II
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Arc II Chapter 17
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18th of Anima Lunar 753 AAC
Aurora turned to her newest underlings, her fluffballs. Her eyes narrowed. Her icy gaze froze them solid. Her sprites would be pressed into service, even on an involuntary basis, if necessary. Duty called, and they would obey. Far from innocent, the sprites and their thoughtless behaviour responsible were for this entire disaster. No pardon would be given.
“Zzzz.” The will-o-wisps gulped, sensing their approaching misfortune. They wouldn't escape their punishment. Their mistress didn't negotiate.
“Listen, my friends, we both know who is responsible for this, don't we? It certainly wasn't me.” Aurora crossed her arms.
“Zzzzzz.” Her sprites lowered their heads in shame, confessing to their guilt.
Aurora approved of their repentance. “As such, we will fight the beast together. And when I say together, I mean we, and when I say we, I mean you.”
“Zzzz?” Her new friends looked puzzled, tilting their heads. They didn't understand. To them, the evil princess made no sense.
“Yes, you.” Aurora deployed a benevolent smile. “You caused this, so you will also take responsibility.”
Her fluffballs suffered a near heart attack. Their aether froze, and their confidence dropped to an all time low.
“Zzzzzz! Zzzz! Zzzzzz!” her sprites protested in unison. This was madness! This was insanity! They were no cheap cannon fodder!
Aurora clicked her tongue. “You are such pessimists. Worry less, ... you won't die. At least, I hope so.”
Her last part didn't escape them. Her fluffballs heard their evil princess loud and clear, erupting in open protest. “Zzzz. Zzzz. Zzzz. Zzzz. Zzzz.Zzzz.”
Yet their meek protest went unheard, dismissed by an experienced glare. “Is this what I think it is? Do I sense rebellious discontent among the nether ranks?”
...
...
...
Her actions proved effective at restoring discipline. Order was maintained. Her sprites whimpered after submitting under the weight of her intimidating glare. They finally realised that they had got themselves into something beyond their control. From here on, there was no way out.
Aurora raised her index finger. “Do not despair, though. You are not alone. I have a plan.”
Her sprites blinked. “Zzzz?” She did?
“As a matter of fact, I do!” Her chest swelled with pride. “My plan is to use the crystals against our common enemy.”
The fuzzballs responded with a blank stare.
“To make things simple, I will inject my mana and destabilise the crystal formation. This will trigger a chain reaction and set off the crystalised aether.”
“Zzzz.” Her friends sounded less than convinced. Hopefully, their mistress knew what she was doing.
“Unfortunately, preparations take time. That's where you all come in. You will create a diversion and distract the enemy, while I set up the explosion. You will engage the enemy and act as living decoys. After successfully establishing contact, you will disengage and fall back. Capitalising on your numerical superiority, you should split up and disperse. That way, it’s less likely that all of you will get caught.”
“...” Her sprites looked at her with a healthy amount of scepticism.
“Afterwards, you will lead him back to my position to be finished off by our little present.” Aurora beamed. “In short, nothing complicated. Nothing too elaborate. You might end up getting eaten, but life is a dangerous affair in general.”
“...” The sprites declined to comment. Their blank stares told her everything she needed to know.
Aurora clapped her hands together. “Do you have any questions?”
...
...
...
“None? Excellent. Now off with you. The enemy is waiting for you.” Aurora and her accompanying doll took cover behind her lovely wall and clenched her fists to demonstrate her resolve. “Have courage! Show no fear! Never forget, I believe in you. I am behind you, right behind this wall.” Her hollow declaration offered her comrades little consolation.
“Even my doll supports you. Aurora, wave at them.” Her doll waved at the sprites. Her wave carried the bitter aftertaste of a parting gift of dubious benevolence.
...
...
...
“Zzzzzzz. The sprites gulped, yet they followed her command without so much as a complaint, and thus faced the beast. It was time to confront the enemy. It was time to die.
