[Hunt for Paladin; Day 3]
Half asleep, Lynx tried to sit up straighter, and after a moment managed to tear through the fog, shaking her head and looking over at Alice, driving.
"Good morning," Nara sighed, reaching up from the back seat to flick her ear; Lynx winced, though it didn't hurt, still coming to and yanking her phone slowly from between her legs.
"Viggo already called. I updated him, said we had a lead we were meeting privately and we'd touch bases after," Alice whispered softly, glancing over to the passenger seat. "Are you okay? We need to take care of that hair, you haven't brushed it in a couple of days."
"Mmh…" Lynx shrugged, glancing out the window and thinking. "I got my hands on the knife, and I was in some kind of void. There was a man- Alexei- and he mentioned Aurelia?"
"Yeah." Alice agreed, swallowing and thinking for a moment before speaking. "I know a little bit about this, but not enough to speak on it. You'll understand everything when we get home, okay? We're almost there."
"Got it," Lynx nodded, crossing her arms slowly. "Sorry, I haven't been much of a girlfriend lately."
"Saving lives does come before that," Alice winked, and Nara nodded.
"The girl that I… the woman that I like is not one who would pause to reassure me when a man lay bleeding across the room," Nara agreed, nodding. "Let us get home and understand, if it is truly as Alice says."
"It is," Alice whispered, blinking rapidly.
"You okay?" Lynx angled her head, tail flicking once before landing in her lap again. "You seem… off."
"Stepping into the global scale just got a lot more real for Aegis Order, that's all," Alice nodded, eyes blazing. "We're going to be okay."
"We are," Lynx agreed as Alice turned off the main road and into familiar woods; they were almost to the complex.
"Good," Alice exhaled slowly, swallowing. "Sorry, I'm nervous. I'm not one for politics."
"You've got this," Lynx mumbled as the complex itself came into view, and a comfortable silence fell over the girls for a time before they climbed out of the car, making their way toward the Ravenwood home. Inside it, through it, and into the Mirian home, ascending the stairs… Lynx started as she crested the steps, looking around, surprised. Her eyes widening, tail jolting straight out, she stiffened, and for just a moment it felt as though all the breath had left her lungs; My living room is packed…?
"I hope it is no bother we let ourselves in; the door was unlocked," A man built like a giant with a thick accent and blonde hair smiled, sitting on one of the two couches with his legs crossed. Beside him on the left sat a pink-haired twink with glasses who might have fallen from a bad boys love manga, and to his right; Lottie, waving playfully.
On the other couch sat a diminutive young woman with dark hair and the ears, tail, of a fox. To her left, a woman with black and white streaked hair, and piercing green eyes. To her right, Aurelia… but Aurelia also stood awkwardly by the window, with Cecil, the dark-winged man.
Finally, from the kitchen came a blonde haired woman with pointed ears, and a young man with arms that rippled and moved like volcanic sand, almost seeming… intangible.
"Let us introduce ourselves," Aurelia stated flatly; the one who sat on the couch, wearing dark gear as if she might be about to march to battle. For the next ten minutes; Lynx's head swam.
Aurelia, who Lynx mentally dubbed as Wolfpack Aurelia, declared she was a half succubus half fairy, and co-leaders with Haru, the girl beside her. Haru… she had badger ears just barely poking through her hair, and a tail to match. Something in her eyes struck a chord with Lynx, though; and she might have been crazy, but she felt certain, just then, that Haru was like her- a scared, confused woman just trying to do right by the world in what ways she could.
Fox was a dark-haired fox-girl who seemed to have attached herself to the badger-girl- Haru- inseparably, and introduced herself briefly as a melee specialist before falling quiet.
Charlotte, Cheshire Cat, friend. Alexander, arms like volcanic sand, yeah; he made a joke every other sentence it seemed, and claimed that he, too, was from another world, but that he just wanted to help people.
Cecil introduced himself as an ex-addict and said she didn't want to know him- hates himself, got it.
"You?" Lynx asked, eyes eventually trailing to the blonde, and as she stepped forward, Lynx clocked immediately that she was the only one who didn't fit in- not as a negative trait, but as a genuine aside. She wore leggings under a skirt and a soft sweater, but she also clutched an old wooden staff, and her eyes were piercing, severe; as though she might even attack Lynx here and now, in spite of the polite smile on her face.
