Just one Favor, part 26

Rick wasn’t sure for how long she had been out, nor where she was. Time became uncertain as she felt herself drifting back to reality. But almost like waking up from a dream, her consciousness slowly began to return with every passing second. Her senses began to capture and react one by one. The first thing they told her was that she was resting somewhere soft, and soon, that she felt dry, something she hadn’t felt in a while. As soon as she became aware she was alive and waking up, she realized someone was looking at her.

She opened her eyes just to see little Kristel sitting before her, she double blinked a couple of times as her focus returned and the images before her cleared up. The little girl’s expression illuminated as she saw the mermaid safe and sound, immediately lunging at her, trying to wrap her arms around her. “Rick! Thank goodness! You are alive,” she said gleefully. Her voice ringing on Rick’s finned ears.

Startled by the sudden wake up, Rick couldn’t help but smile and return the hug, as best as she could, but the moment she tried to move her left arm, an indescribable sharp pain shot from it. She recalled how her it had been hit by a ball of metal and effectively broken.

Her arm was wrapped in bandages, holding tightly to her, yet even then she could feel it pulsing to no end, feeling what felt like her splintered bones and nothing else. Yet she was feeling more than glad to have managed to save her and keep the rest of her friends alive. Pain was the most evident telltale sign that she was alive, the stifling agony from her arm the pain on her stomach were the main and most evident ones.

“Now now, Kristel,” Kathy’s voice came from behind her as she reached over to pet the little girl’s shoulder, telling her to stop the hug for now. Soon she could see the apprentice’s brunette hair pulled back into a pony tail and a thin set of glasses “Rick just woke up.” She whispered.

“W-where am I?” Rick asked, observing how Kathy was wearing a different set of clothes, a normal shirt and jeans from the modern world as opposed to the robe dress she had been wearing, making her wonder how long she had been out.

“You have been out for over three days, Rick. Take it easy, it’ll all be explained soon,” Kathy said wit relief and glee as she tussled Kristel’s hair who was looking at her, The little girl was unable to keep herself from smiling.

“What happened?” She looked down and realizing where she was lying. Her body had been resting all that time on what seemed to be the house’s master bed. It was large and comfortable and the mattress felt so soft, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. As she tried to sit up, she felt a jolt of pain up her spine, making her feel lightheaded out of the sudden. Her body still felt lazy, almost numb and limp and very dehydrated while still sensing the pulse and warmth of the open wound on her stomach.

Kristel gasped immediately as Kathy reached over to help her up. “We had to operate you back then. Lady Rita managed to close your wounds and heal some of the internal damage, but you are still very delicate of health. You also lost a lot of blood back then and some of the wounds haven’t fully healed yet,” She gently laid Rick’s head against the pillow, letting her see the rest of the room. Seeing how beautiful and big it was. “Lady Rita is on her way to fill you in on what happened while you were out, as well as to treat you,” Kathy whispered, brushing the hair out of Rick’s finned ear.

“Now, we need you to rest,” she said as she reached to hold Kristel’s arm “How about we let Rick rest for a while?” she asked sweetly “Your grandma will take care of her,”

“Okay,” Kristel replied nodding before looking over at the mermaid “Thank you for everything,” she said hugging her, much to her pain. “Get better soon,” she squeaked before being led out of the room.

Rick took a moment to look at the room she was in. It was large and spacey in itself comfortable yet at the same time, dull. She imagined Elliot had lived and slept in this room for the last three years, to say the least, which gave her a small feeling of repulsion and disgust of this room around. But at the same time, she knew things were different. Rita had seemed to have added some of her touch in here while she was out. The curtains were open while a bunch of painting laid broken into shred against a corner, letting the sun shine through and on the nightstand, she found something a photo of none other than lady Anivia. A woman of long wavy auburn hair and a beautiful face. Reminiscent of Kristel’s face standing next to a rather handsome man, of black hair that seemed to almost have a hint of blue in it. The woman’s expression did ring a bell in Rick’s mind.

She looked at the photo for a while before leaning back and awaiting for what was to come next. As she leaned, she noticed a corner of the place that held what looked like an amassing of wood and colored canvas, as well as shreds of clothes, the same tacky black robes Elliot used to wear. “Seems like someone was cleaning the wardrobe,” Rick thought

She awaited for quite some time for something to happen. Being stuck in the bed now felt like the most boring part of her month, if not her year. She couldn’t go anyway and found herself too weak to actually move around. If she tried to remain sit up, she would feel herself rather dizzy on things. She could just observe and endure the still present throbbing feeling that emanated from her arm and stomach.

The first reaction was to observe her body, gathering the courage to see how bad the damage was. It wasn’t much of a surprise when she saw a large set of bandages wrapped around her waist. Some patches had been laid on the places that bore some minor wounds and her left arm was around with a splint. She moved around on the bed as best as she could, realizing her hair had been un-braided while she was out.

She winced slightly as she awaited, soon she heard footsteps making their way in. “Rick?” It was Rita’s voice, entering the room. Dressed in classy dark blue robes, with a set of strange gloves, colored of a bright blue leather that held some specific patchwork on certain places, marked by runes scribbled on them. Holding a large thick book underneath her arm and a tray of cups, pots and bandages, among other medical materials in the other.

“Madam,” Rick muttered respectfully as she saw her. Feeling unsure as to how to refer to her, whether to treat her with more respect or fear. She had given some thought as to what Rita said back when she was restraining Elliot. She was a the legendary thief, The Cobweb. The skilled thief that was never caught, the one that managed to take down Elliot without sustaining a wound.

“Loosen up, Rick,” Rita said reaching to feel Rick’s forehead and sighing relieved. “I sense a lot of concern and doubts in your mind. Want to address them one by one?” she asked sweetly, almost regarding her with appreciation.

