Flight to the Snowy Sanctuary
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest installment of A New Crusade! We got more than a couple things happening this chapter so hopefully you'll all find something you like. And a quick answer to guest reviewer Jeff: It is useful in that respect, but when one is dying in numerous painful ways, is forced to watch the ones they love die repeatedly and can't set their point of return, one could easily call it a curse. And have a good day yourself. Oh and before I forget, a quick shout out to Noble Eight and all the other readers who've helped make this story better. Now, onto the chapter!
Midday: Roswaal Manor
Grey clouds covered the sky as Ulric and Ram rode down the forest trail on Spiegel, the mansion just a short distance away. 'My arrival is two days earlier than last time if I'm remembering correctly,' mused Ulric, 'there's no telling when Elsa and the mabeasts showed up yet. So, all I can do for the moment is pray to God that everyone in the mansion is safe.' And pray he did, over and over again until they were past the gates and standing in front of the mansion's main entrance.
"Welcome back, Sir Ulric," said two familiar and very welcome voices as Rem and Petra both stood at the bottom of the steps, welcoming them with a traditional curtsy.
"You returned earlier than expected," said Petra, managing to keep her tone professional.
"Not that it is an unwelcome circumstance," added Rem with a light smile.
"Quite the opposite, milady," said Ulric as he hopped off of Spiegel and enveloped the two girls in a warm hug.
"W-what are you doing Sir Ulric?!" exclaimed Petra.
"Should we not at least wait until we're inside for this," Rem laughed lightly as she hugged Ulric back, "we missed you as well, but it's only been a couple of days."
"And yet you're wearing the good luck charms on your wrists all the same," Ulric noted as he saw the white handkerchiefs they'd tied to their arms.
"It was to match the one's we gave you," explained Petra a little shyly.
"Well it's good to know I have a couple of beautiful ladies who'll worry for me from time to time," said Ulric as he patted Petra's head. In truth he was beyond overjoyed to see the two of them alive. He'd thankfully never saw what happened to them before his last death, but to think they were both dead was still a horrible thought to bear.
"If I may be blunt," said Ram, suddenly popping up right behind the Knight, "I don't like this."
"Ah, my deepest apologies Ram," said Ulric as he stood to the side and held out his hand, "may I present to you, the newest maids in service to the Roswaal manor."
"Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Petra," said the orange-haired girl with a bow.
"And I am told that you are aware of who I am, but I will introduce myself anyway," said the blue-haired oni with a bow, "I am Rem. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Unsurprisingly, Ram eyed Rem for a good few moments, sizing her up as she crossed her arms. No doubt she was a bit unsettled seeing a blue-haired mirror image of herself. Eventually, she spoke.
"You both seem to know your place," noted Ram, "unlike our half-baked knight here. I give you both a passing grade. Which reminds me. Sir Ulric, you fail and are prohibited from crossing this mansion's threshold."
"Are you going to force this lowly knight to climb in through a window yet again?" Questioned Ulric, "at least allow me to go in the back way." Petra and Rem couldn't help but giggle at the interaction between the two. It was a cute sight and one Ulric wished could last a little longer. But there was business to attend too. "Rem, Petra, has anything strange occurred during our absence? Or have you noticed anything odd about Frederica's behavior recently?"
"Not that I've noticed," said Rem, "she's been teaching Petra and I our duties when she's at the mansion. Now is one of the few times she isn't at the mansion."
"Where is she right now?" Questioned Ulric, "and do you think she'll be back any time soon?"
"Frederica is out patrolling the forest barrier right now," said Petra, "it will probably be a while before she gets back."
"I'm not sure if that means our timing is good or bad," said Ram, "what should we do for now, Sir Ulric?"
"I'm going to investigate around the mansion a bit until she returns," said Ulric, "in the meantime, I imagine you and Rem have some things you need to discuss." The two sisters glanced at each other upon hearing that statement. Indeed, the two were going to need a little time alone to sort out a few things.
