Year 2: The Gathering Fires - Chapter 6

“Okay, Elysa, hold Blake’s left hand so your fingers are all interlocked.”

“Like this?”

“Yes, perfect! Now, just stay like that for me.”

“Um, Stephanie, how long do we have to stay like this?” Blake asked.

“What? Are you embarrassed to hold hands with another girl?”

“No, but her hands are quite sweaty and it’s not nice.”

“Oh, how rude,” Elysa giggled. “This is not sweat, Blake, but moisture left over from when I got out of the bath not too long ago.”

“Why were you taking a bath at two in the afternoon?”

“Well.” Elsya’s cheeks turned a little red as she cupped one with her free hand. “When Stephanie passionately said, ‘Elysa, come to my bedroom after lunch’ I presumed that spring had finally arrived for me.”

“What the hell?!”

“What does that phrase even mean?”

“Stephanie, that is not the most important part!”

“Hajime said it once and I asked him it’s meaning.” Elysa smirked. “A shame - I wouldn’t have mind having my first-”

“Stop right there!” Blake demanded, putting her right hand over Elysa’s mouth. “God, why is it that there’s so many perverts among the heroes?”

“All human beings are perverts, Blake.”

“I’m not!”

“Liar.”

“Am not!”

“Girls, girls, please, focus on just being quit while I do some very delicate last-minute tweaks.”

“Tweaks to what?”

“This!” Stephanie held up what looked to be an ordinary fountain pen, although there were magical stones embedded throughout the gilded gold exterior. “For this next bit, I’m going to need you to both do exactly what I say and to not move a muscle, okay? First, I’m going to have Elysa use her Divine Artifact, Draupnir, to pour mana directly into Blake’s body and into Solomon’s Rings. Then, as she’s doing that, I’m going to start writing some letters on the ring on Blake’s little finger.

"I need you both to stay very still and just do what I’ve asked until I’m finished. Once I’m done, wait for me to tell you to stop pouring mana into Blake, okay?”

“How long will this take?”

“Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”

“Good. While I’ve been putting mana into Draupnir every single day, it isn’t limitless.”

Elysa’s Divine Artifact, the arm ring Draupnir, gave her the ability to store near limitless mana within the ring; however, the user had to put it there first to be able to use it. While they hadn’t been on assignments, Elysa had poured almost all of the mana inside her body into Draupnir, but she wasn’t exactly keen to start using it outside of battle.

“Any other questions?” Both girls shook their heads. “Good, and don’t move! Elysa, whenever you’re ready.”

Elysa did exactly as Stephanie had instructed, slowly, gradually pouring her mana into Blake and Solomon’s Rings. She didn’t want to send too much at once and controlling the flow of mana was a difficult as damming up a raging river, but she endeavoured nonetheless. Blake, for her part, had to try and not flinch or react as the mana flowing into her started to hurt.

It was putting a bit of stress upon her body that wasn’t designed to take in as much mana as Elysa’s Draupnir contained, so it caused her to suffer a fair bit.

Stephanie, however, paid no mind and continued with what she needed to do; rewriting the letters on the little finger’s ring to change the spell embedded within.

While deciphering the language on the rings had been progressing quite well, today’s experiment was to see how easy or difficult it would be to change the spell lying dormant within. Stephanie had come up with several theories and practiced a few of them on Stephanie, but none had worked.

Today, Stephanie was trying her sixth plan - pour a large amount of mana into the host and the rings at once and see if that energy could be used to change the writing by force.

It was a little reckless and dangerous but, if it worked, it would give Blake, Stephanie and her team of scholars and mages a great deal of extra information to work off of.

Four minutes had passed when Stephanie finally set her pen aside. She waited for ten seconds more, staring intently at the ring on Blake’s little finger, before finally telling the girls to stop. Elysa slowly reduced the mana flow to zero before separating her hand from Blake’s.

“Did it work?”

“Sort of,” Stephanie sighed, leaning forward and touching Blake’s rings. “Do you see this letter here, the one that looks like a ‘Y’ with a ‘U’ and a ‘Z’ running through it? I managed to write that on there after erasing the old letter on top, but it’s functionally still the same spell.”

“Which is?”

“…I’m still not one-hundred percent sure, but it appears to be a protection-type spell.”

“So I still can’t use it?”

“Not yet, Blake. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I can still fight, so that’s the main thing.”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry, Elysa, but I don’t think this is the best method for helping Blake. I didn’t mean to waste your time.”

“It’s fine, Stephanie. It was interesting to watch and it gave me a bit of practice controlling Draupnir.”

“…Thanks.”

“It’s fine.” Elysa stood up and wiped her left hand against a towel Stephanie had prepared. “Though I do find it surprising that you asked me to help you with this.”

“Why?”

Elysa laughed a little. “Well, it isn’t like we’re friends or teammates - we’re just-”

“Well, we can start being friends from now.”

A pin dropped in the room as Blake and Elysa stared awkwardly at the completely serious expression on Stephanie’s face.

And then.

“Hahahahaha!” Elysa burst out laugh, making Stephanie quite embarrassed.

“W-what?!”

“Nothing, it’s just-” Elysa kept laughing, even as Stephanie angrily pouted at her. “It was such a childlike response. But fine.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “I don’t mind being your friend.”

