General Assembly
Security Council
«12. . .6,9116,9126,9136,914
"It's because aura is a person's awakened life energy, and as such a magic of life. It's almost impossible for an aura user to not have kids under normal circumstances. Extreme fertility rates and all that. They need specialized elixirs made by an aura user to contain that, though its been pretty successful." There is a lot of confidence in Kassio's tone, it sounds like he's tested it himself.
Vance's demonstration immediately captures Kassio's fascination, watching the marvelous display of transmutation between incompatible magics. "That's incredible. I've never heard of anyone with that kind of power." He glances to the side for a moment at a nosy passerby before looking back at Vance. "Though you're definitely right about keeping that to yourself. I'm sure there's a lot of people that would be interested in your powers. Hmm... If you can 'use' aura, it would probably be safest for you both to take elixirs. I know just the shop too, follow me."
Deeper into the city they go. Vance, understandably a little annoyed about having to spill the beans about his primal nature, presses Kassio on his own strength and carefully guarded nature underneath the friendly veneer. And Kassio avoids it for the most part, telling him that this city isn't the place for it, and that he's worked hard to be able to even come here. He does share that he can control cloth with greater strength than he possesses, no matter how much or what it is. The rest he promises he will share after they leave Jormann Kai.
Eventually they reach a street that bears a more stylistic nod to the bygone age of aura. The buildings carry the architectural signatures of the Golden Age, despite their modern materials. And shopkeepers stock and show off scrolls and leatherbound books right next to tablets and book-download kiosks. Kassio ignores them for the most part, besides answering Vance's occasional questions, heading straight for a store with rows upon rows of colorful glass vials and bottles of potions and elixirs in the windows. There's a simple glowing sign above the door that simply says [Toni's] that routinely morphs between colors. Kassio promptly throws open the door and announces their arrival. "Toniiiiii! I got you another customer!"
The interior is relatively dimly lit for a storefront, the ailing ceiling lights aided by the glow of novelty signs above the shelves. There are loose groupings between typing, from resistances and buffs for aura in combat to medical and physical remedies. There is also a small book section, containing aura-based medical and biological studies, and under the counter by the register trays of... Something. They at first glance look like brownies, but the texture is rougher and clearly drier. With his advances senses Vance can detect meat and fruit in those dried bars, and the touch of aura on them.
His guide isn't distracted by the sights, and heads immediately for the counter. There Vance sees the owner of the establishment. While exotic for Vedran, seeing an ashlander isn't too far out of the norm. Vance would carry memories of Duncan meeting a number of ashlanders from the CST during his time in the Crimson Range. The shop owner is noticeably shorter than them, Kassio towering over her by two heads as he has to bend down over the counter to brazenly kiss her on the forehead with a loud 'mwah!'. Though by the smile and the softness of her pushing him back they clearly are connected. Toni has dark grey skin, darker under the dim light, and her glowing pupils and irises stand out even more brightly. Her lighter hair is a messy bob with the bangs cut inconsistently, leaving an opening on her forehead for Kassio's smooch attack. "Vance this is Toni, she runs the place and makes everything in here herself. Toni, Vance."
"A pleasure," Toni offers to Vance with a slightly tired smile. Looks like Vance isnt the only one effected by Kassio's energy. "What can I help you with?"
Kassio remains quicker on the trigger. "He and his lover are in need of some bedroom necessities."
The owner doesn't miss a beat "Third aisle, back half of the row. Do you need some help picking some things out?"
"First time here, he will," Kassio butts in for Vance again.
"That's perfectly fine, give me a moment and I'll meet you over there."
Kassio beams at Vance before ushering him over to the aisle Toni directed him to. Medicines, blockers, enhancements, aphrodasiacs- Such a wide and startling variety of each, all in drastically different bottles, colors, and sizes despite the names on them having minute differences. While he was out of line, it was a good thing Kassio asked Toni for her assistance. Shortly after they arrive in the aisle she joins them. "Alright, first things first. All aura potions and medication is designed for different natures, as the natures a person has has a strong effect on their life force. Medicine designed for someone who has an air nature would have a weaker effect on someone with a fire nature, even less for someone with an earth nature. So for best effect, could you tell me your's and your partner's natures?"
"Oh you didn't. It was just something I inferred from your connection to Yolg. Hard to imagine you haven't done your studies." Lee doesn't make a big deal of it, and his tone remains relaxed, conversational. He doesn't want to pry, certainly not rile her up into doing something crazy. But if she knows something that could help his investigation, he may have a new lead.
Now that... That is not the lead Lee wants. His face immediately twists into discomfort and annoyance as the likelihood of surviving this investigation grows slimmer and slimmer. "Great... That's just great. Because one of those special individuals is the reason this demon of mine is terrified of sharing Grim Wild's secrets. Meaning the assassin cult is even more trouble than the department thought. Trinity help me, what did I do to have an Inspector stick me with this case."
Lee sighs as he lights up a suicide, taking a long drag as he leans against the fridge. Then he looks back at Willow. "So you know of any of these guys? Any specifics? How tough are they? Not that I could do anything anyways, I can't even square up to a Crossroads or an imp. Let alone some demon body snatcher."
The connection is waved off. "No, no. Just to know how freely I can speak around you." The hand settles back on the armrest as Leo looks into the fire. "You are only the second, after Shavati, to have seen both sides. The truth of what I have attained, and the truth I desired. Dreams and reality. There is plenty I wish I could share, but cannot. I care for Gheseri and Fretty, and for their dreams of being accepted. But I cannot tell them the truth. Of what I really am and have done. That their dreams will forever remain dreams in this world of fear and status quos. I cannot show them reality, that their desire to be accepted by the sham of a system that rejects them restrains them from becoming far more. Not when their own biology is imprinted with hatred for my path of power. So in circles we go, forever treading water in vanity."
Glancing back at the Stranger, Leo doesn't show signs of despair or discouraged by these facts. "This you may have already known, depending on how far you have read. Still, it feels good to say it aloud to someone else, instead of echoing within my thoughts."
Willow perks up in an uncomfortable way at the mention of the connection and her full attention in provided, in a way Lee hasn't yet seen from her. The look in her eyes shows she thinks through who knows how many scenarios and meanings before she opens her mouth, a thought process Lee isn't privy to. "I'll give you my full cooperation. Consider it thanks for giving me clothes, food and shelter. One minute-" Without elaborating she storms around the corner to her room, flinging the door open as quick scrambling can be heard while she digs around. As promised she pops out from the room before long, clutching hand written notes and crude drawings. She marches towards the counter and slams them all down, spreading out several pages. Some writings Lee may distinctly recognize as Enochian alphabet and markings, if he's familiar enough, and among the drawings are what can only be assumed to be artifacts. Except one woman's face. As she sorts and shifts the papers she brought out she begins talking almost conspiratorially. "I don't know all there is to know, honestly most things about them are a mystery, but I know more than most. I have my own reasons for looking into them. There's at least five of them, and they're all connected, but seem to have their own goals-" Willow pulls out a paper of the woman's face, slapping it to be front and center. If Lee is familiar with news on Aetheran he can...somewhat see a resemblance. Somewhat. "This is everything I know. This one here is Kiysa, but that's the only solid name I have. If you've been watching any news coverage on Aetheran she might look familiar. Other than her I know only nicknames: The Demon Arm, the Demon Mask, and the Demon Heart. Until Aetheran helped me put an actual name to her I knew Kiysa as the Demon Swordswoman."
Willow steps back calmly, crossing her arms again as she gives space for Lee to look at her what she has written down. Included is limited information about what they can do, the nature of what they gained from stealing from demons, how strong they are, personal cliff notes on what may happen if they fought. Admittedly, as she said, there isn't much concrete beyond their monikers. But there is some. "Collectively they're all siblings. Or at least something like siblings. The fifth one is the mystery figure that created them, you could call them their parent, and I'm willing to bet these four aren't his only creations. The others are probably just better at hiding, or the ones I could find a thing or two about didn't bother trying in the first place. As for how strong they are, well...answer's right there."
Demon Swordswoman REAL NAME KIYSA
Melee specialist. Minimal threat. Can be defeated. BEWARE OF DEMON SWORD
Demon Arm
One name, multiple people? Caster. Too many unknowns. Engage with caution. Do not provoke.
Demon Heart
Melee specialist. Medium threat Possible anti-magic? Works for Senate AVOID DIRECT CONTACT AT ALL COSTS
Demon Mask
Unknown abilities. Unknown strength. More information needed.
