B1 — 14. The Celestial Unicorn
Rachel leaned against the inside of the elevator while rubbing her left arm, doing her best to breathe and release the whiplash she felt from Eostre’s vision; unfortunately, the state of her body was bad enough that even just standing here made her want to puke and put a stitch in her side—it grew worse whenever she was idle and thinking about it.
She glared at her quaking left hand, vision swaying for a second; she used the elevator’s corner to not tip over from vertigo, gritting her teeth as her thoughts lapsed momentarily. A blink and Roy was suddenly in the box, making her ears twitch as his muffled voice came to the foreground; she noticed the door was now sealed, though she hadn’t caught it happening.
“…Rachel—stupid question, can you hear me?”
What appeared to be a delayed energy wave from the goddess rushed through her, further sapping her already screaming muscles and fluctuating mind; each sensation jolting her brain or deteriorating her body was far worse after the vision. If she didn’t get Maria’s help, Rachel knew she’d be down for more than a week with how far she’d pushed herself, and she didn’t have time for that.
Roy scanned her shaking legs and tight expression, gauging the sudden change that came over her once away from prying eyes; he pressed the button for the ground level before anyone could put them in a queue.
“Obviously, something happened,” he said in somewhat proficient Korean, making her force a chuckle while fighting past nausea that gripped her belly; she was glad this man was chosen to escort her, he had seemed to care and try to connect with both her and Scarlet—a sorely welcome experience after all the craziness. “Either you had another visitation, or your body is finally starting to break down.”
“Both, I suppose,” she mumbled in the same language, closing her eyes and rubbing her flaming forehead; her white blood thankfully made it impossible to flush, but bruising had a slight discoloration, and there was a lot of it now that time passed. “I didn’t want to make a scene… I don’t know who’s watching us, and the Scarlet Hand could have corrupted anyone. Hopefully, I play my cards right, and one of those issues is resolved.”
Roy worked around his jaw, frowning as she rubbed her legs, back, and neck, twisting to loosen up and prevent knots or cramping, despite the sensation of shredding her limbs. “I’m guessing you have to keep going, or you’ll collapse… Sitting still with your mother must have been torture.”
“Well worth enduring,” she mumbled, holding back tears and trying to direct her mind to anything besides the pain. “I can’t afford to let my body slow me down.”
Leaving the elevator as it opened, she saw many of the crowds dotting the hallways of the first floor shift their attention and conversations to her upon seeing her light-glowing figure. Roy had a neutral expression again, hands in his pocket and slowing his pace to keep a distance from her, but not without whispering something to make her smile.
“Workin’ hella hard ‘till they put you in the dirt, huh?”
“Hehe… That’s me, rookie of the year,” she said under her breath, thoughts using his words as fuel to bolster her resolve.
Yeah, hit the ground running; there’s no way I’m taking a back seat, and I’m not stopping until I’m at the top! I have a full hand and a full plan. If I can’t beat people like Scarlet off the go, I’ll beat them in fight and drive. I’ll work harder than my competition and maneuver into positions to run circles around these Myths and Legends… I won’t stop until I’m at the top… because I want to have worth.
Cold resolution tempering the heat in her muscles, Rachel made her way through the halls until she came to the cafeteria, spotting the dozens of Mexican gangers sleeping on the floor, in chairs, or against the walls; they’d made the area into their base of operations and, luckily, pulled all the blinds to dim the light in places to rest.
Great! My energy shouldn’t diminish too quickly where they are. Luck is on my side! she internally cheered while studying her target.
Rachel had already heard plenty about the 23-year-old woman, including the men discussing her wide hips, ample bust, and twinkling aura that must have made it hard to sleep with her since she was a natural night light.
Of course, her clothes were the complete opposite, being decked in an all-black tank top, black pants, and expensive name-brand shoes; the 808 angel number plastered across the front of her top, gold chain necklace, and red eyeliner said a lot about the woman with her lazy posture.
Maria’s silver eyes matched her hair, possibly even thicker than hers, drawn back and left free to dangle behind the chair she sat on to nearly touch the tile. Her ears were more elf-like than a horse, which was something many people had taken note of, and an illuminated white star symbol sat high on her brow and just below her hairline, which her energy-like horn appeared from when using her powers.
However, her appearance was the last thing on Rachel’s mind after hearing many of the English conversations she’d had with her rather large crew; she swapped languages reasonably often, and her blunt attitude did not make people happy.
The unicorn was a Celestial Unicorn, meaning she could gain energy from the sun and moon, yet with a catch that the woman complained about. Perhaps even more shocking for her appearance and attitude, she was a semi-practicing Catholic, attending church at least twice a month with her little brother.
Head shifting left and right to take in the full scope of the cafeteria, she saw Roy get in line to grab some food; due to the emergency, people were working behind the stoves in shifts until the crisis was resolved.
Rachel’s vision hazed again, yet she forced her fingernails into her palm to keep focused, going right for the unicorn’s table, judging the woman was roughly three inches shorter than herself at approximately 168 cm; she didn’t need long with the gangster since this was just the hook to draw her into her plan.
“Yo, Maria, what’s up?” she asked, smiling when her willpower grew weaker; she wanted to give up, collapse, and never move again—even her face was tingly. “I’ve heard my name passed around a few times between you guys. What does ‘liebre lunar’ mean, by the way—is it moon bunny—because you guys have been saying it a lot?”
Maria tsked and crossed her arms under her bust while pressing her tongue against the inside of her cheek and glancing between her boys, mumbling to one another in Spanish. “Aye, well damn… ya been listenin’ to us, eh? I heard what ya did for one of the lil’ niños. Hmm…”
Rachel spun one of the free chairs around to sit backward, matching energy and resting her arms on it as they discussed her entrance, a few pointing at her large ears. “I heard no one can lie to you, and in return, you can’t lie. Is that right? Rachel, by the way, but, heh, Diego told you that. He’s sleeping, right?”
“Yeah… Yo, the hell happened to you, chica?” she mumbled, silver eyes scanning her bandages and lightly discolored skin representing her bruises. “You look like you’ve been scrappin’ with dogs.”
A few of the men chuckled, but Rachel was sincere and straightforward; she’d be the type of person Maria liked dealing with, and since she could detect lies, breaking the ice would be quick.
