Smoke & Magic

The Gardens at the Founder’s Blessing school were one of the more popular hangout spots for students. With colorful flower beds, carved stone benches and different decorative figurines, it was the perfect place to relax between classes that could get really crowded on some days, but it was evening and only a few students were currently there. On one of the stone benches sat a fair skinned girl, with a really cute innocent-looking face surrounded by medium length curly hair in different shades of grey. From a distance it appeared as if her head was surrounded by a cloud of thick smoke. Before receiving the Founder’s Blessing she was ginger, and had therefore heard a fair share of jokes and teasing about “fire and smoke” from her cousin and some family members. Katherine looked up at the clock tower visible from the garden grounds. There was still some time before the pre-patrol sermon would begin, but while other girls could arrive right before it started, she didn't have that luxury. - Time to get ready. - she said to herself while standing up and stretching. While her height was average for an almost fifteen years old girl, in combination with her youthful face people often assumed she was younger than that, which annoyed her endlessly. Walking calmly and steadily, without any rush, she directed her steps towards the school chapel. *** She glanced around the chapel with her gray eyes. It was always a sight to behold, spacious and filled with creations of many generations of dedicated artists. In all fairness it could have been a temple in its own right. Some Foundrists often debated which place of worship was more grand and important to their religion: The Grand Temple or Founder’s Blessing “Guardian” Chapel ? Personally, she would say that the Grand Temple was more important as it was more accessible to the public, although they did have a few pilgrimages visit the school chapel during the year. She knew the place pretty well, as she regularly attended the patrol sermons and helped with preparations for the ceremony each day for the past two years. Some people were moving through the chapel in preparation for the incoming sermon, one of them approached her. - Miss Dymczyk! On time as usual. Could you please help the younger girls with their duties? - asked the older woman. - Of course Sister Diana, that won't be a problem. - She responded to the vestal’s request. The younger girls obeyed her commands eagerly, helping with the preparations for the sermon. They reminded her of herself from the first year of attending the Founder’s Blessing. It was a great honour and celebration for the whole family when she got the Dream. For the first five months she performed her duties diligently and with zeal, using the gifted blessing during the pre-patrol sermons to help other girls perform the Cleansing more effectively. But then in following months, this gnawing feeling something was lacking appeared in the back of her mind. Feeling like she could do more with her power, she started volunteering to different safety centers and the school infirmary. It turned out her power could also be applied for healing by accelerating the natural process and soothing the pain. It was not as efficient or flashy as other girls' abilities, but she could apply it to multiple people at once, and in an emergency situation could further enhance the effect by investing more magic power. All this helped for some time, but then the same feeling returned. A revelation came when she overheard some of the girls talking about her, how she wasn't patrolling like a “true Holy Protector”. It was painful to hear, but also true, in a way. Never before it occurred to her to ever consider that option. Like everyone else she simply assumed that she wasn't fit for patrolling, as her gifted power did not seem to be directly useful in combat, and she even felt like she wasn't particularly built for it. Still, she wanted to at least try. Others tried to discourage her from it. Her family was obviously worried, and some teachers and students pointed out that her power wasn't exactly combat oriented and was more useful during ceremonies and in safety centers. She herself had her doubts if it was the right choice, or if it was just a selfish and short sighted whim of hers. But there were also a few friends and teachers who actually supported her in this attempt of self-betterment. One of them was Jeanne, a senior girl respected by other students and teachers not only for her dedication and experience but also the ability to motivate others and guiding them. Most girls assumed that when her time as Founder chosen protector will come to an end, she will attend university and then join the ranks of the teachers. Those mentoring skills of hers certainly showed when she came up with a rather well though training schedule that would definitely help Katherine on her own patrol, or at least prevent her from being a burden to any team she assisted. Indeed, following her tutelage Katherine improved her combat potential greatly, even becoming more physically fit in the process, which was a plus. Her reminiscence over the events of last year was interrupted by one of the girls pointing out that they had only a few minutes before beginning of the sermon. - Apologies for spacing out like that! - she mumbled in embarrassment as she realized how much time went by, and that she still had a couple of things to do. Fortunately, thanks to over two years of experience she finished the remaining tasks very