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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 10:02:22 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. The road to redemption was not an easy one, especially when the danger of the world hadn’t even alleviated. But General Beatrix did not consider ‘easy’ quests; she always sought to make herself better, so that she could prove a better person for the people she cared about. Unfortunately, that also meant that she had to be critical of the times when she had fallen astray. That was, perhaps, the most challenging aspect of her current journey.
Her shortcomings were piling up rapidly around her like grains of sand. And she was trapped in the hourglass, trying to keep herself up before she was overwhelmed. The heaviest stone weighing her down had been her actions under the former Queen Brahne. Specifically the decimation of Burmecia and Cleyra. The flashes of senseless slaughter, the countless Burmecians that had been felled by her blade and the magic of the puppet black wizards. The pressure built to a point where she was forced to shake her head, clearing her mind temporarily. She put a hand down on the table in front of her to steady herself, inhaling sharply through her nose.
She’d been cleaning Save the Queen, a dull-gray handkerchief clutched in her other hand. The sword sat on the table before her, the polished metal gleaming from the illumination of the single candle. The dimly lit room seemed to grow even darker as she focused on the wood table, her eyes narrowed and her breath quivering. Her good eye closed slowly as she took a moment to breathe gently, collecting herself from her temporary mania. These anxiety attacks are coming more often now… she noted mentally, relaxing enough to steady her breath. Her eye opened once more, no longer strained from anxiety and once again cool. She allowed herself to lean back in the wooden chair, the basic piece of furniture creaking as she did so.
Was there forgiveness for such actions? The Burmecians had practically been exterminated during Brahne’s campaign for global domination. Any that had survived were scattered about the continent, still huddling in the dark corners in hopes of remaining hidden. Garnet would certainly invoke some semblance of peace and hope, as her nature was kind and caring, but the scars upon the Alexandrian kingdom’s legacy would remain. They certainly wouldn’t heal if cornerstones from the old regime remained, such as herself.
Of course, that meant there needed to be a kingdom to return to. Kuja’s attack on Alexandria had devastated the capital of Alexandria. Hundreds to thousands of lives were slain when the massive eye in the clouds unleashed its destructive wave. That wasn’t even counting those that had lost their lives at the eidolon Bahamut’s initial attack. Now ruins and dilapidated buildings were all that remained, with the unmarked graves of fallen soldiers and citizens alike littered throughout the town and castle. She had heard from Steiner that Garnet had fallen mute, most likely out of sheer guilt for what had happened.
But the truth of the matter was, the princess-soon-to-be-queen was not to blame. She had been handed a cracked sceptre, already tainted by the actions of the previous owner. Beatrix was a part of that issue; she had acted on her queen’s behalf for far too long. Only when Garnet’s life was in jeopardy did she finally break from her blind loyalty and act accordingly with her heart. She could have stopped it all, back in Burmecia. One single sword stroke and Kuja could have fallen before her. It likely would have branded her a traitor but in time, perhaps Brahne would have regained her senses. Then everything that had followed after would have never come to pass. But there was no repentance or growth found lingering in the what-could-have-beens. There was no changing what happened before but she could carve her own path moving forward.
So, despite her wanting nothing more than to be with Princess Garnet and Steiner in Lindblum, that path of absolution had taken her back to the ravaged town of Alexandria. Where the bones of their home had once been, they would rebuild. The phoenix lay in its ashes, ready to be reborn into something far grander than it had been before. And the cinders of its old life -- namely Beatrix -- would help it regrow before disappearing, forgotten to time.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 11:41:27 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. Morning came quickly or seemed to. Beatrix was surprised she was able to get any sleep at all, considering how active her mind had been. Still, it had only been a couple hours or so -- enough to recharge and be active for the day. She was used to short bouts of rest; back in the castle, she was prone to walk the castle during the graveyard hours to ensure her soldiers weren’t napping on the job. Her body had just grown accustomed to it at this point.
She was quick to bathe and dress herself, pulling on her trademark duster over her underclothes. Once she had pulled on the remaining pieces of her armor, she slid Save the Queen into its home loop on her belt, the flat end of the blade resting gentle against her hip. She glanced at the cracked mirror in the corner of the room, taking an inventory of her face before she gave herself a nod.
