Fighting for...?
Avalon and Zhoron had reached the infirmary but the seals were a bit problematic. "Damn it, Griffin open up…" Avalon clenched his fists. "Can't you reach her?"
"I can, she's just not answering and pushing me out, AGAIN," Zhoron shook his head.
"That's it, link me up," Avalon demanded. 'GRIFFIN! Let us in or I'll blast those seals. Blade needs to calm down. We can help. The tower is wreaking havoc outside. Think, what will this do to your image, to the image of all Sorceresses? Don't take a step backwards. Trust us.' He addressed her firmly yet calmly. 'You are not alone…not anymore… please let us help.'
'Are you stupid she'll freak! Go away! We barely have calmed her down. This takes time. It always does,' Griffin declined.
Zhoron tried anew to reason with her, 'But you don't have time, not as usual. Cloud Tower's rampage can be seen even from Magix. The longer this goes… I can hide our presence. And I can link you up with her, but I have to get inside and closer otherwise it will be just a mess, I'm not Eaden. Please, or do you want to wait till she passes out? Who knows what the Tower will do then.'
The seal shimmered shortly and then vanished. Avalon nodded to Zhoron, "Do it."
"Converge with me," they held each other's palms close to one another and Zhoron cast, "Abreo praesentiae," he nodded. The two entered.
Blade was lying on the examination table covered in roots from Cloud Tower, like a fine web it had attached to her and kept her from falling. She was still crying and convulsing. A big blob of sludge was already applied to her chest with one complicated rune circle of a healing spell. "Go away, leave me alone…" Blade wailed still in shock, yet her breathing had stabilised quite a bit as her lung was healing as well as her leg.
Ediltrude readied another spell to take care of the stomach wounds. She ignored the two Gentlemen completely, "It's alright Blade… we are here. No one will harm you." She spoke soothingly.
Griffin floated silently away to the gentlemen, 'What?! We are going as fast as we can!' She was agitated.
'I'll link you two up to her subconsciousness. You have to calm her down or distract her, whatever works. Avalon will be your anchor. She won't see him, I hope…'
'You hope!?' Griffin was ready to smack the Elf.
'Unless she totally freaks… both of us discussed this already. I'll use my White Jade spells and calm her mind and be your anchor as well, so you don't lose it. If you go crazy too, there's no telling what Cloud Tower will do. Remember the reports, she can attack and defend herself in her subconsciousness. Don't battle her. Take the punch, I'll be the anchor to protect you. Just focus on her.' Avalon laid a hand on Griffin's shoulder to encourage her and also cast, "Sumnio Falax."
Griffin could feel the tension leave her body, all those racing thoughts, the guilt it all subsided into the background. Still there but not prominent.
"Blade?" Griffin stood there in the black emptiness, the sky shattered like glass broken to pieces, like ridges the shards had melted to the black ground. The floor was wet, soupy like a swamp, she felt herself sink in. Six giants roaming nearby, several afar. Yet seemingly the biggest was standing hip deep in high waters a raging storm around. A long chain in his hand and a gun in the other. He shot again, "SHUT IT!" The shadow giant fired and fired again.
An outcry of pain echoed through the emptiness.
"Blade!" Griffin was drawn to the voice of her student, but she got held back. She turned around.
It was the shimmering transparent image of Avalon, "This isn't real. At least not in that sense Griffin. Those are her monsters her mind has created, they are both real and fiction. You have to stay calm." He pointed downwards to their feet.
Griffin had already sunken in quite a bit, "I-"
"Leave us…" The chain got pulled upwards and Blade with hands cuffed to it was risen up to face the giant, a monstrous head, one could barely call it human. Another chain at her feet reached into the depths of the black ocean around them. She basically was nothing more than another link between them. Torn by the weight unable to move she held on grunting and wailing in agony yet otherwise completely passive.
"I can't just," Griffin ground her teeth, "Just look…" They watched as Blade glared at the giant lighting sparking from her as she screamed in anger the ocean began to swirl and formed an arm that rose from the waters grabbing her legs to pull her under. "Blade!" Griffin pulled towards the scene beside the warning, suddenly she was right in the fray, she had gotten flung forwards towards the scene.
The waters raged on and sparks spread rapidly in growing numbers.
Massive lightning around Blade flashed up brightly and burst the water-hand trying to pull her under. Avalon pulled Griffin towards him and a shield enclosed them as the lightning shot outwards and hit them as well they got blown away, yet the shield held.
Griffin was shaking, never had she done something like this, she thought they would get overpowered since the lightning had such a strong presence. Avalon laid a hand on her shoulder as he landed on the flooded ground with her, "I am seeing this, Griffin, but first and foremost we need her to calm down. So, the Tower does as well. You need to give her what she needs to feel in control again. So, she can gain control. You can't start there. It's too deep-rooted. You'll drown," Avalon answered her with a pacifying voice and pointed away towards the far. "Let's start with something easy, so you get the hang of this."
