Shortly after Alcina left immediately I climbed down the tower ignoring the pleas of my family and Heisenberg. Once I came to the Duke, he immediately could tell I was willing to pay any price. With a grim smile he supplied me with boxes of ammunition and adjusted the scope for longer distances per my request.
"Be careful mister (L/N)." He spoke.
"I will Duke. When this is over you're giving those cooking lessons." I half-grinned.
"Secure coin and it's a deal." He waved off.
I gave him a thumbs up before leaving to return to the tower.
Donna still wiping her tears sat down against the stone. Marianne comforting her and holding her hand on Donna's shoulder. With her eyes closed and everyone watching curiously Marianne opened them suddenly. As a response Donna's lips quivered for a brief moment before she calmed down. Her sadness was replaced with a sense of temporary happiness and Marianne closed her eyes once more letting out a low whistle.
I stopped moving hearing the whistle and looked around until realizing it was Marie from the tower. I felt... invigorated; determined to fight. Her whistle could be heard internally. It brought back to when I first discovered this.
"Dad I have something amazing to show you!" Marianne exclaimed with a giggle.
"Oh yeah." I set down a book on a table. "Show me."
She ran across the hall to gain distance. To my confusion I soon realize what she was doing when I heard a few hums echo. I stayed in place and she came back into view.
"I can go further and you can still hear." She shouted.
Taking a few steps back she continued her hums. They were crystal clear to both my ears and I felt vibrations through my body. Looking at her in suprise made her toothy smile show itself on her face. She ran back to me, but tripped on the carpet.
"You ok sweetie?" I laughed running up to her.
"Yeah." She laughed in return. "I'm ok."
"Quite a clumsy one aren't you." I helped her up.
"Mother said it's a power I have. She said I have sound ma-mani-maniupl..?"
"Manipulation?" I suggested.
"Yeah that word. I don't get it though..." She scratched her head. "But you could hear it right?"
"Indeed. It was as if you were right next to me. That's amazing."
"Really?! Sweet!" She beamed. "Oh can we have some of that bunny in the kitchen??"
"Are you really trying to get food right now. Is that why you showed me that and are now asking for food?" I raised an eyebrow.
"...."
"Marianne. I'm right aren't I."
"...noooo. Maybe." She twiddled her thumbs with a sly attitude.
"Alright." I sighed. "C'mon then. I'm getting hungry myself, but don't eat too much. We have a dinner planned soon."
I lifted her up to put her on my shoulders. Easily enough she was still light to carry. Doing certain exercises around the castle certainly helped throughout my time here. Marianne was suprised at how high she was from the ground and rested her small hands on my head. Her soft hands resting on my long hair.
"I'm almost as tall as Grandmother."
"Yeah?" I asked smiling. "If you were as tall as her it would hurt to fall down."
"I am a princess of this castle father! We don't fall!" She grumbled.
"You tripped on a carpet sweetie..."
"Bad luck." She replied.
"Bad luck huh? I think you're just being silly." I chuckled. "Well let's go eat then."
"Yay Snacks!" She pumped her arms out.
I looked down with a smile at the memory before I snapped out of it to run back up the tower.
Alcina's distorted growls echoes across the village as she arrived to a spacious dark place. Miranda stood in the middle wearing a disappointment face. She turned her back and pillars of black roots sprouted blocking the sunlight. The roots pulsed as they erupted from the earth.
"I have to say you disappoint me Alcina." Miranda turned her eyes behind her still remaining forward. "I had high hopes for you, but you just had to become independent from me when I gave you such a grand new life."
"You betrayed me!" Alcina retorted.
"I believe you done that to me yourself. Specifically allowing that mortal to live, I mean. You had to know it was a sign of weakness of your behalf." Miranda turned towards her. "False children are meant to be used as constructs for the true parent. You however have run out of uses."
Alcina's body lunged at her before being swatted back by more pillars of roots that covered Miranda.
"Quit these games and face me!" Alcina roared.
"Silence." Miranda said as she unveiled her form.
Her eyes were replaced by a wooden sculpture with an eye engraved on ghe forehead, Her headress became a much larger piece of her mangled body, her limbs becoming as hard as oak trees growing longer and larger fingers, and her wings became a bundle of roots and wood. She became a symbol of the word "Witch."