The door swung inward and from the interior of the lodge emerged General Beatrix, swiftly walking through the threshold and into the world beyond. People were everywhere; a healthy mixture of her own soldiers and displaced citizens of the former Alexandria. They were bustling about; their voices loud enough to drown out her own thoughts. She looked off to the right, where an elderly couple were passing out baked food. The general swiftly made her way over to them, bowing her head in respect when she stopped before them. “I wished to thank you again for the use of your barn to house myself and some of my soldiers.”
“Oh, it’s no problem, General Beatrix. You’re here to help rebuild the city; the least we can do is offer you some comfort, though I wished you had taken the offer of our home,” the elderly woman responded, giving her a soft, albeit sad smile.
I don’t deserve the comfort of a home. Not while others are suffering worse than I, she thought wearily. “I appreciate the offer, ma’am, but I couldn’t possibly impose like that. As it is, Princess Garnet has instructed me to repay you for your kindness,” she said, reaching around to grab the pouch attached to her belt. Once she had freed it, she held it out for the woman to take. “Five thousand gil for your troubles and in appreciation for your hospitality.”
“Oh, my dear General, that is far too much--”
The older man reached around and snatched the bag from Beatrix’s grasp, surprising both her and his wife. “Just make sure your soldiers don’t bother my livestock or attract any more monstrosities,” he said with a snort, dropping the pouch onto the table next to him. He looked Beatrix up and down once before he returned to passing out sweet rolls to the approaching citizens.
The older woman huffed and glared at the back of his head before she turned her gaze back to Beatrix. “Please excuse my husband, General. He can be far too blunt for his own good.”
“It’s fine, ma’am. I understand his anger.” Even a few weeks ago, she may have been a bit more insulted by this man’s words and actions, possibly even going as far as to demand an answer. But she couldn’t disparage him now; she was sure lots of stories were being passed around about the black dragon raining fire down on Alexandria, or the mighty eye that nearly incinerated the entire standing area. And the Knights of Pluto and the empire’s army could do almost nothing against the might of the supernatural creatures.
She had honestly been surprised they had agreed to house herself and her soldiers in the first place. She had prepared her people to be living out of tents for a few weeks before the elderly woman had approached her with an offer. Take up temporary residence in the barn for the time it took to rebuild the town and all they had asked in return was routine patrols, just in case any Mist creatures saw an opportunity to pick off livestock. Clearly it had been the wife’s idea right from the start.
The wife shook off her annoyance with her husband, mentally deciding to berate him later. Instead she smiled and took out a sweet roll, offering it to Beatrix. “Eat, General. You need to keep up your strength.”
Beatrix took the roll in her hand and bowed her head once more in appreciation. “Thank you, ma’am. I best be on my way. Please send a courier if you require me for any reason.”
“The only reason I can see is providing you and your people with some proper lunch. I won’t accept ‘no’ for an answer either,” she gave the younger woman a wink and an impish smile.
Beatrix was able to forge a smile for the woman before she gave her a final bow and turned away. The meeting ground was up on the hill, where they could observe Alexandria as a whole. Best way to plan repairs was to see the destruction in its entirety. It also meant she needed to continually look on her home that she had failed to protect.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 14:11:57 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. Alexandria never looked worse. From afar, it was clear where the origin of the attack had taken place and just how destructive it had been. The outskirts of the town were actually better off than one may have imagined. There were several roofs that had been torn off or open and some had walls that had collapsed from flying debris. But all in all, the foundations had stood up against the attack. But as one’s eyes started to drift inwards, the devastation increased steadily. Rubble lay on the ground where homes and businesses once stood and still burning fires belched smoke into the air at several points.
But the castle was perhaps the worst of all. Mostly because there was no castle to speak of. Pieces remained; fragmented stone and interior materials that had somehow survived being vaporized. A burnt crater depressed the ground where the castle had once stood on, with smoldering trails still weaving through the air. Plenty of pieces of the castle had been thrown about the village, having caused more damage than had already been rendered. And there was absolutely no sign of the eidolon Alexander, the holy being that had come to the aid during Bahamut’s attack.
It was a sordid sight, one that Beatrix stared at for much longer than she intended. She was only shaken from her reverie by one of her soldiers stepping up close to her and muttering her name. The General shifted slightly and nodded, acknowledging the woman soldier and turned back towards the table.