quickly, leaving her enough time to transform and prepare for the ceremony. A faint pale glow appeared on the back of her neck above the shoulder blades where her blessed symbol is located - a grey censer surrounded by pale grey smoke - simple and directly representing the Founder's gift to her. Delicate smoke surrounded her silhouette, and when it dispersed, her ivory school uniform was replaced by her magic girl outfit that came in a mix of different shades of grey matching her hair: a simple grey tailcoat with a row of metallic silver buttons in the center, with pants in the same color, accented by a very light grey pair of knee-high boots and a pair of gloves also in the same shade of grey. Crowning the outfit was a dark gray short hooded mantle, with silver embroidery near the edges and an elaborated symbol of the Founder on the back that rested upon her shoulders. People who knew her for some time were aware that this wasn't her original outfit - before she made up her mind and found determination to start going on patrols it was much different. Instead of a tailcoat she had a medium length robe similar to other liturgical outfits, her boots were much shorter and complemented by fine gloves, not something that would be suitable for fighting. The pre-patrol sermon was a bit unorthodox in comparison to standard Foundrist ceremony, mainly because it was planned around the abilities of a few girls referred to as Keepers of Blessing, Katherine was one of them, and just like the other Keepers her ability was considered more useful at supporting other girls in fulfilling their Sacred Duty. That was one of the few reasons why some teachers and students were so opposed to her idea of training and trying to participate in Cleansing, but as of today she was beyond the point of caring. “Damned if you do, damned if you don't.” as they say. Some respected her and would prefer if she stuck to her role as Keeper, while others looked down on her for taking the easy path while someone else spilled the blood and sweat to fulfill the mission of protecting the City. Her part in the ceremony seemed insignificant at first glance - doing rounds between rows of benches, swinging her censer in steady rhythm. But at closer glance one could notice that the silky strands of incense smoke were attracted to the sitting girls, coiling around them and lingering there for a few seconds. Her powers affected any person that came into contact with the smoke, and large gatherings like this sermon were a perfect opportunity for her and the school capitalized on this fact. Attendance was required by school, but even the non-believer girls saw the benefits in being present and receiving Blessings from one of the Keepers during the sermon. She herself didn't particularly care whether the girls attending were zealous believers or not, they all fulfilled their given duty and deserved all the help they could get. Not everyone shared that sentiment - she noticed a team of four girls glaring at someone a few rows further ahead with barely concealed contempt. She knew their Team name, but called them “Zealot Squad”. For some time, she referred to them as “Inquisition Squad” but that was disrespectful towards her cousin who belonged to the actual Team Inquisition. Who slighted them with lack of piety this time? A few rows ahead sat a girl with dark hair that had strands of white in it, only at closer look the white parts were actually partially translucent. She clearly was having a hard time fighting off drowsiness, it seemed as if only a few seconds separated her from falling asleep right there. The zealot squad was obviously waiting to tear into her after the sermon for that. While passing by she made sure to send a bigger smoke cloud in her direction. That certainly gave her a boost and the girl quickly regained her focus, repaying her with a warm smile. Katherine smiled back in response, and also in amusement at the look of annoyance on the faces of four girls who realized that their chance to bully someone today was gone. She also made a mental note to have a chat with her friend to teach her about a few spots for safe “nap time” if she really needed it. After all serving as Keeper allowed her to familiarize with chapel layout pretty well. *** This night she was assigned to assist a pair of newer girls. Jeanne requested her to observe them because she learned that they were having a bit of trouble cooperating during Cleansings. Katherine expected something different from a team called Team Butterfly, and when she met the pair, she immediately wondered why they picked that name, because at first glance it seemed not to fit them at all. One girl with a bit darker skin and short light blue metallic hair gave off the vibe of a typical school troublemaker, while her companion had long bright orange hair, also with metallic shine, tied into a single long braid, and seemed not to be as much of a delinquent in comparison. - Good afternoon, I’m Katherine, and as requested I will be assisting you during your clean… - she started politely with her introduction but was interrupted by the blue haired girl. - Magical girl “Nice Smoke” right ? I’m Niki, a.k.a. Flying Butterfly! And this is… - Eleonore, better known as Striking Butterfly ! - The girls struck a pose to their introduction, while giggling at the joke they made at her expense. “Oh Founder.... one of those teams. Don't they know that they're not at Future's Promise here?” Katherine thought to herself before correcting Niki. - My title is “Soothing Incense” but