Naya rubbed her hands on her clothes as she walked out of the blue door, and the moment she did, the Witch's frantic, murderous voice echoed through the hall.
"YOU KILLED MY SECOND PET? I WILL TURN YOUR EARS INTO A NECKLACE!"
[Way too easy. ]Naya sardonically smirked and moved to the side.
Rula stepped out from behind with a pensive look on her face. "C-Carla? W-what's going... what's going on?" she held her sketchbook tightly against her chest.
--Well, that was simple.--
Naya had a feeling the Witch wouldn't wait to blast her with the grating voice, so she had purposefully walked out of the door with Rula behind her.
"I would never harm a child; I wonder if you can say the same."
"RULA, GET BACK IN THE ROOM!" The Witch, Carla, didn't seem to care that Rula had discovered her true nature.
"Carla... what's happening?" She clutched her book tighter, looking at the ground pensively.
Carla didn't respond.
"She is a Witch, you see these paintings?"
--Nayalisia, don't---
"These are all the people she killed as fuel for her Devil; you were painting her victims." Naya coldly looked down at Rula, whose face was hidden.
--You... She's a child, Nayalisia. --
[She's only a few years younger than me.]
--You're an Elf, and---
[The truth should not be hidden just because you think she can't handle it.]
Lia took a second to respond. --I hope so.--
Naya continued to watch Rula, curious how she would handle the revelations.
"Did... did Carla kill your friend, Miss Elf?" She asked with her head still dipped.
"She [misunderstood]." Naya enunciated, "That boy was not my friend; he was just an annoying nobleman who crossed my path yesterday."
"I see..." Rula took a shaky breath and looked up at Naya, determination shining in her azure eyes, ruined by them being watery from holding back tears, "I..." She took another deep, shaky breath, "I will still go with you to see Carla."
Naya quirked her brow. "Are you stupid? Did you not catch the vile things voice?"
"I know!" Rula cried and frantically shook her head, "But if she hasn't been paying my family..." she left the last bit unsaid.
Naya watched Rula's face, and it looked like she didn't believe her own words.
--She mentioned that Carla showed her proof of sending the money, but I suspect it was a fake image sent to her head.--
[I think she knows that.]
--Yeah... probably.--
[I'm just glad she didn't freak out over being the painter of dead people for a Witch's collection. ]
--A normal person wouldn't have been in that room; she definitely isn't some dumb Halfling who got fooled.--
[I'll find out later; at least, she seems genuine.]
--She's staring at you; try not to give me away again.--
Naya's ears twitched, and she looked back down at Rula, who still stared at her. "What?"
"Are you thinking of killing me, Miss Elf?"
"What?" Naya asked incredulously.
"I really didn't know I was painting dead people! I'll... I'll make it right." She looked behind Naya and noticed the long row of torn paintings and the line carved into the walls.
"You destroyed a lot of them!" She shouted and ran back to pick them up.
"DON'T TOUCH MY ART, YOU BRAT!" Carla's voice returned, and it made Rula briefly cover her ears.
"But... but I painted them!" Rula continued picking them up down the hall.
"HALFLING SCUM, IF YOU CONTINUE YOU WILL PERISH ALONG WITH THE ELF."
"Wha-" Rula stopped herself and looked up with a murderous glare, a face Naya didn't think she could make, "You lied to me! You're... You're just like the rest!"
--Though rare these days due to their sheer variety, Halfling races can still be mistreated. I imagine it's worse for a Dwarf and Human mix.--
"Miss Elf, I changed my mind." In her angered state, Rula seemed like a different person, "I will take every painting off these halls. Don't try to stop me, I must do this!"
"I wasn't going to... I would prefer you stayed here."
Rula's cheeks turned red, and she turned around and started picking up paintings.
She sprinted from wall to wall but ensured they were ripped off cleanly, and she even picked up the ones Naya tore down.
Naya turned back and looked at the few doors remaining she could see.
