As she continued to tend to the soldier’s wounds, Dana scowled inwardly after Astrelle made her comments. This wasn’t the time for snide remarks. They needed to work together if they were going to make it through this situation alive, something Vanna seemed to be well aware of. Quickly snapping orders, she instructed Astrelle and Nicole to help Dana bring the soldier to the control room, while she and Penny kept the Void occupied. Unsurprisingly, Dana was in complete agreement with that course of action. After all, the soldier still needed help, far more help than Dana could hope to provide, and the control room seemed like a good place to get it.

“Just try to relax,” she told the wounded man, while giving him her most reassuring smile. “Everything’s gonna be all right, I promise.”

Noticing the man’s attempts to reach for his rifle, Dana leaned over and grabbed the weapon by its shoulder strap.

“Don’t worry, I’ll hang onto this for ya,” she told him, while slinging the weapon over her shoulder. “You just hang onto me, okay?” she added as she helped the man up. Unfortunately, Dana wasn’t exactly the strongest girl, and her slight frame struggled to support the soldier’s weight. “Uh, can I get a little help, guys?” she asked Astrelle and Nicole with a sheepish grin.

Before they could respond, the sound of an inhuman screech drew Dana’s attention back to where Penny was facing off against the Void. She watched in horror as the malign creature hurled the bespectacled girl into the wall with considerable force. Dana’s eyes went wide at the sight.

“Penny!” she cried out in alarm.

Dana desperately wanted to help her friend, but with the soldier still restricting her ability to fight, what could she possibly do?

---

Nicole cringed at the sight and sound of Penny being slammed against the wall. Instinctively she lurched forward to help, especially after the noise of pain Penny made when that awful thing grabbed her arm and torqued it as easily as one of them would twist the cap on a bottle. It didn't matter that she knew about as much about bare knuckle boxing or martial arts as your average toddler - most of the girls had hit it off on the spot, and the pain of one felt like an assault on all of them. Well, maybe not Astrelle, but some people were just works in progress, right? How many times did she hear one of her girlfriends use the I can fix her? line about a guy?

Usually it sounded pathetic when one of them said it, but y'know, shelve that right now, Nicole, things to do, Voids to exorcise.

Instead, Nicole responded to Dana's distress, scooping up the wounded soldier as best she could to take some weight off Dana. Here, I got him. Good job with the first aid, babe. You're doing great." She smiled at the Norban girl reassuringly and scooted closer to the wounded man. Hefting him upright seemed easier with two of them than one; she could see Dana's unsteady trembling starting to ease, but it also had the added effect of taking another girl, untrained as Nicole was, out of the fight. Vanna would need to step in fast if one of them was going to help Penny.

"We have to get him around this thing," she urged Dana. "Vanna's helping Penny and making an opening for us - you're doing great, babe!" The arm she had braced the soldier with stiffened slightly, and she made a little finger gun that fired appreciatively at the Duodecim girl, along with her best supportive, beaming smile. "When she does, I'm gonna take most of his weight and make a jump for it. I think I can get across. You can either run across, or I can make another jump over for you--or maybe Astrelle can help, since someone's gonna have to keep this guy standing."

---

Breath...

She had to steady herself in the darkness...

Penny's charge at the beast had been unexpected. The other girl had taken off before Vanna had an opportunity to put a single word in edgewise. True to her Elementum the decision had been lightning fast. Honestly the lady of Diana felt a tad ashamed at not being ready to follow Penny's lead but none of her training had quite yet prepared her to quickly work with others. On the contrary her training begged her to stay patient and wait for the opening. Wait to slay the beast.

But nonetheless she couldn't help but feel guilt?

Watching Penny slam against the wall, hearing the sickening crack of her no doubt dislodged shoulder, only heightened Vanna's feelings of failure. It was her job to protect the others and it didn't take an expert to glance at the room and assign her a failing grade. The other girls were at a loss. No one seemed to have an answer for the situation.

Breath...

Let it all fade away.

Focus...

She could do this.

As her free hand reached down Vanna barely registered Dana's cries or Nicole's calls. The dark room may as well just contain her and the Void. She would clear a path. And it started with a single step.

Literally.

Well that's if one considered a flying shoe to be considered stepping.

Vanna knew she needed to get the beast's attention and with limited options what better speeding projectile to use than her own shoe. Everything the Void beast had shown indicated it was one of the lower class monsters and that meant it behaved more like an animal than a man. It acted on impulse, not reason, and that was Vanna's opportunity. This was how she'd buy the opening for the others to escape past the beast.

She'd figure out her own escape later.

As her makeshift projectile found its mark Vanna had but one word for the creature:

"Come!" She called out, voice filled with steely determination.

It was not a boast, not a challenge or even a cry to arms.

It was an order.

The beast would obey.

And now, Aether flowing through her body, she'd be ready for the retaliation. She had been fortunate enough to glimpse the core during Penny's ill-fated attack, and she'd make sure that attack wasn't in vain. The plan was simple: if she saw the opportunity to dodge and riposte with her makeshift blade at the Void's core, she would strike without hesitation. But her priority was dodging the first attack. She'd only go for the counter attack if she was certain her chair leg could strike true. The Aether in her body had pooling for quite a while; the strength, the speed, would give her a way to prevail. But dodge or strike she hoped that the distraction would at least buy the others the moment they needed to escape.

What was the saying?

