Chapter 49 – Influence.

“Did we do the right thing?” Crystal stared at her glass of water, giving it a little swirl and watching the resulting flow. She wasn’t a fool. She knew what the effects of their actions would be like. Taking out the head of state always had a ripple effect, but here given his absolute position of power, it would be more like a violent turbulence. Once they discovered his absence of course.

“Irrespective of the triggers this time, I think that the clash was always going to happen,” Clocky stated. “Especially once he discovered what had happened to us. Even ignoring that, his genocide could not be ignored. He just chose to forgo the peaceful route.”

There was some truth to that, but Crystal still felt that they were just as much to blame. The first few events had been rather small all things considered, and then Bowser had come at them guns blazing. They had retaliated in kind.

“The world is not black and white,” Myne said, looking up at the awning of the cafe, small pots of colourful flowers hanging down from it. “Every one has their own sense of justice, and their own scale of morality. Nor are there such things as heroes and villains. Good, bad, it is all relative and a matter of perspective. Some people would even be seen as being on both sides of that scale.”

Myne then looked directly at Crystal and Rachael. “Right thing, or wrong thing, you did what needed to be done.”

“As for the fallout here, I’m sure whatever nobles are here will greedily try and fill the vacuum. The current overall lack of magic probably makes it more of an even playing field, but I have no doubt it will be bloody anyway. Unless another Channeller comes in to take over.”

“The town will continue on even without him.” Clocky took a sip of his mug of beer, screwing up his face a little, and placing it back on the table. “The merchants will ensure it does so. I suspect that the nobles will try and form a council, from those that are left at least after they finish their infighting. There are enough of them that they’ll be able to keep each other partially honest. But their power over the people and the rest of their peers will be lacking compared to Bowser’s influence. Of course, things could always end up going south as well, but in the end we will have to wait and see. But, it isn’t our concern. I at the least have no intention in becoming involved in it. There are other things that require our attention now.”

“Aye,” Vorsce agreed. “We have you two lasses to take to Odinsphere.”

“It... might be a little more complex than that now,” Crystal said after a pause, trying to put her thoughts in order. “While the reasons have changed, we still need to go there, but we need to go somewhere else first. The journey might be a lot more extensive than we had originally thought, and I really don’t know what will happen at the end of it.”

She then looked at Clocky and Fairweather, Vorsce, and then Saylin and Abigail. “I know you said you’d help us get there, but so much has changed and you’ve all been through so much, so you no longer have to. Not to mention that both Alison and Dudley are missing”

“And?” Vorsce said when she’d finished. He then chuckled, wincing a bit because of his wounds. “I guess I can’t speak for the others, though we are, or at least were, part of the same team, but that changes nothing. I made a commitment, and I intend to stick to it.”

“Maybe I’m being a bit selfish,” he continued, “as unlike when we first met, I don’t think you actually need our strength any more. You have grown and gained so much in the short space that I’ve known you, very clearly demonstrated in the battles just fought. Not to mention that Myne here, if Clocky’s stories are to be believed, is a force of nature. However, as a consequence of that growth, of the gifts bestowed, we don’t really belong here any more either. At least not at this point in time. So instead, let me put it this way. I’d be happy to accompany you on your journey, should you have me along.”

He was right, of course. Crystal had been aware of it the entire time that they’d been at the cafe, and while it had been somewhat deliberate, she’d been trying to ignore it. They were getting a lot of attention. For a city that didn’t have a many obvious touched (because you know, Bowser), here were a whole bunch of obvious ones just sitting in a cafe. Of course the amusing part was that they were in fact not touched, but things much greater than that.

Saylin and Clocky of course looked mostly normal; Saylin’s arcs of energy seemed to be reasonably infrequent at the moment. Myne was still wearing the cloak, so at a glance she was just a horned lady, if you ignored the small dragon that was resting on her shoulders. Unlike the cat-foxes, Ashling didn’t magically keep himself out of view. Vorsce had his bear ears, and was still looking much worse for the wear, though Rachael had already done a whole lot of healing with her magic – it was just a matter of time now for him for his natural healing to kick in, though she had said that she would try some more magic later on to accelerate the process. Something that Crystal would need to learn herself, on the off chance that Rachael got seriously hurt, heaven forbid that she did.

