112 - Strange Meetings

It rained blood.
The sky was in a perpetual ruby twilight. The trees were mostly naked, but some had long, spindly hairs falling from their branches, where the leaves should be. Affixed to the bare sand were dark lakes of broken souls, the whisper of which filled the air, a distant wailing accompanying it.
And occasionally, like now, it rained blood.
Dark red liquid drizzled from the sky of the demon realm.
It was a place of nightmares, a place with no light. Most humans were terrified to even dream of this place.
Most humans were not Gio Li.
He faced down three dozen demons, smiling with a crazed relish.
When he charged at them, he didn’t even use his magic. Merely his speed and strength, slamming them into the ground, slicing them open with his bare hands, ripping out hearts and killing them as many times as he wanted.
He was the thing to truly be feared here.
Elric simply had to watch his back and evaluate the battlefield to ensure an Overlord wasn’t approaching. He also scanned the far-off hills, using his arcane balancing skill to estimate the population of demons there.
He peered in the distance, his pearly white magic rendering a path, recreating a past scenario of the fleeing creatures they now hunted.
Suddenly, the scenery changed.
Gio was no longer there, fighting with a smile on his face.
Instead, he was replaced by a behemoth, who was leaping toward Elric.
Elric’s heart jumped to his throat. His hand moved to target the monster, but the motion was too slow. The atmosphere dragged his body, weighing it down, while the behemoth’s speed was multiple times his.
It grinned, flashing teeth reddened by blood, its eyes large and evil and encompassing.
Elric froze. He could do nothing but stare as he was struck down.
His entire body flooded with pain once more.
That jolted him awake.
It took him a second to realize that it had been a dream, that the cacophony filling the room wasn’t a warcry but instead, his own noisy breath. His hands shook as he pushed it onto his face. His body was misted with sweat.
But the pain wasn’t real. The pain was only in his memories.
Somehow it was difficult to convince himself of that.
It had been like this for some time now. He’d gone to see a mindhealer, but had been told it would take time for the psychological effects of what happened to fade.
They seemed to be worsening daily, though, nightmares increasing in frequency. It worried him. It wasn’t his first near-death experience, but it was certainly his most gruesome.
He sighed and shifted his hands off his face, getting out of bed now that his breathing was partially steady again. It would go away, eventually, he told himself. With time, the memories would fade, the nightmares no longer haunting him.
What he needed to do now was wash his face and get ready for the day, even though it was still dark outside his window.
However, once he straightened, he noticed something at the other end of his bed.
“Sweet sentinel!” He jumped back, one hand out to blast it into infinity.
It was Gio.
He was seated in an armchair he had likely dragged there, observing Elric as though watching a play. Had he watched him sleep?
In typical Gio fashion, he had his legs crossed, his hands braced on his knee. His long blonde hair had been curled expertly around his feminine face. His eyes were flat as always, with just hints of mischief.
“Good morning,” he said mildly.
“What on Earth are you doing here?” Elric put down his hand and grabbed the robe hanging by his bed, dragging it around himself to cover his night clothes.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m watching you have a spectacularly wretched dream.”
He gritted his teeth. “Why?”
“Because…I had a thought.”
“You had a thought.”
“Yes, it’s been bothering me for quite some time.”
Elric raised an eyebrow.
“According to all the witness testimonies we received from the day Vittoria got the antidote, she stole several other things, faced down multiple demons, and managed to escape without a scratch. She showed an array of skills that I’ve never seen her display. It’s hard for me to tell exactly how she did it.”
“You likely never will,” Elric said. “Vittoria has always been experimental with her powers.”
“Yes. But it’s just interesting that, with the timeline of events we collected, it’s almost like there were two people there.”
“Vittoria is adept at splitting consciousness into different bodies.”
“The other one had a soul as well.”
“She’s probably adept at splitting souls too. Look, Gio, all these questions can wait. I’m not in the mood to entertain any of your theories, at least not before I’ve had breakfast.”
