[Episode 4.2] The Choices

Archives of Occultus Magica's beginnings, ten years prior to the current story.
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Kai
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Re: [Episode 4.2] The Choices

Post by Kai »

After relishing in Percy's embrace, and then being joined by Zulan, Percy's sudden determination left her being dragged along behind the young man. She looked on, seeing a side of Percy that was different from before. Not timid, not shy and indecisive. He was suddenly in control. Miyuki had to admit that it gave her heart a bit of a flutter, but she tagged along anyway, waiting as Percy and then Ruarc spoke to Eryl. She stood by, listening, and wondering shat she could contribute. Not minutes before, Miyuki herself had been trying with all the might she could muster to kill this woman.

Miyuki suddenly froze, terrified with herself as she realized that she had just tried to kill something that was not some sort of mindless monster. She had tried to kill a person, without hesitating, without questioning, ignoring even the words the woman had said before her group had simply attacked out of rage. Did that make her just as bad as this woman, whom had no compunctions taking Percy's life for her own gain?

"Maybe, Maybe we shouldn't kill her. I mean, it would probably be simpler if we did, but, could we all live with that?" Miyuki asked, crouching down to look at the defeated Eryl. "She may be stuck here, but she was a person at one point. Maybe, Maybe we could make a Golem for her, like Coco, a body for her soul to live in in the outside world... But, after that, i don't know what to do with her. Unless the people your parents work for have like, magical cops or something, Percy?"
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Gwathdraug
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Re: [Episode 4.2] The Choices

Post by Gwathdraug »

Riley pumped a fist in the air as Eryl spoke up and did not in fact spent what little energy she seemed to have on attempted murder anymore. The young girl gave off an exaggerated shrug and then dropped out of the air and back into tangibility so that she could lean one arm against the triclop's shoulder. “Percival 's not the type that really got any 'bit' to give – to yah or anyone else.” Riley smiled and shook her head. “I'd probably be angry with yah right now to tell the truth but with everything that has gone and happened I don't think I actually can right be even a little bit mad right now.”

Riley popped an illusionary pipe out of the air and tilted it Percy's way despite not receiving any greeting as the Welsh summoner came forward to judge their defeated foe.

The Stage Magician nodded slowly as the others spoke and then laughed and flashed everyone a grin. Pointing the pipe towards her phantasm still standing off in the distance Riley opened her mouth to speak. “Me and the Knight would fight yah ourselves till all of you had shredded our souls if you go an attack 'er right now Watson.” The young girl paused and shrugged once more with her smile still on her face. “If yah are gonna come forward now and act the executioner than I figured we did fail after all – I came here to rescue my friend not some cold scaled murderer.”

Riley lifted her hands off from Eryl and theatrically held them by her head before falling into a sitting position on the ground next to the spirit broken mage. “If my word means anything I say that there is already too much sitting around inside Percy to keep her locked up in here. And while that one might be a bit more difficult the other question is an easy answer. We came here to take people home and that is what we should be trying to do for everyone.”
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Re: [Episode 4.2] The Choices

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"I-I'm naked?!" Coco yelped as Percy looked at her.

Like him, her face turned red as the barely clothed Mahou Shoujo hunched over, desperately trying to cover herself with her hands as she turned around. "Don't look! Don't look!" With the battle over, her Cloth Master powers were ebbing back to the point the tattered bits of clothing hanging off of her body gained form. The form of a red lifeguard swimsuit. "T-this...this'll have to do," the scarlet faced girl tried to reassure herself. Turning around, she pointed a finger at them all. "None of you laugh! O-ok? Because somehow, all my stuffs vanished and I don't have any more of my red cloth to turn into cool clothing and cute dresses anymore!" the flustered Teen-Coco stammered, red faced with embarrassment.

When the topic became serious again however, Coco shook her head. "I'm not a doll - Duncan and Sis put me back in my original body after all," she pointed out. "I'd rather not kill her - I mean, we're all still kids here. How could we do that if we don't even have to?" Her voice shifting to a more downcast tone, she admitted it. "I...don't think I can really do it, unless I really, really had to. Maybe."
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Kokuten
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Re: [Episode 4.2] The Choices

Post by Kokuten »

Redemption
"Necromancy's true potential lies in the dead we can put to rest." - Philius Gern, A Study of the Not So Black Arts

Percival scanned the gazes of his friends, except Coco's, and took in their advice. Eryl held her breath as she found herself at the mercy of the very fellow she had tried to destroy. The air was thick with a tentative grimness at what could be done. Aurus joined the group at the flank, and Zulan at the other, holding the child close to her breast. The world around them took a eerie chill as the destruction still subsided. For a passing moment, the young boy closed his eyes and thought hard, thought hard on what all they had to say.

Other guardians showed themselves, teleporting and folding in out of space. Decanus, the real Decanus, billowed in a tattered black cloak. Tulan kept a firm hold of her hair as the wind threatened to blow it into her face with Akanus' arrival. The final guardian gave a pleasant air, as she always did, but Modeka had no power strong enough to turn the tide on this dark moment. She turned to the others, and they all regarded one another.