Do or die.

Astrelle’s eyebrow twitched when she heard Nicole address her as ‘babe’, a moniker far too lax for her liking. Under normal circumstances, Astrelle might have briefly scolded her for the careless remark, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

Vanna’s plan, as expected, was rational and well thought out despite the strenuous situation. It annoyed Astrelle that she couldn’t help but admire her fortitude as she actively fought against calamity, while Astrelle was a passive participant in it. Even so, there were parts of her instructions that she didn’t agree with, namely having Nicole and Dana follow her through the dark corridor. Alone, she could silently traverse the halls without alerting any monsters. As ragged breath and sickly black ooze secreted from the injured guard’s wounds, Astrelle was hard pressed to think of the pitiful man as more than mere dead weight. There was no guarantee that the others would not invite unnecessary risk to her own safety.

Before Astrelle could protest, the monster turned its rage on Penny. The hum of electricity around her fists did little to conceal the cracking of her bones as the Void took hold of it, and tossed her away with trifling ease. Astrelle’s eyes went wide as she witnessed the assault, taking further steps back from the beast even though she was already positioned behind everyone else. Her own powerlessness to act or subdue the creature was painful, in a way. Pathetic, she thought, finally criticizing her own inadequacy.

As Nicole helped Dana to support the weight of the injured man, Astrelle considered the option of leading them past the Void to the control room. She put some thought into the course of action, and still could not reason, in her perspective, why it would be a good idea.

“No. The injured man should stay put. There is no reason to believe that we would not encounter another Void towards the control room, and the more we move him, the more likely it seems that he will perish to his wounds.”

Astrelle’s cold gaze and calculated tone juxtaposed the supposed concern she showed in her words for the man's life.

“I may be the only one here who can avoid a fight if there are more Voids up ahead. I can find and get to the control room faster on my own than if we were to lug that dead weight along with us as a guide.”

As Vanna steeled herself to face the humanoid creature, Astrelle used the monster’s moment of distraction as an opportunity to pass it. She took a single step forward, yet as her foot lowered to the ground, it did not make contact with the tangible flooring of the airship. Instead, it seemed as though Astrelle was falling into her stride, and sinking into the floors of the shadowy corridor as if it were a viscous pool.

In brief moments, Astrelle’s concealed form slipped through the shadows and emerged on the other end of the Void, her silhouette illuminated by the distant light of Dana’s magic. Though the monster now stood between her and the rest of the girls, Astrelle felt safer on her own with a means of escape. She smiled silently and waved back at the rest of the girls. Rather than wait to see if anyone would follow, Astrelle willingly sprinted down the lightless passage.

It’s impossible to tell if the Void can understand Penny’s insults, or if they merely fall on deaf ears. Perhaps her bluster is the reason it leers toward her, or perhaps it just intends to finish the job it started. Either way one long stride carries it to where the short girl has fallen, and one long arm rises again to strike—-

And then it stops. Vanna’s shoe clatters to the ground, the improvised projectile finding its mark in the monster’s side. Its posture shifts, hand lowering as it turns to face the Duodecim girl instead. There’s a momentary pause as it refocuses, turning attention away form the fallen Penny and toward this new annoyance.

The space between the Void and Vanna is abruptly shortened as it lunges for her. A dark hand shoots outward, viciously clawed fingers seeking to pierce through any vulnerable flesh they can find. It’s fast enough to wound, but not enough to skewer the girl as it intends. The motion leaves it open for her retaliatory blow, and she’s able to drive the aether-charged table leg into the dark mass that surrounds its crimson core.

The leg shatters with the force, but it spears down deep. Crimson lines pulse with energy, rippling in quick lines across the surface of the Void. It buckles for a moment, and then the tall, dark mass pitches forward. It crashes to its knees, arms reaching forward to prop it up and prevent complete collapse.

It’s still alive.

Maybe not by much, though. There’s time now, either to make an exit…or to press to finish it off, if the two remaining girls can manage enough power between them.


Distracted as the Void is with its attack, the other three girls find themselves with a clear path down the hallway and toward the control room. Astrelle is the first to make it there, easily leaving behind Dana, Nicole, and the soldier they’re burdened with carrying.

She finds the control room in disarray. There’s clearly been an attack there as well, judging by the damage. Soldiers are scrambling to aid wounded crew members, arm themselves, and regroup as commands are barked back and forth. One man is at the controls of the ship, wounded but still attempting to pilot.

From the control room the ship’s deck is visible through a large window near the front. Though the outside is shrouded in black fog, Astelle can still see flashes of light moving across the deck. There are figures out there, moving and clashing in the darkness, throwing up sparks of impact each time they collide.

When they draw close enough to the window she can just start to make out some detail. One of them she’s sure is Victoria Glass, but the other she’s never seen before.



The other combatant is a woman in metal armor holding a crackling blade of electricity. Her face glows, and after a second it becomes clear that the illumination comes from a metal mask that obscures her features. She’s visible only for a moment before she and Victoria are moving back up the deck, sparks flashing as they trade blows.

“Nox levels going down!” Comes a shout from one of the soldiers in front of a control panel. “Maintain course!”

Dana and Nicole arrive soon after, getting a similar view of the disarray in the room. Once they’re spotted a few helpful crewmen take the soldier off their hands, demanding: “Where are the other girls!?”