“I did fight aliens from another world with a dragon. Am I lying?”
The woman’s eyes narrowed, and she sat straighter, silencing the men around her at her sudden change in demeanor. “Aye, aye—say that again, chica—a whole ass dragon? Shit. What about the toad aliens I’ve heard about—were they perras ya popped off on?”
“They were aliens, but I took care of them in their own world before the other invasion at the college happened.” Rachel giggled, trying to ignore the spotted vision and swaying faces as she held up her hand to distract them, showing a squeezing gesture. “Popped their heads like a child’s doll!”
Several of the men and women around them shifted uncomfortably at her blunt confession to murdering that the unicorn didn’t call out, their queen’s posture changing as the conversation went on.
“Ah, but I’m not here for that,” she giggled, flashing her teeth. “I’ve heard you can heal people, and, well… you can see I’m in need of a little support. Eh-heh. Are there two of you or five, I can’t even tell anymore? Haha. C’mon, help a girl out!”
The atmosphere grew tense as Maria leaned one arm against the table beside her, index finger tapping the surface; more than just her crew were now paying attention to their meeting.
“Ugh. I figured ya weren’t just bein’ nice ta Diego… Liebre means hare, my chica—your ears are too big to be a bunny—but damn, I get the feeling you’re more of a loba.”
Rachel’s ears shifted to the left, pain making her tail go completely stiff, yet she kept her voice under control. “I’m guessing that means wolf by the context—heh, instead of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I’m a carnivorous hare, huh?”
“Ya ain’t lied yet,” Maria grunted. “Respect for that—even the carnivorous hare part regarding your personality… but some of my girls were watching you when you came in… You’ve got an angle; spit it out.”
Expression twisting to a more sly smirk, Rachel hummed, looking the uncomfortable unicorn in the eyes; some of the gangsters’ hands went to their hidden weapons, but they didn’t escalate things as Rachel kept her focus on the unicorn.
“I did want to help Diego—I’m not about to let some wannabe influencer make fun of a boy nearly half her age without stepping in; I’ve been on the receiving end of that in junior high—but I also like to make the most of my time. I knew you’d feel compelled to heal me for Diego because you don’t like to owe people favors and believe in karma. Well?”
Drawing in her pink lower lip, Maria held a guarded gaze, listening to some of the Mexicans mumble in Spanish around them and responding to a few inquiries; she retained eye contact the entire time.
“Tsk. Damn, not a single lie, chica. I usually can’t go a minute without feelin’ one. You scratched Diego’s back, I’ll scratch yours, but there’s more to it than that, liebre lunar. I’m not tryin’ ta make waves with the wrong people, and I hear ya got somethin’ going on with some military types—qué demonios es esto!”
A brilliant light lit up the space as her spiral horn solidified on her brow, and she shot to her feet in shock, making Rachel force a laugh at her face; the rest of the room did the same at the sudden action, unsure if they should make a break for it.
“Chica—the hell’d you do to your body? Shit!” she snarled, sweeping key parts of her figure. “Ya get hit by a camión de la basura—how the hell are you not screaming?!”
“Heh. That bad, heh?”
“Worse than the trauma patients I’ve seen in this bitch—I, eh… damn… It’s gonna take hell ta get you put back together. Saint Mary better bless us, chica, because I ain’t sure I can bring you back with my power.” She hastily motioned to the crew around her. “Aye, let’s bounce—shit…”
A little lost now, Rachel frowned and forced herself up, jaw tightening at the pressure she put on her legs again, and she saw spots; she did her best not to teeter. “W-What’s up?”
Maria looked at her like she was insane. “The hell you mean, what’s up, perra loca?! I gotta juice up ta deal with your shit. Catch up, chica!”
Rachel glanced left, seeing Roy watching them from a table, only a single bite taken out of his sandwich as they passed; the urgency in Maria’s voice was accompanied by a refreshing pulse of energy that lessened some of her pain with one caveat.
“Wow,” she whispered, seeing some of the bruising fading. “That was—Maria?”
Her brow furrowed, now seeing how terrible her reaction time was as the gangster’s tight expression grew more frustrated, and she almost tripped, cursing in Spanish under her breath while her light faded.
“Shut up,” she grumbled, rubbing her chest as if in pain, her horn dimming significantly; her voice lowered when Rachel caught up, already ahead of the pack, scrambling to join them. “The hell you get off on… Masochistic bitch, your organs are failing—five hours, and you’re on ice—so shut your mouth and keep close. You’ll be blacking out soon—how the hell are you still conscious?”
A shiver ran down her spine at the revelation; sure, she’d been pushing herself to remain awake, just like when she’d talked to the officers the previous night when she’d passed out, yet somehow continued to speak, but she didn’t think it was due to organ failure.
“I… guess my pain threshold is a lot higher than I thought.”
“No shit, Sherlock—you’re a machine—now keep up,” the unicorn growled, more pissed than Rachel thought she’d be.
Although, if her new suspicions were correct, Rachel could understand why she was suddenly so temperamental; healing people could have a negative effect on the unicorn, and, while she was the type to demand payment—rightfully so if there were side effects—Maria wouldn’t let someone die in front of her if she could help it.
Making her way to the doors, she hesitated for half a second just before entering the bright section of the cafeteria; she didn’t want to drain all of her lunar energy since it was helping to sustain her, but she didn’t really have a choice—she stepped into the golden rays.
Maria spun in a circle, making Rachel’s ears go stiff as she shoved her back with a curse; she managed to twist around to stumble between some of her shouting gang members with the unicorn’s energy mending her.
“Eres un maldito desastre!” she snarled. “Why is your condition getting worse?! Shit. Are you trying to merk me, chica—take me down with you?”
The unicorn’s teenage brother had woken up from the shouts. “Eh, hermana?”
“Uh… I guess my lunar energy is reinforcing my organs?” Rachel guessed. “If I go in the sun—”
“I get it! Shit… Aye, hermanito, get a blanket, huh? The damn banana-eared moon hare is trying to give me a heart attack—how the hell do you let yourself get so torn up—brain damage?”
Her brother jumped into action with another Beastkin girl that looked like a honey badger, tossing it to him to run over; Maria ordered them to put it up by a wall so she could stand in the unfiltered beams by the door and remain in sight of her to allow her horn’s rays to restore her body—unfortunately, it didn’t help much.