And then they regarded Eryl with contempt.

Aurus was the first to act, freshly drawing a blade from the earth under them. The welshgirl caught sight of the weapon, and her eyes began to fill with tears, once more. Maelgwyn couldn't be bothered to find any grace in death, not after fighting so hard to avoid it and an eternity of imprisonment. Instead, she just sobbed as her sight fell low to the ground, she knew what her fate was. Mercy was a long shot, she knew this, and slowly, began to accept it. When the blade came high, there was a moment where she stopped her tears. Then and there, she had a little dignity, and choked her fear.

"Stop," ordered Percival, eying the dark executioner, and his blade. "No one is dying today."

The black blade floated, still held tightly in the grasp of its master, but when Aurus saw the resolve in the boy's eyes, he lowered his blade. Eryl's hands, shivering against the floor, began to show her indignation, but her face showed disbelief when she brought it up for all to see. Percival's gaze seemed to especially hard to meet, with what had transpired. An uneasy quiet took the field again, stealing away from the grass that was growing beneath their feet, and the sky clearing above them.

"My friends," started the young Caxton, pressing the issue, "insist that what you did isn't worth an execution. They tell me you did this out of desperation."

Eryl looked up at them, her face showing less gratitude than they may have liked. She didn't enjoy the pity, and insisted on putting her eyes to the floor.

Percival downed his gaze as well, before finally letting go of Miyuki, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Why did you only take one arm? I remember only that much," asked the boy.

"Because it was all I needed," answered Eryl. "I thought I could just... I could just take that. I just needed that much flesh... That much... That much mana..."

There followed another moment of contemplation as the summoner began to think. His fingers trailed up to his arms, and he rubbed that very same arm Eryl had taken from him earlier, before the fight itself. He rubbed it gently, as if caressing an old tool. Zulan caught on to what he was about to do first of all, seeing the very look in his eyes. The water goddess stretched out an arm, but was too late.

With a snapping light, and an ebbing glow, came Percival's left arm, removed from his shoulder, by his own accord. The limb hovered above his right hand, sinewy tethers replaced with links of energy. Spiralling script wrote itself onto the length of it, from finger tip to severed end. With that, the young man head out the body part, offering to Eryl. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"This is my arm. A part of me. I am giving to you. That enchantment is of the Occultus Magica. The binding script. Until you can break it, you will never be able to cast spells or use magic, just like myself. You will live as a font does, with what little flesh this arm gives you for a body," decreed the boy. The pitiful girl in front of him didn't think twice, she took the arm, and clutched it tight to her chest.

"But-- but... You... Why?" she asked, fear choking whatever other emotions tried to bubble to the surface. In response, the boy gestured his right to his friends, those who had fought to free him from certain death.

"They are my closest friends. If they can still vouch for you after what you've done, then you deserve a chance at redemption. To earn your magic back. To live outside this place." said Percy with a degree of admiration to those very same friends.

"I'm... still a mage... Even without magic, you know what that means," came Eryl's response, with a hint of warning.

"It's up to you decide what that means, now," answered the boy firmly, who threw his hand up and cast Eryl out of this existence. The last thing they saw was the shocked expression on her face, a particularly sweet treat.The heroes of this story found themselves unable to enjoy or dislike for long. Percival, with only his back to them, cast the group back into the sky, much as they had arrived.

"Thank you."

----

After the excitement, the group awoke to Alistar . Percival and Elizabeth were gone, the boy taken to the hospital for a grievous injury that seemed to suddenly 'appear'. He had woken up an hour ago, and had called back, explaining to him the nature of the incident, though no mention seemed to be made of Eryl Maelgwyn or her actions against him. Mr. Caxton explained further to the group that the official story would be that Percy was in a car accident, the Occultus Magica' would sort out the remainder of the details. All he asked, before his own profuse thanks, was that the group lay low, with attention especially given to Riley on that instant.

From there, with the dream ended, and the story over, the Heroes of the Elementalia Magicus, were free to go home.

----
Much as I have I written before, and much more shall I ever write for every one that follows after my passing. Learn from my mistakes, learn from the mistakes of others. Learn where I went wrong, and learn what can be done to make it right. I lost my way, and my writings. I used to love this place, the beautiful land. Every evening and morning and day I spent with great splendor, enjoying the fruits of its safety.

My complacency became my undoing, I took for granted the safety of this world, and it darkened upon me when I least expected it. None of the guardians could save me. I spent a long time in this darkness, and it brittled me.

Yet, one group of people, young and special came to save me from that very darkness. Despite everything thrust upon them, despite every ounce of fury given to them, they rose above and never forgot what they came for. Their names are not important, because I'm sure the world will know them soon enough.

While I have survived this debacle, I carry scars, and a constant reminder of my mistake. I am not hindered, though, I have survived this long on what little mage-power was granted unto me. I will continue to survive, I will continue to write, and I will continue to live.

- Eryl Maelgwyn, Inheritor of Cardiff and Scribe of the Elementalia Magicus
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