Interlude II

Lady Claudia Von’Roseblade

Everything had gone wrong, and it was all that glowing eyed weirdo’s fault. From her time out in the real world she remembered reading about the so called horror stories about impossible scenarios. And that was what she found herself in first thing, where an impossible scenario played itself out right before her very eyes.

Worse, it had ended most of the first day romance options right away, of that Claudia was certain as most of her appeal centered around the fact that she was considered to be the best. Now with that chubby loser in charge, things had gone sideways.

Angrily, Claudia tried to think about anyone who wore black leather on the first day, but came up with a blank. As this was all new, was this a new scenario? Was this what happened when you were forced to live through the impossible starting scenarios?

“Gah.” Claudia cried out as she tried to think of what she needed to do. But unfortunately, this was not like any scenario she had read about. Normally this would result in the end of the game, but that didn’t seem to be the case with this one, even though it was clear that she had lost her position as the top student, something that should have been a game over under all scenarios.

“Everything okay, mistress?” The Saint candidate Marie De’Claire asked.

Hearing her, Claudia thought she heard even the voice inflection of her sole retainer changing. Though this might just be her own feelings of betrayal coming forward. Betrayal at the way her own retainer stayed back and all but clung to the upstart who stole her spot as Valedictorian.

Fortunately Claudia had managed to use this time away from the harsh watching stare of her Saint candidate and seemingly permanent chastity belt to have a few scenarios with the boys. Namely she managed to kiss Prince Priam, he was always the easiest to form any form of bond with.

Claudia tried to remember how to get Prince Galvis as well, but he seemed put off by Claudia in some way.

“I’m fine, just worried about what happened.” Claudia replied truthfully, though her words were more on the way Prince Galvis seemed to completely ignore her. This was her chance at a harem and she was going to make it work regardless of the consequences. She deserved it, as she survived cancer after all. This was her reward.

“I know, Lady Laurain was so wonderful.” Marie answered, a note of longing in her voice.

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Hearing her swoon over the imposter made Claudia’s blood boil, but then she remembered. “Yes, were you able to find anything about her, about this Lady Laurain?”

“Why yes, she is…”

***

High Priestess Palmyra

High Priestess Palmyra stood in deep prayer, as deeper spells of energy wove about her entangling her mind and linking her to the greater collective of the world.

If anyone happened to stop by her now, all they would see is what they normally say, a devout woman kneeling and prostrating herself in devotion to her Gods. What they would fail to see, was the fact that right now her mind was elsewhere, fixed on the open webs that linked her mind to those of the followers of the remaining outcasts.

“How is it that you managed to repel our forces?” The dark messiah asked, his voice deep and compelling as always.

Hearing the voice High Priestess Palmyra gulped slightly, but then the compulsions on her mind and body forced her to writhe in agony before she answered honestly.

“It was the new recruit, the one chosen by the Spymaster and the Head Master both.” High Priestess Palmyra answered truthfully.

“Isn’t she the same one who managed to decipher the words of the Gods?”

“Yes.”

“And you let her live?”

“There has not been a time that she has been free of the influences of the others.” High Priestess Palmyra pleaded.

“But you will act when the time is right, will you not?”

“Yes great lord, I will purge the land of this blight that has found her ways to our halls.”

“Very good, now what about your main purpose for being there?”

“You mean about the sacred texts? I have come close, I can tell that it is within the Library, but the wards in place are beyond my control.”

Hearing High Priestess Palmyra’s words, the dark messiah paused as he let the words sink in.

“You are certain?” The Dark Messiah asked.

“Yes, it is without a doubt that the sacred text that you seek is hidden deep within the sacred vaults of the library.” High Priestess Palmyra answered.

“And you are certain that the book has not been found?”

“No, it can’t be. As far as I can tell it is hidden behind a sacred vault that only one with the blood of the ancients can open.”

“Very good, keep a close eye on this, while we prepare for a second strike. This time we will need you to set up markers to the sacred vault. We will take care of the rest.”

“It will be done great lord.” High Priestess Palmyra replied, and with that she felt the words and dismissal for what they were, a chance to leave now.

Exhale.

Having broken her mental connection to the Dark Messiah, High Priestess Palmyra felt first relief at being set free. Then she felt fear as she knew she needed to act almost immediately.

Whether given a night or a month to prepare, High Priestess Palmyra knew that whenever the Dark Messiah came the markers she was to place should be ready and clearly pointing a direct path towards the hidden vault of the ancients that she had so painstakingly unearthed during her studies.

Getting to her feet, she realized that she now had three primary objectives. The first was to remove Lady Laurain from the school in a way that didn’t implicate her or blow her cover. Then the second objective was to make sure a clear path to the hidden vault was made so that only one with the blood of the ancients would be able to see the markings.

As High Priestess Palmyra sat in on all the newly inducted students, she knew that no one possessed the blood of the ancients, as she made sure to mark the engraving machine to give a special mark to anyone who had the blood of the ancients within them. The mark would be a small circular ‘A’ at the top right corner of the student identification card that would be pressed in the morning. That was the third task, finding anyone with the blood of the ancients and making sure they were close when the dark messiah came to take what was rightfully his.

With her tasks clearly outlined and burning within her brain she went about preparing for tomorrow, to make sure everyone’s first day was perfect and all those with even the faintest traces of Ancient’s blood were identified and clearly followed. For everything had to be perfect when the dark messiah decided to once again claim his homeland, their homeland.