Divine Calamity sought to bring chaos to the world, for what they saw as a greater purpose. Many of their attacks were overt, designed to instill fear in the populace. These were not the greatest threat they posed, though. No, that role fell to the sabatues that had slipped into the various nations of the world. It was these men and women who sowed the true seeds of chaos, bringing the world ever closer to a war that would leave no one around to pick up the pieces by Divine Calamity themselves.
And none of these agents were as good at their job as the dark mage known as Kaz Valent. That may have sounded like ego, which he certainly had plenty of, but there was also truth to it. Not only did his magic allow him to seamlessly blend into whatever population he wanted, there were secrets to Flesh Sculpting that would prove instrumental in destabilizing the Luminous COvenant.
For him to be able to do that, he first needed to establish his presence with their leaders. Simply taking on the form of a trusted aid would be easy enough, but it would not work in the long run. Mimicking their behavior perfectly enough to fool everyone around them was not impossible, though it was difficult enough that Kaz decided trying to do so was pointless. Even if he did manage to fool everyone, he could not spend all his time living as that person. Or, more accurately, he had no desire to do so. He assisted Divine Calamity only as a means to his own ends.
Spending all his time in an assumed identity would take away from the time he spent on research. While other members of the guild might be loyal enough to dedicate their entire life to the cause, he certainly was not. In fact, he was probably one of the fwe within the guild halls that cared little about whether they succeeded or not. As long as he was able to continue his research, everything else was secondary. That was the larger reason for why he did not simply take over for an aid. The moment he left to do other work, the disappearance of the aid would be noted and the leaders put on the defensive.
So instead he went the route of inventing a new person to rise through the ranks. Someone who was useful enough to keep around, while still being free to come and go as they pleased. The difficult part was not creating such a person, that was simplicity itself. No, it was gaining the trust of the leaders of nations. Anyone would be wary of a friendly face promising the world, showing up out of nowhere. He would have to work his way up from the bottom.
Well, perhaps not the very bottom. Such grunt work was beneath him, after all. Instead he became the woman known simply as “Dahlia.” She wandered high society freely, becoming known to all while still holding an edge of mystique. People were always most drawn to the mysterious, and few were as mysterious as the tall, beautiful woman who would come and go as she pleased.
Only once her presence became a known quantity within high society did she begin to show off her talents. Who was this unknown woman, and where did she get her money? Will, the truth might have been from the coffers of Divine Calamity, but publicly she was a healer of extraordinary skill. This was neither a boast nor fiction. Rather, it was Kaz using the healing aspects of his magic while hiding the parts society generally frowned upon. When one had an intimate knowledge of the human body, restoring damaged parts or eliminating that which did not belong became child’s play. This alone earned her some fame, but it was when the high borne discovered that she could “heal” in other ways that she really came into vogue.
“So you can really make my nose look cuter?” a young noblewoman asked as Dahlia peered down at her face. It was a lovely face, if one ignored that the unfortunate girl had been blessed with an abundantly sized nose.
“Yes,” Dahlia responded, “but do keep in mind it will take several treatments for the effect to become permanent. Each time I do so, the changes will last only for a few hours before reverting to normal. Think of it as training your body to remember its new form. And as I’m sure you’ve heard, the process will be rather painful. There is simply not getting around that.”
“I understand!” the young woman exclaimed, desperation clear in both her voice and on her face. “I don’t care about a little pain, or the money. Please, just do it!”
“Very well then. Please try to relax.” Placing a hand on the woman’s face, she drew upon the magic of Flesh Sculpting. First the cartilage underneath the skin snapped and began to reform. Naturally the noblewoman screamed a bit in pain, yet she did her best to remain still. What was a little pain in exchange for becoming beautiful? Indeed, that had become the mindset among the rich and famous who were insecure about their looks. A nose job here, a lost pot belly there, anything to look better than their fellows at social events.
The best part for Dahlia was that as the change was temporary, those that experienced the greater confidence she provided would come back before each new event. And they did always come back, lest they suffer the shame of being found faking their newfound looks. Truthfully, Dahlia’s pride would have preferred the change was permanent on the first try. It wounded her pride that she could not do the transformation perfectly on others. Alas, Kaz had not yet developed their magic to achieve such results. It was there, the fact that Dahlia could remain as such permanently was proof enough. It was just proving more difficult to do when the flesh being changed was not their own.
