Realm of the Holy Warriors

[Demon Lord Gira]

Before anyone asks, yes I am working on the next chapter to NoED... it's just that, classes have been a pain, as has my own laziness. What I am going to post here, are a pair of chapters that I worked on for class that covers some of the more non-demonic aspects of my world, atleast at the time the story is set. I hope you all enjoy.

The Realm of the Holy Warriors
Chapter 1: Sea of Giants

Waves splashed along the side of the large ship as it passed through the waters. Overhead, the morning rays of the sun shone upon the glassy sea, casting its bright glow for those who could see it. Seagulls roosted on the top of the hundred meter vessel’s guano-caked hull, and barnacles anchored themselves to the underside of the ship.

Not that any of this mattered to Cecile. She was looking back toward the shore as it slowly vanished over the horizon, the last bastions of civilization fading from her eyes. She threw her head over the side of the railing and barfed, only to receive it all back with the added taste of salty water filled with plankton and krill. The wave washed over her, and she nearly lost her footing, her plaid vest and pants soaked to the brim and her brown hair matted down. “The sooner I am off this damn deathtrap, the better.” She groaned, holding her stomach in one hand. Why did she even have to be on this stupid boat? The shipment of X-5 Prowlers could be handed off to the people on Legos Island without her having to oversee the delivery of them. No doubt this was Emperor Jettro’s way of getting back at her for failing to attend his daughter's birthday. Cecile groaned again, and slowly pushed herself in the nearest doorway. Her eyes were glazed over, and she was struggling to keep her footing as the ship rocked back and forth. Who the hell even ran ships in this damn ocean? Wasn’t the life here too dangerous for any sane person to do that?

“Come on, Cec. I know ye Holy Knight tykes have more guts than that if ya can bash in monster’s skulls all day!” The voice of the captain, the only person in this world crazy enough to do such a thing, blared over the speakers. “It’s just ye and me and them robots ya brought aboard, so ya better hunker down and not defile my ship!” the voice blared as Cecile opened the door to the bridge of the ship. There, seated at the control panel, microphone still in hand, was the old fart she was stuck with, a grizzled old man in his 60’s. His beard was white and dead, as was the rest of the hair on his head. Scars ran down the side of his face, with one going over the left eye. He wore a blue jacket and jeans, and he didn’t seem particularly tall, being a few inches shorter than Cecile was. He turned to look at her, and the moment his mouth opened, Cecile’s nostrils were bombarded with a ghastly odor. “I told ya to hunker down… Are ye here to bite me ear off?”

“As soon as we are at Lagos, I am getting off this stupid boat.” Cecile snapped, as the boat lurched to the side, nearly causing her to fall on her back. She grabbed a handle on the wall and held firm, gasping as the boat held steady again. “This is just too much. Give me my land-grounded office or even my Enforcer over this death trap, and if anything happens to me, this little boat of yours is getting scrapped and you thrown in jail”

The captain chuckled as he pressed a button. In front of him appeared a hologram of the planet, of the one single horseshoe-shaped continent terrestrial life called home, and of the numerous island spread out in the sea around the horseshoe. “Listen, I know yer an official Knight and all, and that yer guy’s words are law, but yer words mean nothing in the ocean. We all know ye control the whole economy of the planet, that ye Holy Knights own and run everything, but not this ship, and not my career. Just because ye run around in yer fancy mechas built from demonic technology left over from the Human-Demon war a few centuries back, protecting mankind from monsters and demons, doesn’t mean shit to me and my family. We live independent from yer rules, we live to care for ourselves, and I could care less for some sea sick bitch and the Emperor. I could throw ye overboard now and he’d never be able to lay a finger on me. Got it? I know these seas, gurl, and none of ye Holy Knight tykes got anything to handle it. So quit ye bluffs and enjoy the ride.”

Cecile glared daggers at him, but stayed silent. She knew he was right. Even as the right-hand man of the Emperor himself, she held no power over this crusty old pirate, as much as she hated to admit it. “Alright then… so do you remember the route you have to take, Captain Burgle?” She asked, adjusting her rose colored glasses with one hand. “This shipment can’t be taken by air-“

“Yeah yeah, I know.” Burgle hand waved her off. “All yer airports are shut down by the recent hurricane, hence ye need my assistance. We just left Torkensport here.” He said, placing his finger on the edge of a bulge on the outer right-hand edge of the main continent. Then, he traced it over to a small island off the coast, a lone island amongst the main global ocean. “It’ll take us a while to get there, missy. This part of the ocean is all shallow, less than 200 meters. No need to worry about sea monsters between here and the island, the ocean here’s too shallow for the real nasty stuff to get in… So just head on down to the hull and look out on the ocean floor. Ye might as well, since there’s little else to do on the Orthicone.”

Cecile growled as she made her way from the main bridge, leaving Burgle where he was. Well, at least this was meant to be a safe route. She reached the stairs and climbed her way down into the main hull of the ship. She caught herself as the ship lurched once more, gasping as she finally set herself down off the stairs. Being on this ship wasn’t worth seeing those revolts on Lagos being put down by the Prowlers. She’d rather watch the ensuring massacre from back at home from a live video feed. Once she reached the main door, she pushed it open, and collapsed against the wall of the main cargo hold. Light flooded the hull the moment she came in, thanks to the sensors built around the doorway. She couldn’t help but smile as she looked upon the Prowlers. They were 15 meters high, auto-piloted machines that, according to one of her business partners, was a cockpit on legs, and with twin double barreled machineguns coming out of the sides, and portable missile launchers on the back. She had to say, she was damn proud of her invention. Even at a mere age of 23, she had developed the wave of the future. No longer would there be need for police officers. Plated in titanium steel and with enough firepower to level city blocks, it was the ultimate device in crowd and riot control, patrolling neighborhoods and city limits to ensure peace , no matter the cost. No crime would go unpunished, and the mere sight of one of these would scare rebel rousers into submission. This would free the actual Enforcers to not babysit lesser cities and towns. Of course, there were only two modes for it: Patrol, and Kill, otherwise there would be no way to keep the rebel rousers in check…

The ship jolted again, throwing her onto her side. Her head banged against the side of the wall, and she groaned in pain. That had been far more violent than the others… at least the Prowlers were tied and bolted down. She looked out the large glass window, and couldn’t see the water, only greyish flesh. “Captain, you said this area was safe of monsters!” She shouted, backing away from the window.
“Well, I said there USUALLY aren’t any monsters in this area.” Burgle’s voice crackled over the intercom. “But it seems we have quite the treat today. A Monstro whale, the largest creature on the planet. Come on up to the bridge… she’s a friendly old face, and a dear friend of mine. “

Cecile shook her head as she once more ran up the stairs and out onto the deck of the ship. Once she was over on the right hand side, she could see it. It was a massive whale, far larger than the ship they were on, swimming right beside it. A jet of steam and water vapor blew out of the blowhole, jettisoning up a few hundred feet into the air. It was like looking at a moving island. Scars ran down the side of the whale’s body, and its eye, a massive thing twice as big as she was, was looking back up at her. It took every nerve in Cecile’s body not to move. To be this close to such a giant, just a few dozen meters away… was complete madness. All safety protocol she knew told her to run, but there was nowhere TO run. She knew all she needed to about these kinds of whales. While they were filter feeders by nature, they had been known to toss ships and even Enforcers around like ragdolls with a single slap of their tails. Never mind the fact they could expel powerful bursts of air that, when concentrated, could blast through even the toughest hulls of any mecha.