A Short Time Later: Inside the Mansion
The oni sisters decided to talk their situation over in Rem's room, leaving Petra to get back to cleaning while Ulric himself did a little bit of investigating in Frederica's room. It was difficult, however, as the knight wasn't entirely sure what he should be looking for other than incriminating letters and notes. It wound up being a fruitless search after only a few minutes, leaving the somewhat annoyed Crusader to wander the halls, thinking on his next move. But it was there that he ran into someone he wasn't expecting quite yet.
"What a surprise," said Frederica with a smile as she held her hand to her mouth like she was laughing, "you're back earlier than I expected, Sir Knight."
"Ah, Frederica," said Ulric, doing his best to hide his own surprise at her arrival, "just the maid I was looking for. Do you have a few minutes?" The half-beast girl looked a little confused by the sudden request but didn't protest as they proceeded to the main room they'd used before when discussing the Sanctuary. Frederica herself served Ulric some freshly brewed tea, though the Knight didn't drink any as he sat down.
"Since Lady Emilia is not currently with you," observed Frederica as she held the serving tray to her chest, "I assume the trial isn't yet complete?"
"It is as you say," replied Ulric, "it's no surprise that you know about it, I suppose, but I wonder what else you know. As said, there's some questions I'd like to ask you, starting with this." Ulric pulled out Garfiel's stone necklace from his pocket and held it where Frederica could see.
"That is," Frederica said with a gasp before accepting the stone with a shaky hand, "This is Garf's stone."
"Indeed it is," said Ulric, "and I take it he is your younger brother?"
"You are correct," said Frederica with a light smile as she wiped her eyes, "I am Garfiel's older sister by blood."
"Then could you tell me something?" Asked Ulric as he stood up, "were you aware that the stone you gave Emilia had something called a 'teleport trap' on it?"
"Teleport," repeated Frederica in a tone that implied ignorance, "what do you mean 'teleport'?"
"Do you know of the conservatives who wish to keep the Sanctuary from being freed?" Continued Ulric.
"Conservatives," Frederica repeated, again clearly confused, "I don't know what you mean by that either. Could you please explain things from the beginning?"
"You really don't know," said Ulric, "I haven't seen even a flicker of recognition in your eyes up to this point." He might've said more but Ram walked in the door at that moment.
"Are you having one-on-one time with Frederica in my absence?" Said Ram, not really asking as she sat down, "perhaps your claims of love for my apparent sister were not more than words after all. Or perhaps you no longer have a need for your life, Sir Knight."
"I believe you're misreading the situation a bit," said Ulric as Ram picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.
"Your skill at brewing tea hasn't improved in the slightest since we left I see," noted Ram, not even bothering to answer Ulric's statement.
"Oh, but making tea is the one thing I excel at," replied Frederica with a toothy smile before turning her head in a pout, "and I see you're still quite an unlovable girl."
"I am perfectly lovable," said Ram, "were I to become even more lovable, the world would most certainly be in danger."
"Always a sharp retort at the ready," said Frederica as she plopped down in one of the large chairs.
"Of course," said Ram, "but enough skirting around the issue. If you were unaware of the teleport trap on the glowing stone, why did you give it to Lady Emilia?" Frederica looked uncertain, which was enough of an answer for Ram. "You can't tell us because of your oath? If that is the case, it's a pathetic excuse."
"You are right, I cannot tell you anything," said Frederica with a sad bow of her head.
"Still sticking to your pathetic excuse, I see then," Ram leapt up from her seat in a fighting position, "then there is nothing more to discuss, your refusal to answer the question makes your betrayal clear!"
"Just wait a moment Ram," said Ulric as he jumped in between them, "as a maid you should know the seriousness of an oath."
"Do not let such things cloud your judgment Ulric," said Ram, "we must restrain her and take her to the Sanctuary. We can figure out who's giving her orders there." Ulric was about to retort but Frederica spoke up first.
"If you insist on taking me to the Sanctuary, I will not resist," she said, having remained in her seat throughout the exchange.
"You….won't resist?" Questioned Ulric with a confused look at the head maid. "What assurance have we that you won't in this case?"
