Kyla & Fang emerged in the depths of a forest, dense trees surrounding them. Kyla had been visualizing the Academia de Magica, but obviously she hadn’t quite mastered the technique yet, as while the forest was familiar, they weren’t in the close vicinity of the ruins. Still, it had only been her first real attempt. She was pleased to see that she was still riding Fang as well.

“Are you all right?” she asked of him.

‘In perfect condition,’ Fang replied.

Listening carefully, Kyla could hear the sound of flowing water. Then suddenly, she caught the sound of the song again that she had heard as she had entered the rift. It wasn’t a voice that she recognised, and she wondered if it had somehow effected her magic, pulling her to it instead of her intended destination. She was sure it was possibility, though her understanding of the magic was limited. The voice was beautiful and alluring, almost magical in nature, conveying hopes and dreams in its notes, but also an underlying sadness. She felt it call to her, and curious, they made their way silently towards it.

It didn’t take them long to find the source of the song, a partially submerged naked woman with her back to them coming into view as they reached the rivers edge. Her song was clearer now, a soulful ballad about a princess stolen at birth. Kyla slunk back a bit so that she was somewhat concealed, and watched her bathe, the lady’s profile coming into view as she moved to face the waters current. The lady was as beautiful as her voice, and Kyla couldn’t help but stare at her. Her skin was a pale white, her hair a wispy black that was tied up in a pony tail that she had pulled over her shoulder, revealing a series of fresh scars that ran down her back. Kyla felt a twinge of pain as she saw the scars, wondering what had happened to her. The lady’s face, with its delicate features, seemed familiar, but Kyla couldn’t quite place why. She sang as she bathed, apparently oblivious to their presence, and Kyla watched till the song had finished. Once the music had faded, the lady pulled her hair out of the ponytail and submerged herself in the water. Kyla took that opportunity to look more closely around the area. Lazily clumped on the edge of the river was a pile of clothes, navy blue Skeon on the top of the pile. That meant that she was likely a Rider Kyla thought to herself. Sure enough, downstream from the lady and staring straight at them with a curious gaze was a sleek black Dragon Familiar. Kyla gasped with surprise, finally recognizing who the lady was. It was Melody!

“Don’t worry, he’s not going to bite you,” Melody said, having resurfaced and apparently aware of their presence.

Kyla stepped forward, back into the open, Fang standing protectively beside her.

“That’s a nice pet you have there,” Melody said as she made her way to the edge of the river, before then sitting down in a patch of sunlight. Kyla blushed as she stared at her naked figure.

“You like what you see?” Melody teased.

Kyla blushed an even brighter red before she composed herself, trying to feign confidence.

“What are you doing here Melody? You’re a servant of the Demon King,” Kyla asked.

“Is a lady not allowed to bathe?” Melody replied, playfully acting innocent.

“Well yes, I guess,” Kyla answered, thrown off. “But that’s not the reason that you’re here, just what you’re currently doing.”

“And with a captivated audience as well it seems,” Melody replied with a cheeky grin, causing Kyla to blush again. “Oh, you are so cute!” she then added.

Melody stood up, and making a show of it, grabbed the towel she had beside her clothes, drying herself down before she then dressed herself, pulling the tight Skeon over her slender figure, followed by the short black mesh dress and leather boots. Kyla just watched, unsure of what she should be doing in this situation. She had seen plenty of people dress and undress, but none in the way that Melody was doing it, and none so captivating.

“That was a beautiful song,” Kyla stated as Melody finished dressing.

“Why thank you,” Melody said, a genuine smile on her face, before she then stretched seductively. “You liked the little show then?” she teased, eliciting another blush from Kyla. That one could be interpreted either way, but they both knew what she had actually been talking about.

Kyla wasn’t at all sure why she was reacting this way to Melody, especially given what she had been through in the last year. Melody was also their enemy, a servant of the Demon King.

“You’re avoiding the question Melody,” she stated again, trying to regain her composure.

Melody gave a cute pout, and then sighed.

“Until your side takes me in, I am bound to the Demon King, and so do as he bids,” she stated with a hint of sadness. “I’m facilitating the demon attack at the moment. You’re welcome to tell Myne that. It might hurry her along.”

“You’re attacking us with demons?” Kyla said, worried.

“More like sending them to slaughter, one at a time, but I’ll only be able to hold the bulk of them back so long. Multiple at once might be more of an issue, but then again Myne can be a terror to behold.”

Melody walked up to Kyla, her scent alluring.

“Things are rapidly developing, and are only going to get more complex. Please take me before it’s too late,” Melody said quietly.

Kyla looked at her, and reached out, running her finger delicately along the edge of Melody’s face, before then pulling back. She was all confused, emotions running wild inside of her. What was going on with her.

Kyla sighed. “I will pass your message on,” she said, before stepping back, and hopping on Fang.

‘Are you alright?’ Fang asked as Kyla absently created a rift in the air and they walked through.

‘I don’t know’ wailed Kyla internally. Why was she feeling this way, and why had she ended up finding Melody in the first place.

