Chapter Three: The Land Where Devils Play

Fubuki sat on the floor of her room staring at the ceiling. Was something wrong with her? Every initiate she’d seen had come out of the ceremony in a panic. Oversensitivity of the senses. Trauma from the ordeal that left them with crying spells or had them devolve into fits of uncontrollable rage. Yet, she was still. Hollow. It felt as though someone had ripped something out of her chest but didn’t replace it with anything. It was as though her heart, the physical organ rather than the concept, was absent. She touched her chest to check if it was still there, feeling its slow and steady beat. Despite the reminder of its presence with each beat, it felt as though it were just a phantom limb. She looked down at her hands. Was she even real?

She looked back up the ceiling again. For hours she just stared into the ceiling. She felt nothing. Thought of nothing. Her senses felt as they always did apart from the sharper sense of smell and taste, yet it hardly bothered her. It was simply a strong sensation, much in the way it felt to taste something sour or bitter.

What on earth was wrong with her?

Fubuki placed Towa flat on her back and held her spear forward. Her hand began to shake. If it was anything like the night before, it would be impossible to escape. She had been out of Castle Loro for two days, that hell hole of a castle, and she was about to die? She felt tears run down her cheeks. Was that all her life was going to be? Torture and execution shortly after? As the black figure slowly emerged from the mist, she felt herself resigning to her fate. She loosened the vice-like grip on her spear and dropped it, looking down.

“Fubuki?” Botan asked “What are you doing?”

“It’s over, Botan…” she whispered “We’re finished.”

She looked at her comrade with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m for everything I said.”

“Don’t talk like that, Fubuki!” Botan said “We can make it through this. We-”

The demons of the Abyss slowly began to emerge from the mist. Hideous abominations one and all, ready for a new meal put perfectly on a plate for them by the Black Wraith. Botan took the spear from the ground and held it in front of her, shaking violently.

“It’s not over.” she said through chattering teeth “We can win.”

A voice called out from behind the wraith.

“I call upon Shion, Goddess of Magic and Creation. Goddess that makes, goddess that shapes. Her brilliance a wellspring limited only by the human understanding.”

The wraith turned around and the mist dissipated slightly to reveal a figure with long hair, half white and half black. She wore a long black lined with a purple fabric that gave her a regal yet threatening appearance. She looked like a woman of mystery, a woman with a million secrets and all the time in the world to share them. She lifted her hands and they began to glow brightly.

“I humbly kneel before you Shion, so that you may lend me your aid and close this rotted door to Ina’s realm. Do this, and I will repay you in kind.”

The sound of a door closing hard shot across their ears and the miss vanished instantly, leaving thirty or so demons in its wake, along with the Black Wraith. The woman tossed a tome in the air, only for it to vanish; payment for the debt incurred.

“I call upon Coco, Goddess of Life and Birth, Goddess who brings new beginnings and tends the garden of humanity. I humbly offer up to you my life blood so that you may lend me aid in difficult times.”

She sliced open her palm and blood poured onto the ground.

“Lend me your faithful servants so that we may cast aside those who serve Ina’nis and her wicked way.”

From the blood, spectral wolves jumped out numbering fifty in all. They rushed to each demon, tearing them limb from limb. The Black Wraith had once again been bested and vanished into thin air. The woman walked to the trio and held out her hand.

“That was very valiant of you.” she praised “My name is Shiori Novella.”

Botan looked in awe. This had to be the mage from Two Sisters that Towa wanted to see.

“You have to help us!” Botan cried “Towa! She’s hurt bad! Please, you have to help!”

Shiori’s eyes widened.

“Towa? That’s what you said?”

She rushed over to Towa who had remained unconscious throughout the entire ordeal.

“Shit. You weren’t kidding. Alright. Hang on a second.”

Shiori put her hands over the injured Spear and Towa’s entire body lit up for a brief moment.

“I’ve stabilized her for now. But we need to get her back to my hut so I can properly treat her. Help me lift her, would you?”

Botan took one arm while Shiori took the other and they began to walk towards wherever Shiori’s cabin was. Fubuki remained rooted in place, as though she were completely stunned.

