Demon Cole Arc~ Chapter 3: No Solution

Chapter 3: No Solution


Back at Fallon’s Apartment

”AHHH! Who are you!? Don’t scare me like that!”

Fallon, upon entering the apartment, bent down to picked up the small creature from the carpet and pet her. ”She's my shadow cat... Cruce, don't be scared...”

Cruce merely blinked up at her in confusion, her black eyes almost invisible against her face and body.

”Sneaky kitty....” Kuris commented inspecting the cat. ”Huh.... never seen that before...”

”She can blend in with the shadows...” The swordswoman explained.

”Assassin kitties! Me and you are going to get along!... What? She and I can blend with the shadows... and be ninjas!” Said the snake eyed man, striking a supposedly ‘incredible’ pose, while she continued to stare at him.

”O~kay......” Fallon gave him a weird look as Cruce climbed from her arms to her shoulder.

Kuris shrugged, trying to throw her accusing look off. ”So... how long you had her? I don’t remember her being here when the rest of us got together and went on that mission with Raggy-boy, Maetel and Savia?”

”About a year now...” She said vaguely, avoiding eye contact while she busied herself with letting Cruce nuzzle her fingers. No way would she tell him she got Cruce minutes before Cole kissed her on the very same day that they met.

”Huh.... that’s around the time I got... catnapped,” Kuris replied and put on sunglasses for no apparent reason. ”Right?”

”Ignore him, or his bad humour will rub on you...”

”Shh! Don't tell her that! Otherwise I'll never get to pet her...” He whined with a mock pout.

”... Do cats eat snakes? Fallon asked suddenly with a grin.

Kuris smirked. ”A lot of predators do if they're lucky. Big cats included... BIG cats.... although I've yet to see a cat that match's the size of the World Serpent.”

”World Serpent...?” She asked.

”Yeah ... Jormungandr. The World Serpent... It's sort of our religion...” He scratched his head. ”You've probably heard me swear its name a few times.”

”Yeah, you swear a lot.” Fallon agreed and turned to Cruce. ”He swears a lot, but he's more or less a decent guy...” The brunette looked back at Kuris. ”So you serpents really have a religion of your own, huh... I'd like to know more about this Joramun god.”

”It's Jormungandr!” Lashtail corrected. “And um... not really much to tell on it.... it's a giant serpent that encircles the world.... and really shouldn’t be worshipped with the whole 'end of the world' thing but my family has worshipped it for generations and a lot of our skills and magical abilities are derived from it so stuck with it.”

”I see... I think.” She resumed petting Cruce, who in return purred and cuddled up to Fallon. ”Awe...”

”Nya~”

”You're not afraid of big bad Jormundagaar, are you?” she chuckled. Cruce looked carefree about any big bad snakes, undoubtedly believing that she could take it down as easily as a mouse. ”Good.” Fallon kissed the spot between the cat’s ears.

“Nya~” The kitten meowed again in pleasure.

Kuris twitched. ”Jormun.... gand… dr”

”Jormungandarrrr?” Fallon tried again and crouched to set Cruce on the floor. ”Kuris...” She said, with sudden seriousness. “I want to go to Mizuchi Cove.”

Kuris thought for a moment. ”... Do I have to? Your brother is there and he hates me so much.... it's awkward...”

Fallon’s head was still drooped from looking down at the kitty, and her voice was gloomy when she answered. ”My brother is in a coma too.”

”Eh!? Him too?” The serpent asked in shock. “Surprised he didn’t just teleport away... Sigh. Oh, alright....” He said with resignation.

”... We won't stay much, promise.” She said and went to put her arms around Kuris in a hug of gratitude.

He nuzzled his Red's shoulder and said, ”Alright then, let's pack some stuff then and get this 'everybody stare at the snake man and run away, ohh he’s scary' thing started so it can end faster...” After the lady knight let go, he noticed Cruce staring at him, but paid it no heed.

”Right. Do you have anything to pack, though?” Fallon asked before going to pack a case.

”Um... I... yeah, I don’t. It's already packed... I hadn’t exactly unpacked from when we left from the manor.” he chuckled sheepishly. ”I hadn't had the time...” Cruce was by now staring at Kuris strangely. Almost as though she wanted to eat him. ”.... Red~ Ninja kitty is being creepy....” The Lashtail whined.