Demon Father
Created others. Combined humans and demons. Unknown method. Unknown criteria for humans. Alchemy x Sacrifice hybrid rituals? Potential Enochian specific rituals. Likely stronger than children. Possibly in Perdition. Is he after me?
Fairhill, Ocristan, October 3884 AR
Willow returns home after months away, acting on her mother’s behalf to a summons for a healer in the city. Between time to travel and complete the job, as well as being flooded with other requests while there, what should have only been a two week trip took several times longer. Now 14 she has truly grown into her own, even people without magic are able to identify her power and skill as special. Worthy of being called Daughter of the Ivory Witch. While walking up to the house she sees her father standing outside beside her younger brother who is swinging a wooden sword. As she nears her father notices and shouts out to her. ”Ah! Good to see you’ve finally returned home, your mother was worried sick.”
”I’m sure.” She non-chalantly retorts, all but brushing him aside as he approaches. Meanwhile her little brother stops swinging his sword as the tip stabs into the ground, becoming an improvised leaning post to catch his breath.
”So, how did it go? Busy few weeks I take it?”
”Weeks?” Willow grunts out. ”I was gone for MONTHS! I missed my birthday, I missed Thales’! And why is he using a sword, is he in trouble?!”
”Ah.” Her father awkwardly claps his hands together, slowing down the pep he previously had in his step while approaching his daughter. ”Right. I suppose I uh, lost track of time. My apologies, Willow. But no, your brother isn’t in trouble. You see, your mother and I decided to try something…different, with him.”
”Different?”
”Yes. The thing is, well, as you know he’s never been quite as…” Willow’s father reaches his daughter and crouches down to be roughly level with her, placing a hand on her shoulder. ”-gifted. As you. Soooo we thought maaaaybe he’d be better as a warrior than a mage.”
”You WHAT?!” Willow shouts, all but throwing her dad’s hand off her shoulder. ”So you gave up on him, is that it?!”
”What? Nooo not at all, it’s just-”
”You know it’s your fault, right? And mom’s. He has the potential to be GREAT, maybe even better than me, but you-”
”NOW, now, lets not be hasty-” Her father gets closer, cutting her off as he uses his body size to block Thales’ view of them. He leans in to speak in a whisper. ”You PROMISED not to talk about that, remember?”
”But if mother just-”
”No butt’s! I don’t wanna hear it. Look…” Her father sighs, wiping his face as he turns around to steal a glance as Thales. His son has straightened up at this point and balanced his breathing, and is very much staring. Who knows how much he heard. Turning back towards Willow he continues, speaking a slightly more normal volume now. ”I know you’re at that age where you start thinking ‘you know better than mom and dad’. And, I’ll admit, maybe we’ve spoiled you a little bit. But trust me, you’re still just a kid. You’ll understand when you’re our age.”
”A kid you let travel alone for half the year…” Willow mutters under her breath.
”You-” Prepared to scold her further Thomas took a breath, only for a fellow citizen to run up to their house short of breath.
”Thomas, THOMAS! We need your help, a few of the guys ran into a Molochodon while hunting. They got away before it noticed them but it was already pretty close to town. We gotta deal with that thing!”
”Understood!” Without thinking Thomas is already on his feet, halfway to the door, before skidding to a halt as he turns back to Willow and points a single finger at her. ”We aren’t done talking, understand?” With that her father starts back towards the house, pokes his head just inside the door to grab a greatsword, then starts running straight towards the forest alone.
As the man who reported to their father starts jogging back to town, leaving the Molochodon to Willow’s father to handle, Willow herself starts walking back towards the house only to stop just short of the door. There she stands next to it, holding the door frame as she speaks over her shoulder. ”Are you okay with this?”
”...it beats being forced to practice magic I can barely use.”
Willow halfway turns over her shoulder, just enough so her peripheral vision can see her brother. ”You know that’s not what I mean.”
”It’s…frustrating. But at least we know what I can do, even if they don’t.”
”True…hm.” Willow turns away, walking away from the house instead of heading in as her direction changes to town. ”I’ll be right back. One of the old men I healed told me cherry juice is good for sore muscles. The market might have some.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Fairhill, Ocristan, August 20th 3887 AR
”Mom?” Willow softly questions, knocking on the door to her mom’s office.
”What? Oh, Willow, sweetie. Come in.”
In walks the elder of the two La Croix children, holding a letter from their mail as she approaches. Meanwhile her mother is looking over similar pieces of mail, reading over them all meticulously, for one big reason: They are all requests for her services and she must choose their order of importance. ”Please honey make it quick, I’m very busy.”
”Oh don’t worry, I know, this will only take a second.” Willow answers in a kind voice. ”A request came in from Holbeck, it’s about two weeks' travel. It was addressed to me buuuut I was thinking maybe Thales could handle it?”
Her mother swiftly answers, returning nearly all her attention to the other letters in front of her. ”Oh, that’s all? Sure, Thales can go.”
”Don’t you want to look at the request first?”
”If you think your brother can do it I’m sure it’s fine.”
”I mean, maybe, but you or dad should know better. Right? Couldn’t you just double check it, real quick?”
Exasperated, the Ivory Witch looks up from the letter she’s presently reading, waving her hand to the side almost in annoyance. ”Do you want your brother to go or not? I mean if you’re that worried why would you even suggest this I already told you I’m busy. The mayor’s daughter is ill, the Karlyle kid broke his leg, Oakheart City summoned me to perform a cleansing rite, I mean the list goes on and I have to sort through all of this AND decide what’s most important. And no matter what order I choose, someone is gonna have something to say about it, and I’ll have to handle that too.”
”Of course…I understand. Sorry to bother you. Oh, and one more thing-”
”What, Willow?”
”We’re still having lunch on Sunday, aren’t we? For my birthday? You…didn’t change plans?”
”NO! No, sorry. I’m a little stressed. I told everyone I’m all yours Sunday. All the more reason for me to get as much done as I can between now and then. Okay?”
”Okay. See you later, mother.”
”Mhm.”
Downstairs Willow looks for her brother and finds the 13 year old in their family room, relaxing on the couch by himself. ”No training today…?”
”Dad got called away again. Something about a group of criminals causing problems in a nearby town? I didn’t really listen, just happy to have a few days off.”
”Not anymore-” Willow walks up and bluntly slaps the letter onto her brother’s stomach, walking away as she provides only a few more words of elaboration. ”You just got your first job. Congratulations.”
”Really? I mean it’ll be nice to trav- wait a minute-” Her brother looks at the note, visibly confused, even flipping it over several times. He gets up, holding the note off to the side as if it’s dirty, and calls out to Willow as she keeps walking away. ”This can’t be right, this request will take me half way across the country to fight dire bears, I’m not beating a dire bear with a sword. I’d die trying. And the distance is insane for my first job!”
Willow stops, just before leaving the room, answering without turning around. ”Don’t worry, not like there’s a rule saying you can’t use your magic. Dire bears aren’t a problem for you.”
”I mean sure but, mother doesn’t know that? If I get a job it should be assumed I’d be using a sword.”
”You’d think that. But she didn’t care what it was, wouldn’t even look at it.” Willow half looks over her shoulder to see Thales out of the corner of her eye. ”Just waved me away and said you could do it. Only reason that job isn’t a death sentence is because I know what you can actually do.” Willow looks forward and starts to slowly continue taking steps forward, heading away. ”Anyway, safe travels, little brother. Oh and no portals, it'll be suspicious if you cut travel time too much with them. You have to be gone for at least a month. You’d be surprised how much can change that quickly.”
“Extreme…” While it was hardly news to Vance, having it confirmed was another matter entirely. The consequences of not being able to find anything but Darly’s mundane contraceptives without Kassio’s help were immediately in Vance's mind. The idea itself didn’t scare him but it was too soon, way too soon… And too much loomed in the future for him to realistically even think of asking Scotti about anything remotely like this nevermind go through with it. “Good thing you were so nosy then.”
The Primal man continued to follow the stranger through the underground city after they exchanged some words about their respective powers. Vance could tell that there was more to Kassio’s power than just cloth control but it didn’t feel like the guy was leading him on so he will just trust that in time he will hear more.
Having seen Dragonsgate within Scotti’s mirror realm as his only example of Golden Age architecture he could see the faint resemblance within the buildings that now surrounded them. But it was hardly something of any real note to him besides that fact alone. Though…
‘Perhaps I should bring Scotti here..’