Rachel’s smile strained under her cross-armed scowl; the pain eased with her golden horn’s glow, but she was also growing weaker. “Umm… Is your healing solar-based when using the sun’s energy?”
“Tsk… You owe me, chica. And what do you think, stupid?”
The unicorn grimaced, light intensifying as a crowd started to form; it took fifteen minutes, with Maria’s face pinching further with every minute, making it look like she had a stomach ache. Once it was done, not an ounce of lunar energy was left in her, leaving Rachel as weak or weaker than most of the women watching the magical operation.
“Maria…”
The woman’s nose twisted with agitation as her brother brought over a chair for her to sit with a towel to wipe away the sweat on her brow. “Aye, you owe me after that, chica—I practically healed ten people on you, bitch… Shit. What?”
Rachel crossed her arms, studying the unicorn as her crew rushed to bring her fruit, drinks, or anything else to help. “No disrespect, but have you ever considered you’re wasting your talents?”
“The hell are you talking about?” she muttered before drinking some water.
“Listen, I do owe you… Do you want to make money to set up your entire block for life—live the good life—and learn how to really use your powers? Come to the fourth floor and talk to me when you want to enter the big leagues. I’m not talking millions… You’re worth more than that.”
Laughter and Spanish conversations followed her statement as Rachel turned around and walked away, but Maria didn’t join in; after all, she knew she wasn’t joking.
Roy met her at the exit to return upstairs. “Organ failure, huh?”
“Yeah. Crazy, huh?” she smiled. “Now I know my limits and threshold.”
“Pfft! What a way to look at almost dying. You really are insane, Rachel; you know what they were saying?”
She shook her head. “What?”
“A cold-blooded monster—basically, they think you’re a robot with the way Maria talked about how torn up your organs and muscles were and how nonchalant you were acting… You weren’t going to heal with time, Rachel.”
Rachel shot an impish smirk his way, hands held behind her back with a spring in her step now that she was right as rain. “Concerned about me? That’s sweet, Roy. Hehe. No, I understand, but didn’t I tell you I had a plan? Oh! I don’t feel super tired now—I’ll need to sleep, but why don’t we stop off on floor six real fast?”
“Anthony?” Roy asked with a lifted eyebrow as they stopped before the elevator, waiting for it to come down. “Look, I’m just trying to say, maybe it would be better to take a break from the training and relax; you can’t train twenty-four-seven.”
“Oh?” Rachel watched the numbers descend with a tilt to her lips. “With Maria, I think I can, and I have another method to try tonight. Let’s go.”
Heading up to the top floor, they stopped outside the door to Amelia’s room, the two green berets outside greeting Roy as Rachel held a finger to her lips while slipping inside. A silent chuckle shook her stomach upon seeing Anthony’s flaming head resting on the foot of the young woman’s bed.
Amelia’s gaze drifted from her passed-out fiancé to her, focus rising to her ears before sweeping the rest of her appearance; the terminal cancer patient had lost all of her hair and black rings were under her brown eyes, but she wore a soft smile.
“Rachel, I presume,” she whispered, careful with how she shifted in bed as her morphine drip continued to ease her pain; the doctors said she only had a few months to live. “How many times have you heard me ask you to come?”
“Three,” she casually responded, taking a nearby seat.
“Hmm? I guess you aren’t as omniscient as Anthony thinks,” she quietly giggled. “I actually did it five times.”
“Sly, girl.” Rachel smiled, leaning back and crossing her legs. “I’ve tried to give you some privacy, but I couldn’t help overhearing his plan to find a cure through his Quests. You don’t sound convinced, though.”
She leaned over to take one of the jello cups one of the nurses had brought earlier. “Only because he doesn’t sound convinced… Tell me, Rachel, does Anthony think my worsening condition is due to his change?”
Sighing, Rachel gave a helpless shrug. “It’s… seemingly connected to his legend. Still, a cure might be found in other ways; there are other options we can consider.”
“Maria?” she asked with a melancholy look at her man while leaning forward; Amelia stifled a cough while ruffling his hair. “Anthony already tried before you arrived… She says it’s immutable—at least for now.”
“Ah… So that’s why he blames himself,” she whispered, vision falling to the floor as she pondered the response. “I wouldn’t give up hope; magical curses are real now, but so are cures.”
The woman gave her a dubious smile. “From everything I’ve heard, Rachel, you don’t do anything without a purpose. You want my fiancé’s help with dangerous tasks… danger he might throw himself at in grief, anguish, or as a form of punishment. I don’t want that. So let me clarify this; if you can’t make his life more positive, I don’t want you in it.”
Rachel’s full lips drew in at the steel in Amelia’s voice and eyes as she made her feelings known; it was a threat, and she wasn’t finished.
“I won’t let you use me as a ball and chain around his heart to pull him into the madness you seem to crave. I will convince him to reject whatever you offer, and you know I’m not bluffing. I want Anthony to live… to feel alive again—I don’t like seeing him depressed and desperate,” she whispered, face pinched with frustration. “Tell me how your plan will make him happy, and I’ll make sure he goes down that path… because I don’t have an answer anymore, which scares me.”
Looking away, Rachel chewed on the inside of her cheek for a minute, deep in thought; it was a challenge, but she loved challenges. Nodding without a word, she got up and left; she had adjustments to make.
Heading back to the fourth floor, she heard Selvaria just about to reach the same level; the Leviathan was huffing a bit, her mother rubbing her back as they took the stairs—she broke one of the elevators by just getting inside of it ten minutes earlier.
“Need to work on that cardio, girl,” she joked, waiting for them to reach her.
“Rachel… uh, yeah—I, uh… I’m good,” she lied, tail dragging along the floor. “This is my mom—ugh… Kill me,” she cried in her monotone voice that made Rachel chuckle.
Her brown-haired mother smiled and moved forward to shake her hand. “Hello. It’s Rachel, right? Selv told me your parents would be here, too. Heh. It’ll be nice talking to someone else about how things have changed… It’s been crazy.”
She took her mom’s hand and moved to allow some nurses and doctors to pass in a pack, discussing some strange case regarding a Faekin Brownie’s small physiology while looking over x-rays.
