Author's Note: And here we go again.
Chapter 2 – Silicon Gene
After Val and Fenrir cooled off, though it took them forty minutes to do so, Orerries coughed politely to return to her story. Val sat on her desk, a lollipop wedged into her mouth, as she quietly listened to the story about Shura wishing to start a war with Velder. As Orerries finished, Val tossed the lollipop's stick into the waste bin beside her desk. Fenrir had left to check on Ferdinand.
"So you came to Elder to speak with Hoffman about this?" Val asked, to which Orerries nodded slowly. Val narrowed her eyes and then snapped her fingers. In an instant a large map of the world unfurled on the wall of bookshelves behind her. Val flicked her finger, and her small ball of blue flames flew over to hover above Elder.
"This is Elder, at the north of Lurensia. If you came from Shura, you would've had to go through Velder and Bethma to get here. So why was Hoffman more important to speak with than the Bethma Chief or Velder King?" Val questioned, her eyes locked on Orerries. Orerries didn't say anything for a second before lifting her head to look at the map.
"I heard Father say that in Elder was something that would stop him."
"Ha? Hate to break it to you, but Hoffman doesn't have a secret weapon lying around. If he did, I'd have stolen it years ago," Val retorted, but was met with Orerries shaking her head and causing her hood to slide off. The light from the lit torches reflected off her bright white long hair as she pointed up to the ball of blue flames.
"That is what Father talked about." Orerries lowered her hand and looked back to Val who sat with a frown on her face as she seemed to be contemplating something. After a minute of silence, Val opened her mouth.
"My blue flames are a combination of the destructive trait of Fire with the purifying trait of Water. This is nearly impossible for any magician to do, I was just born with the means to do so. However, because of this combination these flames can't harm humans. But they do act like an extreme toxic to demons," Val explained to a silent Orerries. Val crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. "Or are you saying-"
"My Father has entered a contract with demons, yes," Orerries stated bluntly before Val could ask. Orerries's hands balled into fists as she continued to speak. "It was... a loathsome demon who looked human... Lyrissa. She appeared one day and convinced my Father to war."
Elsewhere in the castle, Fenrir trotted down the dark corridor till she reached a door at the end. Without missing a beat, she opened the door and stepped into the well lit bedroom.
"Miss Fen!" two voices happily cheered. Fenrir looked over at two beds situated next to each other as two Nasods sat on them. The two Nasods were human-like similar to Fenrir, one with "X3" on their arm and the other had "X4". They were both female models with black hair. "X3" had her hair tied back in a pink ribbon while "X4" had hers flowing down her back.
"Hello, Pep and Aife. You haven't shut down for the night?" Fenrir asked the girls and they shook their heads.
"We were waiting for you!" Pep said with a smile as she adjusted her nightgown's sleeve over the "X3". Aife nodded in agreement as the two watched Fenrir flop onto her bed with a loud thud. Fenrir lay there for a moment before sitting up to look at the two Nasods.
"That's good, I needed your help with something."
The sun peeked out over the horizon, stirring Orerries where she had slept which turned out to be the floor next to Val's bed the arsonist had let the princess use. Orerries rubbed her ruby red eyes to brush away the tiredness.
"Ferdinand," she spoke to see if her bodyguard was online. In a flash, Ferdinand appeared beside her, carrying bread and a cup of tea. Orerries murmured a thank you as she munched slowly on the piece of bread. After eating, Orerries opened the creaky door and made her down the corridor to the study she had been the previous night. As she entered the study, she immediately noticed the sprawled out body of Val with a book open on top of her face. Orerries was about to kick the girl awake until a robotic voice cut in.
"I wouldn't do that. Miss Val is dangerous if woken up without care." Orerries and Ferdinand looked to see the bulky frame of Prit behind them. Prit easily stepped past them despite its size and stood next to the passed out body of his creator. A small flap on Prit's chest opened up and Prit took out a wrapped lollipop. With a delicate motion, Prit tore the wrapper off and slipped the lollipop into Val's mouth under the book.
"Miss Val needs large amounts of sugar to keep herself moving. It's very unhealthy, but she never listens," Prit said, almost like a parent. Orerries couldn't come up with a comment to that as Val stirred.
"Argh, shut up..." Val grumbled as she slowly removed the book from her face. "I was working on stuff. Go get me breakfast..."
