Marina

"You… you monster! Give her back! Give her back, goddamn you!"

The first blow to Marina's mind was when the Earl and Reinhart made their appearance at the court.

The moment they arrived at the Capital, they learned immediately what had happened — how Marina tried to destroy the kingdom, and almost did, using the earthquake, and how she was stopped by Lilian Treble, who apparently was now a saintess gifted divine power by the Grand Saint herself.

They didn't believe it, of course. And so they demanded an audience with the prince, now the king, after his father's death.

And what they found there boiled their blood to the brim.

Marina, half naked, in her half-dryad form, standing beside Lilian with a blank look on her face, unresponsive to everything they said to her.

"This is her punishment!" Lilian declared proudly from her throne. Unlike the previous queen, she wanted a seat on the court, right beside the king. It was a way for her to establish her dominance. "She tried to destroy this dear kingdom and now, she paid the price with her free will. She will help us rebuild this kingdom for the rest of her life."

A smug smile adorned Lilian's face. How could she not? She was never this happy in her entire life. She was now free from her father and the entire kingdom listened to her words.

She told her husband to let the two come to her. Not out of cruelty, but out of kindness. She didn't really have anything against them after all.

"Marina! Marina! It's me, your grandfather!"

He shook her body over and over. No respond.

"Marina! Oh Heavenly Dragon, why must you curse her like this?!"

Reinhard on the other hand said nothing. But the flame in his eyes said everything he needed to say.

As the Earl cried for Marina, he walked over to the new king and queen. He then knelt down and spoke.

"Your Highness. Please. Let our House pay for her bail. There's no need for her to suffer."

"Your house?" The prince-turned-king snickered. "You mean, the house of Archimond? That does not exist anymore. With my authority, I have taken off the title of Earl from your adoptive father. A light punishment, considering what a member of your house had done. To be honest, I considered execution of you and the rest of your family, but my beautiful wife here told me to be merciful."

Reinhard fell silent. He knew from that point on, begging wouldn't get him what he wanted.

If only he didn't have to give his sword to the guard…

"Your replacement will be decided soon." The king continued with his amused expression. "For the time being, you shall manage your territory as usual."

"...We understand." Reinhard replied.

He stood up and walked back to the Earl, who was now kneeling in front of Marina, tears soaking his face.

"Father, please, do not humiliate yourself." He whispered as he pulled him up. "We have to retreat. Now. Whatever magic had befallen her, it cannot be broken by begging like this.

"Marina… Marina… ooh, my poor Marina…"

And so ended the two's meeting with the new court.

And unfortunately, it would be their last.

ᅠ

Grandfather! Please, stop! Leave! There's nothing… there's nothing you can do for me!

Inside her body, Marina was weeping.

She couldn't bear to see her grandfather like that, weeping on her feet, begging for her to respond to him.

And hearing how that foolish prince threatened to execute them, anger quickly overtook her sorrow.

If only… if only this curse did not exist, I would stab those two demons with my roots and suck their mana dry!

But once again, she could not move. Not even a single inch. She could do nothing when the two departed, slowly walking out of her sight.

She had to do something. Anything. It wasn't just her that was now in danger. Her family could be wiped out by the kingdom as well.

It was then she had her idea — to send her remaining familiar to notify Hugo of her situation. It would be really hard but perhaps she could use their familiar bond to send a message to her, without actually summoning her to her side. She couldn’t control her mana but she certainly could control her mind.

She could only pray that she somehow was able to find him in this whole wide world.

ᅠ

Days passed, turning into weeks, and then months.

Still no sign of his knight in white armor.

The only thing that kept her going through her days was his messages, sent to her through her dreams. He would tell her all about his adventures — all the amazing landscapes he saw, all the dangerous foes he faced, and all the interesting people he met.

Even if it meant hearing him gush about that Felicia woman.

On the outside, that girl was using her body like a mule, ordering her to grow crops with the power of her magic. How foolish. That way, you wouldn’t make your farmers independent. They would be forever dependent on her. In fact, you might as well remove the farmers altogether.

