Truth or Dare – Truth!
Next day of the hearing. Blade had the simplest black dress on, despite the fact the girls wanted to dress her basically in a ball dress. She had vehemently fought against that idea. After all, if she wasn't allowed to use magic she at least wanted something she could fight in and trousers weren't an option. Team A, Team E and Memphis from Chaos squad were all present as well. The nobility of Desertia wasn't as unified as before and it showed in the questioning. Still, Lady Philopa and many of them had launched a counter of countless occasions where Witches had truly trespassed and used force to hurt many of the soldiers or helpers from other kingdoms. And even more accounts of Witches which were sent of the world and had sneaked back. As well as hundreds of statements and data about the attack on the Anti-Teleporter-Shield. Those accusations could not be denied by Griffin or the farmers and were most often found true. Since even if the Witches had an official reason to come to Desertia, it didn't give them the right to ignore the ban. Which also was proven to be within Desertian law. Yet the Council noted that the timing and use of the ban were a bit wobbly and there would have been better ways to deal with the situation. Not to mention the one thousand Maggi fee they had charged them only a few days before. The Witches had declined the chance to be repaid since most of those funds were already being used by the farmers to save their farms and finish repairs. Only the Desertian Witches were to be compensated directly. Blade suspected that that was part of the deal Griffin had made with Madu. Since in the breaks she heard some Sorceress chatter about it still pissed. Blade had been tired all day. And Virion had a keen eye on her at all times. He had objected to her partaking since Blade was not ready to be back sitting all day. But the girls had other plans. Currently, it was the afternoon and it was yet another soldier's turn to tell his horrific encounter with the Witches.
"It… it was horrible I mean we just secured the district as I just told you. We had everyone safe and secure. The Witch was in custody, but then the shackles misfunctioned and the Witch flared up her magic and then those Jackals came rushing in. I don't know where they came from, we must have overlooked another... The Witch freed herself grinned like the devil and simply flew off!" The man was visibly shaken. He trembled in anger just recalling the incident. "I don't care what you say," He glared at Griffin at her podium. "If the Witches had been innocent they all should have stayed and fought beside us! Instead, they fled. Those black magic monsters killed my childhood friend. I will never forgive that. The innocent doesn't run. And those who uphold the balance don't do either!" He was seriously pissed. "We were overrun! My whole squad!"
'Yet another horrible story of Witches fleeing the battlefield… not good,' Snow commented saddened in the psi-link
'Sorceresses…' Blade corrected her.
Dahlia puffed, 'Yeah, yeah… problem is Griffin doesn't know every Wi-Sorceresses or who it was on which occasion. This is battering them…should we truly wait so long?'
'Guys, don't jump the gun. We need to use our case smartly,' Julius cautioned them.
'Still… they sound so whiny as if others haven't lost people…' Nebula balled her fist.
'And still, they lost people too…' Lion replied to her. 'Their grief is as valid as ours.'
'…but they are blaming it all on the Sorceresses, just because it suits them,' Blade breathed heavy. The last recess where she could lie down had been at least two hours ago.
'Hey, you alright?' Mercury asked concerned. And everyone couldn't help but stare at Blade.
Councillor Aithlin noticed the gazes and glanced at Blade, 'Where is the world coming to if wounded have to sit in a hearing because they feel they have to? Or they seem weak…What's so damn important that they are pushing themselves so hard?'
'They got a case and are waiting for the right moment,' Councillor Eaden commented drily in their psi chat. 'Want me to tell Virion that he is granted to use strong healing magic?'
'Yes, please,' Councillor Cahagan answered, 'But he won't use it either way… He made his case pretty clear. Constantly charging up through Wizards, plus the overuse of magic was what put her in that state in the first place. She won't and can't rely on that tactic, especially on school missions, where she is accompanied by younger Wizards if at all.'
Councillor Eaden kind of ignored the explanation, 'Hey guard, you just have been granted healing magic by Councillor Cahagan. Your ward is distracting us. Do something.'
Griffin was holding back her rage as much as she could, but she still couldn't help but sarcastically comment, "Well, if you got overrun, how come you're still alive…if you are allowed to hide so should the Witch…"
The guard stared at her, "What? Is this a joke to you?"
"If all died in your squad besides you then obviously the retreat was the better call. Not to mention that the monsters came from the direction of the palace. And your medical history which was submitted doesn't state any big wounds. So, in conclusion, you hid or fled yourself," Griffin explained with a slight smirk.
"How dare you!?" The soldier got riled up. "If that Witch had just come with us and not used her magic, she wouldn't even have attracted those monsters!"
"I thought you said it had to be another Witch that summoned them…" Griffin crossed her arms. "Now, they simply appeared."
"Because they did!" The man hammered on his podium.
"So, you don't even know if it was a Witch who summoned them. It just fits your opinion. Next, please," Griffin looked at Councillor Shiri, who was more than ready to move on to the next witness report.
'Virion go do something…' Iolas ordered his subordinate, who hadn't moved out yet.
Virion shook his head in disapproval, 'If she's not up for this she should be in bed. Zhoron link me in with them.' He stepped towards her. 'Ms Ashfallow, where is the pain?'
'I'm fine. I won't leave,' Blade protested instantly.
Kai chuckled, 'Typical Blade. He didn't say you have to leave.'
'Pain, where?' Virion repeated his question as the others tried to encourage her to speak up.
'It's nothing more than a sting in the chest, alright? Tense muscle or something. Will you all chill,' Blade complained a bit.
'Right or left?' Virion asked patiently.
'Right side…' Blade heard only silence from Virion. 'Fine, alright, it's the left nearer to the heart, happy?' She was on edge. Nothing would get her out of this hall. Not so close to the finish line.
'Sit up, right, please, and relax your shoulders,' Virion commanded more than he requested. Blade followed suit even if her face twitched in pain shortly after shifting the body around. Virion placed his fingers widespread along her straightened back and pressed in as he shot just an ounce of magic through his fingertips.
