Morning brought steady, driving rain and gray skies as far as the eye could see. The thick foliage provided cover from the worst of it, but their gear and the food had gotten damp in the few hours before they realized. They broke down camp in wet clothes and hurriedly packed things away for the days travels and were out of the forest only a short time later.
The road had been reduced to a muddy messed, but they were in high spirits as they made their way north over the rolling hills. Megumin, Kazuma, and Darkness walked side by side further out front.
Aqua and Wiz brought up the rear and up to a point walked in silence. But a question was bothering her and she had to let it out. It was rare that Aqua had any sort of tact for these things and she didn't know better than to hold something in for long.
"How do you—how is it you're not rotten," she asked Wiz. "Since you're a Lich."
"Oh," Wiz said. "I have my spells and this." Wiz reached down the front of her blouse and fished out a small copper pendant with a stone inlaid in it. "Gentle repose magical pendant. Even if it breaks it just takes a little rock salt and copper to whip up another."
"That makes sense," Aqua said. "Well, it seems to be working well anyway. You, um, hardly notice the smell."
Wiz's face colored suddenly and she glanced away. "I see."
"I mean, I've got this nose. Goddess nose and all. It might just be because of that. It's not a dead smell. It's just subtly magic, like a darkness. If that makes sense."
"I know you didn't mean any offense," Wiz said.
"You did?"
Wiz nodded. "I'm well versed in Aqua. You come off as rude and abrasive, but you really don't lie. I think that's more important than being nice sometimes. The truth is…freeing," Wiz said as she tucked her hand into her shirt to put the pendant away. The white fabric had become so translucent from the rain that Aqua could see the subtle color of her skin beneath it, but she averted her eyes.
"That's right," Aqua said.
"Mind if I ask you a personal question?" Asked Wiz.
Aqua shrugged. "Not really."
"The notion of family seemed comical to you, but do gods and goddesses have…wives and husbands and friends out there, wherever there is?"
For several moments Aqua remained silent. "We talk to each other and eat. Sometimes if there was a need, which for me was kind of often, I would hook up with someone."
"Hook up?" Wiz looked off to the side, but Aqua suspected that the casual nature of the term had clued her in to what it meant.
"Yeah, it's just casual one time stuff. I've never married. I had so many admirers and worshipers you know, hehe," Aqua said. "It was like being surrounded by love all the time, but you know a woman has needs."
Colloquiums were a thing Aqua hadn't gotten control over yet. Both she and Kazuma would regularly bring up soda or reference television shows no one in Axel could have possibly seen or comprehended, but explaining a piece of fiction was often easier than explaining what someone meant when they said NEET or used cool to describe something.
"So it was just physical?" Wiz asked.
"Yeah. It's not that far fetched. In the other world people would go on their phone and just swipe right on someone and then they'd be banging that night," she said.
Wiz managed to sort out the idea of the phrase "banging" well enough, it seemed. In all of the time they had known each other, Aqua had never thought of Wiz as being stupid—even if she wasn't inclined to trust a being made of evil magic like a lich. "That all sounds very different."
Aqua pressed her clasped hands down into her lap, sighing inwardly. "Yeah, but it's nice here too," Aqua explained, turning around to face Wiz while walking backwards. The rain had never been much of a bother to her as she was a Goddess of water and being wet didn't bother her. She bent down, wagging her finger at Wiz. "You get pretty used to it, you know, like how all the good food here is."
"Oh," Wiz said, her face suddenly turning a pale red.
It was a little ways more down the road when Aqua jogged to catch up with Kazuma, grabbing at his left arm. "KAAAAAW-zuma?" She asked in her most sickeningly cute tone, her fingers playing up and down his arm deftly. "Can we stop and rest soon? My legs are getting tired."
"We're like a hundred kilometers from anything. We don't want to waste daylight," Kazuma said snatching his arm out of her grasp.
"But I'm tired," she whined. Aqua reached for his face, trying to run her fingers through his wispy goatee. "Have I told you that your little scruff looks…good lately?"
Kazuma shrugged her off. "You're a terrible liar; don't touch me," he said.
"Ugh, rude," Aqua shrieked, jerking her body away from his. "You really ought to show me more respect," she said folding her arms. "Even if we've been here all these years, I'm still a fabulous Goddess, you know." She ran her fingers back through sky blue hair, flipping it over her shoulder.
Without another word Kazuma turned away from her, stepping more to the opposite side of the road to the point that he bumped into Megumin, pushing her into Darkness. Aqua dropped her hands to her sides and slowed her gait until she drifted back to Wiz's side where she stayed quietly.
A huge red brick building stood on the crest of a hill in the distance. It was massive, large enough to be some kind of castle that belonged to a Lord or encompassed a small town. Darkness and Kazuma held a map between them looking over the section of it where they should have been.
"There's not a town here," said Kazuma. "There's nothing marked on the map."
