Darkscythe Drake
patreon
On Black Wings Chapter 13
🕑 Added 2024-09-30 19:26:59 +0000 UTC“Ahhh, now that is a drink. Waiter! Another one!”
Bahamut couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose at the sight of the woman’s - ‘Dimaria’ he reminded himself - enthusiastic drinking. He was certain that they made quite a sight: a boy and a girl drinking juice with an older woman drinking ale like no tomorrow. He might’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so bizarre. And from the looks she shot her, he felt that Kagura was thinking the same thing.
The blonde chugged down another mug and slammed it down on the table. “Whew, I gotta say, you Fiorians know how to make good booze. Way better than the swill I used to chug down. You sure don’t want any?”
The green-eyed mage gave her a weird look while his companion narrowed her eyes. Dimaria just grinned. “I kid, I kid. You don’t look old enough to want to try and drink stuff like this.”
The two didn’t relent from their looks. “Come on, what’s with the cold reception? After I saved your little butts and brought you to the best joint in this town?”
Bahamut gave said establishment a cursory glance. It was rather spacious, with three floors and glass chandeliers, and the food looked rather good. Definitely fancier than what he was used to.
“...yeah, it’s nice. It’s just…” he gestured to the laughing mass crowding over the bar and around the table, chugging down drinks like waterfalls. “Does it have to be this loud?”
She shrugged. “What can I say? It adds to the atmosphere.”
Kagura then cleared her throat. “Ahem. We thank you for the drinks, Miss Yesta, but-”
“Dimaria,” she said, cutting her off. “None of that ‘miss’ or ‘lady’ crap.”
“...if you insist. Again, we thank you for the drinks, but what exactly do you want with us, Dimaria?”
“No beating around the bush, huh? I like that.” replied the blonde, reclining in her chair. “What do I want? I want in.”
Bahamut blinked. “‘In’?”
“That’s right. I wanna join your little duo.”
He gave her a strange look, as though she was speaking a different language. “...why?”
She shrugged. “You two are an interesting little group, much more interesting than the other morons around here,” she said, gesturing with her thumb at a group of drunkards. “I’m a girl who likes interesting things, so I figure if I go around with you two, I’m going to see a whole lot of interesting things.”
Kagura just gave her the same look before shaking her head. “I...I...there are a lot of things wrong with what you’re saying, but how do you exactly know who we are?”
Dimaria raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t know?” She pointed at Bahamut. “You’re famous, kiddo.”
“Famous?”
“Sure! A kid mercenary doing jobs better than some of the old-timers around here? That raises a lot of eyebrows in some circles. Even the mage guilds are startin’ to take notice. You’ve got one hell of a reputation. Hell, I’m surprised that you don’t know.”
Bahamut looked down at the table. This was...news. He knew that a lot of clients hired him and the traders in Crocus all knew of his skills, but for people outside Crocus to have heard about him?
That felt...weird.
He shook his head. Thinking about that wasn’t important right now; what was important was Dimaria and her rather blatant proposal.
The woman in question smirked. “You don’t trust me. I see that look in your eye. I get it, a badass stranger like me just showing up out of nowhere, saving your hides, and then suddenly asking to join you? If I were you, that would be ringing a lot of bells in my head too.” She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. “But I’ve got a lot to offer you, so what do you say?”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
Dimaria’s grin widened, revealing a fang. “Don’t you remember how I hacked through those drunken morons? I can do a whole lot more than that.”
Bahamut’s eyes narrowed, his grip on his forearms tightening. It was hard to forget something like that; not only did she cleave through those men with no effort, but she was so fast.
‘I didn’t even see her kill them. Is it magic? A spell that allows her to move really fast?’
The warrior woman noticed his expression and tapped her head. “Hmm...okay, you two are tough nuts to crack. There’s gotta be something…” she suddenly snapped her fingers. “I got it! How about a spar?”
“A spar?” asked Kagura, blinking in surprise.
“Sure! I show you some of my moves, then you’ll see how awesome I am, and let me tag along! It’s perfect!”
The ribbon-wearing girl turned to her partner. “What do you think?”
