Apparently, the mental picture was critical when it came to manipulating one's mana.
That was not to take away from the importance of memorizing runes, incantations, and the like. No, those were the ones that gave shape to one's magic; the things that gave it structure. A single mangled word or skewed line could drastically alter the effects of a cast spell, if not cause it to fail altogether.
However, the base-layer concept of controlling and effectively utilizing the flow of magic within oneself, especially for novice casters, relied heavily on one's ability to visualize both their own mana and the pathways it took through the body.
For Eric, it had taken him longer than he liked to admit to realize that he'd been doing this all along. Whether it came to cooking, shielding, or flying, he had always found it easier to perform such feats when he held the image of success in his mind. He'd always thought that it was some kind of coincidence, or that it was a matter of willpower, but, as it turned out, it was just how it was supposed to be done for a beginner like him.
As one grew more experienced, more comfortable with their mana, it became progressively easier to visualize what would result in a successful cast. Eventually, it ended up cementing itself as second-nature to a magic wielder, allowing one to bring out their power without even having to think about it.
With how swiftly she moved and how coordinated she was with the handling of her dolls, he figured that Alice had likely long since passed the point of needing to consciously manipulate her mana. It also probably helped that she was a magician youkai, and therefore possessed a high affinity for magic.
Still, it came as a genuine surprise to Eric, just how well she had been able to explain the concept, despite not needing to rely on it herself.
He likely wouldn't have learned otherwise.
…
…
…
"Close your eyes and imagine, if you will," Alice moved to elaborate after a solid half-hour of Eric trying and failing to gather energy in the space between his palms. "That your mana is an integral part of your body. Much like the bones that grow within your flesh or the blood that runs within your veins."
Eric nodded, shutting his eyes tightly. He could not help the edge of frustration and hints of defeatism growing at the back of his mind.
It had been days. Days spent struggling on one simple concept.
So far, just like every one of his previous attempts, he simply hasn't been able to channel his magic in the way that he'd wanted, much less form anything resembling danmaku.
His barriers… Hell, even flying had come to him easier than this. It was disheartening in a way, that he continued to fail on what should have been such a basic task.
Still, he would press on. It would be a disservice to both Alice and himself if he didn't.
"It is palpable. It is tangible. It is real. There are channels set within you, a network within which your mana may flow. Much like your own circulatory system, it permeates your entire being. It reaches from the top of your head to the tips of your fingers and toes, connecting everything in between." Alice sighed lightly. It sounded… cleansing.
"Please, do your best to visualize this. To relax and feel your mana as it flows beneath your skin."
Eric sighed, himself. It helped to refocus his mind and allow him to concentrate on that which was being asked of him.
To feel his mana, huh?
He tried his best to forget his frustrations and block out all distractions. The less he thought, the more he could feel.
…
To his credit, he did feel something. He wasn't entirely sure if it was truly his own mana, but it was something.
It felt like a sort of vague energy, one that hummed quietly, all across his body.
Eric concentrated on the mental image of what Alice had described, the channels of mana that were supposedly networked throughout his being.
As he did… that indistinct, almost fuzzy energy began to… sharpen? Like the world slowly coming into focus after waking from a nap.
It was just like what ran through his fingers when he tried to heal, or what flowed into the coffees at work when he tried to influence their temperatures.
Was… was that… his mana? His mana?
His brows furrowed, and Alice seemingly noticed.
"Do you feel it now?" she whispered.
Eric gave a slight nod of his head, trying not to break his concentration. "...Maybe? I… think so..."
"Good, good. Now, that mana you feel is yours. It is a part of your body, and you may manipulate it as you like. If you are able, attempt to influence its flow."
Without moving an inch, he willed the energy he felt to move.
From one end of his body to the other, slowly, he felt it circulate, not unlike the gentle lapping of tiny waves upon the shore of a small pond.
Like the ebb and flow of the tides, he moved the focus of where he wanted his mana to concentrate, and gradually it responded. Up and down. Left and right. From his head, to his chest, to his hands.
"Okay… I think I'm doing it…" Eric whispered shakily.
He… Oh, he was trying so hard not to lose his focus. This was so much more than he had anticipated today.
He could feel his mana.
It was progress! It was real, genuine progress!
Elation bubbled up dangerously in his chest.