Blade was surprised by the sudden magic spike and then felt her muscles relax. They relaxed so much that in fact, they didn't react to her anymore. She feared she would fall over to the front since she couldn't tense them up again. Yet gently and discreetly Virion pulled her towards him so she leaned against his armour.
'What did you d-' Nebula of course had noticed and freaked out a bit.
'Relax, I just hit some pressure points…and short-circuited some nerves. If you are not willing to take the break your body wants, I'll make you. You'll thank me later. Now concentrate on your hearing.' He simply stood there as if it was the norm. He had drawn next to no attention from anyone.
Blade's breathing slowed down and the pain subsided gradually. Blade didn't like the fact that she couldn't move on her own, though the feeling was coming back step by step. Yet having something to lean against was bliss even if she hated to admit it and she didn't ask him to leave.
"Of course, the monsters came from the palace, You Witches attacked it! You're just fucking cowards. Just the same as with the Reaper's Children!" The Guard wouldn't leave the podium and the elven security was about to move in to gently guide him away, so the next witness could be called. There was an awkward moment of silence and tension in the room. "We all know it!" He glared at Griffin.
"The guilty have not yet been found. Speculation has no weight in this hearing," Councillor Sybilla stated clearly.
"Who needs another hearing for that? This is obvious," The guard crossed his arms and turned around.
"He's got a point," Lord Talon added, "I'm not saying it was them, I can't prove that. But how come you had no casualties?" The Desertian noble glanced at the slightly more filled ranks behind Griffin. "There has to be a reason."
"Oh, like what?" Headmistress Griffin glared at him challengingly.
Talon raised an eyebrow, "Maybe an item or an unauthorised spell to keep them away. If I had something I would have used it myself. Just saying…could have used it to actually help out everyone..."
"Help out? Spells? Dear Lord Talon, we both know that unauthorised magic is forbidden in a hearing. That's why only I and my Professors were the only ones to use a shield spell in convergence, even if we hadn't the go for it yet. Since we as teachers have that emergency option through the school laws, it is our job to keep our students safe. And that goes above all things or would you rather have seen more dead children trying to fight of Reapers."
"But you, yourself, didn't even request to help out, now, did you?" Lady Philopa grinned. "You just watched the chaos ensue. You simply placed a payment and watched. It's Desertia all over again."
"What?!" Griffin clawed so deep into the podium that wood chips flew off. "You have no proof that any of us attacked the palace or sent the reapers!"
"Oh, really, then all those reports of the guards inside the palace who made it, as well as the workers, are all a lie? Come now. Who would believe that? I gladly call on the witnesses of the palace or the garrisons. If you think yesterday was a lot of proof. Why don't you just admit it was you? Thousands of people saw the palace collapse, you read the interviews they were conclusive." She made a dramatic pause. "Noting you say can save your students or beggars that fell to your doorstep. They are guilty. The reports state so clearly."
Rabia, the old clothing store lady from Desertia, laughed so loud, "People, eat shit, a million flies can't be wrong!"
Steela couldn't help but chuckle about Rabia's joke like most of the young Witches in the rows.
"And what are you laughing about, young lady?" Shawaka, Leader of the Fairies and daughter of the late Lord Shabaka, asked a bit pissed. So far, she had listened very closely to every report and Griffins comments and had stayed in the background. "Aren't you the one, who got arrested by our late Queen herself? If I were you, I wouldn't be so full of myself."
"So, what? If the joke is good or are you going to ban laughing as well? Huh? Come say it. Desertia is my home. I simply wanted to help my family. But nooo, you are so dumb that-"
"STEELA!" Griffin quickly turned around and gave her a death stare. She breathed out slowly to calm herself. 'Stupid kid.'
Steela quieted down and only whispered, "You can kiss my ass, Moth..." And puffed away a strand of her neon-green hair.
Councillor Neptune exploded, "You will show respect to your elders and your Nobility, child!" He had been close enough to hear.
"That's it. Why? Huh?! So, I get imprisoned again!? It was my right to help my family. Everyone else was, or was that right revoked once I became a Witch? Because no one told me!" Steela was so fed up with this whole hearing. For days now, she had to hear those grand speeches and hot air blowing out of their asses. She knew she was safe, she was in the possession of the mission papers from Jewels, no one outside the Witches besides Blade knew for sure about to her knowledge. In her mind, there was no way they could touch her. She also knew like all in Griffin's close circle that it had been a Coup. She had hated the Desertian nobility for so long, but Jewels had given her hope for a useful and just resolution. And possibly a better future. Just to find out that she had been betrayed and killed a day later. And unlike the two fairies sitting in the front row biding their time, she was itching to drop the bomb in the room.
"Sit down," Headmistress Griffin was beyond furious.
"Oh, fuck this playing chicken. You have been glaring at me for days now." She stared at Councillor Neptune. "So, come, spit it out already. I am sick and tired of your-"
"YOU!" Councillor Neptune rose up and created a water sphere in his hand.
Cahagan quickly reacted, "Desist!" He cancelled the spell before the merman could shoot it. "Councillor Neptune you are out of order. Sit DOWN."
"If she is eager to face the Council, let her. Come down," Lady Philopa grinned devilish and calmed down the heated room.
"You'll sit your ass down," Griffin growled at her. 'This is not the right time for this.' She addressed her student in their psi-link.
'You have been saying this for days. I will not hide! They ki-'
'Shut it, this is psi-connection. Not Cloud Tower. Sit down!' Griffin and Steela had a glaring contest.
"What are you waiting for, child?" Lady Philopa poked Steela further. "We can judge you now if that is what you desire. It will lift that burden off your shoulders, you've been carrying for so long." Lady Philopa loved this too much. 'She's your weak link, Griffin. I will not give you more time to ridicule us. Your time is up.'
