Author's note: The second part of ch10…

*break*

"Ugh... I was hoping to avoid getting hurt before we get to the castle but all these encounters are taking their toll on me." Louise muttered as she dusted herself as she stood.

"Well... it's better than me who... I must admit I'm running out of energy honestly." The princess shook her head and pinched her sides. "I exercise and eat properly and all that but I don't seem to have the energy like you and your mother do."

"Well that's to be expected Henrietta... My exercise is thrice as strenuous as yours and mothers does something much worse..." She stopped when she heard her friend giggling. "What?"

"It's strange. But you're not so formal and stiff anymore. If you haven't noticed..." Louise just shyly scratched her cheeks at that. "You have become much different from before, in both mind and... well body."

"Hmph! Well of course it is!" The friend retorted in an annoyed tone. "And this is coming from the princess who made a gesture saying 'oh dear I'm getting fat'!"

"Wha? Hey! It's a legitimate concern you know!" It was the princess this time who got irritated. "As of royal blood and a person who makes addresses to the public every now and then, I must be always presentable." The princess nodded all too seriously.

"Ohhhhh?..." The young woman began poking her friend's sides. "Then what isssshhhh thiiisss?!" Her friend backed off clutching her sides.

"We-well... I... I kinda... eat... when... I uhhh..." The princess began to shyly push her fingers and slouch. "I kinda... eat when... I'm upset... there..."

"Well I guess that's fine. I mean you still have a killer figure you know." Louise complimented her friend who sighed.

"It's not like I have a man to show it to." She said sadly.

"True..." Louise stopped at that seeing that she knew of her friend's love at Albion. And considering the rebels there won and made their way here... well...

"Hehe..." Her friend began to giggle. "Ever since we separated our ways since childhood I never thought that I would have this kind of girly talk with you. I got worse with your disappearance too."

"I guess... I got lucky." The young woman shook her head. "To be frank even back at Zeal I got talk with other girls much... I guess-"

"Zeal? Is that the name of the place you ended up?" The princess interrupted and she nods.

"Yeah. It's where my aunt lives." The young told her friend, but was rather unhappy as this was lie. A white lie but still...

"Really? How is it?" The princess asked causing the young woman to think for a second. Then after thinking about it rather thoroughly she nodded.

"The best word to describe it is that it's a utopia." She said, making her friend raise her eyebrows.

"Surely that's some exaggeration." Her friend countered but she shook her head.

"It's not... It's a wonderful place of technology and magic, where peace and coexistence are achieved not just by humans but with elves as well." The last line made her friend even more skeptical.

"Elves. I know of Tiffania but..." Louise shook her head.

"I kid you not Henrietta. Zeal was land of peace in which both humans and elves coexisted. In fact..." She held up her weapon. A double bladed spear called a 'swallow' a marvelous piece of silver used to cut down all that stand in it's owners way. "This weapon of mine is of elven make. By elven woman named Sasha." She turned to her friend and smiled.

"She's a marvelous woman, a good blacksmith and expert swordsman. She often acts as an elder sister or busybody aunt when-" Louise paused a moment seeing that she was about to say Francisca-nee. "Aunt Francisca is not around or busy at the moment." Again she shook her head and sighed. "Her only failing is her taste in men." She made a disgusted face. "As she was engaged to a... a... I just soo hate the-"

The princess watched as her friend callously and angrily began cursing whoever the man the elf Sasha was engaged to. Whoever it was, he must truly vile and scum if her friend was cursing like a sailor and beyond. That all stopped when the ground shook and the sound of stone grinding on stone is heard.

"Ah... Mother is finished." The young woman noted as she turned to where the giant stone wall impeding their path slowly lowered and revealing the large room beyond. "Wow... I never thought our dungeon is that big." She commented and the princess nodded.

"Well the castle dungeons does not just host normal criminals. As our castle is adjoined by most of our military barracks and administration, prisoners of war and high profile persons are also kept here. Apart from that there's also the interrogation room, the torture chamber and even the guards resting quarters." The princess explained as they both stood and dusted themselves as they turned and watched as Karin slowly trudged to their side.

"It sounds redundant that we both have an interrogation room and a torture chamber at the same time." The young woman noted.

"True. But the two are there because there are some prisoners, most likely the high profile ones that we capture and extract information without becoming too heavy handed." Her sole audience pondered that for a bit a nodded seeing her point.