"You're more than a little slow on the uptake, half-baked Knight," said Ram, "Frederica can't break her oath of her own free will, so you'll need to use force to make her do so and that's just the kind of excuse she needs." The red-haired maid sat back down then and resumed sipping her tea.
"So, you got me worked up for nothing," said Ulric as he relaxed a bit himself, "but your communication was at least impressive."
"Naturally," said Frederica as her friendly smile returned.
"Frederica and I have known each other for over ten years now," added Ram.
"Well if the theatrics are out of the way, we'd best move onto a much more pressing matter," said Ulric, "we need to get out of the mansion as soon as-."
"Oh dear," said a familiar and very unwelcome voice, "you shouldn't say such unfriendly things." Ulric's sword was in his hand before Elsa even walked into the room, with her kukri held at Rem's throat. "Now, shall we keep that promise you made?"
"It had something to do with bowels if I recall," said Ulric as he pointed at his stomach, reigning in his temper at the last moment, "just not this spot right here please, it hurts just to get punched there."
"It's good to see you understand the importance of cooperation in a situation like this," said Elsa as she licked her lips, "and being such a chivalrous knight, you'll no doubt wish to offer yourself as this little one's replacement."
"The outcome would be little different if I did," replied Ulric, never once breaking eye contact with Rem, "neither one of us is a good choice as a hostage." Rem reached and grabbed Elsa's arm with bot hands then, no doubt surprising the assassin with her strength before swinging her head back swiftly and hitting Elsa in the solar plexus, slightly winding her. The blue-haired maid then used all her strength to toss the woman into the air where Ulric rushed forward and swung with his sword. Elsa corrected herself at the last second and amazingly managed to deflect his blow before landing behind the sofa.
Frederica wasted no time in charging in herself as her hair greatly lengthened and her hands changed into yellow lion paws, one of which was aimed at Elsa's head which she managed to block with her kukri. "A partial beast transformation," purred Elsa, "so you have demi-human blood, how lovely."
"I'll shred you!" exclaimed Ram as she pulled out her wand and fired a burst of wind magic. Frederica had just enough time to dodge out of the way while Elsa took the brunt of it with her arm. It and the back wall behind her were torn up, but the woman was still standing.
"Goodness, that hurt a bit," said Elsa as she examined the wounds on her left arm before tasting some of her own blood, "I thought I was a gon-." Her sentence was interrupted by Ulric jumping in with several slashes which she parried, moving back closer to the wall before doing a high leap over Ulric and everyone else. "I like this, maids in small medium and large, plus a knight boy." Her smile remained as she landed back by the door, "I'll enjoy putting you all on a table to compare what's inside your bellies."
"Even Garf's pickup lines are better than that," retorted Ram before glancing at the knight, "Ulric."
"As the lady wishes!" Said the Crusader, running light magic through his sword like before in order to blind Elsa. "GOOO!" Ulric rushed Elsa and clashed blades with her while the maids ran out the door behind him. This didn't suit the assassin as she tried to slip past him, but the knight managed to catch her arm and throw her back a few feet before blocking the door with his body.
"I suppose I'll just have to play with you first," said Elsa with a smile before they clashed blades again. Even despite her declaration, the assassin was being more fierce than usual with her attacks as she swiped at him furiously. High, low, diagonally, Elsa assaulted him with slash after slash which he was doing good just to block as he was pushed out into the hallway. At one point, Ulric thought he saw an opening as her most recent strike was a bit slower, allowing him to dodge and counter with a low swing aimed for her legs.
But it turned out to be what she wanted as the woman hopped over the blow before bringing her kukri down right at Ulric's head. The swordsman didn't have quite enough time to block the blow properly, leaving his guard too weak as Elsa pushed her kukri down into his right shoulder. Ulric felt the blade starting to scrape through his chainmail and into his skin as his mind raced with what options he had at the moment. The Crusader decided on the slightly more painful as he let the blade sink further into his shoulder while removing his left hand from his sword and grabbing onto the kukri with it. 'I haven't used this on her before, so here goes,' Ulric thought as he stared at where the assassin's heart should be. "Al Jiwald!"
