"A little timid, I think, but with steel hidden inside."
"And that means?"
"She's the kind who decides her own path in life."
Liza Quillain to Gregory about Chise Hatori
"What's up with all the staff running around?"
Isaac asked, watching another hooded sorcerer speed-walk across the cafeteria. The fast thumping of their feet slowly quieting as they disappear from view.
"Rumor says that a mysterious scroll was found in campus grounds. Thankfully, a teacher found it before a student could play with it."
Lucy answered, tone dry, too busy with studying for the upcoming exams to really care about the environment surrounding her. Her eyes narrow in their concentration.
Chise could only groan in reply. Months have passed since she first went into the College, and she's learned and been through many, many things. She can't believe that out of everything that she's been, the upcoming exams may finally be the thing to kill her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Zoe trying to make sense of the book in his hands. The lights of his eyes going out. She could practically see the steam coming from his head.
Chise sighs, and closes her eyes. The light pounding behind her forehead threatens to crescendo if she even dared to look at another page of her books.
"Chise, you might want to take a break."
Ruth quietly said to her, the telepathic sentence a welcome distraction from the torture she's submitting herself to.
She would say no, but she knows that her familiar would just threaten to drag her to the nearest bed if she doesn't take a break right now.
Really, she's not that bad at taking care of herself.
Usually.
Even without a physical form, she could feel Ruth's withering stare at her.
She would cough if this conversation was happening outside of her head.
Opening her eyes, Chise looks at the assortment of friends gathered with her to study. Lucy and Lian are faithfully studying their books, a concentrated look on their faces. Every so often, Lian would lean over to her to ask a question. Isaac is writing something on a piece of paper, mumbling something relating to sorcery to himself. Zoe blankly looking at the book in his hands. The scene looked close to perfect, to a fantasy she has when she was younger. Friends by her side, talks about things that seem so important but are so small compared to the rest of the world, eating together, studying together.
They aren't scared of her, their gazes aren't filled with disgust or anger– or hunger, even. They're just… her friends.
Friends. Huh, she'd almost given up on that word once upon a time.
If she could help Philomela, she could make sure someone else won't give up too.
Chise stretches her arms, feeling the satisfying click of her bones, and stands up while gathering her materials, catching the attention of her friends. She could see Zoe fumble as his eyes gain focus.
"I'm going to check on Philomela in the nurse's office… And take a break from all the studying."
"I get that,
Zoe sighs, putting his book on the table.
"If I study any more I'm going to cry!"
She could understand the look on his face. She's lucky that she doesn't have to focus on some of the more sorcery focused subjects, juggling Astrology and Latin and Herbology and all the other subjects her friends need to learn would definitely stress her out bad. After all, it's only been around two weeks since what she's dubbed as the "Book Incident" ended, and the College is already back to its definition of normal.
Yet as she waves goodbye to her friends, she could only focus on one thing in her mind.
That day, when they rescued Philomela. The battlefield that was full of sorcerer-soldiers. Spells casted with little to no effect on what could only be described as a force of nature descended on the battlefield.
Their screams still echo in her dreams. Wide eyes barely reacting before they're killed in a span of seconds.
Some didn't even get the chance to scream, barely managing a gasp or a groan before their lives in a distracting view of spurting blood.
The bloodlust back then…
A Goddess' face flickers in her mind. Dark, dark, dark red hair the same color as the blood being splattered all around her. The vicious, delighted, nauseating grin on her fair, fair, fair face doesn't seem out of place at all. In fact, it only serves to magnify her presence.
I know it wasn't just the Goddess' frenzy affecting me.
It was the same feeling as with the Nuckelavee when they were camping. Fight, fight, fight.
"Don't you want to live, Chise?"
Something is inside her. Growing.
I need to talk with Joseph soon…
"Miss Alexandra!"
"Chise? Good–"
Chise supposes that the amount of time she's been studying is showing on her face, if the small pause done by Miss Alexandra is any indication.
Red hair accidentally styled in a bed head, and tired green eyes. The embodiment of a student preparing for an Armageddon of exams.
I'm only missing the instant ramen… Silky would probably hit me if I dared to even bring a packet of that home.
"–day."
The nurse chuckles, one of her four arms coming up to "hide" her amused smile.
Chise could hear Ruth's amused huffs behind her, having taked on a physical form to follow his tired master.
"Hee… Is um, is Philomela up?"
"That child? She's resting still. All of the fiasco that happened must have really tired her out."
Miss Alexandra gave her a pointed look,
"Something a certain magus should be doing as well."
Chise could only smile nervously, watching the nurse's exasperation. She should be resting, she knows, but she already feels better! Promise!
"Nevermind. How has the arm and the eye been treating you?"
Rubbing her cursed arm, Chise began to think.
