Specialis Libri
Chapter 11
I've been staying with her ever since she found me. I've been forced to stay in bed for days. She told me that I had a fever, and I should get some rest. I told her I felt fine, but she insisted. I had no choice but to acquiesce.
It was a day after she found me that she told me her name. I was still lying in bed, with the afternoon rapidly diminishing to dusk.
From what I remember, she told me that her name was Ellen, and Fluffyhead was her middle name.
I couldn't help but laugh. I laughed until my I felt like my lungs were about to burst, until I felt tears in my eyes. Still, I laughed. I've never laughed like this, as far as I can remember. Not in Makai, not since I arrived here in the surface.
After getting my composure back, I saw Ellen handing me a cup of tea. I took a sip and found that it tasted excessively bitter, and I nearly coughed it out. It took me a great deal of resolve to swallow the vile concoction inside my mouth.
"Oh, so you don't like it?" she asked. "Too bad. I was sure it was going to turn all right this time."
I handed the cup back to her and asked quite rudely. "What is this?"
"Coffee," she said simply. "It's supposed to taste good, but I've had trouble getting the brew right."
Coughing the last of the vileness inside my mouth I told her, "At least make sure it's edible before giving it to other people." Ellen looked a little down after that.
I felt bad, doubly bad to be sure, for not only did I make her feel bad, but I also felt that I was a little impetuous and mean to someone who had done nothing but help me since she found me at the side of a byway road.
Feeling contrite, I tried to comfort her. "It didn't kill me at the very least. It's just that it's too bitter. Maybe you should try adding some milk and sugar, like what you do in strong tea."
Ellen looked brightly at those words. "Maybe you're right. I'll try doing that next time." As she turned to leave, she told me these words: "You're a kind girl, Alice. At the very least, I know that you have a human soul."
She left the room, leaving a big question inside my mind.
How did she know my name?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marisa was already dozing off when Star Sapphire noticed that Luna was already gone from the room. A few minutes earlier, Sapphire's attention was mostly diverted to a platter of food and sweets that Marisa pilfered from Alice's cellar earlier. It was not until Sapphire's hunger for sweets were satiated that she noticed her companion's disappearance.
Marisa was snoring lightly while still sitting upright on a cushioned chair. She was fatigued, and rightfully so. Today was a very eventful day, with the threat of youkai attacks becoming more imminent, and the news of fairies becoming more and more violent. This were Marisa's thoughts before she slumped down to fitful slumber.
Sapphire naturally cared less about those things. Fairies are carefree creatures, but Sunny Milk turning wild caused her great alarm. If not for her discovery of Sunny Milk's weakness to star apples, she would have already left Sunny Milk behind. Or would she?
Fairies are weak creatures, compared to other youkai. Because of this weakness, fairies gather in groups, and rarely come out alone. Even if they do often fight with each other, fairies depend on other fairies for survival. It's a natural course of nature. A lone fairy is rare and almost unheard of, and a lone fairy rarely survives for any length of time.
"I'm thinking too much," Star Sapphire said aloud. "I wonder where Luna went off to?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~While Star Sapphire was busily eating some sweets in the living room, Luna Child tiptoed quietly from the room as she sought to explore more of Alice's house. It was a small house, but for a fairy, it was a manor of mysteries. Fairies possess an unnatural dose of curiosity. In fact, it could be called unhealthy by the cautious and rash by the learned.
But a fairy is neither cautious nor learned for they have the temerity of a child and the equivalent intellect of a tree stump.
Scouting around, Luna found a curious looking door at the end of a corridor. It was well decorated, and embossed on it was the word "Alice". She looked around for anyone following her and silently tiptoed towards the door. She pushed it open, and nearly cried out when she heard the loud creaking of the door. She quickly used her ability, the ability to muffle sounds, to dim out all the noise around her. Immediately, the place was covered in a shroud of silence, thick enough that not even the sound of the trickling droplets of rain on the roof can be heard.
Feeling proud of herself, Luna Child went inside to explore Alice's bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sapphire was surprised when she couldn't hear her voice. She tried stomping on the floor, but she couldn't hear any sound. Even Marisa's light snores weren't audible.