“Ahahahahahaha.” Burgle rasped as he stepped besides Cecile, who stepped away from him. “This here is Mola, a friend of mine from the days of my grandfather. This whole seaward business is something that my family’s been doing for 30 generations, since before the days of ye Knights, and the sea has been our constant companion. My grandfather used to tell me how Mola here saved his ship from a pack of Daggertooth sharks. It wasn’t an intentional save, but he returned the favor a few months later by saving her calf from those very same sharks. Since them, this boat, even with all the upgrades and technology added to it, is the one figure she treats as family. Her calf has come and gone many years ago, and she’s now too old to mate, but she roams on alone, patrolling this waterway when the rest of her kind stays away. The plankton here in this stretch of ocean may be normal sized and not two meter giants, but there’s still more than enough for her to survive her, along with the other inhabitants. Go on, say hi to her. She likes visitors.”

Cecile looked over at the captain, a confused and exasperated look on her face. That… had to be the craziest, most bizarre story she had heard all week. Being friends with a giant whale over the years… it was absurd. Nonetheless, he seemed to know his stuff. Grumbling to herself, she held up a hand and waved it over at the giant whale. “Um… Hi, I guess.” She shouted over to the massive Monstro. To her surprise, the whale slowly rotated over onto its side and raised up a flipper, before slapping it down. Once more, water splashed into her face, and the boat lurched to the side, but this time, she was prepared, and didn’t slip around. As the spray died down, she could really see just how massive this creature was. It was like being an ant on an anthill next to an elephant. “So this is what the blood of slain gods can do…” She mumbled in awe. To think something so big could seem so harmless… but then, there was always Charybdis.

“See, told ya she liked company.” Burgle chuckled. His smile slowly was replaced with a frown as the whale twisted around and swam away, leaving them be. The last that could be seen of it was the large, serrated fluke as it dipped beneath the waves, into some oceanic trench in the area. “It seems as though we’ve entered even shallower water, around 60 meters, too shallow for her to follow us. Better make sure we don’t run into some corals” He ambled off toward the bridge, and Cecile followed him. This man certainly was an oddity, and unlike anyone else she had ever know. “So, got a family or something? We’re about halfway there to the island.”

Cecile let out a long sigh. “Not really. My father died when I was only 8, and my mother when I was 14. Both were pilots in the Enforcer program, and lost their lives against demons. The Emperor’s staff took me in and raised me. Never did go to college, I grew up and learned all I needed to from my parents, and later on, the official staff. Like you said earlier, we Holy Knights own all the main businesses and regulations in the world, and what we do might seem morally wrong to others, but it is for the best. Otherwise… how else would we as a species survive in a land filled with giants forged by the blood of gods, and devils from the Underworld?”

“So ye say,” Burgle whistled as he sat back in the captain’s chair. He reached over to the cup of coffee he had and took a sip, before placing it back down. “Shame about yer family. I know that’s happened more often than not on the island... My wife and kids have lived under a shadow of fear on Legos, yet we stay there. It’s where we’ve lived our entire lives, and we will keep living there, regardless of what you Holy Knights say of us. We of Lagos live as free from your corruption as possible… though, we do need those mechas to deal with the more militant among us.”

“Yeah, I sorta figured that.” Cecile said as she looked down at the radar. Currently, it seemed as though they were alone in the ocean, nothing near them with Mola having gone off on her way. “So… you have any other interesting friends you mind telling me about? We of the Holy Knights might be interested to know.”

What she got was a dirty glance from Burgle. “What, so ye and yer pals can come in, kill them, and mount their heads on yer mechas? How about no unless I got no choice. Last thing I want is for them to be slaughtered, since they ain’t no menace to anyone, got that?” he snapped. Cecile recoiled back from the sudden anger in his voice. She… hadn’t expected that.

“Oh don’t worry, you old fart. I won’t tell anyone… that Monstro whale was quite something to see, I must admit.” She assured him. She wasn’t really one to go around and make trophies of the monsters and demons she killed… but she knew he was right, again. She personally hated seeing the corruption that had spread through the ranks of those below her, the fact they all were thinking only for themselves, wanting senseless slaughter of human life and the risking of civilians for their own glory and pride padding… but then, was she that much better herself, designing a weapons system with no “non-lethal force” mode? She shook her head. No, that wasn’t it. What she was doing was for the greater good, and it was required. Otherwise, the riots and vandalism wouldn’t end. History itself had told her that lethal force, no matter how dangerous, was always needed to stop crime.

“Oh no… Please tell me this ain’t what I think it is.” Bugle’s voice shook her from her thoughts. The captain was looking down at the radar, where three large, streamline pings were converging on the ship. Judging from the size of the pings, they seemed to be around 50 meters long, and the shape suggested…

“Daggertooth Sharks.” Cecile swore under her breath. “Got anything that might be able to kill them? Tenacious bastards are one of the reasons we Holy Knights never really took to the sea. They kept gnawing through the hulls of our mechas, and of any ships we built.” If would figure they would run into some. They were among the most populous predators in the oceans, and a menace to any form of sea-craft and even low-flying planes. But the worst part, was that they always hunted in packs, able to swarm and tear their prey apart by numbers and speed. So while they were far from the largest things around, they were a top tier menace, able to hound and kill even fully grown Monstros with repeated bites and venomous, acidic fangs that could melt through steel.

Burgle scratched his head as he tried to remember. “I think we reloaded up on some chemical, Putrescine, they call it, a few weeks back. They say it’s used to repel fish, but I haven’t tried it myself. It came for ye Holy Knights, saying it was the best repellant for sharks.” He said as he reached for a large green switch. A large jolt shook the ship, throwing him out of the chair and into Cecil, both crumpling to the floor. They both groaned as they got back up. Sure enough, large dorsal fins, creamy grey in color and 5 meters high were circling around them. The boat rocked again, the cup of half-finished coffee thrown to the ground and shattering. “Of all the damn times for a pack to patrol here... They never enter water this shallow.”

Cecil, however, was already gone. As the boat lurched once more, she held firm and kept heading down the stairs. “Please let the Prowlers be safe… Please let the Prowlers be safe.” She muttered to herself, only to be thrown down the stairs by another lurch of the ship. She hit the ground with a loud thud and slid into the main cargo hold, her glasses clattering away. “Owww… stupid damn sharks.” She groaned, reaching out for her glasses. Everything was a blur, a mash of colors and shapes splashed together to create a giant uniform blob of shades. She finally grabbed the cold handles of the glasses and put them on… and froze.

Coming right for the ship, in full view of the glass underside of the ship, was a massive Daggertooth Shark. Twin horns jutted out of the top of the head, creating the appearance of a devil slowly swimming toward the ship. Jagged teeth protruded out of the jaws of the fish, and a series of spikes ran down the sides, spines dripping with venom. The beast opened its jaws against the glass side of the ship, and the Orthicone was rocked back from the blow. As Cecile tried to keep her footing, she saw the shark slowly turn away, exposing the cold blue eyes of the killer fish as it swam away… only for another to take its place to bite at the ship, and another, and another. Now all she could see was an entire pack of Daggertooth Sharks bumping against and biting the glass part of the ship, their signature teeth sliding against the glass… but Cecile knew that sooner or later, that glass was going to chip, reinforced or not… and then they would be screwed…

Her eyes widened as the sharks parted away. One particularly large shark, a solid 30% larger than the others, one eye scarred over and a horn broken. With a flick of the tail, the Daggertooth charged forward, speeding toward them like a torpedo. “FIRE THE GAS, NOW!” Cecile screamed, bracing herself for the inevitable impact…

Nothing… There was no impact, no fountain of cold water splashing into her, no drowning… She slowly opened her eyes. The ocean water outside was no longer a clear blue, but dyed the color red with blood. The water was frothing outside, and the boat was swaying back and forth still, though that was dying down now. Cecile realized that she had stopped breathing, and after taking a deep breath, she began to ascend the stairway once more. “Please tell me that gas you had worked… “

“That wasn’t me.” Burgle’s voice called down from above. Cecile noticed that his voice had an edge of excitement to it, no doubt from whatever it had been that had saved them. “Ya might wanna come up here and see this.”

