Saturday, 3 November 2018, Cavendish family mansion, Edinburgh, Scotland
After the fifth word is discovered, the news are also coming from the side of the mansion, even more when Laura keeps going out to communicate about it, which is helping, besides another progress that the girls are making among themselves, a lot around what is to come with the defence technologies, taking advantage of the fact that it was a day of meeting between the girls of Arcturus and those of the mansion, who would be called for this moment of revelation.
The day was passing like any other, having a whole preparation, a lot around the plans also around Luna Nova, as in hiding from the cultists and still keeping a good hiding in the appearances of what they were doing, so they would pass false information to the cultist spies, what Daryl wasn't caring, just waiting for a moment to leave a bigger gap, as well as he doesn't know that half of the group is planning a mass counterattack.
The afternoon arrives with a meeting planned to happen, in a more hidden room all are gathering using a spell even to inhibit sound, where then also keeps everything closed so that the cultists do not notice, as well as still used dolls to distract them from the real meeting.
" Well here we are, I want to say that we have provided a new piece of equipment for our defences, an improved version of the one Constanze had made, which Hellene will have the honours of testing " Croix said regarding the MGE.
[Laura: Ohhhh, this new MGE thing is too interesting, you as always innovating Croix]
Hellene quickly picks up the MGE, starting to feel the magical energy flowing, besides her whole body connecting with the equipment, which makes her float a little, then she concentrates more and shoots with magic towards a target, which ends up destroying it with no pieces left.
" Woah! I had no idea it would even reach all that power even, that's a thick block of concrete " Meridies said impressed.
[Diana: We're also providing versions of ourselves as well as also piloting Magic Gears, which will be pretty much ready in a fortnight, at least all for us].
" And what about your plan? " asked Bernadette.
[Laura: We'll take a van from Glastonbury to Leeds, with all our equipment, leaving there, already armed, from there we'll go into the base in groups and play terror, we won't give Daryl a chance, if she's there, we'll try our best to make sure she doesn't get away with it]
" Ohhhh, so it will be in Leeds, good luck to you guys, I hope you manage to accomplish everything, we'll be here holding the ends " Said the older Cavendish.
" And there's more too " said the Italian.
She pressed a control and was showing some slides on the projector, regarding other defenses they made against the cultists, being one of them a force field, that was already made that creates a protection dome around the whole mansion, that could hold enough for the attacks, besides also positioning some weapons around the surroundings that shoot tranquilizer darts everywhere, on some towers of the castle that had been made for defense, but that could serve for the attack nowadays.
Besides that it had the extra layer of protection all over the mansion's structure that would stiffen like a secondary force field in case the first one was broken, this without the cultists noticing this defense yet, what was making the reactions of the girls that were in the middle of the Luna Nova woods delighted.
[Laura: You guys really are ready for whatever comes, but there's just one thing that really gets me, how are we from here going to know the exact moment the attack started?]
" Marianne has taken on this service to help us, she is going to bring a crystal ball, so we can talk between dimensions, by now she should be on the train and in a few hours she will be there," said Bernadette.
[Laura: Oh how wonderful, so I hope it all works out well, we'll soon be able to put an end to all this love, and our revolution and rebirth of magic will finally happen].
" Of course it will, we just have to believe it, let's do it for Chariot, she'll love to see what we've achieved, there from heaven," said Cavendish.
From there the call ended, since the girls went back to Arcturus, where there was no signal, which made things more difficult, but that would be temporary, since Marianne would arrive at some point with the crystal ball, which makes possible all this communication at huge distances. At the mansion things were still going on about the test of the devices.
" Well the MGE lasted the whole meeting, that's good " Meridies said.
" It's very angry here " Hellene said taking off her MGE.
" So what's it like using the MGE? " Rita asks.
" Man, the sensation is very good, you feel as if everything is on, like a machine, the movements go faster, the whole body feels it, I could see things going slower at times, this business changes the perspective even at times, with a good focus we can get a perfect gun and that is wonderful " McLaren said.
" Well then I will make more of these, they will be our protective equipment for when the time comes that everything will happen, but I don't know if we will have time or not, the important thing is that we start producing, all of us, together, that way we will be able to finish faster and focus even on other defenses, as you can learn how to move them " said the Italian.
" I really want to know how these things work, I get all confused when Mari is programming, it seems that her eyes only focus on this thing, I don't know how she understands that lot of text " said the purple"eyed one.
" Programming not so much, I would say that you will learn assembly, so follow me and I will take the opportunity to teach you " Said the lilac haired one.