Abigail, Fairweather, Rachael and herself stood out the most. Not only did they look like touched, they also looked like they didn’t belong here at all. Abigail because of the tight catsuit that the taint formed on her, and the Dark Grazeye that lazily sat her feet, currently pretending to be asleep. For Rachael and herself it was both the horns and their clothes, Rachael’s exercise gear and her own armour. There was nothing close that they had seen amongst the general population. Fairweather of course now had gear similar to Rachael’s, and on top of that were the flames that danced over her ears.

Almost everyone who walked past the cafe stopped and stared, and as many crossed the road as those who then continued on. Quite a number had stopped for a while, just staring, and one group of city guard had even come past, shortly after their arrival. Clocky had just waved them away – they knew enough not to mess with people who had apparent power. The manager of the cafe had grumbled a bit on their arrival, ready to turn them away, but enough coin had made him change his mind. It had been enough to cover a full days trade, even given that the cafe was near the central business district. The point was for them to be seen. The exact why was still a bit fuzzy to Crystal, even when Clocky had given a number of reasons, but the food had been nice enough, and even Saylin had recovered enough from the return trip in the van, which they had ditched a few blocks back, to devour her portion.

“The same goes for us,” Clocky said, echoing Vorsce’s sentiments. “We would very much like to accompany you on your journey. Both to make good on the offer that we made, and also satisfy our own curiosity. Granted we know a little more about it than the others, but the gifts also mean that we are part of your world now, rather than you part of ours.”

“What he said,” Fairweather said with a smile.

“We’re coming as well,” Saylin declared, giving Crystal a stern look. “No way that we’re missing out on this, not to mention that Myne promised that she’d stabilize Abigail properly. Leaving us behind is paramount to handing us a death sentence.”

“I’m in agreement,” Abigail chimed in. “And he is too,” she added.

“I don’t know where Alison and Dudley are at the moment,” Clocky added, “but they are capable individuals, and I know that we will meet up with them again.”

Crystal smiled. “In that case, we’d be glad to have you along.”

“Yup,” Rachel confirmed.

“Oh well Ashling,” Myne said with a chuckle, turning her head to look at the silver dragon, “looks like you’re going to have to be a pack mule for a little while, till they get their own wings.”

Ashling just gave a cute dragon snort.

“However,” Myne then added, “until we’re able to pry the shift array from Angel, I won’t be taking anyone other than the Crystal and Rachael to the Innerlands. Crossing the Tempest Storms is brutal, and I will not risk having any of the rest of you being torn off his back. It could well spell your end.”

“No fair,” Saylin pouted.

“I doubt you’d be able to stay on his back for long under normal circumstances anyway,” Myne stated with a grin. “That part of the trip will be short though, and you can wait for us at the closest port.”

“Fair enough.” Clocky looked contemplative. “We won’t be lacking for opportunities.”

“We stay in town for the night, and leave at dawn,” Myne then stated. “Is there anywhere safe you can stay?”

Clocky nodded. “I have somewhere in mind.”

“Good. Then I suggest we make our way there.”

---

'I'm sure I heard you say that you weren't going to get involved in their business...'

'I'm not... ' Myne paused, looking up into the central city, the buildings massive and foreign, relics from the age long past, currently dark shadows in the moons pale light. That they had survived so well was a miracle in itself, and showed the stark contrast between the Inner and Outerlands. A land blessed with magic versus remnants of science. But they were leaking into each other now. The Touched here, the Arkchildren and Kyla’s toys there.

'Something is off about this entire affair however,’ Myne mused internally. ‘It stinks of Zorthac's influence. I'm going to have a poke around, to satisfy my own curiosity.'

'What, your interested now, after deliberately ignoring his existence for the last ten years?'

'He was longer our concern. We defeated him. The kingdom is safe, for the moment. But for being involved, and not of our own choosing, we paid the price.' There was still bitterness there. She didn't begrudge having the power, nor that she had met Velvet. But it had cost her her entire life, lifestyle, peers, dragon familiar, and Velvet too, taken from her for the last decade. She was also very much aware that it was just a temporary defeat. The battle had been won, the war was far from over. A war that she hadn’t wanted any more involvement in, at least for the moment.

'So why now?'

'Zorthac's meddling does not belong out here.'

'It's the girls, isn't it.'

'Why should they matter in this?'

'You care about them, don't you. More than just being her daughters, they also remind you of yourself...'

'Hmpf.'