So for now she would have to settle on only temporary fixes. The bright side was that each appointment brought in a lot of money, and now her personal war chest had ballooned past that which she had started with. Kaz did not have any interest in wealth or luxurious goods. Dahlia, on the other hand, relished them. As a (supposed) refugee from the Ironheart Pact, she had arrived in Fiore with little and had been forced to build her life back up from nothing. That there was no record of such a woman before her arrival in Fiore was trivial. Enemy nations did not commonly share intelligence with each other, a fact that she relied on heavily.
It is what allowed her to slip into Fiorian high society so easily. It gave her access to the movers and shakers, if not yet the leaders themselves. One such member of high society had stopped squirming under Dahlia’s touch as the change was complete. Stepping back and handing the noblewoman a mirror, she admired her own handiwork. Indeed, the woman before her was now cute enough to make Dahlia want her for herself. That would have to wait for another time, sadly. She was a very busy woman.
“I take it you are pleased?” Dahlia asked, as the woman stared in the mirror in wonder.
“Oh, its wonderful!” she replied happily. “I can’t believe it's really me.”
“It is, for now. Do remember it is only temporary at the moment. But yes, eventually that will become the real you. The you that you were always meant to be.”
“Thank you so much! Oh, I have to show Mother!”
The excited girl turned to rush out of the room, replaced by a serving man in a tidy butler’s suit. He carried a bag full of the jewels the surgery had cost the family. By commoner standards it was a veritable fortune. Given the size and majesty of the house Dahlia stood in, it was likely little more than pocket change to the nobles. Perhaps she would need to raise her prices, if demand continued to grow. As talents as she might be, even Dahlia could only be in one place at a time. Although…
Shaking off the sudden desire to delve into research, the healer left the mansion with her payment. Outside a carriage awaited her, one that she had purchased so as to better play the role. She did not say anything to the driver as she stepped into the carriage, he already knew her schedule for today. This was the second to last stop, with one more individual with more money than self confidence to visit yet.
Once she was settled inside, the horses began moving forward. Yes magic cars and the like had begun to become more common among the populace, but as not all nobles could use magic the expense of keeping horses to draw a carriage remained a sign of money. How long that would remain with Pergrande technology slowly spreading, she did not know. If it came time to buy a new vehicle, her income should be more than adequate. This was, of course, assuming Dahlia was still around by that point. If Divine Calamity was successful, Pergrande and its technology would soon no longer exist.
After several minutes, the carriage stopped in front of a different mansion. Stepping down to the ground, she was greeted by a maid. She was a lovely looking girl, clearly selected for her appearance. That she was here to greet a special guest also implied she did not rely solely on her looks. With a slight bow of welcome, the maid led Dahlia into the mansion and to the room where her customer awaited. This was not her first time here, and she could easily have found the way herself. Such would be improper though, so she was forced to follow the maid.
Inside the room, Dahlia was greeted by furniture that likely cost more than a small house. The owner of the ostentatious furniture was a portly man who would require far more than just a little bit of work to be considered “handsome.” Thankfully for the both of them, his only concern was the lack of hair atop his head.
“Ah, Lady Dahlia,” he said in greeting. “It is so good to see you again. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to come to my humble abode.”
“I am grateful for your consideration, my lord,” she replied. “It is always an honor to be of service to you. By my presence, I take it that you must attend another of those dreadful state meetings you’ve told me about?”
“It is as you say! Much as I would rather decline such invitations, I fear the kingdom would fall apart were I to.”
Perhaps his words were a bit of hyperbole, but there was a kernel of truth to them. Dahlia had selected him as one of her customers specifically because he held a rank of some import. Indeed, these regular meetings of his would see him in close proximity to the very King of Fiore. Who better to build her reputation among the king and his people than one of his own? That every one at this meetings was well aware that this noble was naturally bald only served as proof of her abilities to them.
“So I take it you would like the usual service?” she asked, not mentioning the specifics out of consideration for his feelings.
“Yes, exactly so, my good woman. Please, begin when you are ready.”
