@Rndy: I thought you had died or something D: ehehe glad you're enjoying this tho, I'm certainly having fun writing it.
@KB: points to you for guessing Aika. ^^
Yeah Dr. Reina isn't a role I'd usually put her in but she's the ambitious type of person that excels in what she's passionate about so it works here. :3 Yeah Sayu has a thing about hating wolves. She'll come around eventually (I mean who can hate Aika, seriously). As for Gaki's fate... Read on!
@kjpop: So yeah I envisioned (with the help of the video above) like young Sayu + drunk headmaster Yuko or something and Yuko bein all "You're a wizard, Sayu." and Sayu all like what, no, you're insane.
AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE?
I'm seriously considering moving this into the main section cuz... It's starting to run away from me oh noes~ Enjoy~
Crimson, Part III"Put her on the table there," Reina motioned to the servants, who laid Risa out on a raised stone slab in the center of the room. The main area of the laboratory had once been the dungeon's torture chamber, a fact that never failed to set the scientist on edge whenever she set foot inside. Though it had been completely gutted and refashioned with the proper equipment and looked nothing like its previous incarnation, the atmosphere always seemed a bit oppressive, and Aika complained of hearing faint screams now and then. Reina attributed this to the unending mysteries behind lycanthropy, and had long since ceased to doubt the younger girl's claims...
Impatiently dismissing the servants with her hand, the impulsive young woman hovered over the table, able to see her patient more clearly now under the lights--strange orbs that were some trick of Sayumi's, intended to hover around anyone who entered the room.
"Help me get her armor and clothing off."
Aika obediently moved to begin undoing the knight's boots, and Reina shot a pointed glance at Sayumi, who stood off to the side with her arms crossed.
"She's bleeding all over the place," The witch stated dryly, making it obvious she wasn't about to lift a finger. "I don't do blood."
Reina snorted, biting back the urge to comment that there wasn't much Sayumi
did do other than make her life difficult. Soon she and the werewolf had rid the knight of all barriers, and the scientist winced at the sight of the deep wounds on the woman's shoulder. Lycan fangs could crush metal like dead autumn leaves, and the venom they transmitted was extremely potent and nine times out of ten, fatal. If a human wasn't ripped to shreds during an attack, the poison was sure to kill them. Rarely was a person fortunate enough to be consumed by the curse instead.
"She's got a great body, though~"
The scientist scowled at her partner's words, quickly draping a white sheet over Risa's body.
"Pervert," She hissed, though she couldn't control the way her face heated up at the words, "Make yourself useful and conjure up some water, will ya?"
Sayumi smirked devilishly, but complied nevertheless, murmuring words in an ancient tongue, drawing water from the air to coalesce into a sphere that hovered in between her hands. This Reina passed pieces of cloth through and used them to clean Risa's wounds. As she worked, she realized Aika was shifting uncomfortably at her side, and the scientist looked to see that the werewolf was fidgeting with the collar about her neck, fingers recoiling in pain each time they accidentally brushed against the silver bits.
"It's about time we built you a new one, I think," Reina commented, nodding at the device, "You've outgrown the last three so fast..."
"I don't like it," Aika whimpered, "It burns and it chokes me when I transform..."
"It's a symbol of your rightful place," Sayumi cut in, shooting Reina a sharp glare before the scientist could attempt to comfort the younger girl, "Without that collar, the knights would cut you down on sight. You should be grateful you've been afforded the distinction."
The scientist whirled to face the witch, prepared to give her a sharp tongue-lashing, when the girl on the table moved, a light groan escaping her lips. The trio gathered closer around the knight, each with varying degrees of shock on their faces.
"Impossible- an attack like that..." Reina's eyes shot to the wound on Risa's shoulder, and watched in bewilderment as the edges of skin began to slowly stitch themselves back together of their own accord.
"Proves your theory that the venom affects everyone differently." Sayumi replied, curiously watching the wound as well.
So focused were the two that they realized too late that Risa's eyes were beginning to open, the irises colored a deep amber-gold. But Aika's focus never left the knight, and as soon as the woman lunged for Reina, the werewolf shifted, snarling and pinning Risa to the table with her massive paws.
