A/N Yes, my fellow readers, we are now leaving the troubled lands of the Empire behind and traveling to the hardly talked about Eastern Nation that is separated by a vast ocean. You all probably can assume that I'm going to be completely making up everything there is about it, and you would all be right. This is a fanfiction, so of course I'm going to do that. Duh. Also after this chapter I will finally be making the page for Kahfka, Jacqueline's subordinate/lover, mainly the latter one, so you all can view her appearance. You will understand why I waited this long to do so upon reading this chapter, so when finished, hop on over to FanficCollective and search her up. Leave a fav and review.
Chapter 20 -To a New Land
The trip across the ocean had taken three weeks from their departure from Caern, but as the sun rose up over the horizon they finally arrived at the coastline of the Eastern Nation. The Jaegers lined up along the railing of the ship and took in the sight of the completely foreign land, the rolling green hills and the morning fog settled over the shores making it seem like something out of a fairy tail.
"So this is the Eastern Nation…" said Wave in awe of how beautiful it looked from where they were, Solomon crossing his arms and snorting.
"You think it looks cool now? Wait until you see the capital."
"You've been here before?" asked Run, Solomon quickly clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Uh, yeah. A long time ago."
"Well, a lot can change over the course of several years. It may look even better then what you remember it to be." stated Chelsea with a smile as the boat maneuvered around a rock formation and turned its bow towards a large industrial dock city on the coast.
Just from how ever many miles away they were, they could tell from the smoke-stacks rising up from the city that the Eastern Nation must be heavily industrialized, possibly even more so than the Empire. And if they did possess a bustling capital city like the Empire, their strength might also be the same as well.
The boat finally docked at the huge harbor the city possessed and the gangway was lowered down, the ship's passengers beginning to file down the narrow walkway one in an orderly fashion. Tatsumi and Esdeath led the Jaegers with them and upon reaching the concrete and stone harbor they made their way towards the city itself, wanting to see just what was so mysterious and unique about the Eastern Nation. They hardly ever heard anything about the nation separated by water, so being here was the perfect opportunity for them to learn more about the Empire's other neighbor besides the Western Nations, the Northern Tribes and the Southern lands.
The people here definitely dressed more casually then the citizens of the Imperial Capital, and they noticed that everyone here radiated an aura of happiness and optimism, which was a rare sight back home.
"This place is amazing…" uttered Tatsumi in awe of the sprawling cityscape around them and the excellently built structures.
"I want to see what the capital city looks like. Let's head there." said Esdeath as they delved deeper into the city in their search to find transportation to the capital city Solomon had mentioned earlier.
When they finally found transportation they came to another realization. The Eastern Nation was indeed more technologically advanced then the Empire, since their transportation was actually a vehicle that was steam-powered and could move on its own. And if just one vehicle was like that, they could assume that the rest of the city and the nation as a whole was a huge user of steam power.
Before they could step into the vehicle, however, Tatsumi felt a hand get placed on his shoulder and he looked back right into the face of a soldier dressed in a light grey military uniform with chest pockets, a matching visored field cap and a sword sheath dangling from a belt. Behind him stood at least five other soldiers, only they carried rifles over their shoulders alongside a sword.
"I can tell that you folks aren't from around here. You need help finding something?" he asked with a smile, Esdeath turning around and stepping up next to Tatsumi while shaking her head.
"No, we're fine. We were just on our way to the capital." she said, the soldier examining her face for a second before his eyes widened upon matching her with something he remembered seeing earlier.
The other Jaegers noticed the change in his expression and they prepared to use their weapons in case a fight broke out, but to their surprise the man laughed and ran a hand through his hair after removing his cap.
"Wait a minute, you're Esdeath, from the Empire. And all of you are the Jaegers, right? The people that turned rogue?" he said as he returned the cap to its original position.
When he looked at their expressions and saw the anxiety developing in them, he raised his hands up to show that he wasn't planning on arresting or even trying to fight them. "Relax, I'm not going to apprehend you or anything. All of us here aren't really huge fans of the Empire either."
