(This is a joint post starring: TheLoneGentleman and Cinia Pacifica.)
Louise found herself satisfied with the royal suite of the inn. The bed was enough to rival her bed back at the castle, and that was no small feat; she didn’t need to warp back to Masario, for now. It was more than just good news; she’d be able to ignore the unnecessary hassle of dealing with… certain clingy women. Sadly, with all the noise outside, she was unable to enjoy it. Placing her hands over her ears with a look of irritation; she slowly muffled her way out of bed to see what was going on.
“Ugh, and so early in the morning too,” Louise cursed the perpetrators behind the source of the annoying noises – looking towards the window. However, instead of finding anything outside, she found a presence from around the forest, instead. “That thing sure doesn’t know when to give up,” Louise said, sensing Soul’s approaching presence. Creating ruckus seemed like Soul’s only specialty, so far. Indeed, very barbaric – as expected of a Cursed felon.
There was a knock on the door, and a voice called in. “Ma’am, please stay in your room,” said a female voice. Louise assumed that it was the manager that she met when she bought the room, but she didn’t care enough to remember the voice, just yet.
“Will do,” Louise replied. She didn’t raise her voice. Groggy, sleepy, and much more grumpy than anything; Louise didn’t feel like speaking properly to anyone, just yet. Her tone wasn’t so proper and ladylike. With a hint of laziness still lingering over her expressions; she walked up to the window – while rubbing her eyes – to peer down on the streets.
Suddenly, Louise could hear a faint voice humming behind the door. She warily turned to the door; feeling slightly weirded out, and called out to the manager. There was no response, and the humming continued. Then, there was a sound of something hitting the floor. The sound was wet, as if the carpet was soaked, or something.
“Is… someone there?” Louise asked, tentatively. She looked around, cautiously. In a situation where the town is about to be raided by the cursed bunch; there was no telling what was about to occur. Unfortunately, as she had just awoke – there was no way for her to gain any insight in regards to the situation, thus she acted gingerly. She wasn’t in top form just yet, either She picked up her wand hastily, to ready herself for anything. It really helped her feel calmer, despite the already-composed aspect of herself.
With two swift strikes the door was cut into four even pieces that fell to the floor. A woman in a purple dress with red vertical lines on the top section walked in. Her hair a bright crimson that moved with a floaty feel as she entered. She held a hat in her left hand, and in her right a long wavy familiar sword in her right hand. Her face was the same as that woman she fought on the roof in Raltese.
Louise’s lips curved into a smile. “We meet again,” she said, looking up to her appearance, and the change. “You sure changed, in what little time that had passed,” she commented, especially after witnessing the hair. Something definitely had happened to her. There was a glaring similarity to Cain’s other †˜avatars’ that Vejovis spoke of, or rather, the avatars she met before arriving to this place. Regardless, her confidence was peerless, just as her beauty was. With her wand at bay; she wouldn’t feel powerless against an intimidating figure. Not that she is much too different without a wand in her attitude.
“Have we met?” asked the woman standing across the room from Louise. “I was told that I was to escort the woman in this room. That is all.”
“I see. So, becoming one of his avatars makes you lose your past memories, or is it a complete transfiguration?” Louise wondered openly before her; exploring the various possibilities without care; as if this person wasn’t so dangerous as she actually seemed to be. “Cain sure does interesting things, sometimes,” Louise’s mind was calmed, so to say – after the deep slumber – for which she wasn’t finding herself enraged from even remembering Cain’s name. It turned out that her mentality is finally back to its usual tendencies. “Regardless – where am I to be escorted?”
“You are coming peacefully? I was told this would be a lot harder than this,” replied the woman lowering her sword. “We are going to Cain, of course.”
“Well, before I consider coming peacefully – may I know why I’m beckoned by your lord, if anything?” Louise asked. Considering her judgement – from observation of her words so far – this woman hardly knew anything. Other than abiding by the orders. However, in a one of a thousand chance; a possibility lied that she could provide an appropriate answer. Thus, Louise’s inquiry. There was hardly a chance that she’d say anything descriptive, it seemed. A misfortune she’d be required to cope with, unfortunately.
