A/N: So here it is, yet again. Guess what? Chapter 19 is already done ya'll! (Though I am still proofreading and then will send it off to the beta-reader) So you can't badger me about my slow updating.
As usual, big thanks out to my beta-reader. I cannot overstate how much he contributes to this story.
I would also like to give special thanks to mdkcde for his help. When I was (once again) stalling he contacted me to get me back into gear. Rather than nag or make a dumb joke, he flooded me with awesome art he found that reminded him of my characters. It was hugely inspiring and really got me back into writing regularly. He also helped with the lead-in on this chapter as I was having an extremely hard time with it and needed another opinion. He also taught me how to finally get the formatting right on this forum. I'll update all my old chapters after 19 is done and up. Thanks again mdkcde!
Chapter 18: Mirrored
Though she had spent plenty of nights away from the comforts befitting of her status, Eleanor had never once been without a suitable place to lay. As an earth mage, transmuting dirt or rock into a soft consistency was child's play. Thus on the rare occasion she had to sleep outdoors she still enjoyed the comfort of a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, the bed she stared at now simply would not do. It was hardly more than a blanket over a wooden plank chained to the wall. Never in all her life had Eleanor been forced to deal with such a sorry excuse for a bed. Then again, Eleanor had never been a prisoner to a foreign power.
Eleanor wasn't one to shy away from the cold, hard facts, but that didn't make her happy to accept them. Her cell was barely large enough for the small bed and tiny wooden table, each firmly attached to opposite walls. The only thing that wasn't fastened down was the wooden chair tucked under the table. At least the cell had a door sealing her in rather than grated bars open to whatever soldier guarded her. Privacy seemed to be the one thing her status as a noble was affording her. She hardly expected to live in luxury given the situation, but still…
As she lay on her cot, Eleanor wondered if Louise had endured the same when she had been captured by that Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt. Had she managed through worse? The thought of Louise outdoing her at even something like being a prisoner frustrated the blonde captive to no end. Rolling off the plank that was her bed, Eleanor stood and worked out a kink in her back while grumbling. Again reaching down to the bed, Eleanor folded her blanket as many times as possible while still leaving it wide enough to cover the plank. Hopefully that would be enough to cushion the wooden frame.
Once more, Eleanor carefully lay upon the plank, trying not to mess up her improvised mattress. As miserable as the situation was, Eleanor took solace in the fact that she was still one step ahead of her captors. Though she was generally weak and useless in battle, she felt that her wit gave her an advantage against these people who thought they had her at their mercy. She smirked to herself, proud of her ingenuity while she lay upon her moderately uncomfortable bed.
After a beat, she sighed and let her thoughts wander as she once again tried to ignore another growing kink in her back. From the gentle swaying sensation she felt now and again, Eleanor was fairly sure she was aboard an airship; a large one from the lack of strong turbulence, or at least a well-crafted sloop. Thinking back to what led her here, Eleanor wracked her memory for clues to help her in this deplorable situation.
******************Some Time Earlier********************************
The ride back to the Valliere estate had been going smoothly. Alistair knew how to fly without guidance so Eleanor insisted that Queen Helene sit at the fore. It would not do to have a Queen cling to her back; there was proper etiquette to follow after all. Though the Queen had initially protested, Eleanor was tactful enough to convince Helene without having to order her.
If that had been the only problem Eleanor would have been happy. However, there was one far more pressing danger that drew a frown to her mouth and a pit to her stomach. She was sure of it; the griffon behind the duo was following them. What was more, the beast was definitely gaining on Alistair. "This could be a problem." She stated, keeping a level head about her as she informed her charge of the situation.
Helene glanced over her shoulder, trying to keep her head low to Alistair as the beast poured on the speed. "Can we outpace it?" She asked. Then when Eleanor shook her head, Helene pressed further, "Can we outfight it?" As weak as she was, Helene understood the power of the beast she straddled.
Clenching her teeth, Eleanor worried aloud, "If it is just a griffon then yes. Even if it has a rider of line class, Alistair would be more than match for it. However…" Eleanor began to dig through her box of artifacts. "I doubt a line class could grant a griffon such speed. I have a bad feeling." Withdrawing a small metal ball from her trunk, Eleanor poured magic inside and ignited the runes she had long ago created. Chanting, she levitated the ball from the palm of her hand and aimed her wand. "Metal bullet." She finished her spell and the ball raced away with a crack. The spell posed little threat, but her intent wasn't to attack. No, she simply needed to launch her artifact close enough to her opponent. Just as she had judged, the magic within her artifact activated as it passed the griffon. A flash of blue flared and covered the griffon in light, startling the magical beast, but not harming it.
Initially depressed, thinking Eleanor's plan had failed; Helene was surprised when Eleanor grinned. The blonde woman produced an identical runed metal ball and once again activated the magic within. Light sprung to life in her palm, showing a small blue image of a tiny griffon and its rider. "Tch…" Eleanor grimaced as she recognized the man aboard. "The traitorous Viscount Wardes." She knew the man, what he had done, and most importantly she knew what he was capable of.
Sensing a dire problem, Helene spoke, "A triangle class mage then?"
"Worse," Eleanor replied, "A square level wind mage." Her mind was already churning and formulating a plan. "Alistair cannot hope to outrun or outfight that man and his griffon. However," Clasping her trunk of artifacts to her chest, Eleanor pulled a leg over Alistair's side and sat with both legs dangling off one side of the beast. "He cannot catch two targets. Hold on tight to Alistair, he'll get you safely to my family's estate." Turning her attention to the beast she rode, Eleanor put all the authority she had into her voice. "You do not stop for me, Alistair. I am ordering you to take this woman back to your master." Though the manticore was stubborn, it had been ordered to obey her and would not betray his master's wishes.
Not as obedient, Helene grabbed hold of Eleanor's arm. "Do not do this. We should try to outrun him." She hated this weakness of hers. If she were in peak form, if she could use her magic, then perhaps they could stand together to drive off their pursuer.
Though the heroism was admirable, Eleanor removed Helene's hand all the same. "Thank you for your concern, but this is the best course of action." From within her pocket, Eleanor pulled out a fine glasses case and handed it to Queen Helene. "Give this to my mother." As soon as Helene took the case, Eleanor slipped from the mount and plummeted to the forest below. She held her trunk under one arm and held her glasses to her face with her wand hand. Chanting steadily, she released her levitation spell with ease, slowing her decent just as she reached the ground and landing with the softest of sounds.
In one smooth motion she spun to face the approaching griffon. Chanting, she fed her magic into the earth beneath her in preparation. If Wardes chose her she would need every advantage, and if her pursued Queen Helene then she would need ample ammunition to sling after him. She doubted that would be necessary however, if she was right than Wardes' target was herself.
It took just under a minute for Wardes to arrive, and when he did he met a smirking Eleanor. "I do love being right." She spoke aloud, knowing that each second she delayed was a victory for her. The vain words were just a side benefit. "You work for Gallia now then?" The griffon hovered in the air before Eleanor, safely above the earth below.
Tipping his hat to the woman below, Wardes spoke with his usual cordiality. "Indeed. I do wonder how long you've known." Wardes knew the sharp mind of the woman before him well. They had met on many occasions when he had visited Louise. It was that knowledge that cautioned him. Glancing about for a trap, he stalled and let Eleanor monologue.
Dropping her trunk to the ground, Eleanor placed a foot atop it and smirked, "I've had my suspicions. Louise told me of your involvement with the Reconquista. Then you disappeared when Gallia destroyed them. I wondered if you might have been an agent then. Mind you, at that point you were merely an interesting puzzle, something to pass the time." Giving the slight with a faint smile, Eleanor tensed in preparation. "Then am I right in assuming that I was your target to begin with?"
Wardes eyed the trunk warily, but nodded all the same. "Indeed, how did you know?" It was difficult and slow, but slowly he began to prepare his spells without incantation. He was only skilled enough to lay the groundwork, but it was an edge he would happily use.
Filtering her own magic into the artifacts below her, Eleanor displayed her knowledge. "That woman in black made off with the Founder's Prayerbook, something I put quite a bit of work into. I supposed whoever wanted that might want me as well; it was why I made for my family as soon as I could. Sadly, I didn't expect to deal with a pursuer so familiar with these lands."
His magic charged, Wardes gave his terms, "Would you surrender then? You know I mean you no harm."
It was a rational proposal, Eleanor would admit that much. However, it was not one she could accept, "Though I disagree with my mother on many things, I still respect her. I would not dishonor her by surrendering without a fight on Valliere land. Besides, don't you think you are getting ahead of yourself? I am still Karin of the Heavy Wind's eldest daughter after all. Do you really think you can win?" It was somewhat difficult to look down on a man hovering above her, but it was a skill Eleanor was well practiced in.
Wardes did not survive this long by being reckless. He had never seen this girl fight whilst she had seen his own spars with her father. Her wit had always been sharp and her mind clever. She had enough advantages that gave her the edge here, even though he was a better fighter. Still, he didn't raise himself up to Viscount by being craven. "Indeed I do. I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I will take you by force." Wardes' magic flared in unison with Eleanor's.
Kicking open her trunk, Eleanor spoke with bravado, "Engarde traitor, Eleanor the Artificer will be your opponent!" Tendrils of earth swarmed the box, ripping free artifacts too numerous to count. In the same instant several long tendrils of earth raced to grapple the griffon above.