Orerries thought for a second she heard Prit sigh as the Nasod moved past them.
"She'll be like that for a while, best leave her be," a voice commented from hallway. Prit raised his hand in a gesture to the person as it stepped past to fetch food for the cranky arsonist. The voice's owner stepped into the room with a loud sigh. "Seriously, updating one model shouldn't be this troublesome."
"Shut up, Fenrir..." Val grumbled and turned over so her back was to them. Orerries tilted her head as the Nasod standing with her looked nothing like Fenrir. This Nasod had short golden hair tied up to the side in a small ponytail with a red ribbon. Instead of the lab coat, she wore plain white T-shirt with what seemed to be some sort of purple bat logo on the front.
"You're...?"
"Last night Miss Val agreed to remake my entire model. I had my roommates help with the clothes and hair. Now I shouldn't be having mana problems like yesterday," Fenrir explained, playing with one of her bangs. As Fenrir ranted on about how lazy Val had been, Prit returned with breakfast for Val. Val begrudgingly ate with a permanent scowl on her face.
"I thought she was supposed to be your stand-in," Orerries wondered as she glanced at Val. Val shrugged her shoulders carefree.
"I don't need her to be one anymore," was all Val said before returning to her food. Fenrir rested a hand on her hip as she glanced to Prit. Prit's core was flashing a distinct red, which made Fenrir and Val tense up.
"What does that mean?" Orerries asked upon seeing the flashing.
"Demon interference detected. Incoming, incoming," Prit stated and began repeating "incoming" until Val snapped, "Prit! Core Transfer now!"
With that command, Prit's core became dark and its steel body froze up. Before Orerries could wonder, Val was already giving orders to the other Nasods hanging around to hide.
"You two, stay here!" Val snapped at Orerries and Ferdinand as she rushed out of the study with Fenrir close behind. Orerries huffed quietly and crossed her arms angrily.
"Don't order me around!" she called out before following with Ferdinand.
The main hall of the castle was large and empty as the Nasods had disappeared. In the center of the hall, Val and Fenrir stood with their backs to each other.
"Interference is closing in. Three identified," Fenrir reported, a small hologram screen in front of her right eye. The screen closed as Val tugged a black and red glove over her right hand. "However..." Fenrir was cut off as a loud explosion erupted above them. The explosion opened a large gaping hole in the roof as three figures landed on the floor in front of Fenrir.
Two of the figures were identical giants each wearing what seemed like wrestling title belt and eye mask, commonly referred to as Victors. The third who stood between them, was more human-like with long white hair, piercing gold eyes, and a slim sword in one hand. Val's blue flame ball started to quiver as if to pounce until Fenrir held a hand out to stop it.
"Miss Val, the middle one is human."
"What?!"
As he seemed to hear that, the middle intruder smirked smugly.
"I am General Shafer. We're here for the princess. We know she's here so hand her over and you won't die, arsonist," Shafer ordered, his smirk never leaving his face. Val's lip twitched, but she remained back-to-back with Fenrir.
"So I supposed you're here to counter my flame and the demons are the brutes," Val said as she silently touched the back of her glove without the intruders noticing. A small red light began to faintly glow from the gear pattern on the back of the glove. Shafer's smirk turned into a grin as he pointed his sword to Fenrir.
"That's right, and for further trouble, I had this sword specially made to kill humans instantly," he stated which made Val grin without his knowing.
"Well ain't that a shame!" Val cackled as she raised her right hand and slammed it onto the floor just as Orerries and Ferdinand reached the hall. Shafer braced himself as a giant sigil appeared beneath Val and Fenrir.
"Dimension Link... INSPECTOR!" Val shouted. A bright flash of light burst from the sigil, making the demons and Shafer covered their faces. From the sigil, a giant robotic hand emerged followed by an equally giant cannon. As the light faded, Shafer and the demons looked to see a gigantic Nasod now standing behind Fenrir and Val.
"I don't even need to fight you lackeys," Val commented as she took a seat on the stairway. "Fenrir, Prit."
"Yes, Miss Val?" Fenrir and the giant Nasod Inspector responded. Val grinned widely as she took out a lollipop.
"Rip them apart!" At that command, the giant Nasod Inspector threw its large hand towards the demons, smashing one Victor into the floor before swinging its cannon arm and sending the other Victor flying through the wall and outside. Shafer gritted his teeth in anger as he readied his sword and flashed in front of Val.