“My apologies. I was… caught up in the sight,” she admitted as she stepped forward to the end of the table. She looked about at the faces in front of her, hardening her features back into their professional place. On her left stood three men, each one wearing vests bearing similar emblems. They were the owners and operators of the major stone masonry business that thrived just outside of Alexandria. They were the legacies of the original construction force that had helped rebuild Alexandria, back some five hundred years ago. Each one was large in size; port-bellied with arm muscles that stretched the confines of their sleeves.
Directly across from her was the ‘civilian leader’. He didn’t classify himself as such but the respect that the other villagers paid him had left to a forum that elected him as their official speaker. He was an older gentleman, perhaps three decades older than Beatrix himself, with a rather large mustache that clung to his cheeks. And to her right was the surviving record keeper of the royal library. His predecessor had unfortunately been lost in the attack and this lad, only a few years younger than herself, looked more than inflated in his new position. He essentially was Beatrix’s second in terms of the construction efforts, something he was more than happy to tell anyone that would listen.
“Admiring the fruits of your labors?” The closest mason snapped at her, sniffing loudly through one of his nostrils. He had been giving her a sharp stink eye since the day prior, when they had arranged this meeting.
Beatrix let that comment slide, only glancing at him momentarily, before she spoke up again. “I believe the original blueprints for the castle were recovered before the castle was devastated?” she asked, turning her attention the record keeper.
“Yes, of course!” He said, pulling out a long piece of parchment from his hanging knapsack. “As soon as the attack occurred, I took it upon my honor to recover the most cherished, unique articles from the library and whisked them away before they could be destroyed along with the rest of the castle,” he added for good measure, patting the knapsack.
“Royal protocol calls for the senior record keeper to send one of the novices away with important documents, in the case that the castle is besieged, captured or...brought down.” Beatrix wasn’t sure why she felt the need to take the wind out of his sails; perhaps she simply didn’t have time to deal with ego at the moment. Quite ironic really, considering how much pride she had… or had before.
“Well... uh… yes, that is the protocol…” The man agreed begrudgingly, quickly trying to recover his stance. “But I, of course, offered myself before my peers, wanting to ensure the safety of our history.”
“The plans, please.” The community leader said with a roll of his eyes. Squabbling wasn’t impressing him and Beatrix almost immediately regretted having snapped at the record keeper.
The young man looked like he was going to assert his unearned rank but thought better of it, most likely because he couldn’t think of anything clever at the moment. He rolled off the string keeping the parchment form-fitted and then unraveled it upon the table. There before them was Alexandria, scratched out on the loose-leaf and looking down upon it from above. The keeper pushed it up on the table and unraveled another piece of parchment of equal size. This one was of the castle itself and the intricate designs that went into its creation.
The masons leaned over the table, inspecting the plans carefully. Their eyes flitted between the two parchments, trying to discern the finer details that was important for their planning. Once each one had examined the plans thoroughly, they looked at one another and nodded. “Shouldn’t be a problem. Many of the town buildings can be built up again with minimal materials. The rubble can be sifted through and building pieces can easily be recovered. We only see one problem.”
“I’m sure we’ll find a way to rectify it. What’s the problem?”
“We see no reason to rebuild the castle.”
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 15:25:27 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. Beatrix did her best to hide her surprise but she quite shocked to hear such a statement. It was one thing if it was an issue in the plans that needed to be looked over or redesigned but it was a clear denial in wanting to build the castle. She swallowed the venom that immediately filled her lexicon and focused on the closest mason. “And why is that?”
The man snorted. “Way we see it, the royals brought this pain upon the rest of us by sticking their noses where they don’t belong. We were perfectly happy with our lives before Brahne decided to launch her crazy war. After that, there’s been nothing but chaos and destruction. Giant black dragons that sweep out of the sky and incinerate our homes, giant eyes in the sky; as far as we’re concerned, this is punishment for them messin’ with the balance of the world. So why should we reward the next Alexandros with a castle when it’ll be destroyed as well? Punishment is coming to the family and there’s still one of them alive.”
Beatrix was seething inside, though she showed no sign of it on the surface. “You would betray your princess?”
“Seems to me she betrayed us,” the mason in the middle shot back.
“This form of disrespect will get you excommunicated,” she said bluntly, her old sharpness returning momentarily.
