Episode 3, Act 1 - The Candidates
=- June 7th, 2022 -=
=-⚜️-=
The priestess candidates selected by Magimaid lined up in the meeting room, dressed in all of their fineries. All of them had been thoroughly vetted; weeks of screening that looked through their background for mob debts, criminal records and substandard testing scores. After the initial screening, those with connections to Maltheist terror operatives and Knot-adjacents were screened with care. The remaining ten were the best of the best, perfect priestesses in every way, shape and form. Now they just had to pass one last test.
I looked over my shoulder at an ill-tempered Divine. She glowered impatiently at the crowd, examining the candidates one by one. To my right, my newest recruit trembled with nervousness, flipping through her holy book, but she wasn't reading. Just... staring at the paper. I let out a sigh, adjusting my tie and brushing back my deep black hair.
Five years of being the CEO for this company, and this process didn't become any less stressful. One by one, I have watched priestess after priestess get picked off by assassins, retire in fear or find their way into the hands of our enemies. Only one of our priestesses has lasted a full five years without them or their charge dying, and she paid the price for it. My eyes drifted to Gisele, standing next to the ill-tempered Madeline. Old, wrinkled; her features deprived of youth, leaving only a solemn dignity.
This was a dangerous profession. The priestess served as a major source of power for their Divine. The Court of Knots had adapted new strategies in response to the rise of the priestess class, often taking out the priestesses before going after the Warriors empowered by them. Not only would we be selecting Olivia's priestess, we would also be selecting their substitutes. She knew that. Everyone knew that.
We were selecting the elites who were slated to die, and the elites who would go on to lead fulfilling lives in the Support division. The silent agreement among these elites is that they would happily die for the Divinity they served; no one needed to vocalize it.
"Olivia." I spoke, resting a hand on her shoulder. My yellow eyes shone as I looked down at the frightened girl. I could see myself in the reflection of her own silver pupils... regal and mysterious. "We will begin the trial. Your nature is your own. Therefore, you decide the nature of the last trial. Those who pass will become your priestesses. Those who fail will work for me."
She could see the girl gulp, the pressure building... but she did not look unprepared, only nervous. "I thought for my trial, we could do a little trivia." Olivia looks down as she speaks. "I'm good at trivia. Anyone who can answer my questions can become a priestess. Ah. I made it fair, don't worry. All of the topics have to do with... Magimaid. Some of our own members, so they shouldn't be too hard."
I saw, out of the corner of my eyes, Madeline flinch. Gisele's hand reached for her shoulder. Reassurance seemed to pass through her features, and I looked away and to the side. There, my mascot sat in a chair that looked empty to all but myself. Chii merely leaned in with interest and observed Olivia closely. She'd found some kind of amusement in the recruit's choice of game.
Chii was a curious creature, draped in a multitude of rainbows. Her catlike ears had a red tinge around the inside, and her green fur seemed to suggest an unhealthy pallor. She had wide, cutesy eyes, something torn straight from an anime, and was short enough to fit inside of a backpack with ease.
"Is she...? I thought they were only theoretical! I haven't actually seen one before, let alone made one! Not to mention, making a new one is going to be hard when we already have her!" Chii gasps in shock. I raise my brow, a silent signal to the cat that I want more information.
"Oh, don't you see? She's a Historia! I had no clue she had that kind of potential in her when I rejected her. Of course Malty would figure something like that out." I blinked, my eyes expressing the lack of understanding as Olivia explained the rules of her game to a crowd of priestesses.
"When I rejected her, I just couldn't figure out how to draw forth her essence; it wasn't like her personality was faulty. She's a sweet girl! It's no wonder she's been having trouble getting a job. Malty might be the only Woven on this planet who knows how to handle that brand of magic. Geh. I want to study her so baaad!" Chii bounced in place, clearly excited, and I gestured to calm her down.
"Just think, I could unlock the potential of so many, if I could just figure out how to refine Malty's haphazard methods. If she hadn't made one for Magimaid, I'd be able to make one first," Chii grumbled. She started mumbling something about silver being an 'exclusive' color, just like gold. I don't understand why she was so obsessed with the color gold. It was just a dull yellow.
I'd come to understand, thanks to her ravings, that a Woven mascot could only ever create one 'Retcon', and that only those with golden eyes were eligible, but a magical girl was a magical girl. They were ultimately replaceable, and there were many of us. Take me, for example. I could go toe to toe with Mad Dog any day-- (Unlikely.) --and she'd.
...
...you're in my head again, aren't you?
(I need to dismiss a few people from the selection.)
We can do that. That's the point of the selection, Mad Dog. Just be sure to let Olivia know that she can't accept them.