"Now," Alice directed, quiet, yet firm. "Try it again. Focus your mana into your hands. Then, imagine it leaving your fingertips, coalescing in the space between."
This… This was the true test.
The power within began to change its flow once more, trickling through his arms and concentrating at his palms. His hands began to tingle with the gradual surge of energy that, until mere minutes ago, had felt impossible.
In his mind's eye, he pictured his mana as countless wisps of white light, a brimming energy just below the surface of his skin. With single-minded intent, he attempted to release the wisps from his palms, willing them to gather into a single point.
He wanted it to happen. He wanted it.
If he could at least do this much, then…
He was so close.
…
Then… he felt it, the energy slowly releasing from his hands.
He… He was doing it. The mana wasn't dissipating. He was doing it!
A ball. A ball. He willed it with all his might to take the form of a ball.
He held the image in his mind. Crisp and clear and…
Eric opened his eyes. It was risky, but he had to know. He had to see it.
…
There, between his palms, was a single, white, sphere. It was roughly the size of a chicken's egg, and it hummed lightly as it hovered in place.
…
He didn't dare to move. He refused to look away. He wouldn't even risk uttering a single word.
Within his hands was a manifestation of his magic, and it was precious. It was his. He had made that!
What happens now? Does it fade away? Will it go back into my body? Is this considered danmaku!?
Eric continued to feed the concentration of energy, almost afraid of what would happen if he stopped.
Alice spoke from his side, slowly and evenly. "Very good. You have established a locus from which to cast your magic."
There were three, quick footsteps away from him. "There is but one final step," Alice continued. "Take your mana and send it forwards, with the intent to strike."
Another step? S-So soon? He hadn't even gotten to practice this step yet!
But… he complied.
His mana… The bundle of power buzzed within his grasp. Very carefully, very deliberately, he raised his arms, and took aim at a nearby tree.
It was nothing personal, but he needed a definite point to focus on.
With all the strength he could muster, Eric thrust his hands out, willing the energy to shoot forward. It-
*z~iiing*
…
To his surprise, the little ball of mana in his hands did not fly off towards the tree as he had expected. Instead, as if it had been punctured, a bright, white beam spilled forth from it. Thin and weak as it was, the streak of light impacted the bark of the tree, generating a faint sizzling sound.
Then, just as quickly as it came, the beam began to dissipate, the bundle of energy fading alongside it. The space between his hands went vacant once more.
…
Did… Did that really just happen?
…
Did he really just cast an offensive spell? A laser!?
Eric stared down at his hands in quiet disbelief, wonder and bewilderment twinkling in his eyes.
"Well done," came Alice's voice, radiating with pride on his behalf. "I had not expected for you to achieve a successful cast so soon after learning to properly manipulate your mana."
He… did not react to her comments, instead choosing to repeatedly glance between himself and the small mark he had managed to scorch onto the tree.
"Still, it is something to be proud of. Meaningfully concentrating one's magic is a lesson in its own right, and actually emitting something typically takes more practice in order to-"
Alice was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping around her, pulling her into an excited hug. Eric really couldn't help himself.
"I can't believe it! Alice, I- You- Thank you!"
He'd done it! He'd finally done it! He'd actually done something!
There were no amount of words that could express his sheer gratitude. He only hoped that this hug would communicate his feelings more effectively.
Just as quickly as he'd hugged her, Eric pulled back slightly, keeping his hands on Alice's shoulders.
"You don't know how much this means to me! I can finally- I-I'm not- I… You're the best teacher I could have ever asked for!"
Alice's eyes widened. His words had obviously struck a chord within her. The surprise was momentary, however, as she rapidly schooled her expression into one of more measured pride.
"If you are to be thanking anyone, then it should be yourself. The control you exerted over your own mana came from you and you alone."
"I wouldn't have been able to figure any of this out without you, and that's a fact."
"I simply laid the groundwork. It was up to you to make something of it."
Her eyes, despite their glacier blue color, held a warmth that stirred his heart. It piled onto the already heaping mountain of positive emotions that he was experiencing.
He could fight now! He could protect himself! He could help others! He didn't have to sit on the sidelines. He… He didn't have to be useless anymore…
A small pit of guilt dug its way into his stomach. His smile shifted into one that was more bittersweet, and he let go of Alice's shoulders.