"My name is Eileen, and I am an elf. My people are known for standing idly by while innocents drown under the tide of what we might have stopped. I joined Wolfpack to save others- to defend those who cannot defend themselves- and right now, I think you are the key to saving someone who deserves the chance to atone for what they've done."
"Before that," Aurelia cut in gently- the one on the couch. "Eileen, please, let me explain."
"Of course," Eileen affirmed, stepping back and taking a slow breath as the second Aurelia- the one in casual civilian clothes, walked forward.
"What is going on," Lynx whispered, head spinning as Alice laid a grounding hand on her back.
"During the war with Starria," Haru began, her green eyes narrowing, pushing snow-and-ash hair out of her face. "The King infected us all with a virus to corrupt us- force us to give in to our darkest impulses. We were saved- sort of. Those dark impulses were given form, and suddenly we found ourselves facing off against our own worst desires- our own potential to do harm."
"My darker self refused to hurt the innocent," Lif began, rolling his powerful shoulders. "He laid down his life without question- because he knew he would harm."
"Mine uh…" Ica grinned nervously, looking away. "Sort of tried to wipe Starria off the map. I was seconds from launching every nuclear weapon on the planet at them. Might have irreparably damaged the world."
"Mine is gone. Haru's too," Fox answered simply.
"Mine started killing," Charlotte laughed, pain in her eyes. "Lot of people."
"Mine," Wolfpack Aurelia began, "-Had my darkest impulses. For sex, for control, for respect. The thing is I have spent my entire life, refusing my nature, refusing to be a sex toy, a whore. That's so ingrained…"
"It carried over to me," The Aurelia by the window spoke softly, stepping forward.
"I refused; and Aurelia- the original me- had orders to kill me. I… I had to be different, though. If she deserved to live, why didn't I?" The one that Lynx knew, the one in civvie clothes… Gone was the bimbo worried about protecting her friend, or discussing part time security gigs. The real girl stood before her now, eyes shining as if begging; Don't see a clone or a liar. See me.
"I went against orders," Wolfpack Aurelia smiled ruefully. "I let her go- conditional that she never showed her face in Mir again."
"I masqueraded as a CA Academy kid- Aerendyl knew about it all, he was letting me hide," Aurelia muttered, crossing her arms, glancing over at Wolfpack Aurelia. "I was… stagnant. Just a number, protected by him- but I'm done with that. I want to join Aegis Order. I'm tired of doing nothing when I could be doing something."
For a long moment, Lynx glanced down at the carpet, considering it all.
"What did you mean about me being the key to saving someone?" She finally asked, steeling herself. It was Haru who answered, speaking levely.
"Let me tell you a bit of my story, Lynx. Do you want me to stand so you can sit?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm good, thanks," Lynx replied, unmoving, and Haru nodded.
"I was summoned from another reality; so were Fox, Alexander, and some others. We were summoned to Starria in their first public use of magic; heroes to lead their warfront against the tides of demons from the rest of the world," She added, rolling her eyes. "Mir messed with the summoning. Made sure we all came through as something other than white male humans."
"Yeah?" Lynx raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms. "All white though." Wolfpack Aurelia snorted.
"Wasn't worried about skin color, was worried about strength. Could have messed with that part of the summoning but time was limited and we were in enemy territory," The other leader of Wolfpack replied before Haru continued.
"I was recruited into Wolfpack to save me from my dreams of being an adventurer," Haru continued, nodding, covering her mouth to stifle a yawn, at which Lynx smirked; my people.
"Eventually," Haru continued. "We came to face a God of Pain; he created a sort of mind-controlling fungal infection at a border town between Mir and Starria. It eventually came to light that he was doing this for a weapons company to start the war and earn them profit- he was tired, and they promised they could help him die."
"What then?" Lynx asked, raising an eyebrow. "That weapons company put him in- a knife-" She froze, realizing, and Haru nodded sagely.
"They did kill his body, but his soul is trapped. We lost that knife in the ensuing fight; an Elevated leader freed the virus on a city, and in the chaos he escaped. With the knife. That man is now officially retired; we eventually caught up to him. Do you remember who… helped us, Lynx? I'm guessing not," Haru whispered sadly, smiling.