Penny draws in careful, measure breaths, trying not to move her mangled arm too much, trying to wait for what would be a good opening. Astrelle surprises her by literally disappearing into the ground and turning into a shadowy figure, slipping past the Void and managing to reach the other side of the corridor. She'd heard of shadow-based Elementum, but never quite imagined how it would look. Just another reason why this day is so educational.

'Now to survive the next few minutes,' she thinks, turning back to the beast raising its claw to attack. She wonders if she can dodge the strike in time.

Fortunately, Vanna gets its attention via thrown shoe - and soon follows it up with a deadly impaling strike, despite getting a little cut up in the process. It strikes true, apparently hurting the thing, though not mortally. Penny has to stifle a cry of triumph to not draw the thing's attention again, but she can't help the wide grin forming on her face. The thing is clearly badly hurt. She can make a break for it - or she can help take it down for good. She struggles back onto her feet, taking careful breaths to keep herself focused and conscious.

"So what's the plan, Vanna?" she asks. "I say we finish this thing off, but if you think we can make a break for it, I'm with ya. I think I got one last charge for this ugly fucker, so just say the word."

Dana returned Nicole’s smile as the redhead stepped over to help her carry the wounded soldier. “Gotcha,” she confirmed with a nod after Nicole explained her plan. “And don’t worry about me,” she added. “I’ll be right behind ya!”

Although passing by the Void was certainly dangerous, it was also the best chance they had to get the soldier somewhere his wounds could be tended to, and that was the important thing. Or maybe not, if Astrelle’s opinion was anything to go by… Dana was unable to hide her shock when the other girl so casually suggested they leave the wounded man behind. That was simply unacceptable. There was simply no way that Dana would ever abandon someone in need, and, in her opinion, it was a horrible attitude for any Ars Magi candidate to have. She was about to tell Astrelle as much, when the other girl suddenly dissolved into the shadows.

Fine, if that’s how she’s gonna be…

“Okay, Nicole! Ready when you are!”

Not wasting another moment, the redhead leapt past the Void, while carrying the soldier with her. Dana was right behind her, once again taking her place on the opposite side of the wounded man the moment they had returned to the corridor floor. With that accomplished, they proceeded on their way to the control room. Even with the added burden of the wounded soldier, they still managed to arrive at their destination shortly after Astrelle. It should be noted that before departing, Dana had conjured a second, smaller sphere of light for Penny and Vanna to make use of. It wouldn’t last long without Dana around to maintain it, but it would hopefully provide enough illumination for the two girls to finish off the Void.

Upon arriving at the control room, they were greeted by a rather chaotic scene, with soldiers and crewmembers rushing to and fro. A flash of light drew Dana’s attention to the forward view port, through which she could vaguely make out the forms of two figures dueling in the darkness.

“Woah…” Dana whispered as she observed the combat with a look of awe. “That looks like Miss Victoria, but… who’s she fighting?”

The answer to that question would have to wait, as they were soon approached by some crewmen, who took the wounded soldier off their hands, while demanding to know where Penny and Vanna were.

“T-They stayed behind to keep the Void distracted so we could escape,” Dana explained, somewhat taken aback by the crewman’s intensity. “They should be here shortly.”

I hope…

What hope Astrelle had for some salvation was quickly diminished when she arrived to the control room. Soldiers were injured and strewn about the premises, and no Ars Magi, capable of dispelling the threat, was to be seen in the room at all. What chance of survival did the girls have against the Void without help? Astrelle thought back to Penny’s broken arm, which happened with such little effort on the Void’s part that she shook at the thought of what the monster could do with more time. Vanna was capable, but Astrelle couldn’t find it in her to believe that she could win against something so inhumanly strong.

Outside the large window of the control room, dancing flashes of light caught her eye. It became clear to her after a brief moment that the lights were sparks of colliding weaponry, metals, and magic; there were two figures in the cloudy darkness that traded blows. Astrelle’s feet carried her to the window reflexively, and she pressed her hand against the cold glass. She was sure of it—Victoria Glass was out there, fighting a masked assailant who was undoubtedly another Ars Magi. Confusion clouded her mind. Weren’t Ars Magi all on the same side?

Dana and Nicole’s arrival startled Astrelle out of her thoughts. It appeared as though they were able to make it past the Void after all, despite their luggage. Astrelle had to give them credit for that much, since she believed that the endeavour would’ve ended with their deaths. Dana noticed the fighting on the decks of the ship as well, though seemed more concerned with the injured soldier she had so valiantly hauled over to the control room.

“What is Victoria doing?” There was a slight tremor in Astrelle’s voice, despite the effort to keep her speech calm. She looked away from the window and towards the two girls. “She’s—It looks like she’s fighting another Ars Magi. That’s absurd. Who’s going to help Penny and Vanna?”

A dangerous thought flashed across her mind. Was it possible that what the public knew about the monsters outside the wall, and Ars Magi, their defenders, were no more than lies or disguised truths? Why were there Ars Magic fighting one of their own in the first place? There was certainly something the governing powers were hiding. She couldn't rationalize the sight of two feuding Ars Magi any other way.

---

The beginning always seemed so still.

Calm.

Yes. Calm. It was always this way, a brief moment to reflect before action. It was in this stagnant silence that Vanna felt more at home and more alive than she had this entire journey. A peculiar thing but it's not like one could control such inclinations. That last second before take off, that last breath before the pitcher began his windup; that was Vanna's comfort zone.

