Chapter 3: Daydreams
"Talking normally," said Louise.
'Thinking to myself,' thought Louise
"Check out my teeth!" exclaimed the Black Spirit
~Flashback~
The pink-haired girl paced up the hill, walking up the dirt path that winded through the massive trees, coming to a stop at the crest of the verdant mound, her eyes taking in the now visible ancient and rugged-looking entrance to the excavation site. A few soldiers guarded the entrance, wicked-looking halberds promising pain or even death to those who would try and steal the priceless artifacts regularly excavated from the ruins.
A goblin "worker", nay thief, had already been caught trying to steal artifacts. His beaten and bruised form now sat bound to a wooden pole near the entrance, with a wooden plank hung around his neck with letters sloppily painted on that spelled "THIEF". The other workers and sentries largely ignored his presence, as they went about their tasks and duties, occasionally throwing sneers and wads of spit as they passed by the goblin thief.
However, since the young girl wore a Vigilante uniform, the halberd-wielding guards paid little attention as she walked pass them and into the ancient ruins, as while they could stop suspicious people, they weren't paid nearly enough to bother checking everyone.
Now inside the ruins, the newcomer stared at the dynamics displayed by the workers, her mind trying to find the logic behind the way things were organized. Various workers swung their pickaxes at the collapsed hallways in an attempt to clear them, carting away the rubble and most of what was not deemed to be of much value, while scholars cataloged everything excavated and quietly debated amongst themselves as they attempted to decipher the ancient words inscribed in large stone slabs that lined the walls.
Foregoing the examination of the people for the moment, the pinkette looked around, choosing to focus more on the décor than the people. One of the first thing she noticed, was that the ceiling stood high above her, even a few heads above the giant workers that lifted large stone debris onto wheelbarrows with their natural, impressive strength, which was impressive considering the sheer size of a giant. The walls too, were worthy of being noticed, covered as they were in strange writing and vividly detailed, but faded scenes depicting what appeared to be an apocalyptic event happening to a coastal town.
"Yes… there is something here, calling us," whispered the faint voice in the back of her mind. It dominated her thoughts, guiding her footsteps and as she delved deeper into the ancient ruins. Her mind was clouded, foggy, and she was not even aware of her pace until she stumbled into something hard, smacking her forehead into it, the pain bringing clarity to her muddled thoughts.
She groaned loudly and held her forehead as the sharp pain slowly faded away. A few workers around threw her glances of puzzlement and snickers, the thought of such a young girl amongst grown men humor enough for them. Yet, no one approached to see if she was okay, going about their business like nothing had happened. While she was something of a curiosity, they were paid for their work, and none of them wanted to lose money by being seen "slacking off".
"Who the hell placed this thing in the middle of the hallway," she grumbled to herself, checking to make sure that she hadn't broken her nose or, Heaven forbids, that was bleeding. Thankfully, everything seemed to be intact and she took a step back, inspecting what she had walked into and her breath hitched in fright.
A stone form that outlined the shape of a man stood before her, its shockingly realistic features made to look like a man who had been turned to stone as he recoiled in fear. She released the breath she had been holding upon the realization that she had only stumbled upon a statue and not a person, but the uncanny resemblance to a living man suggested that this was not a work of craftsman, fear clearly expressed on the statue's face and hands held high, trying to defend itself from its absent foe. While an expert craftsman might have managed to convey the same authenticity in a statue, something in the pit of her stomach told her that what she was looking at was not some simple piece of art, but something far more sinister.
Her gaze swept across the room, finding several more of these life-like statues spread about, but all facing the same direction, deeper into the ruins, strangely coinciding with where her partner's faint whispers beckoned her to continue.
"This way~" The Black Spirit sang with joy, sensing the energy only it could feel, almost beckoning for them to be reunited.
And so, the young girl, with frayed nerves, took a deep breath and steeled herself before venturing further into the depths of the ruins, the number of statues increasing in number as she strolled down the stone hallways and rooms, but she eventually walked into a large open room, an auditorium of sorts, that happened to be suspiciously empty. There were no workers or scholars in this room, for the room had been stripped bare long ago. However, one doorway stood at the other end of the room, and the strange sight of greenery on the other side of the doorway clashed with the cold, tomb-like interior of the ruins.
Large leafy, green vines spread across the floor from the adjacent room. How could plants grow with such lust of available space when no sunlight or open soil had ever graced this deep, underground complex? Louise, practically appalled at the sight, continued forward until she heard the faint murmurs of voices, and quickly hid behind the wall instead of entering the chamber.
Wait… Why was she hiding? She had done nothing wrong. Her musings were cut short as the voices speaking became recognizable, where before they had been distorted by their echo on the walls of the ruins She recognized these voices, Edan and the elf that accompanied him, the two civilians that had accompanied her squad to the Western Guard Camp, it seems that they were excavators after all, perhaps experts of sorts? One did not need to have military training to be knowledgeable about history, and frankly, it would explain why they were so interested in coming to the ruins, far from most civilization.
The young girl peered into the room and found it filled to the brim with plant life, scrambling to cover any and all available space, but leaving stone slabs with golden writing, almost glowing, auspiciously clear, as they formed a circular outline in the round chamber, also steering clear of a strange monument of sorts that resembled a large black cube, sat in the center on a stone pedestal, white hieroglyphics running along its outer surface, and radiating a peculiar feeling.
"Yes~ That is the source we are looking for~ CLAIM IT~" demanded Zero, eagerness clear in its voice, making her wince. No matter that none other than her could hear it, having a spirit yelling in what was essentially your head was headache-inducing.
A deep rumble echoed through the chamber just as Louise took a step in the room, and a wave of energy struck those present, toppling their sense of balance as they wobbled, trying to get their bearings back after almost falling down head over heels. The origin of the wave of energy became clear when the black cube leapt into the air, floating several inches off the stone pedestal and rotating slowly in a clock-wise motion.
"Edan! Look at this!" Exclaimed the elf, in awe of the artifact's behavior, it was unheard of to see such a massive piece of stonework enchanted, given the magic requirements. The question now, was what had it been enchanted to do? What was its purpose?
"Hm? Is something wrong with the artifact?"
"I don't know, it just started spinning in circles!"
"Could it be reacting some presence of some sort?" mused, his eyes turning cold. The woman, about to speak, cocked her head, her gaze swirling about the room in search of something.
"I… I can feel another source of Dark Energy… It's not coming from the artifact… It's coming from…!" Her eyes fell upon the sight of a young, pink-haired girl, seemingly unaware of her actions, her eyes glazed over as she slowly walked into the room.
"What? Louise!? What are you doing here?"
The panic-stricken woman rushed to the girl's side and placed a delicate hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. Realizing her words were not reaching the girl, she worriedly asked:
"Louise? Are you alright?"
"Hey, tell us anything you can remember about the Black Energy," interrupted Edan, earning himself a sharp glance from his partner.
"Stay away from them!" urged Zero's voice, the spirit growling at the man.
"Do not listen to the hallucinations, you must rid yourself of them," ordered the journeyman, stepping over to Louise, his large frame towering over the much smaller girl.
"They will ruin us!"
The Spirit's words got a reaction in the young girl as panic and fear shot through her mind, making her back up until she hit the stone wall behind her, and fell to her rump.
"Edan, stop! She's scared and unstable," pleaded the elven woman, putting herself between the two, arms outstretched in defense of the younger female.
"Listen to what I have to say! Your life is at risk without me!"
Before the pair could argue more, the artifact burst into pieces, said pieces orbiting a dark, misty center, that seemed to suck what little light was present in the chamber and snuff it out, the invisible force behind the phenomenon once more tripping the trio.