”You're talking about that pack that Widow said it looked a lot larger than a normal pack? Makes me wonder what you got there...” Maybe he had packed a lot of clothes? She speculated. Something magical? Snakes?!!”... You're not gonna want to keep snakes as pets or something like that, ne? And no she's not.” Cruce looked pretty angelic for a shadow cat when Fallon smiled at her.

Kuris started to make funny hand motions. ”Eh, this and that...” And blinked suddenly. ”Keep snakes as pets? Oh no... we just house them for their venom from the manor. Don't do 'pets'.....” Cruce waited until Fallon wasn't looking to glare at him. Kuris jerked suddenly at the glare. ”Uwah? What'd I do to you? Creepy cat...”

Cruce crept a little closer, her body close to the ground in the characteristic position of a cat stalking her prey.

”Watch it, furball... I'll introduce you to... children! With all the petting and pulling....” He threatened.

Fallon closed her case with a clank. ”Done. Ok.” She stood up again and glanced at Cruce, who quickly went back to looking as innocent as a dove. ”Cruce, we're gonna be away for a couple days... Be a good girl, ne?” She patted the shadow kitty one last time. ”Ready, Serpent?”

Kuris blinked confusedly. ”'Serpent'?”

”I was talking to you, Kuris. I'd like to use a pet name that describes you, but I can only think of that and Pervert... Bye~ Cruce.”

”Nya~” Kuris could swear she gave him one last ’you better sleep with one eye open’ glare, before they leave. ”I'm game for 'sexy pervert' or ....'handsome'... or... hold on let me think…”

The swordswoman stared at him flatly while he thought.

”I know, you can call me Awesome!”

She looked away. ”I think not.” Fallon replied instantly. ’ Really? That's awesome!’, ‘You always wear those sunglasses...’ - ‘It's because I look awesome in them.’, ‘This is awesome! Thank you, dear Red.’, ‘Even amazing people like me have to have some limit to their awesomeness.’.

”.... I... I got nothing then.”

***

”So, you remember your way around here?” Fallon asked as they stepped off the train and entered Mizuchi’s Cove.

”Not.... quite. Hard to take in the sights when there is a large towering.... old man breathing down your neck...” Kuris muttered as he looked around. They made their way through the town, asking directions at times, until they finally got to the mages’ guild, Black Crescent.

The couple went inside the guild and saw the missions’ board. Fallon knew where the dormitories were, but was not sure about the infirmary wing... So she started walking in a direction she'd never been before. ”Please behave this time...”

Kuris tried to look innocent. ”I'm always well mannered! Not my fault people misconstrue my words...”

Fallon looked at him with a serious face. ”Kuris...”

”Oh fine~ I know, I know.... serious situation and all... Just trying to lighten the mood...” He sighed.

”I know you are... but...”

”But it's not really needed at the moment, ne?” He said taking her hand. ”Alright, I'll be a good boy... I'll even clean my room and everything.” He smirked.

”What room?” She rolled her eyes a little. He wasn’t going to live in his room at the Orochi manor... Did he mean her apartment?

”Oh no! I cleaned it so well it disappeared from existence! I am shamed, I was too thorough...” He hung his head, continuing the act.

”I... am at a loss of words...”

”I know, Red... My awesome can be hard to contain sometimes...”

”Yeah, you should consider being less awesome...” Fallon commented and looked ahead to see they got to the infirmary.

”So.... who's first?”

Fallon volunteered. She slid the door open with her free hand, giving Kuris one last warning look before she pulled him inside.

Maggie looked up when she heard them came in. ”Eh? Fallon?” Beor’s teenaged daughter was sitting in a chair by his bed, ignoring Sharon who stood off to the side. Cole’s older sister tensed slightly when she heard Fallon's name, but otherwise ignored the new comers.

”Hello, Maggie. Sharon.” Fallon greeted.

Kuris went over to the ginger’s bedside and poked him in the cheek. ”Yup... he’s out cold....”

”Tsk.” Fallon slapped Kuris's hand away. Kuris pouted at his hand and its stinging pain, magic going to heal it. ”Owies.”

”Hey...” Maggie muttered, her usual excitement seemed to have been drained out of her until she recognized the raven haired man. “Oh! You're that guy from the wedding... the weirdo that kicked my dad's butt and kidnapped my aunt.”

Kuris glanced at the girl addressing him. ”Ah, yes... you’re the 'Chibi' that Blinky was yelling at, ne? And it wasn’t kidnapping....” He looked at Fallon. ”She’s not a kid.”

