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The questions that linger in my mind stay as I turn around to see Nerissa sinking into the hot waters of the onsen. Bare, vulnerable, and exposed, she looks at me in a way that shows complete trust. I could end her if I desire, without so much of a fight, but I lay my weapon down and begin to disrobe as well. I leave my clothing and armor next to my sword and walk toward the small spring, responding to their trust with my own.
Trust and Betrayal
Author: Satashi Based on art by: TibsSketches
Elizabeth hissed through her teeth as she sank down into the water a little more quickly than she would have liked. Feeling those eyes drink her in was something that she both desired and feared at the same time. Her body was scarred from past battles, littered with lines showing where she had failed to dodge or counter in a fight. They were shameful, a blemish upon her skin to remind her of the lessons she had learned when they were created.
Eyes averted instead of meeting theirs, face darkening from the smile that revealed their intentions all too perfectly. Nerissa was a mystery to her, but at the same time, they were so easy to read. The woman didn’t hide from her, often doing just the opposite. Nerissa didn’t filter their thoughts, spoke their mind, and made it feel like she really was under a curse or bewitchment.
Just their giggle made her cheeks darken to that of a strawberry, her heart beat faster inside her chest. It made thoughts rush through her mind, indecent and impure. They were thoughts a knight shouldn’t have, least of all to a woman who was as powerful as Nerissa. Yet as they pushed forward from their side of the springs, she couldn’t stop herself from opening her arms and allowing them to float toward her.
Legs went upon either side of her own, resting atop the underwater bench seat where she was situated, and she felt their meager weight sit upon her legs. It happened so quickly that she couldn’t stop herself from acting before her palms made contact with their sides. Nerissa didn’t seem to mind this, though, as they only relaxed with the new contact keeping them in place.
“I... apologize, my lady... My hands are calloused and rough... Not fit to be upon your skin.” Liz inhaled slowly, forcing her hands to lift from them, but also giving up on the idea when arms draped over her shoulders to keep her locked in.
“It’s okay, Lady Bloodflame. The water softens your hands and makes them quite nice to feel.” Nerissa leaned in more, their smile growing despite the obvious fear creeping up Elizabeth’s chest. “The springs are so nice to be in, don’t you think? I’m glad you came with me.”
“Y-yeah... it’s my honor.” Her eyes flicked downwards then immediately went back up when guilt overruled her natural instincts. “I... I have to protect you when you’re vulnerable, you know? As... as a-”
“As a knight should,” Nerissa finished her thought for her. “You say that so much, you’re starting to make me think you’re my own personal knight, Lady Bloodflame.”
Elizabeth struggled to keep her eyes upwards, her lashes feeling heavy from the steam radiating from below. Nerissa was so close to her, just a breath away from making complete contact in the hot water that made them feel so light upon her. “I... I mean... yeah, you know? I haven’t... sworn my loyalty to anyone else.” At least not in her current time era.
The memories were dark, like a stain in her mind. Everyone was regaining their past in bits and pieces except for a few others. They were cursed with remembering everything from the start. She recognized the faint recollection of locking Nerissa in a cell, trapping them there in magical silence as they cried for freedom. She remembered standing against them after swearing loyalty to the king of a previous land, believing they were an evil witch.
Now she was without a master to serve, a knight without a goal. She was a brandished sword ready to be wielded but without the shield that would protect her in return. Her eyes did avert again, yet this time they were cast to the side as if ashamed to hold her friend’s gaze any longer.
“If you are free... Maybe you could be... my knight?” Nerissa’s honied words were spoken with such an alluring promise that it drew her eyes back up to theirs. “I’m not royalty,” they continued softly. Thumbs slid across her cheeks on both sides as if she were being caressed and cherished in their hands. “But I will be everything I can to you, Lady Knight.”
Her heart throbbed within her chest. “I... am not worthy of such a lady such as yourself.”
“I am but a witch. Do not hold me in such high honor as you would a queen.”
“You’re pretty enough to be a queen.” Her words were soft but heard. The smile that resulted from them made her feel something she hadn’t in a long time: pride. Liz shifted under them, hands sliding around to their back smoothly enough to catch her attention. “It seems you were right... The warm water does make my hands softer.”
“Or maybe it's me?” Nerissa eased back so she could be looked at completely. “Maybe I’m making the hands of a warrior softer, so I may touch them with my own?” Their hands began to slide down her shoulders and along her arms. Instinct made her move with them, hands retreating back so they could be offered to the ones trailing lines with fingertips. When their palms finally met, Nerissa slid their fingers between her own, interlacing them on each hand so they might be held like something precious. “I like being with you like this... Skin to skin.”
“Skin to...” Her eyes went to their hands then down and back up without delay. “Princess, I don’t-”
“Oh?” They smiled and she immediately recognized the mistake they made. “Am I your princess now?”