The green-eyed mage bit his lip. This was way too suspicious for his liking. Her word was dubious at best, and her insistence was rather off-putting. Not one of his merchant clients was ever this pushy, even when they requested him specifically. A part of his mind told him to just turn her down and walk away. A hunter doesn’t blindly go after a potential predator.
However, the other part, the part that desired a good fight, was urging him to at least check if she was as good as she claimed to be. He hadn’t had a good fight as of late, the various thieves and criminals they hunted down were barely any effort, and while Kagura was a great sparring partner, he felt like he needed a new challenge.
It might have felt unreasonable, but Bahamut’s growing confusion and suspicion over Dimaria and her appearance made him loosen his guard.
He sighed. “Fine. We’ll spar.”
Kagura looked at him with shock while the blonde smiled. “Great! Just let me finish this drink and we’ll get going!”
She started to down the last mug of ale and his companion pulled at his arm. “You accepted!?” she whispered. “Why!? We don’t know anything about her!”
He shrugged, but his expression was tight. “Maybe we’ll learn something as I fight her. Father once told me that you can learn new things about someone by fighting them. That, and I don’t think it’ll hurt if we have a little help tracking down this dark mage.”
Kagura raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “What if she’s working with him?” He turned to look at her, seeing the worry in her eyes.
“Then we won’t be spending a lot of time here.” How they were supposed to subdue her, however, was a question he hoped not to answer yet.
“You two done?” The two turned again and saw Dimaria holding her mug with an amused smile. “Sheesh, could you kill the suspicion a little?”
Bahamut felt his cheeks flush and he heard Kagura barely managing to hold back a ‘sorry’. The woman just chuckled again.
“Well, I think we spent enough time here. Follow me, kiddos!” After slapping some Jewels on the table she got up and headed towards the exit. Exchanging glances, the two children followed her.
The odd trio headed up a darkened street. There were very few people out and the occasional stomps of Rune Knights patrolling broke the silence. As the path led up and away from the town, the mage-child’s unease slowly grew. Maybe this was a mistake.
Soon enough, they found themselves on a patch of green, looking down at the lantern-lit town. The moon was high in the sky and a gentle sea breeze blew, slightly rippling the grass. Dimaria walked away from them and stopped at the edge of the clearing. She heaved the sword over her shoulder and flashed a fanged grin.
“So, how do you wanna do this?”
Bahamut bit his lip as his eyes darted around. So far, no ambush or trap. That was good.
“Um...first to surrender?”
Dimaria shook her head. “Nah, we’ll be here all night. I know a stubborn one when I see them. How about first blood?”
Bahamut nodded. Not what Acnologia usually did, but she did have a point.
The blonde gestured to Kagura. “You better step back; it’s gonna get a little messy here. Besides, a judge wouldn’t hurt.”
The younger girl hesitated for a moment, but a look from her friend made her sigh and climb the hill, hopping onto a nearby tree overlooking the makeshift arena.
The son of the Dragon King felt his body snap into combat form, his fists clenched and his legs tense as Magic Power started to flow through his body. Dimaria just hefted her sword on her shoulder and placed her other hand on her hip.
“Whenever you’re ready, kiddo.”
His eyes narrowed. Was she mocking him?
He threw a punch and a bright red sphere flew toward the blonde at lightning speed. The moment the spell reached her, it burst into a haze of crimson…
...only for the haze to scatter, revealing Dimaria untouched.
Bahamut’s eyes briefly widened before he calmed himself. ‘That was just one bullet, let’s see what she can do against this!’
With a burst of speed, the child ran towards her, his fist cocked back and glowing red.
‘Ion Crash!’
Once more an explosion of crimson rang through the night. The dust cloud that was formed cleared to reveal...nothing?
“Nice punch kid. Got to admit, I didn’t think it’d be that strong.”
Bahamut sharply turned around to see the girl standing right behind him, without even the slightest hint of a scratch on her. His jaw nearly dropped; he was sure he hit something!
“Kagura! Did you see anything!?”
“...no, no I didn’t!” she replied from the tree. “One moment you were about to hit her and then she just...appeared there!”
“What you hit was rock, by the way,” Dimaria said, her cocky grin never fading. “Come on, little guy, weren’t you supposed to be tough?”
