Bringing the Dawn

Chapter Nineteen

The Invincible Aurora

"Day by day I follow you along your path
Your allies felled by my steel
My hate is endless, it knows no bounds
All of your lands are set ablaze

Once I've found you no mercy will I show

I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE
YOU'LL DIE BY MY HAND
UNTIL I HAVE YOUR HEAD
MY SWORD WILL NOT SLEEP!"

-My Sword Will Not Sleep by 3 Inches of Blood

Author's Forward Part Two- (The decision to upload this in chunks like I did with my K-On story All There Was feels like the best thing I can do to keep this tale alive. It suffered delay after delay but I'm excited to offer what I have for it. It will lack the same polish the first installment did, but if I just wait to release it all at once, you guys may be waiting another damned year. So why did this take so long?

First off I spent time focusing my creativity on other projects such as my two novels and their notes and drafts- Depths of Savagery and Lunatic Fringe. When I first began writing Bringing the Dawn I was jobless and eventually found part-time work. Now I nearly make overtime every pay cycle and am lucky to come home sober enough to write. I've done a lot between stories- moved into a new place, got a dog, picked up smoking and heavy drinking. The whole time, Book Two was always in my mind. Just after the monumentally disappointing reception of the first book, I was disheartened. Those who did review were great people, and I made a friend or two out of it. That really made it worth it.

The subject matter of this arc of the story is a bit different. It features a more static location and a host of new characters both from Strike Witches and original. Perrine had her big character arc and it's now time for her longest companions to have theirs. Aurora's story is a major facet of this book. It's a story of redemption and trying to just hang on. I love writing for broken characters.

Beyond that, I promise some truly fucking awesome stuff. Political intrigue; a touch of romance; vicious battles against some new enemies (can't have a fantasy story without a dragon!). A large-scale battle on a Lord of the Rings scope; dungeon crawling fun and an epic conclusion against Neuroin.

Read on and enjoy! Let me know what you think!

61

Everything was a whirling, confusing blur for Aurora Juutilainen as she fell between where she was now and where she had been years before. The senses of these places all mixed together and she felt like she was walking simultaneously in multiple worlds. In present, she felt the ragged pain of an injury on her belly and the warm blood pooling down past her belt. The harsh taste of vomit lingered in her mouth, along with the aftertaste of whiskey. Her ears were ringing with the sound of battle as her companions fought off the Blackguard and Neuroi ambush they had fallen into.

She didn't remember how she had beaten back the Blackguard who had gotten the nasty gash on her – all she saw was that he was dead against a bush on this mountain pass beside her. His chest was split open, and Aurora assumed she had simply hacked him apart with her Neuroi weapon, Planet Smasher.

Everything was spinning again, and she felt like she was dreaming while standing. Lingering memories found their way back to her. She remembered the hot, disgusting whiskey breath (not unlike her own now) of her father against her face, his strong arms pushing her against the wall and tearing the top part of her winter dress to expose her young, teenage breasts. She remembered precisely how painfully cold her nipples had been that cold and awful Suomus night. It was strange which things stood out the most. She also remembered Eila, younger than ten, standing there, wide-eyed, in the doorway. She remembered her father clumsily laughing and telling his younger daughter that he and her sister had just been playing some game. Aurora had used that chance to flee, running and hiding in the loft of the barn for as long as she could. It was not long after that night that she left to find her (mis)fortune as a witch elsewhere.

She looked at Eila now. Eila had come a long way from being the scared, wide-eyed girl she had been back then. She was beside Perrine, wearing her favorite black dress with leather boots and gloves. In her hands was her new sword, Lionslicer, a gift from Barkhorn. The sword was splattered with blood, as was most of Eila. None of that blood was her own.

Eila was a cunning and vicious fighter. Her inherent witch magic, the ability to see a very immediate future made her an incredibly elusive opponent. Aurora saw her in action now as a Blackguard twice her size made a heavy swing at her with a hand-and-a-half sword. Eila was sidestepping the attack before it was even coming down, and she swung upwards to catch the tip of her sword right against his neck. She always struck with deadly precision, never making a move until she knew that one would be the kill. A spray of blood greeted her, splattering against her cheek as Eila turned away to make sure there were no other would-be attackers trying to seize her. Whether it was by whitish hellfire from her fingertips, or the edge of her sword, all who crossed Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen died. An accomplished wizard, the victor of many battles and the destroyer of a Neuroi Hive; Aurora's sister was the greatest fighter in the company of Strike Witches.