“Because you were talking about... What you said earlier, and-”
“Do you want a princess?” They looked so soft above her like that, hair wet and sweat on their body from the heat of the springs. She could tell their long black and blue hair was floating all behind them in the water, mixing with her own red strands as if it were a sign for them to be together.
“...I do.”
“...Then let it be me, my most noble Lady Bloodflame.” Nerissa leaned back in, mouth parting and inhaling as they went in for a kiss. Their mouths met softly, pushing together with certainty from one side and fear from the other. It was wet from the humidity in the air, tasted sweet like the floral scent the witch always seemed to have around them, and made Liz’s eyes close in submission when it was repeated.
“My Princess...” Weight made her lean back, those hands now going back up her body in long, slow slides. This time she didn’t feel ashamed of her scars. Nerissa had taken her despite them. Her past mistakes were seen and accepted, her loyalty given and accepted. The second kiss faded into a third and her head was eased back as Nerissa got more above her. Then, right as she breathed in, a tongue slid across her lips. “Princess!?”
Nerissa jolted back, startled from the sudden cry. “I- I am sorry, I...” Clearing their throat, Nerissa floated back to reclaim their footing in the onsen. “Maybe it’s time to go back to the party?”
“Uhm... I mean, yeah, if you want to?” She let her eyes linger just a moment more before her instincts forced her to look away. Nerissa’s hair was clinging to their skin, outlining their curves, and making her think things that made her face flush and her head spin. “I do think we should depart... my head is feeling fuzzy from the heat... My flame and all.”
“Just your flame, My Knight?”
Elizabeth forced herself from the water and kept their eyes forward while walking to the spot she had disrobed from earlier. “I wonder if everyone is still celebrating?” It was a poor excuse for a topic change but Nerissa didn’t seem to mind it at least.
“I imagine so. It is a very special night, after all.”
“It will go into tomorrow, where we will have our own celebration in the castle.” Clothes rustled as she spoke, putting them on before her body was completely dry so her princess couldn’t finish dressing before she did. “Our new neighbors invited us for breakfast in their new home. I suspect they’ll want a feast then as well.”
“Food is always the best celebration.” Nerissa’s hand held onto their large hat, eyes looking at it somberly. “Yes... it is good to celebrate now.” Voice dropping, they crunched the softer fabric under their fingertips. “Who knows what may happen in the future...?
“Princess?” Liz turned her head to glance in their direction. “Did you say something?”
“Oh, nothing!” The voice was sweet and happy, their clothes already on and body dry. “Oh look at you, my silly knight...” It only took a small hop for them to make it from their side of the onsen to her own, body moving with the fluidity of a wind spell. “Here, allow me to aid you with my magic.” Even without their Bident of Sound, Nerissa was able to cast. Soft words in an ancient, forgotten language were sung almost too quietly to hear over the wind that was now engulfing the redhead from their feet to the top of their head.
Red hair fluttered down from the soft breeze as it ended, the knight now completely dry. “What... kind of witchcraft is this?”
“A drying spell,” Nerissa answered sweetly. “See? Just because I’m a witch doesn't mean I’m a bad witch. There are spells like this, too.”
“I mean... yeah! You’re a witch but... that’s not... inherently wrong or anything. Just... I would know, I’ve monitored you.”
They leaned forward a little, almost as if they were seeking praise. “I’m a good witch, aren’t I?”
“You are... A very good witch, Princess.”
Nerissa smiled at her. An honest, happy smile that reached their eyes and made her feel at ease. “Thank you for saying that.” Her head turned before a reply could be made, hands reaching out for the greatsword that was leaning against the wall. “Here, let me hand you your sword-”
Liz quickly reached for them, eyes widening in fear as Nerissa gripped the handle to pull it from the wall. The sheer weight of the sword made it start to topple over, a startled shriek coming from her princess when they realized they couldn’t stop it from tumbling. She wasn’t able to keep her weapon from taking a fall but she was able to snag Nerissa around the waist and pull them away from it. The hilt slipped from their fingers easily as gravity stole it from them and a loud clattering echoed in the small, wooden room of the onsen.
Nerissa’s breath was heavy, gaze on their fingers quivering from just how much force they had used to try and stop it from dropping. “What... Is it enchanted so only you may lift it?”
Liz knelt down to her weapon and hefted it with one hand so she could attach it to her back with the binding artifact affixed to her armor. “No, it is just heavy.” With that taken care of, she offered her hand toward her charge. “Shall we return to the celebration, My Lady?”
~**~
She had always avoided wine in the past. It dulled the mind and caused things to happen that were always retold in the future amongst friends when they celebrated. A knight shouldn’t indulge, especially when their most cherished person was nearby. It would only lead to disaster, and as such she had adamantly refused to drink for the first half of the party.
Then Nerissa had offered her a glass. Sitting next to her on the picnic blanket, leaning up onto her with those sultry, hazy eyes. They didn’t even say anything to charm her, just lifted the magically chilled stemware in offering so they could tilt it back as she drank from it. It tasted of grapes, cold and tangy with a plesant bitterness that followed it.