“They also said you were a talker. Oh ho ho” she said with a laugh. “Cain said that you were ready now. Whatever that means.”
“Hmm, I’ve allied myself to a different faction,” Louise begun, apparently assessing a situation, “I must honor them and not leave this land, to respect their wishes – for once,” Louise said sagely as she spoke, then gave a sly look. “I may not leave without a fight, it seems,” of course, Louise wanted to go. However, she’d make it look as though she was forced away to their land; abducted, so to say.
“You want to fight?” asked the woman raising her sword once again. Placing the hat on her head.
“No, just wreck this room, and we’re free to leave,” Louise shrugged. She needn’t fight a barbarian, just yet. Perhaps after gaining favorable amount of information; she’d consider destroying this freak of nature for her personal satisfaction… which she couldn’t really pull off in her current state, she remembered. “I’m not interested in battling right after awakening – it’s bothersome,” she stated with absolute honesty. “They sent you – as you’re strong enough, yes? Higher probability that I’ll most likely be forcefully dragged. So the wiser choice is to go with the flow.” With the curse in her spirit; Louise could hardly put up a prolonged fight against a fighter of great caliber, anyway. Her drowsy eyes would also get in the way.
“Wreck the room…” responded the woman looking around at the fancy surroundings.
“...You have fine tastes, it seems,” Louise smirked, taking her reaction in consideration. “Then, the window shall do. Onlookers may thus assume that I was forced to escape via the window.” This way, she could perhaps come back to this lovely room. A good plan, indeed.
“No, no I can do this,” she answered giving her sword a test swing. Then on the next she slammed her blade into the floor cracking it as the wood began to splinter. Nails shot out from extreme pressure of the blow. With one more the floor caved in and furniture sunk into the floor as the walls buckled and gave way.
“...You just wanted to test your strength, didn’t you?” Louise said, not sure what to make of this person. She felt slightly disappointed; this woman seemed to be a simpleton. The personality is far more altered than she had initially assumed. There’s also the loss of the room. Perhaps it was inevitable. She was ill-fated this year, truly. “Well, after you,” she gestured, for the lady to lead the way.
She hummed a song in satisfaction as she smiled at the hole she made. Walking past Louise she looked out the window. “You wanted to make this authentic right? We can’t just walk out of here.”
Louise shrugged yet again. “However you wish to do this.” With a pit that large; it didn’t quite matter anymore. It’s not like Vejovis is unaware of her mobility spell. Anyone who knew her, would assume that Louise blew a hole in, instead.
“I heard you had a way to zip from place to place,” said the woman. “How about you teach me that? I’m a fast learner.” The woman smiled wickedly and licked her lips.
Louise frowned. “It’s not something just about anyone may learn,” Louise stated, apparently displeased at the words of… heresy? “If you need me to take you anywhere – I may attempt, however.” Indeed, she could. If, perhaps, this person before her could provide her the mental imagery via transmitting a signal of demonic energy; Louise could pick it up, analyze, and perceive the picturesque imagination in mind.
“Perhaps it would be faster to show?” She said as she began grabbing at her abdomen. She dug her fingers into herself and pulled hard as it began to open slowly. Teeth filled the gap as the opening formed a grotesque mouth up her abdomen. “Once this mouth gets a taste for spirits I can remember it for a while. Go ahead, show me that technique!”
“I refuse; I don’t want to,” Louise puffed a cheek. It was her specialty; why should she be teaching such a precious spell to someone else? She wasn’t obligated to do so! How preposterous! A void in the belly, however? What a grotesque sight indeed. How unladylike to have a second mouth – seemingly more gluttonous than the upper one. Women only needs two mouths, not three, she felt.
“You’re so stubborn!” She said pouting as her mouth closed. A tongue ran up the opening sealing the void shut. “Fine if you get us out of this room and to the the outer plains, I can work with that.”
“The plains outside, hm? Very well,” Louise said, accepting, putting down her frown momentarily. She pulled her wand up. After a moment taken to do a mental chanting; a portal opened itself before the two. It didn’t take so long as the plains were just outside the village Louise walked in, beckoning the avatar of Cain to follow along. The woman hurried along into the portal after Louise as they vanished into the portal.