Fairyland Chronicles - Character Side Stories

[punisouffle]

>> I am worst person for not checking grammar. Nor a single pass of editing. Olala, enjoy.
--------------------------------------


I've done it. I've gone and become a thief. What'll the others make of me? They say once trust is lost, it is gone forever. Now is too late for that. This is all for Master Ciar. I'm sure he'll praise me...

Through the moonlit night in Niflheim, a girl was running. Blue gown cut across thick purple mist, carrying with her a golden bell. Past the ghostly town square, there lied curious stone spires. She trudged up the rocky stairs. Her master's waiting atop the highest peak. Her face flushed, but with joy. "Galoo, you make me proud." Yes, that's what he'll say. Her first successful mission, after countless failures. There would be a reward, perhaps? He may even give her head a petting. Breath failing to catch up. There he stood, facing the cliff, majestic in black. She handed him the bell.

"Yea. Good job. Whatever."

Huh. That's it?

.....

"Miss?
"Little miss?"
Small wicked voice calls her. Galoo's pulled back to Prontera, next to a deviruchi, carrying groceries. Squeezing through the crowded market on their way home. That bell job has been bugging her mind since yesterday. The little devil has in its hands a well-sharpened pencil and a form. The paper reads - Dark Legion: Personel Assessment for Promotion.
"Shall I repeat the question?"

"Ah -- sure." She lets the devil lead the way. It turns looking over the shoulder, "You're at a fair. A boy has dropped his vanilla ice cream, he's about to cry. What is your action?"
The girl hops over the devil as they break the crowd, almost dropping an something from the paper bag as she lands. Readjusting her blue pointy hat, "I'll buy him another one, Gaia" she answers. "But make it an immortal heart flavour."
Gaia -- the deviruchi -- scrawls with devilish giggles. "As expected from milady. Next up, would you say the first word that comes to your mind."

More mind games - the Legion loves these, and she knows what they want to hear.

"Dark," it begins.
"Ritual." A classic answer among those running for clerical positions.
"Innocent."
Someone flickers the corner of her mind, right before her word. Kotori - a girl as honest as a puppy. One of a handful of people to greet Galoo with a warm smile. Why would she think of Koto just now?
"Victim."

"Apple." Someone offered that to her recently. Calmed her stomach that growled. Balawan the bard. Midgard boasts many adventurers, but few are kind to strangers on the road. "Rotten."
"Orange." Yes, the citrus-clad lady. Too busy throwing herself between friends and harm. "Sour."
"Fun." "..."

Galoo flips through her memory. The one time she tricked Lily into joining Prontera's autumn harvest festival - Lily who remained unfeeling after Galoo pushed her around trying her darndest to cheer the black priestess up. She wonders if they really had fun. "Fun... is something best had at people's expense?"
Gaia raises a brow. The street is almost empty around these parts.

"Ally." Cutty, their meeting was recent, sharing similar goals. Fiery girl whose care for her peco may be the only thing topping her care for allies. "Tools."
"Love." A shadow of Ciar's. "Blind."
"Trust." Ezekiel's cold, frozen stare pierces her from inside. "Betrayed."
"Family."

The devil looks up meekly, realizing they've arrived at the door.
A single room in one rundown apartment, near the church.
They stood there for some good minutes. Gaia nervously wiggles its little wings.
Until finally, the girl pushes open the door.
"We're ho--"

Cackling sounds of party poppers and confetti cover the room in a colour of rainbow. Two more deviruchis spring from under the table, yelling congratulations, "on a mission well done." The third one darts and join their demonic dance around the table fledged with dinner and cake.
Galoo thumps down the groceries. They freeze. Shivering if they've done something wrong. The girl let her hat roost on a nearest chair. She grabs a bottle and, in mere seconds, soaks down half of red mushroom wine -- sighing the weight of the nine worlds. Then, much to the devils' relief, shining into a bright, starry smile. The three's dancing, and singing, continues. "We're home."

A henchman's job, a creaking apartment, and three irreplaceable minions. Galoo knows this is not much, but it is enough. Enough for now.

--------------------------------------