The last mason sneered. “We’re not the only ones that feel this way, General. If you try and kick us off our land, you’ll have a riot on your hand. That’s the last thing you want when all this other tragedy is still so fresh.”
“Are you inciting revolution?!” The record keeper looked between the three men, worry etched into his features.
“I’m just telling you what will happen. We’ll rebuild the town but there’s not going to be a castle. The people will side with us on that. Perhaps it’s time for a change.”
“A change?” The record keeper asked. His concern seemed to warp suddenly, as if he had spotted the opportunity in the mess in front of him. “A change in leadership…” He almost seemed to be believe he would be a frontrunner if it came to that.
It was going much worse than she expected. Garnet had appointed Beatrix with the reconstruction of Alexandria, even putting forth that the town should be rebuilt before the castle. And now the people she had hoped would rally behind her in their efforts were turning on them. If she attempted to use force, it would further damage the strained relationship between the villagers and the castle’s former denizens. She couldn’t help but wonder if Steiner would have been better at this job than she…
“Enough,” the community leader spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. “You three knuckleheads think you can hold the Alexandros family hostage because someone else attacked us? It wasn’t some other nation attacking us as a means of revenge for Queen Brahne’s bid for conquest. The fact that the remaining Burmecians and the Lindblum Empire had lent aid and relief proves just that. This was someone else that just wanted to cause pain.” His eyes narrowed as he glared at the three masons. “And don’t stand here pretending you didn’t hear about Princess Garnet sending out her soldiers to protect us from those Mist beasts and evacuate us. Or how she stayed in the castle and brought forth that… giant, winged thing that got rid of the dragon.”
He brought a single fist down on the table, causing the three men and the record keeper to jump. “You want to hold a grudge? Then go somewhere else and take whatever idiots you managed to convince with you. The rest of us remember how much Princess Garnet cares about this nation and we’ll stand behind her.” He prodded the parchment in front of him, the one with the castle’s plans on it. “We’ll figure this out, with or without you.”
Beatrix could feel the shame ebbing off the three men on her left. The keeper shifted uncomfortably, as if he were a child that had been caught stealing. “Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t be thanking me, General. We may follow the princess but you were right there with Queen Brahne. You helped cause pain to other nations without a second thought. The only thing we, as a people, respect is that you saved Princess Garnet when push came to shove. But that single act doesn’t wash away all the bad ones. We’ll remember.” The man turned his attention to Beatrix, his sharpness nonplussed by her softness. Then his gaze settled on the three masons. “Well? Made up your mind? Or do we need to find someone else to coordinate this?”
The three were silent for a moment but unmoving. Finally after a solid minute of uncomfortable silence, the one in the center nodded. “Fine,” he grumbled, settling their choice to help out despite everything.
“Fantastic!” The community leader said in mock excitement. “Start writing down what you need then; you have a lot of people willing to work to get their home fixed up. But before we can do that, we still have the other issue of the newest Alexandria citizens.”
“Leave them to me.”
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2018 21:49:55 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. Alexandria’s newest ‘denizens’ were not actual citizens, nor were they squatters looking for somewhere abandoned to hide out. In the wake of the destructive attack upon their home, remaining Mist monsters had come from the plains and the nearby woods to search through the ruins. The smell of death and malevolence must have sent a beacon out to all of them, for their numbers were far greater than anticipated. Several volunteers that had come back to try and recover possible trapped citizens had been forced to retreat as the monsters began to slither into the city. In the short time after the attack, it had become a dominion of the Mist.
Before they could launch into rebuilding efforts, they needed to clear out the monsters. Every nook and cranny would have to be searched through and thoroughly. Even one wayward creature could endanger workers once they started the process. And the last thing they needed was any more injuries and deaths. If the standing army failed in properly clearing out the infestation, it could drive the rift between the military and the citizens even farther apart. That was unacceptable in Beatrix’s book; the only way to heal Alexandria was to do it together. She knew that was how Princess Garnet would feel about it as well.
So almost an hour after concluding the meeting with the masons, the keeper and the civilian leader, Beatrix had gathered a sizable force of twenty soldiers. She had assigned others to the protection of the camp, including standing orders and patrol around the perimeter of the campsite. But the group now directly behind her, marching towards the outer edge of the town. The General led the way, much like she had in any other campaign that involved her soldiers. But now they were heading towards a goal that would help people, rather than cause them pain. It was obvious that their new direction gave her soldiers more inspiration -- there was a noticeable eagerness in their steps.
