Kuroinu Chapter 3: First Mission, Memories, and Heading Out

The study was quiet as it's only occupants sat around the table. The mood had gone from joyous too sullen as Mark, Claudia, and Klaus sat there waiting for Lady Celestine to tell them her reason for her sudden appearance. Finally, she spoke.

"As you already know The Black Fort is protected by a powerful barrier and that this particular barrier generates a large amount of demonic miasma that kills anything that comes near it unless the person that created it gives someone a special seal. We have failed numerous times in trying to replicate the seal and thus shifted our attention to either finding a way around the barrier or finding the source of it and destroying it." –Celestine continued on as the family silently listened to her.

"A barrier of this size, strength, and ability requires at least three seals to maintain it. Naturally as time goes on the seal would have to be replaced at some point. Destroying even one of the seals can greatly weaken it momentarily when they are in this condition. Recently our scouts spotted a several Ogres and Orcs leave the fort from a hidden passage, they followed them and actually managed to discover one of these seals. Based on the report it will soon need to be replaced in about a week's time." –Celestine

"In that case allow me to mobilize my troops. We can capture the seal, destroy it, and finally bring an end to this war. Give the word and I shall prepare immediately Lady Celestine." –Claudia stood up ready to leave at any moment, needing only Celestine's word to do so.

"I cannot send you out Lady Levantain. It is highly likely that Olga will attempt to hasten her actions if she receives word of one the Shield princesses mobilizing with the fort as their destination. Even if I did she might mobilize her own army and have them attack Rad while you are away. For this reason, another knight, one I know that I can place my complete faith in, will be sent." –Celestine looked at Mark from the corner of her eye. Mark caught this and decided to speak up.

"So that's why you've decided to send me isn't it Lady Celestine?" –Before she could answer Mark's question Celestine was interrupted by Claudia.

"Young man I will not allow you speak to our lady, Celestine Lucullus in such- "–Claudia was then interrupted by Celestine who had raised her hand. Claudia grew silent upon seeing it and sat back down.

"No Claudia, he is correct. Yes, your mission should you choose to accept it, is to enter the Black Fort and with a specially selected force, capture the Dark Elf Queen Olga Discordia and bring her back here alive and unharmed. I know that what I ask is difficult but I firmly believe that you can accomplish this." –Celestine then stood up and did something no one in the room expected…She bowed to him.

"Please Sir Mark, accept." –Celestine stood there waiting for Mark's response. Mark after getting over the initial shock of Celestine's unexpected move decided to give his answer.

"Please raise your head Lady Celestine, if anyone should be bowing here it should be for hearing that you have so much faith in my abilities. As for your request it would be my utmost honor to do so." –Mark tried to sound as humble about it as possible. When Celestine raised her head she had the most beautiful smile on her face that Mark had ever seen on a woman's face. If one needed proof she was a goddess, then looking at that smile would certainly be enough proof for thousands of non-believers.

"Thank you Sir Mark. The men that will accompany you are Vault, his best soldiers, and a full contingent of Black Dogs that are not with Lady Maia at her Fortress Thorn. I have already sent the details to them. They will meet you at the fortress gate tomorrow morning." –Celestine began to make her way to the door. She then turned around once more and walked over to Mark. As she did so she reached into the part of the robe that appeared to barely hold her F cup breasts. She pulled out a small, clear crystal and handed it to Mark.

"That Crystal shall allow us to communicate with each other over a long distance. Please be careful with it, they are extremely difficult to make." –Celestine said before taking a few steps away.

"Claudia thank you for having me in your home. Sir Mark I look forward to hearing of your success." –Celestine then stretch both of her arms above her head and in a brilliant flash of light she was gone. Claudia stood up from the table and went around to her son's side where she delivered a fast and powerful chop to his head.

"Ow! Mother!" –Mark

"I will not stand for disrespect to Lady Celestine young man." –Claudia

"But mother Lady Celestine said that she needed me-"–Mark was interrupted as his Mother suddenly pulled his head into a hug. Klaus stood up and placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Your mother is only worried for you Mark. She just has a special way of showing it." –Klaus received a chop to the head as well but this one had notably less force behind it. Mark was finally freed from his Mother's grasp and stood up.