”So auntnapping?” Maggie offered. “And I'm not a chibi, weirdo!” The little redhead puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

”Sure, lets go with auntnapping, but I'm not a weirdo!... I'm an awesome weirdo... there is an difference”

”What makes you so awesome?” Maggie tilted her head to the side slightly in a confused manner.

”A number of things, little lady...” The serpent said proudly. “Err, what’s your name again? So I don’t get you mad if I call you orange chibi or something...”

”I'm not a chibi!” Maggie reflexively shouted. “My name is Maggie...”

Fallon decided to ignore the two for a moment and turned to look at Beor again, who looked rather peaceful now compared to when she last saw him at the cathedral. She gingerly touched his forehead, afraid to look lower and find the quote Collier told her about.

Kuris backed up, to hide behind Fallon. “I wasn’t calling you one that time! I was asking so I wouldn’t have to call you it again!”

Maggie looked a bit peeved for a moment and glanced at Fallon. ”... That happened a few days ago. At the school...” She explained, looking at Beor’s body.

Kuris recomposed himself, staring at Beor. “So what was the method used to take the flasher out? I mean, he can teleport right?”

”I don't know... I wasn't there. Though Beor doesn't really run away from things.” She continued quietly.

He looked annoyed at the comatose body. “Honestly... I know he likes to spoil for a fight but he needs to up his arsenal if he wants to fight on a certain level... I mean I don’t know how Black Crescent does it but Dragon Heart members don’t do things lightly....”

”He was... out powered.” Fallon said, knowing who he got his wounds from. Her hand slowly traveled away from Beor’s forehead, to his chest beneath the blanket and slowly peeled it away, to see the quote carved on his skin. Upon seeing the bandages however, she rolled the cover up again.

”What are you doing?” Maggie demanded.

”Uh, checking his wounds... Fallon nervously chuckled. “But I'm no medic, so I can't be of any use anyway...”

”Sara comes by everyday to heal him... she just left, actually. There's something weird about his wounds though, they're not healing quickly.” Maggie informed. “Sara's been trying to heal everyone who's been attacked… I think it's a serial killer or something, except no one's dead yet...”

Kuris cracked his knuckles. “Anyone object to me checking it out? I mean, I’m no expert but I can do some diagnostics on that… see if it’s a poison or something...”

”What can you do to find out?” She looked wary about how he cracked his knuckles.

“Well... I do know some healing stuff.... I can check for poisons... and check for lingering magical effects. These eyes have their uses...”

“How will you do that...? And he's was beaten up, not drugged...” Fallon said.

”Seals, runes etc. etc... I can check for it. If I don’t have the knowledge I know someone who does...” Kuris explained, but it just seemed to perplex Maggie more. “Okay...?”

“With your permission?...” The Lashtail motioned toward Beor.

Well, it couldn’t hurt, Maggie decided. “Um, okay. Go ahead...”

He gathered his magic to his hands, causing them to glow an emerald sheen, his eyes dilated widely in response to it as he hovered his hands over the comatose ginger. The small teen watched this curiously.

Fallon glanced at Sharon, who stood forgotten at a distance. ”Thanks for being here...”

Her almost sister-in-law glanced at her coldly when she addressed her. ”I'm not here for you. So don't thank me for anything.”

”... I know, you're here for Beor, not for me...” Fallon said, taken aback from her tone. “Can I have a word with you... outside...?”

”... Fine.” Sharon said curtly and walked outside the infirmary.

Kuris glanced at Fallon as she spoke, his eyes actually holding pupils. ”I'll be here Red. I'll be done in a few minutes...”

Fallon nodded at her lover (taking a mental note to ask him about that later), and then followed the other woman out. ”Sharon...” The requip mage started slowly. “Cole... he... He's po... possessed.”

Sharon stared at the wall beside the woman’s shoulder, refusing to look at her straight on. ”... How do you know that?”

”I met with him a while ago...”

That earned her a surprised glance from Sharon, the first since they left the infirmary, before the blonde looked back at the wall to compose herself. ”You saw him? Where was he?”

”At his apartment... but then he left... I don't know where he might be right now.” She continued.

Her expression seemed thoughtful as she processed this. “It's been three days since the last attack...”

”There's a victim every 3 days...” The brunette assumed.

”Yes... I suppose it's a joke to Collier. 3 is supposed to be a special number, correct?”

”Yeah... it's a holy number. Um, you called him 'Collier' just now?”

”Because he's not Cole...” Sharon stated. “I won't call him Cole.”

”.... I should exorcize him.” Fallon said.

