[NOVENA]
Wakefulness comes to Novena slowly, but the pain wasn't as lazy, wasn't as slow to come to her.
She groans, the back of her head pounding, her body aching, and her nerves alight like someone set each one on fire… She groans some more, just because she could, and she tries to feel out just where she is, because the last thing she remembers is getting trapped in the demon's grasp…
Novena manages to get her eyes to open, and she is met with blue eyes, watching her from behind messy white hair.
Nero.
"Wakey, wakey, old lady." Nero drawls, smirking down at her, and Novena can't help but chuckle weakly, shifting where she is. She turns her head slowly, eyes roving and taking in their situation at a snail's pace.
They're… they should be in the mines right now, with the carved out rock walls, the wooden support beams, and the lanterns here and there. The tunnels are large, thankfully, so they would have ample space to use their swords, if needed be. And they would most likely use it; the mines weren't free from demons, even before this whole mess.
She and Nero are on the ground, tucked away in one of the many alcoves scattered throughout the networks. Novena is wrapped in Nero's coat – as hers was ruined in the fight with the demon, burnt away to a crisp – and there are bandages wrapped around her chest, no doubt to keep it from being jarred further and risk injury. Novena herself is lying on Nero's legs, Nero graciously pillowing her from the ground. A true gentleman.
Novena carefully pushes herself up, and the younger Knight lets her, even helping her a bit with his hands on her shoulders. "Slow down there," Nero mutters, and Novena just notices the tired quality to his voice, his own scratches and burn marks. "You got really banged up back there."
She can't help but wince internally.
She faints like a damsel in need of saving, needing others to do her job for her. She's supposed to be a Knight, one of their best. She's Nero's elder, even, ranked just a little higher than him! She didn't train for years, practically for almost a decade now, only to collapse in a fight with a filthy demon-
"Ow!" Novena is snapped out of thoughts, and she gives Nero – who had flicked a finger against her forehead, hard – the most offended look she could muster. She rubs at the aching spot – ow, that hurts – before her other hand snaps out in a flash to smack the side of Nero's left arm. "That hurt, you brat!"
"I could hear the cogs in your head turning, you old timer," Nero returns, mocking. "'Oh no! I fainted! I'm so weak and fragile and a whole ass grandma'- GAH! What in the hell, you violence loving old-timer?!" Nero holds a hand to the side of his head, looking offended and betrayed when Novena pulled on his ear earlier. "What are you, five?!"
"I'll show you five, you thumb-sucking baby-"
So two adults, fully-fledged Knights, dissolve into a petty 'fight', smacking and swatting at each other like children until Novena falls back down against Nero's leg, laughing so hard she's gone silent. The other Knight is grinning as well, a small thing, but Nero relaxes all the same, adjusting the wheezing Novena until she's not crushing his legs anymore.
They stay like that for a little while longer, quiet but lacking the oppressive undertone, and it was easy to imagine. Easy to imagine their younger days, back when Novena and Nero were still Knights-to-be. They would head to Caerula Beach every rest day they get, and Kyrie would already be waiting for them, a blanket and picnic prepared. The three of them would either just lie down and enjoy the sea air, or run around the shoreline, either playing or hunting for shells.
Far easier times.
Novena reluctantly leaves the nostalgic memory behind, sighing quietly and sitting up far easier this time, no longer needing Nero's help to do so. "We need to get a move on," Novena says, adjusting the coat and pushing her arms through the sleeves. If Nero's coat reaches just a little past his knees, it brushes her ankles when she's wearing it, the sleeves stopping below her elbow even folded up as they are. Novena snorts and fastens the first two clasps, making sure it doesn't fall off her slimmer frame. "Fortuna Castle is just on the other end of the mines."
"You sure you're good to move?" Nero asks, the first one to get up to his feet. Novena watches him adjust the harness around his shoulders, grabbing Red Queen and strapping the gorgeous blade to his back. "How's your chest feeling?"