Two small beams of light erupted from his eyes, forcing Elsa to let go of her blade as she dodged back and to the side. But at that range, even her speed wasn't enough to get her out unscathed as the beams wounded her left shoulder. "So, you have another spell," purred Elsa, "and a surprisingly sneaky one for a knight. I'd best watch myself."
"I've tried to learn a little something for all kinds of situations," said Ulric as he pulled the kukri out of his shoulder and tossed it away before resuming his stance, "my bouts against you were quite informative as to where I was lacking in this land."
"Well let me help you see where else you are lac-," Elsa started to say before another voice cut in.
"Ul Fula!" Exclaimed Ram as she fired a barrage of wind magic into the room Elsa was in, blasting the assassin backwards. "Sir Ulric, we're getting out of here now!" She didn't leave any room for argument as she tore a nearby window open and leapt out of it, with Ulric close behind as he used Jiwald to leap out and bear the impact of his landing on the cobblestone pathway.
"Ulric!" exclaimed Rem and Petra as they both ran and hugged the knight. "Thank goodness Ram got you out of there!"
"And thank you all for getting Petra and yourselves out," replied Ulric.
"Who was that?" Asked Ram as she looked up at the smoke coming out of the destroyed window.
"Elsa Granhiert, an assassin," explained Ulric, "and it'll take a lot more than that to bring her down. And she's not alone. Mabeasts will be attacking here soon."
"I'd ask how you know that, but we're short on time," said Ram before beckoning them to follow here, "we need to get to the stables and secure transportation."
"While that was actually along the lines of a plan I'd had in mind, there's one problem," said Ulric as the group turned a corner, "we don't have time to hook up the carriage and Spiegel is only capable of carrying three people at best."
"You needn't worry about that," said Frederica as they stopped in front of the stables, "I can provide my own form of transportation." Without warning, she tore off her maid garments, causing Ulric to avert his eyes from the sight out of decency.
"I hope you have a good explanation for disrobing at a time like this," commented Ulric as Frederica knelt on the ground. The maid merely smiled before the stone around her neck began glowing. Yellow started spreading all over her body as she began growing and changing shape. When her transformation was complete, she gave out a roar as what appeared to be a lioness but twice the size of a normal one with an extra bushy tail stood in her place. "So, that is a full beast transformation."
"It is," replied Frederica, surprisingly still able to speak in her new form before turning towards Rem and Petra, "and I am sorry for frightening you two. You both did wonderfully in resisting the urge to scream."
"It's, actually quite amazing," said Rem after a moment with Petra nodding in agreement.
"That is one problem solved," said Ulric, "now then, here's what we need to do next."
Several Minutes Later: Along the Forest Road to the Sanctuary
"Can you sense anything behind us Ram?" Questioned Ulric as Spiegel ran alongside Frederica's beast form. He had Rem riding in front of him on the saddle while Petra and Ram were being carried by Frederica.
"You were right about the mabeasts," said Ram, opening her eyes after using her clairvoyance, "a rather large one is being used as a mount by that assassin from earlier."
"She mentioned the name 'Meili' at one point," said Ulric, "do you think that's the mabeast's name?"
"It is more likely that she is allied with a mabeast tamer," said Frederica, not taking her eyes off the road while she spoke, "it wouldn't surprise me if an order of assassins had one."
"We'll have to deal with them when the time comes," said Ulric, "for now, we need to get to the Sanctuary's barrier. They shouldn't be able to follow us once we cross it, right?"
"The barrier will make them lose their way in the forest," said Frederica, "and unlike most with mixed blood, I won't fall asleep coming into contact with it."
"You'll have to explain how that works to me later," said Ulric as he glanced behind them to see Elsa gaining with the tiger mabeast Ulric had fought before, "she's about to catch up to us."
"Leave that to me," said Ram as she held her hand up and fired a wind slash behind her. The mabeast took the attack head on, slowing down only a little before giving out a snarl and racing after them even faster. Ram fired another few blasts while Ulric fired one of his own light orbs, forcing the mabeast to slow down by either dodging or shrugging off the spells.
