Starchild Crusaders

by J. J. Pavlov

  Chapter 47 - Left Behind

  "That was a grave miscalculation." Thorvald mutters as he lets his gaze sway across the room. Taking in the aftermath of the battle against the unusually powerful demon that Chloe Marcott turned out to be, his expression grows grim. "And we have paid dearly for it."

  They came with two dozen professors, and four lie dead. The fire master Aldebrand was swallowed by the monster's body, and his fate is most likely sealed as well. Earth master Bjorndal is receiving treatment from Madame Idunn, but if she weren't present, he would have died from blood loss. Three others were gravely wounded, and three look like they will need mental treatment for the trauma of Chloe's real appearance.

  And the demon hasn't even been vanquished, only temporarily exiled.

  "She may have been something far beyond our understanding." The principal looks down at the severed arm that the demon extended in an attempt to grab Kamii. It suddenly loses its form and draws together into a blob made of inky tentacles. At the sight of this living fragment, the scales fall from his eyes. This is a remnant of the Crawling Chaos that had been banished into the heavens by the demon court magician Mithra's grand gravity ritual

  nearly thirty summers ago.

  Over that time, appearances of intelligent remnants had been kept a closely-guarded secret, and the general populace had been told that they were only mindless creatures. Thorvald himself had faced a few of those, but none had been as perfectly disguised as Chloe Marcott. Furthermore, she understood how to use the properties of her mind-boggling body, but knew not to rely on it alone; she fought using a combination of magic and physical attacks.

  "Coruscaris." Astrid walks up next to the principal and pokes the bottom of her cane at the black creature on the floor. It bursts into flames, and an ear-numbing shriek fills the teleportation chamber but dies down quickly as the fire burns its origin to ashes.

  "Search the room for more remnants of the demon and destroy them. Leave no trace." Thorvald raises his voice and calls out to the professors still on their feet. Those that didn't look like they were affected during the heat of battle are beginning to realize the terror they just faced, and several have crumpled to the ground or are leaning on their staves.

  But he still breathes a sigh of relief, earning him a knowing glance from Astrid. If he and Basarab had not been here, not a single professor would have survived this battle. While the principal's ability to activate transportation circles allowed them to send the demon away, the professor for dark magic is the one who has given them the time to prepare for their next encounter.

  After all, that Chloe would return is an undeniable fact. As long as she believes Kamii is here, she will do everything in her power to return to the academy. If at that time, the little dark elf has come to harm, she will not stop in her revenge until those responsible are all dead. The demon showed her resolve to do just that when she started this battle over Aldebrand slapping Hestia's face.

  "Mahkotoh!!!" Kamii screams at the magic circle while trying to fight wind professor Hrafn's grip. The raven-haired man lets go and stumbles back when she swings her cursed arm at him. Then she runs up the steps to the transportation circle and turns around with a hateful glare. "What did you do to her?!"

  Her body is quivering in anger, but her eyes betray that she's afraid of being left alone with the professors who tried their all to kill her beloved Chloe moments ago. They won't be able to convince her to calm down under these circumstances.

  "We have sent her to a faraway place." Thorvald steps forward and comes to a stop just outside the immediate range of her cursed arm. "As you could see, she attacked us."

  "Attacked you? You were the ones who surrounded her." To the surprise of everybody who knows her usual quiet and childlike demeanor, she flares up in anger. "Aldebrand attacked Hestia first!"

  Baffled, Basarab stares at the little dark elf's outburst. Technically, she's right about that. Chloe Marcott also warned the professors that she would kill them all if they hurt Kamii or Hestia. They simply didn't believe she would actually deliver on her promise of such disproportionate retribution based on just a slap in the face.

  "That may be the case, but she overreacted." The principal maintains a neutral expression and states in a matter of fact tone. "She killed five people to avenge a bruised cheek."

  "Would you have let her go if she had stayed quiet? What did you come here to do in such numbers?" The little dark elf brings up an argument that even Thorvald has no answer to. His expression suggests that it's an uncomfortable question with an even more uncomfortable answer.

