Chapter Six:
Treasure Hunt
|ii.|
The sunlight struck her close eyelids, the pouring light barely tearing through the darkness behind them, but the uneasiness it gave Noé didn't let her lay down in peace. What a shame too since the bed was so comfortable.
Bed…?
Struck by a sudden pang of horror and panic, Noé sat up from her bed and scanned her surroundings only to find herself in the inside of her cottage. Her mind reeled unable to understand how she managed to get here when the last place she remembered flashing to had been the garden, and even before that—
"...Aladdin."
"He's okay."
Taken aback by the out of place voice, she turned with one hand at the ready on her wing, her feathers steeling over as she backed against the wall to leave no opening. Pain suddenly robbed her of any thought of attack though as wounds she didn't realize she had pained her at the brusqueness of her movements.
Rakah rose from his seat and took a few steps to approach her. "Don't move like that. Your wounds will open back up."
"Stay back!" Noé's sudden holler caught Rakah by surprise but got him to stop in his tracks as he raised his hands up in notable surrender.
The stupid smirk she remembered him having was replaced by a taut line and hardened eyes that locked on her. "Calm down." He slowly raised his hand to point out the only window of the room and in the garden's direction. "I saw you when you flashed into midair in the back garden. You passed out just as I got to you."
"W-What did you mean...he's okay?" she asked unable to formulate a coherent sentence from how scrambled her thoughts were.
"You said Aladdin," Rakah repeated, taking the few steps he could closer to her bed. When she snarled at him again, he knew not to get any closer than that. "He's alright. So are Alibaba and those others from the dungeon you were in. Down south, remember?"
"How do you know that?"
"You mumble in your sleep." But her narrowed eyes remained, not believing a word he said. Rakah pouted a bit childishly before continuing, "The boy from before—Maahes, I believe he's called—he also mentioned where you went. I went to check up on that and they're fine. I don't know what or how it happened but they returned to Sindria safe and sound."
The skepticism she held was understandable. There really wasn't a way to see just how much of the truth he was telling. If any. Chief?
"What he says about bringing you inside is true. Young Maahes was here within the hour and was the one who nursed you back to health. Rakah simply waited."
Well, that was something at least. But her doubts were still present and quite visible. Rakah sighed and reached out for the chair in the room and straddled it to sit, folding his arms over the chair's back to rest his chin on. "I'm not lying if that's what worries you."
"You can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest," she pointed out.
The comment made him chuckle and tilt his head. "True. Seeing as you're still concerned, I'd say you'll probably find them in Sindria still." Without warning he stretched out one of his hands, harmlessly putting his palm out for her, "I will take you if you want. You look like you could use some rest."
Chief grumbled at the back of her mind, warning her against trusting him so openly. But Noé had to admit that she was tired, flashing to Sindria would take a toll to her barely healing body, and she really wanted to assure Aladdin's and the others' safety with her own eyes. Warily but determined, she crawled away from the wall and took his hand. Rakah smiled and promised it'd be quick before touching the small sphere that dangled from his neck.
A sphere that was half full with her Light magic. His transportation measures were slower than hers since Rakah needed to distort the space around them though. His magic altered what light was already around him whereas hers simply turned everything that wasn't light into it.
But within a few minutes, Rakah distorted the space and light around them enough to transport them from the outskirts of her cottage in Reim to the bustling city of Sindria where the afternoon sun basked the magnificent island. Rakah walked alongside her as she let the scents guide her, one much more different than the rest. Neither bothered to hide themselves as they traversed the streets. The people were too busy with themselves and their daily lives to care about two faces that had suddenly appeared out of the blue.
It wasn't long before Noé found Aladdin amidst the crowd. He was sitting in a table with Alibaba, Morgiana, and other people as they watched some kind of amateurish performance retelling their dungeon diving of Zagan. They were alive, they were okay.
A heavy sigh of relief she didn't know she'd been holding escaped her and a lopsided smile crept to her lips—
"And you thought I was lying."
—before it left just as fast. That was enough to drop her mood. Turning away, Noé didn't face him as she spoke, "Take me back home."
"Yes, ma'am."
|i.|
When she resolved to take a bit of a breather in Reim after her most recent journey to the east, Noé had intended for her visit to be peaceful and banal in the hopes that such outlook would benefit her still-slightly shaken state of mind. It never occurred to her that perhaps Reim—or more to point, the temple where she had hoped to find a certain priestess would be as equally distraught as she was. By the sound of it, though, they might be in more strife than it seemed.
Noé stopped after climbing the stairs of the Temple of Regia and peered into said structure to watch from afar just what was causing such a ruckus. A multitude of people lingered inside the alabaster walls of the temple, their voices bouncing off every wall as they talked over each other clearly wanting to be heard by whatever poor bastard stood in the center of the problem.
Maybe this isn't the best time to visit.
"I do wonder what has them in such hysterics though."
That made two of them. Her feet egged on by her curiosity took her closer to the crowd amassed there. Standing among them and paying attention to what the lot were angrily yelling about only piqued her interest further.
"When will you bring them back!"
"Our priestesses have been missing for four days already!"
"How did those damn pirates even get through in the first place?!"
"Give us an explanation!"
"Bring our daughters back!"
The Regalus were kidnapped?
Noé found this utterly bizarre. Scheherazade's priestesses, aside from taking care of the temple and being studious women that did charitable work, were the magi's pride and joy. They were women, more often than not magicians, that she took in to train. A Regalis, despite serving under the name of a venerated goddess of Reim, was a woman promised to their country. Each served it with virtue and strength under the order of their Sacerdos Maxima. Aside from that, though, Noé also knew that Scheherazade schooled the elder priestesses, the Regalia, in magic personally and they in turn trained the new interns.
That fact alone was what made this kidnapping so strange. The Regalus were trained magicians, it didn't make sense that simple pirates would be able to kidnap all of them.