"However I doubt that-" The princess halted her friend. She knew all too well that the rebels would not take a soft approach on her mother the queen.

"I can only hope that their attention is detracted enough for them to temporarily at least forget about my mother." The princess stated... no hoped as her worry increased as they near their destination.

"That we can only wish." The eldest there said as got to the position of the two friends. "With that said, we must go. I am sure that both of you are rested enough." Both nodded. "Then let's check those ladders and see where they will go."

*break*

"Okay, let us try this one." Climbing up Karin knocked on the grate multiple times.

"No one? Odd." The princess noted. "Considering whose running the Capital I would have thought the rebels would pick up as much people that stood against them."

"That or the person who should be in that cell is dead." The eldest woman said morbidly. A thing that both young woman cannot refute. "Let's not waste time. Let's check the other one." Immediately the trio went into the next ladder and of course Karin knocked several times once more. Hearing voices and a loud metal clanking noise, Karin attempted again and knocked. She got nothing making her frown and then climbed down.

"Geeez, that guy is too busy making a ruckus to hear us." Louise commented rather annoyed at the fact.

"His loss." Was her mother's only retort. Feeling that was waste of time they headed to the next one. "While there are still more, I rather have this prisoner above us have enough sensibility to open the grate."

"Let us hope." The royal maiden muttered as she clasped both her hands together. They watched the woman climb up and knock several times...

"What in tarnation!" A voice of a man from above. Clear luck was finally given to them as the grate opened and the woman on the ladder widened her eyes.

"Why... I'll be-" She muttered as she signaled to the two young women to follow suit and climb up. Climbing up they saw the prisoner. A gruff somewhat (he was definitely not somewhat) tanned man wearing a sleeve torned black admirals uniform and loose baggy pants. He also had red scarf, black leather gloves and shoes. All in all he actually looked like a pirate.

"Well... I never thought of all people I'd see you here." Her mother commented to the man who scratched his head.

"Well bite me Karin. Is not that I had a choice." The man said rather gruffly. "Albion had fallen and I'm afraid at that point several dozen naval guns were pointed at me ship. I am not stupid to do some crazy macho bravado out of pride."

"True, you we're always practical despite the power you possess. Not to mention you value the lives of your crew." The woman nodded in approval.

"Yeah well, not much that it would matter when I got locked up. Still fancy meeting ya here." He turned to look at her companions. "Well whaddya know. Looks like the miracle ya were praying for arrived." He noted as he stopped his eyes on Louise who blinked.

"Yes. It is most fortunate." She happily said confusing the two even more.

"Excuse me." Wanting to know what was going on the daughter interrupted the conversation. "But who is this man mother? And how do you know him?"

"Ah..." The mother shook her head. "How rude of us. Louise this is Fargo, a privateer for Albion... And your godfather."

"Ah... er... What?!" The daughter said out in shock.

*break*

"Oi lass, what's with that shock?" Her godfather asked as he chuckled. "I kinda understand though."

"Well I think finding out that you have a pirate for a godfather can be quite shocking." The princess commented while chuckling.

"True." The mother admitted.

"Does big sister Eleanor and-" The daughter was cut off when her mother halted her and nodded.

"They do. In fact I introduce them to Fargo when they're old enough in fact..." She shook her head, making her daughter tilt hers in confusion.

"Well you were next that I would meet but your circumstances said otherwise." The man said as he shook his head. "In fact your mother here practically begged for me and ma crew to find and maybe rescue ya. But I'm afraid when Albion's rebellion took a turn for the worse we had no choice but to give up in searching for you and help out. Not that it did any good."

"That maybe so but you did enough from what I see." Karin noted and the man nodded.

"Aye. Our ship and my crew is held here, and from what I've heard even Marcy who I disguised as a boy is safe as well. Good tidings even in prison." He shook his head. "Still with you and the princess here I can guess why you are here."

"Indeed. Will you help?" The woman ask.

"No need ta ask. Do have the key?" The princess was somewhat reluctant but she handed over the key. "Alright. I'll bust out of here and free the prisoners to make a commotion. That'll be enough to lessen the guards that would hinder ya... But. I'm afraid you might not be pleased on the way to the interrogation room."

"What's the problem?" The woman asked. The man pondered for a bit then nodded, and got closer to the woman and whispered something to her ear. Her face which soured was enough to tell how unpleasant the things they would find.