And so all the girls of the mansion started to learn the basic assembly of an MGE, following Croix's steps, even if it was only in a superficial way, it would serve so that each one could accelerate the production of the equipment, especially since time is precious in this occasion.
Meanwhile inside the train there was Marianne watching everything, kind of taking the opportunity not to raise any suspicion.
" (I hope no cultists have noticed me, this mission might even risk our plans, even more so being this way).
And the hours went by, Leclerc kept looking at the landscape until she got down in Bristol, where she breathed relieved after arriving, she was walking, but before taking the taxi, she noticed a brightness coming from a place kind of hidden in the middle of some trees, what was walking in direction, noticing that it had disappeared, what she throws some magic shurikens, without anybody noticing, was starting to run until the place, where there she noticed the tears of the clothes of the person that was leaving, continuing to follow the steps, each time more close.
" It's no use running, I saw you spying on me, you bastard," said Leclerc, who eventually reached a denser part of the forest, where the cultist was there, half"armed, waiting for her.
" Ohhhh, so you really want to fight? I think Pulcher Magus would be proud," said the cultist.
" What? " The French woman said.
Whistles were heard, then the dark haired one simply gives a carry with magic where she is almost hit by one of the cultists who caught her from behind, which she takes advantage of to throw spectral swords towards the one she approached first and he defends them all with magical barriers.
" I can see they're kind of powerful," the man said.
" So it's a surprise attack? He wanted to lure me into the trap," said Marianne, who continued to dodge the attacks.
She was up against two of the cultists that were trying to use spells to chain her, but with all her malleability and technique, the Leclerc was dodging those spells as well as counterattacking with the spectral swords that she was invoking, even making one for her to hold, as if it were a katana she was going up on top of one and then the other who was trying to grab her back, used a magic where he replaced her presence by a tree trunk.
" What? " Said the cultist.
Marianne catches one of them in the distraction hitting a blow to the back of the head, then smiles at the one she was following, where she starts to go jabbing her own, as if with a katana and he was sort of trying to dodge it, using shield all the time.
" How can you be strong like that? " said the man himself.
" I don't know about you, but like this " said the Frenchwoman who used a chain spell that was pinning her own against the tree.
" You are only postponing the inevitable, we will still achieve our mission, you witches are not of anything " said the cultist.
" Well I don't know about you, but Pulcher Magus himself is deceiving you, how do you feel about knowing that your leader is also a witch? Or do you already know? I know you have a very intolerant policy towards them, but hey, stop spying on us, you know, you're getting in the way of our mission.
" This is a big lie, you are only saying this to destabilise us, I will tell the sovereign what happened here " He said himself and simply then Leclerc accentuates a blow that catches the forehead of the cultist who was left unconscious.
" Damn, I hope they finish some day, I can't wait to tell everyone about it " said the Frenchwoman who made sure to take a picture with her own mobile phone and then send it to everyone in the group.
From there she took a taxi to the city of Glastonbury, where she walked discreetly through the city, going through the woods, where luckily there wasn't any cultist following her or spying in the surroundings, walking until the portal, where the dark haired girl activates it and goes to the other side. Arriving at Arcturus, there they were all kind of resting, playing videogames, while they ate something, noticing the presence of her friend that they receive with a nice hug.
" Mari! " Akko said excitedly.
" I came with the crystal ball " said Marianne taking it out of her bag.
" Thank you Mari, you saved us now, but hey, was it quiet? Did you have any suspicions, any activity that you noticed that someone was watching us? " Laura asks.
" Yes you did, I met two cultists in Bristol when I came down from the station, apparently they must have been following me from Edinburgh, I took the opportunity to beat them up, they almost captured me, but luckily I managed to escape " Leclerc said.
" Woah, that's a sign we need to be more careful, but what have you done about them? " Amanda asks.
" I left a message, we'd say I'm going to cause a bit of chaos in the middle, they'll soon learn that Daryl is their leader and they'll be having an existential crisis, let's dissolve the cultists' group more " French said.
" That's if it works, they might not even believe her words, but when they find out the truth, it will be too late too, Daryl knows how to hide, everyone who found out has died so far, she is sparing no effort to hide her true identity, she would need a very vivid proof that she is the leader who took over " Frank said.
" What now? I kind of don't know if it's safe to leave now? What do I do? " asks the French woman.
" Stay here with us for a while, tomorrow you'll be back, let's enjoy and test the crystal ball " Diana said.
" Hellene won't be jealous of us hahaha " Laura said.
From there they gathered as a group to test the crystal ball, McLaren was activating it and starting to take a look, noticing that there was a lot of information around, until she managed to call the mansion, which was ringing, soon answered by Bernadette who waved to all of them.
