Chapter 15 – Amongst the Carnage.

It wasn’t where Callie had expected to have her big moment. In the middle of a road, the smoking wreckage of their car nearby. At least it was a beautiful day, right? And the countryside was rather picturesque as well, if you ignored the carnage that Prince’s and her magic had wrought. The road was black, deep scars running along it. And they all had survived too! Well, those who were important to her. They would check on the others soon, though she wasn’t hopeful with what she had seen.

Callie pulled back from Uriah, still gazing into his eyes. She was feeling rather flushed, and there was a definite tinge to Uriah’s face as well. He’d kissed her! She just wanted to lean back in, and give him another deep, passionate, kiss, but it probably wasn’t the best time to be doing that right now, especially since there was two other pairs of eyes on them.

“Hey, Felicia,” she said, turning to her. “Thanks.”

Felicia gave her a giggle, and blushed. “I should be thanking you. I finally get to be the real me now! And I’m no longer a ghost either. This is so awesome!” She gave a little spin, her arms out wide as she took in the feel of the world. “I never thought this would ever happen, you know. My parents...” She trailed off, sadness washing across her face, before it was gone, the smile back. “Not that it matters any more. They have no claim over me now.”

No, that they didn’t. The magic... well, the magic had been a lot more involved than either of them had initially thought. But seeing her like that, so happy, it was totally worth it. Callie still felt some guilt over her death, but now, with this, perhaps she had made it for it a little?

She’s lost the use of her magic fighting against the creatures, and gained it back in the same way. Somewhat ironic, even though she understood now what the actual causes had been.

Julia was staring at Felicia with wide eyes, like she’d only just managed to lay eyes on her now. “Oh, umm. Wow.” She was blushing too. Well, who wouldn’t. Felicia was definitely something to look at, and perhaps it’d take attention away from how Uriah’s magic was manifesting.

Felicia giggled again, and walked right up to Julia, standing close. “So, you’re Julia, the fiancee. Nice to meet you too.” Felicia cocked her head to the side, as if contemplating something deep, then blushed a little, a cheeky smile on her face. “Yeah, you’re pretty too. And actually quite nice as well, I’m told. I’m liking you already.”

Julia went very red, and Callie couldn’t help giggling herself. Felicia was being rather forthcoming. So much more so than what she would have expected.

“Yeah, I must be giddy on life at the moment,” Felicia said, somewhat more softly, and then leaned into a very surprised Julia. “But, I’m feeling very tired at the moment. I need to sleep.”

A soft warm light seemed to envelop Felicia, and when it was gone, an even more surprised looking Julia had found herself holding on to a very cute fox. Fiery orange and white fur with a fluffy tail that she had wrapped around herself. Julia looked like she was about to drop the fox out of shock, but instead wrapped her arms more securely under her.

“What is going on? Where is Felicia?” There was both confusion and anger in Julia’s voice, like someone had just torn something important from her.

“You’re holding on to her,” Callie replied a little bashfully. How on earth was she going to explain this? “The magic, the array...” she stumbled on her words, and sighed. “Felicia’s... well... she’s kinda my familiar now.”

Julia blinked.

“He wasn’t wrong when he called you a witch then,” Uriah said with a chuckle.

“Your familiar??” Julia shuffled her arms a little, trying to make Felicia more comfortable. “What does that even mean, and how does it even work?”

“Umm...” While she knew, Callie wasn’t so certain on how to explain it all. Or if she should. “That array, as the details on the whiteboard said, it is for sharing magic. I’m pretty sure that they’ve been using an iteration of it on the shadow creatures, to gain some measure of control over them, but that wasn’t its true purpose. It, umm... allows Felicia to pull on my magic to supplement her own. The bond though... is permanent.” And it allowed for more than just that.

Julia narrowed her eyes at her. Not out of anger though. More out of a desperation to know? It was kind of cute to be honest, her expression suddenly that much easier to read. “None of those creatures took on human form...”

That one was easy. “That’s because they aren’t human. Felicia is. That form, the woman, that is her true form. Her as a fox, that is...” she really was struggling for the right words. “That is her low magic form.” Her familiar form really, but the exact nature of their relationship now was kinda messy, and she was not going to go there. Not until she found a way to cement her own with Uriah. Till they were allowed to marry, with the blessing of magic, if such were a thing, or she could form a similar bond, one that was designed for such. Cause right now, more than anything, she wanted that. Perhaps there was some fear lingering there as well, but dammit it, it was justified.

