Canto XVII: Per Aspera Ad Astra

The day had arrived! The Carcabuey Protection Squadron was leaving. Destination? Peñíscola! It was a bright April morning, and it was pleasantly warm again. Not only that, but the first day of Holy Week had arrived, and the village was in holiday mode!

The girls were making their final preparations before leaving after lunch, and also enjoying the celebrations! Olivia and Gladstone were making sure they had enough fuel to get to their destination, which would take 6 hours, and that the car had enough provisions. They'd stay in Peñíscola for a week or so, and then return to the village. "Would you look at that? I'll only have to fork out 100 euros in fuel: 50 on the way there and 50 on the way back. Once again, I'm counting on you, Imperator."

"Do you want me to make sure she works her keep, Olivia?" Asked Almudena, who was hidden in Olivia's shadow. Of course, Olivia knew she was there.

"That would be most appreciated, Almu." Oliva replied.

"And so, it shall be done." Thus responded the shadowy girl.

"Princess, your friends are most mighty! Once again, we are humbled by your prowess!" Gladstone managed to add that.

Then, Almudena laughed ominously, which made Imperator shiver even though she was not present. What was she doing?

She was, in fact, helping out during a procession! It was supposed to start during the afternoon, but since it was expected to be very windy by then, they'd rescheduled it to take place during the morning. Imperator was carrying a silver throne on her shoulders, atop which sat Jesus on a donkey, in the middle on a flowerbed. It was supposed to be carried by younglings, but since it was so heavy, she volunteered to carry it herself. And so she marched through the streets, followed by the members of the brotherhood to which it belonged to.

"This is fun, gobi!" She commented while walking at a lively pace down the street where her restaurant was.

"It is, isn't it? I wish Olivia were here, but she's busy. Ah, my Prince Charming~" Regina, who was walking behind her, commented.

"We are supposed to reach the church like this? How ineffective. Praise be the Lord, praise be to reason. Thank you for your patronage…" Thunderchild jammed herself into the conversation as the two spoke. She was marching alongside Regina, who looked happy to have her around. They'd actually developed a strong friendship!

Imperator sensed that a few people were missing from the scene. "Voytek, Godofreda and Imperator aren't here, gobi! I'll have to tell them all about this when I'm done, gobi!" But she felt the presence of two travellers, who were the celebrations intently, and enjoying it quite a lot: A woman in a grey wedding dress, and a strange-looking girl with a witch hat and a blindfold. They were chatting away about something, but even Imperator couldn't hear them over the bustle.

Meanwhile, what were Fetail and Godofreda doing? They were sure everyone had packed everything they needed for their trip! "Clocky, did you pack your swimsuit? I can't wait to see you in it!" Godofreda said while clinging to her beloved's back, who bopped on the head. "Haaaaah. I did, you perverted dog. So help me out here: I can't do everything myself. What a pain that is teamwork!" Fetail sighed and kept working on making sure nobody had left anything behind.

"I'll help you out later, Clocky! You've got such a comfortable back, you can't expect me to let go!" Godofreda protested.

"Haaaaah. Having Voytek around would be a great help, but who knows where she is? What a pain. Do you know anything, Goddy?" Fetail asked that while ordering the contents of their suitcases.

Godofreda shook her head, sending her hair flying into Fetail's face. "Nope! I have no idea." She leaned her face against Fetail’s hair and sniffed it. "Ah, Clocky, you smell so nice~" Fetail tolerated that, because it was a holiday and they were both in a great mood. I'll have to protect my underwear from her, I think… Godofreda had the opposite thought, and the stage was set for Fetail to be thoroughly embarrassed by her lively friend's increasingly shameless behaviour towards her. Surely, she'd end up catching on fire once again, and having her limbs turned into gooey jelly.

And finally, the spotlight was pointed towards Voytek. What was she doing? This would take no one by surprise, but she had a certain charisma under that strange behaviour of hers. She had ruled a kingdom up to its collapse and destruction, after all. So, in a display of royal might, she had acquired two subordinates. And she was working them to the bone in the park: She was forcing them to study, judging by the amount of books on the bench.