Her eyes looked down at the empty glass with appreciation. She had tasted it before, of course, but the samples had always been warm and too tart to enjoy. Somehow it was so much better now, and not just because it was cold. Maybe it was because Nerissa was refilling her glass and holding up their own so they could do a silly little motion of interlacing their arms before drinking.
Maybe it was the coolness of the night and the warmth the beverage brought her. Maybe it was Nerissa leaning against her, or it could have even been how they looked up at her in an unasked question that made her do it. Whatever the reason, she spoke the words down to them in a hushed whisper that only they could hear.
“Wait ten minutes, then stay with me tonight?”
A nod and smile was her answer so she stood and declared that she was suitably tipsy enough to call it a night. Her friends waved goodbye to her and she stumbled a bit before catching her footing and walking toward her home. The trip didn’t take long, and she realized that she was starting to feel fuzzy after walking a bit. The excuse of being drunk was said to get away but the longer she stayed up, the more she felt it.
The door into her home was left unlocked after passing through it, her path diverging from the main area so she could head to her bedroom. She was a clean person by nature so she wasn’t worried about there being anything she didn’t want Nerissa to see. Instead of checking for that, she made an effort to cover or hide the gifts others had given her. Nerissa was nothing if not jealous.
Armor was to be taken care of next. Normally the actions it took to remove the gear was second nature and could be done in the dark. This time, though, she struggled with the latches and belts that held it on her body. ‘ I must have pulled them too tight earlier... ’ Her excuse was fuzzy minded and hazy, fingers not quite dexterous to remove the straps on her own.
As it were, she either lost track of time or struggled for longer than she thought she was because Nerissa arrived before she was completely done. Embarrassment was on her face but she felt too happy to let it bother her. Nerissa was in her home with her, comfortable enough to let themself in when invited, and was giving her a gentle look while walking over to her to assist in the removal.
She never wore a lot of protection, as she preferred to be able to move more freely, but it still felt good to have it off again. It was so nice to be free from it that she didn’t notice that Nerissa was urging more of her clothing off. Her undershirt was lifted and pulled off and the drawstring of her trousers was pulled on so they fell from her hips.
The moment went on when they turned and lifted their hair to expose the back of their dress and the zipper that she didn’t hesitate to reach for. It slid at her command, pinched between a finger and thumb, and the clothing collapsed in a puddle of silk at their feet. They were bare before her once again, only this time there wasn’t the water or the steam preventing her from seeing their body.
Nerissa’s hands reached for her own, their body moving toward the bed, and only then did she realize what was happening. “Princess,” she fumbled even that word as the beautiful witch sat down on the foot of her bed. Nerissa was laying backwards, urging her to follow with steady, insistent pulling on both her wrists. “I... A knight shouldn’t-” The look of concern on their face made her words falter midway through.
“Do you... not want me?”
So many things went through her mind that she didn’t know what to grasp ahold of in the situation. The alcohol was making it hard to focus, her desires obvious to herself but repressed from the code of honor she adhered to so firmly. They were to be respected, so defiling their body with her calloused hands would be wrong. She knew this but despite it being so obvious in her mind, she wanted to.
“The wine...” she finally chose her words after looking at them in the moonlight for much longer than she should have. A swallow broke her sentence but she continued it with as much determination as she could. “The wine may make your choices reckless, Princess.” It was so obvious that it wasn’t, that they wanted this, but she held firm in her honor. “I would never forgive myself if you regretted this on the morrow.”
Nerissa licked their lips slowly, mind obviously going through several things to say before they sighed and laid back fully. “You aren’t going to bend on this, are you?”
“I’m sorry, Princess. I put you in this spot... My greed for your company has led us here. Maybe I should sleep in the other room so you-”
“Don’t you dare .” Nerissa’s voice was suddenly firm, their eyes almost glowing in the night.
“...Then I shall sleep at your side, on the floor.”
Another groan was made and the witch reluctantly accepted the offer despite not wanting to. “Very well... At my side, faithful knight.”
“I’ll just... get some blankets and make myself a bed to lay in. Please rest. Tomorrow will be eventful.”
“Yeah...” Nerissa did as they were asked, scooting from the foot of the bed toward the pillow so they could get under the covers. “I sleep nude.”
“I can wear an eye mask as to not-”
“No. I forbid it. How will you protect me if my knight can’t see?”
“...Very well.” Liz watched the princess huff before falling onto her pillow and snuggling onto it. Their wine red eyes closed and she watched them for several moments before turning to get linens from the closet.
~**~
Nerissa’s eyes slid open slowly, her gaze seeing nothing but star-speckled night sky and a thin, reflective line that made up the ground she was lying upon. Her eyes closed again to will the scenery to change but when she opened them again, she was met with the same sight.