"Really? Well that's the best thing I've heard in a long time…" muttered Wave with a sigh of relief as the soldier beckoned them to follow him and his companions.
"Here, I'll take you guys to the capital." he offered, Tatsumi glancing back at the others and shrugging before they followed him to another vehicle detailed with the marks of what they assumed to be the Eastern Nation's army while the rest of his comrades stayed behind.
It took them a couple of hours to drive from the coastal city through the sprawling countryside, but after cresting a small hill they were all treated to a wondrous and breath-taking sight before them. The road they were on was leading them straight to a massive wall constructed entirely out of white marble that encircled a city at least three times as large as the one they were previously at, around the same size if not larger then the Imperial Capital back in the Empire. There was a mixture of brick buildings mixed with larger factories that churned out white smoke from the stacks they sported, no doubt powered by steam generators, and rising up from one portion of the city was a large castle fortress.
The sight that took their breath away though was the massive volcano, they could tell by its structure, rising up behind the city high into the sky, and even from here they could just barely make out a switch-back style pathway carved out into the side of the volcano that led up to its caldera, which meant that there was a portion of the city located inside they had yet to lay eyes upon.
Decorating the massive gates that offered entrance to the city beyond the wall was a large crest with a shield possessing an eagle in the center, its wings outstretched, and three golden crowns situated above it. Directly above the crowns was a purple banner with some sort of creed or motto, and when he couldn't figure out what it meant, Tatsumi tapped the soldier who had offered the ride on the shoulder and pointed up to the banner.
"Hey, what does that mean?" he asked, the soldier squinting to see the words and grinning as he looked back at him.
"It's "Durch Wissen kommt Sieg", which stands for "Through Knowledge comes Victory". We pride ourselves on that saying because our nation's lasted pretty much just as long as your Empire thanks to us pursuing knowledge and such. That's why we have steam-powered vehicles and you guys still rely on horses."
"Hey, that hurts." said Wave, the soldier laughing.
"What about your military? You all are obviously part of the Eastern Nation's army, so are there any other branches?" asked Esdeath, her curiosity peaked.
"Yes, it does, and our name isn't the Eastern Nation." stated the soldier as they drew closer to the protective wall. "Our nation's name is the Kingdom of Straelka, ruled by the Kaiser and Kaiserin which was founded around one thousand years ago by the first Kaiser, Bismarak."
"Oh, sorry."
"It's fine, people from across the ocean get it wrong all the time. But anyways, yes, we do have other military branches. I'm a part of the Royal Army, and the other two branches are the Royal Navy and the most powerful is the Royal Air Suppression Forces, or the R.A.S.F for short."
"Royal Air Suppression Forces?" questioned Run. "What exactly do they do?"
The soldier pointed towards the sky with a grin and everybody raised their eyes upward, their jaws dropping when they spotted a massive metal airship flying overhead, its propulsion a series of propellers on either side of its hull. They watched it for a few more moments before they all heard an explosion off in the distance, the soldier whipping his head around and spotting the smoke from it over one of the hills to their right.
"And it seems that one is heading to help our boys out with another Danger Beast attack."
"Danger Beast? You guys have them too?" asked Tatsumi.
"Oh most definitely. This place, before Straelka got here, used to be crawling with the things. It used to be really mountainous around these parts too, but when the First Kaiser came here he used a Teigu given to him by the First Emperor of the Empire to pretty much turn the landscape into what it is today." replied the soldier, the Jaegers gasping at the mentioning of a weapon they thought was exclusive to the Empire and the surrounding lands alone.
"Wait, the first Kaiser used a Teigu? What was it?" asked Esdeath, the soldier shrugging.
"I dunno. The only thing I can remember about it is that its strongest attack is what allowed him to shape the very land itself."
Another explosion emerged in the distance followed by a large flash of light, the airship now halfway there. The soldier grinned as he looked back at them and asked, "Hey, what do you say about seeing our military in action? If we're lucky, we might be able to get a glimpse of the Princess too!"