  The atmosphere was extremely charged because the people in Aldebrand's faction were itching to kill Chloe regardless of how she behaved tonight. If she had been a physically weaker demon, they would have done so without hesitation the moment she moved suspiciously.

  But she turned out to be a remnant of the Crawling Chaos and an incredibly powerful one at that. Had her identity been revealed differently, and even if she hadn't done anything to warrant it, Thorvald would have given his all to kill her at that time. The intelligent fragments he faced before had all been irredeemably evil monsters that found pleasure in killing in gruesome ways only their bodies allowed them to.

  He entertains the idea that she may genuinely care for Kamii and Hestia, but it won't cause him to hesitate when she does return to rescue the former. Her existence is a curse on all life in this world.

  "If it is any solace to you, Miss Marcott is alive. And she is most likely already searching for a way back here." Not replying to the little dark elf's provocative question, Thorvald seeks a peaceful solution now. He could easily use force to apprehend her if he did not care about her at all. She did help Chloe during the battle, but he can't fault her for that; they did seem to be in a mutually loving relationship. "Please place Miss Kamii under house arrest, Basarab. We will discuss how to proceed with her tomorrow."

  The professor for dark magic walks towards Kamii with both hands raised to show that he doesn't mean her any harm. She glares at him, but then lowers her cursed arm; she understands that fighting here would be hopeless.

  "Why are we letting her live? She's in cahoots with that monster!" Ulfric's usually perfectly combed red hair is disheveled, as he points at the dark elf while trying to sit up. He was pierced through the stomach by one of Chloe's spikes and is receiving treatment from water professor Thone, as Madame Idunn is still preoccupied with Bjorndal's much larger wound.

  "What do you think will Miss Marcott do when she returns and finds that we have killed her?" Thorvald turns around and speaks in a reprimanding tone. "Along the way, she will grow stronger yet, and she will definitely prove to be an even more formidable opponent at the time. It cost several masters their lives to temporarily banish her; how much harder will it be to kill her then?"

  "But the demon killed Master Vangir!" However, Ulfric doesn't let up so easily. He's a young master who studied under Aldebrand, so this is about his personal feelings rather than what would be best for the academy.

  "Is that your sense of justice?" Thorvald raises his voice angrily, and everybody in the room flinches. Old age has built his tolerance, and there have been very few occasions when he would let such raw emotions show. But the times he has have always been for a good reason. "You would kill a person for their association with somebody you hate?"

  Ulfric opens his mouth and closes it again without saying a word. He has never seen the principal like this before and feels intimidated. But he still believes that taking Kamii's life here would rest the souls of the masters that were killed by the demon. If only others shared his opinion, he might be able to sway Thorvald.

  However, when he looks around to find sympathizers, none return his gaze. It seems that
he stands alone in his sentiment, so he lies back down and suppresses his frustration at having lost his mentor.

  Thorvald glances around and realizes that although he didn't get any overt support, Ulfric isn't the only one to think that way. He may have to put Kamii under protection until he can come to a decision on what to do with her. Giving Basarab and Astrid a meaningful look, the two understand and guide the little dark elf out of the underground room right away.

  "Will he make it?" Magni kneels next to Bjorndal as Madame Idunn casts a dome of light over his midsection. The father and son pair can start verbal and physical fights over the smallest banalities, but when the situation calls for it, they're a perfectly matched team. Without them here, the number of casualties would have been higher.

  "He is a strong man. I have closed the wound, but his internal organs still need time to heal." The elderly woman in the nun habit replies with a smile. "Unfortunately, I am not as skilled as the Saint of Luminosity. I do not know any spells that can heal the inside before the outside, so it will take a while. He cannot be moved during the treatment."

  "Is there anything I can help with?" Even though Magni usually doesn't show it, he really cares about his son.