(Mad Dog will kill the tall brunette herself.)
What? But we were so thorough with the screening this time.
(She's a Pawn of Calico. Mad Dog found some [Tangleweaves] in her brain. Some of them make her believe there are no Weaves at all, some disguise the presence of Weaves to begin with; she would have passed the truth serum, magical examinations and background checks with ease. I'll make sure she isn't selected, but will also continue to give her hope. One of the Weaves trigger if she thinks she's about to fail.)
Calico would be the type to build [Tangleweaves] like that. Alright. Mad Dog, continue to monitor the selection. Look for any more infiltrators and point them out to the both of us. Over and out.
(Understood.)
=-⚜️➡️💦-=
Being a priestess is an important duty. Being a priestess is... it's everything you've ever wanted. Okay? Just calm down. Trivia isn't hard-- you know these people inside and out. You've studied all of the Divinities! You've tried to learn their interests, just in case one of them chose you. You've done this test countless times, Martha, you'll get it right this time! You'll be selected and your Divinity won't die, you'll make sure of it. What was all the martial arts for if she does? Oh, uh... it's my turn.
The Divine is looking at me. Me! She's about to ask the first question. "Between Demokitty and Iron Maiden, who do you think is the best?" My mind stops. What? You cannot just... ah! This must be a trick question. I should resolve it in the most logical way! That should impress her. She looks bookish, so I feel around for a bookish response.
"You cannot compare the two, to do so would be blasphemy. To say the least, 'best at what'? This is a question without an answer. All Divinity are beyond our comprehension." A solid answer with no blasphemy to be found, exactly what she's looking for, right? No Divinity would want a blasphemer.
"But if you were to compare them, would Demokitty or Iron Maiden be better?" She prods me again. I must stand my ground.
"I am sorry, Divine. I do not have an answer." This is the most polite method of refusal I can think of.
(Hmm. I'm still not good. Divine Mad Dog hopes the others are better.)
Wh... what? Divine Mad Dog? Is that you?
Oh bother, she's gone quiet.
I've failed again, haven't I...
Why does this keep happening?!
=-💦➡️🧓-=
The look in that girl's eyes is filled with anxiety. It reminds me a little of my Iron Maiden. She looks so nervous to be around all these people. Yes, it certainly is a spitting image, in that respect. If only my granddaughter would return to me. I miss her. I miss her so much.
(Divine Mad Dog misses her too.)
Ah, Divine Mad Dog. Respectfully, I did not think you would stop by this old maiden's mind. You know me better by now, I would think.
(She just wanted to talk. We haven't spoken since the funeral.)
I went back to my studies after my granddaughter passed. Tried to make up for those places I was lacking, so I could be of use to a new generation. Still... compared to all these other priestesses, I feel a bit inadequate. So lively, a spring in their step.
(Youth and energy do not make a good priestess. What makes a good priestess is faith, and I have it in spades.)
Oh, you're much too kind, Divine Mad Dog, really. Never anything like the rumors that describe you.
(I should know by now that Mad Dog treats the elderly priestesses well. If things don't work out with Olivia, I can always join her convent.)
Ah, but that's not how things will go? I know more about the Maiden and her friends than anyone else. She was my granddaughter, after all. I've still got that twinkle in my eye.
(True, the odds are in my favor. Ah, Olivia is fielding a question my way. I should answer. Divine Mad Dog and I can catch up some other time.)
Of course, dear. You know where I live, after all.
"Agnes, right? I read that you served Iron Maiden. What was she like?" Olivia's eyes sparkle. It was hardly a trivia question, but I was never going to pass up an opportunity to gush about my grandchildren.
"Irida was always a sensitive child. My good-for-nothing daughter never treated her quite right, so she moved in with me and my husband at the age of eight. We were able to shower her with love and nurture her passions." I smiled and spoke in great detail. "She loved and cared for animals, but humans? She never quite got the knack for them."
Irida had a rough time. Spending time around Divine Mad Dog certainly didn't help her attitude! Not until she had been properly Tempered, learned to control her emotions. Even then, the things those two got up to would make any sensible parent squirm. Fighting monsters and the forces of evil? Too dangerous for a young child.
"But she made friends with Madeline when she was younger, and that's how she became a magical girl! One of the youngest Warriors to ever sign a contract," Olivia added. It was clear she already knew much about my baby girl.
"That's right! But the enemies were less fierce, back in those days. Seemed just like a game the kids would play. I didn't think anything of it, until she starting bringing home the Mideval torture devices. You can be sure we had a long talk after that," I chortled.
