A/N: Special thanks to my beta-reader Kamil the Awesome.
Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.
Under the Blue Moon
Chapter 2 - Breach
A cacophony of cheering and laughter echoed within the vast hallways of the Earl's manor. Amanda O'Neill, explorer by habit and witch by trade, grinned at the noise. With the ball still ongoing, she had the best chance in a while to exercise her penchant for seeking out all things shiny and expensive. She marveled at the intricacy and design of wealthy establishments, often finding them the optimal playground to satisfy her desires. This manor was just like many other places she had been in the witchy realm, amplified by the rarity of entering a vampire fief.
She had already morphed her heels into sneakers, which pattered on the marble flooring as she slunk about the manor. The evening's fanfare dwindled to a distant murmur as she pressed on. She wished she could reapply her special perfume, now that Sucy's spell was at risk of fading, but it would've exposed her if she'd been discovered with it. Her brand was a uniquely witch one, and no vampiric lady would dare use it.
Dressed in a shimmering blue, the cut across her bust descended past the valley between her breasts and ended a handful of inches above her navel. White beads ran in drooping strings around her waist, rising and falling like the waves of the English Channel. Her gloves matched in shade, drawn up past her elbows. Her mask was the same color, though it was bound to be forgotten. It was frustratingly uncomfortable, though keeping her identity secret a while longer would be nice.
A smile pulled at Amanda's lips as she approached her destination She came up to a large, auburn doorway. There was a gold leaf pattern upon the door, faint enough that the less aware would walk past it. But not her. No, she knew her targets well. According to everything she had read, a chamber holding her prize always bore the exact symbol she was seeing.
Beyond the door before her was her target for the night, and the main reason she agreed to join Akko's ridiculous plan to sneak over the border on the night of the blue moon: the Golden Chalice, an ancient artifact known to have existed since the vampiric fiefs were first settled. Historians were mostly inconsistent about what it did, but they agreed the Golden Chalice was the first instrument used by the vampiric nobility to drink blood in a civilized manner.
Stealing the Golden Chalice from its current residence was the ultimate test of her skills. Amanda knew herself well and was confident she would return home with the object in her possession.
A fine addition to my collection.
Amanda laid her gloved and perfumed hand upon the doorknob, slowly turned it, and pushed it open as softly as she could.
"Yes! Just like that!" a voice cried out.
She peered through the open doorway. Her eyes widened at the sight within. A topless woman, certainly around Amanda's nineteen years, screamed out her pleasure, her legs wrapped tightly around the hips of the blond man pressed against her.
"Ah… Louis, right there, yes!"
"Keep talking like that, and you'll gonna make me cum," Louis grunted into the woman's ear. He cupped a breast with a single hand, fingers rolling a pert nipple before giving it a measured pinch.
The woman released another moan of ecstasy, before begging Louis to finish inside her.
Amanda flushed, mortified, and quickly chanted, "Toriara Faciesse." Her body shimmered before turning invisible, the cloak even settling over her hair and clothes. If either vampire had noticed her presence, they weren't acting upon it. Instead, it appeared they were too caught up in their own pleasure.
"I can't," Louis quickened his pacing. "…Rose..."
The woman's passionate cries were cut off as a soft whimper came from her lips. Amanda paused, watching them warily. She may have slipped into the room, but it didn't mean she was clear to try and make her heist. Louis, focused upon his own pleasure, was unaware of the shifting mood that was visible upon his partner's face.
He was launched across the room, crashing against the wall painfully. He smashed into the wood paneling, which shuddered from the impact. Spider webbed cracks extended outward from where Louis had hit. He groaned, slumping onto the floor. After a moment, he raised himself onto a knee. He massaged his cheek, wincing at where his fingers brushed his jaw.
Amanda glanced between them, frowning.
"You fucking asshole! You slept with my sister too?" the woman shouted, her face a furious red. She snatched up what was hers on the ground, returning her dress to its usual presentation. "Fuck you and your fucking five minutes of glory," her rage continued, bearing her fangs at the blond noble.
She watched as the vampire stared down the woman he had just been fucking. He was stoic in the face of outrage, barley concerned as he drew on his pants. Amanda's wandering gaze had fallen to his crotch, and curious thoughts had latched onto her mind. The explicit pictures on the web did not do the real thing justice. Its girth was thicker and its length a robust size that made Amanda wonder just how it could fit into anything. It would be wiser to see her task through, despite the sudden impulse to stay hidden and watch.