"Right…" Griffin made one step towards the location and suddenly got flung forward and abruptly halted. It was another giant on his knees its face jerking and shifting between that of a monster and a human. "You can't be serious!?"
"Take the lamb to the slaughter…" Another giant rose from the ground and placed a gun into his hands. "She'll get what she deserves. They all will…Do your duty! SHOOT!"
Only now Griffin spotted Blade chained to a stone to his feet, "HELP ME! DON'T DO THIS! HELP ME! THIS IS WRONG! COME ON, HEELLLPPP!" Blade struggled to free herself.
"WHAT ARE YOU?!" The giant aimed his gun shakenly at her as his face shifted to a human one just to be overpowered by an enraged as monstrous face.
"No, go away! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Blade screamed in fear but she couldn't free herself.
"REFUSING TO HELP HEAL OTHERS! WANTING TO HELP MY ASS!" The giant pulled the trigger.
"NO!" Griffin darted in between and flared up dark magic orbs and fired away.
"Griffin, WAIT!" Avalon's flickering image dashed in between and took the blows. "This is not about you it's about her!"
"I am trying to save her! You said to save her!" Griffin protested, "If you're just here to stand in my way," She growled deeply as she noticed that the shot went astray anyways. "What?"
"Look closely… what does she need to heal? This is not about revenge. This is not about cleansing black magic," Avalon pointed to the head of the giant.
Griffin watched it jerk and transform forth and back. The monstrous head was enraged evil and shot at Blade who was behind her. Yet it always swapped to the human face crying, terrified and the aim went astray in the end. Blade and the human giant stared at each other in silence.
"HELP ME, PLEASE!" Blade screamed out as another giant formed out of dust and pulled the frozen-in-fear giant away. "DON'T LEAVE ME! NO!... No! Come back…" She screeched.
No matter how often the scene played over and over again the scene stayed the same. "What, what am I supposed to do here? If you're so smart, why didn't you go in and I'd been the anchor!?"
Avalon shook his head, "You are much better than me to control anger, you have trained it all your life. You two are connected right now you can feel her pain and rage. I can look at it from the outside. You'd never be able to be my anchor. It takes training not to get sucked in as well. Going into a shattered mind without anchor is too dangerous for both of us, us three to be precise. You can do this. Think, what does that Blade need?"
"Just tell me!" Griffin growled, "We don't have time for guessing games, Avalon!" But he simply looked back to Blade.
"HELP ME! DON'T DO THIS!" Blade screamed at the top of her lung behind Griffin again, the scene was already in the next loop.
Griffin turned around and dashed towards her, "I'M HERE. It's fine! Blade, calm yourself! We are here, we came, you are SAFE now!" She hugged Blade tightly and laid Blade's head on her shoulders.
"He left, he knew, and he left, he didn't come back! He left me! Why did he leave!?" Blade cried, "What did I do!? WHY?! Why…"
Griffin glanced over her shoulder into the twisting face as yet another shot went astray. "He was just as scared as you are…"
"That's no reason to abandon me!" Blade cried as the chains that bound her to the stone shattered and suddenly she hugged her tightly. "That's no reason to…"
Griffin held her tight and caressed her hair, "No, but we all get scared sometimes, and that's alright, we'll learn. Be better next time, it takes courage to stand up and to fight for what is right…not everyone has that… he – he didn't mean you no harm, that's not what he wanted."
Blade breathed in deeply and suddenly she turned into white smoke that swirled around the stone she had been bound to and it cracked. A shard of the shattered sky was revealed.
"Use that, fix the shattered sky," Avalon pointed upwards.
Griffin lifted up the shard with her magic and flew up and pressed it inside a crack. It was a fit and the edges lit up even some crack's webbing too and it was whole again. "This is what I have to do?" She asked a bit perplexed. "Just rinse and repeat?"
Avalon smiled, "Well that depends on the scene. If you had shot that one to pieces her subconscious would most likely memorise him as the monstrous giant and not the scared police officer… it all depends on what is best for her so she can feel safe. You have a good instinct for this, I knew you could do this. Let's move on, shall we…"
Votzaak raised his staff, "Wall of Darkness!" And shielded Marble from the backlash and quickly raised his hand to the sky and infused dark magic to quickly stabilise the spell. "Iolas, you gotta take over with your guards as well if the Fairies run out."
"But… we can't, we are Council Guards we are nowhere near their emotional state…" Ararel looked to Iolas troubled. "We don't just have to match their output… We don't let our emotions rampage that's unprofessional. We train against this."