The knight struggled against Aika, a growl of her own escaping her mouth as she stared the wolf down. Reina watched in a mixture of horror and fascination as the woman spit blood and teeth from her mouth, sharp canines quickly moving to fill in the gaps. She'd watched Aika transform many times, but this was the first time for her to witness the venom taking hold of a victim.
"Sayu!" Her worried shout snapped the witch out of her own fear, and Sayumi uttered a spell that caused the chains dangling at the corners of the table to spring to life. The chains wound themselves tightly around Risa's limbs, binding her to the stone slab. But soon they would be completely ineffective, and Aika was not exactly the strongest representative for her kind.
As the knight convulsed and writhed against the chains, Reina darted to the other side of the room, fumbling with a pouch attached to her waist. Eventually she managed to produce a key from it, and the scientist knelt down beside a small wooden chest, quickly unlocking it. Inside lay a single item: an intricately carved amulet with a blood-red stone set into it, attached to a delicate golden chain. The stone glowed faintly when she reached in to grab it, the result of some ten months of magical endowment by Sayumi.
When she returned to the table, prepared to slip the amulet around Risa's neck, the witch's hand shot out to stop her.
"It's not safe." Sayumi hissed, "The incantations aren't yet complete- we have no way of knowing what it'll do to her."
"We don't have time to test it," Reina replied firmly, yanking her arm free, "And in minutes we're going to have a very angry newborn lycan on our hands. Unless you have a better idea, we have little choice."
The witch relented, stepping out of her partner's way as she moved forward again, pulling the amulet over Risa's head. As soon as the stone touched the knight's skin, it shone more fiercely, and the woman fell limp against the table, unconscious once more.
A heavy silence fell on the room, neither the witch or the scientist able to speak, and a few moments passed before Aika relaxed enough to shift back into human form. The young werewolf peered curiously at the amulet, its crimson glow reflecting in her eyes.
"Is she dead?" Aika questioned, reaching a hand out tentatively as if to touch the stone. Reina quickly pushed her away.
"No. Not dead. But you might be if you touch that." The scientist warned, still tense from what could have happened.
"What... is it?"
"Think of it as an inhibitor of sorts..." Sayumi offered lazily, her demeanor the polar opposite to Reina's edge, "It's meant to keep the venom from spreading throughout her body. I assumed it would need much more preparation than this but even I surprise myself with how good I am at magic sometimes~"
"I don't think it's stopped it completely," The scientist started, hovering over Risa once again, "Her wounds are still regenerating, and her body temperature definitely exceeds that of a normal human being."
It wasn't even close to a cure, but perhaps it would buy them some time. Working with Aika had been all but fruitless, as the curse had overtaken her system so completely that it was completely resistant to anything she and Sayumi tried. But the knight was in a limbo stage of sorts now, and there was a chance they could cure her before she turned. It gave Reina hope that their research hadn't been in vain.
"So what do we do now?" Sayumi asked, growing impatient.
"We wait until she wakes up. I don't feel comfortable doing anything until we've at least asked her about it first..."
The witch rolled her eyes.
"You know we have to carry out the experiments whether she agrees or not."
"I don't care, I still want a chance to explain everything first."
Sayumi threw up her hands, shaking her head as she turned on her heel to exit the room.
"Fine, but I'm having a collar made in the meantime. ...I'll get another one made for you as well, dog."
Reina scowled as the witch insulted the young werewolf yet again, but Aika simply smiled and nodded her head.
"Thank you, Michishige-san..."
"Whatever."
And then she was gone, much to Reina's relief. Sayumi was intelligent and extraordinarily talented but they'd never once ceased to get under the other's skin. How Aika managed to greet her with a smile everyday was beyond the scientist's understanding. Reina sighed, running a hand through her hair as she gathered her thoughts.
"I need you to watch her. And let me know as soon as she wakes up." Reina turned to Aika, earning a nod from her companion, "I don't know if the amulet will suppress her emotions, and though she hasn't turned, I want you there with me just in case."
"Of course." She didn't need to ask. There was simply no way Aika was about to leave the person she considered as good as blood alone with a potential threat.
It would be another three days before Risa finally woke up.