"The Princess?" asked Solomon, his interest now shooting through the roof.
"Yeah, the daughter of the Kaiser and Kaiserin. She's the current wielder of Bismarak's Teigu, since it's only passed down through the Royal Family."
"I say we go, sounds pretty interesting!" exclaimed Wave, the soldier nodding as he turned the wheel of the vehicle sharply to the right and went off the cobblestone road, heading straight for the battle in the distance.
"Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times, we'll be taking a little detour folks." joked the soldier with a light chuckle as he pressed his foot down on the accelerator pedal and picked up speed, the Jaegers holding on for dear life as they bounced and rocked over the slightly uneven terrain.
They reached the hill and he poured power power into the steam engine, the vehicle racing up the hill in a matter of seconds and passing over it. What they saw was like something straight out of a legend of fighting monsters or something along those lines. Columns of Straelka's soldiers were lined up behind trucks that had taken them there, firing off their rifles up at a massive hydra-like Danger Beast with at least ten heads, but their eyes were more focused on a lone figure that seemed to be flying in between the beast's necks.
"Is that her? The Princess?" asked Solomon a little too eagerly, the others glancing at him with a raised eyebrow while the soldier nodded.
"Yep, that's the Princess alright. She's the strongest fighter in the Kingdom, so I don't think it was necessary to send out one of the airships to fight that thing." stated the soldier as he brought their car to a halt on top of the hill and leaned back in his chair.
Solomon watched the Princess carefully, the Jaegers seeing that there were wings on her back just like Mastema's that were allowing her to fly. She spun through the air past the gaping maw of one of the Hydra's heads and with a sword in her hand she cleaved through its neck, reducing the amount of heads it had by one. Everything seemed fine from there, but when Solomon noticed the freshly cut flesh begin to bubble and spasm, he knew that the Danger Beast was far from being killed.
"Shit, that thing's stronger then it looks!" he said before pointing at the wound, the skin suddenly bursting as another pair of necks emerged, each with a head at the end of it.
He knew that if the Hydra could grow its heads back like that, then it should be able to regenerate other portions of its body as well. That meant there was only one way to stop it, and that was to destroy its entire body and leave no trace behind.
"She's not gonna be able to kill that thing alone!" said Solomon with a growl before vaulting himself out of the back of the vehicle and sprinting towards the battlefield, the Jaegers and the soldier unable to stop him in time.
"Well, this should be interesting." mused Esdeath as she leaned up against Tatsumi to watch the show that would be coming in a few moments.
Solomon unsheathed his blood rapier from his belt and quickly cut a deep gash into his other hand, allowing him to create a large trident with his phoenix blood. When he got close enough he saw that three of the Hydra's heads were converging in on the Princess so he reared back and threw the trident as hard as he could. The Princess was about to bring up her shield to block the three heads when all of a sudden the blood red trident Solomon had thrown zoomed past her and struck one of the heads right in the eye, its blood spraying out and distracting it long enough for her to fly up higher.
She looked down and spotted the person who had created the trident run full speed right at the Danger Beast's chest, leap up and ram both of his feet into the center of its body, the impact creating a massive shockwave while pushing the Danger Beast back several hundred yards from the force alone.
To her shock he hunched over and the skin on his back split open to allow four massive tendrils of blood to emerge from his body and instantly double in size, easily rivaling the Hydra in size.
"I appreciate the assistance, but I didn't need help." she said with a grin as she flew down next to Solomon and flicked off the blood on her sword, the Jaeger laughing.
"Can't let you have all the fun." he replied before he leaped up into the air, the blood tendrils growing again and shooting out at the Hydra to pierce the Danger Beast through its chest and restricting its movement.
"Camilla, now!" he shouted, the Princess hesitating for a moment before she drew her arm back, light energy quickly manifesting around her sword and rapidly increasing its size and length.
She opened her eyes and when she finally gathered enough energy, she brought her arm straight up and increased the length of her sword so far that it stretched at least a mile up into the sky, the light it was giving off almost blinding everyone in the vicinity.