"Yes! This power!" cackled Zero, the spirit separating from Louise and diving into the dark mist, seemingly absorbing it.
"Ah! Are you okay Edan?" asked a concerned Orwen as she shakily got back to her feet, her eyes never leaving the artifact.
"We were one step too late!" growled her partner, glaring at the smaller form of the pink-haired teen, who was too busy staring at what was happening to pay him any mind.
Indeed, the energy of the artifact's "core" seemed to have been completely depleted, absorbed by the Black Spirit, who burst from the center of the artifact as it collapsed to the ground in pieces, its energy no longer sustained its motion. Its form had changed, as it no longer looked like a small hazy blob of darkness, becoming more solid in its appearance, with shiny white teeth appearing on its face.
"Hee-hee. This power is now mine!" cackled the spirit, sending ripples of dark energy everywhere in the room, the previously lush plant life withering into dust as soon as the energy touched it.
While the two adults were busy screaming, Louise was struck by images suddenly popping up in her mind, images that for some reason, spoke to her on a deep, personal level.
An image of a young, magenta-haired girl skipping across stones of a pond in a fancy garden, giggling and beckoning to follow as she frolicked merrily across the steps, trying not to get her dress wet. Another pink haired girl giggled as she traipsed after her friend.
A flash flickered across her mind. A motherly, pink-haired beauty softly embracing her as she gently stroked her hair, singing a soft, soothing lullaby. The same young girl laid in her lap as sleep overtook her pink, misty eyes.
A picture of sitting in a boat, sobbing as tears fell from her cheeks. A man with long, gray hair discovering and comforting over her failures, yet again.
"Haa… haa…" wheezed Louise, heaving and feeling sick. She knew something was wrong, that the images were things precious to her, things that she had forgotten, but every time she tried to focus on them they were blurry and a fresh wave of nausea hit her, while her head would feel like it was about to split open.
"Help me…." She croaked, her voice hoarse, hoping that someone, anyone, would help her. That a kind soul would give her a helping hand, but alas, that was not to be. There was no kind soul there for her, only a Black Spirit apparently very smug about her suffering.
"Ho? Trying to regain your memories? Tsk tsk, it's much too early for the deal to be fulfilled," smugly mocked the Black Spirit, sounding disturbingly like an admonishing parent who caught their child red-handed in the middle of stealing cookies.
While Louise was locked in her mind, Edan approached the fallen girl and gazed upon her folded form as she quietly wept, asking for help over and over again.
"It seems the Black Energy has destroyed her memory. We should report this to the Guard."
"Edan!" sharply chastised the elven woman, her concern for the young girl winning over any sense of obligation to his order, "This isn't the time! She needs…"
"AAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!" shrieked Louise, her world exploding in pain, just before a fist impacted her face, granting her the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.
~Flashback End~
"Ugh! So that's everything we have, I think…" Groaned an exasperated Louise, leaning back onto a chair. She was currently inspecting her belongings, currently laid down on several desks, in a classroom she had commandeered for that exact purpose earlier that day. If there was one thing her time with Zero had ingrained into her, it was that knowing exactly what you had with you was extremely useful in a crisis, much more so than opening your bag to reach for something that wasn't there.
"That is indeed everything that I held, barring any on your immediate person," stated the black phantom as it ominously hovered above the collection of items, an assortment of weapons, stacked bars of pure gold, raw materials, victuals of all kinds, potions, precious items, bags of seeds, books that contained blueprints, and various other items.
"Still, I can't believe you made me carry all this junk with us. We could have brought things like more precious metals and jewels to sell instead."
"Well, my apologies your greatness," Sarcastically muttered the pink-haired woman, rolling her eyes at her partner as she idly twirled a flintlock pistol—unloaded—in her hand, "Not like we could have made multiple trips until we get things set up."
"And what of the sapling? I see no benefit in why we brought it, even if it were under the request of that elven chancellor," asked the black spirit as it circled about the plant in question, annoyance clear in its tone. It had been a bit disgruntled at the thought of carrying such a strange thing when they could have brought more useful items. Not to mention the specter's disdain for elves in general, so the act of fulfilling a favor for an elf rubbed it the wrong way.
"Oh that?" Louise spoke, resting her gaze on an unusual, pure-white sapling that shimmered with specks of soothing white light, fluttering from its eggshell-like leaves.
"You know why, Zero," softly replied the Mage, resting a hand on the hilt of her Kamasylven blade, the elven sword softly humming with a pink glow, the tempo of its gentle humming matching the shimmering lights coming from the sapling, "We owe a lot to Herawen."
"Hmph," grumbled the Black Spirit, leaving the side of the sapling and returning to Louise's side.
"Besides, that's not the only plant we brought back and I don't see you complaining about those."
"I can see the benefit of those, along with everything, even it is junk. Our strength alone would be enough to fulfill our goals," proudly growled Zero, daring her to contradict it.
She shrugged off her partner's statement, "While I hold no illusions to our personal capabilities, sometimes money and influence are more useful than steel and magic."
However, her face morphed into a more serious one, lips pursued.
"However, we have to be careful not to repeat the mistakes of Edana. We must be meticulous on what we introduce to Tristain, whether it be agriculture, industrial techniques, or even ideological ideas. The situation can turn unpleasant, very quickly, for us."
"Tsk," grunted the Spirit, its memory flicking back to their previous ordeals for a moment.
Louise said nothing in response, only frowning unhappily at her partner's response.
"Anyways, enough about that," Interrupted the mage, hoping to dash the somber mood away. They had better things to do than mope about the past, or events that occurred in another world. That was the past, the only thing they could do now that they had a whole new world before them, was to make good use of the lessons they had learnt from it.
"We're going to be traveling to the capital soon, so let us finish this quickly."
Huffing in response, the Black Spirit shifted items around as the two got to work.
"Um, Miss Vallière?" asked a rather confused Siesta.
"Call me Louise, Siesta, we've gone over this before. And what is it?" absentmindedly commented Louise, her eyes never leaving the wares she was browsing.
"Yes, Louise, but… why are we at a blacksmith?" softly asked the maid, her head tilting to the side in her puzzlement.
"Well that's rather simple, Siesta," nonchalantly replied the pink-haired woman, picking up the metal tool in her hands and running her finger along the edge, eliciting a slight wince from the young maid, "I'm purchasing a sword for you."
The remark was said offhandedly, Louise being too busy examining the blade in her hand to bother explaining her reasoning. Deciding to test the weapon she was holding, she swung the sword a few times. But she found the make unsatisfying and dropped the sword, the blade clanking loudly as it dropped on the pile of other metallic weapons.
"Oh, I see… I mean, eh!? I don't know how to use a sword!" squeaked a suddenly terrified Siesta. The maid, while she could defend herself quite well with her feet and nails, had never faced anything more terrifying than an inebriated Noble trying to make advances to her. She didn't like violence, and the idea of owning a weapon was one she was not comfortable with. Had it been a dagger, just in case someone tried being a bit too touchy she could have understood, but a sword?
"Obviously, commoners aren't allowed to carry weapons unless they're part of the military or have special permits for them," deadpanned the woman, dropping a silvery rapier after a mere test thrust.
"I've never even swung one before," whimpered the raven-haired maid.
"Don't worry Siesta, I'm not anticipating anyone trying to kill us," Reassured the older woman, trying to calm the young maid, but ultimately failing when the image of people trying to kill her came up, Siesta turning pale.
"However, if you're going to be my personal attendant, you'll need a blade as a symbol of your post. And I'm not going to give you something that's poorly made."
"I see…" Weakly mumbled Siesta, accepting her fate.