"Boss, please die horribly in a train crash." Rosita, who had dropped by the village to buy some food, had been caught by Voytek and had unwillingly become her subordinate.

"Mistress Godofreda would be a much better boss. Where are my beloved labour laws when I need them?" Triana complained, sitting next to Rosita. She had tried to prank Voytek with a bucket of water, but she had simply dodged it, and she too had been turned into a subordinate of hers.

"We have observed that your knowledge is sorely lacking, and we have ventured to change that. Rosita, when did the First Schleswig War start?" Voytek asked, standing in front of them with a serious expression.

"Die in a hole, horrible boss: 24th of March, 1848. That is the correct answer." Rosita was doing very well: She was a misanthrope, but she knew her stuff.

"And you, Triana… Tell us the outfit Ancient Greeks used back in the day for sports competitions." Voytek said that and prepared her shield.

"Sandals and a toga, of course!" Triana said that with a confidence which would be more appropriate if she were a great empress, not the mayor of a remote rural town. Voytek raised her shield and booked her on the head. "We are very disappointed: They wore nothing!" Voytek was very dissatisfied, because the mayor knew less than a misanthropic glassmaker.

"When we arrived here, we knew very little. But we know a fair bit now, due to our studies." She coughed a bit and recited a poem she had learnt.

The essence of governing is to have a cleansed heart,

The strategy of life is to follow upright ways.

An elegant stem will eventually turn into a pillar,

Refined steel cannot be bent into a hook.

Rats and sparrows are overjoyed when the granary is full,

Rabbits and foxes worry when the grassland dies.

History books contain teachings by those deceased,

Don’t leave your descendants with only embarrassment!

Rosita clapped mechanically, clearly not caring at all. She knew, but she didn’t try nor care. However, Triana did try and care, even though she was horrible at it.

Triana observed Voytek and wrote down the poem. "I think I get it, Miss Voytek. I'll try to apply it to my governing. Thank you!" Voytek liked her attitude. "If you two have any issues, ask us and we shall help you to the best of our extent. Class dismissed!"

The two picked up their books and notebooks and scampered away. Voytek then observed a Western swallow stop on her hand. "We think nature is a wonderful thing. But the people of this world have damaged it greatly. Perhaps they too will learn one day." She patted its head with a finger and watched the bird go, proceeding to rise from her seat.

"Our tasks are not done yet. Let us go, then." Clad in full gear, Voytek made her way to the church, but she did not stop there. She walked past it and past the people who were awaiting the arrival of Imperator and the rest of the procession. The queen without a kingdom trudged up the hill, following the street which led to the castle. She stopped in front of the open castle gate and sat down, observing her surroundings.

"Our castle had a better view, and it was a prettier fortress. But this one stands, and ours stands no more. We have heard that Peñíscola has a grand fortress too: We cannot wait to see it." Voytek patted the castle's walls and walked inside. It wasn’t in the best state, but it still stood. "You were grand once, but only your walls and some towers remain of you. We pity you, friend."

She hopped along the courtyard and entered the chapel, sitting down on a bench. We still retain our old religion, but it is not too dissimilar to the one practised here. Perhaps they are the same, but seen in different ways? Our religion does say the Great Ancient cast the other Gods into the abyss, so If we change the word God for the world angel… She thought on and on.

Voytek sat alone, in silence for about five minutes. But she then spoke in a quiet voice: "Miss Mary, mother of Jesus… Are we addressing you properly? We would like to make an offering in exchange for a miracle. We, Voytek Tincrown D'Hol, wish for a safe voyage with our friends, who are like a family to us. We thank you for your patience. May you and your son be well."

