Chapter 83: Our Cold History
Disclaimer:
Hi guys! Another chapter for you and it's quite the informative one regarding two characters. Many might have thought we'd get the Witch Queen this chapter but that'll be left for the next one.
There are references to events in past chapters to help with foreshadowing and whatnot. Here they are:
Chapter 77-78, 81, 82.
With that said, I hope you enjoy!
"I… lost again, huh? Story of my life, I guess…".
Mystic lay face-up in the middle of a large crater. The ominous and dark air left the area, revealing the shining, evening sun that was close to setting in the distance. Its orange rays illuminated her face but there were also some shadows created by the shade that came off the trees surrounding them.
"Even with Ren's drug… I'm a failure… To think that I believed I was strong and then relying on something like that? Is me… being weak… my inescapable fate?".
She replayed the events of the last few hours in her head, over and over again but every time she did, she ended up at the exact same conclusion.
"I'm no soldier… Sorry, Mother. Sorry, Father… Sorry, Little Mari…".
Those were her last thoughts as her mind faded into a space that was devoid of any light. Her essence shut down and she was left in limbo. A singular tear escaped her left eye which quickly flowed to the side and onto the dry ground.
A few minutes later, a pair of astounded faces entered the area.
"What…",
"The heck…",
"Happened here?!"
Domina and Mariella exclaimed with shocked looks on their tired faces. Their jaws were wide open and their eyes were pulsating as if they had just seen something shocking. They were staring at Lucas and his altered look when it quickly dissipated with the overall dark-blue colour fading from his body.
"Huh? I guess I'm back to… me", Lucas said as he looked over at his body. "Oh, hi, Mariella… Domina…", he said so that they'd at least get a reply from him.
"Me?" Domina repeated, opting to focus on what he said before his greeting. "Were you not yourself, then?"
"It's… hard to explain. I need to gather my thoughts first and then I'll let everyone know at a later time", Lucas answered, tracing his right arm over the scars on his face.
"Hm, that would probably be the best. I'd like to know what on earth that whole transformation was myself!" Daisy thought to herself. She then turned to the two new arrivals but before she could get a word out, Mariella brushed past them to stare at Mystic who was on the floor, and then the others followed.
Many footsteps surrounded the unconscious mage in a circle. Not even a second after congregating, Mystic's body became tight and cold all of a sudden, keeping her in place.
"Ice Binding Magic: Glacial Prison".
Mariella summoned ice-blue chains that clamped at Mystic's arms and legs, making sure they couldn't move even an inch. Then, she pointed at the purple and white grimoire, keeping it shut so that the Diamond General couldn't use it in case she awoke.
"Um, I'm pretty sure she's unconscious", Lucas said but then remembered back to when he tried to restrain her before their big battle. "Actually, on second thought, a wise idea…", he sweat-dropped.
"Where were you guys? I haven't seen you since the start!" Daisy asked, looking at both of the new arrivals.
The assassin remained tight-lipped and it didn't seem like she was in the mood to answer. However, focusing closely at her downcast, pink eyes, it looked like Mariella was just staring at Mystic on the floor with a sad look.
Domina chose to answer as she noticed this but it didn't come without some kind of hesitation on her part as she figured what was up with Mariella. Still, she explained.
FLASHBACK - A FEW MINUTES PRIOR:
"Where has that girl gone?!" Domina asked herself, looking around tirelessly for her fellow fugitive.
"Mariella!"
"Mariella!"
"MARIELLA!"
The craftswoman was raising her voice after each repetition of the Ice assassin's name. Eventually, she had run a good few minutes away from where Lucas and the others were fighting but there was still no sight of Mariella.
"Urgh… I don't even know how much louder my voice can get but I'll definitely try shouting her name again. MARI-?!"
"Gah, would you lower your voice, please?! I've heard you for a good 10 minutes now and you've given me a headache…".
Domina turned to the source of the voice and saw the person she was searching for. Mariella was walking towards her but, as she got within an arm's reach, she stumbled and landed in her embrace.
Domina helped her up and that was when she got a good look at the wounded assassin.
On top of her body being covered in cuts and bruises, her clothes were torn in various places with her long, black robe ripped to shreds. She was now just using it as a patch to help with some of her bloodied wounds on her arms. Her short, dark-maroon skirt was mostly burnt giving it a pitch-black colour instead of its original, and there were cuts all along the sides of her black boots as well.
"It seems like you've been through the ringer", Domina smiled as she tried to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, you left me with Ladros, remember? Safe to say… our reunion wasn't something he had the time… for", she sighed, losing some balance in her legs.
"I should've stayed".
"Nah, it was my choice to fight like that and you would've just gotten in my way", Mariella replied with a smirk. "Besides, you know… I like working on my own most of the time".
"Yeah, yeah, lone wolf and all that. We spoke about that habit of yours, girl", Domina rolled her eyes. "Here, have some of this".
The long-haired woman sighed but quickly brought out her bag of goodies, reached in, and took out some kind of potion which had a warm, blue liquid inside. Without even waiting another second, she forced the concoction down Mariella's throat.
The assassin's eyes widened at how abrupt she was and she almost started choking as she held her stomach. However, a few seconds later, she seemed to be alright as she was standing without any support.
"I have… many questions for you, but… I'm thankful", she said, wiping some of the excess liquid away from her lips. "Do you have any more?"