Up like a rocket she went, running up the stairs at breakneck speed. If Cecile hadn’t been the one to stop those sharks with his special chemical, then whatever had done that deserved her greatest praise. Dying out at sea like a sailor was a disgrace for someone of her standing. Who or what had saved her, she didn’t care. She was just happy to be ali-

She opened up the door to the outside of the ship, and her heart sank faster than any shipwreck in the past 300 years. Standing, or to be more precise, laying right next to the ship on her back, eating the very Daggertooth that had been about to ram the boat, was a mermaid, but larger than any mermaid she had ever seen. Long crimson hair flowed off the back of her head and into the water, and a full 700 meters from her head, her tail rose up out of the water, the emerald scales glistening as the water fell l off them. She wore a large blue robe that covered her upper body, stopping just at the base of her pectoral fins. She stretched her hands upwards as she swallowed the shark whole, the thing more like Minnow being swallowed by a child. “Greetings, Captain. Didn’t expect to run into you this time of day. And who might your passenger here be?” Cecile’s heart froze as the oversized mermaid looked down at her. She had heard of this creature, the very bane of the Holy Knights, the largest middle finger the planet had thrown in their way… and now this mass murderer had her undivided attention.

“Great to see ya here, Charybdis.” Captain Burgle shouted up to her as he strolled out of the ship and onto the deck, a sly sort of chuckle in his voice that didn’t escape Cecile’s notice. So he HAD known she would be here… This was more than damn coincidence… this was her being taken to her funeral! “True, I tend not to go here this time of day, but I got a special delivery for Lagos Island, courtesy of this lovely lady here.” He gestured over to Cecile, who tried to shrink back, to make herself as small as possible. “A special Holy Knight request, ya can say.”

Cecile swore internally. Well, there went her life. She was now officially a dead person. Had he not mentioned that little tidbit, perhaps she would have survived… Was this some sort of cruel evil joke he played on her, to die to an oversized mermaid? And sure enough, the giant obsidian eyes of the monster were once more only on her. To Cecil, it was like starring into the depths of oblivion. “A Holy Knight, you say.” Charybdis mused, slamming her tail down into the water. The boat was rocked once more, but it stopped as she grabbed the vessel in one hand, and hoisted it up. Never had Cecil felt so small, so weak as that moment, before the bane of her existence. “ Now what would bring one of you mermaid murdering meanies out here into my turf again? I take you are familiar with my status as Goddess of the Sea, correct?” Charybdis asked. Her voice may have sounded like a normal teenage girl, but it was just so loud, Cecile had to put her hands up to her ears, and even then, they felt like they were going to tear apart.

“Yes, I am fully aware of who you are, and the power you wield.” Cecile said, her voice with an edge of fear in it. She was trying to keep her cool, to mentally tell herself she was in no danger, but when she was literally at the mercy of a beast whose hands could tear down mountains… She would have to be careful with her words, otherwise, there would be trouble. “I am only here to make sure this delivery of Prowlers arrives at destination. I had no idea we would run into you.” It took everything she had not to jump ship and take her own life. Nothing was worth dealing with this monster…

“So you say. I hope for your sake, and for your dear Emperor’s, that you are not kicking up the mermaid trade again behind my back, because last I checked, that had been outlawed a good 30 years ago.”

“Only because you handed our asses for 200 years and forced us to get rid of our best source of fuel, you oversized guppy.” Cecile muttered under her breath. When she saw Charybdys lean even closer, and her mouth open to reveal 30 meter long fangs swing out from mouth, Cecile realized that she had somehow heard that insult, and tried to cover it up. “No offense, I was merely stating what is fact.”

“And me being an oversized guppy is a fact?” Charybdis hissed, a long forked tongue slid out of her mouth. She glared down at Cecile, her eyes narrowing. Silence was all that echoed across the sea at that moment, man and monster starring at one another…

And then, Charybdis burst into laughter, one hand on her sides. “Okay, that’s a pretty good insult. I haven’t heard that one there before, so you win this round, little lady.” The colossal mermaid snorted. “Haven’t heard one like that since the days of the old Kingdom of the Sun…” That just left Cecile’s mind in a blank, before she let out an internal sigh. Saved from death… that was too close for comfort. “Permission to check your cargo real quick before I let you go, captain? Just have to make sure it isn't something I'd hate.”

Burgle, who had merely watched the whole thing with earnest, smiled and nodded. “Of course. Why would I deny a pretty lady like you that right?”

With her free hand, the titan pried open the door on the ship to the cargo hold, and after reaching her fingers in, pulled out one of the Prowlers. Hands that could crush an Enforcer into a pancake handled the 15 meter mecha with intensive care as she looked it over. “Amazing… I hadn’t seen this model before. What’s its purpose?” Charybdis asked, as she looked at the gas cap on the side.

“Ummm… it’s made for patrols in cities and towns. Our current Enforcers are spread far and thin, so we need more automated machines to keep down internal strife. And no, they do not run on Mermaid Souls, but electricity and oil, in case you were wondering.”

“Okay then.” Charybdis replied to the Holy Knight as she carefully placed it back into the cargo hold and closed the door. “You two are free to pass, though I better accompany you both to the island. There’s a lot of Daggertooth around for some reason.” Even as she put the boat down, she reached into the water and pulled up one such shark in her hand. The predatory fish tried to flail around and escape, but in the hands of the gluttonous mermaid, its fate was sealed. Cecile turned away as she heard the slurping sound of the shark going down Charybdis’s throat in one gulp.

Once both Cecile and Burgle were back in the main bridge, Cecile collapsed onto her back. “I really, really hate you. Why did you not tell me you had a murderous titan for a friend?” She gasped, finally letting herself break down.

Burgle’s laughter only added to her resentment. “I told ya, I wouldn’t tell ya any other friends I had. Now bunker down, we’re almost there. Then we can drop off this load and I can take ya back home… or miss Charybdis ca-“

“Finish that statement. Go ahead, I dare you.” Cecile glared daggers at him. “The last thing I need right now is to get an even worse heart attack from that oversized lamprey carrier.”

The ship rocked again. “I heard that.”

“I know ya did, Guppy. I know ya did.”


__________________________________________________

Chapter 2: The Holy Knights

The cries of seagulls rang out across the harbor of Lagos Island as the sun hung high in the sky like a ball of yard dangling by the claws of a kitten. The barnacle and guano-caked hull of the Orthocone gently bounced up and down on the waves as it lay tethered to the dock, the only eyes keeping watch over the anchored ship being the resident gulls slurping down their fish. It was low tide, so the ship was several meters below the dock line. A pair of iguanas lay perched on the docks, tanning themselves against the very light provided by the very gods whose blood ran deep within the planet.

“That will be two million credits for the Prowler shipment.” A voice caught the attention of both reptiles. The iguanas splashed down into the water as Cecile and Burgle walked down the dock, along with two other figures. One was a young woman, with long ruby hair, and emerald eyes. She wore a simple blue robe that stopped just above the knees, and was barefoot, twirling around on her toes. It was as if the world meant nothing to her, all its woes and tribulations rushing off of her like water off a duck’s back. She hummed and whistled as she waited for the transactions to end.