Voytek moved closer to the altar and knelt in front of it. She then removed a bag which she had hidden in her shield and opened it: It contained eight button-eyed dolls, fashioned after her friends and herself. She had added Hadrinyan and Zoya too, of course. "We have not forgotten you, Zarambria." The last doll was clad in silver armour, and wielded a claymore. As a last detail, the dolls were all connected by a black thread which ran through their waists. "We know of the black thread of fate: She is a cruel mistress, yes, but she has brought us together." Voytek left the dolls amongst the other offerings, looked at her creations with satisfaction, and promptly left.

Once she arrived at the church, she could hear the procession approach. "Should we wait for them to arrive? No, we should not bother them with the presence of a queen with a tin crown." With a sad expression, she tapped her tin crown and walked on, deciding to pay a visit to the 10th Century bridge which Olivia had once mentioned. And so, she walked down to the town square, and then followed the street which was south of that famous four-sides intersection. Voytek stopped by the supermarket to help the staff with some heavy boxes, and then went on her way again.

She walked on and on alongside the road, until it split into two: One path to the left, one to the right. Voytek chose the path to the left, followed a brief strip of the road and then took a turn to the right, following another path. This time, it led straight to where she wanted to go! It was a dirt path alongside a stream. The ground to her left was elevated up to her head, so she occasionally leaned against it to take breaks.

‘’We were right to follow our rival here: Our kingdom’s landscapes were far more impressive, yes, but such a simple yet pretty landscape is better for the mind." With the vivid memories of her homeland's landscapes in her mind, which she vowed to never forget, she walked on and on until the path split again and her surroundings opened up again: She chose the path to the right. While walking, she admired the olive to her left, and the lush green hills to her right.

When she was close to her destination, she found a house to her left. "How unsurprising. It might be an inn of sorts, for travellers who wish to rest." And not far away, she found another house, a bigger one, with a swimming pool. "This is definitely some sort of rural lodge. But we have neither time nor need for that: We have something we must do.

And so, she walked a bit more until she found the path which would lead her straight to the bridge! So to the north Voytek went. "We have finally arrived!" The bridge was in a zone full of olive trees, which were an icon of Andalusia.

She stopped to read a placard with information about the bridge, devouring the information with boundless curiosity. "Caliphal Bridge… You've seen better days. But worry not: We, Voytek D'Hol Tincrown, understand you." She was speaking to the 7-metre tall stone Bridge, for some reason. Perhaps she had a tendency to empathise with inanimate objects. She left the placard, which was a few metres away from the bridge, alone and started inspecting the bridge, hopping up and down from it and inspecting it from all sides.

"This is a good bridge, it is. We find its repairs to be good: It does not have any visibly damaged spots. If only they'd maintained the castle in a similar manner!" Voytek commented. Once she'd had enough of jumping around and inspecting it, she sat down and let her legs dangle off the edge.

"What do we do now? We grow bored… Very well, let us take the chance to rid us of future problems." She looked around, seeing nobody nearby.

Voytek jumped down the bridge and let the stream below wet her boots. "It's about time, Zarambria: You shall slumber no more." She pointed her shield, which had gone from being a greyish colour to being bright blue, to the sky. She knelt and let the water wet her blue kneesocks.

"We, Voytek D'Hol Tincrown, order our subject, Zarambria Cortejos Valdeví, to arise from her resting place. By the power of the Great Ancient, we hereby swear to take responsibility for what may happen from now. Now get up, Mad Dog Of The West! Release… Achoo!" Her French thickened at the end of her little speech… Unfortunately for her, she sneezed and banged her head against her shield. "Ouchie! We botched it… We wonder what will happen now."

Voytek had botched the ceremony, and the only thing she could do was to wait. "Wait and hope, we think. Wait and hope." The girl sat down in the middle of the stream. A few minutes passed and nothing happened. "How vexing, but how comforting. Very well, let us go home." She looked back and muttered: "It is not yet time. Slumber a bit more, my friend." Voytek walked back home, feeling a bit sad: Her meeting with her friend would be greatly delayed, as the ritual's conditions wouldn't be fulfilled again in a long time.

Voytek's trip back was uneventful, and eventually, she stood in front of the door to her house. She rang on the doorbell, and the door was opened by Hadrinyan.

