7-16: The Jaunt
Cassidy's scream alerted everyone, all rushed right to the source. Marriott was first to arrive, seeing Cassidy's body on the ground and Veronica going into a blind rage.
She drew her sword in an instant and charged the large man, who was clearly the leader. He seemed cocky and brash, though it was clear that he's been through many battles. The leader had noticed Veronica charging him, and he only chuckled in return.
"A little girl with a little toothpick. Not much you can do with that!" He yelled out, pulling his fist back for a punch.
'A brawler type? Against a trained swordsman, he'd have no chance. But her? He's going to flatten her.'
Marriott readied her sword and was about to flank the man herself, but stopped short as Veronica swiftly dodged his attack and sliced off his arm, spraying blood over her.
"Damn broad!" He tried to throw another punch with his offhand, but missed so far off of Veronica that it was almost laughable.
"This girl's friend was important to her development. Now, she's dead. You must further her growth." Veronica spoke, confusing both the leader and Marriott.
"The fuck are you o-" Veronica interrupted the leader, swiftly decapitation him, watching his body slump to the floor and the slight twitches of his last neurons firing.
With the threat gone, Veronica walked over to Cassidy, falling to her knees and holding her tightly.
"Cass! Please! Wake up, please!" She yelled and cried. The blood on Veronica smearing onto Cassidy, and Cassidy's blood mixing with the dirt and rain.
Marriott approached and knelt down behind Veronica. She placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
Shaerrill had also approached quickly, seeing the after. And for a moment, Marriott set aside her beliefs to leave a moment of silence.
"What happened!? Oh... Oh my Goddess..." Arachne finally showed up with Aviris right behind her.
Aviris stood by Veronica, shaking but seemingly unfazed. Her fear becoming a reality. She couldn't utter a single word, she didn't feel an ounce of sadness, anger or sympathy. And she hated herself for it. So, she tried to comfort Veronica with her touch instead, hoping to do something to show that she cares.
"Cass... You can't... I... What will I..." Veronica couldn't get her words out, choking up in her sobs.
"Oh Goddess, creator of all, I ask of thee, return this one's soul for it is not her time, I offer up my own life essence to revivify this one." Arachne prayed. A faint golden glow radiated from Arachne, which slowly detached and floated its way to Cassidy's body, covering it entirely.
Arachne nearly fainted when her chanting was finished, and coughed up small amount of blood.
"The transaction is finished. Return her to us." Arachne finished.
The rain continued to pour down, it was the only sound for a long while. Seconds passed, feeling like hours. Suddenly, Cassidy's eye bolted open and she had gasped for breath.
"Cass! Please, never, ever, ever do anything without anyone ever again!" Veronica shouted, holding Cassidy tighter, crying even louder.
"How am I... I saw my grandmother... spoke to her..." Cassidy tried to make sense of what happened. She thought she was dead, but she wasn't anymore.
"You died. For a few minutes, you were as dead as dead can be." Marriott said.
"I revived you. At the cost of a shorter lifespan." Arachne explained.
"You... you what?"
"Don't worry about it. With enough potions and training, I can live far longer than normal. Point is, you were dead, and now you're not."
"I... see... A few minutes? It was eternity in there. Argh..." Cassidy said, still confused before holding her head in pain.
"It's a side effect from coming back from the dead. You'll be in pain for a while. Make sure not to do it again. Revival magic is very rare due to the difficulty and cost. Next time, you'll probably be dead permanently."
Cassidy nodded her head, leaning into Veronica.
"I'm sorry, Ver. I didn't mean to-"
"Shut up. Just... Let me hold you."
Aviris breathed a sigh of relief as Marriott took care of Arachne and Veronica kept a tight hold of Cassidy. Shaerrill, after taking a deep breath herself, quickly ran off into the pristine tent.
Veronica silently vowed to make sure that Cassidy, let alone anyone, won't ever die in her presence. If she needs to resort to eliminating a threat before it appears, she's willing to utterly destroy it.
"I'm sorry to ruin your moment, but unless you both want to die from the cold, I suggest we get out of here as quick as possible." Shaerrill said. "I've got the information needed. Let's go."
The two girls nodded as Veronica help Cassidy up.
Veronica knew that she would need to be more bloodthirsty than before. She knew she would have to sacrifice a iece of her humanity to achieve her goals. And if that protects the ones she loves, she's willing to sacrifice the whole damn world if she needed to.