"I do not like how you use the men as items to do your bidding." Tiselda said in a disapproving manner.
"That's how women are treated all the time, my dear. It's how we have been able to become as powerful as we are."
"It still isn't right. Two men are dead now."
"They died for a just cause, soldiers fighting in war."
"So when do we meet them?"
"Tonight, it's time we meet face to face and discuss the next step of events." She got up from the armchair and stood by the window, the first signs of morning starting to show. "But you must promise you will be on your best behaviour, otherwise you will not be involved in the future."
"I promise." Tiselda assured, putting her hand on her heart.
Smiling, she continued to look at the light blues forming behind white clouds. Even though Tiselda may be a child, she definitely understood a lot about the world. This thought saddened her as she knew there may be the chance Tiselda would miss her childhood days but that was the sacrifice any child born into the Soldats had to make.
But all shall be decided tonight. Where Altena failed, Gisela was passionate to succeed.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Mireille, Kirika. It is so nice to finally meet you."
Kirika lowered her gun as she had a sudden feeling of deja vu.
"Gisela I presume." Mireille alleged not allowing her gaze to drift from the person standing before her.
"I'm Tiselda, I've been looking forward to meeting you." The little girl chirped.
Gisela smiled. "You have a lovely place here."
"I don't think you are here to talk about the interiors of my apartment." Mireille snapped turning to the second person.
"No, I am not."
"So, what do you want?"
"Shall we sit down?" Gisela suggested, gesturing to the table.
"I think you should just…" Mireille started, but she was interrupted by Kirika moving towards to kitchen and turning on the kettle. She hated when Kirika did the opposite to how she would have acted but then remembered the night when Chloe had turned up in their apartment and was a little understanding.
"The view you have of the Eiffel Tower is quite spectacular." Gisela commented, taking a place at the table.
"Mireille stayed where she was standing until Kirika sat down. She didn't trust Gisela at all.
Now, let's discuss the matter at hand." Gisela calmly once the tea was served. "I assume you know that we have been trying to find a certain item in Gibraltar."
"Pandora's Box." Mireille confirmed.
"That is correct. I always praise Remy for his skills in research."
"He didn't tell us that. We found out ourselves."
"Oh." Gisela exclaimed. "Does Remy know what we are doing?"
"What do you want with us?" Mireille said impatiently.
"It had been rumoured that Pandora's Box was hidden in the Pillars of Hercules, which is also the location of Atlantis. However, we cannot find the specific position of the Box without the necklace."
"The necklace?" Kirika questioned.
"Yes, the one you have. The one you have kept in Switzerland."
"How would my Grandmother's necklace tell us how to find Atlantis?"
"That's what I thought you would be able to tell me." Gisela signed. "As we don't have the necklace we haven't been able to experiment and it doesn't say the method in the research we've done."
"What are you planning on doing once you find the box?" Kirika asked.
Gisela looked seriously at Kirika. "To once again release the evils into the world. To punish the sinned and put justice in the world."
That sounded familiar to Mireille. It was the Soldats, the survivors of the war, to seek revenge against the world which was full of evil and despair, and to help the weak and persecuted. Noir were two women who led the Soldats and followed through with the tasks given.
Mireille, Kirika and Chloe were the three to aspirants to be part of Noir and sacrifice their lives to the Soldats in the ceremony of the Grand Retour, the return of the legendary Noir and fulfil their duty of punishing those who have sinned.
"What is the point in taking revenge on the world? The world shouldn't have to suffer whether there is a box or not." Mireille exclaimed.
"A sinner, once passed away, will never return, however, the sins will never vanish." Kirika recited, remembering the passage they first had of the book of Soldats.
Gisela nodded.
"But then you have sinned by destroying lives." Mireille argued.
"Not at all. We are the victims, the sufferers. The love of those who should have been protecting us was the ones who were destroyed or shattered the innocence of the child." A look of sadness flew over Gisela's face, but the hardness in her eyes returned quickly. "Be cruel to be kind. Isn't that how the saying goes?"
"But that is if you are following Altena's saying; love can kill, hate must save."
"Men have fought in wars to protect their kingdoms and to save their families, and it is this love and want of protecting their families that have led them to their death. It is only the man who hates his opponent enough that leads him to victory." Gisela supported.
"Rubbish." Mireille whispered.
"No it's not!" Tiselda cried. "My parents loved me too much for me to be involved with the Soldats, and now they are dead. That proves that love does kill and if they just did what they were suppose to do, they would be alive now."
Mireille was taken aback at what the child had just shared. They had done to Tiselda exactly what the Soldats did to her family. But she was surprised at how the child blamed her parents rather than blaming the Soldats like Mireille did. She remembered the words her mother had told her when she was younger; "For while it's true that love sometimes does kill people, there is something else that you must never forget- that hatred can never save them."
"Tissy, calm down."
The girl dropped her head, an obvious attempt to hide the tears.
"It is the nature of man to commit sin. And no matter how hard he struggles, no mane can escape fate. It is, therefore, our duty to soil our hands for the sake of man, just as the sins of the Soldats of old were committed in atonement for the sins of man himself."
"That sounds suspiciously like Altena."
"It is the word of the Soldats. Altena was a great leader and fulfilled and intended a lot of things. It is a shame that we have lost her but her plans will be satisfied." Gisela explained. "Besides, the box was originally used for the punishment of man by the Greek Gods. This is how it is meant to be."
Mireille wondered whether they knew how Altena died. There were no survivors that night, which they knew of and she doubted Remy and the Council Members would have revealed that piece of information.
"And we need the necklace to help us find the box."
"But won't you also suffer when the contents of the box gets revealed?" Kirika asked.
"The Soldats will be saved. We are the ones who have suffered or our ancestors have suffered and because we are the ones carrying out this task, our lives will be secured."
"But why will the Soldats be saved? That doesn't make sense."
"It's something we all know. If you do not wish to understand then it is obvious why it was Kirika and Chloe that was meant to carry out the Grand Retour." Altena derided.
Kirika looked up, a little surprised at what was just said. She looked over at Mireille who was now frowning, a gleam of anger in her expression.
"I think it was time you left." Mireille declared, standing up.
"Don't be hurt Mireille. I think we both know what talent they had."
Mireille said nothing even though she knew that is was true. Both Kirika and Chloe possessed something quite remarkable. She remembered speaking to Kirika about Chloe and the duo who were Noir; "When she claimed to be the true Noir, I felt as if she was a reflection of myself. But it seems the reflection wasn't of me, was it?"
"So, when can we see the necklace?" Tiselda asked, breaking Mireille's line of thought.
"You won't. I want nothing to do with the Soldats, never have and never will, and I certainly do not want to help you with your plans."
"What?!"
"Why don't you just steal it? Why ask me for it?." Mireille questioned.
"Because that is rude. And it would be nice to have your corporation in the matter."
"But why?" Kirika asked, sensing there was more to their involvement then handing over a necklace.
"The box could only be opened by a woman with the influence of punishing the world. As Pandora is no longer here, Noir is to take that place."
"You want us to open the box?" Mireille laughed. "I would get that idea straight out of your head."
"It is the fate of Noir. You were trained to do it. You have no choice."
"I would start training some more children. We are not doing it."
"Oh dear." Gisela sighed. "I would think about it Mireille, and we shall be in contact soon."
Silence.
"Goodnight Mireille, Kirika." Gisela said politely before walking through the apartment with Tiselda, closing the door gently behind them.
Kirika looked up at Mireille, who was still standing.
"Let's not." Mireille whispered turning around and heading to their bedroom.
Kirika got up and started to clean the tea set away.
She decided that it was time they told Remy what was going on. It was obvious that Gisela wasn't going to stop her plans just because Mireille wouldn't hand over the necklace.