Hughie wished he could remember her name.
But every time he tried to, the vision of her bent body and her horrific expression haunted him. She was trampled by the horses as she ran away. That was all he could figure out.
“Hughie???” His brother caught him and dragged him out of the alleyway. “What are you doing outside? Where's Mom!?” He stopped for a second and clenched his teeth.
“Brother…where's dad?” He asked.
His brother shook his head and simply ran the both of them towards the village gate. “Hughie…”
“Run…please.” His brother pleaded.
“But…Mom told you to come with me.”
“I—I’m going back to Mom.” He shook his head again. “It's not safe to wait here. So wait in the forest, hide where they can't see you. Look out for my voice there okay?”
A man then came behind them. A looming figure with white aura so immense it could blot out the sky. His brother turned around and drew his sword.
“RUN HUGHIE!” His brother screamed and so he did. He ran with tears in his eyes as he booked it for the forest. Where he found a hole inside a tree to hide himself in.
He stayed there for 3 nights and 2 days.
Without leaving.
Wary of any footsteps that would come close. This was when he received his Adjudicator Magic. The moment he hid himself in the tree, he vanished. An illusion formed around the small hiding spot, hiding it from view, and keeping anyone from getting close and finding his location.
He waited for his brother's voice to call him but it didn't arrive.
He waited for his Mother’s voice but it didn't arrive.
He waited for anyone in the village to call his name…
But there was no one. After staying inside the tree for so long, he passed out from dehydration.
He only got out when he woke up to somebody having found his hiding spot and shook his body awake. “General! There's a kid here!” The person called someone else.
“What!?”
“He's still alive.”
He was found by a soldier under the Commander of the Dusk Army, Heinrich.
Hughie remembered all of these emotions, all these pain. The root of his desire.
He opened his eyes and spoke his Magic.
“Peak Illusion. ONE THOUSAND ILLUSORY CLONES!” He casted and in an instant the entire Second Garden was filled with his copies.
Even the creature possessing the Lady staggered in surprise, canceling out the attack she'd been channeling.
Hughie didn't waste time. He would defeat this obstacle in his way even if he had to die. This descendant of Azarolla must die. He rushed forward along with his clones.
There was no way to tell which was which as every copy came from various directions all at once. They bounced around and evaded attacks from Piety and it was difficult to keep up with all of them simultaneously.
Finally, Hughie saw the thread that led to an opening to her neck. It was over.
He leaped from his place and rushed to make use of this moment.
He drew his blade, fully prepared to decapitate her, but before he could swing his sword towards her neck. A sudden tingling like instinct rang in his head. He twisted his body and blocked the arrow that came flying from a far off direction.
It was aimed precisely at his head. Had he continued his movement, he would have been shot right through and would be unable to even continue his arc of motion and die before he could've killed Alejandra Ramirez.
He saw the remarkable Archer. She was perched on top of the roof, her eyes seemingly seeing right through the thousand clones and towards him.
He grimaced but a smile formed on his lips. The creature's eyes turned its glance towards his real body and in a swift motion, cut off his good arm.
He had lost.
He skidded on the dirt. His clones are fading away one by one. His other hand grasping what's left of his arm. There was immense pain, it felt like torture.
“This sucks.” He allowed himself a chuckle as he looked at the blood spilling out.
He felt it.
Her Spirit.
She stood right in front of him, her sword drawn, and ready to strike. There was no emotion behind those white eyes, only frozen apathy. Her gaze was nothing more than an empty husk doing its simple objective. There was no soul inside that body.
He held no hatred for this girl, he held no spite as well. Only pity, for a monster had consumed her sanity.
Power comes at a cost.
He knew it all too well. After all, that was the core of Adjudicator Magic.
“ALEJANDRA!” A voice called from somewhere. It was the Empress, she had come out of hiding and had decided to approach the creature.
It didn't bother responding though, it keeps its eyes focused on the Captain in front of it. With one objective inside its head.
