Grimoire’s Return. discussion

On the other side of the Isle of Aenia, lay an entire encampment dedicated to their enemies, the land known as Illusium.

Ace had gotten progressively worse on their walk, always just staring ahead and dragging her feet behind her. As if she wasn't actually there, just physically with them. Clearly, she was mentally somewhere else. The shine had gone out of her eyes and her hair seemed darker just in the slightest. She'd fallen behind the group a while ago, and showed no signs of catching up.

(cough)

Hestia glanced back at Ace for a moment as they stepped over the boarder into the encampment.

Or, at least, it SEEMED that way. Quickly, she went to hide in the shadows, before she noticed Ace, still dragging her feet, still slow.

Hestia paused. “Infernalis? Are you okay?”

She took a step towards the girl, ignoring Marcus and Hadrian’s frantic whispers.

They seemed to find one another friends fast.

Something snapped. Not audibly, but inside of her, like a game of tug o war.

Her body changed. Her hair got longer, falling down her back in silky black waves. Her skin was the same caramel color as her mother's now. She got taller, like her body itself was stretching until it was satisfied.

When the terror stopped, golden eyes peered at Hestia, pupils small and eye contact almost too fierce to hold.

"Hello, Hestia."

That was not Ace's voice.

Hestia stepped back. Marcus, curious as to why Hestia wasn’t with them already, came next to Hestia, raising his brows.

“What’s wron—“

He paused.

His legs went weak.

“No.”

Then the world exploded.

Hestia flew back, and landed on her chest, grunting at the impact, the wind knocked out of her. She looked around, her ears ringing with a piercing sound.

She winced, and limped to her feet.

Ace. Where was Ace, what had happened…

She first saw Marcus. He was on the ground, and her eyes connected with his.

His last words was her name.

Because as soon as he attempted to stand, a sword was shoved into his back.

(YOU MFER)

The woman --She was NOT Ace-- laughed.

A man was bleeding out in front of her, and she was laughing.

"Pitiful." She hummed, bending down to meet his eyes. Her stare really was unnerving. It was like she peeked into your very soul.

She cupped his face with one hand, and it was like she'd completed a circuit. As if electricity flowed through her fingers. It was searing, burning pain, but..

The wound was mending. This woman was helping him.

Marcus’s cold dead eyes were staring into Ace’s.

Not Ace’s.

Ace?

Hestia was confused and shaking and Carnam was dead. Her ears rang with a sound so loud it seemed like it would swallow her alive and whole and she would drown.

While Ace attempted to heal Marcus, Hestia looked at his assailant.

Nothing but a armored man, wearing a mask sculptured in the shape of a skull. It was a jet black, and gleamed in the colors of the fires around them.

Hestia glanced at Hadrian, who nodded at her.

And she charged herself at the assailant.

(Marcus is dying bestie)

(and eleonora is helping him stupid ass)

(No that’s illegal)

(no its not)

(maybe goes against her morals but ace would literally make the body spontaneoudsly combust if she ddin't help him)

(Not the self-combustion simply because Ace wants him to live😭)

(no fr :'D


nora is like siggghhhh fine ig)

(So it’s more like, an unwillingness to do it, but being forced to by yourself)

(yes

being forced to by the owner of the body so you both dont cease to exist)

(Ah, I understand now)

(so true)

(Bestie i was going to kill Marcus 🧍🏾)

(no shit sherlock)

(Well, maybe it wasn’t obvious for you you do be dumb)

(im the dumb one???? okay illiterate give us everything!!!)

(Bitch you spelled illiterate wrong)

(Wait nevermind no you didn’t)

(dumbass)

(And you love it so respond to the shit now ❤️)

Dorian wrote: "Marcus’s cold dead eyes were staring into Ace’s.

Not Ace’s.

Ace?

Hestia was confused and shaking and Carnam was dead. Her ears rang with a sound so loud it seemed like it would swallow her alive..."

Her stare was so cold. She seemed so unaffected, like she’d seen it all before.

Her gaze was unblinking, fierce and deranged. Her smile was perfect, she was beautiful. It was one of the scariest things about her.

To know that someone so beautiful could have the worst intentions.

Her magic hurt, even though she healed him. It was like sacrificing your life to earn it back.

The Dark Man.