“You’re kicking me out?” He gasped in mock outrage. “Is that any way to treat your guest during a friendly visit?”
“We’re not friends.”
“But you are friends with Vittoria, though, correct? It’s why you went to her for help, though my skills would have been better suited to unlocking those scrolls. And it’s also why she did so much to save you.” He tapped his chin. “That’s another thing that doesn’t quite make sense. Vittoria didn’t want anything to do with the council, but she was willing to come out of her retirement for you. Why is that?”
Elric managed a careless shrug. “I don’t know. I suppose she didn’t want to lose a friend.”
“She’s lost friends before. At her age, she has more dead friends than alive ones. She didn’t leave her self-imposed exile for any of them.”
Elric had been expecting these questions, so he was unmoved. He simply continued giving Gio a measured stare that revealed nothing. Thankfully, the mage could not read minds, which was surprising considering his family and his breadth of magic. But it was truly a boon for Elric.
“Why did Vittoria act in Khor?” Gio asked. “What was she doing there in the first place?”
“Opening a bank account. She told me she wanted a new one.”
“With a mercenary account? Why?
Elric shrugged again. “I’m not sure. You’d have to ask her.”
A knowing smile crossed Gio’s lips. “I thought you two were friends.”
“That doesn’t mean we tell each other everything.”
“And you didn’t uncover that in your investigation?”
“No.”
“How is your cousin?” he commented, twirling a strand of hair, as he switched lanes. “Is she adjusting well in school?”
“As well as can be expected. Gio, again, I would like privacy. And I’d appreciate it if you don’t enter my home again without my permission.”
Gio remained quiet for the longest time. Then he straightened into standing, his authority straining its leash, lashing Elric with the breadth of his power for a split second before he drew it back.
“One day, Elric, we will be good friends,” he said. “And you will share your secrets with me too.”
Elric’s jaw clenched. It was unlikely, but then again, Gio probably didn’t want to be his friend either. It was just his usual mockery and deceit.
He thought about Arielle again as Gio turned his back to walk away.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Elric wondered if one day, he might have to put a dagger in it.

---

The dragon had now braced its hands on the tree bark and was sniffing up to where Arielle floated.
She didn’t move, simply observing it from her high vantage point. It made a tiny keening noise that made Arielle wonder if it was in pain. She scanned it for injuries, but didn’t find any.
“Make sure you do not touch it,” Vittoria said. “It’s very vulnerable at this stage. It might imprint on you.”
“Okay,” Arielle answered.
“It looks small for its age too,” Vittoria added. “It has not been feeding well.”
“Do you think its mother is dead?”
“Not dead,” she murmured. “But it might be injured.“
“What on this island could injure a dragon?”
“I have no clue.” Her voice darkened. “But I don’t think we should find out today. I’m pulling you back.”
“No,” Arielle said. “Not until I find the cure.”
“If something on that island can harm an adult dragon, I don’t want you anywhere near it.”
“But we’ll be able to tell it’s coming,” Arielle said. “I’m close to figuring out a cure, and the creature is in pain.”
“Arielle, even if you manage to stop whatever is causing the pain, it does not mean the creature will live, given the damage that has already been done to its body. Healing is one of the most complicated disciplines in the world, requiring a combination of science, spirituality, and magic. Human anatomy is also very different from animal anatomy, and both require constant study. Believe me, I was friends with a few healers, and they spend all their time with their head buried in a book or poking at a corpse. I know a thing or two, but gave up learning it because I simply had no passion for rote memorization.”
“Maybe they can help.”
“What?”
“Your friends.” Arielle had an idea. “What if we tell them what’s wrong with the serpent. Maybe they can help us figure out a cure. I know very little about animal anatomy, but I do know fundamentally what is wrong here, and if I tell her, your healer friend might be able to help us.”
“Arielle.”
“I think the dragon has the ailment too,” she said, not letting Vittoria finish. “It keeps whining. It’s in pain.”