"If you find any of those poor girls alive then you might find out more. From what I heard they got the employ of some kind of monster with them." He told them as he unlocked the cell and a commotion began. They watched and waited for a minute before the young woman and the royal maiden turned to her with questioning eyes.

"Mother, what did my... godfather mean?" The young woman asked. Her mother did not budge however and only said.

"You'll see..." In a very dark tone.

*break*

"As always, Fargo does not do anything half done." The eldest female noted as they left the cell and saw a large number of fallen and trampled guards.

"Well it certainly a good thing though..." The royal maiden turned the other way deeper into the prison where the torture chamber would be. "The cells for high profile prisoners is beyond there." She pointed to an unbarred door. "Considering it's not disturbed, Sir Fargo must have avoided it."

"Which is a good thing because judging the fact that the door there is undisturbed even now meant that no sound from the regular cells would reach that area." The princess nodded at the woman's observation as it was a fact. "This means that while the goal is near at hand it doesn't mean we should be careless."

"We need to be quiet right?" The woman nodded at her daughter's question and carefully edged towards the door and opened it. Putting her head in, she stepped in and then beckoned to the other two to come in.

"No one. Not a soul." The eldest muttered as she looked about the area and finding no one in the immediate vicinity.

"No wait mother..." The daughter interrupted and got closer to one of the cells. Hidden by the a hill of tattered clothes was a short black haired young woman who was particular undressed... no she had nothing on, and was chained to the wall. She looked particularly tired, her body looked sticky and sweaty and had large dark bags under her eyes.

But the most important thing... the most important thing being her eyes. They were dead. They were the eyes of one who did not want to live anymore. They were the eyes of a broken person.

The sight made the princess wince and tear up while mother and daughter quietly seethed.

"Are you... alright." Louise asked somewhat hesitantly. Considering what the young woman before her went through, the answer to the question was no.

"I-" She began before her dead eyes noticed who was before her. "Milady?"

"You... you're the maid that often maintains my room... I thought that you were gone..." She said weakly.

"Yes... and in truth I wish I was..." The broken girl replied sadly. The reply infuriated the young mage even more. "Considering Jessica and the others...

"The others?" Louise asked and was pointed to the cell on the other side. All three of the rescuers gasped. Similar to the broken girl, the scene they were looking at was hidden by a mound of tattered clothes... But unlike the girl these were...

"By the- by the-..." The princess could not continue what she was saying and dropped to her knees and began to cry. The eldest grabbed one of the metal bas and began squeezing while, the daughter could only stare at horror at the scene.

It was a pile of corpses. The corpses of young women. All who look either by Louise and the princess' ages or somewhat older. All looked the same, wide eyes and open mouthed... their deaths found as they were broken and violated.

"Savages... Barbarians! Murderers!" Louise nearly screeched but held her voice knowing full well the consequences. And yet that thought was not enough to hold her heart as she sighted more of the dead... the dead who died due to lust... Due to being used as nothing but playthings.

The sound of creaking metal diverted her attention as a clearly seething Karin held her breath and began to calm down. Following her mother's example she began as well. And after breathing hard she went to her pack and brought out and extra change of clothes. Then with her weapon she sliced the chains of the broken girl.

"You... are to be freed. And... after all this, you are to be my maid." She declared to the broken young woman and handed her the clothes.

"I..." She hesitated but in the end nodded. "I am grateful."

"Good. Your name miss..." She asked.

"Siesta my lady." Louise nodded.

"Okay Siesta please stay here with her highness while we free the queen." Louise told her newly acquired maid who nodded while slowly dressing herself. Henrietta however protested.

"Louise! I-" She began but a hand to her shoulder stopped her. Looking up she saw Karin who was shaking her head.

"I know you want to be there when we rescued your mother, but currently you are as troubled as this young woman we freed." She shook her head. "Both of you need each other right now. And I promise it will be fast and we will be back instantly."

"I-..." The princess hesitated looking at each of the other people there. She struggled and her body shook and her tears continued to flow. In the end she agreed and let go. "Alright. Me and Siesta will wait here."

"Okay then we're-" "Wait." Siesta interrupted. "Before you go, can I ask a favor?"

"I guess." Louise shrugged. "What is it?"

"My uncle... Please free my uncle no matter the consequences." She told them confusing the three.

"No matter the consequences? What do you mean child?" The eldest asked, a dark pit in her stomach saying something is very wrong.