Luna Nova was an all-girls school, and there was no all-boys school for them to socialize with. Can you blame her for being curious?
Too distracted by her own thoughts, Amanda failed to notice the enraged woman approach the doorway. Her heart pounded against her breast, yet with soft steps she moved towards a safe corner. She stood there and watched as the woman stormed out of the chamber, and likely back to the ballroom.
Amanda glanced around the room, freed from the awkwardness she had stumbled upon, and found to her regret that the chalice she had assumed would be present was nowhere to be seen. A pedestal stood alone, empty, in the far corner. "Guess I got the wrong room," she grumbled.
"Who's there?"
Fuck. Fuck!
Louis' narrowed gaze shifted around the room. Amanda held her breath, even as the predatory look moved in her direction. With horrifying certainty, the stark blue gaze settled upon the area she stood in.
How does he know I'm here? It has to be a lucky guess. That's all. Luck.
"I know you're here. I hear you. I smell you. You smell…different. Wrong." Louis stepped towards Amanda. She stepped back, and after two retreating steps reached the wall behind her.
"Surrender yourself, and I will show mercy," Louis taunted. "It doesn't matter what you are. Even if you're a witch, I'll show mercy. It will be the mercy of eternal servitude, but you will not die." He grinned, malicious with glimmering fangs. "You will only live for me."
Amanda had to dig deep for the power not to react to his menace. Her weakness warred with her nature. Her weakness begged her to accept the offer, to give up and throw herself at his feet. Her nature demanded that she strip him of his flesh; turn him into a puppet unable to harm a flea.
Bells tolled and rung throughout the manor, startling them. Amanda saw his confusion and fell onto her instincts. She fled the room, thoughts of stealing the Golden Chalice abandoned.
"Still no Akko," a flustered Lotte muttered as she stumbled about the ballroom floor. "Where has she gone now?" Her turquoise-blue gaze crawled over the crowd, many who gave her sneers or confused looks. She wouldn't blame them since she was making a nuisance of herself. But it wasn't her fault, for there continued to be no sign of the troublesome brunette. Once more, her brash friend had gone off on her own, determined to do everything herself, without regard for those dragged into her mess.
With no other leads, she maneuvered painfully through the crowd so she could regroup with Sucy. Lotte was nearly out of the crowd when she collided with a man holding a shimmering amber drink. Their collision caused his hand to jitter and for his drink to spill over the lip and all over his navy tuxedo suit. Her heart hammered hard enough to nearly leap out of her chest as she attempted to dry his soaked suit with the thicker fabric of her red gown.
It took her several seconds to realize that the man was chuckling. His chest shook beneath her hands, and she peered up warily at him, afraid he was merely playing with her.
"You don't need to worry about my suit, darling," the man said, beaming. Even with fangs, the vampire was handsome. Lotte looked away from his face, already feeling her cheeks flush. "It was an accident. And," he continued, taking her hands in his as to move them away, "I would rather you not ruin your dress on my behalf."
"But…but I'm the one who ran into you."
"True. But it was not your fault."
Lotte nodded, grasping for words. She doubted there was anything she could say which would convince the vampire it had been her fault. Instead, she glanced around, hoping Sucy or one of the others would arrive shortly. The situation she was in reminded her too much of the massive assortment of romance novels shoved under her bed back at Luna Nova, and the scenario she was currently trapped in only ended with outside aid.
"Though I must say you are marvelously polite," the man added, drawing her attention. "For a vampiric lady, that is. My good friend Louis has a habit of drawing the more…volatile of your kind, if you pardon my language."
"It's fine," Lotte muttered, knowing she couldn't correct his error.
He continued staring down at her, slowly making her uncomfortable. Had she not known better, she would guess that he saw through the magical charms and spells upon her, meant to mask her witchy nature. Her mask was hiding the worst of her embarrassment, but it didn't block out everything.
"If you wouldn't mind," he suddenly began, sounding nervous enough to relieve her a touch, "I would like to…accompany you on this night. I care little for dancing, and I doubt you do as well. Our clothes are somewhat ruined, as well."