I think you already know that. - as she said this, she started her transformation, and the other two girls also changed without waiting. She had to admit that Team Butterfly's transformation was a spectacular light show, a mix of orange and blue flashes, and she could now also see why they picked those names. Flying Butterfly's outfit was a simple blue shirt and a dark blue vest, completed by military style cargo pants and combat boots. The most interesting detail was a pair of crossed belts, with set of six throwing axes attached. Niki stroke a dramatic pose after transformation raising two of them above her head. That gave Katherine a good opportunity to have a better look at those weapons. Each ax was identical, with simple and efficient construction, but the blades had a blue hue to them and were decorated with carvings that resembled the pattern on butterfly wings. Also, the handles were not wooden, but made of blue synthetic material. Eleonore had some matching elements in her outfit similar to her teammate, mainly the combat boots and pants, both in shades of orange, but the main difference was she had a sleeveless vest that also bore the butterfly wing-like pattern. She also wore a pair of thick dark orange gloves, clearly useful considering her weapon was a steel quarterstaff. The staff was decorated as well but Katherine didn't have an opportunity to get a better look at it as the girl twirled it about. At least she now knew where the title “Striking Butterfly” came from. She gave the pair a round of applause for their effort. - That was a very nice presentation. You must have worked on it very hard. - N-No ! Not at a… - Only two weeks ! - exclaimed proudly Eleonore totally ignoring the glare of her nervous friend. - Ah I see. Let's get to work then, I hope your last Cleansings were successful. Let the Founder watch over us tonight. Katherine hoped the pair would approach their duty with the same dedication as they have devoted to preparing the demonstration. The smoke coiled around the girl again, forming the censer. But this one was a bit different to the one she used during the sermon. This silvery censer was less decorated and connected to a single solid chain at top, instead of three separated chains at the edges. The chain itself was also much longer, ending in a handle that she held in her right hand, she carefully spun it in the direction of Team Butterfly, enveloping them with delicate white smoke. - Hey! Watch it with the smoke! - Striking Butterfly yelled, unsuccessfully trying to disperse the smoke by waving her arms. - How are you feeling now? - she asked, ignoring the orange-haired girl. - Annoyed. - she said, while Niki appeared to contemplate on her own answer. - Refreshed? Also like... calmer? Wait no, how to describe it... more like better focused? - the blue girl pondered, looking at Katherine. - Well why do you think my title is “Soothing Incense”? - she proudly stated, and then added - I hope the rose aroma is ok with you? I can change it if you prefer something else ? - You can do that just like that ? - With a bit of concentration I can change scent, density of smoke, intensity and some other things. As you noticed, it mainly reinvigorates and improves focus of those affected b… - So we are, like, fearless now!? - Striking Butterfly exclaimed excitedly, interrupting her explanation. - By Founder, no! That could get people killed. - You're fearless anyway. - commented Flying Butterfly and gave Katherine knowing looks, while her partner totally missed the fact that it wasn't a compliment. Katherine patted her pockets for her watch, wanting to check the time, but was interrupted by the announcement. They spent all the free time they had on chit chat. - Ok, let’s do this! Oh and don't worry, we will keep you safe! - Eleonore yelled while rushing toward the patrol route without looking back as the gold and purple barrier started forming. Soothing Incense bit her lower lip for a split second before regaining her composure, one of few things that got under her skin was being patronized like this. - Oh don't you worry about that girl. - she muttered to herself, following the Team Butterfly with her swinging censer leaving behind a trail of lingering smoke. *** Before long they found the first monsters for this night. Fortunately most of them were easily dispatched by the Team Butterfly, and Katherine had a perfect opportunity to observe the pair and evaluate their skills. Flying Butterfly used her axes to their full potential, throwing them with supernatural precision – they flew almost impossible trajectories while homing in on their targets. When necessary, she also switched to melee attacks if anything got past her partner. Although, Katherine wondered whether the girl was just showing off or really practicing when one of the thrown axes returned to her hand like a boomerang. She already saw two of her weapons simply vanish and reappear back on her belt, so it was clear she didn't have to do that. Still, it was a neat move that could certainly blindside some monsters and save her hide in a tight spot. Striking Butterfly was surprisingly aggressive in her fighting style, a flurry of quick blows, sweeps and strikes decimated anything that got within the range of her staff. She also suspected that Eleonore's power enhanced the strength of each strike considering by how devastating they were to the monsters. It was either that, or she was one of those girls who got blessed with super strength… More importantly she quickly noticed