Magical Girl City: Empire of Ice

Once more, I was awake. I felt… odd. Warm, fuzzy? Like I had been filled to the brim. Or drank a nice hot drink after spending far too long in the cold. Perhaps, like a nice hot bath after a hard day. Or finally settling into bed, nestled under the covers, tucked in and safe.

In other ways, I felt like an old wineskin filled with new wine, filled to the brim, stretched to my limits. Like I’d burst given time.

What was prevalent above all, was the exhaustion in my bones from having her sup at my vitality. Even then, I felt full of vim and vigor, of the likes I hadn’t encountered since.

When I fell asleep, I’d been guided to the therapist’s thigh. She was looking down at me with a smile, humming all the while. Seeing that I was awake, she helped me up.

“I’m not sure what to say…” Was the first words out of her mouth. “I’d thought this was going to be more complicated, but… you really are a strange one.”

“Am I healed then?” I asked.

“No, but you are on the road to recovery. I’d suggest you keep from doing anything extensive. Hold back on creating familiars. Take time when you can to calm down and be at ease.”

“Like drinking while watching the sunset?”

“That is a method, but too much alcohol and you’ll put yourself in a bind.”

“I’m well aware, any other suggestions?”

“Yes, you need to regularly de-ice. You can’t, and I don’t expect you to always make yourself vulnerable, but taking long, hot baths can be good for you to help loosen up. I would suggest, much like drinking you moderate it though.”

“Moderate how?” I ask.

“It may be tempting to ratchet up the temperature to get more out of a bath, but it will only make you tense up more. A nice temperature and a long soak can do wonders. I would also suggest you visit the public bath more often. As a tub is a much smaller body of water and won’t be enough to properly de-ice you. It can help, but whenever you need something more thorough, try for a hot spring, or go for the public bath.”

I nod along as she gave additional tips and benefits.

“One thing to keep in mind, is if you let your soul’s injuries accrue too much it does have an effect on your growth and recovery. Especially in terms of magic. So, if you want to keep growing without stalling, do take time to rest and relax.”

“I’ll do just that.”

“Good.” She said with a smile and glanced at the clock. “We’ve gone a bit too long, but… I think with the progress we’ve made, I didn’t want to stop us early. So, before I end this session, do you have any questions?”

I checked the clock. It was getting close to when I had to meet the others at the bar. I’d been here most of the day… Any other day, and that would have been an issue, but today? Today was perfect for it.

“I do have a question. Earlier you said there was a twofold reason you were here, one being that you can heal souls, what’s the other?” I asked, earnestly.

“The other is… how much do you know about the power structure of the city?”

“Not much, admittedly. I’m well aware of the Wizard Gang, and the police force, but not much else.

“Well, that isn’t too surprising, but even then, the city is in a bit of a weird spot.”

“How so?”

“Some time back, there was a big shake up, and a lot of the leadership was shuffled around. Part of how the director became well, the director. However, she wasn’t the only magical girl in charge of the hospital at the time. When she took over the director position, another magical girl helped as the assistant.”

“Was she, a mistake too?”

“Yes… She was. She was, well, a succubus, just like us. Her history wasn’t so great and being abandoned by the mascots like she had been, hadn’t helped. Neither did her new form. She and the director had been friends of circumstance, and when the leadership of the hospital vanished, they worked together to fill in the gap.”

“Which means, the director, or my doctor, started turning doctors and staff into vampires, or even blood slaves.”

“Indeed, whereas our matriarch summoned us to fill in other roles.”

“Right, that explains why you all exist, but… was that really wise?”

“Normally, no. But she had a unique ability to keep us in line, and because of that, some of us were able to break free from our base nature. Which is why we are what we are now.”

“But I haven’t seen her, nor heard of her. Did something happen?”

The therapist sighs. “We don’t know. Last we knew, she went to Tartarus to get some items, and well, never returned.”

I frowned. “I’ve heard of Tartarus before, but really, what is it?”

“The city of mistakes, some call it. It lies below the city, below the depths. Mistakes, like the director will often choose to go down there, especially if they have more monstrous forms.”

I nod though… “And she vanished, no word from her?”

“None.”

“And nobody has bothered to check on her?”

“We’re bound to the hospital, and the director is in a similar situation. If she were to vanish, or disappear, well, there’s no telling what would happen to the hospital.”

I nod along, though… “What about other groups?”

“Others?”

“Yeah, other factions. You mentioned that there was a shakeup. What other factions are there? Would any of them be of help”

“Well, you know the police, and well, us.”

I nod.

“There is the library, which is operated by a group that calls themselves The Council of Worms.”

“Council of Worms? Have you ever seen one of them?”

“No, but they primarily summon demons to do the day-to-day work. Their focus is on gathering knowledge, for what end, I don’t know. Of all factions, they were one of the factions that survived the shakeup, probably due to their reclusive nature.”

“I guess that means they rarely, if ever, leave the library.”

“You would be correct.” She says, in a matter-of-fact tone. “After that, you have the Grove Keeper, Gardener, or such. She leads a minor faction inside the Commercial District. They mostly gather nature aligned magical girls, so, plant, earth, water, and such. Nobody is sure when the faction started up, but they’ve become more prominent since the shake-up.