“Fubuki! C’mon!” Botan said “We need to get her to safety.”

“Y-yes. Right.”

Fubuki pulled up the spear and ran off after them. After around fifteen minutes, they arrived at Shiori’s hut. It was a modest abode, looking more like a hunting cabin than a hut. A small garden lay just beside the oakwood house and smoke gently rose from the chimney. Across the side of the house, vines bearing fruit climbed up the walls and runes lay scattered across the ground, a method of warding off Abyssal tears. On the front door stood a medallion crafted from elephant ivory; a powerful tool that prevented Abyssal creatures from entering the boundaries of the house. Fubuki held open the door so they could carry Towa inside, laying her down on Shiori’s cot.

Inside the house was a treasure trove of oddities. Strange looking skulls and bones, plants with glowing pedals, a bookshelf stuffed with magic tomes and a basin of water used for divination. Mounted on the wall was the stuffed head of a unicorn directly above a display case of a rather ominous sword with a pitch-black blade. Directly opposite of that was an armor stand featuring the standard issue spear armor. Everywhere she looked, Botan could find another odd or exciting item just lying around as though they were paperweights. Shiori began to rifle through her medicine cabinet, pulling out a mix of herbs as well as, disturbingly, a handful of dead mice. She put the contents in a mixing bowl, mashing it into a fine paste, then added a substantial amount of blood to the mix. She began to look pale, no doubt from the excessive blood loss. Pouring it into a glass and mixing it thoroughly, she held it up to Towa’s lips and poured it down, rubbing her throat in order to get the unconscious woman to swallow it. A few minutes after she ingested the fowl mix, Towa’s leg began to emanate a thick layer of mist. Botan looked amazed. It was exactly like how her own body healed due to her gift.

“Alright.” Shiori said in an exhausted tone “That should… that…”

She collapsed, narrowly missing the floor as Botan caught her.

“Thank you…” she said with labored breath “Whew… that… that took a lot out of me… if you’d… if you’d be so kind, could you please grab the purple bottle up in the top drawer there? I’m… I’m close to passing out.”

“Right away!” Fubuki said, rushing to retrieve the bottle

She handed it to Shiori who promptly drank it, scrunching her whole face up at the bitter taste.

“Oh…” she said in a disgusted voice “Oh yeah… th… there we go…”

She put her hand over her mouth, resisting the urge to vomit it back up.

“Are you ok?” Botan asked

“I’m… I’m…” she put her hand over her mouth again as she felt vomit try to forcefully travel up her throat again “I’m good. I just… I just need a minute. In the meantime, make yourselves at home.”

Both Botan and Fubuki went for the water first, drinking their fill and sat against different walls. Botan didn’t realize just how tired the whole thing had made her. Her head dipped and her eyes struggled to keep themselves open. Before long, she was asleep, as was Fubuki.

The next morning dawned and Botan was the first to awake. She looked around but Shiori was nowhere to be seen. She checked throughout the cabin and looked out the window, finding little to no trace of the woman. Suddenly, a soft pop sounded in the backmost room and Shiori exited into the living room.

“Oh! You’re awake! Good!” Shiori said “You know, this reminds me of a time where Towa and I were fishing together. She…”

Shiori interrupted herself with a chuckle as Botan stared confused.

“She... she…” she snorted “She like… she wanted to use wind to basically shockwave all the fish below the water. I told her she was just crazy. You know, you and I should go finishing when this is over, there was this one time-”

“Is Towa going to be ok?” Botan asked

“I was just going to check on that.” she said sympathetically “Let’s go look.”

Botan followed her into the room where Towa slept. Her leg continued to emanate steam, though far less than before. It was much less like a sauna and more like a light sizzle. Shiori’s hands began to glow and she hovered her fingers over the entirety of the leg.

“Good news. She’s going to be fine. Her leg is healing perfectly. Give it… I dunno… another hour and it should be like it was never broken in the first place. Now then.”

Shiori pulled up a seat from the corner of the room and sat down.

“What happened? And can you tell me what this is?” she asked, holding up the blackbean seed in her open palm

“Towa said it was a blackbean seed. And… and come to think of it… whenever it gave off a pulse, that wraith showed up.”

