Chapter 11 – Ascension.

Velvet finally made it back to the Academia de Magica two days after Kyla had returned, to a pressing sense of urgency. In that time the demon attacks had increased, both in frequency and in numbers. While still easily manageable, a pair of demons was much more dangerous than a single one, and Myne and Ruby were having to be a lot more careful with how they fought. Ruby’s armour was strong, and she was quick, but the demons would still leave a mark if they got in a good hit, and quite a number of them also bore poisons like the first one that Myne had encountered, which would add in unwanted complications. Myne wasn’t so worried about herself, but neither could she afford to be complacent – if she got badly hurt before Velvet’s return then they would be forced to flee. Not to mention that Velvet would be unhappy with her.

Myne was overjoyed when Ashling informed her that he could sense Light and Velvet and that they weren’t far away. When Light touched down she ran up to them, Velvet throwing herself into Myne’s arms. Myne declared how much she had missed Velvet, giving her a big kiss, and then sneaked in a quick drink of Velvet’s blood to help ease her thirst that had been quickly building with all of the battles, before their lips joined again. She didn’t care either that they likely had an audience, but she was looking forward to some private time with Velvet later.

‘You’re perfect match,’ teased Ashling. ‘Love and food.’

Myne ignored him as she stepped back and took in Velvet fully. Her current dress was reminiscent of the red one, but made from dragon bone waved with magic, and it looked really good on her. She’d done an impressive job with forming it. Myne ran her finger along the exposed portion of Velvet’s scar and its accompanying tattoos. She liked them.

“You’ve changed a bit in such a short time,” she mused.

“I suspect we all have,” replied Velvet, gazing deep into Myne’s eyes, before she then took the time to look at the other members of the party. “I’m sorry that I’ve been gone so long. Healing took a while, I’ve learned quite a bit, and we have a lot of catching up to do. I’ve missed you so much.”

Myne nodded, her expression then going a bit more serious.

“We have something that we need to deal with as soon as possible though. Melody. Should we take her on, and can you break her bonds to the Demon King like you did mine?”

Velvet looked thoughtful for a moment.

“There’s a rush?”

“Yes, Zorthac has her looking after the demons that have been assaulting us over the last few days. While she has been holding them back, for reasons only known to her but still of assistance to us, she appears to be slowly losing control over them,” Myne answered.

“She’s visibly tiring,” Kyla added. “I don’t think she’s as well as she tries to appear.’

“But if we break her bonds to the Demon King, won’t that give us a worse case scenario with the demons?” Velvet asked.

“Possibly,” Myne replied. “But I think that Zorthac has actually written her off, and has set her up as a trap. It’s the only thing that makes sense. I doubt he’s unaware of her desires, and if we don’t take her, and survive whatever he has planned, then I’m sure that the demons will kill her instead. He’ll be able to cripple her so that she can’t escape if that is to be her fate.”

“Besides, you’re back now. We’ve seen your new fighting style,” she added with a grin, getting a confused look from Velvet.

‘We need her though don’t we?’ queried Light, both Velvet and Myne nodding in response.

“Trap or not, she is valuable to us. I’m pretty sure I could break the bonds as I did with you,” Velvet replied, “but I’ll need to try something first.” She then motioned to Kyla. “Do you still want me to remove your slave brand?”

Kyla looked surprised, like she hadn’t thought about it in a while, then she nodded. “But even if you do so, I want to stay with you all. You’re my family now.”

Velvet smiled as she walked over to her. “We’re happy to have you.” She gently laid her hand upon the slave brand on Kyla’s arm. Her palm glowed, swallowing the brand, and when she pulled her hand away the brand was gone. As easy as that.

Kyla looked ecstatic. “Wow, thanks,” she said as she grinned.

“That’s a yes then?” Myne queried, though the answer was obvious.

“Yup,” Velvet grinned. “Are we going to find the muso now then?”

“No time like the present,” Myne replied. She did want to find Melody before the next demon attack, and her intuition was warning her that the next battle would be a little different.

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Kyla went ahead of the others. She knew where Melody was, and her ‘walking’ was quicker, though the others wouldn’t be far off given the short distance. Her ability to create and walk through rifts in reality was just limited to her and Fang it appeared, and while Myne was now aware that she possessed this ability, she hadn’t explained it yet, wanting to wait for Velvet’s return.

