Ouroboros

by A Horseshoe Crab

Odysseus Enoteca, the vice-captain of the Blue Rose Knights, has his life upended when an evil organization from his past makes a resurgence. They are lead by a mysterious woman that he thought long dead. He must gather allies and rise through the Magic Knight ranks to challenge her. However, not all is as it seems. There might be more at stake than either of them realize.

3. Chapter 3

Maiden Voyage 1.3

⸻1⸻

The smell of blood soured the air. It permeated every corner in the cramped Tela Clinic, overwhelming the mild and sweet scents of marigold, clover, and a hundred other herbs strung up from the cottage's cross beams. Wads of stained bandages filled the waste bins and empty bottles of potions were scattered on the floor.

Iris Windberry felt like she was a bumblebee clumsily tiddering from bed to bed, stepping over the bottles and seeing to each patient as if they were flowers. Only instead of receiving nectar and pollen she received poultices that needed changing and feverish foreheads to cool with damp towels.

Her boss and matron of the Tela Clinic, Velvet Tela, was busy slaving over a cauldron of bubbling black liquid set in the blazing brick fireplace at the back of the cottage. It was quite ominous. Everytime Madam Tela dipped her wooden spoon into the concoction a puff of evil-looking green smoke escaped with a hiss up the chimney.

Perhaps, Iris thought, there was a reason the subtle art of potion brewing had fallen out of favor with mainstream healers. There were very few benefits that a potion could offer that a skilled healer would be unable to provide. Plus, properly brewed potions were tedious and complex to complete. They were also notorious for their bad taste.

"What are you brewing, Madam Tela?" Iris asked.

The old woman clicked her tongue. "As if you have to ask, child. I'm preparing a mending potion called Draught of the Bloodied. A serving of this will fix those layabouts right up. And with no adverse side effects, I reckon. Of course, they'll be crying blood off and on for about a week or so, but that's normal."

That sounds pretty adverse to me, thought Iris.

"Knock, Knock. I'm coming in!" said someone outside the clinic. They tapped on the door twice and opened it before Iris could tell them that they were in the midst of an emergency. She came face to face with a pink-haired mage roughly her own age. With an intriguing eyepatch over their left eye, the guy had an air of mystery and adventure about him.

While Iris was taken back by the appearance of a stranger, a rarity on the small Straya Island, the man pushed his way into the clinic. He dragged a poor fellow on the ground by the leg and he had a young girl on his shoulder. He looked around for an open bed. "A bit crowded, eh?"

"Sorry, Odysseus. Mate, I should have warned you," said Morganna Leto, entering behind the mage. At least Iris had a name to go along with the face now. She also spotted Magnolia shyly standing outside, unable to meet Iris's gaze. "There was a fishing accident earlier today. Unfortunately, this is the only clinic on the entire island. Though, I had hoped that the situation would have been resolved by now."

Well excuse me, Miss Magic Knight, Iris thought, I don't see you lifting a finger to help. Is your grimoire just for show? Forcing a smile on her face, Iris said, "Apologies, Ms. Leto. As you can see, we are no doubt doing our best. And we only have one bed left available. So unless this is an emergency—"

"One bed? That's fine," Odysseus said, and tossed the unconscious girl onto the empty bed. "Mimosa can have it. Kirsch will be perfectly happy on the floor. Actually, he told me that he prefers it." He then cupped his mouth and whispered to Iris, "Helps with his back pain. So this works out pretty well."

"I, uh…what?" Iris said.

But Odysseus had already moved on. He maneuvered to the back of the cottage and loomed over the rim of the simmering cauldron. Dodging a swift swipe of Velvet's wooden spoon, he said, "Wow! So, you know how to brew potions. That's great! My friends could use a dose of Insomni Ale. Wait, you've got awakenberries, right?"

"Iris! What are you doing, you daft girl? How could you let this larrikin loose in my clinic?" Madam Tela complained, shaking her wooden spoon more fiercely. "And as for you, our uninvited guest, your friends' potion will have to wait. I'm busy brewing a mending potion."

"A mending potion? What, for these guys?" Odysseus questioned, gesturing to the injured fishermen groaning in their hospital beds. He bit back a curt laugh. "Seriously?"