Once they were within the shop, and Kassio made some introductions, Vance was looking around for a moment as he tried to distract himself.. This was already embarrassing enough, especially as Kassio was talking for him and not even being discreet about it. The urge to fight this man, levels of eclipsing be damned, was steadily rising within his fiery spirit. But he keeps it in, mostly because of the Ashlander who would be caught in the middle of it. And she seems to be just as drained by Kassio as he was, though it seems they knew each other quite well… There must be a story behind that.
“Nice to meet you..”
After a brief explanation of how the potions worked the answer was pretty simple.
Vance, who was just awkwardly standing with his hands in his jacket pockets, blankly staring into the potions while he futilely tried to discern their contents to perhaps save himself the embarrassment of coming again by making them himself, peered over to both Kassio and Toni as she asked. “Oh, well that’s simple. We’re both fire natured.” It was an unexpected boon from training with Samuel Mason in the Mirror Realm of his. While he was not human to begin with, he was still shaped in the image of Duncan’s soul… That alone allotted him the right to a nature awakening beyond the original purpose of stealing Duncan’s inherited saga in the Crown of Cross. And so he awoke to the nature of fire… Perhaps it was always supposed to be this way. That he would seek to rebel against his former master and creator. Or perhaps it was another way for him to grow closer to the one who caught his fascination.
The Stranger raised his brow in surprise before giving a small nod to his dismissal of the connection. In truth he had not seen anything regarding it, but he knew the copycat existed and the ties they had to some people of interest that the Fey man wanted to look into if time permitted it. It is then that the reality of Leo’s question settles in and the sudden confession of what he was saying sits with him.
For a moment, the Stranger's expression could only compel surprise before it settles back into a sort of quiet calm and detachment. Even if the words of the young sorcerer did resonate within him. What was there to say?
For a moment his mind drifted to the storyboards he saw when reading into the existence of his siblings… And what he saw of Kiysa was something of a case against the dreary facts stated by the young sorcerer. But he also knew that adding delusion and outlying facts to a solid argument does not change that the facts exist.
Though the name Shavati is new.
“... Perhaps. But there is nothing wrong with dreaming in itself. Just as there is nothing wrong with keeping secrets… Two things can be true. You care for them, and you are what you are and have something you must do. Telling them of your truth is not something that must happen because it in itself does not change the fact that you care for them and their dreams.” The Stranger, uncharacteristic in his words of encouragement. “You manipulate the forces and essence of Perdition for a goal that even Paradise itself views as a righteous cause. They even honoured your sister and her sword demon with a statue for their valor…”
The Stranger turns to look at the young man now, hands clasped in his lap. “But if I were to offer some words of encouragement? The Aetherani are a people who are capable of great change and adaptation. Their resentment against the demons is only down to the saga of being ransacked by them. And now the Forgotten too show that they will have hatred for other Enochian powers… In times like these they will need outliers. A delusional Nightmare demon yearning to reclaim his humanity and your sister have already started to provide examples against their saga of generational despair. What they need now are more of these if they are to break that saga. If not… A new Old spirit of unbelief may be born that will hunt all enochian influences in hatred. A concept that has already been proven once with the existence of the drowned. So, like any generational curse, it must be broken for the healing to begin… But that is not to say that you should try and take on the Herculean task of proving all of Aetheran wrong…” He says as he begins to rise from his chair, aiming to return to his allotted room only to pause long enough to say one final thing before he turned in for the night. “But it wouldn’t hurt to start with… Say… Two people, does that not sound doable? Goodnight, young Leo.”
Fairhill, Ocristan, August 23rd 3887 AR - 11:13 am
The day of Willow’s 17th birthday has arrived as she and her mother sit down together for lunch in their home. With Thales still just beginning his first solo journey and her father still out of town, helping nearby guards with some sort of criminal problem, it is just the two of them in a moment of privacy. A rarity for this mother and daughter.
Willow fills both of their cups with a cherry, pouring from a pitcher she just prepared, as simple chicken sandwiches are placed on the table by her mother. ”Well,” The Ivory Witch starts with a smile, holding up her cup. ”Happy birthday Willow.”
Willow picks up her cup as well as the two have a toast, though as she brings her cup to her lips her eyes are closely watching her mother take her drink. As the pair set their drinks down Willow gently wipes her mouth with a napkin and says two simple words. ”Thank you.”
The plain response leaves Azalea at a loss of how to continue a conversation, she hasn’t had much any casual time like this in recent years. Or perhaps it’s been even longer than that. After a few moments of following silence the Ivory Witch smiles and points out the pitcher as she comments on it. ”Is that the same drink you’ve been making for your father and brother, after you joined them for sword practice?”
”Not quite…” Willow answers almost monotonously, picking up her sandwich. ”It has some extra ingredients to stimulate magic. I thought it would suit us better.”
”I see.” Willow’s mother senses if she doesn’t latch on to the topic conversation may already die so, seizing the opportunity, she pushes. ”I must say I was surprised when your father told me you asked him to be trained in martial arts alongside your brother, but I liked your attitude about it. He said you wanted options in case you were ever in a situation where magic didn’t work and trust me, he was over the moon, but know what I think? I think you didn’t want your little brother to be left out.” Her smile deepens a little more with sincerity in her words, though Willow hardly even reacts. Still insistent on talking, her mother presses more. ”I’m sure your brother picked up on it, too. He puts on a brave face but I’m sure it got to him, being told we were going to see if he had better aptitude as a warrior than a mage. He seemed to really love magic but, well, compared to you…”
Willow’s finger twitches for just a moment in reaction to these words, as her voice responds with hostility. ”Compared to me….?”
”Hm? Did I…say something wrong?”
For the first time since sitting down Willow actually looks at her mother, truly, and her gaze is not a warm one. Not the sort of gaze you’d expect from a daughter having lunch with her mother. Rather it is more akin to someone severely ticked off. ”No, nothing.”
Noticing the frustration in Willow’s eyes she decides to not only change topics, but bring up something slightly more unpleasant. ”Ahem. Yes, well, I was going to wait for a nice moment to bring this up to…avoid spoiling our pleasant time together. But I received a missive from Rusthold yesterday, requesting my immediate assistance. They were just attacked by a rather organized group, their reason isn’t known, but your father was sent to help. The situation itself is over but there are many wounded in need of aid. I know I promised the day to you but it would damage my reputation if my husband were to help and I were to fail to do so.” her mother stands up, wiping down her white dress of potential crumbs. ”I’m sorry for saying something that soured your mood but I get the feeling I’m no longer welcome, so I shall go ahead and pre-WHOA” Azalea nearly falls over as the strength in her body vanishes. ”It’s unusual for me to get…light. Ugh, lightheaded. What…huh?”
The Ivory Witch completely falls to the ground, rolling onto her back in a barely conscious daze, as Willow calmly rises to her feet. Methodically she holds her cup out to the side and pours out all the contents to the floor as she speaks. ”Did I say I added ingredients to stimulate magic…? My mistake. I meant they suppressed it, and paralyzed you.”
”What did…huh? Wi-Willow what did you do?”
As Azalea’s lingering consciousness fades Willow crouches down, grabbing her by the shoulders to drag her away, halfway talking to herself. ”I understood the more magic you had the more effective the concoction would be, but to think it would be this powerful on you...”
—-------------------------------------------------
12:57 PM
”H-huh?” Azalea gradually begins to wake up though still feels acute weakness, magically and physically.
”Already awake?” Willow notes, looking up from the bedside with a dagger to someone’s throat. They look unconscious, sitting against the bed, as Willow slides the dagger smoothly to the side without a hint of resistance. ”I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Weakened or not you ARE still the Ivory Witch. Only the truly powerful get a moniker. Even unconscious with suppressed magic you were still passively detoxing yourself…just not fast enough.”
”AH! WILLOW! Wha-what did you just do! Y-you killed that man!”
”Hm?” Wholly unbothered Willow flips the man’s head back so the wound isn’t pinched closed, then looks around the room. Filling the room are 4 other bodies, already treated in a similar fashion. ”Not yet. He’s probably still alive for a few more seconds.” Willow stands up, grabbing the limp body by the arm and walking to a corner of the room where she lets go, allowing the arm to simply fall. ”Now he’s probably dead.” Willow looks back with a demented smile towards her horrified mother who, thanks to shock, is waking faster than she otherwise was.
She struggles against her binding only to realize her limbs are tied by ropes that were then driven into the ground with metal stakes. Resist all she wants, she doesn’t have the physical might to get free. Trying to survey the room she realizes they are in the family room, though the furniture has been removed, and a circle drawn in blood is on the ground. Upon closer inspection the previous four, now five, bodies are all now placed at the corners of the bloody pentagram on the floor. And she herself is in the middle. ”Y-you can’t do this! Willow this is, this is dark magic! I mean dark, EVIL magic! Just trying it will taint your soul, you’ll be corrupted! I-I-it’s not too late, you can still stop this!”