"That wasn't a request that was an order," Votzaak reached out with his other hand to Polarissa and shielded her next and increased his output. "Then let it rip for once, Iolas, come on, she was your student too even if for just a week…" But Iolas, none of them, were anywhere near that emotional state. And Wizgiz didn't have any focus left. He stared devastated at his students, half in shock. Votzaak grinned at Iolas devilishly, "Light users always big talk and nothing behind it." He smirked superiorly at the Elven Guard leader, who faced him clenching his fist. "Are you just gonna stand for this? For people giving officials a bad name? Is that what you fought for? Hundreds of years of service and you won't even stand up for what is right? PITIFUL! How will you ever face that girl again? PATHETIC! Have you NO HEART? Ha, no wonder she nearly died with elders like you PRETENDING TO CARE." Votzaak laughed his ass off. "I even heard you had a guard tail her all day and you recalled him. So, this is YOUR FAULT, all the hurt, the pain, THE HORRORS, all YOUR FAULT. You could have SAVED her, but YOU DIDN'T, because you DON'T CARE. You left her in a cage to DIE ALONE," he poked the bear dead earnest and devilishly amused.
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Iolas stormed at Votzaak.
"Iolas!" His subordinates freaked, they had never seen him this livid.
"Shh," Virion entangled them all in vines as their guard was down and told them to shut the fuck up.
Iolas pulled Votzaak in and up to his face, he was boiling in rage, "YOU; I don't want to hear that from you! You half a foot of a-"
Votzaak snipped against his forehead, "Great, that's the spirit, now do your job, infuse the storm, minion." He smirked and cast a shield around Sienna.
Iolas raised his staff in his other hand and infused the clouds with his light magic, never leaving that dammed Leprechaun out of his sight. "YOU, aarggh, black magic son of a gremlin," Iolas hissed as he dropped him to the floor. "I'll kill you… later…"
"Ha, you are welcome to try elf brat." Votzaak laughed and turned his head to Ararel, "Take the kids away once we swapped them out," he refocused on the convergence spell.
"Right…" Ararel was baffled, "What was that?" He whispered to Virion.
"Just don't get yourself dragged into this…." Virion sighed deeply.
Griffin and Avalon had hurried to repair the cracked sky, but it felt like there was just one thing after another, no end in sight. Griffin was panting it took all she had to stay sane and calm. This was a lot. "Shit…" she hammered on the swampy ground as she fell to her knees.
"Griffin," Avalon stuck by her side and kneeled down. "Griffin…"
"How could I have let this happen?! I let her down! I- I…" Griffin screamed against the ground frustrated.
"Griffin!" Avalon shook her, "Hey, stay focused, you can't drown in her emotions now, you got to push through. You are here for her now, we can only do our best! Griffin…shit…"
"I just can't… I just want to be left alone…go, leave…go away…" She mumbled her fists already stuck in the swamp beneath her knees as she suddenly collapsed and dropped below the surface and kept sinking.
Avalon created a square with four fingers and aimed it at Griffin beneath him, "Let this light guide you, who is to drown, to calm emotions and a still mind. Raise from the blackness surrounding you, break free and come back from thee." A golden swirl of light rose from the ground and a platform lit up from below Griffin and pushed her up to the surface again.
Griffin gasped for air and coughed, "What? Where!?"
"GRIFFIN," Avalon pulled her up and addressed her sternly, "Keep it together. Blade needs you, you're the only one who can do this."
The Headmistress averted her eyes, "I'm not sure I can… I never…"
"Yes, you can. I know what you are capable of. Your best is good enough by a long shot. Don't give up on Blade," Avalon wouldn't have it. "No one has faced more hate than you, from all of us in the room. You understand her. You know what she needs. You already knew in Red Fountain. Stop second-guessing what could have been, it's already out of your hand." He sighed, "Please, we need to hurry, which one's next? What can you help to fix? Shanna can do the long run. Just focus on the here and now. What does Blade need right now to calm down and feel safe?" He repeated again. He had told her so often by now.
Griffin hissed, "You're one annoying anchor, fine, fine…" Griffin closed her eyes and focused.
"Let's have some fun," A sharp voice giggled in the far.
"There that one!" She opened her eyes and turned to face it. Flung forward she came to a hold. A deep abyss beneath another Blade fragment opened as she got pulled up and dangled above the dark abyss.
Another giant formed out of the smoke and tore at Blade's hair, "Friend…"
"Let's spend our time wisely…" A hand broke through the ground as a giant rose and seized her leg.
"NO! LET GO! DON'T TOUCH ME! GO AWAY! HELP! HELP!" Blade shrieked panicked.
"YOU BITCH! You'll get what you deserve," The next giant grabbed her other leg as they pulled and pulled on her into all directions.
"NO! Get away, leave, just leave…" Blade turned and twisted but couldn't escape. She balled her eyes out.
From the abyss another giant rose and reached out his hand to drag her into the nothingness as he uttered the words amused, "Just fuck her, now's your chance." Faceless and cold, they all looked the same. The only giant who had a recognisable face had been the first one. These like the others they had faced were just monsters on two legs.
"NOOO! DON'T TOUCH ME! PLEASE! PLEASE!" She struggled so hard that one could hear her arms crack and muscles snap followed by her howling cry of agony.
"The only thing you're good for…!" A dark deep laughter from all of them as they reached out with their other hands.