"Nice one!" Perrine complimented, her back to Eila's as several corpses were littered around them in the gravel of the mountain pass. In Perrine's hand was her rapier, also red with enemy blood from all her heart strikes. While not possessing the same deadly magic that made Eila so formidable, Perrine was an incredibly capable fighter in her own right. Learning much from Erica Hartmann since their journey had started, she was a relentless and smart fencer, coming at every enemy fast and hard, immediately striking the moment their guard was let down.

"I could have finished him off with at least ten different spells," Eila replied, leaning down to wipe the blood off her sword. "But I want to save my magic for a real threat. I don't think any regular Blackguard could beat the two of us."

"Not with us under Hartmann's training, no," Perrine agreed. Over the last month as they journeyed, Erica Hartmann had spent many hours training the rest of the witches. Not only was she incredibly proficient in swordplay, but knew how to train others how to better focus the mind and make better use of their magic. As Erica explained it, all magic manifested the same way even if the result was different. It was all about mental discipline and practice.

Aurora fell against a nearby tree, gritting her teeth at the pain and holding her gut. She felt ashamed. Not even a month ago her sister had not been a warrior, but already she had surpassed her. Now Eila could hold her own against any Blackguard with the help of her magic while Aurora had nearly fallen to just one.

Years ago, she had been the 'Invincible Aurora'. She remembered charging any foe, winning any fight, and shrugging off any injury. There had been a healing witch in her mercenary company just like Yoshika. Together, the two were an unstoppable duo.

She closed her eyes and shivered at the memories of her old mercenary company, The Witches of Misfortune. It was amazing how fast she had spent all her money from her work, and how fast the glory disappeared. They had been rich, reveling in fame, and were all close friends. All of that had been lost, and Aurora had hoped that her last job would have really been her last. It had been years since her contract in Rome, and back then the Thieves Guild had been actively trying to hunt her down. Her 'friend' Nancy had helped make some of the bounty hunters 'disappear', but the price had been steep. Dignity and self-respect were just some of the things she had lost in all of that.

There was a lot to Aurora's history, and she was doing her best not to recall it. The glory and the excitement were equally matched by shame and anger at the mistakes she had made. So many bad decisions had been made under the influence of heavy drinking. She had chased away dear friends with cutting words, hurt people she had never meant to hurt, and accepted mercenary jobs she couldn't back out of. Now as the made their way to Rome, she hoped Nancy had been thorough in getting those bastards off her back.

As she remembered Nancy and her touching, feeling hands, someone put their hand on Aurora's shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw the face of Gertrud Barkhorn. The Karlslander knight was wearing a black eye patch over her right eye, with her hair done in two pig tails. She still wore the Karlsland tabard over her chainmail, and now fought with a single sword and shield.

"Hey!" Barkhorn shouted at the rest from over her shoulder. "Aurora's hurt! Yoshika, get over here!"

"Don't you touch me!" Aurora spat and shoved Barkhorn's hand away. The knight flinched back in surprise. "Don't you ever touch me! Do it again and I swear to God you'll lose that other fucking hand!"

"Jesus Christ," Barkhorn took a step back and shook her head. "Don't get mad at me because you were too drunk to fight. It's not my fault you're a damned non-functioning alcoholic."

"Stop it, you two!" Perrine interjected, approaching them. She pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered, "I'm getting so sick of this."

"She started it," Barkhorn huffed.

"I don't care!" Perrine replied.

Eila came to her sister and knelt beside her. She put her hand on Aurora's cheek, and her touch was accepted. With warm smile, Eila asked, "Are you okay, Aurora?"

"Yeah, fine," she nodded with a bitter look on her face. "I don't need you all crowdin' around me! There's nothing to see here!"

"Take care of her, Yoshika," Perrine said to Miyafuji as she passed her with Barkhorn. Approaching them now were Hartmann and Lynette as well. Perrine nodded at them, "Good work today, you two. Lynette, if it weren't for you their marksmen and sharp-shooters would have killed at least one of us."

"It was no trouble, really," Lynette gave a polite bow, and wiped sweat off her forehead.

Beside her, Hartmann put an arm around her shoulder, "Lyn here's really got a knack for this. It's nice being able to go into a battle alongside witches that you can trust."

"I'm honored you think that way," Lynette blushed, and turned her head in modesty.

Perrine looked around them and shook her head. Around three-score had attacked them in that mountain pass. They were close to reaching the hilly lands of central Romagna, with Rome looming closer and closer. It was a pleasant day, save the bloodshed, cool and sunny. This country was the most beautiful they had crossed so far.