Luna is up to something again, thought Sapphire.
I'd better find her.Using her ability, she tried sensing the things around her. Her ability enables her to sense moving objects from far away, making her a good scout for danger when the three of them play pranks on people.
It's also useful finding Luna Child whenever she decides to explore on her own.
Immediately, she sensed Luna Child somewhere inside the house, tiptoeing inside a room. She sensed the small insects and pests that lived under the floorboards and the walls. However, what attracted her attention was something else entirely. There was something...or someone else inside the house. It was relatively small, smaller than a fairy, but not by much. It was definitely bigger than an insect or a rat. It moved slowly, but Star Sapphire easily caught it within her senses.
Curious, she set out to find that 'thing' is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yukari felt weak as she felt a wave of unease flow into her body. She felt herself stagger a little bit and her vision began to swim. She regained her footing by using her ever present parasol for balance.
Is it already too late? Yukari thought frantically.
"Hey, do you feel unwell?" said the gate guard. Yukari seemed to swoon, but she caught herself and tried to maintain her composure.
"I just feel a little bit under the weather," said Yukari passively. "More importantly, I have matters to discuss with your Mistress." Her voice was quivering, but she managed to maintain a smile on her face. She felt drowsy, but for her immense amount of will, she managed to hold her consciousness together.
"With Mistress Shinki?" she replied, albeit with a little suspicion. "I still have to confirm this with my superiors, so you'll have to wait."
Yukari grimaced.
I won't make it at this rate.
I don't want to expend too much energy, but I need expeditiousness more than anything else right now.She extended her right hand and released a strong blast of energy. The gate keeper barely had time to dodge before it hit the huge gate behind her. Before she could recover, Yukari flew threw the hole made by the explosion and entered the realm of Makai.
"
What is going on there Sara?" said a voice in the gatekeeper's head. It was a mind link from one of Sara's superiors. Sara sighed, knowing that she failed her duty in letting someone from the surface get through to her. "
We just read a huge energy signature in your area."
Someone got through," Sara answered. "
More importantly, there's a huge gaping hole at the gate."
"
All right," the voice answered. "
We're sending pursuing troops to accost the intruder immediately. Hold your position until you are further notified. Do not let anybody else through, copy?"
Sara let out another sigh. Easy for them to say, they're not the one guarding this damn gate against suicidal fiddlers.
"
Acknowledged. Over and out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yukari scowled as she saw Makai soldiers rush in from behind her. She flew rapidly, dodging the obtuse cliffs and overhanging scarlet stalactites. She had little time to appreciate the crystalline structures of Makai as she tried to shake off her pursuers.
"Halt, or we shall take offensive actions!" they called out to Yukari.
She took little heed of those words as she flew on even faster towards the heart of this great realm. Ahead of her, deceptively small because of the great distance, was the great crystal fortress of Shinki, the great Pand?monium.
If I could only make a gap to that castle itself, I wouldn't have so much trouble getting there in the first place!
But I'm more curious as to why I can't make a gap inside Makai, the same way I can't make a gap in Muenzuka.
I had Rinnosuke check out Muenzuka while I was investigating the Border between Gensokyo, Makai, and the Outside World. From what I infer from his report, the perpetrator is a group, and they did not come from Gensokyo.
Now I'll just have to know whether the perpetrator came from here, or the Outside World.
But more importantly, I have to get rid of the flies behind me.Turning around, she let her momentum carry her backwards as she flew towards the castle while facing her pursuers. Grinning slightly, she swung her parasol sideways and watched as thin beams of light form from its tip. It flew rapidly towards her pursuers, zigzagging as it picked up speed in its flight.
Her pursuers tried to dodge, but the beams changed their trajectory as it followed them in their flight. They flew around in confusion as some of them got hit by Yukari's attack, while some tried to avoid it in vain. Satisfied with the confusion, Yukari left them in the middle of their chaos.
I don't have time to mess with small fry. I'm not like that silly shrine maiden after all.
Reimu, I do hope you're not wasting your time right now.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"And that is all?" said Patchouli in a nonchalant voice.