The same nightmare. Again.
“How long are you going to pretend that you’re not going to betray her?” The voice that spoke to her was familiar yet foreign at the same time. It was cold, full of malice, and hurt her in ways that physical pain couldn’t compare to. “Come tomorrow, we both know what we’re going to do.”
“I can still change my mind.” Nerissa turned to face the ground and did a pushup so she could stare into the mirrored glass she was lying on. Her reflection was grinning madly at her, their eyes glowing a dark red that matched the oversized witch’s hat they wore. Her cloak wasn’t reflected, nor was her ring on her left hand.
“But you won’t.” Her mirror image leaned in, still keeping their hands touching through that thin pane. “You know it deep inside your soul. If you follow along with this, you’ll lose your memories again, you’ll awake in a new land, a new time, and this will repeat forever.”
“It will not!”
“ Break the cycle, Nerissa! How many times must we hurt!? How many times must we fight for a kingdom we don’t belong to!?”
“Shut up!” Her voice broke, eyes closing to break the trance. She forced herself to her feet, standing only to feel that smooth surface now at her back. When she turned, she saw herself again, now standing. A fist slammed onto the mirror and cracks spiderwebbed out from the contact.
“All it will take is one battle, one clash to set things right! You can control this world that you saved, rule it and make peace for everyone! All you have to do is refuse to loop again!”
“They need me! She needs me!”
“ She needs you to be strong !” The reflection hit the glass again and the cracks began to splinter. “You think she won’t stand by you!? You think your knight won’t follow by your side!?”
“She believes in Justice! Elizabeth will always choose the side that is right!”
“And We are what’s right!” Another hit and the mirror began to shatter from the force. “We will save everyone! Sacrifices must be made to end this needless loop of our memories being stolen from us!” Glass shards flew toward her, making both hands dart up to block the cuts from her face. A body collided with her own, she fell back, and tumbled into the darkness...
~**~
Nerissa’s gasp was harsh and loud, eyes snapping open. Quickly she sat up and held up her hands to inspect them in the soft glowing silver moonlight coming in from the window behind the bed.
No blood. No cuts. No mirror.
Her heart ached, fists clenching tightly. Breathing was hard but keeping the pain inside was far worse. Eyes stung with unshed tears, her chest heaving as she gulped for air in her silent cries for help.
“My Lady?” Elizabeth’s voice came from her side and she snapped her head in that direction. Their eyes were sharper now, despite being awoken from sleep and the lingering effects of wine drank several hours earlier. “What’s wrong?”
Seeing the concern on their face sent a new stab into her chest that felt physically painful. “Liz...” Their eyes widened at the name. It was from the past, where they were different people, shaped by their lives before they met. Before the other land, before they were Lady Bloodflame. “I need you.”
“I’m here.” The knight slid up upon the bed and wrapped arms around her. A soft kiss graced her temple and their breath fanned across her hair. “I’ll protect you. From anything.”
“Will you?” Nerissa asked it in disbelief, her voice shaking. “Will you really?”
“Princess?”
Nerissa turned in the hold, looking up at them and grasping at their arms. “Would you really stand beside me? Through everything?” The nightmare was eating at her mind, the truth behind their situation burning like an ember in the pit of her stomach. “No... you’ll forsake me the moment things go wrong. We’ll forget each other again. And again. And again, and again, and again! ” Her voice broke, the tears finally breaking free and streaming down her burning cheeks.
Elizabeth held her eyes, their expression changing from stunned disbelief to a concerned fear. Words were carefully chosen, the weight of them judged before being spoken aloud. “I swore myself to you, Princess.” Their head lowered a little, as if bowing despite the situation. “I know you are not of royal blood, nor do you have a reign upon the land or its army... But as a knight, I am free to choose whom I serve, be it a king, a queen, or a Princess in name alone.” Head tilting back up, their fierce eyes met her own. “And I chose to serve you.”
“...Will you really?” Nerissa turned her body toward them, pushing the sheets aside to allow her movement. “No, don’t turn away. Look at me.” Fingertips rose up to trace the lines of their throat and jawline, holding those brilliant red eyes to her own. Liz’s flame was flickering faster than usual, as if it were reflecting the rapid heartbeat she felt beneath their skin. “Look at me and tell me you’ll stay with me.”
“...I will stay with you.”
“Will you still be my knight, no matter what?”
“My loyalty lies with you, Princess.”
Nerissa’s hands slid down their cheeks, thumbs caressing them as her fingertips curled at their ears to hold and urge them to lay forward as she leaned back toward the bed. “Stay with me, then.”
“My Lady, a knight-”
“Should do as they’re told.” She kept moving, forcing them to shift so their hands could reach out and prevent them from falling atop her completely. Nerissa looked up at them, taking in how the flame’s light made shadows dance around them. The moonlight illuminated the rest, making their bright red hair almost seem to glow as it fell around them like a curtain to hide just the two of them away from the world.