”Stop?” Willow pauses for a moment, looking up from her present position using the most recent victim’s blood to draw a circle connecting each corner of the pentagram. She starts to subtly laugh through her words, openly mocking her mother. ”I’ve come this far and you think I’ll STOP?! Not a chance.”
”Willow, sweetie, please…I’m begging you….! Why are you doing this?!”
Willow stops again as she hears her mother’s pleas, just as she completes the blood circle, calmly rising to her feet.”Why…? Do you seriously have to ask? You haven’t been a parent to me in 13 years, and you were never really a parent to Thales! Neither was father! You refused to teach me anything other than EXACTLY what you wanted me to know, you wanted me to be like a perfect little carbon copy of you. And Thales? OH Thales! The moment he was born you KNEW he was different, you KNEW his magic wasn’t like ours, and STILL you insisted on teaching him just like me! And when that wasn’t working because you were trying to force a square in a circle you just gave up and essentially called him a failure! He wasn’t a failure, YOU WERE! You both were! You didn’t raise him, I DID, because I was the only one willing to accept him for him! And he was the only one who saw me for ME! All everyone else saw were the genius Daughter of the Ivory Witch and her flunky little brother who couldn’t measure up to her!”
”So you resort to MURDER?! And whatever- ritual this is?!”
”SO I RESORT TO FINDING POWER MY OWN WAY! Both of us did. We had to, since our parents wouldn’t even give us the time of day. If it wasn’t for a lesson you were too busy taking care of the kid down the street, or the mayor’s daughter, or a random old man 4 cities over, paying attention to anyone and everyone BUT your own children!” Willow grabs her mother’s grimoire from the corner of the room during her speech before finally approaching, placing the grimoire over her mother’s chest as she stands above her with the dagger. ”Now I will make your power mine, then I’ll make everyone else see me for who I really am.”
”Where’s your grimoire? You can’t perform a spell this powerful without your grimoire!”
”See, that! That right there that is EXACTLY what I’m talking about!” Willow shouts, at this point clearly in the middle of a mental breakdown. ”I haven’t had my grimoire for MONTHS! I infused it with my body months ago, my bones are my grimoire! Magically engraved inside my body and you never even noticed!”
”By the gods, you’ve lost your mind…”
”You think I’VE lost my mind! Oh no, I think this is the most sane I’ve been in a LONG time! See, I realized witches have an inherent weakness. Take our grimoires and our casting time increases, our power drops, we lose access to our best spells. Doesn’t matter how strong you are, every witch has a physical possession for a grimoire, and if that gets stolen you lose. Me?! I don’t have that problem anymore!”
”But grimoire’s are supposed to be passed down from one to the next, you were already going to have mine one day! You can’t pass down your bones!”
”Hey.” Willow’s voice deepens and her limbs go limp, allowing her hanging head to naturally peer into her mother’s eyes. ”Do you not realize the situation you’re in? Do you think you can still talk yourself out of it, asking about my grimoire? Questioning me about grandchildren…? Know what? No. No more talking. Time for you to die-”
”WILLOW WAIT-”
Azalea, the Ivory Witch, tries in desperation to somehow dodge or catch the knife now plunging for her chest but to no avail: She is completely bound. The dagger pierces through her grimoire and into her flesh as she gasps for air, looking around the room for something. Anything that will help her escape. In moments her eyes settle on the one and only options she has. ”W-Will…ow. Mo-mmy l-loves you.”
”No, you don’t.” Without hesitation she twists the dagger, driving it in deeper. ”You only love the Daughter of the Ivory Witch…you couldn’t care less about Willow La Croix. No one does. And that’s why you earned your death. Every one of you.”
In that moment the door to the house gets thrown off its hinges, launched to the other side, as Willow’s father returns home. ”Azal-GAH!”
Still holding the dagger in her mother’s chest, Willow plants one knee into her victim’s stomach for leverage as she pivots, raising her hand towards the door to immediately restrain her father with a telekinesis spell. ”Welcome home father, I was under the impression you weren’t coming home yet.”
Her father’s veins begin to bulge to the surface of his skin as he fights against the invisible force restraining him. ”What. Is. THE MEANING. Of This. WILLOW!”
”I don’t owe any further explanation than what I already gave mother. If you wanted to know you should’ve been home. Then again that’s what you do best, isn’t it? Never being home.”
His veins grow even more as he pushes his body to its natural limits, even managing to start slowly moving a foot forward even through the telekinetic spell. Willow’s eyes narrow as she grips the air and her focus shifts away from her mother, who has decidedly drawn her final breath, and instead is now fully on her father. ”That’s enough of that. To think you’re strong enough to try forcing your way through this spell with brute force alone. Fairhill’s Beast is a fitting name for you.”
His face swells, the budging veins all over his body begin to burst as he starts springing leaks all over his body. ”How. Could, you….!”
”Simple. Like this.” Willow stands, turning to fully face her father as the dagger is removed alongside her change in altitude. The blood drawn circles begin to glow as the ritual is completed: A rainbow of different colors flow from her mother’s body into her own while countless letters, symbols and words in different languages start flowing around her. ”Yes, yes! I can feel it! The magic, the POWER, this is fantastic!” Willow winces as her body itself begins to slow, specifically her bones, upon the contents of her mother’s grimoire beginning to burn themselves into her very core, but she can’t lose focus. Not now, not yet. Her mother’s body, as well as the others, begin to wither away as every ounce of their being is absorbed into their killer. Before long all that remains is their clothing and pools of blood as the glow fades, and Willow is able to relax with a sudden shake of her body, like a dog trying to dry off. ”Phew! I’ve never FELT so alive! Now, I need a suitable vessel to serve as the core for sacrificing the rest of town…OH, I know.” Willow offers a devilish smile as she raises the dagger, pointing it towards her father. ”You’ll be just right. And wouldn’t you know it, I already have a circle around the town, and our kitchen just so happens to be the exact center of it. So I don’t have to waste any time~”
—-------------------------------------------------
1:43 PM
The entire town begins to glow red as again Willow, standing over her father’s now lifeless body, experiences a rush of euphoria. Though this time it doesn’t seem quite as strong, and it’s taking much longer. An entire town is a taller order than a mere six. Though something else seems immediately wrong as her attention is drawn outside. ”Resistance…?”
Willow gets up and walks outside towards the feeling she noticed to see a group of 7 armored knights in the town who aren’t being taken by the spell. Instead red tendrils of blood are launching from the ground at them trying to attack directly only for the knights to fight back, repelling the tendrils with swords and shields. That is until one of them notices Willow, simply standing there.
”You! You’re the Daughter of the Ivory Witch, aren’t you?! You must help us, a curse is afflicting the town! Everyone is being drained of their lifeforce one by one! Please, find your mother at once so you may both put an end to this!”
Willow’s expression falls flat upon being referred to in such a way before tilting her head and offering an absolutely twisted smile. ”End this? Yes I suppose I would prefer this ends sooner, so could you please stop resisting and die like everyone else?”
”What?!”
”You mean this evil spell is yours! HIYAH!” The soldier shouts with his swing as another tendril tries to attack him. ”By order of Captain of the Rusthold Knights you are to put an end to this spell and submit yourself to arrest!”
”Oh? Rusthold eh? I see, so that’s it.” She puts her hands clasped behind her back, slowly approaching with exaggerated, long steps. ”Dad got an escort home, and his escort was going to take mom back. Typical. This could’ve been so much smoother if she just said that but as usual, she didn’t tell me anything. Still-”
”STAY BACK!” The Captain barks out an order, still swinging at the occasional tendril. They are consistent and relentless, but not perpetual.
Willow stops where she stands and smiles, looking them up and down. Sizing them up for several moments as they remain stood, keeping their eyes on her. Knowing who she is means they know she has powerful magic, and given this is supposedly one of her spells who knows what else she could do. ”I see…your equipment, it’s been treated with magic resistant wax. Hasn’t it? Quite the strong batch too if it’s letting you survive this spell. This spell has a tendency to get…aggressive…if it happens across something that doesn’t quite want to cooperate, like the seven of you.” Again, Willow starts walking forward just as before.
”I’m warning you!”