That was when everything felt right.

In that singular second Vanna heard nothing else. None of the other girls in the room mattered anymore. It was just her and the Void.

And then it began.

The beast disappeared in a flash, the gap between the two shrank instantly; her opponent did not want Vanna to have any time to contemplate her decisions. All it wanted was the kill: a savage creature through and through. The speed was indeed otherworldly, faster than any human Vanna had faced thus far. But it wasn't quite fast enough.

The comfort zone.

The shift in gear came naturally to the daughter of Diana, her head swiftly turning away from the beast's outstretched hand. Nevertheless she felt a sharp jolt as her body let her know she too hadn't quite been quick enough. The clawed fingers had found a mark across her left cheek but now wasn't the time to buckle in pain. Diana Khay Vanna would not perish here. Could not. Adrenaline would do its job to make the pain fleeting and so Vanna would do her job and retaliate against the creature.

She had scarcely finished her sidestep of the beast's attack before beginning her counter: A quick, singular thrust at the heart of the monster. A strike she had rehearsed for years, albeit never with the leg of a chair, but an actor can't always choose their props. Like a seasoned sniper she knew before contact that her aim was true. The chair leg shattered as she pierced the Void's core forcing Vanna to leap back and let go of her short lived companion.

But the damage had been done, the creature was on its knees, convulsing in pain? She wasn't sure if the Void could even feel such a thing. Still the important fact of the matter was that her plan had worked. The desperate action had opened a path for the others to escape, or rather get them out of this particular ordeal, she could only hope that they had found support on the other side.

Now she needed to decide upon her own path. The one other girl left in the hallway, Penny Grenoble, had managed to regain her own footing and was looking to Vanna for instruction.

"I say we finish this thing off, but if you think we can make a break for it, I'm with ya. I think I got one last charge for this ugly fucker, so just say the word."

While she may have drawn complaints with Penny's coarse choice in words, Vanna also couldn't help but agree with the overarching decision. Right now the beast was on its knees, right now it could be hurt and the core would shatter, but there was no telling what might happen if the two girls turned their back on the Void.

"Miss" Vanna winced, the gash across her cheek was deeper than she thought "Grenoble. Save your energy. You may need it. Not sure if... if this will work."

It hurt to finish the sentence but she pushed forward. Now it was time to put theory into practice. Her weapon was gone and attacking with her barefists seemed suicidal- she needed a new option. Dana Noel. Yes, she was overflowing with Nox, more Aether coursed through her today than it had her entire life, if she couldn't project her Elementum outward today, the way her fellow initiate had so effortlessly, when would she?

Focus...

Concentrate on the energy within, let it swirl, let it flow, let it breathe, and then guide it... Guide it to her fingers, let it accumulate and condense. Capture it all within the palm of her hand....

And then it went.

Out of her hand exploded a blast of energy. The Aether she had been building up for so long surged outwards and towards the Void. It was a pinpoint blast aimed for the core: a hammer to drive in the last remaining piece of wood left in the heart of the beast.

tired.....

But as the blast of energy left her hand so too did the little strength Vanna still possessed. She had drained her reserves and now she was at the mercy of pain and fatigue. Her vision blurred and the ceiling seemed to fly farther away. No the ceiling wasn't flying she was falling. Ah she'd been here before...

Her eyes closed quickly as the Lady of Potentia slumped to the ground. Exhaustion had claimed yet another victim. The other girls could take care of themselves. Now she could rest.

But she had won. Again.

She had been victorious.

Right?

For all her bluster and optimism in the face of getting past the Void, as well as the fact that she clearly rated the girls' chances higher than Astrelle or the survivors of the control room, Nicole's good cheer did have his limits. Like Dana and Astrelle, she did an anxious double take at the figures of Victoria Glass and another woman fighting. The startled reactions were right; that could only be another Ars Magi, wielding a blade that seemed as close to a forged lightning bolt as anything Nicole had ever seen. Astrelle gave voice to her incredulity.

“What is Victoria doing? She’s—It looks like she’s fighting another Ars Magi. That’s absurd. Who’s going to help Penny and Vanna?”

Aww, shit, so you do care...

Still, it was hard not to silently agree with her. Nicole had really banked on the Wing to help bail the girls out of trouble, but seeing, for herself, two Ars Magi dueling to the death...it was impossible for her to wrap her mind around. Maybe they had all died in the crash after all, this was some kind of shared hell where they were all trapped in Penny and Dana's cartoons, and one of them had accidentally conjured up some cruel, sexy rival character who had fallen from grace. Or maybe they were alive, those conspiracy sites were right, and there were such things as Ars Magi who acted as mercenaries - or even worse, cabals who were capable of even worse schemes, things that precocious girls like them - well, like Dana, Penny, and Nicole - were capable of imagining. Nicole really didn't give a fuck about the explanation behind the current situation. What mattered was that the girls were back there, they were stuck here, and Victoria was out of reach. If staying behind to fight one Void was basically suicide, then going out to help Victoria in their states would be about as helpful as a staring contest with a solar flare.

"I'm going back for them," she volunteered, aiming her smile at Astrelle Lennox - a look with good cheer to rival Penny and Dana, with some cheekiness for flavor and an implicit hint of understanding. "We've done all we can for this guy, and he's in better hands than ours. None of us are gonna turn the tide up there. Dana's put herself through a lot already, and you're probably happy in the control room, right, babe? One trip was probably stressful enough."