Griffin dashed downwards, "Get your FILTHY HANDS of MY STUDENT!" She burst into flames. NO ONE TOUCHES HER!" Tons of ravens swarmed to her side like a tornado surrounding her and Blade, scratching away at the giants. "Blade, open your eyes, Blade!" She fired at the hands still holding onto her. "Blade!"
"I can't…I won't!" her student gulped, "It'll be all real… NO!" She shivered. "They'll, they'll, no, NOOO! You wanted this! GO AWAY! Leave me alone…leave, just leave…I'm a REAL Witch now… I know, I know now! I have to protect my own…alone… all alone…no one will come… I deserved this, foolish me…I knew nothing…" She gurgled suffocating under her own blood as it streamed down like waterfalls from her mouth.
"NO! Don't you ever dare think that! I never wanted this! You didn't deserve this! You are more than this you are a beautiful bright young girl, Blade, I see you, all of you. There is nothing to be ashamed of you protected yourself valiantly! You were stronger! I saw it here, none got to you! Even that giant in the raging ocean can't touch you! You won, you beat them all! Nothing is wrong with you. You didn't deserve this. You did nothing wrong," Griffin hugged her tightly. "I am here, Blade, come back to us, open your eyes!"
"NO! GO AWAY! I am NOTHING, could do NOTHING! I could change NOTHING! ALL I did was for NOTHING!" She coughed and swells of Blood dropped down from every pore as she fell limb.
A face and hand of a giant pushed through the ravens, "Rotten to the core, that's the only thing you are!" He chuckled as it reached out to crush them both.
"Griffin, get out! It's not working!" Avalon pulled at her, he couldn't let her get squashed too.
"NO! I won't leave her!" Griffin hugged her even tighter, "Blade, that are all lies! You aren't weak! You are strong! You didn't just survive, you FOUGHT and WON! Nothing, no one, has the RIGHT or the POWER to tell you what you are or aren't! You are PRECIOUS and that will NEVER EVER CHANGE! No matter what!" She shouted so loud that her chest trembled, "I'll always will see the damn brat that goes in without hesitating if it's for the right cause. Because you know that leaving behind a person is NOT an OPTION. Standing by and doing nothing, is NOT an OPTION, if you want to create a better future you got to stand your ground. But you DON'T have to fight ALONE. I am WITH YOU! Blade, come on, open your eyes! We'll get through this! I will stay by your side! Your friends stand by your side! Everyone you know is here for you! No matter what path you take or what you decide to choose! TRUST US! WE know you, WE KNOW YOUR WORTH, NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAID OR TRIED TO DO!" Griffin's voice hollered through the black emptiness as the hand closed around them. Yet halted, twitched.
Avalon breathed out deeply, 'So close…' He already had prepared to force a disconnection to save Griffin.
"You don't think less of me?" A sobbing and exhausted Blade blinked at her.
"No," Griffin swiped a dreadlock out of her face. "You are my stubborn Chaos Fairy reminding me, who I wanted to be, who fought for a vision I had long given up on and who drives me insane and needs plenty of detention for the stupidity you always get yourself in because you fight for what you believe in and never give up." She scolded her tenderly. "I'll always see you for the person you are, no matter how many scars life leaves on you. Now, come on, open your eyes, look at me…You are SAFE here," Her ravens scattered to the winds as the giants were suddenly nothing more than settling dust. Griffin looked to the shattered sky as beams of light shone through the cracks and webbing, some mending others still ripped open. But what the most astonishing sight was, were the thousands of shards that broke loose from the ground and floated upwards. Like a rain shower upside down, some slowly, others barely moving or stuck in time. Yet the light reflected on everything. Scattered it sent out glistening bright lights endlessly splitting into all colours. "It's…"
"Beautiful…" Avalon smiled relieved. He knew this sight wasn't the end this was just the beginning. Even if it felt like the finish line as warm light beams hit everything, a familiar sight, it was the beginning of healing. He gazed around shortly there still were plenty of giants frozen in slow-motion, but hope was back where it belonged and some scars in the shattered sky simply already healed on their own.
Nebula and Kitty were the last ones standing. Unrelenting they fired their magic. Kitty was simply the angriest of all the Sorceresses and so her focus and willpower kept her going. Nebula simply had the biggest magic pool of all the fairies. She just like Blade was training for close combat as well and it showed in her stamina. After all, magic needed both Drion and Mana.
"Thallan, Daeleth, make ready, they're pushing themselves too hard," Ararel gave the order. The clouds had retraced a bit already. Iolas and Votzaak didn't want it to get too close to the city and with more students gone they took the lead on the spell and steadily reduced its range.
"Yes," both paladins stepped behind the two girls. "Ready."
"Cancel!"; "Barrier of light!"
Thallan and Daeleth stopped the students' magic and Virion and Ararel kept them safe from the backlash. "Iolas! Councillor!" Keryth shouted out to them, but Iolas wasn't really reacting he had to focus way too much as his magic was also depleted greatly.
Votzaak smirked, "Elf brat's falling to his knee… in three, two, one…"
Iolas held on to his staff as he dropped to his knees yet kept the magic flow steady.