"I understand your grievances." The loud voice that boomed over the upheaval quieted the crowd and brought attention to an older man that stood rigidly before the angry mob. Despite his age, the fact that he was decked out in armor told her the geezer wasn't someone to mess with. "The emperor has given me full authority over the retrieval of our priestesses. He wishes to see them home just as much as you do. Although what I will ask of you is difficult, I do request that you leave this to us as we will do all within our power to rescue them."
But the crowd wasn't having it and immediately broke out in protest over their lack of action in the past few days. They were enraged, worried sick, and unable to contain either emotion. Noé knew that whatever the military geezer promised to them wasn't going to be enough for the worried parents in the masses.
Just as she thought he would speak again, a roar of wings beat around catching her eye as their blinking silhouettes called attention to themselves. The sheer quantity told Noé exactly who had just entered the room even before she heard her speak.
"Please, remain calm." All heads turned to her sweet tranquil voice including Noé, but instead of awe sweeping through her as it did in the others, only a sense of calm came to her that was ever so slightly tinged with resentment.
The little woman and the great magi of Reim stood in all her brilliant glory before the crowd. Despite her demureness, her presence alone pacified the people enough for her to speak normally as she lowered the stairs of the vestibule.
"I understand your ire and apprehension towards the situation. I have been uneasy myself ever since their abduction as well which is why I personally spoke to the emperor the day it occurred advising him to spare no expense in rescuing them. It appears his counsel took longer in agreeing than he did which is why aid has arrived at such time." The regal little beauty held onto her golden staff tightly, her knuckles turning a bit white as she reached the bottom of the stairs and stood before the crowd as an equal. Lowering her staff, she held it horizontally before her lap before bowing deeply. "I implore of you to have a modicum of patience with us for a while longer."
The people were abashed and shuffled uncomfortably most likely for having acted in a way that made Scheherazade beg them for more time. Frankly, Noé was a little baffled herself. As reticent and reserved as she was, it surprised her that Scheherazade would have to stoop to their level to ask them to relax.
Idiots are getting worked up for nothing. It's not like they're dead. They can still be rescued. They can still come back to them.
A softness and warmth came from around her neck where her arrowhead laid. It was Chief's way of calming her down, to give her some relief from the morbidness that encroached her mind anytime it deviated to that. Much like Chief's comfort composed her, it appeared that Scheherazade's words and actions made the people lose some of their edge. A sea of murmurs washed over them as they agreed to her terms and soon after the crowd began to dissipate. It wasn't until it had considerably thinned out and the magi was alone with the old geezer that Noé stepped up to her.
"Never thought I'd see you prostrate to beg to others like that."
The little blonde magi turned fully at hearing that and her bright blue eyes half-opened in surprise, her body barely noticeably tensing. "Noé."
Giving her a goofy grin, Noé raised her hand to wave at her. "Hey, Hera-chan."
The old man from before took a step forth placing himself between Noé and Scheherazade before addressing Noé with a glare. Now that she was up close and could see him better, Noé couldn't keep her eyes away from his nose. So...pointy. "Who are you to speak to our High Priestess so immodestly."
Before Noé had a chance to answer, Scheherazade took the initiative setting a hand on the man to keep him at bay. "It's fine, Ignatius. She is...an old acquaintance of mine."
Ignatius glanced sideways at the blonde magi, clearly puzzled by her declaration. "Yours, my lady?"
Scheherazade nodded solemnly before changing the subject. "Prepare the battalions, Ignatius, and carry out your orders." Her eyes softened then, "Bring them back safely."
"Yes, my lady." Ignatius saluted her, fisted hand propped over his heart for a second before easing up. He gave a sidelong glance at Noé before giving his back to them and leaving the temple. Noé watched him leave, his red cape flowing behind him as he climbed down the white stairs.
"I never thought you would ever willingly return to Reim after what transpired." Hearing her voice so quiet and delicate yet cautious all the same, Noé turned back towards Scheherazade only to catch the tail end of her as she turned to walk up the stairs to go further into the temple. It wasn't until she stopped for the briefest moment and glanced over her shoulder before continuing on forward that Noé took the hint and followed a few steps after the little magi.
"Never said I wouldn't come back," Noé rectified, taking in every corner of the temple as they walked through. The last time she'd been there, the Regia had been torn to the ground. Seemed they raised it back to its former glory and then some in the years she was gone. "I just needed some time to cool off is all."
"You call a hundred and fifty years 'some time'?" Scheherazade asked incredulous.
Noé didn't skip a beat, her tone turning deadly and dropping an octave. "Can you blame me?" Scheherazade's stride slowed ever so slightly as her head hung. Her silence spoke volumes to Noé and got her cheerfulness to return while making her grin despite not being seen. "Glad we agree."
They walked on in a silence that must have surely been awkward for the magi. It wasn't until they reached her little alcove that some semblance of peace returned; being surrounded by personal effects seemed to calm her down, apparently. As Scheherazade took a seat beside a desk filled with scattered papers, Noé went over to the open window that let the fresh and sweetened air of the sanctum's inner gardens stream inside the small room and took a sit at the stone windowsill.
"Heard you're in a bind right now. Pirates nabbing your priestesses and whatnot." Noé's gaze wandered from the empty gardens to the high priestess who calmly studied her. "You really think involving the military will solve this?"
Scheherazade seemed aloof as always but the slack of her shoulders told Noé just as much as what her next words did. "I hope so. I don't wish for any harm to befall them. They are my priestesses and aside from that they are very special women, each and every one of them."