Nodding, Dahlia stepped forward and laid a hand on top of his smooth head. In a way this was more difficult than what she had performed on the noblewoman. A single body part was fairly straightforward to shape into a new structure. In this man’s case, she was forced to touch each hair follicle in his head and bring them back to life. Then, once she did it was a matter of forcing them to work in overdrive, lest he go to the meeting with only stubble on his top.
This procedure took several minutes, though unlike the noble woman was not filled with any screams of pain. Since she was not reshaping anything, the only thing the man would feel would be intense itching as the hair broke through the surface of his skin and began to grow. Once she was done, he had a thick mane of hair ready for his staff to style into whatever passed for fashion this week. Her job complete, she again stepped back from her customer.
“Wonderful work as always, Lady Dahlia,” he said as he admired the hair in a mirror the maid from before had provided. Then he let out a small sigh. “If only you would agree to becoming a permanent part of my staff.”
“You know well that you could not afford me,” she said with a lighthearted chuckle. “Besides, once the change becomes permanent, what need would there be to keep me around?”
“Correct as always. Still such a waste. Now, if you will excuse me I must begin getting ready for this evening’s meeting. Until next time, my lady.”
Nodding his head in respect, the nobleman left the room to begin his preparations. Like before, Dahlia received her payment and then was shown out to her carriage. This was her last appointment for the day, though she already had several more lined up for tomorrow. Dealing with nobles and other rich individuals all day could be tedious, but there were benefits to it as well. And not just the significant amount of jewels she made. Each appointment was another chance to practice her magic, to try and discover the secret to permanently altering others. That alone made her time in the capital worth it.
It was almost a pity that she would have a hand in destroying all of this, if everything proceeded as Divine Calamity hoped. That would not be for some time though, hopefully long after she discovered the secrets within her magic she sought. Once she achieved that, it mattered little to her whether the portly man or the cute young noblewoman with the unfortunate nose survived.
Stepping into her carriage, she reclined lazily into the bench. Her appointments done, it would be time to return to the small manor she called home in the capital. It was by no means as large as the houses she had visited today, but it was more than enough for a single unmarried woman. Perhaps when she returned, she would have a bath, and then play with one of her hired help. She, too, had chosen them based on their appearance. And would better help could they provide to their mistress, but to bring her comfort? Her plans for the evening set, the healer who did not truly exist relaxed as the carriage began the trip home.
2506/2000 words
And none of these agents were as good at their job as the dark mage known as Kaz Valent. That may have sounded like ego, which he certainly had plenty of, but there was also truth to it. Not only did his magic allow him to seamlessly blend into whatever population he wanted, there were secrets to Flesh Sculpting that would prove instrumental in destabilizing the Luminous COvenant.
For him to be able to do that, he first needed to establish his presence with their leaders. Simply taking on the form of a trusted aid would be easy enough, but it would not work in the long run. Mimicking their behavior perfectly enough to fool everyone around them was not impossible, though it was difficult enough that Kaz decided trying to do so was pointless. Even if he did manage to fool everyone, he could not spend all his time living as that person. Or, more accurately, he had no desire to do so. He assisted Divine Calamity only as a means to his own ends.
Spending all his time in an assumed identity would take away from the time he spent on research. While other members of the guild might be loyal enough to dedicate their entire life to the cause, he certainly was not. In fact, he was probably one of the fwe within the guild halls that cared little about whether they succeeded or not. As long as he was able to continue his research, everything else was secondary. That was the larger reason for why he did not simply take over for an aid. The moment he left to do other work, the disappearance of the aid would be noted and the leaders put on the defensive.
So instead he went the route of inventing a new person to rise through the ranks. Someone who was useful enough to keep around, while still being free to come and go as they pleased. The difficult part was not creating such a person, that was simplicity itself. No, it was gaining the trust of the leaders of nations. Anyone would be wary of a friendly face promising the world, showing up out of nowhere. He would have to work his way up from the bottom.
Well, perhaps not the very bottom. Such grunt work was beneath him, after all. Instead he became the woman known simply as “Dahlia.” She wandered high society freely, becoming known to all while still holding an edge of mystique. People were always most drawn to the mysterious, and few were as mysterious as the tall, beautiful woman who would come and go as she pleased.