Megumin ran out across the field with her hand pressed to the steeple of her hat to keep it in place, her boots splashing in a puddle as she planted her feet to stop. "I don't think it's a residence," she said. "There's a flag flying over the ramparts—it looks like the Axis Order emblem and colors." She sighed and turned to look at Aqua. "Some of your followers."
"Good, maybe they'll let us stay there for the night," Aqua said pointing at herself. "I'm here after all."
"Yeah, but most of them don't even believe you're you. And the ones that do are mad about what you did in Alcanretia," Megumin said.
"Nonsense, they'll have no choice but to bow down and listen once I get in there and show them my awesome powers," Aqua said closing her eyes with a smug look plastered on her face.
"You mean those tricks where you pull a quarter out from behind my ear?" Darkness asked.
Aqua clenched her fists in front of herself, arms trembling with determination. "You're going to eat your words. Just watch!"
As Aqua struck off across the field toward the abbey the others followed behind her. Her anger was to the point that the air seemed to seethe and steam in her wake. A crud path that lead up to the gates of the building had been carved out of the land by repeated visits from carts and travelers on foot. However there were no carts around the outside, which probably meant that the abbey hadn't accepted visitors on this particular day.
"I'll show you," Aqua muttered. "Call my power into question, huh!"
Aqua was shoved to hay covered floor only seconds before the iron bars of the door slammed shut behind her. She pushed herself up onto her hands and rolled over to stare across the aisle at where Kazuma sat alone in the cell opposite hers. She glanced to her side to see Wiz sitting next to her in the dull light.
Sitting fully up onto her butt, Aqua pulled her knees to close and wrapped her arms around them waiting for the inevitable insult.
"You were saying?" Kazuma asked, his tone dripping with disdain.
"This isn't my fault." Aqua rubbed her hand under eye, brushing the blue strands of hair out of her face. Tears welled up, blurring her vision. "I mean…I didn't mean…"
Kazuma rolled his eyes. "Don't do it. Don't start…"
Aqua threw her head back, crying out. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her nose went all red and itchy. She could barely speak, but she tried even then. "KA-hic-ZU-hic-MA…you-hic-have to do something!"
"Here she goes again," Megumin said from the cell next to Kazuma's where she and Darkness were held.
"Why is it my job to bail you out of everything that you get yourself into?" Kazuma asked.
"Because you're technically one of my followers," Aqua said sniffling.
Something soft and warm wrapped itself around Aqua from the side; Wiz was hugging her, the Lich's soft cheek pressed against the top of her head. "It's okay. It'll be okay," Wiz whispered against her hair.
"Wiz?" Aqua's eyes went wide as she realized what was happening. The redness from her cheeks slowly spread to the rest of her face.
"KEEP IT DOWN IN THERE!" A gruff voiced guard yelled from somewhere down the hallway of the dungeon area where they were being kept.
The inside of the abbey was an odd set up, the entrance way had huge garage-like doors that pulled up into the ceiling, They were made of wooden slats so that they could bend as they moved higher and pull inside of the building. The doors hid several carriages and carts that were not hooked to horses or anything.
Beyond that were halls decorated in lavish reds and maroons that were adorned with the Axis insignia on hanging tapestries every few feet. Guards were posted at each cross section of the hallways. But the four of them were led through a winding maze of passages and past open doorways into a great hall where several of the members set in dark robes eating and talking in hushed tones.
Things felt decidedly different than they had in Alcanretia when they were last there and really any of the other Axis facility.
"It's okay," Aqua said with a sniffle. "I'm fine," she added.
Wiz stepped back and looked to the door. "Do you…do you feel that?" she asked
Aqua nodded. It was faint, but there was a kind of dread that permeated the air of this place. Everything tingled with the feeling of death. "What—what is it?"
"What are you two whispering about?" Asked Kazuma.
"Shhh," Megumin said.
Darkness pressed herself to the barred door. "They should really restrain us, or at least chain me to a wall—I could get free."
"Shut up!" There were rushed footsteps as a guard came toward them.
"I demand you let me out," Aqua protested. "I'm your Goddess the great Aqua. Test me if you need to or ask the members in Alcanretia about my awesome power."
The guard stopped and lifted the metal visor on his armor's helm. "Hmm." He turned and rushed back down the hall, his feet clanging with each step. A door at the end of the hall shut and all sound ceased.
"Now you've done it," Megumin said. "They'll probably torture us for being heretics."
"Do you think?" Darkness said, unable to contain her enthusiasm.
Aqua didn't speak as a round of chatter started between the others. She could feel what it was Wiz was talking about and now she suspected it was more than a sense of some general worry. There were undead in one of her temples.
Hours passed before the door at the end of the hallway opened again, this time several footsteps moved toward them. All of them in armor and carrying something wooden that hit into the stone floor. A pole arm, maybe? Kazuma assumed that these guards were more specialized and meant to be able to put down disturbances. Had Aqua's contest fallen on ears that actually believed her.
Six large armored forms stopped outside of their three cells, their hands at their sides with their spears resting against the shoulder.
