The Wounded Warsong
Chapter 28: President's Orders
"Wow, I never dreamed it could help so much! And don't worry; we've lost so many prototypes in testing that we do have spares. Same with the batteries though they're all far more experimental haha! Thanks though, I'll get right to work making this more efficient!" Wise Owl said as he gave Orinthia a new coil and battery.
"Your shield though... There's a lot of new metals and alloys I'd like to try but we don't have that kind of resources to use just yet. I've heard the Quadav have been able to make a type of darksteel close to something like adamant with the weight of cloth! We don't really know though and it's only rumors... Maybe later we can meet up at the Steaming Sheep and have a few. Damn, I'd really love to hear what you've been up to but we're still busy here. See you ladies later." Cid winked, nodded, and grinned.
"(Hmm... it's a start.)" A musketeer walked into the labs.
"Is Miss Orinthia still here?"
"I'm her."
"Good, you're being summoned by the President. He'd like to have a word with you." Cid laughed.
"Haha! Damn that's a first, meeting with the lazy ass himself and not his secretary. You go make a good impression now and maybe we'll get more funds!" He gave her a thumbs-up as she and Abuela followed the musketeer. He scratched his head and laughed lightly.
"Hehe... yeah, He's right. This is really rare." They neared his office and another young musketeer guard was standing in front. His eyes wandered to them and he smiled. "This is Orinthia, Sir, the President has summoned for her." he said and walked away quickly.
"Hmm... I don't remember seeing a summons go out... well, whatever. Up through here ladies!"
"(Judging by what he's staring at I think he has a thing for Mithras... repulses me.)" Another musketeer guard stood in front of the main door, a tall Galka. Before he could say anything a female musketeer in red armor came running up the steps.
"Guards! We have a situation!"
"What is it Ayame!" he was blushing, eyes locked on her.
"(Nevermind...)"
"There's been an attack in the mines! We need to go help now!" He looked to Orinthia.
"I'm very sorry Miss, we have to go help." Abuela looked to Orinthia and they both nodded.
"We're going to help too. Lead the way." Ayame took the lead as she led them out of the Metalworks, through the markets and into the mines district. Miners were running from the mines. Gluttony sensed something odd and rattled lightly. When Orinthia held his hilt she felt the odd presence as well and looked in its direction... but failed to notice anything but a group of humes as they ran from the mines. Nothing stood out to her.
"What is it Gluttony?" she whispered. He hesitated.
"(N-nothing. I... uh, just had to sneeze that's all. YES I CAN STILL SNEEZE, sheesh quit looking at me like that...)"
"What's going on!" the Galkan musketeer shouted above the noise.
"It's the Quadav, Sir!"
"But how! How could they have reached so far without us even seeing them! You there, help control the chaos! We'll go inside, quickly now!" They rushed through the crowd outside the mines and up the ramps. Picks and carts of ore were abandoned across the floor. They continued forth and saw a Galka on his back, his armor having been crushed.
"Drake Fang... Help me get this off him." They peeled away the heavy armor which revealed a much worse slicing wound. He was breathing, slowly. His eyes opened but his pupils were dilated under the light of bright torches.
"Easy brother, you'll be fine just hang on!" He shifted his eyes to the side and looked down the hall they had just rushed through.
"The.. Pres... ident... danger..." he passed out.
"Go on! I'll get him out of here. Go to the President!"
"But we were just there!" the young musketeer protested as they ran back out.
"And we didn't even see the intrrruder! If it was indeed Quadav we're not dealing with any ordinarrry one." They raced back to the Metalworks and to the President's office. A female musketeer in red armor was standing in front of the door, facing the outside.
"Naji! Where's Iron Eater! Why isn't he at his post?"
"He's taking care of Drake Fang Ayame! Erm, wait, weren't you just with us?" They turned and saw the other red armored musketeer and did a double take.
"Oh my, therrre's two..."
"TWO Ayames!" Naji grinned very large and daydreamed for a minute. The Ayame behind them drew her great katana and the one in front drew hers.
"Who are you!"
"I'm Ayame! Iron Musketeer of Bastok! Just who the Hell are you impostor!"
"I am Ayame! You're the impostor!" The one in front dashed out and slashed at the other, both blades clashing loudly. They circled several times and met blades again and again. Both were panting and slowly getting tired yet continued.
"Hmm... isn't this a pickle. They both look the same."
"(She's right... Damn good disguise... Hmmm... one of them isn't sweating as much. Can you see that?)"
"Hmm?" She shook her head. They both seemed to catch a second wind and continued to meet blades. Metal began flaking from their swords.
"(Orinthia, let me control your movement. I can't really explain it; they're moving too fast to say which is which.)"
"How?"
"(Just let go, I'll find a way...)"
"How what?" Abuela asked. Orinthia was looking at Gluttony and closed her eyes.
"(Hey, closer... closer... Hmm... maybe here.)" Orinthia's toes wiggled in her boots without her doing so. "(Almost...)" She crouched, on her toes, ready to leap forward. "(There we go, damn, didn't think you were that small. Ready?)" She nodded. "(Okay... wait for it...)"