"My uncle... they... They did something to him." She said in emotional pain, her eyes tearing up as she spoke. "He was weird, that I can't deny but so was his strength. As a proprietor of a bar and inn he had to be as all of those in his employ were girls. During the day the rebels came and occupied the capital he fought tooth and nail so that we were not taken. But... despite his strength he lost, worst the rebels acknowledge that strenght and... and... fed something... something to him. After that he was no longer himself... He was no longer human." Her tears began to pour even more as she held on the teary princess, both using each other for strength.

"They used him as a weapon. I saw him tearing people limb from limb as those rebel scums watched and laughed while they violate us so..." Her voice began breaking up and her strength began failing, to the point that Henrietta who was also tearing with her held her up. "He is no longer himself, no longer the kind and eccentric man he was... He had become a mindless monster for them to control... Please... free him from his pain."

Both Valliere ladies were silent. Both taking in the request asked of them.

"Very well. It will be done." The eldest answered and the broken girl already made a nearly inaudible thanks to them. With their goals in sight, both of them moved out of the cell leaving the princess and the broken girl behind.

Louise for her part could no longer hide her rage, began to twirl her blade. Eager to kill things that only looked human, but in the end is nothing but monsters.

*break*

Leaving the two emotional maidens behind. The mother and daughter pair slowly and quietly trudged towards the torture chamber. Both were at an unease however after hearing of what the rebels done to Siesta's uncle. It doesn't help that the statement: 'Tearing limb from limb' was in it as well.

"Mother. I'm quite disturbed about Siesta's revelation." Louise shook her head. "Turning people into monsters. It's the first time I've heard of it."

"So do I." The mother shook her head. "In fact apart from fictional stories, such an event is non-existent. And thus this issue worries me more than you my child."

"How accurate do you think Siesta said about her... former uncle's ability?" The daughter asked the mother who thought about the question for a second.

"Depends. If we we're able to talk to her about it more, then we would be able to get a rough estimate." She began. "Body size, speed, strength, ability to cast magic and the availability of a familiar. Those are factors to determine how one could do well to an opponent. Not only that but their are also external factors like terrain, objects in hand, equipment and even number of fighters in the vicinity and not just allies and foes."

"That's a lot to think about." The woman nodded at that.

"Indeed. There are a lot of factors to determine one's strength, and thus we could not properly determine the strength of a man turned monster without actually encountering him." She shook her head. "In fact now that that's said, this was the idiots that we call generals and military officials did not take into account when we first dealt with Reconquista. And considering how mad your father was when he returned home and began tightening our lands defenses and ordering the royal guards to prepare for the worst as he knew all full well that the capital would fall due to their stupidity."

"If father knew then. Then how cou-" She was stopped by her mother.

"If we have a lot of pull in our kingdom and our military, but that does not mean it's enough." Again she shakes her head. "Our military is controlled by a council of generals and dukes that discussion and votes on what actions to do next. Unfortunately the majority of them are old man who had gone senile and soft as they did nothing but sit on their soft rumps and cowers at the first sign of trouble. That also showed in how they began dealing with Reconquista, considering the first thing they muttered was it was all a mistake and that we should pursue for peace. Honestly those idiots."

"Mother, you worry me with what you said. Even if we liberate ourselves and drive away Reconquista it's possible for those old fogeys to make the same mistakes." Louise stated her worries, but was quickly assured.

"Don't worry about those men my child. They had already paid the price of their folly with their lives." For the third time she shook her head. "They all perished during that sudden attack that took the Capital."

"So in the end they got their just desserts." The woman nodded.

"Indeed... and now." She paused for as they talked they walked swiftly and cautiously and now in front of the door to their objective. "We will give the rebels theirs. Are you ready Louise?" The daughter nods.

"Good. In the count of three. One." Both stepped closer to the door, with the mother forcing her blade into where the door's hinges were.

"Two." The daughter readied her blade and began casting support spells that she casted on herself and her mother.

"Three!" With that, a mighty gust of wind blew out from the woman's blade and flung the door onto an unsuspecting soldier. Followed by Louise who flew into the air with the speed of a falcon and onto another surprised combatant, cleaving him in two. Not idling after that she made a quick spin and plunged her blade into the abdomen of another poor soldier. Her enchanted blade piercing through his armor as if it was made of paper.

