Capítulo 3: Interlude: Twin Moons

Unknown Locations, Unknown Countries

A cloaked figure with a small fox resting on its head could be seen stalking through a frozen forest. The snow crunched under their heels as they trudged along, following a set of barely noticeable tracks.

Suddenly, they halted all movement, having finally found their prey.

Wasting no time, the figure whispered a short chant, willing a spear of ice to materialize in mid air in front of them. It took but a moment but the sudden gathering of mana seemingly alerted its prey as it suddenly began to scan its surroundings.

The cloaked figure stopped and waited for the creature to let its guard down once more. The prey's instincts were strong and it knew that it had to make the first strike count. Things might be different if they had their partner's help, but this was training.

They would have to do this alone and that, unfortunately, came with the downside of slower projectiles. Still, they would manage. They always did.

After all, they would have to be much stronger if they wanted to kill-

"EHHHHHHHHHH!!?"

"Wah!?" Suddenly the little fox sitting on their head released a very shocked and human-like shout. Causing the cloaked person to become startled and release their spell prematurely and in the wrong direction at that.

The prey, a small rabbit, being just startled hurriedly scurried away.

"Ah.." And there goes dinner they lamented.

"Red, what's wrong? Did something happen?" The cloaked figure asked, shaking her head at the loss, her voice light but tinted with worry. Her silver hair briefly spilling out of her white and purple fox shaped hood before she idly returned the strands to their confinement.

Red, the fox perched on her head didn't answer, instead jumping down to observe the vermillion pendant hanging around her neck. What once was a pretty but dull gemstone was now one that appeared to be filled with crackling embers and ash.

It was a sight the little fox had never thought it would see again, leaving it ecstatic, annoyed, confused, worried and more than a little helpless.

"Wow~ How did you do that, Red?" The cloaked girl asked with wonder filling her amethyst eyes. She's had the pendent for as long as she could remember, but it's never once done such a thing. It felt unbelievably warm and comforting. It reminded her of the time she spent snuggling up next to the fireplace with her mother all those years ago.

"I didn't do anything…and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet…" Red answered cryptically, its voice andrognious but definitely leaning more towards feminine, held a severity that the cloaked girl had never heard from it before.

"What do you mean…?" She asked hesitantly, suddenly feeling a chilling wind pick up.

"The seal has been broken. My master…Zero, has been freed…" Red tried to respond evenly but could not hide the worry and other emotions hidden beneath their words.

"Eh?" The girl could only respond as much. Zero? As in the one who ruined her life? The monster who led her cult and burned down her village? The one who took her mother away from her!?

"Mother…" The girl clutched the pendant and gazed at the twin moons in the sky. The shadows around her moved. Elongating and whipping around in a frenzy, destroying everything in their wake all the while the girl remained motionless and unharmed.

The wind suddenly blew away her hood to reveal a pair of slightly pointed ears and eyes filled with nothing but hatred. All the while Red looked on in sadness and guilt. Its thoughts remained unknown.

-_-_-

Henrietta looked up to the twin moons in the sky from her carriage window. They were almost to the castle now, having decided to continue the rest of the journey to Germania through the night instead of staying out late and leaving themselves open to a potential attack.

Of course with Karin, the Heavy Wind back on duty and escorting her, the chances of that happening, or there being any real danger should it actually happen, were practically zero.

Speaking of…Looking at the pink moon in the sky, Henrietta's thoughts drifted to the daughter of Karin and her childhood and best friend, Louise Françoise.

If she's not mistaken, today should be the day of the springtime summoning ritual. The day in which young mages from all the countries of Halkaginia would summon their familiars companions and bond with them for life, as it was said to be the day the founder Brimir himself summoned his own familiars.

Well, all except royalty that is. The royal families of each country were a bit different in that regard. Instead of summoning a familiar that would be bound to them for life, they instead contracted with the guardian beasts of their respective nations. In return for this however, they weren't allowed to summon their own familiars.

Well, there was nothing preventing them from summoning their own familiars, but it wasn't done so more out of respect, than inability. Still, she wondered what it would be like to summon a familiar of her own. A partner that would go through thick and thin with her for the rest of their lives.

Henrietta, as the next in line for the throne after her father's unfortunate passing a few months ago, should have been in Tristain right now and signing the contract with the beast so that she could be sworn in to her position.

Instead she was making a trip to Germania to negotiate a possible alliance through marriage. She was no fool though and knew this to be another power play by those who believed her to be unfit to rule and sought to steal power away from her.

Perhaps they believed by making her miss the timing she would have insulted the beast and caused it to lose favor with the royal family. Or maybe some even planned to try and find it to sign a contract with the beast themselves and use that as a claim to the throne.

In truth, many didn't even know what the beast was. After all, it has been a very long time since any of them were required to show themselves to the public. Perhaps some simply stopped believing they existed at all.

What deeply worried her however was that the Germanian king was taking part in this little nonsense. Any grudges their nations had aside, he should know the importance of the contracts with the beasts. The only explanation for his interference would be if he knew she already contracted with the beast in private…or if he was somehow unaware of the importance of the contracts.

Neither boded well for her, as one implied there were spies amongst those closest to her that she trusted with her life. The other would mean that their sacred royal duty had been forsaken and that something had happened to the guardian of fire long before the current king took the position.

'Hmm? Well, isn't that interesting.'

'What is it, Lady Blue?' Henrietta asked telepathically after hearing a message from the guardian beast, Blue in her head.