"Hmph! The hour is almost upon us. Now come up, our early lunch is ready!" The smell of ravioli wafted down the stairs, and the pair swiftly made their way up, joining their friends in the kitchen: They were about to sit down to eat. The smell had made Voytek hungry, and seeing such a scrumptious plate of food cheered her up a bit.

"You're late, Holly! I couldn't see you anywhere: What were you doing? I was worried!" Godofreda jumped at Voytek and gave her a big ol' hug.

"We were training the minds of our new subjects in the park. Afterwards, we visited the bridge and tried to bring Zarambria back, but we failed." She couldn't lie, and wouldn't lie. Voytek stroked Godofreda’s head and listened to what Fetail had to say.

"Haaaah. That all sounds like a pain to deal with. Anyways, you failed miserably: The lesson is that you should have never tried. What a pain that is to have to try." Fetail shrugged, not having much to say. Godofreda leapt at Fetail and pulled on her ears. "Bad Clocky: That's not the right thing, you lazy ball of fluff! Sometimes I question why I love you!"

"Haaaah. Dumb doggy, you should expand your vocabulary beyond love and Clocky. But that's part of your charm, isn’t it?" Fetail laughed dryly and looked at the ceiling, thinking How did I get myself in this situation? What a pain!

"Clooockyyy!" Once again, the lovestruck Professor started rubbing her face against Fetail's. It was their usual routine, one Fetail would never get used to. "Hahaha, gobi! Get a room, you two, gobi!" Imperator yelled, happy for their relationship. "But pay some attention to the cook and the food, gobi!" Because they were hungry, they all sat down, even though Godofreda was a bit too close for comfort to Fetail. "I don't mind if it's you… The dog-girl was blushing heavily, remembering Imperator's comment.

Fetail, of course, looked like she'd eaten a kilogram of uranium: She was incredibly embarrassed! "Haaah. Help me, Hadrinyan, you dumb cat!" The fox-girl felt like swallowing a mercury pill… Not like it would achieve anything anymore. But it would calm her down.

Hadrinyan looked at her and smiled. "Hmph! Nope. You deal with it, Fetail: Your girlfriend is your girlfriend."

"What curious friends you have, Your Royal Highness!"

"Little Zoya is so cute, gobi!"

"We think love is a wonderful thing!" Voytek added.

Fetail said nothing and ate in silence, simmering in shame but also appreciating how tasty the ravioli that Godofreda had made for her were. The conversation eventually went from being love-related to what they planned to do once they arrived.

"I want to go to the beach with Clocky! I want to see her in a swimsuit! Dropping by the castle is a must, too." Godofreda declared, glancing at her.

"Haaaah. I'll put up with that, otherwise you'll ruin my vacation. And I won't let anybody do that. Anyways, I want to drop by the castle too, and take a walk around the places which neighbour Peñíscola. Plus, I have that to look forward to. Olivia?"

Olivia, who had been called forth after Hadrinyan finished one quarter of her plate, nodded. "I bought a pair of telescopes, so don't worry about it. Every battle is won or lost before it is ever fought… So prepare, prepare and prepare. Also, Pasternau, don't forget what you have to do." Fetail had forgotten about it, so she cradled her head in her hands, while Godofreda tried to cheer her up.

"Princess, you are truly thoughtful!" Gladstone marvelled at how Oliva took care of everyone, and at how sharp her memory was.

Voytek, who had finished her food and was staring at the clock, muttered: "Isti Mirant Stella: These people marvel at the star." She was right: A comet would be visible in Peñíscola in the following days. But to Voytek, comets were a bad omen…

Even though she had asked for a blessing, would it work? Would her offering be enough? She couldn't help but worry.

"Peñíscola is tourism, gobi! And tourism includes food, gobi! "Imperator had just demolished six plates of ravioli. To her, it was a light meal. Surely, the coastal city's restaurants would be fine… Right? No, they would probably be in serious trouble when she approached them. As a culinary connoisseur, she considered food to be the number one priority when travelling.

