Twenty-Five || Prima

Between the two of them, Mint and Klaus managed to figure out how to work with the phantomite. It was a good thing Mint had stayed behind to help; most of Klaus' tools were equipped for chiseling and cleaning, not shaping metallic ore, and Mint had to lend her magic to the process to help. They did waste some of the phantomite while they were trying to get the process down – Mint had the idea to superheat some of the tools to make cutting through the phantomite easier, and while it did work it also resulted in some interesting meltdowns and ultimately left silver spatter and burn marks all over one corner of Klaus' desk – but before too long they had managed to sheer off and smooth what was necessary for the amulet. The rest, however, was up to Klaus; he could use his tools to ingrain the necessary runes into the phantomite, and he had to do so with supreme care.

That was the part that would take a while.

"I guess that just leaves me to get the tiara back," she said. She sat down heavily on one of Klaus' boxes and wiped her forehead. The magical exertion had taken a lot of her, and she really did not relish the thought of wresting the tiara from Belle and Duke; she still had to even find them, for one thing. She wondered if that was where Rue had gone off to, scouring the town to see if he could winnow out their location.

Surely he wouldn't confront them without her. Mint hated to admit it, but the two sides were fairly evenly matched. The fights they'd had so far had all come to a draw, for one reason or another, and she was sure that without her assistance Rue wouldn't fare any better than they already had. And if he ran into both of them together... well, no contest.

But Mint wasn't quite ready to go out on her quest. Elena's elixir had taken care of her actual wounds and healed up the damage, but its numbing properties were wearing off and she was feeling the aftereffects of the damage. She was sore and tired, and even if she could track down Belle and Duke right then she was in no shape to fight them for the tiara. Of course the two of them hadn't come out of the day unscathed, either, but it wasn't a situation she wanted to get into. And her mind was already elsewhere.

She couldn't shake the memory of that man – the spiky-haired punk – and what he had done earlier. It had been innocuous enough, but it bothered her how he must have set it up. Had he managed to feed magic into the house and teleport the pumpkin when she was standing where she needed to be? That was the less disturbing possibility; the one that left her feeling cold was the idea that he had pre-arranged the whole thing; that he had set up a physical trap and just baited her with the magic. That he had been in the Adlers' house and nobody had noticed.

He might have done it just to pull a stupid prank, but what else could he do if he caught the family so deeply unawares?

Or anybody else in the town.

She had to check.

Klaus was immersed in preparations to begin carving the amulet, so Mint didn't bother disturbing him. She headed up the stairs, intent on checking the front room for any signs of magical or physical tampering, and nearly slammed straight into Rue on her way up.

He staggered back, stepping off the stairs, and she only managed to avoid tumbling back down when she caught the guard rail.

"Sorry!" he said quickly. "I didn't know you were there."

"Well now you do," she snarled. "You coming back so soon?" When she had solid footing again, she looked him up and down quickly and noticed that he didn't look any worse for the wear, at least no worse than when he had come back from the volcano. She tilted her head, cocked an eyebrow, and sighed. "You didn't find them, I take it?"

"Actually, I did," he said. He reached into his satchel and drew out the tiara. "They–"

"No way."

She didn't let him finish. She snatched the piece of jewelry out of his hand and held it tight enough to turn her knuckles white. She turned it over in her grip, examining every angle, letting the magic hum and crackle under her fingers. It was the same spell. It was really the tiara. She tried to formulate words, but no sound would escape her throat. To compensate, she stared at Rue, dead silent, now waiting for him to explain.

"They've been staying at the hotel," Rue continued, "but I found them at the tavern. We talked."

"You did not."

He frowned, confused. "No, we... did. Verbal communication happened."

She betrayed a hint of a smile. "No, I mean... that couldn't have been it. You didn't just talk to them. We've beaten each other ragged too many times for you to get away with just talking."

"Oh. Well, no, I–"

"Knew it!"

"–made a deal with them. Paid them."

"You aren't loaded."

"It was enough."

Mint studied him. It sounded odd that Belle would accept his proposal that easily; she was crafty, and she was greedy, and unless Rue had some impressive funding that she was unaware of she couldn't imagine him having enough to sway Belle's opinion on the matter. Had he offered her something else? A cut of Mint's profits, perhaps, since he had already eschewed his own?

Not that they'd found much by way of proper treasure.

Then again, promising a fraction of the general nothing that they'd found would have been pretty funny.

Whatever the case, though, she understood why he had gone off alone to do it. Mint didn't like being left out of dealings – she had a suspicious mind, and could easily determine what she would have done in the same context – but if she had been there, there either would have been an altercation or Belle would have demanded even more absurd payment than she likely already had.