"What's so funny?" Iris snapped, her facade of friendliness vanishing in an instant. With a hand on her hips, she jabbed the one-eyed mage in the chest. "Yeah, nah, why don't you let us in on the joke, funnyman? I'd really like to hear it. You're a Magic Knight, yeah? I bet you find our struggles amusing. Come laugh at the poor peasants, and all that."

Odysseus grabbed the bill of Iris's healer uniform hat and tugged it down over her eyes, wiggling it back and forth to mess up her hair as much as possible. "Don't be in such a rush to play the victim. Watching nobles struggle is more fun anyway. So relax. It's actually a blessing for you guys that I walked in here."

Ripping off her hat, Iris fixed a glare on Odysseus as the Magic Knight waltzed to the center of the clinic and took out his grimoire. On the front of the book was a black five-leaf clover, an oddity that Iris had never seen before. She had always thought that clover grimoires were either three-leaved or four-leaved. Who had ever heard of a five-leafed clover?

"Blood Recovery Magic: Mamba Mist." Odysseus breathed out a red cloud of blood that filled the room. The injured fishermen breathed in the vapors and immediately their bodies began to heal. They opened their eyes and sat up in their beds, gazing at their limbs in awe as gashes sealed themselves shut and the pain faded.

There was a thud outside the clinic. Iris spotted Magnolia passed out on the ground. She must have fainted again. That girl's fear of blood was as troublesome as ever, Iris thought, and brought her inside.

"Again?" Madam Tela muttered, and then absentmindedly waved her hand. "Just toss her on the bed with the other girl, Iris."

"Impressive. Though I guess that's to be expected from the son of the Witch Queen," Morganna commented, observing the healed fisherman.

Odysseus puffed out his chest. "Well, that is why they call me the Scarlet Prince. I don't call myself that, of course, since I think it's kinda lame. Besides, the nobles started calling me that as an insult, I'm pretty sure. They would never consider a child of the Witch Queen to be actual nobility. Naturally."

"...Right. Naturally." Morganna replied.

"But I don't let the petty words of those stupid, annoying, arrogant, pompous, stupid nobles get to me. They're just jealous because I'm handsome and strong and utterly flawless in every single way," Odysseus bragged, and then stepped on an empty bottle. The glass rolled beneath his foot and he stumbled forward. Fighting to regain his balance, he crashed into the cottage wall and smashed his head right through. After a few awkward seconds, he pulled his head out and shook off the sawdust and woodchips caught in his hair.

Odysseus studied the hole in the wall, crossing his arms and touching his chin. "Hmm, I have to say this cottage has some strange architecture. I mean, a circular window right here in the middle of the wall. Very unusual."

"What are you talking about?" Iris asked. "You did that."

"Uh…no I didn't. I would have remembered doing something like that. No, this was definitely there when I walked in."

"Ugh! I'm going to kill you!" Iris yelled, aggravated. Morganna held the healer in place, clutching the back of her white uniform with one hand. "Can't you go be annoying somewhere else?"

"Just let it go, mate," Morganna said.

Ignoring Iris, Odysseus walked over to Madam Tela and said, "So, how about it, Granny? Now you don't need to brew that mending potion anymore, huh. How about that Insomini Ale?" Madam Tela looked at the Blue Rose Knight and rapped him in the head with her wooden spoon. "Ouch!"

"Fine," Madam Tela relented. "I'll brew your potion as thanks for showing me some impressive recovery magic and for helping our patients. I won't charge you for it either. However, there is the matter of my wall that needs to be settled—"

"Okay, sounds good. I'll leave you to it," Odysseus said, abruptly turning away from the old woman.

"—about my wall. The cost of repairs—"

"Oh, wow. I'd just love to talk to you about that, but, uh… Morganna was going to give me a tour of Ulurock. Darn. I guess we'll talk later. Okay, gotta go! Bye!" Odysseus pushed Morganna from behind out of the clinic.

"Who…was that guy?" Iris asked, breathless. That man was like a whirlwind, a force of nature running roughshod through their homely clinic. The tension that had mounted evaporated from her body. She felt like she needed to sit down.

Madam Tela scoffed. "Trouble."

⸻2⸻

Magnolia dreamed of a vibrant field of flowers. Fat bees did lazy loops in the air, and the scent of sage and jasmine tickled her nose. Hummingbirds zipped by, squeaking and riding on the prevailing breeze. The sun was warm and Magnolia snuggled into the grass, basking in the delightful day.

Something moved beneath her.