Novena presses a hand to the bottom of her ribs, applying slight pressure there. When nothing happened she moves her hand to the side, repeating the process and thankfully getting the same results. She breathes deep, letting her lungs expand. She has to stop after a moment, wincing when it finally twinges. Okay, so the damage now is more internal than external, which presents its own set of problems. At least she doesn't seem to have broken anything – lucky for her? – nor sustained any major injuries.
"I'll be fine, thankfully-" Novena cuts herself off, staring horrified at Nero's right arm.
His right arm that is wrapped up in those thick bandages, hand encased in an equally thick glove. His arm is wrapped, from the tops of his biceps to the tips of his fingers. Novena has only seen those once before, when Nero used it to hide his mauled flesh, his broken arm.
Novena didn't expect to see it again. Not this soon, at least.
Nero notices her looking at it, and he makes an annoyed noise, grabbing Novena's jaw and forcefully making her look away. "Didn't your mom teach you it's rude to stare?" He drawls, letting her go, and Novena rubs at her aching jaw, glaring at the younger Knight from the corner of her eyes.
But he does have a point, and Novena carefully keeps her eyes away from Nero, granting his unspoken request. "And didn't your mom teach you it's rude to mock people's moms?" While rude, Novena and Nero had grown close enough they could poke fun as their shared status as orphans. After all, what's a bit of ribbing between best friends?
"Touché, touché," Nero snickers, dusting the back of his pants before reaching over and grabbing Novena's weapons, handing them to Novena who takes them gladly, a smile on her face. "By the way, you really ought to name your swords. It's disrespectful to them." Nero pipes up, as they collect everything and begin to traverse the mine network.
Novena gives him a puzzled look, securing her Caliburn and short sword to their usual places. "What?"
"I used them to kill that son of a bitch, you know," Nero explains, voice echoing slightly in the small space. Their boots thudded and scraped against the ground as they walked, a background noise. "Along with Red Queen, yeah, but you can't just call them… Caliburn and short sword forever."
Novena shakes her head, laughing under her breath. She sees Nero pause as they reach the intersection, looking to their left with something akin to suspicion in his eyes. She takes a peek in the same direction, but sees nothing, so she shrugs and turns away. Nero has always had the better senses between the two of them, so he probably just heard something suspicious.
"Alright then, O Great Weapon Master…" Novena drawls, only to trail off and gape at the broken remains of what seems to be a hub for the mines. "Okay, what happened here?"
The usual cackling of demons answer Novena, and before she could even react and draw her Caliburn, Nero has stepped up beside her, his so called Blue Rose out and shooting the demons in their heads, easily killing them. Novena gives Nero a side-glance, and the younger just shrugs.
"You save your energy for now, and leave the heavy lifting to me." He says, and Novena opens her mouth to protest, only to snap it close when Nero uses the muzzle of his gun to push her jaw shut. Wow, rude. "I ain't budging on this; it's either I leave your wrinkly ass down here, or you save your energy for the climbing and the descent towards Fortuna Castle."
Novena wrinkles her nose at the younger Knight, pushing the gun away with a finger. "I'll let you win this one." She replies, acquiescing to the logic of Nero's orders. It chafes at her, sure, the inability to kill demons herself, but she did just come out from a brutal fight severely injured.
Thinking about it, how did they survive? And how is Novena mostly healed already?
She should ask Nero, but since he's not offering up anything himself, maybe it wasn't… too bad? Maybe she did just get knocked out – well, worse than 'get knocked out', to be honest, but who's counting – and Nero managed to clean up everything all by himself. He is their best Knight, especially in terms of fighting prowess. Personality and abrasive behaviour notwithstanding, of course. Nero never needed to be polite just to kill demons, no.
"… Because I modified one of them, which makes it just as mine, as much as it's yours?" The unspoken 'duh' was clear in his voice, and Novena reigns in the petty urge to shake off the dirt in her boots right at the younger Knight's face. Nero continues, plowing onwards. "I was thinking of 'Brutus' for your Caliburn, and 'Cassius' for the other."
He really isn't going to budge on the issue, huh?