“I’m pretty sure she’ll be in her human form as much as possible,” Callie added. “Just right now, it’s rather taxing for her.”

Julia looked down again at the fox, very much still confused, and then back at her again. And then over to Uriah. “Why did you look like some kind of fox-boy there?”

Drat. She hadn’t missed or forgotten about that.

Uriah just shrugged. The ethereal features were all but gone now, the glow as well. “My magic is fox aspected. You can see that in my mark.”

“I... I didn’t even know that was a thing.” She looked thoughtful, focusing back on Callie. “Is it the same for Felicia, or are you fox aspected as well.”

“That I’m not sure,” Callie admitted. She had no idea if Felicia was fox aspected or not. But, Felicia’s familiar form was actually related to both of them. However, her own mark had never shown anything fox related on it, even if she adored the creatures.

Julia sighed again, briefly looking back down at the fox. “She is... she is cute. But, what the hell is going on. Who was that man? Prince Alyther? And you two... you’ve never really revealed what you are capable of, have you? Your parents bragged, and I thought that they were embellishing it, but their tales were but a shadow of what you just wrought.”

“Magic grows and develops,” Uriah answered, with another shrug, the effect of which was lessened by his cheeky smile. “And Callie’s has only just come back to her.”

Callie really needed to have a look at her mark. Her arm was stinging still, and a quick glance at the back of her hand showed that it had changed significantly, that possibly the source of the pain. Her hair was also tickling her face. She should tie it up...

She froze, and reached up, her fingers brushing the hair and bringing it into view. It was hers, still the same brown that it had always been, but it felt more silky, and it was long. It was long!

Callie felt a smile as she looked up, gave her head a shake, and then gathered her hair into a ponytail, bringing it over her shoulder. It came part way down her chest. It was exactly the same as what she’d seen, in the mindscape. Sadly, she knew that other aspects of her had not done so. Her chest was flat, and the bulge was still down there. Unlike for Felicia, she had not gained the form that she had seen there, just the one small change. But even so, she was happy about that. Another step towards finally being fully her.

“It looks good,” Uriah said softly, reaching out his hand to touch the hair, and then her face. “It suits you.”

Her smile took up her entire face. “Thanks. I uh... I saw myself there, as I could be. I... I really want to get to that point, to be able to be truly me. Though I have no clue how.”

“You’re beautiful now you know, and every bit a woman. We’ll get you there, though. Together.”

“Thanks,” she murmured, blushing. Gods, if she stood here much longer like this, she was going to kiss him again. Perhaps more had changed than just her hair? Or perhaps all those barriers that had been there had just all crumbled away, and she was just happily being more herself. Like wanting that kiss. And so many more.

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“We... should check to see if any of the others survived...” Callie reluctantly said, tearing her eyes away from Uriah and looking towards the vehicles. Not that she thought anyone else had, given the mess that the vehicles were and what had happened to them, and surely they would have emerged by now. But they needed to check. She was dreading it already. Real life horror and her did not mix. Not after Felicia.

Their driver, her parents’ servant, had not survived. She was certain that with her warning he would have had a chance to exit the vehicle for the Alyther’s attack had hit, but he was still in the driver’s seat, and it was not pretty. After making their way through the field to the car, a glance was more than enough to tell them that he would not be moving again, Callie leaving it to Uriah to have a better look and confirm that she was right. Julia didn’t even glance, looking pale as they got close and snuggling Felicia even closer.

‘This is nice. I like her.’

‘I thought you were meant to be sleeping?’ Callie tried thinking back. She had no idea how this all actually worked. She knew that they could communicate across the bond, but the exact mechanics of it were unknown to her.

‘That’s a little hard with all the movement and smells, but in my defence, I am trying to doze.’

Okay. Perhaps that was the way. ‘Or was it an excuse just to get close?’

She got a giggle back to that. ‘You’d like to carry me instead?’

Callie rolled her eyes. ‘I think she needs your comfort more at the moment. Besides, you are more than capable of walking if it comes to it.’

‘So cruel.’ It was followed by another giggle, and the sensation that Felicia was in fact rather happy and content where she was. Perhaps a little too much so. She probably wasn’t wrong in her call that Julia needed the comfort either.

Uriah spent a couple of minutes seeing if any of their stuff had survived, pulling out some of the bags. It looked like it was going to be hit and miss, the heat from the attack that had hit the car fairly intense. Something that they could sort through later, Uriah just placing them off to the side in the field.

