Cohle
He leaned against the window sill and stared down at the courtyard, idly watching the blonde as she sat on the bench he'd been resting on. He fought against the mild feeling of guilt as she rose and hurried into the building. She hadn't cornered him and had seemed sincere, but there was something off about her he couldn't place. She felt wrong and that's why his guard had been up. Satisfied with this explanation, as flimsy as it was, he turned his mind to the brief discussion earlier that day.
~
"It's amazing, Cel! He can spellforge with just a thought! Not even Than could do that, right!?" Professor Birkin flailed excitedly when she dragged him into the headmaster's office.
Celestia didn't seem as surprised as she smiled and nodded slowly. "It took him a considerable effort to use magic, even after he was adept with it, yes."
"You should've seen the fireball he conjured! It was incredible. I don't think that I could've made one more powerful." The professor continued. "Spellforgers are rare enough, but none of them have ever been able to do what Cohle can!"
"'Cohle' now is it? I know you're excited Sibyll, but please maintain decorum." Celestia said, though a look of amusement flashed across her face as she glanced at him. "Quite impressive, Mister Venge. And on your first day as well."
He didn't react immediately, trying to gauge whether or not to broach the topic now or wait. Celestia seemed to pick up on this and nodded. "Why don't you return to the manor for dinner this evening. We can talk about it then. I'm sure Lily would be over the moon to hear how your first day went."
"Good." He muttered, bowing slightly. "Excuse me professor, headmaster."
~
Of course, after that had been the duel with his adoptive cousin and the practical class where he'd barely managed to get a shield up in time to protect him from the spell Reva had cast. He'd managed to shatter it, only to be surrounded by a professor frozen in fear and a class of laughing jackals. Reva was on the ground, twitching slightly with angry red veins burning her skin.
Anger flooded him as he walked over to her and clumsily picked her up, draping her over his shoulder. Rickard tried to stop him as he headed to the exit of the arena, but he'd kicked the highborn boy as hard as he could in the chest, nearly dropping his raven haired burden.
It turned out that the bulk of her injury was caused by a cursed wand. A joke item not meant for spells like FiendFyre. He lingered around in the office until he heard that her father was on his way before walking out, finally letting himself feel how exhausting the events of a day still not yet over were.
It was well after dark now and he knew Wastkin would likely be waiting for him at the gate, so he turned from the window and rifled through the bags left on his bed for an unburnt shirt to wear. He found a bundle with a note that read "From Lily" on it and undid the knot. Tan pants and a black shirt were the first things he saw. Underneath was a pair of boots very similar to the ones High-Guard had taken from him.
"You got me adventuring clothes." He chuckled, stripping out of the uniform and quickly donning the more familiar clothing. He even enjoyed the feeling of the thicker socks on his feet and as he walked from his room, the boots were more comfortable than he'd remembered.
Jogging across the campus, he felt another pang of guilt when he saw the butler standing just inside the school grounds. He bowed slightly when his eye caught Cohle's and turned to head through the gate.
"Sorry, Wastkin." He said, catching up just as the car door was opened for him. "It's been..."
"Yes, I've heard many interesting snippets, Master Venge. No worry, I was plenty entertained." He said jovially, then smiled. "And I see you found Miss Lily's gift."
"Yeah. I can't wait to thank her for it." He slid into the back seat and moments later, they were moving through the streets of Veralys. "Did you know my father?"
"Briefly." The butler replied, glancing at him from the mirror. "Not enough to say I knew him, but enough to get the measure of him. Am I to understand you've put a few pieces together?"
"I hope so. She won't tell me more unless I have, right? That's why she's so secretive about my parents?"
The older man shrugged. "I'm not privy to her intentions, but I suspect that you finding things out on your own is equally important as the information she gives you after."
"I don't get it." He muttered. "Why not just tell me?"
"Some doors require knowledge, some preparation, while some require something else entirely, young sir." Wastkin said. "Madam is, above all, an educator. She understands the weight of knowledge gained and the importance of knowledge given. There's no malicious intent in her methods. I daresay that this may even be better for you, given your history and attraction for trouble."
"Fancy way of saying she's trying to protect me." He mumbled.
The butler laughed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. But can you really blame her?"
"I guess not."
He stared out the window idly, trying to keep his mind from wandering until the car stopped in front of the manor. Without waiting for Wastkin, he climbed out and walked up to the house where a fire of red hair threw open the door and beamed at him, bouncing excitedly on her heels.
"I haven't even been gone a day." He said wryly, then grinned and jogged up to her, giving the taller woman a hug. "Thank you. They're perfect."
She hummed as she squeezed him, then stepped back and gestured toward the dining room. Nodding, he and Wastkin made their way into the long room where Celestia sat resting her chin in her hands, so deep in thought it took the butler touching her shoulder to rouse her.
