Alchimia Rex

Eva stood as still as she could within the dimly lit and relatively small room, staring down at the maiden that would often haunt her nightmares.

Monica slept soundly, the bone-white striped fur that covered Monica’s claws was marred by the presence of rich green vines and leaves. Her skin was pierced by the vegetation much like a tree's roots pierced into soil, the very tips showing as odd bulges that reached nearly up to her shoulder, exactly to the metal bands that had been clamped in place, carved designs glowing with a slow pulse.

The Sabertooth did not move, breathing slowly and steadily, deeply asleep. Her heart beat so softly that the pulse was almost imperceptible to Eva's senses. By contrast, Dia's beat was wild, the nervousness leaving a scent in the air that made the Fledgling's mouth water. If she focused, she could make out the pulse of the veins and arteries on the Rapha’s throat through the thorny metal cover.

"Preparations are complete," Dia spoke under her breath, the black thorns of her armor glinting under the flickering firelight. "Hold the patient."

The three Orcs leaned forward, their meaty hands clasped in their own elemental power, turning their skin from merely stone-like to something tougher than murisium steel, holding both limbs firmly. Eva swallowed as Monica's left arm was maneuvered away from her body, claw facing upwards, exposing the arteries flowing near the armpit.

"Commence."

The Fledgling hesitated, licking her lips, and finally gave a slow nod. This was not the first time, the past few days had been a constant reiteration of this exact procedure. But each time she did this, she felt as if those claws were one twitch away from lashing out at her.

"Commencing," she acknowledged, leaning closer, her fangs piercing flesh. The blood had a sweetness to it, pungently strong in much the way a potent spirit would be, but there was an acrid undertone that left the distinct impression in the Fledgling's mind that she was licking grass.

"Stop."

She jolted away instantly, watching the vines on both arms twitching lazily, and Monica's expression tightening into a slight scowl of discomfort.

"Thirty seconds," Dia declared, the Polita behind her swiftly jotting down the time. "It's slowing." The armored healer stepped closer to the arm, metal-covered fingers hovering just above the skin. "The plant has shrunk slightly as well."

"Might be seeking to conserve some energy now that we’re depriving it of nutrients," Eva said. "Do you think there might be something else to it?"

"Nothing but guesses at this point. I just keep wondering how they keep the infected ferals from attacking one another," the healer muttered, examining Monica inch by inch. "The hyper-aggression makes sense given the mixture of hormones the plant's pumping into the bloodstream, but a feral in such a state would've torn anything to shreds, including other ferals. Working as a horde should be impossible."

"Can't be a spell or ranged ability; at such a scale, it would've been detectable by anyone who bothered to look," the Fledgling considered, nodding thoughtfully. "Do you need me for anything else?"

"Check the clamps, and could you stay a moment after?"

With a nod, Eva turned over her focus to the pieces of metal that circled Monica’s arms, scrutinizing the carvings carefully.

When a maiden sought to train themselves, such enchanted pieces of metal could prove useful. This was mostly because some breeds had an innate capability to infuse their bodies with their power, and to develop physical capabilities, it was faster to temporarily deprive their muscles of that energy while they exerted themselves.

But these clamps weren't meant for continuous use, especially not for a maiden with the monstrous strength that Monica possessed. "The enchantment is running out; it'll need to be replaced by tomorrow or the day after."

Dia made a dissatisfied noise. "That's it for now, everyone else back to your jobs."

The others moved to leave the hut as the Rapha did some final checks on Monica. The fresh air outside cleared the scent of blood, and the sound of waves crashing in the distance added a rhythm that soothed Eva’s nerves. The Fledgling took some water to wash away the taste of wood from her mouth.

A minute later, Dia joined her, the maiden carefully removing her armor.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I know that you lied to Rick about why you're tearing the fortress inside out." The maiden didn't slow down nor looked Eva's way as she systematically removed the protective equipment. "I let it be since I was curious where it might lead, but you've pushed it far enough."

Eva sputtered. "But the monster-."

"I was trained in Balet, I'm not some country bumpkin. I might not have the skill or power to cast those fancy teleportation spells, but even I know it's vastly easier to pull something to you than to push it somewhere else." She emphasized her words with a twirl of her wrist, summoning her enchanted scalpel. "If the monster could've jumped into the city, they would've done so rather than use a tunnel to sneak through. I'm sure Rick would've picked up on at least that much if he hadn't been so distraught over Monica and Kiara."