"They know we're making way for Rome," Perrine said.

"Which means the Blackguards will be expecting us," Barkhorn sighed, stepping next to Perrine. "What that means remains a mystery. Rome is neutral, isn't it? They can't just openly attack us, can they?"

"I hope not," Perrine replied and thought for a moment. As her mind work, she brushed her hair out of her eyes. Her neatly trimmed bangs had grown long since she had left Britannia some nine months ago. It gave her more of a wily look, and Perrine wore it as it was similar to how she remembered her mother looking. With the heat, she did not button her coat anymore either. She let her tunic beneath show, indecent cleavage and all. All of them had become more casual with these sort of things on the road, only making true efforts to maintain appearances when they met others or stopped at some village. Erica was content to lounge about camp without pants, and most nights Gertrud simply slept naked. Aurora kept the most modest as she disliked showing her burn scars.

Perrine continued her thought, "If we can find some sort of allegiance or alliance with one of the factions, perhaps they can give us political protection. Perhaps the Duchess holds no love for the Neuroi and Neuroin, and will grant us refuge. If not, I am certain the Thieves Guild would aid us if we made it worth their while."

"Working with thieves..." Barkhorn shook her head. "I don't like the idea at all, but we need their queen, don't we? And that Charlotte Yeager... I feel like I've heard the name before."

Erica replied, "We hear the names of witches all the time, I'm sure you've heard her name before. Did Sakamoto's letter say what Miss Yeager's magic was?"

Perrine shook her head, "Her writing only mentioned that the Queen's magic deals in the form of illusions, ventriloquism, voice throwing, and changing her voice. Not quite what we need in a fight, but I can think of countless uses for those kinds of powers."
Barkhorn frowned, "It sounds deceitful, and like trickery to me. The kind of tactics men like Jaeger Kunze would use."

Past Aurora, Eila and Yoshika, Perrine caught a glimpse of their last companion. Their silent watch and ghostlike friend; Sanya. She was watching them from afar, halfway hidden behind a tall pine tree. Her expression tensed at the mention of Kunze's name. Even from there Sanya could hear every word spoken with ease. Perrine couldn't be certain, but she did not think Sanya had spoken a single word to anyone save Eila since they rescued her at Dunkelheit.

"Minna was friends with the last Queen," Erica told Gertrud. "A friend of Minna, Sakamoto and Junko's should be a friend of ours. I can't imagine the apple would fall that far from the tree."

Perrine certainly agreed with this and said, "Yes, Lucretia Lucchini was a friend of my mother's as well. Truth be told I'm interested in meeting the daughter of my mother's friend. She is another in this new generation of witches. We're following in the footsteps of their original company."

"I hope you're all right," Barkhorn still did not look convinced. "Whatever the case, let's keep moving. The Neuroi know where we're going and may be tracking our movements. The longer we stand around, the longer they have a chance to once again unapologetically fuck us."

"While crudely delivered you have a point," Perrine agreed. "Come, Lyn, let's gather the horses and ride forward. I'm assuming Yoshika has had the chance to work her healing by now."

Hartmann giggled, "Trudie is grumpy all the time because she hasn't had a good fuck in a long time."

Barkhorn lowered her head and bit her lip as her cheeks flushed red, "Yes, let's see if Yoshika is done with her magic. I want to take Sleipnir and ride ahead a bit. Far ahead of Hartmann."

62

The Strike Witches gathered their panicked horses and made way for Rome again. There was not much talk, none of them were in very cheery moods. The immediate goal was to find a small stream or river to camp near so all of them could bathe. Splattered with blood and sweaty, they all felt smelly and gross.

Barkhorn rode ahead, letting her proud steed gallop fast and hard as he pleased. Not far behind her were Bobbi and Hartmann, watching their companion's backs as they always did. Perrine and Lynette rode a little ways behind them, talking idly about whatever came to mind. Next was Eila and Sanya, sharing Arod. Yoshika still rode Hama, a noble and braver steed who was bonded very much to her. Aurora rode a mare she had been given by the knights of Karlsland before leaving. She had been barely broken in, and Marseille's knights claimed she was not a reliable mount. Aurora called her Kertu after a lost friend, and already loved her dearly. She found that all Kertu needed was a gentle hand and someone to love her. The knights simply pushed her too hard to be a combat steed which Aurora knew right away Kertu was not.

Aurora was finding she loved animals a lot more than people. Yet, at the same time she was fearful of becoming too attached. She had been so close to Bill and his demise still stung her heart. However, she was unable to resist boding with this horse.