"MY BURDEN?! OHH, you're so on!" Steela had been about to sit down, but that was the last straw. Alyssa tried to hold her back. Gilliana was falling from her seat giggling.
"I request a recess!" Headmistress Griffin couldn't believe this. Her student was falling for such a simple diss. They had planned for so much more. She still wasn't sure who Lady Philopa's allies were. Where the crystals came from. Who actually was in on the Coup, besides those who had already been killed? 'Stupid, retarded child, she's destroying our chance for gathering intel! I want to squash them all not just those easy fishes in the net!' She thought to herself she heard the all-dooming answer from Councillor Eaden.
"The request for recess was denied…" He proclaimed after a second of silence. 'How stupid are all these kids…'
Councillor Sybilla pointed at a podium, "Please, take your place." Then she turned to the nobles, "Please, state your accusations."
Nebula and Blade stared at each other, 'What do we do? Now? What is going on? Is this part of the Witches' plan!? Stage play?'
Nebula shook her head, 'I'm not good at reading Griffin…but Faragonda is not happy. We gotta wait anyways to enter till after the accusation,' She had glanced to Faragonda to get a better read of the situation. Ever since she knew Organa was her, she suspected that Griffin and Faragonda had a plan together.
'Don't jump the gun Ladies,' Julius answered tense.
'Why are Witches always so…' Michael commented.
'Sorceresses!' all of the Fairies corrected him.
'People, at the ready,' Iolas called out to his guard squad in their separate psi-link. 'Priority safety.'
'I'll take our potato sack and run,' Virion moved his hands closer to Blade, so he would be able to grab her quickly. For the guards, there was no telling what would happen if the kids really decided to make the statement of the Coup de 'tat.
Lady Philopa breathed out and opened her eyes slowly focusing on that young Witch like a predator on its prey, "Where to start...? The list is long. She resisted her arrest heavily, she had to be carried by several men. But what actually let to the arrest was not the ban, but the simple fact that she used corrupted Sand Golems to destroy the MagicWeb Tower. She was caught red-handed at the site. She has therefore committed murder on three cases. Heavy injuries on another fifteen, and the rest got lucky so to speak. Quite frankly it is beyond me, how you allowed Headmistress Griffin to keep her inside the Tower. She should have been in prison from the start, which she actually was. Until she broke out with the help of another three Witches and fled. And not six hours later the assassination of the King and Queen and the destruction of the palace ensued." The room was quiet. Those were the first actual proofs that it had been the Witches who destroyed and killed so many. "The reports were already submitted all two hundred and seventy-one. From guards at the Tower, workers, the soldiers in the palace…"
"So, what, they couldn't catch me a now second year. Your soldiers must be shit no wonder your palace crumbled to dust. So, are their memories," Steela crossed her arms unimpressed.
"Your lack of manners is astonishing, my dear," Lord Yenma, Leader of foreign affairs, commented. "You have no respect for life."
"I don't have respect for life? I went to the Tower as I saw it getting attacked by Sand Golems, Corrupted ones. I stayed besides your stupid troops rushing in to help way too late. The only reason there are only three dead is because of me." Steela protested harshly.
"Ha, that is the story you're going with?" Lady Philopa shook her head and ignored the girl and looked straight at Griffin, "Pathetic."
"It is her job to defend herself. My students can do that on their own," Griffin looked to Steela, 'You better don't screw this up. Don't drop the bomb, just get yourself cleared. You hear me!'
'Yes, alright, I get it…' Steela answered her in the psi-link, "It's not a story it's the truth! Check my head if you think I am lying." She looked to Councillor Eaden.
"That has been forbidden for centuries now. It had been misused to replace memories and also as long as someone believes something to be true you get the same reading, even if it's not the whole truth. You must proof this yourself by other means," Councillor Eaden sighed. 'She's not lying though…interesting.'
Lady Philopa grinned, "You were at the bear attack on late Crown Princess Birdy, which failed. Your little commoner friend was there as well, wasn't she?" She gave a side glance to Blade, who wasn't in the best condition. "Now, you show up with Sand Golems."
"If you already use your stupid soldiers' reports, then tell me, how do you explain that I was found under the wreckage unconscious and steel pillars made by my magic protected several of your men? At least say the facts as they are," Steela bitched back.
"Oh, gladly, you planned this in advance, it was proven that it was your magic that, broke and corroded the tower's antenna and structure on top of the Sand Golems. It was your plan from the start to use this defence. But the fact is you destroyed the Tower and cut off all of Desertia from the outside."
"That Tower was beyond repair already. Then I got there. I used what was at my disposal as any other would have done," Steela ground her teeth.
"And still you are lying. It wasn't just you. The late Queens reports state that two more students were with you in your home town. And we found remanences of more Witch magic than yours. If you are lying about this, how can anyone trust anything you say? You didn't even want to state who was with you in your report," Lady Philopa grinned superiorly. "I think you just want to cover for your co-conspirators. Or am I wrong?"
The whole light faction was in an uproar now. Steela could feel the sudden change in the atmosphere. And she was faced with a bunch of callouts and resentment. She bit her lip, "And what's wrong with fighting in groups? You do it all the time!"
"Your friends got cold feet and fled the battlefield. You finished the job with the tower. Again, if you Witches wanted to help, why flee? Good people have nothing to fear from the law," Lady Akela, the environment minister pressed further.
"Oh really, I think it was already proven enough, how your justice was carried out. Not to mention your stupid fee!" Steela simply couldn't calm down.
'Blade, where are you going?' Snow asked confused as she saw Blade getting ready to stand up. 'You are too weak…'
'I can do this… she is waiting way too long. She's not alone. She needs to know that,' Blade had noticed that her muscles were back to reacting fully and slowly made an afford to stand up. Besides she knew the feeling of getting battered at the podiums all too well.
