Magic Apprentice

The shrill scream did alert Monisa that something was wrong. Likewise, Fiana started at the sound and realized the compromising position she was in. Quickly rectifying her mistake, she turned to give Monisa a smile. “Didn’t suppose this fellow was a massive pervert, did you?”

Monisa ignored her in favor of rushing out the room to check up on the real Elric. Opening the door with hurried concern, she stepped inside and was relieved to see him sleeping comfortably in his bed.

Fiana meandered into the room after her. “Where’s Siren?” She asked after making sure Elric was still there on the bed. “I figured with her personality she’d run into this room to beat him into the ground.”

Though Monisa said nothing, she agreed with Fiana deep in her mind. Was she still unable to guess how her friend might react after this many years?

For a while, neither side was able to come up with a good explanation. Then came the grinding sound. The two immediately dashed out from the room to rush for the kitchen.

Barging through the door, the two came to an immediate stop when they saw Siren standing there with a cleaver in her hand.

“What are you doing, Siren?” Fiana asked.

“What? You can’t tell?” Siren snarled.

The claw hammer used normally to tenderize beef was taken off its hook and into Siren’s hand. She weighed it carefully before nodding her head in satisfaction. “Good, good. This has weight to it. I’ll flatten that pervert into a meatcake!” Siren slipped the hammer onto her belt and brushed her way past Monisa and Fiana.

Quickly, the two ran after her and managed to grab hold of both sides of her waist.

“Let—let go of me! I’ll beat him! I’ll flatten him! I’ll turn him into mincemeat! I’ll exact justice on him! Today, a sex fiend will be exorcised! Let go! I’ll kill that demon! I’ll neuter him! He—I’ll—he dies today! I’m telling you—let go of me! I’m going to kill him! I’m going to chop him to pieces!” Siren exploded with rage, brandishing the weapons in her hands as she struggled.

Kicked five times and stepped on thrice, Monisa held on for dear life to her friend. Letting go of Siren would most certainly lead to Elric being turned into fertilizer. Though she didn’t feel as sorry for him as before. Not after witnessing such a filthy imagination. Still, that didn’t mean she wanted someone to die in her establishment. And if word were to spread that someone as famous as Elric died in her establishment, then the entire spy network she took years to establish would go up in flames. A result where all her hard work would vanish into thin air was most certainly not the result she wanted.

It was also hard to imagine that such a delicate woman like Siren would somehow have this much strength and endurance to her.

Through herculean efforts, Monisa and Fiana managed to finally disarm Siren of her hammer and cleaver. Though Siren was much weaker and younger than they were, the two were surprisingly fatigued and sweaty after expending so much effort to stop the girl in between them.

“What do we do? We can’t hold onto her forever.” Monisa asked in between gulps of air.

“What else can we do? Just look at her, still plan on letting her go?” Fiana fired back. She was just as tired as her.

“……” 

Monisa fell silent at this. Her friend had a point. 

An eternity went by by the time Siren grew calm. Eyeing her two companions, she spoke with a tone as cold as the tundra:

“Let go of me.”

“No can do. You’ll go crazy the moment we do.” Fiana refused. She had no desire or strength to capture Siren a second time.

“I said let go, I’ve calmed down already.”

“I think for insurance sake, we’ll keep you sandwiched in between. You won’t cause any trouble that way.” Monisa replied from the other side.

“How long do you plan on doing that? I doubt anyone would be able to stop me if I wanted revenge later.” Replied Siren.

The two of them understood her quite well. Siren was the type of person to hold grudges. Any person that ticked her off would forever be hounded by her. That was why anyone that knew her would never dare to get on her bad side.

Fiana laughed, “Revenge? For what? You didn’t lose anything.”

“I—didn’t you see how that demon treated me in his dreamscape? Am I not justified to take revenge for that?” Sputtered Siren.

“How he treated you? Looked like to me you enjoyed it.” 

