Chapter 16: My Love
Any sound Louise's graceful landing would have made was drowned out by the gust of Alistair's wings as he landed just behind her. Not breaking her stride, Louise looked over those assembled in the field of ash. Eleanor was being ushered on by Id and was looking far from happy. The woman pulled a twig from her hair and glared at the familiar. "They say Brimir buried the great demon deeper than hell itself. Would you like to look for it?" The blonde raised her wand and met the eyes of Id. Burying this infuriating little thing would be wonderfully stress-relieving.
Id's tail swished with superiority. "Again you prove the inadequacy of your logic. Do you believe yourself capable of shifting enough earth to reach depths analogous to that fictitious realm? " Another infuriating swish of Id's tail filled the pause. "Or was that not rhetorical? Don't tell me a supposed intellectual such as yourself is actually contemplating 'digging for hell'?" Eleanor's anger simply rolled past Id as it turned to face Louise. "Louise, I have had practice in generating desired responses. You-"
Louise simply held up a hand to silence her familiar. She should have expected something like this, forcing two of the worst know-it-all's she knew to run through a forest, but now was not the time. Pink and black coiled into the ring on Louise's hand as she let her transformation drop, the faint glow illuminating her stern features with a dark pink light. With a glare, she stopped Eleanor's words in her throat, the woman's anger turning to bewilderment. Yet it was not the glare that stopped Eleanor.
"Louise!" The eldest sister proclaimed. "Your attire." She hissed in warning.
Looking down at herself, Louise noted her burnt garments. The last remnants of her undergarments just barely protected her modesty. How troublesome. "Could you retrieve some spare clothing, sister?" She asked politely. The complete lack of embarrassment baffled Eleanor just long enough for Louise to press, "Please." Shaking her head, Eleanor retrieved her wand and muttered an incantation. Earth from below Louise crawled up her body and shone brightly as it was transmuted into cloth garments. It wasn't as nice as silk, but it would do.
The way Louise had simply ignored such a shameful display chased the idea of scolding from Eleanor mind. Instead, she just looked worried as the girl continued on to those responsible for the night's events.
Kirche sat in the ash, being far too tired to do any more than look worriedly toward where Tabitha and Montmorency stood glaring at one another. With her foci locked in Montmorency's iron grip, there wasn't much Tabitha could do to the magical girl, but she looked liable to try regardless. "I need to go." Tabitha spoke, gesturing toward the horse still stabled up at the house.
Louise could make out a small amount of anxiety on the girl's face. Why did she even need a horse? Scanning her surroundings, Louise looked for Sylphid without luck. Instead she found a… naked, blue-haired woman lying not far from Montmorency. Louise turned to the best person to explain the situation, "Explain."
Even though the redhead was seated, Louise's small form did not really tower over Kirche, and was rather ineffective at intimidation. However, the cold tone was enough to elicit a response. "The girl is Sylphid. She's actually a Rhyme dragon. Tabitha managed to get her to transform into her human form so Montmorency could heal her properly." Louise turned her head and looked toward Montmorency.
Accepting her friend's nod as proof, Louise turned back to Kirche and gestured to the irate Tabitha. "And her?" She noticed Kirche hesitating and continued, "I am not asking." The cold tone of the youngest Valliere gave the taller girl pause, yet it was not enough loosen her tongue.
An almost silent, but worried voice drew Louise's attention to Tabitha. "Mother." Louise was surprised to note that the ever stoic Tabitha's composure was slipping. "She has my mother." The young girl's fists clinched in frustration.
Taking that as her cue, Kirche elaborated for her friend. "That woman who attacked with us is called Sheffield; she works for Joseph, King of Gallia." Louise's eyebrow quirked and she mulled the knowledge over in her mind. "They keep Tabitha's mother as a prisoner in her manor and send Tabitha on suicide missions. If she doesn't comply or if she fails then…"
Tabitha finished for them, "They'll kill her."
With a deep breath, Louise fought to keep her thoughts calm and stated, "She is the person with a hurt mind." Kirche nodded in confirmation. "And she is the former Queen of Gallia, making you the Princess." That was enough to get Tabitha to whirl in surprise. For once Tabitha locked eyes with eyes even more stoic than her own. "The Gallian king expending so much to keep you under his thumb combined with your display of royal magic was enough to raise the idea." Louise nodded to Tabitha, "You reaction confirmed it." Eyes narrowing, Tabitha's face melded into her usual stoicism, unsure of what Louise would do with the information.
Not bothering to continue the staring match, Louise looked back to Alistair. His passengers were just finishing climbing down his burnt mane. Even compared to the exhausted and beaten form of Saito, Alistair looked the worst. While the numerous spear wounds would only slow him, his entire face was burnt badly. Louise doubted he could see much of anything through those swollen eyes.
With Alistair grounded and Sylphid unconscious, Louise figured there was only one course of action. A flash of light drew the eyes of those assembled as Louise once again transformed. "I'll take you." She straddled her hovering staff and gestured for Tabitha to do the same.
Though the offer stunned Kirche and Tabitha into stupor, Montmorency was not caught off guard. "Louise-"
Hard eyes met the blonde's own. "This was the original plan, nothing has changed." Montmorency strode forward with purpose, not cowed by Louise in the slightest. "Tabitha's reasons; it could have happened to me just as easily." Even with the reference to Cattleya, Montmorency didn't stop. She reached forward and grabbed Louise by the collar.
The two girls stared into each other's eyes for a moment that seemed to last hours. Then Montmorency's eyes fell. Not out of submission, but out of suspicion. She studied the dark pink Soul Gem sitting in the crest that held Louise's mantle on. "Louise… How much did you use?" She deduced that the pinkette was once again shunting her emotions over to Id from her manner of speech.
Before Louise could consider bending the truth, Id piped up, "She is roughly seventy-three percent of the way to her previously established limit." The red eyes did not flinch under Louise's glare.
A yellow flash heralded Montmorency's return to normal. Releasing Louise's collar, she reached into her newly materialized satchel and withdrew the grief seed. "It has one use left. Use it if you need to." Handing the grief seed to Louise along with her approval, Montmorency nodded and turned to Tabitha. "Go ahead." Her permission given, Montmorency tossed Tabitha's staff back to the surprised girl.
Despite the acceptance of the two magical girls, Tabitha remained unsure. "Why?" She spoke softly. "Why help your enemy?" She couldn't take this kindness. Not after killing her heart and betraying these two. "You could become monsters." Why expend any of that magic of theirs for someone who was trying to kill them not two hours ago?
Montmorency quirked an eyebrow and turned to Louise. The Valliere's expression remained constant as she tried to formulate a reply. Louise's difficulty in expressing herself only served to worry Montmorency more. She had forgotten just how unnatural it was to see Louise shunt her emotions away and try to function. For her part, the pinkette knew that this was unhealthy - emotions, after all, are a part of what makes a human. She should be taking these actions as they are in order to stay true to herself, but it was just so much easier to deal with everything like this.
Seeing the hesitation in Louise, Montmorency decided to speak first, "Honestly, I'm not sure if helping you is a smart thing to do, but it is the right thing to do." The blonde shrugged, these kind of speeches were more Louise's thing, but she could fill in for now. "For whatever reason, Louise still thinks of you two as friends, so I will too." Walking forward, Montmorency placed a hand on Tabitha's shoulder. "And we look after our friends." Shifting her weight into Tabitha, Montmorency pushed the girl toward the waiting Louise. "Now hurry up and go save your mom." Again Montmorency shook her head. Even emotionless, Louise was making her soft.