“I’ll—” Her heart stopped, ears darting to the left. “Excuse me real fast…” She broke away, Roy spotting her change of direction and following.
“Oh, okay…”
Selvaria made a weak gesture, seeming to catch her breath. “That’s Rachel, always busy running around doing stuff. Maybe we should go running when we get up. Oh, maybe Scarlet will join us! Wooh. I’m getting pumped. We should get some sports clothes—uh… my tail, though.”
“Hehe. I’d think you’d have a lot more stamina with how often you’d play games in the pool—you even waterproofed your handheld devices to play underwater!”
“Heh. I did, didn’t I,” she mused as her mother rubbed her head.
“Yeah… Also, I can sew something for you, honey; you know how good I am at it with all your cosplay stuff.”
“We can make stuff for everyone! We should look up some cool designs from the games I like to play… Maybe there’s an update. Oh, a really nice dress, maybe.”
“For running? Hehe. C’mon, Selv. We need to be practical.”
“One word, Mom. Magic!”
“Hehe. Okay, my little Leviathan witch.”
Rachel turned her ears away from the conversation as she made it to one of the waiting rooms, opening the door to the surprise of those waiting while their loved ones were in surgery. The news was on, showing a news feed live from the United Kingdom as Rachel listened to the reports, heartbeat quickening—a colossal tree sprouting out of a large riverway:
“We’re here at the Houses of Parliament, and, as you can see, a massive tree is growing out of the River Thames. Several eyewitnesses to the event have described it in horrific detail! A well-known party vessel for the wealthy, according to those onboard at the time, sank late last night due to an attack by a Mythickin Nymph—yes, the Greek kind.
“However, some conflicting statements have surfaced that claim she was trying to save the life of an unidentified man. One witness to the event stated that as everyone was thrown into the water, this enormous tree began to grow, saving many that had fallen into the River Thames, yet several people are still unaccounted for, including the Mythickin Nymph, herself.
“The tree roots are currently blocking traffic on Westminster Bridge, Abingdon Street, A3212, Lambeth Bridge, A3036, and penetrating into the roads all around the area; thankfully, most buildings seem to be unaffected, and there are no reported casualties from the tree itself—the panic and riots are another issue with the rapid increase in knife assaults and magic-enhanced terrorists.
“As for the tree, there are rumors that these rhizomes reach as far as the North Sea and the English Channel, but there are multiple confirmed sightings of large roots spread across England, and this mythical tree continues to grow, threatening Big Ben! People are already comparing its height to the Burj Khalifa, with its enormous branches overshadowing London.
“Our network has consulted multiple experts on the pictures we’ve secured before the military grounded all aircraft; it seems there are plants of unknown origin growing near the base and further up in the large branches where waterfalls can be seen, flowing from fissures in the trunk.
“You can see that the water, plant life—even the trunk itself—seem to glow, radiating their colors in an almost magical way; reports have been issued that it is not radioactive—it looks like a forest itself is sprouting out of the trunk and branches.
“Experts theorize that the mass spread of its roots must reach far underground and tap into many underground rivers and water sources across the country to sustain its massive size, causing concern regarding our water supply; as you can see, it seems to be pulling in water. Waterfalls are gushing out of various openings, cascading down branches further up the trunk. Some already call this the Eighth Wonder of the World, The World Tree.
“However, scientists warn us that this could severely affect the water levels around the UK and the agricultural industry. The area is being sealed off by local authorities as the military prepares to enter the tree’s inner hollows at one of the openings in the trunk’s base. We will continue to keep you posted.”
Rachel’s thoughts returned to the first vision the goddesses had shown her; this was where they wanted her to go. Well, General Dallas has to believe my dream vision from the goddesses is real now… How could I have predicted this otherwise?
“Holy shit,” Roy mumbled next to her. “We really have entered a fantasy book…”
“You have no idea…”
Rachel returned to the area they’d been given, hearing Selvaria and her mom in the other room; the Leviathan had tried to use the bed without considering her weight—she folded it like paper; the panicked waving of her arms and tail broke tiles and equipment nearby, which made her tear up.
“There, there,” her mother soothed. “You’ll get used to it in time. Can you become a little girl to sleep and release everything in your [Seawater Pool]?”
“No… I’ll die,” she sniffed. “Being heavy sucks sometimes. I can’t use the elevator; I break everything… I could hurt people.”
“We’ll get through it, sweetie. Here…”
“Chocolate!” she smiled, taking the moose plushie. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Mhm, I also brought your favorite blanket too! Okay, let’s get ready for bed.”
Rachel did the same when going into Scarlet’s room—the vespertine reaper looking practically dead with her unmoving chest in the bed—before quietly moving into the room with her resting parents. Something caught her eye; however, the eerie sight of blood weaving out of the girl’s skin, moving on its own accord, forming into a girl brandishing a scythe in her direction.
“Veronica…” she growled at the agitated, shimmering liquid girl who had been used to seal Twilight, testing to see if it would respond. “I’m not doing anything shady, and don’t get jealous—didn’t you say I was nice?”
She glared at it until the infectious substance snaked back into Scarlet’s resting body. “Yeah, that’s what I thought… If you want her to be your friend, maybe do something nice for her that doesn’t involve murdering people, body snatching, or creeping her out.”
She was almost impressed as the blood paused and took on a personality of its own, forming into a hand to give her the middle finger before the shape of a hare, slicing off its head—certainly, a 16-year-old girl’s response.
“Don’t get all up in your feelings,” she snickered, staring at the substance thoughtfully while adding this newly discovered guardian living inside the girl to her internal equations and plans. “Just offering some advice—oh, don’t tell me, the goddesses have you flustered. Right,” she confirmed as the liquid shot back into her body in what seemed to be a huff.
Veronica is growing frustrated because of something nearby, and it’s almost like she doesn’t want to go into my parents’ room… Eostre, are you still lurking?
Taking Scarlet to the other room, she placed the bed by the window, cracking it open since she was already drained so she could soak in a bit of moonlight whenever the moon did start to rise.
Tomorrow was a huge day—the Legendkin Captain and military psychiatrist would put them to some kind of test—Maria would be the linchpin for something grand; for now, she sat by the window and controlled her breathing to enter her inner world. She had a lot of speculation and observations to make regarding the various enemies she’d faced thus far. Time to plan.
