Ideologies Clash

In the days leading up to the party, the group began making preparations for their plan of attack upon the Chateau. Annette and Edouard took charge at the Tower to make the flash bombs and other necessary equipment while Richter and Layla went out on the fields to hone their skills rigorously. Maria would occassionally scurry back and forth, aiding both sides whilst mastering her magical abilities with Richter.

As Edouard observed, the Tower connected to the cottage held a plethora of strange books and scrolls, containing myriad of information regarding the study of night creatures, vampires, general history, and mathematics. Next to these books were jars and flasks filled with odd flowers, rare herbs, small creatures, mysterious gemstones, and severed limbs. Intrigued, he read through a few whilst he observed Annette manufacture a dozen or more silver vials and placing them in a pile next to her desk.

"Fascinating..." Edouard spoke. "Your family seem to have a broad knowledge on the vampires, night creatures, the sorts."

"Indeed they were," Annette replied, her eyes focused uppn her work. "Both my parents gave all their passion, poured all their experiences into these books but my mother wrote the ones most focused on the supernatural. She penned down everything she knew of the horrors of the night upon these old pages. But what she was most interested in was the art of alchemy and spiritual metaphysics."

Edouard listened as he read through a grimoire from the shelves, impressed by the beautiful handwriting the more he turned the pages. Though the details were too complex for him to decipher and understand, Edouard had never felt so enlightened as he treaded through them. "She was your teacher, I take it? A teacher in magic."

Annette turned to him, screwing a bolt shut whilst doing so. Edouard could see in her eyes how deeply they longed. "She was," she replied. "And she was very good at it. She taught us everything about our mystical heritage from the Speakers and Father taught us literature, history and mathematics. No doubt they left these books for us as a way to guide us when they're no longer here to do it themselves."

Edouard, with a new appreciation for the grimoire, carefully closed it and returned it to its rightful place on the shelf where he took it. He walked over to Annette and pulled a silver vial from the pile, which was small enough for his two fingers. "This... is our trump card against Vaublanc and Sabrina?" He asked in the astonishment.

"Do not be deceived by their miniscule stature," Annette told him. "Small as these containers are, they shall cage from within a terrible light that spreads like wild fire. Pass me the black jar over there."

Edouard quickly grabbed a black jar from the top shelf and gave it to Annette. With extreme caution, thick gloves and a pair of tweezers on one hand, she slowly opened it and both were immediately bombarded by a ray of light leaking through the lid. With the tweezers, she plucked what seemed to be a bright sparkling ball of fire and gently placed it within the open vial. As soon as the ball of fire was inside, the vial closed shut by itself before it could escape.

"What are those?" Edouard asked out of curiousity.

"The enchanted flames of an Ukoback," Annette explained as she goes to grab another orb from the jar. "It's a demom from Hell known for being a pyromaniac. Those gremlins leave these orbs wherever they go. Flames that will never extinguish until the afflicted are consumed into ash. But my parents had other uses for them. This is one."

"I can understand why Richter had a great respect for you," Edouard noted. "Your extensive knowledge on this subject is more than valuable to assist him on his battles."

Annette smiled all the way to the corners of her cheeks. "It's been a while since someone else complimented my work. It's always Richter and Maria, though I suppose it's because I never leave the house..."

"Why did you stay here then?" Edouard asked, grabbing a seat next to her. "Your talent, Annette... Don't you think they should be used for the betterment of the people of France... outside this place?"

Annette was silent for a moment. "Why would I help the same people that were responsible for my mother's untimely passing?" She sharply refuted at the notion. "An evil greater than the vampires of night killed her. I do not care if the Revolution was built on such dreams of freedom. If that sort of evil walks freely on the streets of France, then I'd rather take no part in aiding it."

Edouard was neither scared nor mad at her ill sentiment. Rather, he looked upon her in pity. "I understand your grief, Annette. I truly do. I've suffered my fair share of losses back at Saint Dominique in the name of our revolution. But this inactivity is no way to go about your loss. You could have helped a lot of people with these hands of yours. The Revolution doesn't have anything to do with that, all that matters is about doing the best we could with what we have."