With a stumble, Tabitha found herself next to Louise. When her hand was quickly grabbed and pulled aboard the staff, she was still too stunned to reply. Louise turned to Montmorency's gaze, "I'll meet you back here as soon as I can." Though Montmorency nodded in agreement, another voice interrupted them.
Steeping forward, Eleanor shook her head, "No, Louise, do not return here." Though she didn't know every detail of Louise's situation, that didn't mean Eleanor stopped thinking; she never stopped thinking. "There is a clearing roughly a mile north of the lake shaped like a crescent moon." She remembered the spot from her flights aboard Alistair. "Meet us there." After a brief pause, Louise decided to trust her sister's judgment as time was of the essence.
Satisfied that Montmorency could handle the group in her absence, Louise began to rise only to stop when Id leapt up and latched onto her shoulder. "The probability of you becoming a witch is not negligible. I will come along." Its tail swished under Louise's blank stare. "To observe of course."
Even locked in her self-enforced tranquility, Louise rolled her eyes. "Of course." Then, looking to the unsure Tabitha, Louise asked, "Are you ready?" That final push was all that was needed. Tabitha took hold of herself and nodded.
Despite her exhaustion, Kirche spoke up, "Tabitha!" A look of understanding passed between the two girls. "If you need help, just whistle." Kirche raised her hand to her lips, "Like I taught you." Eyes widening ever so slightly, Tabitha nodded and gripped Louise, signaling that she was ready.
Without sparing the others a final glance, Louise took off into the sky. The gust of wind created by Louise's takeoff was the final push to rouse the last Valliere from unconsciousness. With a great yawn, Cattleya sat up from where Siesta was tending to her. Smacking her lips, Cattleya looked around with the satisfaction of a good nap and noticed three things. First, she was outside. Two, everyone was looking at her. Three, there was a naked woman sleeping not too far from her. "Did I miss something?" She asked with cheerful confusion.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Eleanor nodded, "I think we all missed plenty, but right now there is work to do. Everyone, start packing everything you need from the house. I'm going to burn it down."
As battle weary as everyone was, Eleanor tolerated no slacking as they loaded foodstuffs, clothing and various essentials into the wagon. Only Kirche, exhausted from willpower exertion and feeling the after effects of healing a fatal wound was allowed to sit and monitor the unconscious Sylphid. Stories were passed between the weary loaders as they worked. For the life of him, Saito couldn't figure out why Eleanor was so insistent on leaving as soon as possible. Getting a word in edgewise with the woman was near impossible as she scurried about her library, gathering her notes and a few select books.
When Eleanor's eyes snapped to Saito, he froze in his tracks. Was she reading his mind? Storming over to him, Eleanor met his eyes. "Move." Apparently the second he stood frozen in surprise was longer than Eleanor has patience for. Placing her hand on Saito's shoulders, Eleanor forcibly pushed the boy out of the way and knelt to the stone floor he had been standing on.
Waving her wand gently, Eleanor ushered the stone floor apart, revealing an odd looking oil lantern. "Do we have everything?" She asked.
Looking behind him, Saito spied the wagon through the open door. "Just about. But… what are you doing?" Slightly nervous, Saito checked again to make sure Tiffania was outside and let out a breath of relief when he noticed her loading a bag into the wagon.
With another wave of her wand, Eleanor activated the magic within the device below her. Glowing red runes reacted to her magic, and the lantern lit. Though she wasn't a fire mage, something as simple as this was easily accomplished with a few magic circles. "As I said before; I am burning the house down." With that, Eleanor stood and strode out the house, Saito hot on her heels. Scanning those outside to make sure all were accounted for, Eleanor nodded and raised her voice. "That will have to do, everyone too tired to walk get in the wagon. We are leaving now."
Knowing how to handle her sister, Cattleya smiled and chose her words wisely. "If you could explain things to us Sister Eleanor; I'm sure we can't all keep up with you." Carefully, Cattleya lifted Sylphid and placed the blue haired dragon-turned-girl into the wagon, making sure the blanket she was wrapped in stayed on for propriety's sake.
With both her ego stroked and her orders being followed, Eleanor began to explain. "As I built this house from stone with my own magic, it is not easy to destroy. So I made sure to insert a few artifacts into key locations should I ever need to demolish my work in haste. After all, much of my research could be considered heresy. Oh, and don't worry about the forest, that fire can only burn within the house." Pausing to let her genius shine, Eleanor smirked and continued, "Now, that woman had quite the plan from what I understand. Someone like that would not be caught without a backup plan and if I were her, I know what I would do." Walking forward Eleanor took hold of the horse's reigns and began to lead the wagon away from the house. "Why, I would inform the paladins of their prey's location anonymously." Eleanor smirked as those behind her gasped in realization.
Quirking an eyebrow, Saito fell in behind the wagon so he could keep an eye on those inside, particularly his master. Tiffania sat beside Kirche and looked on as Montmorency tended to the still unconscious Sylphid. Walking beside him, Cattleya considered asking the boy to ride as well, his injuries were worse than most; but no, the boy didn't want to show weakness in front of Tiffania. Rubbing his throat, Saito thought on Eleanor's words. "Ah, I get it now." Though he doubted Sheffield was on great terms with the Paladin Order, using them wouldn't be hard. "But why couldn't you tell us that sooner?"
Shaking her head, Eleanor rolled her eyes. "There was simply no time; and there still isn't. So now is the time to move."
Cattleya just shook her head and leaned in to Saito. "She just likes to lecture and order people about." From the way Eleanor missed a step and her shoulders tensed, Saito inferred the woman heard her sister. Knowing she had struck a chord, Cattleya covered her smile with her hand and made to ease the wound, "But that's only because Eleanor is very smart. We are very thankful for your hard work."
Complimented before she could even work up the rage to snap at Cattleya, Eleanor turned and suppressed her blush. "O-of course, it's only natural to help my sisters and their friends."
Looking from Eleanor to Cattleya, Saito suppressed a laugh, "That was some impressive Tsundere handling." The odd looks sent his way were expected by now. Ignoring them, Saito looked toward the lake and grimaced, remembering the fight. Montmorency assured him that she would tend to Tiffania's injuries as soon as Sylphid regained consciousness, but he still worried for her. The half-elf kept touching her chest gingerly; no doubt he had hurt her ribs during the makeshift CPR. Mildly, he shook his head when he realized that he worried more about a healable injury of Tiffania's rather than the fact that he had nearly been killed by the zombie of the very man Saito himself had killed. This fantasy world was really getting to him if he could write that off. Then again, what would he do if they faced the cardinal again? He doubted his trick with Derflinger would work against a zombie even if he had his firearms. Saito nearly missed a step when he realized another problem. His musket was definitely sleeping in the murky depths. "Siesta? You don't happen to still have my pistol do you?"
A step behind Cattleya, Siesta started when she was addressed. Taking a moment to think, she smiled apologetically. "I think I dropped it when I dived into the lake." Though he knew it was coming, Saito still sighed.
Cattleya clasped her hands together. "Ah, that's right!" Turning to Siesta, Cattleya leaned in as she strode along. "I heard you saved me." Cattleya only smiled when Siesta blushed and nervously avoided eye contact. "Saito said you swam me to shore and fought off the Zombie Cardinal. How heroic~"
Siesta only blushed more and grabbed the runes on her left hand. "Well, it wasn't… " She trailed off as Cattleya leaned in to inspect the runes. Withdrawing her hand, Siesta reluctantly showed Cattleya the etchings. "These appeared on my hand and all of a sudden I felt really strong. I have no idea where they came from." Tracing the runes with her finger, Siesta's mind started to drift into deep thoughts.