“What... would you have of me?”
“For tonight... do not let your honor as a knight dictate what you do... For tonight, I want you to act upon your desires... Tonight... I want to lay with Elizabeth.”
“Pri-”
“My name.” Her voice broke, eyes threatening to overflow again. “Say my name. Please.”
Liz once again paused to think. They would never say something that would be a lie, least of all to her, so she waited. Moments ticked by to the sound of her heartbeat and the breath of the one above her, each one making the pull of dread in her chest grow more and more until the words were finally said.
“By your command, Nerissa.”
And they leaned in to kiss her upon the lips.
~**~
Morning brought the sounds of birds with the bright light that shone into the room of Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame. It was a peaceful way to wake up, without the need to hurry and put on her armor. She didn’t need to find a dungeon or roam the lands looking for Stain to kill.
Today she was a woman waking up next to her lover, and she wanted that to last. The rays of light were framing Nerissa’s sleeping face so perfectly that she couldn’t bring herself to move, lest she wake them from their slumber. She watched as their body slowly rose and fell with their breathing and smiled at the way their hand subconsciously stretched out to span the gap between them, stopping when it touched her chest next to her flame.
Their lips curled a little in their sleep and Elizabeth had to fight herself to not make a sound at how adorable it was. She allowed her eyes to look down their body, nude underneath the white sheets that were sprawled out around them both. The last night replayed in her mind with fondness and she couldn’t help from moving a hand of her own to rest atop theirs.
‘ You’re so small, Nerissa... ’ Her fingers curled between theirs, palm engulfing their smaller hand. ‘ I feel as if I could hurt you if I’m not careful...’ She recalled how they couldn’t even lift her sword, how they struggled to carry a heavy backpack while out in the wilds, and how they always seemed to favor light cloth for clothing without even leather armor to protect them.
Her smile softened at the thoughts, gaze on their smaller frame. Slender shoulders, a slim waist, and just enough muscle to be able to do what needs to be done. Even if they were only a tiny bit shorter than she was, the difference in mass made her feel a protective nature toward them, even if she hadn’t fallen in love.
“Elizabeeeeeeeeeth!” Raora’s sweet song made the knight stiffen. Quickly she removed her hand from Nerissa’s and yanked the covers to conceal Nerissa’s body from sight, or at least completely cover the parts that needed to be hid. She was just able to do that and sit up in bed before her bedroom door opened and one of her oldest friends stepped through. “Liz you are being late for breakfast so I came to...” Their words died off, eyes going between the two shapes on the bed. It took a moment but she realized what happened just as Nerissa groaned.
“Liz... be quiet, I’m still sleepy...” The witch scooted closer, hugging Elizabeth’s waist for comfort. “Mmmn...”
“You slept together!?” Raora’s cry was loud enough that she was sure anyone outside in their area would have heard it.
“What the friggg... Raora, please give us some privacy?”
“With her!?” They pointed at Nerissa, who was now struggling to sit up to see what was going on. “You two are always bickering, and you... Raooo, I’ll never understand you!” They turned to walk out, calling over their shoulder. “Come for breakfast, and bring her too, okay? We can talk there.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah...” She looked down at the sleepy woman beside her and smiled at them playfully. “Well good morning, Princess.”
They smiled back, voice coy as if they were happy that their relationship had been discovered so soon. “Good morning, Lady Bloodflame.”
“We should get ready for the day. Breakfast with the newlyweds and then castle bound.” Together they slid from the bed on opposite sides, each looking for their clothing. “Should we stop by your place first so you can put on a different dress?”
Nerissa looked at her clothing before stepping into it and pulling it up along their body. They had to give the dress a few tugs at the waist but it was soon ready for sleeves to be slid through and the zipper in the back to be pulled up with a skilled motion between both hands. “It’s okay. I put this on right before the party last night... and I’d like everyone to see that I’m still wearing it.”
Liz felt her cheeks color but she didn’t deny them their wish. “Then that is what we shall do.” Her own clothing took much longer, as straps of armor needed to be fixed atop her cloth and sword affixed to her back. Nerissa was ready long before she was and even helped tighten the straps of the gear for them. “You know,” she spoke in her usual aloof, dismissive tone. “Helping a knight with their armor is... very intimate.”
“Is it now?” Nerissa smiled, now taking much more care in how she set each piece into place.
“Because it is our life in battle... if it isn’t done correctly, then we could fall to an attack that normally wouldn’t hurt us. It’s a sign of trust.”
Nerissa’s hands faltered, then picked right back up. “You trust me that much, Lady Bloodflame?”
“With my life,” she answered honestly. Nerissa looked back up at her, keeping their gaze for several long moments before a sudden alert from both their pouches demanded their attention.
Liz pulled her communication crystal out first, holding it up in her hand and letting it float. “What’s going on? Why the alert!?”