"You there, get up," the man who must have been the leader spoke.
Aqua went to move.
"Not you, the one in purple. Yeah, you brunette," the guard said pointed a gauntleted hand at Wiz.
Wiz rose from the little pallet of hay she sat on. "Me?" She asked.
"Approach the door and keep your hands where we can see them."
"What are you doing with her?" Asked Kazuma.
Another guard slammed the front of his cell. "Quiet, heretic. You'll get yours soon enough. All non-believers will."
"Non-believers? We're part of the order!" Kazuma said.
One of the guards opened the door and stepped through with the others filing in behind him. Two of them grabbed Wiz between them and there was a sizzle, her skin burned under the grasp of their hands and Wiz cried out, jerking her body from side to side in pain.
"I'm your Goddess!" Aqua screamed. "Let her go!"
A guard lunged at her, slamming the butt of his spear into her nose with a harsh crack that sent her to the floor. Aqua was one of the most resilient of them, but the surprise of the hit mixed with the force caught her off guard and she balled up, holding her face and crying.
"What the Hell is this?" Kazuma yelled.
"Hit me. I'm the one you want—take out all you sick little fantasies on…" Darkness was screaming, but Wiz's shouting cut her off.
One of the guards had reached down the Lich's robes and tugged her necklace out, the copper and salt crystal charm twinkling in the dim light as it was ripped away. They tossed it onto the floor next to Aqua.
"No, please. I have to…" Wiz's words were punctuated with a sicking crunch as a guard punched her hard. They pulled her out of the cell roughly, her struggling between them.
"We have to do something!" Kazuma said.
An unoccupied guard stepped out of the cell and ripped his helm away to reveal tanned skin gnarled with scars from what seemed to be a horrible burn. His eyes were piercing and yellow. "You'll do no such thing!" He said jamming his spear into Kazuma's gut. The sharp pain ripped through him and he had to hold the bars to keep himself on his feet. "Wiz," he managed.
Hot blood gushed down his stomach and leg. His fingers trembled as he fought to hang onto the cold metal bars. He grunted as he watched them drag Wiz out of sight and through the reinforced metal door at the end of the hall.
"Kazuma! Kazuma, speak to me." Megumin was reaching through the bars of her cell. "What are they doing?"
Across from them Aqua muttered something softly through her tears. A glowing light lit the cell, a healing spell.
"You can still cast?" Asked Megumin.
It took a moment for Aqua to manage to answer. "Yeah, but it's hard for some reason," she said sniffling.
"Anti-Magic field, it must not be effective on Gods," Megumin said. "It's hard to block something that is magic from magic."
"That would mean Wiz could still use her powers?" Kazuma said slowly.
"Potentially. We need to get you some help. Aqua, can you heal him from there?" Megumin asked.
Darkness sighed. "They're pretty far apart," she said.
"I can't do much with this filed in place, but I have one trick up my sleeve," Aqua said.
"Not those stupid fucking fans with the water squirts," Kazuma grumbled.
"No, they really pissed me off and, well, I just can't let this stand," she said through gritted teeth. "Just who do they think they are hitting a beautiful Goddess in her face like that. Fuck them!"
"She's going to blow," Megumin said.
"It's just—HNNGH, GOD BLOW WITH SACRED DISPEL!" Aqua dropped into a quick squat, her fist bursting to life with glowing holy light. She drove her hand into the bricks of the floor so hard that the abbey seemed to shake around them. Dust was shaken loose from the cracks in the wall and ceiling and there was an explosion of light with rings of runes forming in the air around her.
A translucent wave spread from the point of impact on the floor and the door to her cell fell out into the hallway.
"Trap me, heh, you can't hold a God!" Aqua said as she strolled out of the cell with her pink raiment trailing behind her. She grabbed Kazuma's hand through the bars. "Hold still." Her tone was completely different, they had humiliated her and the vengeful Goddess side of her was back. Maybe they had a chance, Kazuma thought.
A holy light welled up between her breasts, spreading through out her body and feeding into him, he felt invigorated and somehow stronger. "What is that?"
"Protection from Evil and Cure Wounds…" Aqua said,
"This I can work with. It feels like a plus one or two, now we're talking," Kazuma said as he flexed his hand a few times testing this newfound energy. "Okay." He made a fist and reached for the locked door of his cell. "Steal!"
Without these parts there was no way the door would function. He opened his hand letting the lock tumblers fall into the hay and pushed the door open to join Aqua in the hallway. Then he did the same to the door that held Megumin and Darkness.
It was Darkness who rushed out first, hugging him shyly only to step aside as Megumin wrapped her arms around him and stared daggers into her the Crusaders.
"We have to go save Wiz," said Kazuma.
Aqua nodded. "And we need to hurry, there's something she sensed here and with that magic field gone it's stronger now…"
"What do you mean?" Asked Darkness.
"Undead. This place is crawling with undead," Aqua said.