Konoe

Konoe sat at Kotori’s bedside, the plate of bread and glass of water she’d brought for her daughter’s breakfast now empty.

The hands that she’d used to feed Kotori had grown numb and clammy, as though she’d gone out in winter without gloves. But both hers and Kotori’s temperatures were normal.

Maybe it was a side-effect of the spell she had cast to bring Nia here? If only she knew the details Kotori had gotten wrong, she could’ve made an educated guess. But the fluid from that red cocoon had wiped away the summoning circle Kotori had drawn.

But whatever had happened, she’d been right to move Tsubame away from Kotori for the time being.

Clenching and unclenching her hand did little to restore feeling to her hands. Dousing them with lukewarm water had similarly been unsuccessful. All she could do was wait, and keep her distance from the sleeping Kotori.

Kotori’s occasional stir would bring a hope that she might wake up, only for them to be dashed a moment later. Her daughter’s brow was still furrowed much like it’d been last night, her mouth pinched into a grimace.

Konoe leaned back in her chair and gazed at the ceiling.

Bronwyd, Raila, and Nessian couldn’t keep covering for her guard duties if she wanted to earn money, but she couldn’t leave Kotori defenseless and alone at home. And besides, she had to feed her lunch in the middle of the day.

Her thoughts fell to Nia.

It would be nice if that woman could look after Kotori while she stayed at her post or went on patrols, if only for her peace of mind. But she didn’t know the language. It wasn’t as if Kotori would be speaking while unconscious, and she could show Nia where and how to prepare Kotori’s food, and how to feed her. That wouldn’t involve any talking, just a few demonstrations.

It might have been worth looking into how to enchant Nia’s mind to know Meliodan, in case Nia had to tell her any problems that came up. But with all the details involved in a language, from the words, to how they’re put together, and the different meanings that come from different intonations, that would be complicated to cast.

Konoe thought back to the last time she’d cast that spell. And then what had come after.

She grimaced.

But Nia didn’t seem nearly as powerful, at least. Or if she was, she wasn’t using it so readily. So there wouldn’t be anything to fear, hopefully.

But casting it alone would be difficult. And if she botched the spell diagrams or incantations, or couldn’t provide enough fuel, Nia’s mind might crack in places. And the cabal she’d once been a part of was back in Eternia, so she couldn’t turn to them for help.

The equivalent to cabals in Melioda would be the Association of Ritualite Casters. But she couldn’t go to them for help after what Kotori had done. She shuddered to imagine them passing their sentence upon learning that the world bounds had been broken for a third time. Child or no, Kotori would be imprisoned in the Titan’s Navel, in Reongrad.

So magically granting Nia access to Meliodan was off the table.

A knock on the front door interrupted her thoughts, and led her downstairs.

She found the bony Zidan, a smile stretching his thin face.

“Hey,” Zidan said.

“Ah, hello Zidan.” Konoe inclined her head in greeting. Recalling her conversation with Bronwyd earlier that day, she said, “Did Bronwyd talk with you, perhaps?”

“Yeah. If you need me to come look for Tamatoya, I can carve out some time once my deliveries are done..”

“Err, yes,” she said. “But…” An up and down glance at his reedy frame brought a measure of hesitation. And then a shiver crawled up her spine recalling what was said about hags. “I don’t mean to insult you, but you don’t seem as…sturdy, as other men.”

“I’ve got more than enough courage to make up for it,” he said with a toothy grin. “Besides, your husband helped me out with my fever a couple months ago. My grandma, may her afterlife be full of bliss, would spit on my shoes if I didn’t return the favor sometime.”

Konoe mustered up a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. And even this began to wane as her imagination began diving into darker places.

“You know that hags are all female, yes?”

She let that question hang in the air, and gauged his expression in the silence that followed. And as her thoughts drifted to Tamatoya, she looked past Zidan, finding herself unable to maintain eye contact.

After a second, he stiffened, and her eyes found him again.

He swallowed.

“Yeah.”

“And you’re sure?”

“...yeah.” He pointed to his face, chuckling. “If my luck with women holds, they’ll throw me out the second they lay eyes on me. Not exactly the picture of manliness, y’know?”

She laughed.

“Someone that chooses to brave such danger can do better than a hag, no matter their appearance.”

“When we find your husband, maybe he’s got a cute elf sister he could introduce me to back in Eternia?” he said, and it was hard to tell if he was still joking or actually asking.

“When we get him back, I’m sure he would be in your debt.” But when she spoke of her husband, her thoughts again drifted to what might be happening to him at this very moment. Her teeth clenched behind a paper-thin smile, and her hands clenched tight at her sides.

