Chapter 121: The Morning After.

Waking, was not pleasant. Being drunk, passing out drunk, was a hell of a thing. The morning after, or rather, in this case, the noon after was no laughing matter. Even with my enhanced body, waking up to a pounding headache and a sickening nausea was no joke.

My mouth was dry. Lips cracked. I could taste the alcohol on my breath still. Combined with the scent of sweaty, damp linen, linen that still smelled somewhat like it had been washed recently. Was not fun either.

Working my way out of that soggy mess, rolling out of bed, literally. I rolled out of my small bed and slapped right onto the floor with a dull thud. The pain, the sudden jolt had me groaning. Still, somehow, I crawled out of my cocoon and looked out to the burning noon sun.

The small windows each room had weren’t much. Just wooden slats that were meant to open and shut. They didn’t do a great job of keeping the light out, and my window in particular was slightly ajar. The blast of light stabbed at my retinae, forcing me to blink away the spots as I stood.

Of course, the day wasn’t quite started, not until I slammed my toe into the small chair by the bedside. The sudden pain, the jolt of agony had me biting back a series of angry expletives. That, and nearly toppling to the ground to restart the whole process.

After what felt like an eternity, I managed to slink out of my room. Not like a human would, but rather, more like how I imagined the living dead would when they left their tomb. Boards creaked underfoot as I made my way down to the main floor of the inn.

It was noon, and miraculously, lunch was being served. I didn’t speak. Just groaned as a greeting to those that wished me well and slumped into the nearest chair. Laying my head on the table, I tried to muster up some energy, some thought.

Only to be interrupted by the sound of a plate making contact with wood. Followed by a cup slapping down. Blearily, I glanced up from my misery and beheld a sandwich, it looked like a BLT, a bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich. A bag of chips on the side, and a cup, rather, a tankard filled with what looked like water.

I went for the tankard first and chugged its contents down in a single go. There were a few glances, a few nods. Not that I cared, the water flowing into me, through me, made me feel alive again. When I finally stopped with a loud gasp, tankard crashing down onto the table, the fog had lifted, the pain, the aches, much reduced.

With a few blinks, my vision restored and standing across from me was Diana. She was eyeing me, not with a pleasant look. It was the same kind she had last night, filled with worry, concern. I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Still, I kept my growl inside, “Thanks.” I managed, my voice a little raw. “Didn’t realize how strong that stuff was.” I said, almost as an excuse

I knew full well how strong it would be. The first whiff told me everything. I just needed an escape, to get black out drunk. It’s a good thing I was a magical girl, that my constitution is so durable. Otherwise, I’d have a serious case of alcohol poisoning, of that, I’m sure.

She eyed me, clearly not buying my excuse. And continued to eye me as I chomped down on the sandwich, ripped open the bag of chips and ate. After all, I was ravenous. I’d eaten last night, but not nearly enough.

The entire jungle trek had worn away at me. The food we brought, not nearly filling enough. Now, finally with a proper meal, and not drunk out of my mind, I could finally enjoy a good meal.

I’d eaten the sandwich rather quickly, more were placed before me, and those too quickly vanished. Only when I had my fill, a small stack of plates set aside, did Diana speak.

“I wanted to confirm some things with you, but first I have to ask.” She levelled a look at me. One I knew all too well. “Are you good?”

“Yeah.” I said, and honestly, I did feel good. “Everything just kind of hit me all at once was all.” I continued. “Felt unmoored, uncertain, and well, yeah, I needed a drink…” I finally said.

She looked at me. I could tell she understood. Also, that she had concerns. Seeing me crash like that, it must have been shocking for her. A real breach of conduct.

“By the way, thanks.” I followed up with. “I’m not sure where you found that stuff, but it did hit the spot.”

She frowned. “Yeah, well, we found them in the inn’s basement. We weren’t too sure what to do with them, but after last night, words spread that we have alcohol.”

“And?” I ask.

“Well, now we need to be careful how we dole it out. There was quite a bit, but we have no idea how long we’ll be here.”

“It’s also high quality.” I followed up with. Though…

“Is it?” She asked. Not surprising that she didn’t notice.

“Yeah, a cup of that stuff could easily go for quite a bit. And since they came in those large jugs, well, that’s a lot of money.”

I could tell she hadn’t considered that.

“I wasn’t aware. I’ve never been a fan of alcohol.”

“No? Well, what are you a fan of? Any hobbies?” I ask.

“Not many… I did volleyball in high school, and well, I did hike… You?”

“Never been to high school.” I admit.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I was solely taught by private tutors through my younger years, up until my teens.”

“What happened then?” She asked.

“I got kicked out.”

“Oh… well, surely you had a hobby at least, right?”

