Alaia Skyhawk: Here's the next chapter, and this one makes it officially 35 chapters I've written in just over a week. That's about 4 chapters a day. O.o;
I don't own Tales of Symphonia so please don't sue me. I do however own Krishka, Dallinius (Dalli), Aluran, the Alurannai and any OCs, except Sanaro and Annule, who belong to Mr.Who2123, and Mika and Fiuras, who belong to WingedWithFieryMana, so please don't steal them...
Enjoy
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Chapter 21: A Royal Pain in the Neck
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They came gliding down out of the sky, three large Rhieards with a pilot and passenger on each. They were high up in the Thodasa Mountains, and the promised transport for the stolen exspheres had arrived.
Mika watched as they began to land, wondering why they were carrying two. Wouldn't that decrease the range because of the extra weight? One of the passengers turned to look at her, and then the strangest feeling came over her. Those eyes had that similar ageless look to them that Kratos' eyes had had. As though guessing her train of thought, the individual in question gave her a slow wink and tapped the set of grips set just behind her. She'd been holding them while the Rhieard was in flight. Suddenly Mika noticed a set of cables merged to the side of the craft leading to the engine from those grips, and same the coming from the pilot's set. Like someone flipping a light switch, she realised then why there were two on each craft.
You numbskull, both the pilot and the passenger are alurannai! They can generate mana, that's why there are two, to power the Rhieard!
Keeping her mouth shut, since only she and a handful of the other high ranking Renegades knew the Alurannai still existed, she walked over to the craft.
"Pilot... Report."
The pilot gave her a crisp salute, while behind them the squad loaded the exspheres.
"Skies were clear all the way, with no sign of angels on patrol. With the easterly winds at the moment we should make it back to base within six days."
With a sharp nod, Mika acknowledged the report.
"Good, the faster these are taken back the less chance there is of the Desians retrieving them."
Though given that this convoy has six alurannai in it, I somehow doubt they'd get them back even if they spotted them.
Taking that for the dismissal is was, the pilot turned and began helping to load the craft's cargo compartment.
Walking over to where the Lieutenant Commander of the squad was standing, she gave him a slight nudge to get his attention.
He saluted smartly, but there was a definite smirk on his face.
"Second Mika."
She frowned at him.
"Cut it with the crap, Vann. You know I don't expect that kind of strict protocol from you out here unless we're in a combat situation." She inclined her head, indicating the nearby camp they had set up. "Tell the squad to settle themselves for a bit, we'll be resting for a couple of days while I figure out what we're going to do next."
He dropped the smirk and regarded her seriously.
"Any ideas about that?"
She shook her head and started to walk towards the camp as he strolled along beside her.
"Fiuras hasn't gotten back from scouting yet. He can travel a lot faster than a Rhieard can fly, but even so it'll still take him some time to make a complete sweep of the areas I've told him to check. Depending on what he finds, then I'll decide where we'll go next."
Vann stopped to check on a man who had been injured at the Ranch, trotting to catch up with her when the man had stated his leg was feeling a lot better.
"I think that there isn't a single man or woman in this squad who isn't glad you're a summoner. That spirit partner of yours has warned us of nearby dangers and patrols more times than I can count. It still beats me why they never spot him though. A hawk flying in a grid search pattern isn't something someone's going to ignore. It's just too out of place."
The corner of Mika's mouth lifted in amusement.
"That just shows you how little you know about summon spirits. Summon spirits can make themselves invisible to those they don't want seeing them. We can still see him because he lets us, but the Desians can't because he won't. That's why I've had him working as our scout from the day we left Triet." The whine of engines behind them heralded the departure of the Rhieards, Mika didn't turn. "And do keep that to yourself, I don't want to have that circulating the squad gossip. The less it's mentioned the less likely a spy will overhear it. Let's not give away our advantages, they make it so much easier to outwit our opponents."
Grinning at the thought of outwitting the Desians again and again, the two of them headed for the cook tent to see what today's chef had managed to concoct from their rather bland selection of rations.