The other person was far older, looking at least 70. He had a short grey beard, and his form was hunched over like a ground sloth, though he needed no cane to keep walking. He had large reading glasses dangling from the ridge on his nose, and was rubbing his baggy, pale eyes that seemed to look whichever way they wanted. He had a brown fur jacket on, and a long, drab coat that dragged along the ground. In his hands was a piece of paper, and a pencil, relics of the old ways of man, ways that he and the island of Lagos represented. “Two million? I thought it was going to be more that than.” The old man asked, looking down at the numbers on the paper curiously. “Based on what I have heard on the sort of sales you Holy Knights do, I was afraid it would be seven and a half million, which we cannot afford.”

“Well, consider it a discount, elder.” Cecile explained. “They are the latest model, yes, but these were specially designed for the sort of crisis you have here on Lagos island. The normal models are more expensive, since these ones require less energy, and thus save you and those living here of resources.” As she said this, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the girl who was now hunched over the edge of the dock, looking down at two swimming iguanas. To think this girl was the damn mermaid that had nearly crippled the Holy Knights. Sure, she looked harmless as she did now, but when Charybdis looked back at her, she saw not the eyes of an innocent girl, but the devil that used that skin as a mere illusion. She had seen the true form of the monster, the vile draconic monster that had destroyed the greatest war machines mankind had ever built. She saw a power the likes of which many emperors had dreamed of either making their own, or destroying to ensure their glorious Kingdom of the Holy Warriors would always stand.

“In that case, thank you.” The elder said as he took and signed the parchment. Cecile noticed that his hand writing wasn’t what she had expected. For a long time, she had heard that those of Lagos Island didn’t know how to write cursive, that they could only write in plain, sloppy handwriting. The elder, on the other hand, was writing in the best cursive she had ever seen, the kind she was used to seeing from the royal aristocracy. When he handed it back over to her, she looked at it closely. This even put Emperor Jettro’s writing to shame. Such curves and finesse were oddities, especially for out here. “I take it that you didn’t run into too much trouble along the waters? The cargo is in mint condition, but your ship seems to be battered up.” The elder rasped, pointing a wrinkled old man over to the boat. Sure enough, there were several large dents along the side of the ship, and a long, serrated gash that had been sliced near the top.

“We ran into a few Daggertooth Sharks.” Burgle said, scratching as his beard. “Though, it’s an oddity seeing such sharks in shallow water. They never enter such shallow water, and no one’s seen them in this area in hundreds of years. What could have possessed a pack of Daggertooths to come here?”

“There was a pack in these waters?” The elder gasped, stepping back. “I’m as clueless as you are, Burgle. I’ll take your words for it, since you know these waters better than anyone, even the Holy Knights.” With that, he looked over to Charybdis, , and Cecile caught a quick glimpse of a darker look on his face. “Atleast you were in the company and safety of the Sea Goddess.”

Charybdis laughed nervously. ‘Well, it wasn’t much. I ran into a friend of Burgle’s who told me he was sailing around with a Holy Knight, so I went in to check, and I saw the ship was covered in sharks. It was a nice dessert, though… Why do you smell of strawberries?” That had caught Cecile by surprise. She had noticed that, but had thought nothing of the smell. She was used to smelling it from the perfume on the Emperor’s daughter, except when she was doing her movie performances or news broadcasts, so she had thought nothing of it. That said, it was odd to smell strawberries anywhere that wasn’t the main imperial palace.

That had also caught the elder off guard. “Um, we just had some shortly before you came here. No need to pry into the business of the island elder, Sea Goddess.”

Cecile narrowed her eyes. “Since when did the island outside of the Holy Knight’s control ever had strawberries? I thought they were grown only by the royal family.”

The elder cleared his throat. “We’ll discuss this later, seeing as you are staying here for the night.”

“Excuse me? I thought I was being taken back by Burgle. I wasn’t told of any overnight plans.”

“Well you see, we got a call this morning from the Emperor. He said you were going to stay the night, so you could oversee the test deployments of the Prowlers here on Lagos. We even have a room prepared for you, and refreshments and dinner. Besides, Burgle has to go back to fishing for the island, right?”

Burgle nodded. “Yeah, we are running low on fish at the moment, and I was going to do some when I got the call to help you over. As it stands, Miss Cecile, it’s been a pleasure helping you and your cargo, Charybdis and I have to go. She has an undersea palace to maintain, and I have to fish.” With the tip of a hat and a bow, Burgle began to amble over to the ship, Charybdis beside him. “We’ll hope to see you again some time.”

“Um, sure thing.” Cecile called over to them. As much as she had hated the actual boat ride itself, Burgle hadn’t been too bad a guy to hang around. A little crude, and a name that had left her in stitches when she had heard it at first, he was actually pretty reliable now that she thought about it. Providing for an entire island with your fishing business, in a sea full of the most dangerous creatures known to man… that took guts, and in the words of the Emperor’s daughter, Lady Prateria, “A man like that has brass balls dragging along the ground.” Even as she tried to get that mental image out of her head, she watched as Charybdis stopped and turned to wave.

“Well, be seeing you soon, miss Holy Knight lady! I guess not all of you knights are a bunch of mermaid haters after all. See ya later, Salami!”

“Well, see ya both later, Burgle and Guppy!” Cecile waved back as they both leapt down onto the ship and raised the anchor and cut the rope. Charybdis was definitely an oddball to Cecile. While she did fear her for what she was, she had to admit, she was quite the character, and not quite as godly as she expected the God of the Seas to be. She has even been nice enough to offload the Prowlers for them earlier without damaging them. So really, she was conflicted on how to view the draconian mermaid. On one hand, she was a terror, and on the other, she really wasn’t a monster at heart.

Smoke rang out of the top of the ship as it backed out of the dock. Where Cecile and the Elder were, they could see the tide slowly rise, no doubt raised up be Charybdis’s own power, and gently help the ship out to sea. Charybdis was out on the deck, having frantically at them. In her eyes, Cecile saw two things… a monster, and a child at heart, both occupying the same soul and body. She couldn’t help but wave back, even as the ship turned and sailed off to deeper waters. “Well, there go your friends. Now, why don’t we head on to my place and share a meal for now? It will be there that your lodgings will be held.” The elder said, turning back to head off the docks.
Cecile followed him, though staying slightly off to the side. “Sure. I am a little hungry after that sea trek. Nothing to eat at all.”

“A shame. They really should be offering first class services on boat rides like that. No matter. You’ll get a full meal tonight. In the morning, we’ll house the activation of the Prowlers for test runs, and the Emperor will come by and pick you up after that. How does that sound?”

“Very nice, thank you.” Cecile said as she found herself entering into the main village of Lagos. She had been expecting a smaller series of villages scattered across the island, but to her surprise, it was one large village, though in her mind, it would be better to call it a town. There were no cars here, just bicycles and carts drawn by horses. It was like looking back in time to before the Holy Knight era, at a time when the ways of living were so much simpler, and far less regulated. The building along the sides of the streets were also simple, only a mere handful from what she could see being any larger than a single story. Children were out playing, some flying kites in the designs of various Enforcers that Cecile recognized, while others were drawing grinds on the sidewalk with chalk Cecile found that there was a smile on her face as she watched the children play with such bliss. For all but a moment, she wished she had their innocence, their freedom and purity. She wished she didn’t have such tainted blood on her hands, that she had been raised and born in an environment like this, and not in the council of the mighty emperor.

“Hey lady!” One such kid cut off her trail of thought. He was over at a stand made of cardboard, and had plastic cups on it. “Would you like some lemonade? It’s sponsored and made by the Holy Knights.”

That caught Cecile’s attention. Wasn’t this a place the Holy Knights didn’t have under their wing? Even with the Prowler shipments here, the island of Lagos was specifically a territory outside of their jurisdiction. But before she could respond, the Elder cut her off. “I’m afraid she will be dining with me, child. I wouldn’t want such an esteemed guest of ours to be spoiled before supper.” He said, placing his wrinkled hand on the child’s head.