"Any final words before I obliterate you with the power of the Mutamycete?" Miranda spoke coldly.
"Go to hell and make sure to suffer under the fires of Satan's hall." Alcina lunged once more snapping off a chunk of wooden legs from Miranda's body.
Miranda groaned and sliced at her, but missed. The wound regenerated leaving anger flaring in Miranda's lifeless eyes.
"You miserable excuse of a lifeform." Miranda leaped up the walls to provide herself higher ground. "You will beg for death just as those pathetic villagers!"
The two leaped at each other at the same time revealing a small amount of space where they could clash together.
In the other part of the village Moreau's body became a long puddle filled with acidic blood seeping into the ground and had scraps of an engine inside his gut. His human body, mangled beyond repair was still inside the mouth. A slow tear came out his eyes as the life began to slip away from him.
"Mo...ther..."
The light in his eyes died out as his body began to crumble to a bundle of white shards. Inside the shards lay a bundle of eyes in the shape of a heart. The Solvat body began to crumble in the same manner. It has served it's purpose as it drilled into his flesh. At a great price, the Solvat sustained heavy damages to itself and it's core causing it to lose power and function to the engine. The Lycan and corpses began to pile across the village leaving many of the houses destroyed or streaked red with blood. It was a war zone in such a small place. The stench of death was nigh throughout the land.
Back at the tower we all were each trying to find out our next move. Heisenberg couldn't take waiting any longer and stood by the edge of the stone.
"Hey hey. Suicide isn't the answer." I said.
Heisenberg's had an unamused look as he turned around to face me.
"Really?" He scoffed. "I'm not going to jump off to kill myself."
"I know. Considering you probably got some huge power inside you I figured you wouldn't."
"Well sitting around ain't gonna do much so I might as well take the fight to them." He pointed down.
Curious we all leaned over to view and sure enough a bundle of Lycans were brandishing weapons across the stone bridge.
"Oh shit." I quickly picked up the rifle and aimed down the sight.
"Take care of them while I go get more of my army." Heisenberg jumped off the edge.
We all looked in suprise until we no longer saw his body. It was as if he vanished into thin air.
"Alright I'll provide some support for you three. Stick with the plan and come back here when you need to." I instructed aiming down the sight once more. "GO!"
"Understood." Daniela leaped down the edge.
Cassandra phased into flies as did Bela, spiraling down to the bridge brandishing their sickles. Once they reached the bridge a gleeful murderous smile stretched across Cassandra's face.
"I always wanted to say this... Let. There. Be. CARNAGE!" She laughed crazily charging at the wolf men. Her sickle gleamed in the sunlight.
Her sisters followed suite shifting their bodies side by side alluding the Lycan's attention. Gaining distance towards the pack one slash to the throat came from Daniela and one collapsed with ease leaving the others enraged. The clanging of metal across metal echoed down below and the sounds of piercing flesh.
"Dad..." Marianne pointed to the far end behind the pack. "That one. Kill it!"
Quickly looking back I see the supposed leader wielding a massive axe and had a disfigured face. His flesh exposed to the sun illuminating an ugly, but burly, body. With a slow breath I aimed.
"Marianne back up and cover your ears."
Marianne did as she was told as I fired the rifle. Donna jumped in suprise even after covering her ears. The bullet landed right between the creatures eyes and caused it to stagger. I slid back the slot and shot again. Slightly aimed at the left it pierced it's eye and it howled in pain.
"Why won't this fucker die?!" I slid back the slot again firing another shot.
The third shot connected above the first bullet hole and the creature fell to it's knees. The body collapsed causing the Lycan's to growl. The white irises looked almost bloodshot even for just a second before Bela decapitated their heads with ease. She flicked the blade down and splattered dark blood across the stone in a curve. Their numbers dwindled as more fell from both my rounds and the blades of my wives. With another aim in the scope the only remains were corpses.
"Pathetic wolves." Daniela laughed mockingly.
"To think we ever relied on such lowly creatures. I mean, honestly." Bela gave a look of disapproval. "By the time you even get started they die so easily. I got more enjoyment torturing rats than this lot."