Myne wrapped the cloak around herself, and continued to walk down the main street. She could do without attracting any additional attention to herself right at this point in time, though Ashling was as always right in sight and obvious sitting in her shoulder. The others could do with a decent nights sleep, without any unneeded interruptions. They'd all be infamous soon enough. The city would make sure that no one forgot what had happened, unless someone of equal or greater power came along and took control. And that was ignoring what was ahead of them as well. What they were about to embark on could not be ignored.

The Demon King’s influence in this situation had been unmistakable. She had recognised the arrays, derivatives of the ones she had seen in his lair, and of those that she had found scattered around the capital at the time of his defeat. There was no one as well versed in blood magic as him, not to mention that there was no reason for it to exist out here. She was fairly certain that arrays had not existed out here in the last thousand years, Channellers had no need for them, technology taking on that function instead. Without external influence, it would be near impossible to develop that complexity of arrays in such a short space of time, even for blood magic, which was after all a divergence of normal magic.

The real question then, was how had his influence reached this far. He should have had no way of crossing the Tempest, the storm and currents that separated the two lands. Even magic itself got tangled in the brutal currents. She had tested it on her journey here.

‘So many questions, so few answers...’

Unless he had found some other way that didn’t involve himself directly. After all Kyla was able to walk between the worlds, Velvet had shifted herself there by accident once (something that Myne was certain that Velvet would be able to replicate if she chose to), and her sensing and seeking magic was able see past it as well. All three shared one thing in common. The leylines.

Zorthac should not have been able to utilize them, not without the taint being present, making it compatible with him, but nor did he have his previous body either. That was gone, devoured by her flames. Yet she knew that his soul and his magic, the core of what he was, had escaped, and split itself up. Part of the reason why she could not locate him, or Queen Katherine. Whatever it was that he had managed to do, it had changed their signatures enough that they were hidden from her when she had looked.

‘You think one of his souls is here.’

‘You know it’s rude to eavesdrop on a ladies thoughts.’

‘Complains the one who dragged me all the way out here. You’re lucky that Velvet’s nature has changed so much that we no longer have a range limitation.’

Myne rolled her eyes, not that Ashling could actually see it. He’d sense the intent behind it. However he was right. She was starting to suspect that, the more she thought on it. On the plus side, any fragments of the Demon King would only have a fraction of his power. But that didn’t make them any less dangerous.

However, she still wasn’t intending to get involved. Not directly at least.

‘Now you’re starting to think like the Witch.’

‘Shush you.’

She did already have her first target decided upon. Unsurprisingly, she had a good memory for peoples signatures, a combination of the physical and magical natures. They may not know what she was after, but they would be able to point her in the right direction. Finding where they were was easy. It was just a matter of going to them now.

Turning the corner directly into an alley, the few curious gazes departing from her as she did so, she walked a little way before removing the cloak and bundling it into her arms. Unlike her armour, the cloak wasn’t resistant to the hellfire, being mundane and all.

Forming wings of flame, she launched herself into the air.

It was time for the vampire to hunt.

---

The city sparkled as she flew over it, the lights below giving rise to a tapestry of colours and hues offset but the darkness that surrounded and cut through it. Myne didn’t really know what to make of it. All things considered the Outerlands was foreign to her. It’s shape, its form, its very nature. She had spent all her life in a land saturated with magic, surrounded by those with strong magic when she had awakened as a Dragon Rider. But here is was mostly absent, and the entire land felt so empty. Even in a city as large and populated as this one.

She had seen her fair share of architecture from the previous age, the ruins scattered all over the lands. Given that her current home was in the ruins under Agersdene City she had become rather familiar with what was there, but the style here was quite different. She had no doubt that would be the case all over the lands as well, and it was even true of the kingdoms that had formed in the six sections of the Innerlands as well.

Myne dropped back down towards the city, landing gently on the wall that surrounded Old City. Figures that her quarry would be here. All of them in fact. The top of the wall had been reinforced with spikes, but they didn’t bother her at all. If Bowser had wanted to stop people from landing on it he should have gone with something a bit more potent. While there were towers with spotlights dotted along the wall, all of them were dark at the moment, as was a good portion of Old City. In fact the only areas that appeared to be lit up was the area that she was looking at now, the barracks area for Bowser’s hit squad, and his other employees, the guard towers leading up to the gate house, and the two towers above it. The rest was dark. Given what she had been told of Old City on the ride to it earlier, if that wasn’t a hint that something had happened to Bowser she didn’t know what would be. But she hadn’t heard any murmurings on her way out of the main area of the city.