Willow continues moving forward, ignoring the Captain’s words. ”Now, few problems with your request. One, and this one is most important, I don’t want to end it. Two, I don’t HAVE to listen to you. And three, even if I wanted to end this there’s only two ways that’ll happen. The first is everyone and everything inside the circle other than myself is reduced to fuel for my growth. As for the second method, well, you’re gonna have to kill me for that one.” Willow pulls her hands out from behind her to reveal the sacrificial dagger in her hand.
”DAMMIT! Delio, return to Rusthold. Tell them what’s happened here, the Daughter of the Ivory Witch has gone mad! We have our armor, it should keep us safe from her magic until you return! Everyone else in formation D, we must try to keep her alive she has to answer for this atrocity!”
Willow yet again stops, dead in her tracks, and is now visibly infuriated. ”That’s twice you’ve called me that…you don’t even know my name, do you?” Her eyes lock on to the Captain with an unfiltered desire to murder him plain to see in her eyes. ”There’s a couple flaws in that order, you know. I know. Problem with that magic resistant wax is it weakens the metals it’s applied to, loses durability. Easier to bend, break…pierce. That’s why it isn’t standard issue.” She starts rotating around them, circling like a predator. ”Now why you’d have armor like that I can only assume is because other cities have been silently preparing for the possibility of my mom going rogue, preparation that has temporarily spared your lives. Do you want to know the second flaw, I mean do you REALLY want to? Well-”
Willow stops moving where she stands. ”That would be-”
She lowers her body as her weapon flashes red for a moment. ”-you’re so concerned about who my mother is-”
A blue wave of light moves from her ankles up her body to her head, shifting the position of her legs. ”-That you’re forgetting-”
Following the blue wave is a green wave, doing the same thing, as she raises her lower body. ”-who my father is!”
A yellow wave of light envelopes her like the previous two as her position now resembles a cat prepared to pounce, and pounce she does. In a flash she is in the Captain’s face, a single bead of sweat immediately manifesting on the side of his face as a twisted smile stretching ear to ear appears on hers, her dagger sliding down the side of his narrowly raised shield. Sparks fly from the clash of metal as Willow keeps moving through the air from her momentum, now placed perfectly in the center of the entire group. At that moment tendrils of blood shoot from the floor at each of the knights as they make their own movements to destroy them, only doing so meant losing sight of Willow for just a moment. On reflex alone the Captain aims his shield up in just enough time to block the trip of a spear aimed for the top of his head, again letting her moment cause her to slide along his shield. With the brief moment he has the Captain turns to yell. ”Run Delio, NOW!”
”I WON’T LET YOU!”
”NOT A CHANCE!”
Willow tries to change targets to the soldier that heads his order on the spot, turning to run, as tendrils and herself all aim at him. Her effort is immediately blocked by the other knights wasting no movement on anything except stopping the tendrils aiming for Delio, while the Captain himself forces her to dodge a swing from his sword. Forced to back away, Willow watches as the knights get in formation to block her from a fleeing Delio, that way he only has to avoid the tendrils of blood. ”You’re underestimating us, little girl. It doesn’t matter who your parents are, we're still trained knights, and we outnumber you.”
”Hmph.” Willow stands up straight, silently accepting she can’t reliably do anything about Delio. ”True, I’ll accept I may have thought too highly of the situation. I believed my tendrils would do more to even the odds. Yet as long as even one of you remains I will never be alone in this fight, and in case you need reminding that wax only makes you resistant to magic-” With a smile Willow holds out her off hand as a ball of lightning materializes within her palm. ”-You’re not immune.”
Well, Lee thinks to himself as Willow brings out armfulls of writings and notes, At least she's keeping herself busy.
He respects Willow's earlier request and keeps a little distance from her, staying on the other side of the counter as Willow spreads out the papers amd spins them for him to see. He remains quiet, saving his queries for later as Willow shares what she knows. Though he does nod when she mentions Kiysa Duvala. Funny enough, this is far from the first time the STU has heard about the Demon Swordswoman, though it is the first time she was seen in action. Reports and warning bulletins had been put up when she first entered the G-Class scene in Wabacha over a decade ago, when her profile was updated per her sudden skyrocketing threat level. Her clearly Demon weapon was the cause of quite a lot of reactionary meetings and investigations into her ability and demonology, naturally limited by her being a Wabachan citizen. The powers that be in the rival nation limited their ability to research and investigate to be barely surface level; The situation at Gugnin gave the STU plenty more video material to work with.
The other monikers are all unknown to him. All demon infused, some far more permanently than others. The idea of a man making these hybrids, or the fact they could be made at all is highly concerning, but he has to focus first on the problem at hand. Speaking of hands... "Unless there is a 'Demon Hand' running about too, I bet this Demon Arm is the head of Grim Wild. We have captured video and images of a clenched demon fist emblem denoting squad leaders. And if this guy is multiple people, or has multiple bodies, he or one of him likely is capable of molding demon and fiend physiology to create the Grim Wild armors and Wild Ones. The Father and Mask would be my follow ups."
"I know it isn't likely, but do either of you use any other natures on top of fire?" Toni asks. Kassio is already poking through the shelves looking for fire specific elixirs. "Additional natures change one's life energy to a smaller degree than the primary, but it does add a compounding margin of error."
"Wait-" Willow's eyes start shifting as she turns the papers around to face herself again, scanning the notes rapidly. "Multiple bodies...each one could have different skills. Powers, abilities. If one or several of them had some sort of biokinesis crossed with some sort of esoteric energy manipulation, something that would work on Enochians...yes, yes that could be it that explains so much." Willow sharply looks up from her reading to peer intensely at Lee. "It's the Demon Arm, I'm sure of it, but that poses several problems. Firstly there isn't only one of him. What you just said made me realize something I hadn't considered: He may be possessing or puppeteering different bodies he creates, one at a time or maybe even all at once. Both are equally possible. Perhaps his original body was destroyed or maybe it's too weak, imperfect or ill. The reason is less important than the idea itself. But it would explain why in my research it's almost like he's in two different places at once, or that each confirmed sighting seems like he had a different skill set. Not knowing what an opponent is capable of is dangerous under the best circumstances, but not knowing what a caster is capable of is a worst case scenario. And if I'm right his capacity for magic is at least a rival to my own, or rather one of his vessels is." Straightening her back she brings her hand to her chin, curling her fingers around it as she thinks, eyes looking down to the papers. "The Demon Arm is also on my list of people I wished to never meet, at least not until I knew more. But if my theory is right..." Willow's general pose doesn't change as her eyes dart upward in an almost unnatural fashion, again looking towards Lee. "It's not just you, your entire department is in over their heads. You aren't equipped for this."
Fairhill, Ocristan, August 23rd 3887 AR - 2:17 pm
The streets and homes of Fairhill are now quiet from the previously ever present screams of agony as the town was slowly but surely reduced to little more than piles of whatever clothing or jewelry they were wearing, even five empty suits of armor in various degrees of damage now litter the ground: One charred black by fire, one seemingly turned to rust and all of them scratched to oblivion with several punctures lined with dried blood. Not far from these abandoned piles of armor is one more man holding out, panting and short of breath, facing a lone teenage girl. ”It would be so much easier for us both if you surrendered, Captain. Your squad is already dead, and while you were exhausting yourself I’ve been restoring myself with each knight who fell. Each citizen who fully succumbed. You and I are the only ones left…you, and you alone, are keeping this spell active.”
With barely enough strength to remain standing the Captain straightens himself up, throwing his damaged shield to the side as it is beyond the state of being able to do anything at this point. He takes his sword into both hands and holds it at the ready. His armor has holes from punctures, his helmet is half missing and what patches of armor aren’t damaged by blades are visibly scorched by magic. Even still- ”By Order. Of Captain. Of the Rusthold, Knights. You are under…arrest. It matters not. If I’m alive. To see it happen. I need only, stall you. Long enough…for the others to get here.”
”Beaten, bloodied, bruised and burned yet you still intend to fight?” Willow tilts her head as a smile now lacking any semblance of humanity possesses her face. ”I supposed that’s admirable, even if it is foolish. You should know even by horseback it will take an hour for Delio to return, then time for reinforcements to organize themselves and dispatch here. Why I don’t think it’s possible for them to be here any sooner than 3 hours, and considering the rest of your squad is already dead…do you really think you can continue this farce by yourself, in that condition, for over two more hours?”
”I won’t know-” The Captain tightens the grip on his sword. ”-Until I try.”
”Suit yourself. I’m in no rush anymore, I’ll be long gone before help arrives. Besides-” She slowly lowers herself again, ready to pounce one last time. ”-practicing on rabbits didn’t teach me how much fun it was when food fought back.”