"Your toy can't save you!" Shafer snapped as he swung his sword at Val's head. Fenrir immediately intercepted and made the sword slash across her chest. Shafer smirked and chuckled. "And now your friend sacrifices herself for you too. You humans are so stupid!"
"Yes, they are. You included." Shafer's eyes widened before Fenrir's fist crushed his face and propelled him through a pillar holding the ceiling up. Fenrir flexed her arm and checked her shirt to make sure she redirected the blade to not damage it. Shafer screamed vile profanities as he clutched at his face with his free hand. Fenrir gave him a pitiful look as she stepped towards him.
"Wh-What are you?!" Shafer shouted, rushing at Fenrir with his human-killing sword ready. Fenrir gave a small, almost human, smirk at that. Shafer's blade was effortlessly knocked back by Fenrir's left arm and she clenched her right fist tightly, her back bent forward.
"I'm a Nasod, bi-" The rest of Fenrir's line couldn't be heard by Shafer as Fenrir's right fist planted itself squarely into his chin, and sent him into the ceiling with a loud crash. Val clapped calmly while Orerries looked dumbstruck at the one-sided beat-down she just witnessed. Fenrir rubbed her right hand and then looked up at the ceiling.
"Miss Val, we best be leaving now," she called over. Val nodded and signaled to the Nasod Inspector.
"Prit, Dimension Link Cancel!" she called out. The Inspector nodded and in a flash of light vanished. Val stood from the stairs as Orerries rushed down them to avoid a falling piece of the ceiling. Val laughed innocently while the ceiling began to crumble around them.
"Now this is how you break out of jail!"
The castle's hall was completed destroyed when Elder's guards arrived with Hoffman. Kira was silently observing the dead Victor in the floor as the one outside had disappeared along with any sign of Shafer. Hoffman stepped over some debris as he made his way to the stairs. The head of the city bent over to brush a rock off of what appeared to be a folded piece of paper.
"No sign of the arsonist, sir," one guard reported to Kira as Hoffman had sat down to read the paper. Kira nodded and looked around at the mess.
"What a flashy way to escape," he commented. Hoffman suddenly laughed, making Kira and the guards look over at him. Hoffman had folded the paper up and pocketed it before standing.
"Kira, go get Kyou from her cell. We have somewhere we need to go," Hoffman instructed. Unbeknownst to Hoffman and Kira, deep underneath them in the secret laboratory, Prit had returned to its smaller body as the Inspector's body sat silently.
"Miss Val and Miss Fen have successfully escape the area!" Pep and Aife announced cheerfully. Prit nodded its head before it sat down.
"Unit requires recharging. Instructions are to rest and keep out of sight," Prit stated. Pep and Aife watched Prit before they quietly started whispering to each other.
"Isn't Prit so cool? You saw how he took out those demons in a flash?"
"I know right? I think I'm falling for him!"
Out on the dirt road leading away from Elder, a small caravan rolled along with its two horses steadily keeping the pace. The driver looked rather young as he smiled at the open road. His black hair was messy and stuck up in random places, but he didn't seem to mind. He turned his head back to peer inside the caravan and its riders.
"We should be out of Elder's scope now!" he confirmed to which Val nodded her head.
"Thanks for being ready, Zildren. Glad my letter last night reached you," Val replied. Zildren chuckled and cracked on the reins.
"We'll be in Bethma by tonight. Where's our final destination?" Zildren asked, brushing some black hair out of his eyes. Val pursed her lips to think while next to her Orerries sat quietly, being pestered with questions about her hair by Zildren's other passenger, a girl with long brown hair.
"I suppose we'll go to Velder to get a ship to Hamel," Val stated calmly which made Zildren and the brown-haired girl freeze up.
"You do know who you are, right?!" they both asked in shock. Zildren twitched at the fact he spoke in unison with the girl. "Schirra don't copy me!"
"I'm not copying you!" she snapped back before Val scowled and that shut them both up. Val sucked on her lollipop for a second before answering their question.
"I know full well Velder wants me in chains. Which is why we aren't going to ask them for a ship," Val explained with a glance to Fenrir who was "sleeping" to restore the power she spent and be on detection mode in case more demons arrived. Val chuckled and crunched down on her lollipop. "We're stealing one."