~Aqua~

  In order to gain some context to the current situation, let's go back in time.

  Melodious Aquamarine is one of many local heroes in Helix. No one knows where she truly came from, but rumors state that she was raised by a pirate a capella group, who took advantage of her magical powers to raid ports all over the continent while they themselves performed in taverns. But one day, she met a strange creature - a seahorse wearing a bowtie who could breathe air and water - who was responsible in teaching her morality. Not wanting to hurt people anymore, Aqua abandoned her crew and ran away to live a nomadic lifestyle to atone for past crimes.

  At least, that's how the story goes.

  No matter the story, the end is the same: A young, nameless girl - for no one knew her real identity - awakened as a magical girl, vigilantes (often teenagers or young adults) who fight crimes of mundane or magical nature with the aid of their familiars. Her understanding of hydrokinesis grew thanks to the tutelage of Mr. Horsey, whom she met at a young age after she found a beautiful gemstone on a beach.

  "Hello, I am the spirit of Delphinus. My form changes based on your favorite aquatic creature. Ah, I see you love the seahorse. Then I shall assume this form for you, my lady."

  The spirit of the stone materialized itself, taking the form of a floating seahorse wearing a bow tie.

  "I needed the vessel of the aquatic creature in question. Fret not, my lady; I found this particular creature alone in its habitat, rejected by every potential mate. While it does not truly understand the scope of our mission, it welcomes your company."

  ***

  The young girl took the heroic persona of Melodious Aquamarine, a heroine who blasts monsters and criminals away with orbs of water, alleviates all who thirst, and sings sea shanties for seasick sailors. In time, she was loved by most people who were visited by her. Others viewed her as a menace who needed to be stopped before her acts of heroism brought the unwanted attention of great evil to the world.

  Despite lacking proper education, Aqua was tutored in both history and the ways of the world by Mr. Horsey, who was knowledgeable in all subjects and offered the young girl answers to all questions that she had. It took a long time, but Aqua eventually attained an acceptable academic level after she turned 19 years old.

  And her first official mission was given to her not long afterwards.

  It was during a visit to Helix City where she was contacted by law enforcement. Hearing of her heroic deeds, a high priest of the local church of the Hammer of Justice sent the police to bring her to him so he could grant her a holy mission. It was a dangerous mission, and he could not entrust this mission to just anyone. But his acolytes were inexperienced, and his people needed him, and with no one else to turn to, he prayed for a miracle.

  Once she heard the mission objective, Aqua immediately accepted. She was tired of fighting petty crime, and this was her chance to prove herself against the face of evil. Mr. Horsey advised her to be careful, and not let hubris be her downfall, but allowed her to go with understandable reluctance.

  She was to infiltrate the Order of the Blue Jay, an organization that fell from grace recently and was currently under investigation for demonic activity.

  ***

  Melodious Aquamarine, wielder of Delphinus

  14th of Cobre, 2pm, 1659

  It didn't take long for Aquamarine to find her quarry.

  Skipping along merrily on her way to Hammer's Reach, about 30 minutes after passing by an abandoned compound, she found three men wearing azure capes surrounded by a party of bandits. Two halflings, two dogfolk, and an orc made way for the apparent leader: a human male with tan skin and coarse hair tied in dreads.

  "Well, well, well," the bandit leader wagged his cutlass carelessly, "if it isn't the Order of the Blue Jay. What are you cultists doing this time?"

  "Cultists?" The older of the Blue Jays kept his polearm steady. "You must have mistaken us for a different bunch. We're a righteous group hunting the evil creatures of the forest!"

  "Likely story," said a cute, red-haired halfling.

  "We don't mind plunderers, but we don't take kindly to demon worshipers. Hand over your valuables, or you'll walk the plank!"

  "Walk the plank?" Aquamarine was a lot more interested in this exchange now. It would be ideal if the pirates and the Blue Jays wiped each other out, but she needed to infiltrate the latter.

  She needed to chase away the pirates.

  "Stop right there, evildoers!" Aquamarine stepped out of the bushes and pointed at the pirate leader. "I won't let you hurt members of the Blue Jay!"

  "Hey, Captain," the orc pirate said, "ain't that Melodious Aquamarine?"