Melody was indeed tiring, just as she had said. Kyla had been visiting her at least twice a day, of which Myne had been aware though not necessarily pleased about, but hey she was her own woman, and each time Melody looked worse for the wear. Kyla had brought it up, but Melody had just shrugged it off, instead singing and playing for her, and flirting with her at the same time. She really was a prodigy, and Kyla had never heard anything like her before. Her magic infused her music, bringing it to life.

Melody gave a jump when Kyla arrived, hurriedly trying to pull her Skeon back over her top half, but failing. She looked to have been trying to clean her back, and looking at the scars there they were now red, raw and weeping.

“What’s happened?” Kyla asked with concern, taking the cloth off Melody and cleaning the reopened wounds. Melody tried to shrug her off, but failed.

“Time is running out I guess? I’m not actually sure,” Melody said, a hint of sadness in her voice that she couldn’t hide.

Kyla was worried. It was the first time that she had seen her like this.

“We’ve come to take you,” Kyla stated. “The others won’t be far off.”

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“Took you long enough,” Melody said, managing a cheeky tone.

The others being Myne, Ruby and Velvet. Alice and Cammine weren’t really combatants, so they had stayed behind, with Laphir and Shino just in case something went awry at their end, which was a possibility given that they didn’t know what the Demon King had planned with Melody. The two male Ferals were skilled, and Alice had been modifying the enchantments on their weapons, but even still they would have issues with Demons. Not that they wouldn’t give their all, and of course they fought really well together.

They managed to get Melody’s clothes back on by the time Light and Ashling descended.

“You do look like crap,” Velvet commented as she helped Melody up, her eyes giving off a soft glow as she then looked around, a look of concern and realization going across her face. “It’s not the demons that are going to be the problem tho,” she said quietly.

“How far away can you make your familiar stand?” she then asked of Melody.

“He stands where he pleases, for better or worse,” Melody replied wearily, Velvet nodding absently.

Myne and Ruby moved into position as Velvet looked directly at Melody.

“I can remove the bonds between you and the Demon King, but I don’t know what will happen to you after that. They are bonded to your magic, and your creature over there. But that is what you want right?”

“That’s when Myne takes over right? Kyla has said that she fixed Cammine and Ruby. Mind you, I can see that for myself with Ruby here,” Melody replied.

Velvet nodded. “That’s the plan, but I think you’ll be a little different. After all, your familiar hasn’t been killed. Yet.”

Melody coughed, blood splattered on her hand as she pulled it away, fear creasing her face.

“It doesn’t matter. My life is in your hands. Please,” she replied.

Velvet glowed, tendrils of golden light growing from her, and plunging into Melody until she was completely encased in the warm magic. Ruby and Myne stiffened as Velvet nodded, and then pulled all the magic free, trails of black magic dissipating into the air along with the gold, Zorthac’s bonds being ripped free of her. Melody screamed, and collapsed, her body convulsing and blood seeping out of her Skeon.

“What’s happened?” Kyla cried with worry as she ran over to her, picking her up and holding her in her arms. She could feel Melody’s magic for some reason, and it was raw, wild and out of control. This was not good.

Velvet knelt down beside Kyla, her glowing hands against Melody’s body.

“The bonds gave form to her magic, and made her appear as a Rider. Without them it has lost it’s shape and is running wild again. She isn’t in a good shape, not that she was in the first place. I’ll do what I can to her her wounds, but we’ll need to get her to Cammine.”

“What about her magic?” Kyla asked. She didn’t want Melody to die, but that is what it looked like was happening.

“She needs a stabilizing force. Whatever was done for Cammine and Ruby may work for her. In the interim I’m not sure.” Velvet looked sad.

‘Feed her your magic.’ Fang suggested.

“What will that do?” Kyla asked back.

‘It might give it some direction? It’s worth a try. It woke me up after all.’ Fang replied.

Fanf was right there, though he had already known that when he had told her to do so. It was worth a shot. Kyla laid her hands besides Velvet’s and concentrated, sending her magic into Melody, who stirred a little. Melody’s magic reacted to Kyla’s, settling down a little, her breathing calming down as well.

“Can you take her back with you to the ruins?” Velvet asked. “We’ll join you as soon as possible.”

Kyla looked up at her and nodded absently. Reinforcing herself, she stood up, carrying Melody in her arms, and then tried to split her concentration to form a rift. It came easier than expected, opening right in front of her. Hoping that she’d be able to take Melody with her, she and Fang stepped into the rift, appearing a moment later at the entrance of the ruins.

