Castain was pacing back and forth in front of her father’s study, clad in the ugly iron armor he had bought her. He was yelling at Lunaria for failing to teach Castain anything useful. Castain grinned as she thought ‘you deserve it hag’. Lunaria exited then, face hidden by her long blue hair. Castain noticed then that Lunaria did not have it tied up like usual.
“Castain get in here.”
Castain sent one more look at the elf that was wobbling away. She entered her father’s oaken study. He sent her a dark look as he says
“It is time. Tonight is the night you will honor us. If you fail, that is fine too. We don’t expect you to succeed anyway. Women aren’t meant for battle anyway.”
“Then what about the Atlantean Warrior Xertini? She was female last time I checked.”
“Don’t talk about street mongrels that got lucky.”
Her father sneers as he mumbles
“No class trash like her defeating a giant threat such as Nereus. Makes me want to vomit.”
Castain glared at her father defiantly telling him that she would not fail. He only laughed as she left his study. The greatsword strapped to her back was heavy but she had gotten better holding it in the past four days since Yoshi’s sudden attack. Castain decided to run after Lunaria, to apologize for her fathers and her behaviors. She rushed out the door, not paying attention to people who greeted her. She finally made it, huffing in front of Lunaria’s training room that they had been in when Yoshi attacked. Castain slowly opens the door, looking around. On her knee’s was Lunaria. Blood was seeping from her face again, looking eerie on her as she softly laughs
“Damn I still can’t go full out. Oh mom, why did I get cursed with this.”
“Hey Lunie there’s a visitor.”
Castain yelped as she turned to see a bright and happy Saint behind her. The Saint had pretty blue eyes with skin that seemed to look like ice. The Saint walked over to Lunaria, attempting to treat her. Lunaria slapped her hand away, grumbling she was fine. She fixed her eyes on Castain, barking
“Go kill those monsters failure.”
Lunaria stormed out then, roughly shoving Castain out of her way. The human girl angrily flipped her off. The Saint sighed as she apologized for Lunaria.
“Lunie really isn’t mean. She’s sweet when you get past her titanium skin.”
“Why does she bleed like that?”
The Saint looked at the floor as she said
“Lunaria is a ‘mutt’ in terms of the rich. Because of that, if she exceeds a certain amount of power her body starts to shut down. I treat her whenever this happens, because I’m the only one who can heal ‘mutts’ like her. I’m Squid by the way.”
“Castain Steelcrusher. Go ahead and make a snide comment.”
“Why would I? I think when people are mean it gives you motivation to try your hardest to prove them wrong. I’ll even come along to help.”
“Really? Thanks.”
Yoshi was on top of the building, listening intently. She grinned as she jumped off to guard one of the Great Beasts.
Squid squealed as she ran, a giant statue chasing her. Rhyolite, the Beast of Earth, groaned as it raised its mighty sword. Castain swung her sword then, slicing the beast in two. It fell to the ground, vanishing into a plume of dust. The girls yelled their happiness and high fived, the third beast defeated. Castain and Squid approached the Altar of Water, to the final beast. Arcturis was asleep but had company. Standing before him was Yoshi and a lightning mage. Yoshi smiled as she yelled a hello to the girls. The mage only stared at them with malice.
“Yoshi stop being social. Kill the Steelcrusher brat. I call the Saint.”
“With pleasure.”
Yoshi ran at Castain. She barely brought her sword up in time. Yoshi slammed her head into Castain’s, knocking the Crusader off balance. Yoshi sliced her cheek, laughing. Castain kicked the Soul Blader in her stomach. Squid screamed then, attracting Castain’s attention. Squid had cast up numerous ice shields, which were being slowly shattered by the vicious lightning mage. Castain tried to run over to her when Yoshi placed her sword against the girl’s throat. Yoshi hissed in her ear
“I have a better plan for you. Why don’t I let you meet Master? He LOVES Steelcrushers after all. Come on Claptrap, leave the ice healer be.”
Castain tried to pull free but couldn’t. Squid hollered her name as Claptrap joined Yoshi. She opened a scroll, the three of them vanishing. Squid got to her feet and ran back to Terminus.
3
Lunaria stared at Arcturis, daggers impaled into its head. ‘It’s too late for the sealing to be saved, but at least all four generals are dead.’ Blood decorated the floor as she lay against it. Squid and Sierra had run off to rescue Castain, leaving Lunaria to kill Arcturis alone. Lunaria struggled to her feet, refusing to let injuries from some oversized ice chicken prevent her from rescuing a rich brat. Lunaria opened her scroll, whispering the sealings location.
Castain struggled with the ropes that bound her, trying to get free enough to grab her sword. Yoshi was practically dancing around the glowing yellow symbol inside the Red Sand Hill temple. Claptrap stared longingly at the bright emblem. The light brightens even more, nearly blinding the three of them. A man slowly emerged from inside, a dark plume emitting from where his top half appeared. Castain quickened her yanking, trying her best to become free. The man was completely out now, hugging the
Mage named Claptrap. She looked at him with eyes of adoration as she told him about ‘his gift’. He saw Castain and laughed.
“A Steelcrusher. The ones who have screwed with my release for the past three hundred years. How I will relish killing you. Don’t fret, I shall be sure to slowly kill you.”
As soon as he stopped speaking Castain began to scream as her mind felt like someone was sticking nails into it. That’s when Lunaria showed up, staggering but ready for battle. The man looked at her, stopping his attack on Castain. Lunaria immediately rolled to her right, avoiding a lightning bolt from Claptrap. Lunaria sped away from sight, reappearing behind Claptrap. The mage turned, lightning bolt in hand. Squid and Sierra, a hybrid of the Assassin lineage, came then. Squid pulled Castain away quickly while the evildoers were distracted. Sierra glared at Squid whispering
“I’ll take the human. Go help your friend.”