B1 — 14. The Celestial Unicorn
Rachel leaned against the inside of the elevator while rubbing her left arm, doing her best to breathe and release the whiplash she felt from Eostre’s vision; unfortunately, the state of her body was bad enough that even just standing here made her want to puke and put a stitch in her side—it grew worse whenever she was idle and thinking about it.
She glared at her quaking left hand, vision swaying for a second; she used the elevator’s corner to not tip over from vertigo, gritting her teeth as her thoughts lapsed momentarily. A blink and Roy was suddenly in the box, making her ears twitch as his muffled voice came to the foreground; she noticed the door was now sealed, though she hadn’t caught it happening.
“…Rachel—stupid question, can you hear me?”
What appeared to be a delayed energy wave from the goddess rushed through her, further sapping her already screaming muscles and fluctuating mind; each sensation jolting her brain or deteriorating her body was far worse after the vision. If she didn’t get Maria’s help, Rachel knew she’d be down for more than a week with how far she’d pushed herself, and she didn’t have time for that.
Roy scanned her shaking legs and tight expression, gauging the sudden change that came over her once away from prying eyes; he pressed the button for the ground level before anyone could put them in a queue.
“Obviously, something happened,” he said in somewhat proficient Korean, making her force a chuckle while fighting past nausea that gripped her belly; she was glad this man was chosen to escort her, he had seemed to care and try to connect with both her and Scarlet—a sorely welcome experience after all the craziness. “Either you had another visitation, or your body is finally starting to break down.”
“Both, I suppose,” she mumbled in the same language, closing her eyes and rubbing her flaming forehead; her white blood thankfully made it impossible to flush, but bruising had a slight discoloration, and there was a lot of it now that time passed. “I didn’t want to make a scene… I don’t know who’s watching us, and the Scarlet Hand could have corrupted anyone. Hopefully, I play my cards right, and one of those issues is resolved.”
Roy worked around his jaw, frowning as she rubbed her legs, back, and neck, twisting to loosen up and prevent knots or cramping, despite the sensation of shredding her limbs. “I’m guessing you have to keep going, or you’ll collapse… Sitting still with your mother must have been torture.”
“Well worth enduring,” she mumbled, holding back tears and trying to direct her mind to anything besides the pain. “I can’t afford to let my body slow me down.”
Leaving the elevator as it opened, she saw many of the crowds dotting the hallways of the first floor shift their attention and conversations to her upon seeing her light-glowing figure. Roy had a neutral expression again, hands in his pocket and slowing his pace to keep a distance from her, but not without whispering something to make her smile.
“Workin’ hella hard ‘till they put you in the dirt, huh?”
“Hehe… That’s me, rookie of the year,” she said under her breath, thoughts using his words as fuel to bolster her resolve.
Yeah, hit the ground running; there’s no way I’m taking a back seat, and I’m not stopping until I’m at the top! I have a full hand and a full plan. If I can’t beat people like Scarlet off the go, I’ll beat them in fight and drive. I’ll work harder than my competition and maneuver into positions to run circles around these Myths and Legends… I won’t stop until I’m at the top… because I want to have worth.
Cold resolution tempering the heat in her muscles, Rachel made her way through the halls until she came to the cafeteria, spotting the dozens of Mexican gangers sleeping on the floor, in chairs, or against the walls; they’d made the area into their base of operations and, luckily, pulled all the blinds to dim the light in places to rest.
Great! My energy shouldn’t diminish too quickly where they are. Luck is on my side! she internally cheered while studying her target.
Rachel had already heard plenty about the 23-year-old woman, including the men discussing her wide hips, ample bust, and twinkling aura that must have made it hard to sleep with her since she was a natural night light.
Of course, her clothes were the complete opposite, being decked in an all-black tank top, black pants, and expensive name-brand shoes; the 808 angel number plastered across the front of her top, gold chain necklace, and red eyeliner said a lot about the woman with her lazy posture.
Maria’s silver eyes matched her hair, possibly even thicker than hers, drawn back and left free to dangle behind the chair she sat on to nearly touch the tile. Her ears were more elf-like than a horse, which was something many people had taken note of, and an illuminated white star symbol sat high on her brow and just below her hairline, which her energy-like horn appeared from when using her powers.
However, her appearance was the last thing on Rachel’s mind after hearing many of the English conversations she’d had with her rather large crew; she swapped languages reasonably often, and her blunt attitude did not make people happy.
The unicorn was a Celestial Unicorn, meaning she could gain energy from the sun and moon, yet with a catch that the woman complained about. Perhaps even more shocking for her appearance and attitude, she was a semi-practicing Catholic, attending church at least twice a month with her little brother.
Head shifting left and right to take in the full scope of the cafeteria, she saw Roy get in line to grab some food; due to the emergency, people were working behind the stoves in shifts until the crisis was resolved.
Rachel’s vision hazed again, yet she forced her fingernails into her palm to keep focused, going right for the unicorn’s table, judging the woman was roughly three inches shorter than herself at approximately 168 cm; she didn’t need long with the gangster since this was just the hook to draw her into her plan.
“Yo, Maria, what’s up?” she asked, smiling when her willpower grew weaker; she wanted to give up, collapse, and never move again—even her face was tingly. “I’ve heard my name passed around a few times between you guys. What does ‘liebre lunar’ mean, by the way—is it moon bunny—because you guys have been saying it a lot?”
Maria tsked and crossed her arms under her bust while pressing her tongue against the inside of her cheek and glancing between her boys, mumbling to one another in Spanish. “Aye, well damn… ya been listenin’ to us, eh? I heard what ya did for one of the lil’ niños. Hmm…”
Rachel spun one of the free chairs around to sit backward, matching energy and resting her arms on it as they discussed her entrance, a few pointing at her large ears. “I heard no one can lie to you, and in return, you can’t lie. Is that right? Rachel, by the way, but, heh, Diego told you that. He’s sleeping, right?”
“Yeah… Yo, the hell happened to you, chica?” she mumbled, silver eyes scanning her bandages and lightly discolored skin representing her bruises. “You look like you’ve been scrappin’ with dogs.”
A few of the men chuckled, but Rachel was sincere and straightforward; she’d be the type of person Maria liked dealing with, and since she could detect lies, breaking the ice would be quick.
