*looks at word counter* Yeah right.
The Lighr Cruiser Demon, or as she was more well known as, Beacon-of-Pride-And-Power, simply stared at her counterpart, Giant-Phoenix-That-Watches. As for Phoenix, she simply stared back, unwavering.
"Many have already said the same thing as I, Beacon, that you cannot keep such a mindset -" Phoenix reattempted to argue, only to be cut off by a large hoot of mocking from her target.
"Spare me, Phoenix!" Beacon roared, her voice far larger than what her small frame would suggest. "Are we going through that same arguement again? One that has been rehashed, reused, over and over again by our superiors and us?"
Beacon gritted her teeth. The same thing, about how she and those who thought alike looked upon their sisters, and the newly-risen. Those that thought like Phoenix thought that her methods, actions, were wrong.
The fact that a newly born Abyssal would be thrown straight into battle.
The idea that only those that knew battle were worth listening to, or are the only ones worth any prestige.
Beacon gritted her teeth. For countless times, the same arguement was raised again and again, by the same people. And she never backed down.
After all, what were they other than the reborn souls of warships? War was part of them, and was a undeniable fact. To hold them back just because they were new? Utter nonsense. None gained experience better than being shoved into battle straight, and holding them back would simply delay their growth.
Listen to a whelp? And a unbloodied one at that? Rubbish. He had no experience, and all he did was just talk. Worse still, he was already off to consort with a Gatherer. One of those crazy maniacs, who simply bidded their time getting in one's way, acting important and sprouting garbage, and end up with nothing at the end.
Beacon snorted in derision, and shifted back in her seat. Whatever she said, Phoenix would not be able to convince in any way. She should just stop messing around with the Gatherer, and actually try commanding. Stupid Leviathan-That-Cries had coddled her too much-
"I am not going to lecture you on how you treat the new-ones you find, there is already no point in trying to repeat my superior's words. What I am trying to get you to do, is listen to Magician just once-"
"Spare. Me." Beacon growled, her voice reaching dangerously low pitches as she leaned forward threateningly. "Why should I listen to a unbloodied whelp, who is already with that-"
Phoenix cut her off. "He is no whelp."
"No whelp? Then what is this that I hear of him, being 'born' just yesterday? If so, I fail to see how he is anyway not a whelp."
Phoenix sighed. "He is different. According to the Gatherer you so despise-" Phoenix stayed on, undeterred by the second hoot from Beacon. "he is a human spirit that is 16 years of age, accidently brought here by a ritual the same Gatherer attempted."
"The 'temple' exploded when the ritual was finished, right?" Beacon cackled. "All the more to despise them. If they are already blowing up our own bases, then we can chuck them straight into the seas. Or we could just throw the at the humans-"
"The point is," Phoenix cut in firmly. She showed no sign of being affected by Beacon's comments, except for a expression that was struggling to stay set in stone. "He is not a new-one, and for that he is 16 years old. Which means, that he is older, and therefore, wiser than you."
Beacon scowled at that remark. "Did...did you just pull that?" She struggled for a few remarks to strike back verbally with a painful personal attack, before relenting with a far sharper counter argument. "Even if you say so, how many battles has he been in, eh?"
Phoenix looked downwards, as if in disappointment. "...none."
A gleeful shout of triumph and disbelief shook the tower, and Beacon shook in her seat, making no move to control herself. "None?! None?!" After rolling about a few times while cackling in glee, she continued mocking Phoenix. "Haha, to think you had the audacity to tell me that...a grown one, yet not with any battle experience!"
To her credit, Phoenix simply gritted her teeth and soldiered on. "Unlike you however, who places so much pride in your own 'experience', he has shown knowledge, and an different, actual method to fighting the humans. You came for that after all, didn't you?"
"So? He hasn't shown me anything."
"He has. Were you paying attention? Now we know the things the humans can do, and we can counter each of them, and has gone to the Gatherer to complete his objective. You accuse the Gatherers of uselessness, but you cannot deny some of the things they have done for us."
"If all he has is a few pieces of information and tolerance for Gatherers, again I don't see why I have any reason to listen to him. Besides, why do you place so much faith in a singular being? Surely you understand how dangerous this is? Basing all of your tactics on him..." Beacon's thoughtful face turned into a smirk. "Don't tell me...are you clinging to him for support, seeing now that you are a commander and Leviathan is dead?"
Beacon grinned at Phoenix visble wince, but she managed to rally herself and return fire. "No. Simply put, Magician has earned my trust, and he is willing to...help me, help the fleet more. Not to mention that his acts...seem genuine."
"'Seem'."
"If you do reject what I say, Beacon, than I'm afraid we have nothing to say to each other, and I fear that you will have wasted yours and your fleet's time here." Phoenix gave her the most determined of challenging stares.
Inside her heart, Beacon whistled. Phoenix had definitely not been that aggressive before, she thought. Perhaps Leviathan's death really did shake her up? To think she often was the one this fleet used to coddle...
"You would reject my help?" Beacon rounded back on her.
"'Help'? If you wouldn't work with me, than we would just clash, letting ourselves be easier prey for the humans. United we stand, or divided we fall."