Clenching his teeth, Wardes' eyes darted everywhere, knowing each artifact contained something unique and strange, possibly lethal. However, he was a veteran, and such novelties would not work against his tempered experience. "Scattered Air." He named the spell he had spent so much effort to weave. Multiple blades of air met the tendrils encroaching on his mount, shredding through the dirt like tissue paper. The ease with which he destroyed Eleanor's initial attack cautioned Wardes. Obviously, it was a feint designed to draw his spells while she finished her real attack.
Just as Wardes realized her intent, Eleanor's earthen tendrils loosed a volley of artifacts. Wardes didn't bother making out which object was what, all could have a hidden danger within. Channeling his own spell, Wardes continued to release Scattered Air to meet his opponent's attack. Magic within the artifacts flared out of existence when they were shredded by invisible blades of wind. Multicolored sparks, explosions and billows of smoke erupted in a scattering of misfiring spells. Yet still more artifacts were launched. Biting his lip in frustration, Wardes was forced to defend once again. While Eleanor cared nothing for his well-being, he had to retrieve her unharmed; that meant carefully testing her limits lest he strike her down accidentally.
Wardes felt his willpower drain maintaining the square class wind spell, but he kept at it. Unlike standard mage spells, he could not easily determine the strength of each attack. Each artifact was potentially more dangerous than the other. Still, that trunk wasn't large so he knew Eleanor would run out of ammunition before he even got close to running out of willpower. A last scattering of artifacts was launched and cut down, once again creating a cloud of smoke and sparks. For a moment Wardes' vision was obstructed. Fearing that his target would take to her heels, Wardes quickly conjured a gust of wind, blasting the smoke away and revealing a rather disappointed looking Eleanor standing in the same position.
The girl looked to her empty trunk and to the clearing littered with her experiments. "Barbarian." She muttered in annoyance before turning to face Wardes, his wand held level as he measured her. Even with a sword wand pointed at her, Eleanor felt no fear. She knew the man wasn't about to harm her. He considered himself too cultured to do anything so brutish if he wasn't under orders. Tossing her wand aside, she reached down and picked up a stuffed rabbit, the wool stuffing within drooped as she raised the destroyed toy. "I surrender." She spoke with mild resignation.
Cautious at the change of tone, Wardes conjured the woman's wand away and split it with a blade of air. Better safe than sorry. "That's it? I expected more." This was Karin of the Heavy Wind's eldest daughter and she hadn't managed to strike him once.
Eleanor smiled, even in defeat she had won. "I am no fighter. This," She held up the stuffed rabbit, "was enchanted to squeak when hugged. You destroyed it with a square level wind spell." Flicking the toy aside, Eleanor looked around at all her destroyed work. "Not one of these posed any danger you know. Those types of enchantments are too dull, time-consuming, and common for me to bother with." Honestly, Eleanor only bothered with weaponry when she had to. "That earth spell I used to throw all these trinkets is my strongest spell. In truth, I never stood a chance against you." Walking forward, she held out her hands to be bound. "I simply needed to stall you long enough for Alistair to escape. At his current speed and what I estimate to be your stop speed, if you pursue him now you'll end up dangerously close to my mother." Though Queen Helene was merely a secondary objective, Wardes couldn't help but admire the apparently weak mage before him.
Though her memory after she was fed a sleeping draft was blurry, Eleanor gave herself a satisfied smirk. Captured she may be, but she had accomplished plenty. Wardes would do much to keep her out of harm's way. Queen Helene would tell Karin what happened and if Eleanor wound up dead or maimed, Wardes knew the Heavy Wind would find him.
Still, her memories shed very little light on exactly why Gallia wanted her. She had already decrypted the Prayerbook, did they perhaps have some other ancient artifact they wanted her to decode? As if to answer her question, a slight rattle of the cell door drew Eleanor's attention. When the door swung open, , the exotic-looking woman who stood there could only be this Sheffield that Louise had described. Facial tattoos weren't exactly common in these parts, after all. The man who stood behind Sheffield was just as easy to place. With a blue head of hair, neatly trimmed beard, regal clothing, and a noticeable resemblance to Charlotte, the man was obviously King Joseph de Gallia. "Good evening." He spoke with a reserved charm. Carefully Eleanor sat up, measuring the man before her.
When Eleanor didn't reply, Joseph continued, "I assume you have already guessed who we are." His cordial toned lightened as he joked, "If you weren't smart enough to, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to get you here in the first place." Shrugging he stepped through the doorway and pulled the chair out from under the table. Sitting down, he spoke plainly. "Honestly, I need a few things from you, and we both know that I can get them with a mix of torture and magic." He rolled his hand, stating the travesties as a matter of fact. "But I have heard that you are a rational individual. I respect that." He pointed to Eleanor and grinned. "So I'll tell you what. On average it takes half a day or so for a skilled torturer to drag information from a prisoner." Eleanor's eyes narrowed, it was still dawning on her how dangerous this man actually was. "So I'll ask you a question, you answer it honestly, and I wait half a day to ask another. We can skip the whole torture business. I get the information I want." He pointed to himself, and then gestured to Eleanor, "You get to remain unbroken. Sound good?" The honest, friendly smile on his face scared Eleanor more than she cared to admit.
Scared or not, Eleanor repressed her emotions and relied on logic. "That is a fair agreement." She held no illusions that her willpower was something from a fable. This was most likely Wardes' hand at work to keep her unmaimed anyway. She would have to play along. "How do you intend to trust me though? How can you be sure I won't lie?" Something was just… off about the man's smile.
Clasping his hands, Joseph stood up and turned to the woman beside him. "I'm glad you asked. You see, my Sheffield here is a master of magical artifacts. I think you two would really get along if you weren't mortal enemies." Without a word, the woman handed her master a strange wooden playing card painted with numerous stylistic spider webs. Handing the card to Eleanor, Joseph continued as she studied it. "Hold this and any lie you tell will cause the webs to stick. Simple, right?" Eleanor nodded, turning the card over in her hands. Joseph let her continue to ponder for half a moment before asking his question abruptly. "Your sister Louise, where is she heading next?"
Eyeing the card, Eleanor tensed. "I…" She spoke, not wanting to betray her sister. Her fingers gripped the wooden card tightly.
Patting the woman on the shoulder, Joseph explained, "Honestly, I actually think we might be on the same side here. We just kept ending up on the wrong ends of certain altercations, but I am no friend of Romalia, and neither is your sister." As Eleanor's eyes met his, she searched him, unsure. "It's okay." He nodded along, assuaging her fears.
"In that case…" Eleanor nervously began. "She is heading to Gallia's capital to gather information on you." Breathing out a shuddered breath, Eleanor let her hands drop in defeat. Then, looking up at the smiling man, she lifted the card to him.
Smiling, Joseph patted the woman's shoulder again. "No sticking? Excellent. Now I won't ask you another question for half a day. Much easier this way, yes?" Straightening up, Joseph turned and left.
As she closed the door behind her and once more locking it shut, Sheffield turned to her master to find him holding the artifact out to her. Without a word she took the spider web card and felt her runes activate. "This card… Will stick to any liars." Perplexed, she asked her master. "How did she... I assure you master, they are near Romalia's Holy City."
Joseph nodded, "And I am sure you are correct. The woman managed to decrypt an artifact Brimir created with ancient void magic. Breaking and fixing this card is well within her abilities. Its why I chose it after all." When Joseph pointed to the card, Sheffield followed his finger to an interlocking pair of threads within a web. "That was where she gripped it."
Puzzled, Sheffield looked to the card. Then she saw it, twin indentations carved out by a fingernail, each a small line blending into the tapestry of a web. She focused on the card, sensing how one altered the card to fail, and the other repaired the damage. Sheffield remembered, Eleanor had gripped the card tightly; tight enough to press a sharp nail into the wood, altering the complex rune masquerading as a spider web. "Then…" She trailed off, both annoyed and surprised at being outdone in her specialty.
Joseph continued idly looking at the sealed cell. "It was to test if she would also repair her subversion. You see, the runes on your head give you an innate understanding of what artifacts do and how to use them, but not why they do what they do." Ticking off the seconds in his head, Joseph continued, "That woman understands the extent of your abilities and worked around them. Because of that I can now safely say that Charlotte and her friends are aware that I am a void mage and you are my familiar." Sheffield's heart fell at the bad news and simultaneously buoyed at her master's display of cleverness. "Beyond that, the game allowed me both to better understand her and give her a false sense of victory. About now she'll be catching her breath and calming herself. She thinks she outsmarted us and based on what I've seen, is thinking a few vain thoughts. Intelligent people like to think of how intelligent they are." Unclipping his mantle, Joseph handed it to Sheffield and ordered her, "Wait here, I need to finish the interrogation."
Eleanor was just lying back down. It had been quite a puzzle deciphering that giant rune so quickly and finding an acceptable weakness, but no one was better than her when it came to artifacts, void runes or no. Smirking, she finally felt her heart slow and she tried to relax. Yet just as she laid her head against the bed, her door slammed open. Startled upright, Eleanor watched as King Joseph closed it behind him and quickly stepped over to her. "It hasn't yet been half-" Eleanor's measured inquiry was silenced when Joseph's fist collided with her face.
Driblets of blood danced before her eyes as she slumped back into the wall, arms flailing for purchase as her vision swam. Joseph's strong hand grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her to him, only for his free hand to crash into her stomach, doubling the stunned woman over. Panic, pain, and confusion set in on Eleanor's mind. She scrambled away, yet the cell was too small, there was nowhere to go. Again a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her towards his chest and again he punched her. Joseph's fist met Eleanor's jaw and as she stumbled backwards, her voice leaked out in fear.