"Klinge des Lichts - Bergschneider!" she bellowed before swinging her arm straight down, the massive blade of light following suit and cleaving the Hydra clean into two separate halves.
Solomon took the opportunity to suck in a massive amount of air, his chest puffing up, and breathed out a massive stream of fire that consumed the Hydra's body and turned it into ash, taking away the possibility of it regenerating and effectively killing it.
"Wow, your guy is pretty strong." said the soldier sitting with the Jaegers atop the hill, Tatsumi grinning.
"Of course he is. And was that attack what I think it was?" he asked, the soldier nodding.
"Indeed it was, the fabled Mountain Cutter."
"And it's called that because…?" started Wave before the soldier pointed to the plateaus off in the distance.
"You see those plateaus over there? Those used to be mountains."
"Oh...I see."
Down below, now that the Danger Beast had been killed, the soldiers that had gathered there began to load up onto the trucks that had delivered them there and leave the area with the airship doing the same above. Solomon retracted his blood tentacles and rehealed the skin of his back while he put his rapier back in its sheath, a sigh escaping his lips before he felt a presence behind him.
"How did you know my name?" asked the Princess, Solomon slowly turning around and facing her with a cheeky grin on his face.
In that moment the Princess gasped. The grin, the face, the eyes and the style of hair he had all clicked together, a picture forming in her head. The sword and shield in her grasp fell through her fingers and clanged against the ground, tears of joy emerging from the corners of her eyes when she realized who it was standing before her.
"S-Solomon? Is that really you…?" she asked, Solomon chuckling as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Hi, Camilla. I-It's been a while, hasn't it?
The soldier from before decided to drive up with his vehicle with the rest of the Jaegers and came to a stop when he saw the two staring at each other, each with a blush on their faces. To their shock the Princess walked up to Solomon and threw her hands around him, hugging him tightly despite the armor she wore. He grunted when she pressed herself up against him, but he chuckled again and returned the hug, Esdeath, Tatsumi and others hopping out of the vehicle and smirking as they walked up to them.
"Uh, care to explain what's going on here? Anyone?" asked Wave with a dumbfounded expression on his face, the two drawing away from one another and Solomon clearing his throat.
"Um, yeah...Guys, this is Camilla Allegrie, the Princess of Straelka. She's an old...friend of mine." he said, Camilla smiling warmly as she waved at them.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." she said before she recognized Esdeath standing among them. "And I'm guessing all of you are the Jaegers we've been hearing so much about?"
"Yeah...we're kind of wanted by the Empire…" muttered Chelsea with a cheesy smile, Camilla waving aside the statement and putting a hand on her hip.
"It's fine. You can stay here for as long as you like, since we don't really care for the Empire. If you want, you can stay in the Royal Palace with me."
"Really?!" stammered Tatsumi, Camilla nodding.
After the rest of the Jaegers introduced themselves to Camilla, she led them back to the capital city, which they found was named Cinigraed, and acquired a way to get up to the volcano's caldera, where she said the upper-class and political figures live, alongside with being the location of the Royal Palace.
"So, you said that you were old friends. I don't think that's the whole story." said Chelsea with a mischievous grin as she looked up at Camilla and Solomon, who were riding on horses up ahead of them on the path leading to the top of the volcano.
"Well...how do I put it…" said Solomon, his eyes drifting off to the side while Camilla glancing over her shoulder back at them and grinning.
"He used to live here several years ago, and he was a member of the Royal Army as a Dragoon." she said, the Jaegers gasping while Solomon merely shrugged. "He was such a good soldier that he was selected by my father, the Kaiser, to join the Indigo Guard, the elite force that guards the Royal Family, and act as my personal body guard."
"Okay, I wasn't that good…" replied back Solomon with a laugh, Tatsumi having to blink a few times and see if what he heard had been correct.
"You used to live here? Why'd you leave?" he asked, Solomon's smile dropping as he sighed.