The flora and sunlight faded into the darkness of closed eyelids. But a sweet-scented something was still tickling her nose and Magnolia felt movement under her, accompanied by a soft yawn.

Uh oh. She wasn't dreaming that.

Waking up, Magnolia made eye contact with another girl. And Magnolia was laying half on top of her, their faces inches apart. A blush redder than Odysseus's Blood Magic flooded both their cheeks.

Magnolia threw herself backwards, stammering a string of flustered apologies. Her foot was tangled in the sheets, however, and she tumbled out of bed; hitting the floor with a solid thump. Magnolia twisted until the bedsheets hid her in a cocoon of shame and wished for the earth to just swallow her whole, sparing her from this unequivocal embarrassment.

"Um… Are you okay?" the girl asked, tapping on the cocoon. Magnolia mumbled an unintelligible reply. Lowering herself off the bed, the girl gently unraveled the sheets and revealed Magnolia's flush face to the world. "Sorry, I didn't really catch that."

"I'm fine," Magnolia mumbled, sitting up. The white sheets slipped off her slim shoulders and pooled around her in a crumpled heap. The girl reached to touch Magnolia's face; there was a small bump forming where her head bopped the hardwood flooring. Magnolia quickly stood up and gathered the bedsheets in an awkwardly hurried manner, depositing them back onto the bed.

She just couldn't help but make a fool of herself today it seemed.

It was hard to gauge just how long she was passed out for this time. All of the fishermen had left except for one—Saul Mettlehart. The grizzled veteran of the seas sat by an open window, blowing smoke from his handcrafted pipe. The only other patient besides the girl Magnolia woke up next to was the other Magic Knight still sleeping on the floor.

"I'm glad you're alright. I didn't mean to scare you," the girl said, and then curtseyed. "My name is Mimosa Vermillion. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. That man laying disgracefully on the floor like a sack of potatoes is my older brother, Kirsch Vermillion. It's okay if you just ignore him."

"Oh, uh, g'arvo. I'm Magnolia Leto," she introduced herself, running a hand along her sloppy braid nervously. This Mimosa girl had really nice looking hair and clothes. She shifted her body to try and hide the stains and frays on her own outfit. "I've never met royalty before. Am I supposed to bow or something?"

"Your name is Leto? Are you by chance related to—" Mimosa started.

"You don't have a clue about where you are right now, do ya?" Saul asked, interrupting the noble. He blew a puff of smoke and roughly tapped the ashes out of his pipe into a tin that he carried with him. His deep, rugged voice demanded attention every time he spoke, like the throaty growl of a wild beast. Mimosa shrunk in on herself under the weight of his steely gaze. "You best tread lightly, little missy."

Mimosa swallowed. "I… I am a little confused at the moment. Would you mind telling me where we are? And what happened to Odysseus? We were traveling with another—"

"Your friend had gone up to the prison," Saul said. "Having himself a nice chat with the Warden, I reckon."

"Prison?" Mimosa asked.

"Ulurock, of course. You are on Straya Island after all. I'm sure a royal such as yourself has at least heard the name before."

"I…," Mimosa said, uncertain. Magnolia thought that the girl looked guarded. It seemed that she was aware of the island's reputation, and had likely grown up hearing stories about their noble-hating ways.

"Don't scare the poor girl," Velvet Tela warned, cuffing Saul on the head. In her hand was a glass bottle of sinister, purple liquid. It moved like sludge, thick and viscous, and bubbled ominously. She shuffled over to Kirsch, dipped a spoon into the mixture, and forced it into the unconscious man's mouth. The taste must have been foul since even in his sleep he groaned in disgust.

"While we hold no love for nobility, you needn't fear for your life," Iris added, changing the sheets on the vacant beds. Using her Float Magic, she levitated them into a large wicker basket to be washed. "And while he was rather annoying, your companion did us a favor. So we'll tolerate you. For now."

Saul huffed, smoke shooting out his nostrils in indignant puffs. "We could have handled the situation just fine without his meddling. What a damn travesty, relying on a Magic Knight for help. It's an embarrassment."

"At least they were able to kill Scylla. More than you and your fishermen can say. Perhaps if you'd done more than boast about your prowess while drowning on stubbies, ale soaking your dungarees as the barkeep mobs you up at closing time, we wouldn't have needed Odysseus or his friends to kill it for us," Magnolia retorted.

