Chapter 28: 28. Ren Takes It Slow
At Ritsu's words, it seemed to Ren that everything became bright and far too real. She looked between Ritsu's pale face and the campside on the other side of the clearing, where the two small children let the big armored man hold them as they stared at the archer's rain dragon. The man still spoke jovially, bouncing the two kids comfortably, but Ren could no longer parse his words.
She'd told Ritsu over and over again that her orphans would be safe if they left them in the village. Over and over. She'd said it. It was practically a promise.
Spasmodically, Ren pushed herself away from the door, and then snatched Ritsu's hand to pull her away, too. "It'll be okay," she said. "I'll make it be okay." She took another step backward and then turned away and flung a silent shout toward Cú.
Nearly instantly, he materialized before her, glancing once at Ritsu before giving Ren his full attention. "What's wrong?"
Rapidly, Ren ordered, "Go right now to Ritsu's house and check on the other kids there. Make sure they're safe. Then report back. Wait! Where's Tora?"
Cú hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward the keep, before dematerializing as Tora emerged. She looked around wildly, and then jogged over to Ren and Ritsu. "Cú said—what's going on?"
Ren grabbed Tora by the arm and pushed her toward the little door. "You look out there and tell me how many more of Kirri's elite will be showing up."
It only took a glance out the window before Tora groaned. "Oh damn. That's Theory. I thought—"
"How many?" demanded Ren, her voice like a whip.
Tora jumped. "Um! Of the highest ranked, Theory is the last of his lieutenants. There's about twelve more summoners underneath them."
"And where did you fit in? Without any bullshit, please."
With a sidelong glance, Tora said, "I could hold my own against the twelve when I worked at it."
A tiny bit of the painful tension uncurled in Ren's shoulders, but the world remained bright and strange. With a caustic edge to her voice, she said, "Do you know those kids the new guy's holding?"
Tora peered more closely and then recoiled. "Is that—"
"Yes," said Ritsu flatly. "Pan and Lulu. Lulu was just a baby when you got captured."
With an anxious look at her sister, Tora said, "They… they won't hurt them, Ritsu. I'm sure of it."
"Would you even care if they did?" flung Ritsu. "You burned houses."
"Not ours," Tora argued. "Not even houses with lots of people, and I made sure everybody was out!"
Ren stepped between the incipient sibling war. "I don't think you have any idea of what your Lord Kirri will or won't do."
Tora's eyes widened, until the whites showed. "He wouldn't hurt children. He couldn't."
Wonderingly, Ren shook her head. A distant part of her mind reminded her that Tora hadn't heard what Lobo Kirri had said, but did that really matter? Given the presence of the orphans in her own home, she had to know how children had already been hurt by the invasion force Kirri represented.
"He doesn't have to in order to use them to his advantage, does he?" asked Merlin, materializing and joining them. "Not if simply holding them can be a distraction and a shield. By the way, those familiars can all detect us in our spirit forms if we get too close, Ren. Add that to your calculations."
"Even Jack and Jekyll?" Ren's heart jumped and rattled around, before settling again at Merlin's shrug.
"I haven't tested that myself, but I'd be surprised if they could. Of course, I've been surprised before here." He gave Ren a look that suggested his previous annoyance hadn't entirely evaporated, but she had no time for that.
"All right. Well, let's make sure that's not a surprise. Jekyll!" She didn't raise her voice, but she wasn't surprised when she felt his spirit form nearby. "Go eavesdrop on our visitors, please. Don't get hurt, but if they detect you despite Presence Concealment, stick around long enough to see what they do."
Jekyll's presence swirled away and Ren turned her thoughts to Jack. But the little Servant was still enjoying a doze in Ren's blankets and Ren had a strong foreboding she'd be putting the girl to work soon enough. Blowing out her breath, she said, "If we have to, we'll just take them back tonight. Two Assassins and a Caster can manage that, I'm sure. And then we're back where we were."
"With a third body to occupy while you use Cú to beat the bad out of Kirri," said Merlin dryly. "If you're expecting me to occupy Theory—"
"I'm not," Ren snapped. "You weren't exactly—"
"Your crazy plan didn't really—"
"—I didn't hear anybody suggesting anything—"
"And yet this time—"
"—you might as well be—"
"—hahahaha—"
"—argh!"
"HEY!" shouted Cú as he materialized beside Ren and Merlin, and Ren realized she had Merlin by the mantle again and was attempting to grab that supercilious smile off his face as he held her away from him with one hand on her forehead. Meanwhile, Tora and Ritsu huddled together, peering around the nearest shrubbery at them in obvious alarm.