Derflinger's voice interrupted her. "Gandalfr." The sword rattled from his sheath on Saito's back. "You are the familiar of a void mage, the Gandalfr, the runes grant you the ability to wield any weapon as a master while pushing your body beyond the limits of human ability." Though the sword itself seemed to still be processing the idea himself, he continued, "Now, the only void mage you kissed recently was Cattleya, I'd say you are her familiar now." Looking over his shoulder at Derflinger, Saito's eyes left the sword and turned on Cattleya and Siesta.
Cattleya's hand covered her mouth in surprise. "You kissed me?" Missing the point completely, she looked to a shocked Siesta. The maid's voice failed her as she desperately tried to explain. "Ah," Cattleya sighed in mock-depression, "My first kiss was stolen while I was asleep."
Blushing furiously, Siesta found her voice. "I was sharing breath with you, it doesn't count! And Saito told me to!" Barely keeping her voice from stuttering, Siesta pointed at the sword on Saito's back. "Besides, that makes no sense. Don't mages need the big magic circle to do that?"
From the way the sword rattled, Siesta got the impression she was being talked down to. "That circle is made to emulate void magic. Of course a void mage doesn't need it. If a void mage is in danger, their magic will know and reach out. You were just lucky you were compatible."
Saito spoke up, "That's right. Tiffania made me a familiar without any magic circle." With a slight blush he remembered the incident.
Cattleya's eyes drifted between Tiffania in the wagon and Saito. "So you two have already kissed?"
Flabbergasted, Saito shook his head. He had just fallen on her and their lips touched. It doesn't matter that it was straight out of a harem anime, "It didn't count!" He rejected in an embarrassed huff.
Thinking to herself, Cattleya looked back to Siesta. "Hmmm…" She thought as Siesta wiggled under her gaze. "I'm not sure it doesn't count." Siesta and Saito were both immediately redder.
Aboard the wagon, Montmorency shook her head as she worked her magic through Sylphid. Though her healing magic wasn't the best, she could supplement it with potions. The manticore's paralytic poison was the real problem. She half wanted to tell the others to quiet down so she could work in piece, but decided against it. From the meek glances Kirche kept sending her Montmorency decided that silence would only make the situation more awkward. That, and Montmorency suspected Cattleya was intentionally riling everyone up to keep them from worrying about Louise and Tabitha.
Letting out a tense breath, Montmorency convinced herself Louise would be fine. Louise could carry two people aboard her staff besides herself. The fact that she left Montmorency behind meant the Valliere planned to grab Tabitha's mother and run. Nothing would go wrong. Montmorency just needed to focus on the task at hand.
Racing above the treetops, Louise flew faster than ever before with Tabitha's wind magic aiding her flight. The full moon in the clear sky was all the illumination they needed as they rode in relative silence, save for Tabitha's infrequent course corrections. After altering her heading slightly, Louise spoke up to reassure the girl with her. "If that woman was heading this way, we would have overtaken her by now." That golem she had been on wasn't fast enough to outrun Louise, even without Tabitha helping, and they hadn't given her that much of a head start.
Louise felt the arm around her waist tense. "She has messenger golems. Very fast." It was odd to hear any emotion from Tabitha. So the worry in the girl's voice caused Louise to grimace.
Mildly Louise noted that even with her emotions mostly stored in Id, Tabitha was still getting her to talk more. "What did Kirche mean about whistling?" Perhaps changing the subject would help Tabitha regain some of her calm.
As hoped, Tabitha's hand stopped clenching. "It's how she signals Flame." Louise couldn't quite place the melancholic tone in Tabitha's voice.
Flame though… That was Kirche's familiar, a salamander. "I thought it was in the red mountains?" Louise caught herself and grimaced. "Ah, a lie."
Behind Louise, Tabitha nodded, "To me as well." Tough initially surprised that Kirche had deceived her friend; Louise was quick to figure it out. "Idiot…" Tabitha muttered.
Though she was always happy to insult the Zerbst, Louise could only smile. It was obvious why Kirche would have her familiar near Tabitha's estate; to monitor the security and look for a way to rescue Tabitha's mother. "Well, hopefully we won't need the help. We just need to grab your mother and fly away as quickly as possible. Where is she located?" Settling into planning mode, Louise felt Tabitha right herself and look forward.
Point her staff into the distance, Tabitha explained, "In a room next to the indoor courtyard." An indoor courtyard? The budding plan in Louise's mind sprouted fully when she saw the manor come into sight in the distance. The building itself was comparable in size to her own family's; though the architecture was more extravagant and reminiscent of Gallia's flowery art. The east wing had a great window revealing a garden within. Aiming for that courtyard, Louise and Tabitha tensed in unison when they spotted the smoke. "Hurry." Tabitha pleaded.
Racing toward the manor, Louise spied several charred corpses around the grounds; their plate armor was emblazoned with Gallia's crest. Hopefully they weren't too late. Aiming for the window, Louise put on a burst of speed as Tabitha chanted. Magical wind shattered the window before them and like a blur, the two entered the manor. Flicking her staff up, Louise slowed to halt at the last second. Hovering just above the ground, the two dismounted without missing a step. Yet despite the noise of their entry, there was no one to greet them. The rows of pillars holding up the high ceiling cast moonlit shadows throughout the empty room. Without waiting for Louise, Tabitha rushed toward a door, her destination set. Suppressing a curse, Louise hurried after her, looking around and behind for enemies as she did.
Tabitha threw the door open. "Mother?" She called in a hushed tone. Yet no soul dwelled within the sitting room. Just broken furniture remained within. What had happened here? Rushing from room to room, Tabitha grew more and more frantic. It took everything she had to keep in control as more and more rooms turned up empty. Her mother was gone, she was too late.
Panting, Tabitha stumbled out the back of the manor in despair. Every room was empty. Not even a wounded soldier to interrogate; just corpses and even more questions. "Tabitha." Louise voice sounded from behind. "What about Flame?"
Snapping upright, Tabitha damned herself for forgetting. She needed to keep collected, for her mother. If this worked she was going to give Kirche a long and elaborate thank you. Raising her pinched fingers to her mouth, Tabitha blew Kirche's tune. Two high notes followed by a low, simple yet distinctive. Tabitha paused, waiting… After several moments of silence she tried again. Still nothing. Once more, Tabitha blew with all her might, failing to get the tune right this time as her breath caught in her throat. When nothing responded to her desperate cries, Tabitha fell to her knees and sat.
Letting her transformation dispel, Louise looked down at the struggling girl. Words of comfort were difficult to find. Not just due to the situation, but Louise found herself unable to empathize. There should be an emotion there, but first things first. Looking to the soul gem upon her ring, she studied it. "Id. How much?"
Knowing enough to keep the telepathy just between the two of them, Id replied. "You are eighty-four percent to your previously established limit. Know that after your next use of the grief seed, we will need to dispose of it." Louise thought on her options. Using the seed now would be inefficient. She should first return to the others. A sobbing sound drew Louise's attention back to Tabitha. Though the girl was managing to suppress her sadness well, her eyes were still watering.
Mustering her strength again in one final show of hope, Tabitha whistled. Kirche's tune echoed through the air, with nothing but more dreaded silence as a response…
Until a man's voice answered it. "That won't work." The two girls' eyes snapped to the figure exiting the treeline, and to the earth sliding alongside him, carrying the corpse of a salamander.
Flame! Tabitha's words died in her throat when her eyes returned to the man, or rather the long ears extending out from his head. "Elf…" She informed both herself and Louise, not believing it at first.