The boy flinched at first, but let the old man rub his head. “Of course Mister Verrics,” the boy said. “Maybe come by later tonight?”

The elder, Verrics, nodded, his eyes closed as he rubbed his beard. “Yes, that would work.” With that, he kept walking, with Cecile in tow. Now they were approaching what Cecile figured was his house, since it was the only two story building around. It also looked fancier than the others, with ornate green coloring, and a crescent moon adorning the top of the roof. As the elder entered the building, Cecile followed him in…

Back in the imperial palace, Cecile was more used to plain, white offices with little color in them. It was how the Emperor had wanted it to be, in order to give those who worked for him less individuality and more unity. Cecile’s own workplace was an exception to that, littered with machine parts and blueprints from endless hours of guzzling down soda (She hated alcohol with a passion. Why anyone could tolerate such an awful thing and say they liked it was lunacy to her.) and planning out what her latest invention would be. The interior of the room she had entered in, on the other hand, was miles more colorful than any drab office. The whole room was green and red, with orange hues splashed here and there. There was a roaring fire off to the right, with a bar settled by the wall, with two dishes served there. A bookshelf was against the leftmost wall, and the back had a spiraling staircase that led to the second floor. Cecile whistled as she looked around the room. It had a homely, enticing sort of feeling to it, one she found relaxing. She and Verrics took their seats at the bar, and she looked down at her meal. It seemed to be a type of fish, what with the bluish grey scales on the side and the raw tender meat. It took up half the plate, with the other half being a normal shrimp salad with thousand island dressing on it. She said a quick prayer to the gods, and took a bite out of the fish. It was like heaven had come and rushed down her throat. The meat melted in her mouth, and her taste buds were overcome with flavor. It was like nothing else she had ever eaten. Beside her, Mr. Verrics was casually eating away at a different kind of fish meat, this one she could identify as lamprey. “Wow. What is this fish?” Cecile asked, as she took another bite of the flesh.

“Cecile, that is mermaid you are eating right there.”

She stopped. She had to have heard that wrong. Maybe he had misspoken. She looked down at the food she was eating. If this was mermaid, then she was in trouble. “Please don’t joke like that, eld-“

A sharp pain stabbed into her stomach. Cecile grabbed at it as she fell onto the floor, the pain growing worse. It was like nothing else she had ever felt. She tried to spit out the cursed meat, to prevent what she knew was coming, but it was too late. She burped, her own saliva and drool dripping out of her mouth as she thrashed on the floor. It was like having a chainsaw slice into her gut every second twice over. “I never joke around with you, Cecile. You should know that better than anyone, except Father.” The old man said, sliding off his chair. He stood up, back straightening, and now Cecile could see that beneath the cloak, were long, slender legs. Her eyes widened as he pulled a flap of skin up, reached his hands under it, and began to take off the mask he… or rather, SHE had on, before yanking it off, revealing a very much feminine face, with long black hair that now flowed past the shoulders, and deep red eyes that glared down at Cecile’s agonized figure like a dragon waiting for a cow to succumb to poison. “After all, you forgot the most important thing a knight of your stature has to do every year, and that is to celebrate my birthday! Shamless, absolutely shameless of you Cecile!” The tall, lovely woman said as she took off her jacket, and Cecile was bombarded by the scent of strawberries and sweat as she revealed the red and green sleeveless t-shirt she had on.

“L-Lady Prateria… what are you… doing here?” Cecile gasped, before she burped again, too weak and hurting to even try to stand. Now it all made sense… Charybdis’s comment on the strawberry scent should have been a warning to her. Now she was going to die, the very flesh she had eaten turning her into some horrible monster. “Where… is Mr. Verrics?”

Prateria laughed as she twirled around, before finally deciding to take a seat on Cecile herself. What air was left in her lungs was suffocated out by how heavy she was. “He’s alive, just fast asleep upstairs. You see, he and father worked out an agreement yesterday, and Lagos is now a part of the Holy Kingdom. I had you completely fooled, hook, line, and sinker the whole time. You coming here? It’s all punishment for forgetting my birthday, you big dummie!” She whined, kicking Cecile in the face. Now she was getting a serious headache, and not just from Prateria’s voice, but it felt like her head was splitting apart. “This island will be under our regulation from now on, and you no longer have any use for us. We thank you for the Prowlers, but now we have your blueprints, and can easily mass produce them without your help. I’m also sure you’re curious as to what all those sharks around the sea were there for?”

Then, she got up, and grabbed Cecile by the throat, hefting her easily off the feet and up to eye contact with her. Suddenly, there were two images of Prateria playing in her mind, then three, before going up to six. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Even with her grip on her, she could still breath. “ That bit of shark repellant Burgle has? It’s actually shark attractant, specifically designed by yours truly.” Prateria chuckled, before tilting her head. “Oh, you should see yourself. Even now, the cursed flesh of the mermaid is turning you into a Hydra. Burgle and that dumb fish will have no idea what really became of you. For all they know, you died in a plane crash over the sea.” Prateria said as she kicked a spot in the wall. What was becoming 6 heads turned , and saw that there was now a hole in the wall, no doubt one where food scraps were thrown out into the sea. “This has been Prateria, your own Prateria, and the people’s lovely Prateria, and I wish you a goodnight forever, Cecile”

A loud, hoarse cry escaped from all six of Cecile’s heads as Prateria threw her down the chute. She tried to stop sliding, even with her fingers cracking and erupting into webbed claws, but it was too slippery. Her arms rippled and muscled up as she hit the water with a splash. Pain erupted along her lower half as her legs twisted together and elongated into a serpentine tail. Her clothes rent and tore as scales replaced hair. The last things that ran through Cecile’s mind before she lost herself was the shock and anger of betrayal, and the childish, yet intoxicating laughter of Prateria looking down at her and waving, before the hole in the wall was gone.

[Demon Lord Gira]

Chapter 3: Wrath of the Storm

A helicopter descended down from the rapidly clouding skies above Lagos island. As it descended, Lady Prateria walked out into the street, a large black umbrella protecting her from the pounding rain. Her mission had been a success. Lagos was now under part of the Holy Knights, and poor Cecile… well, she had better uses for her now than to work on the Prowler program. Prateria rocked back and forth on her heels as the chopper gently touched down infront of her. She smiled as the side door swung open, and she climbed onboard. She sat down and closed the door behind her. The inside of the chopper was largely empty, except for the pilot, and another passenger that was seated across from her. He was a man that looked to be in his mid fifties, with a white fur coat that Prateria knew was made from the fur of a baby Hydrotherium. His hair was short and grey, and one eye was covered in a monocle. In his right hand was a crystal staff, and perched on his shoulders was a small fox, black as night, with burning red eyes that starred into Prateria’s own.

“Father… I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Prateria said as she fiddled with her fingers, keeping her eyes off the unnatural fox.

“Oh?” Her father, Emperor Jettro, said with a false air of surprise as he caressed the fox’s fur. The predator seemed to enjoy the rub, for it purred and raised its head up, to enjoy more of the rubbing. “And what might you have been expecting then, my daughter? This was an important business matter for us, so I had to make sure things went according to plan.”

“I know… I just thought you’d contact me in some other way.” Prateria said as she looked out the window. Now, they were off the ground, and Prateria could make out the shapes of other choppers flying alongside them. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus. “Wait… are those carrying storm generators? Is the island in need of more rain or something?”

Jettro laughed. “No. We can control the very weather of our world now, thanks to how science has advanced over the past few hundred years. I simply felt that what is coming up would benefit a nice stormy backdrop for old Burgle. And besides, we’ve even come with Myrs Sirens for the show. I take it you remember what those are?”