  "I'd appreciate some quiet, old man." Opening his eyes, Bjorndal presses out with a pained expression. "You're too loud."

  "Oh, my son!" Magni motions to embrace his wounded son, but is stopped by Madame Idunn raising a hand with a frigid smile.

  "He is right, a little quiet would be appreciated." She says in a low tone, and a shiver runs down his spine. "And you, if you can joke around, you must be better than I thought."

  "I'm sorry." Closing his eyes and staying completely still, Bjorndal goes quiet as well.

  Thorvald watches their exchange with a sigh, then looks at those that were less fortunate. Masters Birgit, Dagmar, Hemingr, and Ingvild died with eyes wide-open in surprise, but at least they died instantly; the living will be the ones suffering now.

  He knows that the horrifying visage Chloe showed wasn't her real face. That monstrous grimace made of inky tentacles was nothing compared to the glimpses of terror that he witnesses in those he fought before. She must have been holding back in front of Kamii and Hestia.

  Yet, it was enough to break the weaker-willed ones. Eydis is cowering in an alcove in the wall, cradling her legs and staring off into space. Her mind seems to have shut down to protect itself from the truth.

  The principal shudders at the thought that this particular demon possesses not only intelligence but also feelings of love. All the remnants had been selfish beings that thought nothing of others, which made them easier to defeat when they ultimately stood alone.

  Chloe doesn't stand alone.

  Kamii begins to consider her options as she's lead up the stairs from the teleportation room; Thorvald's gaze earlier signaled that Astrid and Basarab should stay with her for the night to protect her against any attempts of retribution. That also means that she will be carefully guarded and won't be able to make an escape.

  As they walk back the way she had been taken in earlier, she wonders where Senka has gone. When Mahkotoh left, she took the doll girl with her, but when she came through the transportation circle, there was no trace of the latter. Maybe she was inside Mahkotoh after all, or she was left behind and escaped on her own when the professors came.

  If it's the latter, then she's the only person in the academy that she can turn to for help. Even if her appearance is strange and she talks about hard to understand topics, she's trustworthy. But if she has been transported away as well, then Kamii is all on her own.

  She had been acting taciturn and somewhat childlike all this time to manipulate people into believing that she's harmless. When Mahkotoh disappeared, her façade slipped a little. Hopefully, the professors haven't realized that she's actually an adult and will continue to treat her as a child that doesn't fully understand the situation she's in.

  Whatever the case, she has to survive. If Thorvald is speaking the truth, her beloved Mahkotoh will come back to free her from the academy. Even though she had initially only intended to use her to escape from the city of Hovsgaerden, she was the one who reunited her with Daica. Then her feelings grew for the blonde demon girl who lived her life without letting anything tie her down.

  Mahkotoh is the first person she fell in love with, and dark elves are known to form unbreakable bonds. A saying among her people has that separated family and lovers - no matter the distance - meet twice in a lifetime. Being so long-lived, she understands that she should stay put and don't give the humans any reason to kill her. Eventually, they will be reunited.

  As they walk toward the dorms, Kamii spots Ninlil from afar. The latter objected against the professors' rough treatment when they came to get Hestia and her. When the dorm mother learned the reason for the nightly visit, she offered to go as well but was told to make sure the students remain in their rooms in case things in the basement got out of hand. The little cat demon stares at the dark elf with a worried frown, most likely wondering where the winged girl disappeared to.

  "What happened?" She asks in a hushed voice when Astrid and Basarab are in range for her to keep her voice down enough. Her demeanor isn't as calm as her usual one since she has reason to believe that her students may have come to harm tonight.

  "Chloe Marcott went on a rampage in the basement and had to be sent away." Astrid responds in a matter of fact tone. She has the calm countenance of a matron even though she was embroiled in a life and death battle only moments ago. "Lady Hestia was unfortunately taken by her."