“Yes, Madam, I mean Miss Esther, how-” Rick groaned in pain as she forced herself into a sitting position.

“First things first, let me take care of the wounds,” Rita said in concern as she reached to carefully help Rick lie on her back. She rested the book on the side of the bed and turning the pages of her book and muttering some words, reciting some verses.

Rick closed her eyes as she felt Rita undoing the bandages on her backside let out a gasp of pain as she felt the constant friction and contact followed by the feeling of a running breeze. “Don’t worry,” Rita reassured as she placed her hands on Rick’s backside “It doesn't look as bad as it feels,” she chuckled as her fingers began to flare up with magic as Rita’s touch seemed to numb and sooth the wounds as the feeling of pain subsided.

“How bad was it?” Rick muttered finding herself in a pleasing spot between pain and numbness.

Rita took a moment to ponder before sighing “Your stomach was pierced, your bones were spared, but a lot of tissue was cut through. You lost a lot of blood and some parts of your body were already experiencing an acute frostbite.” She narrated as she kept on tapping on spots on Rick’s backside. “Wasn’t it for your resistance to cold, you would have lost your fingers and in worse case, your heart would have entered in shock. Ironically though, the freezing allowed most of the blood to remain inside of you. I left Elliot to help Kathy work on you, together we managed to keep you alive,”

“You are a healer?” Rick asked.

“Yes, sorta. I wasn’t an official healer, nor graduated as such, but I learned what I could. I managed to close up your wounds and fix the internal damage… with a little help,” Rita said.

“A little help?” Rick asked.

“No, I took some of Elliot’s Black dust of Arcana to give me enough power to keep you from passing.” Rita said.

“The black dust?” Rick asked startled, feeling a shudder run down her spine. When Elliot took of that drug, he became almost unstoppable.

“It was a last resort of the moment,” Rita sighed. “As I said, I have dealt with that stuff before, rarely used it myself because I know what that thing does to you. Have a lot of it and you end up losing your magic, for some time or forever.”

“Anyway,” Rita said at last as she walked around to the other side of the bed and reached to prod Rick’s arm, making her wince and gasp, “Do you have a question?”

“Well… yes,” Rick muttered between groans and winces of pain “How is everyone? What happened? Is everything okay?” she blurted out in the haze of sensations.

Rita smiled prodding more onto Rick’s wound making her groan in pain, bite the pillow to unwind “Sorry,” she said before continuing “They are all alright. Don’t get your tail twisted on this matter. It is all right, they are all safe, thanks to you.”

“How it all happened? It was all surprising, unexpected to say the least,” Rick sighed.

“You mean about me?” Rita smiled, taking a moment from the prodding. “Ask away, it’s only fair, since your friends already told me about the plan they hatched in a single morning,” she said with admiration. “Back in my day, my record was of three days to plan a perfect heist.”

“I want to know how everything went out,” she admitted as Rita prodded more of Rick’s arm, numbing the feelings for a while, she knew she was resting her arms there, but barely felt it, only warmth “About you. You are really The Cobweb?” She asked.

Rita just smiled “My tale goes years back. I was a young, brash, and stupid woman. Before that I grew up a rather humble home at the outskirts of one of the realms of The Alternate. There wasn’t much to say there… I used to get myself into trouble. My family struggled to survive the hardships, and I suppose that is what pushed me into stealing to help around even before my powers awakened,” she said with some fondness in her memories.

“Anyway,” she carried on reaching to massage Rick’s back with her hands. “I entered the magic schools of around, and what started as a need became a habit, as  began to give myself missions like stealing an impossible homework or spy on a teacher. Afterward, became an adventure to me. I began to seek the thrill of the heist and crime, even though my situation had improved considerably. Despite that,  I made an effort in my studies as I researched the many ways I could use it to get things the way I wanted.”

“That thrill made me sought to learn all sorts of stealth magic, internalizing tricks that could help me get along for my missions and gathering intelligence, and ultimately perform the heists. Mental magic became particularly useful, as I managed to find some books about it before the outlawing went into full effect. I sought for an alias, and before I knew it, I unwittingly picked one. I had a thing for spiders, some of my spells allowed me to paralyze and restrain others, use different sorts of poisons as part of my repertoire as well as the ability to restrain others cling to walls. I became “The Cobweb” and as I defined this alter ego, it became easier to develop magic oriented to what I wanted.”

Rick just nodded as she heard the tale, Rita’s hands worked down her waist “Anyway, over the following… say, ten years, was where I pulled all of my biggest heists. From stealing the treasure of the dragons, to the assault of the royal family’s crowns. And even went as far as to snatch the iridescent pearl from the mermaids in perhaps my most ambitious enterprise. I kept the gold and money for myself and  some of the things I really liked as trophies but gave the rest back when I grew bored of it.”

“As time passed, I rejoiced of my new life, never having felt more alive than then. But being the thief and a very cautious person by nature and profession, I was caught by surprise and never expected someone to steal my heart. My dear late husband, Willas…” she took a moment to sigh.

“Willas Sominos and I met by accident, but as time would eventually proof, it was the most fortuitous meeting in our lives. We stumbled one onto the other in the same line of work. He was an amateur thief that came from a wealthy family.  He stole things for sport, just like me, and we eventually became passionate about each other, so in tune with what the two of us wanted. We both called for a relationship founded in honesty, and trust,” Rita said. “He accompanied me to a couple of heists, although he considered this more like a hobby while it was a profession to me.”

“At some point, as a gesture of love, Willas gave me a patch of terrain his family owned, that he renamed as Esther grounds back then. That present was more than a blessing to me. I made my enemies while doing my jobs and sanctuaries would come in handy. At times, I would steal entire loads of drugs just to piss them off members of a… say, magical cartel, and found myself selling them around to make an extra cash. It is how I got involved in the ‘market’ business,” Rita said. “I made sure they would never find me, or at least, I did my best. I stored all the things I stole and decided to keep in these grounds. That required me to cast down some protection around the place just to safeguard everything. Crafted underground tunnels, warded the territory to let me know if there were intruders around, laid down some decent hiding pockets around the river and property and so on. Of course, that was long ago.”