The building in question wasn’t that interesting all things considered. It was still as old as the rest of Old City, but it lacked any flair. Four stories tall, white washed, all stone and glass without any other markings or features. Most of the rooms that had lights on had curtains pulled, not that there would be anyone else around to see in. More likely to serve to keep out the light that Old City would have produced all night instead. Half a dozen vehicles, similar to the vans that had pulled up outside the apartment block earlier in the day were parked up outside, as well as the damaged shells of the two that had been there. The one that they had taken was missing, but that was because they had hidden it themselves outside the main area, in case they needed it one last time. It did however need a clean out inside. Saylin had made a real mess of it.

Myne noted that there were no people outside at all. No guards. Obviously they thought themselves safe since they were inside Bowser’s domain, behind a wall and gates, but that was a foolish notion. They’d just been bested in an assault on a civilian apartment, one of their vehicles stolen. They should be on full alert, least the battle be brought to them. Which it ironically had.

Gliding down to the ground, Myne dismissed her wings, and threw the cloak back on, Ashling grumbling as he was forced from his perch on her shoulder, making his way back quickly enough though. She walked up to the door, a pair of large glass panes, a large desk at the back of the room behind it, and a number of sofas sitting on both sides of the room. She could see a figure lying on one, the back of the sofa facing the door, legs hanging over the side of it and sheathed longsword resting on the small table beside it. The doors slid open quietly at her approach, warm air rushing past her as she entered. Fancy. Like the gates in the walls, only on a much smaller scale.

“You’re back early,” the girl on the couch voiced, still remaining lying there.

Myne didn’t reply, instead just walking over to the sofa, the tapping of her armour’s heeled boots on the tiled floor loudly echoing around the room as the door closed behind her.

“Huh?” the girl uttered, sounding confused as she sat up, looking straight at Myne. “What the...” she then yelped, as she tumbled unceremoniously off the couch, trying to grab her sword at the same time and failing. Picking herself off the floor in a hurry and trying to retain some dignity, she grabbed her sword and stood, facing Myne with the sword partially unsheathed. While she had the same leather armour as the rest of the hit squad, the jacket and breastplate were currently at the other end of the small table, a close fitting singlet all that was covering her top half. She looked pleasant enough, her body toned and muscular from training, blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.

“Who the hell are you, and how did you get in here?” The girl then asked.

“Through the door,” Myne stated as innocently as she could manage, an amused smile on her face as she pointed to it.

“What.. huh?...” The girl stared at her, more than a little bit confused, before taking a step back, bumping up against the low table. “This area is off limits to civilians, all of it.”

“And?” Myne questioned.

The girl just stared, muscles tensing as she shifted nervously. “Who are you?” she finally managed.

“Just an observer,” Myne replied. “I wouldn’t try that,” she added as the girl went to finish unsheathing her sword.

The girl slowly re-sheathed her sword, though she remained tense. She might actually be more skilled than her initial display had suggested. Not that that would amount to much.

“What is your name?” Myne asked.

The girl eyed her carefully and thoughtfully. “Carmen...” she finally said.

“Well Carmen, where is the leader of the hit squad?” Myne asked.

Carmen flinched. “We’re the Peacekeepers, not a hit squad.”

“Really?” Myne raised her eyebrows in amusement. “I could have sworn that was what they were up to earlier. Anyway, your leader. They’re here?”

“Yes, he is. Jean Peirce.”

He was a noble then. No surprised there, but that was what she had been hoping.

“Take me to him.”

“It’s late you realise? Most normal people would be asleep now.”

“Makes little difference to me,” Myne stated.

Carmen gave her another look. “And if I refuse?” It would have been pretty obvious to anyone that she didn’t belong here at all, and not a noble or associate of Bowser’s just visiting either.

“I will find him myself.”

Carmen appeared to be cycling through choices before she finally responded. “I’ll summon him down. Is that acceptable.”

Myne nodded. There would be more than just him that would come down, but she wasn’t concerned about that at all, and it avoided her having to make a mess right at this point.

Carefully extracting herself away from the table, Carmen walked over to a panel on the wall, pushing a combination of buttons. She could faintly hear an alarm start to go off on the upper floor as Carmen got a reply through the panel.

“Yes?” a rough voice said.

“There’s a lady here to see you sir. Black cloak, shoulder length black hair with a pair of thick and shortish black horns. Lots of black.”