"The person who saved us got through the defenses on the fortress like they weren't even there." The Fledgling paused, glaring. "I know it has to be the same person who made the Lightning-vault; such skill can't be allowed to just roam around."

"And then what?" Dia tilted her head slightly, shrugging off the intensity of the gaze. "What happens after you find them?"

Eva paused, her jaw tightening. "It's none of your business."

Expression softening, the healer took a long quiet moment as she stared at her. "Humans, I swear." With a sigh, she wrapped the spiky greaves in cloth and put them into the bag. "You need 'The Talk'."

"The what?"

"It's the talk maidens have with girls who've gone through the threshold."

She bristled. "I'm not some girl."

"I know, you're a woman and a battle-tested maiden."

"I-!" Halting her words, she glared.

Dia smirked. "I didn't pull you aside back then because you were more of a, well, bitch."

The glare intensified.

"Also because Rick had intended to drop you once you found someone else to pester… how things change." She sighed dismissively, ignoring the Fledgling's indignation. "I've heard that former nobles in particular need a harsher version of 'The Talk', I suppose it was my fault for not doing this sooner." She walked over to the shorter maiden, looking into her eyes intently. "This is the secret every maiden is told at some point or another in their lives, so listen closely."

Reaching out, she grasped Eva's shoulders and squeezed emphatically. The shorter maiden swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Suck it up."

They kept their gazes locked, the Fledgling blinking as Dia tightened her grip.

"It doesn't matter if you hold some knowledge on how to forge legendary blades, or if you were third in line to inherit the throne. If the human that picked you is a cobbler, then you suck it up and help them become the best cobbler in the world." Her smile remained warm, despite the bite of her words. "You suck it up and thank them, because that human is risking their life and livelihood by picking you, someone who's likelier to lose control when compared to a maiden who's had since birth to hone their powers."

Eva's feet were frozen in place, eyes wide, the fingers digging into her shoulders sending jolts through her body.

"And the most important thing you must understand is that the kindness your human gives you, the forgiveness they shower you with, is not something that your sisters will necessarily share." Dia's gaze became colder, the smile gone. "Because every time you fall behind, every time you fail, your sisters have to pick up the slack for you." She leaned closer, meeting with the Fledgling, purple eyes unwavering. "And when you end up hurting your human, it's your sister who's left clutching at straws just to keep him alive."

Her breath hitched, throat tight, the maiden tried to swallow, nodding frantically. "I… what… do I do?"

The pressure relented, the smile returned, coldness gone in an instant as she released the Fledgling. "You start by not being rude to your sister." Dia smiled warmly, this time in earnest. "Let's try this again: Why do you think it's so important to find whoever saved us?"

"I… know how to design enchantments. It’s what I did for a living, it’s what I know best," Eva muttered quickly, lowering her gaze to the ground. "I can’t just hope we can train a maiden, it’d take years.” She kicked a little at the ground. “And I can’t teach myself either, blood and shadow are not viable mediums, out of all the things I could’ve ended up as, I…” She growled meekly. “I need someone with enchanting skills to put that to use, to help build…"

Dia let out a long sigh, the sound alone causing the smaller maiden to stiffen and go silent. "Eva, two nobles have died so far because they sought to take Monica from Rick. Do you really think he would take someone else’s maiden?"

"As the Lord of the city he…"

"That’s the problem right there!" Dia threw her hands into the air. "Urtha, Kiara, and now you. You keep trying to push the ideas of how Rick should rule as if it were you on his seat." She poked Eva’s ribs, making her wince and take half a step back. "Have you bothered to pay attention to what Rick is actually trying to do? On what he’s trying to accomplish? Or do you just fixate on how much you want a bite?"

The maiden kept her gaze on the ground, hands tight as she couldn’t bring herself to refute the Rapha’s words. "I don’t know what to do," she whispered under her breath.

"Fortunately for you, there’s something you definitely should be doing," Dia smiled slightly, nodding. "You need to learn to control your powers, all aspects of them. Not just how to hide in Rick’s shadow and trail after him like a love-struck Doggirl." The maiden crossed her arms. "Now, do you have any plans on how to go about that?"