She rode Kertu slowly and lazily in the back with Yoshika and Hama. They rode a little way behind the rest of the group. Aurora was still bloodied by her wounds, but didn't mind the mess. With her old magic, wearing crusty and bloody clothes was something she was used to. The sun was beginning to rest behind the mountains, setting off an orange glow. As she watched the sun set, Aurora raised her flask from her hip and took a big gulp of whiskey. She knew she should stop soon, or else she was going to be too sick to ride.

She noticed though, as she drank, Yoshika was watching her with a strange expression. Aurora lowered the flask and asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Yoshika turned her head, and looked forward down the road. Her head lowered, and in a low voice she said, "I was wondering though. When was the last time you were sober? You weren't always like this. I remembered you always drinking, but... this is different. This is scaring me, Aurora."

"Hey, hey," Aurora tried to offer a reassuring smile. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm a Suom, we're born with booze in our veins. Drinking takes the edge off of everything, and I kind of need that since it feels like I'm walking through a forest of razors."

"Has this journey really been that bad for you?" Yoshika asked Aurora, her voice now sad. Aurora did not reply, only looked at Yoshika with dark circles under her eyes. It was the only answer Yoshika needed. The Fuson girl hung her head low and sighed, "I suppose it has then. It hasn't been easy on anyone. I've spent a lot of time scared, and just so tired all the time. There's so much good about this though! The friends I've made, and the fun we've had... it just makes it all worth it. I love those moments when we sit around the fire with wine and listen to Erica's stories about Trudie."

"Trudie?" Aurora frowned and raised an eyebrow. "That's her name now?"

Yoshika bit her lip and looked away, "I g-guess... it's cuter than just 'Barkhorn' or 'Gertrud'."

"So?" Aurora's tone carried an edge to it. "There's nothing cute about her. She can wear those cutesy little pig-tails all she wants, she's still just a boring and stubborn bitch."

"Don't call her that!" Yoshika protested, anger flashing across her usual kind face. "What is with you!? You're so bitter towards everyone now! I miss the old you. You were so fun and kind to me. Do you remember when we in London?"

Aurora felt a sharp sting of guilt and shame. She looked away quickly and replied honestly, "The inn on the river? Yeah... Eila and Sanya danced, so did Perrine and Lynette. Lynette was wearing the really pretty green dress, and I remember being mad at her. I remember being so mad at her I just drank and drank and drank. We were together that night, but I don't remember anything else."

"Oh," Yoshika whispered. She snapped the reins of her horse and sent Hama into a light trot to move ahead. She muttered, almost bitterly, "I see."

The older Juutilainen was left to ride alone in the back. The others didn't know what she had said to Yoshika, but they sensed there was some stake driven between them. It was only Sanya, who rode with Eila, who looked back and gave Aurora comforting smile. Aurora had never seen Yoshika talk that way to anyone before. She had not seemed angry, as Yoshika practically seemed incapable of rage. Disappointed was what Yoshika looked. Something about that stung more than any cut from a sword. Aurora felt like she was alienating her last real friend save Sanya.

She carried her horse forward, letting herself ride in the back. Aurora just wanted them to make camp so she could sleep this off, and awake to a hangover worse than anything Hell's blackened gates could throw at her. At least the misery of a hangover would distract her from anything. Tomorrow she could ride on, focusing on nothing more than avoiding throwing up and the throbbing pain in her head. She closed her eyes and let her drunken thoughts take her back to happy times.

Pub crawls in Moscow with friends after the Neuroi scourge had been beaten back. There were very few places selling after the occupation, and they were determined to hit every one. She remembered, holding back her friend Kertu's hair as she threw up in the snow. They laughed, and Aurora helped her to the next tavern to drink even more. There they met Orussian soldiers who laughed and cheered at their arrival. Rounds were on them, the witches who cut a swath through the Neuroi. Drunkenly they sang and danced, and recounted stories from the battles. Aurora, arm around her friend and a beer in the other hand, recounted how she had taken three Siege Beasts simultaneously. She remembered that night as they got more and more drunk. The celebration for Moscow only escalated, and by dawn Orussian soldiers cackled and cheered as they poured beer over Aurora and Kertu as they danced risque dances with one another.

In the present, Aurora rode on and felt her heart weigh heavy with happy memories. Thinking of Kertu was hard. The small Suomish witch had been a powerful companion, much like Yoshika, who liked to show everyone that her small size did not mean she could not drink. They danced, sang, fought side by side, and made money off of it. A stray cut or some sort of bad food was Kertu's demise. On their return to Suomus, the girl did not survive the journey. A sickness took her, slowly and sadly.