Eliminate.
Two figures came from the entrance of the Second Garden. It was the Crown Prince and another young Lady. It was the same Lady who fired the arrow earlier. She still carried the bow and quiver along with her.
“My Lady?” The archer’s voice was faint, surprised by the appearance of the woman in front of her.
“Lady Alejandra?” The Crown Prince called as well, similarly confused as to what exactly had happened here.
“Incessant clamor.” Alejandra's voice was nowhere to be heard. It was only the many voices of the creature. “All of thee must be extinguished.” It raised its blade and the tip of it began gathering all the frost and snow in one place.
It planned to kill everything in the surrounding area.
“Shit.” Ben stepped forward, immediately reading the situation. He pushed Teresa behind him and erected a wall of blood to block the force of the snow.
The Emperor thought quickly as well and rushed behind his wife to catch her as she was flung backwards by the sudden increase of the wind speed.
“That's not her.” Ben said with certainty. “Any clues? You're her closest maid right?” He turned to Teresa.
“I— I don't know.” She bit her lip as she stared in fear towards the being that used to be her Lady.
Somewhere behind the bushes Maddison was watching the entire thing. There would be no way for anyone to survive an incoming blast of frost of that power.
She had to make a choice. She either had to show her real face to the people around so that they could possibly break open the Conatus chains that bound her magic or run away in hopes of surviving alone.
There was no way she’d be picking the latter.
She’d lose all the reason she was doing everything in the first place.
She stood up.
Maddison was ready to reveal her identity but just before she could step out.
“My… can't believe I’d see my rival in such a state.” A mocking voice came from behind her. A woman with beautiful golden locks appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “I guess weakness really does dull your senses.”
“Jamie.” She turned her eyes to the elf in a glare. An old acquaintance of hers from the previous era of the Underworld, before she broke off and started her own information guild. “What are you doing here?”
“Repaying favors.” She smiled and raised a finger, wrapped around it, was a key. “I don't know why you conceal your identity to such people, Master and you would always keep it a secret from me.”
“Don't speak of him.” Maddison glowers at her.
“Yeah. Yeah.” She smirked and booped the Red-head’s nose. “Now you better get going honey, or everyone here is gonna die.” She quickly unlocked the chains and let it clatter to the ground.
Maddison grabbed what looked to be some paper from her pockets and in a short instant, her hair turned short and returned to being orange. Her face also shifted to be more masculine. “Thank you, I guess.”
“Wow. That's all?” Jamie rolled her eyes. “I wasted my Mist Magic going here, you know?”
“I didn't ask you to?”
“But I did end up helping you.”
“Shut up.”
“You know, you look quite handsome like that.” She teased with a grin. “Maybe keep it that way.”
“You want me to punch you, instead?”
“I’d rather not.” She mused. “My face is far too precious to be scarred.”
“Tch.” Maddison turned her eyes away from the elf who just smiled knowingly behind her.
“You seem well.”
“You too.”
That was the last words they said before Maddison emerged from the bushes and activated her Adjudicator Magic.
Alejandra's Spirit might have been gargantuan and impossible to bypass for most Adjudicators.
Maddison wasn't most Adjudicators, however.
She could tell the Spirit was unstable. It’s struggling to hold itself together. Whoever that creature that is possessing the Lady is, it's the one keeping the white aura from collapsing.
The moment it collapses, Lady Alejandra should faint.
Since Magic and Spirit work as a sort of anti-theses to each other. The only way to cancel out a strong amount of Spirit, is with an equal or larger amount of Magic.
Maddison stepped out, putting herself in view of everyone in the garden.
“My Lady,” she called, “I’m sorry for all that I said earlier.” She smiled and closed her eyes.
‘I messed up, didn't I?’ Maddison thought. She could no longer deny she had grown attached to the Lady just from their small and simple interactions.
As a wave of enormous pressure, large amounts of magic exuded from Maddison. A powerful force that felt like immense gravity.