…As it turned out, that mountain of emotion still held a cave or two.
Alice picked up on the change immediately. "Eric, what's wrong?"
He cleared his throat. It was probably ridiculous to let this thought taint the happiness he felt, but…
"I… I'm sorry. I just… If you'd never offered to teach me, then I might have never been able to do something like that. I'm lucky… I… don't know if I really deserved this much of your effort."
Alice's gaze hardened. "What have I said about speaking about yourself that way?"
He… remembered. "That you'd sew my mouth shut if I did?"
"Precisely." She sighed. "Now, which color thread would you prefer?"
Eric snorted out a laugh. "Yeah, you're right. I… really shouldn't think like that."
A smile once again graced her face. "I am glad that you can so easily recognize your errors. Now, if you are quite ready, I would like you to demonstrate that laser once more."
…
"Hey, Alice?"
"Hmm?"
"When I get stronger, I'm going to make it up to you for all that you've done for me. I'll help you however I can."
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
It had been several days since Eric's first laser, and Alice continued to look back on it fondly.
Even now, as she made her way to the top of Youkai Mountain, the memory had found its way back into her thoughts.
The absolute wonder in his eyes when he'd succeeded… The utter joy on his face that had replaced it… The pure gratitude that he'd sought to share with her through that quick, exhilarating hug…
It was the happiest that she'd been for another person in years. It was… a good memory.
…
And of course, of course his first successful attempt at danmaku had come in the form of a laser. It felt like almost everyone she knew used them.
Marisa was, obviously, big on lasers. Those, alongside stars, seemingly made up her entire portfolio of spell cards.
Patchouli, while typically preferring more complex arrangements, regularly incorporated lasers into her spells as well.
Even Mother had-
…
Alice… had always used lasers sparingly in her duels.
They were simply too… raw. Too inefficient with their mana usage.
Why use a laser when she could, instead, release a dense cloud of danmaku pellets? At least that would have a better chance of striking her opponent. Even if it was to less devastating effect.
That wasn't to say that they didn't have their uses… They just simply weren't her style.
…
Alice quietly wished that the distance to her destination was considerably shorter.
Perched atop Youkai Mountain, the tallest mountain in Gensokyo, the Moriya Shrine was a rather unique location. Far above everything else, it held a commanding position, peering out over the entire realm. Only Heaven surpassed it in terms of verticality.
However, that sort of altitude also made it a rather difficult location for the average person to reach. A human would have been hard-pressed to make that sort of journey, and most youkai wouldn't have had the patience or desire to go that far.
As such, it was rumored that their source of faith wasn't derived from humans. Instead, it was the Tengu and the Kappa, the largest youkai societies native to the mountain, that made up the bulk of their followers.
It also didn't help that traveling through the area was akin to traversing a battlefield.
As was the case with any sufficiently remote location in Gensokyo, Youkai Mountain and its surrounding wilderness was absolutely teeming with life. Life that readily made itself known.
Waves of enthusiastic fairies. Lines of fuzzy but highly erratic kedama. Even a curious young crow tengu, still a novice at dueling. Her ascent of Youkai Mountain had brought with it numerous challenges.
They were easily overcome by one as powerful as herself, but they were challenges nonetheless.
…
It seemed as though Youkai Mountain hadn't been spared from the recent drought. While not as densely forested as the Forest of Magic, it was still home to a great many trees and an abundance of nature.
From the obviously water-stressed groves that ringed the mountain and made up what was known to some as Youkai Forest, to the tenacious tufts of grass that clung to the majestic rock faces, it was just as bad as it was at home. Dry, dry, and more dry.
Surely, the area near the great waterfall was healthier looking, but that was pure speculation on her part. Alice hadn't approached the mountain from that side.
…
In the decade and a half that she'd lived in Gensokyo, she hadn't ever seen a streak of dry weather like this.
She would get to the bottom of this.
That was why she was here, after all. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her.
…
Alice counted herself lucky that she hadn't been challenged by any of the more notable duelists who inhabited the mountain. Though her appetite for battle had been recovering lately, she still wasn't eager to draw out her little trip any more than necessary.
Now, as she stood at the edge of the Moriya Shrine, she simply hoped that the long journey had been worth it.
She had but two questions on her mind.
Why had they allowed the drought to persist for so long?
What were they planning on doing about it?