The duo had entered the shop since it had been the first one they came across as they walked along the streets of the capital. It had been a while since Siesta had been in the capital, the last time being to visit her cousin and uncle at the tavern they owned. A little tidbit of information Louise discovered as they talked about idle things on the carriage ride to the capital, mostly about humorous things that had happened to the raven-haired maid during her tenure at the academy and Siesta's family that the young maid talked about with such animated vigor and a happy smile on her face. So much so that Louise had not said so much as a word as she listened to the maid with a relaxed smile.
As for Louise, it had been so long that she didn't want to go off to memories that were years old. Luckily for her, she had experience in traversing large cities like Calpheon, so she had a rough idea of how the city was organized.
"Oh, this one looks good," grinned the pink-haired woman as she carried a double-edged broadsword and gave it a few swings before she put it down once again, Siesta squeaking at the metal monstrosity that Louise wielded like it weighed nothing.
"Hm, no the balance is off, too close to the hilt," she muttered quietly to herself, throwing an inspecting glance at her attendant, thinking of an appropriate blade. The person-in-question stood timidly in the corner of the shop, trying not to touch anything that looked expensive-which was everything in her eyes-.
The young maid didn't seem to be all that quick on her feet, so anything that required a good sense of balance and agility was out. Her master wasn't expecting mastery with the weapon, only a fair sense of how to use it, at least enough to not stab herself in the foot—or anywhere else for that matter-.
"Perhaps we should ring the attendant, Louise?" The blue-eyed maid suggested, looking at the golden bell that sat on the counter, thinking that a noble like Louise wouldn't be knowledgeable about swords. The thin, exquisite-looking blade that never left the Vallière's side suggested to the maid that her master only chose it because of its aesthetic beauty, and was perhaps more suited to be a wand than a sword. It looked more like a conductor's baton and a rapier combined, with pink-ornamented metal that spiraled around the hilt, like the petals of a flower, and came to a stop above the hilt. It looked like a blade used in ceremonial purposes, an extremely beautiful work of art, and even almost seem to glow slightly with a faint pink light, giving it the impression that it was alive.
"Good idea, I wanted to see if there was anything, but all these blades are of poor-make," grumbled Louise, walking over to the counter, and giving the bell a few rings.
"Yes?" A man's voice called out from the back of the shop, as the shop's owner came into view. His uneasy smile caused the black-haired maid to be weary of the lanky man with greasy black hair swept to the side, his gaze hungrily eyeing the pink-haired beauty up and down, especially her plentiful bosom.
"How may I serve?" His squeaky voice caused the young maid to involuntarily take a step back, mildly repulsed. It was these sorts of characters her parents had always taught her to avoid-since puberty had left her with a gifted body-with their warning of unsavory men who may try to lead her astray with honeyed words. But she couldn't leave since her master stood her ground, seemingly unfazed.
"I'm looking for a fitting blade to serve as a badge of office for my personal attendant," stated the older woman, throwing a quick glance back at the blue-eyed maid who offered an uneasy smile in return.
"Oh? May I ask what your budget is before I recommend something?" asked the man, smiling.
Neither of the women were fooled by the smile, though, as both could already tell that he was planning on getting as much money out of them as he could.
"Money is of no consequence, just show me your finest blades."
"Of course," Grinned the man, eagerly massaging his hands together, "I believe have the perfect match."
He walked into back area of the shop and returned a few seconds later with a prospective sword in his hands. An impressive, golden broadsword that shone almost as brightly as the sun, with fanciful and gleaming gemstones that were embedded in the hilt.
Siesta's jaw nearly dropped when her eyes laid upon the extremely expensive-looking sword. There was absolutely no way she could accept her master paying for such a costly item that she would probably never use! The amount would probably be enough to feed her entire family for the rest of their lives and then some! It would be better just to pick some random sword from the racks that lined the walls.
"Here is a sword crafted by a famous Germanian alchemist from the most exquisite of gems and solid gold. Guaranteed to strike down even the fiercest of beasts and pierce any armor!" boasted the shopkeeper, gesturing for Louise to take it from his hands.
"Quite, however we shall pass on this one," the mage sharply stated, not falling for the shopkeeper's excessive boasts.
"Perfect, shall we…. eh?" choked the salesman, obviously expecting her to lap up his honeyed words without a thought. And had it been any other Noble, it would likely be what happened. Few Nobles truly understood swords, most wanting the most beautiful, the biggest and the best-looking weapons they could get their hands on, no matter how ineffectual they were in a fight.
"It does not take a scholar to know that gold is a horrid choice of metal for a weapon, it's soft compared to steel," she remarked, using her rather extensive knowledge of weapons acquired over the years, and glaring at the vendor for trying to scam her, "I asked for your finest blade, not an ornament to be hung over a hearth."
"Haha! This lady got you there," called another voice, surprising Siesta who squeaked, looking around to see who had talked, but not seeing anyone else in the room.
"Ugh, he woke up," Muttered the shopkeeper, cursing under his breath for his luck and the awakening of the most annoying thing in his shop, "Shut up and go back to sleep."
Louise, still trying to find the source of the voice, paced over to a pile of weapons where she thought the voice was coming from. A confused look on her face was visible.
"Oi, it's the first time I've been awake in ages and that's the response I get?!"
Finding the source of the voice, the mage reached for the hilt of a rust-covered longsword and yanked the sword from a dogpile of steel and iron.
Inspecting the sword, a look of disbelief fell over the mage's face, one that a person would have when seeing something unbelievable, like an elephant trampling all over the road. Actually, that did happen a few times while she was in Valencia, she almost got crushed back then.
"Oi? What's with that look? Be in awe, for I am the legendary Derflinger!" grated the voice, now clearly coming from the sword. What there was "legendary" about a sword covered in rust, with the leather covering the hilt coming off in straps, was anyone's guess, and had the blade been unable to speak, it would have looked like a poorly kept longsword of passable quality.
"Here we go again…" Grumbled the shopkeeper. Clearly, it wasn't the first time the sword had spoken, as it seemed that the man was already fighting a headache.
"A talking sword..." Mumbled Louise with a stoked look, raising the blade and giving it a few swings. The weight was perfectly balanced, with it centered just where it needed to be. If she didn't already have her Kamasylven blade, she would have picked up this longsword in a heartbeat—of course, after it had been refurbished, she had standards—.
"Oh? You know your way around a sword, Lass. What's your name?"
Now she that was holding it, Louise could see that the "mouth" of the sword appeared to be a piece of the hilt that opened and closed, although outside of that, she had no idea of how it could produce a voice in the first place.
"Louise," she introduced herself. "A pleasure to meet you Derflinger."
"Call me Derf. I can tell from yer grip that yer a seasoned warrior, not to rigid, not to lax."
The woman and sword stared at one another for a few moments (well, as much as a sword could stare), neither saying a word as they stood there, silently evaluating each other.
"Oh? Hello there sweetie~," The talking-sword broke the silence, with Louise quirking an eyebrow at the rather crude attempt at flirting.
"Are you flirting with me?" she asked, her voice slightly disbelieving.
She really needed a vacation if swords started to hit on her. She wasn't that desperate of a woman for company that didn't consist of her Black Spirit.
"What? De hell would I flirt with a human?" Retorted Derf, with Louise almost letting out a sigh of relief.
"I'm talking to that gorgeous young-thing you're carrying around," And her relief just went out the window, instinctively contorting her body to place herself this sword and her blade.
"Oh, don't be like that Lass. I'm a distinguished gentleman with many deeds to my name. I would treat any lady with respect, especially as one as fine and exotic as her."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Her?"
