Manchester, England
After the meeting with a not very expected hospitality with Daisy, the girls were continuing the trip through England heading north, the next stop of the group will be the city of Manchester, where miraculously doesn't have any register of night creature, everything is very calm, but it seems that Ursula wants to plan that they start to be attacked that day and Bernadette agrees in launching an attack attempt, a lot to see how they will react, even if there aren't any powerful creatures, she wants to see how they will react, this while they're continuing their route, even during the day the girls will have a not so pleasant surprise.
Far away from France, Chloé's route continues through France, she is arriving at the city of Loperéc, after surviving the attack that ended up in Tours where she managed to save the city and be well rewarded for the work, using the false identity of Bianca Leclerc, with a red wig and using glasses, she managed to fool most of the people, including many of the Loches troops that were in a search for the girl in all France, she was hiding to not be discovered, What is working a lot, she is also trying to find the whereabouts of the girls and stopping at the city of Loperéc she can get some information that they went to the north, by the road, possibly going to the coast and that way it would be where the Deppailer would leave the next day, only before that she would stay hidden to not be discovered, since there are many of Loches troops there and even the presence of her parents that they can recognize even with the disguise.
Back in England, the group of girls are on the road as usual talking about the journey, which they always did, wanting to get into the subject a lot, but something happens for them to be somewhat interrupted and that was a person asking for help, this fellow was being attacked by a creature of the night in the middle of the afternoon, on the road near Manchester, by what seemed to be some branches, but soon Diana gets down from the cart and starts giving some cuts on that same thing, when she looks deeper she notices that the branches were pulling something bigger, which she looked deeper and it was a horse.
The Cavendish goes all out towards the middle of that carnivorous plant and ends up sticking her sword precisely inside the middle of that creature, saving the horse from possibly being devoured, but it already seemed to be wasting away since it had perforations all over its body, that way the Scot looks at it, takes a deep breath and sacrifices the animal freeing it from that suffering, then she comes back, walking a bit gloomy and the man sitting on the ground is relieved to be saved. It was a blond boy with well combed hair, he was well dressed.
???? : Thank you very much, I don't know what I would do without your help.
Diana: I'm sorry for what happened to your horse, but unfortunately I had to sacrifice him to rid him of that suffering.
???? : All right...
Diana: Come with us for a ride, we'll drop you off in Manchester and I'll give you some gold so you can get a horse.
???? : Thank you, I don't even know how I can thank you, I am Frank and you look a lot like someone I know, I think it should be you that I have to deliver something she asked for, she just told me to stay in Manchester and then go after someone who looks like her with the name Diana Cavendish.
At that moment Diana is amazed, then gets on the cart, letting Frank stay there too and the same goes to show what he has in the bag and it is an envelope.
Diana: I am Diana Cavendish, what does this person of yours want with me?
Frank: Oh, so it was quite a coincidence, Mrs Daryl wanted me to deliver this letter to you, I think it must be something important, she didn't mention what the reason was going to be to me, but it must be something important, strange she has any relatives, I thought they were all dead, you're Mrs Cavendish's what?
Diana just picks up the letter and doesn't even answer the boy, but Akko makes a point of answering for the same saying that Cavendish was Bernadette's daughter and with that all of them give a shut up to her and Frank just rubs the back of his head laughing, the Scottish girl opens the envelope, she soon makes a point of reading that letter, getting surprised and not making a question about what is around, she just wanted to know why her aunt found out about her and also why the letter.
"Dear Diana, I never got to see my much acclaimed niece in all these years of life, I can imagine how hard those years must have been, after all that has happened to you and your sister who must be missing, due to this I strongly urge you to come to Leeds here in England to pay your aunt a visit, we have a lot to talk about, especially a rather important matter, I think you should know that when it comes to the character of your mother it is a matter of urgency, but not only that, we also have matters dealing with agreements as well, I think you will love to see what you will have here of agreement for your side, so I wish you to come here soon in Leeds, because I will be waiting along with also your two older cousins who are here very anxious to be able to see you... With all the love and affection of your aunt, Daryl Cavendish.
At that moment Diana even opens a brief smile on her face as she reads what was in that letter and is a little happy to know that her aunt remembered her presence, a little happy to know that she has a family and that family hasn't forgotten her, this way she starts writing a letter of reply to her aunt, already getting a little emotional, this while Frank was talking to the girls and it was noticeable that Marianne and Akko felt slightly attracted to the blonde boy, but the same was just getting embarrassed.