…
If there was one thing that the Moriya Shrine had done right, it was the atmosphere.
Alice was at the summit of a mountain, with all the world to see. A long path, paved with stone, stretched out before her. Flanking the path, rows of onibashira, honored pillars made of thick wood, stood proudly, towering over any would-be visitors.
All of this led up to the shrine building itself, larger and more modern in appearance than the one at the Hakurei Shrine. Just beside it lay a mountain lake.
A steady breeze swept across the area, fresh and pure, cleansing the faithful of their doubts and ruffling the material of Alice's dress.
She took in the moment only briefly, before stepping her way down the path.
…
It was rather amazing that the entire scene, lake and all, had supposedly been transported into Gensokyo from the Outside. For them to have had the power to do that, even if they were goddesses, was truly incredible.
…
As she approached the shrine proper, a lone figure greeted her. It was one that she'd only ever seen at Incident Resolution parties.
Sanae Kochiya, the shrine maiden of the Moriya Shrine, strolled over to meet her with a pep in her step. Her long green hair was adorned with both frog and snake accessories, symbols of her goddesses' favor, and it fluttered in the ever present breeze that blew atop the mountain. Her face pulled into an enthusiastic grin.
"Hi! Alice, was it? Welcome to the Moriya Shrine!"
Alice stared briefly at the shrine maiden, momentarily taken aback by her overwhelming energy.
…
She had always thought Sanae to be a bit strange. A relatively normal human girl that had been sent to Gensokyo along with her two goddesses, she held a surprising amount of power for someone with relatively limited experience.
Though, according to rumor, Sanae was a descendant of one of the Moriya Shrine's two goddesses, meaning that divine blood ran through her veins. This supposed lineage made her innate power and ability to bring forth miracles more understandable, but still…
She certainly didn't act like someone who was part goddess.
…
"What are you doing all the way up here? From what I've heard, you hardly ever leave the Forest of Magic."
"Then you are misinformed. It is not as though I am so reclusive that I am unable to leave on my own accord." Alice crossed her arms, face neutral. "Curiosity dictated that I do so today."
That seemed to pique the shrine maiden's interest. "Oh? Curious about what?"
"It is a simple question, really. What-"
"Oh, wait, wait, wait! Let me guess, you want to know what's happening with the rain. Am I right?"
The dollmaker was… slightly miffed about having been cut off, but she would not let that show. "Yes, that is what I had intended to ask."
"You're like the millionth person to come up here asking that!" Sanae sighed, expression shifting to one that was more exasperated. "I'll give you the same answer that I've given everyone else. We… don't know. But, we're working on it!"
Needless to say, this response did not satisfy Alice in the slightest. She had not come this far out, racing against the summer heat, just to receive such a vague answer.
"You… don't know? Both the sky and the earth are your domains, and that is all that you can say? How could you possibly expect me to believe that?"
"It's true! Something's interfering with the weather! Something that isn't us!"
Interfering?
That… was utterly ridiculous.
The Moriya Shrine possessed a goddess of the sky, a shrine maiden with a penchant for evoking miracles, and, from what she'd heard, an ample amount of faith to fuel their divine powers. The very idea that something could be 'interfering' with their abilities was, quite frankly, ludicrous.
But… Sanae didn't appear to be lying. Her eyes were sincere, and the frustration in her voice as she spoke sounded genuine.
"Do you have any ideas as to what could be causing this obstruction? Anything at all?"
Sanae sighed once more. "Believe me, if I knew, I'd already be out there exterminating the youkai responsible."
Ah, of course. Always more trigger-happy than Reimu, Sanae had established a reputation for being overly enthusiastic when it came to 'resolving incidents.' Not even a drought could wither that sort of zeal, evidently.
"But…" the green-haired shrine maiden leaned in with a whisper. "We do have a working theory, if you want to hear it."
Alice simply nodded. Of course she wanted to hear it. She had come all this way for answers; even speculation was better than nothing.
"Don't let Kanako-sama know that I said this, but we think that it might be another god, or at least someone on that level of power."
Alice mulled over the possibility. It… did make sense that two gods influencing the same aspect could interfere with each other… but…
"What would bring you to that conclusion? Shouldn't the faith your goddesses receive put them on a higher power level than others?"
"That's what I thought at first, but… Do you remember last year? The Incident where the seasons were completely out of whack?"