"Well yeah," the rugged sword replied, "The way the light reflects off her polished edge and craftsmanship that implies she was made by the hands of a Goddess just makes my bindings come loose, if you catch my drift."
Her sword's glow turned a scarlet red from the pink it once was.
Sputtering incoherently, Louise facepalmed and muttered under her breath, something about of all the crazy things she had seen, and the maid standing next to her nervously chuckled with an uneasy smile.
"How about this? Get me out of this dump and you'll have one of the most powerful swords in all of Halkeginia at your side!" Offered Derf, with the pink-haired mage thinking the living weapon was severely overestimating himself. However, they did a new weapon, and despite the sword's need for some serious refurbishing, he was a splendid sword.
Not to mention it's a talking sword! How many people could say they owned a talking sword! Her inner-collector quivered at the thought of owning such a rare item. In the other world, she had amassed a vast collection of rare weapons and armor and indulged in her "small" guilty pleasure in her travels.
Although in this case, Derf would go to Siesta and perhaps would be a boon to the young maid's self-esteem, especially once they got some lessons in swordsmanship in. But she had plans to "refurbish" the sword first, no servant under her would ever wield such an unkempt weapon.
Turning her gaze to the shopkeeper, who merely scoffed at the insanity of taking the brash weapon, Louise asked for a price.
"For the love of Brimir, just take the damn thing. Even when I throw him out he finds a way back here to scare off my customers," Growled the man, but the pink-haired mage only returned an eager grin in return.
"Haha, because you deserve it, swindling bastard!" Laughed the sword from all the misery he had inflicted upon the man, who scrunched his eyebrows in anger but held back his temper. He would finally be free from the nuisance after all. With it gone, perhaps he would be able to start turning a benefit!
"Excellent, let us leave Siesta," stated the older woman as she walked toward the exit. The maid in question snapped to attention and followed her mistress out the front door, albeit not before curtsying politely to the vendor.
The door shut with a click and Louise turned to face her maid.
"Siesta, I want you to carry Derflinger from now on. He is your sword. Get used to his weight, his balance, and since he is a talking sword; his quirks," she ordered, placing the sword, along with its sheath, in the arms of the younger woman.
"Eh? Louise?" spluttered the maid, surprised at the sudden weight in her arms.
Taking her mistress's words to heart, she raised the sheathed sword and stared at it as if trying to discern its true nature.
"Oi, take me to dinner before you stare at me so intensely like that," Chuckled Derf, causing the young maiden to blush in embarrassment, still not truly believing the sword was 'alive.'
"Ah," gaped the young maid for a moment, her mind still in disbelief that the weapon in her hands was alive. "My apologies, Sir Derflinger."
"Sir? Bahaha!" Chortled the sword, "I like this Missy, gives me the proper respect I deserve!"
"Quite," Her mistress's lips split into a grin, "She's a special one, a shame the academy let her go. Although, it was to my benefit to gain a dedicated servant such as herself."
"Oh? This sounds like a story I want to hear," chuckled the sword.
"Perhaps some other time, but you should hear the about the first time we met," her grin reached both of her ears as she had a bit of fun at her maid's behalf.
"Please stop teasing me…" Pouted the bashful maid, the memories of their first encounter were too embarrassing, and only the fact that her Mistress was teasing her, without meaning any harm, prevented her from fleeing in embarrassment, although it didn't stop her from blushing.
Reigning in her soft laughter and getting back to business, Louise glanced at her maid.
"Anyways, Siesta do you know of any places where we can stay the night? I'd rather not return to the academy at this late of hour."
Her eyes turned to the setting sun in the distance. It took the entire morning and some of the afternoon to reach the capital by carriage and she'd rather not risk traveling at night with someone who couldn't defend herself nor was accustomed to such things. Despite the relative peace of Tristain, bandits and monsters still wandered the countryside, so it was best not to travel during the night.
"I do know of one place, but…" meekly offered Siesta, her eyes refusing to meet Louise's, and the maid looking uncomfortable.
"Is there something wrong with it?"
"No no!" immediately denied the younger woman, "My uncle and cousin own it and it's only a few blocks from here. But, the accommodations aren't exactly for nobility and my uncle is rather…eccentric and…"
"Eccentric? I assure you Siesta, I've seen many things in my life and despite meeting a talking sword for the first time in my life, little can surprise me."
"If you wish, it's down this street," complied the maid, gesturing to their destination.
Louise turned her gaze across the street and briefly settled her eyes on an alleyway in which a shade of red and blue quickly withdrew out of sight. The pink-haired woman muttered something under her breathed.
"Hm? Did you say something Louise?" Asked Siesta, cocking her head in question as she turned around.
"It's nothing, lead the way."
Just as the duo left the shop with their new acquisition, a pair of hazelnut and one of aqua eyes carefully watched their every move, hiding in a dark alleyway.
"Um, Tabi… Why are we following them?" Asked the busty Germanian, a bit peeved to be hiding in a dirty alleyway when it would just be easier to tag along.
"Suspicious, gathering intel," explained the smaller girl, as usual only speaking the bare minimum to be understood.
"By following them around doing some shopping?" asked Kirche, raising an eyebrow.
"Important."
"And they say I'm the impulsive one," sighed the Fire Mage, rolling her eyes. "Oh well, as long as I get to spend some quality time with my little Tabi!" She cheered, latching onto the blue-haired mage, smothering her under the enormity of her breasts.
"Can't breathe…" gasped the smaller teen, trying, and failing, to free herself from the clutches of her friend. The Germanian had one hell of a grip, and at times like these, Tabitha greatly regretted that she was more an intellectual than someone gifted with great strength.
"Oops, sorry Tabi," giggled the Ardent as she released the petite mage from the embrace of her bosom. The blue-haired mage recovered quickly from and turned back to the street to resume her spying on her targets, only to find the pink-haired woman and her maid vanished from sight.
The mage-knight jumped to her feet and hurriedly swept her gaze over the entire street, looking for the ostentatious color of pink-hair in the sea of commoners going about their business. But alas, her target had disappeared and she couldn't use her familiar to search for them. It would cause too much unrest and no doubt start a commotion to see a lone dragon flying overhead. Commoners tended to panic after all, and she had no wish to be taken into custody by the royal guards who held the airspace above the city.
She stepped out into the street and began walking in the direction she had last seen the pair, with her long-time friend sauntering along beside her, throwing random winks and allurement at both men and women who stared at her buxom figure for more than just a moment's glance.
They really couldn't be any less inconspicuous, could they?
"Keehehe," A phantasmal voiced chortled from the now-empty alleyway as a pair of gleaming crimson eyes blinked further down the narrow path.
The shade vanished as it sunk back into the ground.
Walking down the streets of the capital, Louise took in the sights of the city she had not seen in ages. It was… nostalgic in a sense, despite having only seen most of the city through the window of a horse-drawn carriage in her early years to go be the Princess's playmate.
How would the Princess—soon to be Queen—react to a childhood friend having changed so much? Gods, she must be nearly a decade or so older than her friend who was previously of the same age as her. The days seemed to be shorter in the other world, not counting the many years she had resided there. So, getting an accurate number for what her age would be in Tristain would be difficult without knowing the time relation.
Not even to mention the physical differences from her body growing so much. As first noticed by Zero, who claimed it had "broken" something when they had bonded but had no idea what it was. The following months had her body growing at a phenomenal rate, which was further accented by the fate she had inherited the Kamasylven blade which gifted her body with proportions more commonly attributed to elves than humans (minus the ears of course) as all inheritors of Kamasylven blades needed the upmost control of their own bodies and minds or their own swords would consume them. So, the image of "little Louise" was forever shattered the moment she had been taken from Halkeginia.