"Why do you need more? I bought that one from a pharmacy with my hard-earned money. It's not some knock-off from the Black Market so it was expensive!" Domina responded, folding her arms.
"So, you admit the Black Market houses knock-off items…", Mariella sighed. "No, I don't need more but they will…", she pointed in the distance.
Domina raised her hand and put it on her forehead, creating shade from the overhead sun and so that her eyes could see further. There, she saw what the short-haired teen meant.
Just a bit further away, near where Mariella came out of the shadows from, there were small platforms of ice forming from the ground-up and they held up a lot of witches, all injured and unconscious. They were all laying on their backs and there was additional ice all around their more serious wounds, preventing blood from pouring out.
"You… brought them all… here?" The Black Market saleswoman asked, shocked.
"I mean, yeah. I forced them to fight with me earlier only to be blasted away by Ladros…", she sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, they need help and I don't know any Recovery Magic. I was bringing them away from all of the commotion when I heard your shouts".
Domina didn't know what to say and she had never seen this side of Mariella before. "She wouldn't give even a second of thought about others like that. I guess… it's only recently that she's been a bit different, huh?"
"Are you listening?" Mariella waved her hands in front of the light-orange-haired woman, bringing her out of her own head.
"Y-Yes!" She snapped back to reality. "I don't have another potion but I did analyse its contents after I bought it. No… I wasn't going to try and make my own version and sell it for a discounted amount so that I could bring more business to my stall, ahaha…!"
"I didn't even ask about all that…", Mariella scratched her cheek.
Domina stood up and led the way elsewhere. "First of all, let's bring these witches back near the centre and then we can get to work!"
FLASHBACK - END
"After taking the witches back and healing them up the best we could, we heard shouting in the distance, coupled with like four different people flying around the sky. Then, well, here we are", Domina finished explaining.
"Four?" Lucas and Daisy shared a thought, confused. "I wonder…", Lucas thought additionally, staring at his grimoire and remembering the connection he had to Asta's.
Daisy raised her hand, wanting to ask a question as if she was in a classroom. "Hey, what do we do with Mystic? Lucas beat her and that should be the end of it but… she's been quite tenacious this whole time", she explained with a sigh.
"She pulled out a syringe and injected herself with some dark liquid. It gave her so much more strength but…", Lucas explained but was only cut off by the one that hadn't said much.
Domina flinched at the description.
"... She seemed insane?" Mariella finished, pinching her temple.
The three all turned to the other Ice mage and saw that her gaze was still on the enemy on the ground. Her fists were clenched tightly and she gritted her teeth.
"No… You used it, didn't you…?" She spoke internally, hoping she would be wrong but she knew in actuality that she wasn't with the description Lucas gave.
"Mariella, do you know what it was?" Lucas asked, walking up beside her.
A few seconds separated the question and the answer. "Yeah, the Diamond Kingdom were developing a drug which would enhance the user's strength by… sacrificing their… life force", she said as she breathed in and out, slowly but heavily.
The three others froze in place as they heard the quick explanation from Mariella. All their eyes widened with a fearful shock but that wasn't the only thing they were shocked at. It was Mariella's tearful expression that they initially overlooked.
"Th-That's right, Mariella… You two were… friends back in the Diamond Kingdom", Domina began to say.
"Maybe we were but that seems like a lifetime ago", she said coldly as she turned around so that her face wouldn't be seen. "Anyways, from right now and until the end… she's dead to me".
Mariella quickly wiped her eyes, summoning an ice platform underneath Mystic so that she could be moved around. "Why don't we find Mars? Maybe he'll know what to do with her?"
She didn't wait for an answer and chose to walk away with the prisoner in tow right beside herself. Lucas, Daisy, and Domina exchanged concerned glances but knew it wasn't the time for any kind of heart-to-heart with Mariella with how she was, so they decided to follow her instead.
"I know… roughly which way they were", Lucas spoke up, opting to hurry on forwards and to lead the way, a few yards in front of the assassin.
"Mystic, you idiot. You said… you'd never go that far…!"
FLASHBACK:
My first kill was at the age of 11.
It was daytime in the Diamond Kingdom with the shining sun up high above. There were no clouds in the sky and the bright, blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see. However, juxtaposing this tranquil setting was the commotion down below on a dry, mountainous peak.
"Move away, little girl! The higher-ups in the army need an outpost here and destroying this graveyard is the first step!" One of the soldiers shouted, running forwards and generating some magic in his hands.
"You will not get your wish". The 11-year-old Mariella threw a small dagger made completely out of ice at the incoming man's neck, slicing it and killing him instantly.
"Y-Y-You are a m-monster…!" His teammate screamed, running away as fast as he could. The man left his friend's dead body right in front of Mariella as he disappeared into the distance.
My second kill was during the night of that same day.
Mariella was washing some dirt and mud from her hands in a small, wooden bucket that she set down by her feet.
"Urgh…", she cringed, trying to get every inch of her hands. "I killed that guy but… he was only on a mission. I buried his body a few minutes away… He may have tried to ruin everything here but he still deserved some respect…", the girl spoke to herself.
The full moon was shining high up in the sky and its illuminating rays passed through a few cracks of the building that Mariella was living in. She looked up and stared at it when she finished cleaning her hands.