[Bernadette: And it really seems to have worked ]
" Wow you look like you came from a mirror, it's weird hahahaha, it's all curved " said the redhead.
[Bernadette: Your breasts look like they took half of Arcturus from here].
" Good to know we are working, now I don't have to risk leaving here every hour to talk to you my love " Laura said.
" Just don't try to do things on a call," said Marianne with a smile.
" Have you tried to sleep here with these two, they think they don't, but they make noise, I have to keep using sound inhibition magic all the time because of these two " McLaren said pointing to Diana and Akko who were blushing, while everyone was laughing.
[Bernadette: I can imagine how tense it must be not being in your bed, Laura is not so different, is she? She talks and talks but when she's alone she's another one who can't control herself until she has me in her arms, stop talking about the others when you were the one with the collection of those things].
The older McLaren turns all red with embarrassment, everyone is laughing at the situation, until Marianne shows up to give a warning, especially to Hellene.
" Hey lady Cavendish, tell Hellene I'll be back tomorrow, you must have seen my message from the two cultists who showed up, I don't think it's safe to go back there today as they might try a second time " Leclerc said.
[Bernadette: I'll let Hellene know you can't be there, I'll make sure, by the way be careful when you come back, I'll arrange all the security when you come back, with vans and everything, that way I'll fool the cultists and you'll come back home safe, it may take a bit longer, I just don't want to lose my wonderful daughter"in"law to those cultists]
From there they kept talking, even Hellene was marking her presence, being too sweet specially with Marianne, who was spending a considerable time talking, until later Laura was the one who got the ball of the time and stayed there for hours talking with her wife.
Meanwhile away from there at the cultists base, a long time had passed after Marianne's fight against the cultists and with that they arrived at the base back and went to talk with the leader herself to tell her the news.
" So what do you guys bring here to be such big news? " Cavendish said.
" We met one of the witches, unfortunately we couldn't defeat her, she is very strong, she ended up trapping us, it was Marianne Leclerc " said one of them.
" Sorry for our failure sovereign, but we could not be a match for Marianne, if we can do the mission again with more men it would be wonderful, they are not as weak as we think they are, we have to take... " Said the other until he was silenced by the leader.
" Shut up! You failed in a basic mission, you should be killed for that incompetent people who think you are to ask for something more " said the woman herself getting up and walking towards them that continued terrified.
" Sovereign, we did our best we couldn't fight a powerful witch, have mercy on us, give us a second chance and we can too... " Said one of them who was immediately thrown towards the fish without even having the chance.
" Sovereign, before you kill me, answer me one thing, are you a witch? " said the one who was left, walking backwards, and at that moment the witch herself stopped.
" Ohhhh, so where did you find this out " Daryl said taking off his mask which caused a huge shock.
At the same time the cultist started to defend himself, he was angrily attacking Daryl, casting spells without stopping, all the time, only the cultist himself kept on laughing at everything, until he stopped him and threw him against one of the walls and, enraged, stood right in front of him in a threatening way.
" I repeat! What made you think of that? Who told you? Speak up " said the furious witch.
" It was... It was Marianne Leclerc herself, she who told me about it... " At the same hour Daryl furiously gives a stab and then throws himself into the fish tank, which ends up getting thoughtful.
" (Damn, they know it's me behind everything now... But that doesn't change much, just that some of mine may have escaped, bastards! I'll take them one by one, I have to know who it is).
Daryl then puts on his mask, sits down on the throne and soon another one of the members arrives there, getting a bit terrified when he notices that the proper one was furious, but he still kept walking there.
" Sovereign, we have discovered that we have a deserter in our midst... " The member said.
" And who would he be? " Angry Cavendish asks.
" Frank, your son sir, he ran away from here, we discovered by spying back there in the mansion the strange man who arrived a few days ago, he betrayed us, what should we do? " Said the man himself who was already noticing Daryl's anger.
" Kill him! Without any mercy! He's with the witches! Let's kill them all! That is my order! When the day of the attack comes, we'll kill them all! " I told Cavendish.
At this point the herself has the realisation of what has happened, even in shock to learn that Frank had survived and escaped to the mansion, but at the same time half knowing the others this information was not of such importance, since Frank could never return to the Culists without being killed.
Marianne managed to successfully accomplish her mission of bringing the crystal ball, which will greatly improve the communication between them, even more in case the attack happens, the preparation has already been done, leaving the ground ready for what is about to happen, on the other hand Daryl herself found out about Frank's escape and that the girls know that she is the current leader.
See you, ninja witch...