"I'd imagine," she commented, leaning her elbow on her knee and resting her chin in her hand as she continued to stare at Scheherazade. "But sending the military in after four days doesn't fit into that narrative you spieled on the crowd just now. Had they been as important as you say, the emperor wouldn't have needed his counsel's approval to send the military the moment he was made aware of the kidnapping. But if they were useless then he wouldn't have bothered to send Mr. Long Nose your way in the first place when you asked for assistance. That you waited four days to do so, however, tells me that your hand was forced to involve the military." Standing from her seat on the windowsill, Noé strode over to stand in front of Scheherazade before leaning over and placing either hand on the armrests of the cathedra she sat on. A lopsided grin came to her lips then as she tilted her head sideways, emerald eyes gleaming when she asked. "Care to share what forced your hand, Hera-chan?"
Her blonde head hung low, her half lidded gaze askance for a brief moment before she raised her head. "The kidnapping wasn't random, one of my Regalis was specifically targeted." Noé raised an incredulous brow at her shabby explanation. Scheherazade needed only to reach for one of the papers beneath the pile and pass it to her. "It is the truth."
Emerald eyes scanned the thin and rough piece of parchment which had written only a few sentences on it proclaiming who they were and what their demands were for returning the priestesses safely to Reim's shores, namely one Seraphina Karras. Whomever she was those pirates surely knew of her importance for the price they were putting on her head. The amount was absurd, but surely nothing that Reim's treasury couldn't afford. They're last statement must have been what pushed Scheherazade to act as she did. If the ransom wasn't paid by the day after tomorrow, they would deliver each and every priestess in pieces at Reim's shores instead.
Noé crumpled the paper up not caring for its importance before tossing it over her shoulder. "You believe they'll go through with their threat?"
"Whether I do or not is not something I can afford to debate now. They seem knowledgeable of the Karras family's status in Reim."
"Which is?"
"Seraphina is the only child of Reim's treasurer and closest advisor of the emperor among his counsel. He was one of the few that urged him to let the military be involved in the issue when I presented this to them the moment it arrived at our door yesterday."
With that explanation satisfying her interest, Noé released her hold on the armrests and instead rounded to the side of the cathedra to lean back against it.
"What are you thinking?"
They certainly picked the golden goose. But if their target was her then why take the whole gaggle?
The new mystery certainly piqued her interest. But helping Scheherazade wasn't something she was kin of anymore. Her mind made, she stood from her place and waved a languid hand over her shoulder as she headed towards the closed door.
"Welp, looks like you have your hands full. I probably should scram and let you deal with this headache of yours. Good luck, Hera-chan!" But just as her hand landed on the doorknob, her tiny voice rose over the silence.
"Noé."
A part of her didn't want to stay and listen to whatever she had to say. It told her that Scheherazade didn't deserve that from her. But the other part was one that basked in the slight urgency of her voice, in the pleading tone of how she spoke her name. And it was the one that she chose to listen to when it said, Make her beg for it.
"Yes?"
"I realize that it is imprudent of me to ask you for anything but as the situation stands their lives, innocent lives, could be lost to senseless greed."
"I agree, good lives shouldn't be wasted like that." Noé glanced over her shoulder, keen eyes looking down at the blonde magi from where she sat on her cathedra, the feathers behind her right ear bristling in excitement. "You should really just end it yourself if you're asking for my opinion. You are a magi."
The hand that held her golden staff at her side stiffened, the jerk making the rings on the staff hit against the metal and chime. "You know I cannot do that."
Right. Her clones don't last long if she uses magic too much. Fighting would just kill the current one she's on. What a fucking pity. It'd be one less thing to worry about.
"Ah, yes. Well, in that case, better pray your military dogs can do you proud on this one." Her attention went straight back to the doorknob after that, her hand turning the knob slowly. Just slow enough to give Scheherazade time to consider well her next words.
The split second after the click of the door opening was all the time it took for her mind to be made up. "Noé, I'm imploring you to aid in the rescue. To protect them, to bring them back home. The grief their families are going through is something you more than anybody understand. I beg of you, don't let them suffer the same fate."
"NOÉ, DON'T!"
Alabaster cracked loudly but nothing rung in her eardrums more than hearing such a powerful borg shatter from the sharpest spear of light she could muster piercing through it. It penetrated from end to end, boring into the cathedra and tearing at strands of Scheherazade's long blonde hair. But that it struck just beside her head told Noé she'd missed. The light chains that formed unbeknownst to her from every angle held her whole body in place just as she had pivoted towards Scheherazade to attack her. Said magi had not been fazed though and instead furrowed her brow in both anger and concern. She knew the attack would come as soon as that last sentence left her lips and both she and Chief were all too aware that Noé wouldn't hesitate to strike her, magi or not.
It was why Scheherazade had summoned her borg preemptively. It was why she splurged the room in rukh that Noé noticed only now, giving Andromalius enough magoi to act of her own accord. The chains of light that Andromalius created weren't just magic, they held the faint sensation of warmth, as if strong clawed hands were holding her in place and away from the magi.
"Traitor…" she hissed through gritted teeth.
"I know you're upset."
Noé strained against the chains that only became more taut at her threat of escape. "I am more than just upset."
"But you cannot kill a magi."
"...watch me."
"Noé, listen to me. She is not at fault here. She wasn't the one who killed him."
She might as well have.
"And he wouldn't want you hurting her, either. Neither would Teosa. She taught you better than this."
The mention of her master made her rethink her actions. Andromalius was right; her master had taught her better. No matter how much she wanted to hurt Scheherazade for what she'd said, hurting others without a good reason wasn't what she did. Noé refrained from letting her anger take over by taking deep breaths and stepping back to allow the chains wrapped around her to loosen.
"Noé?"
I'll be alright. And...I won't attack her again. I promise.
The brightness of the chains dimmed before blinking out of existence. Free once more, Noé lifted her gaze from the ground to Scheherazade who remained seated with the light spear still stuck on her hair and the cathedra. A wave of her hand was all it took for it to disappear and her emerald eyes watched as long strands of blonde hair fell from her side. Scheherazade remainsx in her seat even after being released, not approaching Noé even as she turned the doorknob of the door intent to leave in silence.