"I'm not… a bad person. I didn't want to kill him but I had… to defend you, Mom and Dad…", she sniffled, getting emotional.
Her eyes started to blur with tears but then she heard a loud shout coming from outside and it sounded very familiar. Before she could ascertain the source, the front door got kicked in, revealing the figure.
"I got beaten for failing in the mission… So, I'm back for the kill on you…!"
It was the man who had ran away a few hours ago and he was back for revenge. Mariella, though, was ready as she threw the empty bucket at his face which stunned him for a few seconds.
"Wh-Where a-are you…?!"
"Here", she replied coldly as she stabbed the man in his stomach, twisting the small knife that she had in her small hands. He fell to the floor, all bloodied.
"I'll always protect you", Mariella thought to herself as the blood splattered all over her face as well as the torn, white cloth she was using to cover herself with.
Eventually, more and more foot soldiers came by and threatened me with the exact same rubbish, day-after-day. The amount of blood I spilled was too much but I protected my parents.
Things didn't go to plan in the following week. A day came where I didn't kill.
There was a group of four outside the closed metal door, separating them from Mariella. To the little girl, it was just another bunch of soldiers that were trying to take her parents away from her as usual.
Mariella ran up to the first one that came through the gate. She had bright, short and violet hair which contrasted her own rather dull, long and black hair. The little girl had her right fist rolled up, concealing a small ice dagger.
"Illusion Magic: Dragon's Roar!" Mystic had summoned a huge, red dragon that started to scream, causing Mariella to hold her ears in pain.
Their battle played out with Mariella figuring out the trick behind Mystic's illusions. As she did, she attacked again but Fanzell's magic got in the way, protecting the violet-haired teen. They eventually escaped but Mariella just stared at them as they disappeared into the distance.
"I will not let anyone build here. My parents will rest peacefully!"
Thinking that would be the last time I'd see those people was a big misunderstanding on my part. The violet-haired one kept returning week-after-week with the goal to best me.
Mystic was tenacious. It was like she needed to be the best, no matter what and, this time, she was finally getting the upper hand on Mariella who fell to Mystic's combination play with her Illusion Magic working together with her Memory Magic.
We fought hard and she was pushing me to my limit. Without a grimoire, I had no powerful spells and just using basic magic was enough to keep me winning. I would have won that day as well, if she didn't say what she said.
"You've killed all the soldiers that came up to you before but you never managed to with me. Granted, Commander Fanzell saved me the first time we met but, after that, my life wasn't in danger. Are you… getting weaker?" She smirked, tilting her head.
"Me? Weak?! I can't be!" The little girl in white saw anger and she ran towards the Dual mage. Usually, she'd have an ice dagger in her hands, concealed by rolling her palms into fists but not this time.
The lapse in judgement from Mariella was enough for Mystic to fight back as she saw the flaw.
It was quick. I let my anger get the best of me and she beat me. Perhaps my defeat was also coupled with her tenacity and unwillingness to give up in trying to win.
Feeling the soldier's boot on her chest, Mystic finally uttered the words that she had been wanting to for the last month or so.
"I finally… won…", she celebrated as she breathed heavily. Sweat dropped from her forehead to stain the dry, mountainous floor beneath her.
Mariella struggled but didn't have the energy to move out from Mystic's grasp.
I looked up, close to tears as I thought she would be the one to destroy the place where my parents and I lived. Her grimoire turned white from the usual purple-violet colour and I thought it was the end.
Mystic raised her hands to cover her mouth as she saw quick flashes of the little girl's memories fly by her.
A run-down shack that was in better condition to the one right now was the first memory. Inside were a man and a woman holding a baby girl with black hair. They rocked her from side-to-side, smiling and laughing.
The next memory was of the same girl learning to walk with the help of her mother. Her father was in the background looking over their funds for the month and there was barely enough to continue for the day.
More flashes of images came by and these were quicker, rushing past Mystic's wide eyes.
Mariella was growing up but her parents were slimming down. Their bones started to show through their skin but they had food in their hands as they set up the small wooden table for dinner.
In the following one, her mother and father would start skipping meals if it meant that Mariella could eat. During this time, their home started to fall apart with no one to maintain it properly.
There was a storm outside with a downpour of rain coming from above, dampening their mood as well as their home. Mariella was now 10-years-old and her parents could barely walk but it was close to dinner time.
Suddenly, a beam of wood fell down from the roof, letting the rain gather inside the building. Fortunately, Mariella was old enough to be somewhat independent and responsible.
"Don't worry, you two! You taught me how to fix these things so I'll go and sort it out. Why don't you two just rest for now!"
The little girl ran outside wearing a few extra layers to help against the cold. She climbed to the top of the shack and fixed the hole with little to no problems.
Then, she went inside.
The dinner table was ready and was neater than usual. There were two plates already set up with three, small, wooden cups for water on the right of each.
"Mom, Dad?" Mariella called out as she didn't see them as she entered. She took off her extra clothes and sat them down opposite the bed. She raised her voice; "I think you forgot my plate!"
There was no response from them so the girl looked to the other side of the dinner table.
She saw them on the floor, not breathing.
"Come on, g-get up…", she laughed thinking it was some kind of joke on their part, but fear was already setting in.
The black-haired girl got even closer and saw that both of their hands were around a singular plate. It had some warm food on and was the only bit of food in their home. There wasn't anymore for the two of them but they had made sure to get something ready for their daughter.