What had been an implicit hint grew more pronounced, and she stuck up a peace sign over one eye.

"If I die, you two were totally my favorite classmates. Back in a sec."

With a wink, and the same grace she had avoided injury with during the ship's descent, Nicole took a small leap behind her, sprung her second foot backwards, and skipped back down the hall like a stone towards her other new friends.

Vanna’s second and final attempt to smash the crimson core in the monster’s side sends it sprawling backward. The force of the impact drives it into the floor, bringing it down hard. Its body pulses once, the geometric lines running across it flickering a final time with crimson light. Its skin too ripples, like an obsidian lake disturbed by stones being flung in.

This time it doesn’t scream.

This time it melts. Half of it seems to bleed away into an oily puddle on the airship’s carpet, while the rest of its mass pools off it in a cloud of toxic black Nox. What it leaves behind is a shattered red core, a faded crimson object the size of large marble and broken in three pieces.

The hallway becomes abruptly quiet, the sound of combat dying along with the Void itself. Slowly the familiar rattle of the airship fills Penny’s ears once again, the sound of the vessel speeding swiftly through the air.

It’s over.


Dana’s hasty explanation sends ripples of concern through the soldiers. That two pieces of their most precious cargo are missing is not good news.

Several scrambling soldiers are quickly organized and directed to the deck below to follow after Nicole and provide further assistance, scooping up their weapons and hustling down to help retrieve the two girls left behind. Others move to take Dana and Astrelle to safety before they too can place themselves back in mortal danger.

And as they do--

“We’re clear!”

It’s a relieved shout from the pilot as the Laurus lurches from the choking black clouds and into clearer, orange-tinted skies. The sun is setting in the distance, half of the sky turned dark, the rest slowly burning away. Thin tendrils of Nox still lace through the air, but soon begin to fade and burn away as the ship accelerates further still.

When the clouds finally clear from the deck Victoria Glass stands alone, visible through the control room window. Huge chunks of broken glass are scattered across the front of the ship, near half of the glass surrounding the main deck having been shattered by some terrible force. The Ars Magi picks her way across it as the wind buffets against her, limping and balancing herself against her weapon; an enormous metal cross.

Crew members wedge the door to the deck open for her, a great torrent of wind ripping through the cabin before the portal is quickly shut behind her.

“Report.” Her voice is still icy calm, even as she clutches at a wide and bleeding slash in her side.

The remaining soldiers are quick to do so, and fall quickly in line as she begins issuing orders to sweep the decks and re-secure the ship. They set to it, first to retrieve Vanna, Penny, and Nicole, then proceeding further onward.

---

Nicole and her new escort find Vanna and Penny where they left them, sans one void and with Vanna unconscious. Crewmembers help (or carry, as may be necessary) the girls back to the control room, securing them there.

It’s near thirty minutes later before Victoria has time to attend to the five candidates personally. In the intervening time the ships medics check over Penny and Vanna, making a makeshift sling for the former and making sure the later hasn’t suffered permanent damage before bandaging her cheek. They’re left to wait near the control room until the Ars Magi returns to report:

“The ship is clear and back on route.” She informs the girls. “When we land we’ll have each of you examined and treated. This level of Nox shouldn’t be overtly harmful to you, but the doctors will want to be sure.”

Crimson eyes pass over the five girls, the older Ars Magi silent for a pointed few seconds before she continues: “As you’ve guessed, we ran into an area of heavy Nox.” She doesn’t comment on the battle that some of the girls caught a glimpse of, continuing instead: “I neutralized the worst threats, but you were left to deal with the lesser on your own. Admirably--but unfortunately.”

“We should be landing within the hour. Until then you’ll be kept under guard here. If you notice anything abnormal, report it to the crew members immediately.”

Penny tenses for a moment, preparing her elementum in case Vanna's strike fails to finish off the Void. However, this time, the thing stays down - and then melts into an ugly mess. It's over; the thing is dead and gone. They're safe now, she can breathe easily again.

"Vanna, that... that worked!" she tells the noblewoman in exhausted elation. "Of course, it left an ugly mess on the carpet, but I'm guessing Void aren't big on manners. Come on, let's rejoin the others, they must be worried sick."

It's then she realizes Vanna is out cold; the fight must have taken a lot out of her. To be honest, Penny feels about to crash herself; a long trip followed by a short but intense, harrowing fight. She seats herself carefully next to the taller girl, and lays back, breathing out as she feels her exhausted body ache all over, especially the arm.

"I'll be honest," she talks to the unconscious Vanna, "I wasn't expecting this, but hey, a story to tell the other girls at the Academy right? We took out a Void before we got our awesome Ars Magi powers and weaponry, bet the other girls will be jealous. I think we made a pretty good team there.

"Also, thanks for saving my life - I really pulled some boneheaded moves there. From now on, though we'll fight as partners, I promise. No more harebrained moves."

Nichole's arrival brings Penny back to focus.

"Nichole, how's everyone else?" she asks, trying to get up. "Vanna got it with one last hit, and I think that tuckered her out. To be honest, I think I'm about to crash myself.

"Here, help me carry her; you take the left side, I've got the right. Watch that spot, that's what's left of the thing."