Kertu was a calm voice of kindness. She would have told Aurora not to sell herself as an assassin. She would have told Aurora not to sell herself and her weapon to the very enemy she had fought.

63

Night came and the Strike Witches set up camp a little ways off the road they had been following. They rested on the side of a hill of high grass and sparse trees. They were will hidden, and did not fear detection from anything short of Neuroi hunters. For that reason, Sanya took her usual guard duty. A small fire was made, and the group quietly sat around their camp. There was little conversation that evening, and the only real noise was the sound of metal against stone as Hartmann sharpened her sword.

Aurora and Gertrud went to sleep instantly while Lynette and Yoshika stayed up a little while longer quietly making idle conversation. Perrine sat before the fire, enjoying the glow and warmth under a comfortable night sky. It was a warm enough night that she could simply lie atop her bedroll and sleep with no covers. On her lap was her blue coat, the constant companion of all her adventures. It was nicked and frayed in too many places to manage any longer. Wearing it now almost gave her a rough appearance when it once made her looked refined and noble. Perrine still wore it constantly, and felt like it had grown with her.

She gazed lazily into the fire and rested, knowing sleep would be upon her soon. A small form moved through the darkness, catching her attention. Perrine realized quickly it was only Eila's pet fox. The small thing trotted over to her, and pawed to get her attention.

"What, are you hungry?" Perrine whispered. "Eila's over..."

She looked around and saw Eila was missing. It made her sigh briefly in frustration. She hated when Eila just disappeared at the night. They were not in safe territory and wandering about like this was not helping anything. Arina the fox pawed at Perrine more, annoying her. The fox ran a quick circle and bounded a meter away, then looked back at Perrine expectantly.

Perrine guessed this was Eila's way of trying to get her attention. She stood up and decided to follow the fox. Hartmann looked up at her as she walked away, and Perrine simply told her, "I'll be back."

Arina the fox led the way through the night. They crossed several hills and a small stream, and Perrine was growing more and more frustrated at all of this. Had Eila simply said, "Meet me after dark alone", things would have been better. Instead she had wandered off and sent her pet to fetch Perrine. She followed the fox through a small grove of trees where she found the wizard sitting cross legged before a pentagram drawn in the dirt. Around the circle were designs that Perrine figured were pagan runes. She was liking this even less now.

"You called?" She asked, voice laden with impatience. "Just what are you up to?"

Eila looked up at her and smiled, almost excitedly, "I think I did it, Perrine! I've been working on this spell ever since we left Karlsland, and it's ready to be tested. I wanted you to be here for this."

"Out in the middle of nowhere?" Perrine frowned. "What are you on about?"

Eila's excitement made her chuckle sheepishly, "I don't even know where to begin! I found out something incredible in Dunkelheit, Perrine. The Neuroi can talk!"

"They can... what?"

"Talk!" Eila exclaimed. "I can't say for sure, but I think they all have the same mind. Before I destroyed the Hive, they talked to me inside my head."

"Oh Dear Father in Heaven..." Perrine exhaled and shook her head. She nervously paced back and forth. Something about this made her deeply uncomfortable. "Eila, what did they say to you?"

"That doesn't matter," Eila dismissed her. Perrine thought that mattered a lot. "I can't believe I never thought about it earlier. I mean, think about it, Perrine!? How did they win over so many people? They obviously need to have a voice, but I just learned that they talk inside our brains. My spell is going to let me listen into what they're saying. I don't know if we'll be able to make sense of it, but it's gonna be a start. If we can spy on them, we can learn all their plans and have an edge."

Perrine agreed that would help phenomenally. They could avoid every ambush and attack, and pick their battles far easier. They could learn all the plans and movements of the enemy and use that to work against them unlike anything before. Still, this was not magic Perrine was familiar with and did not wholly trust it even if she trusted Eila with her entire heart.

"How does it work?" Perrine finally asked.

"I am glad you asked!" Eila chirped and pointed at the space on the other side of the markings in the dirt. "Sit there and hold my hands. We're gonna listen to it together, but you're going to experience it from my senses. I've spent a lot of sleepless nights when you were all resting to get this right. Developing new spells is tough stuff, Perrine, believe me."

"Is that why I've only ever seen you cast about three?" Perrine asked as she sat across from Eila.