That tiny shred of voiced fear stopped the onslaught for a moment; just long enough for Eleanor to crumple to her knees. One hand braced against the floor for balance and she held her free hand before her in a weak shield. Joseph towered above her and spoke in that same strangely friendly voice. "Want to know something interesting?" He rubbed his hands, assuaging the minor aches from his punches. "I feel no emotions." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Absolutely nothing. Honestly, I know I should feel bad for striking a woman." He rolled his wrist as his explained, "Or if I were a cliché villain I would be getting some sort of perverse pleasure; but nope, nothing." He shrugged, "Interesting, right?" When Eleanor didn't respond, Joseph reached down and in a fury lifted the woman from the ground before slamming her into the wall. "ANSWER ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!" Absolute fear gripped Eleanor's heart. Yet the fury that burned on the face before her disappeared in an instant. "Pretty believable right?" Eleanor hit the floor before she even realized that she had been dropped. "See, I am very, very good at faking. So when you lie to me, when you fake to me, I'll know." Placing a hand upon Eleanor's head, he rubbed her hair affectionately as one would a toddler. "So now we are going to practice. I already know your sister is heading to Romalia's capital, I just want you to say it too." Eleanor let out an unintelligible voice. "No, you need to speak louder. Otherwise, I'll just start hitting you again. Say 'My sister is heading to the Holy City.' Go on." He waited patiently with his shadow cast over Eleanor.
It was impossible to stay rational, to keep a calm mind. Still, though the man obviously knew where Louise was. It felt wrong, weak to admit it. Joseph's fist tightened. "My- My sister is heading to the Holy City." Eleanor whispered in defeat.
Clasping his hands, Joseph smiled. "Good job. Now, as per our deal, I won't ask you another question for half a day." Turning, Joseph left Eleanor behind. "Just remember," he spoke as he closed the cell door behind him. "Don't lie next time. Otherwise we might just have to think up a new deal."
When the door closed and Eleanor was once again alone she curled up in the bed, tried to ignore the taste of copper in her mouth, and cried.
The morning sun softly illuminated the common room of the inn Kirche had rented out for her companions. It was a humble place less than an hour from the Holy City. The only boarders were themselves, and the old couple that ran it were sleeping in. Montmorency spoke up as she closed the door behind her, "The owners won't rise for a few hours. That sleeping draft will make sure the only ones to hear this will be us." In the center of the common room, the rest sat in an assortment of chairs around a group of tables pushed together. It wasn't the most regal looking meeting room, but it would do.
Once Montmorency sat, Louise stood and spread out a map of the Holy City across the tables. "Now that everyone is here, I'll begin. For the past few days, Id has been following the Pope; learning his movements and those of his guards." Looking to the familiar sitting atop the table next to her, Louise nodded, "Please tell everyone what you've learned
Content that it had everyone's attention, Id explained its findings, "As you know, I am capable of moving completely unseen. As such, I was able to monitor your Pope closely." It paused, waiting for some outburst. Yet when no human protested it stalking their holy figure, Id filed that knowledge for later. "He is normally under heavy guard by a paladin squad, and he is always attended by a younger priest with blonde hair. Though the attendant has yet to display any magic, he is very athletic and carries a sword. He is possibly a bodyguard in addition to attendant." Walking forward, Id placed a paw upon the map. "Every night, your Pope prays in this Cathedral with only the attendant to protect him. All paladins remain just outside the grounds presumably due to custom." Louise nodded, knowing the taboo of bringing weaponry into a cathedral. The fact that this attendant retained his sword was probably due to Louise and Montmorency's altercation with the Pope last time they were in the Holy City.
Smiling at Id, Cattleya spoke kindly, "Well done Mr. Id. Thank you for all your hard work." In response to the useless praise, Id's tail flicked.
Not as impressed, Montmorency leaned forward on the table and countered, "Don't be nice to it. It's probably another trap." Montmorency's stern eyes med Id's unblinking red and its tail flicked twice.
Though it hardly needed such praise from Cattleya, Id preferred neutral comments to negatives. "If you cannot retain simple information such as 'I do not lie' then you should consider reformatting your defective memory." For a moment, Id estimated there was a less than negligible chance Montmorency would attack it. At the very least a slight bit of data had been obtained on generating negative emotions.
Louise picked up where her familiar left off before things could devolve any further, "Moving on," She spoke sternly to diffuse Montmorency, "If we can get by the initial line of defense unnoticed, we should be able to confront the Pope without it turning into a battle." Taking a breath, Louise prepared for the hard part, "This is ostensibly a stealth mission, so we have to limit the number of people meeting the Pope." Those assembled shifted uneasily at the news.
Leaning back, Montmorency crossed her arms stubbornly. "I am going." Louise knew better than to try and change Montmorency's mind when she got like that. Not that it mattered; Louise wanted Montmorency at her back if fighting broke out.
Adjusting her glasses, Charlotte spoke with a measured tone, "I'll go." Meeting Louise's gaze, she explained. "Joseph is the Pope's enemy as well as mine." Louise nodded in agreement, if Charlotte could get the Pope to agree to an alliance everything else could fall into place easily.
The next volunteer was one that caused Louise to grimace. Raising her hand nervously, Tiffania spoke up, "I will go as well." Before Louise could speak out against the idea, Tiffania continued, her voice steeling as she did, "I came all this way to speak with the Pope. I need to learn how I fit into all this or my children will only be put in danger when I return." It was the entire reason Tiffania had begun this journey with them so Louise could not deny the request out of hand. In truth, Tiffania's request wasn't the problem; it was her guardian that Louise was worried about.
Saito's eyes didn't shy away when Louise turned to him. "I know you will have enough trouble protecting Tiffania if things go south, but I am going as well. Even if we are in a city rather than the woods, I am well suited to a stealth mission." Clenching his jaw, Saito prepared for an argument.
Instead of waste her energy, Louise pointed to the cathedral entrance on the map. "You'll wait here as a lookout, deal?" At Saito's reserved nod, Louise let a breath out. If a fight broke out, trying to protect Tiffania and Saito would be troublesome. At the very least this would keep him out of the potential danger zone.
Still, that brought the party up to five. It was Kirche's turn to volunteer. "Of course I'll be going as well." She spoke in a cheerful, sing song voice that ignored the gravity of the mood.
Shaking her head, Louise denied the request, "No, you won't." Though Kirche's face stayed jovial, she narrowed her eyes dangerously.
Leaning in Kirche met Louise's gaze. "I am a 'magical girl' as well. I have a stake in this." Besides… Kirche's eyes wandered to Charlotte. She didn't like the idea of being separated from her friend.
As much as Louise would like another magical girl if the fighting broke out, five was already pushing the boundaries of a stealth mission. "The fact that you are a magical girl at all is still a secret. Even if we restore our bodies, the truth is we can't be sure that will save us from the church. You, on the other hand will be safe as long as they don't find out you became a 'lich' as well." As reasonable as the explanation was, Kirche didn't look to be backing down.
It was Charlotte who calmed the fiery redhead. Placing a hand on Kirche's shoulder she asked calmly, "Please look after Sylphid, she will follow me otherwise." Unable to deny the reasonable request, Kirche deflated and leaned back; pouting, but ultimately accepting the decision.
Turning to the remaining two, Louise spoke before Cattleya could protest as well, "I want you to remain behind as well, Cattleya. The Pope is after Void mages so having you out of his hands could be a powerful bartering chip depending on the way things go." Louise gave Cattleya a reason to remain behind that would help Louise rather than mention that no one knew Cattleya had assisted liches so she could still return to a normal life. Cattleya was too selfless to take that into consideration.
Still, as naïve as Cattleya often seemed, she had been to strategy meeting before during the war with the Reconquista, and she knew how to read a map and formulate a strategy. "As you wish, sister." The measured acceptance cautioned Louise. It was odd to hear anything reasonable from Cattleya. The elder Valliere pointed to a street crossing not too far from the Cathedral. "Then I will take Siesta, Kirche, and Sylphid here. This inn should be within range of Mr. Id's telepathy. We can act as a backup team if you need reinforcements." It was a level-headed, reasonable plan and Louise was more than a little surprised Cattleya had come up with it so quickly.
Nodding in acceptance, Louise agreed, "That is a good plan. If need be you can join us or cause a disturbance to draw the guards." Pulling out a map of the wider area, Louise pointed to a place she had marked out in the countryside. "Around here is a cave Montmorency and I found the last time we fled the city. If anyone ends up separated we all rendezvous here tomorrow night." Looking to her assembled compatriots, Louise asked, "Does everyone understand the plan then?" Though Kirche disliked it, even she nodded along with everyone. "Good, we leave tonight so be ready." With that, Louise dismissed everyone and began to pack up her supplies.
Siesta, being Cattleya's familiar and handmaiden, didn't need convincing to stay with her mistress. However, she did offer Louise a worried look out of compassion when she next saw the Valliere. The girl looked stressed as she exited the inn nearly an hour after the meeting was over. It was obvious that Louise looked up to Cattleya, but was now forced to create a plan that put her elder sister and everyone else at risk.
The crack of Cattleya's minor explosion startled Louise. Heart thumping, she looked to where her sister was apparently practicing her aim some large rocks in the distance. For a moment, Louise considered telling the girl to stop, but decided against it. The noise wasn't much louder than a musket and was hardly going to draw attention out here. They had chosen this inn specifically because it was on a lonely road out of the capital that hardly saw any traffic since the new roads had been completed. When a hand grasped hers, Louise looked down to where Siesta sat on the stoop, gesturing for Louise to join her. Not needing to be told twice, Louse ungracefully plopped herself down, letting the stress seep out of her. Siesta spoke softly, enjoying the cool air, "Thank you." When Louise turned to Siesta in question, the maid continued, "I know it is difficult leading everyone, so thank you for your hard work." It was only simple thanks she could offer, but Siesta knew from her life of service that it still meant something.