Not that she minded. Being the only one in her year who had yet to develop breasts had been something she had felt ashamed of, as back then, even being average in her looks would have been something she would have taken pride in. Alas, she had been cursed to look like a child, which only served to make her nickname of "Zero" crueler, as apparently, she couldn't even grow past a child. She wondered how she fared now, compared to Henrietta.
But that was a bridge to cross when they came to it, and she wasn't complaining about her new assets.
In all honestly, she was taking everything easy for now. It had been so long since she didn't have to worry about any immediate danger. No monster or barbarian subjugations, no villages or towns to defend, no shadowy factions, no commercial enterprise to manage. No inquisition that clamored to have her burned at the stake. No worry about dying from dehydration or freezing to death in the Black Desert. It was… nice. Hell, even Zero was enjoying exploring the city as their little entourage—plus one—wandered through the city.
Her pink eyes swept over the crowd of commoners going about their business. A produce vendor who stood under the shade of his stand, grumbling to himself about quotas. Two boys chased one another with a pair of fake swords, playing knights.
She even spotted the odd noble fumbling his way through the sea of people, apparent by the wand that strapped to his belt.
She scoffed at the idea of nobility being granted just because one could cast magic. Louise could list just over a dozen ways off the top of her head on how to kill a magic user without resorting to magic in kind, a dagger in the back or a gunshot. Magicians and sorcerers were a common foe she had to face in the other world, especially rogue sorcerers and witches. Strangely, magic users seemed to always expect flashy opponents, when all it took to take them down was strategy and, depending on the strength of the wizard or sorcerer, preparation.
Turning her gaze forward once more, she saw Siesta amicably chatting away with Derf like they had become fast friends. The supposedly-legendary sword talking about accomplished feats long in the past: Like slaying orcs, dragons, and whatnot. The whole thing had the blade's ego at an all-time high and Siesta with stars in her eyes at the novelty of owning a magic sword.
Walking for a few minutes, she noticed the atmosphere of the city change. It became... less welcoming, like when she had entered Calpheon's slums for the first time. Although there were no outright signs of poverty, the mood of the people had changed. They were less cheerful, vagabonds hung around the street corners, the number of children that ran about in the streets increased. The occasional odd person lay slumped over in an alleyway with empty bottles arrayed around them.
Stares followed her as they walked down the sidewalk, mostly at Louise herself because of her vibrant pink hair and obvious noble upbringing in the way she conducted herself. She felt like an oddity, an intruder, in the vast ocean of dull color. As if at any one moment the crowds would swarm her to remove the foreign object like the body would to an infection.
The woman sighed at her melancholic thoughts.
Thankfully, their destination didn't delve too deep in the poorer areas of the capital. Derf's grandiose stories came to a stop and he slid back into his sheath with a clink as Siesta halted in front a building that looked like a bar or inn with the sounds of laughter and cheers coming from inside.
Charming Fairies, the sign that hung in front of the doorway read.
"Sounds more like the name of a brothel than an inn," Louise blurted out, with the maid merely sighing and grumbling to herself in agreement right after (strangely forgetting to ask how a noblewoman would know what brothel names should sound like). Siesta reached to open the door for her mistress, but seem to hesitate. Reaffirming herself of her duties—and the fact she suggested this in the first place—she reached for the door, opened it, and took a single step inside before a high-pitched squeal assaulted their ears.
"Ah~ Ah~ Welcome!… Ah~ Ah~ My dearest niece!~ Little Siesta!~ How~ Long~ Has~ It~ Been!~" An extremely high-pitched voice squeaked out in cheer and a very, very large… man… woman… thing rushed over and embraced the raven-haired maid in a massive bear hug, lifting the poor maid nearly a foot off the ground and smothering her face in "his" pectorals.
"It's good to see you too uncle…" croaked the poor maid, her eyes glazed over as she suffocated.
"No~ No~ We've been over this before! ~ Call me Mi Mademoiselle~!" insisted the flamboyant person, releasing the raven-haired young woman from his (hers?) grasp.
Getting a better look at the what Louise assumed to be the proprietor of this inn, she could see his waxed mustache twitching back and forth and muscles pulsing as he spoke on.
Ignoring the chattering cross-dressing man, she inspected the rest of the inn where other patrons—nearly all men except for one woman oddly enough—had waitresses, dressed in corsets and skirts that revealed far too much of their skin and legs, clutching at their sides chatting amicably away.
'So, it's that kind of place…although it doesn't seem to offer 'that' kind of service,' she noted, noticing the girls were very young ranging anywhere from fourteen to mid-twenties. But her pink-eyed gaze hardened when started to notice little things about the girls who brightly smiled and giggled away at their patron's jokes even if they weren't funny.
A blonde-haired girl, in a pink-dress and who wore her hair in twin-tails, had a horrid pink-lined scar that traced her shoulder blade, normally being unnoticeable underneath the hair that covered it.
A red-head had no noise coming out from her lips as she rolled her eyes from her patron's increasing silliness, enhanced by the numerous mugs of alcohol he had consumed. She waved her hand to another girl who stood on the sidelines instead of calling out to her. A thin-scar ran across the upper part of her throat, just above where her choker had slid down—to her ignorance-, revealing the deformity.
These two girls weren't the only ones, they all carried some burden, either physical or mental, and Zero agreed with her as the phantom watched through her eyes. Although, they hid it masterfully under the guise of cheerful smiles and with the help of copious amounts of alcohol served to their patrons.
"Yes uncle," Siesta replied dryly, not wishing to give in to her uncle's eccentricity. Her father's own words of 'just ignore it and carry on' repeated in the maid's thoughts.
"No~ No~," Peering over his niece's head, the towering man(woman?) moved his eyes to Louise, who was standing behind his niece.
"Oh? Siesta? Who is this beautiful young lady? ~" He asked with a twirling hand and flamboyant feminine gestures.
Noticing the attention was back on her, the mage spotted Siesta's gaze asking for permission to introduce her and gave a slight nod.
"This is Louise de La Vallière, I'm her new personal attendant."
The pink-haired woman gave a slight wave of her hand with a faint smile.
"Vallière? ~" He cocked his head as ran his rather scrutinizing gaze over his niece's new mistress. Nearly everyone in Tristain knew of the Vallières and the amount of political and marshal power they possessed, as well as their holdings in nearly every major industry in Tristain.
"Personal attendant? ~ Weren't you supposed to be working at that fancy noble academy? ~" He pointed out, and Siesta winced at the sudden question that struck a bit too close. Understandable since she had been fired from her old position just the day before.
"Oh… I um…" She stammered and wilted under her uncle's inquisitive gaze, "Got fired…"
His blue eyes widened in shock for but a moment.
"Oh no! ~ You poor thing! Come come, tell Mi Mademoiselle all about your troubles. ~ Bring your mistress along!"
And so, the two newcomers were swiftly guided to a table in the back corner by the serving girls and one man in drag. Siesta relayed her experiences of the past few days on what had occurred and how her new mistress hired her immediately afterwards. At least, after Louise had to convince the two of them to sit down alongside her and not stand at attention like other nobles would have them do.
She was rather famished afterall and she would rather have a meal than deal with the whole commoner-noble "etiquette" routine. What use was etiquette when you were starving? She never understood why some nobles placed so much emphasis on etiquette, what was the point of being "proper" if you were dead of starvation?
Plates of food and ale were placed in front of them as the two relatives chatted away with each other, and Louise had no qualms about enjoying the rather delicious meal, if a little plain, that was served.