Zidan peered at her expression for a moment.

“Hey, Tamatoya isn’t exactly the burliest guy out there,” he said. “Got a bit of a girly face, too. Hell, they probably thought he’s a girl and let him go on his merry way.” He chuckled.

His attempts at reassurance were mostly futile, but she put on a smile.

“Just don’t say that to him,” she said.

“Wouldn’t be a good courier if I couldn’t keep my mouth shut now and then.” He winked at her. “Anyway, when were you thinking of going out?”

“I’m thinking we would leave from here at seven in the evening.”

“Then I’ll be here,” he said. “Will bring a weapon or two while I’m at it.”

“I appreciate the thought, but hags are more than a match for most bows or swords.”

“Ah…well if we run into any deer on the way, then we can take them down and bring them back for food.”

When he brought up food, she lurched at a sudden recollection. How could she have forgotten? She ought to pick more dawnberries, but she couldn’t just leave Kotori unattended.

“Is something wrong?” Zidan said, eyes flicking to her furrowed brow.

“Nothing,” she said. He was already offering to help try and find Tamatoya, it wouldn’t be right to ask even more of him.

“You sure?”

“You have more deliveries to make, yes?” she said, gesturing to the pack on his back. “I wouldn’t want to keep you.” But then a thought occurred to her, and she added, “But out of curiosity, were you headed to the Corenlia home today?”

“Ah, I was, yeah. Why’re you asking?”

“In that case, would you mind passing on a message to Mrs. Bartleby that I would take her up on her offer in the late afternoon, if she’s available?” With any luck, Tsubame, Nia, and Natalia would return before then, and they could look after Kotori while she visited Mrs. Bartleby.

Her shoulders trembled at the thought of what they would discuss, but she stepped back into her home before Zidan could bring attention to them.

“I’ll pass it on,” he said, nodding. “Take care of yourself, Konoe. The twins too.”

“I will, thank you.”

After she shut the door, she drew in a deep breath and rubbed her ear tips. It wasn’t quite the same as when Tamatoya would do it, but the massage and silence helped her relax, at least.

Fetching some paper and settling into a chair at the kitchen table, she held a quill over the paper, poised to write a letter requesting aid to the Association of Ritualite Casters’ branch in Giormund. But moments went by, and she found herself scowling at the blank cream surface.

If Kotori hadn’t cast that spell, then requesting a certified caster like she’d planned would’ve been possible. If their chickens and money wouldn’t have been enough, they could’ve promised to pay back the rest of the fee later. Debts would be unfortunate, but necessary.

But if that caster somehow caught wind of Kotori being responsible for that summoning…

Konoe groaned and pushed the paper aside for the time being.

She brought a rough sketched map of Ibles and the surrounding area down from her room. The forest had been divided into six parts, two of the three parts closer to town having been marked with an ‘X’. Going into the three unmarked spots set deeper into the forest would mean camping out in that thicket.

At night, in what might be hag territory.

When that time came, Bronwyd and Zidan couldn’t be allowed to go. Only women, just in case. But they had one more safer spot closer to the forest’s edge left to check before those more dangerous areas. That search could happen over the course of the next two weeks.

But even if they did have the courage to brave that, a forest hag’s prowess with illusions and contagions was akin to breathing to them. And a coven honed this supernatural power with the whetstones of teamwork and mass casting. If they didn’t want to be found, their magic would ensure that they wouldn’t.

It would take an exceptionally strong casting of Sunder Casting to dispel their illusions and expose them, and then be able to fight them. Beyond what Konoe could do alone. But if the Association of Ritualite Casters couldn’t be relied upon without risking Kotori’s safety, and the Eternian cabal she’d once belonged to were an ocean away, what could she do?

Her hands massaged her ears as she considered her remaining options.

Well, option.

Nia.

Even if she didn’t exhibit any signs of immense magical power at first glance, perhaps it simply had to be tapped into somehow. Or it might not come as intuitively to her like it had for those that came before. Which might be a good thing, in this case.

But the girl couldn’t be useless. Nia had to have some power within her, something that would help Konoe out of these horrid circumstances.

Konoe nodded to herself.

Nia had powers, she simply must be taught how to become aware of them, and then wield them.

But Konoe had never taken on an apprentice before. She had taught Kotori a few things here and there, but informal lessons to satisfy her daughter’s curiosity were far different from structured instruction. And it might even be illegal to give her that level of study without going through the proper legislative channels, just like it would be in Eternia.

Konoe massaged her ears, grumbling.