“%$#^%.”

There was a short pause, as Carmen started to look increasingly nervous.

“Be down in a minute,” the voice finally replied, though Myne could already sense a whole lot of movement from the upper level. Jean, if that was who was on the other end, wasn’t wasting any time.

“He’s on his way,” Carmen reiterated.

Myne nodded remaining where she was, watching Carmen while she absently monitored the movements of everyone in the building. Everyone had reacted to the sound of the alarm, which had since been silenced, and a total of thirteen were now grouped and heading down the stairs. Carmen stood by the panel, looking nervous and occasionally glancing towards the small table.

“You can put your armour on,” Myne stated to her with a chuckle. “I’m not going to kill you while you do so. And I’m already aware that more than ‘Jean’ is coming down. Thirteen in total I believe.”

Carmen visibly paled.

“I’d hurry up if you want to put in on before they arrive,” Myne added.

Carmen hurried back to the table, and turning to face Myne, she put down her sword, hurriedly grabbing the armoured jacket and putting it on, followed by the breastplate. She then picked up the sword, just as the first of the others appeared from the main corridor. As Myne had sensed with her magic, thirteen in total filed into the room, surrounding her. They all wore what Myne was now guessing was the standard issue armour for the hit squad, most armed with short swords this time. Three however had metallic looking weapons similar but different to the gun that Rachael had created for Crystal. Likely actual guns rather than just a shell. They should have brought them to the assault on the apartments, though it wouldn’t have made a difference. A few of the squad looked bruised, familiar faces. The rest hadn’t been there.

“You’re one of Clocky’s people,” one of the gun wielders stated.

“Actually, no I am not,” Myne replied dismissively. “Now, which one of you is Jean?”

“That is me,” another of the gun wielders stated. “Now give us a good reason not to kill you on the spot. How did you get in here?”

“I’ve already been asked that. Through the door I believe I said. That’s how most people get into a building isn’t it?” Myne couldn’t help herself. The attitude and disposition of these people just radiated off them, and it irritated her. She would give them a chance however. “Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I’m just here for some information.””

“We do not deal with the likes of you.”

“I think you misunderstand your situation,” Myne stated. “The girls were kind and left most of your team alive. However I am not so noble.”

“Heh, what can a mere mixed-blood like you do?” the man directly behind her sneered, the final one with a gun.

Myne smiled, releasing the restraint on her aura. The effect was immediate, half the team visibly paling, Carmen even more so than before, a few taking a step back. She gave credit to Jean that he managed to stay put and not flinch.

“Is that all? A poor parlour trick.”

Myne heard a click from the man’s gun. She turned, dashing straight towards the man, a swift punch sending him flying out through the door and into the darkness, the sickening splat barely audible above the showering of the shattered glass on the pavement outside.

“No. That was the final warning.”

“What is it you wanted to know?” Carmen was the one to speak up, Jean glaring at her, before returning his gaze to Myne. The squad members closest to Myne stepped back, keeping their distance from her.

“Who were Bowser’s advisors, and where can I find them?”

Jean scowled. “If we tell you?”

“Then you will have saved the life of your team. I will leave, with one of you to show me the way. Her,” Myne replied, pointing to Carmen.

The room was silent as Jean looked at her, his team standing nervously, the smell starting to become a little unpleasant.

“Bowser has no advisors,” Jean finally replied, “he administers alone. However Lady Aqua Llyod-Butler has had his attention of late.

“Is that correct?” Myne asked, looking at one of the other squad members. They nodded vigorously.

“You know the way?” she then asked of Carmen.

“Y-Yes,” Carmen managed.

“Good.” Myne turned, and walked out through the shattered door, stopping just outside it and turning again to face the squad. None had made a move. She then looked at Carmen. “Hurry up girl.”

Carmen looked at Jean, who just nodded. Her sword shaking in her tight grip, Carmen quickly made her way across the room towards Myne, stumbling twice.

“Turn to the side please,” Myne asked as Carmen reached her. Carmen looked confused, but did as she was asked.

‘Now you finally use a polite word...’

“And hold this.” Myne took off the cloak, placing the bundle in Carmen’s arm, Ashling sitting on top of it.

“Huh?” Confusion and fear.

Myne scooped up Carmen in a princess hold as she formed her hellfire wings, and then launched herself into the air. Carmen screamed long and loud.