“I did, yeah, Ice Skating. One year, my parents got me ice skates, and I used them almost religiously.”

“Huh… I didn’t take you for an ice skater.”

“What did you think I did?”

She shrugs. “I never really gave it that much thought…”

“How about you? I mean, I had you pegged as a hiker when we first met.” I said back.

“Oh? How so?”

“You were in your hiking gear.” I stated. She blushed in response.

“I was… wasn’t I?”

“Yeah, which is what makes me curious, how did you get into hiking?”

“Me?” She asked.

“Yeah, you.” I respond back.

“Well… my parents were avid hikers. They’d hike up trails, and sometimes even climb smaller mountains for fun. They’d often take me out to easier trails to hike on.”

“Mountain climbing too? Is that why you had the pick?”

“That… yeah. They climbed larger mountains too, not just small ones. They said they’d take me when I got older, but well…” She trailed off. Immediately I could sense an issue.

“So, the pick? Does that mean you picked up the hobby?” I asked, diverting the topic. Hopefully to somewhere safer.

“Hm? Well, kinda… I was looking forward to going with them one day, the pick I had, well, have, was a birthday gift they gave me when I was younger. Alongside it, was a note promising to take me mountain climbing when they got back.” She said almost too easily…

“Does that mean they didn’t make it back?” Asking, knowing full well that they likely had not made it back.

“No… Something went wrong, they ended up being left behind.”

I winced at that. “Really? Couldn’t they airlift them down? What mountain was it?”

“I… don’t remember the exact name actually…” There was an odd look on her face. “I do remember it was one of the larger mountains, not the tallest mountain, but the second or third tallest mountain in the world.”

I whistled. “That, had to be a whole thing.”

“It was, they prepped for months, hired guides, went through a lot of effort to vet those coming with them…” She trailed off.

“I guess that happens.”

“You’re not wrong. Accidents happen; I thought the same for the longest time. Only, one of the people that was brought on, and fairly last minute was my uncle.”

“Why would they do that? I’ve planned a few outings before, but planning for a mountain climbing expedition, especially for a world class mountain, that can’t be easy. Even just making last minute additions to a business meeting, or event can be difficult, if not outright impossible at times.” I said, immediately noticing the oddity for what it was.

“I don’t know, I just know that something was going on, and that somehow, he ended up getting into the expedition.”

“That…” I pause, think. “You don’t think?”

“I’m not sure what to think. Only that, after my parents were declared dead, he became the manager of my parents’ holdings. At least, until I became an adult, he was given full control over everything they owned. He essentially controlled everything.”

“I think I’m getting the picture, but did he try to prevent you from inheriting?” I ask, actually curious.

“He did, he was doing a lot of background deals and such, but he was sloppy. A lot of people inside the company were still loyal to my parents and they helped me usurp his control.” Though she said that, she didn’t look happy.

“Let me guess, they ‘helped’ you.” I said, doing air quotes.

“Yes… They ended up divesting my inheritance. Broke it up into smaller holdings. I ended up losing almost everything, but well, over the years I slowly managed to reacquire all of my parents’ assets.”

“That couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t…” She trails off again.

It was a bit enlightening, getting some past information about Diana was, well, it was good to know. Especially some insight as to how she treated me. Though, her reaction was a bit over the top all things considered.

“Thart explains it, mostly.” I said.

“Yeah, I’m not used to trusting people. Everyone in my life, everyone I knew always had an agenda, a side goal, and… for the longest time I had deluded myself into thinking I was more than capable of handling everything on my own, and then you came, we teamed up and… honestly, working with you made me realize that I never was ready. That really,. I never had changed…” She sighed.

“Your too damn competent.” She said, almost as if that was an insult. “I really did come to rely on you during the event. You were a solid second, and when trouble came, you were more than willing to throw down. Which is why, you backing off like you did, choosing to separate from us was such a big deal to me.”

“The timing was right.” I said.

“It was… honestly, it was. I was angry, I thought you’d keep sticking with us, but… you’d done your job. I couldn’t hate you for that. I shouldn’t have been mad at you for wanting to separate when you did.”

“I don’t blame you.” I said, “And I mean it. I felt horrible afterwards.”

“Did you? I mean, you never looked like you regretted it.”

“I don’t regret it. But it still didn’t feel good leaving you all like that.” I answered honestly.

“But you still did it.” She shot, almost accusingly.

I hesitated, a brief moment, but answered back. “I’ve left people far more important to me and in far worse situations behind before. Leaving you all, in comparison was nothing.” There was a bite in my words. One that had her still.

After a bit, she blinked and looked away. “Sorry, I didn’t mean too.”

“Its fine. I’m not a great person. I realize that. So long as it doesn’t get in the way of us working together, I don’t mind if you dislike or even hate me.”