They were quiet once more. Annette couldn't look Edouard in the face. "My loyalty is to Richter and my sister and them alone. Not the world... You should go back to the others. Thank you for all your help, Edouard, but I will take care of the rest. Just... leave me as I am." She said it so coldly.

Edouard needn't object any further. He knew that it wasn't his place to force her to make a decision. Only that he gave her a choice, but a hard one to travel through. With a faint nod, he left Annette alone to the shivering embrace of the tower, surrounded by nothing but relics of the past.

---

"I've been meaning to ask you, Layla... Where did you get your powers from?" Maria asked.

Layla was sitting beside her on meadow outside of the house, watching Richter train rigorously against the fast-moving golems. "Well, little dove, where I come from, generation upon generation of my ancestors trace their roots back to Ogun, an orisha or god in your tongue. Of iron and war."

"So you descended from a god?" Maria's eyes widened with her mouth gaping.

"From my father's side," Layla smiled. "From my mother, it's Orunmila, an orisha of wisdom and divination. Through them, I inherited a gift to bend earth and metal to my will."

Layla stuck out her hand as dust and dirt from the land around them envelop around her palm. When the accumulated minerals took form of a diamond's shape, she crushed them into a fist and shook it gently. Layla released her palm once more, and the pile of dirt and dust was perfectly molded into the shape of a tiny dove. Maria immediately squealed in delight upon witnessing her gift, which was more than enough to make Layla chuckle.

"My sister always said that we come from gods ourselves." Maria told her. "We just have to learn how to draw on their power."

"It does make me wonder, little dove... How come you have magic while your sister does not? Your mother was a magician, is she not?" Layla asked her.

Maria's smile faded upon the mention. "She used to... and she was great at magic too. That is until three years ago when..."

"I'm sorry if I asked you such a harrowing question of you, little dove." Layla lowered her head, remorseful. "I... have a blurred sense of knowing what is right or wrong all my life. Most of the time, I've been told I'm a somewhat cold and emotionless person. Incapable of ever feeling remorse or fear... hell, even shame of what I did for Vaublanc."

"I think I understand why..." Maria told her. "Vaublanc must've raised you only as a soldier to do his bidding, never even caring that you were a child in need of a parent."

Maria had a weird way of seeing one's soul by looking deep into their eyes. She saw as she talked not a pirate who've been through hell and brushed it off with a nonchalant shrug. No, she saw a scared little girl robbed of a happy life and tortured into a killer she didn't want to be.

Layla sheepishly turned away from Maria. "You're very perceptive, little dove. But need not worry, for I left that terrible life so long ago. Now I owe the life that I'm able to have to Edouard. Even though I realize that I could never truly escape that vile bastard wherever I go."

As the duo became quiet again after pondering on those words, whereupon Richter noticed them from the distance and approached them. "Seemed like both of you had a nice talk. What was it about?"

"Nothing important. We were just talking about Layla's powers."

"Oh, are you now?" Richter's eyes were upon Layla. "You, know, I've been wanting to spar with someone that isn't that damn golem. Wanna try?"

Layla turned to Maria, who has a giant mischievous smile on her face. "Please do, Miss Layla! I want to see how you train, too!"

The big sparkling eyes from the little girl was too irresistable to refuse. Layla chuckled as she rubbed Maria's silky hair. "I can never say no to you, little dove. No matter how hard I try." She then turned to Richter as she stood up to meet him. "I hope you saved your energy, Richter. For I'm not the kind of woman to hold myself back."

"Funny. I'm rather fond of the kind of women who'd kick my ass." Richter smirked playfully as he cracked his fingers. "Give me your best shot."

Firmly standing upon the meadow were two warriors from different lands, bracing themselves for a match. Maria's smile reached her ears in anticipation, her turtle tightly in her clutches. Even the birds from afar stopped chirping and the air went cold. As if the world stopped to witness their duel under the high sun.

Richter took a step forward, causing Layla to flinch backward. But he feigned as his opponent took the fleeting moment to kick him on the side of his face. Richter blocked it with his elbow, and went for a punch to her exposed gut. Layla stumbled, clutching her stomach, but as Richter approached, she regained composure and raised her foot to meet his face. Richter narrowly missed her attack and backed away, his eyes never leaving hers for a mere second.

