POV Narrator:
Friday, 23 February 2018, Luna Nova
The Valentine's Day party passed, being an event that was nothing more than an attempt of Croix to also get more fuel for the Noir Rod, in the mean time things were going on normally, with Akko as always having difficulties during classes, being that spring was close to arrive, In the middle of these days there was also the preparation for another event that would involve a walk through the ruins of the old Luna Nova before the fire, that there is a labyrinth under the ground, being a part of an activity that was promoted by the students that could be worth some more points to guarantee a good grade until spring break.
POV Akko:
Miss Ursula called us to meet here, we walked to the Luna Nova underground, I had come here a few times before, but not near this door that seems to be well sealed, until the teacher arrives, I even found it a bit strange that Miss Croix didn't show up to do something, but let's see if this Miss Ursula thing is going to be cool, it's been a while since we did anything with her.
"Very well girls, we are going to start the treasure hunt in Luna Nova, it is a very simple mission, we have placed several treasures scattered around the maze, you will pick one of them and bring it here, thus earning extra points, who comes with the best treasure will earn more points, but be careful, you will also need a lot of skill because you will face some hostile magical creatures that inhabit the place, so be well warned to defend yourself, do not hesitate to use your magical powers, so let's go! Let's go on the hunt!" Said the teacher opening the huge gates revealing what was the treasure site.
"It's full of treasures just at the entrance" says the teacher.
"But you won't be looking for those, but for some very specific ones, which will be marked on your mobile phones that you use in Miss Croix's class" said the teacher and I went to take a look and saw that on the map there were some red dots, they must be the treasures.
From there we walked in groups through the corridors, each one going in a team, I went with the girls looking at the map that was blinking like a radar, we walked in the middle of a corridor that reached a staircase, a little dark, but with the help of our wands the path was illuminated, I can't wait to find the treasure from here, I even got the Shiny Rod just in case.
"What a dark place" I tell the girls.
"It's kind of obvious, no one must have played here for at least 200 years" said Sucy.
"It was used by witches in the golden age of magic as a depository for the ancient treasures and relics of magic they got, they kind of leave some pretty legendary stuff stored here" Lotte said.
"Ahhhh, so you mean we are capturing the very rare treasures of magic?" I say curiously.
"Exactly that, look at that creature, finish it off Lotte" Sucy said pointing at what looked like a frog and she was starting to go shooting towards that same creature several times.
In another corridor very close to there...
POV Diana:
For now nothing, these corridors are a little bit scary I have tae say, it's a lot of things that the great witch Jennifer left in the middle of the way, it even surprises me, the girls are almost hugged and glued behind me, I dinnae know why all this fear, it seems that such a frightening creature is going tae appear, it's nae as if I am nae a skilled enough witch tae deal with these dangers.
"I don't know how the teacher thought it was a good idea to take us here and if a minotaur comes along" Hannah said.
"There are nae hostile minotaurs around Luna Nova, that's more from the Arcturus forest, ye're too afraid" I tell them.
"Ah Diana, you who are too confident, you never know what is hidden in those corridors" Barbara said.
We kept walking until one hour we were almost hit by an axe, but I managed tae dodge it and with that exactly a minotaur came out of it, which now it seems I was denied and the girls behind me already started tae get scared.
"I said Diana!" England said.
"I will take him out!" I say, already preparing a murowa with my wand.
I throw Murowa at the minotaur being enough fae the creature tae take a few steps back, but nae tae leave it on the ground, when I see lights coming, in the same corridor that we arrive Akko and her friends.
"Diana?" Akko asks.
"Hey ugly bug take this here" said Sucy giving a potion tae the minotaur.
When I notice the minotaur is all dissolving in front of us, making a kind of strange puddle of acid, the Manbavaran must have made an acid potion, fae sure, very dangerous by the way, even more sae because I saw the live flesh and then bones falling apart, with the animal in agony, while the pink haired one even laughed, this image will nae leave our heads, it was sae strong that it ended up making a hole in the ground.
"Holy fuck, Sucy that's disgusting, you could be less sadistic with that" Akko said.
"I agree" I tell them.
"And then who goes in the hole?" Manbavaran asks.
"Well I will take advantage and go there, come on girls" I tell them.
I make a spell of a magic umbrella that dampens the fall, the two follow me still a little terrified, but when we get there we see that we are in a corner full of gold coins and also other treasures, like pieces of armor and really old things, I think we are in the right place, already Akko keeps looking down and I signal with my thumb that it was safe.
Meanwhile in Croix's lab...