And if it turned out he'd had some shady dealings, she'd just have to deal with him later.

"Well!" she said. She flicked her hand and let the tiara slide down her arm. It nestled in the crook of her elbow. "No sense waiting. Let's go!"

Her previous concerns banished, Mint wheeled and took the stairs two at a time until she hit the bottom of the basement again. Klaus was oblivious to their conversation, still working out the details of the design. Mint strode up to the side of his desk and slammed the tiara down next to him.

Klaus jumped and spun on his chair to face her, breathing fast. "Mint!" he said. "What are you–"

"We. Are. In."

She slapped the tiara against the desk again, and his eyes turned immediately upon it. His brow furrowed in a brief bout of confusion, but when he realized what she was holding his eyes widened and he reached out, gently pulling it from her grasp. He looked it over a few times, then looked up to Mint, perplexed.

"What did you...?"

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, and Klaus' gaze met Rue's.

"You got it back," he said.

Rue nodded.

"This is it," Klaus murmured. "This is... all that's left is the amulet." He was breathless and flushed. "This is incredible. I never thought... I never imagined..."

"Finish your sentence later," Mint said, snatching the tiara back. "I'm putting this on him."

Klaus blinked rapidly, then shook his head, bringing himself out of his daze. "Yes," he said. "Yes, of course."

Rue took his place standing next to Klaus, and Mint approached the Prima Doll. She knelt down next to his mattress and held up the tiara. "Remind me," she said, "exactly what this is for."

"The tiara is imbued with complex programming," the Prima Doll said. "It possesses functionality that allows me to express willpower and sovereign thought. In layman's terms, it contains my personality. My..." He paused, processing the word. "Soul, if you will." He paused again, although by the faint hum coming from his throat it was clear he was not done speaking. "The lake altar was found to contain a multi-faceted seal that requires not only elaborate spellwork to undo, but also an expression of willpower and intent. The tiara will both serve to unify the individual spellwork from the gauntlets, sollerets, and earrings, and will allow me to fulfill the secondary necessity. With the assistance of the phantomite catalyst, of course."

Mint cocked an eyebrow. "That's kinda weird."

"It would explain why Elroy didn't just make a key, though," Rue said. He nodded to Mint. "Are we ready?"

Mint nodded back. The tiara felt sharply cold against her hand.

She leaned forward, tilted it toward the Prima Doll, and slid the tiara onto his forehead. As soon as it was secure, she rose to her feet and stepped back.

The Prima Doll closed its eyes.

There was a moment of ostensible stillness, but Mint could feel something else going on. Her skin prickled. There was a sensation of something twisting and weaving, magic playing under the surface, subtle spells shifting as the tiara's magic linked with the Prima Doll. The magic began to vibrate, to hum, to–

A wash of warm energy rippled through the room as the connection secured. Klaus gasped audibly; Rue took a step back, plainly surprised. Even Mint flinched involuntarily, caught off guard by the sudden release of magic.

And then it was over.

They waited again, breathless, and the Prima Doll opened its eyes again. It cast its gaze about the room, and Mint could already see that something was different; it no longer moved in perfectly calculated mechanical increments, and there was something different about its eyes...

Klaus adjusted his glasses and stood up. He took an uneasy half-step forward, using the desk for balance. "Did it–"

The Prima Doll had been watching him for a few seconds, not quite impassive, but not a moment after Klaus moved it suddenly twisted, vaulted off the mattress, scrambled right to its feet and slammed bodily into Klaus, very nearly knocking him off his feet. Mint already had her rings in her hands before she realized that the little doll had its arms wrapped around Klaus and it was burying its face against his shirt.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

Klaus was still reeling slightly and had to steady himself with his other hand against the chair, still visibly confounded. It took him another second to realize that the Prima Doll was hugging him. When it registered, the confusion on his face gave way to a faint smile. Once he was steady again, he reached forward and gently ruffled the Prima Doll's golden-blond hair.

"You're, ah, you're welcome," he said.

The Prima Doll broke contact and took a half-step back, giving him a little more space. Then it looked back to Rue and Mint, a broad grin plastered across its face.

"And you, too!" he said. "Klaus was telling me everything you guys have been doing for me last night and it's– I mean– you guys are amazing. And you all did that for me! How can I– I can't possibly thank you enough!"

Mint twitched slightly. This was too much happy energy for her, and she hoped it was because he had just woken up. If this was what she would be dealing with all the way to the Relic...

"Not just for you," she grumbled. "You've got a job to do, remember?"