"Back to your corners!" Cú barked, giving Ren and Merlin both an evil glare. Reclaiming her dignity, Ren released Merlin's mantle and jerked herself away from his hand, while Merlin shook out his sleeves and smoothed down hair that had fluffed out like an angry cat's tail.
"Now," said Cú. "Ritsu's house. The younger kids are out in the clearing, obviously. The elder boy is gone. The elder girl is blaming me. She hid under the bed. I stuck a rune of protection on the door, so I'll know if somebody tries to get in."
"Where's Ichigo?" demanded Ritsu, abandoning her fortified position and zooming back to them.
"I don't know," Cú said impatiently. "The girl wouldn't talk to me."
Ritsu pushed her hand against her forehead. "If the littles did run off to the woods to find me, he might have gone after them… but where is he now?" Her fear-filled eyes went to the door and the people on the far side. Then her pupils shrank to pinpricks and in a strangled voice, she said, "The summoning I messed up."
"What?" said Tora sharply. "What summoning?"
"A little before Ren showed up, I did a summoning, but nothing came out of the portal… nothing but a really bad feeling. But then Ren showed up and I thought I'd summoned her so I didn't think about it anymore. Until later, when I wondered…."
"He's probably just lost in the woods," said Merlin reassuringly, clearly trying hard to pretend he hadn't been acting like a smug asshole a few minutes ago. But after a furtive look at a still-glowering Cú, Ren resisted calling him on it.
"Maybe," said Ritsu doubtfully. "Ichigo wouldn't get lost in the woods by accident, though. He's too careful for that."
"I told you that portal was dangerous, Ritsu," said Tora furiously. "You could have died."
"WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?" Ritsu's sudden shriek echoed from the walls. Dashing tears from her eyes, she shook her head and ran toward the keep, the foxette galloping at her heels.
"You're all a mess," said Cú with a clinical detachment. "And now the neighbors know too. Come on, everybody inside, before the guys next door complain. Yeah, you too, my lady." Cú's eyes narrowed. "Don't fight me on this."
Begrudgingly, Ren turned away from the door and let Cú herd her inside. Inside the Great Hall, Jack had woken up and sat on Ren's bed blinking in confusion.
"Go back to sleep," Ren told her. "I'll need you soon, so you have to get as much rest as possible."
Jack looked at the others in the Great Hall with only mild interest before flopping over again, and Ren waved the others downstairs and followed them down.
She would have preferred to gather in the kitchen, but Ritsu had headed straight to her nest in the portal room and curled around her book of summoner tales. The foxette sat up on her shoulder, looking at the others with its head to one side. Ren almost went to her, and then stopped herself, looking to Tora instead.
Tora stood near the portal, hugging herself, looking at her sister. When she caught Ren's glance, she muttered again, "She could have died."
"Probably not," said Merlin, still in his 'reassuring' guise. "That foxette was already with her."
"Hah! That thing. I still don't know how my brilliant little sister ended up with a foxette. Nobody ever won a battle with one of those, even a golden one."
Ren wondered if people did win battles with Tora's little night lizards, which at least looked even more insignificant than the foxette. Maybe they were more useful than she'd thought. But before she could ask, Merlin spoke.
"Yeah? I wonder how many battles they've lost, though." Merlin flashed his teasing smile at Tora, who gave him a confused look.
Master, said Jekyll, and then materialized on the far side of the room. He cleared his throat and said, "Ah. I'm back."
Cú gave Jekyll a jaded look. "They stop talking when we started shouting?"
"They were quite interested in that," admitted Jekyll. "When I withdrew, Violet Blue and the lionbolt had their ears pressed up against the wall. But the new champion, Theory, was distracted by the crying children."
Ritsu looked up, her eyes flashing. "Why were they crying?"
Jekyll wrinkled his brow at Ritsu as he squinted at her in a friendly fashion. "Because of you, Ritsu. They went into the forest looking for you, and as soon as they heard you so upset, they became both frightened and wanted to go to you."
"Oh," said Ritsu, digesting this unselfconsciously.
"He really did pick them up in the forest?" asked Ren.
"Unless he's lying to his comrades, yes." Jekyll met Ren's eyes steadily.
She hesitated. "Do you think the kids are in danger?"
His eyes narrowing, Jekyll said, "I… We… don't think he's going to mistreat them. He seemed to know how to handle them. But he didn't argue when the woman implied their Lord would find the kids useful."
"You keep looking for excuses to be that hero of justice, Ren," said Merlin quietly.