Mariella fell to the floor, crying.
The flashes of memories ended with Mystic gasping. "Holy shit…", she thought and took a step backwards, lifting her foot from Mariella;s body to allow her to move.
Even though she was free, the girl couldn't move as her will was broken.
"... I don't want to… be weak… anymore", she whimpered. She slammed her fist down onto the ground, revealing a newly-made ice dagger. It wasn't there when she attacked which meant that she made it a few seconds ago. She had the chance to kill Mystic but she couldn't go through with it as her spirit was torn.
Right at my lowest I thought there was nothing left for me in this world. My parent's final resting place would be destroyed and I was going to die at the hands of this soldier. I was resigned to my fate.
"If you want to be stronger, then come with me".
She said something like that to me. I had lost against her but she wanted to save me. Or… did she take pity on me? That was my thinking at the time and that twisted way of seeing things is what kept me going for the next four years.
Was my fate changing?
Then, I met with the Diamond Kingdom's higher-ups. Mystic vouched for me, risking her own reputation. At the time, I had no idea why she went to such great lengths for someone she was insistent on beating and killing.
"Fine, we'll accept her".
A deep voice sounded out in the room that they were in. There were a row of chairs near the grey wall behind it. There was a large, glass window in the middle which showed the setting sun in the distance, giving a solemn, orange look to the rest of the room.
A man with a long, white, doctor's overcoat approached Mystic and Mariella who were both kneeling on the floor with their heads bowed.
"Morris is in the research lab but I know he'd approve of this… change. However, it doesn't come without us wanting something in return".
He grabbed the underside of Mystic's neck, propping her up so that she was standing. His cold, purple eyes looked into her scared, violet ones and he smiled.
"We're on the verge of creating a magic-boosting medicine. We want you to use it in the field but first… there needs to be some tests. You must wait… for now".
He let go of the short-haired teen's neck and she fell to the floor. She clutched at the bruise that his strong grasp gave her but she didn't retaliate. Instead, she nodded. "Yes, Professor Ren".
I found that weird at the time but I didn't question it. After all, I was new and I was sure that the grown men wouldn't want to hear what an 11-year-old thought. Instead, I opted to say something else that was on my mind.
"My parents will be safe from your soldiers, right?" Mariella asked as Ren walked away.
He was in the middle of opening the door to leave the room but he stopped as he heard the question. He didn't bother looking back at the little girl but he did slowly raise his hand.
"Yeah, they'll be safe".
He left the room.
I didn't know if I could trust him, but I had to. If being in this army allowed me to become stronger, then I would do it to protect my parent's memory.
The next four years went by quickly. I started training from the get-go but I was constantly in a class with Mystic. It irked me but I withstood the urge to say something. Instead, I actually trained with her.
Mariella had to use swords, shields, maces, and various other weapons as part of her training. Such big weapons weren't the best match for her short stature as well as the fact that she was only 11 at the time. Though, she carried on.
"Huh?" Mystic said as she dodged each slash of the metal sword that Mariella was using. "You're good!"
"Of course, I'm good. I have a mission", she replied plainly, swiping again.
"... That's right", Mystic answered, looking a bit sad but didn't probe further.
"Do you have a mission?" Mariella asked, wondering what drove the teen opposite her.
"Yeah, I do".
"Well, are you going to tell me?"
"Hm, I'd rather not right now. Perhaps some other time". She replied before dodging to the side to evade another swipe from the 11-year-old.
I didn't like Mystic at first. After all, she beat me that day but because of her, I found a purpose and the means to protect my parents.
"Your strength and your speed…", another man assessed with his grey, circular glasses. "Your abilities would be perfect as an assassin".
"Morris, she's only 13, right now! You can't possibly make her undergo assassin training!"
Two adults were arguing about what I needed to become. The one with glasses was Morris and I hated him from the moment I met him. He kept his eyes covered with his glasses the entire time and, in the rare moment where his glasses were off, his messy, blond hair covered them.
"Nonsense! Aren't you reaping the benefits of your own occupation - the one that I assigned you?!"
"The benefits?!" The red-haired man shouted back, tensing his arms as if he was holding back on punching Morris.
The other man was named Fanzell Kruger. He, for some reason, took me under his wing from day one. To be honest, it pissed me off at first but I got used to him.
Anyway, Fanzell was always going to lose the argument to Morris. It was just how the hierarchy operated in the kingdom's army. Although he was against the occupation of an assassin, I welcomed it as I got to hone my skills that I had developed by myself.
One more year passed.
I became faster.
I became stronger.
Of course, I visited my parents' graves every opportunity I had but the time I had to myself was slowly disappearing with more missions being assigned to me.
Still, I was determined. The only thing that was missing was my grimoire but that would come in another year. Right now, I was going on missions as part of a group. Mystic wasn't there and that was when I realised I had started to see her less. It was a weird feeling.
It was the dead of night with the darkness leaving no corner free. The light from the moon was hidden underneath the sheet of clouds in the sky.
A group of mages hurriedly walked through a village, stopping near a small, brick house. They were lined up and crouched to conceal their presence but that was quickly broken by the leader of the group.
"You remember the MISSION, don't ya?!"
At the age of 14, I was allowed to go on a mission that would utilise my skills as an assassin, but this particular one included being with a Shining General. His name was Brocks and he was annoying - I hated him.