POV Croix:
Perfect, soon they will get to my magic dragon, it will absorb the spells that have been cast and I will be able to stock up more on my Noir Rod, who knows maybe cause a bit of a stir with its presence here, heh, they hardly know what awaits them in that labyrinth, little does Professor Ursula know that I also planted a bomb there.
"Go my dragon, extract more magic for my Noir Rod and who knows we'll have the 50% ready for me to be able to open the seal of the Gran Triskellion" I say to the screen watching through the cameras I placed around with each student going their separate ways.
Back to the maze with the green team...
POV Amanda:
The map is a bit confusing to understand, but it seems that everything points here, it's a good thing that Constanze brought her torches that use batteries instead of magic, we're almost there, until we come across a door, at this time I take a hairpin that I was carrying, I climb on top of the broom, where I'm reaching the lock, successfully managing to sort of obstruct it.
"It was quite easy really, now let's go" I say after opening it.
As we pass through the door, we see the chest with the treasure inside, it was a crown, which I make a point of putting on my head and think I'm the biggest queen.
"Worship Queen O'Neill, now I am the sovereign of all Luna Nova" I say this as I go feeling the magic flowing in me and out of nowhere I end up releasing an icy bolt of lightning with my hand almost hitting Cons, coming to take the crown off my head.
"Amanda, you almost freeze Cons" Jas said and I really noticed, that crown must have a curse on it.
"Look whatever it is, don't put that crown on, it will leave you messed up with your head, I started thinking of several things that came into my head, and managed to release this freeze ray, it must be powerful, but it must also take away all control and sanity from whoever has it" I say after taking the crown off my head and keep taking a look having even some jewels around it.
"I think the hunt is over for us" Jas said and I nodded in agreement.
We take advantage that we already found the treasure and simply climb on our brooms, going much faster in the corridors, we even bet a race, this time having the crown in hands, how cool, to go flying through the corridors here at the highest speed is really intense, I even see a little dragon on the way walking, coming down the stairs, but I don't give a fuck about it, I just keep going, without getting distracted.
"I am in the front!" I say excitedly.
We arrived at the main gate, I won the broom race, arriving there was Professor Ursula and there was a chest, I braked the broom and then we left the treasure inside, which finally ends our mission for now.
"Okay, we've got this weird crown, she's got the witch out of control" says the teacher.
"Did you put the icy crown on your head?" she said, a little worried.
"Just for a moment and I could feel all the things that were coming in my head, I almost end up losing control" I tell the teacher.
"This crown is cursed, those who have it end up losing control of themselves, becoming dominated by desires other than the crown, you really have no idea, girls, but it's good to see that you managed, you were the first to capture the treasure" said the teacher and with that we celebrated.
"What about the other girls?" I ask Ursula.
"The blue team is near Jennifer's scepter, and the red team is about to find the enchanted helmet of Diana Cavendish II, both objects were used in the great witches' war during the golden age of magic"
"I think we will stay there waiting for them" I say to the girls that also agree with the head, with that we even sit together in a stool, looking at the mobile phone.
In the corridors, near where the blue team was to get the treasure...
POV Diana:
"Girls I found a scepter, this thing here must be our treasure, I think we can go now" I said while I took it from the trunk, but I looked back seeing them looking at something, when I went tae see them they shot spells against it.
"Take that ugly little dragon, you're nothing to us hahahaha!" Hannah said.
I return with the treasure in hands and see that they were kind of casting spells on a very small dragon, poor creature, if only it has very strange features, I've seen those colours somewhere? Yes, it was in Croix's lab, in her machines, sae much sae that I put my hand in front of it sae that they dinnae fire any more spells, already noticing that the creature was increasing in size.
"Stop it, you are feeding the dragon, let's get out of here" I say tae the girls and they went after showing their tongues to the dragon, which we just walked to the exit.
But stubborn as they are, they both get together and cast a very powerful spell on the dragon, I even tried tae stop it, but they decide tae cast the murowa and it catches me very precisely, what I just start running, in the same way they go doing the same, when I go avoiding the creature that is gaining a more considerable size, almost hitting us with the fire that was spat, sae much that I end up climbing the hole that the minotaur made, finding me with Akko with a helmet stuck on her head.
"Diana? Have you managed to get the treasure yet?" she asks until I throw the sceptre tae Barbara who goes flying off.
"Take it and go away from here I'll take care of the dragon!" I tell them who nod their heads in agreement.
"Dragon? What do you mean Diana?" She asks coming close with that helmet on my side.