Rick thought for a moment as he recalled the conversation Elliot had with Bruthus weeks ago. “Some time ago, I heard of the warlord’s son, Bruthus. He praised as to how his father killed the Cobweb,” she noted.

“Ah yes, of course that peanut brain would take whatever he could to make it into a win you can count that as my last mission,” Rita smiled coyly “One day, a challenge was extended, an opportunity more like it. Word came about a family of elven lords that had fallen into disgrace and that their servants and the town around their lands was planning to rebel against them. I had to go in. I went behind Willow’s back,” Rita said.

“So I seized the chance, and struck the manor just as the attack was taking place and the elven family had been chased off to the forest. Unfortunately for me, a group of looters showed up. It was a wild clan of minotaurs, centaurs and wild men.” She shook her head with disgust “Honestly, I never really took the effort to learn their names.”

“Anyway, I was in the middle of the robbery when the minotaur chief burst through the gates of the mansion, axe high up and roaring for blood. I tried to run, but he’d already seen my black and gold cloak, and knew I was around there and immediately sent his men after me. I had made my way out of the mansion with the most treasured items, books, tome, regal clothes and jewels that could be of interest to me, evading their men while hoping they would lose interest in me. Sadly, clan took my intrusion with great offense, a matter of honor. The ended up chasing after me, starting a manhunt through the desolated area of the city.”

“When I least expected, I ran onto Willas in a rooftop. Little did I knew that he had followed me along,” she paused her narration to pause taking a seat on a corner of the bed “He tried to talk me out of this life for now, for everyone’s sake. I was stubborn. The conversation took longer than I expected and the ground beneath is began to fall. It was the clan, thrashing the place in a fit of anger. Building’s set ablaze and others crumbling down to the ground. I almost lost my Willas back then. I was forced to turn around to save him, dropping some of my loot as distraction and pulling him out of the problem he was in. In the end, he and I barely made it out of that situation and had no foreseeable repercussions,” Rita said.

Rita smiled mischievously. “The thing about clans, as I said before, it’s all about the honor for them. When they saw me, they immediately marked me for death. Once you are marked, you will be actively looked around the two worlds until you are caught. I took the decision and cast my trademark velvet black and gold cloak into the wrecks of the fire while no one was looking, just as a building fell upon both me and the leader. The poor creature must’ve been so desperate to win, he assumed I perished under the wrecks. I bet he showed off that trophy as a dynasty trophy as to how he killed the Cobweb.” Rita shook her head when she saw Rick nod.

“Well,” she concluded “That pretty much wraps up my story as a criminal. I retired to this world, for good. Raised four wonderful children, making them my real treasures and lived some happy times with them and my husband,” she let out a happy sigh.

Rick sighed as she waited for a moment. “I will have to let the magic work a bit on your injuries, and then I’ll reinforce the treatment,” Rita said as she placed the book aside and removed her gloves before producing a cup of tea.

“How did it happen?” Rick asked after a while, going on to ask the next matter, turning around to look at Rita and wincing as she did, the pain wasn’t as bad as before. “I mean, how did you came prepared for all that happened?”

“I didn’t,” Rita mused “What was it that it was said?” she asked amusedly ““Tu e tua nonna stare attenti…” do those words ring a bell?” she asked.

Rick blinked, those were the exact same words she used to deliver the message to Kristel, right when she was losing her mind. “You mean…”

“I arrived to the mansion with no awareness of the attack against me and my grand daughter. When she hug me that afternoon she whispered that a very good friend, you told her to be careful, in Italian. Of what, she wasn’t sure, neither were we. As a thief, I’ve always tried to be careful as to where did my intel came from and prepare according to the dangers, but a warning is a warning, so I exercised caution when I heard it. I always keep potions in my purse, ever since I took Kathy in as my apprentice and practiced my spells to be ready when the time came. Yet I didn't knew what the danger was or when it would happen, or to who worry about, when I heard the words, I asked for Kathy, my apprentice, to hand me the spell ink while relaying her the message.”

“Elliot must have been waiting to do matters after supper not only to not get his hands dirty but to also to give himself time to figure out the time Kristel’s uncle would be coming. If you hadn’t interrupted the scene I would’ve probably consumed the poisonous dessert”

Rick just sat down and listened “When the time came and you appeared, I was surprised by that, found myself giving into the confusion. I let Kendra trap me into one of her barriers, leaving me cut from the rest of the world.”

“But somehow you managed to listen to everything that took place outside of it?” Rick asked.

“That’s right,” Lady Rita smiled showing up her hand, she concentrated and a circle appeared at the back of her hand, and from it, a little glowing black spider appeared, made of pure magic, and almost like an illusion. “This little bug is my eyes and ears outside. It was my personalized spell and has helped me innumerable times in my… profession.” She smiled.

“Anyway,” she said waving her hand and the spider disappeared “I overheard everything, took the time to draw up one of my most complex spells on the barrier’s surface, using the special ink Kathy gave me. By the time she freed me, I was ready to strike… and well, you know what happened afterwards.”

“Yeah, you crushed Elliot,” Rick pointed out with a smirk.

“You weren’t doing a bad job either. You had Elliot on his knees right before he produced the drugs. And you fought fiercely to protect my grand child.” She took a pause before adding “You probably would have stood a better chance if you had renounced to protect little Kristel and merely dodged Elliot’s attacks… This sounds cruel, but I am glad you didn’t.” She said warmly as she slipped her gloves back on and resumed her work, reaching to prod Rick’s injuries with her magic touch.