"We're getting close!" Announced Frederica, "Just a little further."
"Then now's as good a time as any," said Ulric as he pulled out the pendant Frederica had given him and Emilia, "Don't wait for me, just keep running until you reach the Sanctuary!"
"I'd object to this plan if we weren't already so close," said Rem as she turned around slightly, "but this will have to do." She lifted the Crusader's helmet and brought her lips to his in a quick but very passionate kiss. "Be safe, my knight."
"God willing, I shall be," said Ulric as he pulled his helmet back down and stood up slightly on Spiegel.
"We're crossing it!" Announced Frederica. Shortly after she said it, her stone began glowing once again.
"DEUS VULT!" Yelled Ulric as he used Jiwald to leap straight at Elsa who, relishing the challenge apparently, leapt off her own mabeast and clashed blades with him in midair before the light from the stone became too bright for either of them to keep their eyes open. The next thing the knight knew, both of them were falling onto the ground, hitting a little hard before rolling back up to their feet. Ulric quickly charged forward with Jiwald surrounding his body once again and clashed blades with Elsa a couple of times before leaping up to dodge one of her strikes and jumping off a nearby tree.
He leapt a few more times, heading deeper into the woods with Elsa hot on his trail. It was when a cloud of white powder obscured the Crusader's vision momentarily that he noticed something was amiss. He was in the same area as before, but it was now covered in snow! 'What in the world is going on,' thought the knight as he blocked a few more of Elsa's blows before continuing his flight towards his destination, 'this isn't the time of year for snow. Did something happen with Emilia while I was gone?'
"I'm not sure what you did," said Elsa as she tossed some throwing knives after Ulric, which narrowly missed due to the knight rolling and embedded themselves in the snow covered trees, "but a snowy grave just makes it easier for me to preserve your bowels when I cut them open!"
"The hilarious thing about what you just said," quipped Ulric, "is that this place 'is' a graveyard!"
"Oh, what a wonderful place to bring a lady," Elsa laughed as she continued to chase the knight out into the middle of a small snow-covered clearing. The assassin managed to get close enough to leap forward and try slashing at Ulric's back, which he just managed to duck as he rolled to the side and came up with his sword at the ready. "Now be a good boy and die for me. I don't want Meili having all the fun with the other targets."
"Other targets?" Repeated Ulric, "you mean everyone in the mansion was marked for death?"
"Specifically, it was supposed to be two maids, a small spirit and one young knight," explained Elsa as she held her weapon loosely in her hand, "but you arrived earlier than expected and there were more maids than the instructions specified. But a couple more lives is little matter in this bus-." For some reason, a flicker of surprise flashed in the assassin's eyes as she looked at something near the knight. Ulric glanced out of the corner of his eye, not daring to take his full gaze off the assassin, to see a small clump of white fur.
It was a white rabbit with a single horn on its head and red eyes. "Is something the matter, harlot," asked Ulric, "you usually like talking as much as slicing someone up."
"I just happened to notice that an issue has arisen," replied Elsa as she pulled out a throwing knife. At the same time, the strange rabbit suddenly leapt at the Crusader with surprising speed. Ulric instinctively backed away as the game animal was quickly skewered by the throwing knife. "The situation has changed, drastically."
"How drastic is it that you need too-," Ulric started to ask before noticing that the dead rabbit, was not the only one which had shown up. In fact, he started spotting movement in the snow around them as three more, then six more, then nine more popped up until the knight realized with mounting anxiety, that they were surrounded. And upon closer inspection of the mysterious rabbits around them, Ulric noted that their eyes were now glowing red and a purple brand was on their hindquarters. These so-called rabbits were mabeasts. "We have to run now, don't we?"
"As fast as we can," said Elsa with a somewhat somber smile for a change. In the next instant, a bit of snow fell from one of the trees and hit the ground. Like a hidden signal had been given, the knight and assassin both bolted towards the tree line as fast as they could while the rabbits leapt at them in force. Two blades swung and cut through a few of the rabbits in midair while the runners used their hands and weapons to knock off the couple that managed to latch onto them.