"Those old Witches were your accomplices they were the ones who altered the runes. And then they broke you out. This was the grand plan. It always was. It all fits," Hasir, Grandfather of Hassan, hammered down on his podium. "Just admit it!"
"No, it wasn't, we-"Steela tried to speak up.
"You ran through half the palace, you had plenty of time," Lady Philopa pressed harder.
"I-" Steela tried to get a word in. 'Will they ever shut up…urgh!' She looked to Griffin but since she was still pissed that Steela had jumped the gun was in no mood to help her.
Blade walked towards the podiums. Virion did not leave her side though, he was but a step behind her. Blade marched past the light faction podiums straight through the middle, which was really bad manners as she used two fingers to whistle so loud that everyone shut up because they were utterly irritated.
"Ms Ashfallow, please sit down again," Councillor Aithlin was a bit worried since against standard protocol Virion was with her and that was never a good sign.
"I can't, I was just accused of altering the palace runes," Blade grinned at the nobles, "I have a right to defend myself." She took a podium right next to Steela.
Councillor Iawenna nearly spat out her drink, "What?!" Now everyone was confused.
"What in Magix are you talking about?" Lady Shawaka didn't understand the world anymore.
Blade breathed out her body wasn't happy about walking at all but it worked out so far, "Yes, Lady Philopa there was a plan in place. Late Queen Jewels herself tasked Steela and other Sorceresses to check out the water problem. Specifically, the hoarding and whatever they could find. After all, Witches are not only good at doing things unseen, but also at finding them. And that rations weren't delivered for various reasons was already proven in this hearing."
"Oh, I would like to see the proof of that," Councillor Neptune rolled his eyes. 'I can't believe this. Dark Fairy form, allies with the Witches, conspiring with them… I will retract my support for her internship immediately…'
'Shhhh, no one cares about your politics. I want to hear this. So juicy,' Shiri shut him up in the Councillors psi-link. 'Finally, we're getting somewhere…'
"Eh, yes… Headmistress…" Steela looked to Griffin.
"…" Headmistress Griffin looked towards Faragonda as she pulled out a paper from her décolleté, "Kindly pass on the rest of the mission papers."
Headmistress Faragonda looked to Saladin who in return looked to Codatorta who pulled one paper out of his belt pocket. Faragonda pulled her paper out of her handbag and made her way down towards the Councillor's stances and picked up Griffin's on the way. "We hereby submit the official mission papers of Steela, Alyssa and Gillianna signed and sealed by late Queen Jewels and Crown Princess at the time of authentication. "These state as the following, I Crown Princess Jewels, grant you hereby amnesty on all accounts for the duration of the prior negotiated undercover mission to investigate the water rations and those responsible. And any other disregard of the Desertian law that may be revealed. They are to be ranked as Crown investigators and therefore have access to all estates and properties. The mission is over once the report is submitted or the mission is no longer prolonged. The following Witches are included Steela, Alyssa, and Gilliana prior stationed in Khito." Faragonda handed them off to the Council first.
"No way…" Hasir couldn't believe it.
Talon and Shawaka glared at Lady Philopa, "But that means they had the full trust of the late Queen…"
"Impossible!" Lady Philopa went to see it for herself. It was official paper and ink and everything. "Such a mission has to be granted by the royal court there never was such a meeting…" Quickly she recalled what laws there were to undercover missions.
"Well, maybe the late Queen had reasons not to trust her own court," Steela grinned sheepishly. "As I said, you can kiss my ass."
"How long was that backdated!?" Lady Akela checked it herself, "But that was made just after the prison break, those are fakes."
"They are not," Blade breathed slowly. She felt that her legs began to shake. Her heart was pounding not because it hurt though, she was excited. They had them caught off guard finally and with something very solid. "I was standing right next to her as she ratified them."
"Doesn't matter, with only one signature they are worth nothing by Desertian law such an amnesty can only be granted if two parties are ratifying it. You're missing one," Lady Philopa knew Desertian law to the letter. "And the other old Witches are not included."
"Indeed, and no one accused you, Ms Ashfallow of altering the palace runes," That statement had gone under in all the commotion, but Lady Shawaka was still hung up on that.
"But you did, to answer you both. We fake arrested Alyssa to extract Steela undercover. The late Queen and I were the old Witches. We broke them out. There never was an attack inside the palace. Unless you want to claim that Queen Jewels herself blew up her own palace," Blade smirked. "Your version is full of holes."
"That's a tall tale, you have not the magic abilities to fake Witches that closely," Lord Talon noted.
"We used potions from the treasury…horribly tasting ones…" Blade shivered by just the thought of it.
Cahagan shook his head, 'Do they even understand how dangerous that is? Those are ancient, who knows what side effects they had…'
'Ahahaha, youth, got to love the stupidity!' Votzaak giggled in the psi-link.
"Potions? So, the late Queen Jewels decided that on her own accord. Councillors you can't possibly take this seriously! The Crown Princess simply fell for a ruse. If it wasn't them then other Witches used the prison break as a distraction. Don't let one foolish mistake stand in the way of justice." Lady Philopa pleaded with the Council.
"A mistake?!" Blade and Steela balled their fists.
"The only mistake she ever did was trusting you!" Blade bared her teeth, she was so tense suddenly.
"Just look at her, she's completely taken in by their story," Yenma addressed the Council, "Please, that commoner wasn't in her right mind then nor is she now. She is biased beyond the point of even considering that she has been used."
"HOW DARE YOU!? Jewels was the first Queen that actually could have led Desertia into a bright future!" Steela clawed into the podium and held on to it trembling. "She made that decision on her own free will!"
"Recess!" Faragonda and Griffin shouted anew.
"Well, if she was still alive we could have asked her. But you Witches made sure of her demise. For all, we know you blackmailed her into helping you," Lady Philopa riled them up even more. 'Come on, attack me you little shit.'