“What about Kathy?” Rick asked. “I mean, the things she did, they were pretty surprising.”

Rita kept on prodding Rick with the soothing feeling. “Kathy is my apprentice. I met her seven months ago when she tried to sneak into my place after deducing I was The Cobweb. She almost made it. And within her, I saw something that reminded me of myself. So deciding someone must carry on my knowledge, I took her under my wing, as my apprentice and assistant,” she smiled. “Her internalized allows her to phase through the objects she touched.”

“That’s how she survived the sword?” Rick asked.

“That’s right, sadly, she had to touch the blade before it ran through her, resulting in a rather bad cut on her hand. It was thanks to my training that she managed to do it so quickly, otherwise, the would would’ve been real. She merely played dead.”

“What happened after I… I passed out.” Rick asked as she realized she didn’t knew what happened to Elliot or the shadows. What had been of Luke, Silvia or the others. “Did you… kill Elliot?” she asked, as it was certainly what it looked like from Rick’s vantage point.

Rita paused for a moment as she looked down,“I was going to… I wanted to… So badly.” Gritted her teeth for a moment. “With a simple spell, I had learned the things he had done. Elliot had taken away from me my son in law and daughter. I saw it in his mind, from his point of view. How he ordered the assassin to kill Devdan, how he sat back as he saw my daughter choke until she laid liveless… and I felt him laugh in that memory… He deserved to die! To pay for his sins!” Her voice began to rise with a raspy growl until she finally screamed, she began to stifle a cry. “I’m sorry… When I think as to how I could have prevented this if I had been more careful. If I had seen the signs…”

“You couldn’t have known,” Rick muttered.

“I couldn’t the first time… but I chose to not see from there on. When my son in law was killed but it was made to look as an accident. My daughter was in distraught and my grandchild was fatherless. I was not around at the time, barely seeing her around. When I heard how she fell in love with Elliot… I was happy for her, yet I never expected her death. They said it was her old asthma, resurfaced and now more aggressive, the healers were lead to believe it was that what claimed her life,” she let out a long sad sigh. “By then… I was blinded by grief, over the passing of my child. I looked away from reason. I only cared that little Kristel was happy and was completely blind to anything else. Some matters kept me away and as long as I received her letters or got her calls telling me everything was alright. I trusted him too much.”

“I was angry when I found out. Angry at him, angry at myself and was about to strike him down, something that I was against of. Hearing him say how I was his role model, my teachings was just the last thing I wanted to hear. I could’ve killed him, I could’ve… but then I heard Kristel cry and stared down at you. I saw your body slumped down as Kathy tried to revive you and my own grandchild! It took that image to remind me what was important. What example I was setting for her?! What cost was I paying for my vengeance and rage?!”

It took her a long moment to calm herself down “I went after you and began to tend you while Kathy used her power to phase through the wall outside of the locked room to look for help. Kristel helped me keep you stable and work as fast as possible with the wounds. It was then that Kathy ran into your elf friend, Ferilia, as she was coming to check on the door, in case it was closed. She directed my apprentice to Elliot’s room where she found the black dust of Arcana I used to heal you.”

“After you, Kathy went outside, taking some of my potion ingredients out with her to help out heal the other injured mermaid and elves in the upper floor. The drow elf herself took some of the ingredients out with her to take care of the other injured friends. The werewolf and the satyr.”

“Are they…” Rick asked concerned.

“Everyone is healing now, all thanks to you,” Rita reassured as she began to reapply the bandages “You are a hero, Rick. And you will see them soon, as soon as you heal yourself.”

Rick winced softly, now feeling the pain at a much lesser scale than before. She wanted to answer something, but just didn’t knew what, nothing but relief.

“You are healing nicely, Rick,” Lady Rita said, putting her cup of tea down “In a couple of days I estimate you will be up and walking about,” she said figuratively, Rick imagined “You will have to prepare for my son’s visit.”

Rick just blinked startled.

“My son Edward, regional chief of guardians in this world will be coming over to check up on what I told him. He should be arriving today, for a very serious surprise. He will be making the interstate travel to arrest Elliot.

“Um, why did it took three days to call for him?” Rita asked the first thing that came to her mind.

Rita smiled “Because it’s three days what took me and Kathy to prepare the stage and clean my webs and change the facts lightly. My son doesn’t know of my real identity and I would appreciate if it remains a secret. I doubt he will question my words and the adjustments we made to the place will certainly change the story we are trying to tell.

To the mermaid, both those news were something he had been hoping for “Justice will be served,” she thought to herself, before looking over at the pile of garbage that laid on the corner, where the tattered and somewhat charred remains of furniture, clothes and paintings were left down there. “What about that?” Rick asked.

“That was me and employees unwinding.” Rita smirked.

———

Rick felt herself a bit to curious about meeting Kristel’s uncle. For a year she has spent some of her time dreaming as to what he would tell the magical police when they ever came to bust Elliot’s operation. The insults and accusations she would let out and the various ways he could express the same thing. Yet now that it was all done and the time had come, just found herself speechless from the victory.

The mermaid looked down at her vest she had been wearing over the last days. The only thing she considered presentable without being over all girly. She was glad it had been washed while she was out. She just awaited for Lady Rita to return. Having been called off by Kathy, telling her that Edward had arrived.

She wondered what she would tell or what would happen now. So much she had been focused on attaining freedom, she entirely forgot about the things she had to do with it. The first thing in her mind was to free her father and clear all the charges of whatever they had done, somehow.

Eventually, Rick’s finned ears twitched as she caught the sound of footsteps down the hallway, the door to the room opened as a man entered the room. He looked pretty youthful yet bore a mature expression, clad in a rather simple yet very distinguished ornate blue jacket and vest. Bearing a sword one one side of the waist and a small book hanging from the other side of the belt, all making him look like a mixture between a knight and a SWAT commando. He had a hair of almost the same color as Rita and Kristel, while he seemed to bear the same eye color as Rita.

He was followed by a man and woman dressed in a similar fashion to Edward. But the difference appeared around the badges and insignias the uncle wore, while both were carrying a couple of bags and satchels each. After them, came in Rita and and Kathy.

Rick slowly pulled herself up. The pain was present, but this time she no longer felt like fainting. Edward looked down at her with an expression of surprise and some admiration. “You must be Rick,” he said “My grandmother has told me of your deeds and a bit of your background. I have to thank you for what you’ve done.” he extended his hand.

Rick looked up at him and accepted it shaking hands with him. “Thank you sir.”

“My name is Edward Sominos Esther, and I am the regional chief of the guardians,” he said, “I have come as soon as my mother, Rita Esther, told me of the actions. And I’ve particularly come to merely verify the story, take in accounts and press the charges.” He leaned onto the side to look at Rick’s waist before turning over to the woman guardian who had produced a note pad and seemed to be writing something, with no pen. “Camilla, note here, that the presence of the mark of Kael, we’ll compare them to the old archives when possible and begin to register the testimony.”

“At once,” The woman said as her hand moved on the note pad at a slow pace. Rick frowned, unable to see what she was writing or how she was doing it.

“I would like to have you recount the events regarding Elliot and the grounds. Your testimony will be taken onto account when Elliot’s trial comes.” Camilla said.

Rick nodded and began to narrate all the events. Winding back her tale a year ago as he was hiking with his father, exploring a new place and she found herself traveling through the forest and lured into a strange lake. She narrated how it all started with her agreeing to do just this favor, she remembered how much Silvia and Marina needed her, how she ended up being branded when her time came.

Edward paused Rick for a moment “So, these two mermaids kidnapped you unwillingly?” he asked suspiciously.

Rick thought fast before answering that. “No, it was willing,” she lied and the guardians believed her.

Rita and Edward were also listening to Rick’s narration as her story went on to tell about the plan Silvia hatched and how it took the trio over to the city of Atlantis. Her narration began to catch up to the present as she narrated the execution of the first plan, the build up for it and then the subsequent failure. She mentioned how she overheard Elliot’s plan tried to list as many of the traders and negotiators with avid detail, her attempt of warning Kristel culminating as to how she was cured. Occasionally, Camilla or Edward stopped her to talk about a point in particular, especially regarding Elliot’s associates and dealings, making her recall as much as she could on the matters they talked about. The mention of people like Roland, Christopherus and Mirko, produced a reaction to Edward’s eyes.

“Mirko is a corrupt guardian?” Edward frowned as his hand became a fist “Is he the reason why resources and assets for the drug related cases have suddenly vanished? Is this why our information in the headquarters turns out to be more than inaccurate? When I catch him with enough incriminating evidence, the charges will pile up against him.”

“What charges are being pressed for Elliot?” Rita asked.

“Many, to say the least. Plotting and involvement of crimes, depending on how many we can unearth. Housing and trafficking of illegal substances, use of forbidden magic, over twenty charges for forceful enslavement, two murder charges, so far, over twenty murder attempts, two charges for meddling with unalternate… The list goes on, but it’s enough to say that Elliot’s punishment will be severe.” Edward summarized somewhat stressed as he recounted the events.

“I can’t believe this… all those charges. All those atrocities under the nose of my family. I didn't saw it, had I come here, to visit Kristel years ago…" Edward said, gritting his teeth. Even though he didn’t show it, Rick pictured he was still dazed by the news. His hand went down to the sword on his belt, trembling with silent fury “I could’ve stopped this, if I’d only pressed on the investigation for Devdan’s death more throughly. My sister would be… I want him executed, I want to…”

“You didn’t knew, Edward. Believe me, I feel the same way…” Rita said reaching to hold Edward’s hand. “But hold your senses son, has caught up with Elliot,”

“I know, mother…” Edward looked down at Rick “Pray continue,” he said trying calming himself down.

Rick nodded “The rest of what happened is the moment we all rebelled.” And so, the mermaid began to retell the events, from the battle in the employees area, to the fight with Koronir and the rescue of the children, as she began to reach the part of her battle with Elliot, Rita stepped in. “Sorry to interrupt Rick, but Kathy and I have already given my testimony to Edward on the matter. No need to make her relive that traumatic experience.”

Edward looked down at Rita with some surprise, if not doubt, but relented. “I suppose I’ll take your statement then, mother. After all, Rick risked her life tried to defend you and Kristel, and won. She does deserve some breathing air,” Edward said. Rick blinked in surprise but didn’t say a thing. Rita was giving her the credit.

The old lady looked at Rick and winked at her. This was her way of hiding her identity from her son. “Did you bring the book I asked, son?” Rita asked Edward.

“I did mother. Truth be told, when I heard you have seen the mark of Kael in Elliot’s possession, I wasn’t sure I could believe it,” Edward said looking at the other guardian who produced a rather large  and old tome. “I checked the entries regarding Kael and found a recipe to craft the Joplin’s salve.”

“Good, I’ll send Kathy, Bradhin and Ferilia to fetch the ingredients soon,” Rita smiled.

Rick gasped “That book has the way to take the mark off?” she asked.

Rita nodded “That’s right, there are a couple of chapters in history regarding the warlord Kael and one regarding Joplin.”

“No, it’s not that, but when we traveled to Atlantis we tried looking for it, and we found only one book in the great library. The salver recipe it mentioned didn't work as it should.” Rick said, somewhat hoping things wouldn't repeat there.

Edward stepped up. “Elliot will be the guinea pig in this case, especially since there hasn’t been anyone else to use Kael’s legacy until now. It is theorized the master mark has to be erased first before the others could be purged.”

“As to the lack of information. There were no mermaids or sea creatures in Kael’s regime, so there any account there is on him is mostly translated from books in the Alternate, perhaps under another name,” Rita smiled.

“Well, mother, I think that will be it for now. I will take over the interrogation of Elliot here and supervise the removal of the mark,” Edward said just as he leaned back and sighed “I promise things will be all right now.”

————

“Alright, Rick. This might sting a bit, but it won’t be nowhere close as to what it did to Elliot,” said Kathy, days after her meeting with Edward as she reached over for the tray with a mixing bowl on the night stand next to the bed and produced for a piece of cloth.

Within the recipient was pasty light green substance. One that Rick remembered vividly. It was Joplin’s salve, looking almost the same back when Silvia tried to concoct it about a month or so ago. She remember how much the that burned her skin, leaving it swollen. Looking at it she couldn't help but cringe, she still felt the wound on her abdomen, but the bandages wrapped around her torso with the proper care it would be fully healed in a matter of days.

“Y-you said it worked on Elliot, right?” Rick asked edging her hip away from it. She felt good enough to move around, barely feeling any sort of pain when she tried to move around. Rick sighed wondering when would they discharge her and carry her over to the water.

“Yes, Madam Esther took particular pleasure on it. Elliot’s arm sizzled as the mark of Kael began to fade off until it became nothing.” Kathy said with the gentle manor of a nurse.

“That sounds good,” Rick managed to say, although the sizzling part wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

“It’ll hurt just for a moment,” Kathy whispered as she helped Rick lean on her side, exposing the mark and bracing herself off for the moment.

Ah!” Rick exclaimed the moment she felt the cool mint like paste smeared onto her hip and braced herself for the worse. Just like the last time, she could feel how the substance began to tingle against her mark. The feeling of heat increasing more and more before subsiding, leaving a stinging feeling. Rick paused for a moment and leaned up to look at her hip just as the mark began to erase itself from her skin.

She stared for a moment in awe and joy as she saw the dreaded mark fade off from her skin. No longer she would be forced to serve now nor dread for someone bearing a master seal. “This is… just perfect,” she said with a smile.

“Are you ready to meet up with the others? Rita doesn’t want Edward to move Elliot until you get to the lake.” Kathy reminded as she began to search around the tray as she produced a water soaked rag and began to the clean the excess of the salve.

Rick smiled as she saw her clear skin and began to feel the burning feeling slowly disappear “Lady Rita really wants me there?” she said slowly running her hand over the skin.

“Lady Rita hates the man for all he stands for and all the things he did to the family and the people around.” Kathy said as she looked into her purse “There is no greatest insult than seeing one’s biggest failure walk unharmed and free while he is dragged into the deepest cave. So, let’s get going.”

“So um… are you going to carry me?” Rick asked somewhat embarrassed “I mean, you are strong, but i would prefer if i wasn’t held up.”

Kathy giggled at the words “Funny, but you are going to have to wake up and walk yourself,” she said producing a vial of a green liquid.

————

“This is… so strange,” Rick admitted as she made her way out of the house on her own. On her own. She was walking with human legs. Girl legs, but legs none the less. She felt so happy, so nostalgic of being able to tread on dry land on his own, he could barely believe it.

The uneven ground underneath her feet was a long missed feeling much that she felt herself willing and ready to run. Getting back on her feet had been an easy thing, and after a couple of steps she soon remembered what it was like to walk. “It’s like riding a bike.”

Not more than minutes ago, she saw how her side fins began to tingle and grow bigger and bigger, as bones slowly formed themselves beneath the scales as scales began to disappear, giving room to pink skin. Tingles and twitches spread up her body as she saw each of the fin points slowly shorten and grow stubbier and more articulated. The change sent jolts and made each of them twitch, soon slowly developing into toes.

The changes spread upwards, onto her body spreading further. Rick closed her eyes as her ears began to twitch shrinking again, their form reshaping as the fin membrane reshaped onto the cartilage becoming normal. Bringing her hands up, she saw how her membranes began to slowly recede and shrink away as she felt her insides change. She felt a lack of breath out of the sudden as her gills closed, becoming smooth skin. Her hair remained teal colored.

The new structure of her bones, was now taking on familiar shapes. Her scales began to vanish from her body as her tail kept on shrinking and regressing, losing its girth and the width of her tail’s fan. Her new side fins began to twitch, slowly stretching and growing longer. Ache spread around her joints for a moment as they began to appear. She began to lose the flexibility she was used to by now but instead, her legs gained the strength to carry her on land as her fins reshaped into dainty feet. Rick let out a startled gasp as the changes moved towards the front. The scales disappearing from the top of her crotch uncovering her new gender. She let out a surprised squeak before covering it.

Kathy giggled “Easy now,” she said as she produced a pair of black shorts and a sleeveless gray shirt. “I will turn around if that makes you feel comfortable.”

Rick nodded “Very well,” Kathy giggled as she turned around, kicking the shows closer to Rick, nudging them closer to her.

In a matter of minutes she was surprised to find herself all dressed up in a more familiar outfit and feeling the cushioned insides of shoes protecting her feet. Kathy was just amused by Rick’s joyous expression as she treaded down the woods.

Rick began to hear a mutter coming down from the site, down at the lake. The sound of voices talking and whispering to each other.

The closer they got, the more louder the sound became apparent. The trees opened up to the lake where all the employees stood by the edge of it mingling and sharing their stories and experiences. Expressing plans of hope for the future while trashing Elliot’s name, even if the man wasn’t present to hear them yet.

By the forest stood a family, or so by the looks of it. Three tall and strong yet gorgeous looking blond women that seemed to be related, along with a couple of burly if not somewhat hairy men. One of black hair and the other of a light brown. It didn’t take Rick long to realize that was Luke and his family, now in their human forms, talking and playing with their children, Cory and Alice. The little kids were rather excited, if not overly happy of being reunited. Rick was relieved to see Luke up and about.

Bradhin, Anya and Ferilia were talking together close by. Dressed in now more comfortable clothes rather than the stiff tunics and uniforms they had been forced to wear for the last two years. The two light skinned elves bore a couple of bandages around their bodies where they received Koronir’s punishment. Talking among themselves and with the little elven children, Aer and July. The light and dark elves were no longer fighting one with the other, but talking like good friends in a normal afternoon out as Frank, the satyr, whose arms and leg were still wrapped in bandages after the burns he sustained during the fight, walked up to Anya whisper something in her ear and making her blush.

Rick was a bit disappointed to find both Mina and Maelon missing from the scene. But she imagined it was fair. They both had things they have been meaning to do in a while now.

Yet the people Rick wanted to see the most were by the side of the lake. It was both mermaids floating around by the shore of the lake talking to Rita Esther, who was talking idly if not happily talking with Silvia with her grandchild by her side who was in turn playing with Marina. The black haired mermaid was conjuring her wind magic to make a large leaf dance around the lake for the child’s amusement. As Rick set her eyes on her, she felt a soothing sensation traverse her body as butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

One by one began, they began to pause what they were doing, noticing Rick standing at the entrance of the forest. Smiles drew on their faces as they saw her and began to gather around and it felt good to see familiar faces and seeing some she hadn’t since the events in the assault to the mansion. They began to approach Rick to formally congratulate her.

Petra, June and Jason had visited Rick before while she was still bound to the bed, they told her how Luke’s recovery was going. Anya, Bradhin and Ferilia did as well came over to visit him, bringing Rick a bottle of mead, a parting gift from Maelon, the satyr had been so eager to go out of the grounds the moment his mark was removed. Frank came as well, offering Rick to play a card game with her once she was up and about. Mina herself showed up for a moment to hug her, but to also apologize, for she was planning to head back to Canada, hoping to see Kent again.

“It’s so good to see you up and about. I have to thank you for saving my family,” Sasha smiled as she came closer to wrap her strong arms around Rick’s body. Burying her face into her bosom, making Rick blush. The woman was huge, most of the werewolves were rather big people. “You managed to save us all,” Sasha smiled “I am sure you’ve heard that a lot lately, but its the truth,” she smiled.

“Thanks,” Rick replied as she felt a hand land on her shoulder. She glanced back just to see a man just as tall, if not taller, than Sasha looking down and smiling at her. “Luke! I’m glad to know you are okay!” she said.

“Werewolf blood, I heal very fast when the wound wasn’t made by silver,” he smiled patting the bandages on his stomach.

“Stop that. It took most of Bradhin’s magic and focus to stabilize you, I don’t want you opening that big nasty wound.” Sasha said with a mild growl.

“I recover fast, woman,” Luke joked pulling Sasha closer for a kiss, making her release Rick just in time.

Rick laughed as she was hugged by a younger slightly blond woman, June, who wrapped her arms around her.

“You are alright,” June cheered hugging her with strong arms, kissing Rick’s cheek, rubbing her nose almost like a dog, much to the mermaid’s amusement.

“Rick, good to see you well,” Bradhin said. Her hair had been cut short into a more tomboyish look that just made her look more spunky if not youthful. Rick imagined she was partly trying to look more like her former self, Brandon. She was even wearing a rather normal tunic and a set of leather jerkins and boots and Rick probably would’ve done the same, having been given the choice, now that she had the legs to wear pants, even if it was for just a couple of hours.

“Thanks, I am glad to see, you all up and about,” Rick said as Ferilia hugged her and lifted her up much to her embarrassment in a celebratory jump into the air.

“Nice legs,” Frank teased once the drow elf put her down on the ground, making Rick blush and cross her knees.

“How is the injure?” Ferilia asked.

“It still hurts but thanks to the treatments I’m healing way head of time,” Rick said prodding her stomach area, only getting herself to wince at the feeling.

“It is good to know,” Ferilia replied, she said. Rick remembered that, according to Rita’s account, Ferilia was the one there when the doors to the dining room opened after the battle.

“Wish I could have helped you all more.” Anya said said as she congratulated him with a hug “I can’t help I was out all that time,” she said regretfully, thinking back and wincing as she remember. The beating must’ve been too much.

The celebration and mutterings went on and soon quieted down as Miss Rita Esther approached the staff. The old lady just smiled warmly at the group. “Now now, I know every one is happy on this matter, but I believe Rick would like to talk with her fellow mermaids,” Lady Esther smiled as she managed to pull Rick from the group. The other employees smiled and began to continue their talk as to what they were planning to do now that the place was freed.

“Enjoying the extra attention?” mused lady Rita with a smile as she rested her hand on Rick’s back.

“They are just… so happy,” Rick smiled, sighing as she figured that Rita must’ve have told them the same version she told Edward.

“So, how is the wound healing?” asked Rita, prodding the bandages with utmost care. Rick barely felt some pain.

“It is getting better,” Rick smiled.

“Good, a couple more sessions and things will be turning for the great of us all, I know it,“ Rita said with a sigh. “And how is the arm?”

“My arm is healing well, it feels a bit weak though,” Rick reported.

“It will get better,” Rita smiled.

“So, what happens now, Miss Esther?” Rick asked as they walked by, when she glanced back she realized she had lost sight of Marina.

“I will come to live here along with Kathy, if not at least try to spend more time here. My little Kristel has expressed the desire to keep up the work of her mother. So I will help her to do it. Silvia, as one of my daughter’s proteges, has offered to tutor her in the trade and all those matters,” Rita said looking up at Rick “How about you?”

It was then that realized she would be having to deal with the aftermath of the fight. Forcing her to make up the decision regarding as to what would happen now? By all terms and purposes, he was now a complete girl. Going back to the civilization as if nothing had happened would prove to be a difficult task. The ocean seemed like an adventure, something new, perhaps, but she didn’t desire to leave things. She did wish she could keep both, if possible. All she knew was that she didn’t knew what would happen now. “I don’t know. I suppose I will have to go free my father, afterwards I suppose it’s the sea.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out. My family is in debt with you,” Rita said as she looked as the mermaids approaching their side of the shore and pulling themselves onto the land.

“I am not sure that’s true, Madam, you were the one who did all the job and it was Silvia’s plan all along,” Rick admitted as her eyes scanned into the water looking for the missing mermaid.

“But you were a key player in the events.” Rita smiled.

Rick looked at Silvia, who was wearing a bandage made out of seaweed around her waist as well, just glad to see her alright and the feeling was mutual. “I’m so glad to see you here… I can imagine you are enjoying having your legs back.”

“I am,” Rick smiled “Though I have to figure out what I am going to do now,” she sighed, glancing at the rest of the lake, feeling soothed as she saw the panorama. The place remained the same, but the ambiance around it was different, more cheerful.

Another mermaid jumped on the lake’s surface in glee, the waving red hair and the dark maroon tail tipped her off as Mirna, Silvia’s sister, enjoying the swimming in open-er waters.

A splash came from the lake shore as Marina resurfaced with a jump and a joyous smile as she immediately climbed onto the shore and padded over to meet her. “Rick…”

Rita giggled softly she said leading the red haired mermaid and her grandchild to another side of the shore “Well then, Silvia, would you like to talk about what would be needed to get this place back into business.”

“Marina,” Rick smiled kneeling onto the shore as the mermaid dragged herself onto the grass just to be closer to her.

“About that kiss,” she started but Rick continued.

“We both thought were were near the end, and that there was a chance it would all fail?” she completed with an interrogation. She sighed “I never thought I could love again after Alita. I started acting very uncaring, and rude, just to not get too attached just to avoid feeling guilt on the matter, but as time went by and we found ourselves… stuck together. It was all a turmoil, but with you around, and after all the things that have passed…” she whispered wrapping her arms around Rick’s neck, pulling herself up and close. She thought of saying the rest of the phrase, but then shook her head “We’ve spent so much together, I just want to know where this takes us.”

“I will, I want to be with you as well,” Rick agreed before pausing for a moment “But first, my father needs me.”

Marina paused for a moment and sighed “I think… that makes sense. He is your family and you can’t leave him stuck in that place we put him in in the first place.”

Rick paused for a moment, “I never want to give you up,” Rick said

Marina smiled as she tenderly leaned closer to kiss her with renewed passion.

Soon, came the time where the prisoners would be taken outside of the park. One by one the criminals were paraded out of the grounds, escorted by the guardians.

They were all bound by shackle that glowed intermittently with runes that nullified their magic. The members of the guardians stood there  on the sidelines, watching, all men and women clad in robes and seemingly common human garments, some jackets and protective breast plates underneath them. Some of them were human others were something else. Some elves and dwarves were among them.

The procession came as followed. Starting with Roger, being bound by chains over to the next prisoner. Koronir, followed soon after, part of his body was if not slightly burned right where Bradhin’s beam hit. The criminal took a moment to shoot a glare at the elves direction.

After them came Carl, the young mage withstood a very beating from the satyr. His face was coated with poorly patched up bruises and wounds. He kept on struggling while restrained and tried in vain to fight his way out “You will see! I will break free soon and ill come back for you!” the criminal wannabe snarled at them.

By his side was Cory, walking apart for the line, only restrained by a set of manacles and a knight. Cory had no magic gift, he would be handed over to this world’s authority. For a moment, Rick felt sorry for the twin when he saw him. Half of his body was scarred from that alchemic fire bomb backfire.

Kendra followed them in the procession, her broken arm wrapped up with bandages and a splint looking hateful at the surroundings, glaring at in Kathy’s direction in particular. The apprentice replied by sticking a tongue out.

After her was Megan. The harpy was walking on her legs with her wings wrapped up with a blanket and the chains latched to a collar around her neck. Her expression gave out her defeat. She turned towards the group and tried to beg them “Please! Tell them I am innocent!” she pleaded “Think of all the good times w-we spent together!” she said. Most looked away, trying to ignore her. June let out a small whimper as she heard that, perhaps the most unsatisfactory moment of the time.

Second to last in the procession was a face Rick had forgotten about. It was Thadeus, the man she froze in an iceberg and sent him to the bottom of the well. Rick was surprised yet somewhat relieved they managed to retrieve him and free him. Admittedly, she actually forgot having left the man down there but was glad the others did. She could see him still shuddering.

Finally, at last came Elliot. The man had been given set of manacles and chains that were wrapped around his neck and waist, pulling him. His arms were more restrained than the others, considered a higher level criminal. Just as Carl did, he tried to threaten them “I will be back! Some day, I will kill you all!” he snarled. The shame was evident in his eyes, but as was the anger. Many of the employees just made obscene gestures and threw curses at him. They all wanted a piece of him, to make him pay, some more than the others. But knowing he had lost was perhaps the best consolation.

Edward approached the group at the end of the procession, “He will be locked for a long time.” He smiled.

“Take good care Edward. Hope to see you, Lisbeth and your children soon,” Rita smiled sweetly.

“I will see you later, mother. I will check on the favors you asked,” Edward said courteously as he walked after his underlings into the forest, disappearing between the trees.

Once they were out of sight, Kristel’s grandmother was already beginning to call everyone around “Now, everyone gather round,” Rita Esther gently called. “Now, I’ll explain what changes are planned to take place here, I do hope its for everyone’s liking.”