If she was already keeping secrets, then a few more wouldn’t hurt. If someone found out about it, they would just have to find out after Nia had saved Tamatoya. If she could do that, then Konoe could figure something out afterward.

In the worst case, Konoe would accept responsibility for her daughter’s spell and be punished in Kotori’s place. It was due to her notes that Kotori had devised a means to summon a hero from another world, after all, so her negligence could be more to blame. Or at least, the story could be spun that way.

And then the Titan’s Navel would devour her.

The name alone racked her with shudders.

Stories of that place ran deep through every corner of Mimdas, the nightmare lurking at the back of every caster’s mind. Some offenders there were impaled on spikes but made unable to pass on due to necromancy magic, others with their minds trapped under multiple enchantments while their bodies wasted away in cells. And countless more suffering even worse fates, if the stories were to be believed.

Kotori wouldn’t go there. She couldn’t.

Tears welled up as Konoe’s imagination went wild, and her thoughts drifted to her family.

Tamatoya would return from all the horrors he’d suffered at the hands of the hag coven. But Konoe wouldn’t be there to support her husband through the nightmares that would now stalk his dreams.

Tears dripped down her cheeks. Droplets fell onto her hands and the table.

Kotori might continue to suffer some sort of backlash from her spell once she’d woken up, perhaps affecting her well into adulthood and even to her dying day. But Konoe wouldn’t be there to look after her.

Tsubame would be brokenhearted and confused about her father’s and sister’s suffering. But Konoe wouldn’t be there to reassure her that it would all be well.

The number of minutes that passed while she sat at the table soon grew impossible to track, not that she was even attempting to. Her head simply rested in her hands, and her eyes closed.

“Mother,” Konoe murmured to nobody in particular. “Please help me keep my family safe.”

There was a knock on the door. Konoe lurched upright, tear stains still on her cheeks.

“Mommy, we’re back,” came Tsubame’s voice, her tone a touch nervous.

They were back already? She’d thought that with Tsubame’s appetite and townsfolk’s generosity, they would’ve no doubt been offered and eaten a meal.

But even so, Konoe dried her tears as best she could and cleared her throat in the hopes of keeping them from realizing how hoarse she might sound.

She couldn’t show weakness. Not to Tsubame.

Her late mother’s distant words echoed from the deepest recesses of her mind, so far back that she’d thought them forgotten.

A mother is the heart of her family. And if the heart shows fear or weakness, the whole body follows.

She opened the door and forced a smile. Tsubame and Natalia had trowels in their hands, and Nia came behind them.

“Welcome back,” she said. “Do you need any help?”

“Err, not really, but…” Tsubame glanced at Natalia. “Natalia was thinking of taking Nia to her tutor to help her learn Meliodan? What do you think, Mommy?”

Tsubame’s voice carried a sliver of anxiety, and Konoe wished she hadn’t told her what might befall Kotori if people found out about where Nia came from. But it wasn’t as though Tsubame would feel any better off if Konoe told her about how she might have to take Kotori’s place should things come to it.

“Yes,” Natalia said, nodding, and gesturing back to Nia with a firm pout. “Tsubame told me that Nia basically has nothing. And that’s really sad!”

“I-I suppose it is, yes.”

“And because she’s living in our domain, that means my family is supposed to take care of her,” Natalia said flatly, folding her arms over her chest. Her attempt at imitating her grandmother brought a light smile to Konoe’s face in spite of herself.

“What do you think, Mommy?” Tsubame said.

Konoe looked back and forth between the two girls’ expressions, and then looked at Nia’s frustrated frown. Perhaps the woman was irritated that she couldn’t understand what was being said about her.

But if Nia was being given lessons, a place to stay, and maybe even food, that would do much to relieve her burdens. But then who would stay home while Kotori rested?

“Is everything all right, Mrs. Hikou?” Natalia said.

“Ah, yes. I was simply wondering how to approach this,” she said, and pointed up toward the ceiling. “Kotori hasn’t opened her eyes, or responded to my words. I’m thinking that she will wake on her own in time, but I wouldn’t want to leave her at home unattended while I’m at work.”

“I’ll be here!” Tsubame cried. “I won’t go outside until Kotori’s okay!”

Konoe ruffled her daughter’s hair.

“I appreciate it, Tsubame, but I would prefer someone older.”

Natalia’s feet shuffled about, seeming to mull the conundrum over.

“I could ask one of the servants to come?” Natalia said. “Mrs. Bartleby, maybe?”

“Perhaps,” Konoe said, even as she suspected that the woman would no doubt check in on Kotori and touch her.

“Would you mind staying here for a little while?” Konoe said.

“We were going to bury the chickens first,” Tsubame said, glancing at Natalia.