Only once her presence became a known quantity within high society did she begin to show off her talents. Who was this unknown woman, and where did she get her money? Will, the truth might have been from the coffers of Divine Calamity, but publicly she was a healer of extraordinary skill. This was neither a boast nor fiction. Rather, it was Kaz using the healing aspects of his magic while hiding the parts society generally frowned upon. When one had an intimate knowledge of the human body, restoring damaged parts or eliminating that which did not belong became child’s play. This alone earned her some fame, but it was when the high borne discovered that she could “heal” in other ways that she really came into vogue.
“So you can really make my nose look cuter?” a young noblewoman asked as Dahlia peered down at her face. It was a lovely face, if one ignored that the unfortunate girl had been blessed with an abundantly sized nose.
“Yes,” Dahlia responded, “but do keep in mind it will take several treatments for the effect to become permanent. Each time I do so, the changes will last only for a few hours before reverting to normal. Think of it as training your body to remember its new form. And as I’m sure you’ve heard, the process will be rather painful. There is simply not getting around that.”
“I understand!” the young woman exclaimed, desperation clear in both her voice and on her face. “I don’t care about a little pain, or the money. Please, just do it!”
“Very well then. Please try to relax.” Placing a hand on the woman’s face, she drew upon the magic of Flesh Sculpting. First the cartilage underneath the skin snapped and began to reform. Naturally the noblewoman screamed a bit in pain, yet she did her best to remain still. What was a little pain in exchange for becoming beautiful? Indeed, that had become the mindset among the rich and famous who were insecure about their looks. A nose job here, a lost pot belly there, anything to look better than their fellows at social events.
The best part for Dahlia was that as the change was temporary, those that experienced the greater confidence she provided would come back before each new event. And they did always come back, lest they suffer the shame of being found faking their newfound looks. Truthfully, Dahlia’s pride would have preferred the change was permanent on the first try. It wounded her pride that she could not do the transformation perfectly on others. Alas, Kaz had not yet developed their magic to achieve such results. It was there, the fact that Dahlia could remain as such permanently was proof enough. It was just proving more difficult to do when the flesh being changed was not their own.
So for now she would have to settle on only temporary fixes. The bright side was that each appointment brought in a lot of money, and now her personal war chest had ballooned past that which she had started with. Kaz did not have any interest in wealth or luxurious goods. Dahlia, on the other hand, relished them. As a (supposed) refugee from the Ironheart Pact, she had arrived in Fiore with little and had been forced to build her life back up from nothing. That there was no record of such a woman before her arrival in Fiore was trivial. Enemy nations did not commonly share intelligence with each other, a fact that she relied on heavily.
It is what allowed her to slip into Fiorian high society so easily. It gave her access to the movers and shakers, if not yet the leaders themselves. One such member of high society had stopped squirming under Dahlia’s touch as the change was complete. Stepping back and handing the noblewoman a mirror, she admired her own handiwork. Indeed, the woman before her was now cute enough to make Dahlia want her for herself. That would have to wait for another time, sadly. She was a very busy woman.
“I take it you are pleased?” Dahlia asked, as the woman stared in the mirror in wonder.
“Oh, its wonderful!” she replied happily. “I can’t believe it's really me.”
“It is, for now. Do remember it is only temporary at the moment. But yes, eventually that will become the real you. The you that you were always meant to be.”
“Thank you so much! Oh, I have to show Mother!”
The excited girl turned to rush out of the room, replaced by a serving man in a tidy butler’s suit. He carried a bag full of the jewels the surgery had cost the family. By commoner standards it was a veritable fortune. Given the size and majesty of the house Dahlia stood in, it was likely little more than pocket change to the nobles. Perhaps she would need to raise her prices, if demand continued to grow. As talents as she might be, even Dahlia could only be in one place at a time. Although…
Shaking off the sudden desire to delve into research, the healer left the mansion with her payment. Outside a carriage awaited her, one that she had purchased so as to better play the role. She did not say anything to the driver as she stepped into the carriage, he already knew her schedule for today. This was the second to last stop, with one more individual with more money than self confidence to visit yet.