She nodded mutely.
"Oh, and I should introduce myself. My name is Frank."
Lotte considered the request for a moment, even as the man extended his arm. "Lotte," she replied, accepting the offer. She meekly laid her hand upon the crook of the offered arm, just as the heroine of one of her romances would, and he beamed. Her gut turned inside over as she strained to smile up at him.
Time ticked away, and soon she would be exposed for what she was.
Frank led the way from the ballroom. The orchestra was shifting their song behind them, moving towards a lively tune that was bound to draw out the more sultry dancers. Lotte was grateful they were leaving now, for she doubted she could've stood to remain out there for much longer. The others might find a ball exciting, but she did not. Had it not been for Akko's madness, she would've stayed home and continued working through her most recent book stack purchase.
He guided her into a wide hallway, the ceiling low and curved. Glowing moths fluttered about the apex of the arch, illuminating their way.
"I hope tonight hasn't been a complete loss for you," Frank began. "The feasting will be later, though I guess with your temperament it wouldn't be the most pleasant of events."
Lotte nodded. Even were she a vampire, the idea of a mass feeding of blood sounded gruesome. It might have been interesting, were it left on the page, but the thought of witnessing it made her queasy.
If they learn what I am, then they might try to feed on me!
As they reached the first corner, someone bulldozed right into Lotte. She tripped over her feet, aided by the thrice-damned heels she had been pressured into wearing, and collapsed onto the ground. Frank, who had been relying upon her to hold onto him, turned and went to help her up.
"Oh, it's you," sneered a woman. "You're one of Louis's friends."
The woman didn't need to tell Lotte anything else about this Louis to suddenly have reservations. She gave Frank a wary look, wondering if he was like this 'Louis'.
"Rose?" he asked, frowning. "Or are you Ylesia?"
"Elise!" she screeched, baring fangs. "You and that French-smelling prat rely too much on the Viscount's good graces to avoid what you rightfully deserve."
"I understand we have wronged you, Elise, but you are not the only one who has been wronged here." He turned to Lotte, offering his hand. "You need to apologize to this young lady, for knocking her over."
Elise scoffed. "Her own damned fault for not paying attention. Who would think a vampire would have the reflexes of a drunk mortal?"
Frank's mouth opened, ready to defend her honor. Lotte, possessed by something her friends might call foolish, interjected. "Let it go, Frank. She isn't worth the bother." His lips twisted into a displeased frown, but after several seconds sighed. He stepped closer, holding out his hand.
"Let me."
She nodded, raising her own hand so he could help her up. As she reached her feet and he let go, Lotte yelped and stumbled. She leaned against Frank, hissing from a twisted ankle.
"Lean against the wall," he commanded. Lotte nodded, even as he shifted around her and kneeled down.
Elise sneered at her before turning away.
"Looks like you got blisters from you heels," Frank commented. He prodded a rather nasty spot on her foot and she yelped. "This one is even…bleeding…"
He stared at her foot numbly. Lotte felt her stomach collapsed, even as she looked over at Elise. The woman had turned back around, staring at her. The golden color of the irises glowed, and her fangs appeared even longer than when she barred them first.
"I smell a witch," she announced, her voice a mocking singsong. She grinned, a wide derision of cruel knowledge.
Lotte's heart stopped. She had done the very thing she had secretly feared Akko would do: expose them to the vampires. Frank had stiffened, his gaze so fixated upon her that she expected him to try and sink his fangs into her foot. Hand shaking, she reached into a secret pocket within her dress. Sealed inside was her wand, a foot-long length of witch-wood with a magical battery in the handle and the half-moon curve of Luna Nova upon the tip.
They had been coached through how to fight off vampires, but she never thought she'd need to use those skills.
Before she could draw her wand, Lotte was struck with a strange floating sensation. It reminded her vaguely of flying on a broom, but there was a trace within the sensation that was different. By the time her mind could draw up an explanation for the strangeness about the floating she had felt, the world around her was different.
They were upon a small balcony, connected to what she surmised was a suite of rooms. Perhaps even Frank's.
"Leave," he whispered suddenly. "You must…leave."
Before she could ask why, their gazes met. His eyes glowed as well, shifting towards the molten gold she had seen in Elise's eyes. As Lotte thought of it, she realized that the woman's eyes had been green beforehand, not an amber gold.