Nodding in confirmation, the elf waved his hand and mumbled something under his breath. The earth before him shifted aside, forming a grave. "Truly a magnificent creature. I could not leave such a loyal beast to rot." With another wave, Flame was moved into the grave. "The salamander held off the Gallian military on its own, even after being grievously injured. Only after I intervened were they able to secure your mother, Princess of Gallia." Tabitha tensed. "Even after they left, the salamander simply refused to die. I wonder, was it trying to return to you?" The elf shook his head bitterly. "We elves have a particular connection to nature, and as such are more attuned to it than you. I can respect this creature's burning passion; it never once thought of retreat." The elven man turned to look at the corpse one final time. "Though I had to finish it, I felt the beast deserved to at least be buried in the where its master might find the grave." With a sigh, the elf ushered earth over Flame and bowed his head in reverence for the deceased.
While the elf made his speech, Louise's mind was in overdrive. Yet before she could formulate a plan, Tabitha spoke, "Where is my mother?" She raised her staff at the elf. When he simply shrugged, Tabitha launched her attack. A spear of ice lanced rapidly toward the elf, only to stop before him and return not a moment after. Surprised to have her own attack returned to her, Tabitha was saved only when Louise pushed her to the ground. The spear of iced collided with the building behind them, implanting itself in the stone.
Louise grimaced at the display of obviously foreign magic. "That means you aren't a half-elf, I suppose." Carefully, Louise tried to elicit some words from the elf. Any drop of information she could glean could be useful.
The elf's face soured ever so slightly. "No, I am Bidashal. I am no half-elf." Louise wondered briefly if she had inadvertently insulted the elf, Bidashal apparently. "You can leave," He gestured to Louise, "I was only asked to retrieve the Princess." His eyes locked to Tabitha's.
Again Louise grimaced. So retreat was out of the question as well. Maybe if they could take off… But to do that Louise needed all the magic she could muster. She wasn't going to run from an elf with her soul gem this dark. That meant now was the time to use that grief seed. Reaching into her pocket, Louise withdrew the black gem and as she did so Bidashal's eyes widened in surprise.
"That-" not even finishing his thought, he reached his hand forward as Louise brought the seed to her ring. As collected as Louise was with her emotions stored in Id, her heart leapt in fear when an invisible force wrenched the grief seed from her hand. His calm expression now definitely tainted with distaste, Bidashal spoke with measured words. "I may not be as conservative as others of my kind, but I would not dishonor the spiritkin by letting a human hold their property a second longer than possible." Inspecting the gem, Bidashal pocketed it with a relieved breath.
Barely paying attention to his words, Louise was fighting to keep her rampant emotion in check. This was bad, very very bad. Any chance of fighting an elf lied completely on her transformation. If half the stories about elves were true, then she and Tabitha didn't stand a chance. "Hexagon magic, can we do it?" She asked Tabitha in a vain hope.
Tabitha settled into a fighting stance, her staff before her. "Not without a firestone." Of course, Louise grimaced, remembering the reagent she destroyed. Tabitha didn't even have to mention that Hexagon magic took intense practice and coordination. Louise's mind raced. They couldn't run, she couldn't fight, and the elf definitely wasn't going to be bargained with. "Run." Tabitha's voice shook Louise from her thoughts.
That was right; the elf would let her go, and she could return safely… But that wasn't an option, wasn't even worth contemplating. "There is something I should let you know." Louise reached into her pocket and withdrew her wand. "Montmorency made us all agree to never sacrifice ourselves. We always try to find a way where everyone survives, even in hopeless situations." Settling into her own fighting stance, Louise steadied her heart and once again fell into her inner calm. "I decided that you are my friend, so that applies to you as well." For a moment, Louise closed her eyes and focused. In such a hopeless situation, Louise couldn't contain all her emotions, but if she thought of those waiting for her, she could manage. Montmorency wouldn't forgive her otherwise.
Bidashal raised his hand and Tabitha's battle instincts took over. "Stay mobile." Earth shot forward and crashed into where the girls had been moments before. Splitting, the two ran in opposite circles around the elf. Each released a scattering of spells in unison, only for their fire and ice to return to them in force. Countering their returned spells with more of their own, the two slid to a halt on opposite sides of their opponent.
Louise looked beyond the elf to Tabitha. "Talk using Id's telepathy. We need to find a weakness." Her eyes searched her opponent as he lazily looked between the two.
With a subtle nod, Tabitha replied, "Agreed." With a wave of her staff and an incantation, she sent blades of air curving in large arc to her opponent. Without effort, Bidashal looked sidelong at the attack. Just as before, the attacks reversed course just as they were about to land. Tabitha was already dodging, no longer surprised by the reversal of her attacks.
The high pitched voice of Id interjected. "I shall test to see if he must know the attack is coming." Before Louise could even think of telling her familiar no, the Kyuubey rushed forward toward an unsuspecting elf. Bidashal's eyes met Louise's and confusion entered them when he noticed she was staring at nothing. Yet before he could deduce her thoughts, she leapt into action, once again circling to keep Bidashal's attention. Her small bolts of fire lanced toward the elf, and were returned in kind. Even as she rolled to dodge, her eyes watched as Id jumped at the elf, his little teeth gleaming. As if rebounding off a wall, Id went flying backward, its broken tooth glinting in the sunlight.
True surprise filled Bidashal's face as he looked to the empty grass where he knew his magic had defended him. Tabitha knew they had to keep Bidashal busy before he checked for what he could not see. "Melee." A blade of razor sharp wind extended from the end of her staff and air coiled around her, speeding her reflexes and improving her agility. "Empty Razor." She finished her spell as she charged forward.
Not missing a beat, Louise pushed white hot flames from the end of her wand and ran with all the speed she could muster. Even untransformed, her body was more agile than a regular human, and she pushed it to its limits. "Flame Lance." Announcing her own spell as she planted her own foot just beyond where Bidashal's magic activated in unison with Tabitha, the two mirrored their slashes. Intense heat and cutting wind impacted the field around Bidashal, and were crushed instantly.
Surprise turning to a condescending smirk, Bidashal turned his palms outward toward each of the girls. "Spirits of wind, hear my plea." The wall of air that hit the two girls had them tumbling along the ground before they could even think of defending. Yet even then they were not out of the fight. With magical and supernatural agility, Tabitha and Louise planted their hands below them and pushed off the ground. Gaining their bearings as they flipped, the two put their feet below them and skidded to a halt.
Raising her foci, Louise uttered her spell. "Child's lanterns." The simple cantrip created dozens of heatless candle lights dancing around the clearing. As quickly as they were summoned, several winked out of existence in a path from Bidashal's hands. Seeing the invisible attack coming, Louise and Tabitha sprang out of the way. Twice the elf had used undetectable wind magic; she wasn't going to be caught again.
Bidashal tilted his head and looked at the dancing lights, "Clever." With a wave of his hand, he sent a wave of air before him toward where Id had attacked from. Lanterns winked from existence, but the Kyuubey had long since retreated to a safe distance.
After quickly resupplying the lanterns Louise studied the elf as she caught her breath. He was just toying with her, and any other time she might have been annoyed by the idea. However, now she was just grateful for the time to think. Perched in a tree at the edge of the forest, Id spoke, "There are other creatures present, the spirits he is talking to." Louise kept her eyes from looking to Id. "To launch attacks he needs to communicate with them do a certain degree."
This time when Bidashal mumbled, Louise was ready for the coming attack. Watching first for his incantation to the spirits, Louise reacted even before the attack was launched. With a flip and a spring, Louise evaded the attack and launched one of her own. Her fireball impacted the ground before Bidashal, yet when the smoke thinned he looked none worse for the wear; even shockwaves were ineffective against his strange magic. Maybe I could get his eyes to water with the smoke and he could die of dehydration? Louise cynically joked to herself. Wait… Suddenly, she was struck with inspiration. "Id, can you follow his attacks without my lanterns?"