Ben witnessed, with his two eyes, what was happening. A power he hadn't thought possible. An extraordinary presence of magic that even he could not see himself be compared to. He realized, at this moment, he still had so much more to grow.
Ben winced as the force of the blizzard wind grew stronger as well as the enormous Magic radiating from that person.
That person, Maddison, got closer to the Lady, without a fear in her heart.
The white aura around Alejandra wavered as the Witch drew closer.
Maddison levitated upwards. Until their eyes locked straight into each other. She again approached closer to the heiress, who unleashed an even stronger amount of winter wind that knocked everyone except Maddison to the ground.
Maddison finally arrived right in front of the Lady. She let her fingers trace down the white strands of her hair and caressed her pale snowy cheeks “It's time to take a break, Taylor.” She whispered then embraced the woman in front of her. Her excessive amount of magic canceling out the excessive amount of Spirit.
In that short instant, the whole pressure within the second garden vanished as if it was never even there.
They both dropped to the ground in a soft thud.
Alejandra was passed out in Maddison’s arms. Her hair back to black, and her skin returning to its usual tan brown. The being that possessed her nowhere to be found.
The icy sword fell flat quietly on the side, with no more hints of moving on its own.
“Finally…” Maddison sighed as she brushed the messy hair off of Alejandra's face. “Get some sleep.”
“MY LADY!!!” The first to approach them was the archer, who rushed and knelt next to Alejandra's side immediately.
Maddison carefully handed the Lady’s body to her.
“My Lady, are you okay?” Teresa checked her temperature and her pulse. “She seems a bit cold. Oh no no no no.” She panicked, her arms shaking and her body still high on adrenaline. Thankfully, the Prince placed his hand on her shoulder and reassured the little archer.
“It's fine… she doesn't seem to be showing any signs of pain.” Ben pointed out. “She's probably just exhausted from expelling that much Spirit. Since that was…incredible.”
Maddison glanced over at Alejandra's chest. The stab wound that pierced through her body had become simply a scar. A sigh of relief escaped her lips before she stood up and walked away, letting everyone else check up on Alejandra's health.
“Benjamin!” Andrea called as she ran over as well. “Are you alright!? Where's Alejandra?!”
“I’m fine… and she's here.” Ben relaxed his mother. Whose face turned solemn when she saw Alejandra's face.
“Oh sweet goddess, is she okay?”
“She's fine.” Ben said. “I think so, at least.”
“That is no good.” The Emperor arrived behind them. “We must take her to the priests as fast as possible.”
“Definitely.” Ben glanced over at Teresa who nodded as they both had the silent agreement of lifting her up.
“Now, speaking of which. Sir Madelline—” The Emperor looked around for the orange haired man but he was nowhere to be found.
“They've vanished.” Ben pursed his lips. That man clearly was no ordinary man, and he clearly was no mere noble or knight. It had seemed that the Lady and the man had met somewhere before as well…
The Crown Prince grit his teeth. If that man was an example of his rivals to Lady Alejandra's heart, there was no choice but to get stronger.
Much stronger.
The Empress shook her head. “We must leave with haste.” She pointed back towards the secret passageway. “We’ll give that man the proper rewards for his accomplishments today, however, our priority right now must be Lady Alejandra.”
“Agreed.” Ben nodded to his Mother's decision as the Emperor offered to lift Alejandra up.
The five of them made their exit towards the secret passage to get help for the Lady of Ramirez as fast as possible.
Out from behind some bushes, two people watched the scenes, hidden from sight.
“You sure you don't wanna follow them?” Jamie asked, leaning on the wall.
“Yeah.” Maddison responded, her voice was shaky. Hearing this, the elf clenched her fists and snarled towards the Witch.
“Maddie, you should stop with this tough act.” Jamie sighed. “You're softer than you look. No one is saying you have to do this revenge plan, you know?”