Akko: So Frank, tell us where did you come from and how do you know Diana?
Marianne: Yeah handsome, if you don't mind we'll be here all ears to you.
Frank: I don't know Diana, I'm just a resident of Leeds, who got this favour from Mrs Cavendish, she who asked to deliver a letter unknowingly, but strange to know that one of Bernadette's daughters is alive, I always thought they both died along with their mother, after all that tragedy, kind of no one tells you why all that, I just find it strange how on the way you have these things attacking.
Diana: I'm Daryl's niece, it's a long story what happened to my mother and my sister, it's not something that can be trusted to tell.
Diana was finishing writing and Frank was just nodding his head, still being a little embarrassed with Akko and Marianne throwing at the boy, who was getting embarrassed to be so flirted with by the two girls, the same was just shaking his hands trying to ask for the girls to take a little light and not be so on top of him. Cavendish finishes her reply letter and gives it to Frank leaving it in an envelope together with a stamp.
"Dear Aunt Daryl, I am happy to receive a letter from you, I did not imagine that I could have esteem coming from a relative, given the circumstances in which my mother came to be attacked, I even imagine that you could have some intrigue with her and that is why you do not want to have mine and Hellene's presence around, Anyway, we can talk more when I am around about these agreements and also about the situation regarding my mother Bernadette, for which I want to know what is going on, it seems you must have a lot of experience with this matter. If you don't mind I am going to be a little bit late because I have a more important mission to do and that involves rescuing my sister, I believe that you may think she is dead, but she is missing and I will do everything to find her and bring her back so we can really talk about these matters here in Leeds, I really hope with all the attention that you understand, because it is a very delicate situation to deal with all this. In conclusion I will see you in a few days, I will make a point of visiting the lady in Leeds and I really want to meet more of my family.... Diana Cavendish"
The letter of reply was given to Frank who soon made a point of leaving it in his bag and this way the girls were following on their way and it was noticeable that Diana was slightly feeling jealous by the presence of the blond boy and the way in which Kagari was a little on top of him, but this was all being interrupted by a fog that was suddenly appearing, creating a whole mist, then loud screams were heard from what seemed to be some creature, right in the middle of the road to Manchester.
Diana: Imps by day, they used the fog to hide from sunlight, you know what to do Lotte.
Yanson was getting a book and all that fog made the horses even stop and this way the imps were jumping towards the girls, but Diana was hitting them, already Akko didn't see anything and was going by the sound of them, managing to hit a little, Marianne was with her eyes closed holding the whip turning her face and this way she managed to hit some of those same little creatures.
Lotte was preparing to use a spell to disperse the fog and the imps were multiplying, this way causing Sucy and Croix to use daggers to defend themselves, already Frank was getting scared and tried to use the dagger that was in his pocket to try a defense, in the hour that would press everything more Yanson managed to use a spell to dipersar the fog and of this form the sun light was on top of all those imps that were attacking the girls were beginning to burn in the sun, dissolving and screaming, but in this was notable that in the horses were suffering more, the same ones already had been very wounded.
Frank: Damn, how are we going to go on the horses are injured and that wagon must be heavy.
On the spot Diana cuts her wrist and lets it spill over a small vial, then she passes her hand over the cut wrist healing it and gives it to Lotte who uses a healing spell that manages to make the animals fit again leaving even Frank a bit shocked with the ability of the girls, who went on their way.
Frank: You guys are really impressive, it's not for nothing that you're managing to hold on to a trip like that, I really don't know if I could handle staying alive that long.
Far away from there in Edinburgh, Ursula was getting frustrated when she saw that the girls could easily deal with those situations of attack in the road, Bernadette was just watching calmly that whole situation, she was getting admired by the cleverness and work in group of the same ones for which she manages to make them accomplish those missions without suffering too much.
Ursula: Master, are you really going to allow this? They are easily getting rid of these traps, how will we be able to stop them like this?
Bernadette: It's daytime, what do you expect for that? Our creatures are not called creatures of the night for some silly reason, unless... I think I have an idea, let's see if they can handle it.
Back on the road, the girls slowly get closer to the city of Manchester that could already be seen from afar, still in the middle of the afternoon, but they end up having to stop in the middle of the road when they notice that there are some fallen trees right in front of them, which the horses wouldn't be able to pass and that way Diana is the one who ends up going down, being the strongest of the group she would be able to push the trunks.