Far away, Id confirmed, "My body's eyes are advanced enough to see the disturbances his attacks create."
That in mind, Louise commanded, "Then watch our backs." The blue haired girl met Louise's eyes with a questioning look, but then nodded in acceptance. She would follow her lead. Thankful, Louise ordered, "Run for the indoor courtyard." In unison the two girls whirled and ran.
As soon as Tabitha's back turned, Bidashal launched his blast of hard wind. "Jump left now." At Id's words, Tabitha leapt sideways and let the air pass beyond. As soon as her feet touched the ground she turned and slammed through a door into the house proper.
Also in motion, Louise darted for a nearby window. Again, Id warned of the attack. "Jump right." Bidashal's attack missed Louise and removed the window entirely. Were she Montmorency, Louise might have cheekily thanked her opponent. Instead Louise just leapt through the new hole into the house and made her roundabout way to the indoor courtyard. At least for now they were out of the line of fire.
Letting out a breath, Bidashal calmed his annoyance and strode after the Gallian Princess. On the off chance she planned to run, he asked the wind spirits to inform him if someone left the grounds. They were generally too flighty to do anything complex like tracking, but watching was within the favors they would grant him. It wasn't hard to find the Princess; she had gone only one room over into the courtyard and was panting against a pillar. While he had no doubt the girl was tired, he was not so foolish as to neglect the idea that this was a trap. A trap he disregarded. These two humans could be as clever as they wanted; the difference between the two and himself was too great to be crossed with mere subterfuge. Raising his hand, Bidashal suggested to the wind spirits that it would be fun to rush forward as fast as they could.
The girl dived out of the way and launched a scattering of ice spears. The fact that only one even got close to Bidashal was expected, she had not been looking at him after all. What confused him was that this was the second time she had dodged an attack while not even looking at him. The prospect intrigued him, so when the girl turned to stagger away, he watched as his attack was once again dodged perfectly by a girl whose eyes were looking elsewhere. Was the fire user responsible? No, that girl had resorted to that clever lantern trick. This was something else.
As if in response to his thoughts, heat began to emanate all around him. A voice, deep in incantation drew his sight to an open window where the fire user stood just outside. Hadn't she gone inside? And what kind of spell was this? Turning his back on the Gallian Princess, Bidashal raised his hand. He would remove the fire user and see if that changed anything. However, a blue blur leapt beyond him and into the path of his wind, bodily protecting the fire user. The wall of ice she summoned shattered, and she crashed into the wall, but the fire user remained unharmed.
"Fire Swarm!" The Pink haired girl called out as the Princess scurried out the window. Standing passively, Bidashal waited for the fire spell to be redirected back at the girls, yet that time never came. Instead the fire jetted forward and split into several trails of flame, each slamming into one of the pillars around the indoor courtyard, or rather the ice spears embedded in them. In moments the ice melted, leaving great holes in the pillars, weakening their structural integrity and making the sound of stone creaking against stone.
Ah, so that was their plan. Bidashal smirked and accepted that the timing to weaken those pillars and then finish them off before they gave way was quite impressive. He nodded even as the roof of the manor caved in on him.
Holding her wand steady before her, Louise remained deep in concentration even as fire crawled out of every window to the half-collapsed manor. As soon as she had entered the building, she had begun lighting fires as quickly as possible on her way back to the courtyard. She did so while informing Tabitha of her plan through Id. Even if the elf's barrier protected him from mundane attacks like a ceiling of stone and glass, he still needed to breathe. That was why Tabitha was maintaining a dome of air around the burning manor and Louise was using fire manipulation to do the same. It was impossible to keep airflow stagnant over a wide area, but together they could at least slow it. Hopefully the elf would suffocate through smoke inhalation quickly enough. Together they stood vigilant, pushing their concentration to the limit. If anything was getting around the elf's defense, this would be it.
The sound of stone clattering against stone sounded as the earth shifted. A piercing fear entered Louise's heart. Striding out of the rubble, a soot-stained but altogether unharmed Bidashal brushed himself off as he moved towards the girls. Stunned, Louise let her spell drop as the elf crossed the edge of her smoke dome. Bidashal let out a long, deep breath and spoke, "Thank you for filling my lungs, friends on the wind."
It was Id who recovered first. "This should be considered cheating."
The dumbstruck girls did not recover before Bidashal's hands whipped up and blasted them off their feet with twice the power they had faced before. Exhausted beyond their limit, the two girls slid to halt and failed to rise.
Struggling to her knees, Louise found the Elf walking toward her. For a moment, she felt despair reminiscent of the encounter with the cardinal creep into her heart, but she shunted it away. Montmorency would kill her if she gave up and became a witch here. There was a slight measure of respect on the face of her opponent. "For the second time this fight, I call you clever." Louise found the condescending respect of the elf annoying. "I have never had someone try to overcome Counter like that before. If you were against another elf, it might have worked." With a glance, Bidashal checked to make sure Tabitha wasn't going anywhere. "I'm not in the habit of leaving enemies alive, especially ones who have found a weakness in Counter, but out of respect I'll ask where you would like to be buried."
Louise's mind raced for a solution and her mouth stalled for time. "Can I at least ask where Tabitha's mother is, if I am to die here? Is she safe?" Louise's eyes flicked to where Id stood next to Tabitha uselessly.
With a sigh, Bidashal replied, "The King will have her beheaded at dawn. As for where she is? I assume still on her way to his castle." It was a distasteful situation, but he wasn't here to interfere in human affairs unless it was for the betterment of Elven kind.
A repressed sob escaped Tabitha. She needed a miracle. Her eyes snapped to the familiar near her and Tabitha voiced her last hope. "There is one thing left we can do." Id's unblinking eyes met Tabitha's. "I could wish my mother here."
Louise looked to Tabitha, unable to completely push away the fear and hesitation within her. Even still, her mind remained logical enough to think of the consequences. "Id, can my magic heal her mother?"
Bidashal looked between Louise and Tabitha, aware that once again something was happening that he didn't understand. After a moment of contemplation, Id replied, "It's impossible to tell, even if we could examine her. Your healing magic is born of a miracle though. There is at least a chance." Louise knew her familiar was trying to convince her to accept the idea. At the very least Id was sticking to his promise.
Tabitha gave voice to her thoughts once again, "A way where everyone survives."
Raising his hand, Bidashal decided that stopping whatever these two were doing was a good idea. Louise's eyes looked to the elf above her, back to Tabitha, and then closed shut in frustration. Damn it all… Louise knew this was probably a bad idea. "Do it."
Blue eyes locked to unblinking red orbs. Tabitha nodded, took a deep breath and spoke with the conviction born of the chance to finish her endless battle, "I wish my mother were here before me." It was selfish, even foolish, to wish her mother to her rather than to Kirche, but Tabitha had failed time and again helping her mother from afar. Here and now, she would protect her mother directly, with her own strength.
A gasp escaped Tabitha as light flared from her chest. In a stupor, Bidashal forgot his attack and turned to the spectacle of a girl's wish being granted. Louise looked on in trepidation and wonder, desperately hoping she had made the right decision.
Light as pure as the blue sky coiled into a sphere before Tabitha. Reaching out, she instinctively grasped her soul and held it close, letting it explode and envelop her. Like shattering ice, the light splintered off of her, revealing elaborate robes, woven together like a grand tapestry. Light glinted off them like crystal, giving brief glimpses of pictures in motion; glimpses of stories yet untold. The shattering light stopped frozen in midair, then a torrent of blue and white flew into Tabitha's hands. With one final flash, Tabitha stood with a book she knew well clutched in her hands.