”Don't!” The wing mage nearly shouted, but then took a deep breath and continued, “Don't do that...”

”Why?” Asked the lady knight in surprised.

Sharon looked very uncomfortable while trying to figure out what she could tell Fallon. She certainly wasn’t ready to tell her the truth… ”Because, you don't know what would happen to Cole...”

”Cole will come back, won't he.”

”Maybe not...” Sharon murmured.

”Have you met him too? The demon.” Fallon inquired.

”You could say that...”

”When?” Fallon questioned anxiously. “After the attacks?”

” Before...” Sharon said softly, and then in an attempt to change the subject asked, “Why do you care?”

The swordswoman stared in shock at the blonde’s question. “What do you mean... my friends are involved... Beor too...” She glanced at the room with Maggie and Kuris worriedly. “And he said he won't stop. I want to stop him. I have to stop him. Send him back to Hell.”

”This shouldn't have happened in the first place...” Sharon sighed and shook her head in frustration. ”Why couldn't you have just left him alone? You almost ruined him the first time you broke his heart...”

”I didn't want things to end up like this...” The swordswoman looked at her almost sister-in-law pleadingly. “You must know that. I never expected things to end up like this.”

”Well they did!” Sharon snapped at her. “You promised yourself to Cole and then, on the day of your wedding, you run away with some other man? A murderer! You had to expect that Cole wouldn't take it well.”

”He's not "some other" man!” Fallon shouted back defensively. “Cole knew about him from day one! Even before he first kissed me, I told him about Kuris, and he still wanted to be involved with me! ...It's not my fault Cole couldn't take it!” Fallon added the last part sounding almost hysteric.

”But you still lead him along! If you claim to have cared so much about that man, why did you let it go so far with Cole?!”

”I...” Fallon quieted down. “I guess I was lonely... I'm sorry... If I could go back in time, I would stay away from him this time, but I can't! All I can do is try to find a solution now...”

”Damn it, Marin... There isn't a solution..!” Sharon covered her head with her hands, slumping forward in defeat. ”I've been looking for one for 6 years. I haven't found anything helpful! That demon... the only way to get rid of him is if Cole can fight him off again...”

”Maybe I can do something to help Cole fight him, then...?” The red lady knight offered.

”I think the best thing you can do is stay away from him. All you'd do is remind him of why Collier took over...” Sharon said coldly, her usually warm brown eyes hardened by rage at this woman, who had destroyed everything the Surmise siblings had tried to maintain for the past 6 years.

”I can do that... But how will my remaining friends defend themselves against him if he doesn't stop?”

”I'll take care of stopping him...” Sharon said. “You, just keep your friends close and stay far away from Collier...”

”Un (Yeah)...” Fallon nodded with a sad look and glanced at the infirmary door again, wondering what's taking Kuris so long.

With nothing else to say to the lady knight, Sharon turned and walked away from her, wondering what to do about Collier…

***

After Fallon and Sharon left, Maggie stared at Kuris as he concentrated on his magic. Well, she supposed he did look a little weird, with the really pale skin, the snake eyes, and the make-up like lines under his eyes, but nothing that she would freak out about. (Admittedly, though, she had seen much stranger and disturbing things in her last 16 years) but still, he was nothing that would make the little redhead scream in terror and run. Maggie had been wondering about that ever since the failed wedding. Why did everyone lose it over Fallon choosing someone else over Cole? (Well, maybe that one wasn’t so heard) Why did they call this guy a felon? What did he do what was so bad? What the heck was “Saint’s End”?

When the guest had went their separate ways and she was on her way back to Mizuchi’s Cove with her family, Maggie had questioned Beor over and over about it, to no avail. The tall ginger had been dead set on not discussing anything to do with Orochi, no matter how persistent Maggie was. The young mage had assumed it was because of his wounded pride, from getting beat up so easily because he lost his head (Maggie always knew he was a loose canon though. This was hardly the first time he got into a fight because of it). Despite the curiosity eating away at her, she got the hint and reluctantly quit her interrogation when they returned to Academy.

But now the infamous Kuristophe Orochi was here, which means she could just ask him what all the hub was about! Well, maybe not at this moment, but she definitely was going to get some answers.

After a moment, he broke the magic he was using, a frown on his face as he paced to the end of the bed, read the previous medics notes on Beor before looking at other patients’ notes around the room, a scowl upon his face. The tiny teen continued to watch him, “What is it?” A scowl still upon his visage, the raven haired man’s eyes reverted back into their serpentine state. He glanced at Maggie, staying silent as he pondered how to word it.

