Headed by a Snake

"Yiss," She nodded. "People have words. That's what we use to talk."

⊰ the tycon ⊱

The image of a handsome green-haired Baron that Coraline didn't want to think about while relatively alone in her apartment room flashed in her mind.

"The guy with the abs so hard I can wash my clothes on them?" She asked. "That's who you're talking about, right?"

⊰ wat? ⊱

"Nevermind," Coraline smiled with chagrin, "Tell me the thing!"

The tiny flame fwooshed up and out of the lamp... grew in size... and took humanoid form. A nude female whose shape was more-or-less identical to Coraline's floated in the center of the room.

...Except with more belly fat.

Coraline did not have belly fat. That was a lie.

Beatrice carefully observed her surroundings... being veeeerrrrry careful not to burn anything... like she did in other... previous incidents. Once the fire elemental determined that she wouldn't get yelled at, a weird not-Beatrice and definitely not-Coraline-ish voice came out of her mouth.

"Young lady, plans have changed."

It was... Baron Tychon's voice? Beatrice's eyes had turned a weird gold, too...

"Oooooof," Coraline sucked in air through her teeth. "Cuh-reeeEEPYyyyY!! Your voice is coming out of my fire elemental!"

Stars and stones!

Her eyes widened as she cursed in mind. She was surprised-- but she shouldn't have spoken so quickly.

If Sir Tychon was speaking with a Message-type spell, then it was possible there was a communicable word limit.

...which also applied to her.

She would-- *should* only say things that were important... "Go ahead, Sir."

Bleigh. She'd already screwed up.

Twice.

"Lone is safe... but different," Beatrice-Tychon said. "We are rerouting our course. Please make your way to Whitehearth at your earliest convenience."

Safe? Safe was... good.

Different... Coraline scrunched her face up in worry. Different was not so good.

But still... Whitehearth. She was confident she could make that work...

"Awesome!" Coraline smiled, "Whitehearth is *just* where we need to go!"

Yes! It would work perfectly!

Oh. Did she really need to say that in so many words, though? There were more important things she needed to say.

"Tychon..."

Oops. She omitted the word 'Sir'... But that should have been a given-- WHATEVER! Coraline just needed to say what she needed to say!

"I need you..."

Beatrice tilted her head, the gold color fading from her 'eyes'.

"--to tell Lone..." Coraline hesitated. But... it wasn't the time to be shy. She wasn't ashamed of how I felt... "tell him... that I love him. That... I miss him... so... so much. That's... that's all. Alright?"

⊰ coraline ⊱

Aw yissss~!

She clenched her fist in success. With the most important message out of the way, she could detail her plan.

"Near Whitehearth is the Tree God's Forest. According to my research, his sap is just what we need to decurse Lone!"

It was... the only confirmation Coraline could find to cure Ancient Elven curses. The Tree God's sap was... blood, more or less.

That's what she was betting on. It would work for sure! Probably.

Love overcomes ALL obstacles!

Except death.

...But maybe not?

⊰ friend ⊱

"Huh? What's up?" Coraline tilted her head as she offered Beatrice the chilled up of freshly squeezed OJ.

⊰ the message . it stops ⊱

"Oh, that's fine," Coraline shrugged. "Wait... where did it stop, exactly?"

...She sprinted to her desk-- almost tripping on a loose floorboard, and took out a sheet of parchment paper.

Writing out what she said... she counted the words, one by one...

"Oh... oh no. Stars and stones, no! NO!!! NOOOOO!!!!"

She cried out to her floating fire elemental, pleading with tears in her eyes, "Beatrice... we-- we have to send it again!!"

⊰ cannot ⊱

Arrrrrghhhhh. Coraline plopped her face onto her desk-- with far less force and fury than earlier in the sun.

Dumb... DUMB Coraline. What she needed to say to Lone... THAT... that was super important. She should have STARTED with that.

Sigh...

SIGHHHHHHH...

Coraline rocked side to side on her chin... "I guess... I should pack my things... and I gotta apply to Archmage Constantine for leave."

⊰ travel? want travel ⊱

The fire elemental spun and danced in the air, tiny embers falling onto her floor and ensuring that Coraline had absolutely zero chances of getting her security deposit back.

At least Beatrice was happy. She didn't like being confined in such a tiny apartment. Even when she worked aboard the Golden Eagle, she was able to move about the ship as she pleased.