She also used her to build houses, replacing those that had been destroyed in the Calamity. For this project, she could approve. She would do the same back home.

…Home…

No day went by without thinking about Erika and her grandfather. She could only hope they wouldn’t do anything rash.

ᅠ

He didn't come fast enough.

…

Blood, seeping through her roots, proof of her monstrous act.

The rebellion, organized by the Earl and Reinhard, even involving the Dukedoms of the north, had failed. All because of her own two hands.

She crushed them. She crushed and stomped and stabbed on them like bugs. Their one hundred thousand strong army never stood a chance. No matter how many ants bit on a giant, they could never defeat one.

And, in the process, she…

"Marina! It's me, Reinhard! Don’t you recognize me? Stop it! Stop this at once! We came here to save you! All of us!"

She killed…

"Marina… My dear Marina… Ooh, what have they done to you, my dear granddaughter? What have they done?"

KiLLed…

"Marina… please… snap… out… of… it… Erika… She… she needs you…"

KILLER

"I'm happy… to see you one last time, my sweet Marina…"

"Please… don't… hate yourself… for this… it's not… your fault…"

"Finish them off. Your mistress commands you."

…

KILLER

YOUAREAKILLERYOUAREAKILLERYOUAREAKILLER

KILLEDTHEMKILLEDTHEMKILLEDTHEM

...

KILLKILLKILLKILLKILL

KILLHER

KILLHERKILLHERKILLHER

…

…

She couldn’t.

She couldn’t touch her, no matter how much she wanted to.

…

She doesn't want to think anymore.

ᅠ

Erika

Months had passed since the Calamity occured. With the Earl’s mansion being completely destroyed, Erika was forced to live in a temporary shelter, under the care of Sophie and Rudferd.

Every day she would try to keep her spirits up, despite her inability to walk. Rudferd would push her wheelchair all around the shelter so she could speak and meet with other people living there. Rina, on the other hand, would act as her friend, making sure she remained as entertained as she could be.

This was what her big sister would do. That’s why she would do the same. She wanted to be like her after all.

And the refugees, well, they all accepted her with warmth, of course. It was hard to resist her cuteness after all. And seeing as she was the little sister of the great mage Marina (some were beginning to call her that, after she enriched the agriculture of the area with her spells), it was all the more reason why they would treat her well. Especially knowing that she had lost the use of her legs from the disaster.

“Please, Miss Erika! Take this! It’s in the house!” A dollmaker said to her as he gave her a small teddy bear.

“Miss Erika! Would you care for some apples? Your sister was the one who gave me the seeds! And, wouldn’t you know it, the trees survived!” A farmer said to her with a roaring laughter.

Still, she couldn’t actually help with the reconstruction efforts. Even if she still could walk, she was still too small to lift any wood or rocks or to do any manual labor.

And secretly, she hated that. If it were her sister, she would’ve been able to help with her magic for sure!

In the end, she could only wait for her sister to return.

ᅠ

One morning, as Erika was having breakfast with Sophie and the others...

"Miss Sophie! The Earl is back!' One of the refugees burst into their tent.

"The Earl is back?!" The hobbit jumped from her seat, almost knocking over her coffee in the process. "Erika!"

"Yes!" Erika nodded, a smile breaking out on her face.

She knew what this meant. Her sister was back! The Earl left to go after her to the capital after all!

She pushed her wheelchair out of the tent (she had grown adept at it, not wanting to be dependent to Rudferd all the time) and looked around.

And there, at the distance, was the Earl, being surrounded by the refugees.

“Grandfather!”

She flew like the wind, pushing her wheelchair as fast as she could towards him. Noticing her arrival, the refugees made way. She was his granddaughter and their reunion was more important than theirs.

“Grandfather! You're back!"

She would have jumped and given him a hug if she could. But seeing her current state, unfortunately, that became an impossibility. Instead, she could only give him the biggest, brightest smile that she could afford.