“OK Sie. Cassie, I’ll see you soon.”
Sierra helped Castain to a shadowy spot, watching from a distance. Lunaria was watching them all with narrowed eyes, flashing gold. Yoshi saw this and jumped in front Nakahara. She knew what those eyes meant. The air became very cold, their breath turning into small clouds of steam. Nakahara said ‘ow’ as his face was slit by an ice shard. Claptrap turned from Lunaria, seeing the cut on her lover’s face. She created a large ball of lightning, filled with anger. She threw it at Squid, whom summoned a pillar of ice. Claptrap was determined to kill her, sending more and more bolts. Squid deflected them all, preparing a spell to drain the area of magic. Lunaria took her chance to attack Nakahara, kicking Yoshi out of her way. Nakahara only stared blankly at the daggers coming for him. He grinned as he said
“Let the false skin erode to reveal the true monster inside.”
Lunaria let out a scream then, falling to her knees. Nakahara snapped his fingers, sending her flying into one of the nearby statues. His bored expression irritated Castain, she wanted to kill him. He grabbed Lunaria by the head, saying lazily
“I thought a half-breed of your heritage would have been more challenging. I don’t like trash.”
Lunaria screamed again, but it sounded more beast like. Squid cast her spell then, the mana absorbing spell slamming into Claptrap. Nakahara let go of Lunaria to run to his love’s aid. He snapped his fingers, sending Squid flying. She slammed into the other statue, then crumpled on the floor. Yoshi stumbled over to her master, who held Claptrap up as they teleported away.
4
“You call me a failure and yet you haven’t won a fight yet.”
Castain had her hands on her hips, glaring at Lunaria’s back. She took a step forward but stopped as she saw them. Scales. She turned towards Squid to say something but also saw something unnatural. Squid’s fingers were points now, dark blue in color. Castain stumbled backwards saying
“Just what kind of monsters are mutts?”
Squid looked away, hiding her hands beneath her. Lunaria was breathing heavy, bestial sounds sounding from her. Squid sighed as she explained
“Me and Lunie are not pure human or elf.”
“I saw that.”
“My mother is Frigid. She and a human man fell in love, therefore creating me. My father died from always being cold, but loved my mother nevertheless. We aren’t monsters. We were made from pure love.”
“What kind of pure love creates a monster like Lunaria?”
“I don’t know. Lunie won’t say.”
Lunaria put her daggers away, saying in her old voice
“There’s no time to sit around. We need to kill Nakahara or figure out how to reseal him.”
Squid smiled at Castain saying
“You can hate us later, but let’s get rid of the big meanie first, ‘kay?”
Nakahara scowled down at the small team he had gathered. All four of his generals were dead, leaving him without an army. For the moment anyway. ‘The spell I cast on that half-breed should kick in the next time she fights. A new ally shall be made then.’ He glanced over at Claptrap. She was grumbling her hate, slowly recovering her mana.
“Can I go kill that human?”
“No Yoshi. Let the lieutenants weaken them first. Then strike at the heart.”
“I can’t help you I’m sorry.”
“But Xertini! We need your help! We can’t fight Nakahara alone!”
The adult blonde elf looked at Castain before smiling.
“You can. I learned the hard way about avoiding my destiny. Make the right friends, know what’s right, and follow your heart.”
“Wait! Where are you going?!”
“Nereus has reappeared in this other realm called ‘Iris’. I’m going there to defeat him again, before he does any damage there.”
“Xerti! Portal is ready.”
Xertini turns towards another elf whom had knee length violet hair. Kaiyumie hugged Lunaria, whispering something to her before patting Squid on the head. Xertini messed up Castain’s hair before whistling. Bite came out, laden with gear. The tiger was almost white now with age. Both elven sisters walked through the portal. As it shut Xertini said
“Never surrender to darkness. Keep hope alive.”
Castain groaned, head in her hands. Her last hope just abandoned her. Squid knelt before Castain smiling.
“We can do it. Xertini was right. It’s our destiny.”
Castain nod as she and Squid stood back up. Sierra looked at them all before telling them they needed to start looking. Lunaria said she would lead the group, clapping her hands. A bright scarlet griffon landed before them; the saddle upon its back a nice mixture of browns. Castain and Squid got upon ‘Spicey’, taking flight into the air. Squid held her arms out feeling the air rush by her. Sierra and Lunaria walked underneath the shadow of the great griffon, hours passing by slowly. The hybrid cat was aware of the stalker they had acquired several miles back. She stopped walking, listening intently. She pulled her aquatic gun, shooting a tree eight feet to her left. An elf yelped, falling down onto his bottom. Sierra shoved the guns barrel in his face asking
“And you are following why?”
“I’m a scientist. I wish to study the half-breed you are traveling with.”
“What’s your name boy?”
“First off I’m not a boy. Secondly it’s Melopan.”
Lunaria didn’t look back as she told Sierra to leave him be. They continued to walk as Melopan played twenty questions with Lunaria
“What is your beast parent?”
“Go away.”
“How do you handle weather.”
“The same way I handle annoyance.”
“Are you ever tempted to kill without reason, due to being part beast?”
“Right now it’s really tempting.”
Sierra just laughed quietly at the exchange. Castain and Squid too were grinning, since Spicey landed to rest his wings and they heard the entire talk.