Arielle knew a simple healing spell, adept tier, and she silently cast it on the creature, hoping that it might help with whatever was hurting it. It instantly stopped whining and began licking at its hands, settling down on its back legs.
“Arielle, this is too far. We have bigger things to worry about.”
“We can do two things at once. It won’t take long for you to just ask your healer friend if they would be willing to help. If they say no, then…then we know.”
Vittoria let out another long-suffering sigh. “Fine. I’ll need to check the cave first. I’m leaving your friends.”
Ariell grinned, pleased.
She also went back to her study of the baby dragon, who was now sitting still, focused on licking its paw.
It too had a riot of orbs, but there were fewer within than those that surrounded its body. Then it whined again, and Arielle noticed something.
One of the Calor orbs jumped out of its mouth.
A single glowing Calor that was missing one mini-orb. She watched it radiate and began to bump into the essence next to it, a Luxa, several times.
The Luxa started glowing too.
Arielle’s jaw slackened again.
That was…
Had the Calor just charged another essence somehow, without an EPUQ? Was that how the spell had been formed in the serpent’s body, not through poison per se but unintentional bonding?
That was an incredible discovery. She nearly danced with excitement. But how come the first glowing Calor she’d seen hadn’t done the same thing? It hadn’t affected any of the other orbs around it, despite colliding often with them.
The dragon gave another sound, and it sobered Arielle up, tamping down some of her delight. Arielle healed it again, but this time the dragon seemed to notice.
It made a sound in its throat and turned its face up to her. It couldn’t see her obviously, but it sniffed and began to purr.
“Why are you making that sound now?” Ari wondered aloud.
“Oh, blast it.” The bird flapped its wings, jumping from its spot to Arielle’s shoulder. “Arielle, did you use your magic on the dragon?“
“Yes. I healed it.”
“Damn it, I told you not to touch it. That includes with magic.”
“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “You should have been clearer about that.”
Vittoria heaved a third heavy sigh, which Arielle thought was unfair. Her frustration was entirely her fault for her poor communication.
“What’s happening now?” Arielle asked.
“It might have started imprinting on you. It’s okay. Just don’t touch it anymore. I’m at the cave now. I’ll be there soon.”

---

Vittoria shook her head as she focused on the cave in front of her. She’d used one of her backdoors to get from campus to North Base, knowing that the Dean would likely detect a teleportation through any other means.
Now she stood there, reducing her awareness of Arielle, focusing on the space instead. Splitting consciousness and magic between two forms wasn’t easy, but she’d had a lot of experience, so she handled it expertly.
Three forms, though, would be more of a challenge, which was why she wanted to finish here before she called on her friend at Arielle’s request to heal an aggravated serpent.
The things I do for that girl.
Vittoria used her light magic, scanning the atmosphere. No evidence of any demonic activity. No evidence of anything else, actually, and she didn’t feel the strangeness Arielle had felt.
“I don’t see anything,” she communicated with Arielle through the silent channel, knowing the bird would repeat the words.
“It comes and goes,” was Arielle’s response
Yes, but she should still feel its channel if it was a demon. She didn’t feel even that.
But she did feel a portal forming behind her and spun around as someone apparated.
A tall raven-haired girl stood at the edge of the cave, her blue eyes glinting in the dark.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. She was a fourth year from the looks of it, and appeared familiar.
“It’s too late for you to still be here,” she continued, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you not know that?”
Vittoria didn’t answer, maintaining her flat Ari expression. How would Arielle respond to this? Did she know this girl personally?
“I suppose you couldn’t resist coming to see your friend, could you?” the girl scoffed.
“Friend?” Vittoria inquired, tilting her head slightly in the way Ari often did. She didn’t let her impatience show. She needed to leave, but this girl was a massive distraction that she couldn’t afford to simply blow off.
“You know, your friend,” the girl emphasized. “The one you meet in this cave regularly. The one who gives you all those neat little powers of yours. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
Vittoria had no clue what the girl was talking about until she walked forward.
