Chronicles of Espiria Season 2
Episode 27 – The Curious Case of Rosaline
Written by Stormrider
Lady Oakenfell sat in a chair in the entry hall, anxiously awaiting the arrival of her guests. She regretted having to call them on such a terribly stormy night, but there was no helping it; she had questions that needed to be answered sooner rather than later. For a long time, the nervous tapping of her foot echoing off the walls, along with the heavy slaps of the rain drops on the windows and the occasional thunder peel, was the only sound to be heard. This finally changed when Oscar stepped forward accompanied by Belinda and Lucius.
"My lady, may I announce Priestess Belinda Augustin and Sir Lucius Lanward of the Church of the Light."
"Belinda, thank you for coming on such short notice!" Lady Oakenfell said as she stood. "And let me apologise for calling you on such a terrible night."
"No need to apologise, Elizabeth." Belinda said as she greeted her friend with a hug. "You have no more power over the weather than I do. What is the trouble?"
"Well," she began, uncertain how to explain, "it's Rosaline."
"Was that the young girl we met at the monastery?" Lucius asked Belinda.
"The same." Belinda confirmed with concern. "What has happened?"
"Well, she has developed a strange habit of talking to the dishware." Lady Oakenfell explained.
Belinda and Lucius glanced at each other, Belinda looking concerned while Lucius just looked confused. "While certainly unusual, I do not see the emergency." Lucius said.
"It means that she has not yet fully recovered from her trauma at the convent." Belinda answered. "I was her only friend there; the rest of the nuns either ignored her or chastised her for sins she never commited. Not being able to make friends there has hindered her ability to make friends here as well, to the point that she feels more comfortable with inanimate objects."
"That was my thought at first, too." Lady Oakenfell interjected. "Until I saw the dishware... how should I say this... talking back."
Both priests stared at Lady Oakenfell in surprise and confusion.
"One day, I walked in on her doing the dishes. Once she finish washing a dish and set it aside, the dish would shake itself dry and hop into the drying rack, on its own. Matthew believes that I am mearly seeing things, but I am certain that what I saw was real. Oscar has seen it too."
Both priests looked to Oscar, who nodded slightly in confirmation. "One night, as she was setting the dinner table in the servant's dining room, I observed her chastising a drinking glass for being in the wrong place. It then moved, of its own accord, to its proper place."
Belinda and Lucius glanced at each other, unsure what to make of it.
"I just want to know that there is nothing wrong with her." Lady Oakenfell said.
A knock at the door drew everyone's attention. Oscar vanished to answer it. When he returned, he was not alone.
"My lady, may I announce Arden, the voice of Yggdrasil."
"Belinda, Lucius, good to see you again." Arden said as he walked slowly into the entry hall.
"Oh, you know each other?" Lady Oakenfell asked.
"We met last year, not long before the war started." Belinda said as she offered her hand to Arden.
"We helped each other in a moment of need." Arden responded. "And now it seems we need each other again."
"Your perspective will be of assistance." Belinda mused. "You have lived long; perhaps you will recognise what is going on with Rosaline."
Lady Oakenfell filled Arden in on what had been happening around Rosaline as they all made their way to Rosaline's chamber. Stationed outside the chamber door was Matthew, a stern look on his face that flashed angrily at Belinda's priestly raiment. Oscar noted a pearing knife concealed behind his back, and hoped that there would be no need to disarm the boy.
"I told you, there's nothing wrong with her." Matthew asserted. "She's as sane as any of us, so there's no need for any of this."
Oscar moved in front of the group. "Master Matthew, these people are here at the Mistress' request. Please step aside."
"It's alright." Belinda said, gesturing Oscar to step back with Lady Oakenfell. He complied, and Belinda knelt before Matthew as before one of the children at the temple.
"I just want to talk to Rosaline. Elizabeth is concerned, and we are here to allay those concerns."
Matthew's expression was unchanged as he reached for the pearing knife. "I don't trust you! You've hurt her once before, and I don't intend to let you hurt her again! Just...leave, and don't come back!"
While Belinda had begun to mend her friendship with Cecilia, the fact that Cecilia and the rest of the Path of Ascension had made terrible mistakes in the past could not be denied. Belinda had met people hurt by the Path before, and gaining their trust was always difficult; that the hardened heart this time was that of a child was all the more heartbreaking.
"You have my word that no harm will come to her. You two have suffered more than enough already."
