[Zerlina]

Originally Posted by Mong00se

((Thanks a-holes for saving me. I think I'll save myself then...))

((H’okay…story’s going nowhere so here goes…))

Titania watched as the giant demon descended upon Gracia and commenced battled with Nichi, Belial, and another who she could not quite distinguish.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the mage quickly ran through the city gates. The grounds were littered with soldiers and demons – all locked in arduous battles, and yet Titania did not stop. The thick mud pulling at her feet with persistence, she continued her expedition, a moment of insanity (or at least lack of sense) having come over her.

She had gone surprisingly far, when at last a demon came before her. Baring its hideous teeth, the creature raised its jagged sword and prepared to sheath it in her chest. Not a moment after it brought up its arms did it drop its weapon; its stomach meeting the ancient fan.

Absolutely thrilled with herself (though slightly disturbed by the sight of death) the girl continued on through the mud. Had she been more aware, perhaps she would have been able to avoid the next attack put upon her, but as was not the case she hit the ground, having been tripped by a demon soldier.

She turned to look up at it, only to have the monster press its metal-clad foot upon her- its toe resting upon the base of her ribs so she could not stand up. Reacting quickly, Titania closed her fan and drove it into the demon’s shin twice. Letting out a hallow cry, the monster fell to the ground, nearly landing on its opponent, who was luckily swift enough to roll out of the way. Shocked but still determined, the girl crawled away before standing and running once more.

The thrill of battle had finally hit her, and though she feared for the preservation of her life, she could not help but feel a sense of overwhelming excitement. She became much too confident and so did not prepare herself for what came next.

Another fowl creature came before her, she took hold of her fan but was interrupted. She cried out loud as a demon, who had caught onto her inexperience, drove his fist into the back of her shoulder, from behind. Quickly, the same demon wrapped his arm around her neck and another around her waist so she could not run without choking herself and could not fall to escape him. The fear finally becoming real, Titania struggled with all her might but was met with no success.
Then, after a few moments, a companion of her attacker stood before her with his sword drawn. She tried to look to the side for any sign of the others, but found that the castle was far and she was very much alone. Flashing its yellow teeth, the demon brought its sword baring hand forward; Titania closed her eyes so that she would not see.

CLANG! There was a clash of metal and then nothing. Unharmed, save for her shoulder, the shaken mage opened her eyes to see that another demon of a higher ranking had arrived and had stopped what would have been her death.

“Bring this one back…” was all he said “Might be useful.”

Titania heard and understood this for some reason she could not explain.

Oh thank the eidolons… she thought and then made sure that she did not struggle hard enough to actually escape. Now, for once, things were working in her favour.

When at last they arrived at the demon camp, she took in her surroundings, searching for any sign of her captured companion. Not ten metres away, chained to a post did she see a slumped figure, facing away from her. She strained her eyes to see who it was and was affirmed by what she could make out: that the figure’s hands were clad in dark, studded gauntlets. She concealed a smile, and then –not having any idea what to do after, but doing it anyways- she cast a spiteful cure upon her demon captors and watched as two hit the ground while another turned to ash.

Drawing her fans from apron pocket again, she ran toward the post, the opposition having had no time to react yet.

“Look! I got better.” She said, cheekily as she kneeled beside Malice.

With one quick motion, she severed the demon chains with her fans, and then fell silent. Blocking out the sounds of the oncoming demons and all the confusion that lay around her, she closed her eyes, and did as she had done so many times in the days before.

In a second, Malice felt a distance from the chaos- he was no longer sitting in the muddy ground of the camp- he was far, far away.

At first his vision was clouded with a light haze, but soon he could see clearly and so found himself sitting on the heated rocks of a cliff. The fingers of the sun extended down the ground and warmed him to his soul, while the breeze played a gentle tune along nearby waves.

Surreally, the water rose to meet the top of the cliff and spilt over the edge so that it ran along Malice’s worn palms. Surprised, by the unusual texture of the water, the warrior raised his hands to find that the wear from the demonic chains had disappeared.

Mechanically, he opened his mouth as if to speak, and found that the wind coursed through his mouth and flowed through his body, bringing with it a comforting and tender feeling. When at last the breeze exited, he found that he was strong once more.

Not knowing what else to do, Malice rose, and as soon as he did so, he realized that in the distance he could hear faint voices echoing off invisible sea rocks. The voices spoke in what seemed like nonsense, and yet they brought with them a tenderness that raised the warrior’s spirit.

“…with…”
“…and then they’ll …”
“…blessed it….”
“Tania, I think…”
"...but she'll never..."


And so came to him remnants of conversations that had long ago been washed away by time. They were incomplete and had no significance to him, and yet at the same moment, they seemed like all the world.

No sooner did these voices appear, did they leave, replaced by a thousand images, each playing in Malice’s mind at the same time. He saw calm waters, the shadows of children running in fields, boxes hidden in stone walls, bright, joyous flames, and games etched into sand.

Then, slowly, the white haze came over him again and when it withdrew he found himself sitting in the cold mud of the demon camp. All that he had seen had happened in an instant and it seemed to him like only a dream. Though at first he strained, he could only recall faint moments of the experience and even then, they slipped away from recognition like so many other reveries.

Mud still on her joyful cheeks, Titania smiled, and Malice found himself aglow with a white enchantment, which soon turned to a pulsating red.

“Aura.” She said plainly, explaining to him what was going on, while still holding an uncontrollable smile on her face.

The last solid suggestion of the healing spell faded from Malice's psyche, and yet somehow, he was still aware of an ingraspable memory, hidden somewhere, far beneath what he could find.