“Shut up!” Maddison glared. “You don't know anything okay???” She seemed frustrated as she pulled on her own hair. “I have to do this. There's no other way.”
Jamie frowned but didn't say anything further.
“If you have doubts about my conviction, then you don't know me enough.” Maddison scowled.
“I don't doubt you…I am just worried about you.” Jamie looked a bit hurt. “I’ve known you for so long that–”
“If you actually cared— you wouldn't have left me!!!” Maddison yelled. Her mouth gaped open, ready to continue speaking but she simply pursed her lips and turned away.. “I’m sorry…”
Jamie just let out another exasperated sigh. “Where's that Captain guy as well?” Jamie pointed out, trying to change the flow of the conversation. Maddison raised an eyebrow to the question and she just shrugged.
“He got away.” The Mistress of the Underworld stared into the ground. “Simple as that.”
There was a collective groan between the two of them.
“So what's your plan now?” Jamie shrugged, refusing to look Maddison in the eye. “You can't exactly use that Lady of yours as a pawn anymore, can you?”
“I’m going for plan B.” Maddison clenched her fists. “And I will also refrain from further interactions with the Lady of Ramirez.”
Jamie frowned even more but once again, she kept her mouth shut.
“I hope you won't stand in our way, Old Friend.” Maddison glanced at the elf who simply stepped away from the wall and kicked her feet on the dirt.
“I can't promise anything.” Jamie lamented and made direct eye contact. “If saving you means standing in your way, then so be it. I will save you, Maddie. Whatever it takes.” Her face was forlorn, anxious, and utterly stricken. It carried weight and a gaze that was ready to alleviate Maddison's burden at any moment.
“I see.” The red-head looked away, unable to meet her eyes.
There was a small silence as the two of them stayed quiet for a few seconds.
“There's a long road ahead.” Jamie opted to mention, staring towards the sky.
“Indeed.” Maddison let out the heaviest breath she’d been holding this entire conversation. “Indeed there is.”
Hughie wished he could remember her name.
But every time he tried to, the vision of her bent body and her horrific expression haunted him. She was trampled by the horses as she ran away. That was all he could figure out.
“Hughie???” His brother caught him and dragged him out of the alleyway. “What are you doing outside? Where's Mom!?” He stopped for a second and clenched his teeth.
“Brother…where's dad?” He asked.
His brother shook his head and simply ran the both of them towards the village gate. “Hughie…”
“Run…please.” His brother pleaded.
“But…Mom told you to come with me.”
“I—I’m going back to Mom.” He shook his head again. “It's not safe to wait here. So wait in the forest, hide where they can't see you. Look out for my voice there okay?”
A man then came behind them. A looming figure with white aura so immense it could blot out the sky. His brother turned around and drew his sword.
“RUN HUGHIE!” His brother screamed and so he did. He ran with tears in his eyes as he booked it for the forest. Where he found a hole inside a tree to hide himself in.
He stayed there for 3 nights and 2 days.
Without leaving.
Wary of any footsteps that would come close. This was when he received his Adjudicator Magic. The moment he hid himself in the tree, he vanished. An illusion formed around the small hiding spot, hiding it from view, and keeping anyone from getting close and finding his location.
He waited for his brother's voice to call him but it didn't arrive.
He waited for his Mother’s voice but it didn't arrive.
He waited for anyone in the village to call his name…
But there was no one. After staying inside the tree for so long, he passed out from dehydration.
He only got out when he woke up to somebody having found his hiding spot and shook his body awake. “General! There's a kid here!” The person called someone else.
“What!?”
“He's still alive.”
He was found by a soldier under the Commander of the Dusk Army, Heinrich.
Hughie remembered all of these emotions, all these pain. The root of his desire.
He opened his eyes and spoke his Magic.
“Peak Illusion. ONE THOUSAND ILLUSORY CLONES!” He casted and in an instant the entire Second Garden was filled with his copies.