With a snarl, the child leaped into action, a fiery aura surrounding his fists as he dashed again and furiously assaulted the blonde swordswoman. But for every punch he threw, she would either dodge or push it to the side. He leaped up from the ground and dove down towards her, blasting a crater right where she stood. The scent of ozone and ash briefly wafted through his nose as he quickly looked up. Just like before, she was right outside the crater’s edge, unmarred.
“Whew! That was a nasty little hit back there, kiddo!” she exclaimed as she waved her hand. “I’m starting to see why all those pieces of trash are scared shitless of you!”
Bahamut’s fingers twitched as his mind raced furiously. How was she doing this!? He didn’t even see her move. Even when sparring with Acnologia, as inhumanely fast as he was, he managed to make out at least a hint of motion! Could this girl…
Could she be faster than his father?
He shook his head and refocused on her. No, nothing was better than Acnologia. There was something else here, and he was going to find out what.
‘If she really is moving fast though, I’ve gotta find a way to at least slow her down.’ The mage-child looked down at his hands for a moment before taking a deep breath. ‘I’ve never had to use it like this, but I think this can work.’
“Is that it? Come on kid! Show me a little more!”
He couldn’t stop the excited smile that grew on his face. She wanted more? Oh, she’ll get more.
He snapped open his palms and magic circles sprang into existence around his arms, enveloping them in the same reddish light. Only this time, sparks of lightning crackled through the air around them. The older girl quirked her eyebrow as she shifted on her toes, only for Bahamut to close his hands.
‘Ion Shock!’
The air reverberated like a bell as a shockwave engulfed the area in a crackling red discharge. Bahamut ignored the tingling in his arms as the light died down, a small side-effect of the Plasma Magic, at least in such a wide discharge.
“Damn, that was nasty!” And again, there she was, unharmed and unwinded. “You could take out a whole group of bandits with that one if you had enough juice!”
Something was very wrong here. That attack covered the whole area! No one could dodge a wave like that! There wasn’t anywhere to dodge!
Dimaria’s expression grew impish and she wagged her finger. “Don’t stop now! I’ve been to hot springs that made me work up more of a sweat!”
His finger twitched, still glowing red with magic. Be it from frustration or anticipation, he didn’t know or care. With a roar, he charged her again with a flurry of punches and kicks. The older girl kept dodging and swatting his attacks to the side, even jumping above him as he tried to leg-sweep her. All the while, that damned grin never left her face.
Bahamut felt his magic flow into his fist as he jumped and threw a haymaker. She veered back, letting the attack fly past her harmlessly when she noticed the light intensifying around his fist, before erupting with a storm. A crimson burst engulfed her and the resulting explosion forced him away, sending him tumbling before he righted himself up. She took that blow at point-blank range, there was no way she could’ve dodged -
“Whoo! That was some serious firepower, kiddo!”
The child felt his voice leave him as the smoke cleared up, revealing Dimaria’s unscathed form. Only this time, she held out her sword in front of her, and he could see faint traces of singe on the jacket tied around her waist.
“I gotta admit, you almost got me! The last time anyone tried to pull a stunt like that was…hmm,” she hummed with a smile. “Years ago! And I saw it coming leagues away!”
She swung her sword and the smoke and dust scattered to the winds, and at once Bahamut felt a shiver crawl up his spine. Her eyes narrowed and her smile had turned into a grin so wide it was predatory. Then her voice dropped an octave, yet there was no mistaking her words.
“Wanna know what happened to him?”
Before he got the chance to reply, she clicked her teeth.
Vanished. Where -
Pain.
His head, his ribs, his back, all at once.
Why does he taste dirt?
He heard footsteps approaching him, and then Dimaria yelled something - why are his ears ringing?
He tried to push himself up, his body protesting with every breath. Looking up, he saw his opponent, that damned grin still present. The crackle of dirt made him slightly turn, and there was Kagura, a mixture of anger and fright on her face as she readied her sword.
“What’s wrong, half-pint? Didn’t see that coming?”
He snarled at her taunting, even as he Reinforced his limbs for another attack. ‘It has to be something else, but whatever it is, I can’t let her use it!’
With a burst of speed, he dashed right at her legs, but he barely made it halfway before she vanished again and sent him sprawling on the ground. He held back a groan as more pain flashed through his body, and once more he forced himself up.