“Wraith?”

“The black one. The one that called the mist.”

“I’m not surprised. This seed is absolutely oozing magic.”

Shiori put her hand to her chin as though she were thinking. She pulled a small glass box with a rune on each side, opened its top and placed the bean inside. As soon as it touched the inside, it began to glow a bright blue color, shining like a lantern. She put it on the nightstand.

“Where did you find this thing?”

Botan told her the events that had transpired from where they found it to the strange pulses to Towa’s strange ability and her behavior once it activated. Shiori listened intently all the while.

“I see… I had no idea she had such an ability. You know, it reminds me of-”

“I’m sorry, Shiori but… can you please just tell me the important details?”

She looked deeply embarrassed.

“Sorry… I have a bit of a habit of that. Anyway… I think I do know what this seed is. Well… I know of two possibilities that it could be… but then again it could be both… You know, back when I was training-”

“Shiori…”

“R-right! Sorry.” she said, clearing her throat “It’s one of two things, but it could be both. It’s either a seed of a Lucky Tree or, and more excitingly, it’s an Elven tree.”

Botan crossed her arms and looked skeptical.

“An Elven tree? The elves went extinct before even Ciyana’s time. I heard there were only a few of them around when humans were using sticks as wands.”

Shiori nodded.

“Correct. The Elves went extinct, heaven knows how many thousands of years ago. It’s only a theory, but it has been suggested that the earth itself is the mother of the Elves and it gives birth to them via seeds.”

Botan gave the same skeptical look.

“That’s a bedtime story, not a theory.”

“True… but you described the wraith as having pointed ears, didn’t you?”

She went quiet. It did seem odd but the Abyss was never a straightforward thing, least of all to Botan.

“What do you plan to do with it now, then?”

Shiori lifted the box in her hand.

“I’m going to study it just a bit. Depending on what I find, I’ll either destroy it or plant it. If it is a Lucky Tree, it will be incredibly valuable to me. Naturally, I’d allow you to partake in the fruit once it has matured.”

“And how long would that take?”

“Two hundred years give or take.”

Towa began to stir, groaning as she lifted herself up.

“Good morning, Towa. Long time no see.” Shiori said with a smile

“It’s good to see you again. I just wish it were under better circumstances.” she pushed lightly on her leg “Wow… you managed to heal it.”

Shiori gave a look of smug pride.

“They don’t call me Lady Medicine for nothing!” she chirped

“I heard most of what you both talked about. You really think it could be an Elven Tree?”

“Possibly. Like I said, I’m not entirely sure. Botan may be right and it might just be a fairy tale. I need to keep researching it.”

“What about the pulses? We can’t keep having to fight the Black Wraith and her endless army of Abyssal creatures.”

“Don’t worry,” she said confidently “I have wards for that. Though you won’t want to venture out once night comes.”

“Why does it do that, anyway? If it wanted us to plant it, why attack us?”

“I have no idea… This isn’t a phenomenon I’ve ever heard about. It’s very peculiar.”

Fubuki entered the bedroom looking rather weary.

“How’s Towa’s leg?” she asked

“Nearly healed. Just a little longer and I’ll be able to put weight on it.” Towa replied

She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“I’m so glad… Thank you, Shiori.”

Shiori smiled a bright smile.

“Don’t mention it. I’m happy to help.”

Reine looked confused as the Pontiff praised their arrival.

“Slow down. What’s going on?”

“Sorry… sorry, you’re right.” she said, straightening out her robes “That was rather unbecoming. Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Pontiff Hoshinova Moona, Pontiff of the First Church of Kronii.”

“Forgive me for asking, your grace… but aren’t you a bit young to be serving as Pontiff?”

“I am actually. Let’s talk privately. I’ll explain everything.”

They followed Moona into a small room at the back of the church. It contained a modest bedroom along with a desk, all of which was made of crystal. Mio couldn’t help but think it all looked slightly tacky and overdone. Moona sat in her crystal chair and looked at them.

“Now I can speak more openly.” she said “Someone or something has been murdering the priests, nuns and brothers of Kronii. The reason I’m Pontiff at such a modest age is because the previous Pontiff was murdered not long ago.”