Indeed, Louise felt her heart buoyed, blushing she looked away, "Ah, well. It really is no problem. Someone has to do it, after all!" She knew she still had trouble dealing with praise, all that time being belittled at the academy made compliments foreign even now. Looking to Cattleya, Louise remembered the academy and wavered with uncertainty. "Those explosions are void magic." It was something she knew; had known for some time. Still, it wasn't something she let herself think on often.
Siesta looked with concern to Louise. Normally the girl was in charge and collected, but now… now she just looked tired. Though her concern slowed the process, Siesta was eventually able to work out just what Louise meant. "You mean you-" Siesta stopped herself before her words could do more harm.
Taking out her wand, Louise spun it in her fingers before gripping it and releasing a small flame. "Ironic isn't it? I used to dream of performing such cantrips when I was wielding the Void itself." Louise caught the fright in Siesta's eyes and gave a weak smile to assuage the girl's fears. "Don't worry. Knowing back then wouldn't have changed anything. I still would have made my wish even if I had known everything I do now." When Cattleya's explosion sounded again, both the girls jumped. Louise looked to the growing cloud of smoke, "I swear," she spoke with honest annoyance and forced joviality, "the Void does its best to bother me even now. Will I ever be truly rid of such a bothersome element?"
Siesta was tactful enough to allow Louise to drop the subject. Noticing that Cattleya seemed to be switching to sword forms, the maid helped the transition. "I fear the worst, Miss Louise." Siesta smiled, "but at the very least you needn't fear it now." As if to deny her words, another loud crack split the air. Startled, Siesta looked to where Cattleya continued her drills.
Louise was glad the startled one wasn't her this time and gestured to where Saito had taken up his pistol for some improvised target practice on a bale of some hay and an old rag. "Even the Void's familiars seek me out, Siesta. I do believe I am done for." Knowing the best way to ease her growing annoyance was to drop the matter, Louise changed topics. "At least the boy does his best for his master." Louise gestured to the sole male member of their group. Save maybe Id. But Id was more of an it… right? Louise noted that she should ask the familiar sometime.
Nodding, Siesta gracefully allowed the noble to steer the conversation. "Indeed. It is admirable. Tiffania is lucky to have such a fine young man's affection." The maid smiled knowingly.
Louise giggled, "Aha, so it isn't just me who noticed?" As obvious as the boy's affections were, it was still entertaining to poke fun at him.
It was Siesta's turn to giggle, "I doubt anyone has failed to notice, save maybe Sylphid." She gestured to where the dragon lay basking in the sun. "Though not being a human might be a slight handicap for her." Another pair of giggles sounded from the girls as the idle chat eased their worries.
Without so much as a sound, Id sat down next to Louise. "Interesting, so your humor works even if the target is unaware of it?" Id swished its tail when it noticed Louise suppressing another light laugh.
Before Id could continue, Louise clasped her hands. "Ah, Siesta, speaking of non-humans…" She looked to Siesta knowingly, then back to Id. "Id, this will be a good test of your emotional data." She used its words to garner interest and when she knew she had Id's full attention, she continued. "Saito over there," She gestured to the boy, "What is his relationship with Tiffania?"
Such a simple question cautioned Id. It knew Louise was clever for a human, thus a simple answer was decidedly not the correct one. Still, it was a good opportunity to test its data, so Id answered. "Societally, they are master and familiar." It paused, measuring Louise before continuing, "But at a base level the boy wishes to mate with her." When the girls broke into renewed giggles, Id's tail swished with renewed vigor.
The boy in question sneezed on the fumes from his latest shot and looked around. Was someone talking about him? Shaking his head, he dug into his pouch for another musket ball, yet found it empty. Sighing, he turned and walked over to Siesta and Louise. "Have you guys seen Tiffania? She had my pack and my spare shot is in it." He probably should have retrieved it at the start of his practice.
Siesta tilted her head while finally suppressing her laughter. "I haven't seen her since the meeting. Louise?" The maid turned to the pinkette.
Patting Id's head and offering an apology, Louise responded as well. "I saw her head back to her room. Perhaps she is there?"
No sooner had Louise spoken than the door of the inn opened, revealing Tiffania, consciously aware of the attention on her. The half-elf carefully adjusted her sunhat as she stepped out, knowing her ears could bring quite a bit of trouble if spotted, but that was forgotten when she spied her familiar and companion. "Saito!" She exclaimed, hurrying out to meet the boy.
Meeting Tiffania with a hug, Saito was bewildered but not displeased by the affection. "Tiffania, what's got you so happy?" He asked, letting her cheer infect him as well. Smiling cleverly, Tiffania produced a large pouch and handed it to the boy. "My shot." Saito stated as he found his spare musket balls within. "How did you know I was out?"
Tilting her head, Tiffania replied, "I didn't. No, I came to tell you I enchanted them!" That drew Louise's full interest. Leaning over, she spied the bag with interest. Tiffania pressed the bag into Saito's arms. "Matilda taught me a bit about enchanting, and that it is easier to do on heavy metals. So I thought lead musket balls would work well." Looking into Saito's eyes, Tiffania bared her heart. "I know you feel like you are weak. I know because I am weak too. But together we can be strong! With my magic and your strength, we can overcome any obstacle!" Saito was at a loss for words, his grip slackened ever so slightly.
The moment was ruined when Louise's hands reached in to support the bag from spilling everywhere. Her forgotten stress was back in force as she nervously supported the bag. "Saito, please make sure your grip is certain." Slightly worried and more than slightly confused, Saito obeyed and tightened his grip. With a sigh, Louise withdrew her hands and asked, "Tiffania? Just how did you enchant these? What type of magic circle did you use?" Though it was slightly rude, Louise refused to take her eyes from the bag.
Tiffania smiled apologetically, "Oh, I am not that advanced. I just used a basic element infusion. " The words only worried Louise more as Tiffania explained. "Since the base form of Void magic is an explosion, shouldn't that mean these will explode when they hit?" That was what she was aiming for anyway.
Though Saito was immediately impressed with the idea of explosive rounds, Louise cautioned. "And what happens if he drops the bag?" It took a second for Saito to realize he was possibly holding a bag of volatile bombs and react accordingly.
It took a second longer for Tiffania to realize and start panicking. "Oh no! I… I guess I didn't think of that." She had just been trying to help…
As Tiffania's gaze fell, Saito was quick to interject. "Well, we won't know until we test them, right?" He held his arm up confidently, but carefully. Still, the action raised Tiffania's spirits.
Clicking her tongue in worry, Louise still agreed. "Very well, but we'll do this carefully."
It took half an hour of preparation before Louise was satisfied enough to begin the tests. In that time, the rest of the group ended up gathering, interested by the novel idea of Void imbued musket fire. The first test? Throwing a musket ball as far as possible. With Louise and Montmorency's healing at the ready, Saito looked at the single musket ball in his hand. "So, are you ready?" He asked his would-be healers once again.
Louise nodded, "We are. Don't worry; I still doubt anything will happen, though. Back in the academy, I tried enchanting lead on more than one occasion. It always ended with the lead exploding immediately or simply no result." Louise ignored the concerned look from Montmorency. Just as before, she forcibly stopped thinking on the subject and returned to the task before her.
Most likely, Tiffania's attempt had produced nothing, but Louise wouldn't dismiss the supposed enchantment out of hand. Tiffania's magic was different from Louise's. The half-elf's spells didn't default to explosions; Tiffania always produced nothing when she tried a non-void spell.
Still nervous, Saito threw caution to the wind and hurled the musket ball as far as he could. The tension everyone felt reached a climax as the tiny ball of metal landed in the distance… And absolutely nothing happened. In spite of nothing, Saito let out a breath of relief and confirmed that he was still in one piece.
The following experiments all had similar results. They tried everything from dropping rocks on the balls from Sylphid's back to having Kirche blast them with fire. In every instance absolutely nothing happened. At last, they tried the final test.
Still depressed at her failure, Tiffania watched as Saito tied his pistol to a barrel with a string around the trigger. Just as every experiment before, the gun fired a perfectly mundane shot at the target when Saito pulled the string. The lack of any magic whatsoever from the final test left everyone in silence.
The group began dispersing; realizing nothing exciting was going to happen. Patting Tiffania on the shoulder, Louise empathized with her. "Don't feel too bad. Back when I had Void magic, I never managed to get it to act properly, and at least nothing bad happened." When she got only a depressed smile in return, Louise knew to leave the cheering up to Saito.
The half elf sat on the ground and leaned against the picket fence surrounding Saito's testing area, hugging her knees to her chest. "I just wanted to help…" She mumbled. Just to lend a bit of strength since she was so useless.
Though the rest of their companions had left, Tiffania heard familiar footsteps approach her from behind. Not wanting to face Saito after failing him, Tiffania just tightened her grip on her knees. In silence, Saito sat down next to her and began toying with a string. Tiffania had expected words of encouragement or depressed empathy, but not silence. Slowly, her curiosity drew her eyes from her knees to the boy beside her. Saito was looping string through a tiny cloth pouch, making an odd looking necklace. "In my country," he began as soon as he sensed Tiffania's attention, "We have charms called Omamori. Temples make charms and put them in little bags. They provide protection and luck." He continued his work. He had originally acquired this bag to make an Omamori for Tiffania, but its use was needed sooner.