  "By the ravaging seas, that is her." The captain grinned. "None of you are a match for her. Let me handle her."

  "Uh, oh, he has that look again," said the red-haired halfling. "Captain, as your chief mate, I would advise that fighting her is a bad idea."

  "Quick, initiate the 'Save the Captain' maneuver," ordered another halfling.

  The pirate crew then surrounded the captain and lifted him up from every angle. "Hey, what are you doing?!"

  "We got him," the male dogfolk said. "Retreat!"

  "Hold on, you guys! Wait!" Humorously enough, the captain was carried away, unable to free himself.

  Aquamarine knew the pirates were doing the world a favor by mugging the Blue Jays, but trust from the latter needed to be won over. She decided not to give chase, instead putting away her scepter and checked on the rescued trio. "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, we're fine." The older of the trio clutched a wound on his arm, which appeared to be a minor cut. "You're Melodious Aquamarine, right? I'm Spark, and these two are Hunter and Chet. You have my thanks for saving our skin; those damn pirates nearly had us."

  "I heard you say you were hunting down the evil creatures that lurk this forest. Do you need some help?"

  Spark bowed courteously. "You honor us with your presence and offer, ma'am, and we shall accept it. Would you mind scouting ahead of us?" He pointed in the opposite direction of where the pirates had gone.

  "Okay! Be right back!"

  Once Aqua had skipped away, Spark and his party sneered.

  Chet was not pleased at all. "Boss, why did you let her join us? Now she's going to upstage me whenever I play a bard song."

  Spark was not happy, either. "Melodious Aquamarine has a bounty of seven thousand gold pieces, paid out by the bigwigs of the Order themselves."

  "Seven thousand?!" Hunter immediately drew his knife. "Let's go off her, then!"

  "No! She's most likely on edge because of the forest. We'll have to win her trust, first. Then we'll kill her when she least expects it."

  Not far away, Aqua skipped merrily down the road. Mr. Horsey, in his natural seahorse form, had fallen behind and just about caught up to his master.

  "Unsurprisingly, they're currently plotting to kill you when you least expect it," he reported.

  "I see why the old priest sent us to find them. If they were demon worshipers, they would have no qualms about killing a heroine of justice!"

  Aqua wanted to make the arrest now, but she would need concrete evidence if she were to justify it in court. For now, she would have to continue her infiltration and stay on her guard. The Blue Jays never tried to kill her in her sleep, but Mr. Horsey kept watch every night just in case they tried.

  ***

  Present day

  Aqua's status as a nomadic heroine would often attract unwanted attention to her. To keep a low profile, she would remove her disguise and pose as a young student named Joanna Jones. During her time in Hammer's Reach, she made a new friendship with a girl named Clara, secretly witnessed Hunter and Chet get arrested for trying to rob an inn, and accepted to aid a young paladin and his crew for a daring rescue inside a giant's lair.

  Pretending to be a naive maiden had its toll on her brain. She knew the Blue Jays were rotten, but she was alarmed to see Alistair's group figure it out when a red bird spilled what the villains had been plotting behind their backs. If they knew now, it was only a matter of time before the villains were unmasked and were forced to flee.

  Which is why she was relieved when they, too, decided to wait things out until they arrived at the giants' lair. She heard how Lenoria recounted some of her knowledge of the local wildlife and flora, using the red bird to ask Clara for confirmation. When she heard from a young boy - who was invisible to Spark, apparently - that the giants grew manchineel trees to ward off intruders, Aqua knew she had to be on her guard. Spark was oblivious to the fate that would soon befall him and his friends.

  Which brings us to now.

  The young heroine had been naively hopeful that her mission would still succeed, but Spark had picked this very moment to declare her death. She was hoping to come up with a plan after the Blue Jays made the decision to kill her and her new friends, but nothing had come to her. There was no way she could infiltrate their headquarters now. Worse still, she had to be careful not to expose her powers of Delphinus before them; if she could see an invisible red bird, it was possible Clara could figure out the full extent of her powers.

  She had to fight with her own abilities instead of relying on Delphinus. It was a good thing her Soulstone could take the form of her hairpins; she would hate to carry it around and keep people's attention away from it.

  ~Lenoria and co.~

  The giant's footsteps were getting closer. Blinded and injured, Spark and Chet stumbled their way towards the exit as they left Hunter behind.