"Well, if you didn't KILL HER, SHE WOULD BE STILL ALIVE! FUCKING TRAITORS!" Steela completely lost it, she toppled the podium, eager to scratch their eyes out.
Everything escalated in seconds. The guard, who had stated his report dashed towards Steela to land a punch. He was furious beyond belief. "HOW DARE YOU!?"
"STEELA!" Blade rushed forward to protect her. Just as other farmers did.
"Wall of Darkness!" Headmistress Griffin cast a shield around Steela.
Virion pulled Blade back and held her in a tight hold, "You're in no condition!"
Steela was ready to use her magic but instantly was bound by a hex circle by Councillor Votzaak.
Out of the blue, Hasir butted heads with Akela, "You, how could you!" He had known her for years and her gossiping behind the back of the Crown was no news to him. It had gone on for generations and only grown worse. Since forever she wanted a strong bloodline on the throne and she was very conservative and hated the current changes and the way things ran. "Just because you disagreed for the last years?! Or was it because of the lineage of the crown princess?"
"What?!" The elven Lady was outraged. A massive infight got broken loose in the noble ranks.
Some of the farmers rushed to the guard and pinned him down, "Attack one of us deal with us all!"
The elven security rushed in with lighting steps and tried to split everyone apart.
"ORDER!" Councillor Aithlin shouted but it was for nothing. The confusion and uproar spread throughout the hall. People on the stances started to fight with each other loudly. It was not just the nobles. But farmers, simple onlookers, Witches, anyone really.
Councillor Eaden flared up some magic and held his head as the sudden overload of psi-chat created a giant migraine for him, "So-" He almost didn't make the spell until he got a boost from Gadiel and Nerrocean. "Socordia!" And he finally shut all off the psi links in the hall besides their security.
"Quietus!" Councillor Cahagan chanted to suppress all light magic just in case.
Councillor Votzaak followed suit, "Mutus!" And suppressed all dark magic. The runes on the walls lit up. Another round of green energy erupted from the security guards' armour to cancel out the spells for them.
"Let go!" Blade had turned to face her healer and looked back to Steela save in a shield. Both of them would not back down from this fight.
"BLADE!" Nebula tried to get to her friend but their guards held her in place as well. She was scared for her friend because of the brawl that broke out.
'Get the Fairies out now!' Aithlin commanded the guard squad.
"Let me through!" Nebula insisted. For no reason, Ararel placed two fingers on her forehead. "Hey, wha-"
"Torpēsce!" Ararel cast and Nebula fell asleep promptly. 'We have no time for this.'
'Virion, go!' Iolas looked to his fellow Wizard and signalled to leave and regroup. 'Split up. Zhoron, watch out for Reapers. Diamond formation. Side exit. Shields up. No one gets into five feet of them,' Iolas pulled Nebula with him.
Virion was joined by more of his squad and they had to drag Blade out of there. They were generally hindered by all the people rushing to the podiums.
Blade tried to pull towards Steela, who she lost sight of as the shield collapsed around her. There were dozens of farmers and security and nobles up front by now. There was so much going on in that massive brawl, "Let go! Steela! Shit, where is she!?" Blade looked around but couldn't spot her anymore. All pain and tiredness were gone.
The guards on the other hand tried to get her out of the room, but with her breaking formation, they were much slower than Iolas and the second group. Virion didn't want to risk straining the body by casting a sleep spell like Ararel.
"For crying out loud will you stop? At worst you get stabbed or poisoned in there," Sarlen tried to get Blade back to her senses as the group halted, all of them were on high alert. But Blade had such tunnel vision. "The security will take care of Steela."
"I won't leave her behind! Never again… I won't leave someone behind, NOT AGAIN!" She had tears in her eyes as she glared back at the guard, trying to push past him. It all brought memories of the Lou cave back and the fear of losing someone else.
'That's it,' Sarlen had enough of Blade's hysterical outburst even if he could understand it. Their priority was her safety. She wouldn't listen to reason in her emotional state. So, he twisted her arm to her back as she attempted to rush past him and pinched down on her shoulder nerves and shot a bit of magic through. Blade collapsed instantly and he simply threw her over his shoulders.
'Are you nuts!? You can't just knock out my patient!' Virion's heart sank for a second there.
'Better this than that,' Sarlen pointed towards the brawl, "Now, move, move." The group darted out of the room.
It had been a total disaster. Even the boys had rushed down the stances, while teachers tried to keep them safe and out of trouble. Farmers were punching nobles in retaliation. The witness guards were eager to protect their Lords and Ladies. Some people simply got pushed into the brawl as they had been in the way. The guards had too many targets to control, yet again. Once Votzaak had summoned giant vines because he was fed up, the guards had managed to get the crowd under control though. The hearing was adjourned for the day and everyone was sent home with a reprimand and some people actually got arrested. The news of a possible Coup de 'tat and coverup spread like wildfire over the MagicWeb. There were all kinds of comments and speculations. Everyone got shooed out of Alfea, besides those who had stayed so far. And there was an extensive perimeter sweep to make sure that no one had hidden away. Alfea had calmed down once everyone was being sent home or escorted. The Council had to request help from Red Fountain to make sure there were squads with every person that could possibly be a target of an attack or risk of flight since Faragonda had vehemently protested to take in the nobles of Desertia. And the farmers rather went with Headmistress Griffin. Team E and Team A as well as Memphis had insisted to stay in Alfea and were the only ones who got granted their request by Faragonda. They slept in the room next door to the girl's room. Because of Steela's short temper the next day everyone would be forced now to present their proof or disproof of the Coup de 'tat. Time was running out…
The night was cloudy. So was the mood. All the perimeter guards at Alfea were in high alert. The protective dome was shimmering above Alfea like every night. Far off Lady Avocet had finished her last preparations. She had not joined the brawl of course and therefore had no guard squad assigned to her. She had gathered hundreds of common birds and was currently ordering them to eat the reaper crystal fragments she had prepared. She was far away from any perimeter guards or location spells. "Ah birds, got to love them… dumb, can fly and look pretty… Ah, now then, let's get this done with, shall we?" She turned to a giant raven behind her. 'Go find Shadaka, carry him… and destroy the dome for him.' She chucked the big bird another red crystal. 'Oh, sweet misery, to think that Lady Philopa thinks she still can win this trial. Pathetic. Oh well, the desperate get creative. Now, move out, all of you! You know what you have to do,' She commanded the birds and left, chuckling to herself.