where their problem with cooperation was rooted. Striking Butterfly rushed into the fray with poorly hidden glee - that girl really enjoyed the fighting and it was somewhat worrisome. She could clearly see that this wasn't exactly part of the plan as the blue haired girl cringed, clearly uncomfortable with throwing her axes where she could hit her friend by accident, even with her ability to control their trajectory. Katherine could only imagine how stressful it must be for her. The improved focus from the soothing smoke certainly helped, but this was an issue that certainly had to be addressed in the report. - Look out ! - her observation was interrupted by a warning yelled out by Flying Butterfly. One of smaller dog-like monsters managed to slip past Team Butterfly and charge toward an obviously easier target. While she focused on observing the girls ,it didn't mean she dropped her guard. Not in the slightest, the whole time she steadily repeated a circling motion with the censer spreading smoke, and she “felt” when a monster passed through it. With an energetic swing she launched the censer high in the air, then turning her body while stepping forward she adjusted the length of chain with her arm, bringing the meteor hammer head down, straight at the charging monster. It slammed into it with enough force to send the creature to the ground, and before it could recover, another vicious quarterstaff strike finished its existence. - Hey! You actually do have some nice moves! - exclaimed Eleonore, breathing heavily with a huge grin on her face. - Huh and here I thought you were ummm… - Defenseless? The girls exchanged nervous glances with each other betraying that they probably thought it was that way. - Oh I don't blame you. Yes I can actually fight, but don't expect any flashy or powerful attacks like yours, just a few tricks I learned after intense training. I have to say that this was a good Cleansing, or in your own words: “you have some nice moves”. Niki, I especially admire your precision with those axes. - Yeah! Niki was always a great thrower. Blue haired girl shifted uncomfortably in a manner typical for someone receiving praise while feeling it was undeserved, now she couldn't allow that. - Eleonor, you also showed great skill and zeal during the fight, although wouldn't it be easier for your friend if you let them thin their numbers first? Striking Butterfly smiled at first, but then it quickly faded from her face when the realization started to set in. Immediately she turned to her friend and apologized profusely. - I’m so sorry! I just got excited by the fight again and rushed in without waiting for you. It was a good thing that Striking Butterfly was self-aware of her problem, Katherine thought while observing as Niki tried to calm down her friend. - Beside those guys were chumps today so don't worry about it. We could handle them anyway. - Yeah last time these exact same monsters were tougher and faster, I remember it clearly. Katherine chuckled lightly, and both girls looked at her with puzzled looks on their faces. - Sorry, you just look cute together like that. As for the monsters being weaker, it took me a few patrols to figure what’s going on with that. - Could you explain, because I’m not exactly sure what are you getting at? - Niki asked. - Remember how I explained what the incense smoke does? When I started going out, other girls also noted that something was strange with the monsters, took us a while to figure out that the stuff has an opposite effect on them. - Ah so that's why some girls say you make the fights a complete walk in the park. - I don't think my power makes it that much easy. Maybe if I left monsters to “cook” in a smoke for a long while -maybe an hour or so? But I don't think we have that much time to sit around and wait. -In short, it's good for us, but bad for the monsters who inhale it. Wait, do they actually breathe? - Striking Butterfly looked at her expecting answers. - I think it's more of a contact thing than breathing. I mean, most of them have no nose and some don't even have mouths or anything like that. - Yeah. So that's why you keep on doing... that. - Niki interjected, pointing toward the trail of smoke left behind along the patrol route. - Well, it's not as potent as fresh incense smoke but still affects anyone or anything that comes in contact with it. Plus I can sense when something disturbs the smoke. - Got it, so you will inform us if any monsters show up in the already covered area. - Well that's the main purpose, I also leave it for any other team nearby, should they need to regain their strength. But they usually seek me directly to get some help, so don't be surprised if some pay us a visit later. But it's not a common occurrence. - Saying that reminded her of an unpleasant night from a few months back, when she sensed an another team that was in trouble. Luckily her quick warning and the team leader's reaction prevented that night from becoming dreadful. Pushing that memory back, she focused on the present and followed “butterflies”, as she nicknamed the pair. *** Another group of monsters they encountered was much larger, but still the same mix of dog-like creatures of different sizes. At least they knew they could expect similar abilities and fighting style from them - it would be much harder if this group included monsters of different types. This time the fight started a bit differently, mainly thanks to Flying Butterfly wanting to capitalize on the weakening smoke effect. Katherine opened