  Suppressing the urge to comment that Thorvald threw the winged girl at Mahkotoh to distract her before sending them through the transportation circle together, Kamii listens silently as Astrid summarizes what happened in the storage room. She realizes that the professors had a different perspective on the circumstances, but it ultimately boils down to the fact that Mahkotoh overreacted. That is the undeniable truth.

  "So five masters died..." Hanging her head, Ninlil mutters with a painful expression. She glances at the little dark elf but doesn't comment on her involvement in this matter.

  "Miss Kamii will be under house arrest until further notice." Basarab explains to the cat girl as they begin to move inside the dorm building. But just when they walk up the steps and turn the corner to the stairs, they nearly run into somebody.

  "Kamii?" It's Runa, wearing a nightgown and looking restless. "What are you doing out here?"

  "That should be my question, young woman." Astrid steps forward and looks down at the barely shorter half-elf. "Do you understand that this is the middle of the night?"

  "I-I am sorry. I could not sleep after the Champion Selection this morning. They told me that I would depart after lunch tomorrow so that I should be getting all my belonging in order." Lowering her head before the professors, she explains. "I wanted to talk to Miss Marcott about it, but she was not in her room."

  "Miss Marcott is not available right-" Astrid begins, but Kamii interrupts her.

  "They ambushed her in the academy basement, and there was a big battle!" Rattling it downs as quickly as she can before Basarab can even react and cover her mouth, the little dark elf hopes that telling Runa will make it harder for the professors to do away with her quietly.

  "H-huh?" Blinking in surprise, the half-elf stares at Kamii in shock, and even more so when the dark magic professor seals her lips with his hand. "Is that true?"

  "You do not need to know." With an icy look, Astrid bangs her cane on the floor. "Return to your room right this moment. Mistress Ninlil, please guide her there."

  "I will not." But Runa stands her ground and glares at the fire magic professor with a defiant expression. "Tell me what happened."

  "Do not test my patience, Miss Sigint." While she may not have the expression to match it, Astrid's presence changes into a furious one. Even then, the half-elf doesn't back down.

  "Miss Marcott is a dear friend of mine, and I will not stand
down until I know what happened to her." Even though she usually looks like a pushover and Mahkotoh often pulled her into things she clearly didn't like to do, Runa is unexpected reliable when acting on her own will.

  "Know your-" Once again, Astrid gets interrupted - but this time it's by Ninlil.

  "Miss Marcott was confronted for having used the underground transportation circle to leave the academy grounds. The situation escalated into a battle in which she left five masters dead and several others wounded or incapacitated. She and Hestia have been banished by Grand Master Eklundstrom through the transportation circle, and only the gods know where they could have ended up." The dorm mother gives a quick rundown of the occurrences with a heavy heart, gesturing at Astrid to not interrupt her.

  "Miss Marcott... killed people?" Stumbling back a step, the half-elf wavers. "Why would she do that?"

  "Because she is a demon." The fire professor takes that exact same step forward and appears to grow to an overbearing size. "Now that you know, return to your room immediately."

  She waves Basarab and Ninlil up the stairs before the discussion can continue, while she remains with Runa to watch that she doesn't do anything stupid in her confusion. Kamii glances back with an expression that screams for help, before rounding the corner to the first floor.

  Runa is a chosen of the gods and has their protection, so she can't be silenced to keep things under wrap. The little dark elf hopes that the half-elf will talk to the professors; after all, they may decide to execute her for her involvement in the battle that resulted in several deaths.

  The door to the room she shared with Mahkotoh and Hestia until just earlier closes behind her. The professors that guided her here are standing on the other side and keeping watch, while Ninlil must have rounded the building to make sure she doesn't escape out the window.

  Kamii walks in and spots Senka sitting on her bed. She stops in shock and stands stock-still near the entrance area, her mind racing at top speed. Astrid and Basarab are without a doubt listening for anything suspicious on the inside, and even if the doors are quite thick, they don't keep the sound out that well. One piece of evidence is the fact that everybody overheard Mahkotoh and her lovemaking even though she doesn't remember being too loud.