“I did fight aliens from another world with a dragon. Am I lying?”
The woman’s eyes narrowed, and she sat straighter, silencing the men around her at her sudden change in demeanor. “Aye, aye—say that again, chica—a whole ass dragon? Shit. What about the toad aliens I’ve heard about—were they perras ya popped off on?”
“They were aliens, but I took care of them in their own world before the other invasion at the college happened.” Rachel giggled, trying to ignore the spotted vision and swaying faces as she held up her hand to distract them, showing a squeezing gesture. “Popped their heads like a child’s doll!”
Several of the men and women around them shifted uncomfortably at her blunt confession to murdering that the unicorn didn’t call out, their queen’s posture changing as the conversation went on.
“Ah, but I’m not here for that,” she giggled, flashing her teeth. “I’ve heard you can heal people, and, well… you can see I’m in need of a little support. Eh-heh. Are there two of you or five, I can’t even tell anymore? Haha. C’mon, help a girl out!”
The atmosphere grew tense as Maria leaned one arm against the table beside her, index finger tapping the surface; more than just her crew were now paying attention to their meeting.
“Ugh. I figured ya weren’t just bein’ nice ta Diego… Liebre means hare, my chica—your ears are too big to be a bunny—but damn, I get the feeling you’re more of a loba.”
Rachel’s ears shifted to the left, pain making her tail go completely stiff, yet she kept her voice under control. “I’m guessing that means wolf by the context—heh, instead of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I’m a carnivorous hare, huh?”
“Ya ain’t lied yet,” Maria grunted. “Respect for that—even the carnivorous hare part regarding your personality… but some of my girls were watching you when you came in… You’ve got an angle; spit it out.”
Expression twisting to a more sly smirk, Rachel hummed, looking the uncomfortable unicorn in the eyes; some of the gangsters’ hands went to their hidden weapons, but they didn’t escalate things as Rachel kept her focus on the unicorn.
“I did want to help Diego—I’m not about to let some wannabe influencer make fun of a boy nearly half her age without stepping in; I’ve been on the receiving end of that in junior high—but I also like to make the most of my time. I knew you’d feel compelled to heal me for Diego because you don’t like to owe people favors and believe in karma. Well?”
Drawing in her pink lower lip, Maria held a guarded gaze, listening to some of the Mexicans mumble in Spanish around them and responding to a few inquiries; she retained eye contact the entire time.
“Tsk. Damn, not a single lie, chica. I usually can’t go a minute without feelin’ one. You scratched Diego’s back, I’ll scratch yours, but there’s more to it than that, liebre lunar. I’m not tryin’ ta make waves with the wrong people, and I hear ya got somethin’ going on with some military types—qué demonios es esto!”
A brilliant light lit up the space as her spiral horn solidified on her brow, and she shot to her feet in shock, making Rachel force a laugh at her face; the rest of the room did the same at the sudden action, unsure if they should make a break for it.
“Chica—the hell’d you do to your body? Shit!” she snarled, sweeping key parts of her figure. “Ya get hit by a camión de la basura—how the hell are you not screaming?!”
“Heh. That bad, heh?”
“Worse than the trauma patients I’ve seen in this bitch—I, eh… damn… It’s gonna take hell ta get you put back together. Saint Mary better bless us, chica, because I ain’t sure I can bring you back with my power.” She hastily motioned to the crew around her. “Aye, let’s bounce—shit…”
A little lost now, Rachel frowned and forced herself up, jaw tightening at the pressure she put on her legs again, and she saw spots; she did her best not to teeter. “W-What’s up?”
Maria looked at her like she was insane. “The hell you mean, what’s up, perra loca?! I gotta juice up ta deal with your shit. Catch up, chica!”
Rachel glanced left, seeing Roy watching them from a table, only a single bite taken out of his sandwich as they passed; the urgency in Maria’s voice was accompanied by a refreshing pulse of energy that lessened some of her pain with one caveat.
“Wow,” she whispered, seeing some of the bruising fading. “That was—Maria?”
Her brow furrowed, now seeing how terrible her reaction time was as the gangster’s tight expression grew more frustrated, and she almost tripped, cursing in Spanish under her breath while her light faded.
“Shut up,” she grumbled, rubbing her chest as if in pain, her horn dimming significantly; her voice lowered when Rachel caught up, already ahead of the pack, scrambling to join them. “The hell you get off on… Masochistic bitch, your organs are failing—five hours, and you’re on ice—so shut your mouth and keep close. You’ll be blacking out soon—how the hell are you still conscious?”
A shiver ran down her spine at the revelation; sure, she’d been pushing herself to remain awake, just like when she’d talked to the officers the previous night when she’d passed out, yet somehow continued to speak, but she didn’t think it was due to organ failure.
“I… guess my pain threshold is a lot higher than I thought.”
“No shit, Sherlock—you’re a machine—now keep up,” the unicorn growled, more pissed than Rachel thought she’d be.
Although, if her new suspicions were correct, Rachel could understand why she was suddenly so temperamental; healing people could have a negative effect on the unicorn, and, while she was the type to demand payment—rightfully so if there were side effects—Maria wouldn’t let someone die in front of her if she could help it.
Making her way to the doors, she hesitated for half a second just before entering the bright section of the cafeteria; she didn’t want to drain all of her lunar energy since it was helping to sustain her, but she didn’t really have a choice—she stepped into the golden rays.
Maria spun in a circle, making Rachel’s ears go stiff as she shoved her back with a curse; she managed to twist around to stumble between some of her shouting gang members with the unicorn’s energy mending her.
“Eres un maldito desastre!” she snarled. “Why is your condition getting worse?! Shit. Are you trying to merk me, chica—take me down with you?”
The unicorn’s teenage brother had woken up from the shouts. “Eh, hermana?”
“Uh… I guess my lunar energy is reinforcing my organs?” Rachel guessed. “If I go in the sun—”
“I get it! Shit… Aye, hermanito, get a blanket, huh? The damn banana-eared moon hare is trying to give me a heart attack—how the hell do you let yourself get so torn up—brain damage?”
Her brother jumped into action with another Beastkin girl that looked like a honey badger, tossing it to him to run over; Maria ordered them to put it up by a wall so she could stand in the unfiltered beams by the door and remain in sight of her to allow her horn’s rays to restore her body—unfortunately, it didn’t help much.