"Lady Scheherazade!"
The door burst open with a force that Noé was not prepared to handle as it struck the door wide open making it hit against the wall and pushing her back in the process. So shocked by whomever opened the door was Noé that her mind had no time to react and she toppled to the floor.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know—"
Lifting a surprised and somewhat shocked gaze, emerald eyes met large wine-colored ones with distinct markings that stared at her in concern and remorse. A bit bashful and out of breath, the young man that had knocked her off of her feet stretched out his hand towards her. "I apologize, miss. It wasn't my intention. I had no idea you were on the other side of the door."
Noé blinked a couple of times still trying to surmise how the hell she'd been knocked off by such a little thing and mindlessly took his hand. One that to even more of a surprise to her managed to easily bring her back on her feet. Now that she could properly see him, her eyes wandered down to the boy that barely reached to her shoulders. Flush red hair swept gently around him as he stood before her, long and probably to the middle of his back, and contrasted well against the regal blue sash that he wore over his white tunic.
The small piercing on his lower lip was somewhat odd but what caught her attention the most were those eyes and the unmistakable markings around them. Noé had never met a Fanalis before, at least not the Red Lions she had heard so many stories about when she was a small child, but she knew what became of the mighty and ferocious tribe in this world.
Enslavement. Of both their bodies...and their souls.
Ignoring the baffled young boy, Noé raised her voice for Scheherazade to hear her. "Reim enslaves red cubs now too?"
The boy's brow furrowed, unable to understand what she meant, but the magi's answer came out sharp and strong, "Muu is not a slave. He the oldest child and only son of the Alexius family."
He's Pernadius' descendant.
Little cub looked nothing like Pernadius. What a pity. Skirting him and mumbling a small 'thanks' under her breath for having helped her up, Noé made her way towards the wide open door and waved over her shoulder as she crossed the threshold.
"Good luck, Scheherazade, hope you don't let them down."
—{i}—
"You're second guessing yourself, aren't you?"
"Shut up, Chief."
But as Noé watched the military vessel from where she was perched atop one of the high buildings overlooking the wharf, she couldn't help the sick feeling that turned her stomach and left a nasty taste in her mouth. She'd watched them for the past hour as they loaded the hundred men they would take to raid the pirate stronghold. Surely they would be able to get there and rescue the girls. They had the strength, the numbers, and the element of surprise as they left that night shrouded in darkness.
And despite knowing this, there was still uneasiness lingering in her mind about the whole situation. The fact that Scheherazade had been determined and forlorn—and even ballsy— enough to ask her for help told Noé that the issue also bothered Reim's magi in the same way, shape, or form. Something just isn't right about this.
A long heavy sigh escaped through her nose as Noé stood up from her spot and carefully jumped down to the quiet wharf. Merchants that preferred to work at night were silently unloading their goods and she scoured the dock until finding one that was seemingly done for the night.
The large man stood a head taller than her but when she talked to him so politely it seemed that his physique was just some cleverly used facade to scare the riffraff that could possibly rob him. He was pretty generous at giving Noé the information she needed about the pirates' fortress but began to back out of the conversation when she asked if he could take her near it.
"No on' goes near there, lil' lady," he told her while waving a dismissive hand in front of his face. "Too 'any ships have already been ransacked and sunken thanks to those damn pirates. The only reason a'body would go near it would be to be killed."
"Mm." Her mindless reply came a bit after he finished explaining the circumstances, but Noé overlooked his dismissal and took her pouch of gold coins before taking his hand in one of hers and dropping the pouch in it. "This reason enough for you?"
It wasn't until he looked through the pouch that his puzzlement turned into glee as he pocketed the gold and nodded. There wasn't much wait between that and their departure. As he quietly rowed through the sea headed south, Noé focused on what was ahead of her which was nothing but darkness.
New moon meant that not even the moon gave them light through the voyage. That fact didn't bother Noé though. Her intentions were only to fight if necessary with her primary objective being to get the girls out of that fortress alive. The merchant's ship wasn't big but it was fast enough to get them nearby the fortress that stood as a lone island a good hour from Reim's shores. Searchlights were posted on high ends of the outers walls and surrounding the fortress were all manners of sunken ships that Noé guessed had been shot down by the pirates over their time occupying the place. The merchant berthed his ship near one of the bigger ones to hide them from the searchlights. Standing at the top of the mast to look around, Noé spotted the military ship that had left but a few minutes before them ways away. Even though they too hid behind a sunken ship, theirs was a much bigger vessel which thankfully the night covered fully.
And lucky for her, a single person could traverse undetected better than a whole army.
Noé jumped down from the mast on to the deck before turning to the merchant as the two of them stood overlooking the fortress. "Thanks for the ride," she briefly said and climbed overboard to swiftly lower herself into the water. It'd be a pity that she had to swim there and ruin her clothes but that concern would have to come later. Noé knew who she'd bug later about getting new clothes.
Waving at the merchant to leave, the man took her word and started his way back to Reim. She took advantage of the slight noise he made as he left to make her way closer to the fortress' edge, stopping just short of reaching the edge of the searchlight's reach.
Chief, those searchlights, are they magic tools or torches?
"Magic tools," she responded swiftly.
Her mouth hidden beneath the water, Noé blew air out of frustration creating bubbles that popped at the surface. Despite her control of light being rather powerful, it had its limits. Natural sources of light tended to be easy to control to her whims—torches, candles, sunlight, etc.—but artificial creations from things such as magic tools were different. Those items transformed magoi into light magic and by doing so changed its composition. It took more out of her if she wanted to use light that she had to change first to suit her needs.
"You'll have to bear with it," Chief said while Noé stared down the searchlights as if that would turn them off magically. "You won't be able to enter otherwise."
"I hate it when you're right," she mumbled into the water before turning serious and focusing on the one searchlight that hindered her most.