Once she was settled inside, the horses began moving forward. Yes magic cars and the like had begun to become more common among the populace, but as not all nobles could use magic the expense of keeping horses to draw a carriage remained a sign of money. How long that would remain with Pergrande technology slowly spreading, she did not know. If it came time to buy a new vehicle, her income should be more than adequate. This was, of course, assuming Dahlia was still around by that point. If Divine Calamity was successful, Pergrande and its technology would soon no longer exist.
After several minutes, the carriage stopped in front of a different mansion. Stepping down to the ground, she was greeted by a maid. She was a lovely looking girl, clearly selected for her appearance. That she was here to greet a special guest also implied she did not rely solely on her looks. With a slight bow of welcome, the maid led Dahlia into the mansion and to the room where her customer awaited. This was not her first time here, and she could easily have found the way herself. Such would be improper though, so she was forced to follow the maid.
Inside the room, Dahlia was greeted by furniture that likely cost more than a small house. The owner of the ostentatious furniture was a portly man who would require far more than just a little bit of work to be considered “handsome.” Thankfully for the both of them, his only concern was the lack of hair atop his head.
“Ah, Lady Dahlia,” he said in greeting. “It is so good to see you again. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to come to my humble abode.”
“I am grateful for your consideration, my lord,” she replied. “It is always an honor to be of service to you. By my presence, I take it that you must attend another of those dreadful state meetings you’ve told me about?”
“It is as you say! Much as I would rather decline such invitations, I fear the kingdom would fall apart were I to.”
Perhaps his words were a bit of hyperbole, but there was a kernel of truth to them. Dahlia had selected him as one of her customers specifically because he held a rank of some import. Indeed, these regular meetings of his would see him in close proximity to the very King of Fiore. Who better to build her reputation among the king and his people than one of his own? That every one at this meetings was well aware that this noble was naturally bald only served as proof of her abilities to them.
“So I take it you would like the usual service?” she asked, not mentioning the specifics out of consideration for his feelings.
“Yes, exactly so, my good woman. Please, begin when you are ready.”
Nodding, Dahlia stepped forward and laid a hand on top of his smooth head. In a way this was more difficult than what she had performed on the noblewoman. A single body part was fairly straightforward to shape into a new structure. In this man’s case, she was forced to touch each hair follicle in his head and bring them back to life. Then, once she did it was a matter of forcing them to work in overdrive, lest he go to the meeting with only stubble on his top.
This procedure took several minutes, though unlike the noble woman was not filled with any screams of pain. Since she was not reshaping anything, the only thing the man would feel would be intense itching as the hair broke through the surface of his skin and began to grow. Once she was done, he had a thick mane of hair ready for his staff to style into whatever passed for fashion this week. Her job complete, she again stepped back from her customer.
“Wonderful work as always, Lady Dahlia,” he said as he admired the hair in a mirror the maid from before had provided. Then he let out a small sigh. “If only you would agree to becoming a permanent part of my staff.”
“You know well that you could not afford me,” she said with a lighthearted chuckle. “Besides, once the change becomes permanent, what need would there be to keep me around?”
“Correct as always. Still such a waste. Now, if you will excuse me I must begin getting ready for this evening’s meeting. Until next time, my lady.”
Nodding his head in respect, the nobleman left the room to begin his preparations. Like before, Dahlia received her payment and then was shown out to her carriage. This was her last appointment for the day, though she already had several more lined up for tomorrow. Dealing with nobles and other rich individuals all day could be tedious, but there were benefits to it as well. And not just the significant amount of jewels she made. Each appointment was another chance to practice her magic, to try and discover the secret to permanently altering others. That alone made her time in the capital worth it.
It was almost a pity that she would have a hand in destroying all of this, if everything proceeded as Divine Calamity hoped. That would not be for some time though, hopefully long after she discovered the secrets within her magic she sought. Once she achieved that, it mattered little to her whether the portly man or the cute young noblewoman with the unfortunate nose survived.
Stepping into her carriage, she reclined lazily into the bench. Her appointments done, it would be time to return to the small manor she called home in the capital. It was by no means as large as the houses she had visited today, but it was more than enough for a single unmarried woman. Perhaps when she returned, she would have a bath, and then play with one of her hired help. She, too, had chosen them based on their appearance. And would better help could they provide to their mistress, but to bring her comfort? Her plans for the evening set, the healer who did not truly exist relaxed as the carriage began the trip home.
2506/2000 words