That’s all Hestia could think, as she grabbed a dagger from the sheath on her leg and slashed it at the assailant. The man quickly moved out of her way and threw himself at Hestia, making them crash to the ground. Hestia scratched at him.

Hadrian, glancing between Marcus and the witch con the ground, gritted his ferry before pulling at the Dark Man’s leg. The Dark Man kicked back, and Hadrian’s head snapped back, blood spurting from his nose.

“Fuck.” He said, as he stumbled and collapsed to the ground. Hestia, using this as a chance, grabbed another knife and she stabbed down at the Dark Man.

At the right moment, he moved out of the way, and thanks to the quickness and how much weight she placed on the knife, she couldn’t stop it as she stabbed herself in the leg.

It was like ice water had splashed on her.

She let out a scream.

The woman rose to her full height, clearly annoyed in some capacity( like she couldn’t be bothered to help them. But she did anyways.

She locked eyes with the man, who immediately seemed almost.. entranced by her. Casting a spare glance towards his knife, she moved the hand that mirrored with his, putting his hands together, blade towards his stomach.

And she forced the man to stab himself. Her own hands to her torso, she dragged them across her waist, watching as the man replicated her motions.

She nearly decapitated him.

Hestia stared at the man as he stabbed himself. He was silent, there was no grunts of pain, no screams.

There was only the sound of guts and blood and the knife sliding across his skin.

“What the fuck.” She said, her manner non composed. She couldn’t afford to be the Stirian Queen right now, only Hestia. She looked at Ace, and she scsramboed upwards, the pain is her leg screaming.

She get blood dripping down her body as she curled her hand around the hilt of the knife in her leg and pulled it out.

She looked at Ace.

“Who are you?”

The woman smiled.

“I don’t think we’ve met.” She said in a voice too sweet. She sounded so composed, so happy despite all of the gore in front of her. It was unmistakeable, she looked like Caspian. But it wasn’t her. There’s no way it could’ve been. This woman smiled like nothing mattered, and Caspian smiled like everything did.

She looked down at Hestia with her feline eyes, trailing her gaze down to the blood steadily dripping from the wound on her leg. She reveled in the sight for a brief moment, before that pesky girl in her head started screaming to help her. She waved her hand, watching the skin net and weave together.


“My name is Eleonora Labelle.” She said finally, smiling in a way that made you shiver.

Hestia stumbled back as the skin on her leg knitted together, healed. “What? No, she’s dead. YOU’RE dead.”

But she saw it.

The golden eyes, the dark hair, the mischievous smile.

She may have never met Eleonora personally, but she had seen her far away plenty.

Oh Saints.

Hadrian, pressing a hand to his nose, unsheathed his Venandi dagger, something called Solus. “We need to kill her.”

“NO.”

Hestia and Hadrian whirled, Marcus behind them. He was stumbling and wavering standing up, still weak from blood loss. “If we kill her, Ace dies too.”

“Very good, Marcus. Very, very good. He’s right. If you kill me, Ace dies with me. So I’d refrain from using that weapon of yours, yes? I’d hate to fight when we’ve just met.” Eleonora pouts, examining the each of them.
Quite a ragtag bunch, weren’t they?
How did they expect to get anything done like this? Getting attacked left and right and barely fighting back. They were still children in her eyes.
“I do believe I could be of some assistance, at the very least, if you could ignore my.. history.” She was still smiling.

“Absolutely not.” Hadrian said, before Hestia dragged him towards Marcus.

She looked up at Marcus, but somehow managed to seem TALLER than him if anything. “What. The. Fuck, Marcus?”

Marcus stumbled, and leaned on Hadrian. “I don’t know. Last time I talked to Ace about Eleonora she simply told me that if Eleonora got released, then that would be bad for EVERYONE. She didn’t specify a whole body snatching ordeal.”

Hadron raised a tanned hand. “I doubt she knew? Because if she did she wouldn’t be possessed right now, I imagine.”

Marcus raised his brow. “No? Then what is she? Because last time I checked, Ace didn’t have healing magic.”

Hestia snorted. “You wouldn’t know would you? Considering you tried to murder her and then ditched her for two years straight.”

Marcus squinted at her. “You barely know he—“

“Guys! Focus.” Hadrian commented. “What do we do?”

Eleonora was laughing, watching them come apart like this.