"Let's end this, shall we," Votzaak grinned decreased the magic rapidly and the lightning strikes let up instantly in the far. The clouds cleared up at the edge of the colossal storm. "Wall of Darkness!" He shielded Iolas and soared up into the sky as he flared up his dark magic and took all of the backlashes even he got pushed back and nearly smashed into the platform, 'Stupid kids, they converged alright but forgot to agree on how to end the damn thing. Amateurs …'
"Councillor!" Ararel's heart dropped to his boots for a second there. "Of course, he's alright… great…"
Virion had raced towards Iolas he didn't seem so minty fresh, "Hey Iolas, don't faint on me buddy. Hey, look at me, say something," He checked his magic flow instantly as he placed his hand on him.
"Like I gonna faint in front of that stuck-up gremlin…" Iolas growled yet he was panting from exhaustion.
Votzaak sauntered over, "Look at that you're still awake, maybe I should offer you a place in my order, just gotta get a new haircut so you don't stand out so much, goldy locks."
"Touch it and I will KIL-" Iolas was ready to have a go at him. Yet he stopped dead in his tracks and his staff vanished. He breathed out long and deep and simply crossed his legs and began to meditate to find his composure again and regain some desperately needed magic.
"Ah… you're no fun," Votzaak pouted. "Well then," Votzaak stretched but even his chest was rising up and down a bit faster than normal, he simply overplayed it. "Shell surface, cube!" He conjured a box around the students they all had lined up on the floor. Zarathustra and Wizgiz were checking up on their student's magic flow and possible injuries and were right at their side.
"What in Magix, Votzaak?!" Professor Wizgiz looked up as he found himself trapped.
"What's the meaning of this," The Witch Professor hissed in surprise.
"Be right back," Votzaak grinned at the Council Guard and the box he included vanished with the glow-up of some runes.
Faragonda and Saladin were just trying to organise the massive invasion of Witches and randoms who had sought shelter from the storm in Alfea. Their guests were all cooped up in the amphitheatre and their students were all together in the mess hall with Daphne. "Finally," Faragonda felt a shift in magic indeed the storm was weakening. Quickly she rushed outside to see the clouds clear up.
"Seems like it's over…" Saladin just had come from the library he had guarded and looked to Faragonda.
"Guess who's back," Votzaak triumphantly stood upon the box in which the students and teachers were imprisoned. He took a triumphant bow, to which no one really reacted as they all were simply confused. The professors and his Order members alike.
"Votzaak! Let us out!" Zarathustra thundered. "You'll pa-woah!" They both got dropped out of the box as a hole appeared beneath each of them.
"Well then team, nice work, drop the dome, you got an escort mission. Make sure those delinquents stay put and are treated nicely," Votzaak activated the portal at the Alfean gates.
"Councillor Votzaak that's not truly necessary. We can deal with it. They meant-" Faragonda tried to intervene.
"Headmistress Faragonda, it's GRANDMASTER of the Black Magic Hunter Division and these children are officially accused of disturbance of the public peace. Until it is proven or disproven, they'll stay in my Orders custody. Contact their families so we can get that trial over with tomorrow. Otherwise, they'll stay in custody till, hmm, next month." He grinned, "Oh, and no stand-ins, I better see their parents or in Witches' cases, whoever has parenting skills." He smirked widely, "Nabu, no exceptions. Or I'll put you in prison in their stead."
"But, you-, they are Kings and Queens you don't expect them to drop everything…" Faragonda could only watch as Votzaak vanished again. "Marvellous…" She sighed. 'Can be lucky all students are inside the mess hall… this would be the gossip of the century…'
Virion kept his eye on his team leader like a hawk and as fast as Votzaak had vanished as quickly he had come back. "Well then, let's solve the other problem, shall we?" The Councillor grinned satisfied.
"We should…" Virion held in for a second, "You feel this too?"
Sarlen nodded, "Yes, … nature is calming down…"
Iolas rose, "Then they did it…" Still a bit wobbly he walked to the edge of the platform which slowly was retracting to its original position. The thorns on the roots vanished to dust and got blown away by the dying winds of the storm. As they curled up and burrowed into the earth again. The Witch part of the forest looked like a battle filed. The landscape had changed quite a bit. Deep furrows were left behind.
"Hm, don't you think this looks a lot like…" Haldir looked to Tolith.
He nodded, "Yeah, that looks like the wind channels between Red Fountain and Cloud Tower. You don't think that those…are…" He was a bit perplexed.
Votzaak gazed at the landscape, "Discordia!?" He growled pissed.
"Yes, yes," Discordia flew down from her spire, "What is it now?"
Iolas pointed to the wind channels, "Is that from Cloud Tower? Are those grooves the same?"
"If it's that obvious? Why ask?" Discordia rolled her eyes.
"But I thought the Tower came to Magix after Magix City was founded…" Eroan frowned.
The Pixi chuckled, "Well, yes and no. Cloud Tower was on many planets and on some more than once. It's a living moving fortress currently used as a school since there are no wars to be waged. You should be glad that's all it did. In its prime, it easily could have wiped a city off the surface." She chuckled amused.