"A job to– oh! Oh, right, the Relic, the– the lake seal thing. Altar. Right?"

"That's right," Rue said. He knelt down, bringing himself closer to the Prima Doll's eye level "But you don't need to worry about that for a little bit. The doctor's just begun working on the amulet."

"That's right," Klaus said. "We won't be doing any seal breaking for a bit."

"That's okay," the Prima Doll said. "I'm just so, so glad to be out of that stuffy box and– and alive!" He pulled away from Klaus with an unnecessary twirl and came to a stop a few feet away. "You don't know what it's been like without the tiara."

"I know what you were like without the tiara," Mint said.

The Prima Doll considered. "Yeah, okay, I guess. But it's– I dunno, creepy to think about it. Or not think about it. I couldn't think. I mean, not like real thinking, it was..."

"Reacting, you said," Klaus offered.

"Right. And I knew it wasn't supposed to be like that and now I remember how it is supposed to be and–" It cut itself off suddenly, shivering. "A-anyway, you guys... I'm alive again, because of you, you don't understand how much that means."

Mint folded her arms irritably. "The way you're chattering, I think I get the idea."

The Prima Doll looked at her, his expression falling slightly, and sighed. "No," he said. "I really don't think you do. Bringing me to life– it isn't just you. I mean, it was you, this time, getting all the spells together, but back when the spells were made, what Elroy and Yordaf and Ginema had to do to make it all work. You don't see how– how momentous this is."

It actually sounded sad. Mint, however, held her ground.

"Hey, I do spells," she said. "I know how complicated it is to weave spells, and okay, you win, you're a pretty impressive bit of magic. But..."

Rue cleared his throat. "Not what he means, Mint," he said quietly.

Mint looked over to him, her eyes narrow. "You know what it means?"

"He," Rue repeated tersely. "And I think he means the actual... ensouling, I guess. Raw magic can automate–"

"Pre-tiara," the Prima Doll said.

"–but it can't bring life. Legitimate life, I mean."

"Something autonomous," Klaus added. "Capable of will."

Mint looked between all of them. "You're all ganging up on me about this?" she asked.

"Not ganging up," Klaus said. He shifted his chair and sat back down. "Just... I think I get what he's saying. Magic can do remarkable things, but it can only do what it's instructed to do. Even living magic is just a series of woven commands. Or so I've been told." The Prima Doll nodded, and Klaus continued. "To make a truly living thing, with its own feelings and desires, must have taken remarkable measures."

Mint grunted and looked over to Rue. "And what's up with you?" she asked.

He was quiet for a moment, and took the opportunity to stand up again. "Those... things... in Yordaf's temple," he said. "They were broken dolls. Experiments in soul engineering that... that didn't work. When I–" He cut himself off, shook his head. "A-anyway, it's just– you can't just program a soul, or fragment it like that. What they tried to do – Elroy and Yordaf – destroyed them. They moved, but they weren't alive."

She watched him for a moment, a frown tugging at the edge of her mouth. "That place kind of messed you up, didn't it?" she asked.

"Gave me nightmares."

"I almost got eaten by a whale." She paused, thinking back to the strange creature. Composed of raw magic, animate but linked together through elaborate spellcraft. Instructions on instructions dictating its movement, its actions. If she'd had the time, she probably could have read the whole of it across its magic structure. Even monsters had more autonomy – more willpower – more life – than that stupid whale.

She sighed.

"I get your point," she said. "Yeah, all right. Prima, you're kinda cool."

Prima bowed. "Thank you!"

Mint heard the sarcasm behind his voice.

"So what now?" she asked, pointedly ignoring him.

"Now you'll have to wait, I'm afraid," Klaus said. "Until the amulet's finished, there's nothing more for you two to do. But once that's done–"

"I break the seal," Prima said. He grinned and stood up as straight as he could– not terribly impressive, given his height. "Then you'll see something more than 'kinda' cool."

"Cocky little thing, aren't you?"

"I've been learning from you all since I've been free from the box," he said, giving her a little half-smile. "I must've picked it up from somewhere."

Mint couldn't help but laugh. "Hey," she said. "I'm arrogant because I am awesome. You are gonna have to earn it."

"And I," Klaus said, "am going to have to get back to work if we want this done any time soon." He looked pointedly at Rue and Mint, but his smile betrayed him. "You two have the next few days to do whatever you want. Go sightseeing. Enjoy town. Relax." His faux-irritation evaporated. "Really. You've more than earned a little vacation."

Rue nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Sounds like a plan," Mint said.

"And me?" Prima asked.