Bend. A little. Just enough to—short—circuit.
The burning to the right side of her face came just a split moment before the searchlight began to blink sporadically and turn off completely a second later. Taking the chance, Noé swam as fast as she could to the walls of the fortress, getting there just as the light blinked back on without troubles.
Finding an entrance to it was easier than she thought since the island had plenty of natural openings that they only bothered to block with simple wooden gates. Swimming below one of the smaller gates, Noé broke through the surface of the water as quietly as she could before paddling onto the lower parts hidden from the searchlight they had inside. The small dock they had was well hidden from prying eyes to her luck and it let her rest a bit from the swim. It wasn't her wet clothes but instead the soaked wing that weighed most. How she hated swimming.
At least she got inside unnoticed. Infiltration complete.
"Great. But please tell me you have a plan this time."
To my surprise, yes, I do. This whole business involved other people besides herself after all and she wasn't about to put them in danger because she was too lazy to come up with a plan. Thankfully, that hadn't been too hard to begin with because of how distinct the air there was.
"Air?"
"They smell different." One of the things Noé prided herself in, aside from her fighting prowess and undeniable charm, was her sense of smell. Although not as acute as say a Fanalis, it was keen enough to differentiate many things. And thanks to it she could differentiate the permeating smell of the pirates that spent the majority of their time at sea from the rich and thick scent of flowers and incense that Remanians and most importantly the Regalus had to them.
But as she lifted her nose to get a nuance of where to head first, a different scent got caught in the mix as it entered her nostrils. It was pungent but it wasn't salty. It wasn't delicate; it was earthy. It was the scent of hard spice and dirt...and blood.
Clank. The instant she heard the brief scratching of metal against gravel, Noé reacted, pivoting on her heels and snatching whoever was following her and raising them high against the wall behind her.
But as soon as she gazed into petrified scarlet irises marked so distinctly, she clicked her tongue and released the boy's throat to pin him by his shoulder instead.
"What the hell are you doing here, kid?" she snarled under her breath, trying to keep her annoyance and impatience at bay before they made her strangle the kid for being stupid enough to follow her.
His hands instinctively came up to the one grasping at the strap of his gold cuirass. The grip was strong but him being a cub still halved how much strength he had now. "I-I followed you, Miss Noé."
Her brow ticked, a lopsided grin coming to her lips. "Hera tell you my name?"
The cub nodded and his crimson gaze steeled as he zeroed in on her. "And she also told me that you wouldn't just walk away from this, no matter how mad you were at her."
She's got a real big mouth on her if she babbled all that so confidently to the cub.
"She tell you to follow me too?" This question got him to stiffen in place before lowering his head to stare at the floor that was still a few inches from his feet. Ah. "She didn't." Her eyes wandered to the gold breastplate that protected him. It gleamed in the faintness of the searchlight's glare and showed no sign of serious decay. Perhaps a few scratches but nothing serious. And the sword that hung precariously from the belt of his metal skirt—it was used and the dark lines that dirtied the etchings, she realized, was what she had smelled before. Dried blood.
What the hell am I supposed to do with a cub that barely looks like he's fought a day in his life?
"For now? Keep him safe. You can't have the death of a high class family's son on your hands."
Noé had to agree with her there. Bringing him off from the wall and closer so they'd be face-to-face, she didn't beat around the bush for long. "Your name's Muu, right?"
"Yes."
She gave a slight nod to the sword hanging on his side. "You've fought before?"
"A couple of times at the colosseum."
"Beasts, I'm guessing." His nod was the confirmation she needed and it got her to sigh. "If you're going to drag me down then you're going to listen to everything I say, understood?" Her question ended with her releasing him from her grip so that he could catch himself as he fell back to the floor.
"I won't drag you down, Miss Noé," he said not stuttering this time. "I may not look it but I have been trained in fighting and although I've never actually fought another person in a real fight, I can more than handle myself."
"And you're what, fifteen, sixteen?" she mindlessly asked while lifting her nose to the air to sniff the air and mentally make the route they'd take to follow it.
"Why does that matter?"
His dismissal of her question got her to click her tongue and look down on him. "You may be a Fanalis, but you're still a kid. Even a Fanalis cub can be rendered useless if you're hit with the right kind of tranquilizer dose. These pirates took priestesses from Reim and they dealt with the guards there to do it. I can almost guarantee that they'll be prepared for anything they send to rescue them as well. Your kind included." She lifted her hand flat up to the height of her chest. "You reach me to here which means you're around 5'6 tops, and that's me being generous. From lifting you just now I can guess you're maybe 130 pounds. Two hits of the right medicine and you'd become a burden to me. One I'd leave behind if I have to."
Despite the sternness in her voice, Noé still heard Chief's chuckle that ran through the back of her head when she said that. "Don't frighten the boy."
It was his dumbass fault for coming to such a place without considering what he was getting into. And if it got him scared enough to remain here while she went off to rescue the girls, then all the better.
"That's fine."
His answer caught Noé by surprise and the pure conviction she saw burning in those crimson eyes told her that he wasn't just talking to prove her wrong. His hand held tightly the hilt of his sword as he continued on. "As long as Lady Scheherazade's Regalus are brought home safe and sound then do with me what you will. Use me or leave me, whichever is fine with me. I'll get home fine just like I got here by following you. But you have to promise to bring them home safely."
"How valiant."
She disagreed. His actions were idiotic at best, suicidal at worst. But if she had to agree with something was that the girls needed to be taken home unharmed.
Miffed that she had to make a choice, the feathers on the back of her ear bristled before she bore her glare on him. "Fine, you win. You can come. But I make you no promises if you happen to fuck this whole thing over, you hear me?"
"I won't. You have my word."
She didn't allow him time to second guess himself. "Then let's go."