“You know…” Dimaria drawled. “I did say we should fight until first blood…” she swung her sword again and pointed it at him. “I think it’s time I end this.”
Bahamut tensed as she approached him, her steps slow and deliberate. She’d blitzed him before with her speed, why was she taking her time now?
‘Is it a new spell? Some cool- er, crazy sword technique?’
But then a dark thought crept into his mind.
‘Is she making fun of me?’
…he felt his teeth clench. Dudley used to make fun of him, he and all his stupid friends. He didn’t like to think about it; he wasn’t Harry Potter anymore. He wasn’t weak, he couldn’t be weak.
He couldn’t run now, he couldn’t even teleport. ‘But I can do this!’
Inhaling, he focused every bit of magic he could into his palms…and pressed.
‘Ion Shockwave!’
The ground burst under him as the wave of magic tore through earth and rock, searing the mountain’s flesh. Closing his eyes to block out the dirt, he winced as the strain on his arms and his magic grew. The sound of sizzling dissipated, and he slowly opened his eyes. Dimaria was nowhere to be seen.
‘Did I get her-’
It was barely a second. A faint brush to his left. It felt warm.
He raised his arm and wiped his cheek. Blood.
“Looks like I’m the winner.”
The mage-child yelped as Dimaria’s voice rang out from behind him. He turned around and was met with the older girl smiling cheekily at him, picking the tip of her sword like one would do with a toothpick. He did not miss the smidge of red on the edge.
Bahamut slumped down and gaped, struggling to form even a word. In the end, he resorted to pointing at her dumbfoundedly. Dimaria’s expression grew smug and she waved at him faux-bashfully. “I know I’m awesome, kid, but you don’t need to mime like a fish to say it.”
“Okay, enough - how did you do that!?” Kagura yelled, stomping toward them. Dimaria shot the young girl a sideways glance, the smugness on her face not abating in the slightest.
“A girl’s gotta keep some secrets. But tell you what - let me stick around long enough and I’ll let you in on my tricks.”
Bahamut blinked. “Let you - oh, right.” With all the confusion and excitement of the spar, he’d almost forgotten why she even offered it in the first place. “So…you want to join us?”
“Yup,” she replied, popping the ‘p’. “Had to make sure you weren’t all talk, you’d be surprised how many mercenaries brag all day but scram at the first sign of real danger. But you smashed that arena door down, kid! If that last attack hit me, whoo!” she waved her hand. “I’d be out for the count! And you’re - how old, exactly?”
“...ten.” Or eleven? When was the last time he celebrated his birthday since his father dropped him off in that forest? Back in Crocus, he simply had a couple of pastries in his room.
“Ten! Most kids that age get one scrape on the knee and go crying for mommy, but you?” Dimaria huffed, a gleam in her golden eyes that made him tense. “You’re gonna be big in the future if you keep this up, and I want in on the action.”
For a few moments, Bahamut stood there, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to make sense of the girl. The whole encounter was the strangest one he had as a mercenary; even before that. Scratching the side of his head, he turned to Kagura with a pleading look.
“Um…can we talk alone for a bit?” asked Kagura. Dimaria shrugged, not looking the least bit bothered by the situation. The two children crossed to the other side of the clearing and huddled together.
“Are you okay?” asked Kagura, her voice low and gentle as she reached over to him. “She did a number on you.”
“She got in a few hits, but I’m - agh!” Bahamut hissed when she carefully touched his shoulders. “Fine! I’ve taken worse.” He looked up and shot a glance at Dimaria, who had taken to inspecting her sword. “Did you see anything?”
Kagura shook her head. “One second she was there and then - poof! She was gone.”
Bahamut bit his lip. “I don’t like this,” he slowly stated, “why does she want to join us? Shouldn’t she be with people her age?”
“It doesn’t make sense,” she agreed, rubbing her thumb on her sword’s hilt. “She’s stronger than us. I thought she was gonna ask us to join her.”
The boy rubbed his chin and hummed. “What do you think?”
Kagura glanced at the older girl, her expression guarded. Hesitant even. “...I don’t know if I trust her, but maybe it won’t be a bad idea.”
Bahamut blinked, not bothering to hide his surprise. “Why?”