When the next wave jumped into the fray, Elsa and Ulric also leapt up, spinning and swinging their blades in the air to down even more of the rabbits before landing and continuing onward. But the onslaught was endless. For every rabbit that Ulric or Elsa sliced through, another three seemed to take its place and attempt to bite into their limbs. The repeated attacks were even beginning to chew through the Crusader's mystic armor as the rabbits adopted the apparent strategy of trying to go for his limbs or throat.
Elsa should've been faring worse due to her exposed outfit, but a glance at her finally revealed how she was so durable. Somehow or another her body seemed able to mend itself back together. There was even a point where her arm nearly got chewed off and was left dangling by but a few pieces of flesh before suddenly suturing itself back on and moving as if it hadn't been nearly torn off at all. But even this eventually failed as her Achilles tendon was bitten down on by multiple rabbits, causing her to stumble a bit and allowing more rabbits to leap upon her.
Ulric's luck was just as bad due to the horrid things managing to chew through his armor and into his left arm, their horrendously sharp teeth getting some of the nerves and causing agonizing pain in the limb before it stopped moving altogether. This left the two in a more frenzied state as even more of the little monstrosities managed to chew off Ulric's left arm and Elsa's leg. It was a pain similar to being chomped on by wolgarm, but with several smaller and more numerous mouths as the two desperately sliced and flung the rabbits away to no avail, howling like wounded animals the whole time.
The Crusader didn't even realize when he lost his right arm until he tried swinging his sword and found nothing attached. His right leg was next, and then his left, leaving the once proud knight and fearsome assassin on the ground as nothing more than masses writhing in agony. 'I refuse to simply die in such a pathetic way,' thought Ulric bitterly as he summoned up what little concentration he had left to bring mana flowing into his gate, 'I'll take as many of you little demonic bastards with me as possible!' The last thing he remembered, was a mass of light magic erupting from his body as the sound of ravenous feasting was replaced with that of a massive blast.
The Witch's Graveyard: The Mausoleum
"GAAAAHHH!" Ulric awoke with a start, still remembering the horrid pain he'd just endured. "What were those just now," he thought aloud as he glanced at Emilia, noting that she was still unconscious and undergoing the trial. He was both happy to see the familiar stone insides of the temple and also mortified at the realization of what was to come. 'How can I protect them from those monsters, and where did they come from? More importantly, why were they here?! God please help me! I have to know something! Anything!' His mind was racing a mile a minute, so much so that he almost didn't notice the voice in his head.
"You have again earned the qualification," said the voice of Echidna in his mind, "I am inviting you, to a Witch's Tea Party." Everything went white for a few moments then, enough time for Ulric to calm down slightly as the grassy hills and tea table setup greeted his eyes once more. "I don't often invite the same guests to my tea parties more than once. It's alright if you feel proud of yourself."
"What, is happening?" Asked Ulric as he examined his limbs to ensure they were indeed still there, "I feel extraordinarily calm right now despite the situation."
"It is the Sloth Witch Factor I strengthened within you to encourage stability," explained Echidna, "if not for that, it's very possible your soul would be in pieces right now. I'll gladly accept your gratitude for that not being the case." She was apparently looking forward to it given how she cupped her ear with her hand.
"Will it remain that way once I leave this place?" Questioned Ulric.
"Well we are talking about your current mental state," said Echidna, "it should be fine as long as you remember what happened here. Now, that gratitude."
"Before I give you that, there's something I'd like to know," said Ulric, "Is it possible to bend the rules of the vow?" Echidna gave the Crusader a questioning glance at his inquiry. "You've been erasing parts of my memory to ensure I won't tell anyone about our conversation. While understandable at the time, there are a number of problems cropping up within the graveyard that I wish to ask you about and it will all be meaningless if you make me forget what I learn."
The knight placed both hands on the table and leaned forward to emphasize his next point. "Those who I care for are in danger so if there's a price to be paid, I'll pay it!" Echidna looked taken aback for a moment before answering.
"I," she tried to find the right words while avoiding his intense gaze, "I suppose we can alter the deal."