The fortress, for how well kept and surveilled it'd been on the outside, was rather empty on the inside. Noé thank the gods for that small blessing since it made sneaking around much easier. The fact that there were fewer numbers meant that she didn't need to masquerade her and the cub by refracting the light around them that often. And although the place was big, the scent was a straight way lower into the fortress where she guessed the cells were.
Just as they were rounding the corner, the sound of muffled chatter caught her ears just behind one of the doors leading down.
"Sera."
The name that escaped the cub brought her attention to him. "What?"
"That's Seraphina's voice on the other side. Hers and the other Regalus'."
Guess he is useful for something."Are theirs the only voices you hear?"
"Yes."
Good. "Come on." After trying the door and finding it locked, Noé pressed her palm against the lock before solidifying the light inside it and busting it open. The noise it made was a bit loud for the quiet surroundings and it put her on edge as she opened the door to push the cub inside before following behind him to close the door as well as she could behind her.
"Muu!" Noé turned to find the cub ways ahead of her at the large iron cell that stood in the room sealed by bars and one single door. Nine women ranging in ages were inside of it, scared and more than beaten by sleepless nights but otherwise unharmed. The one that had called out to the cub seemed to be a girl perhaps a few years younger than him. To Noé it was almost like staring at a living doll; although not the same ethereal beauty she saw in Scheherazade, the girl was pretty in her own right.
Platinum-colored hair fell straight down her back, the fringes swept across adorning large half-hooded green eyes. But unlike Noé's emerald, hers were a soft seafoam green. The cub ran up muttering to whom Noé assumed was Seraphina while asking how they were and if everyone was alright.
"We're all fine." Seraphina glanced over her shoulder where the others girls nodded in agreement. "I knew you would come save us."
Muu smiled and told them to step back from the door before hitting the lock with a clean punch. Noé watched from a few paces back as he busted the lock and threw the door wide open. As they came forward after it was opened, Noé took the lead then stepping forward and counting each head before ushering them out.
"I'll be asking you ladies to please remain close to one another and follow close behind me." A couple nodded while the rest muttered their agreements as they huddled out of the jail cell.
"How are we going to get them back to Reim?" Muu asked her as the last of them came out. Noé pursed her lips pensively which made him a bit nervous. "Please tell me you have a plan."
"Why is everybody so hung up about me and plans?" she hissed, greatly annoyed at the lack of confidence. But she had to admit that albeit having one to get in, she hadn't thought much about getting out.
Chief let out an long and aggravated sigh that propagated through the back of her mind. "Thank gods the military is outside."
Noé instantly snapped her fingers at hearing that making Muu jump a bit back from surprise. "That's right!"
"What is?"
"The military is outside the fortress. All we have to do is get their attention and get to them."
"How do you suppose we do—" But before he could finish his question, the girls cried out in surprise as from outside a great explosion rumbled through before the splash of water followed behind it. More and more explosions followed suit some of which actually made the fortress shake with the magnitude of the hit.
"Looks like they finally made their move."
Despite the situation, a grin split across Noé's face from the excitement. It'd been much too long since she last had a good adventure like this. And now that she had the girls and could protect them, getting them out would be easier.
Let's make ours then.
But just as she was about to instruct the horde of priestess to follow her, the door that led inside burst open from the other side. Afraid, said girls rushed behind Noé and Muu and while the latter stood strong with his sword in hand. Noé merely watched carefully as a few men ran in from the hallway eyes narrowed at spotting her and Muu with the girls out of the cage.
"They're in here too!" one called out with their sword held aloft.
"Don't let them get aw-augh!"
Noé didn't let them finish talking to one another and rushed straight ahead, jumping to roundhouse kick one of them right on the side of the head to knock him out cold. The other was somewhat quick enough to react and lifted his sword to block her from approaching him. The action stopped her for a second at seeing the crackling of electricity that surged through the blade but when he swung out of desperation, it gave her the perfect opening. Taking it, Noé kicked off from the floor and caught his neck between her legs before turning her body to take him down and slam him against the ground, the force of it enough to knock him out as well.
Flipping herself back on her feet, she hit her hands against one another after having done that so cleanly. Look, Ma, I took out the trash in less than a minute.
"Could've been less than a fraction of a second had you flashed."
The grin she'd been sporting turned into a grimace as she stopped her hand-cleaning abruptly. "You just...are never satisfied, are you?"
"There's always room for improvement." More explosions shook the fortress, visible cracks beginning to appear near the walls from the forceful impacts. "And now isn't the time to joke around."
Right. Noé turned to the priestesses then and clapped loudly to get their attention. "Alright ladies, our goal is to get from point 'here' to point 'over there'." Some groaned at her directions which irritated her but she swallowed that for any idiots that would cross their paths and continued on. "Ports, ladies, we're heading to the ports to get to Reim's military." Their mood did a 180 swing as sighs of relief echoed. Those were quickly and literally drowned when another explosion from outside hit and cracked the walls of the cell room enough for water to pour in.
Panicked yelps and cries burst out almost immediately. Noé knew that trying to calm them down would be useless so instead she used their adrenaline to herd them out of the room as the water quickly flooded it.
Thankfully, the cub's friend remembered her training and as they ran through the fortress picked up whatever she found laying around to use as a wand for magic. Water from any nearby barrels struck out like spikes before freezing over capturing anything that it touched. Those girls who felt confident enough to join in followed her example, picking up anything resembling a wand to shoot of magic spells at any pirates that came after them.
To say that those girls were a great help would be an understatement.
This might be easier than I thought.
Soon enough they reached the docks where the pirates' ships were anchored and where Noé spotted the grand door leading out into the open sea half beaten. But even after the hits it took from Reim's military, they held steadfast. That was easily dealt with as she instructed the girls to shoot everything they had at the door. Their magic combined was enough to destroy the remains of the door and sink it into the waters. Now with that open, it was a matter of getting them on a ship and reaching the military.
It'll work.