“Cammine!” she yelled out desperately. Melody seemed settled at the moment, but she was still bleeding heavily, the trip through the rift, while successful, had taken a toll. It was really only for those bonded to her, but she was glad it had worked out just this once.

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Velvet watched as Kyla walked through the rift, it then closing behind her. She was really curious about it, and her new familiar. It was definitely old world technology, but as to where she had got it from she would have to learn later. She turned her attention to the situation at hand, which they needed to resolve quickly.

‘Well, you were right about it,’ Light stated.

That she was, though she almost wished she had been wrong. When she had prepared her magic to remove the bonds from Melody she had seen the true nature of them, and what it was bonded to. Underneath it all Melody’s magic was still raw and wild, held in check by the partial corruption of her body, which was weak compared to Myne’s changes, and by the bonds to the Demon King. While she appeared to be a Rider, she in truth was not, that expression of her magic a lie formed by Zorthac. Melody’s Nightwing familiar wasn’t of her own magic, but rather a demon bonded to her and disguised by the magic. It’s wasn’t like any demon that they had seen before either, draconic in nature and a lot more powerful. Possibly part of an experiment, and definitely part of the trap for them. While it still resembled its previous form, it was now showing its true colours, poisonous magic leaking from its sickly scaled hide, it’s eyes glowing a menacing red. And unlike any dragon familiar, it also breathed fire, though in this case it was a purple flame that carried the poison of it’s magic.

‘She’s awfully happy about it,’ Light observed.

Myne was indeed grinning, enjoying the challenge as she leapt out of the range of it’s breath, a trail of her own flames following behind her, lying as traps on the ground for the demon. While the demon could fly, they had the advantage with agility, well Ruby and Myne at least.

‘As she has been for most battles of late. It helps take her mind off things at the least. She’s been getting better too.’ Ashling noted. He was currently flying around Velvet along with Light. ‘It’s just a game to her in the end tho.’

‘I’m going to get left behind?’ Velvet mused, though of course she had been experimenting as well. This would be a good opportunity to test out what she had created, and unlike with the defence bot, she was going to go all out with her reinforcements from the start.

So she watched Myne and Ruby battle as she waited for an opening. Myne really had improved, and she was using her wings and flames masterfully, jumping, weaving and dodging, the impact of her blows pushing the demon back as it got more frustrated at its inability to hit her. Myne was also holding its attention, allowing Ruby to stay in its blind spot, her halberd biting into its hide where Myne’s flames had previously hit, at the very least distracting it and causing it pain. Ruby’s longer weapon meant she was staying out of reach from the poisons of the demon. It was an almost entrancing dance.

Velvet could see that Myne was holding back and not using her full power however. There was good reason for that though, given what Myne’s power was.

Then her opening came. Not paying attention to where it was being led, the demon stumbled on the stones of the riverbank, it’s attention diverted for just a second. Velvet charged in, reinforcing herself as she did so, her body glowing white and her hair fiery yellow. Summoning the warhammer she slammed it into his head, pushing it into the ground and used the momentum to flip herself above it. She then swapped to her scythe, it’s intricate form screaming this is me, as its brilliant white and blue blade dug deep into the demons back and eliciting a scream of pain from it. She then leapt back, away from the spray of blood, as Myne took the newly provided opening, flame charged fist slamming into it, pushing it into the waters flow. Velvet followed up behind, launching her second attack. Her initial blow had given her an indication of how tough its body was, so she was confident that she could clip its wings. Which she did, her scythe cutting cleaning through one shoulder joint. That did not go down well with the demon though, and giving Velvet it’s full attention it opened its mouth, a poisonous purple flame burning towards her. She had however anticipated that, shield already up, and Velvet was pleased to find that the flame burned harmlessly against it. The demon wasn’t handling the additional combatant well, and as soon as the flaming breath finished, it found itself under assault from Myne and Ruby again.

The battle didn’t last much longer after that. They now had the edge and it was three against one. Velvet took off its other wing while Myne lay into it relentlessly, stunning it in the process, before Velvet then decapitated it. And with that the battle was over.

Myne walked over to Velvet and looked her with a seductive grin on her face.

“You, my love, are awesome!” she declared, grabbing Velvet close and giving her another kiss. Which Velvet returned, of course.