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"So you're telling me that a handful of troops broke into your ranch, stole two years worth of exspheres, and escaped, all without your men managing to kill even one of them. I do hope you have a good explanation for your incompetence."
Rage filled eyes glared at the reproving expression of the woman displayed on the projector. Stood in the control room of the Palmacosta Ranch, the red haired Cardinal was making his report to the one person he despised more than even humans. Magnius hated this woman, this woman who had killed the previous leader of the Five Grand Cardinals. Her ruthlessness had impressed Lord Yggdrasil, as had her cunning in luring the departed man to his doom. As a result she had been immediately promoted to her victim's former position, despite her mediocre rank within the organisation. Meanwhile, the four remaining Cardinals had been passed over in her favour. Of the three slighted Cardinals who now remained, not one of them had a single iota of respect for her. They obeyed her because she had Yggdrasil's support, and only because of that.
"Lady Pronyma, at the time of the attack many of my men were raiding Palmacosta due to your insistence that exsphere production be increased. The number of host bodies in the facility was insufficient for the level of output you were demanding."
Cold violet eyes focused on him, her cruel expression enhanced by the green of her hair and her ivory skin. She flipped a strand of that hair back from her face with a red gloved hand, and regarded him from within the ring of enchanted blade-like shields that she held suspended around her.
"Your excuses bore me, Magnius. Any competent man could arrange his troops to raid that pitiful city, and ensure the Ranch's defence against attacks. Something you have failed at miserably. Lord Yggdrasil will hear of this, and no doubt you will be issued a warning. Keep up this level if ineptitude and you could find yourself losing more than just your rank."
The transmission ended, Magnius slamming a fist into the nearby wall as he roared his anger. He would get that bitch one day, and then he would watch as she begged at his feet... Yes... one day... He would see to it.
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The man was like ice... Colder even than the deepest glacier... Emerald eyes regarded her from that perfect face, eyes that now held a ceaseless rage that had not abated since his betrayal by Kratos and Yuan. Pronyma controlled the urge to run from that regard. He was her Lord, and she would not shame him by showing fear. She was his to wield as he willed, without hesitation. That devotion, along with her value as his most trusted remaining lieutenant, was the only thing that would prevent him venting that rage on her as he had done on several unfortunate angels over the past few months.
"Sir... The Renegades have struck again, this time attacking a Ranch directly... Their new Second in Command was leading the attack..."
Those icy eyes remained on her, his face was expressionless as he spoke.
"I thought I told you to deal with her... She is a nuisance and I want her disposed of."
Still controlling her fear, the Cardinal maintained eye contact with her Lord.
"The assassins I've sent have proven to be no match for her. Her fighting style speaks of her being trained in Mizuho, her appearance also hints at that village being her place of birth. Unfortunately, even several of the assassins at our disposal working together would have no chance against her if she does originate from there."
Yggdrasil remained silent.
"We shall see... Send a few more, confirm if you can that she is Mizuho trained. If the new attempts fail, I will consider sending others from our ranks to deal with her... Your are dismissed."
Bowing, she then turned and left the throne room of Vinheim. As soon as she was certain of being out of earshot, she leaned against a wall and put a hand to her now pounding heart. No matter how loyal she was to him, nothing could banish the terror of being so close to him. So close to one who was now as cold as death incarnate...
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As it had sounded many times before, the drumbeat of men and women racing across the plains rumbled through the earth. As she had done many times before now, Mika ran at their head with Fiuras soaring above. The grasslands of the Palmacostan continent rolled past beneath their heels as she led them towards the Hakonesia Mountains. Fiuras had found an interesting pass some fifty miles from the trade route... a pass that it seemed was a popular destination for Desian convoys.
They think I'm a pain in the neck now... I'm only just getting started...
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Alaia Skyhawk: I created a bit of back story for Pronyma in this chapter. K'var says in the game that she 'usurped' the leadership of the Five Grand Cardinals. This is just my take on how she could have done it, and also why the other Cardinals would hate her so much.