Calliope’s voice came from the other side, mixed in with the crackling sounds of battle around them. “Get to the castle immediately! We’re under attack!”
Liz cursed and closed her fist to recall the magic device. “Princess!”
“I know you hate teleporting,” Nerissa apologized to her while weaving a magical circle under both their feet. “But this is a moment where you need to just let me do it.”
Thorn was grabbed from the holster on the wall and a nod was given to them. “Take me with you.”
The world scrambled all around them, bodies twisting through the aether and reforming at a designated spot. Nerissa formed back into being first, landing gently on one foot before the other in a controlled and graceful fall. Elizabeth was second, falling with more weight and dropping to one knee and a hand to help disperse the force.
Kronii was already rushing next to them, heading into the library, where the sounds of battle were slowing. The pair gave chase, rushing into the area just in time to see Calliope being flung back.
“The hell is that!?” Kronii drew both of their swords, only for the creature they were fighting to swirl around and vanish.
Calliope was helped to her feet, Liz offering a shoulder for them to brace upon. “You alright? Need healing?”
“I’ll be okay...” The pink haired reaper grunted as their body began to self-heal the wounds. “We need to get everyone together... Something bad just went down.”
~**~
The warden of time slowly stood back up to their full height before the plush cat that now had all its memories restored. Their new path had been laid out upon them, a goal in sight, and a means to move forward with it. Another jump through space and time, another era to protect, and one more chance to set things right.
Elizabeth hated that peace was so frail. That everything they worked for would be for naught unless they kept fighting. Yet she was a knight, and a knight’s duty was to protect those around them. Just like before, she had friends. She kept her memories last time, so she was sure she would again. She would hold onto Nerissa close this time, to ensure they wouldn’t forget her, so their next meeting won’t hurt like the last had.
Shiori’s sudden chuckling caught her attention and she turned to face the witch that she had less than an ideal relationship with. They were standing farther back than the rest of them, along with not only her sister but a few others that made a sinking feeling take ahold of her stomach.
“So that’s it, huh?” Shiori asked them after a moment of laughing to herself. “You’re all just going to agree to do it again? To fight for a land that doesn’t even belong to you in an attempt to fix what’s broken?”
Her eyes went from Shiori to the twins, then over toward Bijou, and finally resting upon Nerissa. The unease she was feeling seemed to be shared by the rest of the girls around herself. Kiara was the first one to reply, their voice uncertain and wary. “What do you mean, Shiori? This is our fight, it’s what our destiny-”
“Destiny?” Bijou’s voice sounded oddly cold compared to their usual bubbly personality. “Your destiny has been corrupted by the very people you protect.”
Fuwawa lifted their head slightly, as if they were looking down on everyone across the room. “The people you trust are only there because they found us first.”
Their twin continued the line as if it hadn’t paused. “We’re admired because we’re strong. But who’s to say that these people are the ones in the right?”
Liz finally spoke, unable to listen to them anymore. “It’s right because that’s what it is just ! The others hurt the people of this land, they invaded this area, they-”
“ They ,” Nerissa’s voice yelled over her own. “Aren't the ones sending us through time while wiping our memories! Do you think it’s that simple, Darling? Haven’t you learned anything after all we’ve been through? We’re being picked off. Each time we’re moved, one by one, we’re dying.”
Fia’s voice finally came through, the small cat angrily yelling at the ones who had challenged everything they’d done. “Look around yourself! No one is dead!?”
“Are they not?” Shiori spoke again, their voice so cold that it brought a chill about the room. “The pearl lost to the humble knight. The curious shop owner with feathers in their hair. The money seeking lottery master. What of them, Fia?”
“I don’t... know who you’re talking about?”
“Convenient to lose your memories, isn’t it?” Nerissa asked of it with a clear threat in their voice. “Which one of us will vanish this time? How many leaps will it take before the chosen are dwindled down to a single warrior who will die fighting for something they no longer even know is the truth?”
Elizabeth's jaw ticked. She had kept her memories through the leap in time, recalled everyone the moment she had seen them. The past was clear in her head, from waking up in the previous land to the final battle that nearly claimed it. She remembered what they had done and why they went back in time to fix it.
Yet she didn’t remember that there were three of them missing until it was pointed out to her. Three people she had been friends with, had fought next to. Three women were gone and she only recalled it when they were brought up.
‘ Are my memories incomplete? ’ She looked around the group, firmly taking note of each one. Fear and doubt started to claw at her mind. ‘ If I forgot them, then will I forget more if we do it again? ’
“We’re going to break those bonds here and now.” Shiori’s feathered quill flickered into life at her fingertips, ready to write a magical inscription should the need arise. “I guess the question now is... Who’s with us?”
Nerissa’s eyes turned to Elizabeth’s and for a second the knight locked up. The invitation was clear, their statement hanging in the air like a poison. “We’re going to set this right,” they promised confidently. “Where we don’t get sent through time and space to serve at the will of those we don’t belong to.”