“Well, like you said, she’s really strong, and it’ll make a lot of hard jobs easier. And…I don’t think she’ll just leave us alone if we say no.”
While he wanted to refute that, Bahamut stopped short of saying it. When Kagura joined his side, he asked her to join. Whenever he needed another escort or mercenary job, he was the one who asked if there was anything available. The fact that someone wanted to join him left him unsure how to proceed. He’d met a couple of people who had tried to rip him off after a job - one glowing fist made them reconsider - and she didn’t feel like those types at all. Eager? Yes. Too eager? maybe, but not to the point where she might backstab them.
But…he wouldn’t admit it out loud, however she did that disappearing act, it was really cool. It still hurt, but that was beside the point.
He bit his lip, a low hum escaping his throat as he mulled everything over. After a minute, he sighed and turned to Dimaria.
“Okay, you can join us.”
Dimaria smiled as her eyes lit up. “I knew you’d see it my way!”
“BUT!” he yelled and pointed at her. “Don’t try to betray us, or you’ll regret it.”
She frowned for a second before shrugging. “Fair enough. I understand you don’t trust me yet, but don’t worry - I keep my word.”
Bahamut nodded and approached her. Looking up at her, he slowly raised his open hand. She raised an eyebrow and a flush filled his cheeks. He wasn’t that much shorter!
“Don’t worry, you’ve still got a lot of growing to do!” she chuckled, even as he bent and shook his hand. He put in as much force as possible, but Dimaria squeezed harder and eventually made him wince. He glared at her (he didn’t pout!), to which she responded with a cheeky smile.
“Um…what now?” asked Kagura from the back.
“The disappearing trick. How did you do it?” he asked pointedly.
“Hmm…I did promise that,” Dimaria tapped her chin. “Before I do, why did you come to this town? I mean, I can guess, but I’m sure it’s not just for the ocean view.”
While a tad startled by the change in topic, Bahmaut was quick to reply. “We came chasing after a bounty. The poster said that someone used forbidden magic and they’re offering 75,000 Jewels.”
“Forbidden magic? There are a lot of those, anything specific?”
He shook his head. “We didn’t get a chance to ask anyone about it before you showed up.”
Dimaria’s eyes widened and she nodded. “Right, fair point. Well, looks like the first order of business is to help you kids catch this bounty. But first, I think you could use some rest.”
Bahamut was startled. “Rest? But I’m fine, and we just arrived here today!”
“Exactly kiddo,” she interjected. “You just got here, and anyone who would want to talk to you is heading home for the day, especially if your target is on the loose and preying on people. Best to try in the morning when more people are up and about and you’re freshened. Besides, you’ll want a clear head for my explanation,” she leaned closer and dropped her voice to a whisper. “‘Cause it will blow your little green eyes out.”
While Bahamut frowned at Dimaria’s attempt at stalling her explanation, he concluded that she did bring up a few good points. The chances of anyone willing to help them after dark were low, and he’d learned that if you had the chance, face an enemy at your best. No one wanted to hire a bodyguard or mercenary who was asleep all the time.
“Heh,” Dimaria giggled. “Keep those cheeks puffed and you’ll turn into a chipmunk.”
Immediately the boy’s face heated up as he looked anywhere but at her - and Kagura’s - face.
“So, you staying anywhere specific?”
This time, it was Kagura who responded. “No, we didn’t have any plans-”
“Great! Then you can stay where I’m at! They’ve got spare rooms, so it won’t be a problem.”
Bahamut moved to speak, only to pause, and then shrug. ‘It’s not like we had anything else planned.’
“Okay. Where is it?”
With those words, Dimaria turned on her heel and started to walk the way they first came with a wave. “Follow me kiddies!”
Bahamut turned to Kagura who sported the same bewilderment that he no doubt felt. In the end, he huffed and headed after her. “She’s a kid too,” he muttered.
“She is older than us,” whispered Kagura. He shot her a glare to which she remained impassive, though he wasn’t sure if that tiny smile was intentional.
The two children soon found themselves inside a two-bed bedroom and getting ready to sleep. While the innkeeper gave them a few odd looks - not unusual - one word from Dimaria plus a few Jewels and they’d been given a key. Dimaria’s room was just a few rooms over and she said she’d be waiting outside in the morning. As Bahamut took off his cloak, he winced as he brushed a bruise. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d been trounced hard.