"…." Votzaak glared at her. "Anything else you want to share?"
"No, not really, it's in the past no point to worry about it now," She turned around.
"Hold it," Votzaak enclosed her in something like a glass sphere, "Will this happen again if Blade stays? Did Griffin lose control over the Tower for…"
"Don't be ridiculous, the girl can barely create two swords. Griffin has a connection with the Tower since years. That was nothing more than a temper tantrum to shows who is who. It gladly lent a hand to help Blade and yes it was super pissed. But Cloud Tower always protected the innocent from the powerful, it was never the aggressor, don't provoke it and you'll be fine. Don't worry I'll have a prolonged discussion with it," Discordia crossed her arms expecting to be let go.
"Let's go down and see what's going on…" Votzaak snapped and the ball chattered.
Discordia shook her head, "I wouldn't go there, at least knock. Or you will feel the wrath of the Tower, Votzaak, don't overestimate yourself." She warned him sternly.
Blade's mind had cleared up again. She squinted her eyes as pain still shot through her system. She quickly noticed that she had some wide clothes on again. Ediltrude was standing next to her creating a new rune circle. And Griffin was on the other side, crying?
"Blade? Can you hear us again? Do you know where you are?" Ediltrude asked as she focused on creating the healing seal. "You are safe. Just hold on I'm nearly done. You'll feel much better then."
Blade grimaced her breath was still rapid and she was sweaty a new blanket covered her. She nodded in pain and quickly turned to the edge of the table and vomited again. There already was quite a bit on the floor. 'When? ...' Bits and pieces of conversations came back to mind but it all felt a bit hazy.
"Blade, please, stay calm, I need to tell you something. And you probably won't like it." Griffin waved her hands and the floor was sparkling clean again, the girl looked up to her. "You sent the Tower into a rampage, we needed you to calm down. I connected to your subconsciousness. Do you remember?" She asked softly and with guilt written all over her face.
Blade shook her head, 'What? How could she connect? Does she use mind spells? Can she even use them?' Blade grunted and clenched her fits her stomach pain was killing her and she curled up under the blanket.
"Is this the time for this?" Ediltrude asked concerned.
"I'll not keep secrets from her. I promised her…" Griffin squatted down to be eye-to-eye to her.
'What are you doing are you nuts?! You'll send her into a fit again!' Zhoron feared the worst.
Griffin ignored him, "I said we won't do anything you don't want. I promised you there are no guys around. Yet we couldn't calm you. And the Tower reacted. I'm so sorry. If I had had any other way I…"
Blade looked around but she couldn't spot anyone, 'What is she talking about?!' Confused she looked back to Griffin as she squinted under her pain.
"We covered you completely beforehand, no one saw anything. Remember the blanket? We would never expose you, NEVER," Ediltrude stopped her rune circle creation and made her point more than clear.
Blade still didn't understand, she couldn't see or sense anyone else in the room.
"One of your elven Guards from the hearing the Psi user and Your Professor Avalon, they helped me connect to you and calm you down, you trust them, right? I didn't misjudge it completely, did I?"
Blade tensed up, "You…let them in?" She pulled the blanket up higher embarrassed she hid her face. 'We know your worth, no matter what they tried….' It echoed in her mind.
"Yes… for the spell to work, I had to…I should have… I'm so sorry, you didn't answer you were too scared. I broke my promise," Griffin's head hit the edge of the table, "I wronged you, I'm so sorry, can you forgive me? ...I promised and I…" She was trying so hard not to cry but still, it showed.
Blade's eyes widened never ever had she seen Griffin cry she was as ashamed as she felt. Blade stared at her, mind racing. She wasn't sure what to think, "Avalon?" She asked quietly into the room barely hearable.
"Yes, Blade," He answered softly but stayed at the edge of the room where they had stayed all this time. 'I'm so sorry, Blade… I hoped we could avoid this…' He looked devastated at the ground.
Blade teared up and curled together even smaller trembling under her blanket, "You… did you… see?"
Avalon gazed at Ediltrude she was a bit skittish as she was eager to heal the stomach but she wouldn't even dare to address the problem now, "… back at Red Fountain yes, for a second, not here. I'll ask Shanna to alter my memory if that is what you truly want. I'll go right now to her," He proposed without a doubt, "…" He paused, "Still let me tell you, Blade, all I see is a tough and precious warrior, who did everything in her power to stay alive. There is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I couldn't be prouder. You should know that... I'll leave now with Zhoron for Shanna. He feels the same way," he gave him an elbow in the side.
"Yes, if that is what you need," Zhoron answered steadfastly as he dropped the spell obscuring their presence. "I truly saw nothing. I just came to help," He held his tears inside, "Get better soon okay? If you need anything ever, call, day and night, alright?" The two turned to leave.
"Avalon…" Blade muttered quietly. "You won't tell anyone anything? None of you?"