"What?" Lynx twitched, her own eyes softening.
"A Pempan Assassin named Ayano was sent for him; we were together for the last fight," Haru whispered, bottom lip quivering just once, eyes beginning to shine; all of Wolfpack was beginning to smile softly, and even the stoic elf had glassy eyes.
"Nah nah nah, don't mess with me," Lynx snorted. "If you knew me, you'd have said so," But for some reason, her heart ached- she could feel the truth in their words.
"You… didn't believe you had any right to feel," Haru whispered, standing slowly. "You had a job- we were Djust a tool to help you get it done, but you were a woman, alone, without friends, without family… and ignoring the ears and the tail, you look the same. A little curvier, maybe," She added, laughing quietly, wetly, stepping closer and stopping as Lynx backtracked a step, hand twitching toward her hip. In response, Haru nodded, smiling, and raised her hands in mock-surrender.
"You have to be lying," Lynx whispered as Nara and Alice laid comforting hands on her back, but Haru shook her head.
"No." The badger-girl stood firm, smiling wetly. "I considered you a friend, and when we fought the Giant, you just… you were gone. I don't understand what happened; one moment you were there, the next you were bleeding, and then you were gone. B-But we managed to strip The Giant of his power, and forced him into retirement."
"I…" Lynx stared; not wanting to believe it, because if it was true, then these were friends, and she hated the idea of trusting so many powerful people. "Someone say something, I'm not-"
"You've always been part of this," Wolfpack Aurelia smiled tiredly, rubbing her shoulder. "You don't remember us, but we're sure of it. It's you- except now, you're allowed to feel."
"Sorry," Ica smiled weakly, apologetically. "I know this is a lot for you. You don't even know us, but this is like, our dead ally is actually alive."
"Was pretty hard for me not to say anything, but I had to be sure," Charlotte winked, something watery in her smile.
"I stole one of your memories," Eileen spoke quietly, suddenly.
"You what?" Lynx raised an eyebrow, startled.
"Elven magic follows no rules. As I saw you dying, I stole one of your memories from your mind; the most recent one, keeping it for myself; to honor you. Would you like it back?"
"Would I-?" Lynx faltered, mind thrumming with overstimulation, but she nodded.
"You will relive it most vividly on return; shall I wait?" Eileen asked, angling her head, and Lynx shook her head.
"N-No- that would be the memory of my death, right? Give it to me."
"Very well," Eileen nodded, and closed her eyes. Lynx grit her teeth… and fell unconscious on her feet, falling. Alice and Nara knelt, to help, but Charlotte was there already, catching the unconscious woman.
In her dreams, Lynx snarled, pushing through a rainstorm; without the strength of a demon or anything other than a human trained to their absolute peak of performance.
"We're ending this, NOW!!" Haru screamed, to her right, and this was a trusted companion- not a friend, but not quite a tool either. To her left, Eileen was silent. Up ahead, framed by a lightning bolt, a tall, imposing man splayed his hands and laughed.
"This is your plan to kill me?! An elf without her magic, a failed hero, and a human?!"
"You might have taken my magic, but I have my rage," Eileen spoke flatly, but her voice carried as the trio approached him. Aerendyl lay bleeding at The Giant's feet, coughing, blood splattered across his chin and shoulder, now… and the fight began.
Lynx reached him first, ducking a blow and sliding between his legs; he grabbed her by the shirt and flung her, but she sank a knife into his shoulder, holding on for dear life and swinging onto his back as Haru gashed his chest with a blade, and Eileen staggered closer, drawing a knife.
"I'm sorry!!" Eileen shouted, as The Giant threw Haru off and twisted, trying to grab at Ayano. "If you'd known, then… someone might have let slip!!" Eileen screamed, and a blinding white light flooded Lynx's world… and pain exploded across her body.
Moments later, she lay twitching, trying to hang onto consciousness as the giant fell backward with Haru, off the ledge and into the darkness. Eileen, for her part, rushed forward, cupping Lynx's cheeks, staring savagely.