Eila huffed at her teasing, and crossed her arms, "Psh, if you paid attention you'd have seen how spectacular my magic is. Didn't you see my barrier of blades, flame strike, or that storm of vengeance I conjured?"

"You didn't do any of those things," Perrine shot back, and shook her head. "I swear, you're entirely more show than strength. How did you destroy that Neuroi hive again, exactly?"

"Like I said a thousand times, that's not important," Eila dismissed Perrine with a wave of her hand. "Okay, now take my hands so we can get this started. I'll show you what true wizard magic is like!"

"I'm not sure if I even want to do this," Perrine sighed, but reached out to hold Eila's hands over the pentagram in the dirt. They laced their fingers, and Perrine immediately blushed at the gesture, and saw that Eila had too. They both looked away, but made no efforts to change how they held their hands. "You put a lot of work into this," Perrine said, looking off into the side. "I trust you. You wouldn't do this if you weren't entirely sure it would be safe."

Eila nodded, and they made eye contact again. Perrine felt a strange dizzy sensation looking at her.

"Thanks, Perrine," Eila said. "You're the only one I think I can share this with. Explaining to the others how we managed to hear the Neuroi is gonna be hard, but you're our leader. That's your job while this is mine."

"Thank you for delegating me for that," Perrine muttered, and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's get this over with."

"Alright," Eila squeezed Perrine's hands. "I'm starting, prying open my third eye."

At first, nothing happened and the two were sitting quietly in the night. Eila was focused with her eyes closed, her mouth moving to word out words Perrine couldn't understand as no sound came from her. Her eyes opened, bright white and looking like they were ablaze with fire. Perrine felt a strange sense of dread as she looked into Eila's burning eyes. She was incapable of looking way, and as she stared at them she felt as if she was being pulled out of her body. Her vision was tunneled, and the trees and rocks around her began to blur.

There was a brief sensation of free falling, and Perrine immediately realized her body was not her own. The sensation was strange and uncomfortable. Small things were different such as the feeling of the way her tongue rested in her mouth, or how her arms rested against the side of her bare body. It took a moment to realize what this all was. She was truly watching this all from Eila's body, sharing it with her for the spell. Eila's eyes were closed, and but it felt like she was standing naked with her feet in loose dirt. All around her were cold winds that blew hard, but not fierce.

Slowly Eila's eyes opened to reveal a Hellish landscape that made Perrine want out of all of this. It was a flat sea of gray ash at her feet, with the wind picking it up and blowing it. In the distance, red dots glowed, and dark shapes moved just out of sight.

In Eila's ears she heard a thousand voices whispering simultaneously in a chaotic cacophony of noise. Slowly, the whispering became more and more focused, and Perrine could begin picking out words. Words slowly became sentences. The voices were harsh, almost snakelike whispers like someone was speaking deep from their throat.

"Ssshaattered... defeated... Thisss one joinss you once more."

"Reborn now I am the thirrssst."

"I know pain, and they will know it too."

The voices spoke in riddles Perrine couldn't comprehend, and it scared her. It went on like that for several more minutes, and she wondered if Eila was making sense out of it any out of it. All the voices sounded similar and spoke continual nonsense. She was quickly losing hope, when she finally heard someone, a woman, speak in English. She spoke with an accent that made Perrine think of Karlsland, but she couldn't.

"...no word yet. I'm assuming they're dead and the enemy warded off yet another attack."

She met a reply from a very deep and smooth male voice, "Do not repeat your brother's mistakes and underestimate the enemy. Do what must be done. Nothing must be spared to defeat them, do you understand this!?"

The woman replied, "Of course, my lord! I simply do not know if I have the manpower to hold the city while destroying their company. What of your adviser? Can she help me in hounding their movements?"

God, Perrine thought. They're talking about us!

"Who is talking about us!?" The man suddenly shouted, and it made Eila's head ring and ache with the force. Perrine realized throughout their conversation, she had not been thinking anything, and simply listening. She had no idea they could hear her back.

Suddenly, Eila's own thoughts rang out, "Perrine you idiot!"

The man began to chuckle, as if terribly amused. The feeling made the ashy landscape vibrate beneath Eila's feet. His voice said, "Oh, my, my, my, fancy meeting you here. No... Only your mind has been attuned here. The mortal vessel is elsewhere. What foolish witch has dared trod upon where she is most unwelcome?"

Before Eila's eyes, a dark figure materialized from nothing in a flash of blinding red. It was a tall man adorned in black robes. His face was handsome but sinister, and behind it was a long mane of flowing white hair.