Maggie tilted her head in her typical confused manner. “What’s wrong?” She asked again.

“Did you know, when one is injured their skin gives off a magical signature that emits a type of heat?”

“Um... no?” Maggie said, still very puzzled. She had never heard of something like that, so what did it have to do with Beor?

Kuris continued, answering her thought. “Well it does... however most mages can’t see it, even those trained in the healing arts. However a serpent can with their sense of vision.... and what I saw. I am not pleased with....”

Now this wasn’t comforting news. “What did you see?” She asked worriedly.

Kuris’s eyes glowed as his gaze hardened. He turned away from the girl, not wanting her to think he was angry at her. “What I saw... was someone’s magic lingering upon these fancy little poetic words etched upon their chests.... I can SEE the words under those bandages...

”When was anyone going to inform me about what they knew of the situation..?”

Maggie just stared at him, taken aback. “... I thought you already knew?” He should have already known. Wouldn’t Fallon have told him? Didn’t she know too? I mean, it had to be what she wanted to talk about with Sharon…

Lashtail sighed. “I did not...” He walked over to the other chair in the room, which was the one next to her, and sat down. Kuris rested his forehead in his hands with another sigh. “However the wounds will not go away unless healing is given. And that is not going to happen as the magic is being regulated continuously. The source of it has to be eliminated quickly otherwise the wounds won’t heal and they will scar...”

Maggie gave a hopeful smile. They had a plan now! Just destroy the source of this dark magic and Beor would get better, and… and he would wake up too! “Do you know how to get rid of the source?” She asked determinedly.

He let go of his breath and looked at Maggie’s optimistic expression. “Well the popular method is killing the one who did the infecting....”

The little ginger froze, her eyes widened slightly. “.... Kill?”

”Kill... murder... death by spork... the works. One can normally, with great effort, remove the lingering effects of a static magical infection but a continuous loop is different. It's feeding off the one who did it and renewing itself... it just won’t heal unless you have them take it off or kill them…” He explained.

She stared ahead, thinking about what this would mean. Kill… Cole… She couldn’t do that… could she? It’s not like she and Cole were very close, or even really friends, but… but they had been classmates. And they were in the some of the same clubsclubs! Cole was doing awful things now, yes, but Sharon had convinced her that this wasn’t Cole doing it. It was something else influencing him… so did they really have to kill him?... Even if it is to save her dad and the others..? “But... isn't there something else that can be done? That's not killing??”

The snake guy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well... you could do something worse like... seal them. My family knows some seals, I could ask them but sealing someone inside a couple words and pictures puts them in something akin to purgatory... it's not exactly going to keep ones sanity and existence intact. Death is kinder...”

Then that option is out. She looked down, pulling her legs up on the seat and hugging them to her chest. It was a familiar action that she did when she was a kid, who felt alone and scared. “But... There has to be something else that can be done...”

Kuris gave her a kind smile, resisting the urge to ruffle the kid’s hair. “Well, you're smarter than me, come up with something, ne?”

Maggie seemed surprised that someone would claim her to be smart. “Um...” She thought for a moment. “… Could you take away his magic? Would that work?”

He rubbed his chin again thoughtfully, idly wondering if he should grow a goatee. “I suppose... I mean I know this mage who focuses on... well he's kind of an anti-mage but there aren’t any permanent methods of doing so. Once the temporary effects wear off the magic comes back and the loops go right back to doing their job.... would you want to have those wounds healed just to wound them again from out of nowhere?”

”But...” The young card mage said stubbornly. “You sure there isn't anything permanent? I mean, it's hard to believe that all anti-magics are temporary...”

”Nothing is impossible but like I said I only know a guy who uses the temporary version as he doesn’t need it for long... and I'm NOT going to ask him. YOU ask him... he doesn’t like me. He wants to put me into the big house...”

She tilted her head again. But I don’t know him… “Why does he want to put you away? Did you beat him up and nap his aunt/sister/bride too?” She guessed sarcastically.

Kuris snorted, trying, and kind of failing, to hold in a laugh. “If only it was that simple... nah... just got blamed for something. He thinks I did it and there’s no convincing him otherwise.”

”What did you do?” She instantly asked. Could this have something to do with “Saint’s End”…?

”Oh I crashed a party.... passed out… woke up... and people were dead. Ah, normal shanigans when I was younger...” Kuris said casually.