For once Bidashal's face was completely dumbstruck. This was something he never expected and Tabitha was going to show him just what the Gallian Princess could do when her mother was threatened! Whipping her book open, Tabitha commanded the pages on instinct. She knew how to use this weapon, it was part of her. Even without the knowledge in her heart, she knew this book like the back of her hand. She had read it many times. As the pages rapidly flipped of their own accord, Tabitha named the book aloud. "The Hero of Ivaldi." The story of the Hero Ivaldi, named for his lost hometown, and his adventures as he ventured to eventually confront the evil firstborn dragon Nidhogg. Her thoughts narrowed to the chapter she sought; the beginning of Ivaldi's story when Nidhogg sent his armies to kill the hero's father, the only man capable of the sword spell that could pierce Nidhogg's impervious scales. "Chapter One: The Father's Sword!" Tabitha spoke from her heart as she gripped the pages of the first chapter within her hand. With a mighty pull, she tore the pages from the book's spine and scattered them into the air.
Ushered by magic born of Tabitha's soul, they flew together and formed the figure of a man clutching a sword before him. A blue flash covered the paper statue, hiding it from sight for an instant. When the light cleared, instead of a paper figure, a man of solid ice stood, clutching an icy longsword before him. Tabitha recognized the sculpture before her. This was not the man she had imagined Ivaldi's father to be. No, this was her father.
Her father stood before her, and light flared between them. Ushered before her by Tabitha's wish, her mother appeared. Tabitha's book hit the grass as the girl rushed to grasp her mother's unconscious form. Shallow breaths emanated from the woman, unconscious, but alive. A tear dripped down Tabitha's face as she cradled her mother to her chest. Then, turning her eyes on the Elf before her, she glared.
Bidashal's mind was still processing the scene before him when the man of ice charged with supernatural speed. What happened made no sense. It simply was impossible! Yet the man of ice charged on his master's order, and raised his sword to strike. Though the swordsman of ice moved his mouth, the only voice was Tabitha's. "True Strike!" The blade that always found its target. So great was the spell that the dread dragon Nidhogg feared it.
Just as the fictional blade spell could pierce impervious scales, this blade pierced the elf's Counter. The invisible barrier shattered like glass under the blow, and when Bidashal raised his palm to strike, he found that very blade of ice thrust clean though his hand. A cry of pain emanated from Bidashal, but he still managed to call on the spirits. The wall of wind was a strong as Bidashal could muster. Like a compact hurricane it tore the man of ice apart. Panting, Bidashal watched the sword in his hand fade from existence. He would need to heal that, but there was something even more imperative. Bowing deeply, he apologized. "I am in error. My apologies." The honest, humble apology stopped Tabitha just as her hand closed about her next chapter. Even Louise, still struggling to her feet was stunned. With no reply, Bidashal once again apologized. "I did not know you were spiritkin, my sincerest apologies." Digging into his pocket with his uninjured hand, Bidashal bade his spirit friends carry the black gem to its rightful owner. Removing her hand from her pages, Tabitha accepted the jewel in bafflement. Was this some kind of trickery?
After a long moment, Louise spoke. "I'm sorry, spiritkin?"
Raising his head, Bidashal considered the two. After debating for a moment, he nodded, "I wouldn't expect you to know the name. As far as I know, there have never been any human spiritkin." Carefully, he studied Tabitha. "There is no mistaking it. A young girl, transforming with power akin to the spirits whose soul speaks on the edge of my understanding like the spirits do. The only difference from the tales is that you two are humans, not elves." That last fact caused no small amount of confusion for the elf.
Deciding to ask once again, Louise pressed. "Would you mind explaining?"
In response, Bidashal opened his mouth, and then closed it in concentration. "Actually, no." He chewed on the idea, not liking it. "While I will not oppose you, you are still humans. Explaining elfish history to you would be treason of the highest order." After a moment's thought, he offered, "Shall I at least heal you?"
Tabitha met Louise's gaze and shrugged. For a short moment Louise pondered the offer but then declined. "No. We'll manage on our own." She had fallen for such a kind gesture a few too many times.
Bidashal could not hold their suspicion against them. "Let me offer you what I can, in that case. King Joseph plans to move against Romalia, though I don't know how. He is a mage of Void and the woman, Sheffield, is his familiar. Be wary, he and those at his disposal are all dangerous." Thinking for a moment, he continued, "I'll send him word that you reclaimed your mother and I had kill you all to stop your escape. Though I doubt he will fall for it completely, he will still waste resources to investigate. That should buy you some time." A soft light enveloped Bidashal's hand as he healed it.
Leveling her gaze, Tabitha considered that this was all a ploy to heal his hand, yet the wound closed in mere moments. Not an amount of time that required a distraction. "Can you heal my mother?" Tabitha glanced to the unconscious woman in her arms.
The elf dipped his head lightly in an apologetic bow. "Such means are beyond me, but as for her immediate condition..." He gestured to the unconscious woman, "She was sedated for travel; that will pass." He looked to the girl and her mother, but said nothing more.
Louise rose to her feet. Though her stance wasn't particularly steady, she did not like kneeling before this elf. "What will you do now?" She half expected him to attack.
Flexing his fully healed hand, Bidashal replied, "I'll return to my kind. The elders should be alerted to the reemergence of spiritkin, with their permission I could explain more." Louise noted the part about a reemergence. "I don't suppose you'll come with me?" The level gazes were all he needed. "I see. In that case, I will take my leave before I anger you further. I am sure we will meet again one day." With one moderate, polite bow, Bidashal turned and left into the forest beyond.
Id followed shortly after, sparing Louise a quick glance. For several minutes, Louise waited in silence. Tabitha held her mother close, ready for what may come. Then, without fanfare, Id reappeared at the edge of the trees, trotting back to them. "He is just walking away." For a moment the three hesitated, realizing that Bidashal had been speaking the truth and what that meant. "Louise."
Shaking her head, Louise stopped Id. "Now is not the time." No, they needed leave while they had the chance. Tabitha held the grief seed out to Louise. Taking it with no small amount of relief, Louise considered using it then and there, but decided against it. "First we get back to the others. As long as we have the convenience, we should conserve our magic." As Id said, one more use and the seed would be done.
Tabitha nodded, "Then I will take us back." Using a bit of her own magic was the least she could do to repay Louise, who helped to return her mother to her. Tearing the next chapter from her book, Tabitha remembered what happened after Ilvaldi's father sacrificed himself to save his son. "Chapter Two: The Roc King's Flight." She spoke the words and released the pages telling of how the great Roc plucked the child Ivaldi from the fields and carried him safely away from his burning hometown. Just as it was in her mind's eye, the Roc King appeared before Tabitha, a crystalline recreation of her childhood story.
Gently, the two girls loaded Tabitha's mother aboard the great Roc and secured themselves on as well. In a gesture of thanks, Tabitha ran her fingers through the feathers. They were both cool like ice and soft like down; a blend that stood in contrast to their sharp appearance. Sparing only one look to the cinders behind her, Tabitha took to the skies.
Pressing a hand against Tiffania's chest, Montmorency checked the half-elf once more. "No pain?" Treating everyone had been quite the learning experience, and Montmorency was giving them all another look, just to be sure.
Tiffania indeed felt much better, "None at all." The girl then looked to the sleeping Sylphid.
Following her patient's gaze, Montmorency sighed, "I've done everything I can. As far as I can tell, she is just sleeping." How much weight a novice healer's diagnosis on a dragon-turned-human counted for, Montmorency wasn't sure.
Sitting silently next to Tabitha's familiar, Kirche stared vacantly at the dragon girl, deep in thought. The normally passionate redhead had fallen silent partway around the lake. Keeping her thoughts to herself was something Montmorency could understand, but Kirche was taking Tabitha's absence much too hard. The girl looked to be grieving rather than merely worried.