"Oh come now sister I'm sure this was just a warm up run for us. After all we are stronger altogether against the boys." Daniela smirked.
"Oh definitely so I must say." Cassandra spoke happily. "I mean we got a husband who gave me a wonderful gift all because of my amazing personality."
Daniela and Bela shot her a confused look.
"OUR husband gave us a gift." They both emphasized with a hand gesture.
"Oh right he's yours too..." Cassandra said glumly.
Marianne looked down at them with a shake of her head. I looked to her.
"What are they saying down there?"
"It's just squabbling father. That's just my aunt's and mother."
"I figured because now Daniela looks like she's about to butt heads with your mother." I pointed it out.
Marianne moved her lips, but no sound come out. Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela each perked up and looked up giving us a wave. I gave an akward wave back.
Marianne mouthed more words and the daughters immediately looked up to see Lycan archers preparing arrows.
"They are not ruining this conversation." Daniela phased out to slice out their throats.
"We still need to have a discussion about (F/N)'s family!" Bela called out slicing a Lycan in the the eye and dragging his body over the side. "Considering we're growing into an even-" She chucked her sickle, impaling into a Lycan's skull. "Bigger family." She retrieved it wiping off the blood on it's chest.
"I agree." Cassandra giggled dodging an arrow. "I still wish to know what his mother is like."
Each time I tried searching for a new target there were only ones fleeing or those that were being slaughter almost immediately after spotting them. I felt left out...
"Oh and I wonder if there are any embarrassing stories about his youth we don't know." Daniela giggled excitedly in a bouncy manner.
"Now that could be intriguing." Bela grinned.
"Definitely." Cassandra sat down swinging her legs over the stone. "You think they'll like us?"
"Oh they have to." Bela said almost disappointed at the question. "There are no other women like us to ever be compared to any mortal he has ever known."
"What the heck are those three talking about this time?" I glanced to my daughter.
"Best you don't know dad."
"Yeah you're probably right."
We both shrugged to each other in unison. I look back to see Donna still remain in the same place, only she no longer covered her ears. Rather than that, she curled up her knees to her chin and was resting. A gentle breeze blew her messy loose hair eastward lightly messing up her bun.
"A sleepy Donna admist the after chaos." I curved my lip. "A rare sight."
Marianne waddled over to her and plopped her head to her shoulder carefully to not wake Donna. She closed her eyes and interlapped her arm in Donna's arm.
"Two sleeping beauties." I said quietly.
I smile and aim my scope again only to jump back in suprise as Cassandra had her eye up close to the barrel of the rifle.
"Oh...god." I leaned over clutching my chest.
"Haha I got you." She set herself down beside me.
"Yeah. You did." I breathed slowly. "Jesus... that was not what I needed."
"Well it was what I wanted to see as well. It's been awhile since you looked so cute all terrified." Bela purred.
"I think he looks perfectly fine anytime." Daniela said proudly.
"Oh well thank you." I said standing up straight with a gracious attitude.
Daniela smiled leaving Cassandra and Bela mildly irritated.
"Moving on." Cassandra turned her attention over to Marianne and Donna. "Since those two munchkins are out what now?"
The focus was one each other until their eyes rested on me.
"Well the plan was to prepare for any suprise attacks and hold position which-" I look over to the corpses. "-we all did. So right now we can only wait until Heisenberg gets back. Or worse comes to worse we get ambushed by another attack."
"Shouldn't we go after mother?" Daniela's tone changed. "She's still out there possibly fighting Mother Miranda as we speak. She could be in danger!"
"I agree with my sister. We can't simply just wait here." Bela crossed her arms. "Not simply because of lack of faith in her abilities, but just the sheer magnitude of the situation at hand. We are dealing with the one who gave us life so naturally it will be difficult."
Cassandra stayed silent with a pained expression staring at the floor. Noticing this I set aside my rifle and held my hand on her shoulder.
"You alright?"
"What if Mother hid more from us." She looked up. "What if she simply didn't trust us to tell us anything regarding her leaving or-or what she has transformed into? I wish to know her reasons for doing so."