Upon finally arriving at the control room, Penny is relieved to see the crew and the other girls safe and sound, and helps lay Vanna down on a sofa before she herself collapses on a chair, letting the medical staff work on her broken, dislocated arm.

"Oh sweet mother of God I wanna just go to sleep," she sighs wearily. "Are all flights like this, or did we just book the horror experience express?"

She turns to the other girls.

"So what the flying fuck happened here? And where's-"

Her protests were cut short upon seeing Victoria rather beat up.

"Christ, lady, did you get into a fight with an industrial mixer?" she asks the Wing of Justice.

“The ship is clear and back on route.” She informs the girls. “When we land we’ll have each of you examined and treated. This level of Nox shouldn’t be overtly harmful to you, but the doctors will want to be sure.”

Crimson eyes pass over the five girls, the older Ars Magi silent for a pointed few seconds before she continues: “As you’ve guessed, we ran into an area of heavy Nox.” She doesn’t comment on the battle that some of the girls caught a glimpse of, continuing instead: “I neutralized the worst threats, but you were left to deal with the lesser on your own. Admirably--but unfortunately.”

“We should be landing within the hour. Until then you’ll be kept under guard here. If you notice anything abnormal, report it to the crew members immediately.”

"So what exactly happened here - ma'am?" Penny asks the Wing of Justice. "I know that was just a lesser Void, least compared to some of the real prizes out there, but what happened to you?"

“Another Ars Magi?!” Dana echoed incredulously after Astrelle made her observation about Victoria’s opponent. “B-But… Ars Magi are all on the same side!”

Aren’t they…?

Perhaps what she had always been told, what she had always believed, had been wrong. Perhaps there were Ars Magi that had been corrupted by the Void and now served them, or maybe even controlled them… It was a disquieting thought, to be sure, and something Dana didn’t particularly want to dwell on. Thankfully, something more pressing soon drew her attention, as Nicole volunteered to go back for Penny and Vanna.

“I’ll come with ya!” Dana started to say, before she found herself being forcibly restrained by two of the soldiers. Thanks to her impressive speed and agility, Nicole was able to deftly avoid them, but the worn out Dana was simply no match. “H-Hey!” she yelped. “What’s the big idea?! I’m just tryin’ to help my friends!”

“You can do that best by staying here.” The soldier told her firmly. “Besides, you look completely exhausted. Just rest a bit,” he added in a slightly more friendly tone, while glancing at the wounded man the girls had brought with them. “You’ve already done more than enough.”

“O-Okay,” Dana relented. “I guess you’re right…”

She hated to admit it, but she was feeling incredibly tired, like her body had been utterly drained of energy. Sitting down next to Astrelle, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a moment.

“Wow… This really does feel… good…”

…..

…………

……………………..

“…is clear and back on route,” the voice of Victoria Glass was saying. Slowly opening her eyes, Dana was greeted with the sight of the Ars Magi herself standing over them. She seemed to be a bit beaten up from her duel.

Huh… Guess I fell asleep…

Victoria went on to inform them that they would be landing in less than an hour, after which they would all be examined and treated for potential Nox poisoning, although the Ars Magi was doubtful that there was anything to worry about. That’s when Penny spoke up, asking about the cause of Victoria’s injuries.

“Y-Yeah,” Dana added, still a little groggy from her unplanned nap. “I-It looked like you were fightin’ another Ars Magi… W-Was it some kinda Void that could shape shift?”

Things are returning to some form of normalcy in the control room. The injured, including Vanna, have been moved to a separate area, and those crew members still in good health are preparing for the upcoming landing. The sun is still sinking outside, vanishing slowly out of sight and leaving darkness behind.

Penny’s first assessment of the Ars Magi’s state didn’t earn her a response earlier, but now that the ship is settled and the woman has time to speak she address further the question of what, exactly, happened: “The Void that knocked the ship off course was much more dangerous than the one you faced.”

“I-It looked like you were fightin’ another Ars Magi… W-Was it some kinda Void that could shape shift?”

Victoria’s gaze turns to Dana when she broaches the subject of the other Ars Magi. The Wing of Justice is quiet for a moment, considering before she replies. “That was...” A pause. “An enemy combatant. I couldn’t tell you any more than that.” She doesn’t clarify if it’s because she doesn’t know, or if it’s some other reason she’s declining to speak further. “Regardless, what you saw is not to leave this ship.”

“Understood?”

“The Void that knocked the ship off course was much more dangerous than the one you faced.”

Penny's mouth twists into a scowl, but decides to leave the sour remarks to Astrelle. While it seems like everything on this trip seems to trying to kill them, it can be excused that the presence of Nox and Voids made all contact between cities near-impossible, so maybe they just had some bad luck.

She's clearly not happy with it, though.

“I-It looked like you were fightin’ another Ars Magi… W-Was it some kinda Void that could shape shift?”

Victoria’s gaze turns to Dana when she broaches the subject of the other Ars Magi. The Wing of Justice is quiet for a moment, considering before she replies. “That was...” A pause. “An enemy combatant. I couldn’t tell you any more than that.” She doesn’t clarify if it’s because she doesn’t know, or if it’s some other reason she’s declining to speak further. “Regardless, what you saw is not to leave this ship.”

“Understood?”

"Wait, what?!" is Penny's only response. She looks from Dana to Victoria and back again, having not seen whatever it was they're talking about. The fact that Victoria is neither denying or ignoring meant Dana was right and had seen something. Or maybe the other girls had seen something too. Penny looks at Nichole and Astrelle, trying to see if they could confirm.