"Oh, there you are." She said as he sat down. "I'm afraid I already ate, but Zeke is keeping a plate warm for you."
"Will you tell him I said thanks?" He asked as Wastkin pushed open the door into the kitchen.
"Of course, young sir." He said, disappearing through it for a few seconds before returning and setting it in front of him. "Will there be anything else, madam?"
"Not right now. But later." She said.
He bowed and exited the dining room while she regarded her ward. "Lily has better taste than I gave her credit for."
"She shouldn't have spent her money on it, but I'm glad to have them." He said, pulling at the shirt. "I'll have to think of a way to pay her back."
Celestia nodded. "If you require any money for that endeavor, I'll have a stipend set up for you." With a sharp breath she sat up straighter in her chair. "You have questions. I'll answer the obvious one now, the rest I'll ask you to save for after you've eaten and we've made arrangements."
"Arrangements?"
"We'll be traveling tomorrow afternoon after your morning classes. Myself and Wastkin will be personally tutoring you so you don't fall behind on your studies. If we're lucky, we should make it back for the inter-school tournament." She said. "Which I suspect you'll have wanted to participate in, so I've already signed you up."
"You're jumping ahead of me again. Traveling where?" He asked.
"To the demon queen's castle." She replied darkly. "Where you were born."
He felt his stomach drop as his brain put the pieces together. The familiar tightness in his chest returned and he realized he was hyperventilating. "What?"
"The leader of Kingsguard, Than, was your father. And your mother's name was Corra. She was the demon queen." She said, her eyes jumping to the door leading into the den.
Cohle didn't hear the clatter, but looked behind him and saw Lily standing in the doorway covering her mouth. "Oh, Miss Lily, why?"
The young woman turned and ran, or fled, but he couldn't move from his seat to chase after her. He had to know more. He looked at Celestia, whose expression was difficult to discern as his panicked mind raced. "My-" He croaked, but couldn't force anymore words out.
"I'll tell you what I feel you're able to handle. Nothing more. And you have to accept that there will be things that I've withheld. Otherwise, that is the last piece of information I will give you. Is that understood?" She asked, rising from her seat. "Cohle?"
"Yeah." He wheezed.
"Good, now eat. I'll see to Miss Lily." She said, walking from the room.
He stared at the plate of food, but hunger was far from his mind. The revelations about his parents made him nauseous, but Lily's face slowly crept to the forefront of his mind. She'd been horrified by the revelation, not shocked as he was. The tightness in his chest increased again when more pieces started falling into place. Lily had had things taken from her and those things were related to his family. Pushing his own feelings aside, he got up from the table and set out to find his only friend.
Melody
"It's a test." She murmured, drawing the studded strap across her still injured back. "I'll be forgiven if I complete my mission."
She struck herself again and her vision blurred. The sound of the first bell pulled her out of her mind and she felt the full effect of the night's repentance, biting her lip to keep from screaming. She'd already decided that she wouldn't heal herself. The pain would keep her motivated.
Instead she made makeshift bandages out of the casual clothing that her brother had sent and wrapped them around her body to keep the blood from staining her uniform. "I just need to complete my mission." She murmured, wincing as she pulled the cloth tight. "That's my path."
Putting on her uniform was a struggle as her arms felt like lead from a night of self flagellation, and the blood loss made her lightheaded as she moved to the door of her room. But with it came a clarity she'd never had before. Today had to be the day.
Reva
There was barely any time to process how or why she was at school as pain slammed her into the ground. There was a vague awareness that someone was moving her, but it took a few minutes for the pain to ebb and her vision to clear.
"There she is." Professor Birkin sighed. "I'm no good with healing magic, but I did the best I could."
Reva tried to sit up, but the professor's hand kept her on the floor. "What happened?" She murmured.
"We were hoping you could tell us."
Reva's eyes found Cohle and she tried to sit up again, but a sudden, violent pain shot through her head, blinding her. There was nothing she could do to escape it other than scream. She tasted copper and tried to roll away from the hands holding her down.
"Cohle, what are you-" She heard over the pounding in her skull.
Then as quickly as it had come on, it stopped. She felt her body relax and sighed in relief. As her senses returned, she felt warm hands on either side of her scalp and opened her eyes to see Cohle's exhausted face above hers. "Better?" He asked weakly.
"Y-Yeah."
He let her go and stumbled a few steps, before resting against a wall. "I..." He panted. "I tried combining a pain numbing spell with a healing one. Didn't expect it to..."
"Restorative magic is draining." Birkin said. "And you don't have any experience with your spellforging or casting yet."
"Yeah. Stupid idea." He muttered. "Sorry for sleeping in your class today."
