NOVEL NEXT Chapter 151: Tense and Tensibility
"Scarlet Sisters, huh? Geez, and I thought Psyber Centralia sounded tacky."
"Loise, please. The Scarlet Sisters are a very dangerous and very serious organization." Zulema's gaze was heavy with concern as she looked at the witch, but after a moment, she couldn't help cracking a small smile. "I suppose it is a little on the nose. But you know how the Church is. They enjoy the recognition of being feared as they impose their mark everywhere they go. A doctrine I always followed so blindly."
"Glad you're finally seeing things my way, sis!" Heloise beamed as she made her way up to her on the pitter-patter of pink ugg boots. "They do nothing but like, take control and turn everything good into something vile and grotesque like some kinda nasty parasite. Thankfully Alma got out when she did. And now you too!"
"Vile and grotesque…" The words had felt sour on the ex-priestess's tongue as she recalled what had become of her fellow Sisters Marie and Lucia. "You know, your father… he—"
"Stop." Heloise raised her palm almost immediately. "Didn't ask. Don't wanna hear it. Don't care. That bastard lost my respect a looong time ago."
"Very well. It's me you wanted to know about anyway, right? These Scarlet Sisters did most of the dirty work of the Church under the radar of the public eye, in a way that let them claim plausible deniability if one such Sister were to ever fail—not that it's ever been an issue. They were trained exceedingly well and to a deadly degree. Weapons training, martial arts, espionage, psychological warfare especially. And then the coup de grace: a powerful, psychic thaumaturgic ability granted directly from Macha herself."
"Thauma…? What, like they were performing miracles? That's just magic, ain't it? Thought the Scarlet Church wasn't big on witches among their ranks…"
"No. I was told it was distinctly separate from magic. And I finally understand why."
"Huh? That's not even possible! Unless…"
"This Church's purported miracles were nothing but the work of an othering." Derleth, who had been silently observing the two women, finally chimed in with his familiar gruff tone. "The Old One Macha did indeed bless her followers to help do her bidding, by sharing with them a fraction of her power."
"Ugh. That just makes her more of a threat." Heloise sighed, turning back to Zula. "And you mean to tell me each Scarlet Sister had her own othering? What the fuck, that's like way too freaking insane! Just what kind of eldritch abilities do these Scarlet skanks have?!"
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"Err, well… The two women we fought earlier each had their own thaumaturgy. Lucy, the… naked one, used to be able to manipulate a person's sense of self. She could make a man lose his ability for self-preservation or make one reveal his deepest, darkest secrets. It was a dangerous and unstable power and she would often use it to simply distort their ego to such a degree that it would completely crumble under the weight of the person's own mind. The other woman—in the mask—Marie's ability was even scarier. She could simply whisper a command, and your mind would comply like it was the most obvious thing..."
"She could do WHAT?!" Heloise instinctively covered her ears. "Merde ! And I was spouting off to her without a care in the world! You could have like, told me sooner! You were totally kicking ass out there though. I guess one of those Sisters trained you or whatever? But like, what made them brand you a heretic? Alma said you disappeared during a relief mission. And why did they send two Scarlet Sisters after you? You steal some state secrets or something?"
"If only it had been that simple." Zulema chewed her lip bitterly. The memories were still very fresh and very painful. "I was a Scarlet Sister, Loise. And a damn good one. Those two were my old partners. They wouldn't need to send a Scarlet Sister after a simple rogue priestess, let alone two. And these two specifically? Nothing but their typical mind games to break me before my death."
"Whoa. Oh my Dark God, Zula. You're some kind of badass cult assassin?! Scarlet Church or not, you have to admit that is like, the coolest fucking thing I've ever heard! You've been leading this secret double life and shit. And we're like, practically sisters!"
"Ah… Yes." The ex-priestess chuckled awkwardly. "I thought you would've been a lot angrier actually. But I'm glad, I suppose, that you find it so 'cool'."
"Fuck yeah I do! Well, I'm not so sure Alma is gonna feel the same way, but like—"
"NO!" Zulema's sudden shout reverberated throughout the hollow space. "You must not tell Alma about this. Never about this. This was a dangerous role I took upon myself and I promised myself I would never involve my family in any way. She cannot know about any of this! Do you understand?"
"But Zula, she's already—"
"I said do you understand?!"
The witch looked at her for a moment, then sighed dramatically. "Fine! Whatever! She'll probably find out eventually anyway."
"Hmph. That'll be my cross to bear when the time comes. Which will hopefully be never. They're after me because I was not good enough. If one of us falls or is captured in battle, they wash their hands of us. The only reason they would send someone after us is to make sure we're dead. A Scarlet Sister is not given a second chance. I lived in denial of this for so long, that it almost got me killed. If the Church believes Alma or anyone else is involved with my current circumstance, they would be in grave danger."
"So does this mean you also had some kind of wicked mental othering? It's the ice powers, right? But how's that fit the whole psycho madness mommy image?"
"Not exactly. I had one, until Derleth stripped me of it. I used to be able to… control a person's senses."
Heloise let out an excited shriek. "That. Sounds. SO fucking sexy!!"