But just as she explained this to them, another explosion, one much different than the others, struck from inside the fortress shaking the island itself. All eyes turned to it as from the makeshift windows, bird-like creatures flew out and soared above the island, circling it like vultures. But those weren't anything like the desert or volcanic vultures she'd seen in her travels. These blended well in the night sky and the only thing that made them visible were the cyan markings that contrasted against the dark background.
Noé couldn't believe her eyes. It would be now, after encountering the first dark djinn in this world a hundred and fifty years ago, that they resurfaced. And they weren't just any small fry dark djinn either; those markings on them were the same ones that she'd seen on Perseus when he turned into one.
The vultures briefly stopped in mid air before diving head first without warning. And they were diving down fast. With no time to properly let the others react, Noé acted on a snap decision. Leaping away from the group that stood cornered at the port, she raised a deft hand to raise a sphere of light magic around them with Chief. There wasn't time to bet on how strong their borgs were, and she knew for a fact that Chief's magic would withstand the djinn's attacks for longer.
But Chief saw a big flaw in wanting to both protect them and fight the dark djinn. "It'll run your magoi dry doing both, Noé."
Resigning herself to the matter at hand, Noé evened her breath as she summoned her bow and took aim at the dark djinn diving towards her. Then I'll just have to do without. There wasn't any time to argue with Chief despite her objections about her fighting with such reckless abandon being utterly correct. But Noé couldn't think of another option despite how poorly this would end up for her on the long run. It was clear to her as she shot arrows at the djinn that her powers only did so much damage without her equip. But if she equipped, it would require her to focus all her magoi onto herself which would leave the priestesses unprotected. And she couldn't afford to do that.
The best course of action she could think was to hold them back and make time until the military came to take the girls away. Once safe, she would be able to focus on them.
So far, her haphazardly made-up plan was working. The vultures despite being dark djinn were not as strong as those she'd fought before or even the monster that Perseus had been. This made fighting them a bit more manageable. With how things were, a part of her sincerely thought that she could make sufficient time for the military to come. But when one of the girls exclaimed after spotting the military ship coming towards them, something changed in the vultures. They restrained their relentless assault from before and instead hovered a few feet away.
What are they— Before she could even question it, her emerald eyes widened at seeing the vultures coming together and morphing into each other. Their bodies began losing form, becoming a strange substance which liquified to join together. The amalgamate took its solid body back once all of the smaller ones gathered and became a larger vulture, one donning a stone mask over its face and top portion of its beak with two beady eyes of a bright blue shining through.
Now that one struck her with familiarity. It looked just like Perseus had. And if that thing came remotely close to being half as strong as Perseus had been then things could and would turn ugly very fast. Her eyes fell askance over her shoulder to watch the girls that huddled together struck by fear at the sight of their larger enemy. Even the brave little magician that acted so confidently before stood back with makeshift wand held tightly in her hands. Noé clearly saw the fear etched in her features and it struck a chord in her.
They were children, just a bunch of little girls that didn't know how to defend themselves and much less how to survive these types of situations. Such a contrast to what she had grown up knowing. And there, between the peerless hunter and its prey, she stood unable to stray from her place. Noé knew what struggle awaited her if she fought against the amalgamate dark djinn but she also knew well enough what fate those girls would come to have if she didn't.
And frankly, she was tired of seeing children die needlessly.
Turning to fully face the vulture that hung over their heads, Noé took a deep breath to calm her growing emotions. Chief, feeling the turmoil inside her mind, questioned her actions as she fortified the shield around the priestesses while retaining her light bow in hand. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah." Time. That's all we need.
The amalgamate beat it wings in a huge arc and threw its head back to let out a grueling screech. The noise ran rampant through the air and it made Noé cover her ears at the high-pitched shriek. A warm feeling rushed past her ears just as her vision started doubling and her balance faltering. Sound magic. Piece of shit bird—
Unable to distinguish anything without her eyes or ears, Noé braced herself as best she could. But the vulture never got to them. Instead, even through the garbled mess of vibrations in her eardrums, she distinctly heard the screeching of metal against metal and the vulture cawing. Noé forced her eyes to focus at the blur of colors that distorted before her and through the disarray, her emerald eyes saw a vivid red that caught like wildfire in the forceful gust.
Her vision focused even more and mostly returned the instant the red came into her vision. Although blotchy, Noé could make out Muu's tiny figure at a standstill against the vulture, the dark djinn grappling in its giant metallic claws what Noé could barely discern as a silver trident.
"I-I'm not—letting this thing—get us. N-Not when w-we're so close—" Noé heard the gravel beneath her surroundings cave from the pressure the vulture was putting on him. From where she was, she could only see the young cub's back but as he stood on par with the amalgamate, his arms held above his head to withstand the attack with his trident, she caught the glimpse of the eight-pointed star. Not only that but hands and arms had changed and instead of the fair white had turned to a darker hue.
"The boy, he's—"
Noé couldn't help the lopsided and triumphant grin that tugged at her lips at having the exact same thought as Chief. He's a dungeon capturer. The amalgamate, as if sensing what Noé already realized, tried to fly away and forced its wings as it yanked its claws to unlodged them from between the blades of the trident. Noé could hear Muu's haggard breathe and saw how his whole body was beginning to shake. Despite that though, the cub let out a holler and twisted his trident with a fortitude she knew only Fanalis capable of and slammed the amalgamate onto the broken ground beneath them. Lifting it off from it, he impaled the bird and it let out a deafening howl that made all of them flinch.
But Noé knew a chance when she saw one and no amount of pain would make her miss it. With what little balance she had back, Noé took the chance Muu provided and disbanded her bow. Chief panicked at sensing her do that but Noé kept her cool all the same as she harnessed the powers of her seal instead. Eyes set above the dark djinn, Noé flashed and found herself in the middle of the sky high above the fortress. Even through the darkness, her sharp eyes caught the glimpse of fiery red down beneath her.