---

It took them longer than Myne would have liked to reached their destination. True to her word, Carmen did know where the Llyod-Butler estate was, however it took her a while to get her bearings once she had stopped screaming. While Carmen was a girl of the city she had never seen it from the air, but after a couple of wide circuits around Old City she finally seemed to calm down enough to start giving Myne directions.

They almost flew straight over it too. It was large and extravagant, situated near the eastern edge of the city, near the river port, sprawling gardens that went all around it separating it from all of it’s neighbours. It was in a part of the city that had only be constructed in the last fifty or so years, as Brightswater had continued to expand. It had belonged to another noble family until about five years ago when the Llyod-Butler’s had suddenly risen in influence and had taken it over. Carmen wasn’t sure what had caused their rise or what had happened to the previous family. Neither was information that was commonly known. The estate, like the bulk of Old City, was completely dark, the moon coating it in its pale light. Myne sent her magic flowing over it, and frowned. No human life remained there.

The stench of death hit them as soon as they landed, what colour Carmen had regained during the flight quickly disappearing. Ashling returned to Myne’s shoulder once she had put the cloak back on.

‘A pity. It seemed like she was enjoying the flight by the end.’

“How long have you been with the squad?” Myne asked as she observed the outside of the building. The door was closed, and nothing looked amiss.

“S-six m-months.”

Made sense. Myne sighed. This was going to be hard on the girl.

“We’re going in. Tell me if you spot Lady Aqua.”

“We cant! They’ll all be asleep,” Carmen said in alarm, though the look on her face said that she didn’t believe that herself.

“You can smell it just as well as I can. Sorry Carmen, your task isn’t finished yet.”

Myne walked up to the front door, pushing them open with little effort, her flame having already discreetly eaten the lock on their approach, as well as a good portion of the door around it as well, the architecture of this area completely foreign to her. The inside of the mansion was dark, not that it bothered her too much, but Carmen wouldn’t be able to see anything.

“Does this place have any source of light?” Myne queried.

“They are wealthy enough. It should be on the grid,” Carmen replied, fumbling about on the wall.

There was a click, the entire entrance foyer suddenly awash with light. A number of bodies lay slumped up against the wall. They kills weren’t fresh, but their deaths had been quick and clean. Carmen swayed a bit before she collapsed onto all fours and vomited.

“Is she one of these?” Myne asked once Carmen had finished and composed herself a little.

“No. Those are all serving staff or guards.”

“You’re familiar with noble households?”

“Somewhat.”

“Then we keep looking.”

Carmen looked like she was about to complain, but kept it to herself. Myne already knew where the bodies were, all of them being picked up by her sensing magic, it was just a matter of checking them. She didn’t want to stick around the estate any longer than necessary either. Too long in a place like this and she’d need to feed.

“Is this what you expected to find?” Carmen asked as she followed Myne up the left hand set of stairs that rose up above the entrance foyer and into the left wing of the mansion.

“No. It is not.” The question though, was who was responsible and why. Myne doubted that they’d find Aqua’s body here if she was connected to the Demon King, so there would be no way to confirm the connection, but the implication would be obvious. They’d find out soon enough though.

It seemed that Carmen did not handle the dead very well, Myne wondering why she had even joined the squad in the first place. As a member of a fighting force she’d see worse than this. The resident’s had not had a chance to retaliate, the killer was skilful. Carmen followed after Myne, looking pale and out of it. Given that all of the serving staff wore uniforms, Myne saved Carmen the effort of having to look at them, just requiring her input for the remainder. She did visibly reel when she identified one of the bodies as the head of the family, Myne just rolling her eyes.

“You can identity the family by sight?” Myne queried.

Carmen just nodded.

“You’re from a noble family yourself aren’t you?”

Carmen nodded again. “T-the Sebastian’s.”

Myne shrugged. It made some sense, though the name meant little to her beyond what Crystal and Rachael had hold her.

“Was Aqua an only child?”

“Yes. They were a small family.”

They found the mother shortly after, and the remaining bodies on the were all serving staff. No Aqua.

“What’s that?” Carmen asked as they made their way back down to the entrance, moonlight bathing one of the closed doors that Myne hadn’t bothered with, given that there wasn’t anyone in it. Not all of the lights in the house had been working either, this stretch in the dark. A small plush hung from the door handle. It looked like it was meant to be a cat, but it was badly made and its portions were all odd. In one of its paws was a small knife.