"I'll be safe Mother. You have my word." –Mark

The family went about the remainder of the day as they usually did and went to sleep early after having dinner for tomorrow would be some time before they were together again.

It was early in the morning when they arrived at the fortress's gate on their horses. Vault and his men were gathered up together by one of the guard houses. They dismounted upon seeing him approach them.

"Hey kid seeing as how you're here I guess you're the knight that's supposed to join us for this job correct? Congrats on becoming one too let's have a couple of drinks later." –Vault stood there with his flask in hand.

"Vault take care of my son." –Claudia said as she looked over Vault's group. She was there dressed in her knight armor believing that she should see her son off as a knight although she couldn't help but let her mother-side show.

"Come now Claudia, Mark isn't a child anymore I'm sure that he is perfectly capable of taking care of himself." –Klaus tried to soothe his wife's worries. She had raised him both as a person and knight so one could say that her relationship with her son was surprisingly close seeing as how normal teenagers would be rebelling against their parents. As they were chatting about some of the mission's details a messenger with the Black Dog emblem on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Hey boss we just got word from Hicks and Kin; they said that they'll meet up with us along the way." –The messenger came to a stop by the group and saluted his boss.

"Good, then let's get going then." –Vault gave a whistle and from around the corner of the guard house came his horse. He jumped right on to it and made it start walking to the gate. Mark gave his mother and father one last hug and goodbye before mounting his horse having it run to catch up with Vault and his men.

As she looked at his back as he got further and further away she began to remember some of the times they had spent together.

His first steps;

"Come here Mark, come to mommy." –Claudia watched as her son started to take his uneven steps towards her while Klaus followed behind closely in case he fell. Finally, he arrived and she gave him a big hug.

His first word;

"Here you go Mark eat up now." –Klaus tried his best to feed his son but every time he brought the spoon near his mouth Mark would turn away from it. Claudia walked in wearing a casual green dress just in time to witness her husband's plight. Letting out a soft chuckle she walked over and took the spoon from his hand.

"You have to do "the dragon" if you want him to eat Klaus." –Claudia began to move the spoon around in the air, drawing her son's attention.

"Looks like the dragon wants to land in its cave. Where's the cave Mark?" –Claudia smiled as her son opened his mouth wide, letting her put the spoon in his mouth. Seeing some of it start to ooze out from his mouth was an amusing sight. What happened next though threw both the parents for a loop.

"Ma..ma." –Mark laughed out loud upon seeing his parent's reaction. Claudia lifted him up and began to spin in place as Mark continued to say mama.

The day he wanted to become a knight;

"Hey mother how come you have to wear that armor when you fight?" –Mark, who was around the age of five, asked as both he and Claudia rode through town on her horse.

"It's because I am a knight Mark." –Claudia

"What's a knight?" –Mark

"A knight is someone who swears to protect the people by fighting monsters and all sorts of other bad people." –Claudia gave her son a child's definition so that he could better understand her work despite there being much more to it than that.

"Can I become a knight mother?" –Mark

"You can but you must be trained by a very experienced knight as a squire first and you must also receive a proper education in many other things such as math and literature." –Claudia was about to say more when she was interrupted by Mark.

"Alright in that case I want to be your squire Mother. If I do that then I'll grow up to be an amazing knight like you one day and maybe even meet the other Shield Princesses one day, right?" –Mark looked up at his mother with stars in his eyes. She knew that he had always wanted to meet her fellow sisters-in-arms and whenever he gave her that look there was no way she could refuse him.

"Very well but you must listen to my instructions and follow them to the letter. I won't allow you to slack off or complain just because it gets too hard for you, understood?" –Claudia smiled when she saw how fast he nodded his head. When they finally returned home that day Claudia started to show him how to wield a sword.

As more and more memories came rushing to her mind she was suddenly embraced by her husband who began to stroke her hair back in a comforting motion. Apparently, without even realizing it, she began to cry.

"We've done all we can for him Claudia, all we can do now is have faith in our little boy." –Claudia looked over at her husband as she began to wipe away the tears.

"Your wrong Klaus, he's not a little boy anymore." –Claudia said as she got back on her horse. The two parted ways there as Claudia had to go off and handle some matters concerning the fortress and Klaus had to go to the library for research. They left knowing full well that their son would return before they even knew.