"I wanted to see the world, so I left the military and travelled to the Empire. To be honest, before I joined up with you guys, I was going to return after I fought Esdeath, but I got caught up with being in the Jaegers and I sort of forgot." he said, Camilla frowning and punching him in the arm...hard.
"You forgot?"
"Sorry! Jeez!" he exclaimed, Tatsumi and Esdeath glancing back at one another and smirking when they sensed that there was more to them then just being "friends".
After a few minutes they finally reached the end of the path and came to the caldera portion of the capital, which looked even more beautiful then what rested down below at the foot of the volcano. The buildings were elegantly crafted and resting in the center of the crater, protected by a wall made out of marble was the Royal Palace, a grandiose piece of architecture that rivaled the Imperial Palace in size and design. Camilla led them down from the road and into the city streets, her status as Princess meaning they were greeted left and right by the citizens and met with smiles all around.
"Come on, I'll take you guys to meet my parents. I think they would be interested in meeting the Jaegers." she said over her shoulder as they got onto a road leading directly to the gates of the wall surrounding the Royal Palace.
Upon reaching the gate they were stopped by men dressed in full-body armor that had a distinct purple color, Tatsumi guessing that they were members of the Indigo Guard Camilla had mentioned earlier. He looked at Solomon and he wondered if he had to wear that armor when he joined the elite division, but that thought was pushed aside for a later time when they were allowed past into the palace grounds.
"Wow...so beautiful…" uttered Chelsea as they walked through a massive garden with budding rose bushes, perfectly trimmed trees and fountains that gave off every signal that this place was managed by experts.
"Good morning Princess!" said an Indigo Guard member as they approached, Tatsumi taking note that the guards in the palace itself looked entirely different.
Instead of full-body armor they dressed in a more ceremonial uniform colored grey with an indigo-colored beret, the seal of the Royal Family stitched onto it, a matching indigo sash that stretched across their chest over their right shoulder, a black belt with a rapier hanging from it, and knee-high black boots.
"Good morning!" replied Camilla happily as she hopped off her horse, Solomon, Tatsumi, Esdeath and the others following suit so other Indigo Guard members could take them away.
The doors were opened to them and they walked into the white interior of the Royal Palace, its marble walls and floor shining brightly from the sun rays passing in through the windows of the entrance hall. Tapestries and golden chandeliers hung all around them as they got further and further into the palace, Camilla stopping by the armory the palace offered for the Indigo Guard to change out of her battle armor and instead slip on a grey keyhole sweater and pants, opting to walk around barefoot.
"This way." she said with the flip of her hand after walking out of the armory, the Jaegers following her into another portion of the palace and arriving a large set of oak wood doors.
She pushed them open and walked inside, the Jaegers becoming astounded at what the throne room looked like. There were a row of marble pillars lining either side of the door leading up to the other end of the expansive room, and the ceiling possessed several archways that between them held three golden chandeliers carrying at least thirty candles each. Windows dominated the left and right walls, allowing in sunlight when it was day, and leading up to where the thrones sat was a purple carpet.
Sitting in the two thrones were what Tatsumi guessed to be Camilla's parents, the Kaiser and Kaiserin. The Kaiser was an older man with greying hair and a beard, a golden crown resting on his head, and the Kaiserin was wearing a purple dress with a tiara and a smile on her face.
"Hi Dad, hi Mom, I'm back." said Camilla as she walked up to her parents, the Kaiser laughing as he stood up and walked down the steps built into the elevated platform his throne sat upon so he could hug his daughter.
"Welcome back, my beloved daughter." he said, his eyes rising up and noticing the Jaegers still standing near the door. "And I see you brought some guests."
"Yes, I did. These are the Jaegers, and that's Esdeath." said Camilla after stepping back from their hug and motioning for them to approach.
"Ah, the famous General Esdeath, or I should be saying former General if what I heard is correct." said the Kaiser as he held a hand out, Esdeath shaking it with a smile.
"It is true, all of us are wanted by the Empire for attempting to kill the Prime Minister."