Prateria gulped. Myrs Sirens were specialized blue flowers that emitted a defensive pollen from their heads. When they felt threatened, they would release the pollen that, once in the air, would disrupt magical properties. Just one flower could cause a minor headache to a witch or ghost, while many at once could render them not only powerless, but also on the verge of death. “How many did you bring? It’s just a mermaid on that boat.”

“It’s not just a mermaid. That “Mermaid” on there has caused far more trouble for us than any living creature should. We have then that which was left behind after the great Human-Demon War, and have turned it into the greatest war machines mankind has ever seen… and it’s all been thrown into chaos and disorder because of that monster. We cannot allow such threats to exist, my daughter, and we must ensure our very survival in a world filled with such monsters. It is for our own good.” He stopped, and adjusted the monocle on his face. “Did you do to Cecile what I asked for you to do?”

Prateria quickly nodded. “Yes, father. She is no longer a human. In fact, the transformation went better than you had predicted. She’s not just a monster… she’s turned into a true masterpiece of a mutation!” She paused, before nervously asking, “Was it really necessary to transform her, though? She was my friend after all, and one of our greatest mi-“

“Are you questioning my infinite wisdom and knowledge?” Jettro asked, his voice cold and firm as stone. Upon seeing Prateria shake her head in fear, he let the thinnest bits of a smile spread on his face. “Very good. You see, the whole birthday thing was just a front. It was only the icing on the cake she had delved into. Cecile did what was asked of her, yes, but she also came across things that those of her standing should not know. She learned secrets and nightmares that are forbidden for anyone but those with the highest security rating to know, things that could likewise endanger out very survival. I admit, I didn’t want her to end up like this, but I had no better option. This was the only way.”

Prateria nodded. What father said, was law. She had no reason to question what he was saying. After all, he had raised her and taught her everything she knew from a young age, and she didn’t want to risk angering him, a state she never wanted to see ever again in her life. Outside, the clouds generated by the storm machines were growing, and the seas were growing rougher. She could just barely see Burgle’s ship being tossed around in the waves. With the Myrs Sirens in place, the mermaid couldn’t counter control the waves… everything was set. She pulled out from her pocket what looked like a small remote control, with a chip on the front end of it.

Every knight in the system had a chip implanted in the back of their skulls. This was implemented in such a way, that they thought it was for enhancing their judgment and motor skills. In a way, this was true, since it did enhance performance. However, it also was there for a more sinister and petty reason… to keep those the top of the brass thought were wild cards, and all the other knights, under their heel at a whim, and under their complete control. “Her chip should still be in her head, even with her as she is, so…” Prateria flipped the red switch, and with her father, looked down to watch the show that was about to begin…

_______________________________

Dark storm clouds were gathering above the shallow Lagos Sea. The sea gulls above struggled to keep themselves from being cast down upon the waves as they were tossed, thrown, and hurled across the turbulent sea. High up above, thunderbolts struck down from the heavens and dashed across the sea, lighting the skies and water with their dancing electricity. Few ships would dare sail in such conditions, especially in a storm that had appeared out of the blue. No sane captain would want to dare risk such a storm and the disasters that would come with waves 40 meters high, and the torrential downpour that left nothing dry, even out of the reach of the waves.

Then again, Captain Burgle was not exactly a sane captain. “Where the hell did this storm come from? Are you making it, Charybdis?” Burgle shouted as a wave, higher than his very ship, rose up before him and crashed down onto the deck. The Orthicone was thrown back, and water smashed against the window, nearly throwing the aging captain back. He cursed as he struggled to keep in his seat, even as Charybdis rushed over to help him. The mermaid in human form looked out at the storm that was raging around them, her face twisted in confusion and irritation.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have even started it until you were back at your home.” She said, dodging a splash of water that had smashed through the window in the side door. She didn’t want to get wet, not here especially. Last thing she needed was to transform by accident and sink the whole ship. It wasn’t something she had any control over, either. If she got wet, she transformed into a giant hideous monster. If she got dry, she reverted back. “I have no control over this stupid storm. It’s not natural at all, Burgle!”

Burgle cursed under his breath. Dangit. This was not right. Ever since his early fishing days, he had known the mermaid beside him, and they had been close and reliable friends. He sometimes shared the catch he hauled with her, and she, with her power over the very waves and storms that moved around the global ocean, kept his route storm and shark free. But the Daggertooths earlier today had been an oddity, and now this storm that Charybdis couldn’t dispel. Just what the hell was going on? “Not the first time I’ve run into a freak storm in these parts. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright.” He said. The ship was now going down the crest of a particularly large wave, and a wall of water crashed yet again into the main window. The glass cracked, which caused Burgle to swear again. This was some of the toughest glass he could have gotten for the ship, glass that had lasted him decades on the high seas. It had been through hell and back, and now this stupid storm was breaking it!

“I’ll pay for that window.” Charybdis told him as she sidestepped another barrage of water from the door window. “We got the money and resources to fix that up at the Undersea Palace. Empress Temprana would be all too glad to hel-“ Blimps on the radar cut her off, and she looked down at it. “Umm… why are there more Daggertooths coming for us? I thought I scared them off earlier today.”

“Are you serious?” Burgle turned to look at the radar, half hoping he was joking. After all, the little mermaid had a knack for being a silly one. But like before, his heart sank as he saw the three shark-shaped pings approaching his boat from behind. Of all the bloody times! One pack was enough… but now here was a second pack, rapidly gaining on the ship. Just what was it that was drawing all these sharks here? “Get ready then. You know what to do.”

“Even if it means the possibility that this boat is going to sink? I can’t get out there easily with all the pounding rain.” Charybdis said, as her eyes were still on the radar. The blimps were now right under the boat… and then, they were past it. “Why aren’t they attacking us?”
Burgle was at a loss for words. This wasn’t natural. Not at all. Every single encounter he had with Daggertooth sharks had ended with them trying to attack the boat, and him having to repel them off. They were mindless pack hunting monsters that never turned down another creature or thing to maul and tear up. Even other packs of Daggertooths were fair game, and the pack from earlier that day had kept attacking Charybdis even as she was eating them.

Just what the hell were they fleeing from, in that case?

Another beep resonated on the sonar. Both Burgle and Charybdis looked down at the primitive machine. Behind the boat, and rapidly gaining, was a massive buldge, easily five times the size of their ship. Before they could say anything, the ship was thrown to the side as the massive thing swam past them. Burgle swore as he crashed into the door, his frame blocking the rain from hitting Charybdis. As the boat settled, they looked out the front. The massive ridge moving through the water overtook the Daggertooth sharks, and with that, they vanished from the radar.

Then, it turned back around, and slowly approached them. Burgle tried to turn the ship, to get it away from the approaching object, but he was too slow. The ridge rammed into the ship, and nearly sent it flying out of the water. Charybdis screamed as she was hurled against a wall, sparks and bits of glass and machinery flew everywhere. Burgle rose up off the floor, a large bloody gash on his face…
And there, rising up out of the water infront of the boat, was the horned and scaled face of a sea serpent. Twin fangs dangled down its maw, with the tail fin of one of the Daggertooths sticking out of its mouth. Brownish grey hair reached down from the back of the sea serpent’s head, and its eyes shone a deep oceanic blue. Twin fins flapped on the sides of its head as steam blew out of its nostrils. As it swallowed the bit of shark it had, a long forked tongue flickered out of its mouth.