"M-Master Brocks…! Please keep your voice down! We're only here for a repossession… Waking up everyone around us isn't worth it!" Another soldier tried to get Brocks to lower his voice but the large man wasn't having it.
The Shining General with the large, brown afro suddenly turned around and grabbed the protesting soldier by the head.
"And WHO do YOU think you ARE?!" He asked but didn't wait for a response as he used his strength to crush his skull in his palms.
Seeing their comrade get murdered, the other soldiers took a step back and hid behind Mariella.
They hid behind my body, looking at me to protect them. It was odd that I was relied upon so heavily, despite being the only one without a grimoire.
Mariella stepped forwards, looking up at Brocks. "Let's get moving on with the mission. We don't want to keep Ren and Morris waiting".
"HUH?! Why is a little PIPSQUEAK ordering me arou-!"
Brocks looked down but Mariella had already disappeared. He turned around and saw that the 14-year-old was at the door of the house that they were targeting. Before he could utter another word, she kicked the wooden door down and let herself in.
Inside the house was a family of two. They were wide awake because of the commotion outside and were standing behind a table, shaking in fear as they saw Mariella slowly walk in.
She was wearing a long, black cloak with the bottom resting on the floor. It covered her from head to toe with the only area left visible being her pink eyes. There was a shadow casted on the rest of her face.
"P-Please…! I know why you're here… We c-can't pay up right now but we will by n-n-next week!"
The man bowed down and joined his hands together, praying to Mariella for mercy.
The assassin-in-training advanced, revealing her right arm that was underneath her dark cloak. She twirled her hand and showed them a dagger made out of ice.
"Get away from there, Love!" The wife shouted from behind, seeing that this was a dangerous situation for them to be in.
The husband looked at Mariella and then back at his wife, as if he had just scanned for something.
"Don't worry! She d-doesn't have a grimoire so she can't be that strong! I'll just use my magic spells against her and we'll all be fin-!"
He stopped speaking and fell to the floor. Blood pooled out from the open wound in his chest that Mariella quickly gave him.
"NOOOO!" The wife screamed, running towards her husband to see if he was really dead. However, this left her defenceless and the long, black-haired girl dealt the second blow.
I killed plenty of people in my life. They all deserved it for going against me and threatening to destroy my parents' memory.
I killed plenty…
But this one… was a mistake.
As the husband and wife duo lay on the floor, dead, Mariella thought the deed was done and she turned to leave the building. She walked past their bodies but they were in an odd position. Their index fingers in their hands were pointed towards the back of the room.
"Hm, what were they pointing at?" Mariella thought and her intrigue got the best of her as she walked over.
It was a door to another room and she opened it without hesitation but that was when she realised her mistake. Her eyes widened and she dropped her ice dagger to the floor.
The room revealed a single bed and, on top of it, there was a toddler, sleeping soundly. On its ears, there were some makeshift ear muffs made out of cotton to block the sounds around it.
"N-No…", she cried.
I did what happened to me. I robbed a child of its parents.
I knew it was wrong but this was all to protect my own parents, right? If I didn't complete the mission, then the kingdom's soldiers would come after my Mom and Dad, right?
Yes. I had to do it. If I was ordered to do it again, then I would. Might as well… enjoy it.
Then, a few days after the mission…
"Don't you dare think like that!"
Mystic slapped the 14-year-old across the face, leaving a red handprint on her left cheek.
Mariella felt the tingling sensation on her face and tried to touch it with her left hand which only intensified the sting.
"Damn it… it's not your fault…", Mystic stepped back, holding her face in frustration.
"Then why…?" Mariella began to ask.
"Why did I hit you?" Mystic shouted again. "I hit you because, even though we're on orders, we shouldn't enjoy what we do! It's a messed up situation that we're in but each one of us has a goal, right? That's the reason why we do all these horrible things - so that we can achieve them! But still… you have to hold onto the bit of humanity that's with you because, if you don't, you'll end up like Ren or Morris!"
What the heck was she on about? She was the one that told me to join the army to help my parents. Then WHY was she backtracking? That was my thinking at the time.
"Oh, yeah? Then, what's your goal?! You've been hiding this from me from the start! You do all this killing on the kingdom's orders but you're telling me you have a goal - a mission - as well?! Are you telling me that even though you want to achieve something in the end, you should still feel bad about what you have to do on the way there?!"
Thinking back at our argument, it was obvious that Mystic was going through something deep. Even during our fights on the mountain, she would look excessively determined to win. I didn't understand it then and that's why I lashed out.
Their shared bedroom grew silent. The two were making a ton of noise but there was no one around to hear as their room was far away from the rest of the army's soldiers. It was also during the afternoon where most of the people were out and about on missions.
Mystic groaned and sighed. She dropped her shoulders and sat down on her bed as if she had enough of all of this. The Dual mage moved her hand and pointed to the space next to her, inviting Mariella to sit. She sighed again but this time it was deep. Then, she spoke.
"Ren and Morris have my parents hostage".
Mariella's eyes grew wide. "What?"
"I've known for a few years now. They've been blackmailing me so that they can use my power", Mystic added, leaning back and staring at the ceiling.
The room grew silent again for a few moments. It seemed like Mystic finally let a weight off her shoulders but, at the same time, Mariella looked perplexed.