"I—thank you," Lotte whispered as she turned away.
"The bells…they warn of witches."
Lotte nearly asked what he meant, but then the air was filled with the chiming of bells. She didn't need to ask for whom they told. The only thing she could do, as she summoned her broom and watched it arrive, was hope that the others would know.
She shot one last glance back at Frank as her broom arrived, and saw that he had already fled, back into the manor.
The night air rippled through Akko's hair as she raced for the border. The vampire she had met, Andrew, was keeping pace despite her best efforts. She had already been forced to rise three times from the height she had been flying at. Any attempt to fly through the canopy would certainly see her grounded, even if she could make her path through the high branches with ease. The ringing of bells filled the forest, and she hoped the others would make it out safely.
Cannot believe I was the one who got caught. Idiot! Idiot! Cavendish is never gonna let me forget this!
She felt, more than saw, the near miss. Akko pulled up hard on her broom and looked down to watch as Andrew growled, falling back into the woods below. There was a slight scratch on her broom, barely visible from her seat.
She rose several feet higher and tried not to think about the fact the vampires at the border would long see her coming. The manor had been a fair distance from the border, yet until now she hadn't thought she'd be so far away from it as to be in danger of capture.
Maybe if I….
Akko leaned forward, dropping low enough that the handle fit between her breasts. The broom aligned with her train of thought, and the wind howled around her as she put on a great burst of speed. She wouldn't be able to hold the speed for terribly long, but it would be enough to escape the chasing noble. The vampire was bound to tear her to shreds, or worse, if he was able to catch her. She almost missed the gentleman he had briefly been, when she had been drawn up in the kind of romance that Lotte would love to experience.
As she continued speeding along the forest, she dipped to a lower altitude. Akko grinned, heart racing as she considered slipping around the tallest trees that poked out from the canopy. It was stupid, foolish, sloppy even, but rarely did she get a chance to race in such a primal place and manner.
Something latched onto the bristles of her broom, and Akko was nearly tossed. She looked over her shoulder and gasped. Andrew had caught up, and he was holding on tightly to the end of her broom.
"Let go!" Akko screamed at him. Andrew barred his fangs, eyes glowing in the blue moonlight. "Damn you, let go!"
"I won't let you escape!" he bellowed. "Even if it costs my life!"
Akko grimaced, drawing her wand. "That's a little extreme! Murowa!"
A streak of violet light swiftly crossed the brief distance between her wand and Andrew's face. It struck home, slamming his head back. She gapped, though, when his head remained in place. His face was masked with soot and dust, along with his eyebrows having been burned completely off.
"Hells!" growled Andrew. A moment later, he pulled the bristles of her broom towards him as he lunged at her. She ducked, readying a spell upon her lips. His lunging hand went past her but was able to redirect itself enough to grab onto her hair as he fell back. His fingers winded their way through Akko's hair, yanking hard as he threw all of his weight into dismounting her.
For a moment, Akko stupidly believed she could regain control of her broom. After a few seconds, however, she was proven utterly mistaken. The polished handle slipped past her fingers, the tips brushing against them in a futile attempt to try and magically stick to her ride. The vampire didn't give up his grip until they were both free of the broom, falling towards the forest canopy.
She crashed into the trees back first. Several branches had already been broken, and she realized belatedly that she was following the vampire's path towards the ground. Sticks and needles cut her face and arms, slicing through the ball gown she still wore. The stronger branches bruised her limbs and body, the bark softened by the vampire falling beneath her. She tried to roll in midair, so she could glance down at him, but found she could barely control her movements with the racking pain building up within.
And then as suddenly as when Andrew had grabbed her broom, Akko hit the ground. Or, she realized, hit him. He was unconscious, one of his arms bent painfully. There was no blood, though she doubted he'd feel happy once morning came.
For a moment, Akko regrouped enough energy to try and push up from the surprisingly warm body of the vampire she had landed on. And then a moment later, it evaporated into nothing. Her eyes closed once, twice, and then she slumped over and passed out atop Andrew, just as exhausted lovers might.
TBC
A/N: Chapter 3 is in the works but since Pokémon Legends: Arceus comes out tomorrow, I may not update for a week or so. Sorry, not sorry.