"That man, I swear...he's a disgrace of a human being." muttered the Kaiserin when she walked up to them with her hands held behind her back.
"And let me guess, you came here to seek sanctuary from the Empire?" asked the Kaiser.
"Well, sort of." replied Tatsumi after crossing his arms and shifting his weight onto his right foot. "We came here because the Empire is currently in the midst of a revolution and...it's too dangerous for a baby to be born there."
The Kaiser raised an eyebrow and he looked from him to Esdeath, who blushed slightly and slipped her hand into Tatsumi's. He realized what she meant a second later and he chuckled while patting Tatsumi on the shoulder.
"Ah, of course. Well, since you are all friends of Camilla, you can stay here in the Royal Palace for as long as you wish."
They rejoiced at the thought of living the life of a royal, and too eager for their own good they all left the throne room to check out the spare rooms the palace offered while Solomon remained behind, Tatsumi and Esdeath being the last to leave after they thanked the Kaiser and Kaiserin for their hospitality. When they disappeared Camilla strode up to her father and tapped him lightly on the shoulder, the monarch turning towards her.
"That's not the only surprise." she said with a smile before she pointed at Solomon. "Do you recognize him?"
The Kaiser cocked his head to the right and stared at Solomon for a few moments, his mind racing to try and deduce the identity of the man standing a few feet from him, before finally it clicked and he gasped.
"Well I'll be! Solomon?"
"Greetings, Kaiser." replied Solomon with a curt bow, the monarch instead embracing him in his arms as if he were his own flesh and blood.
"So you've finally returned! My have you grown since the last time we met in this hall. I can remember when you first came here as a member of the Royal Army and left as a Captain within the Indigo Guard and my daughter's personal guard no less!" exclaimed the Kaiser after stepping away from Solomon, the Jaeger laughing when he too recalled that point in his life.
"Yeah, that was pretty life changing. But now I'm a Jaeger, and I have my own Teigu to prove it. I actually helped Camilla fight that Hydra Danger Beast outside the wall a few minutes ago, and she got a good look at it." he replied, the Kaiserin hugging him as a well after he finished speaking.
"Well it's so good to see you again, Solomon. How long are you planning on staying?"
"Yes, indeed. I'd like to know that as well because we still have your uniform hanging in the barracks." added on the Kaiser, Solomon shoving his hands into his pockets and shrugging.
"At least seven months at the most, to give Tatsumi and Esdeath enough time for the baby to be born. After that we're planning about heading back to the Empire so that we can finish what we started and overthrow the corrupt regime."
The Kaiser nodded and he motioned to his wife to return to their thrones so that they could sit down. "So what I heard was true...very well. It's a shame that you won't be able to stay and resume your position."
"Maybe when everything is over and we've established a makeshift government that'll keep the Empire stabilized until it gets back on its feet, I'll come back." said Solomon, the Kaiser nodding.
"Well, you can be off Solomon. Camilla, you can do whatever you please as well."
"Okay mom, dad. I'll see you later." said Camilla with a smile before she grabbed Solomon by the hand and started to walk towards the exit with him in grasp. "And you, Solomon, are coming with me.
He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily as he was dragged out of the throne room by the Princess, her attitude the exactly like he had remembered it from the last time he saw her. After the oak doors closed behind them he was allowed to walk with his own two feet as they walked down a different hallway and out to the palace's extensive gardens.
"So what made you decide to get all of those tattoos?" asked Camilla now that she had a good look of him.
"Well that one on my back of the phoenix is because of my Teigu, Vile Blood Curse. The others I got over time the more I travelled across the Empire. And I'm guessing that we're playing twenty questions now?" asked Solomon with a glance at her, Camilla pushing back a lock of her red hair and grinning.
"I have a right to know because you've been gone for so long."
Solomon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. But it's my turn to ask."
"Go ahead." she said as they walked past one of the many fountains the garden possessed.
"So I see you've gotten better at mastering your Teigu, but you know you never told me what it was called."