A clear target.
"Hold it, cub!" she hollered as loud as she could before steadying her arms to notch a light arrow back on an invisible bow. The side of her face burned as she gathered what light she could—natural, artificial, or otherwise—and saw the flicker of the light as it disappeared from all around them to gather in her hands.
It's not Extreme Magic but it'll still pack a hell of a punch.
Gaze focused on red, a smug smirk grew wider on her lips. "And enough to wipe you out." Her fingers released the invisible string and the light arrow flew downward. The aim stayed true and hit just a few meters off of missing Muu to pierce the vulture's chest. Upon impact, the arrow exploded into a blinding barrage of light that brightened the whole island in white. Noé had her eyes peeled as she lost altitude in case the dark djinn remained but her worries vanished as she saw the faint silhouettes of black fluttering in a frenzy away from the particles of light that still remained from her shot.
Dark rukh. Her eyes followed the silhouettes as far as her powers allowed her but her vision blurred and the air in her lungs escaped her as she dove right through the surface of the water in the pier. Body heavy and wet wing making weighing her down all the more, Noé pushed herself to swim upward but as her gaze lifted to the surface, red overwhelmed her sight as another fell into the water.
Noé didn't waste a second to swim up and gather Muu into her arms. The moment she saw him, though, panic overcame her. Bubbles were rising from his open mouth and his eyes weren't opening. Adrenaline took the reins as she raced to the top. Air filled her lungs at the deep breath she took once they broke the surface but she didn't waste time with feeling relieved. Not yet. Pulling him alongside her, Noé reached the docks and shouted at the priestesses that were standing around to help her get him up. Seraphina and a couple of others hauled him onto dry land and although others attempted to help her as well, Noé shoved them aside as she ripped herself out of the waters to run to the cub. Almost immediately she knew he wasn't breathing. Clicking her tongue, Noé knelt at his side to pump her hands on his chest. It took a few tries but thankfully, he finally coughed up the water he'd taken in and his crimson gaze blinked staring at nothing until they met her emerald eyes.
"The...the monster…"
"It's gone, kid," Noé reassured him, her bated breath released at seeing him breathing again. "You did good."
"And the—the girls?"
Seraphina knelt at his other side and took his hand into hers. "We're here, Muu. We're safe." As she finished her sentence, a horn blew in the air, one that Noé realized came from the military ship as they began to dock. It was a warning to anyone who dared cross them and a promise of safety to those in danger.
A smile tugged at the corner of Noé's lips as she watched them dock over her shoulder. Looking back at the cub, she brushed the matted hair away from his face to look at him properly. "You hear that, cub? Military's here. You're all going home soon."
A sweet smile came over him as he mumbled, "...good.." before passing out completely. Seraphina and a couple of the others immediately worried about his well being but Noé assured them that he was just exhausted.
"The boy probably exhausted his magoi reserves from just using his djinn weapon equip."
That'd been Noé guess. Despite their superhuman strength, Fanalis had an absurdly low reservoir of magoi even compared to her own. And that was saying something.
The clacking as hundreds of men stepping onto the wooden planks shook the docks beneath their feet. Leading the troops was Mr. Long Nose whose eyes widen at spotting Noé surrounded by the priestesses.
"You're…"
Noé spared him a smirk before nodding off to the girls. "Count them, captain. I think you'll find them all here and unharmed for the most part." He barked orders at his men to take the priestesses safely into the ship before coming over to where Noé and Seraphina stayed with the unconscious Muu.
"Muu? What is he—how did he even get here?"
"Beats me," Noé replied still smiling and grabbed Muu's arm before hauling him up into her arms in spite of Seraphina's disagreement to do so. Walking up to Ignatius, she passed on the unconscious cub onto him. "Get him a place to rest. He needs it."
He didn't question her, though his expression said he had a good amount of questions to ask, and instead turned to face the only priestess left. "Lady Seraphina, if you would accompany us back to the ship, please."
Seraphina spared a glance Noé's way which made her wave back at the girl dismissively. "Be a good missy now and listen to the good ole captain. I'll follow behind you so don't worry." I've got myself some reward to ask for, after all. The girl gave her a suspicious glance before turning away to trot over to Ignatius' side. The three left then to board the ship as the rest of the battalion continued their reconnaissance.
Noé rolled her shoulders and let out a deep sigh at finally having a moment to breathe. Turning on her heels, she eyed the area searching for something.
"What are you looking for?"
Noé didn't answer until a gleam in the faint torchlight caught her attention. Walking over to the sword that laid haphazardly near the docks, she picked it up and held the blade in her other hand to inspect the weapon. A small smile came to her lips at seeing the eight-pointed star that she'd seen on the trident from before.
Just this. Swinging the sword around in her hand, she fastened it into the space between her obi and clothes before heading back to the ship that would take her back to the one person who could tell her more about the djinn she had in her possession now.
I wonder who it is this time.
A/N:
Yay! It took me about three weeks to write this! :D It's better than to have to wait a month. I've been taking up new writing habits to get better at updating for my wips.
This chapter was mostly to close up on last time and introduce more canon characters as well as other ocs. And it also let me write a younger Muu which is lovely~
Here's a huge thank you to these beautiful people: Loucyanna, Aviantei, Kira Kirya, dreamwalkerlisa, and Cookie Eating Pandax2! Also a great big ol' thank you to everybody who reads this story. I know OC-centric stories aren't very popular but I'm glad that you all enjoy this one!
There isn't much else besides this though. I have CoU to update as well so for those waiting on that! When I say I'll keep my updates tidied, I keep my word (mostly). The few that break that are oneshots but those are for my own fun. Will be writing more of those in the future hopefully if time allows so look forward to those as well!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that ya'll stay tuned for the next update! Next time, Noé revisits Reim in the present and finds a certain blond third prince there for training as well!