Was it wrong for him to feel both angry and excited by that?
“You okay?” Kagura asked from behind him. He turned around to see her pull down her night clothes - a set of old pajamas - over her body.
“I think so,” he replied. “I just…don’t know how to deal with her.”
Kagura sighed and moved to his side, gently rubbing his shoulder. “Let’s sleep on it for now, okay? You fought hard, we’ve travelled a lot, and,” she paused to yawn. “...mmm…you’ll do something reckless if you stay up.”
Bahamut ducked his head as heat flushed his face. “M’ not reckless,” he muttered.
She raised an eyebrow at his statement. “Really? Who was it that charged headfirst into a horde of dark mages again?”
The blush on the boy’s face deepened. “That doesn’t count, we beat them!”
“My point still stands.”
Seeing his friend wasn’t going to let up, he nodded. Maybe sleep would give him an answer to Dimaria’s new presence. With that final gesture, the two children went to bed, momentarily bereft of worries in the land of dreams.
One thing was for sure though, this was a situation they would have to adapt to.
-x-
When morning came, Bahamut and Kagura were nibbling on muffins when Dimaria clambered down the inn’s steps and sat herself behind their table. “Good morning, shrimps! How’re the bruises?”
Bahamut glared at her, and so did Kagura to a lesser extent. Dimaria just chuckled in response. “You know, you’d actually look scary if your cheeks weren’t stuffed with muffins.”
The boy finished chewing and swallowing his food and wiped his mouth. “Fine, thanks.”
“Glad to hear it. So, what’s your plan for catching this dark mage?”
A ponderous expression came over Bahamut as he tapped the table. “Well, we thought of asking around if anyone’s seen anything weird.”
Dimaria nodded. “Good tactic. I haven’t been in this town long myself, so I can’t help you regarding rumors or anything like that. Where do you wanna start?”
“At the bars,” said Kagura. “There’s always something to hear at bars.”
Bahamut nodded then scratched his cheek, though not out of embarrassment. “How about we split up? There can’t be that many bars in a town like this. Then we meet up at noon near the ice cream store.”
“Sounds like a plan to me, so let’s go for it!” said the older girl. She clapped her hands and flashed them a grin. “Just make sure not to get into trouble too soon, I haven’t told you what my little trick is.”
While Bahamut glared at her for the reminder, she just smiled at him amusedly.
“What if we do run into trouble?” asked Kagura.
Bahamut scratched the table. “Can you shoot magic blasts?” he asked Dimaria and she nodded in response. “Shoot a big one into the air. Actually, more than one.”
“Signal flare? Sounds about right,” said the older girl. She then got up and brushed some imaginary dust off her. “Well, we ain’t gonna catch him by sitting around, come on!”
While momentarily startled by their new partner’s enthusiasm, the two children nodded and got up from their seats. After paying for the meal, they all headed outside. The morning sun greeted them with a chorus of cawing gulls. The scent of the sea wafted over their noses as morning dew glistened in the sun’s light. If it wasn’t for the urgency of their bounty, Bahamut would’ve enjoyed spending more time in the city. The ocean landscape reminded him of the serenity of Mount Zonia, albeit with a different flavor. Not to mention that they had good ice cream, which was always a bonus. If they had good pastries as well - even better!
He shook his head. He had a job to do right now. He was about to address his companions when something caught his eye.
To his right, Bahamut glimpsed the movement of white coats, bearing a familiar sigil, from across one of the streets, and armored boots clanging against the cobblestone rung in his ears.
‘The Rune Knights are still patrolling…hm, this could work.’
“You ok?” he turned to the blonde source of the question and nodded.
“Yeah, I just thought of something I might do while on my way.”
Dimaria glanced around while Kagura simply hummed. The blonde teen then hoisted her sword over her shoulder and grinned.
“Then happy hunting! Hope you’ll find him first, ‘cause I’d hate to beat you to it!”
Before Bahamut could retort, she clicked her teeth and vanished, leaving a wisp of wind where she stood.
…
…
‘Wait, she didn’t even explain how she did that!’