up with some long range wide swings, she wasn't really intending to hit anything, just making space for Team Butterfly and spreading smoke to give them advantage. Niki took the opportunity to throw her axes as monsters backed away from censer, unaware of the danger the blue haired girl presented. Striking Butterfly waited patiently for her time to come, which in her case meant bouncing in one place until some monsters finally dared to approach her through the magical smoke. Immediately she unleashed a series of vicious blows, quickly reducing the numbers of opponents. Katherine was worried for a moment when a larger monster charged at her, but the girl just jammed her staff in its wide open maw, stopping the creature in its tracks. Unfortunately that left her open to two other monsters attacking from the sides, Katherine quickly threw the censer toward one of them, and with a clear hit to the side knocked the creature down. The second dog-like monster did not reach the would-be victim either, instead getting an ax to the face for its troubles. There was no time to be satisfied as this time monsters focused on her, pulling quickly the hammer head back she gave it a swing and with a kick sent it into snout of approaching dog. Not losing the momentum she spun around swinging it a bit above the ground toward another one, she hoped to hit the legs and trip it this way but the creature tried to jump over. Only with a bit of luck and quick reflexes she managed to catch it back legs, wrapping the chain around them and dragging the monster along the ground toward Eleonore who took this opportunity to finish it off. - Ah! Sorry, it was yours ! - she gave a quick apology after her strike bisected the creature in two. - No problem ! - Katherine shouted back, pulled the censer back again and with whipped it across the face of the first monster which now barely recovered from the initial strike. It seemed the situation was under control and steadily Team Butterfly cleansed all the monsters in the area. - That was a good plan on your part, this group would be problematic with our numbers. - Thanks. I was worried there at the start but your power certainly made that much easier plus I barely feel tired after a big fight like this. - commented Flying Butterfly putting one of the axes back at her belt. She had to admit Niki had a good head for planning and would work well as team leader after gaining more experience, which made her wonder if there were any other girls chosen by the Founder that were thematic with this pair? Team Butterfly had good offence but they could certainly use one or two girls with different, more defensive powers to complement that, then of course there were many teams that focused solely on superior firepower. That resulted in frequent injuries though. Plus, pairs always made her uncomfortable with knowledge that when something goes badly the other person will have to take on the whole burden alone, but that might have been her personal bias. Suddenly she felt something moving quickly through the smoke and instantly she called out to Flying Butterfly. - Niki watch out, on your left ! The Blue-haired girl, confused by the sudden warning, instinctively turned to her left looking for a source of danger. Moments after she screamed in pain, falling to the ground with a bleeding wound on her leg. By her side her stood a short humanoid creature that could be described as a nightmarish caricature of a person. With thin gnarly limbs, comically large ears and decorated white and gold mask covering face sporting a wicked grin scribbled on it with some kind of paint. The mask parted right where the smile was drawn, showing a row of nasty teeth, and the monstrosity laughed, pointing a finger at the wounded girl as if it was the funniest thing it ever saw. Brandishing an old knife with a chipped blade, it took a step towards her, only to quickly jump back when she took a swing at it with her ax. The monster hissed angrily, preparing to pounce, but a sudden hit right in the head delivered by Striking Butterfly's staff ended its existence, and shattered mask pieces fell to the ground as the rest of the creature started to disintegrate. - What was that thing!? - she screamed, looking at the remains still in position ready to strike, like she expected it to come back to live any second. - A gremblin. Nasty little sadists, they are. Keep your eyes open, there’s surely more of them and we don't have much time. - Katherine explained as she approached Flying Butterfly, kneeling beside her to check the wound. It could have been much worse, if Niki did not move in time and didn't have those heavy boots that certainly protected her from taking more damage. - My leg… - Niki looked at her with tears and fear in her eyes, the poor girl was terrified. Probably the first time getting actually wounded on patrol. Katherine placed her hand on Niki's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. -Hey now, I can patch you up, no worries! I healed even worse wounds than this one before. - she told her calmly, remembering the state of her cousin's knee after a nasty encounter with one of those skittish lizard-like monsters. An entire team of healers had to patch that up, and even then it was truly amazing that she was left with only a pair of tiny scars. - But I need some time to focus, and time is in a short supply in our current situation. These gremblins, they like to group rush girls weakened by the fights, so we need to make sure we are not ambushed. But none have passed