"Of course not," Avalon answered firmly. Zhoron nodded in agreement.
"You swear?" Blade nearly squeaked as another pain shot through her body.
"If you need it yes. Yet my no is a no, and my yes, a yes. I didn't talk to Codatorta about what we talked about on the stances nor anyone else, same goes for today. Nor would I talk to you about what I heard and witnessed in the White Jade Order unless people allowed me to," Avalon explained with a peaceful voice.
"You may stay if Shanna will erase that second…" Blade tried her best to sound tough. She wasn't still content with it, but him leaving felt even worse.
"Where do you need me?" Avalon asked quietly.
Blade moaned, "Door, no more visitors…" That pain was insufferable.
"Blade, I gotta continue, please allow me. It's just another quick touch to place the runes," Ediltrude requested. 'Griffin…' It was hard to see her old friend likes this, helpless.
"Turn around," Blade ordered, and the two gentlemen promptly followed suit.
"I'm going to lift the blanket… and now the shirt…" Blade still flinched with every movement of Ediltrude's, 'Nearly done, hold on, Blade.' She pulled the shirt up only as far as she had to, "Ready?" She waited for the nod, "Alright, three, two…" She could tell that all Blade's instincts told her to run and hide, she was so ashamed still.
Blade's breath sped up, she was scared and had a hard time to hold still at all, she squeaked with every closing second. "No, stop!" Blade was terrified again, trembling from toe to ear. She pulled away before Ediltrude could place the spell.
Griffin's head shot up as nails clawed into her hand, Blade had reached out and seized it. She turned her hand to hold on tight, "It's fine Blade, I'm here. I'm here. I'll always be."
Blade robbed forward burying her head in Griffin's arms, "I'm scared," she admitted.
"And that's okay. I understand. It'll be over soon only the back left after this, rest will heal on its own or you can apply the medicine yourself," the Headmistress comforted her. "You're a brave, brave girl… you're doing fine…"
"May I?" Ediltrude patiently as ever waited again for the nod again and pressed her hand down on the stomach as gently as possible.
Blade squeaked once quietly before she relaxed the pain subsided greatly already, and her breathing slowed even more.
Griffin held on tide those seconds felt like hours, "You're safe here… you are safe…" She caressed her hair. It was done, besides the bad burns on Blade's back all dire wounds were healing or taken care of.
Ediltrude for the first time relaxed again and stepped away to get a breather herself. Her hands were tense and shook as well. This had been one exhausting thing after another. She squinted her eyes as even she couldn't hide her tears away any longer.
It was a bit strange for the two Gentlemen in the room to see them so devastated and human. The Witch Ladies always hid behind their thick wall of hisses and superiority sometimes one wondered if they even had the capacity for empathy.
"Just the burns on the back, right? Then we are done, no more touching?" Blade asked muffled behind the blanket and Griffin's arms.
'Griffin she needs to drink, Zhoron link up Ediltrude, please…' Avalon took a deep breath. What they had found in Blade's subconsciousness had pointed towards that people had tried unspeakable, but failed as she had fought them off, succeeded, won. Still, this turned his stomach upside down.
'What paladin? Save your words for her,' Ediltrude directly hissed in their psi-link.
"Blade…let's take a break, you should drink…" Griffin whispered into her ear. "You don't have to push that far."
"No, do it now… I don't want to, I …do it now…" Blade shook her head, she just wanted it to be done.
Griffin closed her eyes, she knew that notion. It either took forever to heal someone and sometimes they fainted. Or they simply wanted to rush through to have their peace. Blade certainly had the stamina for it but even she was near her limit if not over it already. 'Can you Ediltrude? Need more of a break?'
'No, it's fine… burns are easy to treat, I'll have it done in no time,' she was ready to turn back to the examination table.
'Wait!' Both guys warned them. After a quick nod Avalon took lead, 'Back won't be easy… at all.'
'What are you talking about? They are just some simple burns don't underestimate me!' Ediltrude hissed she had so much rage built up with nowhere to throw.
Avalon sighed he simply ignored her outburst, 'She's a fairy. Her wings are attached to the back. You can't just heal it like a Witch's back. It's more complicated than that.'
'The wings are magic and go poof after detransformation. What are you getting at?' Ediltrude was so confused, but despite her long years as a healer, she had never used dark magic to heal any Fairy, they had enough trouble with their students and before Cloud Tower she and her sister simply had done jobs alone like any other Witch.
'The wings get magically attached to the back otherwise they wouldn't work for flight, they aren't just pretty after all. There are magic muscles to connect them to the body. Where did you think does that glow on their backs comes from then they transform…?' He shook his head slightly.
'Great Fairy anatomy one o' one, so what? Her wings didn't get hurt she was in a cell. No magic works there.' Ediltrude got a bit impatient.