"So these men, Hicks and Kin if I remember correctly are two of your top commander's right Vault?" –Mark

"Yeah, Maia was too until she ended up joining those so called Shield Princesses." –Vault said in a matter of fact tone. It had been a few hours since the two of them and their men had been walking for a few hours. They had crossed into the outlands some time ago and saw several demonic creatures but they were either not interested or were too afraid of attacking such a large force by themselves.

"Wait Lady Maia was a Black Dog?" –Mark said learning something unexpected about one of the Shield Princess that his mother worked with.

"Yeah she was. I was the leader, Hicks was the muscle, Kin was the brains, and Maia was our top spy. She used her feminine whiles to get the information out of any poor sap that we needed dirt on. Funny thing is the girl was and still is a complete virgin, always going on about saving it for someone else, she never said who though." –Vault said as another group of men came into view ahead of them.

At the front were two men. One of them wore nothing but a green vest on the upper part of his body blue pants and had twin daggers on his left and right, He had light brown hair and wore the emblem of the Black Dogs on an arm band on his left arm. He was notably older than the man next to him but not by much but it he certainly appeared to be more physically trained. This man was Hicks.

The other man was younger and had a more intelligent look to him. He wore blue and evergreen tunic and baggy black pants underneath his purple cloak which had the Black Dogs emblem on his collar. His brown hair was more well-kept and his calculating green eyes were hidden behind black glasses. This man was Kin.

"It's about time you showed up boss I was starting to think weren't gonna show. So, who's this guy?" –Hicks walked over to them as they drew closer, pointing at Mark.

"Based on his armor and the rose and sword emblem on his shoulder he would appear to be a knight from the Levantain family." –Kin adjusted his glasses while carefully examining Mark.

"It is nice to meet you both." –Mark bowed to the two men and in turn greeted him in their own way, Kin bowed to him respectfully while Hicks just said it was nice to have him. The small army kept moving forward towards their destination, the location of the seal. Night eventually came bringing an end to the first day of their journey, Mark sat with Vault and his men as they chatted about stuff here and there.

"So then kid out of all the Shield Princesses who would you say is the one you'd like to get in the sack most?" –Hicks who had been drinking quite a lot suddenly asked, making Mark spit out his drink out of surprise of the bluntness of the question. After a few moments of coughing and calming himself down Mark decided to humor them and give them an answer.

"I suppose if I absolutely had to pick someone I'd have to say… Lady Celestine." –Mark's answer was met with a large groan from the whole group. The men then started to take out various sized bags of coins from their pockets and placed them in front of Kin who smiled.

"Thank you Sir Mark. We had a bit of a wager earlier to see who you would choose if given the choice. I was the only one to choose Celestine Lucullus as the other men thought it would be too obvious." –Kin bowed to Mark once again. Mark was mildly irritated that they had done this behind his back but what else could he expect from a group of mercenaries?

Mark turned his head and saw Vault staring intently at the fire before him apparently deep in thought. He found his silence a bit unsettling given how he normally was so he decided to ask him a simple question.

"Excuse me Vault but if you don't mind my asking, what are your plans after this job is done?" –Mark said to Vault instantly drawing out his attention. Vault looked at him and smiled before he answered.

"Oh I've got some stuff in the works. Stuff that's gonna change everything believe it or not. You know now that I think about it I could use a guy like you when it comes time to put them into action. What do you say?" –Vault said looking confidently at the young Knight. Mark looked at him and was about to answer when he noticed how intently Kin was watching them from the corner of his eye.

"It sounds like you have some amazing things planned for the future Vault. May I have some time to think about it?" –Mark wanted to get some distance from them as soon as possible.

"Sure just let me know soon, okay?" –Vault patted Mark's shoulder as he got up and left for his tent. Kin finally decided to speak up.

"Are you sure you want to bring him into this?" –Kin spoke up once Mark was far enough away from the group.

"Yeah it's good insurance incase that old man decides not to take up our offer. Besides he may be a bit uptight but he's one heck of a fighter and a loyal one at that. I'll always reward my men handsomely for their loyalty when this is all over." –Vault stood up and started to chug down his flask as the men around him gave out a loud cheer.

A/N

Next chapter will take some time seeing as how all these rapid releases (Bow Chika Bow Wow) are killing me.