With the dragon very much dead, we won the Great Hunt. It was accomplished with all the grace and finesse of a rampaging rhino pack. The side show to the dragon hunt starring Azara as fake-dragon was a success as well; she had hardly any arrows in her hide after being chased by the rival team.

The blessing bestowed upon the winners happens tonight at an unknown location, followed by a public ceremony where all the spectators celebrate the newest champions of the Clans. Not that we'll see the latter, since our plan is to massacre the high druids during the blessing ritual.

Before that we're supposed to make use of a holy spring to cleanse ourselves in preparation for the blessing, however. The spring is hidden deep within secluded woods, and consists of a pool of water so clear its almost invisible, with only a slight ripple distorting the view to its sandy bottom.

"Wheeeeee~! The water tingles~!"

Celica cannonballed into the water and found out that yes, this holy spring is not dangerous to a being formed of pure evil. Thanks Celica.

I tip my toe in as well. Aside from slight tingly feeling like that of a Jacuzzi, it seems perfectly normal - if icy cold - water. No hot spring episodes here, this is ground water from depths of earth, only a few degrees above freezing. Azara dipped in the pool for a fraction of a second, then ran away like a cat, so it's just me and Celica now. I'm Ais and I don't give a fuck about ice, while Celica is splashing around so energetically she probably doesn't even have the time to feel the chill.

Taking a look around, I notice here and there small lights of fireflies against the shadowed forest, giving the place almost dreamlike quality. I don't have time to relax though, not when the main event of this overtly long mission is imminent.

"We should decide how we'll execute the... execution of the druids."

"Ehhh~? Chill out for a moment, Ais~."

Celica sounds almost hurt that I dared to discuss our purpose here instead of splashing around, while Azara join in the discussion from the edge of forest.

"They're going to be busy with their ritual non-sense, cutting their throats should be easy."

"Yep~- We'll bag~ the geezers~, no problems~."

Is cutting throats Azara's solution for everything? Not that it's a bad policy, but they both are bit too gung ho about this for my liking. I still remember my death match with the druids, and this time there'll more of them and they'll be more powerful too, presumably. It'd be better to play this smart rather than brave...

"If we could collapse the cave on them, that'd take care of it neatly..."

"Wait, did you say cave? Nobody told me it's a sodding cave!"

"They didn't?"

"Oi, Celica, did you hear anyone say that?"

"Nope~, didn't listen~!"

This is weird... I was certain the actual ritual will happen inside a large cave hall, but how did I know that? There was no information about the details of the ritual after all. ...I must have heard one of the druids saying it - if it was just at the edge of my hearing, I might have registered it subconsciously. Or I'm just plain wrong.

"Well, in any case I say we take no chances with them. Let's just hit them with a barrage of hellfire as soon as we're in position."

Judging from how well it worked as sucker punch against the druid squad I defeated earlier, it's the logical choice here as well. However, in my experience demons are averse to using hellfire as first strike, both because of its finite reserves, and because they often have this feline taste for playing around with their victims. While Azara isn't too happy about it, Celica seems receptive enough to my approach though.

"It'll be a blast~, tehe~."

"I still like stabbing them better. Just blasting them away with hellfire is so impersonal..."

"Two in favor, one against. Democratically deciding our plan shall be hellfire barrage then."

"Demoncratic?"

"Technically that isn't wrong either."

"Huh? What's she going on about?"

"Just~ ignore it~, we got~ more important stuff to discuss~!"

More important than this? Coming from Celica I have my doubts, but I dare hope she has something good to say for once.

"Did you find out something about my past maybe?"

"Indeed~. 'Tis time~ for top three of Ais' battle-tactics~! Poor Azara wasn't there to witness them after all~."

"Eh?"

"For a grumpy~ stone-faced Ais is oft racy~. Big sis' third most favorite~ was when you stripped topless in the midst of a duel~. No-one could resist that hypnotic sway~!"