"It's nothing Akko, get out of here with the girls, it's too dangerous tae stay here" I tell her after giving her a pat on her helmet that ends up lowering her visor.
Then the dragon appears, it is already at a considerable size and of course Lotte and Sucy start firing several Murowa and I try tae make them stop, sae much sae that I make a force field of magic after the dragon ends up spitting fire, then the creature goes flying away, I simply grab my broom, but Akko ends up holding the bristles part.
"Akko please" I tell her.
"That dragon looks dangerous, let me help" Akko said, but I just ran off making her fall tae the ground, I was a bit guilty, but this is already something that is my problem, it's my fault and I have tae solve it.
POV Akko:
Sometimes Diana is the most stubborn and this helmet shit is very tight, I make sure to take it off my head, I end up taking it off and give it to Lotte, then I get to Sucy and poke her.
"You take the relic to the teacher, and Sucy takes me to Diana and the dragon" I tell them both and they nod their heads in agreement.
"Do you really think you can handle the dragon? You of all people Akko" asks Manbavaran.
"I have the shiny rod of Chariot in hand, if I don't get it there's still Diana to get it, let's fly to where this thing went" I tell her.
"I will be rooting for you" Lotte said.
We went flying, practically the same path, Diana can't have gone very far, I can hear the dragon's roars from far away, we went passing by seeing it until the main gate and the girls were all shooting spells at the dragon that made it even bigger, it seems it really has a strong point which is the absorption of magic, now I realized that.
"That thing gets bigger if you fire spells, now I get it, we can't attack it with our weapons, so how do you intend to finish off this dragon Akko?" Sucy asks.
"Exactly the way it might be the strong point, this thing can withstand magic, but not much magic, that's where the staff comes in, I'll shoot an arrow at it and the whole dragon will destroy itself" I tell her.
We kept on flying and kept on casting spells on the dragon that was sort of wrapping itself near the tower of Luna Nova, this thing wants the sorcerer's stone we can't let it get to it, so much so that Sucy understood the message, she left me exactly in the room of the sorcerer's stone.
"Thanks Sucy" I tell her.
"Good luck Akko, be careful, that thing can kill you, but if you die I can keep your stuff?" she said and I responded with a simple middle finger.
"You can come now dragon, I will show you how I know how to be intelligent too, you want magic then take it" I say pointing the staff to the creature that was staring at me and I even swallowed saliva.
He came at me with everything, but I dodge, I take the sorcerer's stone and try to get it out of place, so that this dragon doesn't devour anything, which will cause a bit of chaos around, but I need to do this, or else the dragon will become too powerful and it could be the end of Luna Nova.
"Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!" I say the words and this time the shiny rod answered right on time.
The dragon went for the stone, but I hit a strong arrow on the creature to the point of it being thrown out, but that ended up making the creature even more colossal, this time at least it's big enough not to get in here, shit... I used a lot of magic with that thing.
"Do you want more? I have more where those came from" I say to the dragon that was looking at me and then preparing to launch fire.
I throw myself in a leap of faith, falling right on the creature's body holding the sorcerer stone under my arms, I go kind of running on top of the creature's body, but it doesn't stop moving, being with this on my arm only makes everything worse, if this thing stays out of my hands, it's fucked.
The dragon is moving so much that I can't hold on, to the point that I end up being thrown and with that the creature is flying towards me at the same time that was falling, I feel someone holding me when I look up it was Diana.
"Thanks for saving me" I tell her.
"What have ye done this time Akko, this thing is huge" she said.
"We have to stop this thing, not let it devour the sorcerer's stone or it will be the end of Luna Nova" I say to Diana.
"I get it now, I was just watching him tae find a weak point, but from the looks of it I dinnae have an exposed point, unless we try and cut this creature out ye're going tae have to use the second word against him, I noticed ye used the first and it dinnae solve enough" Cavendish said and I nodded in agreement.
But the dragon soon comes towards us, Diana goes flying with precision dodging the creature's attacks, which is also agile, which can disturb us a lot, we have to be careful, the worst thing is that I can't balance myself this way to be able to use the second word, I'm more focused on holding on and keeping the sorcerer's stone in my hand.
"Hey! Akko! Throw that thing over here! Is that what the dragon wants?" Said Amanda moving her arms.
"Oh, great! Let's distract this thing!" I say excitedly seeing also that Jasminka, Constanze, Lotte, Sucy, Hannah, Barbara and also teacher Ursula appeared to help us with this.