"Fair dinkum? These louts killed Scylla?" Saul studied Mimosa and her brother, who was slowly coming to on the floor. "I find that hard to believe. The Scylla is a six-headed demon. A monster that can strike like lightning. And has venom that can kill a man in seconds. There's no way that two Magic Knights, regardless of rank, were able to kill it."

"The rotting corpse is on the northern shore, if you care to take a look," Magnolia informed him.

"Scylla? Was that what that beast was called?" Mimosa asked, "It was quite frightening. I thought we were going to die several times while fighting it."

"It's true. I can't say whether they killed the leviathan or not. But there were traces of Scylla venom in their veins. That's undeniable. For these two nobles to even be alive is miraculous enough," Madam Tela informed them, gagging Kirsch with a second spoonful of black goop. She pushed up her glasses and fixed her sharp eyes on Saul, the intense gaze beguiling her age. "Leave your preconceived notions out of his, Mettlehart. They have dulled your senses."

Saul scoffed and looked out the window, blowing out a long cloud of smoke with a dark, brooding expression on his weathered face. There wasn't much Magnolia knew about his past. But out of all of the fishermen on Straya Island, he was the oldest and most experienced—he was like their leader, of sorts. He also held the biggest grudge towards the Magic Knights out of all of them.

Although his wounds were healed, he had stayed behind at the clinic. It was possible, Magnolia theorized, that he thought that Madam Tela and Iris would be endangered by the presence of the Magic Knights and was keeping watch over them. Or maybe it was some other reason entirely. The inner workings of an old drunkard were thankfully unknown to Magnolia.

Furrowing her brow, Mimosa asked, "What do you mean by 'miraculous'?"

"You don't know how lucky you are, do you, child? It was fortunate that you were traveling with such an accomplished healer," Madam Tela said while preparing another spoon of medicine with Kirsch.

The nobleman knocked the spoon away. "I'm already awake. Quit trying to feed me that heinous slop, commoner. My body is a goddess-given temple crafted by a millennium of pedigree. Boring, drab, everyday mages may have fallen prey to some measly venom, but I am royalty. My constitution is incomparable to that riff-raff. You give that one-eyed fool too much credit. And why am I on the floor? This is an outrage!"

"I liked him better when he was unconscious," Saul muttered, and Magnolia silently agreed.

Even Mimosa looked embarrassed by her brother's tirade, hiding her face in her hands and whispering. "Oh my goddess, shut up, Kirsch. You're only going to make this worse. These people already hate us."

Madam Tela clonked Kirsch on the head with her cane. The man opened his mouth in indignation and she stuffed it with a final spoonful of the Insoni Ale potion. "In all my years as a healer, I have never encountered anyone that had actually survived Scylla's venom. There was one particularly hardy man that survived an hour, but most people afflicted were dead within minutes. Royalty or not.

This… Odysseus—that was his name, right?—his capabilities as a healer outstrip my own. I would almost believe him to be the son of the Witch Queen if not for the impossibility of it. Well, I have the edge in experience, I reckon."

Madam Tela actually admitted that someone was a better healer than her? Magnolia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Though, it was intriguing. So then, could Odysseus teach her things that even the great Velvet Tela didn't know?

But why did he have to use Blood Magic? The fates were laughing at her.

⸻3⸻

The vibe was both as impressive as it was oppressive. Ulurock Prison deserved to be called one of the Wonders of the Clover Kingdom. Hollowed out from an eroded mountain by a past Wizard King over four hundred years ago, it remains the largest structure in the country.

There was an indescribable weight to it. Odysseus could feel it. Like he was being drawn in by a magnetic force.

No walls surrounded the monolithic prison, and Odysseus saw several prisoners hanging around outside. They were dressed in matching uniforms—white with black stripes—and were doing mundane things like kicking a ball or working out. He found it strange that they didn't try to run away. Especially when there was only one guard keeping an eye on things.

The guard looked pretty odd too. They were stout and stocky, perhaps half of Odysseus's height. The armor they had on was a size too big and completely hid any discernible features. If he hadn't sensed lingering mana emanating from the figure, Odysseus would have thought the guard to be some kind of decoration, like a metal lawn gnome.

As he took another step closer to Ulurock, Odysseus caught an amused, knowing glint in Morganna's eye. He paused, and a second later, a powerful barrier sprang up out of the ground to bar his path. It was opaque and purple. Vague shapes and muddled outlines could be seen moving around on the other side, but nothing definite. It had to be the thickest barrier that he had ever seen.