And beside it, rose a second sea serpent of identicle appearance, and then a third. On the other side of the boat, came a fourth, then a fifth head. All of them looked upon Burgle and Charybdis, and the two were still, daring not to move. “It’s a bloody Hydra.” Burgle gasped, shaking despite his hardest attempts to stay still. He had heard of the horror stories, of monstrous serpents that once roamed the seas and devoured all in their way, monsters that had no equal in the ocean, that even the gods that once roamed the earth feared. He had though such mythical serpents were long gone… but not this one. Not this sea serpent.

A large rising mound of water rose up beside the two heads on the far side of the boat. Water rushed down it, revealing a sixth head, one far larger and more grotesque than the others. Instead of a pair of short horns, it had two pairs of them, large and spiraling from its head. Its head alone was easily as large as half the boat they were in, and its eyes locked upon Charybdis and Burgle. As the storm raged around it, the primeval creature let loose a deafening roar, one that echoed of a creature born of the folly of the supernatural and human, before swinging its great head down upon the boat.

[Demon Lord Gira]

Realm of the Holy Knights.

Chapter 0: Sleepy Girls and Gods
Dawn was normally something that brought with it bright lights that were the only morning bell that the Holy Knights used. This day however had a rare fog hang over the great imperial palace, and the fog was barred from those who needed it. Was it weather that was natural, or was it something that the Holy Knights had artificially created? Such weather was not unknown to those who lived there, for they lived in such a world while normally sunny, had its host of hurricanes, ash clouds, and now fog cover, wherever they were natural occurrences, created by the very technological and scientific might of the Holy Knights, or conjured by the very dark forces that lurked outside those fabled walls, walls that only the knights that watched over the very kingdom they founded could move past.

The lack of night was notable for one such Knight, who lay on her side in her bed located on the upper floor of the crimson/gold palace. She was in her night gown, her brownish-blue hair a tattered mess that sprawled across her back. One eye lay half open, a dark brown pupil half sleepingly looking out at the pale white wall in her face. Her exposed lower back turned over as she continued to sleep, one arm wrapped around her breasts, the other reaching above her, exposing her bare armpit to the cold morning air that ran through the palace. She turned again in her sleep, muttering of future glory and her own selfish desires. A faint noise seemed to echo in her ear, but she ignored it and continued to sleep, her wrapped hand scratching at an itch on her left shoulder. She didn’t want to take up… not now at least. She could feel it was still dark out, and that she had plenty more time to get some rest. The sound came again, louder this time, and oddly close, but she flipped over, her hair now splattered across her face, and her lower stomach now exposed to the chilled air. What an annoyance. If it didn’t go away, she would just blast it apart with her Enforcer’s Particle Can-

“I SAID WAKE UP, CECILE!” The words, combined with the flurry of moving curtains and the tug of gravity, as well as a brief sense of vertigo and finally her head greeting the woody ground woke her up. She groaned as she tried to sit up, only for pain to rip up her spine. Had she damaged her back from that impact? With a deafening CRACK, she managed to right herself, rubbing her rear as she slowly came to her senses. The first thing she noticed was that she smelt of someone who hadn’t taken a shower in over a week, which was very much true given the fact she had come back from a failed Empress Cardel hunt the other night, and had been too busy bringing in her report and wrapping up work to get a shower. Yesterday, she hadn’t smelled that badly, but now, the odor was nearly overwhelming. Whoever had said boys smelled worse than girls had been horribly wrong. She was certain her own body odor at the moment was far worse than any guy could ever hope to achieve, aside from her roommate.

That brought her attention to the elephant in the room. She looked up, and there was her roommate, Prateria, in her usual polka dot pajamas that would work better on a young girl half her height, and a third of her bust size. Her hair, golden in color, snaked down from the upper bunk to Cecile’s lap, and her enormous blue eyes seemed to soak in what little sunlight was coming into the room and reflected them back out. With a carefree whistle, the Emperor’s daughter tried to lower herself down from the top bunk, with a slip of the hand, which to Cecile seemed more intended than not, caused the eight foot woman to come crashing down to earth… and onto Cecile.

“Owwww!” Cecile groaned as Prateria’s weight pinned her down to the floor. It was amazing how much she seemed to weigh, and yet keep a moderate figure that wasn’t morbidly obese like a hippo. Now she was really starting to hate the square cube law, and everything it represented. “Get off me, you fucking fatass.” She growled as she tried to kick Prateria off of her. Her efforts were cut off before she could even try, as the large girl wrapped her hands around her and kept her pinned where she was. The pain that was in Cecile’s rear spiked back up, and she locked up, the pain too much for her to try and move.

“No fun, Cecile” Prateria said, her eyelids dropping as she stood up. Cecile’s feet didn’t even touch the floor as she was hoisted up, her head stuck in Prateria’s bust. Just what the hell did her father give her to make her like this? “It’s your fault you slept in and I had to wake you up. Besides, don’t you know whose birthday it is?”

A hand reached up and pushed her face away, allowing Cecile to bring her head out for a gasp of air. Better her own body odor than Prateria’s god-awful scent. She was certain a rat had crawled into Prateria’s cleavage and died. “Let me guess, she who reeks of death and decay… your own?” She said, before pointing over to where the showers were. “Your present from me is a free shower, because I cannot stand how bad you smell… I mean, were you off in a Hydrotherium farm last night?”

Prateria laughed, as she finally let go of Cecile. “Nah, I just forgot to take a shower last night. I was going to take one once I got you up.”

“Liar. You haven’t taken a shower in a month. You got no need for maintaining your looks and smell with no need for movie appearances, so you just let yourself stink.”

“Says the pot calling the kettle black. But if you insist, then I’ll go in and get a shower. Father would want me to be in presentable condition for today’s special birthday report.” Prateria mused, before she went through her own drawers. Cecile didn’t even want to look around at the room. With no one to keep an eye on the two girls, the room had turned from a clean and orderly sanctuary for those closest to the Emperor into the end result of a hurricane picking up one of those thrift stores she had seen stationed in one of those towns too poor to have walls and dump all the contents in the room. Bras, panties, stockings, undershirts, and socks all lay strewn across the floor and couch of the room, and the whole thing… Cecile was just dumbfounded by how dirty and smelly the whole room was. They needed air fresheners in here… maybe the lemon kind, or strawberry. Prateria did enjoy the scent of strawberry.

As the lady in question headed off with the clothes of her choice into the adjacent restroom and closed the door behind her, Cecile let out a groan as she looked around the room. To think they had known each other for just a few years, yet apparently Prateria had been the Emperor’s daughter for the past 23 years. How it had the Emperor had kept her a secret until only 3 years ago, when he formally announced her existence to the populace. Since then, her popularity and fame had skyrocketed in surprisingly little time, and now she was known and recognized by virtually all who lived under the shadows of the Holy Knights. Newspaper ads, movies, even novels written about living the life of a Holy Knight, and riding out in Enforcers to protect the weak from devils and monsters… Cecile began to pick up the clothes that lay strewn across the floor, and just ignored those very things that tended to lay under them. She had become THE Holy Knight for others to envy and strive after, and a political figure and name second only to the Emperor himself. Cecile didn’t know what to think of it all.

On one hand, she felt happy for her friend to be such a popular and powerful figure in the media, and yet on the other, she felt she was being overshadowed by her. She had been the one who had been culminating centuries of mechanical discoveries and progress into the fruits of the future, and she had been the one who was bringing the latest Enforcer technology into the front lines. SHE had been the one who had helped get Prateria up to speed in terms of show business and piloting Enforcers, and now the Emperor’s daughter was getting all the attention and care?! She shrugged as she kept putting away clothes. Was it alright to harbor such resentment and jealousy over her friend?

