[Burning A Lead]
Since Tanya had proclaimed her intentions to steal the seat of Asmodeus out from under Falbium's lazy bum, she'd been subject to several attempts on her life and livelihood. Most of them came from nobles looking to oust a potential rival or seeking to earn Falbium's favor by seeing her dead or her reputation besmirched. None of them succeeded, and few were worth her time.
Something about this scenario, however, was clearly different.
Tanya ducked beneath a sweeping blade, her wings folding tight against her back as she rolled through the air. The confines of the bedroom didn't give her much room to maneuver, but her wings were large and deadly and she used them to great effect, sweeping them wide to deter anyone from closing in.
The remaining three attackers fanned out, circling her with blades drawn. Smart. Attacking one at a time in a narrow space was just feeding her targets one by one. Tanya's eyes tracked them as they moved, her wings flickering with heat.
One of them lunged from her left. Tanya pivoted, catching his blade on the flat of her wing. Her eyes narrowed as the flames sputtered against the metal even as it began to glow a cherry red. She could feel the sword sapping her strength, or at least attempting to.
Some kind of holy magic infused into the blades, she surmised. With a faint grunt, she pushed even more of her power into her wing, causing it to flare even brighter for just an instant. The man yelped and pulled back, his sword-hand blistered as the metal heated to impossible standards.
Before Tanya could press the advantage, the second was on her. She twisted away from his strike, the blade whistling past her ear close enough to disturb her hair. If she got cut, she'd have to split her attention between her opponents and her regeneration which, in a situation such as this, was not ideal.
To that end, she flared her wings once more, pushing her opponents away. Motes of phoenix fire drifted from the appendages like pollen from a dandelion, hanging in the air around her. Her enemies stopped in their tracks, remembering what happened to their comrade just moments ago. Their hesitation cost them.
Tanya surged forward, closing the distance to the nearest man before he could retreat from her fire. She feinted high, drawing his blade up to guard his face, then drove her palm into his sternum. Her power churned and fire erupted from her palm, blasting through his chest like an exploding furnace. Her fell into a pile of plush toys that Ravel had received for her last birthday and didn't rise again.
“What the hell...” The leader of the group stared at Tanya with blatant fear in his eyes as she straightened. She eyed him, before her gaze slipped past him to the figure standing near the window. She still had not moved. In fact, she didn't seem concerned in the slightest that Tanya was slaughtering her comrades.
A possible dissenter? Or was she simply so confident in her own power than none of what Tanya displayed moved her? A worrying prospect. Tanya resolved to keep an eye on that one even as she said to the leader, “Perhaps you should give up. I've already killed two of you, and I'd hate to have to resort to burning limbs off just to capture one of you alive.”
Her tone made it clear that she was fully willing to do so if it came to it, and the leader picked up on that, swallowing harshly.
“Damned Devil,” he murmured, gripping his sword tighter. “We won't surrender to the likes of you! Our lord will wipe your kind from the face of the underworld!”
Ah, zealots. Not mere assassins, then. Tanya thought as she leader rushed forward. He threw his coat from his shoulders, tossing it into her floating sparks to clear a path for himself, and Tanya mentally commended the tactic even as she prepared for his assault.
He came in low, aiming for her legs to cripple her, but Tanya kicked off of the ground and toward the high ceiling to evade. Her small body gave her just enough clearance and the sword passed beneath her, slicing through the hem of her nightgown but failing to reach flesh.
Tanya retaliated with a sweep of her wing, but the leader was already backpedaling, having anticipated the counterattack. He kept his distance, circling her with his blade raised, looking for another opening. The third man moved to flank, trying to box her in like a wolf circling its prey/
Already she could tell that these two were far more adept than the ones she had already dispatched. The leader especially seemed to have a good read on her patterns, stepping out of range of her wings before they could reach him each time. The other tried to capitalize on her distraction, stepping in only when she turned to face his leader and nipping at her heels.
I might be in trouble here, Tanya admitted as she kept one of them at bay with a wing. There wasn't enough room to maneuver indoors, and she couldn't risk setting fire to the entire manor just to dispatch these three. Perhaps a change of venue was in order.
Once there was a lull in the combat, Tanya glanced toward the nearby window where the final member of the group was lingering. She'd made no move to intervene and, taking the chance that that would continue, Tanya made her move. Her wings flared, sending a wave of mostly-harmless fire to push her enemies back and scorch the carefully-applied wallpaper of her sister's bedroom. As they were distracted, Tanya leapt toward the window and tactically defenestrated herself.