Right now, though, she's tired, sick, and has a broken arm, and wants to just sleep. Already, she's struggling to keep her eyelids open. She keeps silent, but she's not happy about it.

It sure seemed like Nicole had done a lot of carrying people around in the last half hour. Suddenly she felt that strain deep within her shoulders, an ache she longed to reach back and rub out. It didn't help that she seemed to be one of the more conscious of the group of girls at the moment. She sat on the other side of the unconscious Vanna, with her legs kicked up against the armrest of the couch with maybe a little too much irreverence when making physical contact with a daughter of the Duodecim. But honestly, she doubted anyone had the energy left to care. Dana and Penny both looked likely to pass out as thoroughly as the Diana had. Nicole went to rub her eyes and realized, just before she smeared it all over her face, that someone's blood had greased her palm. She thought for a second it might be Vanna's, or the wounded soldiers, before she realized a long, thin gash had opened up across its surface. She must have sliced it open while fumbling around during the crash.

Despite herself, the last of her adrenaline escaped her in a little giggle. Haha. Gnarly.

“That was...an enemy combatant. I couldn’t tell you any more than that. Regardless, what you saw is not to leave this ship. Understood?”

"Wait, what?!"

Penny turned to the other end of the couch, obviously and justly shocked, to look at Nicole. Looking up from her bloody hand, the most Nicole could do was manage a tired shrug and nod, although she smiled as reassuringly as she could at her exhausted new friend. The girl had been through a lot, and if Nicole was in her shoes then she wouldn't be too psyched for Victoria's backhanded putdown. For what it was worth, Nicole thought that Penny and Vanna had done a hell of a job under circumstances none of them had been prepared for. She tried to communicate all of that in an understated, sympathetic wink at the bespectacled girl - with a crazy foul mouth, come to think of it. She'd seemed so put together when they were talking about cartoons...

"We understand, ma'am," Nicole answered collectively for all five of them, both conscious and unconscious. It was probably pretty helpful that they start looking like a united front, no matter what. "I guess this is the kind of thing we'll have to be prepared for from now on, right? Now we know what we've signed up for."

Like their earlier conversation, the queen of vibes' gentle, casual way of speaking belied a quiet perceptiveness regarding their situation. She was still staring at the Wing of Justice, wounded herself in the frantic duel that they had witnessed for themselves, although she felt as though they definitely shouldn't have. She tilted her head curiously.

"Still, that all went to crap pretty fast..." she mumbled to herself, slumping back in her own display of exhaustion. Her head almost hit Vanna's shoulder before she realized that was probably a little too familiar for a girl who wasn't even at the 'returning finger guns' stage yet. "Was there any idea that we would run into enemy, uh...combatants?"

Sounds like the sort of thing you call trained soldiers, not a Void...

When the fight ended and the airship made its way through the dense clouds, the skies revealed the embers of sunset. Victoria stood alone on the damaged deck, her opponent no longer anywhere to be seen. Astrelle focused on her weapon—a large cross that seemed to fit Victoria’s image perfectly. The commotion around Astrelle and Dana continued as the ship’s personnel swarmed about, cleaning up the mess that was left in the wake of the attack, and Astrelle merely watched everything go by. As though a valve had been opened within her, the tension of stress seemed to flood away once everything ended, in what felt like a miniscule moment. Her legs gave, and she found herself slumped against a wall in the control room.

Before long, Victoria had gathered up the new recruits to address the issue. She spoke as she usually did, in an informative way, but to Astrelle it sounded callously indifferent. She was sure that to the seasoned combatant, this was just another day’s work, but she couldn’t avoid feeling frustrated by the lack of concern or accountability on Victoria’s part.

With a clearer mind, Astrelle took a minute to take in her surroundings. The girls had managed to defeat the Void, much to her utter shock. It appeared that her colleagues were much more skilled than she assumed. At the very least, it occurred to her that staying with them might not be too terrible of an idea, if it means they’d be helpful in prolonging her life. Out of everyone in the room, Astrelle was by far the least worn down in appearance. Penny and Vanna definitely had a number done on them, and Victoria was no less battered from her fight.

The other girls began piping up about the issue Astrelle was most concerned about—the enemy Ars Magi. Victoria’s response was less than satisfactory, and Astrelle could feel the heat of anger rising in her heart.

“You’ve got to be kidding me-” Astrelle’s voice was quieter than normal, but her frustration was clearly enunciated through her words. “It wasn’t something that looked like an Ars Magi, it was an Ars Magi. Another female soldier, swinging a sword. It looked like she even had an Elementum—electricity ran through her blade.”

Astrelle laughed softly. She looked over to Nicole, “Aren’t you obedient?"

She almost rolled her eyes. "But no, we don’t know what we’ve signed up for because it’s clear that there are things they don’t want to tell us. At least, for now. I understand we haven’t formally started our lessons, but given that we almost died I feel that at a bare minimum, we could be given some transparency.”

She met Victoria’s eyes with a smile, but a bitter glare shone through her gaze. “If you plan to silence us about this incident anyway, what’s one more secret?”

“No.” Victoria replies to Nicole’s question. “It was…unexpected.” It’s hard to tell how sincere the Ars Magi is, given her expression seems never to change that much. Yet there’s the slightest hint of a frown, a small note of displeasure with this fact that she shares.