Eva flushed with indignation, but any attempt to verbally lash out was kept locked tightly, the fear still fresh. "I’ll… I’ll try to learn how to cast spells."

"Good. Do you want specific exercises to start off with or do you know where to start?" She noticed the look on the Fledgling’s face and rolled her eyes. "Don’t look at me like that, I won’t let you slack off."

Eva chewed on the word, reluctantly nodding as the healer finished bundling up her armor and snatched the shorter maiden’s elbow. Without another word, she marched off towards the city, dragging the Fledgling along, the sound of waves crashing against the pier in the distance.

"Let’s go give the report on Monica’s prog-"

BOOM

A plume of smoke rose from the southern edge of the city, Eva’s breath caught. "We-!"

"He's ok," Dia interrupted, frowning and fixing her eyes on the rising black column. "He's... annoyed, but not in danger or hurt." The maiden nodded, maintaining a pace just shy of turning into a jog. "Also, you should avoid staying inside the shadows at every opportunity. It's ok if you're protecting Rick, but outside of that, others find it rude and unnerving. You don't hide as well as you think you do."

"Al...right," Eva replied hesitantly, glancing at the taller maiden and trying to make sense of the tone she was using.

It was friendly, in a forceful way. She couldn’t find it in herself to dislike it.

"There's a Hound named Eli, you’ve probably seen her. She's Rick’s because just about every other maiden here is... I should've been more careful when I wished he formed bonds with more normal girls for a change." The maiden's tone resembled someone dictating notes to a student, but with an inflection of pride mixed with exasperation. "Eli's one of Kiara's... whatever you want to call them. Whores, I suppose. She's been trying to get closer to him."

"I don't..."

"She's a former Hunter, and currently, she's been gaining some renown in the new militia. Have her teach you," Dia commanded sharply. "It shouldn’t be hard, Rick spends more time with you than anyone else. Sure, you're mostly hiding even from him, but everyone thinks the reason he hasn't executed the cute doll-like Fledgling is because she’s his bed-warmer."

"What!?"

The healer rolled her eyes and let out an amused huff. "Do you really find it a weird rumor? You chase him around, and as far as anyone can tell, you don't do much else."

"I protect him."

"The same way a Mousegirl would jump to his rescue if she stuck to his shadow all day," Dia huffed, the sound of waves crashing in the distance. "Monica and Urtha are the protection. You're mostly seen as a trophy, the blood-sucker he keeps around to show he's beaten the Vampires."

Eva’s face burned with embarrassment, the maiden sputtering as she tried to find the words to refute her.

The Rapha waved her off, snorting loudly. "Whatever the case, you're seen around him all the time. Anyone looking to get on his good side would think of you as someone who could put in a good word. They just never get the chance since you avoid everyone."

"But-"

"There's also the classes Rick forced Mister Rollo to open once a week. It hasn't caught on just yet, but I've seen those Mousegirls of yours attending there almost religiously," she said. "The merchant's maidens stick around to answer questions and teach things, but they're just cagey about anything that goes beyond the basics. Take the chance."

"Their work is subpar," she said with a snort.

Dia slowed down, staring at her. "Oh, so if Rick asked for an alternative to buying another clamp for Monica from Mister Rollo, you'd be able to offer something?"

Eva's mouth snapped shut.

"That's what I thought."

They continued their march, and the Fledgling couldn't help but stare at the pink-haired maiden. She'd known that her attack on Rick had earned her the righteous hatred from both the Sabertooth and the healer. Indeed, things had been strained yet professional ever since their defeat of the vampires controlling the Orc tribe.

"Why are you doing this?"

Blurted the question, she felt like she'd said something that should've gone unspoken. The pink-haired maiden's gaze hardened, though she didn't turn to the Fledgling as they walked.

"If I can't get the sisters I wanted, then I'll have to make do with the troublesome ones my human keeps picking up," she answered, not sounding thrilled at the prospect. "I too have to suck it up."

She let out a heavy sigh, and the gentle sound of waves crashing nearby added to the atmosphere.

"Now let's find out what's causing that awful smell."