She needed to talk to Myne though she knew, as she looked up to find herself back outside the Academia de Magica.

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Melody watched as Kyla disappeared through a strange rift that she had created. She hadn’t realised that Kyla could do something like that. Actually she’d never heard of such a thing before. Not to mention that the Snow Wolf that was with her was also very... strange. What had happened to the Cat Feral since the events at the Sky Temple she wondered. While things were changing fast at her end, they also seemed to be doing so for Velvet’s crew as well. It was actually quite scary. Not to mention how fast the Prince had managed to gather the demons here in the forest near what they assumed was their base, which Kyla had inadvertently clarified. Melody had seen their original birth and it was possible that he could move them around in a similar manner, though now she had the responsibility of ‘herding’ them in the right direction, a task that Sorene usually did. Sorene however was off duties for a little while, which she wasn’t happy about, just like she hadn’t taken Melody’s teasing of her wounds very well. The scars on her back hurt when she recalled it. It was fortunate that Zorthac didn’t like his Masks fighting. Well, after a point.

Kyla was really cute though, and Melody was actually surprised at how much she had teased her. She hadn’t meant to, as beneath it all was a genuine desire that she didn’t want to ruin her chances at, but she hadn’t been able to help herself. She just hoped that she hadn’t teased her too much. Kyla didn’t seem to have that much confidence in herself. Melody smiled dreamily to herself as she thought about her. The wash had turned out much better than she had expected. She then sighed. She needed to get back to the task at hand.

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Kyla emerged to find a battle in full swing, Myne and Ruby engaged with a demon that looked like a cross between a bird and a woman. She’d seen mythical creatures like that in a book once, called something like a Harpy, though this one was the usual sickly purple colour that was common for demons and its feather were a dark blackish green, and instead of the twig like frame it was thick and muscular. The forest was giving all combatants difficulties, as flight was a lot more constrained, though it looked like Ruby and Myne were adapting much better. Kyla stayed still, not wanting to disturb either side even though she was certain that Myne had seen her arrival.

While it was taking time, Melody was right. The current battles were very one sided. Kyla watched as Myne and Ruby fought in perfect tandem, supporting each other at the exact moment needed, their movements in sync. It was almost as if they were talking to each other constantly during the fight, although Kyla couldn’t hear a thing. Like all demons the harpy had a resistant body, and it was Myne that was doing the bulk of the damage, her black flames sticking to it each time she landed a blow, the air smelling of charred feathers and flesh. Ruby was working to support her, stabbing at wounds already made by Myne so that her blows had impact. Kyla always marvelled at Myne’s power, and in each battle she was more confident with them than the last. She was using her flame wings to propel herself into the demon, her punches and kicks sending it flying, usually crashing into a nearby tree, to which she or Ruby would follow up directly with another attack. Myne was enjoying the fights immensely. Kyla could see the grin on her face. It was probably a way for her to vent her frustration and worry. She did seem to be holding back, but as her flames were as deadly to the forest as the demon that made sense.

And then the battle was over, Myne’s fist sending the demon crashing into a tree, from which it limply fell and did not move. Ruby followed up straight away, severing its head.

“Welcome back Kyla,” Myne said as she flew over and landed by her, Ruby walking over.

“I’m back,” Kyla mumbled, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.

“You don’t seem to have come to any harm,” Myne continued, looking her over. “We were worried when we couldn’t find any trace of you. But it all has worked out I see.”

She then looked over at the Snow Wolf.

“You have a new companion.” She stated.

“This is Fang,” Kyla introduced. “I kinda found him...”

‘Who is this?’ Fang queried.

“Fang, this is Myne, and Ruby,” Kyla introduced. ‘Myne is Velvet’s lover.’

‘I see. She seems just as deadly as Velvet. I’m not surprised they’re together. Guardian would be terrified of them,’ Fang observed, his head nodding as acknowledgement for the benefit of the others.

Ruby walked up close to Fang, looking at him curiously. “I’ve never seen anything like him before at all. What is he?” she asked.

“I’m not sure,” Kyla replied. “Technology of the old world, but with some magic mixed in.”

“Hmm. Magitech?” Myne offered.

Kyla smiled. “I like that term.” It certainly sounded better than saying a machine of war.

“How many demons have you killed thus far?” Kyla asked, wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Four,” Myne replied. “We know there are a lot more in the vicinity, but they’ve only been straying into our territory one at a time.”

Kyla took a deep breath. She needed to get it all in without screwing it up.

“Melody’s been charged with their attack. She’s been keeping them in check, letting only one loose at a time. She said until we take her in she’s bound to do the Demon Kings bidding, though it appears she doesn’t have to do exactly what he wants. She did say that time is running out, and that she’ll only be able to keep them in check for so long.”

“You ran into her?” Myne asked, concern on her face.

“Yes, though she gave me no trouble,” Kyla replied, waving her hands to indicate that she was indeed fine. “Just before I came here.” She then looked at Myne with a soft and pleading expression. “Can’t we have her on our side?” Her run in with Melody played in her mind.

