coming from down here in the dungeons." She mumbled as she descended into the bowels of the castle.

"Have you heard?" A guard asked his companion.

"About what?" His companion asked.

"You know, 'them'." The guard asked, looking around.

"Oh, right. The elves." companion said.

"Actually some guards are saying they're fairies who've have returned to take back their kingdom."

"Of course you'd believe those old wives tales, coming from the north."

"A lot of the old tales of the doings of Fae have been written off as the doing of Brimr by the church to get more converts, but I know they've come back and they won't be pleased with us."

"I'm not going to turn you in 'cause you're my friend but you'd better not let anyone hear you talk like that."

"It doesn't matter, the only reason Caledonia joined Cornwall is because he promised liberation from the usurpers. However with the arrival of the Fae it will only be a matter of time before the highlanders separate. A lot of the old clans have pride in the fact that they are descended from the Fae."

'What do ya know we might not have as much trouble as was speculated.' Sinon thought as she worked her way closer.

"You know, I've been thinking."

"Bout what."

"It's not very noble to keep a blind girl locked up-." The companion started.

"What say you boys that we play nice and let me pick up my charge and scram." Sinon as she hopped around the corner one of her tomahawks at the ready.

"I don't believe it! A real live Cait Sith! Can you believe it! You could kill me now and I wouldn't care!" The northerner squealed in excitement as he shook his friend.

"You're the expert, so what do we do?" His companion asked worriedly.

"Please don't hurt us! We'll do what ever you ask! Oh right! You're here for the girl! Of course! We will go get her right now!" The northerner said as he stiffly bowed.

"Good, well get to it." Sinon answered as she lowered her hands a little bit.

"Are you crazy?" his companion asked in a harsh whisper.

"Of course I am, we just saw a Cait Sith. Unless you want her to drag you off to their kingdom you'll do what she says." The northerner whispered back before opening the door to the lower dungeons.

"I can hear you ya know." Sinon called.

"I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect. If you will excuse us." The northerner bowed before he headed down.

"We are here to transfer the girl." The northerner said to the guard at the lower cell.

"Why was I not informed of this?" the guard asked indignantly.

"We just heard about it ourselves. You know how the higher-ups enjoy jerking us grunts around. I would just go with it." The northerner said as he shrugged.

"All right, I guess you're right." The guard said as he opened the cell. "Get up. The nobles want to move you." He picked the girl up roughly, then handed her off to the northerner. "Here Edgar, you'd better watch her, you know what they say about elves and their magic."

"Don't worry. I will." Edgar said as he grabbed the girl, heading up the stairs he said. "Let's go. Someone important wants to see you."

When they left the lower levels he turned to the girl and asked. "They didn't hurt you too badly did they?"

"No they didn't, might I ask why you're concerned?" The girl asked puzzled.

"Treating a blind girl this way is hardly respectable, especially a member of the Fae." Edgar said as they started up another flight of stairs. "By the way, I know it's rude to ask but what's your name."

"It's alright. My name is Lydia."

"That's a nice name. I'm Edgar." Edgar said as he opened the door to the guard room.

"Alright I will relieve you of her and skedaddle." Sinon said as she attempted to do as she said.

"I know it's presumptuous of me but, could you perhaps, If it's not a bother that is, Could you take me with you?" Edgar asked nervously.

"Why?" Sinon asked quirking an eyebrow.

"My mother is a fairy doctor and she's told me stories of the fairy kingdom. I've always wanted to go there." Edgar said, his eyes shining with anticipation.

"No idea what you're talking about. And I don't have the ability to take you with, at this time." Sinon added as she tried to take Lydia again.

"I see." Edgar said, downcast as he let Lydia go. Brightening, he looked up, "Aw well, I'll just head home. If you ever need help and you're around Edinburgh ask for Carlton and you'll find aid."

"Ok that's interesting, so I'll say see ya." Sinon said as the activated her cloaking item allowing her to blend with the shadows before she ghosted up the stairs.

Edgar and his friend watched her vanish into the shadows.

"That's new, I didn't they could do that. Mother will be surprised when I tell her I met a real Cait Sith." Edgar said before starting up the stairs.

"So you're leaving then?" his friend asked.

"You're welcome to come. After all we'll get in trouble if we stay." Edgar said looking back.

"Let's go then, so why don't you tell me more about the Fae?" His friend asked as he followed.

"Of course. I'll be glad to." Edgar said as they left the fortress behind.

OOooOO

Yui was happy to be visiting her mother. While staying with her grandparents was nice it still had nothing on her parents. Her mother was bed ridden for the time being preventing Yui from spending as much time with Lizbeth as she would like.

Flora brushed Yui's hair with her hand.

"Is there something wrong?" Yui asked confused at the contact. She may have started life as a mental health program but at the moment she was a five year old girl and some things still confused her.

"There was dust, on your hair. It's gone now." Flora said her hands folding at her waist.

Yui's response was to look at Flora with her head cocked to the side and eyebrow quirked.

"Hold still. There's lint on your shoulder. There" Flora said brushing something off Yui's shoulder.

Her attention span used up Yui went into the room that Lisbeth currently was laying in.