It already was after midnight as the guards at the gate stared into the endless darkness of the forest in front of the school across the street. "I can't wait till this is over, what a shit show…"
"Indeed… a Coup of all things… I think Iolas knew… his group was way too calm and ready…' the other elven guard answered.
"Well, as a guard squad they are not allowed to forward information. Their purpose is to guard not to spy… Hey, did you see that?" The guard went into a ready stance.
"Moving shadows, yes," he loaded his Paladin weapon with magic. 'Guys, company at the front gate. What in Magix…' Out of nowhere black magic erupted in the forest like a tsunami wave and red masks flashed up everywhere. "REAPER'S CHILDREN!"
'Iolas wake up!' Zhoron was quick to call the other guards from the sport classroom, where they were sleeping in bunkbeds with the other security guards off duty.
Iolas jumped out of the bed as did literally everyone, 'Hundreds of Reapers at the gates, all hands on deck!' It resounded in his head from another psi-guard. "What the? They'll never get through the dome…Why? … They never use a frontal attack."
"You think?!" Ilrune pointed towards the gate as they just had sprinted outside with all the others. The dome was basically covered on the gate's side several meters high with nothing but Reaper's Children, which clawed away at the dome with brimming black magic.
'Guys, what's up with the kids? Any of them turned Reaper's?' Ararel, who was with Iolas, asked quickly.
'No,' Virion answered he had stayed on the balcony and slept there, because of Blade. 'All clear here, if they break through that shield, we're in deep shit. How did they corrupt so many people? Did they attack a whole city and turn them all?!'
Iolas watched as the first spells to subdue those innocent people were cast, but they evaded the spells completely mid-flight and circled around to attack again. 'What the heck… are those mind-controlled Witches? There is no way they could have found so many paladins or fairies in such a short time to take over. Why can they fly…Why aren't they using magic besides the black…' Nothing made sense about this.
'Be glad! Otherwise, that shield would be history already! Let's split, Wizards need to help at the gates, Paladins go, guard,' Ararel commanded and jumped over the rooftops, "Hedera!" He joined in trying to bring those Reapers to the ground so they could be captured and then broken out of their hold.
Iolas rushed forward. He already saw Master Aithlin rushing out as well as Professor Avalon who was eager to help out as well.
Shadaka with a blank stare soared through the clouds on the giant raven. He could feel Alfea beneath him. "It's time…" He spoke aloud emotionless. "That is your command, I'll follow your will, your will is my will. The fairies must die and so will I." He let himself fall from the raven's back. He activated the crystal and turned into a Reaper's Child and the bird burst into black magic flames diving towards the dome up ahead.
Faragonda had rushed to her office and called the other schools, "Griffin, finally! Thank the Great Dragon! Are you alright? What happened? Saladin, status?" She was very hectic and riled up.
"Faragonda… it's like two in the morning…" A grumpy Griffin answered her with a yawn. "We'll get them…"
"Status? Status for what?" Saladin rubbed his eyes.
"So, they are not your students!? But then, where? How? They can fly…" So many questions popped up in Faragonda's head.
Griffin raised an eyebrow, "What are you so freaked out about?"
"We are being attacked by several hundred Reaper's Child-" WHAMMM! The ground shook as a shockwave shattered the windows. Faragonda got thrown to the ground by the shockwave.
"FARAGONDA!" Saladin shouted as the projections of the two school leaders flickered. "Get the Hawks ready!" He shouted to someone else.
"We're coming!" Griffin was about to log off.
"No! We got this. Be ready they might come for…" Faragonda pulled herself up to the table.
"Faragonda! The girls!" Griselda poked her head through a shattered window. "They are after the girls! The whole roof got OBLITERATED!"
Blade coughed, her head was spinning again and the beeping noise in her ears was disorientating and cancelled out anything else. 'Really, come on… I'm so sick of this…' She was beneath some debris. One second the guys stormed into their room as they all had been woken by the shouts from the courtyard. The next thing they had seen was that the runes lid up in the room as the guards had come in as well and then suddenly a shockwave had blown them off their feet. Not a second after the roof had cracked above them all. They had jumped to safety, out of the way, or transformed. Blade on the other hand had been way too slow without her body enhancement magic. Her healer had cast some shield spells in record time, this was the only reason she probably wasn't dead already. Unable to escape, Blade had fallen through the floor and everything was nothing but darkness and dust clouds. 'I'll kill them all myself, I swear… what the hell did even hit us through the dome!?' She grunted furiously while she tried to pull herself out of the rubble she was pinned under. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem, but her body wasn't at all happy about any of this. And without using magic she was simply not strong enough. 'Shit…' she saw as some more dust and stones came crashing down from above, 'What the heck is going on up there!?'
"Veil, Solid fog!" Nebula raised a shield around her as a Khopesh brimming with black flames pierced through and shattered it. "BLADE!" She shouted, but there was no answer from the dark hole in the floor her friend had vanished in. "Damn you! Plasma Sphere!"
"Barrier of light! Desists!" Virion cancelled the spell before it hit the Reaper's target and engulfed her into another shield. 'She's a target get her out!'
"HEY!" Sienna complained, "Which side are you even on?! Note blast!" She fired at the Wizard.
But it got blocked by a shield from a Paladin, who then pulled her towards him as he caught her arm and Nebula's, "ALL OUT! Before it collapses!" He slung shot them out through a window into the air. "MOVE!"