"Neuroin!" Perrine's mind screamed. "For God's sake, Eila! Kill him! This is it, strike him down!"

"Shut up!" Eila thought back. "This isn't real life, this is just me projecting and- Why am I explaining this!?"

"It may not be the real world..." Neuroin spoke without moving his lips, but raised a hand. Suddenly, Eila's body was wracked with a burning sensation. The Neuroi's champion smiled, and calmly thought into their minds, "Your magic is just as strong here. Do you feel that pain? Come now, try and fight it and strike back at me. Do what your companion wishes!"

The burning sensation ignited into a conflagration of blazing agony. In her mind, Eila screamed and screamed as her body in this strange world collapsed and curled up into a spasming ball. Perrine felt the pain and wondered briefly if she was screaming in her mind as well. She couldn't tell, the only thing she could feel was the incredible pain. She fought it mentally, trying to distance herself from it somehow. She knew if this was her 'body' she would remain standing.

"Eila..." she tried to think. "Fight it! F-Fight this!"

"I can't!" Eila's mental voice cried while Neuroin's laughed. The pain became worse suddenly as it felt like Eila's limbs were being pulled away from her torso. This time, Perrine knew she was screaming. Everything was beginning to go black.

"This," Neuroin calmly said, "is the pain all witches feel when they stand before me. Pray to your Gods that we do not meet, witches. This is a mere taste compared to the Hell you will suffer when I present you to the Neuroi. Your magic will feed them forever, and there will be no death you can escape to."

The pain vanished, and Perrine felt like she mentally breathed the sweetest breath of relief possible. There was the sensation of free falling again, but this time it felt more like being hurdled between... Perrine didn't even know anymore. She was somewhere in the space in between, whatever that meant.

She felt herself falling backwards from where she had been sitting, landing gently in the dirt and stones behind her. Her whole body was shaking, still reeling from the incredible pain. She was fine, though, and managed to sit up despite the shaking. Anxiety and dizziness over what had happened were all she felt now. Perrine was strong, and knew this was just another blow against her she could shrug off. In some mental world, Neuroin could conjure pain. It did nothing to deter her steps forward on this journey.

Eila, on the other hand had fallen over on her side. Her silvery hair was spread across the dirt, and she was curled up in a ball shaking. She was silent as tears flowed down her cheeks and her teeth chattered. Perrine quickly crossed the markings in the dirt and put her arms around Eila pulling her to a sitting position. She held her close as Eila's hands roughly grabbed at the front of Perrine's tunic hard enough to stretch and almost tear the fabric.

Perrine realized something was very, very wrong. Eila was hot. Not the same sort of warm that came with a fever, hot like metal left under the sun on a summer day.

"I c-can't..." Eila exhaled, trying to say something. "...c-can't..."

"What can't you do, Eila!?" Perrine quickly asked, holding her close and fearing the worst for her friend. "Jesus, Eila, what do I do!?"

"B-Before..." Eila said in her strained voice. "R-Rem...rem...ber. Ah...again..."

"Remember? Remember what!?" Perrine felt tears burning her eyes. Eila felt like she was getting hotter, like she was going to burst into flames. "What do I do!? I don't want you to die!"

"Fah..." Eila winced hard and shut her eyes, but raised her hand upwards away from Perrine. From her fingertips came a flash of white fire. Perrine reached up and grabbed her hand when the fire went away, holding it tight. She was wracking her brain hard as Eila clung against her and quietly wept. What happened to her? What could Perrine do? What was she supposed to remember?

All she knew was that Eila was very warm, and Perrine needed to find some way to cool her off. They had water back at camp. Perrine had no idea how well water would work, but it was better than just sitting there. She hefted Eila up in her arms, grunting slightly at the wizard's weight. She began heading back, nearly tripping over a very scared fox.

"Come on," Perrine whispered down at her. "I'm going to get you help, Eila. Just hold on."

Eila did not reply, and was nearly limp in Perrine's arms as she weakly clung to her. She was breathing hard, and that scared Perrine even more. She wasn't sure what she would do without Eila if anything happened. All Perrine could do was hustle and keep a fast pace, moving forward towards camp. She looked down at Arina bounding ahead, looking worried for her master.

"I don't suppose you have any idea what to do?" Perrine asked the animal. Arina looked back at her, and then went back to trotting ahead. She sighed and frustration and said, "I should never have followed you, you smelly little beast."