Her frown deepens slightly when Astrelle speaks. Crimson eyes turn toward the dark-haired girl, the Ars Magi holding her gaze for a few icy seconds.

“It was an Ars Magi.” She replies. “Or something similar enough that I wasn’t able to tell the difference.” Astrelle manages to pry that loose, at least. “It shouldn’t be possible.” Victoria seems fairly certain about that. Regardless of the actual reality.

“That’s the transparency I can offer you.” She finishes, adding, “But Miss Cognoscenti has it correct. If you’re going to serve the Imperium as an Ars Magi, Miss Lennox, obedience is what’s expected of you.” There’s been very little indication that Astrelle has a choice in the matter.

“If you’ll excuse me.” The Ars Magi steps back, heading toward the control console. Soon she’s deep in discussion with the pilot manning it, and the surrounding soldiers after that. She doesn’t leave this time, but she makes herself busy enough to avoid further questions. The five girls are left alone in the meantime, with not much in the way of privacy.

“No.” Victoria replies to Nicole’s question. “It was…unexpected.” It’s hard to tell how sincere the Ars Magi is, given her expression seems never to change that much. Yet there’s the slightest hint of a frown, a small note of displeasure with this fact that she shares.

Her frown deepens slightly when Astrelle speaks. Crimson eyes turn toward the dark-haired girl, the Ars Magi holding her gaze for a few icy seconds.

“It was an Ars Magi.” She replies. “Or something similar enough that I wasn’t able to tell the difference.” Astrelle manages to pry that loose, at least. “It shouldn’t be possible.” Victoria seems fairly certain about that. Regardless of the actual reality.

“That’s the transparency I can offer you.” She finishes, adding, “But Miss Cognoscenti has it correct. If you’re going to serve the Imperium as an Ars Magi, Miss Lennox, obedience is what’s expected of you.” There’s been very little indication that Astrelle has a choice in the matter.

“If you’ll excuse me.” The Ars Magi steps back, heading toward the control console. Soon she’s deep in discussion with the pilot manning it, and the surrounding soldiers after that. She doesn’t leave this time, but she makes herself busy enough to avoid further questions. The five girls are left alone in the meantime, with not much in the way of privacy.

Needless to say that particular revelation is a shock to Penny; Imperium propaganda and whatever information services she could access never mentions this sort of thing. Then again, it's clearly classified information, and she can understand why; it would hardly help morale if the amazing super-soldiers that Humanity's very existence depended upon could go rogue. People had enough to worry with rations and the ravages of Nox and Void to worry about whether their superhuman protectors would turn on them.

She wants to ask Victoria more, but she's clearly not getting the chance as the Wing of Justice goes off to check something. That leaves her with more questions; is there a risk of another attack? Were they the target or were they just collateral damage?

She should probably be madder about this, she's quite pissed off to be honest, but right now, she's exhausted and has broken bones in her forearm and a dislocated shoulder. She's been up since about the time they left Ciscia. She just wants to sleep.

"Well, that was... something," she finally speaks up wearily. "I'd argue this, but right now Vanna has the right idea, so I think I'll crash. Wake me up when we get to Palmyra, and just pray we don't run into any other surprises."

She picks a couch, takes off her shoes, and lays down on it, and is soon fast asleep, snoring softly.

Nicole smiled at Penny as she knocked herself out in short order. By now a majority of the team was either asleep or, like Dana, looked like they were liable to doze off again as soon as Victoria went back about her business. Only Nicole and Astrelle seemed completely cognizant, and even Nicole was feeling a little spaced out as her adrenaline continued to ebb away. She found herself staring at the cut on her hand again. Maybe she'd see if Dana could do something about it later, even if that took a day or two. As long as it didn't scar.

Or maybe let it scar? Scars were a pretty universal constant, as long as they didn't show any weirdo inner workings of the body that people preferred not to think about. A cool face scar, or something across the palm? They added a few fractions of a point to everyone's hot meter, guys and girls alike. That was just science. Let Dana heal it but with a scar, maybe that was the best option.

It seemed like she was feeling a little loopier than she really acknowledged. Maybe spending the last hour of the flight in silent reflection would do her some good, and she'd wake up feeling a bit more grounded. Gods knew Astrelle wasn't about to be much for company, especially after lining up only to be rebuked by the Wing of Justice like that. It was a little hard for her not to roll her eyes at how confidently Astrelle had lined herself up for a verbal forehead flick by Victoria like that, but Nicole let it roll off her back. She just wanted to assert her individuality or whatever. Still, the Hastan thought it was a little much. Who was she trying to prove something to when half of the girls were unconscious?

Nicole's curious gaze found Astrelle again, and one eye closed in a lazy wink; her uninjured hand formed the universal 'o-kay' symbol, and she mouthed a sardonic Nailed it to the black sheep of the Lennox family.

Lightening up will do her some good, she thought to herself, a little grain of impish humor buried deep within the thought. And if she doesn't want to make friends, theeeeeeen...it's just gonna suck to be her.

Her head lolled back, and she felt herself land on something too warm to be a cushion, or any furnishing at all. It must have been Vanna's arm.

Yeah, yeah yeah. You're in the same boat, bambina.

Her eyes remained half-lidded, and her head calm and clear, for the remainder of the flight.