“Wow, you sound really enthusiastic about it.”

“Oh, my apologies.”

***

“I’ll dedicate my life to you.”

Sayeh had said those words to Ari shortly after they’d arrived in Aangapea, and yet months later Ari was still confused by her and her actions.

She declared her love, our engagement and that she’d dedicate herself to me so quickly it makes Romeo and Juliet’s love seem slow paced, he thought as he gazed at the napping woman on his lap.

After a day out shopping together, Sayeh had collapsed onto his lap and started to sleep without so much as a word.

“Why do you do so much for me?”

He whispered softly so not to wake her and so that she would never be able to answer the question he feared asking the most.

Why?

She was an airhead and didn’t speak unless she felt like it, regardless of whom was talking to her. She always showered Ari with affection, hugs and kisses, but never asked for anything herself

Once, Ari had bought Sayeh a necklace and she’d refused to wear it.

“It’s too fine of a gift for me.”

When in battle, she did as Ari told her to, even if all he said was to follow Hajime’s orders.

She was quick, efficient and never hesitated to leap into the heart of battle or to Ari’s side to aid him whenever he needed it.

She’s only three years younger than me, so why is she like this? Ari sighed as he continued to stroke her head. She’s older than my sisters, but she’s honestly more immature than them at times.

Three faces flashed through his mind, each appeared smiling, and then angry and then expressionless.

Ari couldn’t help but wince at the memories.

“Never again,” he mumbled.

I won’t let Sayeh end up like them.

***

“Kella.”

“Excuse me.”

She tried to push past him in the corridor, but he put an arm out before her.

“I just want to talk for a second.”

“You just did.”

“Funny, but that’s not what I meant.”

“Then, speak more clearly, Dante.”

When she tried to move past him again, he grabbed her arm tightly.

“Don’t be like this when I’m trying to help you,” he whispered angrily.

“Doesn’t feel like you are.”

“Kella, I-!” He quietened down, glanced around and then leant in close. “I just need to check that it’s not you.”

“…Excuse me?”

The coldness in her voice was a stern warning to Dante not to push any further.

However.

“No matter how much King Alexander tries to sweep it under the rug, there’s no denying that there’s at least one traitor among our ranks, and someone within the circle of trust. Now, I don’t doubt you, not for one second - I remember the day Themis fell, I remember how you were at the camps and I remember the hatred you showed Mania, but…I also know that your family is still there.”

“They’re dead.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You don’t know they aren’t.” Kella snapped her arm free. “If you don’t think it’s me, then that’s enough. It isn’t me and that’s all that matters.”

She started to walk away.

“Three of the four monarchs asked me to investigate you and to tell me my honest thoughts about you,” Dante said, a statement which quickly made Kella stop, though she didn’t turn to face him. “I told them everything we’d been through together, everything we’d seen and done, going all the way back to when the Divine Caster dragged you from your brother’s funeral. I know how deep your hatred for the Demon Emperor runs, but they don’t. They can only believe what they see and hear from those they trust. After I told them that, we discussed possible motivations and I shot them all down, though one or two argued your family’s safety would be a good reason to turn your back on the alliance.

“If that wasn’t enough motivation to turn against us, then I can think of one other - and we both know what that is.”

Silence.

The castle was alive with all kinds of sound and noise, but that corridor was as silent as a graveyard.

“…It’s hard to hide that you leave routinely at the same time every month,” Dante continued. “You might not have ever said anything directly, but I put the pieces together after I remembered the name you said to that black knight in Themis. Kella, I want you to know though that no matter what anyone else says, I-”

He stopped himself.

Kella had turned around to look at him with an expressionless face.

Her eyes were vacant as she looked into his.

…I messed up.

He took a step towards her and she stepped back.

“I’m sorry.”

Kella said nothing to Dante’s apology before leaving.

Once he could no longer hear her footsteps, he smashed his head against the stone wall, leaving a large dent in the rock.

All I wanted to do was make sure she was okay and to tell her that I was on her side.

Dammit! He clicked his tongue. All I can do now is show my sincerity to her with my actions - I just hope it’s enough.

***

Ten minutes before midnight, Kayleigh snuck out of her bedroom and discretely made her way to another girl’s room.

The castle was all but silent with few lights left on or candles burning - it was the exact same environment she saw every night, but she no longer had to be as careful as she did once upon a time.

Carefully, along the route she always travelled, Kayleigh arrived at the door and didn’t even bother to knock, quickly opening and closing the door behind her.

Inside, was Akane.

It was a meeting that no one but the two of them knew was taking place.

A meeting they had held nearly every week since they’d first arrived.

“Welcome.”

Once the door was locked and all the windows had been checked, the two girls sat across from one another, though neither of them were in a particularly good mood.

“So? What do you think?” The Japanese girl asked.

“…It’s far too many times for it to be a coincidence.”

“A good answer. I take it that means you’re now willing to believe that there could be a spy among the Summoned Heroes?”

“Only as a possibility.”

“Well, that’s fine for now.” Akane leant forward a little. “But you’ll come to realise that I’m right, just as I had been with my prediction two months ago.”

I really hope you’re wrong though.