Elizabeth almost stepped forward, if not to just try and de-escalate the issue. She wanted to get closer to them, to perhaps take Nerissa aside and discuss things. Yet if it were that easy then they would have done it last night. Now it was too late, and Raora slid in front of her and slightly to the side. Cecilia was fast to mimic the motion on the other side and the smallest of their group slipped into place in front of even them just to drive the point home that Liz’s place was set in stone.
“Do you think they’re corrupted?” Bae’s question rippled through them like it was a chance to explain what was happening.
“We can subdue them and see if the Stain have taken ahold?” Irys answered it while drawing both their stars into her hands.
Shiori scoffed at the way her offering was being brushed aside. “This is a waste of time. I knew it would be pointless to ask people who blindly follow the string of fate.” They turned as if to leave the giant library, disappointment clear on their face.
Fia’s voice echoed in the chamber as they screeched out. “Don’t let them run!”
Liz’s eyes widened, hand reaching to the hilt of her sword to pull it off her back. Again she met Nerissa’s eyes, her heart missing a beat in her chest, causing her flame to flicker.
Calliope attacked first, leaping through the air and swiping her scythe at Shiori, who jumped backwards to gain some distance so they could cast. The Reaper’s second move was to lash out at the twins to separate them. Kiara was hot at their heels, both physically and literally, from a sliding leg sweep that took down the fluffy one.
“Liz!” Gonathan, Gigi, her friend, called for her and she reacted before her mind could process. Instinct made her rush into battle along with the others. Her side was handicapped, as they merely wanted to knock down the others, to somehow restrain them to figure out why they were acting the way they were.
But she knew what was happening. It didn’t take a strategist to piece the puzzle together. The way Shiori had been acting, the twins’ ears dipping back and tails flashing side to side, Bijou’s quietness...
And Nerissa’s words to her.
This betrayal was planned, and the current battle was the results of their views being split. Maybe that was why she didn’t feel the numbness shooting through her wrist when she blocked Bijou’s attack with her sword, why she didn’t hesitate to push forward to Shiori in an attempt to cleave them asunder for masterminding everything.
“You cursed witch!” Her scream was angrier than she could ever remember coming from her own mouth. “You with your strings!” It had to be them. Nerissa wouldn’t do this on their own. They wouldn’t caress her flame so gently while laying in bed, wouldn’t expose themself with so much trust and vulnerability in their eyes if this had been their plan all along.
Shiori evaded her and wrote a spell into the air with their quill. Chains formed from circles at her feet and lashed upwards to bind her but she was fast enough to cut them as if they weren’t magically created metal. “You’re complaining to me, Elizabeth!?” They began to scrawl magical incantations into the air itself once again. “I asked you who you were before Lady Bloodflame, and here you are! Just as you always will be! Come, bring your Justice to me!”
She saw the motions at her sides even as she focused on the force of her vertical swing. Bijou was pushing Baelz and Ina’nis back, Kronii and Irys were on the twins and the Reaper was paired with the mighty phoenix to fight Nerissa.
Her attack was empowered by her anger, the air splitting as she slashed downwards to send a beam of energy at the witch. She had never felt the rage as she had now, the desire to kill so strongly for daring to not only take her heart but her soul away from her.
Shiori’s quill was flung from their hand by their botched shield, leaving them open for her to dash forward with her sword horizontal to the ground. Everything seemed to slow down for her as she moved to make her kill. Next to them Nerissa’s bident was knocked from their hands. Shiori’s eyes widened in realization that they couldn’t stop her blow. Calliope’s scythe was slashing toward the raven haired mage. She was so close to ending it all. All she had to do was pierce the puppet master’s heart, slay the evil witch, and put a stop to their plans.
Calliope’s scythe flew through the air and skidded across the floor.
Liz’s hands shook under the weight of Thorn, her breath heavy. The fighting seemed to come to a complete standstill from her action, calling everyone’s attention toward her. The mighty phoenix warrior lowered their sword, standing next to the one whom she had just attacked.
“...Don’t touch her.” Her lip began to tremble, throat flexing as she swallowed down her pride. “I don’t care what is happening... I don’t care what side you’re on... You will not hurt the woman I love!”
“...My knight?”
She turned to glare at the woman who had betrayed her, who had intentionally asked for her to stand by them, had set all of this up. “Nerissa... tell me you’re not really doing this? Tell me you’re joking! That you’re playing Shiori to... I don’t know, do something to help me!?”
Nerissa’s mouth opened but no words came out. The stalled battle was crackling with intensity, uncast spells lingering in the air along with the held abilities of the warriors fighting amongst themselves. It felt like the time between heartbeats drew longer and longer, only lashing back to reality when she finally spoke. “Trust me.”