Karin made a grim smile as followed her daughter's example. Gliding through the air like a wraith she moved from her former position by the door to where the torturer stood, a large and portly man with black sack over his head, leather pants and a whip. Not like he had a chance to use it, for as the woman landed she had already beheaded the poor fool. And then followed up by blasting the body with a mighty air hammer, sending it and the last bunch of soldiers onto the wall where they got crushed and pinned by the heavy body.

The assault was so fast that they had finished in an instant with Louise dicing the last three soldiers in a deadly dance as Karin dealt with her group. In a few minutes both bloody Valliere women turned to the exhausted and somewhat hurt queen who looked glad for her rescue despite the grisly scene before her.

"Marriane! Are you alright." The woman asked as she began the process of cutting the shackles that suspended the woman.

"A little bit worse for wear." The queen answered softly as she landed. Her pained body making her stumble and rely on her friend for support. "Apart from a need to change clothes and some nasty bruises. I'll live."

"Good to hear." She helped the woman stand. "Louise. We're done here." As the daughter nodded, the queen smiled.

"Ah. It seems while our land had sunk into despair, you have regained something precious." The queen said in which was answered by a nod.

"Indeed. I finally learned my lesson." The woman said causing the queen to smile.

"I see. Then I-" Whatever the queen was going to say was cut off as the tingling of bells was heard. Looking beyond the mangled dead due to being crushed by the toturer's body, one soldier with enough breath and life threw a curious gold bell that rang into the room.

"Mons... ter... kill... the... them..." He ordered before dying. And as he did, a loud grumbling noise was heard. All three females then turned near the entrance by the neglected iron maiden. From there, a creature that resembled a human rose. It was large, and very threatening. I had arms and legs as big as tree trunks, muscles that was hard as rock, skin with sickly green tone and from it eyes... madness, pure and utter madness. Deck with what seemingly a torn shirt and shorts which both seems too small for it's frame, it roared at the three females indicating how hostile it was to them.

"Be careful." The queen advised. "I've seen that creature tear a man apart with it's bear hands."

"We know." Karin said and began the assault, wasting no words on the man turned monster as she launched a powerful blade of wind at it. To her dismay, despite getting a solid hit the attack did nothing but push it back. It's skin showing no cut, nor mar whatsoever. "This will be tough." She muttered and fell back with the queen as the creature raised it's arm in the air and deliver a devastating blow, cracking the floor and sparking chunks of brick and rock at them.

"|/ Upheaval /|!" Louise shouted and crags of rock rose to protect them from the debris at the same time sent the same crags to the monsters who flinched but nothing else when hit. "What a monster! what they done to this poor man to become such a creature!"

"Well it is the first time for me to hear that he truly was a man before." The queen muttered in Karin's arms. "But whatever they did he has become resilient to most weaker spells and physical attacks. I supposed a more powerful strike is in order."

"As always Marriane, your ability to analyze things is a big help." The elder Valliere noted as she brought the queen further back and lay her down as her daughter distracted the creature enough for her to do so.

"That may be true. But it was useless as I did nothing but mope after my husband and eldest daughter died." The queen said in disgust. "But I guess that has to change sooner or later." She said and held up her hand.

"You're still hurt." The woman protested but her friend's determined gaze overrode that protest. "I'm starting to forget how hard headed you are. Then again so was little Henrietta."

"Look at the mirror before speaking that." She retorted as she was handed with a spare wand.

"Alright then! Let's do this!" "Yeah!"

*break*

The man turned monster was very difficult opponent. Heck even with an enchanted blade Louise could not even scratch the skin of the creature she was fighting. Not only that, magic seemed ineffective as well, that or it was immune to low to mid level spells. Either way she had to do something, she had to find a weakness. Dodging another of the creature to flatten her, he dodged to the left and swung down on the offending limb. However, despite the strength of the swing her blade collided onto the monster's skin and bounced off, unbalancing her and making her fall back.

"No use! I might as well go and try an cut magically reinforced steel! This is ridiculous!" The young woman complained as she dodged once more. The monster's large arms and the small area of the room made it difficult to truly dodge as the creature flung debris all over as it smashed the floor. And for every dodge she makes it happens, battering her with shards of sharp tiles and rocks slowing her down apart from wounding her.

Another thing was despite becoming a monster. Her opponent was human... well once human and as such. It still had intellect, enough to make well thought moves. Like now, instead of rising it's arms it swiftly swung one of the embedded arms from the floor towards her. In the air, she had no way to dodge and instead was forced to block the blow. Her arms ached as she felt the large appendage hit her weapon and flung her back.