through my smoke so far... Eleonore, do you sense anything yourself? - Yes I... actually can sense something nearby, but they're not getting closer. That's good right? - Striking Butterfly asked, pointing towards the direction she sensed them - Yes and no because that certainly means even more trouble ahead. You will see in a minute. - As she said that she raised the censer above Flying Butterfly's wounded limb, focusing and closing her eyes for a few seconds. The smoke coming out from it changed its colour to milky white, suddenly becoming heavier almost instantly falling down onto the wounded leg, coiling and wrapping around it. She then opened her eyes to look at her work. It will still need some treatment and time to fully heal, but Niki should be alright before the next Cleansing comes. For a moment Katherine worried that increasing the intensity of smoke might have drained her magic power too much, but fortunately she seemed barely affected by it. - Careful now. I did my best in such a short time, so please try not to put too much strain on that leg. - she explained while helping her to stand up, then carefully walked the way Eleonor pointed she sensed the other monsters. - See, gremblins have this nasty habit of following other monsters around. Some girls say they try to herd them into bigger groups like the one we fought earlier, and then jumping teams in the middle of the fight or after they are weakened. But considering only one showed up it means they are up to something even worse right now. - What could be worse than being rushed by a bunch of them ? - both girls asked in unison exchanging nervous looks. - That! Damnation, they do not waste any time! - Katherine pointed towards the opening of a narrow alleyway between two buildings across the street. It was filled with garbage bags and trashcans, many of which were piled up together somewhere in the middle of it, and up on the pile of them the gremblins were climbing over one another, trying to reach something protruding from the wall high above ground. It took the girls a second to realize what it was: an old type of ventilation shaft entrance, covered only by the barrier. With a swarm of monsters scratching at it and hitting it with hammers, broken knives and other tools, it seemed the barrier was getting weaker with each hit and scratch. And the shaft was just wide enough for those rascals to squeeze in, should they break through. The girls and exchanged glances and nodded - there was not time to lose. A quick and precise throw of the censer managed to hit one of gremblins at the bottom of the living tower and knock it to the ground, and the rest of them were now squealing and screaming madly trying to keep their balance, but a flying axe thrown by Flying Butterfly sent the whole construction tumbling down and only a few of them managed to hold onto the ventilation entrance, helplessly wiggling their legs in the air. One of them stopped the assault on the barrier, to look at what happened. It wasn't bigger than others but wore a more decorated mask with very elaborate painting that clearly implied it was the leader, and was armed with an old screwdriver modified into a vicious looking shiv. The gremblin boss noticed the girls and started hissing and stomping, clearly angry at the whole situation, and as its underlings were getting up around it, it began barking what sounded like orders at them. Three of them jumped at censer trying to grab it and disarm Katherine. Another one threw away its old hammer and with a wicked giggle picked up the ax that Niki threw, but it didn't enjoy the new weapon for long as it immediately disappeared from its arms leaving behind a very confused gremblin. - Help me pull! - Katherine shouted, and the two other girls grabbed the chain and pulled on it, easily tripping and dragging along the monsters that tried to hold onto it, one of the three had enough common sense to let go while the other two were dragged to their demise. One received an ax strike to the head while the other was stomped on by Striking Butterfly then finished with strong thrust of the staff. That was a good start. They managed to interrupt their break-in, filling the alley with smoke in the process and as a cherry on top already dealt with two of them. But now they retreated back into the middle of the alley, staring at them and waving their weapons around. - Thanks for the help there. Considering how much they already damaged the barrier it's likely most of them will be attempting to stall us now, while a few will keep trying to get through. And by Founder, this is a death trap with so many of them in such a narrow space. I will go around and enter from the other side that should divide their attention a little, it would be so much easier if they decided to just rush us instead… - What if we could provoke them enough to lure them out here? They won't be so confident without proper cover and places to hide. Help me with this thing. - Striking Butterfly grabbed one of the trash cans near the entrance. - Don't think we have enough time to clear it like this. - No, I have something else in mind, and for that I need like three or four of those. - Ah ! You want to use... THAT? Hope it will work! - yelled Flying Butterfly and grabbed another dustbin near her. Soothing Incense just shrugged and helped with preparation. - Ok, now what? - she asked after they aligned a couple of the bins near the wall, and one in the alley entryway. - Now comes the fun part! Ahem, I mean the totally serious part, it's