Tiffania looked on with interest. "I thought your country didn't have magic?" She questioned softly. She hadn't known Saito was a mage.
Saito snickered in response. "I don't think they actually work, but buying them for a loved one allowed them to carry your well wishes with them. I remember when I was very young my mother got pretty sick." He recalled the sad memory with a bittersweet smile as he finished weaving the twine through the bag. "My father and I walked up what felt to me like a thousand steps to reach the temple at the top of the mountain. I was so little, I didn't really understand, so I refused to get the charm for healing and instead bought my mother a financial luck charm, it was pink so I thought that was what she wanted." He smirked at his naiveté.
Tiffania tilted her head. How could a charm meant for financial luck be helpful?
"Still," Saito continued, "She loved it, and sure enough she was better within a few weeks. It wasn't magic that helped her; it was knowing I cared for her." Placing a musket ball within the pouch; he tightened the string and placed the makeshift charm around his neck. "Now, I'll carry your charm with me, always." Turning from his work to meet Tiffania's eyes, Saito smiled a true, honest smile filled with both weakness and strength. "Thank you, Tiffania. Knowing you care for me will protect me more than any magic could." Tears welled up within Tiffania's eyes. She couldn't contain the sadness and joy within. Slumping down, she pressed her face to Saito's chest and let her tears run.
In silence, the weak pair held each other and found strength in each other.
When night finally fell on the holy city, five shadows hid in an alley. One figure crouched with a lens pressed to his eye. Silently, he observed the paladins in the distance. "Right on schedule, the shift change is a happening." Under Louise's orders, he used Id's telepathy despite how strange it felt. Securing the artifact within his pouch, Saito turned to the others. "If we have to get violent, the missing guards won't be discovered until the net shift change." He looked to Louise, waiting for her orders.
Taking charge, Louise nodded, "I just finished with Cattleya. The back-up team is ready. Sylphid is asking after you, Charlotte, but Kirche has her under control." Looking out of the alley, Louise counted the seconds until they made their move. "Quick and quiet, if we are noticed use Montmorency's sleep draft if you can." Killing a paladin wasn't the best way to get the Pope on their side.
Turning to Id, Louise nodded. At her signal, the unseen familiar darted out, finding its way pair of border guards and passed to their right. With Louise and Tabitha up front and Montmorency bringing up the rear, the five moved as quickly and silently as they could.
On cue, Id climbed between a barely and a wall and pressed outward, toppling the wooden container. The action drew the guards' attention long enough for the group to get in range. "Mind Wipe." Tiffania whispered her spells range at the guards. The effects were instantaneous. A wave of cloudy thought fell over the two, shrouding their senses. Though they noticed the group of five passing them they soon forgot as the memory faded from existence.
The ten foot tall grated fence was an easy hop for the magical girls, even with Montmorency carrying Saito. The boy grumbled internally when he was set down on the other side, but followed along as professionally as he could. It was easy to carefully make their way through the cathedral gardens with id scouting for any guards. The Paladins rarely looked back into the cathedral, but they proceeded slow and steady regardless.
The first real problem came when they arrived at the cathedral entrance. "It's locked." Montmorency hissed, glancing back to make sure she wasn't noticed. The back entrance was well guarded and the only other way in was through stained glass windows that were sure to make a ruckus. She saw no place for a key, yet the door didn't budge. "Magically sealed." She thought in a worried tone as she ducked back into the shadows with the others. "I can break it down… but…" That would draw more attention than they could take.
Tiffania softly interrupted, "Give me a moment." Under her breath, Tiffania recited a spell. This was the first time she had tried it away from practice, but it was needed now. "Dispel." Though she was still having trouble with Explosion, Tiffania had learned Dispel with far more ease. The void magic that flew unseen from her wand found the earth magic holding the doors shut and consumed it hungrily. When her work was done, Tiffania's heart was filled with strength. She was helpful, not a burden!
The door opened with ease and the five figures snuck inside, closing it all the way save for a small crack. As agreed, Saito waited with his eye to the door and peered through the tiny crack, ready to sound the warning if any paladin guards approached. Carefully, Louise pressed open the second set of doors that led from the entrance lobby to the church proper. It took less than a minute for Id to scurry through the cathedral and back to her. "There is only your Pope and his attendant within." With Id's all clear, Louise swung the door wide.
Cloaks flowing back at their backs; Louise, Charlotte, and Montmorency walked forward with their weapons at the ready. Each set of eyes scanned for any danger Id might have missed, carefully forming a defensive triangle around Tiffania. The cathedral was tall and filled with ornate stonework and beautiful stained glass windows that sparkled in the faint candlelight. At the end, the pope knelt, praying at an altar of Brimir ascending to heaven.
The attendant spotted them immediately and stepped quickly between the Pope and the intruders. "Your grace." He hissed the warning and his hand found the sword at his side.
Yet just before the attendant could call out for guards, the Pope raised his hand. "Julio, stop. Don't force them to kill you." Indeed, Louise's staff hummed with energy. She was fairly sure she could restrict her attack to a non-lethal strike, but she would rather avoid the attempt if necessary.
The four girls stopped several lengths from the Pope, waiting for him to rise and place a hand on Julio's shoulder. "If they meant to take my life, they wouldn't have shown themselves." With a grimace, the attendant removed his hand from his sword. The Pope met the eyes of the intruders. "Louise Valliere, Montmorency Montmorency." He stated their names, recognizing them from the last time they met. Carefully, he dipped his head in a bow deeper than a greeting. "I owe you both more than a mere apology can give. Still, I apologize for my rash actions during our previous encounter." Though the action confused and angered Montmorency, she held her tongue and let Louise take the lead.
Louise's eyes warily glanced between the attendant and the Pope, "Not that I am displeased that we don't have to force you to discuss things rationally rather than sic a Cardinal on us, but what brought this on?" If Louise was simply worried of traps before, now she was on full alert.
The Pope grimaced at the mention of the Cardinal. "Please forgive him as well. Tomas may have seemed a monster to you, but he sacrificed much in the defense of the helpless. If you battle monsters as long as he did, it is hard not to see them everywhere." A moment of silence passed.
Louise doubted the Pope was stalling, but she pressed on nevertheless. "Why did you order us killed?" It was the first question that needed answering, and would give her a good read on the Pope.
The Pope's mouth opened momentarily only for him to frown and close it. Yet before Louise could press more, he spoke, "Understand, I hold my tongue out of concern for you. Even if you believed me, certain revelations can be… self-fulfilling." The Pope's handsome face twisted with worry.
While Louise hesitated and thought over every possible angle, Montmorency quickly pierced to the heart of the matter. "You knew about witches." When the term brought only confusion to the Pope's expression, she elaborated. "The transformation."
Recognition filled the Pope's eyes. "Yes, I was aware. Ancient liches, demons, witches as you call them. They are the final form of spiritkin. So you already know." He paused solemnly, "Then my caution is needless." With resignation, he averted his gaze for a moment. "Back then, I had only a cursory understanding from my readings. The judgment I made then was wrong, but it was made with good intentions. The last time your kind surfaced, the world was nearly destroyed." He paused, knowing his words were cruel, but they needed to be said all the same.
Though Louise hated to admit it, the Pope's reasoning was solid. Cold, but not necessarily evil in intent. "So you assumed us to be the only spiritkin," She used the term in place of Id's label, "And aimed to save the world before it was in danger." She should be raging at the callousness of it, but Louise was carefully suppressing her emotions.
The Pope nodded with measured caution, "Indeed. I did not know then that Void Stones were grief seeds, or that they could stave off the transformation. Had I known then, I would have gladly given any I could to you." Pulling an old, leather-bound book from his robes, the Pope opened it and showed the contents to Louise. Though at this distance she could not read, Louise realized it did not matter. She recognized the letters as the ancient tongue from Brimir's time. "Most of my knowledge came from this journal, it was Brimir's." Though he paused to allow the holiness of the relic to dawn on those opposite him, he did not realize they paused because they had seen their goal rather than out of piety. "Sadly, the Founder had atrocious handwriting and the old tongue is already difficult enough to translate. I had only deciphered bits and pieces during my scarce free time when I met you. I was so surprised, the Founder had always written that spiritkin were gone from the world, yet you appeared exactly as he described you. Well, besides being human." When Louise showed no surprise, the Pope noted that she was aware that spiritkin were originally elves.
Louise knew the Pope was measuring her, and decided to change tactics. "Tiffania, I won't delay you any longer, go ahead and ask." Staff still at the ready, Louise waited as Tiffania stepped forward.
With shaky hands and an equally shaky voice, Tiffania reached up and pulled the hood from her head, revealing her ears to the Pope. "My name is Tiffania Westwood." She spoke the words she had been mentally practicing. "I am a half-elf, and I am a void mage. I want to know why you are searching for me." It was difficult to remain calm. This man was the head of the religion that was the reason she had to fear being burned at the stake. Still, she held her composure.