She could not help but cough out blood as she hit the hard brick wall, even breaking it as she did. She painfully slid down and she began hacking more bloody coughs. It shows how powerful the creature was and how dangerous it was to get even a glancing hit. Seeing a dim glow from between her breasts she gave off a grim smile as the mysterious stone helped her body regenerate. Standing up, she saw the creature slowly hobbled to where she was only to stumble as a blast of wind hit it's head followed by a wave ice.

"Loiuse! Are you alright?" Her mother asked as she dashed pass the creature and to her side and helped her up.

"I'll be fine mother. It was a hard hit but it won't bring me down." She assured her mother as let herself get held by her mother. "More importantly, her majesty mo-"

"I will be fine child." The woman said from across them and the creature. Her stance was shaky, but proud. Her hand was the spare wand lent to her and continued to point it forwards the monster.

"Heh. Don't worry about her Louise." The woman shook her head. "He's very hard headed, specially when she has a blade. Too bad she doesn't have one."

"Oh really?" Whipping the wand to the side, a burst of ice came out of it. And upon inspection, the wooden instrument was now enclosed in ice. Ice in the form of a sword. "Oh look here! A blade."

"She's really hard headed isn't she?" The mother said while shaking her head. The daughter on the other hand...

'You're both the same!' she thought, but did not say out loud. That little interlude ended when the man turned monster roared and rushed the mother and daughter pair. Raising it's right arm, it threw a powerful right straight that destroyed the wall. The two of course dodged that, and when they were on the clear; the queen froze the floor and the wall the creature smash limiting it's mobility.

Karin imbuing her blade with wind magic slashed at the creature's back while she felt her daughter increased her strength via magic. However like how her daughter tried, her attack failed to pierce it's thick skin.

"Just like magically reinforced steel. In fact it might even be tougher than that." The woman grimaced as she commented on the creatures skin as she dodged at the now recovered beast who slid and spun at it's reflexive counter back hand.

"This is bad. Even with our tactics, we might not be able to kill or even beat down this creature if we are not able to pierce it's skin!" The queen shouted her dismay. Which also served as a warning to the mother and daughter pair to move away from their place as the creature slammed both hands into the ground and crushing and flinging all the ice on the ground and at the wall.

That caused sharp flakes of ice to fly everywhere. Thankfully Louise alighted her |/ Fireball /| spell and melted most of them while the red ball of flame shot uselessly at the slowly standing creature who didn't even flinch at the attack.

"Any ideas?" The queen asked the two beside her. When both shook their heads and grimaced, she followed suit. Because as she looked forward the mad creature roared and slowly stomped at them. "Then we're gonna have a difficult time.

*break*

Unable to dodge herself, Karin grabbed the movement impaired queen and dodged to the right while her daughter dodged the other way. To their surprised the hulking foe spun with its arms stretched out, catching all of them in the air. Out of her friend's hold, the queen was dropped painfully on the floor and rolled in agony, bouncing on the hard brick floor all the while.

Karin slammed onto the wall, in which to her misfortune held chains that would hold prisoners. Slamming hard on the mass of metal, the woman cough out blood and then uselessly fell face first onto the floor. She could not help but whimper as her back ached in extreme pain. She was lucky the force wasn't enough to break her back, but that was no consolation at the moment.

Louise was probably the most unfortunate of the three. Having been the closest to their opponent, she fully got caught in the massive fist and was flung straight out to the door. And to her misfortune straight to a cell just right across the torture chamber. And that meant that she would slam into those cruel steel bars. Seeing the impending danger, Louise held her weapon high and slammed it into the floor.

She was shocked to see that despite her blade digging into the floor her speed barely slowed at all. It was a testament on how powerful the creature Siesta's uncle had become. Still that fact wouldn't help her now. Applying magic onto her blade and using a variation of the dark element, the element mostly associated with gravity; she increased the weight of her already heavy swallow to slow her down.

She didn't however noticed her position when she slowed down and stopped. She was too close to the door and as such when she stopped and didn't let go of her weapon, she spun and her right foot smashed into the door frame actually breaking it. The pain was so surprising and unbearable that she had let go of her weapon at the most worst possible moment and flung right into the steel bars she was avoiding.