"Oh no! ~" Wailed the uncle at the story of misfortune his niece shared with him. His gaze swiveled to face Louise. His muscle-lined hands swept forward and grasped Louise's own.
"Thank you for taking care of my little Siesta~" he cried, exaggerating the action like pretty much every one he took, crushing the pink-haired woman in a bear-like hug.
His view on the Vallière rose tremendously because of the tale he had just heard. Nobles, in his eyes, were a bunch of ill-hearted folk that would never own up to their mistakes, and to think that such a kind-hearted noble like the one before him would hire his niece because of a mistake did a lot to ease his worry. After all, even at the Academy, Siesta had been at risk of being "hired" by an ill-intentioned Noble, but now that she was a personal attendant to someone who clearly cared about her, the odds of her being "used" had all but disappeared.
The Mage hesitated at the sudden physical contact from the large, masculine hand that completely dwarfed her own, but quickly clamped down on her instinct to retaliate on the man who held no ill will towards her.
Was this man part giant or something? Her hand was completely encased in his own.
Staring at the man's eyes, who were rather surprisingly the very same shade of blue as his niece's, she gave him a small smile.
"You are welcome and I assure you that I will care for Siesta as long as she remains under my employ."
While she had obviously meant it as taking care of a trusted friend, Siesta, due to her choice in literature being somewhat "special", took Louise's words entirely the wrong way, blushing up a storm and stammering weakly.
"Ho!~ Ho!~" chuckled the innkeeper, "With a declaration like that it seems Mi Mademoiselle can rest easy about her little niece. ~" He sent an overly expressive wink at his niece, and was rewarded with weak hits from the blushing maid, who was mumbling under her breath at unintelligible volumes.
The pink-haired woman looked at the two relatives banter back and forth (mostly at the young maid's expense) and her eyes softened as a faint smile made its way across her lips. It had been a long time since she had seen such love between family members. It brought up old memories, buried deep within her archives of her thoughts, of her elder sister. She could barely remember the face or voice of her precious "Chi-nee," but the maternal comfort her sister provided in the absence of her real mother's in the most trying time of her previous life could never be forgotten.
She raised the mug of ale and took a long and slow sip. It tasted like it were made from waste water but had a rather comforting feeling that rose from within her core. No wonder it made all these customer's lips quite loose as they chatted away with the young and attractive girls.
Hm, that gave her an idea… maybe she could….
Banishing the thoughts for later, she rose from her seat and turned toward the crossdressing proprietor.
"Do you have any vacancies? It is getting quite late to be traveling the roads to the academy."
The man blinked a few times, his face losing his exaggerated smile for once.
"Ah yes, there's been rumors of bandits lately, but never mind that. ~ There's a room up the stairs over there, and the third door on the left. ~ Just ask Clara at the front desk for the key ~" he answered, resuming his act, and singing his words to a tune only he could hear, dancing over to his employees.
"Thank you for the meal," She thanked, giving a flourished bow, startling the commoners, "Siesta please pay for the meal and lodgings for the two of us, and feel free to reacquaint yourself with your family for the rest of the evening. I feel as if you have much to talk about," she finished, grinning.
"Yes, Miss Valliere," nodded, slipping back to her formal role, acknowledging the pink-haired woman's command. She waited until her mistress retrieved the key and disappeared up the stairs, before the young maid rose to her feet and scurried off in search of her cousin who was no doubt in the kitchen. Her eagerness to relate her story to her cousin with whom she frequently traded letters with was her task now. After all, it's not every day a lowly maid like herself is blessed with an opportunity like this!
And so, with the company of her uncle, the two of them disappeared behind the counter into the backrooms away from the rest of the folk.
The door clicked shut behind Louise as she stepped into the room. It wasn't grand, but the amount of furnishing and overall upkeep was evidence enough that this was one of the nicer rooms in the inn.
Plopping herself onto the bed, she stared at the ceiling above as she laid upon the sheets.
"Hey Zero," she called, knowing that even if she couldn't see him, the Black Spirit was nearby.
"Yes?" answered the midnight-cloaked Wraith, as it rose from a shadowy corner of the room, trailing a black mist behind it.
"How were our little pursuers?"
"As if they could even be called that. They lost us immediately after leaving the shop and that was mostly because of the one with red-hair."
"Hmm," the pink-haired Mage hummed in reply without taking her eyes off the roof above, "So how was Tristain? Thoughts?"
"It was interesting for a while, until I realized something as I explored the city."
"Oh? What's that?"
"That humans are the same regardless of where one goes," sneered the spirit, his disdain for their species clear.
"I see…" replied Louise with a grim look on her face. The two basked in each other's presence for a few silent seconds before the Mage hopped to her feet and walked to the room's window, which overlooked the cobblestone street.
"Anyways, we need to discuss our plans, but we can do after I talk to Scarron about these so-called bandits. I have a bad feeling about them."
Back downstairs in the kitchen, two black-haired teens, who shared many physical features like their raven hair and faint blue eyes, quietly giggled to each other as they caught up on what the other had been up to since they last met. Interesting, happenstances, or embarrassing things that they would only share with each other like the best of friends and none other.
Jessica, who was Siesta's cousin and daughter of Scarron (or Mi Mademoiselle), was a young, attractive woman a few months younger than her maid cousin.
"Ho? So you got roped into a situation with some snotty nobles, got fired, then got hired by the same noble that got you fired in the first place?" Snorted Jessica, flipping over a steak someone had ordered with quick precision.
"Well, when you put it like that it sounds more terrible than it actually was," the black-haired maid relented as she stirred a large pot with some sort of meaty stew alongside her cousin, deciding to assist Jessica, as she cooked for their patrons. Her mistress had given her free reign for the rest of the evening after all, and cooking wasn't really a chore for her, given that she had good company.
"Miss Valliere stood up for me alone when everyone accused me, it wasn't her fault that I accepted the gift and got discovered because I couldn't hold my tongue."
"I guess… just be careful. You know how nobles can be," Sighed Jessica, but then her lips turned into a rather eager grin, "So? How much money is that coin worth? And what's she paying you?"
"Jessica!" huffed Siesta with a fake look of betrayal, but the grin stretching her lips made it clear that it was in good cheer. Reaching into the sanctum of a woman's safest place to store items-between her breasts-she pulled out the massive silver coin while her eyes darted around to make sure no one spied in on them.
"Holy shit!" swore Jessica, staring incredulously at the coin now sitting in her palm. The glowing ember from the lantern illuminating the recesses of the kitchen reflected of the lustrous silvery surface, showing that it was worth far more than the coins the two young women were used to.
"This thing must be worth a fortune," she whispered in shock, as she inspected the strange writings that seem to be in some ancient language and the gravure that accompanied it, one of a man standing with what seemed to be stones piled around him.
The cousin's face almost deflated as Siesta snatched the silvery coin away.
"I'm not sure how much it will go for, but Miss Valliere assures me that the weight in silver alone would last quite some time. Although…" She leaned over, cupped a hand over her cousin's ear, and whispered into it.
Jessica's eyes widened in shock and she gave the maid a flabbergasted look.
"She's paying you that much!? I know that commoners can make quite a bit of money if they are personal retainers or attendants of a prestigious family, but that's way more than I was expecting!"
"I know!" Cheered the young maid, "it's reassuring to know that even if my father's crops fail we'll never go hungry again."
"Have you told your parents about this yet?" Asked Jessica, putting the finishing touches on several dishes and sprinkling some seasoning on them. She rang a small golden bell and one of the waitresses came over and retrieved it, disappearing back to the front of the establishment.
Siesta shook her head as she chopped some vegetables with rapid tempo.
