Setting the Chess Board

“Blam-o!”

The thick sound of the gun firing nearly shook the room as Willow pulled the trigger on her weapon. The compressed ball of magical energy scorched through the air hastily, ripping forward in a straight, deadly line. Willow’s head cocked as a giggled rumbled out from her lips. The orb of light’s path twisted, now seeming to bend through some great unseen force. It spiraled around a metal pole, under a table and sprang up just in time to crash against a hastily drawn but clear bullseye. The red and white creation rested just above the head of a quivering, whimpering slave, who let out a yelp of surprise and fear when the blast detonated just above his head and scorched the top of his skull from the outlier impact radius.

It was barely enough to hurt him, maybe just make him reconsider rubbing the scalp for a day or two. Willow grinned wildly as she spun the pistol on her finger and then released it, sending it spinning up into the air. As it reached the apex of its climb, it disappeared and Willow snapped out her hand to the side, fingers open and ready. The pistol returned to her immediately, her grip finding purchase around its hard form as she pulled the trigger once more. The magic ball erupted from the tip and curved around in the air, lifted up almost by the wind before falling towards the ground. Only a foot or so away did it finally swing back up and then hastily rush towards the target, slamming into the target just like the prior attack.

Willow laughed like a maniac as she once more spun the weapon in her hand. Steam exploded out from the hair trigger, white plumes filling the air around the woman’s hand. She brought it to a standstill and turned it so she could read the dial on it, watching the pressure quickly drop back down to a viable level. “Looks like we’re all gassed out. That means more shots!” she informed the slave with a malicious grin, cocking the gun’s hammer.

As her ability and cultivation of her magic had grown, Willow had discovered a variety of new aspects that she hadn’t been prepared for. The biggest shock had come from the materialization of the Desperado; the weapon she was currently wielding in vicious fashion. It had appeared in her hand one day, summoned from some realm or pocket dimension that she didn’t even know she had a connection to. While, at face value, it looked horrendously archaic in design, Willow quickly discovered that its aptitude for magical control and compression and ability to recharge rather than be reloaded was equal to anything she could make. It was advanced through the use of steam, somehow able to quickly cultivate pressure in the rigging to release compressed shots of magic, metal or any material the Xocili wished to fire. It was a dangerous addition to an already vast array of weapons and was quickly becoming her favorite handgun.

After all, with it firing magic, she could use her gravity control to alter the air around the moving projectile. No amount of cover would be able to protect anyone, so long as she was able to understand how she needed to curve her shot. It had been thrilling to experiment with and having disposable test subjects in the form of slaves made it all the better. Now she and Libra could cause some real damage as a pair, rather than Willow having to simply stand back and manipulate from the sidelines. Granted, that was what Thana was truly masterful at and it was Willow’s hope that her ability to influence and control would eventually be as strong as her master’s. But there was little denying how much joy she felt in dispatching humans with her own hand.

She was beginning to pull the trigger on her weapon when the door slid open to the room. Instinctively, she pulled through on the trigger and loosed the shot but she twisted it around so that it rushed quickly at the new intruder. Rather than ripping a hole through them, though, she altered its path at the last minute and set a focus of gravity on the new entrant so that the blast of magic wildly circled around her, mere inches away from frying their skin. “I’m busy!” she yelled at the man as she twisted her head to look over her shoulder at her.

“B-But Overlord Thana has requested that you meet her in an hour. She asks that you be ready for a mission,” the female slave pleaded, her eyes moving to try and track the magical bullet as it spun around her.

That perked up Willow’s ears. “A mission huh?” she asked as she swung her legs over to the edge of the table she had been standing on and hopped to the ground. “Well why didn’t you start with that?” Willow gave a little spin of her hand and sent the magical blast into the ground, causing it to explode and shower the slave woman’s feet in sparks.

She yelped in pain as Willow shooed her away. “Go and tell our sexy Overlord that I’ll see her in an hour then!” There were a few things she needed to encapsulate in preparation for whatever was coming, just in case. Doing so would use up most of the prep time she had been given and she would arrive at the bottom of the hall’s stairs mere moments before Thana would arrive. Of course, the woman was still in disguise, needing to keep her persona tempered for the moment. That was fine; no matter what face she was, there was an undeniable attraction that made Willow all sorts of giddy.