"Oh, right! Well, you know that shield that I carry?" she asked, Solomon nodding. "That's my Teigu. Its name is Holy Eight: Claíomh Solais, and with it I can grow those wings, like you saw earlier, and I can create swords made out of light that I can willingly control and manipulate to attack enemies."
"Now that is cool." he replied, Camilla blushing at his compliment as they continued to walk.
For the rest of the evening the two talked about what had happened to them in the years they had been apart and shared a few laughs at some of the experiences. When Solomon got to the part about him fighting Esdeath and all of the injuries he sustained, she was amazed that he could have survived, but he shook off like it was nothing and said he was able to survive thanks to his Teigu.
They enjoyed each other's company just like they had when Solomon was still a member of the Indigo Guard, and quite frankly, they were glad that it was able to turn out like this for reasons they had yet to reveal to one another.
- Capital District Building No. 23, Reconditioning Department -
Jacqueline opened the letter she had received earlier when she had returned to the Imperial Capital after finalizing the leadership changes in the Western Nations to ensure there wouldn't be any threats coming from there and read its contents, her expression brightening and a malicious smile spreading across her lips.
"Oh…? So they went to the Eastern Nation? And Esdeath is pregnant…?" she asked herself before she set down the letter and laughed. "Kahfka, my love, change of plans. You're going to the Eastern Nation."
She swiveled the chair around and crossed her legs over, the smile still on her face as Kahfka turning around when her named was called.
In the three weeks that had passed since their fight with the fleeing Jaegers, her appearance had changed somewhat on the outside, but on the inside she was pretty much a completely different person. Jacqueline remembered when they had returned to the Imperial Capital carrying the dead body of that guitarist she had killed and dropped it off to be put on display and how she had taken Kahfka to an old friend of hers.
That day, the old Kahfka had died...and the new Kahfka standing before her was born.
- Capital District Building No. 05, Scientific Research Department -
- Three Weeks Earlier -
"Is it going to hurt?" asked Kahfka as she was strapped to an operating table by a man dressed in a lab coat and bifocals, Jacqueline standing off on the side with the Inquisitor right next to her.
"Don't worry, Miss Kahfka. I'll be putting you under, so you won't feel a thing. The Inquisitor can attest to that fact." replied the man, Kahfka turning her head and looking at the former assassin with a hopeful expression.
"Trust him. It's going to be okay." he replied with a small smile, Kahfka letting out a sigh of relief before she finally relaxed and allowed for the scientist to put her to sleep with a special gas.
The operation took two hours, but after it was over the scientist took off the bloodied gloves he was wearing and tossed them, his next action to call over Jacqueline so that she could see for herself what Kahfka had become. He stepped aside so the Great General could approach Kahfka, who was resting on the operating table with her back turned away from her and a hospital gown on.
"Kahfka? Is everything okay?" she asked, her subordinate and lover perking up and turning around with a smile on her face.
"I feel fine, great even!" she said happily, Jacqueline returning a smile of her own as she took in the new look of Kahfka's eyes.
Her right eye had been left untouched and remained green, but her left eye had been replaced by a computerized scope that was colored red and blue, and just like the Inquisitor, only not at such a great scale, she had some of her internal organs replaced with strength-enhancing machines that would enable her to fight longer without growing tired.
Now there was only one piece left, and Jacqueline had brought it with her alongside Gazia's corpse and Teigu, which had been returned to the Imperial Vaults for future use.
"There's one last thing I have that will enable you to become stronger, Kahfka." she said as she snapped her fingers, the scientist walking over with a rolling cart carrying a stasis tube.
Inside was none other then Esdeath's severed arm, the blood of Demon's Extract it contained still inside the limb. The scientist pressed a button and a tube attached to the cut off portion of the arm began to suck out every last drop of blood inside, the skin beginning to shrivel up like a raisin until it was completely dry. He removed the beaker from the drainage system of the stasis tube and swirled around the blood inside for a few seconds before he handed it to Kahfka.
"Bottoms up, Miss Kahfka."