"This isn't what I meant!"

Azara just sits there with her jaw open as this idiot keeps on blabbering.

"Number two~ is the newest too~. Not even dragons are safe~ from Ais deep thrusts~! What a way to go~!"

"Celicaaaa..."

"Buuut~ Celica thinks oldie~ is goodie~... that poor direwolf never knew what hit 'im~, when Ais devoured~ him with her vag--"

"If you continue this topic, I'll perform number two on you."

"Ehhh~. Celica isn't into scat~, but if Ais~ wants that~, then... Tehe~."

"........."

"Hey now~, who brings weapons to a bath?! Uwaaah, scary~! Just kidding, I was just kidding!"

***

So I was right about the ritual happening in a cave at least. A lower ranking druid led us to an opening in the side of a rocky cliff, also well out of the vicinity of the Great Hunt camp. We're bid to step into a lift of sorts, a closed box made of metal. It looks bit heavier than dark age technology elevator should be for my comfort, but it's supported by reinforced cables, and this isn't really time for being picky. The guards start wincing a wheel, and we descend into the shaft that leads to the ritual chamber.

It's quite slow ride, a slow descent in darkness only lit by the faint light of the entrance. While Celica hums absent-mindedly and Azara fidgets around, I have a moment to collect my thoughts. I never had the leisure since my realization that life I believed mine was a complete stranger's, partly because I went and accepted this mission.

Why'd I do that anyway? Or all those other contracts with the empire and others, as well. I mean, come one me, undercover mission with Celica and Azara? My warning bells did ring like crazy there, so why'd I stick my hand in this steaming pile? Even though my memories and personality are just copied, I should have shunned so obviously bothersome tasks - the original would have done that without a second thought.

Was my original personality a workaholic, and now that subconsciously tugs me to be more diligent? ...Wait a minute, Celica ushered me into this one. And I did several contracts because she convinced me that I should try to be a better succubus. And that tournament mess way back was her idea too. Everything is her fault, clearly!

I glare at Celica, who looks at me quizzically. However, after the good while of being in dark, we pass into a cave. Lit by a fluttering light of a single torch, the cave is painted with long shadows into the walls due to piles of boxes and barrels it contains. Are they using this cave to storage? I expect our lift ride to end here, but it shows no signs of decelerating, and I can see the shaft continuing below us.

Just as we are about to pass the cave, I see a single flash of weird purple light and the shape of a person lit by it. Wall of solid rock blocks the view soon after, but... What was that? A druid doing shadow theatre?

"Something smells fishy here..."

"Not me~. Nuh-uh. Celica's lady parts~ are--"

I ignore Celica and try to recall the shadow of thought that sight gave... the color and movement of the shadow silhouette’s hands... it's that of a short-range communication spell. ...How did I know that? No, there are more imminent matters right now. Spell like that means the druids want to coordinate something. Is it for the ritual's preparations? I doubt it requires clockwork timing like that. Which means...

"This is a--!"

Before I have time to start acting on my suspicions, a faint 'fump' sound heralds two summoning lights - they appear almost simultaneously beneath me and Celica. Normally I'd jump off faster than you can say 'druid ambush', but there's no room for any of that in the narrow elevator box.

"-- trap. Great."

I guess it was too much to hope for that the druids were blind, deaf, and stupid enough to not realize our stampede.

Celica starts pounding the floor of the lift, but it's already too late to avoid the summonings; we both are being pulled in. Azara, however, seems to have been standing in a blind spot.

"Why you got summoned but not me? Am I not worth summoning?!"

"Shut up Azara, this isn't something--"

Flash of light, and practically instantaneously the summoning is finished.

"--to get envious about-- ...Geh."

I find myself inside a summoning circle, in a much larger cave hall than the one we passed. Celica is trapped in an adjacent circle, and surrounding us are seven druids, all with the trademark beards and sickles. And they certainly don't look like they are here to brew magic potions to defeat the Romans.