The so-called “Ezekiel” approached her and took her face in his hand, raising her chin ever so slightly as she addressed the Xocili. Willow did her best not to vibrate out of her clothes right there and then. “Well how can a girl turn down such a romantic opportunity? And here I thought I wouldn’t get a chance to put out tonight,” Willow replied with a grin. “I’m ready for whatever you need from me.”

If there were respectable members of society around, no doubt they would be quite put out by the heavy flirtatious vibes coming from Thana and Willow. Luckily, anyone that was considered ‘respectable’ had either been killed in their siege on the city or enslaved and slaves’ opinions didn’t matter. Willow understood that all too well. Thana promised that coming along for the mission would benefit the Xocili far more than even she understood. Giddy with excitement, Willow bounced besides Thana as they made their way through the guild and into the private dock established below the structure. Once on board and on their way, the Overlord provided some insight on what and where they were going.

It seemed in the past, Thana had completed a job for some kind of anarchist group that required the killing of a political figure. The man had been outspoken on reforming dark mages and so it had been both a privilege and pleasure to take his life, as far as Thana was concerned. It was a mission that had stuck with her, as it had provided one of the sturdier foundations for her ascent to Warlord. It had also introduced her to Mythal Ragnos, who was apparently partially in charge of the Rune Knights. It only took a cursory scan through her network for Willow to find anything and everything she needed to know about the man. He’d left quite an impact on Thana, as had another being called Lux. Apparently that one was tied to Mythal via some kind of soul link -- now that was interesting. Willow had never assumed that the soul was a real thing; after all, there was no defining science behind it. Consciousness seemed to be a completely evolutionary and scientific development. Then again, magic was its own supernatural force so who was to say that the soul couldn’t be similar to that? Especially since she’d proven capable of shifting a person’s demeanor with Libra’s power.

“A Seal of Apocalypse? Now that sounds like a lot of fun,” Willow responded with a grin. Thana got lost in her thoughts for a moment, clearly relishing in some delicious delights, before returning to the matter at hand. The group that she’d been contracted to was looking for another job to be fulfilled. Another political figure, this one advocating for magical supremacy. While Thana didn’t dislike the man’s beliefs, it was an apt opportunity to cause some chaos, especially in the war economic system that had overtaken Fiore and the rest of the world. The anarchists were ready to be named and take ownership of the killings and had asked that Thana capture the man and then publicly execute him. They were heading to Era and would capture the entire Jones family, getting them out of town before Mythal or Serilda, his fiance, could find out. “So get in, grab the family and get out quickly. I do so love a dine-and-dash,” Willow remarked with an impish smirk.

Once they had arrived at the shore of Fiore, they hastily made their way to Era to locate the Jones’ house. It was well guarded, which was unsurprising considering his political standing. Night was beginning to creep over the horizon when Thana turned back to the Xocili. They would have to split up; one to distract the guards and the other to capture the family. And Thana was being ever so gracious as to allow Willow the opportunity to pick. “How thoughtful, mistress” she purred. “Both are such tantalizing options. But I think I’m going to go with distracting the guards. I’m sure I can raise quite the ruckus.”

Hopping to her feet, she blew the disguised Thana a kiss before she altered the gravity around her and leapt high into the air. Soaring through the sky, she brought herself down gracefully into the courtyard just outside the house. She reached into her leather top and pulled out Libra’s key, the golden item flashing briefly as the Xocili fueled magic into it. Beside her appeared her Zodiac spirit, the quiet being at the ready. “Summon the guards to the courtyard, will ya, Libra?” she asked.

The spirit didn’t respond but his hands shifted ever so slightly. Every guard on the property was suddenly and violently pulled from their positions, flying through the air like rag dolls on strings. They were pulled through walls, through doorways, through open windows and deposited on the ground before Willow. Their frightened and confused cries during their trips turned over to confused and angry grumblings.