Even the creature possessing the Lady staggered in surprise, canceling out the attack she'd been channeling.
Hughie didn't waste time. He would defeat this obstacle in his way even if he had to die. This descendant of Azarolla must die. He rushed forward along with his clones.
There was no way to tell which was which as every copy came from various directions all at once. They bounced around and evaded attacks from Piety and it was difficult to keep up with all of them simultaneously.
Finally, Hughie saw the thread that led to an opening to her neck. It was over.
He leaped from his place and rushed to make use of this moment.
He drew his blade, fully prepared to decapitate her, but before he could swing his sword towards her neck. A sudden tingling like instinct rang in his head. He twisted his body and blocked the arrow that came flying from a far off direction.
It was aimed precisely at his head. Had he continued his movement, he would have been shot right through and would be unable to even continue his arc of motion and die before he could've killed Alejandra Ramirez.
He saw the remarkable Archer. She was perched on top of the roof, her eyes seemingly seeing right through the thousand clones and towards him.
He grimaced but a smile formed on his lips. The creature's eyes turned its glance towards his real body and in a swift motion, cut off his good arm.
He had lost.
He skidded on the dirt. His clones are fading away one by one. His other hand grasping what's left of his arm. There was immense pain, it felt like torture.
“This sucks.” He allowed himself a chuckle as he looked at the blood spilling out.
He felt it.
Her Spirit.
She stood right in front of him, her sword drawn, and ready to strike. There was no emotion behind those white eyes, only frozen apathy. Her gaze was nothing more than an empty husk doing its simple objective. There was no soul inside that body.
He held no hatred for this girl, he held no spite as well. Only pity, for a monster had consumed her sanity.
Power comes at a cost.
He knew it all too well. After all, that was the core of Adjudicator Magic.
“ALEJANDRA!” A voice called from somewhere. It was the Empress, she had come out of hiding and had decided to approach the creature.
It didn't bother responding though, it keeps its eyes focused on the Captain in front of it. With one objective inside its head.
Eliminate.
Two figures came from the entrance of the Second Garden. It was the Crown Prince and another young Lady. It was the same Lady who fired the arrow earlier. She still carried the bow and quiver along with her.
“My Lady?” The archer’s voice was faint, surprised by the appearance of the woman in front of her.
“Lady Alejandra?” The Crown Prince called as well, similarly confused as to what exactly had happened here.
“Incessant clamor.” Alejandra's voice was nowhere to be heard. It was only the many voices of the creature. “All of thee must be extinguished.” It raised its blade and the tip of it began gathering all the frost and snow in one place.
It planned to kill everything in the surrounding area.
“Shit.” Ben stepped forward, immediately reading the situation. He pushed Teresa behind him and erected a wall of blood to block the force of the snow.
The Emperor thought quickly as well and rushed behind his wife to catch her as she was flung backwards by the sudden increase of the wind speed.
“That's not her.” Ben said with certainty. “Any clues? You're her closest maid right?” He turned to Teresa.
“I— I don't know.” She bit her lip as she stared in fear towards the being that used to be her Lady.
Somewhere behind the bushes Maddison was watching the entire thing. There would be no way for anyone to survive an incoming blast of frost of that power.
She had to make a choice. She either had to show her real face to the people around so that they could possibly break open the Conatus chains that bound her magic or run away in hopes of surviving alone.
There was no way she’d be picking the latter.
She’d lose all the reason she was doing everything in the first place.
She stood up.
Maddison was ready to reveal her identity but just before she could step out.
“My… can't believe I’d see my rival in such a state.” A mocking voice came from behind her. A woman with beautiful golden locks appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “I guess weakness really does dull your senses.”
“Jamie.” She turned her eyes to the elf in a glare. An old acquaintance of hers from the previous era of the Underworld, before she broke off and started her own information guild. “What are you doing here?”