"Okay but why those names."
"They took down a king. You know, since that Berry guy or whatever is a king of Hell or whatever-"
"Julius Caesar isn't a king, Nero, he's a senator-"
"Who cares, either way the joke is still applicable. I even made sure they stab the bastard in the back-"
Novena can't help but stop and let out a wild laugh at that, having to stop climbing and press her forehead against the metal of the ladder to steady. Nero makes a displeased noise from beneath her, batting at her foot grumpily to force her to start moving again. Novena does so, but she's still cackling, still wheezing from the sheer hilarity of what Nero did.
"You did what-"
There's definitely an unrepentant grin on Nero's face, judging from his voice. "You heard me," He says, smug and oh so satisfied with himself. "Stuck 'em in his back, like how those senators of Julius Caesar's did to him."
Novena almost falls from the ladder due to the sheer force of her amusement, hadn't Nero smacked her in the shins to get her moving again. The finish their ascent – and Novena has to secretly admit that Nero's right in pushing her to conserve her strength – and Nero quickly dispatches the demons that spawned in what seems to be a central hub, clearing the area as swiftly as possible.
Novena seeks out the Order cache she knows is hidden in the area, and she sighs in relief when she finds supplies.
"Here," Novena says, taking off Nero's coat and handing it back to him, before hastily putting on a fresh uniform she found in the cache. It's not her usual uniform, but then again, she's one of the two female Knights, and while she's regularly issued out to patrols and hunts, she's yet to be assigned a long-term mission. Novena smoothed down the white material over her body, sighing. She hopes she doesn't have to switch out for a new one soon. "We should go, Fortuna Castle is just outside."
Novena rises, splitting the holy water and Vital Stars between her and Nero, and the duo takes their leave putting the mines behind them. Nero still handles the demons, eviscerating them with either Red Queen or Blue Rose, and soon enough, a path is cleared and they take it.
It leads them outside, Lamina Peaks startlingly close from here, as Ferrum Hills is connected to the mountain range.
And in front of them, almost hidden from sight by the flurry of snow, is Fortuna Castle.
The two of them huddle closer into their coats, their hair whipping about in the cold wind. The thing about Lamina Peaks – and a little bit of Fortuna Castle – is that since it's so high up, the snow and cold can be expected 24/7, all year round. It's a bit of an oddity, yes, but then again demons constantly spawn in the islands, so it only made sense for Fortuna's weather patterns, climate, and even geographical features get whacky at times.
And it may not look like it, but Fortuna is actually chilly all year round, even during summers and springs. The island's low temperature can be attributed to the natural demonic energy seeping from the very land, from what Novena remembers of her lessons. There's a reason why Fortunian fashion favours full-body coverage as well as multiple layers, after all.
But anyway.
With Nero in the lead, they trek down towards the bridge leading to the main castle of Fortuna Castle. Novena looks to the side, where the other bridge is – that one leads directly into the castle's interior grounds – and she has to wince when she realizes the reason why Nero's taking them the longer route.
The other bridge is ruined and broken, on the verge of collapse.
"Why is the other bridge like that?!" Novena calls out over the roar of the wind, clinging to Nero's coattails as they trekked.
"A couple months ago! Three Blitzes were having a showdown!" Nero replies, and Novena has to wince. She's never seen a Blitz before, but she's heard stories. Juggernauts with the power of lightning in them; they're absolute beasts that could potentially take two, maybe three squads, before it could be killed.
Soon enough, thankfully, the duo reaches the bottom, and they move towards the second bridge-
"Dodge!" Nero's roared command doesn't escape Novena's ears, and she responds instinctively, rolling backwards and pushing off the ground. She looks up at the sound of ice shattering, and her eyes widened at the sight of Frosts.
Two of them, and each are aiming for one hunter. One demon for one Knight.
Novena clicks her tongue, and she warily draws her short swo- Cassius. She draws Cassius, because she's not sure she can safely handle Brutus right now.