“I’m thinkin’ a good ol’ fashioned Chaos Shift is in order,” Willow said, a slight jerk of her hand activating the key in hand. Libra responded to the call, once more shifting his hands and extending his magic to every single member of the guard group. The response was immediate; violence broke out and the gaggle of humans began to fight with one another with the intent to kill. Giggling to herself, Willow watched with lustful amusement as blood and carnage unfolded before her, the violent, angry screams of the guards echoing in the courtyard.

Now Willow enjoyed first hand violence; anyone that was around her and wasn’t the focus of her malicious desire could attest to that. She wasn’t what anyone would call a martial artist but she had plenty of sharp, pointy and explosive toys to more than make up the difference when it came to destruction. And of course, first inclination was to join in the bloody brawl that was unfolding before her; leaping into the chaos and voiding out some living contracts. But that, that wasn’t the more interesting path, the juicier alternative. If any would-be peacekeepers came to investigate the aftermath, they would, undoubtedly, find evidence of her participation, leading them to believe that one dark mage had been responsible for the slaughter.

However, if she stood apart from it, the mystery deepened. Sure, they would theorize that someone outside of the bounds of the guards had been the source but it wouldn’t be that easy. It would be one of a numerable amount of theories put forth and she was going to be very precise to not leave any evidence. In the end, all they would know was what Thana and Divine Calamity wanted them to know but only in time. So the xenacious Xocili watched with a wide grin as the violence unfolded before her. And it was glorious; men and women that had been joined in arms and camaraderie, only moments ago, were tearing into one another with whatever weapons they could get their hands on; their own armaments, pottery and tapestry from the surrounding area, even their own hands became tools to rip, slash, tear, impale and divorce. She leaned against Libra contentedly, the silent titan standing poised and perfect as its master took in the sight of his actions.

The violence was over quicker than she would have liked, though frankly that was just a testament to how well trained they were. She took notes within her mind, calculating the exact moment that the last guard fell dead or, rather, the last victim. There was still one alive, the victor of the rumble, the champion of the carnage. She had a broken arm was bleeding through several gashes in her uniform. But her eyes snapped to Willow and Libra, wanting to continue the onslaught. “Uh oh,” Willow mockingly teased the guard as she began her charge. “Someone’s punching above their weight class. Libra, I’m thinking another shift. Let’s make it… realization.”

The guard’s only good arm was already stretching out towards Willow when Libra’s hands moved, casting his spell once more. The fury, the carnal darkness that had clouded the woman’s eyes was immediately lifted, like a metaphorical sheet pulled up from her eyes. She had only a second of confusion before pain and clarity hit her like a train. She spun around to look at the bloody mess behind her, her lips quivering and her breath hitched and fuming. She couldn’t even scream as the reality of what she’d done washed over her senses. And the weight of guilt followed after it, an emotional anchor wrapping around her heel and dragging her into the darkness. Willow watched in amusement as the woman quickly reached down to the closest magical firearm and unloaded a single, life-ending round into her own skull.

The worst part? No one would have heard the sounds to raise any kind of alarm. Using her own lacrima, Willow had altered the laws of the courtyard so that it effectively acted like a soundproof room. “So fun. Libra, you take me on the best dates,” she cooed to her summon as she waved her key through the air, dismissing him back to the Astral Realm. As she pulled her top open just enough to drop the key within its confines, the rumble of a car engine caught her attention. But she practically purred when she saw Thana’s disguised self in the driver’s seat, turning and sauntering over to meet the car. She leaned against the open window, kicking up a single leg behind playfully. “Oh thank goodness, mister. All these mean thugs were saying such awful things about what they wanted to do to me. I was so scared,” she cooed as she opened the door and slid into the passenger’s side. She leaned over to plant a kiss on Thana’s cheek, lingering there longer than a normal person kissing a loved one might. [color=#00a3cc]“I’ll just have to think of some way to thank you for saving me,” she actually purred before glancing back at the sleeping family, her grin widening as she practically draped herself over Thana.