The longer she spent idle, the more Arcana she would lose, and she had wasted too much time already on Rula.
So Naya continued down the red hall to the sound of Rula's hasty steps and ripping paper. Hearing them being torn down pleased her. [Now, we will ruin everything for her before she dies.]
The next door was dark green, a short distance from the blue one. Naya didn't hesitate to twist the knob and push it open; she was in a rush. Not because she was running out of Arcana but because Sophia should have departed by now.
Carla's voice was suspiciously absent this time.
The door opened to the overwhelming scent of herbs, tables filled with many different plant types, and shelves lined with vials.
In the middle of the room, nestled against the far wall, was an alchemy station with beakers and clear tubes connected with some filled with different colored liquids.
It looked like it was abandoned in a rush, as various herbs were thrown about in the middle of the table, and a half-empty vial of pink liquid had fallen to spill its contents.
Naya walked over and touched the pink liquid. It felt like water, and she was curious about what it could be; her mother had an alchemist friend, but she had never seen a pink potion.
She was confident a small taste wouldn't do anything to her and brought her hand to her slightly opened mouth.
--PUT THAT DOWN YOU IDIOT!--
Lia's booming voice in her mind startled her, and she reflexively swung her hand fast to disperse the liquid.[ ]She got annoyed at the sudden outburst. [It would not have been enough to damage me.]
--You're stupid. Naya, that's an aphrodisiac. What other potion do you think would possibly look pink like that?--
Naya's ears twitched, and her face flushed a little red. [I've never seen it before.]
--Either way, to taste a potion you don't know about? I didn't think you'd be that careless.--
[None of the other races would be able to make a potion able to hurt me.]
--Unfounded arrogance. While it's true that Elves have some natural resistance to it, none are entirely immune to their effects. Especially an aphrodisiac! Gods, next thing I know, you'll be jumping on Carla rather than killing her.--
Naya's face took on a brighter shade of red, "I am not some promiscuous human!"
Lia snorted--. You know, I am curious what it would do to an Elf. Go ahead and try it. I might stop you from doing something stupid, but I also might just enjoy watching.-- Her voice was painted with sarcasm.
Naya snapped her hand out to pick up the vial and threw it with all the force she could muster at the opposite wall.
The glass shattered, spilling many other vials on the shelf across the floor as Naya walked back outside of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Luckily, Rula was at the opposite end of the hall, still hastily ripping down the paintings. Otherwise, she'd have seen how embarrassed Naya looked.
[I still have not let you off! Watch yourself.]
--What are you gonna do? Evict me? --Lia spoke with more sass than usual as if she were tired of Naya instead.
Naya's face twitched in annoyance; [I'll never touch a Devil's essence again!]
--Pft, I'd say you want them more than I do now that you know what they mean.--
[You annoying vermin, I will find a way to banish you!]
--You have a mission to complete, Nayalisia. You're welcome for the warning, by the way. --
[Do NOT call me that!]
Lia didn't respond, and with a huff, Naya continued toward the next door, a little further down the hall, painted in yellow.
When Naya approached it, she could see the end of the hall. It was a blank red wall with no door but with two more on both sides of it. It hadn't been too eventful, and everything else was put in the back of her mind as she focused entirely on getting to kill a 3rd Witch.
Naya twisted the knob and entered.
She wondered what else Carla could have up her sleeves, and the embarrassment from the pink potion made her cautious.
However, she was disappointed to find that the new room was just a luxurious bedroom.
The walls were royal blue, and the furniture looked high quality. In the middle was a large bed with crimson red pillows and blankets outlined in golden yellow.
On the left side of the room was a desk, but Naya had zero interest in any of Carla's personal belongings. [If only I could set this ablaze. ]Naya turned back to the door.
--Wait, there's a letter on that desk; grab it.--
Naya was still annoyed and would have ignored it, but Lia's requests had yielded results thus far, so she complied.
A pen was next to a finished letter that hadn't been folded.