“Welcome back!” She said to him. “And you too, Sir Reinhard!” She smiled at the man beside him. “Where’s Big Sister Marina? She’s with you two, right?”

…

Silence.

Reinhard looked away, his hands clenched into fists. The Earl, on the other hand, picked up Erika and gave her a big hug.

“It’s alright…” He whispered. “I promise… I will bring back your sister. No matter the cost…”

“H-huh, what do you mean, Grandfather? Isn’t she… with you? She-she was in the Capital, wasn’t she?” Erika’s voice shook.

The Earl fell silent. He simply put her back on her wheelchair, before suddenly breaking down in tears.

Reinhard ended up being the one to explain.

ᅠ

Despair.

It was all Erika could feel inside her little chest.

The revelation that her big sister was now being controlled by some noble lady against her will…

Why?

Why does this keep happening to her? To her family?

It's unfair! Just when they were building back their life together…

She shut herself in her tent, refusing to go out or see anyone.

She cried. She cried and cried and cried until she couldn't cry anymore.

Nightmares plagued her sleep. Shadows would snatch her dear sister away before she could reach. And in some dreams, she would actually see her with strings jutting from her body, with a giant shadowy hand controlling her every movement. She would see her in a circus, paraded around like a pet, while the crowds threw rocks at her. To make things worse, when she woke up, it would always be to a wet bedsheet. It got so frequent she began wearing that… that thing again, the thing she thought she had outgrown. She was so proud when she told Marina she didn't need it anymore too.

She could do nothing.

She could do nothing as she watched her family crumble and shatter, disappearing into the four winds.

She was just a giant, useless baby.

ᅠ

Erika wasn’t the only one swallowed by despair, however.

When Reinhard saw the ruins of his home, he fell to his knees, tears covering his face.

His wifes… his son… his baby daughter… they were all gone…

And he… he wasn’t there to save them. Or even, to share in their fate.

He failed.

He failed Marina. He failed Emma. He failed Rina. He failed Roland. He failed Veronica.

He failed everyone.

Annelise, Henrietta, John, Lorry, Elise… he failed all of them as well.

Beside him was his Lord, Philip Archimond. He too was weeping. Even more than he already did.

In the end, it had to be him to comfort the old man, for no one else could.

And slowly, he abandoned his tears, replacing it with rage and fury.

They had to pay.

They had to pay for taking everything from them.

This… this whole Calamity thing… it had to be their fault! It was all a conspiracy! To bring the house of Archimond down, to enslave Marina, and for her to ascend the throne!

That girl! It was all her fault! Hers and hers alone!

There was only one thing left that he could do.

Vengeance.

ᅠ

Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months.

She still refused to come out. She would spend her days mindlessly reading the picture books Sophie gave her. All stories about valiant heroes overcoming their foes — something she couldn't emphasize with.

The townsfolk apparently donated them to cheer her up. Well, they failed miserably.

Sometimes, she would overhear talks about rebellion, how the Earl was gathering soldiers to attack the Capital and free Marina.

It didn't matter. Knowing her family's rotten luck, his efforts would all fail in the end.

...And indeed it did.

Six months after the Earl returned, his little rebellion was foiled. He and his adoptive son were killed in combat.

By her sister's own hands.

Using her magic, she put down the rebellion with ease. Without mercy. She slaughtered an entire army by herself.

Tales of creatures made out of trees spread like the wind. Followed by stories of mutated flowers firing flame and ice. Followed by ballads of thorns stabbing each and every rebel who tried to escape.

Her sister was a monster. There was no questioning it. Her power surpassed even the legendary griffon knights, who died on the day of the Calamity.

When she heard the news, no tears escaped her eyes. Her heart simply sank, deeper into the darkness that had claimed it. Even as she stood beside the grave of her grandfather, she didn't weep for a single moment.

Useless.

Everything was useless.

She, and her family, was simply cursed to be unhappy forever.

…

And then, it began.

Messages coming from her perverted, cowardly, failure of a brother, arriving in her dreams nearly every night.