Aware that one way or another he won’t survive to see the next day, the Captain can’t help but smile with a single grunt of laughter under his breath. All in response to the absurdity of this situation. To think The Ivory Witch, a paragon of all things good and selfless, would end up with such a twisted daughter. One who lived nearly to adulthood fooling everyone into thinking she was just like her mom. ”Heh…you’re not even human, you’re more like a demon.”
”A demon, you say?” Willow flips her dagger to be in a reverse grip. ”I’m much worse.” Blitzing the Captain she swings out with her dagger hand as if to punch, pulling it back just enough for the blade to slice his face, only for the Captain to raise his sword in a parry. In the instant metal meets metal Willow’s eyes flash as her off hand pushes against the Captain’s armored stomach. Her target coughs up blood as a spear made of lighting erupts from his back, piercing through his body, launching a kick into Willow’s abdomen in response. The teenager is thrown back but quickly recovers, rolling backwards and onto her feet the moment she touches the ground then stabbing the dirt with her dagger to stabilize her position.
By the time Willow is back on her feet she sees the situation changed, in that brief moment, as her smile instantly vanishes. She wipes her mouth, leaving her dagger in the ground as she releases it to stand up straight. ”All that bluster about holding out, and you couldn’t even survive one more minute…I take back what I said. You’ve disappointed me.”
The Captain remains standing as a tendril of blood slithers its way into his body, finding contact through the new hole in the Captain’s back less than a moment after it was made. More blood drips from his mouth as his hand loses all strength, dropping his sword to the ground. He looks down, holding his hands vaguely where the lightning spear tore through his body, as if there were something physical there for him to grab and remove, before then looking back up to Willow. ”You…WILL…see justice, ser-”
The Captain is cut off as another blood tendril rockets from the ground, piercing his throat. A moment later another enters the opposite side of his chest through a gap in his armor, forming an X with the first one. Then another, and another, then rapidly several more pierce him all at once until his body itself is no longer visible. Instead a slowly shrinking human shaped object enveloped by blood has replaced him. Willow leans down, taking her dagger out of the ground and walks away without another word as the mass gradually disappears. In its wake all that is left is one last set of damaged armor, and the red glow illuminating the entire town finally vanishes alongside its emergence. Willow walks back to her home and stands before the threshold, looking around one last time. ”Things didn’t quite go as planned, but it did work out…Thales may hear about what happened before he even returns home, since that one Knight got away. I suppose I’ll just have to be a fugitive now. Oh well, that could be fun in its own way. Victims should come to me on their own. Hm.” Willow pauses for a moment as she thinks. She begins waving her hand as a magic letter manifests in the air. ”I should leave something for Thales. Something that won’t be found by the Knights…” Words begin to be magically inscribed on the letter slowly but surely as her thoughts are written down.
Dear Little Brother,
I don’t know what you may have heard about what happened here, so I want you to know the truth. A truth that no one else is ever likely to know. On the day of my birth I killed mother, father, and the rest of Fairhill in a ritual sacrifice. Magic I have been practicing on my own since long before the day you found my cave. What happened was not a lapse in judgement, it was not a curse or possession. I didn’t lose my mind and I wasn’t manipulated by anyone. This plan has been one I’ve been working on for a long time and now, finally, it’s complete. The day you found my cave I entertained the idea of bringing you into my plan but decided against it. I had the thought that you may try to stop me, or at least talk me out of it. And honestly had you done so I probably would have listened. But I knew this path was the only path for us to become our best selves, the versions of us that we were meant to be. All mother and father ever did was hold us back, denying me the magic knowledge I craved and you of your very identity. They cared more about the legacy we represented as their children rather than who we were as individuals. The fact mother let you go on a far away job by yourself, unaware of your magic, to hunt animals that as far as she knew were well beyond your ability was the final proof I needed to know my decision was the correct one.
I’m sure you're confused, you may even resent or hate me for what I’ve done. You never seemed to have the same disconnect that I did and I have made my peace with how this may hurt you. But I promise you Thales, the fact you are reading this at is all the proof you need: You can take care of yourself. You don’t need them, you don’t need anyone. You will be just fine even if you can’t see it yourself right now. So live a long, healthy life, however you see fit. Free from the shackles presented to us by our heritage. But heed these words, even if you ignore everything else I’ve said: Should you choose to spend your life as an avenger, hunting me down for what I’ve done, and your pursuit of vengeance lets you catch up to me one day- Well, I already granted you one mercy by ensuring you were far away from home. You won’t get a second.
Wishing you the best,
Your Elder Sister
With another wave of her hand the letter disappears, vanishing into thin air. All so it can wait for her brother’s magic to come near their hometown, triggering a tracking response that will deliver the letter directly to him. There it will wait, immaterial and without form, until the key it is waiting for returns.
____________________________________________________________________________
Highcain, Capital City of Ocristan, 3887-3918 AR
For the decades that follow the Slaughter of Fairhill, news outlets across the nation erupt in stories in efforts trying to track down the culprit. Willow is quickly named the Demon Witch and is placed on an a most wanted list, with a high price on her head. Dead or Alive. Efforts in anti-magic research rapidly develop in Ocristan for the express purpose of bringing down the Demon Witch yet no one could catch her, and the few who do manage to track her down whether it be mercenaries, bounty hunters or proper law enforcement they consistently wound up dead after the encounter. All the while, national media kept making reports on horrible events she carried out, or at least was believed to carry out, while somehow otherwise remaining untraceable. Untrackable. Undetectable. Keeping up with the trail of blood she left was impossible, and quickly destabilizing the entire nation through fear. Even as newspapers evolved into radio and radio turned into tv, her moniker remained as an ever present reminder that no one is safe.
The Demon Witch kills 13 at a hotel in-
Five dead as the Demon Witch-
A train accident sees 31 dead as fingers point to-
Tragedy strikes as a mother and her young daughter are found-
Rusthold Knight Delio, soul survivor of the Slaughter of Fairhill, reported missing last night-
Fighting fire with fire a group of Witches have banded together to form the Azure Witches-
The Empire of Vedran has officially reached out with offers of aid-
Through Vedran’s help anti-magic efforts have progressed-
Anti-Magic Advancements Proven Ineffective as 20 Equipped Knights-
No end in sight for the Demon Witch and her Reign of Terror: Martial Law Declared
MAGIC: Was Ocristan Wrong for Allowing it to Remain Legal?
Seeking Relief, Ocristan Hands Over Military Power to the Empire of Vedran!
What went wrong with Daughter of the Ivory Witch-
”Excuse me?!” A furious Demon Witch throws her remote at the television, shattering the tv as she jumps from her seat. Pacing back and forth across the room she starts ranting and raving in frustration. ”That bitch has been dead for over 30 years, I have a LAUNDRY LIST of news stories tied exclusively to my name, MY moniker, and STILL people care about who my mother is more than who I am?! Tell me-” Willow stops pacing on the spot, turning her attention to the man in the room with her. He is tied to a chair and visibly exhausted, it seems they’ve been like this for a while. ”-do you think it’s fair to judge someone solely by their parents, instead of who THEY are?”
”No.” The man looks up with what strength he still has after who knows how much effort trying to free himself from his binding, answering in a plainly annoyed voice. ”Your mother was a kind, gentle soul. You’re pure evil.”
”THANK YOU!” Exasperatedly she flails her hands, continuing to pace across the room. ”What can I do to to shake this, it’s like no matter what I do her name will keep chasing me.”
”I don’t know, maybe you could try being a better person.”
”Funny joke…wait.” Willow pauses. ”No, that’s it. I already steal magic and essence. What if I tweaked the spell to drain lifeforce directly, restart. Steal someone’s face, their identity, their life! In the truest sense! If I can’t remove my mother from me I can just remove myself from my mother, why did I never think of that!” The Demon Witch jumps excitedly, clapping her hands together as she turns to face the man. ”Oh, that’s perfect! And I already have an idea on how to make it happen.”
”W-wait-” The man pulls again, trying to jump from his bindings only to be stopped immediately. ”You can’t just do that, you can’t assume someone’s identity! Why that, that’s just-”
”Wrong?” Willow says in a mock pout, curling her bottom lip as she tilts her head. ”You’re right, I shouldn’t. Identity fraud is wrong ohhhhhhh get over yourself!” Willow quickly changes tone, waving her hand to brush off the man’s words. ”Out of all the laws I’ve broken identity fraud is pretty tame, especially if I kill the person first. Ugh, you’re annoying me now.”