Alice gave her a look.
Of course she remembered. It would have been impossible to forget the feet of snow that had fallen in the Forest of Magic during the middle of summer. It wasn't just the Forest, either. Youkai Mountain had been awash in the colors of autumn, while the Hakurei Shrine's cherry blossoms had bloomed as if it was early spring.
The perpetrator of that Incident had been a god known as Okina Matara. She was, according to Marisa, one of the sages of Gensokyo, putting her incredibly high in terms of power. It… sort of made sense that she'd been able to influence the seasons to such a degree.
There… had been another Incident in which the weather had been tampered with, too. Years ago, after a sudden earthquake leveled the Hakurei Shrine, unseasonable and unyielding weather had overspread Gensokyo. It was one of the few Incidents that Alice had taken an active role in attempting to solve.
That had been caused by Tenshi Hinanawi, a celestial whose strength was rivaled only by her ego. Her heavenly power, aided by the unique sword she possessed, had been enough to affect the entirety of Gensokyo's weather.
If there were beings out there that could wield this sort of power, even in the face of goddesses, then…
"So, you suspect that another resident of Gensokyo is the source of the interference? One powerful enough to resist your goddess?"
"That's the idea! Kanako-sama and Suwako-sama think so, too. They've even started investigating on their own!" There was a certain twinkle in Sanae's green eyes.
"That… sounds rather hands-on for a goddess. Would they not send you, instead?"
"I've wanted them to! But, instead, I've been stuck performing rituals to try and counter whatever it is that's keeping the rain away." Sanae raised her gohei, a small ritual wand, up to the sky. "I'll break through one of these days! I'm close; I think I just need a little something ex-"
"Sanae!" A woman's deep, mature voice called out from the direction of the shrine. "It is time."
Alice looked over, only to see Kanako Yasaka herself, goddess of the sky and avatar of mountain lakes, beckoning Sanae over.
Said shrine maiden briskly nodded her head. "Coming, Kanako-sama! I was just welcoming a visitor!" She then turned back to Alice. "You're free to stay here and pray as long as you want, though, you might want to keep an eye out for rain. I've got a good feeling about this one!"
Sanae drifted her way back to the Moriya Shrine. As she did so, Kanako called out to Alice directly.
"Fear not! We at the Moriya Shrine are tirelessly working to bless Gensokyo. The rain shall fall, so long as you have faith."
…
She… chose not to linger.
As Alice began her trek back home, she found that the only answers to her questions had been theory and speculation.
It was… frustrating.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
Eric carefully stepped his way down the forest path, taking great care not to trip over the roots that had swallowed this portion of his route. Above him, the evening twilight clung tenaciously to the western sky, providing only a hint of light for him to travel by.
This trip was risky, but it wasn't like that had ever stopped him before. Besides, he was feeling more confident now than ever before, and his gratitude was long overdue.
He just hoped that she hadn't decided to change locations since his last visit.
…
Gradually, he began to hear it.
It had started out as a faint whisper on the breeze, just outside of his ability to make sense of it. It steadily grew in volume as he continued, until he could finally recognize what he was hearing.
It… was a song. The beautiful notes of a haunting melody drifted through the trees, uttered by the beguiling voice of a young woman. In a way, it was enchanting.
Enchanting, but dangerous.
Eric's field of vision narrowed as he approached what was surely the source of the song. What was once a hint of gloom at the peripheries of his perception had grown into an almost total veil of darkness, leaving only his direct line of sight visible.
A beacon of light gleamed in the distance, and the mouth-watering aroma of grilled meat wafted through the air.
Despite everything, Eric was not afraid. It was familiar. All too familiar.
As he came to a small clearing in the trees, he leveled his heavily compromised gaze upon the structure that occupied it.
It… was a food cart. A strange thing to find this far out in the woods. However, it did come as a surprise to Eric. It was exactly where he'd expected it to be.
He stepped forward, catching sight of the woman behind the counter, and nothing else.
She had her eyes closed and wings spread wide as she continued to sing, words far too ancient for him to understand riding on her breath.
He knew who she was, of course.
The pink hair was unmistakable.
"Y'know, you really don't have to blind me to get me to buy your lamprey." Eric grinned as Mystia Lorelei opened her eyes in shock, obviously expecting a more unsuspecting traveler. Her song instantly died in her throat. "But it's good to see that you're still breaking out the classics."