Tempered glass lacerated her skin and the wounds burned themselves closed as she leapt into the cool night. Her wings caught the air and she banked hard, leveling out above the manor's manicured gardens. She turned back, expecting them to follow, and wasn't disappointed as the leader immediately pitched himself into the night to follow after her.
The night air was cool against her skin, a stark contrast to the heat radiating from her wings. Tanya banked wide over the gardens, putting distance between herself and the manor as the leader burst through the window after her, his blade gleaming in the moonlight.
As he landed, a magic circle spread out from beneath his boots. Tanya threw herself to the side on pure instinct and that proved to be the right move as a silver sword passed just inches from her face. The man had used his magic to propel himself toward her. Tanya whipped around as he passed, fingers trailing flame as she sent a condensed ball of fire toward his back, expecting him to be helpless now that his surprise attack had failed.
To her surprise, the man manifested another magic circle mid-air. A column of shadows burst from the circle, pushing him away as Tanya's attack passed him harmlessly.
Night turned to day for a split second as Tanya's attack unraveled and exploded in midair. Tanya watched as the leader fell back down toward the ground, rolling as he landed. He was quickly joined by his compatriot and both of them stared up at Tanya with varying levels of distaste.
Noises erupted from beyond the estate as the guards finally responded to the melee. Tanya did a mental check. Three minutes. A bit slower than she likes, but adequate.
“Looks like we're almost out of time,” she said. “Seems I won't be able to keep my word after all.”
The leader's jaw tightened and his eyes flickered downward. “How long are you just going to stand there!?”
Tanya's eyes widened and she whirled around just in time to catch a flash of white before one of her wings suddenly disappeared, alongside the magic that she was using to sustain them.
Another burst out to replace it and Tanya flew backwards to dodge another strike from... Was that a mouth?
Indeed. A monstrous amalgam of flesh and teeth reached up from the ground, gnashing at the air as it tried and failed to reach her. After a moment, it pulled back, snapping back into place on the face of the third assassin.
“Dumbass. I would have gotten her if you knew how to keep your mouth shut.” She stepped out of the shadows, pulling her hood back to reveal a shock of blond hair and a youthful face set in a blank expression. The only sign of her deed was a small section of charred flesh on the corner of her mouth.
“Spicy.” She wiped her lips. “You Devils normally taste like rotten meat but that was kind of good. Mind if I have another bite?”
Her mouth quivered, and before Tanya could react her maw shot upwards once more, unhinging like a snake. The appendage stretched to impossible proportions, snapping at Tanya like a frog catching a fly.
Tanya dropped away from the mouth, plummeting toward the ground as it chased after her. The leader capitalized on the moment of distraction and surged forward with his blade and Tanya was forced to her attention to block it with one of her wings.
She hissed through her teeth as she shoved him away with a burst of flame. The second assassin came at her from behind, a wordless cry on his lips and Tanya spun, ducking beneath the swing and driving a flaming fist into his gut. The man doubled over in agony and fell away, but she couldn't finish him off because the girl's mouth was already stretching toward her again from below.
Three powerful enemies, three angles, all converging at once. A lifetime ago, these odds would have been unfavorable at best. She'd have to use her wits and a bag full of tricks and unconventional strategies to get herself out alive.
In this lifetime, however...
Tanya finally let the full scope of her power off of its leash. Her wings---already white-hot and glowing---became even more luminous as they drive away the shadows at the edge of the courtyard. The air warped and shimmered and below her, the carefully tended hedges at the edge of the courtyard began to brown and curl, moisture boiling out of their leaves.
As her foes reeled, Tanya raised one hand above her head and mustered her magic.
A spinning seal appeared above her palm, emblazoned with the Phenex family crest. Fire burst from her palm like water from a hose and was given shape by the plans written into her magic.
Serpents of flame roared into existence, writhing through the air like dragons with just as much malice. Directed by her will, they streamed around her body and snatched up the man she had just punched away.
He screamed as the serpents coiled around him, constricting even as they burned the life from his body. When they moved on, only smoking ashes remained to blown away in the wind.