If the Pope was surprised at the reveal, he didn't show it. "That question and Miss Valliere's share the same answer." It was Louise's turn to hide surprise. Though she had suspected void magic and her own to be related, she was not sure how closely her fate was tied to Tiffania's. "You see, the world is in danger." The Pope uttered the outlandish statement without batting an eye. "Currently magic gathers far underground. Windstones far below gather more and more magic. Eventually they will break free and rise up into the sky, carrying our lands with them. In the end, the land will be torn asunder, most will die in the initial cataclysm, and the rest will die battling over what little resources are left." The Pope paused; even now the idea haunted him. "Back when I first saw Miss Valliere and Miss Montmorency, I believed this to be a natural phenomenon; an event that could only be averted if I were to gather the four void mages." Locking eyes with Tiffania, the Pope continued, "Yet after I encountered your friends I was faced with two crises. I turned to more dangerous research methods and found that the two crises were in fact one and the same." Knowing he was confusing his audience, the pope gestured to Julio, who withdrew a satchel from his side and produced an ornate, circular mirror.
Charlotte eyed the mirror warily and readied her book. "Careful." She spoke. In her missions she had encountered many old artifacts, most of them dangerous. The fact that this mirror set her on edge was not a warning to be dismissed lightly.
Taking Charlottes warning in stride, Louise questioned, "I assume that is your more dangerous research method?" Louise could guess the name of the artifact, but she waited for the Pope to supply it.
Nodding, the Pope continued, "Indeed. It is the Founder's Round Mirror." Just as Louise suspected, it was another of Brimir's holy relics. "With it, I can delve into memories the Founder left behind. I took quite a few risks activating it the first time, but after our meeting, I knew they were necessary." Holding the mirror to face them, the Pope spoke again, "I would ask your permission to show you what I found. I fear it is not something you would believe me if I simply told you."
Louise considered the proposal. It could be a trap to waste time; however she still had a few tricks left. "Saito, have you been listening?" Pretending to be stewing over the idea, she conversed silently with her lookout.
From his position at the entrance, Saito replied, "I can't hear much, but I got the gist of it. Everything's fine on this end." He rested his hand on his pistol.
Confident in Saito's abilities, Louise gave her orders. "If anything suspicious happens outside, and we don't respond, take the Pope hostage." Directing her thoughts to the shadows where Id sat safely out of a possible line of fire, she ordered, "Id, as soon as his magic activates, climb onto my shoulder. If I fall under a mental suggestion, use my soul gem to force my consciousness back." Louise needed no confirmation from Id. The familiar was already moving. "I accept your proposal." With her acceptance, the Pope began chanting and the room was enveloped in light.
Louise squinted through the now-fading bright light. The Pope and his attendant Julio still stood before her. Tiffania, Montmorency and Charlotte also stood with her, but the world had changed around them. No longer did they stand in a grand cathedral, but a dense forest with odd, exotic plants. Vines twisted through the trees and exotic flowers bloomed all about.
With a suppressed gasp, Louise realized her body shimmered with an ethereal light. Like she wasn't quite part of the world around her but a piece of another pasted within. An illusion then, she realized. The Pope's voice still echoed as it had in the cathedral, confirming Louise's suspicions. "These are the Founder's recreated memories from the time when he first met spiritkin." Gesturing to his side, a young boy, perhaps a year or two younger than Louise knelt next to a log, looking beyond it.
The boy had short blonde hair clad in a worn travel cloak. He was as normal looking as they came in Louise's opinion. Save maybe for the staff laid next to him. A mage then? Or perhaps it was simply a walking staff. Still, Louise noted the boy did not shimmer like herself and the others, so he was a part of this world.
Louise followed the boy's gaze to a spring where she was surprised to see a woman her age undressing. Immediately blushing, Louise suppressed the urge to chastise the illusion. Looking back to the woman, Louise noticed what she had initially missed. Out from under her short red hair protruded two long and pointed ears. She was an elf.
The woman stood in her underwear, her pants already off and moved on to removing her shirt. In response the young boy spun around and sat nervously with his back to the log he hid behind. "Okay Brimir. You finally found an elf, now what?" Though she should have guessed it, the revelations to the boy's identity surprised her. The founder was before her in the form of an unassuming young boy. "Go out there now and she will get the wrong idea. I wait and things could get even worse… Think… Think, Brimir!" Louise honestly was stupefied.
A new, decidedly feminine voice called out from the water's edge. "Hello?" The elf called out in question.
Like an idiot, Brimir rose in response while rubbing the back of his head. "Hi, I…" He trailed of, realizing the elf was now down to her skivvies. There was a beat of realization. The elf hadn't noticed him and hadn't actually expected an answer. "I know this looks bad but please don't run away."
The Founder's worries were unfounded, as the elf didn't run away. No, he was introduced to a whole new set of worries when a short sword came spinning after his neck. The high shriek of the girl elf sounded and was matched only by the Founder's own shriek as he dodged. The elf charged him, her sword returning to her hand and flying once again toward Brimir as he beat a hasty retreat. "Pervert! Molester!" The girl cried out, carrying her clothing in one hand and using the other to launch attacks at the fleeing boy.
Rather than having to follow the boy herself, Louise watched in wonder as the world around her moved with the Founder as he fled, dodging yet another strike at his legs and calling out, "Please stop!" Hopping up, he cleared another attempt to cleave his foot. "Honestly, I really just need to talk!" In her fear and anger, the elf failed to see reason.
As the two ran, the forest twisted and warped, slowly changing into a twisted version of itself. Vines turned to chains, the dirt below became metallic sand, and the world shifted to something else entirely. Slowing to a stop, Brimir's staff flicked up to knock away the incoming shortsword before turning to watch it fly back to the girl's hand. "Did you do this?" He gestured to the world around them.
Gone was the forest and in its place a massive desert of metal rolled to each horizon. Dark chains hung from a silver sky, disappearing into nothingness. Still wary of the boy, the elf replied, "No… this is a Labyrinth." Readying her sword, the elf dropped her clothing. She could not drop her guard in favor of modesty. Not here of all places.
Glancing from the combat-ready elf to the empty surroundings, Brimir questioned her fear. "It is weird and all, but are we really in that much danger?" As if to answer his question a chain sprang to life and hissed at him with a mouth made of metal in a poor imitation of a snake. Like lightning it struck at his throat, only to be severed by a thrown shortsword.
The elf's blade was back in her hand in mere seconds. "Ready yourself or I may not be able to save you next time." Brimir rubbed his undamaged neck and readied his staff. Now his fearful eyes looked to the hundreds of chains in view, each hanging from seemingly nothing, and each and every one a possible enemy. "We do not need to win." The elf cautioned, "Help will be here soon."
A breeze blew by, stirring the air and rattling the chains. Grimacing at the sight of the stirring chains, the elf let her sword fly, arcing through chain after chain as they woke; cutting them down before they could strike. Yet it was not enough. Several were upon her immediately. She held out her hand, but her sword was simply too far. Chain snakes bit into her limbs, transforming into shackles. Pain lanced through her as each limb was immediately pulled in another direction. Yet before she could be torn asunder by the ghostly chains, the voice of that pervert she saved earlier resounded, "Dispel!" An invisible wave of power extended from Brimir's outstretched staff, with each chain it passed through falling limply to the sand. It took only a moment of freedom for the elf to clasp her sword and cut herself free. Reaching down to the elf, Brimir offered a hand, "Are you alright?" Still uneasy with the pervert, the elf ignored his offered hand and stood under her own power.
Dusting herself off, the elf replied, "Fine. That wasn't elven magic." She looked to his head and noticed his lack of proper ears. "You are a long way from home, human." He shrugged at the hard comment.
The dispelled chains began to stir, drawing a dissatisfied hiss from Brimir. "Aren't we both?" He spoke with forced joviality.
Letting her blade fly, the elf replied, "Actually, I am more familiar with Labyrinths than you assume." Again Brimir let out a dispel wave, quelling the chains around them long enough for the elf to cut several more down. "Can you keep that up for long?" They need only wait a little longer.
Taking a breath to replenish his strength, Brimir replied, "No, if I keep casting in quick succession like this, I'll tire out. My magic works better if I have a long cast time for better results. Think you can hold them off for a minute or two?" Again he returned to casting a hastened but weakened version of Dispel.
A swarm of chains darted in, but fell limp when the strange human's magic was released. The elf's sword flew, and yet more chains were cut down. "What am I, your shield?" her sword lanced out, catching a few chains darting in to stop the pervert's lengthy chant.
As soon as her sword staved off the snakes, the pervert stopped his mantra, noticing that the chains were retreating, pilling up into the sky. "Oh, well that worked out." He spoke, his annoying cheer once again returning.
"Start your chant." The elf commanded harshly. When all she received was a confused look of bewilderment, she commanded again. "Start your chant!"
Ushered on by the elf's evident fear, Brimir let words of power fly from his lips, forming a full spell for the first time this battle. It took everything he had to continue the spell when the sand below erupted forth in a great cataclysm. A monster dwarfing even the largest Earth Dragon broke free of the sand, covered in twisting black bark and baring a wide circular mouth with teeth that swallowed and churned the metal sand. Like a great drain it pulled more and more sand into itself, stealing the ground from beneath their feet. Brimir realized its intention too late, his feet were pulled from under him as the creature of teeth devoured more and more sand. The grinding of its monstrous teeth on sand sounded like a strange high pitched echo of the laughter of children run through by metal fiddles. The otherworldly sound hammered disturbing illusions of fear into his mind. On instinct, he continued his magic. He needed to finish this! Beside him, he saw the elf scrambling to get up, yet with no proper ground to brace against, she just tumbled repeatedly.