The crunch of footsteps behind her alerted Montmorency to the return of Saito. Tiffania was embracing him in moments. The elf asked in a worried hush, "Are you alright?" She looked over the blushing familiar boy for any new injuries.
Apparently trying to act tough, Saito couldn't entirely keep the grimace off his face as he returned Tiffania's embrace. Though Montmorency had done her best, his injuries were still quite sore. "I'm fine. The paladins are heading back east." Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out the spyglass Eleanor had loaned him. Though she called it a minor enchantment, Saito was still impressed when the glass zoomed in and out on command.
Eleanor shook her head, "Keep it." The woman was busy digging through the same box of odds and ends she had procured the spyglass from. "Most of these old projects are useful only in an academic sense, but- Aha, here we are." Closing the lid, Eleanor displayed her prize. Holding out an ornate looking wheellock pistol to Saito, she spoke with her nose held high. "For your service to the Valliere family, I thought I might reward you." The boy had lost his armaments saving Cattleya after all, it was a good reward.
Saito got up from where he sat and walked over, not sure how to take the unexpected present. "Um, thanks?" He furrowed his brow, wondering why a mage would have a pistol.
Smirking, Eleanor began with a self-centered drawl, "I bet you are wondering why a noble like me would own a pistol?" Saito was not going to give her the pleasure of feeding her ego even more. "Well, I am an academic first, so I was studying the possibilities of enchantments on firearms." Reaching over, Eleanor pressed the wheel in, and smiled broadly as the pistol wound itself up. "It's an old project, and takes far too much effort to mass produce as a product, but I kept it like all my inventions."
Pulling the trigger, Saito watched as the well-crafted pistol wheel spun, sparking as it did. A simple press of the wheel and it was rearmed. "Wow, it's almost like an auto-reload upgrade… This is amazing, thank you."
Her smile only broadening, Eleanor nodded. "Of course, it is my invention after all." Sure, the powder and shot still needed to be manually loaded, but that didn't matter compared to her genius.
A childlike voice interrupted Eleanor's rather pompous musings. "Can I have a toy too?" Eyes open and full of wonder, the blue haired Sylphid sat up, looking longingly at the pistol.
Montmorency nearly toppled over herself. The dragon girl was sleeping one second, upright the next. Upright and completely naked. "Saito, close your eyes." Montmorency spoke as she grabbed the discarded blanket to cover the girl's decency. "You, cover yourself."
Looking annoyed at Montmorency, Sylphid considered disobeying her. This girl wasn't her big sister. Wait! "Where is big sister!?" Sylphid stood up in a start. "Why can't I feel big sister!" Panic flooded Sylphid when she realized she couldn't feel her big sister's emotions.
As if summoned, a great roc of ice landed in the clearing before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving Louise, Tabitha and her rescued mother to be greeted by a myriad of exclaimed cheers. Tabitha's attire was not missed by the blonde magical girl, and she definitely didn't miss it when Tabitha's robes disappeared in another mote of light, leaving her usual attire. "That can't be good." She spoke aloud as she strode to meet Louise.
Recognizing her friend's worries, Louise tried to be as quick as possible. "Tabitha had to wish her mother to us. I'll explain in detail after I heal her." Completely set on her current objective, Louise only offered a nod to the rest. All were accounted for, good.
"Big Sister, I can't feel you!" Sylphid exclaimed and pushed through.
One look was all Tabitha needed. Sylphid was fine, that was a relief. However, now was not the time to entertain the young dragon. "Sylphid, transform. We will fix that later." Though Tabitha's words were short and cold, Sylphid still believed her big sister was always right. As scared as she was, doing what her big sister said still brought some degree of mental security. With a flash, Sylphid returned to her natural shape and sat patiently. It was much easier to stay motionless when all her energy wasn't crammed into such a tiny package. Turning to Kirche, Tabitha began, "Kirche, Flame-"
"I know." Kirche offered a weak smile and her first words in hours. She had felt the empathic connection with her familiar sever a while ago. "But your mother is safe, he performed magnificently." With a solemn smile, Kirche nodded her head. She wouldn't cry for Flame, she would honor him.
While she didn't want to intrude, Louise didn't have much time to waste. Though the efficiency was worth it, she refused to ignore the risk of leaving her soul gem this dark. "I'll do what I can to heal your mother, and wait to use the grief seed as long as I can." It took only a look of conviction to silence Montmorency's outburst.
Holding the grief seed in one hand and her soul gem in the other, Louise knelt next to Tabitha's mother. From within a dark gem, a pink light emanated. Louise felt inside the woman, looking for the wound. It felt so odd; like a third limb even. Her magic acted half on instinct. There, she felt the damage in the woman's mind. It was old, but like all wounds, her magic shifted it back to the way it was supposed to be, strengthening the weak tissue as it did. Just as Louise began to approach her limit, she felt the last of the wound fade.
Letting out a strained breath, Louise held the grief seed to her soul gem. "I healed something, I know that much." Taking a step back, Louise let Tabitha kneel next to her mother. The normally gaunt face of the woman was healthier by far, filling Tabitha with hope.
Keeping the telepathy just between itself and Louise, Id warned, "Just healing damage done to the mind doesn't guarantee the mental damage has been fixed." Id's eyes fell to the grief seed in Louise's hand. Yet before the Kyuubey could request it, the woman on the ground roused from her slumber.
"Charlotte..?" The woman questioned.
Barely suppressing dry sobs, Tabitha reached out at the sound of her real name. Charlotte of Gallia. That was her. This was her mother. "Moth-"
"Where is Charlotte?" The innocent question shattered Tabitha's world. The clouded eyes of Tabitha's mother met the girl's own and widened with fear. "Who are you!? What are you!? Where is Charlotte!?" The sound of palm on cheek sounded, Tabitha barely processed that her mother had just slapped her. The screams became more and more incoherent as the woman's hand patted her travel dress down, searching. There! She found what she sought. Withdrawing a small, simple doll she hugged it to her chest. "Oh Charlotte, I was so worried. Mommy's here." She cooed, paying no attention the frozen crowd around her.
Tabitha had not the strength to turn her eyes from the scene before her. Everything that she was, everything that made up the person of 'Charlotte' immediately left her. That doll was not Charlotte . That doll was getting her love. She was Charlotte, not that doll! Her vision tilted when she stopped remembering to hold her head upright.
It was her fault. If only she had trusted her friends earlier. She could have used her wish to heal her mother. Her one miracle was wasted because of her weakness and foolishness. She couldn't protect her mother when she tried to. She couldn't save her mother when she tried to. Her failures, her weakness led to this doll being where she should be.
My love.
The doll, was it Tabitha or Charlotte? The blue haired girl forgot. But she couldn't forget that the doll was getting her love.
My Love.
That was right. Regardless of her failures; that was her love. The unconditional love of her mother belonged to her. Not some doll!
My love.
The realization swirled within the blue haired girl and she smiled. That was right after all. The realization was soothing and maddening.
My love. My love. My love._ My love. My love._ My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love._ My love. _My love. _My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. _ My love. My love. _My love. _My love. _My love. My love. _My love. _My love. _My love. _My love._ My love. My love. My love._ My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. My love._ My love. My love. _My love. _My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love._ My love. _My love. _My love. _My love. My love._ My love._ My love. My love. My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. _My love._ My love. _ My love. My love._ My love. My love. _My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. M y love. _My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. My love._ My love. _My love. My love. My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love.
_MY LOVE!
MY LOVE!