As she goes down she pushes the first one and throws it to the right, the second she catches and sees some roots clinging to her arms and this way she tries to get free but she is only holding on to that same trunk and this way the girls notice it, Akko jumps with the katana and hits it near the throne but it is simply inefficient, even making her sword stuck to the stem of the fallen tree.
In the background it was possible to notice something raising dust and that way both Akko and Diana tried to get free of the tree, but they couldn't, and Sucy helped them by dripping some poisonous liquids that rotted the fallen tree.
Diana and Akko managed to get loose, and they stared deeply at the thing that had been raising dust.
Diana: It's a cursed tree, it's coming and knocking down the trees in its path absorbing energy from them, we have to fix it.
Sucy: Let's set the forest on fire!
All: No!
The cursed tree that little by little approaches them, with those imposing branches, having a face that emanated a purple colour through the orifices, that creature attacked during the day anyway, which could already disturb a lot, in fact it even uses the sunlight to strengthen itself, because it is a plant, it was little by little getting close to the girls.
Croix doesn't hesitate and gives a shot from far away that catches the inside of it and that way it makes it stop on the way and with that the girls go up, Akko, Diana and Marianne, they go with axes instead of carrying swords, Cavendish goes with a Labrys, Kagari with an axe with only one face and Leblanc with the same of the Japanese.
Akko: Now let's prune some plants.
The three are getting close and the roots are attacking them, the Cavendish simply closes her eyes and when she opens them, she seems to go a little faster than normal, but it was also noticeable that she felt a burning when she was doing that, but when she arrived at the shaded part of the tree that burning passed and gave a slight concern to Akko, who was distracted with the roots almost grabbing her. Lotte,
on the other hand, tried to summon skeletons, but seeing that it was daylight they dissolved in the sunlight, which made her spell less practical, so she had to appeal, she started to open the book and was sucking the soul of that tree, even if it was a lot, she received help from Frank, which left Sucy with a slightly jealous expression, she was shooting poisoned arrows, The tree kept shooting back, and almost caught the girls, so she takes a bag full of potions and poisons and run to the tree, already Croix notices that the arquebus is not the most efficient thing and decides to use another thing to attack and looks for an old cannon that is thrown by the side of the road.
Croix: Lotte keeps holding that thing, I'm going to take it down now.
Croix is getting the old cannon and is starting to take a look at it, having in hands gunpowder and some cannonballs that were on the ground also half old with a bit even of vegetation around, Meridies is starting to get the cannon ready.
Sucy on the other hand was trying to dodge the roots, she was not armed beyond a dagger, the Manbavaran was throwing potions and looking back angrily to see Frank so close to Lotte even grabbing the girl's waist.
Akko: The stem of this tree is huge, it will come at night and we will not be able to prune it yet, even if it gets rotten, this way we will never make it safely to Manchester.
Diana: Don't rot the Tree! I can't use my vampire powers when I'm in the sun, I'm limited to human strength.
Sucy: And if we don't rot, it's us who will rot to death!
Sucy kept pouring poison and potions on the ground, while Diana kept hitting the tree stem with the maximum force she could, using her vampire powers, Akko kept giving her cover, the same thing Marianne tried to do, but the branches were piling up around them, surrounding them, and Lotte was trying her best to suck the souls of the tree and weaken it even more.
Croix slowly managed to fix the inside of the cannon and soon was inserting some gunpowder, already thinking of giving a test shot, she was making sure to leave the shot ready to shoot the tree that was catching the girls.
Diana: The leaves are falling, I told you not to rot this tree, I won't have the strength to cut the stem off this thing.
Sucy: Even with all your strength, you only managed to cut off one part, together we can cut off more with the rotten tree.
Akko: I agree with Sucy! Ahhhhhh!
The Kagari ended up being caught by the leg and then was thrown with everything falling against the ground, which irritated Diana, making her hit even harder the tree stem and also speed, but that was not enough, it was still leaving the same ending up attacking Marianne who without much skill was easily disarmed and when she was thrown she fell right on top of Akko even getting a little dizzy and confused.
Marianne: At least the fall was peaceful.