Turning his eyes back to the beast, Brimir knew he could not finish his spell in time, but even half-finished, the power might buy some time. Though standing on the shifting sands was impossible, he managed to get his feet under him. With one mighty push, he launched himself forward. Even if he couldn't take the monster out, he could stop it long enough for the girl to escape. As he bore down on the bed of teeth, he got a good look deep inside of its maw. In its depths, a smiling face without eyes swallowed everything that the teeth brought forth. Brimir instinctively knew that was his target. At this range, it was sure to kill him as well, but if he could save that girl… With dire conviction, he loosed his spell, "EXPLO-"
His spell fizzled when an arrow the size of a log impacted his chest, piercing him and driving him up and away. His staff tumbled from his grasp and he stared the arrow in muted bewilderment. Why didn't it hurt? A new, sickeningly sweet voice called out alongside him. "Rescue bolt, success!" Turning, he stared at the elf child standing on a similar log sized arrow midflight.
Sand pillowed into the air when the two landed. Both Brimir and the arrow riding elf tumbled through the sand, ending with a thoroughly confused Brimir looking at a pair of legs protruding from the sand. Another new face joined them when another childlike elf, this one older than the log-flying one, joined them, "You still need to work on that landing." When the new elf pulled the little one from the sand by her leg, Brimir finally got a good look at the two.
Though they both had silvery hair, the elder's was significantly longer. The fact that they were elves seemed a footnote compared to the ornate clothing they wore. Hardly the stuff one would wear to a forest, or to battle for that matter. Looking down, Brimir confirmed that, yes, he was still run though by some sort of log. "Hello, why am I not dead?" He asked with cheer. He wouldn't exactly say the prospect of living saddened him, but he was confused all the same. "An arrow like this-"
In childish indignation the younger of the elves shouted at him. "Bolt! It's a rescue bolt, not an arrow!" Smiling, she grabbed the bolt and pulled. Magic shimmered as the object left Brimir, leaving behind an unscathed chest. "And it didn't hurt you because I didn't want it to." Brimir lifted an eyebrow, what kind of explanation was that?
The elder sighed and tapped the younger on the head. "Enough with that. If we don't hurry, Yelma will finish without us. Just wait here, human." Before Brimir could interrupt, twin lights of green and blue blinded him. Summoned by unknown magic, the elder held a great axe and the younger what could only be described as a ballista rather than a crossbow. "Now, let's g-" Her words were cut off when a sword dwarfing even the teeth monster appeared behind them. Flames running along its edge, it crushed down on the monster, bisecting it in one swipe.
Brimir was at a loss for words. A state that only worsened when the world faded away, dumping him back in the forest he left. Only now he was with the elf that had been chasing him, and another, younger redhead about the age of the elder silver haired elf. The new redhead looked to him with fury. "You!" The new elf accused, stomping toward him.
In an instant, the new redhead grabbed Brimir's collar and pulled his face close. "What do you think you were doing to Sasha?!"
From behind his aggressor, Brimir's original target spoke. "Calm down, Yelma. He tried to save my life. We can at least give him a chance to explain himself." When Yelma unceremoniously dropped him, Brimir spied his savior, now fully clothed.
Finally finding his voice, Brimir put as much cheer as he could into it, "Well, I originally came to this forest seeking elves! I know elves and humans don't really interact…" Or get along in any peaceful manner, "But the fact is you elves have cities." Brimir was sure that was what they were called. "I want to know how you manage it. Every time humans gather, eventually they just all disappear. I know if we keep living as nomads we'll die out, so I came to ask for help." It wasn't quite the speech he had prepared, but it was good enough considering the circumstances.
When the four girls shifted uneasily, Brimir knew he wouldn't like the answer. Yelma answered, "It's because of the evil spirits." She shrugged. "That thing that just tried to eat you? Normal people can't see them, let alone fight them. Once they pull you into their labyrinth it's the end of the line for most people." She placed her hand to her chest, "Elves like us can become spiritkin and hunt them, but since you humans don't have any spiritkin, whenever you gather, you just become a bigger target." Stunned, Brimir once again found himself at a loss for words.
The revelation that humans, his species, were simply food for beings beyond his comprehension crushed in on Brimir. Tightening his fist he replied, "Let me come with you."
Yelma quirked an eyebrow. "That's it? I expected anger or begging. You know, we don't really go out of our way to protect you humans." The spiritkin that did generally waited for the evil spirits to feed enough to produce a grief seed.
Shaking his head, Brimir replied, "I'm sure you have your reasons, and I can't demand anything from the people who saved my life. So please just let me come with you. My magic wasn't completely ineffective. I'm sure if I work hard, I can develop a defense for my people." He could do it, he had to do it.
A paw pressed to Louise's soul gem resting in the crest of her mantle. Id forcibly wrenched her senses back to her. Startled, Louise glanced around, remembering where she was, who she was. "Are you alright?" The Pope asked, looking at her with worry. "You were getting lost in the memory. That is the danger I spoke of." He paused as Louise looked to her companions. They seemed fine, only sending glances of concern her way. Was she the only one who got lost in the memory? The Pope spoke again in warning, "Losing yourself a few times won't harm you, but lose yourself constantly and you'll start replacing your memory with the Holy Founder's."
It took a moment for Louise to calm down. There didn't seem to be anything wrong, thankfully. "I'm fine." She spoke to her companions as much as the Pope.
Nodding, the Pope once again concentrated on the mirror. "I'll try to skip through to the end as best I can, please let me know if you feel yourself being lost."
With a flash, once more Louise found herself in an ethereal form, standing near a campfire. Around the crackling flame sat five distinct forms, Brimir and the four elves. Pointing at each of them, the future Founder recited their names. "So you are Yelma, and this is your elder sister Sasha." He gestured from the aggressive younger sister to the less aggressive but still quite dangerous elder sister he had inadvertently peeked on. Turning to the littlest, he said, "And you are Lilia and this is your elder sister Rilyn." With nods returned, he crossed his arms and committed the mismatched names to heart. "So you are all… spiritkin?" He tested the word.
Yelma smirked and replied, "Yup, except for Sasha, she's our mascot." Grabbing her elder sister around the shoulders, she smiled.
Sasha did not appreciate Yelma's cheer. "Not mascot. I am their liaison to the council of elders." With one hand she removed her sister's arm and tried to look proper. She was the eldest one here, so it was her duty to be dignified. Louise held her hand up and placed it in her vision to remind herself that she was just watching, not part of the scene before her.
Brimir turned to the other two for answers. "She's our mascot." Lilia raised her hand in a vote.
Even the more professional Rilyn nodded, "Mascot," further cementing the embarrassing label.
Sasha's outburst and the following teasing faded as the world twisted once more. Louise was vaguely aware that time was passing. The Pope's voice echoed as he explained. "The Founder traveled with them for a time." Scenes played out at the edge of Louise's mind. She saw the four travelling through the woods. "Brimir met the beings that granted the spiritkin their powers." She held her breath when she saw a scene of Brimir chatting excitedly with an animal closely resembling Id. There were subtle differences, however. The golden rings around its "ears" were blue, resembling water and the fur pattern was different. But she intuitively knew it was an Incubator. Louise felt the Pope's eyes on her and she realized what his game was. Staying neutral, she looked on with forced curiosity. She wasn't about to reveal anything she didn't have to.
Letting out a breath, the Pope continued to push through the memories. Images flitted by Louise's mind. Scenes of laughter, of joy. The five were celebrating some occasion in one instant, then laughing over the campfire the next. Brimir's eyes shone in wide-eyed wonder at the buildings and people during his first visit to an elven city. Memories of Yelma's anger when they were forced to escort Brimir out, and of Lilia's compassion for the disheartened Brimir.
Even still, the five pressed on. Brimir beamed, looking down on the runes he had placed on Sasha's hand and brow. The Pope's voice explained, "Brimir copied what he could of the spiritkins' instinctive knowledge of their weaponry to create the Gandalfr and Myozunitonirun runes; granting Sasha mastery over weaponry and magic artifacts so she could fight alongside her sister." Memories flashed forward to the two redheads darting through the attacks of evil spirits. Louise once again had to suppress her reaction when she recognized Derflinger in Sasha's hands.
As time went on, smiles became more and more scarce. Suddenly, Rilyn was nowhere to be seen. With the five now suddenly four, the Pope spoke, "They learned the truth about spiritkin and evil spirits." Yelma stood screaming at her sister while Sasha kept her eyes downcast in sorrow and shame. To the side Brimir stood, holding a crying Lilia to his chest.
Lilia's voice echoed on the edge of Louise's mind. "Why? You were supposed to stay with me. How could you become..." Tears fell as Brimir held the girl to him, silencing her cries as best he could.
Time passed further, and soon battles were fought with all four. Once again the Pope explained, "The Founder developed Void magic in leaps and bounds. Taking what inspiration he could from his companions." As the Pope's voice faded, Louise saw time march onward. Then the pit in her stomach grew when Yelma disappeared. "In the end, all of the Founder's power was not enough." Brimir's hard, cold eyes glared at the previously seen Incubator.
Once again time shifted, revealing a grisly scene. In an unknown desert, the Founder stood alone. Hundreds of corpses littered the sands, each the body of a young elven girl. Lilia's own body rested at Brimir's feet and he looked up to the monstrosity before him. A demon beyond comprehension floated high in the sky. It was a mass of teeming white, fluid and solid at the same time. White tendrils exited from the sphere to claim floating grief seeds and pull them within it. "They're all dead," The Founder stated; his defeated voice void of emotion. "All the evil spirits, all the incubators, all the spiritkin. All that's left is you." He looked up to the forming monstrosity before him. "And me." Though his will had left him, Brimir still pressed on. Chanting, the air filled with his power. Magic runes sprang to life, hovering around the great forming beast. Even in its immature state, the being reacted in defense. Tendrils shot out, impacting the forming magic. Yet Brimir's spell held firm. He would finish this, "Eternal Seal." At his command, runes too numerous to count converged his enemy. More and more magic poured in more and more runes covered the beast. Soon, all that could be seen was the shining of Brimir's magic.