Reine looked bewildered.

“What do we know about whatever is killing them?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t…” she explained “It attacks without warning and seemingly attacks without any trace of its existence. We first noticed that it attacked one of the nuns in brutal fashion… it ripped her limbs away, opened her stomach and ate everything inside apart from the bones and lungs… After that, it ate a brother in similar fashion but decapitated him instead… both of these instances were in broad daylight and nobody saw nor heard anything.”

Moona crossed her arms and looked down with a deeply troubled expression. As she did so, she revealed a series of bandages hugging her neck. A decent amount of magic emanated from it like slow waves, ebbing and flowing.

“Forgive me, Your Grace. But if I might ask, are you wounded around your neck? I know some healing magic.”

Moona shook her head.

“No, it’s for something very different. This is specially enchanted medical tape that helps with a cough I’ve been having. If I were to take it off, I’d be having coughing fits right now.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’m afraid not. Though if we don’t catch whatever is doing this, I suppose it won’t really matter.” she chuckled

Reine leaned against a wall.

“What about the previous Pontiff?”

“Scariest murder of all of them. We deduced quickly that it was targeting the church papalty and sequestered everyone into the church along with the entirety of the city guard. The next morning, we found the former Pontiff dead in his bed with both of his legs ripped off. No blood trail, no signs of a struggle and, despite having two guards outside, no one entered or exited. It was like he just died in bed and the legs were removed after.”

Mio shifted her weight from one side to the other anxiously.

“Could it have been a conspiracy among the guards?” Mio asked

She shook her head.

“No. We interrogated them both only to find another murder had taken place while they were in custody, this time of another nun. She had both of her arms ripped off. The rest of the guards were positioned outside the jailhouse and, as with the other murders, no one saw nor heard anything despite it taking place during the day in almost plain sight behind a storehouse. People are so afraid to venture out that the entire city is falling into disrepair.”

The room was quiet as each of them racked their brains for ideas. The only solid lead was the motive.

“Are you in danger?” Reine asked

“Of course. But it hasn’t made a move in over three days, which concerns me greatly. Before now, it’s been an everyday occurrence with seven deaths thus far. Either it’s moved on or it’s preparing something big.”

“Or…” Mio began “maybe someone almost caught it and it’s hiding. Perhaps it’s spooked.”

Moona nodded again.

“That’s a possibility I never considered. If that’s the case, it’s likely to strike again soon. If it’s feeding, it must be hungry.”

Reine crossed her arms and nodded.

“Would you like to hire us? We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“I don’t have much choice. I’ll hire you. Half up front, half once the work is done.”

“Deal.”

“I’ll let the tavern owner know you’ll be getting a room. Don’t worry about money, it’s on me.”

“We appreciate it, Pontiff. And congratulations on the promotion, even if it was under duress.”

“I appreciate it.”

“One last question before we go: do you still have the bodies? We’d like to take a look at them to see if there are any clues.”

“Yes. The Pontiff and one of the sisters have yet to be buried. I ask, however, that you show both of them due respect.”

“Of course, your grace.”

The trio exited the cathedral and made their way across town to a three-story tavern made of a fine dark wood with each story having its own slanted roof. It was the historic mansion of the seventh Emperor back when Crystal Cross was the capital of the empire. They traveled inside, taking the suite at the top floor. It was a sprawling room with luxurious beds, fine silk carpets and even a bath. The Pontiff certainly knew how to treat people she needed.

“So…” Reine started, looking at her two charges “What do you two think about this? I want to hear what you think before I give you my thoughts.”

“It’s hard to tell… all we know is it’s got some grudge against the church.” Mio said “We should start with the bodies first.”

“What about the battlefield?” Watame chimed in “Do you think it could be making its lair there?”

“It’s certainly worth a look. What about you Reine?”

“If I had to guess, it’s an abyss creature. A wraith, maybe an organ eater. It would explain why it only removed some portions of the body as opposed to others.”

“What should we do then?”

“We should split up. One of us will go to the battlefield, another to the morgue, and the last should inquire around town. Then we’ll meet back up.”

Watame gave a worried look.

“What if the creature comes to pick us off?”

