ANGELICA was enjoying a sweet dream under soft and comfy blankets. It was her favorite dream where she elegantly drank tea while handsome men waited on her hand and foot.
“Lady Angelica, these are the rare sugar cookies I ordered for you from a faraway land.”
“Oh my. Thank you.”
The man with raven-black hair held out the silver platter from behind her chair and smiled. He kind of resembled the man who had escaped from prison yesterday. That man was so handsome he was being wasted on that homely self-proclaimed priestess.
I’ll entice him into serving me if I get my hands on him again. I’m not satisfied unless I get everything I want. I have the beauty and talent necessary to make that happen.
Reveling in her greed, Angelica pinched a cookie between her fingers and returned the offer to the handsome man. “Would you like one, too?”
“Thank you very much, my lady. However, I much prefer this sugar…” He gently grabbed her chin and tipped it up. His perfectly chiseled face leaned closer.
“Oh, we mustn’t…”
A whirlwind romance about to begin—was promptly shattered by a thick accented voice shouting in her ears, ripping her from dreamland.
“HOLY MAIDEEEEEEEEENNN!”
Angelica shot up in bed and glowered at the door. The blood rushed to her head when she realized it was the mayor pounding away.
“Stop that racket! What do you want at this spirit forsaken hour?! Eesh!”
Forgetting to mask her true personality, she unlocked the door. The messily sobbing mayor tumbled into the room, fell to his knees, wrapped around her legs, and started begging.
“Oh, Holy Maiden, please save us! Monsters! Dodongagas!”
“Huh?”
Will stepped into the room behind the mayor and uncomfortably reported, “It seems that a large number of dodongagas are tearing up the klehna fields near the village gates.”
✦ ✦ ✦
ANGELICA hastily changed and came to the foot of the terraced garden just behind the mansion. Looking up, she saw dodongagas running through the yet-to-be-harvested klehna fields, just as Will told her. They numbered in the dozens. The mayor had been lying in wait for her outside while rubbing his hands raw.
“Please get rid of them this instant!” he bellowed, his facial muscles spasming. “If the damage spreads any further the village won’t make a profit this year! My salary will go up in dust!”
“All right already. I just have to get rid of them, yeah? Then get rid of them I shall.”
Irked at having been dragged out of bed, Angelica held up the staff she stole from the homely girl. And, without much thought, shot off her best spell.
“FLAME BURST!”
The magic orb shined brightly on top of the staff. There was a sudden recoil effect, followed by every ounce of magic being ripped from within her.
“Wha…?”
An explosive fire burst shot from the staff while she recoiled in shock. Uncontrollable magic scorched everything in sight. Angelica fell into a complete panic over the unexpected power behind her weak spell.
“Kyaaaaaah! KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“Wh-What in the spirits’ name are you doing, Holy Maiden?!”
The surrounding temperature rose rapidly, and the moisture in the air began to evaporate. The klehna leaves were naturally steamed, and the pigment started to transfer to the cloth laid on top.
The mayor squeezed the sides of his face in his hands and wailed like it was the end of the world. “AAAAAAAAAAAAH! Our merchandise!”
“Lady Angelica! Please stop!”
“I can’t!”
Butler Will was begging behind her, but the red glowing magic orb was hungrily siphoning magic from Angelica and transforming it into spell fodder.
BOOM!
The situation just got a whole lot worse. The dodongagas were further agitated by the white cloths being dyed bright-red. Their numbers tripled beyond what anyone present could handle. The mayor’s cracking voice peeled across the klehna fields.
“HOLY MAIDEEEEEEN!”
✦ ✦ ✦
MEANWHILE, master and apprentice arrived in the village to enact their plan and were rendered speechless by the disastrous situation afoot. The plan was to secretly steam the field, dyeing the white cloth red, but they hadn’t accounted for Angelica casting fire magic before they got there. At last, Nichika remembered the important piece of information that slipped their minds.
“Oh yeah, Angelica can use magic too…”
“While I can’t comment on her magic potential, the real Angelica Rubens is notorious for hating anything to do with learning.”