"Yeah," Coraline sat up in her chair. "Let's go by land, though, just the two of us... Besides being cheaper, I want to avoid death by pirates... and any more weird murder mysteries."

...

⟬ The morning of the following sun. ⟭

Constantine was pleased to find a certain elf waiting in his office.

Her name was... Coraline Heartsong-- a given name, rather than a family one.

Using his illusion magic to mask his presence, he stealthily approached her from behind... taking in her scent as she massaged her supple shoulder muscles.

She tensed up immediately... but it was something he enjoyed, the futility of a woman struggling against his domineering charm.

"You grace me with your presence, Miss Coraline," He cooed.

The girl was young, especially for an elf. Her blonde, shoulder-length hair was soft... and smelled of sweet spring flowers...

He looked forward to grasping it firmly when it came time to force himself upon her.

"I haven't seen you for some time..." He leaned in close, tempted to nibble on her ear... "Have you been avoiding me?"

"N-not at all, sir," Coraline coughed, twisting her body and pushing Constantine's hands away. "I've just been-- oh, you know... busy."

"Ahhhh... yes," Constantine raised an eyebrow as he sat on the bench beside her, "Engrossed in your research, I'd imagine."

He brushed a hand over her thigh. The slut usually wore a skirt, exposing her shapely thighs for the virgin wizards-in-training to ogle... but it seemed that she'd changed into long trousers.

She changed her attire, just for him. He was honored.

While Constantine had designs on Coraline's physical body... she had the potential to have far greater value.

The newest Arcanist in the Sapphire Tower had shown special interest in something he'd been researching for years... and coincidentally, his interest in the topic had grown manyfold in recent moons.

As soon as the girl was granted access to the Tower Library, she had scoured the archives for anything related to... the Return of the Elven Sovereign.

Constantine had learned of it from an esoteric, written account of the so-called Draconic Prophecy... foretold by a creature named Neerin Neelia.

Anything to do with dragons, very few persons in the Realm had the gall... or the status to seek out.

That Coraline had sought him on her own accord... was fortuitous. He would have sought her out, regardless-- virgins were so very rare in the city of Archangel. But besides wishing to feel explore the insides of her flesh, Constantine sought the forbidden draconic knowledge held inside the fool girl's skull.

The young elf stood up and turned to face him, "I'm actually here to apply for leave, S-sir."

"Do tell~" Constantine leaned forward, steepling his fingers... not bothering to hide his amusement.

It was a game... and one he enjoyed playing.

His target would resist. He would pursue. Sometimes, it would take a single meeting. Other times, it would take weeks or years.

She'd warm to him eventually... if not by his natural charm, then by his charm magic.

With Chief Executive Officer, Bella Sapphira, not even on the same plane of existence as they were-- it was inevitable that she'd come to him for any high-priority, work-related matters.

As the most powerful Archmage in Archangel, he had amassed enough power and political allies that the witch could not act against him without putting her life's work, the Sapphire Tower, at risk.

"I'd imagine," He grinned... "that you'd make it worth my while."

The girl's eyes widened in panicked realization...

It seemed she understood what Constantine was implying.

This was how *his* Sapphire Tower worked. Favors beget favors.

The thought of defiling another virgin sent Constantine's heart racing with trepidation. He had not taken a man, woman, or creature in several suns... to better savor the occasion.

"I... I was meaning to ask you, Sir," Coraline stammered. "Who... who is the woman displayed on the wall?"

"Aha," Constantine scoffed.

The girl's vain efforts at denying him his prize were... dreadfully boring.

...He'd grant her that much... in the implausible case that they broached a topic of actual interest.

He glanced up at the largest painting in his office... a portrait of a voluptuous, pink-haired Alizeaun in military attire.

"Her name is Chantal De la Croix," He explained, stressing the accent for authenticity, "the current Fleet Admiral of the Magic Kingdom's Navy."

When Constantine's primary base of operations was in Alizeau... Grand-Capitaine Chantal was one of his targets.

She was human, which he admittedly had little interest in... but he enjoyed seducing persons of power.

And virgins.

"Why do you have her portrait, then?" Coraline asked.

"I knew her father," He frowned, reflecting upon his recent history...

The man was... so very protective of Chantal, his adopted daughter.

Thus, Constantine had him framed and killed.

",