Ren turned her head to look toward Merlin, although she didn't really see him. She was remembering her very first reaction to seeing the kids with the kirin rider: the white-hot fury that he'd made her into a liar and that urge to throw everything aside to keep her promise to Ritsu. "Do you think I should simply ignore the kids?"
He didn't immediately answer. She focused on him, meeting his eyes. Her skin prickled. For a moment, something alien and very old gazed out at her: something that only laughed and teased and complained to soften its inhumanity. Inhumanity—but not a cold inhumanity. Not a machine. It felt almost—lonely? No… that was far too human for what looked through the magus's eyes. Not lonely, but very much alone.
Then his eyebrows swooped down and the window into Merlin's soul closed. "Of course not."
Ren, who felt like she'd been on the verge of an important breakthrough before the mage interrupted her, struggled first to hold onto what she'd seen. Then, as the thought broke apart like a fading dream, she tried to catch up to what they'd been discussing.
Kids. Sovereign champions. Ritsu and Tora. She'd come here to save Ritsu.
"Right," she said, shaking her head. "Right." For a moment two worlds seemed to overlap before her eyes, and then her fury at the kirin rider— no, at the whole situation reignited and that deeper world faded away. "I'm looking for an excuse to not rush into things, actually." Darkly she added, "But you'd probably cheer me on if I shouted Hell with it, kill them all! Even though that's leaping before I look too."
Merlin looked hurt and it looked so genuine. "I'm not the bloodthirsty one. I just want to help you win."
"Excuse me," said Jekyll loudly, if apologetically. "I do have more to report."
Ren jerked her head around to give Jekyll her attention. Cú loitered near Ritsu's nest, while Tora stared broodingly into the portal. "Yes, go on."
"They didn't detect me, but I was very careful. I think all those familars would be capable of causing damage to our spirit cores even when we're in spirit form. They're very much on the level of Phantasmal Beasts." He took a deep breath. "And there's something growing in the forest. Theory mentioned it, so I took a quick look before returning. I didn't get too close, but I could sense its malevolence… and its hunger."
"Ichigo," said Ritsu, her voice choked. "It got him."
Ren stared at the younger girl for a long moment and then said flatly, "Merlin. Ichigo is the kid who pointed us at the castle. Can you see him with your Clairvoyance?"
"That's not going to be useful," he said regretfully. "My vision is pretty murky so far from my tower, and even if I do get a sense for him, it won't be any reassurance of his state."
"All right," said Ren. "Tora, unless you plan on summoning something yourself, get out of my way." She held out her hand to Merlin without looking at him, palm up, her fingers stiff. She felt him take her hand, felt the cool tingle of his sword's slice and the ache of a re-opened scab, and she imagined his smug expression.
Tora said, "Are you—? Oh my goodness! I've been wondering…" She scrambled out of the way, finally joining Ritsu in her corner as Cú moved past her to stand protectively behind Ren. Merlin in turn moved to stand beside Jekyll, and Ren noticed distantly he wasn't smiling.
Blood welled from the cut and she caught it in her cupped palm, moving to stand right before the swirling blue portal. She concentrated, letting her fury at the situation fill her. At the moment, she didn't care who she summoned, as long as they'd be her weapon—
Bluebeard's story flashed before her.
<No. Not anybody. No childslayers.>
Somebody clever. Somebody who could plan. Somebody who would understand her rage and frustration. Somebody who would help her.
<A more tactical version of Cú would be ideal, really.>
She didn't think that existed, but she concentrated on it fiercely, suddenly afraid of what she might summon instead. Why had she—
<No. Focus.>
<Smart. Helpful. Tactical. Angry.>
She turned her palm down and let her blood fall into the portal, repeating her request list under her breath like a prayer.
The portal's glow intensified and the blue light acquired a golden tint as more blood dripped in. A flash of golden light and—
"What fresh Hell is this?" demanded the new Servant, his voice hard and clipped. The golden light coalesced around him, seeming to draw back into blazing eyes. He wore a ragged black suit, a black hat on white hair, and a red cravat.
Well, she'd managed angry, at least.
Ren stared hard at him, trying to identify his story bubble. Cú shifted his weight behind her, and the newcomer's gaze went to the Lancer. His eyes began to glow again and he sneered. His oversized red cravat lifted as if in a strong wind. He looked like something out of Hell himself.
A story bubble popped, and Ren forgot to breath as she recognized the dilemma before her. He looked back at her and his own eyes narrowed as his shoulders hunched.