She grabbed her head, shaking it as if she couldn't understand. "Huh? Then why don't you do something about it? Also, what on earth does that have to do with our conversation?!"
That was when Mystic fully lost her emotional hold she had on herself.
I saw her cry for the first time that day.
"Aren't you listening?! They have them hostage! I have to keep in check or they'll kill them!" She cried and shouted. "I found out when I was walking the halls of the army's barracks one day. I was actually coming to check on you since I realised we were meeting less and less and that… didn't sit right with me. Anyway… I spotted Morris on the way to see you and I took a detour. He went inside his office and, for the first time, I saw him use his magic".
"His magic?" Mariella asked, wondering what it could be.
"I'm not sure what it is but I saw him use it on a red cube that he had in his hand. I hid behind the door so that he wouldn't see me and that was when…", she gulped. "... The cube started to change shape, expand, and then reconstruct itself into a small cage that sat on the floor. Behind its metal bars was…".
Mariella figured it out. "Your parents were trapped inside?"
"Y-Yeah… I saw them… and they were shells of what they used to be. I tried to interfere but then I remembered - If I did, then they would truly kill them".
"But they're your parents!" Mariella shouted, protesting at Mystic's lack of determination.
"I want them ALIVE, don't you get it?! Morris and Ren… they're truly monsters but what choice do I have?!" Mystic shouted back, standing up. "After I saw that, I don't know if I made the right decision but… I ran away from there. Morris didn't know that I saw everything since he hasn't acted differently but… I know".
"So, that's why you're part of the army. Your goal… is to save your parents?" Mariella asked but then this raised another question. "If that's correct then… Why do you care about what you have to do in order to achieve your goal?" She asked, touching the cheek where she was slapped.
Mystic put her hand on the 14-year-old's head and smiled. As she did, a few teardrops escaped her shut eyelids. "I care because… I don't want to show my parents that I've turned into… a monster", she cried again.
"A monster?" Mariella repeated once more.
"Think about it. You want to complete your mission - your goal - no matter what. Being in this army forces you to lose your humanity with the amount of cruel acts that we do. If our parents knew just what we did, do you think they would support it? No, right. We have to hold onto our sins if it's for them. Always put your goal first but… keeping our humanity is also important and it shows that what we do… is right", Mystic explained.
"But we shouldn't enjoy it… My parents wouldn't like it if they saw what I've done", Mariella realised.
Realising she got through to the young teenager, Mystic embraced her and the hug lasted for a long amount of time. Eventually, Mariella escaped from the 19-year-old but said something that shocked her.
"Mystic, when I get my grimoire… we're going to take down Morris and Ren! We'll get your parents back and that's a promise!" She pointed with one hand on her hip.
"Ha. Don't be silly, Little Mari. They're too strong for us", she replied, waving away the suggestion.
"Hey, I'm serious. You said it yourself - we have to keep our humanity and if I can do that by helping to save your parents, then I'll gladly do it! Mariella pumped her fists which was quite out of character for her.
Mystic was speechless. She saw a fire light in the girl's eye that she hadn't seen since the day she met her, three years ago. It was the same when she was determined to protect her parents' resting place.
"I… I don't know what to say", the short-haired teen said, wiping her tears but even more just formed.
I made a promise that day to someone that I grew to call my friend.
After that day, I was sent on missions every single day. Sometimes, I wouldn't even eat because of how frequently the army would require my services.
Slowly, despite everything I did, being with Mystic made me happier. I had never experienced such an emotion since the time I was with my parents. This positive feeling was one of the only things that kept me sane.
Every day, I killed. Those who deserved it but many who didn't. After the talk with Mystic, I understood that we were living in terrible circumstances.
I ripped families apart. I created orphans, widows, widowers, and much more.
The negativity from what I did countered the positivity from Mystic. My sanity was very fragile but I had a feeling that I could get through this.
It was all for my goal but I hated it. I grew tired of the Diamond Kingdom but I was stuck in a never-ending cycle - I hated it.
Then, came the day I received my grimoire a few weeks later. It also happened to be on my birthday. The plan to rebel could finally start.
Mariella stood in an empty, dimly-lit tower in the middle of the night. She was on a slightly elevated, circular platform which allowed her to see all the way to the top. Books filled each and every shelf that stretched all the way towards the glass ceiling.
Suddenly, a crystal-blue grimoire came shooting down from the top of the tall grimoire tower. It had patterns of different-sized snowflakes across the front and back cover with a blue diamond in the centre. The surrounding area started to freeze over before the mage grabbed it.
She opened the spellbook and it started inscribing spells within its pages as soon as it was linked to Mariella's soul.
"Finally! My promise with Mystic… it starts today!"
I ran outside and towards the shared bedroom with Mystic. But, what I saw that night was haunting.
"Mysti-!"
Mariella pushed the door open to show Mystic her grimoire. Her face was full of life but, once she focused on what was inside the room, her face dropped.
Mystic was crying, again.
"What happened? Mariella asked, worried about her friend who was huddled in a corner. Her face buried in her knees with tears falling down her cheek and onto the floor.
"I had the chance to save my parents… The cube… w-was in my h-hands…", she whimpered as she opened and closed both hands.
"You did? Wasn't Morris in possession of it?" Mariella asked, sitting next to the Dual mage.