  Alistair was furious. "Where do you think you're going?!"

  Spark turned back as he ran away. "The deal is off, little man! You deal with the giant!"

  "Boss, wait for me!" Hunter ran after them, but due to his watering eyes and the poison of the manchineel tree, he soon stumbled on a rock and tripped.

  "Sorry, Hunter! But it looks like you inhaled most of the smoke! You have to remember the rules of the Order!"

  "'If anyone in the Order falls short, cut them off no matter your bond,'" Chet said. The two Blue Jays stumbled their way out of the cave, hoping to leave enough distance before the giant could see them.

  "That's not fair, you guys!" Tried as he might, Hunter could not see no matter how much he wiped his eyes. Hearing the girls behind him, he had an idea. "I can't die here! If I can just grab Aqua-"

  But it was too late.

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  Hunter had discerned where the room was a little too late, as he made a leap but was soon grabbed by the scaly monster.

  "What do we have here," the giant said. "Did you open the door? You're letting the smell of the marinade out!"

  Hunter frantically pointed at the door. He was not completely blind and could make out the door from the rest of the cave's features. "No! They did! They're the ones you want!"

  The giantess looked back at the room where she held Allie, but all she saw was the chained girl.

  "I'd rather be here than run away with you, thief!" Allie stuck her tongue out at Hunter, who had just ran out of options.

  "Oh, so you planned to rescue the little tot." The giantess tore the cloak from Hunter, shredding it to pieces with a single claw. "Well, now that I have you, I will eat you! Any last words?"

  "Uh..." Hunter's face brightened as if he had an idea. "You mind starting on the legs first? I mean, if you're going to 'eat' me..."

  Hidden behind the great metal door along with the girls and Tsukuyomi, Alistair couldn't help but facepalm. "What is he doing?"

  "Don't think on it too hard," Lenoria whispered with an annoyed heavy-lidded stare.

  The giantess just stood there. It appeared that Hunter had achieved his desired effect. But then...

  SNAP

  "AAAAAAAAAH!" One tight squeeze was enough to snap Hunter's legs. "No! Mercy! Mercy!"

  "Fool. I don't get why humans say things like that in their last moments, but I love to hear their screams when they realize their error."

  "Mercy!"

  The giantess flung the thief away, who soon collided with the cave wall. His face now a bloody mess in part of the nose wound and the collision, the blood masked his sight completely as he made one last pathetic attempt to crawl away.

  As for the main group, they almost felt pity on the Blue Jay. But between the predatory scheming, deceit, and intentions of murder, they just couldn't bring themselves to jump in to help him. Aqua, not really having witnessed a murder before and remembering the bodies near the entrance, closed her eyes.

  "Miss Aqua," Alistair said compassionately, "I understand how you feel. A hero's path is never easy, and you'll witness your fair share of murders. If this is not the life for you, I would be happy to help you exit gracefully. As for the rest of you, we need to come up with a plan. We only have a few precious seconds before she comes over here."

  Pulling out a meat tenderizer - the kind shaped like a hammer - the giantess approached her prey and raised her hand. Hunter, crawling away at a snail's pace, hurried as best as he could.

  "Thanks to you, I almost lost my appetite. I refuse to indulge your desires but at least you'll make food for the rats." Using her free hand, she pinned Hunter in place. "Die!"

  SPLAT!

  Blood splattered across the cave floor with each swing of the tenderizer. "No one. Makes me. Lose. My. Appetite. Without getting away with it!"

  The giantess swung and swung until Hunter was nothing more than a bloody paste in rags. Taking deep breaths, she tossed the tenderizer away and turned her attention to the door.

  That's when she noticed the mark of a hammer on her belly, and more humans. She froze in horror as the little armored boy she met earlier and a machine next to him both charged at her, while three women stayed by the door; two of the women opened fire with their weapons while the smallest of the three sang a beautiful aria.

  This was Aquamarine's answer to Alistair's proposal. To move forward with the giant's demise over her infiltration mission, she did not think about the scoundrel who just perished but instead her mind was on the girl behind her.

  "Your cannibalistic ways end now, monster!"

  Melodious Aquamarine

  Surprise Round