At this point, Matthew noticed Arden standing next to Lady Oakenfell. He had seen Wilders before, as Lady Oakenfell tried to maintain good relations with them, and so was confident he could trust Arden. He then glanced at Lady Oakenfell and Oscar and saw in their faces that they trusted the priests, so he released his grip on the knife. "Any harm comes to her, and your head won't be where it is now, got it?"
Belinda doubted that this was an empty threat, and nodded her understanding.
"Lucius, you wait out here. I would speak with her alone. Arden, are you ready?"
Arden nodded. Belinda slowly pushed the door open, and accidentally bopped Rosaline with the door as she looked through the keyhole.
"Oh, Rosaline, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, thank you." Rosaline replied as she stood up and hugged Belinda. "I'm glad you could visit. And you too, Mr Arden."
"Always a pleasure, young one." Arden replied as he slowly entered the room.
Belinda and Arden took their seats in Rosaline's chamber, and Rosaline climbed into bed, before they continued.
"Lady Oakenfell told us that you've been making some very unusual friends." Belinda began.
"We would very much like to meet them." Arden continued.
Rosaline was hesitant. "You're not going to hurt them, are you? Matthew says that priests break things that are unusual."
"We don't break unusual things, but dangerous things." Belinda corrected. "Do you remember the monster that attacked us at the monastery, when you met Matthew's friend Edward?"
"I do! Edward was nice, but that monster was scary!"
"That monster is the sort of dangerous thing that priests must destroy. Other than that, we are supposed to encourage life, because all life was handed down by Dura."
"What about the priests you lived with when I met you?" Rosaline asked, her tone more curious than accusatory.
"They had been taught some very wrong ideas about what was dangerous. But I have been working with them, and they are getting better."
Rosaline thought for a moment, then reached over to the cupboard and pulled out a teacup. She set it on the side table with an excited smile.
"This one is named Earl. He's my favorite."
Belinda squeeked with surprise and nearly fell out of her chair when Earl hopped about as greeting. Rosaline giggled as she commented, "He likes you."
Belinda and Arden could not hide the wonder on their faces. Belinda held out her hand before Earl, and was delighted to see him hop into her palm.
"A pleasure to meet you, Earl."
Earl hopped about all the more, nearly falling out of Belinda's hand. She soon returned the cup to the cupboard, and noticed the other dishes gathering around Earl to welcome him back.
"How are you doing this?" Belinda asked.
"I don't know." Rosaline replied. "I just say hello to a dish, and it comes to life and says hello back."
"We may be able to find out, if you are interested in helping us." Arden suggested.
"How do I do that?" Rosaline asked.
"Let me see your hand." Belinda answered. "I may be able to read what sort of magic you have in you."
Rosaline held out her hand, and Belinda and Arden laid their hands over it as the dishes in the cupboard looked on.
Meanwhile, at the gate of the manor, the guards continued their patrol of the grounds. Their presence was an unpleasant necessity in this dark time, but Lady Oakenfell was careful to employ only the most loyal and respectful of guards. Soon, they noticed a cloaked figure approaching the gate; the overall shape of the figure showed that she was a woman, but her hood and the umbrella she carried otherwise concealed her identity. Both guards readied their weapons.
"Halt!" one of the guards said in a calm but firm tone. "You are not expected. State your name and your business here."
The figure's eyes began to glow a Hypogean purple. Before the guards could react, the figure blew a kiss at them, releasing a pink mist in their faces. Within moments, the stern looks of the guards faded into euphoric bliss.
"Please, come in, my mistress." the other guard pleaded.
The figure walked past them without a second glance. "Too easy." she said with a yawn as she made her way to the front doors of the manor.
Finally, Belinda and Arden left Rosaline to rest and rejoined the others. Matthew still eyed Belinda suspiciously, but a reassuring nod from Arden put him at ease.
"I can assure you that the magic that Rosaline wields is not of dark origin," Belinda said to Lady Oakenfell.
"That is good." Lady Oakenfell replied with a relieved sigh. "Could you tell what sort of magic it is?"
"Unfortunately, no." Belinda said, glancing back at Rosaline's door. "But I did sense a curious thing. All people, even those who are the most ardent servants of the Light, have a hint of darkness in them, simply because nobody is perfect. But I sensed no such darkness in Rosaline. The only way I can think that could be possible is if she were a Celestial."