“I didn’t tell her. If I told her, she could have prepared. Then it would’ve been much harder for me to take over, wouldn’t it? You really need to think more often, Hunter.” She hums, using the name Ace used to refer to him within their mind.

Right now, Ace was crying.

Nora ignored that.

“This is… Aenia, right? Border to Illusium? Or has it changed since? I’d like to say hello to my daughter, if you don’t mind. I’d be back before you know it.” She hums, turning that feline smile on them again.

“NO.” Marcus said, a wave of consciousness coming over him suddenly.

He looked at Hestia and he whispered. “If she kills Cas, then we are done for. There is no possibility of stopping her, no matter how cliche that sounds.”

He turned to look at her. “You want to help us? Help us find out what the hell is Illusium doing, and THEN, we’ll talk.”

“What are you DOING?” Hadrian yelled, grabbing Marcus’s shoulders. “Are you stupid?”

Hestia motioned with her hands, using her magic to move Hadrian back from Marcus. “Let him do it. He has more experience with Ace and her family than we do after all.”

Than SHE did.

And that kinda hurt.

Eleonora shrugs, crossing her arms.
“Fine. I suppose my revenge can wait.” She huffs, locking eyes with Marcus.

“If you waste my time, I will have your head. Do you understand?” She whispered, voice quiet but no less dangerous for it. She was utterly terrifying. It was hard to believe there was ever a young woman, hopeful and in love behind those cruel eyes.

But there had been.

She casted her glance to Hestia, who looked awful troubled.
“Is something wrong, Queen Stiria?” She asked as if she cared. She spoke as if she was concerned, but her expression told a different story. Even her eye contact seemed mocking.

Hestia stilled.

Everything seemed to still, actually, become nothing.

Hestia glared at Eleonora, willing herself to stop from charging at her. “How. How do you know who I am? No one does.”

No one.

She had covered her tracks, made sure no one would know, so how did..?

Marcus glanced between Eleonora and Hestia. “What? What does she mean ‘Queen’?”

“It’s nothing. She’s speaking nonsense.” Hestia quickly assured.

“I know a lot of things, Hestia. I have ears everywhere.” She said simply, as if it was common knowledge. She’d met the king’s father, she’d been entangled with him a few times. Of course she knew. She liked to keep tabs on people.

She was like a python, always waiting for the right moment to strike. She was venomous.


…



“She lives? She cannot live. CANNOT live.” He muttered frantically, clutching his chest.

But it was true.

She lives.

He could feel it.

Abandoning his research, he stalked over to a picture pinned on the wall. A girl (surely a woman now) with dark hair, with the brightest smile you’d ever seen. It was the only picture he had of her. The only memento of her face.

“Dearest Caspian.. please stay safe.”

Hadrian breathed hrd. He held Solus tightly to his chest, shaking for fear, with anger, with everything that was possible to shake with.

“Why.” He said, quietly. “Have we not lost enough? Have we not been hurt and tortured and been THROUGH ENOUGH?” He spoke with held back anger.

“I lost my lover in this war. My parents. My best friend. I have seen shit that you will never see in your LIFE. And now, to top it all off, I have to deal with you, someone who will be worse than all of the previous combined.”

His shoulders sagged a bit. “I can’t do this, Hestia.”

Hestia glanced at him, and for the first time in her life she felt pity for a Venandi. “We’ll figure it out, Hadrian. I promise.”

She faced Eleonora.

“What’s your deal?”

“I have no ‘deal’. I’m simply using Acelopina as a vessel. I could let her come back to you if you’d ask nicely.” She glared at them, promptly ignoring Hadrian until he began to speak.

“You know nothing about me. You don’t know where I come from, what I have witnessed. I don’t want to end more lives than I already have or than I already plan to, but you’re making it quite difficult, aren’t you Hadrian?” She snarled, clenching her fists at her sides. She looked like she was ready to strike, like a pot just short of boiling over.

Marcus glanced at the others. “Give her a chance. Maybe she’s changed.”

Hadrian stared at him. “A witch that has killed not only her own KIND, but innocent people as well? No.”

Hestia glanced at the witch, who dallied and sun music to herself. “I believe her. I don’t know why, but I do. Can you try to, Hadrian?”

He bit his lip before meeting Eleonora’s eyes. “Okay.”

Hestia nodded, before facing Eleonora again. “Bring back Ace. NOW.”

The woman sighed, before letting Ace regain her own body.