“Go ahead. Show me how you summon the demon. Or I’m going to tell the dean that you snuck off at night.”
Vittoria raised an eyebrow. “You think I summoned a demon.”
“Clearly,” she said. “You’ve been consorting with one, haven’t you? That’s how you were able to close that portal Telip opened without a word. It’s how you’re so skilled.”
Ah. It was starting to become clearer.
The girl had deluded herself into thinking that Arielle was consorting with a demon and that was where she got her powers from. Powers that Arielle was clearly doing a terrible job of hiding.
That was what Vittoria had been trying to explain to Elric. Already this girl had caught on to Arielle. As time went on, more and more powerful people would know that Arielle was unusual. However, if they saw her as an asset, they would be more likely to help her keep her secret, and more likely to ultimately support her for a hostile takeover.
That was the only thing that could keep her safe.
Vittoria had thought the hardest part would be convincing Elric, but no. It was convincing Arielle herself.
She didn’t blame the young mage for her apprehension. What Vittoria was asking for demanded a lot of responsibility, and Vittoria had been about Arielle’s age when she’d had that responsibility heaped on her too. And she hadn’t taken it well. She’d rebelled for many years until her mother had pretty severely shown her the price of her negligence.
Like it or not, the powerful have a responsibility to serve the weak, the queen had said. And your failure to do so makes you culpable in their demise.
The words had haunted Vittoria through most of her career, until she became jaded enough to finally break free of their hold.
She didn’t want to be as harsh with Arielle as her mother had been with her. But she thought perhaps Arielle did not understand the ramifications of her denial.
Maybe she could find a way to show her, though not using the means that her mother used.
“Are you still processing that I caught you, or are you trying to think of a lie?” the girl asked, breaking the silence.
“Neither. I’m simply dumbfounded by your theory.”
“Theory?” she scoffed. “Don’t you think the fact that you’re here at night is enough proof?”
What a leap. “No. I came back because I left something. I was simply searching for it.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
She shrugged. “I’m not concerned with whether or not you believe it. It’s the truth.” Luckily, Vittoria was a more convincing liar than Arielle, but the girl did not show doubt.
“So if I reported you right now, for blatantly breaking the rules, they would not find any blood rituals anywhere? You would be okay with a search?”
“You’re breaking the rules too.”
“I’m a fourth year. A master. There’s a big difference between the two of us.”
“Regardless. The rules are the rules. You can report back to the dean if you want. I do not have a problem with that.”
The girl clearly wasn’t expecting Vittoria to call her bluff. A silent standoff ensued, during which Vittoria read the expression on the other girl’s face.
Envy.
That was what it was. This girl, a young master, was clearly powerful, but she was envious that Arielle had superior skills. And while her envy was understandable, it was also dangerous to Arielle and for the girl herself.
Vittoria had to talk her down.
“People sometimes see what they want to see,” she said. “You assume that I have demonic connections, not because there’s evidence but because you want to believe it for whatever reason.”
The girl narrowed her eyes, and Vittoria knew she had hit the nail on the head. At the same time, she didn’t want to push it any further as she didn’t want there to be problems for Arielle in the future.
“Anyway,” she said. “I didn’t find what I was looking for. I’m going to go b–”
“How did you get here?”
Vittoria maintained her nonplussed expression. “The dean helped me.”
“Really.”
“Yes. I told him about my lost item, and he helped me teleport to find it.” The dean would know that Selena had left campus, and though she was a senior, he would likely send one of his paper birds to investigate. So he might already know that Vittoria was here.
She would explain it to him in his office. Hopefully that wouldn’t take too long.
“I’m going now,” she said, but the girl said, “Wait.”
She waited.
The girl chewed on her words for a second before she blurted out, “Just tell me where the demon is. That’s all I want to know.”
Vittoria raised an eyebrow. “There are no demons here. Only the ones in your mind.”