Her blackened arm with scaled patterns exactly like a dragon. In the day, when the sunshine can hit it just right, Chice can pretend it's not the curse it is, not with the way her… scales, dark as night they may be, reflect the light.
"It's been… Been giving me these– instincts, for lack of a better word, and the visions have been happening more often. I can control my strength better now, at least."
"Instincts?"
"Y-yes. You know about the incident with the Nuckelavee when we camping, right?"
"Oh? Yes, yes. I remember that quite well."
Alexandra began to rub at her head, in what Chise could only assume to be an attempt to lessen her headache when remembering the situation.
"An unregistered Nuckelavee suddenly being spotted in grounds being cared for by the College and an unconscious student, that caused a quite a bit of an incident for our beloved principal."
"Uh, yeah. I've been feeling this, tension? I guess, whenever I'm in situations like that."
The nurse makes an interested sound that serves to make her continue herself.
"Like I could just–
Chise gestured with her cursed arm, swinging it lightly.
"Hurt them. Make them go away. Like I'm angry."
She could see the nurse go deep in her thoughts. She expected this, it's not everyday you could examine someone cursed with a dragon's wrath, someone alive. Chise's the perfect test subject after all, having Joseph's curse to balance it out.
And with the whole Book Incident, I've practically been field testing myself free of charge!
A Dragon and the Wandering Jew. Wrath and Patience. Death and Immortality. Her luck really isn't the best.
She's startled out of her thoughts by Alexandra's soft voice.
"I'll need to examine you again tomorrow, yes? Well, go and visit your friend. I'll go and check my charts regarding your records."
"Thank you, Miss Alexandra."
Closing the curtains seperating the bed from the outside world, Chise sits down besides an unconscious girl.
Pale white hair adorns a sleeping face. Philomela looks so peaceful when she's resting. The dark bags that used to be seen under her eyes are missing now, giving her a youthful look.
Chise looks at her again, and sighs softly. She can feel the magic inside her being siphoned out softly, gently. It's one of the few things she could do to help her, letting her large amounts of magic be used to help heal her friend.
"Hmm, the nurse says that she'll wake after a few more days of resting."
"Oh! Thankfully."
A beat of silence.
" ...don't be so harsh on yourself, you know."
"I know, Ruth. I just wish that I could have saved her earlier. So that she wouldn't have to go through this."
"But you're by her side now, aren't you? You're friends now. So don't get too stuck up in what could have's and what could be's, not when you could help her in the present."
Ruth's voice was soft yet firm, like a brother protecting their younger siblings from repeatedly causing mischief.
"...thank you, Ruth."
A long dark tail curls around her feet.
"Chise?"
She couldn't keep the small smile off her face as she looks at Elias. A small skip in her steps as she jogs to her teacher.
"Elias!"
His black coat and red veil flutter in the artificial wind. His shadow towers over in the fake sunlight, back to his preferred form and not his more human glamour.
"How have you been?"
He moves closer to nuzzle her hair. She can feel the rumble of his deep voice on her head, soothing her.
"Mhmm, I've been fine!"
"…"
"Uhk!"
Chise could feel his stare on her, even if it was hidden by his red veil. Behind them, Ruth manifests out of her shadow to also stare at her.
Critical Hit!
"Well, I went to Miss Alexandra's office to ask her something and to check on Philomela…"
"Ask her something?"
Elias' deep voice makes her fumble her hands in sheepishness. Pouting, she tries to get the words out of her mind.
"I've been having these visions and feelings, of sorts, more often. Miss Alexandra says that perhaps the curses within Joseph's eye must have taken with it a part of his mind, or a copy of it at least."
He stays quiet after that, ruffling her hair slightly as Ruth pads out his feet behind them.
"I admit,
Elias starts, shaking her out of the moment.
"That some part of me has thought that this would happen. Joseph's curse is thousands of years old, formed through the oldest way with which a curse can be casted. Sheer force of will changing reality."
He pauses, putting down his hand from her head, and takes off his veil to look her in the eye.
"If you feel different, do not hesitate to ask for help."
The warmth of his arm wrapping her is only challenged by the temperature of her steadily pinking face at the rare public display of affection. She wraps her arms around him, and for a moment, she could just snuggle into his arms and doze away.
The moment ends, and they separate. Without a thought, conversation happens naturally between them.
"Is Renfred still nagging you?"
"Hmm, he still is, though now he—"
Ruth looks at the two of them, and puts his head on his paws. The little bonding moments between them could take quite a few moments if nobody disturbed them.
Author's Note:
Bro I've got no idea how to get chise summoned LMAO, imma just make shit up.
Hey, do you want to read a much better shield hero fanfic? Well then you should read "Progression of the Hourglass" by Musaki Dratonen!!!
It features Akemi Homura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica as the shield hero, so you just know there'll be some angst.