The Servant in front of her had a name. A name and a story of origin, and she knew them. But she knew too some of his later stories, and that as a Servant he despised the name he'd once used. Using it might provoke an assault like Hyde's. Not using it… what would happen?
"Well?" he demanded. "Get on with it. You called me. You clearly have a use for me."
Ren dug her fingers into her palm. Specifically, she dug her fingers into the cut Merlin had given her, digging it open further. Intense pain seared through her as her fingers slicked with more blood.
"I'm Serendipity," she said. "And you're the Count of Monte Cristo. Avenger."
They stared at each other for a long moment, the scowl distorting his face slowly fading. When he finally spoke again, it was with a wry humor instead that biting, barely-repressed rage. "Well. This is awkward. Even a little embarrassing."
"No contract?" Ren guessed, feeling giddy that he wasn't attacking her.
"No. On the other hand, you're not wrong. Hmm." He stroked his chin and looked around the room. "Quite a crew you've got here."
Then he shrugged. "Well, if we meet again and you've figured out how to make it work, I'll serve you. I owe you that, and I always pay my debts." He gave her a professional nod and vanished.
Ren didn't wait for anybody to say anything, but lunged toward the portal, pressing her bloodied hand up against the tingling light. "I want an actual hero this time, please."
It felt like something bit into her wound and started pulling blood out of her. As vertigo swept over her, she whimpered—and then Cú yanked her away from the portal. Light once again flared, blue once more, as the babble Ren had wanted to skip rose around her: Jekyll worrying, Tora wondering, Ritsu explaining, Cú cursing, and Merlin—
—And Merlin was quiet.
The light compressed into a new figure. Smaller than the Count had been, and… jumping up and down.
Pink hair in a braid, with long bangs around the face. A partially armored tunic, or maybe a short dress? A white and red mantle. A sword on one hip, a tiny horn on another—
"Hi! I'm Astolfo! Rider, at your service! Who are you?" chirped the figure, and the story bubble in Ren's mind corresponding to the name popped.
"Uh," said Ren blankly. "Can you do that?"
"Nothing stopped me," said Astolfo reasonably, stepping forward and looking around the room before focusing on Ren. "I'd really like to know your name, though, or else I'm going to vanish again."
"I'm Serendipity and you're Astolfo," said Ren, numbly. He'd just… told her who he was. How…? But it was contained within his story, wasn't it? What did rules matter to the likes of Astolfo?
"That's right," said Astolfo, nodding in satisfaction as lilac light flared around them. "I am. And now you're my new Master. I hope we'll have a lot of fun together!" He bowed, and when he straightened again. "Hey, that's Merlin. Uh. What's wrong with him?"
Frowning, Ren glanced over her shoulder. Merlin leaned against the wall, his staff loose in one hand, his face empty and calm as he watched them. If she didn't know him, she wouldn't have thought anything was wrong, but she did, and his silence chilled her.
"Merlin?" she asked tentatively.
His eyebrows raised and then he said, "Come here," in an emotionless voice, holding out a hand.
Jekyll inserted worriedly, "You know, that other Servant didn't actually go back where he came from. He just dematerialized and left the keep."
Ren heard that, nodded absently, filed it away,. She'd suspected that anyhow. But Merlin kept looking at her. Waiting on her. She hesitated, and then walked over to him.
He said, "My magic energy isn't infinite. I wasn't prepared for you to summon two, Serendipity."
With a guilty start, Ren realized she'd forgotten that Merlin had been backing her summon attempts with his own power so they didn't exhaust her. When she joined him and he curled his hand around the back of her neck, she didn't resist.
Lowering his head so he could speak in her ear, he said, "I said earlier you could help me regain energy, remember?"
Ren pulled her head back to stare at him. She couldn't… she knew… Confusion and guilt twisted her gut, and then irritation as Merlin's lips twitched in a ghost of a smile.
"Well, this is interesting," announced Astolfo, standing close beside them, looking back and forth between Merlin and Ren. Ren, startled half out of her skin, jolted away from Merlin, toward where Cú and Jekyll conferred quietly.
Astolfo put his finger to his mouth and winked at Ren. "You can't trust Merlin, you know." Then he elbowed Merlin. "Let me handle this, big bro. You need her to smile, right? As I recall, there's nothing like the cheerfulness of a cute girl to make you feel better. You and Roland, two peas in a pod!" He cracked his knuckles and advanced on Ren with a rakish smile.
Merlin laughed weakly and slid down the wall until he was seated. "Ahaha, yeah. You carry on, Astolfo. I'll be fine soon enough. This is just what I get for working so hard." He found a smile to flash at Ren, and it was positively evil.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone