A Distant Reverie

Chapter 14

"Ack!"

Enya slumped over, her hands dug into the ground as she forced herself to vomit. Intense shivers rippled through her body. Her mind shook with the piercing headaches each time she puked. A grotesque mixture of stomach bile and partially digested food soon laid in a puddle before her.

"...What the hell did you put?" Enya glared at the man in front of her through labored breaths. Her stomach and throat continued to burn even when she finally expelled the remains of the meal.

"A concoction provided by the Priestess," Cyrus replied, calmly wiping his mouth clean. He had been subjected through the same grueling ordeal like Enya, yet his composure made it difficult to tell.

"Quite poisonous to us, but for them..." Cyrus glanced over at their unconscious victims, "It induces sleep. Though they might awake with some lingering side effects."

"I could have used a warning if you were going to use something devised by that wretch."

Cyrus narrowed his eyes, "Watch your words, Enya. That wretch gave us an opportunity to fight back. You will refer to her with respect and reverence."

"...Right," Enya replied dispassionately as she walked over towards the unconscious bodies. Gently, she pressed her fingers against their throats. Faint rhythms echoes pulsated against her fingertips at a slow, steady cadence. They were fast asleep.

"It's working."

"Good. And what about our surroundings?"

"Nothing unusual. As far as I could tell, we're the only ones in the vicinity."

"Then you can undo the spell. It should help with your recovery."

Enya frowned at the idea. The persistent burning sensation in her stomach, however, eventually forced her to concede. Closing her eyes, she let out a deep breath and chanted.

"Cuir às."

Her body was engulfed in a dim cerulean light. Mana slowly expelled from her body into the ambient air, forming small luminescent fragments. Slowly, Enya's body began to change. Her hair, formerly jet black, transformed into a shade of golden blonde. Her ears elongated, extending outwards with a characteristic pointed end. Her masculine face contorted and twisted until it reformed into a gentler appearance. Her features, now noticeably more feminine, gave off an elegant and regal beauty that was befitting of her soprano voice. As if an invisible weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Enya's body felt light and content, no longer constrained by the maintenance of the transformation magic.

How long has it been?

She stared at her pale hands. Her fingers were longer and slimmer than she remembered. Her palms, pristine and smooth, were absent of the blemishes and calluses from her training as a soldier. Though her body felt refreshed, Enya's mind was in turmoil. The strange disconnect she felt between the person she had been for the past three years and her actual self was debilitating.

Cyrus also underwent a similar transformation. Aside from his now blonde hair and pointy ears, his rugged features also soften, though he maintained his usual piercing gaze.

"You grab the young lady," he ordered as he tossed Vesper and Marine over his shoulder.

"...Is this all really necessary?" Enya asked, suddenly feeling belligerent.

"Enya, grab the lady."

"The appointed day is close. Why are we suddenly bringing three outsiders into the grove?"

"Because the Priestess demanded it," Cyrus sighed, pointing to the sigil engraved on the young lady's wrist, "The Priestess wanted me to bring in anyone that possessed a Sigil of Obedience. Especially if their contractor was the Knight Commander."