Rachel’s smile strained under her cross-armed scowl; the pain eased with her golden horn’s glow, but she was also growing weaker. “Umm… Is your healing solar-based when using the sun’s energy?”
“Tsk… You owe me, chica. And what do you think, stupid?”
The unicorn grimaced, light intensifying as a crowd started to form; it took fifteen minutes, with Maria’s face pinching further with every minute, making it look like she had a stomach ache. Once it was done, not an ounce of lunar energy was left in her, leaving Rachel as weak or weaker than most of the women watching the magical operation.
“Maria…”
The woman’s nose twisted with agitation as her brother brought over a chair for her to sit with a towel to wipe away the sweat on her brow. “Aye, you owe me after that, chica—I practically healed ten people on you, bitch… Shit. What?”
Rachel crossed her arms, studying the unicorn as her crew rushed to bring her fruit, drinks, or anything else to help. “No disrespect, but have you ever considered you’re wasting your talents?”
“The hell are you talking about?” she muttered before drinking some water.
“Listen, I do owe you… Do you want to make money to set up your entire block for life—live the good life—and learn how to really use your powers? Come to the fourth floor and talk to me when you want to enter the big leagues. I’m not talking millions… You’re worth more than that.”
Laughter and Spanish conversations followed her statement as Rachel turned around and walked away, but Maria didn’t join in; after all, she knew she wasn’t joking.
Roy met her at the exit to return upstairs. “Organ failure, huh?”
“Yeah. Crazy, huh?” she smiled. “Now I know my limits and threshold.”
“Pfft! What a way to look at almost dying. You really are insane, Rachel; you know what they were saying?”
She shook her head. “What?”
“A cold-blooded monster—basically, they think you’re a robot with the way Maria talked about how torn up your organs and muscles were and how nonchalant you were acting… You weren’t going to heal with time, Rachel.”
Rachel shot an impish smirk his way, hands held behind her back with a spring in her step now that she was right as rain. “Concerned about me? That’s sweet, Roy. Hehe. No, I understand, but didn’t I tell you I had a plan? Oh! I don’t feel super tired now—I’ll need to sleep, but why don’t we stop off on floor six real fast?”
“Anthony?” Roy asked with a lifted eyebrow as they stopped before the elevator, waiting for it to come down. “Look, I’m just trying to say, maybe it would be better to take a break from the training and relax; you can’t train twenty-four-seven.”
“Oh?” Rachel watched the numbers descend with a tilt to her lips. “With Maria, I think I can, and I have another method to try tonight. Let’s go.”
Heading up to the top floor, they stopped outside the door to Amelia’s room, the two green berets outside greeting Roy as Rachel held a finger to her lips while slipping inside. A silent chuckle shook her stomach upon seeing Anthony’s flaming head resting on the foot of the young woman’s bed.
Amelia’s gaze drifted from her passed-out fiancé to her, focus rising to her ears before sweeping the rest of her appearance; the terminal cancer patient had lost all of her hair and black rings were under her brown eyes, but she wore a soft smile.
“Rachel, I presume,” she whispered, careful with how she shifted in bed as her morphine drip continued to ease her pain; the doctors said she only had a few months to live. “How many times have you heard me ask you to come?”
“Three,” she casually responded, taking a nearby seat.
“Hmm? I guess you aren’t as omniscient as Anthony thinks,” she quietly giggled. “I actually did it five times.”
“Sly, girl.” Rachel smiled, leaning back and crossing her legs. “I’ve tried to give you some privacy, but I couldn’t help overhearing his plan to find a cure through his Quests. You don’t sound convinced, though.”
She leaned over to take one of the jello cups one of the nurses had brought earlier. “Only because he doesn’t sound convinced… Tell me, Rachel, does Anthony think my worsening condition is due to his change?”
Sighing, Rachel gave a helpless shrug. “It’s… seemingly connected to his legend. Still, a cure might be found in other ways; there are other options we can consider.”
“Maria?” she asked with a melancholy look at her man while leaning forward; Amelia stifled a cough while ruffling his hair. “Anthony already tried before you arrived… She says it’s immutable—at least for now.”
“Ah… So that’s why he blames himself,” she whispered, vision falling to the floor as she pondered the response. “I wouldn’t give up hope; magical curses are real now, but so are cures.”
The woman gave her a dubious smile. “From everything I’ve heard, Rachel, you don’t do anything without a purpose. You want my fiancé’s help with dangerous tasks… danger he might throw himself at in grief, anguish, or as a form of punishment. I don’t want that. So let me clarify this; if you can’t make his life more positive, I don’t want you in it.”
Rachel’s full lips drew in at the steel in Amelia’s voice and eyes as she made her feelings known; it was a threat, and she wasn’t finished.
“I won’t let you use me as a ball and chain around his heart to pull him into the madness you seem to crave. I will convince him to reject whatever you offer, and you know I’m not bluffing. I want Anthony to live… to feel alive again—I don’t like seeing him depressed and desperate,” she whispered, face pinched with frustration. “Tell me how your plan will make him happy, and I’ll make sure he goes down that path… because I don’t have an answer anymore, which scares me.”
Looking away, Rachel chewed on the inside of her cheek for a minute, deep in thought; it was a challenge, but she loved challenges. Nodding without a word, she got up and left; she had adjustments to make.
Heading back to the fourth floor, she heard Selvaria just about to reach the same level; the Leviathan was huffing a bit, her mother rubbing her back as they took the stairs—she broke one of the elevators by just getting inside of it ten minutes earlier.
“Need to work on that cardio, girl,” she joked, waiting for them to reach her.
“Rachel… uh, yeah—I, uh… I’m good,” she lied, tail dragging along the floor. “This is my mom—ugh… Kill me,” she cried in her monotone voice that made Rachel chuckle.
Her brown-haired mother smiled and moved forward to shake her hand. “Hello. It’s Rachel, right? Selv told me your parents would be here, too. Heh. It’ll be nice talking to someone else about how things have changed… It’s been crazy.”
She took her mom’s hand and moved to allow some nurses and doctors to pass in a pack, discussing some strange case regarding a Faekin Brownie’s small physiology while looking over x-rays.