They were soon past the grove of trees Eila had chosen for her secret spell, and Perrine's boots splashed through the stream she had crossed earlier. She stopped in place and realized how obvious it was now. Whatever had happened wherever that spell had taken then, it caused Eila to lose control of her magic. Perrine looked down at the wizard, and saw how she was still shaking and was so hot to the touch. Sweat was running down her face, and dampening the dark dress she routinely wore. The last time Eila had lost control of her magic, she had waded out into the Rhine and stood there for hours to cool off.

Was that all Eila needed? Just cool water?

The stream flowed over a bed of rocks, and was barely up to the top of Perrine's boots. It was the perfect depth to rest Eila in. She stepped to the other side of it, and gently set Eila down by the edge. Perrine worked to set her up and asked, "Eila? Is this what you need? Water?"

Eila weakly nodded, and mouthed, 'Thank you' to Perrine. The Gallian nodded and felt some relief in knowing at least what she could do to help. "Come on, let's get you dressed down and cooled off. Will you be okay then?"

Eila weakly nodded again.

Perrine wasted no time undressing her friend and setting the clothes aside. She picked Eila up again and gently set her down in the stream so that the cool water flowed over her. Her head was rested at the edge of the water on Perrine's lap. Eila sighed a sigh of relief and rested with her eyes closed. Her breathing was controlled now and less labored. Perrine sat there, and steeled herself in for a long night if Eila was going to sleep like that. It was her stalwart duty as the leader of their company, and she accepted it.

So she sat there with Eila resting beneath a starry sky, mentally and physically exhausted. The day had been fraught with danger, and she was denied just a simple sleep to shake it off. The battle earlier that day had thrown the usual stress that came with combat on top of Aurora being a hopeless and useless alcoholic. Perrine felt her patience and tolerance for the older Juutilainen sister fast reaching a limit. She was fast reaching a point where she would need to lay down the law some way or another. Getting so drunk she could not function was putting herself, and by proxy everyone else in danger.

The spell from earlier, and the experience with it had left her with a raging headache as well. Perrine had no idea just what had happened, or where they had been, only that it had frightened her. From what she gathered, the Neuroi and Blackguards could somehow communicate from far away using their minds with some kind of magic. Perrine had no way to know just how it worked, or more importantly what she had seen. Just where had the spell taken them? Had that world been real?

Perrine shook her head and decided she was not going to think about it. There were countless things she had decided just not to think about. Her mind was simply focused on putting one foot in front of the other and reaching Rome to find those witches.

A noise broke her from her thoughts, and she looked over her shoulder to see Sanya slowly walking down the hill. Perrine wasn't excited to see her, but figured some company could be nice. She also realized explaining why she was sitting with Eila naked in a stream wasn't going to be fun to explain.

"She lost control of her magic," Perrine wasted no time. "I figured this was the best way to cool her down. You know her better than I, was this the right thing to do?"

Sanya gently nodded and walked down the hill to sit beside Perrine. Her pale hand reached over and stroked Eila's forehead. Her hand then moved over and touched Perrine's arm. Sanya looked at her with concern on her face.

"Hmm?" Perrine tilted her head in confusion. As well as Aurora's alcoholism, Perrine was also fast getting sick of every interaction with Sanya as of late being a damned game of charades. Sanya replied by making a yawning gesture and lazily pointing back to camp. Perrine could only guess what she was trying to say, "Am I sleepy?"

Sanya nodded.

"Yes," Perrine answered honestly, "but I mean to stay here. Eila cast a spell, and it didn't go as planned. I think we're both okay, but it feels wrong not to see this all through. Will you be awake all night, Sanya?"

Sanya nodded.

"Wake me when the sun begins to rise," Perrine instructed. She leaned back with Eila's head still on her lap, and closed her eyes. "I'm going to sleep here."

To Be Continued

Some other notes- Like in the last story, music was just a huge part. So I gotta recommend songs to get the reader in the mood and see where I'm coming from. First off is the song that inspired this all. Dream Theater's In the Presence of Enemy's Pt 1 is the first I wholly recommend. For the chapter, when Perrine confronts Eila with the magic the song The Code by Casualties of Cool sums that up. A note on that, it was released around my birthday as a crowdfunding thing. A buddy of mine, someone monumentally helpful to making Bringing the Dawn a thing funded that CD for me and as a pledge reward the singer, Devin Townsend did a happy birthday song for me custom. It was kind of awesome.

I'll throw the playlist that has all these songs on my profile. It'll have songs for chapters I haven't uploaded since I just throw this on repeat when I write.

Don't forget to review and thanks for reading!