The utility vehicle was in a better state, given that it was built more sturdy, a military grade vehicle that her father had acquired a number of with his connections. It was still a mess though, and its tinted windows were doing them no favours. The driver, one of the men from the archives, was definitely dead, the coating of blood across the windscreen the first indication, and not the only one. The front passenger, one of the spellswords, was in exactly the same state, Callie dry vomiting. Killing the creatures was a completely different thing. At least they only left a mist behind. She had told her father many times that she wasn’t soldier material, and this more than cemented that.

“Anyone alive in there?” Uriah banged his fist against the roof of the vehicle, the most practical spot given that it was lying on its side. It had rolled a number of times before it had finally stopped, and given that those in the front had been wearing seatbelts, but those in the back had not, well, the implications were pretty clear.

The response was almost instant, some swearing and someone’s fist banging back in reply. “The $#@^ door’s jammed.”

“Are you really okay looking in?” Callie asked Uriah with worry. What she’d seen was going to give her nightmares, just like she had suffered back then, and she was worried about him. She had every right to be.

Uriah shook his head. “No. But I’ll handle it better than you.” He then gave a cheeky grin. “If I scream in my sleep, soothe me, okay?”

“That, and more,” she answered, reaching out and gently touching his arm.

Callie then stood off to the side with Julia as Uriah went to the door. Whoever was inside was right, it was jammed, the fact that it was buckled a pretty clear indication of that. Uriah gave it an experimental pull, and then just summoned his flaming sword, carefully cutting through where the hinges would be on one side. Military grade vehicle or not, his magic was potent. A minute later, the smell having only gotten worse, Uriah dismissed his weapon and tried again, easily pulling the door off. And then dry retching himself as he looked away.

“How the hell did you two actually survive?” he muttered as he stepped back, refusing to move his gaze back to the van.

“Magic of course,” Riddling stated as he emerged, clambering over the other half of the door in a very ungainly manner. There were some blood stains on his clothes, very fresh, but other than that he seemed unscathed.

Burt emerged after him, looking deathly pale and bruised in numerous places, one arm held limply, his entire body covered in blood and other things that Callie wasn’t even going to try and identify. If any clothes had survived, she was going to insist that he changed straight away. And then use some of them to make a sling for his arm. She somehow doubted it, given what Alyther had done to the trailer. They might have to use some of theirs, which she didn’t really want to. Burt scowled as he looked at them, anger burning in his eyes. “Trust the sissy crew to have been spared the attack,” he spat, before grimacing from pain, coughing heavily.

“You have no idea what we’ve just been through,” Julia snapped back, before she looked regretful, and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for the loss of your friends, but if it wasn’t for Uriah and Callie here, you’d be more than dead. That Prince man, Alyther, would have slaughtered you if he’d known that there were survivors.”

Riddling started, stopping in his tracks from his walk over to the trailer unit, and turned to face Julia. “What did you say?”

“Sorry for the loss of your friends,” Julia repeated.

“No. The name. Who did he say he was?” Riddling’s face was creased, his gaze intent.

“Prince Alyther erl Tasuriet,” Julia said, with perfect pronunciation. Callie was surprised that Julia had remembered it all. She hadn’t. Even with her understanding of the language, it was a mouthful.

“That sounds like a name from the other realm,” Riddling said, looking thoughtful. Or trying to. Callie had seen the recognition on his face when Julia had first said it.

“He told us to tell E’iures that he will pay for his betrayal,” Callie stated, watching him carefully. Her pronunciation wasn’t as good, but at least she’d remembered it, right? She couldn’t see any further reaction, but if he did recognise the name, he would have been prepared for it.

“Another one from the other realm,” he stated rather loudly. “For some reason we’ve been caught in a conflict between two of them.”

Burt collapsed onto the grass, hunched over. “What the #! are they even doing here?”

“They never left,” Callie stated, and then regretted saying so. “That’s what we were taught, wasn’t it?” she added as a hopeful redirection.

“Hmm,” Riddling stated as he stared into the trailer, his look becoming more annoyed the longer his eyes were on it. “Well, this is turning out to be a fine day. Has anyone called for help yet?”

“No.” Callie shook her head. Did Riddling have no concept of time? They hadn’t really had the chance yet, and it would take the Guardians at least a day and a half to get here. She also doubted that her phone would be functional any longer, given the nature of her magic and what had happened. It never seemed to affect their clothes, but she had lost phones to her magic before. Delicate technology and magic did not mix well.

“Then let’s get onto that then,” Riddling declared, pulling out his phone. “I don’t fancy staying the night out here.”