“You! Keep going and I’ll add you to the list!”

A threat like that was empty on Fiana. The way Siren was stuck now made her seem as threatening as a kitten. Rolling her eyes, Fiana said, “Who would’ve guessed an innocent-looking person like him would turn out to be such a huge pervert? But it’s interesting how he came up with those sexual acts. How’d you feel in the dreamscape? Spill the tea, let us hear it.”

“I’m…I’m going to slice you apart too!” Siren spluttered once again, her face as crimson as blood.

“You interested? Sounds easy enough, let’s go back and have you try it this time.” From the other side, Monisa laughed in jest.

“Yes, let’s. You can have a go. And if that doesn’t satisfy you, I can arrange for you to experience such a night for real. What says you?” Siren nodded her head furiously to join in on the laughter.

Her grin growing wider, Fiana replied in a way that surprised even Monisa.

“Alright then. Let’s try it. A dream’s a dream, I dare say I won’t be out on anything. You’re on.”

Letting go of Siren, Fiana straightened her back, leaving Monisa and Siren dumbstruck in place. Together, they watched as their friend walked straight back into their original room.

“She’s addled, that one.” Siren shook her head mournfully. Despite her friend’s words, Monisa could see by the glint in her eyes betrayed a different emotion.

A while later, Siren finally turned to address Monisa:

“No, definitely not. I know his ilk. He’s going to bring trouble, that one. Who knows what’s going to happen if I’m not there to keep tabs on her? I have to go supervise.” But the knives she had and the hammer still clipped to her waist wasn’t at all convincing.

Standing up on her own two feet, Siren blushed for a moment as she stared at Monisa before finally turning to walk back into the same room as Fiana.

Exhausted, Monisa collapsed against the wall. That had been an eventful moment! Slowly trekking her way over to the rooms, she peered into the room on the left where her two compatriots were scrutinizing the hallow with renewed interest. Fiana, this time, was the one in the dreamscape while Siren watched by the sidelines in rapt attention. Shaking her head at the way Siren blushed and fidgeted with her hand, Monisa walked away. She wasn’t like her two friends. She hadn’t the same interests as them anymore. Closing the door, she moved to the room Elric was in and gently placed her hand onto the doorknob. 

“Good night, I wish you sweet dreams.” She laughed. Yes, Elric would most certainly have a sweet dream tonight. A nice and sweet dream where two beautiful women would serve him all night.

The door closed. She stepped away to the nearest window and looked out. Night was here. Lighting a candle, she took it with her and moved to head for the neighboring room; her room. 

Even late at night, Monisa would often hear a giggle coming from the room next door. These giggles would persist even after she fell asleep.

Hours later, when night became day and when Monisa woke up at last. Draping on herself some warm clothing, she strode out from her room and opened the door to the one on the left.

She was met with a sour smell the moment the door opened. Wrinkling her nose at the smell, Monisa looked to the table with the hallow. As expected, the one operating the hallow was Siren this time. 

Feeling strangely abashed after being intruded upon, Siren looked away from her friend. “I…I was just trying to see if I could find any new information.”

Monisa couldn’t help it. Laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. Her friend’s embarrassment, the restless hand of hers, the flushed red cheeks and eyes of hers, and even her disheveled hair. But it was her clothes that were the most distinctive. Her top was wrinkled and creased, but her skirt…had a stain on it that made her clothes stick to her thighs. 

Fiana was in a similar state as well when Monisa turned her attention to the other. Her eyes were just as red and sleep-deprived as her friend, but the stain on her pants was even more prominent than the other. Had she not known better, Monisa would’ve said that Fiana had pissed her own pants during the night.

Being caught by Monisa must’ve embarrassed the two, for the two immediately let out a scream and dashed out from the room, leaving Monisa alone. Walking slowly, she moved to the center table and put a stop to the Oculus’s magic. 

Her task complete, she exited from the room and strode into the other.

That was the moment when Elric began to wake from his slumber.