"But Blade!" Dahlia glanced at the whole but Eroan basically tackled her. She had not watched out for the reaper aiming to escape through the roof and nearly had been a head shorter.
"That's our job, get out!" Eroan pushed her out the window. And blocked the wild spinning reaper again. With concern, he watched as the cracks in the roof were widening from the impact of the reaper as he climbed out with large and quick jumps rushing after Nebula. 'Guys, body enhancement magic, it's a Paladin! Ashfallow is still in down there!'
'On it! Woah!' Haldir jumped back as a massive sand mass flooded down from the roof straight down the hole and filled it up in one go and he heard a muffled boom or crack. 'Shit! We need a Wizard quickly, Virion!'
Blade had activated her bracelet to see something. She was pinned under some shelf and floor debris. 'Shit… she rolled away some minor stones. Her foot was stuck under a big rock. It didn't hurt though. 'lucky me… how do I …' She glanced at her bracelet. She wasn't allowed to wear it inside the hearing hall but once outside she always put it on. 'The shield!' She activated it and punched away at the stone to get a bigger gab and used it as a leaver and pulled her leg out. Here and there she could hear some crumbling rocks or a loud thud. The debris above her creaked and trembled. 'Oh, shit…move, move, move…' It was a maze inside the room. 'Breath, concentrated, don't panic.' She scanned her surroundings with the bracelet with haste and used the light to see something. 'Up is no option…fine, crawling it is,' She had found a gap wide enough to crawl through. Her hand was shaking from adrenaline or maybe from exhaustion, but Blade ignored it for now. She quickly but carefully pressed on through the gaps and reached the door. It was stuck. The cracking got louder. Blade stemmed against it and pushed it open. The creaking got even louder. First just sand rained down from above. Then the debris gave way and a flood of sand rushed into the room. 'Fuck!'
Virion had his hand's full protecting Nebula from the Reaper on the roof, "Barrier of light! Hedera!" He tried to grapple the Reaper. But he simply raised his Khopesh and another sand swirl ripped the vines to pieces. 'Status, Haldir? Who got Ashfallow? Guys?' No answer. 'Shit…voice of nature…' He checked if he could pick up her life sign.
"Blade…" Snow stared at the crumbling building in horror as she watched it collapse even more. The elven guards just got out as the building broke down completely. But no one had Blade with them.
Nebula smashed into the ground and the shield expired. "BLADE!" She feared the worst. "CHARMIX! You're going DOWN!" She was riled up.
"Stop!" a guard held her back, "They are just puppets. They are innocent. Blasting them won't get us anywhere, besides more wounded."
"I don't care! Semblance Phantasms! Mirror space!" She created several clones and swapped out. "Plasma sphere! PISS OFF!" Nebula opened fire at the Reaper. "Mirror space!"
The reaper blocked with his Khopesh and summoned a sand swirl around him. It acted as a sinkhole and kept the Paladins away.
"Oh, no you won't, Fairy of Stones, Solid Ground!" Dahlia hammered her hands on the ground and infused her magic to counter the sinkhole.
"Watch out! Calcei ala!" Daeleth summoned his winged boots and dashed forward. He loaded his dagger and nailed it to the ground before Dahlia and a surge erupted from the dagger.
"Dahlia!" Sienna could only watch as she was held back by Eroan. Another sand sickle had flown directly at Dahlia. The surge had diminished its force so she ended with only a few scratches. Dahlia got pulled away by Daeleth.
"Will you stop making everything worse!? That could be your uncle for all you know. A Reaper doesn't know who is in front of them!" he admonished Sienna.
"But!" Sienna protested.
"But nothing, let us do our job!" Daeleth was pissed. 'Virion, who's the real Lady Nebula? If she keeps swapping we'll never be able to protect her! Damn those kids…'
Faragonda had rushed to Cahagan and Neptune. They readied a convergence spell to cleanse the black magic. "Waters of Andros wash away this darkness and cleanse this corruption!" Councillor Neptune rose his triton high. And a water tornado built up slowly as they kept chanting the spell.
Professor Avalon kicked back a Reaper coming for Palladium, who held several Reapers in place, "Something's off… they can fly, but don't use magic besides the black one that corrupts them…" He activated his aura reading. "No way…"
"What's wrong?" Palladium's arms were shaking from the strain. As he saw his college dash forward and stab a Reaper with his sword right through the heart. "AVALON?!" He was scared that he got puppeteered as well, but watched as the Reaper image dissolved and a dead bird pierced by ice fell to the ground. "Are you nuts!? What if you were wrong?"
"Ha, as if I would mistake a human for a bird with a deep read of aura."
"Deep read? That were barely seconds," Palladium sighed. "You're really pushing your luck sometimes…"
"Hey, come now, the patterns between humans and animals are completely different. Only problem is I have to read each puppet once at a time… Not good, it's nothing more than a distraction…" Avalon gazed at the battlefield, the crumbling building, the Fairy students blasting away randomly, and the hundreds of Reapers which were held back. This would take forever. He searched for a psi user to relay the info in this loud mess.
'Ashfallow got buried alive, quick, you're best with earth magic,' Thallan called out to his squad leader.
"Shit, if I let go…" Iolas currently held a good thirty of the Reapers at bay as he had petrified their feet as another came swooping in from the side.
A green flash, a dragon's tail, and suddenly a transformation, Wizgiz had swiped it out of the air and to the ground, "What's wrong? Where is Blade?" Wizgiz landed next him. He had been worried as he had counted one Fairy short.
"Ashfallow got buried alive," Iolas answered the Leprechaun. "I got to…"
Wizgiz gazed at the crumbling building there was no time to lose, "On it! Link me up in psi!" He turned into a Dig Mole and vanished underground. All while a massive tornado shot through the battlefield and turned into a flood washing over the Reapers. Shortly after black magic rose from the Reapers and the shattering sound of crystals echoed throughout the night.