"You're so predictable, Hare-Hare! You only think of food… But that's why you're so good at it!" Godofreda finished her plate at the same time as Fetail. Soon, they were all finished, and their plans were laid out. In order, these were their plans, as written down by Olivia, but they would probably merge together:

Hadrinyan + Gladstone: Visit a maid café, meet with the few Magical Girls who reside in the city. Become a positive influence for the citizens, clean the city as much as possible. Hang out with her Squadron. Offer to help out in the hotel they were staying at.(Never change, Hadrinyan!)

Act as Fetail's squire. (Have fun with that!)

Olivia: Drop by the new part of the town, check out the sports centre, check out the night sky and look for aliens! (I won't let them rest.). Admire the comet. Enjoy their hotel's facilities, and play baseball if possible. Watch over my friends. Take some good photos, get some inspiration for my books. (I'm going to need it!)

Fetail: Marvel at the comet, go to the beach with Godofreda and the others, visit the castle and its surroundings. Visit the places around Peñíscola. Be forced to act like some loony knight while riding a bike and wearing plastic armour. Avoid stressing out. (Fat chance, Fetail.)

Godofreda: Flirt with Fetail, visit the beach, follow Fetail around, check out the beach. Check out the old part of the city, including its walls. Dig for treasure on the beach! Try out the baths the city has to offer, get closer to her beloved and to her friends. (Aw. What a good girl! Too bad Fetail won't budge…)

Imperator: Demolish the food stockpiles of the city's bars and restaurants. Consider opening a branch of Hungry Tyrant's Arm there. (That's her restaurant's name. How shrewd of her! Is it all part of some plan? Probably not.) Judge the quality of the city's sands. (How? What the hell?) Hunt down any invasive species in the area. (No comment.)

Voytek: Worry over the comet, learn some history and culture from the city, wander aimlessly. Empathise with the castle. ( What? I give up on trying to understand this girl.) Fill her court a bit more! (She means she wants to make friends.) Admire the landscape, maybe learn how to paint.

When the conversation turned into a food discussion, Imperator served everyone their desserts: A brown chocolate cake that she had baked herself, to share between everybody.

"Hmm! It's really good, Hare-Hare!" Godofreda commented after eating a slice.

"Dogs can't eat chocolate, so give your slice to me." Fetail quipped.

"Only if you give me a kiss!" Godofreda was hoping for something to happen… But it didn’t! "Tch. Forget about it, then. What a pain, haaaah." Fetail ate like her life depended on it: She wanted to leave no opening for Goddy to strike at.

Godofreda ate a few more slices and watched the reactions of her other friends: Imperator had already finished even though she'd held back. Olivia was eating while minding her manners, and occasionally switching to Hadrinyan, who ate it with her knife and fork. And Voytek? She was carefully eating it, not used to the taste of chocolate. ‘’This is the first time we taste this type of chocolate… Imperator, you are a great one!’’

Once they were finished, they put their plates in the washing machine (Almudena would deal with them when the time came), brushed their teeth and gathered in the garage. Olivia made sure that their luggage was loaded into the trunk, including Matalón and Gladstone, who had requested it to be so. Then, she got into the driver’s seat and waited for the girls to get in. In the co-driver’s seat sat Imperator, whose senses were nothing to scoff at. It could have been Godofreda, but she wanted to sit down next to Fetail. In the end, Fetail sat behind Olivia, Godofreda chose the middle seat, and Voytek sat behind Imperator, feeling a bit like a fifth wheel. Olivia fired up the engine, Imperator used a remote to open the garage door… And they rolled out, leaving the village, but not before checking that the door had closed properly! What would await them on their travels? They couldn’t wait to find out: They were giddy with excitement! Except for Voytek, who was already dizzy.

‘’We won’t survive 6 hours of this… But through difficulties, to the stars. Perhaps this is another thing we must overcome.’’ And with those words, she went to sleep. Thus began their trip into the unknown…