"Wait, what? You want me to drink Esdeath's blood?!" she stammered, Jacqueline giggling at her hesitation.
"It most definitely is her blood, but you do realize why, right?" she asked, Kahfka slowly shaking her head. "Esdeath gained her ice manipulation abilities as a result of her Teigu, Demon's Extract. It took the form of a chalice of blood, and she ended up drinking the entire thing. As a result, the blood concentration was exceptionally powerful and potent inside of her."
"Which means that even with this small amount from an arm, its still incredibly strong, and if you drink it you'll also become a user of Demon's Extract and might even give Esdeath a run for her money." said the scientist with an evil smile, Kahfka's gaze returning to the beaker of blood and not looking away.
She could feel something, a dark aura or feeling, pulsating from within the blood. It was if it were calling to her, telling her to drink it and gain power beyond her wildest dreams. After a few moments of silence she finally gave in to the temptation and grabbed the beaker from his hand, looking down at the dark red liquid for another second before she lifted it to her lips and drank it down until nothing remained.
She shivered slightly at the strange feeling of the blood dripping down her throat and she looked from Jacqueline to the scientist. "Well, that wasn't so bad."
Suddenly every single one of the joints in her hand tightened all at once and she shattered the beaker with her bare hand, the glass shards flying everywhere while her hands flew to the side of her head. Her eyes shot wide open and her entire body started to shake vigorously, Jacqueline immediately becoming worried for her wellbeing when she started to hyperventilate. There were so many voices whispering and shouting and laughing maniacally in her head, so many that she could feel her sanity start to slip away.
"Break. Kill. Murder. Perish. Erase. Death. Harm. Slaughter. Butcher. Execute." they chanted inside her head, the vile words being spoken by the voices starting to become unbearable.
"Kahfka!" cried out Jacqueline when she fell off the table and curled up into a ball, tears starting to pour down her cheeks.
The Inquisitor sprinted over and kneeled down beside Jacqueline as they looked over Kahfka, the young woman's psyche continuing to be assaulted and torn apart by the voices in her head. She was able to look up for a quick second and saw the look of her lover's face and instantly, something inside of her changed. Slowly she began to fight back against the voices, her will starting to conquer Demon's Extract's will until finally she was able to subjugate the Teigu and finally coming together.
She stopped crying and Jacqueline stood back up, the Inquisitor helping Kahfka to her feet and wiping the tears from her eyes and cheek for her while she regained her breath. After getting her breathing back under control, she looked at Jacqueline and smiled softly, the Great General letting out a sigh of relief.
"So...do you feel different?" asked the scientist when he deduced that the situation was under control.
Kahfka nodded to the Inquisitor and he let go of her, stepping back and putting his hands behind his back while she lifted up her left hand and flexed her fingers. She closed her eyes and could feel the power of Demon's Extract flowing through her, and after a few moments she clenched her fist. In the air next to her head a decently sized shard of ice colored pinkish red manifested from nothing and floated beside her, Kahfka opening her eyes again and grinning as the tattoo that marks the wielder of Demon's Extract formed at the base of her neck.
"I feel more then different."
- Present Day -
And now, as a result of her interior transformation, she also changed externally too in the form of her style of dress. Now she wore highly revealing clothing reminiscent of metalli skin that included a unique tube top, arm warmers, a matching bottom pierce and leggings that also acted as her shoes. And hovering over her left ear was a metal disk-like object that acted as a communication device, giving her an overall look of a cyborg.
"I'll leave immediately then?" asked Kahfka, Jacqueline getting up and walking over to her.
"Yes, but when you get there, don't attack them. Just watch them and send a report back to me at the end of every week. I already have an ally there as well, so you'll have a place to stay." she said, Kahfka nodding before she started to walk towards the metal door of the Great Generals' personal torture chamber.
She didn't get far, however, when Jacqueline grabbed her hand and pulled her back right into a passionate kiss, Kahfka's cheeks lighting up as red as a tomato. She pulled away and Jacqueline said with a husky tone, "You can leave, but not before I say my goodbyes."