”Wha-?” The man is cut off as Willow’s open hand is abruptly held directly in front of his face. His eyes go cross eyed as he looks to the palm blocking his vision of most anything else, only to see a small spark of light fizzle there. Immediately panic rises as he yells with all the strength he has left. ”No no wait d-”
A blast of fire erupts from Willow’s hand in a stream, engulfing the man, his chair and everything behind him as a satisfied Demon Witch turns and walks out of the room. The fire quickly spreads and by the time she is outside the mansion it’s mostly in flames. With a snap of her fingers she magically locks all the exists behind her, leaving the scene.
Newly Appointed Defense Minister found dead after his mansion burned down. All of his staff and his family perished in the flames, bringing the death toll to 28. Investigation is still ongoing but there are already many claims that The Demon Witch is responsible. Some are theorizing this was done to send a message: It doesn’t matter who you are, if The Demon Witch wants you gone it’s going to happen.
—---------------------------------------------
”So, you finally found me?”
”Don’t play dumb, Demon Witch!” A young woman shouts, holding her hand towards a Willow who is raising her hands in a mock surrender. ”You've been attacking my home on purpose, haven’t you? You wanted me to come out, you wanted me to confront you! WHY?! Trying to finish what you started?!”
”Oh boo, you could at least play along a little longer.” Willow pouts as she lowers her hands before quickly changing her tune. ”You’re awfully pretty, aren’t you, Aria Crane?”
”How do-” Aria falters for just a moment before stiffening her arm again, ready to launch a spell at any moment. ”Why do you know my name?”
”Oh I know everything about you now. See, I did my research. Powerful witch, leader of the former Azure Witches. Born and raised by non-magic, unremarkable parents in Summermire City. 22 years old. Surprisingly athletic even though magic was your focus. Organized the Azure Witches after I killed your parents on a whim when you were 16. No other known relatives, quit magic and dropped out of the public eye after I slew the rest of your little group. To be honest I originally only let you live because I planned to come for you again later, after your magic developed more, but then you went and quit and I lost interest. But now? Oh, I have a much better use for you.”
Willow shifts her feet forward making Aria panic fire, launching a spell towards the Demon Witch who quite effortlessly waves her hand and swats it away to make it disappear. ”You come here, start killing dozens of people throughout the city in a matter of days, leave a clear enough trail that anyone who knows magic could find you, all to lure me out and it’s NOT to kill me? You expect me to believe that?”
”Oh, I wouldn’t say that. See, I knew you would come out if I started killing people in the city you grew up in. Your profound sense of justice wouldn’t allow it I mean, what if I killed someone you KNEW? GASP! I also knew that you’re already aware you can’t beat me by yourself, but you’d refuse to involve the law. If you did, they'd take over and push you out, not to mention there’s a chance they’d try to take me alive if I cooperated for any reason. Assuming I did you’d lose your chance to see me die. So, what would you do? Call in favors, get help from other witches you know. Anyone who will listen. I knew you’d try to buy time by talking to me once you found me, instead of blasting away the strongest magic you have on sight, that way the others you enlisted could have time to get in position. And I knew whatever motley crew you did manage to gather wouldn’t only be incapable of stopping me, despite your best efforts, but that they would give me the fodder I need to finish the ritual.
Sweat drips down the side of Aria’s face as she looks around, scanning the area. ”I wouldn’t be so sure of yourself if I were you. You’re surrounded.”
”If you were me, sweet Aria-” Willow takes out a dagger from behind her waistband. ”You’d know I prepared in advance.” With a smile magic traps start detonating through the area high and low as screams fill the open alley and Aria, caught off guard, is momentarily stunned. That moment is all Willow needed to be in front of her, piercing her stomach as the Demon Witch leans into Aria’s ear and holds her body to let her down slowly. ”Shhh it’ll be okay. This won’t kill you. I avoided the vitals and laced the blade with a paralytic. I need you alive for the ritual. Your friends though, well….”
”ARIA!”
A man leaps out with a sword towards the pair, desperate to try to save the one who called for aid, only for Willow to non-chalantly reach a hand out behind her as he stops cold mid-air through telekinesis. Before he can mutter another word Willow flicks her thumb and the man’s neck snaps, followed immediately by Willow releasing the spell so his body and sword fall limp. ”They’re all dead now. And soon, I’ll steal your life…”
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The news takes time to break but, within days, international coverage is overcome by an emergency story. Every paper, every radio station, every news outlet around had a mandatory double feature: The town of Summermire, Ocristan, population 23671, is gone. The Demon Witch attempted a repeat of the Slaughter of Fairhill on an even grander scale, only for former leader of the late Aria Crane to interrupt the ritual at the last second. Investigators and magic experts claim this caused the ritual to go awry. While the body of the Demon Witch has been confirmed and is officially recognized as dead, a woman who appears to be Aria Crane has already been spotted near where a family of five were found brutalized, in a similar fashion as the Demon Witch would often treat her victims. Experts believe that proximity to the botched ritual corrupted her soul beyond repair, so while Aria Crane’s body survived her soul did not.
The Will of the Demon Witch was able to pass on through the ritual instead, taking over her mind and actions. Posthumously, Aria Crane has been titled as the one who defeated and saved the rest of Ocristan from the Demon Witch and her reign of terror, and is officially recognized as deceased to protect her legacy. After distancing her name from the person now walking around with her face, the unnamed person has been given a unique moniker instead: The Witch of Calamity, a being that is more a curse than a human. Furthermore, in the wake of the Witch of Calamity’s birth and the general destabilization of Ocristan, Vedran has officially been granted full government power in the name of regional stability.
The nation of Ocristan is no more, formally absorbed into the ever growing Empire of Vedran, though some of the original government officials will remain in power with their actual positions adapted to meet Vedran’s governmental system. Additionally all forms of magic in the region are officially dubbed illegal under standing Vedrani law and only properly licensed individuals may practice it in any form. Those who already practiced magic before the illegalization must register themselves to be licensed appropriately, otherwise they will be prosecuted.
Vance could easily name the nature changes he has off the top of his head... Scotti however was a harder case. She was effectively a Aura Master by modern standards with her complex and lost knowledge of natures that aren't taught anymore. "Okay... Im just going to list them off, whether you believe me or not is fine... This is a big deal for us so Ill try and answer any questions without outright exposing her privacy."
Vance then went into detail, not just about the natures and compounds he knew and how they are made, but also into Scotti's. He danced around the very strange truth of her being an Aura User from 3000 years ago and instead focussed on the fact that she and he were taught by the same 7000 year old Aura master who survived the witch hunts following the collapse of the golden age. He doesn't care about putting Sam on blast because that vampire can go eat sunlight for all he cared. But also he didn't want Scotti to suffer because of it... So maybe Sam could just get an arm ripped off but live when Amaurat happens.
By the end Toni and Kassio were left with quite the list of nature releases and otherwise. By comparison, Scotti was likely one of the best Aura users that they ever heard of, and Vance just eluded to the fact that there were potentially a dozen more with similar skills with Vance himself being another case of being one of the best since he knew of and could potentially copy those same lost natures.
“Change is always good for the soul, or souls as the Aetherani say. I will go prepare the others for departure” Verris says before he leaves to begin prepping the joint teams for the venture to the Crash site.
“I think you and your team are in for a treat.” Chimed the young King as he rose from his seat, patting himself down to get the wrinkles out of his clothes. “I won’t spoil the surprise.”
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Onboard a UKA shuttle, Athailen Crashsite exclusion zone
Through the skies of Aetheran, close to the Ironpeak mountain range, a single escorted shuttle carrying the joint research teams alongside the young King and the Second Princess. Veris himself remained in the capital to handle the duties of his highness while he was away. The vessel streaks across the sky towards their destination. The escort included 12 Zone Raider Mark 2 mechas alongside Overload’s updated Combat platform.
And now as the shuttle came into view of the carefully maintained exclusion zone, the second princess and her team could now see why the Ark was a matter of fascination, awe, and even fear. Around the crash site there was a quarantine line that encircled it by several kilometres- No. There were two, one that came out to the 2 kilometer line and a much older, more primitive line that only came out a mile or so… The teams stared into the shuttle’s holographic viewscreen that displayed a live feed fromthe shuttles external sensors, a warped landscape that stretched across miles of altered countryside. Strange alien forests that had not existed several years ago rose in impossible tiers, their trunks twisted into spirals and their leaves broad enough to roof a cottage. Rivers had changed their courses overnight. Flowers bloomed in colours that made their eyes ache when he looked at them too long.