"My love..." I rubbed her cheek. "If she would've told you the truth there would one of two scenarios. One, Mother Miranda would've known about the planned departure and destroyed us with us being unprepared considering it a betrayal and two, it would've hurt you all regardless because she would have everyone leave everything behind just for a food source. She said to me once she was cursed from the start."
The pained look in her eyes cast a silence in the air. Neither Bela nor Daniela spoke a word. Cassandra enveloped me within a hug.
"I hope she's ok..."
"We all do Cassandra. We all do."
My coarse hands rubbed the back of her hair as she rested her head within my shoulders. Her nose inhaling the scent of gunpowder and my recognizable smell. The smell of both a human and the scent that separates me from others comforted her.
Alcina's massive mouth coughed out a dark liquid which could be assumed as her blood. The layers of inner jaws were coated in black. Her breathing was ragged with her body barely able to stand on it's legs. Her eyes still burning with such rage and intensity. If looks could kill, Miranda would vanish into thin air. Alcina's growls and grunts of pain to even stand were heard. Miranda simply stood to watch as her false daughter got up. Her back leg twitched revealing a weakness.
"I wonder Alcina. Had you shown me such fire I wouldn't have attacked you. I merely would have told you my true reason for all this." Miranda said mockingly.
"BE QUIET!" Alcina roared loudly.
"I didn't have you follow me just so we can fight." An evil smile crept up Miranda's lips. "It was to bring back my true daughter. With those two fetuses growing in their wombs they shall become MY TRUE DAUGHTER." Manically laughter escaped taunting Alcina.
Alcina had only enough time through Miranda's words to lightly heal her body at a steady rate. With her barely being injured other than a ripped wing was embarrassing for her to see when she had her power. She stopped growling feeling a familiar voice speak to her internally.
"Grandmother. Come back to us. I miss you and I want my mother to see you safe. Play us those beautiful songs once more at the dinner table, make me learn more about becoming a woman, and live for all of us. Please..."
Feeling a wave of guilt and sadness strike her within her heart Alcina felt a tear escape her eye. Miranda looked at her confused.
"Lost your nerve to fight back?"
Alcina looked at Miranda before trialing her eyes to an opening above. It was just big enough to fit her body.
"No. I'm simply plotting which to rip from your body. Lungs, Eyes, Tongue, Brain, Breast. The list goes on." Alcina charged towards Miranda preparing to bull rush.
Miranda held out her black limbs to guard only to stagger feeling the full force of her body hit on the side. Alcina's teeth latched onto a limb ripping it apart with ease. Miranda tried piercing her flesh causing Alcina to wince. She dug her jaw into another limb and snapped it off leaving three left. The loss crippled Miranda's stance as she bellowed out in pain.
Seeing the opportunity Alcina flapped her wings to escape. Noticing the direction she was heading Miranda held out a hand to close the entrance, but it was too late. Alcina broke free and immediately retreated to the castle, her blood falling onto the ground as her wings flapped through the air.
Miranda gave out a loud cry that echoed across the empty village. Her cry scared nearby crows from pecking carcasses. The noise woke Donna from her sleep. She looked around rubbing her eyes seeing Daniela staring at her causing Donna to jump.
"Eep!"
"Wow." Daniela stood up. "I didn't know you made such cute sounds." She turned to me. "I definitely like her for sure (F/N)."
"Please don't mess with her Daniela." I smiled moving closer to Donna extending my hand.
She took it and stood up straight dusting off her garb.
"A loud sound woke me.." Donna said to us.
"Yeah we all heard. I'm guessing it was Miranda. Couldn't have been Alcina, the voice was clear." I said staring down at the village.
"Where is Uncle Karl when we need him?" Bela said slouching across the wall.
"I've been busy dealing with our chief." Heisenberg appeared from behind us. "Well FORMER chief anyway."
We looked at him confused as to who he meant.
"What? I'm talking about Urias. The big cheese of the Lycans." Heisenberg said matter of factly. "He was tough, but I didn't even need to transform luckily enough." He turned around in suprise at Marianne. "Jesus fuck... where did you come from?!"
"You're easy to sneak on." Marianne smiled with a bubbly tone.