In one final great flash, the beast vanished. Kneeling, Brimir pressed his hand to the sand below. "Starve down there for all eternity." With that final statement, the vision dispersed, leaving Louise back in the Cathedral she never left.
Silence reigned for some time as Louise processed what she had seen. So many answers, but were any of them trustworthy? She steadied herself and pushed it all aside to be sorted later. The Pope spoke once more with a grave tone. "That evil spirit was what you called a witch. It later became known as an ancient lich or the great demon, and is still down in the depths below Halkeginia." Passing his eyes between each of the girls, he impressed the direness of the situation. "Even now it exerts its magic, filling the wind stones beyond their limit. It is the reason the wind stones are gaining too much magic. It is the reason that Halkeginia will be torn asunder." Bowing his head, the Pope quieted his fervor and spoke calmly, "The only solution is to undo the Founder's seal and release the great demon. To do that we need the four Void mages to work together."
Not one to be taken in by the grand scheme, Montmorency focused on a very specific detail. "Where?" At this, the Pope quirked a single eyebrow. "Where do you plan to unseal it?" Based on the Founder's memory, Montmorency could guess that unsealing the great demon would transport it at least to that desert from the vision, but she had a hunch there was more to it.
Taking a moment to swallow, the Pope answered honestly. "In the elven lands." Wide eyes met his, and he continued, "Even after six millennia of starving, I can only imagine how dangerous the great demon is. The elves are likely the only ones who can put a stop to it. Even if they fail, it should be weakened enough that a combined strike from our forces could finish it off. This plan is humanity's best hope." Raising his palms, he pleaded with his audience to agree.
As one would expect, Tiffania was visibly unsettled by the notion. Tiffania had never been to the elven lands, but her mother was an elf and she was kind. The elves in Brimir's memories seemed just to be normal people. Unleashing a monster on them just seemed wrong. In simple hope she asked, "Can't we ask them for help? Form an alliance and unseal the evil spirit with all our forces at the ready?" Tiffania shied away from the Pope's sad, cold eyes.
Shaking his head, the Pope explained plainly, "The elves have always treated humanity with disdain. They left us to be wiped out. If it weren't for Brimir, humanity would not exist right now. Since then, relations between elves and humans have only declined. It is a fool's hope to ask them for help. It will only tip our hand to them and endanger every living human." Taking a breath, he tried to comfort the half-elf, "I understand your fears. I give you my word that if you work with me, I will name you a saint and state that the Holy Founder has forgiven you for your blood. You and anyone you want can live within my city safely and happily." He raised his hand and pleaded once more, "We need the four void mages. I will pay whatever price you demand."
Charlotte, still wary, brought up a problem, "Joseph will not help." It wasn't that she was agreeing to the man's proposal, but she could see that he was controlling the conversation and she needed to give Tiffania the time to calm herself.
Turning to the blue haired princess, the Pope conceded, "I agree, but it is possible to force the magic from a mage. That is why you came along, isn't it, Princess Charlotte?" It wasn't odd for the Pope to recognize her. She had seen him more than once in her younger years on royal occasions and her blue hair was still quite distinctive. "With you, we might be able to lure in Joseph. Still, how did you know he was Gallia's void mage?" Charlotte gave no response, she wasn't about to dispense information without benefit. Disregarding the Pope, Charlotte turned to Louise and raised one more point, "Bidashal." She herself was unsure of the Pope's plan, and would defer to Louise. The pinkette was the veteran magical girl and had spent more time dealing with the problems that followed. That meant she was the best person to make the decision.
After meeting Tiffania, fighting Bidashal, and seeing Brimir's memories, Louise understood one very important thing. Elves might hate humans, but they were still people. They were living beings that had hopes and dreams. She would not sacrifice the humanity she had desperately clung to just to take an easy way out. "I… will have to decline your offer." She spoke the words with a heavy heart. Allying with the Pope would make things much easier, but she hadn't come this far just to sell her soul. "The elves hold spiritkin in high regard. I believe if we go to them, we have a real chance at getting their cooperation." With the relieved and satisfied looks she received from her friends, Louise knew she made the right choice.
With a sigh, the Pope took off his hat and handed it to Julio. "Very well. I am not foolish enough to fight you. So I will give you these in hopes they help you succeed in your impossible task."
Louise stopped the man, "The Round Mirror and the Founder's journal as well. I promise to return them to you, but we need them to restore ourselves." Though the Pope was surprised by the request, he quickly understood the meaning of it.
Nodding, the Pope accepted the terms, "Very well. Julio." He commanded his attendant, who took the items and walked forward.
As Julio approached, Charlotte she stiffened, ready for anything. Id's tail swished, brushing Louise's hair. Louise readied herself for an attack. The Pope had obviously been prepared to convince them to join forces with them. If it were her, she would also have a plan if that failed. He was giving up too easily. "Saito, all clear?" She asked just to be sure.
There was no answer.
Louise's mind flew into overdrive. Julio was mere steps from Charlotte and something was wrong. "Charlotte! Be wary! " There was no answer; no sign Charlotte even heard her. What? There was no way the telepathy wasn't working, Id was right here! In a panic, Louise made to open her mouth, but her body failed to act. It was then she noticed it: Id's paw was once again pressed to her soul gem. Her familiar was shutting out all control she had over her body! Every fiber of her being was poured into just moving her eyes to see her familiar's unblinking red eyes staring intently at her, its tail swishing against her hair as she tried in vain to move her body. Then, when the last of her control was stolen from her, Louise crumpled to the floor.
The next few seconds felt as if time had slowed to a crawl for Montmorency. Charlotte turned to see Louise fall, and in the instant of surprise, Julio's hand struck out. Though Charlotte's reflexes threw her into a dodge, Julio's hand still brushed his target, her soul gem. For a brief instant Charlotte lost control of her body, and that was all Julio needed to catch her gem with a second strike. Charlotte's eyes dimmed as some strange magic forced her unconscious.
Montmorency's hammer spewed steam, the bellowing cloud exuding from the expanding seams. She launched her strike toward the Pope's attendant only for Julio to dodge just below it and draw his sword in one motion. He swerved past the magical girl and his blade danced, clipping Tiffania's wand from her hand. Even as Montmorency rounded upon him, Julio spun around behind Tiffania, placing the half-elven girl between himself and certain death.
Time flowed normally once again when Montmorency stopped her strike. Julio's blade was at Tiffania's throat. Both Louise and Charlotte lay crumpled on the floor, and Saito was nowhere to be seen. Just when she was about to curse, the sound of armored boots on stone filled the hall. Dozens of Paladins poured in and sealed off the exits. Holding a hand up, the Pope stopped the paladins' advance. "Surrender now and no harm will come to you or your friends." Montmorency's hammer spewed more steam. Looking to Louise, she spied Id sitting next to its master, one paw on her soul gem. The Pope explained his intent, "That Incubator can destroy her phylactery with but a thought." Barely constrained rage filled Montmorency as she met the unchanging eyes of Id. Its damn tail swished back and forth and every fiber of her being wished she could burn right through it with her eyes alone.
Though the Pope held all the cards, Montmorency made no move to surrender. No, instead her rage turned cold. "No, you won't do that." Mad, crazed eyes met the Pope's. "I'm really not good at controlling my emotions, you know. If something were to happen to Louise, I might just lose it." A smile crept up her face as she saw a look of fear cross the Pope and his reply fall to mumbles of fright. The Pope needed Tiffania's magic and he needed Charlotte to lure Joseph. His only real hostage was Louise and if she died, Montmorency knew she really would just give up. "How about I take YOU hostage." When Montmorency crouched low, Julio dropped Tiffania and launched his blade forward, but he was far, far too late.
The stone beneath Montmorency splintered when she launched herself across the cathedral. Steam billowed out behind her, propelling her ever forward. Faster than one could blink, she was upon the Pope. But in that instant, the Pope spoke quickly, "Force Binding." Montmorency froze where she landed, just before the Pope and staring directly at an outstretched wand. What the hell? That was no spell she knew of. It was like her entire body was wrapped in some barrier resisting her every movement. The Pope sighed, "I wasn't expecting that." Relieved, he looked at Montmorency again, "I promise no harm will come to you or Louise." He looked at the soul gem resting between her goggles. Good, it didn't look black. What relief the Pope had faded when Montmorency's body budged. It was less than an inch, but it moved.
She would not be stopped. Montmorency poured her magic inward. She knew it made her stronger. She knew each time she used it her actual body got stronger as well. Now she just needed to speed up the process. Stronger. She felt her muscles tightening. Stronger! She pushed her magic into those muscles. Stronger! She changed those very muscles into something much, much stronger.
Whatever magic the Pope was using, Montmorency didn't care, she pulled against it, felt it weaken. She would not be stopped. Then, just before she was free, just before she shredded the last remnants of the spell, a new presence landed on Montmorency's head. Eyes mad with rage looked upward as a white paw contacted her soul gem. Her very last sight was of those unblinking, unfeeling red eyes.
A/N: You know, I'm considering giving this story an unofficial subtitle. "Unforeseen Consequences: The Unconsciousing." When I originally penned the outline, I really should have noticed how much I knock these girls unconscious.