Reimu was nearly panting when she finished her story, and was speechless by the amount of calmness that Patchouli exhibited after hearing the story. "Yes, that is all," Reimu managed to reply.
Patchouli was sitting on a scarlet chair as she read a book quietly. She never raised her head once when she was hearing out Reimu, making Reimu feel a little bit ignored. However, after Reimu finished her story about Alice, Patchouli put down her book on a table beside her and called out to her aide.
Instantly, a redheaded assistant appeared beside Patchouli. She was dressed in black and white clothes and adorned with a pair of batlike wings at her back. Patchouli whispered a few words and her aide instantly departed, spreading her wings and taking off into the distant depths of Patchouli's extensive library.
"Please wait for a moment," said Patchouli. "And do answer some of my questions while you wait."
Reimu nodded, not particularly sure of what to do next.
"Shrine maiden, are you familiar with 'Demon Rituals'?" said Patchouli tentatively. "Despite what bias you may have, it would be helpful to know what you already know."
Tilting her head, Reimu tried to remember what she knew about demons. "Well, what I know about demons is that they eat human souls. Some humans make deals with them in order to become stronger, in exchange, their soul will belong to the demon when they die."
"I see," said Patchouli. "You do possess the common amount of knowledge about demons."
"Common?"
"Yes," Patchouli replied smartly. "For one thing, demons do not eat human souls. Rather, they use it as an auxiliary supply of energy to power their magic. And for the most part, you misunderstand the essence of a demon ritual."
"Kindly explain then," said Reimu with a frown. "And please do hurry."
"Tut-tut," scowled Patchouli. "It's unusual for you to be in so much of a hurry. Anyway, it is true that demon rituals are made in order for a human to become stronger. In so doing, the human's soul is not bargained--rather it is transformed into an equivalent of a demon. In so doing, the human transcends the fragile mortality of a human."
"So the human becomes a demon?"
"Yes and no. A human can never become a true demon, but he can gain the equivalent power. However, a mere human cannot fully contain the power of a demon within a mortal body, and thus the human's body becomes fragile and weak as it is strained by the demon power coursing through it. With a strong power and a weak body, the human balance is thus destroyed. However, this is averted by a kind of contract that is employed by the demons.
"For example, the human body cannot take the strain of pure demon power. However, if the demon power can be channeled little by little as needed, the human reduces the chance of his body breaking on its own power. This can be done through the use of a Contractor."
"Contractor?"
"A Contractor is a kind of demon who actively seeks humans desiring demonic help. Often, they are distraught humans who have lost all hope in the world and are easily ensnared by promises of quick wealth and power. Using this as a leverage point, the Contractor appears as a person of goodwill that wants to help. A ritual is done, and the Contract is signed. However, in exchange, the human's soul energy is channeled little by little as a power supply for demons as demons channel little of their power to the humans. Thus they both benefit, but only the human will suffer in the end as his soul becomes drained, and his body becomes an empty husk...assuming that he survives of course. The connection is done through the Contractor who is ever present in the life of the human who contracted."
Reimu pouted. "That is informational and all, but how does that concern Alice?"
Patchouli looked at her like a schoolmaster assessing as slow student. "You do realize that Alice was once a resident of the demon world, Makai? Alice is once a human, but she became a magician--a type of youkai--through her endeavors to learn magic. Isn't it a bit strange that a human once lived in the demon world, and yet retained her human soul? And before a human can become a youkai, a countless span of years must be achieved--and yet, we have Alice, very young for a youkai, and still has her human mannerisms.
"From this, I can only conclude one thing; Alice's strength comes, not simply from magic--but is rather amplified by something else entirely."
"I think you lost me," said Reimu lightly. "More importantly, what is the problem with Alice right now?"
Patchouli nodded. Behind Reimu, Patchouli's aide appeared from thin air with a popping sound. She carried a large leather book in her arms which she handed to Patchouli. "Thank you. You can leave for now," Patchouli told her. Her aide bowed slightly and disappeared with a pop.
"If I recall correctly, your familiar is a demon right?" asked Reimu.