I nod along, making sure to commit that to memory. And, I remember meeting them, so that helped. After all, Amanda was with them, and Grim had brought me there once upon a time.

“Others include what we now call The Dragon Gang, they exist as the main adversary to the police force and are also one of the biggest contenders for the mayoral seat. The Dragon Gang used to be much smaller, and I don’t know too much, but I heard they used to go under a different name.”

“And who leads this gang?” I asked, just to be sure.

“Lucre. I don’t know what kind of magic he has, or what origin he has, but he is the leader of the gang, from what I know.”

“Any other factions?”

“The Dock Worker’s Union resides in the Port District. Then there is the Craftsmen’s Guild based in the Industrial District. There is a Merchant Association inside the Commercial District, but they’re essentially under the Dragon Gang’s thumb. As for other factions, I’m not too sure.”

“You aren’t?”

“No, we mostly know about factions affiliated, or in some way related to magical girls, or rather, your kind. After all, they tend to come here for treatment.”

I nod, understanding that “But you know about the library faction?”

“Because we’re in the same district, and because we are also demons.”

That makes sense… Not that I would say that aloud.

“And I suppose none of them can help?”

“No, unfortunately. We’ve made a request to the police force, but they don’t have the manpower, or well, the ability to reach Tartarus.”

“So, none of them have ever reached the bottom of the depths?”

“Not a single one. Not only is it difficult, but going that deep takes time and commitment. Something none of the factions can invest in, especially with the current state of the city.”

That was exceedingly good to know. And I had plenty of more question, however… glancing at the time, “I’m afraid have to get going, but… thank you for this. And, well, if I ever do make it to Tartarus, I’ll see if I can find her.”

“It’s nothing, I’m just glad I could help. I do hope you come back though, even if you’re not injured. And, don’t worry about it. You don’t need to make any promises.”

“I won’t, I’m just saying I’ll investigate if I ever make it down there. As for coming back, well, we’ll see…”

She gave me a smile, but I could tell she was concerned, worried even. Honestly, I didn’t blame her. I felt better, like new, but I also knew, this wasn’t a miracle fix. Only the most glaring issue had been dealt with. There was an underlying series of cracks that we hadn’t even begun digging out.

And honestly, I don’t think I had it in me to plumb those depths. Not yet anyway, not anytime soon. Not until I had the chance to dig them up myself.

With therapy done, I hurried out to my vehicle, which was horribly parked. How I even managed to get into the parking space was a whole other issue. Once inside, I made my way to the bar.

By the time I had arrived, nearly everyone had arrived. The first round of drinks had already been ordered, I fell in with them and immediately, stories were shared.

We first talked about our fight with the elder. How it went, how we almost died. Drinks were passed, food and snacks were ordered. We collectively passed over Joan’s transformation, knowing that she wasn’t too keen to talk about it. Something, a few keen individuals noticed but kept quiet on.

As we wound down, the others, those who had stayed behind, spoke.

Serenity started. Speaking of how she helped collect and move the people. How they’d decided to circumvent the palace guard and just do their jobs in spite of them. The others slowly filled in the picture, talking about how the hordes had pressed in, how the soldiers began to retreat. How the final stand went. Including how my bone golem tussled with giant creatures and took significant damage in the process. Something even I wasn’t aware of.

Not that I had the presence of mind to give it a good look over.

They’d been nearing collapse when they had suddenly changed tact. With everyone evacuated, and with the enemy pressing in, they’d left the front to make a final gambit. Joining up with the clan leaders and eventually joining us in the vault.

What was notable from their story was how they spoke of humanoid creatures that had slipped through the ranks and had assaulted us, with only Joan holding the front.

After that, everything was already known. How the clan leaders had made a deal with Sheep, how we had looted the place, and well, how we’d left.

Then came the stories of what they had done leading up the final stand. Rather, over the whole event, everyone had done something or another. I even mentioned my own experiences; some people had gone hunting. Others had ranged surprisingly far before heading back to camp. Made friends with soldiers leading up to the final stand or learned a new trick or two as we prepared for the final assault.

Overall, everyone shared the same sentiment. That they’d definitely gained something from this trip. Not just monetarily, as we had stripped and looted an entire palace’s worth of goodies, but something enduring that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Of the items looted, were handed over to Diana to sell off. She assured us, that those within the women’s home would be able to help her assess and sell off the pieces without much issue. Jade statues and vases weren’t something that just anyone could sell off without issue. Same with jewelry and other such things.

As for the gold and silver? The rare and expensive metals? Divvied up according to needs. Both gold and silver could be directly traded at the bank for decent sums. Even split between all of us, there was quite the amount. With some, trading their share for additional shares of other items.

On my end, I received a good helping of gold and silver, while also taking one of the treasures that had been in the vault. Specifically, when we’d been offered artifacts and treasures, I had taken the chance to choose a bottle of blood pills. Which I planned to offer to Shi. Trading some of my gains, I was also able to gain an additional artifact, or rather, a treasure, a piece of bone, or ivory, that I was certain Talia could make into a totem.