"... Little miss." Heisenberg leaned down in annoyance at the daughter's laughter. "I control electric magnetic fields. No one CAN sneak on me."
"But you didn't hear me or see me." Marianne talked back.
Heisenberg took off his glasses to look at her with widened eyes.
"Now you listen here you little-"
"Hey that's my daughter show some decency." I said politely.
He turned back to me still kneeling.
"Right..." He turned back to a smug Marianne.
"Your heartbeat is slow now." Marianne said pointing to his chest. "It was as loud as an engine and then it's quiet again after I scared you."
He turned back to me again.
"You got a weird kid (F/N)."
"Well she's unique and quite gifted I'll have you know." I walked over to her and patted her head.
Heisenberg stood up putting his glasses in his coat pocket.
"Anyway. I have news." His tone becoming serious. "With the big guy out of the picture we only have three problems."
"What's the first?" Daniela asked.
"We have one more even bigger fish to harpoon which so happens to be Urias' brother before he became well, what he is now."
"The second..?" Donna chimed in.
"Miranda."
He didn't need to explain as we all understood.
"The third?" I asked.
"The Mutamycete will become a much bigger problem if left unchecked."
"What is the Mutamycete?" I folded my arms together.
"It's the source of the Cadou Parasite. Without it your little girl or any of us here besides you wouldn't have our abilities." Heisenberg explained. "Now we can live without it since we already went through the transformations, but if it was destroyed before any new infections occurred it will just be another body to the much already large pile."
"Marianne was enveloped in a cocoon when she came to be. Miranda injected something inside her."
"Yes I remember. That was the Cadou inside the syringe. She went through the trial and survived with good results." Heisenberg paced. "However that brings us to another problem-"
Before he could finish we heard a crash against the stone and saw Alcina breathing heavily on the bridge. Her body began to shrink inside herself. Quickly hurrying her daughters leapt from the top while the rest of us ran down the stairs as quickly as we could.
By the time I got down the stairs I was out of breath and had a shocked look at an injured bare Alcina. She clutched her stomach as her scars began to heal very slowly. Her pained voice called out to her family. We came to her side hugging her.
"I need... a drink so bad right now. ARGH." She felt her body burn inside. "Please fetch me my stockroom wine please."
The daughters quickly returned inside the castle leaving me to be by her side.
"I tried to stop her, but I couldn't. She's injured, but she's after Daniela and Bela..."
"I'm amazed you lived to tell the tale." Heisenberg said.
"Ugh you're still here... urgh." She groaned.
"You're welcome for taking care of more problems you ungrateful egotistical statue of fucking liberty-"
Donna quickly covered Marianne's ears looking at me.
"The last thing I wanna see is you when I'm pierced in the gullet. Besides you reek of scrap metal blegh. So disgu-"
"BOTH OF YOU STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN AND PUT ASIDE YOUR DIFFERENCE FOR ONE GODDAMN TIME. YOU TWO CONSTANTLY HAVE A KNIFE FIGHT EACH TIME YOU TALK TO EACH OTHER AND IT'S RIDICULOUS. GODDAMNIT!" I walked off a few feet away holding my hands on the back of my head. "You two are better than that so act like adults."
In stunned silence Heisenberg, Donna, and Alcina were too stunned to let a word out. Heisenberg widened his eyes at Alcina and stepped up to me.
"You know if you weren't her husband you would be dead before a word escapes your mouth. You got balls kid I respect that. However..." He winded his fist.
I felt his gloved fist strike my jaw. It felt like being hit by a truck as it caused me to stagger. Feeling my jaw I spit out a little blood.
"That's for insulting me."
"Yeah?" I smiled even though it stung. "Well maybe I deserved that." I coiled my hand. "But you don't get to say anything after being called out on your bullshit and not owning up to it."
I slugged my fist at Heisenberg's jaw in return. He stared at me barely flinching before he let out a laugh and patted my shoulder.
"Not bad. Weak, but I appreciate the effort and the bravery."
Alcina sighed.
"Good god you two you're scaring Marianne." Alcina held her hand out motioning to a shocked Marianne; Donna still covering her ears.
"Sorry about that." Heisenberg apologized.
"Yeah me too." I said.