The same one was pushed up by Akko that was under it and with that Marianne was just scratching the back of her head, already Diana was alone, having to hold all that tree, since Sucy was the one that was pushed back with everything also leaving only Cavendish that as soon as she noticed that the roots were going to attack her she throws the axe to the top, transforms herself in bat, propels herself upwards and goes cutting each one of the roots that were attacking her, the same one goes continuing in this strategy, launch the axe, transforms herself in bat and dodges.
Akko: Let's go and help Diana!
Croix: Wait! Let me give a bigger push.
The cannon had its shot ready, so Croix lit the wick of it, leaving it already in the direction of the tree, and Cavendish continued to dodge, but soon she was caught by the leg and had no chance to escape, nor was she thrown, the roots were simply wrapped around her body, But Diana was miraculously released, when the tree was hit by the cannon shot that left a huge hole in its stem and with that the Scottish girl was even getting a little sunburned, but then stopped vaporizing, she got up and was with some open wounds.
Akko: Diana! Are you all right?
Diana: Hello and thank you Croix, you've saved us now, let's now try another shot, I'll have to go for my human power by the looks of it.
Marianne, Akko and Diana took their axes and went together towards the tree, practically in sync while Croix was preparing another shot. Sucy on the other hand grew jealous looks at Frank, due to Lotte ending up falling on top of him when the cannon had fired, but she just decided to go ahead and with that she joined Yanson holding the book and gave an axe to Frank.
Sucy: You are a strong man, help me a bit too, go and prune this tree.
Lotte: Sucy, you don't need to stand behind me, why all this?
Sucy: Yes he does, Frank is strong and he can help.
And Frank was of little help, since the roots of the tree simply did little service, pushing him back and also making him look ridiculous, but this was serving as a distraction since Diana took advantage of it and went towards the stem, she activated the vampire powers again, taking advantage that there were still leaves around her and managed to get to a side with shade, Akko and Marianne gave cover to Frank and gave a distraction to the tree, Lotte and Sucy kept sucking the souls of the trees that were weakening even more the same, what also left the book of Lotte more powerful, she could invoke more powerful creatures and also stronger spells in turn.
Diana: We are succeeding, this thing will be destroyed in no time.
The tree reacted, the leaves ended up falling and Diana started to vaporize, having to go back to her human powers again, hiding in the cape and this way Akko went towards her friend all worried, but she was held by the tree, just like Cavendish, The two were being squeezed by the tree's roots, but were released with Marianne who threw the axe when she was caught by the ankle and was thrown with everything towards Frank who was hit by Leblanc's butt who was again confused to fall so softly.
Marianne: I wonder who I fall for now?
Marianne looks down and notices that she was sitting right on top of the boy's face, which made her blush slightly, but at the same time she made no point of getting out of there, continuing in that form, but soon the boy pulls her out and gets all flushed full of embarrassment, Leblanc just picks up the axe and gets all embarrassed too.
Frank: I know well what your intentions were, don't try anything with me girl, I don't like women that way.
Marianne: Is a handsome man like you gay? Why does every handsome man have to like only men? It's so much easier to like them both, it's twice as many advantages.
Frank: That, but don't tell anyone, the church doesn't like me to be like that, and I only like men anyway, they are so attractive, especially a boy there who lives with Mrs Daryl, but I'm sure his father will want him to marry a woman, I can't even live a love affair with a boy without having to live with all that.
Marianne: I understand, but do as I do, don't be afraid to open up to this boy and you two pretend to be friends, if you have to understand that he will have to stay in a marriage of appearances just like you, but in the back you two will get on.
Frank blushed: It's not the best time to talk about it.
Marianne agrees with her head and this way she takes an axe and Frank does the same, the two go towards the tree, which catches Diana and Akko that end up being captured, they try again to escape, but they are being squeezed, this way the two stay looking at each other as if that was their last moment, but soon they hear a cannon shot.
Croix: Swallow that damn tree!
The shot catches the remaining part of the stem, going through and that way it ends up causing both of them to be released, the tree starts to fall, knocking down others on the way. The flow of souls was so big that it knocked Sucy and Lotte on the wagon, making them stand on top of each other, kind of blushing and with the book closed after they all went to Yanson's spell book.
On the other hand that tree was vaporizing, then the remains became simply lit ashes that were flying in the air and dissolving, purple ashes that showed that the tree was finally finished, thanks to Croix's intelligence and the teamwork of the girls who managed to finish it off. When
Diana and Akko noticed that they were unharmed they even looked at each other with a smile on their faces, they were happy and hugged each other, then they got up and went back to the cart while Croix had a tremendous smile on his face for being an important part in the defeat of that creature. This way they all get up and leave towards Manchester.