Reine placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re a proper Spear now. I believe in you. Whatever it is, you can handle it. But if you really get worried, take this.”

Reine reached into her pack and pulled out a glass effigy of a bear.

“Smash this on the ground and it’ll summon a bear spirit. It should give you the edge you need.”

Watame smiled and took it in her hands, carefully putting it in her pack.

“Thanks, Reine.”

“Alright. Anything else you both need? Any questions or theories?”

They both shook their heads.

“Good. Then I will ask around town. Watame, you should go to the battlefield and, if you have time, check the town graveyard as well. Mio, you’re on morgue duty. We meet back at the inn at no later than midnight. If either of you are in trouble, launch a ball of fire into the air and we’ll all come running.”

With Towa’s leg fully healed, she carefully got to her feet and moved around. Everything seemed to be where it should be. No pain, not even so much as soreness. Shiori never disappointed. Her healing magic was some of the best she’d ever encountered and it seemed as though time had only improved her already impressive abilities. Wounds that severe would normally take nearly two weeks to fix via magic. She walked into the backmost room, locating a pentagram on the wall.

“Shiori…” she whispered to herself with a smile “you are so old fashioned.”

She closed her eyes, pressed her hand to the pentagram and felt a falling sensation for a brief moment. When she opened her eyes, she was in a replica of Shiori’s cabin. The only difference being that the forest was fake and the sky above consistently changed colors like a kaleidoscope. She walked over to the house and opened the door only to find the inside to be impossibly large for the size of the outside. Inside was no less than fifteen rooms that sat across three stories. As always, Shiori’s taste remained charming in a tacky sort of way. She traveled up a spiral staircase, knowing exactly where she’d find her friend: the lab.

She walked down a long hallway towards the middle door and went inside, finding an impressive laboratory full of alembics, flasks, potions and crafting supplies. It was a lab that would put the finest labs in the empire to shame. There, Shiori sat hunched over the runed glass box that contained the seed.

“How’s the research coming?” Towa asked

She smiled and looked up at her.

“Good. I’ve looked into it in detail. It certainly has something inside it, though what I can’t say for certain.”

“The Black Wraith?”

Shiori shrugged.

“I don’t know. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. All I can tell is that it’s alive, but dormant. The magic coming from it is what I assume attracted the monsters.”

“So, what are you planning?”

“I’m going to plant it. Well… after I put runes around the location, naturally.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Shiori put both hands on the table and shook her head.

“No. But more and more I’m starting to think this is the seed of an Elven tree. I can’t think of what else it could be. We can’t afford to put this opportunity aside.”

“I guess… I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I’ll be fine, Towa. And… speaking of opportunities…” she began “You’re here for Aloe, huh?

Towa crossed her arms.

“How’d you know?”

“Why else would you be in Two Sisters? It’s not like there’s a lot of work for Spears here.” she said, turning her attention back to the seed

“I’d assumed you’d be a little more secretive about it.”

“Why? Because you thought I was hiding her?”

Towa glowered.

“I wasn’t hiding her, ok?” she said in an amused tone “But I wasn’t going to turn her in either. It’s not my business. I even told her as much.”

Towa sighed, fixing her tunic.

“I see… well… do you know where she is now?”

“Somewhere in Two Sisters. When I refused to aid her, she simply let me be.”

“But you’re sure she’s still here? She didn’t leave town?”

“I’m sure. I am the village witch after all. It’d be silly of me not to keep up to date with current affairs.”

“Thank you for the information, Shiori. And this is for the leg.”

Towa slid a coin pouch across the table to her.

“Are you going to take your two shadows with you?” she asked “Those two are remarkably brave. Can’t believe they dragged you all the way here under those circumstances. Reminds me of the time when you and I were in the mountains and I broke my arm.”

Towa raised an eyebrow.

“How? Those situations are barely similar.”

“I broke my arm. You broke your leg.”

“And practically everything else was different.” she chuckled “Thanks again, Shiori.”

She turned around and began to walk before feeling Shiori’s hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t make her suffer, Towa. Please. She’s done a lot for this town and just… please do it quickly and quietly, out of town.”

“I’ll do my best. But I can’t promise anything.”