Gingerly, Odysseus reached out and touched it. It was warm and vibrated under his palm. He glanced back at Morganna. "Okay, wow. I get it now. Why need walls with something like this. I would love to meet the mage, or mages, powering this thing. It's even stronger than the one surrounding the Capital."

"And it needs to be. The Clover Kingdom's most heinous criminals are behind it, you know?" Morganna said, and put her hand on it too, admiring the barrier. "Though it isn't powered by a mage, but rather, a magical item. Of course, I'm not gonna tell you what it is, mate. So don't even bother asking."

"Dang. Well, it's not like I came here to talk about barriers anyway. Although, a magical object powerful enough to create this… hmm. That's a tricky one." Odysseus twirled his pink hair around a finger and looked up in thought. "I wonder what it could be. Can I get a hint? Please?"

"Just forget about it," Morganna said, "I shouldn't have told you that much."

"Aww. No way! Don't do me like that! Great. Just great. Now I won't be able to stop thinking about it."

Morganna shook her head, rolling her eyes, and pulled out her grimoire. She cracked it open and a black key rose from the crevice in the center where the pages meet. Taking the key, she pressed the tip to the barrier and it sank in, giving off a shimmering white light. "Key Magic: Gate to Pandemonium."

Carved from white light in the thick purple barrier was the outline of intricate double doors. Morganna put a hand on them and pushed it open with ease, creating an opening in the barrier.

She turned to Odysseus and explained, "That spell allows me to enter anywhere. It's the only way in or out of Ulurock's barrier. Before I took over as warden, the entire thing had to be brought down and then back up again just so people could enter and exit. It was a bit of a pain since even the proximity sensors were disabled at the time."

"That's the only way?" Odysseus asked as he followed the tall woman inside the barrier. The doors autonomously closed behind him and faded out of existence. If she was telling the truth, he was trapped until she decided to let him out. "Can't someone strong blast a hole in it?"

"True. It's not infallible," Morganna admitted, "But it regenerates very quickly. Almost instantaneously. You'd have to be incredibly fast. Although… The barrier does have a glaring weakness. Obviously, I'm not gonna tell you that either."

"Obviously."

"Regardless, it's not like any of the inmates can use magic to even attempt a break out."

Odysseus wondered what she meant by that, but the woman refused to elaborate. With her long sweeping cloak and oversized witch hat that hid her face whenever she tilted her head down slightly, he suspected that Warden Morganna enjoyed being mysterious.

The inmates stopped what they were doing when the two Magic Knights walked by. They looked at Morganna with disgust, one even spitting on the ground near her feet. Not quite brave enough to actually spit on her, Odysseus noted.

The squat guard stood at attention when they reached the main doors. Giving a quick salute, their arm banged into their helmet and created a tinny echo as if it were an empty suit of armor.

Morganna turned to the guard and said, "I've returned from my lunch, Hector. Anything to report?"

In a flash, the stubby knight was replaced by a man in a Purple Orcas robe. His hair was dark red as well as super thick and woolly. To keep it from his eyes, the man wore a headband with a pair of steel ornaments on the side that resembled curly sheep horns. There were black bags under his puffy, tired eyes. Held in the crook of one arm was a chessboard.

"Ah! Warden Morganna, sir. Everything's fine," the man, Hector, said between yawns. His eyes briefly drifted to Odysseus before snapping back to his boss. "Our, uh, problem child downstairs has been making a bit of a ruckus. But that ain't nothing new. Bloody cackling like mad, the raving sheila."

"Just bear with it for a few more days. Soon it will be five years since her sentencing, the standard grace period for capital offenders, and then she will be escorted back to the Royal Capital by a pair of Squad Captains to await her execution," Morganna said, "At which point, she'll cease being a problem for anyone."

"Bloody oath! Can't come soon enough, honest. I haven't gotten a wink of sleep all night," Hector replied. He then pointed at Odysseus. "By the way, who's this? A new inmate perhaps?"

"Nope, I'm Odysseus Enoteca: Senior Magic Knight First Class; and vice-captain of the Blue Rose Knights," Odysseus said, giving the sleepy man double peace-signs. "The most modest and humble man in all of Clover Kingdom."