I take the sorcerer's stone in hand and throw it to Amanda who catches it nicely and so the creature that almost attacked us ends up diverting course, to go towards the girls making a silly game between them from one side to the other throwing the sorcerer's stone.
"We dinnae have much time before our magic energy runs out Akko, use the second word soon and let's finish this thing" She said until I hold her own hand.
"Let's use it together, so the magic will be stronger" She blushes a little but gets the message.
We both stood on the broom, held our hands together taking the staff in tandem, which was even shining both spheres, this time the creature won't have any leftovers, we'll get it cut in half.
"Phaidoari Afairyngor!" We said together, as the staff turned into a huge axe, becoming more and more enveloped by magic, I even noticed that the sorceress stone was helping us with this one.
"Now!" Said Diana warning the girls who go on throwing the sorcerer stone, until they throw it in our direction.
The dragon was also going in our direction, I swallowed some saliva, but I took courage, me and Diana jumped towards the creature with the axe shining to cut, towards the beast's mouth, the wizard stone passed by our side the teacher was taking it in her hands, The wizard stone passed by our side, the teacher was taking it in her hands, and we were reaching the creature and passing in the middle of it, with a cut, crossing the whole length of that thing, until we arrived in the other side having the fall deadened with the help of the girls' magic, doing that samurai pose in the end, with the explosion rolling right behind us.
"You have done it!" said the girls.
Then I turn around and I see the dragon broken in half exploding and even emanating a light all green around, it must be magic, then it was kind of being absorbed by little cubes, like those that were in Appleton, those of the wild hunt, now also appearing here in Luna Nova, they go kind of flying towards the ground of Luna Nova, how weird, but at least we managed.
"Diana, we did it! We finished the dragon! This time together and using our magic!" I say all excited.
After that the girls also started appearing and with that they were all jumping around hugging me, to a point that we were all falling down, lying on the grass looking at the sky smiling, I can't believe that one more mission was accomplished, until I sit down and I see that Diana was half with a much more serious expression than before.
"Diana? Why are you like this? We did it, the dragon was destroyed and Luna Nova is safe" I tell her.
"It's nae about the dragon Akko, there's something behind all this, it's nae smelling good tae me" She said as I stood up and she looked directly where she had seen the little cubes go, until Professor Ursula came back too.
"Well anyway we have to celebrate don't we" I say cheerfully.
Then she takes a deep breath, but then stops making that same face, so much so that we go excitedly back to the inside of Luna Nova, halfway there Professor Finnelan appears with her arms crossed, as if we've done something.
"In the boardroom you all" she said seriously.
On the principal room...
"They almost caused the destruction of Luna Nova, they provoked a dragon in an extra activity and could very well have been responsible for all this, I'm talking exactly that, these three, they are always the ones who are causing trouble headmistress Holbrooke, you have to take action right now or they will destroy this place!" said Miss Finnelan until I saw Diana intervening, half knocking on the table.
"If it wasn't fae Akko taking the sorcerer's stone and preventing the dragon fae eating it, and consequently getting magical power tae feed itself, we would have Luna Nova completely destroyed, I can't believe it, she said, I'm not going to be able to do that
"We are witnesses of this, it was our director's fault, we started throwing Murowa on the creature without knowing that it absorbed magic, at the beginning it seemed that it wouldn't work, but it was one of the worst mistakes we made, we are to blame, the girls of the red team only helped us, the girls of the green team too, if it wasn't for the work of all of us we wouldn't be able to save Luna Nova" Barbara said and I found it impressive that she was on our side.
"I am witness to that, even you yourself cast spells towards the dragon and it was part of fuelling the magic power more, we had no way of knowing the effect and it is not for us to know that, but who was responsible for such a dragon, we know there is no such thing as a magic devouring dragon that gets bigger, that can only have been the creation of some witch" Teacher Ursula said and the headmistress was just getting thoughtful.
"You can only be lying to relieve the red team, how can you prove that?" The teacher said.
At the time we showed her everything we could film on the mobile phone, it was wonderful to see her face of shock, at the same time getting quiet for noticing that it wasn't our fault for the first time, I think I'm going to feel kind of bad seeing the blue team coming out the worst, but at the same time it's kind of a feeling of satisfaction, them finally going through what we went through over time, and soon the director gives her decision.
"All right, for the heroic act of all of you, I will give you an extra credit in the yearbook, but for the blue team's mistake, you will get a warning, I didn't expect it to come to committing an infraction, even more coming from you Diana Cavendish, anyway, that's what we wrap up today, you are cleared" I was in shock, if it was us, we would be cleaning the troll latrines, repairing broken brooms, doing laundry, washing toilets, scrubbing the corridors, doing all the workmen's jobs for days and days until we serve our detention, I am sure.