not like a game or anything. You two best stand back now. - Eleonore stood in front of the singled out bin, staring at it intensely while maintaining a firm grip on her weapon. Suddenly the staff began emitting light orange glow, and with a quick, fluid motion she struck one of the containers. A brief flash of light and trashcan flew into the narrow alleyway like a large projectile, causing loud ruckus in the process. Katherine took a look inside trying to assess how well it worked, but saw that the container got stuck halfway, but actually managed to clear some space and even did a bit of damage to some of the gremblins near the point of impact. They still stood their ground though, stamping the ground while chattering angrily. - Dang I released too soon. Quickly, I need another one! - How many times can you do this? - Kaherine asked, pushing another bin from the line up in place. - Umm, I didn't get to do much practice with this move, so I am not exactly sure. But it does not feel like it takes much power to pull off. Take cover now, another one coming up! - Striking Butterfly after a short preparation launched another one, and this time the effect was much more devastating, knocking over most of the gremblins and destroying half of those in the process. Then the third trashcan was ready quickly and soon flew to the other side, scattering what was left inside the alley including a few remaining gremblins, the less lucky ones turning into dark goo slowly disappearing. For a moment it seemed the monsters would just run away, but loud and angry hisses of the boss gremblin stopped them in place. Turning back, they charged at the girls and their “good” leader sent reinforcements, by pushing and kicking his remaining assistants off the ventilation to join the charge. He himself “valiantly” continued the work on breaking barrier, jamming the shiv into a crack that formed in the barrier covering the vent, trying to forcefully pry it apart by hanging down on it. Fortunately he wasn't very successful, but how long would it hold? - Here they come! Get ready! - yelled Flying Butterfly while dual wielding her axes preparing for the charge of remaining gremblins. Soothing Incense nodded as she quickly wrapped the chain around her arm, adjusting the length to prepare for close quarter combat, and to avoid getting it in the way of the other girls. She delivered a few quick blows when opportunity presented itself but it was clear that Team Butterfly had it under control: Striking Butterfly successfully reduced the numbers of assailants with her trash can trick. Gremblins relied on numbers and dirty tricks but in open combat they were not that dangerous, and further weakened by the smoke's effects they didn't stand a chance. Instead she turned her attention to a much more serious problem: the leader was still there, with each second coming closer to cracking through the barrier. - We have to hurry! I’m going around, to enter from the other end. We can't let it get through! - she yelled, then ran toward the street corner, then making a sharp turn right. When she came to the other side she heard a loud thud. Her heart sank for a second, imagining the gremblin leader breaking through and disappearing inside the ventilation shaft. Instead something with blue and orange glow flew out of the alleyway and hit the ground in front of her. She quickly recognized the boss mask, with a Flying Butterfly ax embedded in it. She gasped and quickly unwrapped the chain slamming censer into the stunned monster's face when it twitched and tried to stand up. It took her about four solid hits to finally finish it off, it might not look like it but the leader was certainly much tougher than the usual gremblin. Trying to catch her breath and calm down, she entered the alley, giving the two girls at the other end a nod, then approached the vent that the gremblins were trying to break through. - We need to check the Barrier! - she explained, looking up to assess the severity of the damage, but could barely see anything from that position, so she jumped up and grabbed the ledge to get a better look. it wasn't a breach but the barrier was clearly in poor shape. Who knows what would have happened if one of the gremblins didn't wander off and caught their attention. Fortunately, they managed to take down the leader in time and occupants of the building could now sleep safely. Or maybe not, as all the ruckus they just made probably woke them up anyway. Walking toward the Team Butterfly she patted her pocket and pulled from it a small silver-plated pocket watch. She checked the time and sighed in relief. - Thank Founder, we only have about a half an hour before the Outer Barrier reactivates, so I suggest we stay here and wait. And in the meantime we could… - Wow you have a pocket watch as part of your outfit?! - Striking Butterfly interrupted her with a sudden question. - Um no, I received it from my parents as a gift, to celebrate the receiving of the Founder's Blessing. I wanted to keep it safe and my outfit had pockets so I thought, where else would it be safer? Plus it’s handy to have it during Cleansings. - Oh that's nice of them. - Eleonore was clearly disappointed with this answer. Looking exhausted now, she sat down. - Are you ok? Did they hurt any of you? How’s your leg? - Katherine asked. - I’m fine, don't worry. We are just a bit exhausted, and Eleonore used that move in combat for the first time, and so many times in a row. She then then even boosted my throw. - You also did something there ! The ax glowed blue as it hit that abomination right in its ugly face. I don't think I've seen it do that before. - Yeah, I like, tried charging it up. Never did that before, Eleonore inspired me to do it, we will need to practice it during the next combat class. - Don't want to ruin the mood but be still on guard. I currently don’t sense anything nearby but still, something might show up. This should help you a little. - she concentrated for a moment, and the smoke coming from her censer took on a sweet soothing scent. - Isn't it exhausting to do this all the time? - Only when I try to improve the intensity of the power, it also works on me so until I need to heal someone in a really short time I should be fine. Although I had to catch a breath after finishing that gremblin boss. - Wait, it survived that!? - both of the girls yelled in surprise. - Barely, but I still needed to smash it a few more times. It might not seemed special at first glance but that was a boss monster. They are always harder to take down. So good job there, you can be proud of yourself. Both girls smiled at the praise, clearly holding back excitement and desire for open celebration right there. - Also, I will have to report this incident when we get to school. - W-what ? - both girls had their moods instantly deflated. - I mean, this alleyway is a literal death trap. Only thanks to your powers we managed to clear it like this, otherwise we would have either gotten in there, which could have ended badly, or called for support. CDD rules might seem annoying but they are made in order to make Cleansings easier and safer for us. And I’m sure that the mess we found in there violated few of them. Not to mention the poorly secured ventilation… Both girls giggled, amused by her sudden angry tirade about safety regulations. Katherine blushed with embarrassment and muttered a quick apology. - Oh, oh... I mean... you're not wrong, but you looked so silly, suddenly going on a tirade like this. - Niki uttered while wiping some tears from her eyes. - Right, right... Some things just rub me the wrong way, you know? Besides, I expect that at least one person might have some complaints. After all we made a huge mess and probably woke a few people up. So it's better to have this covered. Maybe we should even clean up a little before we go? Her suggestion was met with groans and dramatic eye rolls. - Oh come on, just a little from the street. It would be rude to leave it like this, not to mention as Founder’s chosen we should always give a good example. Besides, we still need to keep an eye on this area until the barrier resets. - Ok, ok we will help, just don't get all preachy on us. - Niki raised her hands defensively while giggling. - Hey! I’m not preachy! Just you wait until you meet my some of the really zealous girls... or my cousin for instance. Then you will see some actual preachiness. - Katherine pouted. *** Time passed by quickly. No other monsters bothered them while they were putting the remaining trashcans in one pile, at least those that survived the assault of Eleonore's quarterstaff. When, half an hour later the Outer Barrier reactivated, it was time for them to head back to Founder’s Blessing dorm, as was required from all students during school days. - Hey Katherine, I wanted to ask.... uh, what will you be doing this weekend? - Niki asked suddenly when they were passing by school gardens. - Hm? I’ll be volunteering for two nights at one of the safety centers near my home, had it planned for some time already. Sorry if you wanted to request my assistance for Cleansing, but maybe another night? - I meant what you'll be doing in your free time. - Ah, I guess I'll just spend some time with my family. Why do you ask? Both girls looked a bit disappointed with her answer, and when she gave them a questioning look, they explained. - We were thinking about celebrating tonight's achievement. I mean this was the first “boss” monster we took down. But we won't bother you if you already have plans. - Oh. That's so nice of you! I will surely find some time in that case. - Yay! Katie is going out with us! - Eleonore exclaimed loudly, raising her arms in a victorious pose. Katherine and Niki instantly shushed her to not bother other people. - So what did you have in mind? A quick exchange of looks between “Butterflies” gave her the impression that they didn't actually plan that far ahead. - I see, well there's still a few days so let me know when you figure that out. - she said when they finally entered the dorms main hall. - Yeah we will let you know for sure. Oh and... um, thank you so much for your help tonight! We're so sorry we doubted you so much at first - Ah don't sweat it, I am used to it. Have a good night girls. This was good cleansing, let me know if you need my assistance again. -Thanks! You too have a good night, Soothing Incense! Saying her final goodbyes, Katherine headed for her own room, smiling to herself and pondering at what kind of celebration will those two come up with. When she entered her room she sat down at the desk and wrote down a brief summary of the patrol with few suggestions how to improve Team Butterfly's performance and also that report about the alley. She could've done that tomorrow, but didn't want to risk losing ideas during sleep. Preparing for bed she also made a mental note to make a call home, to inform her parents she might have something planned for the weekend. Falling asleep she smiled, satisfied with herself and the duty done to the City and Founder...