Myne paused and looked thoughtful. “I think we need to, and it does seem to what she wants. She has asked enough times. However, I am certain that Zorthac knows of this and probably has plans in place so we have to be careful. But we won’t be able to do anything till Velvet gets back, as she’ll be integral to it all.”

“Did you run into Velvet?” Myne then asked.

Kyla shook her head. “She was in the area briefly, but we never crossed paths. She has some new magic though.”

“She didn’t see you?” asked Myne, probably trying to make sense of what Kyla had said.

“We were in the same chamber at different times. She only briefly visited Odinsphere.” Kyla answered, though she knew what she had said wouldn’t help much. “Fang, can you show the footage again?”

‘That I can. I have it stored,’ he replied.

Fang’s eyes lit up, the images of the battle playing in front of them, giving both Myne and Ruby a fright before they realised what was going on.

“Oh wow,” said Myne, a soft smile on her face as she watched. “Hurry back love,” she said quietly to herself after the scene had finished and the glow faded.

“Who are the others?” queried Ruby.

Kyla shook her head. “No idea sorry.”

“How did you get there?” Myne asked. “You were really far out, beyond the boundaries of the known world.”

“I’m walked...” Kyla replied. “Through a rift. The exact how I’m still not certain on.”

Myne gave Kyla’s hair a ruffle as she nodded to the reply.”

“Well you certainly found something interesting. Fate has blessed you,” she said, before then turning towards the Academia de Magica. “Let’s head back. It’ll be a little while before the next assault if Melody maintains the same pace.”

She hadn’t been gone long, but it seemed things had changed in her absence. Well, that was a given, since she had returned with Fang, but even at the ruins things had changed as well. Ruby and Myne were getting along well, as were Cammine and Alice. Kyla and Cammine shared a hug when she got back to the ruins, before she then asked about Fang, looking at him in awe. She seemed a lot more confident than she had been, and while Kyla had worried about what she would say or how she would act when she got back, given how she had left, she discovered it was not an issue. Kyla found that she was no longer jealous of Cammine’s choice of feeding partner, and they chatted as if nothing had happened at all. She only said a little about it all though, as she knew there was going to be a lot of catching up between them all when Velvet got back, and she was going to save the juicer tale for then, though she wasn’t sure if she was going to tell them everything. She felt like the Ark was hers to some degree, so she might be a bit light on details there.

Kyla was surprised to learn however that her own appearance had changed without her knowing. Cammine pointed out to her that each of her ears now had a streak of rich mauve through them. Looking in a mirror confirmed it, and Kyla though it actually made her look a little cuter. She suspected that it was the result of that shard that she seemed to have absorbed, but she wasn’t complaining.

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Melody was lazing at the side of the riverbank again, bathed in the evening sun, when Kyla appeared again, walking out through a rift in reality with the Snow Wolf by her side. She still wasn’t sure what to make of it, and Kyla hadn’t elaborated. It was behaving quite like a familiar, but was very reminiscent of the old world. She also didn’t know how dangerous it was. But she was secretly pleased that Kyla had come back, for whatever reason. Her dragon eyed up Kyla, but as it normally did, but didn’t make any moves, content to sit and watch. She didn’t really understand much of her dragon, and more so than any other Rider she had observed, her dragon seemed to have a mind of its own. It was a wonder that they even got along, and as a part reflection of that she didn’t spend much time beside it at all, except when flying. Melody gave Kyla a suggestive smile as she sat up, crossing her legs and taking a slow deliberate stretch.

“What brought you back? Couldn’t stay away?” she finally teased.

Kyla blushed.

“I passed on your message. I think you’ll be in luck, though you may have to wait a little longer.” Kyla said, trying to give her best poker face. Melody could see right through it though.

“That’s all? You’re just delivering the return message?” Melody gave a cute pout.

“I...” Kyla hesitated before she continued. “I’d like to hear you sing some more. Please?”

Melody gave her a genuine smile in spite of herself, feeling quite happy inside at the request.

“I’ve been feeling lonely. Sure, why not, for a little while.” she said.

While Kyla sat down where she was, leaning against a resting Fang, Melody got up and went to her familiar, pulling a small collection of instruments out from her pouch. She then returned to her spot in the sun, her slow walk back deliberate and suggestive, before she sat down down and faced Kyla.

“What would you like to hear?” she asked.

“How about the one you were singing earlier?”

“The Princess Fable? You’ll be the first to hear it. Sure, why not.”

She’d been working on that song while she had been here, weaving the tale to tune. She was quite pleased with what she had created, and she hoped that it would serve its purpose well once it was its time. But for now she was actually quite willing to sing it for Kyla.

Melody plucked away at a string instrument, and started to sing softly, her magic enhancing the notes and giving it life, as Kyla watched and listened happily. She made sure to flirt a few times during the song though, just cause she could. It was so cute how the Cat Feral reacted.