Croix: Good thing I had a cannon right here, I could use it to save our skin, otherwise we'd be in such a jam.
Diana: That was a close one, you saved us Croix, that cannon fit like a glove, I hope you will be there to save more people on the way, now let's get going because the journey can't end.
Frank: You have vampire powers? I saw you become a bat.
Diana waving her hands: Promise you'll keep this a secret, people don't take too well to this condition of mine and I'm honestly more than willing if it's possible to become a mortal human.
Frank: But why? You're immortal and you can become a bat, you can be super strong, have faster reflexes, you can even heal yourself, use magic, I wish I had these cool powers, just imagine what it would be like to fight, man I would love it.
Diana: That's not such a wonderful power, immortality for what? To stay an eternity watching loved ones die, not being able to make friends because the people you're friends with will die one day and you're still the same? These powers are a burden, people look at you with fear, they can't see me as a normal person, they want to kill me and link me to all the evil that creatures of the night do.
Frank: I can imagine what it must be like, I'm gay, I have to hide what I am because they want me to not even exist, you know how crazy that is, I just have a different way of loving and everyone associates that with wrong, so now we're even, I know your secret and you know my secret too.
Akko half-frustrated: Oh man, a handsome guy like that only likes men! I should have known better.
Croix: Well we have some here who are homosexuals too, Sucy, Diana and I are the homosexuals of the group, on the other hand Lotte, Marianne and Akko like both, they don't care much if it's a man or a girl, whatever is coming is already a profit.
Frank: Anyway, it was nice meeting you guys, I promise I will keep my mouth shut to secrets and anything else you want me not to tell, you guys seem pretty trustworthy, even more so than Mrs Cavendish.
Diana: What do you mean even more than my aunt?
Frank: I don't want to be a killjoy, but your aunt is not a very nice person, because of all the humiliations I've been through since she arrived, and when I was a child too, I remember well how I was always just a servant and she always said that I have to put myself in my place, that I'm just a servant's son, I shouldn't be mixing with my best friend, who always defended me once in a while.
Diana just nods her head, then they continue the trip arriving in Manchester, where they settle in a hotel and also leave a bag of coins with Frank, Cavendish was even more charitable and left a bag with a generous amount for the boy to be free to spend on whatever he wants, since he proved to be very friendly in all this time.
Meanwhile in Edinburgh, things got even more frustrating for Ursula, while deep down Bernadette felt slightly proud that her daughter and her group had managed to defeat the cursed tree thanks to Croix's intelligence in finding a cannon, putting it to use, thus being a very decisive factor in the group's victory.
Ursula: Damn it! How long are we going to be defeated by these girls? We're getting close to making it and now this? Where did they get a cannon like that from, how the fuck did they get that thing? They were supposed to be dead already or at least holding time until nightfall and our creatures go on the attack, by Dracula, how can they be so lucky?
Bernadette: Really it was a very complicated situation, but we have to be patient, I underestimated my opponents too much, sending a cursed tree was not the best idea, but we can already have a notion, they have luck on their side, they must have some amulet or someone very lucky, I don't know, but now we will think about how to react.
Ursula: And where will our next attempt be? They will soon be crossing the border into Scotland and will soon be here.
Bernadette: Not so much, they seem to be going the other way on the map, they seem to want something in Ireland, so I think we're going to give them a bit of a bum rap, this time in Dumfries, we're going to prepare an attack that is going to be something that they're going to have to put up with, creatures of the night that are going to devastate the whole town, they're going to have to put everything they've been through into practice if they want to survive.
Ursula: Mistress are you testing our opponent? Do you want to give them a chance to train? You are only helping them.
Bernadette: I am studying our opponent, maybe you have not noticed, but I want to see how far they can go and check the weaknesses of each one, that way we can launch a definite attack that will end up catching on the weakness of these girls, do you understand? It's strategy Ursula, you have to think about it.
And another city arrives successfully for the group of girls, they arrived from next to Frank, a servant of the Hanbridge castle, who was hired as a messenger by Daryl, in the intention of Cavendish in wanting to call the youngest to the Hanbridge family home to talk about the absurd agreements that will be made between them, much around Diana and the future of the Cavendish family.
See you, letter witches...