"And for that, I will thank you," said Ulric as he sat down at the table, "and this is the only time I wish to make such a request, so do not back out on it with an excuse like 'you changed your mind' or anything along those lines."
"I may be a witch but even I wouldn't do something so shameless," said Echidna.
"So you say," said Ulric as he picked up and took a quick gulp of the tea.
"And now you gulp down my bodily fluids so readily," commented the Witch of Greed. Ulric immediately spat what he hadn't drank of the concoction out upon this revelation.
"B-Bodily fluids!" exclaimed Ulric, "I should've known you'd brew something out of unholy matter!"
"That wounds my maiden's heart to hear," said Echidna, "two visits and now that you actually drink my tea, you spit it out."
"It sounds like I had good reason not to-wait a moment," said Ulric as he stood up suddenly.
"Oh, are you going to give me that gratitude now," asked the Witch of Greed with her trademark smug smile, "or do you have something else you wish to say?"
"I have a question is what I have," replied Ulric with narrowed eyes, "this should be right after the trial, meaning from your perspective I just spoke to you hardly a couple minutes ago."
"And what exactly are you implying?" Asked Echidna with her hands folded together.
"The fact that you haven't commented on my returning so soon," explained Ulric, "your lack of surprise at my being here can only mean you know what happened beforehand."
"If you believe that, then why not test me," said Echidna with her eyes closed, still maintaining her smile. Ulric was hesitant at her request. He had gotten used to the idea that he could never explain his condition to anyone given the high possibility that it could prove lethal to him.
"Well I'll say farewell in advance, just in case," said Ulric as he took a breath, "Witch of Greed, Echidna! Up to this point I can and have been able to come back from death!" He waited for the inevitable stoppage of time and the pain from the shadowy hands that always grasped his heart. He waited, and waited, and waited and just to be sure waited a little more. But nothing happened.
For the first time in a while, Ulric was truly dumbstruck as he stared at the witch across from him who simply blinked her eyes while waiting patiently. The hands never came, and time was running as it always had. "You'll make me feel embarrassed if you continue to stare at me like that," said Echidna, breaking the knight from his stupor as he decided to press his luck even further.
"When I die," said Ulric, "time somehow resets itself. The entire world starts over again at a certain point, a point I'm unable to choose. I've died, again, and again, and again, and again and again! And each time I've come back to face the world anew!"
"As I've noted-huh," Echidna was surprised this time as Ulric actually started laughing. In fact, he was laughing so hard that he collapsed into the chair holding his side.
"Oh what strange twist of fate be this Heavenly Father?!" Laughed Ulric as he looked up towards the sky, "some say you have no sense of humor, but you have convinced me otherwise! I've prayed time and again that I might one day find someone who I could reveal my secret too and as always you have answered in the most unexpected and surprising way!" His laughter faltered slightly as tears streamed from his eyes then, a mixture of joy and sadness as he almost slammed his head on the table. For the next minute or so, the knight let out both laughter, tears and emotions he didn't even know had been pent up until it all quieted down to quiet chuckling and sobbing.
It was then that Echidna rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I've been watching," she said, "this whole time. I've seen every step you've taken to get here. But I've done nothing more than watch. So, if you are able, I'd like you to tell me yourself. What have you thought and felt, how much weight have you been carrying? After all, I'm the Witch of Greed, and I want to know everything there is to know in this world, and that includes your story, Sir Ulric."
"Have we, even the time for such a lengthy conversation," asked Ulric as he sat up straighter, wiping his eyes as he did so. On another day he might've been a bit more embarrassed to be breaking down in the presence of a witch. But this was not that day.
"Time moves much more slowly in here," replied Echidna, "hours in here is mere minutes out there. We can take all the time you need."
"Then if you are to be my Godsend, I shall tell you," said Ulric, "where shall I begin?"
Beware the wrath of the fuzzy little snow bunnies! Seriously, though, that is up there on the list of messed up ways to die. But despite that, I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter. And as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as more witches attend Echidna's little tea party. 'Til then.