The Crimson Tale of Conquest

The Guardian of the eastern forest slowly lowered herself from her spot in the air, as a chair appeared below her. She, without changing her position, gently landed on the extravagant throne. She sat atop the golden throne with royal blue cushioning. Her rainbow-colored irises surrounded by a golden ring looked at the group in front of her with interest.

"Come now, sit children." Nielia said gesturing to the soft looking seats facing her direction. "Don't worry I don't bite."

Lucilla and the others didn't move at first. Cristina eventually moved after a minute of silence. she grabbed one of the chairs at the end and sat down. Following suit, the others also sat down facing Nielia, with Lucilla carefully placing Sara into her own seat. Starting from Cristina on the Guardians right, the order of everyone is this: Cristina, Judieth, Sara, Lucilla, Morella, Maisy.

"Perfect, now that we're all settled in let's discuss what we're all here for." Nielia said with a smile before looking in Sara's direction. "It's so nice to finally meet you darling. Your mother unfortunately passed before we could see each other."

"Yes, that... that is true." Sara responded with slight melancholy.

"Yes, and now that she's dead, and your brother has disregarded our deal, you're the last one." She frowned. "You unfortunately are only a babe, even if you agree to uphold your side of the deal there isn't much you can do."

"What can I do? I want to help." The girl responded.

"Well, I'll keep the contract going, after all the Fey Queen is the Goddess of contracts. They are... quiet binding." She then turned her eyes to Lucilla. "I would like you to have a guardian, for you are nothing more than a babe. Someone to both protect you and make sure you keep your end of the deal."

Looking at her teacher Sara asked, "How would that work exactly?"

"Very simple really." She answered snapping her fingers. Blue flame flashed beside her, before disappearing revealing a glowing piece of golden paper. "One of these contracts, made from my Queens own power, well the paper anyway, will make it binding."

"Wait, what about the one made with my family, isn't that broken already?" Sara asked confused.

"Oh no. So long as one member of the prosperty family holds true to the deal, I promise to let them take what they need from the forest and not to well ..." She paused before leaning forward, with her voice distorting and echoing around them, and the pressure of her being increasing, "Destroy you all, both body and soul."

"...." All six of them were speechless.

"Anyway, this part is not necessary, just something for my peace of mind so we'll shelve this for later. All of this was just to see if you were going to keep up your families promise." She said releasing her hold on everyone and leaning back in her throne. The contract disappeared in another flash of blue flame. "Honestly, as long as you have the intention to at the very least comeback and set thing right, I won't do too much damage to your people."

"What do you mean by come back?" Lucilla asked with a questioning look.

"Woops, that wasn't for you children to hear. Kintris is going to get mad at me now." Nielia groaned. "Just ignore that. First things first we're going to have a fight on our hands."

"Oh, yeah...." Sara looked down dejected. Her father was going to start marching towards the forest in a few hours. The sun has yet to rise, but sunrise was not far from now.

Looking at Sara, Nielia's grin grew wider. "Now to keep up your end of the deal you'll have to help defend this place against your father, have him surrender, talk it out, or even kill him. Doesn't matter, just get him stop." She stood up from her chair and walked over to the now distraught looking Sara and crouched down in front of her to place a hand on her head. "If worse comes to worse, I would like you to take any denizens of my forest that don't want to fight and bring them to a friend of mine."

Sara looked into the tall woman's eyes, with tears threatening to spill down her own face when Cristina spoke up. "You don't mean Anastasia, do you?" She asked with a frown. "I don't like being around her, she's creepy."

"Thats only because you find spiders creepy my dear child." Nielia remarked. "She is not so bad." She then faced Sara again. "What say you child, will you do what you must?"

"Umm." Contemplating Sara stayed silent. She looked over at Lucilla who in return looked back at her. "I'll... do it."

"Perfect, what a good girl you are." Nielia said patting her on the head before going back to her throne. "I want you to travel to the lost country and meet Anna if you don't mind."

"Wait, why?" Lucilla, Judieth, and Morella asked confused. Maisy stayed silent and Cristina seem to have an inkling as to why. Sara was to confuse to comment.

"Those silly little people in that city think we don't know about their attack. They plan to exit the city from the south." The rainbow-colored woman answered.

"The closest exit to the city is through the Fey controlled area, and next to that is either the fishing area, that can only exit through the river, and the Nobel district." Cristina continued. "Since the operation is secrete, they don't want to tip us off that something is up by exiting through the Fey part of the city, and the Rich folk would get fussy if an army marched through their streets."

"Which leaves the main part of the city to the south." Judieth finished as she realized what they were saying. "The'll have to march around the perimeter of the city back northward, which would delay them by a few days. Three or four depending on how slowly they move."

"Exactly, in that time I want you to go to Anna's home and get you some new gear." A satisfied looking Nielia said. "I heard the Hero is in town, and with your current weapons you wouldn't stand a chance."

"We don't stand a chance as it is now. We're not strong enough." Lucilla pointed out. She was keenly aware of the difference in strength between her and the Hero. Just thinking about that final attack, he used on them made her shudder.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice?" She asked with an amused look on her face. "This forest is rich in energy that your bodies are currently taken in, making you stronger than before."

"That's... true, I can defiantly feel my strength increasing." Lucilla conceded. "But will it be enough to fight the Hero?"

A smile far too beautiful, yet still very unnerving spread across the Guardians face. A chill ran down Lucilla's back as she stared into the woman's eyes. "If you stay here long enough there's a chance you could. Of course, once you leave the forest about 95 to 99 percent of the strength you feel right now will be lost."