“Then would you two mind going? You could stay here, Nia. Not long, just for me to look into something.” Too late, she realized that the woman wouldn’t understand. “Sorry about that.”

Nia smiled apologetically, as if the lack of comprehension was her fault.

Eventually, Konoe pointed to Nia and then an empty seat in the kitchen.

Nia nodded, and took a seat.

Konoe turned to the children again.

“Before we make any plans about Nia, do you mind if I visit Foucine?”

The children exchanged glances at that, and Natalia puffed out her chest.

“We’ve done that already!”

“Oh?” Konoe raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Tsubame supplied. “Natalia took me and Nia over there, and she gave us something to make Kotori better. Hopefully.”

Konoe couldn’t hide her surprise, and smiled.

“Then what did she provide? And how much was it?”

“She gave it to us for free,” Tsubame said. “Still feels bad about what happened to daddy.”

“I see.” Konoe sighed. “I will have to have a word with that woman.” She held out an open hand. “But for now, would you mind giving me her remedy?”

The vial was pressed into her hand, and she brought it close.

“It’s a smellingsalt,” Natalia said.

“I see. It can’t hurt to try,” she said. As she made her way up the stairs, Nia waved from her seat, and Konoe smiled back.

The smile dwindled the moment she went out of sight, and she gripped the bottle tightly.

Please let Kotori wake up. Please let her open her eyes.

Tsubame dogged at her heels at every step, until Konoe knocked on the door to her daughter’s.

“Hey Kotori, I’m back. Are you awake?”

No response came.

Konoe drew in a breath, and opened the door.

Kotori had shifted about in her sleep since she’d left, but still showed no signs of waking.

The smellingsalt was slightly sticky against her fingers, and when she applied it, the digits that touched Kotori’s face grew numb.

And then Konoe waited in the bedside chair, waiting for the feeling to return to her fingers. Her eyes trained on her daughter’s face, ready to leap onto the first flicker of an eyelid.

And soon, one came.

“Mmm…m-mother?” Kotori’s eyes wandered around until they found Konoe, where they settled.

Konoe wrapped Kotori up in a hug. Their clothes kept most of the numbing at bay, and she ignored what little of the sensation she could feel from where Kotori’s bare skin touched hers.

“Kotori, Kotori!” she cried. “You’re okay. Mommy’s here. Mommy’s here.”

It took a moment for Kotori to react, her eyes still somewhat glazed over.

“Mother, I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“Don’t apologize,” she said, tears overflowing. “We’ll figure everything out. I have a plan to save your father. You don’t have to worry about anything now, Kotori. Just rest as long as you have to.”

“Mmm.” Kotori nestled into the hug.

Tsubame ran toward her sister.

“Please don’t–”

“Big sis!”

Before Konoe could even finish speaking, Tsubame had embraced her sister tightly. Only to let go of her an instant later, no doubt due to the numbing. She looked at her bare hands, and opened and closed her hands experimentally.

“Wh-What’s wrong with her, mommy?” Tsubame said, whirling to face Konoe. “Is-Is Kotori okay? Why does she feel weird?”

“She’ll be okay,” Konoe said. “But try not to touch her skin for now.”

Tsubame nodded, and settled for hugging her mother for the time being.

Meanwhile, Kotori laid back down.

“Wh-What happened?” she said, resting one hand against the side of her head, and the other upon her stomach.

“Me and Natalia got you some medicine,” Tsubame said.

“O-Oh. Thank you, Caro. And tell Natalia that too.” She let out a hiss, and her hand rose to her chest.

“E-Emma! What’s wrong?”

“A-Are you hurt?” Konoe said. Her eyes combed Kotori’s frame, but found no obvious wounds. “I’ll fetch Essence of Blueroot from Foucine. But for now, just rest.”

Kotori’s hand went back down to her stomach, and her face grew bewildered.

“A-Are you hungry?” Konoe pressed. “I’ll get you some food. Dawnberries from the forest.”

Kotori’s hand drifted up to the center of her chest.

“Feels weird. Not sure how to put it.” Then she hissed as though struck, and her hands clenched. “Hungry. Really hungry, I guess. Feels like something’s missing. Kind of. Maybe food.”

“I’ll get you something, just hold on.”

“Thank you mother,” Kotori said, and hung her head. “I never wanted to be an inconvenience. I’m sorry. Really sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Konoe said, her hands twitching toward Kotori. But she quashed the urge to hug her daughter, biting her lip “I love you very much. I don’t know what I’d do without you or Tsubame.”

“Love you too,” Kotori said, laying back down on the bed. “Always. I’m sorry.”