The Mountain’s Heart

As the girls took their time in each of the mansion's three bathrooms, a figure skipped through the air over the mountain path, dropping as it found the carnage they left behind. The dead men had been loaded into a cart that rattled down the road, driven by the wounded survivors. They had supplies to dress their wounds, but steered their cart away from the nearby Ariam towards another town a night away. The figure skipped up beside their cart and let out a fluting laugh that made them jump.

“You again!” One barked. “We ain't got a cut for you! The whole job was botched!”

Another hissed, “What the hell were those girls!? You told us that school was for elites!”

The last groaned. “They weren't normal. Normal people don't move like that. One of them was flying!”

The thing let out a sad, fluting sound and stepped onto the back of the cart.

“I know. I know. It was very scary for you boys. But now you know!”

“Now we know!? Know what! What were we supposed to learn!?”

“That you'll never make it the way you are. But I can make that better.”

“We're not making another deal with you. Our boss is dead. We're done.”

It let out a fluting laugh. “You're not needed. Just what you have inside.”

“What!?”

It did not answer them but made three quick strikes, driving holes through their chests as it plucked Astra from them. It did so to the corpses as well, then molded the Astra into a ball the size of its head.

“Oh Astra tainted by pain and fear, would you not like to be cleansed?”

The Astra fluted back.

“Then grace me with this chance to help you. That you may go forth and purge this pain from your core.” One more flute and the figure began, molding the Astra into a form…

Back in Jolene's mansion, the girls found a selection of nightgowns waiting for them and chose the ones that fit them best before joining her for dinner. They found her in a dining room with tall tinted windows, sitting at a glass table with a glass of wine in her hand. She gestured for them to start eating the soup and brisket that had been prepared. When they each had their meals, she placed her glass down and let out a sigh.

“Did Desiree explain her message to you girls?”

“No,” Lena answered. “It felt like she didn't want to.”

Jolene chuckled. “That's more or less right. Though, it's more accurate to say she didn't think you three were ready for the information. The school teaches us so much about how to fight and use the Astra, but the stuff you learn later feels more like scripture.” She took a sip of wine. “Where do I start?”

“With the Princess?” Lena offered.

Jolene considered the answer for a moment, then nodded.

“You three should have an Astrana now, so I'll start by saying this. There are twenty Astrana in total, eight major and twelve minor.” She laughed. “Before you let that bother you let me explain, the major are the nearest constellations to the Star on High, the Minor are those that neighbor them.”

“I think I read something about that,” said Mira. “It was a fairy tale about the Star and her sisters.”

“That's the one, except but hardly just a fairy tale. The Star’s sister grant us their power so that we may forever be radiant, but there are two that can only be borne by the Queen and the Princess: Cassiopeia and Andromeda.”

“Does this have something to do with the mural in the school?” Lena asked.

Jolene nodded. “I never got the precise details, but Cassiopeia grants the Mountain’s mind, and Andromeda grants the heart. With the Mind, our lovely queen can detect the flow of Astra on the mountain. She's the one who picks the girls who'll attend the academy. With the heart, our darling princess can feel the joy and woes of the mountain, which helps us protect it. There are more details there, but you girls just graduated. I'm not trying to make this into a new lesson.”

Kyoka raised her hand. “What do you mean by joy and woes? Is this like the mountain’s call?”

“Oh, right! You're Sayako’s girl, aren't you? Perfect, so I can skip a few details. Basically, yes, but the princess feels the mountain's call more intensely than any of the rest of us. This is because, for her, the Astra is either benefic or malefic. We get a feeling, while she gets a…” Jolene circled her hand in the air. “Let's say a picture. Or I guess, honestly, a dream. If the Astra is mostly benefic, her dreams are peaceful. If it is malefic, her dreams are bad.”

“You're not talking about one off incidents though, like us getting attacked by brigands?”

“Brigands?” Jolene gasped. “But didn't you three just come from the school?”

“They were on the path from there to Ariam.”

“At the fork?” Jolene asked.

“About thirty minutes up from the fork,” Kyoka corrected.

Their alumnus frowned. “That doesn't make sense. The last person who came out of the south side of the school was me. Most people know about the doors, but they also know that area is empty.”

“Um,” Lena interjected. She wanted to know where this was going, but there was something more pressing. “Could you tell us more about the princess?”

“Right! No, one or two brigand attacks wouldn't do. We'd be talking about something that'd make a whole village Malefic to cause the princess’s nightmares.”

“Do you know what it could be then?”

“Unfortunately, it could be anything. The mountain is big. For example,” Jolene turned to Kyoka, “What has Sayako told you about me, love?”

“Absolutely nothing!”

“Yet my role in Ariam is important. I know enough about Sayako to tell you she's important, too, but I could never tell you her current concerns.”

“Then why did the headmistress want us to deliver the message?” Lena asked.

“Knowing her, she was hopeful. I haven't paid close attention, but you girls graduated early, didn't you?”

Lena nodded.

“How many of you were ready?”

She hung her head, and Mira did the same.

“They don't think they were but I do!” Kyoka declared.

Jolene gave her a smile. “We'll have to talk about that, but I can say this. If your graduation was early, then the Queen ordered it. Desiree probably hopes we alumni can soothe the mountain’s heart, so that she doesn't send inexperienced girls to do it themselves. Unfortunately for you all, I can't drop things here in Ariam to find the answer. I always have to be nearby, in case the mountain calls.”

As if on cue, Eduardo entered the room. “Madame, the phone awaits you.”

Jolene laughed and took a sip. “Case in point! But you girls get some rest; we can talk more about this at breakfast.” She rose and gave them no room to object. “Eduardo, take them to their rooms.”

“Yes, Madame.” Eduardo gestured, bidding them to follow.

As they did, Lena thought over the conversation. It didn't seem like their duties were done, and something told her they were just getting started…