Birkin made a sour face, but turned her attention back to Reva as Cohle exited the room. "I'm not going to pretend that racism and classism isn't prevalent in this school. But you owe him tremendously. He saved your life yesterday as well, you know."
"He what? What happened yest-" Panic coursed through her. She couldn't remember anything past getting her sandiwch. She strained her memory, but it simply didn't exist. There was nothing between getting the sandwich and standing in the hall.
Birkin seemed to pick up on there being something wrong, but when Reva glanced at the door she saw another face that filled her with more dread than her missing time. "Athena?"
Her sister smiled at her and continued on while Birkin gave her a confused look. "Miss Alabaster?"
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no." She murmured.
~
She stared at herself in the glass of the framed painting of the school. Her raven hair was a mess, her dark eyes had heavy bags under them, and her lips had split in the spots she'd nervously picked bloody. Try as she might to fill the blanks, her timeline was one continuous string where she was acquiring a sandwich one moment, then walking down the hall the next. And nearly a day had passed between the two.
Birkin was concerned for her, especially once she'd begun to have a panic attack after seeing Athena, so she half-dragged her to the admin building. It was a hopeless situation and she knew it. They had no choice but to contact her family. Even the headmaster had given her a sympathetic look when she made the call.
"And where's Mister Venge?" She asked, setting down the receiver.
"Likely asleep at his desk. He managed to cast a compound spell that stabilized Miss Alabaster. He was looking rather poorly today to begin with."
The headmaster nodded. "Yes, we had a trying evening at home yesterday on top of a very trying first day. As you know, we'll be heading out once the morning classes are finished. I have your syllabus, so you can rest assured that when we return, he won't be behind."
"With you, Madam Headmaster, I expect he'll be ahead." Birkin chuckled softly. "I'll make sure to wake him once class is over."
Reva felt a hand on her shoulder and looked into the professor's amber eyes. "I'm sorry." She murmured.
Birkin smiled. "You'll be alright, dear."
Reva nodded, despite knowing that wouldn't be the case. Especially since it was likely Athena had already contacted him, spinning her tales in the worst way that only invited more trouble and punishment upon her.
"You and my ward somehow keep crossing paths." The headmaster said once Birkin exited her office. "Is there some reason for that?"
She shook her head. "I don't know, ma'am."
"Perhaps in time, the meaning will become clear. For better or worse." The woman said, flipping open a folder. "It took a rather sizeable donation to get you enrolled in our academy. Underwhelming in nearly every aspect while your sister is the complete opposite. To the point of blatant arrogance."
Reva didn't know how to respond. She agreed with the headmaster, but didn't want to speak poorly on her family or confirm anything that could be embarrassing for them.
"Yes, I imagine that would be the case." Reva looked over at her and wondered if she'd read her mind, but before she could ask, the headmaster rose from her desk and circled around it. "You have the potential to succeed, Reva. To be as great if not greater than your sister. But you've been poorly developed. I'll be away for roughly three months, but when I return, I'd like you to consider coming to me for tutoring."
She blinked, not sure what to make of the offer. Something inside her screamed at her to accept. That maybe if she was being taught personally by Celestia Lightbringer, it might ease her father's wrath. But then she realized that he'd probably punish her for taking a spot that rightfully belonged to Athena and the fire inside her fizzled. "I-"
"REVA!" Her father's voice boomed.
"What an insufferably oafish man. I do pity you, Miss Alabaster." She muttered darkly, pulling open the door to her office.
Hector Alabaster
Pulling his hands away with an exhale and sitting down, he watched Angeline walk over to their youngest and cast a series of support spells on her. The sun was starting to set and he'd been working on his spell since bringing the girl home after he'd been contacted about her having a panic attack after seeing her sister. He had been beside himself with fury when he cast Bodybind on her and dragged her small body into the courtyard, not wanting to dirty his floors when she would inevitably lose control of her faculties.
His wife had been instrumental in keeping the girl alive, awake, and aware for the last ten hours while he worked. He was closer than he'd ever been, but they needed a break and as the servants began their evening duties, more eyes would be on them than before. He snapped his fingers at one of the groundsmen.
"Take that to her room and dump her on the bed." He said, gesturing idly as Angeline stepped away.
The man nodded and took it upon himself to move her alone, dragging the still frozen girl like a log up the stairs and into the manor.
"Perhaps its time for a reprieve, my love. You've been working all day and Reva's condition is growing more unstable with each pass. Soon, she'll be beyond my ability."
He grunted in annoyance. "I'm close. I don't plan on stopping tonight. One way or another, by the morning, she won't be a problem any longer."
"I'd hate for all your hard work to be for naught if she expires."
He raised an eyebrow at his wife's unexpected concern for the creature that broke her body. "I will continue."
"As you wish, my love." She sighed, gliding away from him and up the stairs.