The leader's reaction was swift, gathering his magic to raise a wall of shadow to meet the serpents head-on. Fire pushed against the void, hissing and crackling angrily as the spell tried to push through
For a moment, it seemed like the shadow wall might hold. But then a third serpent swept in from his flank, catching him off-guard. It gathered him in its jaws and as his wall fell, the rest of the serpents joined in the feeding frenzy, consuming him until there was nothing left. Tanya frowned at his quick death. She had been hoping to keep him alive for questioning, but it seemed she had misjudged his power. Oh well; there was still one left.
They converged upon the final foe. The girl raised her hands with no-small amount of panic. Tanya expected more shadow, but her widened as there was a surge of holy energy, and a dome of glowing gold appeared to block their way.
The barrier rippled like a disturbed lake as the serpents threw themselves against it, coiling and snapping in frustration. Tanya's eyes narrowed as they tried and failed to get through. Holy magic or not, her fire should have at least damaged the barrier by now.
She recalled what happened with her wing, the magic that she had lost. With a thought, she snuffed her flames.
Tanya's bare feet touched down on the scorched earth of the courtyard, and what little grass remainder smoldered under the heat. In front of her, the golden barrier flickered and then dissolved, revealing its caster was unharmed, though clearly winded.
Tanya raised a hand, flames already gathering at her fingertips, pressurized and intent to penetrate. One good burst to incapacitate and then this debacle could be wrapped up nice and neat—
“I give up.”
Tanya paused, the flames sputtering.
“...Pardon?”
The girl raised her hands, palms out. “I said I give up. You win.”
For perhaps the first time in either of her lives, Tanya found herself completely flat-footed.
The girl lowered her hands, though she kept them in clear view. “I don't trust my Blut against that fire, and as cold as it is, I don't really feel like being cooked alive today,” she said, wiping at the corner of her mouth again. The skin there had already healed, Tanya noted. “So, yeah. I give up. Do what you want.”
Tanya's eyes narrowed but before she could respond, the sound of boots on stone reached her ears. Torches bloomed to life along the perimeter of the garden as the estate guard finally arrived in force, a dozen soldiers pouring through the archways with spears leveled.
“My Lady!” The captain yelled stepping toward Tanya with concern.
“Surround her!” Tanya barked, pointing at the girl. “Take her into custody and keep under strict surveillance. I intend to learn what these fools were doing here.”
To the guards' credit, they only hesitated for a moment at the sight of the devastation around them, before rushing forward to follow her command.
The girl offered no resistance as they closed in, looking annoyed at best as they forced her arms behind her back and clamped her in magic shackles.
More footsteps approached and Tanya turned to find her father striding across the courtyard with a harried expression.
“Tanya,” he said worriedly. He stopped in front of her, gently grabbing her shoulders and looking her over. “My daughter, are you hurt?”
“Not in any meaningful way,” Tanya assured him. “Though we'll have to speak to a contractor to repair Ravel's room. And her window.”
Her father turned to look up at the window Tanya had jumped through, before looking around at the burned hedges and the body. When he turned, his face was grim.
“Roune! I want a full sweep of the house and a full report of casualties within the hour. And fire whoever was on duty tonight. This is a disgrace”
The guard captain broke off and sprinted back inside. Tanya's father turned to the rest of them. “As for the rest of you, speak a word of this to noone. We do not want to cause a panic.”
The guards dispersed to their duties, and Tanya's father turned back to her. “Your sister, how is she?'
“She's fine,” Tanya said. “She came to my room earlier tonight. A bad dream. I put a barrier on the door before I dealt with the Interlopers and it's still intact, so she should be unharmed, if a bit scared ”
Her father let out a breath he'd been holding, seeming to age fifty years in an instant. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, stress lines shifting on his face.
“We must get to the bottom of this attack,” he finally said. “The other houses must be notified—discreetly. Someone brazen enough to launch an attack on a noble family must have some sort of plan in store.”
“I intend to find out,” Tanya said. “Go tend to Ravel and mother. I'll handle the prisoner.”
Her father seemed ready to argue, clearly against the idea of his daughter being anywhere near her would-be assassins/kidnappers, but then he looked past her at the damage done to the grounds, and he seemed to sag.
“Very well. But you will be accompanied by Roune and no less than three of his best.” Tanya easily ceded his command, understanding his position.
His face softened and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You did a good job keeping your sister safe. I'm proud of you.”
With that, he turned and strode away. Tanya watched her father disappear back into the manor before turning to follow the guards. The prisoner walked between two of them, shackled at the wrists and seeming surprisingly nonplussed about her capture.