'Can you do me a favor, darling. Have a look at that little ring on your finger for me if you would.'

'The ring?' Henrietta questioned herself after hearing the strange request. Taking a peek down was enough to blow her confusion out of the water, even though it was soon filled with even more questions.

'Hmmmm! So it is true! Very interesting indeed!' Blue's exclamation of joy echoed through Henrietta's head as she looked at the beautiful aquamarine gemstone embedded in the ring on her finger. She couldn't remember a time the gem looked so beautiful before, as if it was filled with the very sea itself.

'I don't understand, Lady Blue. Did something happen to you? Is everything alright back home?' Henrietta questioned anxiously. She wondered if her speculations were correct and someone had done something heinous to the guardian beast of Tristain. She wouldn't ever forgive herself if millennia of duty went to waste under her rule.

'Fufufu, fear not, darling. All you need to know is that great change is coming to this land very soon. Oh, I can't wait! It'll be just like the old days~'

For some reason, those words didn't exactly reassure her. Looking back up at the moon, Henrietta hoped that there would be a kingdom left standing when she returned. She was really looking forward to the familiar expo that should happen in a few weeks. It was probably her only chance to see Louise again before her new duties made it next to impossible for such a thing to happen casually.

"I wonder what kind of familiar she managed to summon? Hopefully it's something strong enough to protect her…" Henrietta idly wondered aloud. Decidedly ignoring the way Blue's chuckling picked up in response to her question. For her sanity's sake, she would just believe the lazy gator managed to find another bottle of wine to drink.

-_-_-

"Knight, is something the matter? Did you see something?" A blonde haired man asked the knight beside him that had stopped abruptly and was gazing off into the distance. The breeze that blew through his hair as the airship cruised through the skies seemed to be ignoring the helmeted knight all together, as not even their emerald cloak ruffled in the wind.

"No my lord. Twas nothing but the wind." The knight commented. The only thing visible through the helmet being their green eyes that appeared to have a whirlwind of sorts in them that were filled with an indescribable emotion.

The blonde man simply nodded his head and continued at his earlier pace on his way to the war room on the ship. The war with the rebels was starting to pick up and with sightings of the witches' cult running about, he needed all hands on deck if they were to overcome the impending crisis.

His worrying about left him completely unaware of the changes in the emerald green gem resting on his finger and the emotions it brought out of his stalwart and most loyal knight as their gaze rested on it.

'Nothing but the winds of change. I hope you're ready, my lady. This world is not the same one we fought to protect so long ago. I fear that these people will not be worth your kindness. That man has twisted your dreams into something rotted at its core. All the while I could do nothing to stop it. I no longer deserve to call myself your blade. I have failed you, Zero…'

A nameless knight quietly lamented under the light of the twin moons.

-_-_-

"Master everything is prepared for the mission. We've gathered our best and most expendable to deal with the spirit while someone retrieves the ring." A woman shrouded in shadows reported to her blue haired master sitting on a throne.

"Good. That idiot Cromwell is going to need at least that much if he's to be of any use for my plans. I really have to thank our lovely beaver here for pointing us to a relic of the mad witch. Conquering Albion wouldn't be nearly as simply without it." The man mused while giving an emotionless smile at the person standing next to him.

The woman glared hatefully at the unmoving tall brown figure standing next to her master. The only thing keeping her anger in check was the large rune drawn in the center of the figure's chest. Indicating her complete control over it.

"What of the void mage in Tristain? Has Charlotte sent any reports to confirm our suspicions?" Her master asked.

"I'm afraid not, master. That useless girl hasn't been able to confirm nor deny if the Vallière's youngest is the void mage of Tristain yet. However, today was the day of summoning so it should become clear enough by the next time she reports." The woman explained dutifully.

Unfortunately for her, she was far too preoccupied with her master and failed to notice the nearly imperceptible twitch her words brought out of the earth beast.

"That's fine. For now I want you to-" The blue haired man moved to rest his head on his other hand only to notice the smoky quartz stone on his finger. Where before it was inert, now it appeared to have never ending layers of sediment shifting about it.

Sheffield, noticing the irregularity with the gem, immediately turned to the most probable source. With the runes on her forehead glowing with power she commanded the beast to speak.

"Speak! Did you have anything to do with this!?"

"No" The beast answered monotonously.

"Well, what does it mean?" Having her immediate concerns abated, she decided it best to get answers before anything unexpected happens.

"I don't know exactly what it means." Of course, as always it would be difficult to get anything out of the beast without a fight. It was a testament to her own ability that she could have as much control over it as she did.

"Take a guess." This time it was her master that demanded a response. Sheffield didn't like the look in its dull eyes as it looked at her master. The ears on its head twitched and its long rat-like tail waving in what seemed to be excitement.

"Perhaps it's a signal to your demise for being a no good rat bastard?" The beast replied with a vicious smirk that unnerved Sheffield enough that she decided to reinforce the connection with the runes she placed on the damn thing.

The beast looked to be visibly struggling for a moment before its face returned to its previous resting expressionlessness and dull eyes. Leaving Sheffield slightly winded and staring at it with hatred.

"Interesting." Just as she was about to make an example of the overgrown rodent, her master spoke with an expression she had never seen on his face before as he gazed at the stone-like ring. One of excitement. It was muted just like always with his emotions, but it was there.

And she hated that she wasn't the one to draw that out of him.