"That is correct," said Patchouli. "Although our Contract is not of the same nature of the one I just explained. You see, I do not possess a human soul. My Contract with my familiar is an equivalent trade--my familiar aids me in my studies, and helps me with various things. In exchange, I grant her my magic and energy that she needs to survive. It is a complex contract, and so only a few humans actually do a Familiar Contract. It's use is far different from a Demon Ritual, and is irrelevant to Alice whatsoever."
Reimu just nodded. "What is that book for?"
"It is for reference. I once read about a Contractor who was known for her ruthlessness in acquiring human deals. She was once known for harvesting the souls of a village in a single day. In fact, it was because of her that humans became wary of witches and warlocks (who had little or barely had rituals with demons) and formed the Inquisition. The Inquisition had no idea what it was up against, and thus sought out blindly to find 'demon heretics', often catching innocent lives in their nets. Because of this, she was sealed inside a book so she can never make a contract again. If I recall, this was done around 500 years ago."
"A...book," repeated Reimu.
"After she was sealed, her name was erased from history through connivance and intrigues. The book itself was lost, it was said to have been hidden inside a secluded cave. Does the place sound familiar to you?"
"You don't mean that it was hidden in Makai itself?"
"If that is true, then this can only mean one thing: the one who sealed the ruthless Contractor must also be a demon, or someone with connection to demons. Regardless, that book now is supposed to be in Makai."
"A book in Makai--then that book would be--"
"If I recall, Alice once told you that her Grimoire contained secrets of the Ultimate Magic, correct? I will tell you this: that ruthless Contractor specialized in promising humans supernatural abilities, such as black magic, raising the dead...all those nonsense."
Patchouli opened the book and flipped through the pages very quickly. She gave an 'ah' of satisfaction when she found the page she sought for. She flipped the book over and showed Reimu an illustration.
"This apparently, was the image of the book where she was supposed to have been sealed. Of course, it seems dubious since no one who have seen the book is alive today--unless of course you are from Makai."
The illustration had the startling resemblance of Alice's grimoire. It was the book that Alice always carried--
"Wait a minute, when we found Alice the night when she was attacked, the book wasn't with her."
"Hmm?" said Patchouli. "That would be...strange. I've never seen Alice without her book before."
"Yes," Reimu replied.
Why didn't I notice it earlier?Reimu started to leave. "Thanks for the information. If you don't mind--" she tried to say but Patchouli waved her off.
"Wait for a moment while I get ready," Patchouli rose from her seat and took a single book from a nearby shelf. "I'm going with you."
"Why?" said Reimu.
Patchouli shrugged. "I do care about Alice's welfare, contrary to popular belief. Even more, I'm quite curious as to how Alice ended up in the state that you referred."
"You know--oh never mind," said Reimu with exasperation. "I fly fast. You better keep up."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Just outside Alice's house, a youkai sniffed the air. She smelled a familiar scent--the scent of the prey that escaped her a night before. She gave out a loud screech, but no sound came out from her mouth. She was confused for a moment, but gave it no further thought as she fumbled towards Alice's house and tried to gain entrance inside.
Lost within her hungry instincts, she tried in vain to break through a window. The windows were no good, as they were enhanced by magic and proved hard to break. The door was also useless--it was harder and made out of old wood. Still, her hunger overcame her sense as she tried to break down the door with her incessant noiseless pounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The sanctity of Sapphire's game of curiosity was broken when she sensed a humanoid figure outside the house. She quickly rushed to a nearby window and saw a slouched figure of a woman pounding at the door. Because of Luna's Silence, she heard no sounds--and if not for her Sensing, the youkai would have probably been undetected.
Game over for the youkai, at least, thought Sapphire as she immediately went back to the living room as she tried to wake up Marisa. Shouting was of no use of course--all sounds are muffled. She shook Marisa who was reluctant to wake from her sleep. To Sapphire's alarm, she saw that the wooden door was starting to break from the youkai's hungry efforts.
Star Sapphire shook Marisa harder.
t.b.cYakumo Note # 7
Kiyuu Note # 6
Sei Note # 3