And the animals-
Oh, the animals..
The external sensors shifted into the altered landscape, focussing onto a stag that stood upon a ridge in the distance, its antlers branching like black coral. Its pelt adorned with spiraling patterns and colours that shifted subtly. It turned its head toward the shuttle in what seemed like instinct despite the vast distance between itself and the shuttle, and there it was more easily visible.. Its eyes Rineiya would notice them immediately for what they were, what they resembled. Unmistakable Athailian yet just off enough to only be a resemblance. Though the longer the beast lingered on them, the more that the people within got the sense that the beast was not simply looking at the shuttle but something more. Though it soon seems annoyed and wanders off.
The lingering question of why the beast seemed annoyed was soon voiced by one of the Dragoons assigned to their joint escort.
“How come that thing looked so miffed at us?”
The answer came from the young King. “Because the Wabachan barrier is stopping it from reading our thoughts.”
No doubt that turned some very inquisitive heads, so the young King continued to explain.
“I only know of what I was told by the science team that basically lives here,” The Young King started, looking at the view screen as the camera shows more of the wildlife. “, but the land and the creatures on it has been forcefully evolved by the Arkship to try and create a close approximation of the Athailian homeworld. I was told that it is not a malicious process. Just an emergency directive made by a dying AI following the crash that the Athailian Emperor was kind enough to help stop but now we are left with this.”
The sensors displayed more beasts that lurked below. First was a pack of wolves, or what used to be wolves. Their bodies became leaner and longer, with dark fur that seemed to absorb ambient energy that made their coats shimmer faintly in the sun. Their eyes developed a faint rainbow glow, operating in complete silence as the pack all communicated by thought instead of calls. Moving as one body instead of individuals in a pack. Next was a true oddity, because in truth no one amongst the Aetheran’s could explain what they were originally. They were not birds. They simply behaved as though the sky of the quarantine zone belonged to them. They were great creatures that began appearing above the forests, their bodies resembling enormous manta rays with six feathered wings that shifted gracefully in the wind. Their undersides glowed with soft blue markings that pulsed like constellations. They did not fly in the typical sense, no. They got around under the power of some sort of levitation, likely supported by their own form of telekinesis. There were more, the local bears in the region had been changed too. Their shoulders rose higher than a man, and their bodies were covered in thick black fur threaded with faint emerald veins that pulsed strongly when exposed to raw emotions like fear. Their faces remained almost recognisably ursine besides the third eye slap in the middle of their forehead.
There were more, so many more. From giant blind insectoids that burrow beneath the earth, creating vast tunnels for strange mushrooms and tree roots to grow and flourish uncontested, to strange songbirds with 4 wings that liked to whisper peoples thoughts aloud. But there was only so much that the sensors could pick up.
Soon however the sensors fixated on their actual destination within the quarantine zone that had its own connected landing pad closed off from the rest of the zones.
At first glance, it resembled a mountain.
A glistening silver mountain, impossibly tall, rising from the centre of the transformed wilderness.
But mountains did not have ribs that were left raw, exposed, displaying the damage that happened in orbit as the vessel tore itself apart under the weight of gravity it was not ready to endure.
The Ark’s hull curved upward in vast, overlapping plates, each one the size of a fortress wall. Veins of pale blue light moved beneath its surface with the slow rhythm of blood. Great structures extended from its sides like the bones of some colossal beast, disappearing into the earth and the forests that sprouted around it.
The largest opening into the Arkship, one that sported an external research outpost that the UKA and Wabachan scientists have been frequenting, had been enveloped in a barrier with access to the top of the overall barrier through a vertical tunnel that the shuttle was now descending.
“The original coalition of the Human, Elven and Dwarven kingdoms lacked a solid way of keeping the altered wildlife from being nosy and probing the minds of researchers and soldiers alike along with the challenges of trying to avoid conflict with them.. Most of the wildlife is extremely intelligent. You can only imagine how relieved the teams here were when the Wachan's stepped up to help make the quarantine zone and solve the snooping wildlife issue.” Said the young king, his eyes still aimed out into the vast and strange forests beyond the research outposts barrier. His mind still feels the faint pinpricks of attentive and curious minds trying to pierce the barrier without success.
Great care is taken to avoid Scotti's identity being discovered. As expected, Toni's eyes get wider and wider as Vance lists off more and more natures, even those that have long been lost to the modern world for hundreds of years. Describing Sam as an undying Aura master didn't help things. "Um... That... That is quite the list. K-Kass, could you join me in the back real quick?"
"Hmm? Sure I guess- Woah!" Kassio is wrenched back by his suit sleeve as Toni drags him hurriedly to the back of the shop out of sight. Vance can't see them as he waits where he us, but with his advanced senses, their whispering he hears clear as day.
"Where did you find this guy?!"
"Wh- Wandering lost around Darly, what's the big deal?"
"Learning just one nature beyond your innate one can take decades. She knows like a million! He's dating Scotti Lotus!"
"Who?"
"Only one of the most well known Aura masters of the Golden Age, member of the famous Dragongate, and who just so recently appeared in the civil war over in Aetheran!"
"Golden Age? When was that?"
"Urgh, I forgot the world at large doesn't know. The missing part of world prehistory? That was a world of aura users, and she was one of the strongest!"
"And Vance landed her? Nice."
"That alone is insane, her hatred of men and companionship was rivaled only by her power."
"Hell yeah Vance!"
"Quiet! He might hear you."
"... Ooh. Uh, bad time to mention it then."
"... Mention what?"
"He can definitely hear us."
"... What?"
"Yeah, I can feel him reacting."
"..." Shortly after Kassio comes back out, with Toni following behind him turning a deep shade of blue in embarrassment. Once they are back with Vance and a new level of awkward, Toni fidgets for a little while as she thinks of what to say. "... Um. ... It... It will take a little while, with a list this long. I'll have to make a unique elixer for Sco- FOR HER. Um. For her. GIVE ME HALF AN HOUR OK BYE!"
The shopkeeper sprints to the back again to get out of Vance's sight as fast as possible, and the clammering of vials and things immediately starts as she gets swiftly to work. Kassio watches her run off, staying with Vance. "I don't know who she is, but it sounds like you've bagged a time traveling celebrity. Nice job bro."
Truthfully, when Toni started to drag Kassio away he was worried that something he said had offended her. Yeah no it was the exact opposite problem. He SEVERELY underestimated just how much knowledge of the Golden Age survived into the current era.
‘F*CK. I really should have interrogated that damn Cartier brat! Or at least asked Sam- Yeah, no I wouldn’t ask that corpse anything…’
Stewing and trying to suppress his embarrassment and failing spectacularly as it began manifesting into reality as very real green flames that arise as harmless embers across his form, Vance could only think of how he hoped that this would not get back to Scotti somehow.
But it will. Because he’ll tell her.
If nothing else he was ashamed of his own hubris. A feeling that was dampened once Kassio commented on the fact he bagged Scotti in the first place. A fact that even he held dear in his heart. “She’s the only reason I’m here..” He said in a moment of honesty before he immediately had to clear it up. “Not just for the potion- Contraceptive- Whatever.. I mean just in general.” This was getting more messy than he would have liked but it was better than stumbling in the dark like before. “I’ll take the brunt of this, so tell Toni me and Scotti aren’t gonna be mad at her. It was my fault for not realising how much Dragongate and her name still meant in this day and age anyways.”
Man, consistency responding here for stuff. Meanwhile it’s been more than three weeks since you posted at the other place.
He gets a shrug in response. "Just to aura users, I have no clue who she is. I guess they've been keeping track of that stuff best they can."
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Half an hour later Toni returns with two bottles filled with shimmering liquid that shifts between the colors of the rainbow. She looks haggard, having been put through the ringer trying to put the elixir together. "I never had to gather the essence of light or beast before, hoo. Here you go. Since your magic can copy her's its best you both drink these before any activity, the whole thing. They'll make you I infertile for twelve hours, longest guarantee I can put on this first batch."
"I'm sure you haven't decided a market price, but just put it on my tab when you do." Kassio grins at Vance. "Our friend has more important things to take care of than worrying about a bill."
"Certainly not. However, I will need more evidence of that before I can send this up the ladder and make it someone else's problem." Lee rubs the side of his face as he looks over Willow's notes. "Even though we have footage of 'Wild Ones' in action, who are clearly beyond local law enforcement and agents, we can't get a clear reading on their Threat Levels. Without rock solid evidence of how dangerous they are and by extension the Demon Arm, I cannot get clearance for the Senate to send the appropriate response."
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