She gave me another look, a long searching one this time. Eventually she sighed. “Fine. But… on that end, I do need to ask. What happened last night? It may not seem like it, but I depend on you being competent.”

“Even if this is only our third meeting?”

“Especially since this is our third meeting. I had no idea where that woman from the first and second night went. The same one that would willingly throw themselves into danger simply because that was their duty. I can’t begin to explain how distraught I felt seeing you like that.”

She seemed… earnest. Which meant, I couldn’t just deflect or deny. Not if I wanted to uphold our current relationship, whatever it was.

“I…” I started, paused. Tried to order my thoughts, wors into something coherent. “I was talking with Liche about her uniform.” I said.

Partially true, partially not.

“Uniform? Does she have a uniform?”

“No, but she’s close to getting one, I’m sure.”

“How do you… no, do you have a uniform?” The look she gave me was almost insulting. “There’s no way you got your uniform, not unless you used a gold coin, you used a coin, didn’t you?”

“Really, you don’t think I could have, maybe unlocked my uniform the natural way?”

“Hell no!” She shouted; her hands slapped down on the table. “There’s no way you could have!”

I actually felt insulted. “Well, excuse me…” I said with a roll of my eyes. “But, I didn’t use a coin, I didn’t have too. I awakened my uniform the natural way.”

“I-impossible!” She shouts. Then blinks. “Show me.” She demands. “I want you to show me, right now.”

“And why should I do that? First you insult me, then you make demands of me, why the hell should I?” I ask, the volume of my voice rising in tandem with hers.

We already had some attention. A few wary gazes. People prepping for a fight.

Diana looked ready to square off, but just as quickly she realized where we were. She took a moment to breathe, center herself.

“Sorry…” She finally said. “I just…” She continues, pauses. “Can you please show me?” She finishes with.

I eyed her, but eventually, “Fine.” I agreed. I got up, chair scraping against the floor and walked out the front door. Diana followed, as did the onlookers. Eventually, just about everyone that was hanging back in the town was watching.

I stepped into the town center. I looked about, noting the crows perched here and there, Morrigan nowhere to be seen, same for Liche and Joan. Serenity was here, a few other familiar faces as well. Each watching, word having already spread.

It felt like a second debut. Having all their eyes on me, and yet, it felt lackluster compared to the first time. The first time had felt like countless people were watching me. Like watching my first performance, only, now it felt like a repeat. As if I were simply going through the motions, a show on re-run.

Still, under Diana’s gaze, I obliged her request.

I listened for it, the beat, the steady thrum of my heart. Little by little, it grew louder and louder. The ice cracked, broke, until finally, it burst out.

One moment, I was standing under the afternoon sun. The next, the world gave way, the shock, the cold, it took my breath away. Ripped it out of my lungs. I gasped, and water flooded in.

Still, as the cold settled. As I felt my heart slow. Where there was nothing, there came heat. A burning fire, a scorching heat that suffused my entire being. Filled me to the brim.

I opened my eyes to a familiar sight. An arena, a stadium filled  to the brim with faceless figures in the stands. Adorned and dressed in finery. Glasses of wine in hand, masks on their face. They watched in silence and I began to move.

A little at first, the ice, the frost covering my broke away with each movement, each turn. Little by little, exposing what lay beneath.

What broke away though, shattered into motes of starlight, dazzling sparks that swirled and gathered around me. With every flourish, every twist and turn, they coalesced and formed.

As my routine came to an end, the crowd roared, cried. Roses were thrown onto the ice. The spotlight shone from above.

With a final flourish, a final stamp of my feet, the world broke away. No longer was I in the stadium, the arena. No longer on the ice. No longer under the spotlight.

Now, I was back in the town center, with a whole new audience gazing at me. With a thought, a minor flourish, my rifle cracked into being. There were jolts, wary glances at my materialized weapon.

Even under the afternoon sun, my uniform, a military dress suited for a parade or a ball gleamed. The material glimmered as if set with diamonds, the epaulettes and braiding made with only the finest of silver. My hair pulled back into a ponytail, held in place by a single ribbon.

I luxuriated in the gazes. In being the center of attention, and yet…I thought back to my performance. The cheering crowd. It hadn’t been long, and yet… already it was becoming a bit rote. Or so it felt.

Was there not a way I could make a new performance? Was this truly my limits? Or perhaps, could the depths be plumbed ever deeper? Feeling inside me, I felt it.

Rather, its absence was felt. When I had spoke with Liche, something had stirred. Yet, now that I was transformed, now that I was fully submerged under the ice. It became clear, what I had called up, resonated with, came from an even deeper place.

A place, whose depth I couldn’t even begin to fathom…

But… that was a thought for another time. After all, I had an audience.