"Eric, what the hell are you doing here!?" Mystia squawked incredulously. "It's like you're just asking to be eaten!"
Eric blinked his eyes repeatedly as his sight steadily recovered, the once encroaching darkness now retreating towards the edges of his vision. "I'd actually hoped that it would be me doing the eating. Skewers, that is. Not, um, people…"
She narrowed her own eyes at him before shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "You're lucky that you're a returning customer."
"Don't I know it," he replied, taking the opportunity to seat himself at the counter of the food cart. "Can't go around eating your loyal patrons."
No longer rendered night blind by the night sparrow's song, Eric took the opportunity to survey the little clearing that Mystia had set up shop in.
She'd… expanded since he'd been here last.
The small tables that sat off to the side were new, as were the stools that accompanied them. With those, she was no longer limited to only three customers at a time.
A glance up at the menu board revealed a new item on offer: edamame. A good idea, considering that not all youkai were carnivorous.
Mystia's little izakaya was growing, and, honestly, he was glad to see it. He wished nothing but the best for his fellow restaurateur.
"Hey, look at you! New tables, new stools, and a third menu item? Those are some big changes!" he enthused.
Mystia perked up with confidence. "Well, you're not the only one who's been getting more business lately. Everyone knows that this is the best place in the Forest to grab a bite to eat."
Mystia quickly turned back towards her grill, flipping the lamprey skewers that were the source of the delicious fragrance.. "Besides, I've gotta stay competitive! Between you, the moon rabbits' dango place, and Mokou's yakitori stand, I can't afford to let myself fall behind."
There was a certain venom in her voice when she'd said the word 'yakitori'.
"You, uh, really don't like Mokou's stand, huh?"
The night sparrow's response was immediate. "Of course I don't! It's chicken! Bird meat! It's an affront to bird youkai everywhere!"
Eric… supposed that made sense. If someone had opened a restaurant that sold human meat, then he'd probably take issue with it in the same way. "Oh, uh… Yeah, I could see how that would be a problem."
He didn't particularly want to go down that rabbit hole though, so he tried to redirect the conversation back to the previous topic.
"Still, it looks like you're doing pretty well out here. Better than I would have thought, given the location."
Mystia visibly swelled with pride, feathers puffing up as she took in the praise. "Sure am! And don't you forget it!" Then, she leaned over the counter. "Now, are you gonna order something? Or am I gonna have to turn you into the fourth menu option?"
Eric chuckled in the face of the (mostly) empty threat. "Yeah, actually. Can I get a lamprey skewer? And, I guess I'll try the edamame, too."
Then, after another moment of contemplation… "You know what? Throw in a bottle of sake. Might as well get the full experience!"
Mystia gave a little flap of her wings before stepping back from the counter. "Coming right up!" she chirped.
…
In only a few short minutes, Eric had already powered through his food.
It was delicious. Mystia really knew what she was doing when it came to her cuisine.
With nothing left but a bare skewer and an empty bowl, he turned his attention to his bottle of sake.
Eric was by no means a regular consumer of alcohol, but on rare occasions like this, he didn't mind partaking in a bit of light drinking.
It really did fit the atmosphere of the izakaya.
"Y'know," he said as he poured the sake into a small cup. "It's quieter here than I'd expected."
"It's not my fault that most of the customers come by in the dead of night!" Mystia was immediately defensive. "It's just humans like you that show up so soon after sunset."
"I didn't mean anything by it," Eric placated. "It's nice like this. Very peaceful."
He took a sip of his drink.
Then, after a moment, he decided to bite the bullet.
"Thank you, by the way."
Mystia looked somewhat confused, her brows drawing together uncertainly. "Uh, don't mention it? It's just food, and you're paying for it."
"That's not what I mea- Well, yeah, thanks for the food, too." Then, he took a deep sigh. "I meant, 'thank you for saving my life.'"
"O-oh yeah? When did I do that?" She fidgeted slightly.
"Come on, it wasn't that long ago. You saved me and Alice and brought us to Eientei." He would have lightly elbowed her if she had been in range. "You've got a better memory than that."
"I… guess I did, huh?"