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Peeking over the wall, Aurora watched her comrades floating directly towards the enemy. They were such brave little sprites, yet their chances of survival ranged from minimal to non existent, information that was not meant to be divulged. Her heart pitied them, but the realities of combat were tragic. Casualties were to be expected.
Aurora consulted her doll. “Do you think they will make it?”
“...” Her doll remained silent.
“I agree. Poor creatures. I hope they are faster than they look.” Aurora returned into hiding, biding her time. It was now on the fluffball brigade to prove their worth.
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Thanks for the chapter.
Hope they survive. And then she'll have an army of loyal friends.
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The wolf snarled, saliva running from his fangs in rivulets to hit the ground and where they struck, there were incandescent sparks as his aether made connection with that of the planet.
He was ready for battle. He'd risen from the very ground, ready to fight a little loli. Ready to brunch and snack on her little bones. He longed for the sensation of her hot blood running down his throat. The look in her eyes signaled that it was time, but then she turned to the fuzzballs accompanying her and started to rant at them in a long-winded tirade.
And the wolf grew disappointed and bored. While he was ready to pounce on his prey, his head hung over. The will to do battle in this loli was too ambiguous. It seemed only appropriate that the wolf should get a few chores done. He'd been falling behind in his reading. The wolf sat back on his haunches and dug a novel he kept in his fur to thumb... er... dewclaw his way through the heavy text. His eyes glittered with hatred as he glanced up from the story he enjoyed to gauge the readiness of the loli to finally do battle. Every time he looked, he was greeted with the same scene... the loli was still ranting at the shaking will-o-wisps.
*UGH... IF SHE'S SO FULL OF HOT WIND, SHE'D PROBABLY GIVE ME HORRIBLE INDIGESTION...*
This continued for a while and finally his stomach started to rumble. He was hungry. Very hungry and he grew more and more impatient. With a snarl he threw his book down and got back down all fours, certain that the loli was ready to fight, but no.... she was still prattling at fuzzballs. *DAMN IT! SHE MOCKS ME!!!* The wolf's stomach growled more insistently. *UGH! I HAVE TO EAT!*
The wolf's snarl grew to a loud rictus and he began to bark repeatedly in a way that was sure to gain the attention of any loli lost in her own little world. But no. She continued speaking with the wisps. The wolf ran in circles, digging up the turf of the earth as his paws churned it fit for planting. Still she didn't notice. Oh... His eyes focused on the loli again. Had she actually convinced the little spirits to cover for her?
*AND I SUPPOSE I MUST HUMOR HER?! SHE'LL TASTE WAY BETTER THAN HAIRBALLS! I WON'T FALL FOR THIS RIDICULOUS DIVERSION!*
Pages later in the actual story, the googie chased Will-O-Wisps around while loli cast her spell. And the day was saved.
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@Assurbanipal_II
Some of you May Die, But it's a Sacrifice I am Willing to Make.
tftc
“Even my doll supports you. Aurora, wave at them.” Her doll waved at the sprites. Her wave carried the bitter aftertaste of a parting gift of dubious benevolence.
Why does she know the Name of the doll or were the flashbacks not only for us?
@Assurbanipal_II
@Voidiris
Checked again and fair enough, she didn't go to sleep the first time. She just asked the doll what name she has, but the fact that the next chapter is a flashback, and that she had some visions and gradual return of memories should have been already quite the hint.
Asami sighed. Such pessimists. “Worry less, you won't die. At least, I hope so.“
Wrong pyro loli
I'd be funny if she one day starts to be known as the little girl who enslaves the magical equivalent of mosquitoes, have a cookie
What a shame! They would have made for adequate fluffballs. A truly sad loss.
can you eat fluffball
@Assurbanipal_II ok i would like 3 pls
@Booper150
Order accepted.
Thanks for the chapter
They evil princess made no sense.
Their
Thx for the chapter!