Slamming head first into the cold steel with her body following, Louise nearly died then and there. To her luck, the gem by her breast lit up and began to glow very brightly as it began to repair her wounds. Especially the one on her head, the most dangerous one as she bled there on the floor fighting off unconsciousness. She didn't know if the gem would work even while she was unconscious but she would rather not find out.

Rolling on the floor in pain and struggling to stand or at least sit up using the the steel bars. She tried peering through her blurry eyes, but the pain on her head was still too much and left her unable to focus.

"Louise!" Herietta and Siesta came running to her side. Both her the painful and horrific sound of her body colliding with the cold steel bars. That sound was enough for them to calm down and rush to the scene of battle. Both gasped at the bloody sight of a bloody Louise clambering up and trying to stay awake despite her condition. Which was good as that meant that she'll survive despite the horrific condition her body was in.

Heck, one would be convinced that she's nothing but a corpse or someone already at death's door if not for her constant movement and her adamant attempts on moving. Her pink hair now nearly bloody red, continued to get dyed by her still bleeding head. Her back, painfully straightened at those bars told them how broken it was and painful it was for her to keep it straight. Her right leg was painfully misaligned and terribly bent and seemed very unweildly at that very moment. All in all, she looked like someone that should stay at the hospital not fighting, but the princess and the maid watched she stubbornly refused to lie down and began the slow steps of standing up, fully intending to fight.

"Louise stop!" With teary eyes, Henrietta forces her friend to sit back down by pushing down on her shoulder. The bloody girl paused and turned to her friend, taking a moment to recognize the person in front of her. It was evident that she could barely see with those clouded eyes and yet she did not stop.

"I-I can't!" She practically shouted shocking the two maidens in front of her.

*break*

While that drama was going on, the two women left on the battle regained their wits. Just in time for the mother of the ailing girl to scramble out of her prone position and rolled out of the way as their foes large fists crashed on to the area where she lied. Her back ached as evaded that attack, but that natheless was a good thing. Pain meant she was alive. Pain meant that she could still fight.

As to aid her, the queen Marianne froze the floor where the hulking creature was and made it so the ice would crawl up to his legs. It would not hold him for long, but it was enough for her old friend to truly move out of the way. Turning back as she heard her daughter's panic cries she saw her tending to the fallen girl who got the worse of three of them.

"Well. Looks like it's just you and me for now." The queen said bitterly to the woman across her. Karin gave her a wry smile as she looked over yonder and saw her daughter struggling to move. Nearly shoving the maid and the princess to get back into the fight. She felt the gods mocking her as she saw herself in her young daughter. Headstrong and stubborn... then again so was the princess who inherited that trait from her mother who was just like herself.

"Well you don't count a Valliere out until they're dead you know." She cracked making her old friend giggle. "They're just the same. You and I gave them practically the same traits and both of us made the same mistakes."

"Indeed. That is why after all of this... it's time that this stupid woman to bear the responsibility she had addled her child." The queen shook her head. "That is if we live through this. This man turned beast is tougher than the thickest walls in the palace and is as sturdy as the legendary world tree itself."

"You know... I would agree to that exaggeration if not if that would mean that there is no hope in this dire situation." She held up her hand and a tingling sound was heard. In her hand was the small bell the soldier dropped earlier, the one that made the beast attack them. Hearing the sound the creature paused for a moment, but then returned to struggling off his binds which was very near. "Tsk. Looks like that didn't work as I hoped it would be."

"True but try it again." Again Karin does so and the beast stops. "Creature halt!" The queen ordered but the beast did not heed and began to struggle again. "No good. Karin try it yourself this time." Seeing the wisdom in the idea the woman does, but to no avail.

"Damn! Whatever those wretches did to him made it so that despite having the bell, only one of them could order him!" The woman cursed. and as she did, her hatred of the rebels Reconquista increased. Never in her life did she saw something such as this. So cruel and monstrous, to the point that she doubted that the fiends were human.

"Whatever deed they did to make this one such a creature I hope they never be able to replicate." The queen said bitterly as she now stood and reinforced the ice that held the creature. "Still that bell is usefull for stalling him."

"True." Karin said and she rushed to her friend's side. The bell tingling as she goes. "Only if we can take advantage of that."

"Can I help." Responding to the voice, both women turned and Karin saw Siesta come to them. Wearing what Karin guessed as her daughter's new found apparel... a spare one that is. She had a sombre face and pleading eyes. She knew exactly what this girl wanted.