“General,” Arnis, Beatrix’s lieutenant had caught up to her, walking alongside her.
“Lieutenant,” was the response back.
“I heard what transpired at the meeting with the others.”
“It was a misunderstanding. We were able to rectify the issue swiftly,” Beatrix verbally pushed aside the seriousness of the situation.
“I’m glad,” Arnis responded, nodding gently. She knew better than to push a subject when the General dismissed it. “The soldiers feel good about this. I know the task is daunting but doing what we can to actively help the people… it feels right.”
“Good. The protection and defense of the citizens of Alexandria has always been the highest responsibility of the army, besides the protection of the crown and family. Using our force to aid them should feel right.” The war had never felt that way but the queen was insistent that they begin their campaign. And who was Beatrix and her army to question her? The spot still felt sore, mostly because it hadn’t even been that long ago that they had marched towards Burmecia with the intent of sacking it. She shook her wayward thoughts away and focused on a different, more important thought. “When we reach the perimeter of the town, we’ll split into pairs. We’ll clear each section of town slowly and carefully; no stone unturned, no building left unsearched from top to bottom. I want every beast and monstrosity gone and, once they’ve been purged, we’ll need to establish a new defensive perimeter and mandated twenty-four hour patrols to ensure no more decide to creep in.”
“Sounds like we’re pulling out all the stops. How long do you think it’ll take us to clear the city?”
“I told the foremen to assemble their volunteers today to begin work tomorrow. We have today and tonight to trim the infection,” she replied cautiously, though her voice never wavered. She expected to see her Lieutenant’s face pale at the news, as if she had delivered her the worst news to date.
And yet, it didn’t. Arnis nodded softly. “We’ve done more with less. Perhaps someday the army will actually face a chal--” She had started to take an iota of pride in their strength but her words drifted off suddenly. Bahamut and the destruction of Alexandria had been challenges. And they hadn’t managed to succeed. Boasting about their strength didn’t feel right and even Beatrix knew it.
But she didn’t chastise the woman for the misstep; it was a minor mistake in the grand scheme of recent mistakes. “With everyone working their hardest, I have no doubt we’ll have the city reclaimed by nightfall.” Twenty one soldiers was more than enough to clear the buildings of whatever creeps had managed to crawl inside.
There was never a question about who the solo warrior would be; General Beatrix always did her best work when she was by herself. It gave her ample room and opportunity to stretch her powers, in a sense. Her direct plan was to head towards the more damaged part of the town and begin clearing out the monsters there.
No doubt the beasts saw freshly baked cinders as an opportunity to make nests.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2018 23:06:50 GMT -5
Strange new worlds and the war within them. The sounds of battle echoed through her ears as she walked slowly along the cobble streets, her boot’s clacks reverberating against the dilapidated structures. They weren’t constant clashes like she had experienced in major battles; they were quick flurries of monstrous screeching and the dull explosion of magic. Every single sound felt like it was happening directly around her, as if she was walking through the brief battles one after the other. But they weren’t visions of her soldiers fighting monsters; they were fractured memories of the slaughters in Burmecia and Cleyra. Flashes of Kuja’s black mages appeared in her peripherals, releasing funnels of fire at Burmecian soldiers and civilians alike. Each screech was a spirit being forcibly torn from its body, releasing them from their mortal coil. Her own footfalls were like the marching of her soldiers through the rain-drenched paths of Burmecia. She stopped as she entered the square, the circular section of the city right outside the castle. The air was thick with remnants of smoke and fire, a choking smell that would make even the most stoic of soldiers pause. She put her hand against the fractured foundation of the archway, her heart pounding in her chest and echoing in her ears. Not even a full day’s cycle had passed and already her body and mind were losing their poise. Her other hand curled into tight fist, her gloves whining slightly as her muscles flexed. “Focus,” she ordered herself quietly, much like she would to a trainee in the barrack’s yard. It would not serve her well if she couldn’t stay attentive to the task at hand. The square couldn’t be identified as such anymore, given how much damage had been wrought. The once bustling center of commerce was a corpse of its former self; only a handful of buildings had managed to stay completely standing. Her eyes scaled over the torn rafters and melted shingles, taking in every inch of damage in silent observation. She wasn’t assessing the damage as much as she was searching for any movement. Wild Mist creatures or even the wayward step of a survivor; anything that would stand out against the backdrop of pain and destruction. Yet she saw nothing. Beatrix managed to wrestle her heart back to a relative calmness and stepped away from the pillar. How strange it was to look at this town in its current condition; even when she had been here, fighting beside Steiner, it hadn’t looked this punished. The remaining embers from Bahamut’s attack had done more damage over time, having been left unchecked. But she couldn’t change anything about her orders on that night; her soldiers had been in charge of assisting citizens and getting them out of the town. Buildings could be replaced. Lives could not. She reached down and pulled her sword from its home on her belt, dragging the belt gently out from the leather strap. She took a few steps forward, giving herself fair distance away from the buildings behind her. To most, this would remove the hard surface that she could rely on to not be flanked. But she knew the creatures of the Mist wouldn’t care about barreling through walls and buildings just to get to her. Better to allow herself a full three hundred and sixty degree range of motion and vision, in case more come than she planned. The sound of steel on stone split the dull air as Beatrix slashed at the cobblestone beneath her. It was as loud as a crack of thunder and the strength behind it rend the slab in two even pieces. It echoed through the square for a moment longer before it faded out, leaving the area once again in dreadful silence. The General continued to stand there, Save the Queen tightly held away from her as her eyes snapped every which way. She held herself loose; her body comfortable despite the tension in the air. Then she heard it. The unmistakable sound of claws clattering over the pavement. Large bodies being dragged across flat surfaces such as wood and stone followed right in suit with the sharp chittering. To her right, the large body of a Mistodon pushed itself through hole in the former weapon shop’s wall. It’s glowing yellow eyes, a dozen or more of them, stared ominously at her with malicious intent. Another one of the scaled beasts rounded the corner directly in front of her, leading to the bridge across the river. Then another and another and… Beatrix began to walk towards the center of the marketplace as more of the Mistodons began to emerge from every crook and cranny. More of them had been left over after the attack apparently, despite the numbers that Steiner and herself had cut short. Kuja had come with a full assaultory force and many of their numbers had hidden away, in case anyone dared return to reclaim Alexandria. This exact situation was meant to happen; a swarm of the vile beasts would set upon the unfortunate soul and tear them limb from limb. A suitable fear… were it not Beatrix that had been the victim. She leapt up onto the remnants of the central booth; it had long been used to sell tickets to events and help guide tourists to sightseeing areas. Much of it had wasted away but a single stone column remained, large enough for the General to stand upon its top. There she looked around carefully as the streets around her disappeared under the bulky bodies of the Mistodons. They were so close to one another that she couldn’t honestly count how many had surrounded her. There was no escape; every path had been cut off and the ruthless creatures had her flanked on all sides. But it also meant that they were all out in the open, too stupid to think that this particular situation was exactly what she wanted. Slowly she raised her sword up into the air above her, the point aimed directly to the sky above. As the swarm of creatures began to encroach upon her proximity, she spoke with a cold and calculated tone a single spell. “Holy.”Bright, sapphire magic erupted out from her sword, screeching as it tore into the air directly above her. Streaks of white and blue materialized out of the air and swam towards the now-forming ball of power, pulsating in the air above her. Rivers of latent magical energy connected to the orb, giving it the look of a multi-ringed planet. And then, when it had gathered enough energy, it exploded and released a vibrant ring of holy light that swung down and expanded out over the market. As the glistening magical girdle spread out and crashed into the Mistodons, it tore them apart at an atomic level. Their bodies instantly vaporized, turning into glittering particles of life energy that hung about the air. The monsters didn’t even have time to comprehend it. As quickly as it had occurred, it was over. The spell faded away, reducing the ring to nothing more but humming flakes of light that seemed to interweave with the remaining specters of the Mistodons. The market was clear once more, even a bit brighter than it had been prior. And there stood Beatrix, as firm and serious as she had always been. Unlike other times when she had unleashed her attacks, there was no glimmer of pride, no iota of self-appreciation. There was still work to be done. And she hoped that by cleaning out this city, her inner turmoil would begin to cease.
--Finished--
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