"I don't want to tell them until the harvest is over, our family is simple, and I don't to change that."
"Aw, ain't that adorable," Cooed Jessica as she reached over and ruffled Siesta's hair, causing her maid cap to shift to the side. "Don't forget your cousin when you get rich, alright?" She grinned and was going to continue but a voice cut her off.
"Siesta! I am going to procure a few things and take care of some business, I should be back sometime in the night," called Louise, standing at the kitchen's entrance.
"Do you wish for me to accompany you, Miss Valliere?" asked the maid, putting the dishes she had been washing, back, and cleaning her hands with a towel.
"No, I've already dismissed you for the evening and I have no wish to drag along a beautiful young woman through the streets this late."
"Oh…" Mumbled the maid as she blushed profusely at the unexpected compliment, "Alright Miss Valliere. I will remain here until you return."
"Just make sure to go to bed early," the pink-haired mage added, "We will be leaving at the crack of dawn to return to the academy."
With that, she turned away and walked out of the inn, disappearing into the night.
"Eh… so that's your boss, acts more like a mom if anything," grinned Jessica, her eyes moving over the noblewoman's backside as she walked away.
"But still, if she was one of our girls she'd steal all the earnings the other girls would make. I mean, damn, imagine her in one of those corsets the girls wear."
"Jessica!" Scolded the maid, but the scarlet hue on her cheeks betrayed her inner thoughts. "Can we please talk about something else?"
"Sure," she continued her smirk, "I got some new recommendations for 'reading material' I think you'd like. You can read them in my room after we finish these dishes."
~Flashback~
"Ugh," groaned Louise, the pink-haired mage tossing and turning. She was laying on something, and from the feeling of it, it wasn't the cold, hard floor she had expected.
"She's waking up!" called out a familiar voice, a woman's voice, jostling the young girl as a blinding light struck her face. Her pink eyes blearily peeled opened and a throbbing pain made her grab her temples as she moaned in discomfort. She found herself in a tent of some sort, a private tent if her guess was correct from the visible lack of weapons, gear, and Vigilante equipment in general.
Propping herself on an arm, she tried to rise from her lying back position, but a hand pushed her back down and she found that all her strength had left her as she could offer no resistance to the gentle push.
Her eyes darted to the owner of the hand and found a young elven woman staring intently at her, the woman uncomfortably close as she all but invaded Louise's personal space.
While something at the back of her mind was telling her to run away from the elf, Louise simply didn't have the strength to even stand, let alone make a run for it. She didn't remember exactly how she'd ended up there, but it certainly had done a number on her body as she felt aches in places she didn't even know could feel aches.
Her rising panic at her sudden weakness was quickly noticed by the elf, the woman offering her a reassuring smile as she made sure to not make any sudden moves.
"Hey, hey. Easy now. Don't worry you're okay," tried to sooth the elf, but alas her words had precious little effect on Louise, who was starting to work herself in a panic attack.
"W-Where am I?" demanded the petite mage, her voice, despite being low due to how weak she felt, managing to convey just how frantic she was.
"You're in the Western Guard Camp. Don't worry you're safe," repeated the woman.
Louise almost didn't believe her, but the look of concern on the elf's face dissuaded her from that line of thought. She could tell the woman was seriously worried about her given the way her eyes constantly moved over her body, checking for signs of anything worng.
The exhausted pink-haired teen closed her eyes when another throb of pain made her hiss in discomfort, her headache apparently returning with a vengeance.
"Ah," mumbled the woman, placing a nice cool hand on Louise's forward and a comforting green glow emanated from her hand. The intensity of the pain dropped by several magnitudes, but did not fully disappear. Nevertheless, it was a welcome respite.
"Sorry about that, Edan got a bit overzealous back there and somehow decided that knocking you out was the best course of action."
"By punching me? It feels like I took a hammer to the face…" groaned Louise, before falling silent and enjoying the cool feeling on her head that soothed the pain.
"Well, that's good to know considering he's my bodyguard of sorts," dryly chuckled the woman, as the pink-haired girl inquisitively glanced at her, but the look on her face showed she wasn't going to share her story any time soon.
"T-thank you for taking care of me…" mumbled Louise, but realized she did not know the elven woman's name.
"Orwen, my name is Orwen," smiled the elf.
"O-Oh, thank you Orwen."
"You're welcome… for a Black Spirit host you're rather pleasant to speak with."
"Black Spirit?" asked Louise, trying, but failing, to hide that she had a very good idea of what Orwen was talking about.
The elf's eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"Yes, the Black Spirit that is attached to your soul? The whispering voice in your mind that does not belong to you?" she offered, her tone cautious.
"U-Um…" stammered Louise, unable to answer the question, recalling one of the very first things Zero told her was to NEVER reveal his presence.
"Louise, after that show you gave us, there's no point in hiding it. I know there's a Black Spirit attached to you."
"Y-You know?" She asked in a panicked voice, gazing about the room for the presence of the mysterious wraith, now known as a Black Spirit. And sure enough, Zero materialized into existence directly behind the elf woman, sinisterly grinning as he flew above her head. But, it seemed the elf woman could not notice the being that hovered mere inches above her head.
Louise gaped at the sight. Could she not see it?
"She knows…. Kill her…." whispered the Wraith, clacking his glistening white teeth.
"Kill her…" the voice repeated in the back of her mind. "She will be the downfall of us, kill her…"
"Yes, I do. How did you get possessed by it?" Orwen asked, unware of the Spirit that wished for her demise, but she cocked her head and turned around to where Zero floated. But in her eyes, nothing was there but empty space. She turned back to Louise and found the girl not even paying attention to her.
"N-no no… I can't do that…. I'm not going to…" Louise stammered, her eyes crazed, darting to the dagger at Orwen's belt, before hastily looking away, but the black-haired elf noticed the look her "patient" was giving her.
"Louise… is it talking to you right now?"
"She's going to tell everyone, kill her…"
"Y-Yes…. it… it wants me to kill you…" almost unconsciously, the pinkette's hand extended towards the dagger, only for it to withdraw as Louise resulted the spirit's command.
The elf's blue eyes widened in shock, but she held her position.
"What are you doing? Listen to me! If she tells anyone that I exist within you, they will burn us at the stake!"
"No!" Screamed Louise, burying her face into the blanket in hopes of willing the Spirit away, and the wraith vanished with no further provocation.
"Louise! Louise, it's okay!"
"HEY! WHATS GOING ON IN THERE?" A man's voice yelled out, the tent bathed with light as the flaps of the entrance swung open. A man in full plate armor stood in the entrance to the tent, his plated-hand rested on the broadsword that hung from his hip.
The elf made no bid to move from her seat by Louise's bedside, less she unintentionally provoke the imposing armored-man.
"Oh, I'm sorry officer, she just woke up from and was having a mild panic attack from waking up in an unfamiliar place."
His weary eyes were drawn to the pink-haired girl that laid on the cot with a terrified expression on her face. His eyes widened in recollection as he noticed who exactly the girl who was bed-rested was, the Hero of Olvia. Even the officer who was stationed in the Western Guard Camp had heard of the tales of heroics that a lone girl with pink-hair had accomplished in the defense of Olvia. But seeing just how young the girl was…
"I see…" He mumbled in a deep voice, "Just keep it down, everyone is still on edge from the rest of the imps and I don't want the men to worry about our resident hero being in a panic."
"My apologies, I'll be sure to take care of her."
"See that you do," he grumbled, before turning around and leaving.