Ace held her chest, coughing and stumbling backwards. She gasped for air before regaining her composure, still shaken.

“I- uh- Didn’t expect that. I’m sorry. I can’t fight her. But she said she’d help, right? That’s a good thing, right?” She tried to reason with them, eyes skittishly glancing between the three. She didn’t want them to be angry with her. If they were angry with her, what was she supposed to do? Just go back home? No. She wouldn’t be doing that until she figured out how to handle this parasite inside of her.

Because Eleonora was quite literally draining her dry of both her energy, and her magic. It was practically a test of her own might, trying to keep her at bay long enough to get a word in.

Hestia stared at Ace for a moment before waking up to her.

And she slapped her.

“Sorry?” She said, shaking with anger. “SORRY?!? Because of YOU, Infernalis, we have one of the most powerful witches unleashed in someone who barely knows how to keep her at BAY. And all you have to say is SORRY?”

Marcus put his hand out. “Hey, Hestia, no. That’s unf—“

Hestia turned towards him.

Marcus recoiled at the sight of her eyes. They were a dark, dark, night sky purple, glowing with her anger. “Hestia. Your eye—“

“No. You have no place to talk, no place to try and judge ME for my reaction when you tried to MURDER SOMEONE. Someone YOU claimed to love.”

“What do you WANT me to say?! ‘Yeah, I’ll keep fighting her until I literally drop dead!’ Is that what you want from me? Because I can do that. I’ll fight her until my body decays and all that’s left of me is a pale, cold corpse. I want to fight her. I do. But if I fight her, I fucking die, and she finds another vessel. She will never be stopped, Hestia. If you want to be angry at me, fine. I’ll turn right back around and go to Lara Palace, and you three can handle this bullshit on your own.” Ace spat, Chaos circling around her wrists and all the way up to her forearms.
“He might have tried to kill me, but you’re punishing me for something I have NO CONTROL OVER. If anyone has no room to talk, it’s you. Do you know how much I know about you, because of her? You think I don’t know you, Hestia. But I do. Do NOT touch me like that again. I swear to Stars if you so much as brush against me I will gut you.”
Her eyes were practically glowing, sapphire blue and angry. She was flickering again.

Hestia gored at her. “You don’t know me. You don’t know me at ALL, if you think or believe what an evil witch tells you. And if you do believe that… then maybe you aren’t the person I thought you were. Not willing to stand up to the war council, allowing yourself to fall for a man that tried to kill you… the signs were all there, but I ignored it, because I thought there was finally someone who understood me. Who understood what someone like me— what a WOMAN— has to do to survive in this world full of men.”

But apparently not.

Again.

Hestia moved her finger, her body slowly raising in the air. “I’m going to see what Illusium is up too, considering I doubt any of you remembered that’s why we’re here.”

“Believe what you’d like, Hestia. Have fun.” Ace waves, swinging right around and beginning to walk.

She was angry. She’d never been so angry. Why couldn’t she understand that Ace didn’t WANT this? She didn’t want a parasitic horror of a woman inhabiting her body, able to snoop through all her memories and taunt her.

The woman inside of her wanted to rush at that stupid, selfish, ignorant excuse of a witch and take her down.

But Ace didn’t want to do that. So she kept walking, wiping furious tears from her eyes and praying that she could be in bed, waking up from a dream. Waking up from a nightmare, more accurately. Most if not everyone in her life hated her, and she wanted to hate them too.

Marcus followed after her. “Ace.” He said, almost hesitantly, before saying it again, louder. “Ace.”


He placed his hand in her shoulder. “Ace.” He swallowed hard. “You told me on that battlefield that you live me and that you wanted to try again. But the way you looked at Hestia… do you love her?”

Hestia lifted herself in the air, before slowly making her way towards the Illusium encampment. She made her way over it, when she pushed.

There was a smell in the air.

What the hell?

Ace shoved his hand off of her. He had no right to touch her. No one did.

“It’s none of your business. I’m done. With all of you, alright? Go back and finish what you started, Ive got a war to fight.” And then she kept going, seemingly in no mood to talk. When she got back, she’d definitely be breaking something. Maybe multiple somethings.

She was tired of being scolded like a child, even though she’d had blood on her hands and she’d killed hundreds, maybe thousands. She hadn’t kept count. She was tired of everyone thinking they knew what as going on in her head. She was tired.