"Oh? The Blue Rose Knights!" Hector's pale green eyes lit up, showing any sign of life for the first time. "My family has a long history with that squad dating way back to a distant ancestry of mine. I was hoping to join the squad myself when I took the Magic Knights' Entrance Exam, however, only the Purple Orcas were willing to accept me. I was so anxious the night before that I just couldn't get to sleep and ended up passing out exhausted in the middle of the examination. How embarrassing that was—"

"This is Hector Funnybunny," Morganna interrupted. "He is a member of the Purple Orcas, and an Intermediate Magic Knight Third Class. He's also my deputy warden, second only to me here at Ulurock. A chronic insomniac, he is prone to fits of narcolepsy and tends to talk way too much. We'll be here all day if we let him keep going."

"That is… I mean, I wish you'd stop introducing me like that, Warden. He'll get the… wrong… idea about… me…," Hector trailed off. His head bobbed forward and Odysseus could hear the man softly snoring. He actually fell asleep, all while holding his chessboard like it was a teddy bear.

"Your second-in-command, huh," Odysseus commented.

Hiding her face below the wide brim of her hat, she sighed exasperated, "Look, he's good in a fight, okay? Let's just go before he wakes up again. There is a reason that he's stuck at the Intermediate rank despite his combat prowess."

Morganna opened the heavy iron doors of the prison's entrance with her Key Magic and walked inside. Odysseus glanced back at Hector before following her. The doors slammed shut. Clank.

Outside, Hector Funnybunny continued to sleep peacefully.

⸻4⸻

Hidden in the shadow of Ulurock Prison, a black sludge appeared on the ground. The mysterious substance rippled as shimmering shades of purple swam across the surface. A figure rose out of the blackness silently.

She was dressed oddly. If anyone were around to see her they would have immediately found her suspicious. For an arid place like Straya Island, she was showing way too much skin. She wore what looked like a belly dancer outfit made from flowing black fabric with golden accents, and her dark-skinned back was left completely exposed.

Weirder still; a black visor covered her eyes. A chainmail veil hung from it which concealed the rest of her face. Three fake eyes were painted in gold across the visor while her real eyes—dark crimson—peered out through slits in the metal.

And the strangest thing of all was the pair of ribbed horns that jutted out from her head. They were slightly curved and looked like the antlers of an antelope.

"I couldn't come any closer," rasped a voice from the void. "The barrier surrounding the prison won't allow it. It's stronger than I expected."

"Of course it's strong. Otherwise they wouldn't have bothered sending me," the woman commented, walking toward the purple barrier protecting Ulurock. "Just stay out of my way."

"As you wish, Lady Blackveil," the voice replied. The politeness sounded forced to Blackveil's ears. She wasn't surprised, however. The man obviously harbored disdain towards her and felt that her affiliation with his beloved organization was somehow tarnishing its reputation and moral standing.

As if killing for a cause was more virtuous than killing for money. That's a laugh. To Blackveil, murder was simply murder. The motive—inconsequential. Believing differently was incredibly naive. She may be a bad guy, but at least she's honest about it.

"Send the signal when you acquire the package. I'll be waiting at our rendezvous point," the voice added.

Blackveil waved him off flippantly, like swatting away a fly.

The spatial mage practically radiated annoyance from his black portal. With one last grumble, "Don't play around too much this time." The black sludge disappeared, sinking into the ground.

And at last, Blackveil was alone.

She touched the barrier and began to devour the magic powering it. A sensation like icy needles trickled up her arm. This was some potent stuff. Taking the magic in till she felt engorged and bloated, Blackveil stepped through the barrier. It briefly tugged at her clothes, but ultimately, it failed to recognize her as an intruder.

Looks like our little informant was right, Blackveil thought. The barrier can't protect against itself. So anything with the same magical signature can slip past it. It was a weakness not easily exploited—for almost anyone but her, that was.

What bad luck on their part. However, it was very fortunate for Blackveil. Those Eye of the Midnight Sun cultists were paying her handsomely for this job. And all she had to do was infiltrate the most secure prison in the Clover Kingdom and break out their most infamous death row inmate. Child's play.