“Repaying favors.” She smiled and raised a finger, wrapped around it, was a key. “I don't know why you conceal your identity to such people, Master and you would always keep it a secret from me.”
“Don't speak of him.” Maddison glowers at her.
“Yeah. Yeah.” She smirked and booped the Red-head’s nose. “Now you better get going honey, or everyone here is gonna die.” She quickly unlocked the chains and let it clatter to the ground.
Maddison grabbed what looked to be some paper from her pockets and in a short instant, her hair turned short and returned to being orange. Her face also shifted to be more masculine. “Thank you, I guess.”
“Wow. That's all?” Jamie rolled her eyes. “I wasted my Mist Magic going here, you know?”
“I didn't ask you to?”
“But I did end up helping you.”
“Shut up.”
“You know, you look quite handsome like that.” She teased with a grin. “Maybe keep it that way.”
“You want me to punch you, instead?”
“I’d rather not.” She mused. “My face is far too precious to be scarred.”
“Tch.” Maddison turned her eyes away from the elf who just smiled knowingly behind her.
“You seem well.”
“You too.”
That was the last words they said before Maddison emerged from the bushes and activated her Adjudicator Magic.
Alejandra's Spirit might have been gargantuan and impossible to bypass for most Adjudicators.
Maddison wasn't most Adjudicators, however.
She could tell the Spirit was unstable. It’s struggling to hold itself together. Whoever that creature that is possessing the Lady is, it's the one keeping the white aura from collapsing.
The moment it collapses, Lady Alejandra should faint.
Since Magic and Spirit work as a sort of anti-theses to each other. The only way to cancel out a strong amount of Spirit, is with an equal or larger amount of Magic.
Maddison stepped out, putting herself in view of everyone in the garden.
“My Lady,” she called, “I’m sorry for all that I said earlier.” She smiled and closed her eyes.
‘I messed up, didn't I?’ Maddison thought. She could no longer deny she had grown attached to the Lady just from their small and simple interactions.
As a wave of enormous pressure, large amounts of magic exuded from Maddison. A powerful force that felt like immense gravity.
Ben witnessed, with his two eyes, what was happening. A power he hadn't thought possible. An extraordinary presence of magic that even he could not see himself be compared to. He realized, at this moment, he still had so much more to grow.
Ben winced as the force of the blizzard wind grew stronger as well as the enormous Magic radiating from that person.
That person, Maddison, got closer to the Lady, without a fear in her heart.
The white aura around Alejandra wavered as the Witch drew closer.
Maddison levitated upwards. Until their eyes locked straight into each other. She again approached closer to the heiress, who unleashed an even stronger amount of winter wind that knocked everyone except Maddison to the ground.
Maddison finally arrived right in front of the Lady. She let her fingers trace down the white strands of her hair and caressed her pale snowy cheeks “It's time to take a break, Taylor.” She whispered then embraced the woman in front of her. Her excessive amount of magic canceling out the excessive amount of Spirit.
In that short instant, the whole pressure within the second garden vanished as if it was never even there.
They both dropped to the ground in a soft thud.
Alejandra was passed out in Maddison’s arms. Her hair back to black, and her skin returning to its usual tan brown. The being that possessed her nowhere to be found.
The icy sword fell flat quietly on the side, with no more hints of moving on its own.
“Finally…” Maddison sighed as she brushed the messy hair off of Alejandra's face. “Get some sleep.”
“MY LADY!!!” The first to approach them was the archer, who rushed and knelt next to Alejandra's side immediately.
Maddison carefully handed the Lady’s body to her.
“My Lady, are you okay?” Teresa checked her temperature and her pulse. “She seems a bit cold. Oh no no no no.” She panicked, her arms shaking and her body still high on adrenaline. Thankfully, the Prince placed his hand on her shoulder and reassured the little archer.
“It's fine… she doesn't seem to be showing any signs of pain.” Ben pointed out. “She's probably just exhausted from expelling that much Spirit. Since that was…incredible.”