'Yes, but the connection points where the magic muscles attach were burnt. If you just heal over that it will be a painful recovery and lengthier because it has to heal twice, that's what is actually so painful if the wings get destroyed they have no 'nerves' in that sense after all. The magic muscles have them on the other hand and regenerating those takes a long time for Fairies even if the wings weren't active. We need her to transform into Shadion preferably so you do not heal more than you should and hopefully feel the connection. Or maybe we should ask Virion…'
'Heck no, we can be glad she accepted you two and she barely lets you stay in this room. She'll freak you can count on that,' Griffin protested vehemently. 'Wasn't she humiliated enough for one day?!'
'Ladies, ladies, calm down. We all want Blade to feel safe and better,' Iolas had been linked up by Zhoron together with the rest of the guards and Votzaak.
'Ediltrude, check Avalon's wings out first. It's somewhat the same,' Virion threw in.
Votzaak sighed, 'Or simply knock her out we take her to my Order we have plenty of healers who can…'
'Wouldn't it be faster to simply…call one here….' Iolas crossed his arms as he glared down at the gremlin.
'Sure, I even can find you another Witch, have those too…' Votzaak was ready to teleport himself out again.
'No one touches MY patient! Certainly not some hussy of yours!' Ediltrude stepped up to Avalon and pulled him around to press him against the wall as she flared up enough magic to topple an elephant, 'Give me those damn wings of yours.'
'Wow, settle down, Professor,' Avalon tried to calm her down yet promptly got hit by one of his pressure points and a slight pain shot through his shoulder.
'NOW,' Ediltrude commanded.
"…" Avalon rolled his eyes, 'Leave them in one piece…even if I don't store magic in them still hurts...' He summoned them and tried to relax.
Ediltrude sent a bit of dark magic through the wings to trace the flow. Avalon flinched their dark and light magic weren't so compatible at all. 'Hold still!'
'Stop, burning my wings off! Easy,' Avalon grunted quietly. '… focus, you can't just baaarge, aaahhh, ouch!' He kicked her foot away and turned around and grabbed her hand, 'Stop! Careful, you need to be careful…chhhh…'
'Get a room…' Votzaak commented amusedly.
'SHUT IT!' Both hissed at him.
Avalon turned around again, 'Now from the beginning, shoulder plates, bit closer to the spine. Just like the Tower some 'roots'…' He explained anew.
Blade stared at Griffin's pendant, "Just do it… what are you waiting for, what's going on?"
"Nothing dear, Ediltrude is just preparing for your back, Fairies are a bit more complicated. You know with all your precious and beautiful wings…" Griffin tried to soothe her. "She'll be ready any moment." Griffin looked behind her as she could make out some sudden movement. Avalon was down on the floor swallowing his scream of pain he glared up at Ediltrude his wing had gotten a slight crack. Luckily for him, that didn't matter since his wings were like Blade's dark magic ones always cast anew.
"Okay, I'm ready," Ediltrude stepped away and ignored him again. "Now, Blade we need your Shadion. Gotta heal the burns in that form. You know magic muscles and stuff…"
"That will hurt Blade… transforming now…" Avalon rose and straightened out his jacket. "I know you are scared, but this will hurt, I would advise some painkillers or even an anaesthetic."
"NO!" Blade looked Griffin into her eyes, "I won't, you can't, I won't be stunned again! Don't let them DO THIS!" she clawed into her.
"No one will do anything unless you want it, Blade," Griffin repeated calmly. "Are you sure?"
"YES! Just DO IT!" Blade hissed, "SHADI-" Her voice cut off into a scream of pain. She had not expected it to be that bad. She rolled and twisted on the table.
'Hold her she'll fall!' Zhoron got the fright of his life.
"JUST DO IT!" overwhelmed Blade hissed her sight blurring yet she stayed awake baring her teeth. Cloud Tower quickly spread more fine roots. A flash-up of pictures in Blade's mind. "STOP! STOP!" She panted heavily. "Step back," Blade growled suddenly.
Griffin rose and stepped back everyone was looking at the student in pain. 'Fuck, we, I should have insisted on... It will HURT!? That's more than just it will hurt! Look at her!' Griffin turned to face Avalon, yet he already knew, that's why he had suggested the pain killers, he had seen this before he was eying Blade closely.
'Guys…look…' Ediltrude stared baffled at the fine roots that crawled up Blade's back. They had wrapped her like a loose cocoon. Blade still whimpered and twitched she wanted to leave her Fairy form, but she had to stay in it. Slowly the roots phased into the skin on her back and spread out beneath the burns and grew out at her wings stems again. They stabilised them and folded them gently in. Blade clawed into the table and with a few seconds more her wings were safely enwrapped on her back.
Blade panted heavily. She felt drowsy. She couldn't even hold her head up anymore. The Tower had to share magic so she could even hold the form. It was a warm comforting sensation, gently as a summer breeze. She blinked slowly, "No more, we're done… no more…..promi…" She searched for Griffin but her eyelids were already too heavy.
"No more, all is done and taken care of. Blade, you're safe," Griffin answered her softly.
Blade let her head sink, "You'll be there then I wake up, right? You won't leave…I won't be alone…"
"Of course, I will be, now sleep…"