“I’ll—” Her heart stopped, ears darting to the left. “Excuse me real fast…” She broke away, Roy spotting her change of direction and following.
“Oh, okay…”
Selvaria made a weak gesture, seeming to catch her breath. “That’s Rachel, always busy running around doing stuff. Maybe we should go running when we get up. Oh, maybe Scarlet will join us! Wooh. I’m getting pumped. We should get some sports clothes—uh… my tail, though.”
“Hehe. I’d think you’d have a lot more stamina with how often you’d play games in the pool—you even waterproofed your handheld devices to play underwater!”
“Heh. I did, didn’t I,” she mused as her mother rubbed her head.
“Yeah… Also, I can sew something for you, honey; you know how good I am at it with all your cosplay stuff.”
“We can make stuff for everyone! We should look up some cool designs from the games I like to play… Maybe there’s an update. Oh, a really nice dress, maybe.”
“For running? Hehe. C’mon, Selv. We need to be practical.”
“One word, Mom. Magic!”
“Hehe. Okay, my little Leviathan witch.”
Rachel turned her ears away from the conversation as she made it to one of the waiting rooms, opening the door to the surprise of those waiting while their loved ones were in surgery. The news was on, showing a news feed live from the United Kingdom as Rachel listened to the reports, heartbeat quickening—a colossal tree sprouting out of a large riverway:
“We’re here at the Houses of Parliament, and, as you can see, a massive tree is growing out of the River Thames. Several eyewitnesses to the event have described it in horrific detail! A well-known party vessel for the wealthy, according to those onboard at the time, sank late last night due to an attack by a Mythickin Nymph—yes, the Greek kind.
“However, some conflicting statements have surfaced that claim she was trying to save the life of an unidentified man. One witness to the event stated that as everyone was thrown into the water, this enormous tree began to grow, saving many that had fallen into the River Thames, yet several people are still unaccounted for, including the Mythickin Nymph, herself.
“The tree roots are currently blocking traffic on Westminster Bridge, Abingdon Street, A3212, Lambeth Bridge, A3036, and penetrating into the roads all around the area; thankfully, most buildings seem to be unaffected, and there are no reported casualties from the tree itself—the panic and riots are another issue with the rapid increase in knife assaults and magic-enhanced terrorists.
“As for the tree, there are rumors that these rhizomes reach as far as the North Sea and the English Channel, but there are multiple confirmed sightings of large roots spread across England, and this mythical tree continues to grow, threatening Big Ben! People are already comparing its height to the Burj Khalifa, with its enormous branches overshadowing London.
“Our network has consulted multiple experts on the pictures we’ve secured before the military grounded all aircraft; it seems there are plants of unknown origin growing near the base and further up in the large branches where waterfalls can be seen, flowing from fissures in the trunk.
“You can see that the water, plant life—even the trunk itself—seem to glow, radiating their colors in an almost magical way; reports have been issued that it is not radioactive—it looks like a forest itself is sprouting out of the trunk and branches.
“Experts theorize that the mass spread of its roots must reach far underground and tap into many underground rivers and water sources across the country to sustain its massive size, causing concern regarding our water supply; as you can see, it seems to be pulling in water. Waterfalls are gushing out of various openings, cascading down branches further up the trunk. Some already call this the Eighth Wonder of the World, The World Tree.
“However, scientists warn us that this could severely affect the water levels around the UK and the agricultural industry. The area is being sealed off by local authorities as the military prepares to enter the tree’s inner hollows at one of the openings in the trunk’s base. We will continue to keep you posted.”
Rachel’s thoughts returned to the first vision the goddesses had shown her; this was where they wanted her to go. Well, General Dallas has to believe my dream vision from the goddesses is real now… How could I have predicted this otherwise?
“Holy shit,” Roy mumbled next to her. “We really have entered a fantasy book…”
“You have no idea…”
Rachel returned to the area they’d been given, hearing Selvaria and her mom in the other room; the Leviathan had tried to use the bed without considering her weight—she folded it like paper; the panicked waving of her arms and tail broke tiles and equipment nearby, which made her tear up.
“There, there,” her mother soothed. “You’ll get used to it in time. Can you become a little girl to sleep and release everything in your [Seawater Pool]?”
“No… I’ll die,” she sniffed. “Being heavy sucks sometimes. I can’t use the elevator; I break everything… I could hurt people.”
“We’ll get through it, sweetie. Here…”
“Chocolate!” she smiled, taking the moose plushie. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Mhm, I also brought your favorite blanket too! Okay, let’s get ready for bed.”
Rachel did the same when going into Scarlet’s room—the vespertine reaper looking practically dead with her unmoving chest in the bed—before quietly moving into the room with her resting parents. Something caught her eye; however, the eerie sight of blood weaving out of the girl’s skin, moving on its own accord, forming into a girl brandishing a scythe in her direction.
“Veronica…” she growled at the agitated, shimmering liquid girl who had been used to seal Twilight, testing to see if it would respond. “I’m not doing anything shady, and don’t get jealous—didn’t you say I was nice?”
She glared at it until the infectious substance snaked back into Scarlet’s resting body. “Yeah, that’s what I thought… If you want her to be your friend, maybe do something nice for her that doesn’t involve murdering people, body snatching, or creeping her out.”
She was almost impressed as the blood paused and took on a personality of its own, forming into a hand to give her the middle finger before the shape of a hare, slicing off its head—certainly, a 16-year-old girl’s response.
“Don’t get all up in your feelings,” she snickered, staring at the substance thoughtfully while adding this newly discovered guardian living inside the girl to her internal equations and plans. “Just offering some advice—oh, don’t tell me, the goddesses have you flustered. Right,” she confirmed as the liquid shot back into her body in what seemed to be a huff.
Veronica is growing frustrated because of something nearby, and it’s almost like she doesn’t want to go into my parents’ room… Eostre, are you still lurking?
Taking Scarlet to the other room, she placed the bed by the window, cracking it open since she was already drained so she could soak in a bit of moonlight whenever the moon did start to rise.
Tomorrow was a huge day—the Legendkin Captain and military psychiatrist would put them to some kind of test—Maria would be the linchpin for something grand; for now, she sat by the window and controlled her breathing to enter her inner world. She had a lot of speculation and observations to make regarding the various enemies she’d faced thus far. Time to plan.