Maddison glanced over at Alejandra's chest. The stab wound that pierced through her body had become simply a scar. A sigh of relief escaped her lips before she stood up and walked away, letting everyone else check up on Alejandra's health.
“Benjamin!” Andrea called as she ran over as well. “Are you alright!? Where's Alejandra?!”
“I’m fine… and she's here.” Ben relaxed his mother. Whose face turned solemn when she saw Alejandra's face.
“Oh sweet goddess, is she okay?”
“She's fine.” Ben said. “I think so, at least.”
“That is no good.” The Emperor arrived behind them. “We must take her to the priests as fast as possible.”
“Definitely.” Ben glanced over at Teresa who nodded as they both had the silent agreement of lifting her up.
“Now, speaking of which. Sir Madelline—” The Emperor looked around for the orange haired man but he was nowhere to be found.
“They've vanished.” Ben pursed his lips. That man clearly was no ordinary man, and he clearly was no mere noble or knight. It had seemed that the Lady and the man had met somewhere before as well…
The Crown Prince grit his teeth. If that man was an example of his rivals to Lady Alejandra's heart, there was no choice but to get stronger.
Much stronger.
The Empress shook her head. “We must leave with haste.” She pointed back towards the secret passageway. “We’ll give that man the proper rewards for his accomplishments today, however, our priority right now must be Lady Alejandra.”
“Agreed.” Ben nodded to his Mother's decision as the Emperor offered to lift Alejandra up.
The five of them made their exit towards the secret passage to get help for the Lady of Ramirez as fast as possible.
Out from behind some bushes, two people watched the scenes, hidden from sight.
“You sure you don't wanna follow them?” Jamie asked, leaning on the wall.
“Yeah.” Maddison responded, her voice was shaky. Hearing this, the elf clenched her fists and snarled towards the Witch.
“Maddie, you should stop with this tough act.” Jamie sighed. “You're softer than you look. No one is saying you have to do this revenge plan, you know?”
“Shut up!” Maddison glared. “You don't know anything okay???” She seemed frustrated as she pulled on her own hair. “I have to do this. There's no other way.”
Jamie frowned but didn't say anything further.
“If you have doubts about my conviction, then you don't know me enough.” Maddison scowled.
“I don't doubt you…I am just worried about you.” Jamie looked a bit hurt. “I’ve known you for so long that–”
“If you actually cared— you wouldn't have left me!!!” Maddison yelled. Her mouth gaped open, ready to continue speaking but she simply pursed her lips and turned away.. “I’m sorry…”
Jamie just let out another exasperated sigh. “Where's that Captain guy as well?” Jamie pointed out, trying to change the flow of the conversation. Maddison raised an eyebrow to the question and she just shrugged.
“He got away.” The Mistress of the Underworld stared into the ground. “Simple as that.”
There was a collective groan between the two of them.
“So what's your plan now?” Jamie shrugged, refusing to look Maddison in the eye. “You can't exactly use that Lady of yours as a pawn anymore, can you?”
“I’m going for plan B.” Maddison clenched her fists. “And I will also refrain from further interactions with the Lady of Ramirez.”
Jamie frowned even more but once again, she kept her mouth shut.
“I hope you won't stand in our way, Old Friend.” Maddison glanced at the elf who simply stepped away from the wall and kicked her feet on the dirt.
“I can't promise anything.” Jamie lamented and made direct eye contact. “If saving you means standing in your way, then so be it. I will save you, Maddie. Whatever it takes.” Her face was forlorn, anxious, and utterly stricken. It carried weight and a gaze that was ready to alleviate Maddison's burden at any moment.
“I see.” The red-head looked away, unable to meet her eyes.
There was a small silence as the two of them stayed quiet for a few seconds.
“There's a long road ahead.” Jamie opted to mention, staring towards the sky.
“Indeed.” Maddison let out the heaviest breath she’d been holding this entire conversation. “Indeed there is.”