Klaus thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. "I think," he began, "that you had best stay with me for a bit. Are you much familiar with your own construction? The magic involved?"

"I think so," Prima said. "Elroy talked to himself. A lot." He sighed. "A lot."

"Then perhaps you can help me with the amulet. What do you think?"

Prima brightened immediately. "Oh, okay! I think I can do that!"

"Marvelous!" Klaus nodded to Rue and Mint. "Carry on, you two. My work begins in earnest now."

"Good luck, sir," Rue said.

"Don't screw it up," Mint added. "We've only got so much phantomite to use."

Of course, the majority of the block was still sitting on the edge of Klaus' desk. Even accounting for their failures earlier that day, they had barely touched the ore. But Klaus laughed anyway, and shot her a smile.

"I think we'll be fine," he said.

. .

"That was incredibly foolish of you, Trap Master," she snapped.

He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm just having some fun," he said. "I told you, this town bores the shit out of me. I need to do something."

"Maybe not antagonize the person we're watching?" she said. "You could have tipped our hand."

"I didn't tip anything," he said. "She has no idea who I am."

"But she knows you're here," she said. "And she knows you're not one of the villagers. You can be sure she marked your little stunt. She might come back for you."

"I'm sure she will," he said. "I'd be disappointed if she didn't."

He stopped, and she stopped with him.

They were out in Carona Forest, well off the marked path, standing in the rustling sunlight and shade of the woods. He cast a quick glance around them and flicked his wrist, and the trees sighed. Magic coalesced and tightened around them, becoming a wide ring of visible, almost tangible cords of energy. While he did a quick check of the spell, his companion reached into her pocket and withdrew the pearlescent communications orb.

"Ready?" she inquired, and he nodded. At his assurance, she clasped the pearl in her hand and willed her own magic through it. "Karwyn," she whispered, and the spell snapped shut. She opened her palm and waited a few seconds, and then the pearl warmed up slightly and a voice responded.

"We're pleased to hear from you, Kirielle," he said, his voice smooth and steady. "You have good news, I hope?"

"It's time for all to converge," she said. "They've either completed or nearly completed Elroy's experiment. It's only a matter of days now." She paused. "We, Psycho Master? You're not alone?"

"He's in my accompaniment," another voice said. The second speaker was also male, his voice deeper and fuller and twinged with the hint of an accent.

"Oh!" The sound of his voice came as a pleasant surprise to her. "Sir, it's been far too long since we've spoken."

"Very true," he said. "Though I suppose we'll be seeing each other properly, soon."

"I should hope so, sir."

"Our preparations here are complete," the first voice said. "We can depart for Carona within the hour."

She smiled. "Perfect," she said. She mulled over her next words, and eventually found them. Her voice took on a far more plaintive tone as she spoke. "Master, I–"

"No need for further words, Mode Master," the second speaker said. "We will arrive tomorrow. I look forward to seeing you again."

"A-and I you, sir."

"End communication."

The pearl went cold. She pocketed it quickly and turned to her own companion.

"I assume you–" Mode Master cut herself off abruptly, realizing that her associate had disappeared. She looked quickly around for him, but could find no evidence of where he had gone. She exhaled through her teeth. "Narcius, I swear–"

"Don't swear," he said, his voice slightly muffled by distance. "It doesn't suit you, sweetheart."

She moved toward his voice. "Where did you wander off to?" she asked.

When she rounded the tree, she saw him standing at the edge of his ensorcelled circle. Just in front of him, caught in a tangle of magic threads and hoisted a few feet above the ground, was another individual– tall, lanky, underfed and ill-shaven. The caught man was glaring daggers at Trap Master, who in turn was regarding him with a narrow gaze and a dark smile.

"Hey buddy," Trap Master purred. "You look like a real swell guy."

The man he had trapped responded with a string of vulgarities. Trap Master laughed; Mode Master couldn't help by smile.

"How unbecoming," she said, unable to hide the amusement in her voice.

"I like him," Trap Master said. He reached up and took the man's chin in his hand. The man tried to fight it, but Trap Master's grip was too powerful, and he held his head steady, forcing the man's eyes to meet his own. "And because I like you, I'll even make you a little deal. I'm gonna let you down. Sound good?"

The man's expression changed, his fury abating and giving way to desperation. He nodded.

"Great!" Trap Master leaned in until his face was only inches from his captive's. "And after I do that, I got a little thing I want you to do for me..."

. .

Psycho Master slipped the pearl into his pocket.

"This is all happening rather quickly," he said.