”Eh?!” Now that wasn’t what she was expecting… What a strange uncle she had. “But that has nothing to do with Saints...”

The serpent scratched his head thoughtfully. “You know, I really don’t know why it was called that myself. Maybe it was the place’s name or the street I have no clue…”

“What is Saint's End or something?” Maggie asked.

He smirked wryly. “A bad event people don’t like to talk about but still bring up every chance they can get.”

“But what happened?” Why wouldn’t some just tell her already?! “Did you kill them? Why?”

”Oh I was assigned to do so... but I couldn’t. Still got blamed for it.... and in a way I guess I did kill them as I was powerless to protect them either, but that’s neither here nor there.” He said softly.

The little ginger contemplated for a moment on what he said. “… Why did they have to die? What did they do?”

”I don’t know… maybe it was a play for power and prestige.... I really don’t know.” He hung his head in shame. A solemn expression took the place of this usual whimsicalness. “I only knew they were orders... ones I was given but couldn’t complete.”

She rested her chin on her knees, still thinking about Saint’s End and what Kuris had told her… “At least you didn't kill them.”

“Didn’t save them either...”

“You tried to, didn't you? That's what's important.” Maggie said, offering him a smile.

Kuris smirked and nudged the girl’s shoulder. “Thanks...”

At that moment, Fallon slide the door open and walked into the infirmary, causing them (well, really just Maggie) to jump in surprise and look over. “Where'd Sharon go?” Maggie asked, upon noticing her aunt alone.

”Sharon... has something to do.” She muttered. She glanced at Kuris, who had quickly cleared his face of any expression as he gazed at Fallon. “What were you two talking about?”

”Stuff!” Maggie said automatically.

“What she said....stuff.” He agreed.

Fallon stared at the both of them intently, like an interrogator, waiting for one to break and tell her the truth...

But Maggie was quick enough to change the subject. “.... What did you and Sharon talk about?”

“...Cole stuff.” Fallon muttered, looking away.

She teen could guess what they were really talking about and looked down. “Oh...”

That knowing “oh” caused the red knight’s eyes to snap to her. “Do you know something, Maggie?”

”... Depends on what you know.” Maggie retorted.

“I know a lot. I know... everything.”

”Oh...” She relaxed a bit. “Okay, I know everything too.”

The red knight stared at her incredulously. “Sharon told you?”

“Sharon didn't have to... what he did to Beor is evidence enough...”

Fallon glanced at Kuris, just in time to see him smirk and roll his eyes. “What's so funny, Kuris?”

“Oh... just if you took the concept of your subject out of the conversation it was like a mother going ‘I am mom, I know everything... well I do too!'” He chuckled.

Maggie considered this for a second and then nodded. “You know... he has a point!”

She shook her head. “You're being silly...”

Kuris laughed again. “I'm surprised you didn’t check for the world ending, with Mags here saying I actually had a point....”

”No, I know your and her levels of maturity are close...”

He turns to Maggie with a mischievous grin. “I think she means for that to be insulting... but I don’t feel it. You?”

She grinned back. “Nope. She's just saying I'm awesome.”

“Highfive?” Maggie highfived him. Fallon felt the corners of her mouth turn upwards despite herself as she watched the pair, but turned away. “Anyway. Did you find anything new about Beor's condition?”

The serpent eyed man shook his head and looked at Maggie. “You tell her...”

Her cheerfulness faded away and she looked down. “Kuris said he can't be healed...”

”Ever?” Fallon asked.

She tried to remember what Kuris had said about the wounds. ”... He said that Cole's magic is keeping the wounds from being healed and that unless the source... was...” She hesitated to continue.

But Fallon understood. “...killed…… Damn it.” The swordswoman swore and swung her arm in a swift motion. She slapped a vase off its table, causing it to shatter and spill its contents in a very rare show of anger. “Damn it, damn it, damn it.”

Kuris and Maggie idly stared at the shattered vase, wondering what the vase did to deserve such a fate... The fiery haired girl thought it that it was a good thing Angel wasn't there to blow up about it… Until she realized that because Angel wasn't there to see who did it, Maggie would be blamed.

”Mags did suggest looking into a method for taking away his magic permanently but that takes time and with the scheduled attacks...” He trailed off.

”And with the scheduled attacks, YOU might end up comatose before you can do your thing. Or Maggie. Or Savia. Or Maetel. Or...”