"How are you doing Yui?" Liz asked her daughter from where she was laying on her side unable to lay on her back or walk on her own for the time being.

"Missing you." Yui answered as she crawled into the bed beside her mother snuggling into the fur covering the older dragonkin's chest as she talked with her mother.

OOooOO

Louise looked out over the assembled Spriggans and Imps in the main square of Ishiyama. "My fellow Fae it is necessary for you to retrieve your fellows from the floating island of Albion. This will be an infiltration and sabotage mission that will require all of the skills that have been earned from the game and your previous lives. So do us proud and come back alive."

Leischia looked over the people gathered to perform the extraction and in her capacity as team leader announced:

"You heard her, this is a rescue mission first and a sabotage mission second. I shouldn't have to tell you what to do unless you missed the mission briefing, in which case I can only say tough luck. Moving on," She pointed to the map behind her. "We will land here, just under Newcastle. From there, the contingent force will head above ground to Liverpool, where they will proceed to sew chaos and destruction, if you are part of that force, have fun! If not, you're with me."

"Nooo!" a shout came from the crowd.

"You're the one who lost the coin toss, so I'm stuck with you." Leischia shouted back. "Y'all may now proceed to the Lusitania, may it be spared from the same fate as its otherworldly counterpart. Jabber-wok, try not to kill civilians."

"Of course." Jabber-wok said.

With that the meeting dissolved as they did what they'd been assigned.

OOooOO

"You disappoint me Sheffield." A man cloaked in shadow said with an air of disappointment.

"I'm sorry my master. That girl was stronger than I thought she would be." Sheffield groveled as she knelt before her summoner.

"Leave me and do your best to acquit yourself for your failure." Her master ordered as moved toward the balcony. Sheffield touched her forehead to the stone floor before scurrying out.

"So Louise Vallière is another void mage and a ruler in her own right. We shall see how this plays out." The man said before he started laughing manically.

OOooOO

George, leader of the Gnomes, looked at Mortimer. "I believe we'll be able to supply the necessary ore. The problem will be transportation."

"I'm sure that the Gramonts wouldn't mind giving assistance since they're in an alliance with the Vallières." Mortimer stated as he looked toward the elder Gramont whom was sitting in on their current meeting.

Godfrey Gramont, a 6' 11" blonde haired, blue eyed, brick wall of a man, looked at George, "We will be able to transport ten heavy wagons per ship if we're lucky."

"What is this? The stone age? Y'all have all this magic and have yet to progress passed the Stuarts. Stupid nobles." George said grumbling the last part.

"Without us, the commoners would fall into chaos!" Yelled Godfrey, as he stood up indignantly.

"Fool!" George spit out, he slammed the table, causing the marble to break, before standing up. "Who do you think invented black powder! I can tell you it wasn't nobles, they can produce similar effects with spells, It was the-."

"Now now, why can't the two of you just get along?" Mortimer asked trying to placate the two giants in front of him.

"I will work with him," George ground out through clenched teeth, crossing his arms as he looked at Godfrey, "But MY gnomes will not work beneath him."

"My sentiments exactly." Godfrey said, mimicking his counterpart's stance.

"Then why don't we just calm down and work through our problems like men?!" Mortimer asked yelling out trying to be heard.

"Excellent Idea!" Godfrey shouted. "What is your weapon of choice?"

"Weapon?! You call that stick a weapon?!" George asked pointing to Godfrey's wand rapier.

"SILENCE!" The previously forgotten other occupant of the room yelled causing the curtains to whip away from their previous static positions.

"Yes'm." George and Godfrey squeaked meekly as they stood at attention looking at the unassuming four foot nothing being that is a ticked off Cardinal.

"You will cooperate with the Tristainians George because we don't have the resources we need to be fully self-sufficient at this time!" Cardinal stated forcefully to George.

"Of course, ma'am." George said, giving a stiff salute.

"And You Godfrey de Gramont!" The Sylph shouted as she turned her ire towards the Gramont as her brown hair flailed around like snakes.

Godfrey let out a little whine as she turned on him.

"Just because a human being can't perform magic doesn't mean they should be treated like animals!" Cardinal ranted, her red eyes blazing. "Every fairy before you used to be a lowly human and unable to use magic, but were more than able to make a living without being subservient to others! Respect your fellow man! You're a noble. A leader. Act like it!"

Godfrey nodded as he watched the waves of magic pouring off of this unassuming woman. Seeing her withering glare pass between the two of them, George took Godfrey's hand and shook it, Godfrey went along as he was still in shock knowing that she could beat him within an inch of his life and there would be nothing he could do about it.

OOooOOooOO

Wow Cardinal gets down to business when she's pissed.

Yeah I didn't even know she was that powerful.

Well think about it Yggdrasil is the single largest nexus of magical energy in Halkeginia.

Yeah so?

Cardinal is the physical embodiment of the AI that controlled the game so it stands to reason that she has full access to the magic that Yggdrasil produces.

I see. So that means that Cardinal can't leave the Yggdrasil's area of influence.

Unfortunately you're correct and because of the Yggdrasil shoots that are situated throughout Tristain she can't leave the country.

Pity.

What?

Well if she could leave they wouldn't have to worry about invasion.

She's only one person she can't be everywhere.

Good point.