Really, she has changed.
Beacon slowly gave the matter a second thought. For one, this went against something she believed very dearly in. Listening to someone who was inexperienced? That alone, was enough to make her simply disembark and leave with her fleet, and leave Phoenix to fate.
Besides, how would other commanders feel about this? Definitely they would take the time to pick her apart, call her hypocrite and all sorts of things, try to tear her down. Beacon gritted her teeth. As much as her world was about the strong above the weak, yet the strong would do whatever, no matter how disgusting, to bring each other down.
By talking to this 'Magician', she would be risking her entire life, her power.
But truth is, she was interested. While she still did not think he was sone worth hearing, but seeing Phoenix, in the face of overwhelming odds, get so confident in her ability to win with his presence? How odd...
How interesting.
Curiosity grabbed hold, and clasped her in a crushing grip, and as she went through each argument she had, they broke under the pressure of that curiosity.
Whatever it was, she had to know.
"Fine. I will relent. Let me see him." She sighed. "However, if he does not live up to my expectations..."
"You still have no right to do anything to him; he is after all under my command."
Beacon voiced her displeasure with a small 'tch'.
After several minutes, there was a knock on the door. With Phoenix's approval, it swung open, revealing the male new-born.
As he entered, Beacon took the chance to observe him. Longcoat, hat, shirt and legwear, they looked rather immaticulate. Moving up, she watched him as he stepped forward with a stoic face, its features looking like they had been set in stone.
However, as her gaze travelled upwards, Beacon smirked inwardly as his eyes betrayed his true feelings. Those sky-azure pupils darted around, their eyeballs swirveling sharply in their sockets. Indeed, he was nervous about this meeting.
Wimp, Beacon thought, even as she began her second meeting with this new-born. "Well, Magician, it seems that your commander has spoken up for you, and I'm willing to let you convince me another time of your usefulness to us, to me."
A simple, gracious nod was what she got in return.
"Hmph. First off, I would want you to tell me, what exactly can you do for us?"
Magician replied, "To start off, I have knowledge of human weaponry and defenses, and about their capabilities. This itself is useful intelligence for all of you, as it allows all of you to be able to make battle with them easily. Secondly, I have knowledge of human science and technology, which I can possibly replicate with help of others like Siren-Of-Knowledge, which will improve your own capabilities. Lastly, I have knowledge of human tactics, strategy and planning, which will aid all of you greatly on the battlefield."
Beacon simply nodded. "Fine. So that's why you would consort with the Gatherers?"
"True. I think that science - and magic - will greatly benefit your fleets, but only if we bother to learn how to harness them. As far as I know, Siren's colleagues would help a lot, given that they seem to be the experts in this matter."
"A fair answer." Beacon leaned back, as she went through his answers. "I guess...whether or not your abilities are useful I will find out soon enough, but before I can truely begin..." She again pushed herself upright.
"What is your reason for joining with us?" She uttered her last question with a voice devoid of any feeling.
She looked up again, and noticed that her target had clearly lost his composure. He had his head tilted to the side, the nervousness in his eyes already increasing. Unrelenting, she moved in, attacking.
"According to Phoenix here, you said that you were a human of 16 years...which means that you are the enemy." Her voice emphasised the last point, growing sharp. "By some strange coincidence, you have ended up here, with a body that we have. That does not the change the fact that you have the mindset of a human...right?"
Magician was in full panic mode by now. He was scratching his head, his mouth opening and closing as a few unintelligble words flew out. Already the distance between the both of them had widened quite a bit.
"So, again, what's your reason for joining us? And a warning; if I do not like the answer you give...I may very well slay you on this very spot." Her voice, full with killing intent, cut through her target like a hot knife through butter.
And yet, she was noticing how quite Phoenix had been since she dropped that bomb. And enjoying it, even.
Moments passed, as Magician slowly, nervously perpared his response. And delivered it. "Simply put, I am joining because...because of survival."
"Right now...a human fleet is coming here, its aim being...your annihilation. Currently, I am on this place with you, with no place to go, nowhere to hide, no option left. If they win this upcoming battle, I...I will surely perish."
Beacon considered his response. "You do know that Phoenix could simply let you away? I doubt she would be able to prevent you from getting away..."
"If...if I ran, ma'am, where could I go?"
Beacon simply looked at him after that response. And sighed. For the longest time, nothing moved in that room, its atmosphere tense with apprehension.
Meanwhile, inside the Abyssal commander's heart, a strange mixture of pity and revulsion.
Pity, simply for him being stuck in such a shitty, terrible situation.
Revulsion, for exhibiting cowardice far higher than any new-born she knew.
Again and again, she cycled between both emotions.
Finally, she let her thoughts be known. "At least you are trustworthy...somewhat. And perhaps useful...but now, you will show me." She held out her arms in anticipation.
When he did not respond, she said, "Honestly? You can claim to have the knowledge that humans own...but even then, it would be useless without experiencing the battles I won, lost, and experienced."
"So come here, show me the things you promised. And pray that you do not disappoint me."
He grabbed those hands, and with one thought, she pulled him into ther aether of her memories.
======CHAPTER 1 End======