["Your Highness,]
[I know you forbade me from writing to you, but the situation I find myself in is dire. Last week, the invisibility spell around my tower failed; I haven't a clue why, even after thorough research. The conduit should not have failed. It is because of this slip-up that Sanctum will likely be coming after me within the next few months. As you know, moving my home is not so simple; this place is not something I can abandon so readily. Even as we speak, removing my painstakingly built floors has been a massive drain on my reserves.]
[I don't have the ability to fight Sanctum yet, and people have stopped coming to the Silent Forest. I ask that you loan me one of your defenders for a brief time while I build up power to relocate my tower. Just one will be enough; it would be plenty to deal with adventurers that fancy themselves as Witch Hunters.]
[I beg of you, your Majesty.]
- Carla."
Naya put the letter down.
--So, one of the mortal Kingdoms is working with the Witches, and someone got ahold of Garudas. That's a big problem.--
[Why? It won't stop me. This letter makes it seem like the aid isn't much. My only concern is that this mortal ruler has more of these Garudas. But I doubt they give them away so easily.]
--The message makes it seem like Carla is of no consequence to this ruler, which likely means they have more Witches under their thumb. If the Witches band together, it would be a massive problem.--
[You said their Devils don't allow it.]
--It's also been many years since I was last on Toral... perhaps they got tired of millennia of failure.--
Naya picked up the letter and folded it to place it in her pocket. [They're obviously too weak to show themselves, so I'll just give this letter to Sophia before I leave.]
--You...--
[I will assist if Sophia calls me back because she has a trace of them. What more can you ask of me?]
--I want you to care about all of Toral.--
[I am not a hero. ]She lightly shook her head and wistfully smiled.[ I just want to go home.]
--I know... but there's so much more out here for you to love if you give it a chance.--
Naya didn't respond and left the room.
She continued to the end of the hall, where she stopped to stand between two doors. One was a darker shade of red than the hall, and the other was black.
Naya opened the red door and saw a grey room. It looked like a prison, with a stone bed on one end and chains scattered across the walls.
She left it open and checked the black door.
That door led to a set of stairs that Naya assumed led to the final room of the tower.
Naya glanced down the hall and saw Rula still diligently tearing down paintings.
She turned back to the gray room and walked in. She had been investigating the other rooms, so she figured she might as well check that one, too.
In the left corner nearest the door, Naya saw a set of bones she assumed belonged to a human. On the other side, she saw a familiar-looking sword hilt.
--That's Matthew's, the adventurer she killed.--
[Right.]
Naya went and picked it up; it was still in perfect condition. [She said he died to the Garuda; why lie to me?]
--IT'S A TRAP!--
Suddenly, metallic rattling filled the room. The chains that had lined the walls sprang to life, whirling and lashing out at Naya from all directions.
Naya leaped backward toward the open door, only for the door to slam shut even faster than she was. Her eyes widened. [This is why she has been quiet!]
Her reaction was immediate, and her instincts took over; she called her Arcana forth and created a large, solid purple wall before her.
--NO, DON'T! --It was too late; the purple wall formed in an instant.
The lines on Naya's arms shrank to her wrists.
All the chains crashed into the purple wall in thunderous clashes of steel at once from different locations across it; the chains had clearly been set up to counter her speed had she engaged with them.
The wall cracked, and Naya's eyes widened in horror. She knew her error - she hadn't exerted control over the Wild Arcana when she formed the wall.
The barrier held for a moment, then fractured; it released a violent explosion that reverberated with a deafening boom, shards of purple Arcana piercing the air.
Naya moved her arms instantly to shield her face as the explosion's force hurled her toward the door, the impact shattering it like glass, and she propelled through the splintered remains into the dark stairway of the opposite door. [No- ]
Naya suddenly felt herself lose control of her body.
With arms uncrossed and hands open, Lia summoned a minuscule purple ball of Wild Arcana, triggering a swift, compact explosion.
