Solane: Welcome back for chapter 9! Wow, can't believe we've gone so far already! This chapter is simply to explore the pasts of the OCs.
Arias: Hehe. Thanks to everyone who submitted OCs, and those who read, reviewed and favourited this! My gratefulness is eternal.
Let's begin!
She could only remember the stench of death.
The smiles of the Flora Aegis and the Flora Goddess as they mercilessly murdered her entire village.
Spinning her dual bladed axes around, Solane stepped into the bedroom where glowing computer screens sat.
They will pay, she assures herself.
Soon, they will fall by her blade and Nyxana's.
The bloodshed blanketing this land shall end.
She casually typed in "FLORA GODDESS FARIS TRACK" and waited.
Then, came the normally-incorrect lists.
Solane Thanatos was only looking for two names.
The ones who had killed them all, Luke and Lenaera Ignis.
Nighttime had always welcomed her.
All was silent and calm, except for the squelching of a few slimes and the hissing of some Zahhaks.
Never had this place been more comforting to the teenager, as she expertly fired several shadow strings into the forest.
As she reined them back in, noting with glee that the sounds were gone, she realized a photograph was attached to one.
Nyx casually pulled it off and looked at it, gasping.
A family.
Not hers, but someone else's.
A mother wearing a simple dress, the father with a Demon Slayer's uniform and two lively, bubbly boys.
Not anymore, the blood that fringed the photo seemed to announce.
A sad ending, like the one that Nyxana Akiyama's parents had gone through.
Both remembered.
Two girls held on to the ragged cave wall, daring not to breathe as searchlights scanned the cavern.
"Those village girls aren't around." A gruff voice hissed. A green-haired woman wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay dear, we'll find the broads later."
"Alright then, Faris."
Solane, close enough to the cave entrance to hear, glanced at the lady.
"Faris, huh?" She thought. "I'll find you and I'll hunt you down."
Solane gritted her teeth, directing light away from either of them. Nyx made the darkness surround the two of them.
Neither understood why they wanted to kill them. The Imperial Guards brought them food and water every day, regaled them with tales of demon slaying and battles against the ferocious Fallen Gods, and even would repair parts of the village if required. Why had a new band turned up, with several Summoners, to kill all that remained?
They grew up and they grew stronger. Nyxana uncovered the realm of shadows and let the darkness swallow her whole, taking the emotion of love from her forever. Solane, however, found solace in the heaven of light, let it fill her up, purging evil from her soul forever. It isn't a wonder why they became so different. Solane's happiness lay in creation. Nyxana could only destroy.
Clenching her fists, Nyxana tossed the photograph away. Her fingers trembled, if only for a moment.
"Flora. Aegis. Edea. Your time will come."
Solane screamed a silent yell into the depths of the night.
"Dad, I'll avenge you. I swear upon my grave." She said solemnly.
"Thank you for all these lessons, Eriole. Soon, it'll be time to show you what we've learned." Both sisters said quietly.
"What are you doing outside so late at night?" A male's voice was heard. Turning around, Solane saw Dylan and Sefia outside her room.
"T-tracking units. I'm trying to…uh…find this customer of mine who hasn't paid me yet for his Revive. He has a Faris unit." Solane stammered. Dylan frowned but didn't press further. "And wh-what about you?" Solane's temporarily shut-down defence mechanism whirred back into action.
"Nothing. I just heard weird noises and woke up." He said, slightly taken back by Solane's rude "interrogation". Well, rudeness was clearly part of this girl's life. He'd seen her Six Stars Luna unit, who, by the way, had the mouth of a cuss goddess.
Solane relaxed. "Go back to sleep. I've got a load of work to do, so probably you'll be hearing weird noises. But it's all fine."
Dylan, slightly suspicious by that time, just nodded.
"See you tomorrow, then." He said calmly.
How it all began…
BOOM! CRASH! THUD! SPLAT!
Eleven-year-old Kiya ran to the window and gasped. Flames were devouring her village. Upon the back of an ice beast rode a woman warrior who slashed and hacked, delighting in the carnage caused by her blade.
A male followed, sometimes, leading, sometimes being led by his units. He yelled taunts and threats.
"Kiya! Lani!" Their father ran towards them.
"Quick! Run! Your mother and I will hold them off!" He yelled.
"B-but…" Lani tried to speak.
"Just go! And remember them, avenge us all!" Their mother, the gentle, kind seamstress calls. "Fire Samba Ramna!" Their father follows with a yell of "Red Swordsman Farlon!"
Red blood drips from the sword he holds as he slays and hacks. Luke Ignis is more than a match for Kiya's father, Lenaera more than a simple adversary for Lani's mom.
Both cried that night, fitfully sleeping in a cave.
Nyxana's blade seeks Luke's heart. Solane's arrow wishes to fly true into Lenaera's head.
Meanwhile…
Luke buried his blade into the dirt, tilting his head as the raucous yelling and leering intensified. The dancing girls on stage, baring their bodies for the world to see made him sick. As did the stink of alcohol and beer.
"I just want to get that job and the hell outta here." Lenaera said quietly. Dressed in a hooded robe and clutching a simple sword, people could've mistaken her for Ember Elder Fiora. The wisps of her hair peeking from behind the hood didn't help much.
Luke wore a brown jacket over a black T-shirt and darker brown pants. Blonde hair and a strangely shaped-birthmark over his eye made him seem mysterious.
"Hey sir, how may I help you? You seem troubled." A svelte woman dressed in red said. Her deep crimson gown covered up her body modestly.
Luke immediately understood. "Well, the drinks are relatively fine, but get me a Coke." He told his "middlewoman". Her name was Morgane (yes she is based off NeoAvalon's Morgana) and she too was an assassin, known as "Flamewalker". Morgane nodded calmly. "Alright Luke, Lenaera, here's what you gotta do. Find a girl named "Esthia". She severely injured one of our operatives. And kill her. Simple."
"It seems strange you wouldn't want it, Flamewalker." Lenaera scoffed. Greyish-white curls flowed freely down her back."
"You guys wouldn't understand, Esthia has trained with us, once. Her journeys have brought her far. And her skills aren't to be underestimated. After all, I only can do so much against water. Not to mention, she is traveling with a group of skilled fighters now."
"Well, we exterminated a whole village. One girl and her companions won't be much."
Morgane smiled, a haunting, cruel grin.
"I've got my own targets in Atharva, to destroy. Farewell, Luke. I'll see you when you get back."
Lenaera nodded.
"See ya."
Morgane left, a wicked smirk on her face.
"Nyxana, cousin dearest, I'm helping to the best of my ability. But you just won't listen. I like you even more, now."