*Bumbum, Bumbum*

Lucilla's heart quickened as she took in this information, defeating the Hero will give her the much-needed breathing room she craved. The constant threat of him finding her was nerve-racking and she wished she could just ignore it, but she couldn't. Every action she took had to account the possibility of the Hero interfering. The thought of actually being able to stand up to that incredible power was exciting. Even if only temporary.

"So even I could stand to fight the Hero?" Lucilla asked with evident glee in her voice, despite the fierce look in her eyes.

"That's right. You know how the average strength of people tends to increase the more death and conflict in the world there is? A similar thing is happing here, just minus the death and conflict part." Nielia spoke. "You silver haired child of man, have a very rare affinity that allows you to take in more energy than the normal mortal.

"So that means I could fight the Hero on equa-" Lucilla muttered to herself before freezing when she heard the multi-colored womans next words.

"Of course it'll still be difficult, I would say you'll just barely be able to fend off his attacks. Though there still the slim chance of victory." Nielia said, splashing ice cold water on Lucilla burning excitement.

"Wait, huh, why?" Lucilla asked bewildered.

Nielia went on to explain that despite her natural ability to take in the energy around her, there was still a limit to how strong she could get with just that, and eventually she'll stop getting passively stronger. Plus, unlike a world at war where both Mana and the energy from a soul leaving a body is released into the world, Lucilla is only taking in Mana currently.

Similarly, other people will also increase in strength when they entered the forest, she just so happens to get stronger faster, and her limit increased. Thankfully the Hero is far too powerful at this point for them to get any power boosting benefit from just being in the forest. So, their strength will stay the same. Only from the forest.

The energy released upon a living things death will still increase his strength as it does others. Despite how minuscule that increase is, the longer the conflict continued the more problematic it'll be for those fighting him. Even a slight increase in strength will lessen their chances of success greatly.

"Of course that doesn't mean it's impossible for you." The Celestial Archangel said with a smile. "If that is what you truly, and I mean truly desire, I believe you could in fact kill him."

"What do you mean by that?" Judieth asked while Lucilla contemplated what she was told.

"No need to worry about that my child." Was the answer she received.

"We still need to visit this Anastasia person, before we even consider anything, am I correct?" Morella asked, getting the conversation on track.

"Yes, that's right darling. Before you even consider fighting the Hero you first need weapons suitable to fight him with." Snaping her fingers a map was produced in front of Sara. "You'll find the location of her home here."

Sara looked at the map and an X was marked in the middle of the Lost Country, this, she assumed, is where she could find this Anastasia person. She then handed the map to Lucilla for her to look over. Lucilla didn't even bother looking she instantly reached over Sara and gave the map to Judieth who was sitting on the other side of the girl.

"Now then, now that we're done with that." Nielia said, changing the conversation without warning with a clap of her hands. "I need to uphold my promise to you Crimson eyed child."

"Huh?" The aforementioned Crimsoned eyed child answered with an incredulous look.

"Don't tell me you have forgotten? I owe you a favor my child. What is it that you desire?"

"I...." Lucilla didn't answer right away. She didn't know how to answer, what could she even ask for?

She didn't have a lot of desires in this world. 'The ability to keep my family safe and have a peaceful life would be nice.' She thought, but could this four-meter-tall woman even grant that? What did she want? Maybe some knowledge about technology? But she could get that by studying.

"Can I hold off on this?" She asked.

"You may. There is no rush."

Lucilla sighed in relief. She was glad she didn't have to make a decision now. This felt like one of those things Judieth would get mad at her for if she made a carless request. She glanced over in the Doctors direction just in case and caught her eye. Judieth nodded at her in a sign of approval, so she did make the right choice here after all.

"We should get going soon though. If we want to get there and back." Cristina spoke up when she noticed the conversation has ended. "Thank you Lady Nielia, but we'll have to take our leave here."

Cristina was still speaking in what was apparently her natural voice, which made Lucilla uncomfortable. hearing the usual cheery Vampire speaking so normally and in such somber cadence. She didn't really speak the entire time they were here but hearing her speak now made Lucilla want to leave.

"Yes, good by children. I will see you soon."

__________________________

Nielia watched as a ship flew over her heading east. With a heavy sigh she walked over to the lakes edge and looked at the small Island located in the middle of the lake.

"Why must mortals be so foolish. Truly what a bother." She then looked back up to the sky. Dawn was breaking, for the sky was starting to brighten, even so, the sun has yet to show itself. "If what Madam Kintris has said comes true then this fight isn't going to end as I would hope."

Yet a smile still played on her lip. Despite the less than desirable future that was likely to happen, she still held hope. She did think as long as Sara was willing to keep her end of the deal things would work out. Human spirit tends to be a powerful thing. She's witness this countless times over the countless years of her long life.

"That Silver haired girl will be wonderfully helpful too." Unlike the Humans and their allies, Nielia didn't know about the so-called prophesy. No, it would be more accurate to say she has simply forgotten about it. She was told about it before but had simply forgotten it, deeming it unnecessary information.

So, her judgment of Lucilla was truly based of the girl herself and nothing more. She didn't lie to her about her chances to fight the Hero. The thing is she wasn't entirely truthful about her chances on defeating him as she is now. The likely hood of her succeeding was so low it was insulting to even entertain the idea of winning. Why she would even give the girl a false hope, only Nielia knew for sure.

What she did know was if she could push her to get stronger, she could possibly help Sara fulfill her contract or even take it over and replace her in the contract instead. She hoped for the latter, but she expects the former. She could ask Cristina, but that child doesn't want to bound herself to such a thing. Sure, she's helping with the city now, but that's mostly to pass the time than anything else. Nielia expects her to move on from the city in the next one or two hundred years.

"Guess all I can do now is wait." Snaping her fingers she disappeared from view.