His pride and joy appeared in the doorway before skipping down the steps. "You've been so busy, you forgot to greet me today when I got home."
He felt his cheeks burn and took Athena's hand. "Papa's sorry. It won't happen again."
She scoffed and withdrew it. "We'll see. You've been so busy with Reva lately, I'm beginning to wonder if you favor her more than me."
Before he could refute this, she stalked past him and after a few minutes he could hear the sound of her training. That was all the motivation he needed as he pushed himself back to his feet and walked through the massive house, up the stairs and into the small room, which was a converted closet.
"Did you enjoy your rest?" He asked, sneering down at the frozen girl. "Good."
Sitting down on the hard bed, he placed his hands on her head and closed his eyes to concentrate.
~
"My love?" He heard his wife ask and realized he'd been laughing.
"I finished it." He said, scooping his wife up and spinning her once before setting her down. "I finished it."
She nodded, smiling gently but it didn't reach her eyes. What had happened to her that she was so concerned about this? Ignoring his concern, he looked down at the girl who had blood pooling on her pillow from her nose, eyes, and ears. He was exhausted, but the sooner he got this over with, the better he'd sleep from now on.
"Restore her as best you can, my love. I want her in good condition for this."
It was a painful ten minutes before Angeline exhaled and rose from the bed with none of her usual grace. "I leave the rest to you." She muttered, walking from the room.
He dismissed Bodybind and watched as his daughter slowly came back to life. She was weak and barely seemed to recognize where she was, but she still flinched when he sat down beside her. His anticipation stirred something in him that had been dormant since her birth.
"You'll be glad to know that you won't be an embarrassment to this family any longer." He said, not bothering to hide his smile. "From now on, you'll be perfect. Just like your sister."
"Please..." She slurred, her eyes rolling lazily in her head.
"No need to beg me, dear child. I'm doing this whether you want it or not." He leaned closer. "You owe this to us for what you did to your mother and the shame you've brought on our family."
"N-N-NO!" She stammered, trying to push him away with limp arms.
"Goodbye." He said, grabbing her skull and channeling his mana.
She shrieked and thrashed for nearly a minute before falling still. Her eyes alert now and looking at him expectantly. He got up from the bed, smirking. "How do you feel?"
"I'm not sure."
"Then get up." He ordered.
Instead of the stiff, disjointed movements of his previous attempt, she moved without hesitation and stood in front of him. He felt like his face was tearing from how hard he was smiling. He'd succeeded where all others had failed. He'd erased who his daughter was and now had a blank slate to create the perfect child.
"Do you know your sister, Athena?" He asked.
"Yes, father."
"From now on, you will behave as she does. Is that understood? You will be perfect in everything and you will no longer be an embarrassment to us."
"I won't disappoint you, father."
He stepped forward and pulled his daughter into a fierce embrace. "I know you won't."
Reva
Each moment was like a snapshot accompanied by mind shattering pain. She tried to piece together what was happening, but her times of clarity were fleeting and growing further apart. Along with that, her understanding of what she was seeing also seemed to be dwindling. Faces were unrecognizable, objects were forgotten, sensations...
She stared down at the thing in her stomach, but couldn't find the words to describe what she was experiencing. Her father was yelling at someone with dark hair and eyes like hers, but older. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a string of gibberish.
"Looks like Reva's still in there after all, daddy." The girl said.
Her father looked incensed. "That can't be. Go get your mother, I'll deal with the leftovers."
She couldn't figure out who he was anymore. He was a large man with dark hair and beady eyes. A hand covered her face and she desperately tried to cling on to consciousness, but there was a painful jolt through her and there was a sensation. One she couldn't even grab hold of as the last shreds of consciousness slipped from her.
Melody
The smell was horrible and the black patches were spreading. The red tendrils ached and itched, but she wouldn't succumb. She drew the strap across her back and shrieked as her shaking arm dragged it painfully over her shoulder once more.
Nobody wanted to be near her now, not even those who claimed to be her friends. But it didn't matter since Cohle had gone missing and she wouldn't receive forgiveness without completing her mission. But nobody knew where he'd gone, only that he'd gone with Celestia Lightbringer.
She'd grabbed one of the women she knew to be a servant on the house and beat her for nearly an hour, but she wouldn't speak. It was infuriating to have to resort to these sins, but this was her path and the Lord would forgive her.
The strap swished through the air once more, but she collapsed before it could strike. Staring at the red stained floor, she cursed him repeatedly. If it weren't for her mission, she'd take it upon herself to kill him for the pain he had caused not just her body, but her soul. It was he who made her doubt her faith. It was he who the Lord deemed necessary for forgiveness. And it was he who was the reason for this whole ordeal in the first place.
"He deserves to die." She murmured weakly, warm drool coming from her mouth. "I should kill him."