The prison must rely heavily on their barrier defense, thought Blackveil. She didn't see any guards patrolling the area as she approached the main entrance. The prisoners that were milling about in the yard spotted her before anyone else.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! You a new arrival, sweetcheeks? Must have been brought in by the warden earlier," one of the prisoners commented. He was quite a bit taller than Blackveil and loomed over her with a cocky grin. Scars and other nicks scored his arms and face. A real tough guy alright. "Strange though. I would have remembered you, beautiful. And you're not wearing your uniform yet. It's a shame, that. Tell you what, if you strip down here I'll let you wear mine."

The other prisoners all laughed like it was the funniest thing they've ever heard. Cackling like hyenas, they surrounded Blackveil. They smelled like hyenas too.

"So, the warden is here? That's perfect. Makes things much easier, in fact. Eh, Scrappy—If I kill you will the warden show up?" Blackveil asked, and casually rested her hand under her chin. Adorning the ends of her fingers were golden, metal claws that were kept in place by small chains fastened to rings. She flexed her fingers and the claws glimmered in the harsh Straya Island sunlight.

"You? You're gonna kill me?" the prisoner she nicknamed Scrappy scoffed, and then laughed, "Hah! Yeah, like that'll be the day! What are you gonna even do? Scratch me with your claws, kitten? Oh, so scary, right guys? Listen, little girl. I've killed three women in cold blood already. You think I won't kill another just because I'm in prison. If you get down on your knees and beg, maybe I'll—"

Blackveil flicked her middle finger, curling it towards herself. Scrappy made a curt gurgling sound and then his head tumbled off his body, landing in the dry soil. Blood spurted from the exposed neckhole, caking the earth into thick patches of russet mud. The body took a few lurching steps forward and collapsed.

"It's a shame, that," Blackveil said mockingly, kicking the severed head like a ball. "The warden didn't come. I guess I need to kill more. But I'm not so scary, right guys? Tell you what, I won't move from this spot. Feel free to do whatever you'd like to me. I promise I won't bite… sweetcheeks."

"Run! This bitch is mental!" a prisoner screamed. "She…She can still use magic!"

They all scattered, desperately yelling for help. Blackveil nonchalantly swiped her claws in the air and severed a prisoner's legs while he was mid-stride; swiping a hand upward, and off came a different prisoner's arm.

To anyone witnessing the massacre, it was an ungodly nightmare. Blackveil swayed in a graceful, yet deadly, dance and brutally dismembered the inmates without even touching them.

"Where are you, Warden Morganna Leto!?" Blackveil called out, "I've set the stage for our bloody spectacle! All we need now is for the main cast to arrive!"

End of Chapter

⸻Author's Note⸻

And the main antagonist of Arc 1 has made her debut. Also, sorry for introducing all these seemingly random characters all at once. It's a bit confusing and messy, but I promise that they each serve the plot to varying degrees.

Here's a brief character sheet (mostly as a memo to my future self):

Magic Knights:

- Odysseus Enoteca: Senior Magic Knight First Class, vice-captain, Blue Rose Knights; uses Blood Magic; older sister is Vanessa Enoteca.

- Kirsch Vermillion: Senior Magic Knight Fourth Class, vice-captain, Coral Peacocks; uses Cherry Blossom Magic; younger sister is Mimosa Vermillion.

-Mimosa Vermillion: Prospective Member, Golden Dawn; uses Plant Magic; older brother is Kirsch Vermillion.

-Morganna Leto: Senior Magic Knight First Class, Purple Orcas; uses Key Magic; Warden of Ulurock Prison; younger sister is Magnolia Leto.

-Hector Funnybunny: Intermediate Magic Knight Third Class, Purple Orcas; uses Legion Magic; Deputy Warden of Ulurock Prison.

Straya Islanders:

-Magnolia Leto: Healer's Apprentice, works at Tela Clinic; uses Bottle Magic; older sister is Morganna Leto.

-Velvet Tela: Town's Top Healer, owns Tela Clinic; uses Fabric Magic.

-Iris Windberry: Healer, works at Tela Clinic; uses Float Magic.

-Saul Mettlehart: Fisherman (semi-retired), the unofficial boss of all fishermen; uses Steel Magic.

Prisoners:

-Medea Midas: Former Magic Knight Captain (Golden Deer), death row inmate, uses ? Magic.

Others:

-Blackveil: Brutal Mercenary, doing freelance work for a criminal organization, uses ? Magic.

That's all I have to say for now.

Deliberately Yours,

A Horseshoe Crab

Chapter Word Count: 5,454

Arc Word Count: 16,902

Story Word Count: 16,902