Headmaster Grindieda’s comment repeated in Nichika’s head.
Oswald covered his eyes with his hand. “Say that sooner…”
“Doesn’t matter now! What are we going to do about this?!”
By all appearances, the damage was severer than anticipated. “This wasn’t supposed to happen” was written all over her master’s hard face.
✦ ✦ ✦
THE growing herd of dodongagas charged in different directions as a group, their rampaging exceeding what the villagers could fend off. Seeing how dire the situation had become, Angelica grabbed her butler’s arm and raised the white flag.
“We’re getting outta here, Will!”
“Whaaaaaaaaat?!”
Will wasn’t the only one whose eyes peeled open. The mayor, who had been pointlessly flailing his arms like a windmill, turned on her.
“H-Ho-Holy Maiden? Are you going to forsake us? Don’t even joke about it!”
“Please don’t ask the impossible of me! Not even someone as great as I can stand up against that ferocious horde!”
“You can’t abandon us! Isn’t it your duty as the Holy Maiden to save the lost and suffering people?!”
“Eeei! Let go of me already, you old fart!”
“Holy Maideeeen!”
Snapping, Angelica accidentally let the cat out of the bag. “Oh my spirits! Your whole ‘Holy Maiden’ ‘Holy Maiden’ tirade is grating! Stop ragging on me! I am not your Spirit Priestess—ah!”
She threw a hand up to cover her mouth, but it was too late. The mayor and all the villagers who came to help heard her confession loud and clear. Only the DODODO rumbling of the dodongagas running around echoed through the unnatural quiet.
“Oho…Ohohoho! Just kidding…”
Sweating like a ton of bricks, Angelica tried to scamper away like a crab. Will sighed and lifted his head to explain everything—his eyes flew wide open and he let out a warning cry.
“Lady Angelica!”
“Wha?”
Angelica felt a sudden rush of air and turned toward it. The herd of monsters was descending the hill at a furious pace. Their deranged, soulless eyes were dead set on her.
“Uwaaaaaaaah! Run awaaaaaaay!”
The mayor and all the villagers scattered like baby wolf spiders off their mother’s back. Angelica didn’t move though. She couldn’t move. For the first time in her life she was facing death. This was different from the straw dolls she fought during magic lessons back home. Palpable bloodlust prickled her skin, knocking her weakly onto her bottom. She clamored to her feet, but was hit by a wave of exhaustion from her magic being drained. Dizziness crashed over her, causing her legs to buckle.
Oh no. My legs…won’t budge…
Pushed to the brink of despair, Angelica let out a shrill scream that sounded like a curtain ripping in half. “Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
She threw up her arms and braced to be trampled underfoot, but she was instead wrapped in a gust of wind that was better suited to a spring storm. She slammed her eyes shut against the torrential winds whipping up her hair, and heard a noble voice ring throughout the land.
“O great current that rushes over the land, come to me! Sylphide!”
Surprised, Angelica forced open her eyes just as a girl landed protectively in front of her with spread open arms. Shock coursed through her to see it was the girl she had tossed in jail yesterday.
“Y-You are—”
“Stand!” she commanded. “Hold out my staff. Now!”
The dodongagas forced away by the gale had fallen back in line and were barreling toward them again. At Nichika’s command, Angelica stood and held up the staff. But her hands visibly shook. She screamed and tried to bolt when the girl gently covered her trembling hands.
“Don’t worry. I’ll do it with you.”
She glanced to her side; the girl’s clear eyes were dyed a deep shade of green as she gave a reassuring nod. Just looking into those eyes told Angelica what she must do.
Both girls planted their feet and braced for the magic recoil. Corresponding magical power was drawn from them both and mixed into the magic orb.
“BLOW THEM AWAY!”
“ROAST THEM!”
The moment they chanted the spell, the world opened up before Angelica. She unleashed the magic within, experiencing an exhilaration she had never known before.
“FLAME TORNADO!” the girls roared as one.