"Don't die- I can heal you," She whispered. "I'm so sorry, he had to believe that my strength was gone, he had to…" It was getting harder and harder to listen though, Lynx felt so, so very cold… and then, she was gone. There was a field of Pampas Grass, then- and a number of softly-glowing lanterns.
-
"She's waking up," Someone whispered, and Lynx winced, crying silently as she sat up, trying to steady herself, tail flicking erratically.
"What did you mean, I'm the key to saving someone," She groaned, and Alice put a hand on her shoulder, shoving Lynx down; she was on the living room floor, head in Nara's lap, Wolfpack peering down at her affectionately.
"You're allowed to breathe, you know?" Wolfpack Aurelia smiled.
"Take a moment. Breathe," Nara whispered, and Lynx nodded, drawing in a slow, deep breath. For just a few moments, all was silent, calm.
Eventually, Charlotte spoke.
"We brought Alexei around; God of Pain, tired soul, responsible for the Bleeding Ice. He wanted to be good- and somewhere in the knife that your Paladin Case is holding, he's trapped, wanting out. So we want to work together, yeah? Old time's sake."
"I'm in," Lynx whispered, unhesitating. "Subdue Paladin, uncover the secrets of the knife. Save your friend, and save two men who…"
"Never wanted any part in this," Haru nodded finally.
"Lynx." The same woman asked quietly, hesitantly. "There are rumors that you can… interface directly with the soul. Is that true, at all? Aerendyl filed a report saying that you somehow got into his soul- saw hidden memories, and so forth."
For a while, she was silent, and then she nodded, taking a slow breath.
"I think so. Why? I don't really understand how to control it."
"Because you might be the one person who can bring Alexei out of the knife, and to the surface," She spoke carefully. "If you can interface directly with a soul, then you'd be the only one who can talk to Alexei inside the knife."
"I think that's right," Lynx nodded tiredly. "When I grabbed the knife, I was… almost transported somewhere. I heard him; asking if you guys were okay. He sounded… miserable. My body must not have moved though, because Vilhelm sent me flying, and took the weapon back."
"Do you think it would happen again? If you touched the knife?" Ica asked softly, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't see why not," Lynx murmured, eyelids heavy. "I think this is the right… the right idea. Why do I feel so exhausted…"
"I did just kind of poke around in your head and shove a piece back in," Eileen laughed lightly. "Rest. We can begin our hunt in the mission. I do wonder something, though."
"What's that?" Lynx asked, angling her head.
"Never mind. I wondered why it took you years to reappear after death- but it makes sense. Whatever god interfered likely wished to make sure people weren't looking for you before bringing you back. This may be why Aerendyl had no problem becoming friends with your killer, with time passed."
"Ah…" Lynx nodded, tired. "I didn't think about that, but… yeah. When I died, I… I went somewhere. Met someone. It's complicated, and I don't remember all the details…"
For a moment, they were all silent- comfortably so, rather than awkwardly. It was Haru to speak next.
"I don't care. I'm glad you're alive, Lynx. If some god took a few years to save you, so be it. I'm just glad you're not… gone. None of us could find anything- even a body. Aerendyl might be a… well, he might not be a good man, but he clearly tries. Glad he saved you."
"Well!" Lif clapped his hands together, smiling, startling some. "I have another mission to attend to, only because this one could use sneaky tactics, yes," Lif nodded. "Haru, Ica, and Eileen will assist you directly. The rest of us will take our leave," He added, standing and headed for the door. As he went, he knelt, patting Lynx's head- as did Cecil, and then Aurelia.
"I'm staying too," Fox muttered, wriggling a bit further into Haru's side. Lynx, smiling tiredly, watched Wolfpack Aurelia headed for the door, brushing past her counterpart as she did; for a moment she froze, staring into what might have been her twin's eyes.
"I take it back," She whispered. "You have a place in Mir. I'm not the woman I once was, and I'm sorry for how I handled things. You'll always have a place with us, but… I think Aegis Order suits you better. You're more of a shield than a blade," She smiled, and was gone, leaving the Aurelia that Lynx knew stunned, watching, before fatigue slowly won her over. She fell asleep amidst her two lovers, head warm and hair mussed by lost allies returned.
The decision was made.
Vilhelm and Alexei would be saved.