The force countered the propulsion of the earlier one, and Lia was able to stop Naya's body from slamming back-first into the stone stairs.
Lia gave back control.
Naya hissed in pain the moment her control returned.
She looked down and saw her forearms covered in bloody gashes, with shards of purple and red wood mixed in.
"HAHAHAHA~" The Witche's loud cackle filled the air. "YOU AREN'T AS INSURMOUNTABLE AS YOU THOUGHT, ARE YOU, ARROGANT ELF?"
Naya felt her blood boiling, her ears perked higher than ever, and her jaw clenched tightly, "I am going to --RIP --you apart!"
"Miss Elf, are you OKAY?!" Rula suddenly ran up to Naya and stopped before her. She looked at the bloody gashes on Naya's arms. "Oh, gods! Miss Elf, you're bleeding!"
"I can see that!" Naya snapped.
"Sorry!" Rula flinched and backed away.
--Calm down, Nayalisia; the impact wasn't as bad as it could have been.--
Naya lifted her arms. [And I suppose I have --you-- to thank for that. ]
--It was the only way I could see to protect you. --She sounded guilty.
[You keep too much from me, and now this?! ]Naya attempted to close her hands and hissed in pain, unable to close them fully.[ I was kicked from controls so easily; you share the functions of a possession! ]
--If you don't want me to, I can't anymore, you needn't worry! --Lia hastily explained. --I didn't even know I could do that until that moment, and now I know I can't even if I wanted to.--
[Am I expected to believe you now?!]
--I... can't say any more to assure you, Nayalisia.--
"Miss Elf, let me help you!" Rula's voice interrupted.
When she saw Naya's vicious visage, Rula hesitated momentarily but steeled herself and stepped forward.
She reached up and grabbed Naya's arm to pull it down.
Naya was about to snap her arm away but noticed Rula's concerned look and stopped. Her anger diminished slightly. [She doesn't know me; why is she looking at me like that?]
--You're...-- Lia hesitantly spoke, as if unsure Naya even wanted to hear from her anymore. --You're her only way out of here... or maybe she forms bonds easily; she did get captured by a Witch, after all. --
Naya hissed as Rula began to pull the red wooden shards from her forearm one by one. She was very gentle, and her hands were as steady as a rock.
"Miss Elf-"
"My name is Naya."
Naya tried her best to prevent the pain from showing on her face; she would not tolerate anyone, especially the Witch, thinking less of her.
Rula looked up at her in fascination as she pulled out the last wooden shard. "Naya..."
Naya uncontrollably winced, but her face returned to normal quickly. "What?"
"Will you be able to kill Carla?"
Naya spoke through gritted teeth, "She will die a painful death."
Rula let go of Naya's arm, "Even with your arms like this?"
As if to reinforce Rula's point, Naya's arm pulsed in stinging pain. But she still put on a mocking smile. "Even better, let her realize her cowardly tricks won't save her."
Rula pointed to the stairs behind Naya. "She's right up those stairs. The tower was supposed to be bigger, but Carla said the floors above were toxic because of failed alchemy."
--She... she was in the process of undoing her reality warping but didn't expect us so soon. Remember what Sophia said? --
Naya pushed down her annoyance.[ She confirmed the towers' existence? Wait...] A realization struck her.
--Yup. She said she was here because of Carla, not because the village Chief called.--
[She was set up, and we caught her completely off guard.]
--Well, even then, she wouldn't have expected you, an Elf, to be the one to break down her doors.--
"Are you okay, Naya?" Rula's face still radiated concern, with her head tilted slightly.
Naya didn't like it. "I'm fine. I will go and kill her quickly."
Rula flashed her a bright smile. "I'm done now, so-"
"No." Naya's voice became sharp. "I will handle her alone." Her ears perked up once again, her rage barely containable.
"O-okay..."
"When the space starts falling apart, run up the stairs."
"What does that-"
Naya didn't give her a chance to respond and began making her way up the stairs.