Sin awoke her master early the next morning, yet despite all of her attempts of being gentle did not raise her master's spirit considering what she had to do. She took Sir screech along, putting him into her bag along with her crowbar and quietly followed behind her servant to the van. "Do you need uhm, directions?" She muttered inside as Sin revved up the engine, who shook her head a no. "Yggdrasil showed me where it is. The damn twig is quite amazing at her work whenever she is kicked hard enough."
The rest of the drive was done in silence, with Maria not having the stomach to speak as the dread and anxiety of their task overwhelmed her, and Sin could not bring herself to agitate her further. They took the road northeast and somewhat out of the city into the quiet and very well-off suburbs. This early in the morning few people were up and about, the ennsuring silence without only exasparating the silence within the van. Finally they stopped outside a rather massive estate, blocked off by a tall stone wall. No guards were at the gate, causing Sin to sigh in relief. "They really are much too cocky."
They left the car close by the gate, and sin walked up and along the wall. It took her a moment to find a proper spot and scratched a hole into the mortar, large enough to put the fruit of Yggdrasil inside. She then cut her left index finger with her other hand, causing thick black blood to ooze from the wound. As it bled onto the fruit it began to pulse more violently, and thin black veins began to sprout from it, spreading across the stone at an alarming pace. Sin shook her head in disgust at the sight and returned to her master's side. "It will take a little while for her to be ready, but until then I will be sufficient. Sadly this is the home of a proper mage." A growl of frustration left her throat. "I can tell that there are a few people of power inside, but not who, or exactly how strong they are. Nonetheless, they cannot match two beasts." She walked past her master and towards the gate, laying her hand onto it. "On your mark, we shall begin. Are you ready, my master?"
When Sin gazed back at her master she could not help but smile. The young lady was shaking, gripping onto her crowbar for dear life, with Sir Screech poking out of her shoulder bag. Despite her fear being written clearly across her face, she nodded. "I, I am ready."
"Then let the dance begin." Sin muttered. Her hand began to glow red, and within the next moment the gate was blown out of it's hinges, they soared through the air and landed on the open frontal plaza of the manor. Quickly Sin marched in, with Maria following her closely. They had caused enough of a ruckus to wake the dead, and the reaction was swift. Men and women in black suits with a look that was frighteningly familiar to Maria poured out of the manor, weapons drawn. "Hands in the air and on the ground, right now." One of them barked, upon which Sin started to chuckle. "I'm not your mother last night, dear. Sis, these are for you!" she yelled out, starting pandemonium. Thick black vines burst out of the ground, thrashing madly and casting the guards to side while others gripped the slower ones who had not leaped for cover, crushing them in vice-like grips. Sin took Maria's hand, dragging her along before her master could be shocked at the horrific display that unfolded around her.
They bolted for the main door that had been left wide open, and they were not alone. The vines had dropped smaller fruit in their attack, which began to grow, forming a writhing mass of vines and forms that barely resembled a humanoid shape. These creatures leaped, crawled and ran alongside Sin and her master, flooding the manor. The two were a few steps away then the sound of a loud crash caused them to turn around.
Two figures had dropped from the sky, one leaving a crater, the other a small dent. Both wore hero costumes, of near similar colouring, their capes blowing in the wind. The first was a mountain of a man, towering at near three meters in height, built like a freighter. The other looked at Sin and Maria first in anger, then shock.
"Maria?"
"James?"
For a moment the young hero and the heiress stared at each other, while Sin and his Mentor eyed each other. "Run, my master. Yggdrasil's dryads will pave the way." She stepped between them and her master, barring her fangs with glee as flickers of black flame circled her hands and feet. "Leave these unsightly clowns to me." Without a second thought Maria did as asked, running into the manor and up the stairs.
"Maria, wait, what is going on!" James leaped up the stairs, aiming to get past Sin who intercepted him with a kick to the gut, with such speed and force that it sent him straight into the opposite wall. All air left his body as the sound of broken bones filled his ears. With him out of the picture Sin turned her attention to his mentor, her heart beating fast with excitement. "If you wish to stop my master you will first have to pass through me."
Her opponent slowly took the stairs up to Sin, a wide confident smile on his face. "Then I suppose I will have to beat you first, Sin. Your courage is quite incredible, most would rather run than fight me." His overbearing confidence only caused Sin to shake her head. "No idea who you are, you commoners are all alike to Sin." She was about to launch another tirade when her eyes widened in anticipation. She leapt to the side, dodging his fist by only a few inches. Her amusement faded and made way for anger, with a howl she launched a kick at his chest, which barely missed its mark. The two now stood face to face, with Sin still blocking the entrance. "Didn't think someone that big and hulking could dodge a train." She growled, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she gave up on maintaining her facade.
"And I've not met someone who could move as fast as me, it seems we will be having an honest battle." Her opponent rose his arms into a stance, throughout their first exchange his smile had not faded. "I am Captain Victory, the first hero. And I will stop you here, Sin."
His lack of concern over her appearance only caused sin to grow more angry. Her flames began to spread and cover her body. "You are lucky my master is not seeing this, or I would have to flay you for not going down in a single strike. Vermin like you should know their place. So I am glad you showed up here." With a barking laughter she launched herself at her enemy. "I shall make an example out of you that the true queen has returned!"
Maria was dashing up the stairs, pandemonium all around her. The twisted vine creatures were flooding every room, overwhelming staff and security. She ran aimlessly through the first floor, doubt starting to spread through her mind. Where could Elaine be, and more importantly, what did she even look like? On her dash she passed door after door, until the voice coming from one at the end of the hall caused her to stop. "There you are, Maria. I see you did not come alone, how disappointing."
Of course, the mirror room. Her heart skipped a beat in agony as she slowly entered, her crowbar clutched tightly in her hand. Her uncle was waiting for her here, the favourite room of the manor. Idle thoughts of the many times she had hid here, pretending to be a princess passed her mind as her eyes darted around. He was not alone, a short female figure stood beside him. Only half of Maria's height she was hiding behind him, dressed up in a frilly blue dress Maria knew all to well, after all it had been hers many many years ago. "That's Elaine, right? Give her to me, and answer my questions and I will leave."
In all her years of her life had she never seen her uncle this disappointed. In the month since Maria had last seen him he seemed to have aged another ten years, his once bright blue that shone with such compassion now clouded with despair. "She is not Elaine anymore, and she is not yours to toy with, Maria. Her name is Lilly, and she will go nowhere that she doesn't want to go."