The elven woman turned back to the girl who had buried herself in the sheets that covered her, whimpering quietly to herself. Her heart broke at the sight of someone so young at the mercy of a Black Spirit. Never had she encountered someone so fragile who still held her sanity while being possessed by a Black Spirit, usually they were adventurers whose own greed led to ancient ruins that teemed with the beings, only to become possessed and lose their minds to the wraiths. They all become puppets sooner or later.
This would have to be handled carefully, less she unintentionally harm the pink-haired girl's mind.
"Louise…" whispered Orwen, gently rubbing the young girl's back. She stiffened at the touch, but did little else.
"Louise, I can help you, but you need to tell me what I need to know," she whispered, putting as much motherly feelings she could in her tone, God knew how much the girl needed it.
"Help?" The girl repeated as Orwen nodded her head. "O-Okay…."
The panic in her eyes slowly died out, but it was clear from her body language that she was still very much afraid, terrified even, and the elf couldn't blame her. Someone so young subjected to a Black Spirit, yet still sane, was incredible, but it had to put an incredible strain on her.
"Alright then. First off, how did you encounter the Black Spirit?"
"Um…," stumbled the girl over her words, "I don't remember."
The elven woman raised an eyebrow at Louise who shrank from the questioning gaze.
"I woke up in Olvia with no memories and Zero was there when I came to," she hastily explained.
"Zero?" prodded Orwen, the pink-haired mage shrinking on herself and sinking under the covers, "Louise, I can't help you if you aren't honest with me."
The young girl relented.
"It's the thing that you call a Black Spirit, I didn't know what to call it so I gave it that name."
"Okay…" Awkwardly stated the woman before she continued, "so no recollection or memories of anything before you woke up correct?"
Louise slowly nodded her head with a blank look on her face, "I only remember my name, Zero said he took my memories and won't give them back until our deal is finished."
Blue eyes narrowed.
"A deal?"
This was unprecedented, on many levels. Orwen had never heard of any hosts that held their sanity, and even more so that a Black Spirit was willing to barter with. Anyone who did even the slightest research in Black Spirits knew just how dangerous working with the wraiths could be, less you become an unfortunate host yourself.
"In exchange for helping Zero find something, it teaches me how to get stronger…. And I listen."
"Louise, you have to be extremely careful with what it offers you. It is NOT on your side."
The pink-haired girl visibly deflated and remained silent for a few seconds, before speaking up.
"I didn't know how to use a sword until the imps attacked," she whispered.
"I'm sorry?" asked Orwen, looking a little lost.
Raising her voice, Louise continued.
"I didn't know how to use a bow or even skin an animal until just a while ago when I hunted a deer on my very first hunt!"
"Loui-" Spoke Orwen to ask what she was talking about, but was not allowed to as the girl continued her rant.
"I don't want to be weak anymore! I'm sick of people looking at me like I'm some sort of thing to ridicule and pity! I don't want to lose my only chance at becoming strong! I'm tired of being a Zero!" Her outburst ended with heavy breaths coming out of her lungs, but the look on her face was frozen in realization of her words.
A guilty expression appeared on the pink-haired girl's face. "I-I…. I apologize…I don't know what came over me."
"It's alright, I couldn't possibly even imagine what it's like. Just know you aren't alone anymore," smiled the elf, comfortingly taking Louise's hand in her own and rubbing circles on it. Their eyes met and gazed into each other for what seemed to be an eternity.
"Eh? I hope I'm not interrupting anything," interrupted a male voice, one where a smirk was almost audible.
Surprised at the voice, Louise quickly pulled back her hands while a crimson blush overtook her cheeks.
"Edan!?" Exclaimed the startled woman, "By the Goddess, don't sneak up on us like that."
"Sorry," he said, his tone not apologetic in the least especially with the smirk still on his face.
"Just getting the new guy to meet our little host here, I figured I would get someone to show her the ropes on dealing with a Black Spirit."
"New guy? Edan what are you talking about?" Questioned Orwen with a puzzled look.
"Oh right, not part of the Guard so you wouldn't know," He mumbled, for himself more than anything, "Well, Louise isn't the only one who kept her sanity when she got possessed. Some of the other guards found this guy a while ago drifting in the Ross Sea."
"Oi, get your ass over here and stop flirting with that cute garrison officer!" Edan yelled. Louise and Orwen looked at each other with a hint of dismay in their eyes.
"Coming, jeez," The voice of a young boy, sounding like he was in teens, called out in reply and his form came into view as he entered the tent, "I wasn't flirting Edan. I was just asking around, god."
"Right, and I'm the king of Calpheon. Now come on, introduce yourself to the new girl."
"New girl?" The young man repeated until a look of realization came upon him. "Oh right, the one who has a Black Spirit possessing her too."
He turned his sapphire gaze towards the girl with pink-diamond eyes and offered her a welcoming grin.
"Hey there, the name's Saito!" The young, raven-haired man grinned with such honesty in his blue eyes that Louise couldn't help but take his outstretched, rough, calloused hand and shake it in her own dainty ones.
"Louise."
~Flashback End~
Authors Notes:
I'm pleasantly surprised I've reached over 200+ followers! Thanks for all the interest in my humble story and I hope you all leave reviews about your thoughts on my story! For those you that enjoy my work, considering checking out my other story, Remanoir, a Fate X RWBY crossover (shameless self-advertisement?). My next release will be on that story.
My apologies for taking so long with this chapter, started a new job and graduate work. I also bought and played NieR: Automata (best game I have ever had the honor to own) and got heavily addicted to it. That ending just hits you so hard in the feels! I even have a few ideas for a crossover with it that came to life in my head as I played it. Sadly, between this story and Remanoir I probably won't get to it soon (if ever). So between that, NieR, and Dark Souls 3, I've been pretty occupied.
Another thing, life skills are an important thing in Black Desert, so I wanted to reflect that in the items that Louise brought back with her. She's pretty much an artisan/master in all of the fields, and she knows just how important they can be. Money is power, afterall. And if you control industries of a country, especially agriculture, one can essentially control it.
As always, super amazing thanks to Arawn D. Draven for beta'ing my work! Check out his amazing stories as thanks!
Answering Reviews:
Edelhart – I just want to first say thank you for the honest and thoughtfully written out review that you took the time to write out. I'm glad you're liking my story so far despite its flaws.
You bring up a good deal of points that I, admittingly, did poorly to convey. Especially when it comes to Louise's mentality and now apathy towards her previous life in Halkeginia. I will keep your points in mind as I write future chapters. To be honest, the first two chapters were the most difficult because I had to think of a way to "properly" explain Louise's absence and her initially dealing with that. I may go back in the future and rewrite the first two chapters to better reflect.
As for the memories, In Black Desert, the Black Spirit specifically states that he has taken your memories and will only return them until the "deal" made between the player and the Black Spirit is fulfilled. Now in my fic, something else happened (that is inspired by the main quest of BDO) that forced the Black Spirit to return her "locked" memories.
For the last subject of addressment, as many are writing in their responses to previous chapter, this is NOT going to be a yuri harem even it may seem to have been leaning towards that direction last chapter with Siesta. Yuri indeed, but no harem. The pairing is going to be Louise and Henrietta.
KillerHamster – First off, I love your name. Reminds me of the dreaded Rabbit of Caerbannog from Monty Python for some reason.
As for the time spent, the main difference between the worlds of Halkeginia and Black Desert is that of the nations and races of people that reside in them. There isn't much "culture-shock" other than the religions with Elionism and Aal in BDO and Brimir-ism in Halkeginia. However, I will keep it in mind.
Paktu, LilSpirit88, Thy Pegasus Box – thanks for your praise! It's these types of comments that motivate me to continue writing in my sparingly free time than just dick around. Hope you'll continue to read my story!