"I walked past his office again and saw that it was slightly open. My… curiosity got the better of me and I entered it while using my Illusion Magic to mask myself. Then… on his desk and near all the papers, I saw the same red cube. Obviously, I wasted no time in trying to open it. I stuck my nails inside, trying to rip it apart".
She turned her hands so that her palms were facing down. There was dry blood coming from the skin in her nails. They had been ripped off with how forceful she was being.
"Then, I tried my magic but I'm no battle mage - I know that. I don't have that kind of strength. I tried throwing it across the room but that didn't work either… I'm just so weak!" She screamed, punching the floor with her fists which only served to damage them more.
"H-Hang on! Maybe it only responds to Morris so we just have to kill him!" Mariella suggested, lowering her voice.
"Ha! As if we could hope to do that! Maybe… Maybe I need to use that drug that those two professors have been developing…!" Mystic's eyes flared up and she looked close to insane.
This time, Mariella slapped Mystic which brought her back to reality. A red handprint was embedded on the right side of her face.
"How many soldiers have died in testing that stupid drug?!" The Ice mage asked rhetorically. "Yes, I've heard the rumours that the deaths have been slowing down but only more shoddy rumours have been popping up because of that!"
"The ones about life force? Oh, please… If I can rescue my parents, then I'd gladly die for them!" She exclaimed, smiling like someone who had gone mad.
"Ah, I see".
Mariella stood up and walked towards the door. She opened it and looked back at the confused and agitated Mystic who was staring back at her.
"If you want to rely on that unproven drug, then go ahead. However, it'll be the last time you see me", she turned her head back towards the hallway outside the door. A tear escaped her eye and a colourless sparkle came from it.
"W-Wait!" Mystic reached out and grabbed her friend by the hand. "I don't want you to go… The people in the army… don't like me all too much since they think the professors favourite me. If you go… then I'll have no one!"
"If you take that drug, I'll have no one! Don't you get it… Y-You're… my f-f-friend…". Mariella struggled to say the word but, when she did, her pale face was flushed with a bright, rosy-red colour. "If I lose you to that drug… I'll be lost".
Mystic stood up and walked towards Mariella. She looked deeply into her eyes but then she slapped herself all of a sudden, sending a ringing sound across the room.
"You slapped yourself?" The ice assassin asked, bewildered.
"I mean… there's a lot of that going on recently, huh?" She toothily smiled. "I won't rely on that drug to fulfil my goal. If I ever take it, then promise me that you'll abandon me".
"Huh? What kind of promise is th-?!"
"Promise me! Our friendship means the world to me so… if I ever take that then I'm dead to you! That's how much you mean to me!" Mystic embraced Mariella all of a sudden.
"You're being a bit dramatic… but, fine. I'll promise you so just… let me go…!" She shouted, struggling to breathe.
Mystic obliged reluctantly and pouted. "Thanks for talking some sense into me. To think, a 15-year-old is wiser than a 20-year-old!"
"An odd friendship indee-! H-Hang on… 20-year-old?" Mariella repeated. "When was your birthday?!"
"Uhhh, yesterday…", she twirled her fingers with each other. "Wait a minute…".
The two paused and took a step back from each other. They thought for a few seconds before opening their mouths to what would be the exact same thing.
"Our birthdays are one day apart!"
"You never celebrated your birthday so I never knew!"
"Imagine hiding such a thing from your friend!"
Their unifying shouts carried on for a few more seconds and, in the end, they just laughed with each other. Their friendship was solidified that day.
My friendship with Mystic was stronger than ever which is why leaving her was the worst decision I'd ever made. Yes, I abandoned my only friend.
It was any other day and I had completed another mission for the Diamond Kingdom. As I was walking up to my room, there was some commotion outside but I paid no attention to it.
I was walking up to my room when I saw that man, the one I hated.
"Hello there, Mariella", he greeted as he leaned on a wall near the girl's room.
"Hello, Professor", she replied, cursing to herself as she had to show respect to this despicable individual.
He leaned forwards and his messy, blond hair covered his eyes. His lab coat swayed in the minimal wind coming from the open windows to the side. Eventually, he opened his mouth again to speak.
"You won't be sleeping right now. No, I have a mission for you and only you considering you're our best tracker", he said with a deep and raspy voice.
"Um, Professor, it's close to midnight and I've got to sleep, so…", she tried walking past but a veiled threat from Morris was all it took for her to reconsider.
"We did get more demands from the King to resume with our plans to build an outpost above Attenta Village the other day. Since I have to decide the exact area, I was thinking to do it on a mountain that was close by", he smirked, speaking under his breath but his voice was conveniently loud enough for the Ice mage to hear.
"Is he serious? He's serious, isn't he… I hate this guy so much and I want to kill him but… not without properly discussing the plan. I'll finish this mission and then start working with Mystic straight away!" Mariella turned around. "What would you have me do?"
That was when I learned that Commander Fanzell and his fiancee, Domina, had defected and became fugitives. They weren't happy about how the Diamond Kingdom worked and fled to the Clover Kingdom in what was described to be the 'Forsaken Realm'.
"Fine. I'll track them down but what would you have me do once I find them?" Mariella asked.
Morris had already begun walking away, disappearing into the dark distance of the hallway ahead. He raised his hand as if he was waving.
"Kill them".
However, right before he turned the corner, he decided to say something else as if he wasn't finished taunting the teenager.