Nebula stared in disbelief as Lord Shadaka was revealed after he got hit by the flood, "YOU!"
Daeleth and Keryth were right next to her and had blocked several attacks aimed at her by now. "Grab him quickly! Zhoron break the link!" They darted forward to throw him to the ground.
"Veil, solid fog!" Nebula cast to catch the Lord in place.
Snow reached out with her hand, "Freezing heart!"
"Isn't that!?" Amber was in utter disbelief that was the Desertian Lord who hadn't come today.
"SURRENDER!" Sienna growled at him. "Your army is done for!" She watched as all the other Reapers turned out to be simple birds. "As if you could evade justice through this hoax!" She was ready to blast him into oblivion.
Shadaka flared up some magic and broke through the magic holds and jumped backwards and evaded the tackles and took a few slashes at the guards sending off waves of sand sickles. He tightened his grip around his Khopesh, "Mission failed." He muttered emotionless. '… and if you fail, kill yourself…' The words of his master resounded in his head. Out of nowhere, he activated runes on his body. They lit up on his skin and he burst into light magic flames then his whole skin turned into a glowing white light and he charged at Nebula.
"OH, SHIT!" Nebula wide-eyed watched as the man like a bolt of lightning dashed through their defences and stopped at nothing. She tried to cast another clone to swap out but she was way too slow. The shield barrier Virion had cast around her shattered as his Khopesh pierced through once more. Everything was so bright it burned in the eyes and she closed them shut. It was inevitable, she would never be fast enough to evade and she pulled up her arms to shield her head.
"REFLECTOR!" Griselda's voice boomed through the air.
The expected stab didn't land. Nebula opened her eyes and simply saw as a giant explosion expanded but got reflected backwards by a dome that surrounded her. 'What the heck!?' Everyone had jumped out of the way or dragged the Fairies with them. The explosion destroyed the inner school wall of a classroom. And Nebula could only watch as Shadaka's figure faded away in glimmering sparkles until nothing was left.
"If you can't stop it, deflect it! Even my second years know that!" Griselda scolded Virion harshly. "What is wrong with you?! Battle mages, pfff."
"I'm just the healer, geesh…" Virion sighed relieved and sank to the ground. His heart had stopped for a second there. The other Elven guards, specialist boys and teachers made short process of the revealed birds. Only Shadaka had been human. And therefore, the kid gloves were off. Everything was back under control in seconds. "Shit, Ashfallow!" Virion jumped to his feet again as he hurried towards the crumbling building site. 'Zhoron update! Did the Professor find her!?'
Blade was about to close the door of the room she had fallen into as the sand masses washed her against the wall of the corridor. She had hurried but her body was not the fastest at the moment, and so she got caught by the sand as the room collapsed even further. 'Oh, Fuck me!' She bit her lip, she wanted nothing more than to scream but that possibly could also attract more enemies. To her annoyance, she was now buried beneath some heavy sand. 'If it's not one thing, it's another… Should have risked it and used magic, damn it…' She hammered her fist on the ground frustrated. She struggled to get out but even after several tries, there was no way. The sand simply kept engulfing her. Her hearing came back as she could hear herself swear again. She felt another huge explosion as the ground shook. Slight panic set in, "Gotta use magic…damn it, no, I can't… Nebula…stay alive…" She had taken the healer's words to heart. If she would use magic this week the possibilities were high that it would leak again and what help would she be then, none. Luckily, it was just half her torso that had been swallowed by the sand as she suddenly felt something moving at her feet.
"There you are!" A talking dig mole stuck its head out of the sand right above her.
"EEEEEHHHHHHH!" The sudden appearance had scared the shit out of her. Blade bend her upper body and tried to swipe it to the ground, she was flexible after all.
That small beast jumped into the air and evaded the sad excuse of an attack. "Now, now, is that a way to greet the rescue party? Etiquette, Blade, Etiquette," The dig mole transformed into Wizgiz, who grinned at Blade. He barely had to bow his head to be on a level with her.
"Professor!? You scared the crap out of me!" Blade breathed out deeply. "This is not time for jokes…" She complained. She was so relieved it wasn't another enemy.
"Indeed, jokes are for after the rescue," Wizgiz transformed into an elephant and pulled her out. He reverted as he set her down, "And you, young Lady, shouldn't inspire to become a mosquito."
"Mosquito?" Blade was utterly confused now.
"You're getting squashed every time," Wizgiz brought the punchline, but he sounded much more admonishing than funny this time around. "Come now, we're getting you a healing potion before you topple over again," He pulled her along the corridor, checking her vitals. They weren't great but good enough. 'Thank the Great Dragon she's alright… hardy little Fairy, isn't she?' He side-eyed his student.
"But the others!" Blade looked back towards the sand pile. She had to cough drily.
"Are all well. Problem got solved, just got the update. You won't be of any help clearing the rest of the birds out," He answered her firm but sympathetic. 'Got her, Zhoron. All in one piece, we're heading towards potion classroom. Sent Virion there.' He transformed into a Fairy dog. "Hop on."
"Birds? ..." Blade didn't quite understand as she reluctantly climbed on his back. But apparently, they all were safe. 'Shit… what am I doing? I can't do anything right…' She clawed into the fur and ground her teeth in frustration, 'I'm pathetic, I can't do anything on my own. Shit, fuck, damn it…' She breathed there heavy for a moment.
Worried Wizgiz halted with her and looked at his student and sighed, "Come now… heads up…. You did well. I don't know many Fairies who would have gotten out on their own without using magic no less. That room was a mess even for my size. And you know, even a mosquito can annoy a giant to death," He tried to cheer her up again but got no reaction from Blade. "You do know you did well, right?" Blade simply stared into the hallway. "Right?" Yet he only got silence from Blade.