Even having given up some of my shares, the truth is, I still made quite a bit. Faust had about given up his rights to all his treasure for the large number of books he had retrieved. Nobody really cared, though a few did ask if they could peruse them.

He didn’t disagree, so I jumped on that bandwagon, or rather, I asked if I could send Talia his way someday, and he didn’t mind.

Another to make a hefty exchange was Lance. He did everything he could to get a hold of as much metal as possible. Even offering chances to forge or make things for others, me included. Offers plenty of others were willing to make.

Over the course of the night, we had about everything hashed out. And as it came closer to our time to depart, conversation shifted to what we would do going forward.

For the most part, nothing special came up. Just the usual. Work, live, eat. So on, so forth. That is, until it came to Diana.

“When I’m done getting everything settled, I think I’m going to leave the home.” She said, a few too many drinks in.

“Really?” I asked, though, I had a feeling she was going to do this. Based on what she’d told me before. But I could tell, this wasn’t for my benefit, no, this was her officially declaring her stance for everyone to hear.

“Yeah… This event, everything that happened, it just made me realize how much I hate being in a leadership position. I just… I want to take some time on my own, figure things out. You know?”

“Do you know where you’re going to go?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“I’ve no idea, I mean, it’s not like I can leave the city really… I’ll have plenty of money, so I can probably find a place and spend some time exploring the city, but…” She trailed off, clearly not sure where to go from there.

I didn’t fault her. It’s not like she can just go anywhere, though… “Maybe check the port authority, or the bus station?” I ventured. “I noticed they had pamphlets, maybe you can get trips out of the city or something?”

She frowned but nodded. “Maybe… I’ll have to give that a look…”

“Also, if I may, I do know someone you might be interested to meet. She might know more. Her name is Éclair.” I proceeded to explain who the odd girl was, and Diana seemed interested. After handing over Éclair’s number, that thread of conversation died off.

As the party came to an end, a final burst of conversation broke as numbers were shared, as plans were made to spend silver coins to make magic phones so that we could keep in contact…

And like that, the night ended. At least, for everyone else. For me, the night had only just begun. Getting a ride back to the warehouse, the first thing I did was properly hand over the items I had gained to Talia and Shi.

Talia immediately sensed what it was I had in my hand. The moment I handed it over; she squealed and ran off. Whispering constantly to herself in the process. As for Shi, she didn’t quite notice what I had in hand, not until I popped the lid off the bottle. Instantly, like a dog sensing a treat, she jolted to attention.

Her eyes were locked on the bottle and the pills inside. I could feel over our connection, her overpowering desire to throw herself forward and devour the pills all at once. I knew that would be a bad idea, so, I gave a command.

“Shi, sit.” The girl immediately planted down on the ground. Her eyes looked up at me. Wide, her desire clear. Producing a single pill, it was red, gleaming like a ruby. It felt warm to the touch and oddly tactile. Fleshy? Gummy? It was a difficult sensation to pin down.

Either way, she eyed the pill with hungry eyes. She looked ready to leap up and snap the pill out of my fingers, regardless of the cost. Only through our connection did I enforce my authority. Keeping her still as I slowly reached down.

“Open.” I commanded and open she did. Her mouth went wide, tongue lolled out. Carefully, I put the pill in her mouth, and the moment my fingers were safe, she chomped. A rush of sensations ran through our link. Euphoria, joy. I could almost taste the pill breaking apart, the heady taste and scent of blood on my tongue and the back of my throat.

Her face flushed, her white skin took on a red hue. She steamed, squirmed as the pill worked. She panted, almost like a dog, as she swallowed it down. Eyes fluttering. An almost, seductive allure emanated from her as she licked at her lips. Wet, glistening eyes gazed up at me, begging for another.

“Once you’re finished digesting that pill, I’ll give you another.” I promised her, and the disappointment was palpable. There was a rush of disappointment, followed by another, worrying surge. A sudden spike of need, an overwhelming desire for more blood. Her eyes gleamed for a moment. Her panting grew heavier, pupils dilated. Body tensed.

Only by yanking on the connection between us did I bring her to heel. Even then, it took a rather hefty yank. That strained at my newly recovered soul. Had I done this before I recovered my soul…

Well…

Shi would have devoured me. Tore into my throat, drank me dry, only to proceed and eat the pills all at once. The result?

Death. Like a goldfish, unable to realize it was eating too much. A gluttonous fiend that would keep eating and eating, right up to death. That… would have been her fate.

With her subdued, Shi settled in curling up onto bed that had been prepped for her in the month since she had existed. Meanwhile, I settled down onto the couch in the office and began the next phase of my plan.

In my hands, was the book on alchemy. The very book I had claimed as my reward, exchanging a large number of Sheep coins for. Had plenty of time. I was vibrating with vim and vigor due to that session of therapy, almost like I’d went and had a full spa day.

I was more than ready for this, and it wasn’t like I could wait even a moment longer.

Thirsty for knowledge I cracked open the book. And just like last time I’d opened a grimoire, the world, faded away.