Maggie pouted a bit. “I'll be fine. Just because he got Beor, doesn't mean he can get me... I happen to be a much stronger fighter! And my magic is awesome.”

They ignored her though, as Kuris decided to bring up what had been on his mind. “Hey Fallon....”

”What, Kuristophe?” She responded, noticing that he didn’t called her ‘Red’.

”So... when were you going to tell me Cole was behind these attacks and that he was attacking not jut random people but everyone close to you.... scarring quotes into their skin to get to you?

”Kind of a thing I would like to know, ne?” Kuris asked bitterly.

”...... I didn't think it was imperative for you to know.” Fallon said quietly.

Kuris stood up so fast, an incredulous expression on his face as he snapped, “Imperative? It wasn’t IMPERATIVE? Red.... you are my world.... and these people are YOURS! How is it not imperative for me to know so I can better help you be rid of this situation and get vengeance! Widow, Wara, Shura... any of us are here for you!”

Maggie couldn’t say anything, so she just watched them, while Fallon looked like she was about to cry. “I wanted to solve this by myself... I thought there was a way, but Sharon told me just now that Cole's been having this problem for the past 6 years...

”… I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to hurt him... to hurt Cole...” Tears began running down her cheeks.

He exhaled slowly, looking regretful of snapping at her and wanted to hug her. “Yeah... I probably will hurt him... but I guess I'm just callous... I don’t want to see anyone I care about hurt because of him, even if you hated me for it. But I doubt you're going to let me out of your sight to do so, ne? SO I’m just going to do what I can....” He shook his head. “Do some research on how to heal better, do something for the victims...”

”I wanna help too....” Maggie said softly, not liking the feeling of being useless. Fallon nodded at Kuris and petted Maggie’s curly head. “Thank you...” The little teen smiled and Fallon hugged her.

”Well then Mags, you lead this research project ‘cause I'm clueless on where to start...” Lashtail said.

”On healing magic?” She thought for a moment and an idea came to her head. “Well, Sara's the best healer I know, so we can start by asking her some stuff. She has a bunch of books too!”

Kuris smiled. “Sounds like a plan then, we can start on that....” But suddenly his smile was replaced with silent tears. “Ugh though books... that means homework!... but… it beats getting involved with that wing-haired jerk again… even though his help would be spectacular...”

The lady knight just stared at him. “I have no clue what you're talking about (once more), but I can help with the research. We'll end it faster that way.”

”Ne... Sara can just tell us what's in the books! Then we don't have to read them!” Maggie exclaimed.

“She's read them all?”

She nodded. “She has an almost perfect memory of what she reads! Owie!” Kuris bonked Maggie on the head. “It doesn’t work that way, sadly. Got to read them to study them, got to study them to LEARN them...” Maggie just pouted as she grabbed the top of her head defensively.

”Kuris has a point though.” Fallon put in.

”Fine… Sara is suppose to be going to Dragon Heart to check on the victims there, then she said she'd go home...”

”So where would she be now?”

”Hm...” Maggie thought for a moment. “Probably still at Dragon Heart, she didn't leave that long- Beth?” She hopped up in surprise as her younger cousin entered the infirmary to see Beor.

”Ack!” Beth hadn't been expecting to see Fallon again and... That scary man! She froze in fear.

“Beth? Now is not the time to be playing statue!” She heaved a sigh of long suffering.

Kuris turned to Maggie. “Is… is she okay?”

The girl walked over to the other ginger girl and poked her. “Hm... maybe she was petrified?” She replied, remembering some old reference from a movie she saw once about wizards and a school…

Beth hid behind Maggie, peeking out cautiously to look at Kuris. “We can't play hide and seek either! We're very busy.”

”Busy doing what?” Beth asked.

“We're trying to save everyone.”

”You mean, so that everyone doesn't end up like Uncle Beor?”

Maggie nodded. “Right! You stay here and watch Beor while we go to Dragon Heart to find Sara.”

Kuris raised his eyebrow at Maggie. “Wait... who said you were coming with, mini-me?”

”I did!” Maggie stated, her arms crossing over her chest.

The mage looked at Fallon, and waved his hands in front of himself. “She’s cheeky already... I hadn't even spent that much time with her. You can’t blame me for this, Red...”

Said cheeky redhead pouted impatiently. “Come on, slow pokes~!”

Fallon sighed a bit. “We can take her with us, and never let her out of our sight until this is over... Might be the best way to keep her safe.”