In her distracted state, she nearly tripped over something. She caught herself against a wall at the last moment, before turning to see what it was. Lying on the floor was a book, one she hadn’t seen with all the clothes over it. The cover was black and leathery on it, and engraved on it were the words, “Private Notes.” It was also oddly thick, and as Cecile realized as she picked it up, rather heavy. She sat down on her bed, being careful not to hit the bottom of Prateria’s own bunk in the process as she opened the book. A private diary belonging to little miss perfect and smelly… this was going to be gold.

She stopped before she read anything. Was it really right to read the private diary entries of a close friend? She bit her lower lip. After all, Prateria was Jettro’s daughter, and the man himself was hardly what one would consider fair and reasonable. Already, her mind was drifting back to last year, when one of the city governors, Monroe Trist, had decided to try and marry the beautiful woman. When Prateria had told him that she wasn’t interested in the fat slob, he failed to take her words into consideration, a price he had paid for with his head now mounted on the wall outside their room. It had been Jettro who had put the bounty on him, and issued a ten thousand credit reward for whomever came back with his head on a platter, a bounty that had lasted all but half an hour.

But at the same time, they were girlfriends who were supposed to be living together for the time being. It made sense to share notes and information.. and they were also good friends, so what was the harm in it? What could possibly be in this notebook that Prateria wouldn’t want her to know? It’s not like Cecile herself had secrets she wanted to keep to herself. Jettro and his staff raised her after the ill-fated Tyrantris hunt took away her parents over a decade ago. They knew everything there was to know about her… so it was only fitting that she know more of Prateria, and especially what she was keeping secret. With that, she looked over at the bathroom, saw that the door was closed and heard the shower running, and began to read the notes that Prateria had jotted down.

The first thing she noticed was that it was pencil and paper, and not a digital book like most of the other Knights. Usually, a knight would have an electronic book with the information all input digitally to keep down notes in, and pencil and paper were merely relics of an older, inferior time, before the heyday of the Knights. This was not what she had expected, especially from the second in command of the entire Holy Knight forces. Secondly, her hand writing was oddly delicate and intricate, far more elaborate and detailed than what hand written content she had seen before. The curves in the words and letters, the way she had them styled, it was not anything she had seen before. It was as if Prateria had her own distinct writing style. To her amusement, she found that the first few entries were merely things she already knew, like preferences in foods, hangouts they had, pranks they had pulled, and even the time they had gone and went swimming with their Enforcer mechas in the oceans, a thing that she was still laughing at.

But it was the later entries, over halfway through the damn journal, that caught her attention. “ Log entry 54. Father has been very helpful with the repairs of my Enforcer, Behemoth. 3rd and 4th leg ligaments have been replaced with nano-fiber steel, and the damaged optical receptor has been repaired. Shock generators are now once more at four million volts. User face interaction is now 34% smoother and more refined. The mistakes that led to the damaged caused the other day won’t happen again, this I swear. The last thing I wish to suffer is Father’s wrath. I still bear the scars from the last time I failed him on an important mission.” Scars? Now that she thought of it, she did recall seeing Prateria with a nasty scar across her back a few months ago. That had healed, but she had assumed the scarring had been caused by that failed hunt, not from her father.

“Log entry 57. The review of the indigenous lifeforms on this planet has been completed. Father assures me that the monsters that roam this planet are not natural creatures, but products of an accident that has occurred long ago, an accident that mutated the original survivors of an ancient catalyst into the titans we see today. I can now identify each and every weakpoint, soft spot, instinctive behavior, and fighting capacity of all known monsters and devil archtypes, and react accordingly. Father is impressed with how rapidly my combat skills have improved. He insists that I am second only to him in skill, but I have doubts to that. While he has no doubt lost motor skills and reaction time with age, my reaction time and judgmental skills have only been on the increase. Am I even human? I do not know for certain, only what father has told me.”

“Log entry 98. There has been a new discovery that father insisted be kept only to himself and me. A recent excavation on the southern peninsula has unearthed a long abandoned shrine dedicated to the gods. He told me that previously, there were 25 such gods that once kept order and prosperity over the earth, until they were wiped out by a great catalyst. Those that survived lived long enough to betray our ancestors, and only 50 year ago, the last of these gods was striken down, and their shrines burnt. We have no need for gods anymore. We are our own masters, the wielders of our own fates. They only exist now as a reminder of the old world order we Holy Knights wish to abolish and replace with a grander, far more enriching world, a world fit only for the strong and powerful.”

She stopped. What was this about gods? As far as she had heard gods were never really things. There were only monsters and devils, aside from the self-proclaimed “Goddess of the Seas”, who was more of a giant draconic mermaid than any real godly entity. And for the so called purpose of the Holy Knights, wasn’t it their job to protect the weak? While a few knights here and there were jerks that needed to be straightened out, there was no reason to just leave the weak in the dust. It was a requirement to protect them, to help them get strong, not just go “screw them” and leave them to die? She kept reading, and her confusion only grew from there.

“As it turns out, this shrine is different from the others.It does not honor one of the known 25 gods father told me about, but rather, it honors a being that is called the God of Chaos, a primordial entity that existed long before our world held life. Apparently, there was a civilization that lived here long before we did, one that knew and worshiped the gods, as well as this God of Chaos. Its image is of a shadowy mountain, eight pairs of crimson eyes starring from the darkness. Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light, Darkness, and Poison are all before this titan’s mastery, and merely speaking its name was thought to be a curse. No name of it was engraved upon its shrine, bar the title of the Devourer.”

A sound reached Cecile’s ears, or rather, the lack of one. The shower was no longer running. Her eyes went over to the doorknob, which was starting to turn. Crap. Thinking fast, Cecile opened up a drawer and placed the book inside. She closed it just as the door opened and Prateria walked out. She smelled a lot better, that much Cecile had to admit. She had her pink bra on, and a short plaid skirt on as well, while running a curler through her hair. She now smelt of strawberries, which Cecile attributed to her usual perfume she kept in the bathroom. “You cleaned up out here? Thank you.” Prateria smiled as she sat down beside Cecile. As she began to apply deodorant on, Cecile sighed.

“Well yeah. The room was a fucking mess, and it still sorta smells. I’ll open up the window once I get through with my own shower.”
“You do remember that the party for my birthday was yesterday, right?”

“… Fuck. I forgot.” Cecile groaned as she got up. “I was busy finishing up repairs on Orion and wrapping up the finishing touches on the Prowlers. I’ll try to make it up to you somehow.”

“It’s no biggie.” Prateria said, as she opened up a drawer and began looking at the shirts in there. “Should I wear a shirt over this, or just go out like this? It’s a little too hot to wear one, but at the same time, Father wants me to dress modestly.”

“It’s your choice, Prateria, and one I don’t care for right now. I smell, and I need a shower. Go on without me. We’ll meet up at the firing range, okay?” Cecile said, before she walked into the restroom with her own selection of clothes and closed the door behind her.

Prateria chuckled as she stretched, the sound of her back popping bringing a good feeling to her. It had been so long since she had done that. A jiggling sound reached her ears. She knew what it was, and reached onto her bed and pulled down her phone, before opening it and placing it beside her head. “Yes father? Oh, I am up already. I was just getting Cecile up. Oh, she was reading my journal earlier while I was showering. I had kept it running while eavesdropping on her readi- Oh. Of course. But she is my friend, Father. You can’t just-“ She went silent. “Of course, father. That will be a good enough excuse and justification for that. Very well.” She closed the phone, before looking over at the restroom. How unfortunate, for things to have to be that way. If only she hadn’t stumbled on her journal… there were things in there she wasn’t meant to read, things meant only for her and Father to know. And by peering into the well of secrets not meant for the masses to know, Cecile had unfortunately sealed her fate. Atleast she would have the dignity of thinking her last assignment was a mere errands run before her demise…