Magi: The Goddess of Hope [DISCONTINUED]

💮 Scene Four: Serena Ira

By the middle of the day, the palace of Balbadd was buzzing with gossip. The mysterious, pink-haired girl bought in by the Emperor of Kou was said to be a foreigner from a distant land; a land that no one had ever set a single foot in ever before. Some said that she was an empress, others gossiped a princess.

Either way, it was a hot topic of gossip within the city.

Aladdin, on the other hand, was more than willing to take charge and speak with the recently-woken girl. Although Aladdin spoke in broken awkwardly pronounced goetian, the pink-haired stranger merely laughed reassuringly and encouraged the Magi in her own way with awkward pantomimes and spirited gestures. By the end of their strange, spirited discussion, the blue-haired magician was more determined than ever to learn how to speak their alien language.

Meanwhile, accross the sea, Judal successfully met the Reim entourage and was accompanying Titus and the rest of the Leam Empire fleet to Balbadd.

Titus was chatting with an enthusiastic Judal, which was rarer than a purple papagoras bird during the mating season of said birds. Titus Alexius was in one of the trading ship's rooms, speaking with Judal alone, his mane of blonde hair askew. The young magi had sent Marga and Sphintus onto the top deck with Muu, so as to make sure they don't get worried too much.

"...A different language?" Titus murmured as he stared into the parchment that Judal bought him. "And you said that the stone statue turned into a girl?"

"Yeah. Crazy thing, right?" Judal nodded solemnly as he helped himself to a jar of almonds. "And what's more, those kids that attacked us..."

"Yes. You told me already." Titus sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his face. "No rukh inside them whatsoever. Not even a trace of blood."

"Those limbs were made of black....something." Judal explained as he waggled his fingers around in a perplexed manner. "I cut one off with Thalg Al-Salos, but it just laughed at me like it was a goddamned show. Then it regenerated in midair."

"And then?" Titus pressed on, an eyebrow raised.

"I hit it with another spell, the one that we made y'know, the coffin-thingy spell, and it barely escaped," Judal growled in frustration. "I got its arm though. I gave it to Kouen and told him to give it to the shrimp." The red-eyed magi popped another almond in his mouth and crunched it loudly. "Then I flew over and met you guys here."

Titus grinned. "You're a good guy, Judal."

Judal rolled his eyes and shoved the jar of almonds in Titus' face. "Shut up and eat these, you girly-man."

Titus laughed as he took the jar and stood up. "Whatever. Let's go up and check on the others. It should just be a good ten minutes or so before we reach Balbadd's port."

As those words left Titus' mouth, an explosion rocked the ship. Exchanging alarmed glances, the two magi raced to the top deck, and were alarmed by the fact that the Leam soldiers were looking up apprehensively, and the Fanalis corps was tense with battle alarms probably ringing in their heads.

"Titus!" Sphintus raced over to his friend, a quivering Marga in his arms. "Troublesome kids dressed in black—and--"

"--Were they wielding spears?" Judal cut in with a snarl.

"Yeah. And other than that, Muu—he's--"

Titus scowled, which was a rare expression to see on his face nowadays. Rage and worry suddenly flooded the otherwise calm and benevolent magi's system. His blue-gray eyes took on a cold sheen. The inexperienced soldiers shuddered at the sudden glacial temperature of the air, and Judal grinned in smug satisfaction at seeing his friend's angry face. "What have they done?"