Cecilia spoke next, her soft voice carrying in the still room. “Lady Bloodflame... I think you need to calm down and think about-”
“What’s there to think about!?” Liz turned to face them, the tip of their sword dropping to mar the floor of the library. “She asks for my trust. We should listen to what they have to say-”
“They say they want to not help!” Kiara’s cry made Liz turn toward them.
“Chaos is always around us,” Baelz agreed with them. “But it’s our nature to aid those in need, isn’t it?”
“The hope that is always hidden beneath the fighting,” Irys finished the thought softly. “So we have to fight for it. We can make it right.”
Liz turned to them, feet turning to walk in a half arc in front of Nerissa while facing the shifting combatants on the other side. “And what of the missing three? Calliope? Kiara? You’re our memories. You’re the ones archiving what is happening to us. What happened to them?”
The two looked at each other. The phoenix shook their head sadly and Calliope turned back toward her. “We didn’t remember them until they were brought up either. But that doesn’t mean we’re on the wrong side, we just-”
“Forgot?” Nerissa’s word was cold and firm. “What else have we forgotten!?”
Kronii took a step forward and Liz’s sword instantly turned to point toward them as if it would be used if they came any closer. “What say you, Warden of Time? Did you forget too?”
“Time isn’t a constant. I can not control what is and isn’t lost when doing a spell such as this.” They lowered their swords and Elizabeth did the same out of honor. A knight wouldn’t use a blade when the other side wasn’t going to use theirs. “Elizabeth, please, see that they’re wrong. They’re manipulating you to think you’re doing what’s right.”
“Isn’t this how it always is?” She felt a smile come to her lips despite feeling sick about what she was saying. “I serve a company set about making sure Justice is served to those who would oppose it. And what do I do? Lock away people for things they couldn’t control. I pledge myself to a king of a new land and swear to fight off the stain, and it turns out they’re the very being I am against... Now I stand between friends, and the woman I had given my blade to turns on everyone I cherish. What’s different this time?
“But...” Gonathan stepped forward, hand going to his chest. “Liz, you’re always on the good side...”
“...Maybe I have always been the villain on the other?” She lifted her chin, gazing at them. “The fact remains that I will not allow harm to come to my charge.” Slowly, she raised her sword back up to point it toward her friends. “Even if it is you standing against me.”
Shiori’s laugh once again filled the room and eyes turned back to the one who had started it all. “Then let’s call this a draw, shall we? Mococo!”
“On it!” The girl blitzed across the battlefield low and fast, ducking under an attempted grapple and making it to Fia to snatch the glimmering pearl from around their neck.
Shiori casually waved a hand in the air, as if what had just happened wasn’t worth fretting over. “Just to ensure you won’t try any... time-related stuff.”
Kronii gripped their swords and slouched into an offensive position, only stopping when Calliope held out their hand. “Calli, we need to-”
“This won’t end without blood on both sides,” they spoke over their friend, voice commanding and firm. “We will regroup and try to figure this out...” Their eyes turned to glare at the golden irises of the leader across the room. “A temporary cease-fire.”
Shiori bowed mockingly to them. “My pleasure.” Upon lifting, they looked at the girls in turn. “Let’s go. You too, Bloodflame.”
Liz swung her sword from her friends toward them and narrowed her eyes. “I serve Lady Ravencroft, not you. Try to command me again, and I will take your heart.”
“Interesting.” Shiori’s eyes began to glow a soft golden yellow. “Blinded by love, how suitable for someone such as yourself. Then perhaps a title more befitting of your actions? The Great Betrayer maybe?” The smile on their face stayed, yellow eyes glowing sadistically even as Elizabeth rushed in in anger, sword drawn and ready.
“Stop!” Nerissa’s scream at her made Liz still her blade, the edge of it drawing a thin red line of blood across Shiori’s neck. “Don’t hurt her, please !”
“Be a good dog,” Shiori whispered. Liz swallowed again, hands trembling to keep herself in check. “And obey your princess. ”
A hand on her arm made her glance toward the person now standing next to her. Nerissa was there, carefully tugging on her to help force the blade to be lowered. “Come, lower your sword, My Knight.”
She did as she was told, her anger obvious. “Fine.” Her sword shifted, arm bending to affix it at her back to obey her Princess’ command. The hand on her arm slid down to embrace her own but she pulled her hand back before their fingers could slide together. “No. Not right now.”
The hurt on Nerissa’s face was clear but they still withdrew instead of forcing it. “Darling, I-”
“Don’t call me that for a moment.” Liz did her best to try and sound comforting but the pain of the situation couldn’t be withheld from their voice.
Nerissa stayed still for as long as she dared before nodding her head. “Right. Okay. Then let’s go.”
Elizabeth followed as the group walked from the room, away from her friends and the path she had thought was right. Her mind raced at the implications of what was to come. No matter which side was right, they would be divided. The friends she had, the relationships she had built, all of it would be split between what they each thought was the correct thing to do...
And she had no idea if she had chosen the right side.