Doll Master nodded. He was sitting at his desk, idly shuffling a stack of papers that he had absolutely no interested in reading. "It is," he said, "but I couldn't have expected anything less from our errant princess." He stood up. "I'll need to make a few arrangements to explain my absence. In the interim, prepare our departure."

Psycho Master bowed. "Yes, sir."

By the time he stood upright again, he was already flickering out of the room, his silhouette a rapidly fading ghostly afterimage. Doll Master stood up, laying the papers back down on his desk, and turned around just in time for Psycho Master's image to fade and for him to realize that his door was slightly open.

A flicker of anger pulsed through him. "Your Highness," he said quietly. "Your station does not give you the right to forgo simple manners. I appreciate people knocking before entering my quarters."

Princess Maya pushed the door further open. In her hands was another set of papers; no doubt some other banality of the kingdom, judging by the disinterested way they hung from her fingers. Her wine-red eyes fixed on Doll Master.

"Absence," she repeated.

"And you've been eavesdropping," he said. "Very unbecoming."

"What occasion do you have for this absence?" Maya asked. "It must be something of significant importance. The council's next meeting is only a few days away."

"And, lord willing, my task will be done before then." He walked to the door. "Unfortunately, the reasons for my departure are yet more dire."

"More dire than the good of our kingdom?"

"By far." He stepped past her, but felt her eyes boring into his back, setting old scars alight. He clenched his teeth. "I would appreciate some privacy, Your Highness."

"I forbid your leaving," Maya said.

He looked over his shoulder. "You may be crown princess," he said, "but until you ascend to the throne properly, your will is not absolute."

"Then I will consult with my father," she said. "I'm sure he would not approve of your leave so close to such important matters of the state."

Doll Master closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself patience. He knew, though, that Maya would not back down very easily. She did not have the same fire that her sister did, but the East Heaven bloodline had a stubborn streak that he had never been able to completely quell.

But that was okay. It took him only a few seconds to realize what he had to do.

"Princess," he began softly, his voice dropping quiet and low, conspiratorial. "You are aware of this kingdom's responsibilities?"

"Of course."

"All of them?"

She hesitated. He took advantage of the moment of quiet.

"East Heaven Kingdom is aware of a certain number of active Relics interred across the globe," he said. "We, with our unsurpassed understanding of magic, have been trusted to keep watch over these Relics, should they fall into the wrong hands."

"Y-yes," she said slowly. "I am... aware of that, although I've never been privy to these Relics."

"No. Such is the responsibility of the monarch, not his heirs." Doll Master paused. "And, of course, the archmage."

"That being yourself."

"Very good," he said, trying desperately to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. It worked well enough; Maya did not seem to notice. "I've received word that one of these locations is in distress. I need to assess the situation personally, and immediately. Thus, my departure."

Maya eyes widened in understanding, and she nodded. "Of course," she said. "To have any of those Relics unleashed..."

"Catastrophic," Doll Master said. "So you'll have to forgive my absence. If this Relic were unsealed, our kingdom's squabbles would be inconsequential."

"Understood," she said.

"Thank you, Princess." He turned away from her and started walking. "If you'll excuse me."

"I will not," Maya said, and Doll Master came to such an abrupt halt he almost tripped. He turned to face her, his expression neutral but drawn. She took a few steps toward him. "I'm going to accompany you."

He stared at her for several seconds.

"No," he said finally. "You are not."

"This is the duty of my kingdom," Maya said shortly. "You will not dismiss me."

"This is not your duty to the kingdom," Doll Master said.

"Not yet," Maya said, "but someday it will be. At least partially." Her expression hardened. "I have been taught many of the tasks that I will need to fulfill when I take the throne, but this is one that has hardly been mentioned. I must understand the responsibility I hold, and I wish to bear witness. I must know what I must do."

"There is too much potential danger," Doll Master said. "I will not be responsible for the crown princess risking her life–"

"I am the current master of the Book of Cosmos!" she snapped. Doll Master fell silent immediately. "I am not helpless, Doll Master. Should any danger come up on me – or upon you, for that matter – I am more than prepared to face it."

He regarded her closely.

"Very well," he said. "Psycho Master and I will be in the harbor in thirty minutes. Prepare yourself, but if you are not there when we are ready to depart, I will not wait for you."

She understood that his time limit was just as strict as it sounded. Without another word of protest, she turned and took off down the hallway. He had tried to give her as little time as possible, but he knew Maya; she would take only what was necessary and be waiting in the harbor with time to spare. He might leave early, but that in turn would raise too many alarms. Nothing else for it; he would have to suffer the princess' presence.

That would complicate things. But he had been dealing with complications all his life. He was quiet adept at working with them by now.