He seemed to have learned of her sister's fate. He promised to her that he would save her and that she should cheer up and stay strong. And of course, he also asked for forgiveness.

But she knew better.

That liar… he could not be trusted in the slightest.

Oh, how much she wanted to punch and slap and kick that cocky face of his every time he appeared. How dare he ruin her sleep like this?

She wanted him to suffer, just as much as she and her big sister did. No, double of that! He deserved far more for betraying them all those years ago!

She knew one thing for certain.

She was now all alone in the world.

If her sister was going to be saved, it had to be by her own two hands.

Her despair vanished, replaced by anger.

Anger at her brother and anger at the world that tormented her like this.

If only… if only she had power… just like her sister did…

...Her gaze landed on her runemancy book.

Immediately, she knew what to do.

ᅠ

“I want to go to Amereria. There’s a school there that teaches Runemancy, right? I want to go there, Miss Sophie.”

One morning, out of the blue, she blurted this question just as the hobbit was going to have breakfast.

She no longer was living inside a refugee tent. Instead, she was inside an apartment, built for the people who lost their homes due to the Calamity. It wasn’t constructed that well, especially since they built it as quickly and cheaply as possible, but it was good enough as a semi-permanent dwelling. Though of course, most people wouldn’t be able to regain their wealth and commission their normal dwellings back. And with the rebellion failing, their fates grew even more unsure.

“Eh?” The hobbit blinked, nearly dropping her pancake on the spot. “What did you say?” She quickly put said plate on the nearby table.

“I want to go to Trine. That’s where the Academy is, right? The one where humans, dwarves, and gnomes all learn together?”

Sophie nodded. She was still taken by surprise by her just coming out of her room like that! Usually, she would just stay in there while she had to be the one bringing her breakfast over.

“I want to be the very best runecrafter there is!” Erika declared, fire burning in her bright blue eyes. “So please, take me there!”

She gave her deepest bow. It was how her mother taught her to act whenever she asked for a favor from someone.

A smile broke out on Sophie's face, followed by a tight, big hug.

"Ooh, I'm so happy! I thought you'll never get out from that room!"

Erika froze. Why was she acting this way?

"Don't worry!" She released her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I'll get you there!" She sniffled, her eyes getting watery. "I promise! No matter how much gold I have to spend!"

Before Erika could say anything, the hobbit hugged her again.

And so, it was decided.

Erika Greenwood was to travel south to Amereria and receive an education there.

…

One week later, they departed, carrying everything they could inside Sophie’s little wagon.

In truth, Sophie had already planned to bring Erika to Amereria. With all her family gone there was no point in staying here anymore. With the rebellion failing, it would be dangerous to stay further in the kingdom.

Now, she knew this would mean abandoning all the merchants and farmers she had been working with for these past few years here but there really was nothing else she could do to help them.

Business is business and she had to cut her losses.

She still remembered how they yelled with pride and excitement when Reinhard made his big speech about how they had to help Marina after she had done so much to help them. They ended up donating a significant amount of their produce and funds for the war effort. The Earl would then use it as a negotiation chip with the Dukedoms of the north.

Yes, they ended up seeking the help of the mortal enemy of the Ferus — the Dukes that had separated from the kingdom some hundred years ago. Who else could they turn to?

In the end, they managed to form a shaky coalition. Their army numbered 100,000 strong in total. However, they severely lacked mages or specialized, high-level swordsmen. They only had numbers on their side.

And that became their undoing.

It didn’t matter how many common archers or spearmen tried to fight off Marina. She could simply crush them all with her spells in multiple different manners. Without mages to counter her spells, or swordsmen that could close the gap and strike at the core, the army could do nothing against her.

Marina had become too strong. She was now in the level of a Magocracy elite mage. Some even said she was equal to the Council mages.

That absolute strength… it became the strength of the kingdom itself. As long as Lilian sat on the throne as the queen, and as long as Marina remained chained to her, it would take a power that rivaled that of the Magocracy or the Holy Empire to bring the kingdom of Ferus down.