"By the way, Mystic has been a great patient for us. She's been around you so much that we never had the chance to get started", he smiled.
"What are you on about?" Mariella asked, stunned by what he was spouting.
"Oh, the drug testing. Didn't she tell you? She's been helping us with the experiment for a few weeks now. Anyway, take your time", he said before disappearing out of sight.
Was he saying the truth? Mystic couldn't have taken that drug after our heart-to-heart a few days ago. No way, right?
Then, the doubts entered my mind.
She was quite adamant at wanting to be strong to save her parents. She had that crazed yet determined look in her eyes.
Mariella passed a few of the other soldiers on the way out of the barracks. She heard some damning conversations between them which irked her even more.
"Hey, did you hear about the latest test subject for that drug that the two professors are developing?"
"Oh, the girl? Yeah, but it's no surprise, really. Those two keep their favourites on a leash".
My mind started to cloud over.
"The favourite? People always called Mystic that but… it couldn't be her!"
"A girl? That could be anyone, right?!"
Then, I heard something concrete.
"Ah, wasn't it one of the Dual mages?"
It had to be, right?
"There are only a handful of Dual mages in the army. Mars and Ladros are stationed near the Spade Kingdom for scouting and that leaves… only Mystic!"
Not wanting to think of the sudden betrayal, I left the Diamond Kingdom that night.
I chose to forget everything about Mystic for the moment. She betrayed me, right? She said she'd never do such a thing, yet she did.
I also had thoughts about pursuing Commander Fanzell and Lady Dominante. Honestly, from the get-go I had reservations about this mission, Killing the Commander? The one who helped me as I matured in the army?
My mind wasn't clear but all that was in my head was the threat of losing my parents' gravesite. I left to kill the two but I ran into trouble.
FLASHBACK - END
Mariella stopped walking as she reminisced about her history with Mystic. She began to tear up but stopped herself by shaking her head. The bound Mystic beside her also stopped with her command.
"Guys, I'll catch up with you. Let me just… handle something here, okay?" She said with a quieter voice than usual.
Lucas and Daisy exchanged confused looks with each other.
"What's the hold up?" Is probably what their thoughts were but Domina had it covered since she vaguely understood what was holding the assassin back.
"You got it, Mariella! Just try not to take too long", she replied quickly before pushing both Lucas and Daisy ahead with her arms. "She needs this", she whispered in their ears.
After the others walked ahead, it was just the two Diamond natives in the forest. They were very close to each other but Mariella didn't utter a single word for the next few minutes. Instead, she opted to sit down next to the unconscious Mystic and just stared into the sky.
"How long has it been since we were together, Mystic? A few, long months, huh?" Mariella began to speak.
"You know, I was actually tasked with pursuing and killing both Teacher and Domina. Oh, they told me to drop their titles when I speak with them but addressing Teacher without a title is kind of weird so we settled for 'Teacher' instead of 'Commander'. Sounds odd but it was a compromise".
Obviously, there was no response and Mariella knew she was talking to, what was essentially, a brick wall. Still, she continued but now she turned her head to face her old friend.
"Honestly, I have doubts whether you were helping Morris and Ren with their tests but… there's no hiding the fact that you used it today, is there?"
She lightly tapped the Dual mage's forehead with her fist, causing her to move slightly.
"I can say this now considering you won't hear me, so listen well!" She juxtaposed herself but carried on. She had started to drop her cold personality that she had developed.
"You… were my best friend. I know you told me to break our friendship and abandon you and I did try to do that just a few minutes ago! But… I can't believe it myself. I… I'm just going to choose to believe that they were talking about some other Dual mage which wasn't you. Yeah, that's right… that'll be better for my peace of mind".
Birds started to chirp all around as the setting sun was causing the landscape to darken. Time was moving forward for everything except for the Diamond Kingdom's natives.
"You know…", Mariella's voice broke as she started to talk again. "... The last time you saw me, I had that long hair that honestly got in the way of everything so… I cut it like this", she pointed and twirled the ends of her hair. "I…", she paused and gulped. "... modelled this new hair after… y-yours", she admitted. "It suits me, I think. But… it turns out you decided to grow out your own hair, haha. I mean, what's up with that odd coincidence? Us changing our hairstyles when we're apart from each other?" Having birthdays one day apart from each other. If some stranger knew only those two facts about us, they'd just assume we were best friends, haha…".
Mariella stood up, facing away from her friend.
"When you wake up… and you better… let's talk again. Not as enemies but as friends. Maybe we'll start planning again? I mean… I guarantee my parents' graves aren't there anymore but I'd wager that your parents are still alive…", she wiped her flowing tears that suddenly started again.
Then, she slapped her cheeks with her hands. Two, red handprints were left on either side and her eyes watered even more - Not from the emotions she was feeling but were from the pain this time.
"There's a lot of slaps going around, huh?" She reminisced again.
"Wake up, please…".
NOTES:
Mariella's backstory is unfinished, don't worry. We'll see more eventually! It's really only the parts where she meets Asta and the Black Bulls but I'll add it if the fic needs it.
It was quite the chapter, ay? Not a lot happened in terms of the plot but a lot was there when it came to certain motivations etc.
I said this before but I never meant for Mariella to become this important/big in my Fanfic. It just kinda happened but I'm happy with it since I've liked her from the start.