Layla raised her arms as rocks float all around her and slowly mold into diamond-shaped stars, sharp on all edges. With a wave of her hands, the diamonds slashed through the air and met Richter. But alas, Richter grabbed his whip and began swinging it against the approaching missiles. Each crack of his whip managed shatter a few dozen diamonds but some managed to slip past the whip and effortlessly cut through his clothes.

Layla, forming a bow from the earth, released an arrow meant for Richter's eyes. Though Richter was able to cut it off in time, the arrow dissolved into a cloud of dust upon touch and so Richter was blinded for a moment. As he rubbed his eyes once more, he narrowly dodged a iron blade swinging very closely to his face. Layla emerged from the dust and, her heels pointed with an iron tip, swung it at him as she kicked. Missed, Richter prepared himself for another blow. But as Layla seemed to strike again, she feigned at the last second, causing Richter to expose himself for her real overhead kick, which managed to graze him by the cheek.

Once more, Richter found himself at the mercy of a killer. Only this one he could easily read like an open book for children. Layla went for a flying kick at Richter's head, which he effortlessly crouched out of the way. An opening in his sights, Richter elbowed her by the gut once more. Recoiled and dazed, Layla stumbled but Richter caught her hand and spun her around in a circle and with the final blow, threw her across his back and onto the grass. Maria, witnessing the whole thing alongside a newly-arrived Edouard, had their mouths gaping wide by the conclusion.

"Well, she said not to hold back." Richter told them but he began to tense up when he saw Layla not move a muscle on the ground. "Uh... Layla? Damn it, did I go too far this time?" He reached his hand out to check her shoulder.

But he realized too late his mistake. As soon as he was close enough to touch her shoulder, Layla sprang awake and clutched his hand tightly. Quick to her feet, she tripped him and sat on his chest, she moved her hand and the mud froze around Richter's body, pinning him to the ground. Layla held an iron dagger at his throat and looked him dead in the eye, they stared and they were empty and hollow.

"I beat you," Layla simply spoke.

"Aye... you really are a conniving assassin," Richter spoke under his threat. "But alas, your victory is short-lived."

As Layla saw, Richter managed to free his hand from the mud, placing a well-hidden dagger on her chest. "You would have joined me in death. But there could not be any great honor than to die having the last laugh." Richter managed a smirk.

In a moment of clarity, Layla brushed away the empty expression on her face and returned to her warm side with a chuckle from her mouth. She pulled herself away from Richter as the mud restraining his body melted off him. Maria and Edouard both applauded after a tense yet exciting battle as Layla helped Richter get up.

"If you can manage that in a fight with me... imagine your eventual duel with Vaublanc." Richter told her. "No doubt that vampires will fear your name soon enough when you assure your victory as did mine."

"Duly noted," Layla smiled. "All this sparring has made me hungry. Little dove, do you have more pie to spare?" She turned to Maria.

"Will do, Miss Layla!" Maria replied as she eagerly jumped out of the bench and back into the house.

With Maria out of view, Edouard approached Richter with a faint smile. "Annette sure is a handful. Her and Maria. But they're completely so different from each other, one could doubt if they're actually sisters. Doesn't it bother you, Richter, that unlike Maria, Annette never leaves this place at all, without a care for the world outside her home?"

"She cares, Ed. You just never seen her truly work." Richter told him as he sat on the bench. "I never saw Annette leave the house since three years ago because the world took someone dear from here. But believe me when I tell you that she's veen doing enough good even in her own way. From time to time, she supplied rations and produce to the citizens Croix de Lune whenever she can because she felt pity for those people under the Marquis's thumb. She even helped teach some of the children there how to read and write just as she taught Maria."

Richter turned to Edouard with a serious glance upon him. "She may not admit it that much, but Annette cares about the world just as much as she cares for me and Maria, even if a little less. The only problem standing in her way is the Revolution that is currently happening in this bloody country making her... far too angry and hateful to do something meaningful."

Edouard was quiet as he pondered on Richter's words. Looking back, those words made him understand Annette a little more. Some people wouldn't look to a revolution as a noble cause as much as he did, and he saw it from the way the pain shone on her eyes long died out from grief...