”Eh, good point.” Kuris agreed, and headed towards the door. “Hey, hold up, you tiny terror.... Serpents aren’t slow! It’s just cold outside! There is a difference!... speaking of... grab a jacket.”

”I'll be fine!” Maggie said from the door. She looked back at the little girl. “Beth, stay with Beor. Oh! And hide that vase before Angel sees it!”

”Um mhm...” Beth muttered.

Kuris played along by shaking his head sadly. “That poor thing never saw it coming...” The red knight slapped Kuris across his arm. “Ow! First the vase and now my arm? Will the madness never end?” He stuck his tongue out at her.

“Sorry...” Fallon muttered. “I'll pay for the vase when we get back. And make it up to Beth for having to clean it up.”

“I'm leaving you~!” Maggie said from the door before waving at Beth. “See ya!”

”Bye...”

The couple walked up behind Maggie. “We're here, we're here.” Fallon said.

”You're not leaving without a jacket, Mini-Me!” Kuris said.

”Yes I am! And I'm not a Mini!”

Fallon took off her jacket and quickly put it on Maggie's shoulders to make them end that argument.

“Okay that works.... although it’s big on her.... and now you don’t have a jacket...” Kuris deadpanned when Maggie took off the jacket and tied the sleeves around her waist. “No Maggie... arms go THRU the sleeves...”

“I'm not cold!” Maggie said exasperated.

Fallon simply reequipped another coat... and then realized she never really needed to pack in the first place when they left Premunte, but she was too distraught by Collier's wickedness to see that at the time...

Kuris just rubbed his temple. “Ugh... you two are going to be the death of me. Alright let's head out then.”

Maggie continued to walk, but then she stumbled on the end of the jacket. She quickly righted herself and tried to keep walking like nothing happened. Fallon chuckled. ”You should try putting it on.”

Kuris smirked. “Is this the wrong time to say 'watch that first step, its a doozy'?”

Maggie flushed in embarrassment. “Just come on!”

“Yeah, yeah.” The swordswoman walked with her.

”Bossy little thing, ne?” He continued to grins.

”I'm not that little...” Maggie muttered reflexively.

”It's just an expression, Mags...”

Fallon smiled a little again, thinking they're more friendly than she thought they'd be... and she's glad about that. “Take the train to Lantern Heads? She suggested. “Don't you have some teleportation card?”

”Uh, no...” I leave the teleporting to Beor.” Maggie mumbled. She didn’t want to admit that she had tried to learn the teleportation card magic, and had miserably failed at it. “Sara really didn't leave that long ago, so I'm positive she'd still be at Dragon Heart.”

”Train it is then.” She said as her mind went to Beor.

Maggie didn’t usually get the chance to ride the trains, so she smiled a little bit. “Train ride? I call the window seat!”

“And yes Maggie, you can have my window seat.”

”Man...” Kuris muttered. “So many other cool magics out there, ne? Teleportation, healing, summoning... kinda makes me sad that mines only good for combat...”

”Tell me about it. I'm facing the same problem here.” Fallon agreed.

Maggie looked over at Kuris as Fallon bought their tickets and they walked over to the train. “What is your magic? You seemed to be doing something with the whip...”

”Ah yes... I use metal whips for combat. I kind of summon them like Red does with her Re-equip magic. However that’s not all I do... I mean, my magic isn’t whip-magic.” He took out a ruby jewel from his pocket and let it dance on his hands, twirling and spinning in midair. “It's manipulation of free movement...”

”Wow!” Maggie gasped in amazement. “That's so cool!”

”I can do a lot with it, but haven’t really seen a use for it aside from toying with random objects...” He looked at the two females and noticed Red's gaze following the ruby around in the air, like a cat with a laser pointer...

”You should find a use for it...” Fallon said hypnotically, her gaze still watching the ruby.

The snake man sat down at their seats, still zipping the ruby around. “I think I'm close to a breakthrough...” Fallon sat next to him, still watching the ruby longingly. Maggie took her spot by the window and tilted her head slightly. “A breakthrough?”

Kuris smirked. “Mess with Red.”

”Oh! That's the breakthrough?”

He chuckled, recalling the ruby back into his pocket and broke the spell on the re-equip mage in the process.

“Hey!” Fallon shouted indignantly and looked away as Maggie started giggling.

“Awe, Red but you were so cute!” Kuris leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

She muttered, “Sure...” And then blushed brightly as her niece snickered and told them to get a room. “Maggie!” That made the two laugh even more. Fallon sighed and shook her head. “It's a gonna be one long train ride...”