Altering Paths of Magic [Azecreth & Zoraida]

[Azecreth]

The barrier waited for her.

It rested in the back of a cottage, at the end of a small lane, some distance from the nearby farming town that served as the market for goods and products. The land was good for farming, the weather was currently pleasant, and there was nothing that one would find disagreeable. If that person didn't know about the presence of Witches and the despair that they caused, which had already succeeded in causing the deaths of several people thus far. And all those people were sorely missed.

Fiorella though, she knew the truth, about the Witches that plagued the land and feasted on human grief and suffering. She knew because she was a magical girl, a special warrior granted immense powers, so that they could fight Witches and save the people who had no idea of the lurking danger in their midst. It seemed like a tireless job, having to fight all the time and without any recognition, but it was one that she was glad to do.

"It's okay Fio, you can do it," she said to herself, bolstering her courage in the process. She stood before the barrier with a nervous demeanor, clad in her magical girl outfit. It was green and white, flowing robes that mixed with chainmail armor on her chest for extra protection. It complimented her brown hair well, and her lean form too. She had the kind of muscles that one would expect from a person working on a farm, and she bore the scars of it too. But that didn't matter to her, not with the powers that she had. She also clung to her weapon, a lucerne hammer, with a tight grip. This was her first time fighting a Witch without Kyubey to help her out, and she was nervous about how she would do.

Still, it had to be done. She had contracted to save people, to protect people, and that was what she would do. There was nothing more to it, and she couldn't simply waste the day with pointless worry. Kyubey had told her what it would do to her Soul Gem, and she was more than aware of fairies instructions.

At last she worked up her nerve, her head rising in a confident nod as she stared at the barrier. Lifting her Soul Gem, she let her magic flow to force open the barrier, giving her an entrance into the maelstrom that laid beyond. With a path cleared, she took the plunge, entering the Witches Barrier. Time to do her job.

 

[zoraida]

Dionisia was not about to interrupt on the new charge and her witch hunting, not unless something were to go horribly wrong. Perhaps Kyubey had warned her about helping out others but in all honesty, compassion was her greatest flaw. The blonde peasant girl looked on in her usual, patchy clothes that paled in comparison to the beauty that was the garb she would don when she went to fight the forces against them.

Dionisia wasn't all too much to look at without her powers and perhaps that was for the best due to the fact that her Magical Girl outfit was various shades of violet with black draped upon her akin to a cultist robe but with more flare and shorter to show off the lacy skirt underneath. She stood out, and in this time frame that wasn't a good thing. Her dull grey eyes looked on with a sense of duty but also an attempt at restraint. "Gwyndolyn. I believe the witch's name was." She muttered softly as she watched Fiorella with great interest. Please don't do anything stupid, girl... you have such life in your eyes...

"Considering the area... it must be a despair witch feeding off of those feeling trapped within this sort of life... nothing violent, just a pitiful end to a sad existence for someone who doesn't feel purpose in their life," Dionisia mumbled to herself. She had gotten used to talking to herself, after all, nobody else was listening so what was the point in holding her tongue when she was the only prying ear at the time? She eventually shook away her thoughts, trying to keep track of everything she could. The girl, the witch, the townsfolk that would likely burn her if they see the fantastic feats she would inevitably be able to perform.

Through observance it was easy to see that she would easily be able to defeat the witch with a good shot from her crossbow but this wasn't about her. She had gone on a previous hunt keeping her Soul Gem in pristine condition. Dionisia stayed not just to keep a protective eye on Fiorella but also lingered with a vague hope that perhaps, what she might find in this girl, was a friend.

 

[Azecreth]

Fiorella glanced back at Dionisia as she entered the barrier, winding up in what looked like some sort of maze made of thatch and wheat. She was glad for the presence of the more experienced magical girl, there to make sure that nothing happened to her while she took on he Witch that dwelt within this barrier. Undoubtedly she could have managed it herself, but it just provided some reassurance. She wasn't terribly confident in herself yet, and was more than aware that things might go wrong. If they did, Dionisia would be there to help out.

It was interesting enough that they had met, if she were to be honest. It had been thanks to Kyubey, the fairy introducing her to the senior magical girl in the area in order to avoid conflict. The fact that Dionisia also stumbled on her while she was fumbling about in her attempts at Witch hunting also helped, especially since she had turned out to not be hostile. Indeed she had been more than willing to assist her once the situation had been explained, and Fiorella was grateful for it.

She led the way carefully, racing past the familiars as she held her Lucerne Hammer in a ready grip. The maze was difficult to deal with, but thanks to her ability to sense the Witch she managed to deal with it in time, running through the various twists and turns that made up the maze itself, until at last she arrived at the center of the Barrier, in the center of the maze, as opposed to the nonexistent entrance or exit.

At last she arrived, coming to a stop as she viewed the Witch waiting for her. It was strange, almost like a scarecrow except bound in chains and wielding farming tools. She glanced over at Dionisia to make sure that she was watching before she charged in, with Lucerne Hammer swinging as she neared her foe. She would beat this thing, one way or another. There was no other choice.