"You can try. But I do not know if your voice would reach him." She gave the girl no illusions. If the bell didn't take any effect then what could such a young girl do? Well if there's still any human left in the creature then there's much that she can. But that was a big if. Watching the girl move a little closer at the creature , she saw the young woman try and reach out to him hoping that her uncle is still there.

"Poor child." The queen began. "So that is her uncle huh... For her to see him this way."

"Worse. He maybe the last of her kin." She told the ruler who frowned as the girl futilely called out the humanity left within her uncle.

"I... see..." The queen could help but feel saddened at this...

"SI-" Their musings was cut off as the creature actually muttered something. "SI-ES-TA." It began much to the delight of the young woman and to the surprise and relief of the two women. Or at least it was. "SIESTA!" Again it called but something was wrong. The man turned monster clutched it's head in pain and stumbled onto its knees. It roared and flailed.

The young woman wanted to rush to its side but it roared at her face and threw her back. Then it continued flailing some more flinging debris everywhere as it's huge arms tore bricks and steel. Finally it roared once more, this time an angry and pained wail. And with it, it began to march towards the frightened and confused girl.

"No!" Both the former knight and the queen held their respective focus and blasted the creature with wind and ice, protecting the young woman from harm. It was then followed by a blast of water and fire. Coming to their side was a resolute but pained Louise and a teary but similarly resolute Henrietta.

As heat and cold mixed into the air, many things such as the steel of the stretched and slowly unlinked themselves. The floor became glassy and slippery. And even the creature began to severely weaken. it was a chance!

"Now Louise!" Both mother and daughter were still in pain. But it was now or never. Each imbuing a different magic in their blades, both rushed from their position and slashed at the creature at the most extreme speed that they could muster. Both crossing each other's path making an X and both made sure to bury their blades as best as they could.

Karin's blade cracked and broke but she had severely cut the creature's side, making a wound so deep that blood instantly sprayed out. Louise did something similar with the creature's torso, but she couldn't help but slightly buckle as she did her pass as the creature's skin was still that tough. Nonetheless the deed was done and the creature fell down on its back beaten.

As it did, it's body slowly shrunk until it became human sized. It's skin returning to its normal color before slowly paling more and more. Fate being most cruel had made victory extremely bitter. With their defeat of the creature did it return to its original and now dying form.

"Uncle!" Siesta rushed to his side. Being conscious the man held the young woman's wet cheek as tears fell from her eyes.

"Do no be sad my little Siesta." He said with his hoarse breaths. "It is best this way." He said sadly.

"But... why!?" The young woman asked. And the man shook his head.

"I can still feel... see... hear..." Tears also poured from his eyes. "I was conscious while I did those acts. And yet I could not move my body as I wanted. I watched in pain as my beloved daughter and fairies robbed of their rights, their purity and their lives. I could only watched as I tore man after man, killed beast after beast. I became nothing but a dog." His gazed turned to the sad and remorseful faces around him. "But with your voice little Siesta and these lovely maidens strenght I am now free."

"Henrietta." The queen began and the princess complied and kneeled by his side. But all of them were surprised when he shook his head and batted her wand away.

"That is useless I am afraid." He told them in sadness, his, Siesta and even Louise and Herietta began tearing more and more. "Whatever they did to me, they had in every intention to kill me after I became useless. To die in pain and suffering without the ability to heal in any way or form. Look, it has began."

And they did see, see that his body paling more and shrinking more. His youthful face slowly aged and his muscular body thinning out.

"The only... only thing... I... I regret... Is that..." He coughed out, it was becoming hard for him to speak. But he notheless continued. "I... leave... Siesta... alone... With Tabres... and the inn... Me and... Jessica... gone... Siesta... Siesta is..." Said girl clutched his hand, her tears could no longer be stopped.

"We will take care of her. From now on, my family and I will take her in." Karin began assuring the dying man. "Already my daughter had employed her to be her personal maid. Do not worry, by my and my family's honor; I swear to you that she would be taken care of... the best care we can offer."

"I'm... glad... Then... Siesta... please... please... live on!" For one last time he touched her check. And in that instant he turned into ashes. Nothing but ashes. Showing full well the cruelty of their foes. Showing full well, why these men had to be hated. Expelled... killed and annihilated.

But for now, all four of them watched as the young woman clutched her fallen uncle's clothes and cried. Cried until she could no longer shed a tear. After all... there was nothing left. There was no longer anything she could lose.

*break*