"Orrrinthia?" She placed the battery into the coil and it hummed with power. Her eyes opened and focused on them.
"(Yeah, one is sweating less, a LOT less! I'm betting that's the fake and if I'm wrong then hahaha! READY-SET-LOSE!") She lunged forward, shoulder tackling one to the ground and sending a stunning shock through her. The other stopped and tried to catch her breath, falling to one knee exhausted. Naji ran to her.
"Ayame! Is that the real you?"
"Of course it's me twip. pant Your mother's name is Rachel. pant You talk about her enough..."
"Wah! It really is you!" he was all smiles and rainbows and fluffy bunnies! The impostor was stunned momentarily, enough for Orinthia to kick away her sword.
"Who orrr what are you impostor!" Abuela ran forward and swiftly hit two pressure points on the impostor's shoulders. She flipped and jumped back. "Impossible! You shouldn't be able to move! ...No, I know what you arrre."
"Orinthia... Saw through us again." The voice sounded Orcish! "No matter, we'll see-" Orinthia darted and slapped the impostor across the side with the flat side of Gluttony! The resulting spark stunned the impostor for just a moment.
"Everyone run!" The impostor exploded as they got behind the walls of the President's office building!
"(Damn nice thinking doll!)"
"Thank you Orinthia, you'rrre learning quick." she laughed lightly.
"Remind me to really thank Wise Owl for this thing." She took the battery out of the coil. The door opened sharply behind them.
"What was that explosion!" A tall man walked out of the office wearing a deep, royal purple suit, robe, and beret.
"Mr. President! Sir!" The musketeers stood at attention.
"It appears there was an attempt on your life, Sir!" Ayame was still visibly tired and parts of her cloths were lightly damp with sweat. He looked them over.
"It was dealt with, Sir!" Ayame announced. He nodded and turned his gaze to Orinthia. Her robe wasn't completely covering her armor, the hilt of Gluttony, or the Yagudo prayer beads.
"A guard had said you summoned me to your office."
"No, I made no such summons. But now that you mention this I do have something important that I'd like to bring to your attention. I hadn't realized the extent of the other nation's... or the beastmen's involvement with you. Step into my office." He swiftly turned around and walked back inside. Orinthia tried to walk forward but Naji grabbed her arm lightly.
"I'm sorry; we can't allow you to walk in with weapons. You need to leave them with us." Orinthia nodded and slipped the coil off her arm.
"(Oh, we can't have that... I can't leave you dear. You formed a pact in blood, I'm bound to you until you or I break.)"
"But it won't be very long."
"(My belt no longer has buckles for you to untie. I can't be taken for your waist deary, I love it here.)" The belt became tighter around her waist.
"What won't be?" Naji looked at her eyes as she was looking down to the hilt of Gluttony. She pulled him from his sheath and stared at him.
"Here, I can't remove the belt." Naji tried to grab the sword.
"(Hehehe, won't be that easy!)" Steam rose from his glove just as he touched it, scorching his fingers. Naji scratched his head.
"How about letting go?" Orinthia tried to open her hands but it felt as if each finger was stuck to the hilt.
"(Not gonna happen.)" The door opened again.
"What's taking so long?"
"Sir! She can't remove her weapon!"
"Her sword is Gluttony from the San d'Orian dark forge! Just let her in, it's not in her control."
"Y-Yes Sir!" She sheathed him and entered. The office was lit by odd flameless lamps and adorned with book shelves filled with old books and scrolls on a wide variety of subjects. Covering the walls behind his large, form filled desk were plaques of various certificates and degrees as well as a large and glamorous Bastokan flag.
"Have a seat and we'll get right to business." Three elegantly carved chairs were situated in front of his desk.
"(There's more in here then meets your eye doll... Just like old Dumbolobes there's some people here that are invisible... four of them, and armed with things I'm not very familiar with... little swords and tiny shards of metal, all dressed in black and staring at us.)" She sat on a chair.
"It's come to my attention that even the Yagudo have aided you and now worship you as some sort of Holy Idol when their current Manifest was indeed found out to be fake and dispatched by you. We had many suspicions about this, mostly stemming from their decline after a war with Windurst which ended in a cease-fire many years ago and how their older Manifest had gone missing for a very long time before mysteriously reappearing. They were building their forces again but you, my dear, stopped that war from continuing and now have assured them a future with Windurst. The Quadav have a similar war and hate for us and our continuing expansion through this arid land of Gustaberg though they have many more resources. It is my duty to see our casualties kept to a minimum and ensure the safety and expansion of my Bastok, therefore I must make this request of you Orinthia Warsong, Holy Paladin of San d'Oria: be the middle ground to our two sides. This war between the Quadav and my Bastok has gone on for too long. We've lost many good and dedicated soldiers and miners whose families continue to grieve. They want an end to this war... and I can't ignore them or this chance."
"(...I don't like his tone doll. I don't like it one bit. And that guy on the ceiling isn't just looking at you... ugh, some real pieces of work in this Bastok. Makes me sick.)" He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small pearl.
"I will have an end... and I need you, as a holy, ordained, and respected Paladin, to enter their domain and meet with them. Take this, I will be able to hear and respond through this linkpearl."
