The Samurai and The Unexpected Reunion
-
"My name is Mimi, a Samurai."
Just as I finally arrived to assist Mimi, she was standing over Fervene with her sword pointed at her neck. Fervene, who still hadn't noticed me, had her eyes fixed on Mimi, with nothing but fear and hate patrolling her sharp gaze.
I allowed my wings to flap rapidly as my feet touched down beside Mimi's. I was worried at first about letting her go against Fervene alone, but Mimi defeated her easily without hurting her badly. My sister, who was now aware of my presence, shifted her head up and stared directly into my eyes.
Her complexion was dangerously pale and the tattered white dress she was wearing was battered and filthy. Her stomach, which was left visible by the tattered clothing, displayed a fatal scar that had been healed, but it was still clearly visible.
Her crimson-red eyes, which were similar to mine, bore slits in her pupils. Such was the proof of the Dragoon Bloodline running through her veins. I couldn't help but grit my teeth when I observed them. I had done everything to forget the terrible day on which I had lost my sister. However, now I had been forced to remember.
"Elder sister… I'm sorry." Fervene gasped, breathing in large breaths of air in between her words. As she uttered my name, her pupils began to return to normal and the monster-like slits reformed into the beautiful large red orbs that I swore to myself to protect, so long ago.
"Fervene… how did you survive?"
-
The question that Fervis presented was not a question I would expect a close and loving sister to pose. There was obviously something deeper at play here. 'What exactly happened between the two of them?'
While I initially acted to stop the rampage that Fervene was tearing across the city with my own power, I didn't dare to step in between this sibling rivalry. "Fervis, would you like me to leave this to you?" I didn't hesitate to ask her as I awkwardly observed the duo's conversation.
But as Fervene sat still her slit-like pupils quickly turned into bright red orbs. The arm that I had severed from her shoulder dissipated into Pure Mythica and gathered at the spot of the wound until the arm had been reformed without even leaving a scar. 'So my hunch was correct.'
Fervene was even able to reform lost limbs. Even though I didn't ask Fervis this I had a suspicion that Fervene was capable of it. When the Guild Master explained the Dragoon Bloodlines' powerful abilities, advanced recovery was one of them. So it appears that the ability can even heal wounds that even the best medicine would be incapable of. 'The Dragoon Bloodline truly is impressive.'
However, there were just too many things that didn't make sense between these sisters. First, the two of them, aside from their eyes, didn't share many similarities in their complexion or physical appearance. Fervene was deathly pale and had a lighter skin complexion compared to Fervis. 'Is this because of Fervis's bloodline?'
The second anomaly was the starch difference in personality. Fervis was a timid and shy girl who only showed her power to help the ones dearest to her. She didn't strike me as the type to kill innocents, unlike her counterpart.
"Mimi, I want you to be here as well if you wish," Fervis responded, and her eyes rapidly pulsed, displaying her sincerity. If Fervis wished for her to stay present, then she would oblige. Why would she refuse her partner and companion in what looked like her time of need?
"Elder sister? Why would you invite an outsider into this conversation?" Fervene's expression had lost the fear she displayed while facing me, and she looked completely puzzled. She wasn't expressing any discontent with the decision, but she seemed confused as to why Fervis made the decision.
"Mimi is… my good friend. Any conversation that we have is one that she is entitled to hearing if she chooses to." Fervis hesitantly explained, with a firm, but soft smile plastered on her face.
"If that is what you wish, elder sister… returning to your question earlier, I have no idea." When I turned my face back to Fervene, she cupped her newly reformed hand around her face with a look of confusion.
"I surely thought I was killed by you, elder sister. However, on that night, a scientist who was ordered by some noble injected a strange needle into my thigh just as I thought I had breathed my last breath." Fervene stood up suddenly, causing me to place my hand on Minami's handle, but Fervene just raised her tattered white dress slightly to display a scar.
The small thin scar was surrounded by a sore around her delicate white skin, but as she displayed that scar, I noticed there were multiple scars all over her body. From her thigh all the down to her bare feet. 'What could they have done to this child?'
"Fervene…" Fervis's face contorted, and her eyes narrowed as she observed her sister's body. While others might not understand the expression that Fervis was feeling right now, I was well aware of it. 'Rage.'
"So why were you attacking this city, Fervene? Revenge?" My question was formed to interrupt the impending silence to hopefully distract Fervis.
"No. Once I thought I had died by my sister's hands, I didn't have any reason to live. She was the only light in my world after all…" Fervene shook her head gently, indicating that my presumption was incorrect, but left an even bigger mystery. 'Why was she attacking the capital then?'
"I couldn't control my body up until now and all I heard in my mind was… kill them all."
As Fervene explained her perspective, I was reminded of the battle with the girl. Her eyes were not as clear as they appeared now. The bright red orbs that nervously gazed at Fervis and I now were not the same ones I remembered battling. 'Mind control?'
Such an anomaly would be relegated to nothing but a fairy tale back in my old world. However, in a world with giant magic beasts, Dragons, Demi-Humans, Magic, and demons... a power such as mind control didn't sound too farfetched.
"Fervis, can you teleport the three of us back to the Guild Master's office?" I inquired the silent Fervis, who seemed startled by my question.
"I can… but Mimi, are you truly okay with that?" Fervis turned to me with tears welling in her eyes. Her expression was full of worry and regret, and I knew that if there was anything I could do to help her right now… 'I will do it.'
"Mimi… I don't want to pull you into my own problems, but I can't do anything on my own! I froze up when I realized my sister was back and put you in danger by making you battle her alone. Now if I simply hand her over to the Capital, they will surely execute her no matter what! I just don't know what to do…" Interrupting her from her speech, I grabbed Fervis's waist and pulled her in closer to me.
"You idiot, no problem of yours is for you to bear alone. Just as you asked me to rely on you, how about you rely on me?" As I spoke, I softly embraced her, and I felt her wet tears soak my chest.
"Oh, so you two had that kind of relationship…" The silent Fervene had just been observing without casting a single word to the pair, but after seeing the two engage in such a moment she could only gasp with a tainted blush atop her usual pale complexion.
-
It didn't take long for us to return to the Guild Master's office using Fervis's teleportation magic. As the magic symbol beneath my feet faded, I realized that we had returned. The Guild Master and Rumi had been pacing back and forth in the center of the room and upon our arrival, Rumi's face lit up with relief.
"Thank goodness you are all safe!" Rumi explained as her eyes were centered on Fervis and then shifted her gaze to me. After looking at the two of us closely, she seemed to look for something else for a moment, but just as quickly as she started, she stopped, and her gaze darkened.
The Guild Master who had rushed to Rumi's side also seemed to do the same as I watched him grit his teeth and clench his fists tightly. "Fervis, I'm sorry… again we made you have to do such a terrible thing…"
"What are you talking about?" Fervis quickly cast a gaze of confusion on the pair, just as I did. 'The battle with Fervene wasn't even that difficult after all… I would've killed her in seconds if she wasn't Fervis's sister.'
"Yeah, what are both of you talking about?" A new voice entered the conversation as she moved away from behind Fervis and displayed herself. Rumi and the Guild Master's jaws dropped in shock as they observed the deathly pale girl.
"Fervene!?"