She was escorted to the dungeons and placed in a rather nice cell with thick bars to separate her from the guard contingent. She remained in her shackles, made special to dampen all brands of magic, demonic or otherwise.
She had also been divested of her original clothes and weapons and Tanya was left staring into the eyes of a girl only a little bit older than her. One who seemed completely unaffected by everything that had happened to her, at least so far.
Tanya tilted her head, admiring the stoicism of the one stood before her. “You seem remarkably calm for someone who just watched four of her comrades burn to death.”
“We weren't very close, in case you couldn't tell.” The girl said somewhat sarcastically. Her golden eyes bored into Tanya's. “Are you gonna to torture me? Try and figure out all my secrets?”
“That is an option, yes,” Tanya nodded slowly. “A rather pretty one, to boot. You lot endangered my family. I'm sure many of the men behind me would be thrilled to take a swing at you.”
Armor clanked as the men shifted eagerly, adding to her point. The girl's eyes shifted behind Tanya and the first spark of emotion appeared on her face in the form of a slight frown.
Tanya let the notion stew for a moment before continuing in an idle tone. “Though I personally find torture to be a rather inefficient method of gathering information. I would like your recollection to be as accurate as possible.”
“You're pretty wordy for a little kid,” the girl noted flatly. She sat down, her shackles clinking as she crossed one leg over the other. “But whatever. It's not like I care if this whole thing goes up in smoke anyway. What do you want to know?”
“Your name and allegiance, for starters,” Tanya said. “As well as exactly what your group hoped to achieve by coming here.”
The girl regarded Tanya for a moment, before shrugging. “Fine. My name's Liltotto Lamperd. I don't have any allegiances to anyone but myself and what fee friends I have left.”
She leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, “As for what we're doing here, we were supposed to make an example of one of you. I guess you ended up making one of us instead, huh? Pretty cool.”
“You don't seem too be very torn up about your defeat,” Tanya noted yet again. Liltotto just shrugged. “What is the name of your organization? Do you have one, or even a purpose beyond what you failed to do for her tonight?”
“No clue. I'm barely even a part of the whole thing. They just keep me around because of my powers, and I only stay around because they have my friends.”
That explains why she's being so cooperative, Tanya thought, before asking aloud, “So you truly have no clue what your purpose is? Surely you must have gleaned something.”
“Only that these people really hate you guys,” Liltotto replied. There was a note of exasperation in her voice. “None of them would shut up about it. We Quincy weren't a fan of Devils either, but you'd think you killed their god or something.”
Tanya filed the odd term away for later, ruminating on what he had learned. It was just as she suspected; this debacle was merely a small portion of a much wider plan. Unfortunately, it seemed that Liltotto was in the dark as far as the particulars.
Tanya doubted the girl was lying, but that wasn't exactly ideal. She had come for information, and it seemed Liltotto was lacking. How frustrating. She should have kept the leader alive instead of getting overeager.
“It seems you're not as useful to me as I hoped.”
“Sorry to hear that.” It was clear that she was anything but. “Want me to put a bandaid on that booboo by showing you where they live?”
Tanya's eyes sharpened. “You know the location of their base of operations?”
“Sure do.” Liltotto nodded. “Walked through the front door myself. Could draw you a map if you gave me a crayon. The only question is, what are you gonna give me if I tell you?”
Tanya was silent for a long moment. Behind her, one of her guards stepped forward, expression aghast. “My Lady, please tell me you aren't going to negotiate with this wretch!”
“All of you, out.” Tanya pointed to the door, her eyes never leaving Liltotto's. Roune shook his head, looking displeased.
“Lord Phenex insisted we guard you.”
“And you can do that well enough an extra three feet away,” Tanya responded sharply. “I gave you an order. Out.”
The guards shuffled out reluctantly, Roune being the last to leave. He shot Liltotto a look that promised violence if she tried anything before the door finally closed behind him, leaving the two alone.
“Sure you want to send those guys away?” Liltotto asked as Tanya stepped up to the bars. The side of her mouth squirmed and lengthened, revealing razor sharp teeth. “I'm pretty dangerous even when I'm locked up, you know?”
“You seem like a fairly sensible person. Sensible enough to accept the olive branch I'm about to offer.” Tanya said, standing right against the bars. “Besides, you wouldn't make it far, even if you managed to kill me, which I very much doubt you're capable of doing.”
They stared at one another through the thick bars. After a moment, Liltotto’s mouth zipped shut, and Tanya allowed herself a satisfied smile. Sensible indeed.