If I can't have that love then-
*Pat*
A soft hand rested on Tabitha's head and drew her into a soft bosom. "There, there." Kirche's voice cooed softly. "Kyuubey. Id, right? Would it be okay if I wished for Tabitha's mother to be healed, mental damage and all?" Broken eyes looked up to Kirche, the woman smiled with such warmth that Tabitha could do naught but sit as her sobs quelled.
A swish of the tail indicated that Id was thinking. A moment later, its eyes met Louise's. "Even with a soul gem that is nearly pure, at this rate Tabitha will succumb to despair and become a witch." Id's eyes traced Louise's over to Montmorency.
In strained silence, the two held a solemn debate of body language before Montmorency nodded, "The path where everyone lives."
Turning her eyes back to Id, Louise gave the go ahead. "Do it." For the second time that night, Louise wondered if she was making the right choice. With permission granted, Id looked back to Kirche Zerbst and waited for a final confirmation.
Kirche knew what she was getting into. She knew that in all likelihood this action would lead only to tragedy, but she didn't care. As the fifth child of the Zerbst family, she was merely a side note to her family history. She would be cared for, but she was unneeded for anything more than to be married off. However, Tabitha needed her. If she could support her best friend with all her worth then Kirche could march into that tragedy with a smile. "I Kirche Zerbst, wish for Tabitha's mother to be healed of all mental damage and be returned to her right state of mind." Her piece spoken, Kirche closed her eyes and focused on the warmth in her heart.
Red light danced throughout the forest as Kirche's soul separated from her body. Her eyes widened and her hands reached for the ball of light that was her soul. As soon as they clasped around it, tendrils of flame exploded outward, snaking around her body in an infinite weave of fiery threads. As they burned away, they left red scales behind. From her cheeks down to her feet, Kirche was covered in a second skin of armor, save for the descending neckline ending just below her navel. With a great flex of her hand, the last of the fire dispelled from her fingers leaving gauntlets with fingers that looked more akin to a beast's claws than human hands.
Reaching a clawed finger up, Kirche pressed against the scales that partially covered her cheeks. There was pressure and feeling, but duller than that of skin. Mutely, she looked at the red-orange gem on the back of her forearm. The whole experience was both terrifying and thrilling, but definitely worth it.
Yes, Kirche confirmed as she looked to the light coiling around Tabitha' mother. It was worth it.
"Charlotte?" This time when the woman spoke, she looked directly at her daughter. There was confusion, fear, but more importantly, there was love. The doll, completely forgotten, fell from the woman's fingers and she latched onto her daughter with all her might. She had no idea where she was or how she got here, but that voice within her heart, the one muffled for all these years and finally set free, screamed at her to hold her daughter and never let go.
Arms shaking with uncertainty, the Princess of Gallia, Charlotte, embraced her mother. "Mother?"
"Charlotte!" It was the only word she could muster through the emotions swirling, but it was the only word that mattered to her.
"Mother!" Charlotte's grip tightened. Her eyes peeled away towards the one who made this happen. "Kirche, I-" Her voice failed her. Even for one more verbose than her, there were no words to express what she felt. Instead, when her mother's grip slackened, Charlotte flew into Kirche and wrapped her arms around the scaled woman.
Letting her transformation drop, Kirche giggled, "Whoa there, you'll hurt yourself." When the air was squeezed from her lungs Kirche wished she had left her armor on. "Or me…." She managed. Tabitha's searching eyes looked up to Kirche, causing the older girl to look away in embarrassment. "I told you I'd follow you to hell. We're best friends after all." With a gentle push, Kirche guided her friend back into the arms of her mother.
Saito's laughter burst the dam. "Now that is how you get a golden ending!" Though only his reference only held meaning for himself, his joviality was universal. Despite their exhaustion, despite their injuries, despite being without shelter in the dead of night and on the run, they cheered.
It was that exhaustion that caused the group to settle down faster than they would have liked, as now that they finally were without immediate worries, sleep could be gotten. Wiping a tear from his eye, Saito looked from the happily reunited mother and daughter over to Louise, and the gem in her hand. "Well, that looks different." He spoke up loudly. The grief seed was clearly different, throbbing with an odd power on the edge of his senses.
Taken aback, by the odd turn change of subject, Louise smiled and nodded to Saito. "Yes," she said with a smile. It was taking a moment to get used to her emotions again. Ah, there was the fear at what that thought implied. She would need to rethink how readily she used that technique. "Id, you said we needed to dispose of this."
Saito looked to the Kyuubey. Nodding, Id replied, "Yes, it has now received enough despair for the witch within to be reborn. I can dispose of it, though." When the red oval pattern on her familiars back peeled up to reveal a black, empty void, Louise hesitated. She was used to odd things from id, but this was a bit odder than usual.
"Can I see that?" Saito ignored the familiar and kept his eyes on the strange gem. When they had pried it from the cardinal's pendent it didn't look like that. How weird.
Louise regarded Saito for a moment before dismissing him. "We need to dispose of it, sorry." She was more interested in Id's back void thing. With a light flick of her wrist, Louise tossed the gem to Id, only for it to be snatched out of the air by Saito.
Surprised by the insubordination, Louise hesitated. When Derflinger rattled on Saito's back, Louise's eyes looked to the sword. "This seems familiar…" The sword trailed off.
The others were now looking to the scene of Saito holding the gem in his palm. It stood on its small spike, refusing to obey gravity and fall over. "Isn't this weird, how come we have never really looked at this thing?" Saito spoke to himself as much as those around him.
Saito's free hand moved to grab the seed from his palm, only to stop when a memory sparked within Derflinger. Flooding his partner's body with magic, Derflinger held the boy's arm back. "SHIT! Someone get that thing away from him!" The swords urgency flared alarms in those assembled, but only one managed to react before she gave her mind time to think. Time slowed to a crawl as Montmorency placed one foot in front of the other, racing toward the boy as his free hand closed around the gem. Unnatural strength broke through Derflinger's resistance as Saito turned the gem on himself. Reaching out, Montmorency jumped toward Saito as his clouded eyes lost themselves in the gem. Her hand neared, but his arm was already in motion.
Montmorency collided with the boy just as his arm slammed into his own chest, knocking them both to the ground. Wrenching away his arm, she found it slack and empty, the grief seed buried spike first in his chest. "Why-" She began only to stop when the gem flared with sick darkness.
Saito screamed.
His veins bulged, his eyes rolled back into his head, and his back arched; but that scream was something else. An inhuman gurgle of pure despair pierced the night air. "Hold him down!" Montmorency commanded, her arms clamping down on the boys arm as Cattleya gripped the other.
Montmorency's racing mind stopped an instant later when Saito fell silent and still. The gem in his chest rolled away and landed on the grass. With her wand out in an instant, Montmorency checked for vitals. "He's alive…" She sighed out just as Tiffania reached Saito's side. It was weak, but she could definitely feel a heartbeat. A faint glow drew her attention to the boy's chest.
Even as Montmorency reached for the boy's collar, Louise spoke. "It's clean." Montmorency pulled the boys collar down revealing the familiar runes on his chest. "The grief seed is clean." Louise said again as Montmorency looked upon the boys runes; or rather the glowing darkness that filled the first rune on his chest.
A/N: While I don't remember if it happens in the light novel, I know Bidashal provides a magic "Cure Tabitha's Mother" potion in the ZnT anime. I have always considered this crap. "Oh hey now that we are done with your poorly constructed tragedy lets heal that up so you can join the harem." No, it should have some weight, some sacrifice. Hence in this setting, no such potion exists. Even if it is against canon, this improves the story.
I will also promise to have the next chapter out within the month. If only to use my honesty to beat my laziness.
Edit: Sadly fights my formatting for Tabitha's witch scene.