"You sure did!" Then, Eric rubbed at the back of his neck. "I was, uh, surprised to hear that it was you who rescued us. I… figured that you wouldn't have cared about stuff like that."
"Well, it wouldn't have been any fun to just let you die like that…" Mystia's response was… quiet. It was not something he'd ever come to associate with the night sparrow.
Eric just stared at her.
"What's with that look?" Mystia quickly recovered. "It's just… nice to have someone who knows what it's like trying to run a place like this. Nobody else I know really understands."
"I… see."
"It's selfish, I know, but it's fun to mess with you sometimes. And… I can't rematch the crazy doll lady if she's dead. So, there!"
At a glance, it was truly a shallow reason. Self-serving, and nothing more.
But, it didn't matter.
Eric gave her a steady look, hoping that he could convey just how much it meant to him. "Thank you, Mystia, for not only saving my life, but Alice's as well. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I owe you."
"Don't mention it. Seriously. Don't," she said at first, before appearing to reconsider. "Well, I guess I will keep that favor in mind. Just… don't try to back out of it when I come calling."
Eric grinned. "Oh, you know me, I make good on my promises."
"Good."
…
"Besides, it wasn't just me who saved you both. Wriggle helped, too."
"Wriggle… Nightbug?" It had been a while, but he was pretty sure that Wriggle Nightbug was one of the friends that would come into the cafe with Mystia on occasion.
Mystia nodded. "Yeah. She helped carry Alice while I carried you."
"Then, I extend the offer to her, too."
"Yeah, you'd better! She deserves credit, too." She looked off to the distance, a hint of wistfulness in her gaze.
Eric snorted. "Y'know Mystia, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were actually a pretty decent person deep down."
"Heyyyy…. Don't you dare spread that around. If you do, then I really will add you to the menu!"
Eric chuckled into his little sake cup.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
True to his word, Eric had only lingered long enough to finish his meal before bidding her farewell.
Mystia watched his retreating form as it dwindled in size, eventually becoming lost as the path wound its way through trees and darkness.
"Jeez, just who does he think he is…" she muttered to nobody in particular.
A glance over her shoulder brought her back to the grill. The coals were still red-hot, promising hours more of potential meals.
She made to cook another lamprey skewer. The smell was crucial in attracting customers, and it would be nice to have something ready if someone happened by. If that didn't happen, she would eat it instead. She was getting rather peckish…
…
Mystia grumbled as she looked out into the night once more.
'A pretty decent person deep down.' he'd said.
Ha! Fat chance!
The nerve of him… How dare he assume things about her like that!?
She wasn't a good person, and she didn't want to be.
She was scary. She was deadly.
She blinded people at night with her song and sent them to their graves.
The number of humans she'd eaten was easily in the double digits.
…
Who cares if she hasn't killed anyone in a while? So what!?
She was just… focusing on other things right now.
Like her lamprey stand.
…
I'm a terrible person-
Mystia spotted two more figures working their way up the road. Immediately, her song began once more.
-and that's all there is to it.
~~~~~~Tradition's End~~~~~~
"My, my~ What a quaint little stand. Don't you think so, my darling little Yoshika?"
The jiangshi stiffly bobbed up and down, joints too rigid for her to nod.
A wicked grin split across the hermit's pale face.
"Perhaps the little birdie can help me find what I desire."
~~~~~~Author's Notes~~~~~~
SPEAKING OF A TERRIBLE PERSON… Seiga Kaku.
Okay! So I may have been a bit over-ambitious when it came to how much I wanted to fit into this chapter. That, and it's a few days later than I'd hoped to have it ready by.
It seems like every time I plan for a scene, it ends up going on longer than I had anticipated. Somehow this managed to get past 6k words.
A little bit of character development, a dash of worldbuilding, a few new character interactions, and a plot thread or two. There's a little bit of everything, really.
All of it needed to get out there before I could move forward with what I wanted to happen in the next few chapters and beyond.
Also, I really did need to take that extra time to finish the chapter up. The eye problems are improving, though not fully resolved. Soon, hopefully. Then, I plan to get back on track schedule-wise.
Though, even with the extra time, I'm still not entirely satisfied with how it turned out. Definitely a good candidate for remastering if I ever get the chance.
I… don't have much else to say. I'm definitely more excited about the 'major' chapters that are right around the corner.
Thanks for reading! Review if you want! Have a great day!