Myne tried the door, but it was firmly locked. Curiously, there was no sign of a locking mechanism on it at all. Not that was going to be an issue. As she had done with the front door, Myne used the hellfire to eat away at anything around the door, before pulling it out of the frame and putting it aside.

Carmen screamed in agony, collapsing on the floor, blood flowing out of her nose and mouth. Myne swore, sending hellfire through the middle of every array in the room. The arrays sparked, then ceased as the fires ate through them, Carmen quietening down.

“What was that?” Carmen cried, the bleeding having stopped, pulling herself back up into a seating position against the opposite wall of the corridor, staring at the room. “It was trying to tear me apart...”

“Blood Magic,” Myne answered.

The entire room was covered with arrays, etched with blood into the walls, floor and ceiling. She recognised the style, they were the Demon King’s. She hadn’t had the time to study them at all, whatever trap had been laid likely to have killed Carmen if she’d let it run for much longer, Carmen’s own life the fuel for the array. It hadn’t effected Myne at all, as her magic was too potent to be effected by the like, but for normal people and touched it was a different story it appeared.

She wasn’t sure if she would have been able to work them all out either, but it was a moot point now. Ignoring the gaping holes in the walls that she’d made, a good portion of each array was gone. They wouldn’t be activating again. A small desk sat in the room, a collection of tools and books sitting on it. This was the confirmation that she had been looking for. As to whether or not the rest of the family had been involved she did not know, but given their sudden rise to power it was likely. She let her flames consume the rest of the arrays while Carmen watched on, somewhat dazed and terrified, and then the books and equipment as well for good measure.

She had sated her curiosity. She was finished here now.

‘Still with the whole not involving yourself in their battle? You’re going to leave a fragment out here, even though this is your battle?’

Myne threw the plush up into the air and caught it again. She had no doubt as to what it’s purpose was. It’s style was familiar, and based on what Clocky had said about his team, she could guess who it belonged to. She had no need to involve herself any further, not at this stage, unless the one who had left the toy failed. And it wasn’t as if they didn’t have backing.

‘Even if others suffer till he manages to take her out?’

Myne ignored Ashling. She was not a saint or a hero. She had paid her cost. Others could pay theirs.

‘You say that, yet you still went out of your way to save her.’

Carmen was a different story though. Given her likely involvement in the capture of other touched, whether she was aware of it or not, and that she was at least indirectly involved in the experiments at the military facility that the girls had found, due to the family connection, by all rights Myne should have just let her die. Yet she had felt Silence push her hand on that one, and she was actually inclined to agree with the dormant magic in this case.

‘Really?’ Ashling almost sounded surprised on that one.

‘Really.’

Myne looked down at Carmen. The girl looked pale still, and more than just scarred by what she had seen. The wheels were turning in the girls mind, and she was starting to get a grasp of the bigger picture.

“W-what exactly was going on here?” Carmen eventually managed to ask, still staring into the room, now just blackened surfaces.

“They’ve been experimenting on Touched, and not in a nice way. All those that you lot captured? They’re dead. Feed to power someone’s ambition.”

Carmen suddenly looked even more sick.

“Oh come on. You lot aren’t that dense. I’m sure that’s part of the reason why you joined the squad. So that you wouldn’t be targetted yourself.”

“I’m n-not a m-mixed blood...” Carmen started, before she stopped as Myne shook her head.

“I’m not blind girl. You walk without making a sound when you forget to suppress it. And that’s ignoring the fact that I can sense your magic regardless. I knew it from the moment I saw you.”

Carmen tried to sink into the wall, failing.

“That attitude is going to be the death of you all.” Myne sighed. “Accept yourself, and perhaps you’ll find something greater.”

“Come. We’re leaving.”

Myne headed back down the corridor, Carmen quickly picking herself up and scampering after her.

“Who are you?” Carmen asked, once they were outside the mansion, Myne removing the cloak again and roughly bundling it. She’d be happy when she no longer needed to bother with it. It was an inconvenience, even if she could see its point here.

“A traveller,” Myne replied.

“Who are you really?” Carmen asked again, staring straight at Myne. She had regained a little of her colour.

Myne regarded her for a moment, before reaching a decision.

“I am Myne, wielder of the Hellfire, hailing from the Innerlands. Find yourself, work out who and what you want to be. Where you want to go with your life. Then come find me.”

Myne then formed her wings of flame, and launched herself into the air.