"She really owned those? A rack and stocks and everything? I thought that was just a rumor." Olivia sounded shocked. Her hand went to her mouth and she muttered.
"She had a fascination with flails, spears and trebuchets. I swear, that girl fortified our house like a castle! I had to explain to my neighbors why she started digging a moat and filling it with mechanical crocodiles." There was something adorably childish about it, in the end. "I didn't want to discourage her, of course, and the money she'd earned allowed us to sell our old home and purchase a place she could build to her heart's content."
"Norwood Castle, next to the Woodlawn Cemetery?" Olivia checked to make sure her facts were straight. That she'd remembered Irida's favorite place brought a crinkle to my eyes.
"That's right. She did a magnificent job, didn't she? All those arches and buttresses? Irida did such a good job." My eyes were starting to water. Ah. I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but I couldn't help it. Irida would never be able to finish what she'd started. The halls of that empty castle felt so empty without her.
No grandmother should ever have to outlive her grandchildren. I could feel Olivia's hands resting on my back, rubbing gently. I knew that rub; looked up at her, my eyes moist and my brain wracked with confusion. How? That touch, it was just like my little Irida, the same way she'd rub my back when the bills were piling high, when old George kicked the bucket.
"I'm sorry if I pushed too hard, miss Agnes. I'm going to move on, but I'd love to have you in my convent. Will you be alright? Reliving those memories?" Olivia's silver eyes shone. I could see my own child in those eyes. I wanted to stop the tears, but they persisted, stubborn as the old lady who produced them.
"I think I would like that very much, Olivia." I kept my head low. None of these young priestesses needed to see an old woman in tears. I'll just think about Irida and try to settle the longing in my heart.
=-🧓➡️⚜️-=
(Martha is a bit too eager to apply, again. I shouldn't recommend her for the position.)
She's really trying, you know. Martha is one of the candidates who puts in the most effort. Every time you proctor these exams, Mad Dog, you reject her.
(She's most suitable for a support position. Maybe a secretary-- not a martial artist, and definitely not a priestess.)
What exactly is wrong with her, Mad Dog? She's passed all of the exams.
(She's ambitious. Greedy. She wants only to seize power for herself, to be powerful. This makes her unsuitable. A priestess must only have the goodwill of her Divinity in mind.)
So? I'm ambitious. It's okay to have a little ambition.
(I may be ambitious, but I am good natured. I am trusted, and have always looked out for the best interests of my talent. She would happily sell out the secrets of her Divinity for a chance at the spotlight, or worse. She's an easy candidate for the Council of Knots to pick off.)
I see your concerns. I don't agree, but your concerns will be taken into account. Since you'll be mentoring Olivia, I'll have to trust your decision. Have you found anyone you trust yet, Madeline?
(Agnes is a good candidate. She has plenty of faith, and a good resume. She's been a priestess for longer than Magimaid existed.)
Yes, I suppose she's what you would call an expert in our field. Hard to believe you're entirely impartial, since you've known her all that time.
(It's exactly because Mad Dog is partial that she's going to recommend her, assuming nobody else is suited for the job. Either way, Mad Dog wants her on the short list.)
Talking to you gives me a headache. I don't know how you keep referring to yourself in third person like that.
(Practice. A well-blended mind state has no two 'I's.)
Well said. Agnes is on the older side, however. Her lifespan can only last so much longer. I'm going to push for some fresher blood, with that in mind.
(...I'm a callous person.)
I'm aware. You're going to have to select from the remainder. There has to be someone with the youth and energy for this position.
(I don't need youth and energy. I just need faith.)
Right. A resource in short supply around these parts, Mad Dog. Not everyone can be as revered as you.
(...)
I turn my attention back to the priestesses, raising a hand. "Taylor?" Olivia asks, not certain what I'm angling for. "Can I help you?"
"The priestesses have been going long enough; we should take a short break. Go out for lunch. We can resume your trivia game after, right?" I give Olivia a smile that's certain to shut her up. She's not a very observant or stubborn person; she pales and nods, turning back to the candidates.
"I think that's a great idea, Taylor! You can learn a lot about someone by what kind of food they order. Let's get to know each other better." Olivia beams... I have her escort the priestesses out of the room. All but one.
A brunette priestess remains seated, lost and confused, as I rest a hand on her shoulder. "A moment, Clarisse. I want to have a word with you."
Looking for ANOTHER magical girl related work to sate your appetite? I've actually gotten a huge amount of help for the rewrite from JayDirex, the author of the magical girl novel Kriegers of Mount Castle High and the yandere novel They Feed At Night! Without Jay, there's no way I would have been able to clean up my work so substantively, so please give them a big hug and an even bigger follow!
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