"I do have a theory." Arden interjected. "But I will need to consult with Yggdrasil to be sure. I will keep you both informed."
"Thank you." Lady Oakenfell said as she walked them back to the door. "Thank you both for everything. I will sleep better knowing..."
Her train of thought was interrupted by demonic laughter coming from the entry hall. Belinda, Lucius, and Arden rushed to investigate, while Oscar hesitated a moment.
"Master Matthew, stay with Lady Oakenfell." he ordered before running off after the priests and the wood mage.
In the entryway, they found the cloaked figure, casting aside her umbrella as her eyes began to glow again under the hood. Belinda, Lucius, and Arden readied themselves for combat, sensing the darkness in this figure. Oscar was close behind, and arrived just in time to see the Hypogean cast off her cloak. She was an obviously feminine entity, adorned with four horns on her head, two wings on her hips, and a vivid purple hue to her skin, more of which was showing than was not. She giggled with myrth as she unfurled a whip and gave it a single loud crack. Belinda recognised the demon from her studies at the convent, but that did not put her at ease.
"Mehira." she whispered, a note of fear in her voice.
"I'll not take much of your time, but I have business here I must attent to. Where is the Wellspring?"
"The what?" Oscar asked, confused.
Mehira cracked the whip again above Oscar's head, shattering a window above him and raining glass on top of him. Lacerations from the broken glass aside, his butler sensibilities were offended by the demon's senseless vandalism. He had just polished those windows, after all.
"I will not ask again!" Mehira said, growing annoyed.
"Begone from this place, foul creature!" Arden's voice seemed backed by the thunder of the storm outside. "Your kind have done nothing but corrupt this land! Begone now; you will not receive another warning!"
"A mortal with guts." Mehira said with a smirk. "It's been too long since I've had a proper plaything."
As Mehira raised her whip, Belinda raised her staff and Lucius his poleaxe, ready to retaliate. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Mehira's whip wrapped around Lucius' poleaxe and ripped it from his hands, flinging it across the room and embedding it in the wall. Mehira then blew a kiss at Belinda, surrounding her in a pink cloud. Instantly, Belinda's fury at Mehira was replaced by a sense of euphoria, as if simply being in Mehira's presence were sufficient to make her happy. She soon recognised the spell and fought back, but it took everything in her, and still was not enough.
"Now, my poppet, deal with the old man and the walking bicep." Mehira said in the sweetest tone she could manage. "I must attend to the Wellspring."
Belinda slowly raised her staff, her own strength of will useless against Mehira's magic, and cast an orb of light at Arden and Lucius. Arden was knocked on his back, while Lucius rolled out of the way.
"Belinda, you're being controlled! Snap out of it!" Lucius shouted.
"Lucius...stop...me..." Belinda forced out.
Oscar had opted to follow Mehira to stop her from reaching Lady Oakenfell, pausing only to collect a few choice shards of glass from the floor. But Mehira was cunning; two large servants stood in the hallway and blocked his path. It was not much of an obstacle, though; Oscar threw two glass shards into their kneecaps, immobilizing them without killing them.
Back in the entry hall, Arden had summoned vines, bursting through the carpeted floor, to wrap around Belinda's legs.
"You must fight the witch's control, child!" Arden said as he struggled to hold Belinda in place. "Fight it!"
Belinda responded with a ball of light at Arden's chest, one which he only just managed to block with a nearby shield from a suit of armor. The grip of the vines weakened, and Belinda advanced on Arden with staff raised.
"Please...you...must..."
Belinda was interrupted as Lucius struck her in the head with the handle of his poleaxe. Now dazed, she was easily immobilized by Arden's vines. At that moment, the sound of a rifle going off could be heard further into the house. Near Rosaline's room.
Oscar was on the scene already. Lady Oakenfell stood before the door reloading a blunderbuss as Matthew charged at Mehira with his knife. Mehira deftly dodged Matthew's strike and spanked him with her pointed tail, never taking her eyes off Lady Oakenfell. As Lady Oakenfell was about to fire again, Mehira snatched the weapon away with her whip and brushed her aside.
By the time Oscar caught up, the door was knocked off its hinges and Mehira had Rosaline in her arms. Rosaline said nothing, but Oscar and Matthew could see the confusion and fear in her eyes. Oscar threw the remaining shards of glass at Mehira in a desperate bid to stop her, but to no avail; Rosaline was gone, taken by the demoness flying off into the distance.