We left the room, I was a bit indignant, it's quite remarkable that they have some privilege in relation to us, we wouldn't be equally punished, I didn't even want to complain, because I was already feeling a bit disgusted by the situation, but relieved at the same time, Diana doesn't deserve to go through this, they didn't mean any harm, they shouldn't be punished.
"Whew... Thank you for being sincere" I tell them.
"I know they would do the same for us" Diana said walking out of there with her friends.
In the Croix laboratory...
POV Croix:
It was better than I expected, they not only used the power of one, but two words, they filled my dragon beautifully, but I really wish I could get the sorcerer stone, I would be able to fill the magic power of my Noir Rod completely, I can even see the cubes going down in the machine, filling more of the tank, seeing the percentage going up quickly.
"Keep it up, we'll get it soon, thank you both for using a lot of magic!" I say that while also looking at the footage I took of the two of you cutting the creature in half, it can serve as a movement reading, in case they come to invade here I already know they will attack like that.
It's already reached 50% so this thing can get full and this spring will shine, this will be the last term of the last terms starting with the archaic view of magic before Croix Meridies conquer their goal of changing magic in a whole revolution, I know I can achieve that goal, it's all or nothing.
After the conversation at the principal room Diana, went straight away to talk to teacher Ursula who always used her familiar raven to signal Cavendish of a meeting at the Arcturus tower where they meet there...
POV Diana:
She really is very careful not to use Croix's mobile phone for these messages, the amount of things Croix must be able to see you can't trust, now yes arriving here in the tower, I land and I already see her with the looks well towards Luna Nova in the background, she must also have noticed that it was Croix behind all this.
"You saw it too, didn't you" she said.
"It was Croix behind this dragon, I could tell right from the start by her aesthetics" says the teacher.
"I didn't talk to you before, but during Valentine's day I could notice that she has a goal, she wants to fill the magic energy of a device of hers to be able to break the seal of the Gran Triskellion, she hasn't given up on the whole Claiomh Solais issue yet, that's why she must have sent the dragon, she wanted you to use magic so that it would fuel her machinery more" Said the teacher and well I suspected it.
"But what now? And how did you find out?" I tell her curiously.
"I went to Croix herself, Croix confessed in front of me, but the recording I made can't be enough, she's smart to know how to use her words so she doesn't end up incriminated" Chariot said.
"What will be the plan this time then?" I ask the teacher.
"I will try to tell Akko about how I got one of the words, that might entice her to try to find out with Croix as well, but of course I will stay protective of her, I will make it look like I am fighting with Croix to Akko and that for Croix I didn't want her to go there, but that will be my intention" Said the teacher looking at a place in the huge forest.
"And in this ye're going tae sort of ask me tae go undercover? Is that right? Then I'll go tae the lab and try tae collect more evidence," I tell her, and she nods.
"Wangadea... That's where I got the last word I tried in Claiomh Solais, this place only has one danger which is the fact that it can be in the pollination season and if the witch is hit by those pollens, she can lose the ability to fly, it is a mysterious thing that also has no cure, so it is risky" Chariot said.
"Sae be careful teacher, ye and Akko can't risk too much, especially Akko, she will be just a piece in this game, I even feel bad for her being in this position" I said with a bit of a downcast voice.
"It might be a controversial thing to do and it really is, but we have to do it for the greater good, there's no telling what Croix might get if she accomplishes this mission and it's up to us to get evidence so that we can prove my innocence and also that she pays for what she did" Du Nord said which I was half accepting.
"I will feel a bit bad tae do this, but I know it is fae the greater good, I hope our plan then works, I will do my best to also collect information, I will be very discreet, I may even get some devices with Constanze in time, but please teacher, let this be the only time we involve Akko in this, she is nae a pawn" I tell her very worried.
"You really have a huge appreciation for Akko don't you? I hope you two can be what Croix and I could never be" She said and I even end up blushing a little but I already understood the plan.
POV Narrator:
A far more dangerous moment with a mysterious dragon that came to cause amidst a treasure hunt that was only supposed to be an ordinary and simple activity, but which turned out to be a fight against a colossal creature to save the fate of Luna Nova, but which was still nothing more than a plan by Croix who managed to reach an impressive 55% of Noir Rod's capacity, almost to achieve the goal he so badly wants to reach.
See you, dragon witches...