The Frost targeting her lets out a soft hiss, tail swishing through the cold air, and its claws of ice glints in the light. Dangerous, poised to kill.
Novena tosses a holy orb at the demon in a blink of an eye, and the Frost lets out a shrill shriek, getting a full frontal assault of the blessed water, and Novena sees it eat away at the demon's condemned flesh. She's forced to dodge to the side, though, when the Frost pressed on the offensive despite its injuries, leaping for her with its claws ready to tear.
Novena rolls to her feet and she ducks when the Frost flings a spear of ice towards her, the demon once more advancing on her with a furious snarl. Novena takes a careful step to the side, and extends Cassius, smiling in a feral way when the short sword slices across the Frost's stomach. It shrieks in pain, staggering, and Novena doesn't hesitate to climb up its legs, then up to its wide shoulders.
She stabs down at the base of its neck, and the Frost wails.
Before Novena could twist her weapon and decapitate the demon, the Frost's tail wraps around her torso and tosses her away. Novena lets out a breathless gasp when she hits the ground, absently thinking that if not for the thick layer of snow, she might've broken something again.
The Frost pounces on her-
BANG!
The demon is shot out of the air, and the demon's corpse drops just beside a stricken Novena, the female Knight's breathing a little too fast to be good. She stays there, lying in the snow, until Nero comes over and hauls her up.
"You good, grandma?" Nero asks, half-serious, half-jesting, and despite the terror, Novena manages a scoff, shoving at Nero halfheartedly and dusting herself free from snow. Her teeth chatters and she can't feel her fingers beneath her gloves.
Ah, it's really cold.
Just because Fortuna is perpetually freezing, it doesn't mean that everyone is used to below zero temperatures, especially when they're so ill-dressed for it. And aside from the larger Order coat Novena is wearing, her bodysuit doesn't help much in the heating department.
Novena sneezes, quite loudly, because it really is cold.
"Thanks for the save, brat," Novena says with a muted sniffle, and with the demons defeated, they're free to proceed without problem, the two of them crossing the massive bridge in silence.
They just about reached the door when the sound of a Scarecrow's laugh reaches their ears, and Nero whips around, pulling Blue Rose out, and Novena pulling Cassius free once more. The bridge is empty though, so when the laughter – sprinkled with shrieking now – sounds once more they look up-
"Oh, Saviour save me…" Novena mutters, sheathing Cassius and covering her face.
"Wait, what?" Novena could feel Nero looking at her in confusion, eyes bouncing between her and…
And Executive Gloria.
Executive Gloria, who is currently sailing through the air, with her legs wrapped around a Scarecrow, free falling from one of the Castle's tallest spires, with her arms spread out like wings and her head thrown back, as if in ecstasy. Behind her, more of the Scarecrows jumped after the exotic Executive, so one could say it's literally raining demons.
Novena opens her fingers, peering through the gap with horrified amusement as Executive Gloria lands, slamming the Scarecrow face down. The other demons surround her, but the Executive remains unfazed, still seated in her newly acquired 'chair'. It was criminally easy to imagine the sultry smirk on Novena's superior, and Novena could only sigh in exasperation at her squad leader.
Nero makes a move to join the impending fight, but Novena reaches out and puts a hand on his arm, making the younger Knight turn to her with a scowl. "What?"
Novena merely nods in her leader's direction who… who's begun to 'dance' with the demons. "Just watch."
And watch the both of them did; the exotic woman doing flips, splits and dips as she fights the multitude of demons with contemptuous ease. Watching as an outsider, it was obvious that Novena and Executive Gloria really do have similar combat styles, with their preference for dance-like movements. Difference was, Novena's version is sharp and precise; all conserved movements and dagger-sharp offense. The Executive's version is far more showy and sultry; putting on a sensual show that could kill. Literally.
Soon enough all the demons are killed, one of them dying by Nero's bullet when it tried to sneak up on the Executive's back. Gloria turns to them with slow, sensual movements, a coy smirk playing on her lips.
That is, until she spots Novena standing to Nero's left.
"Novena!" She gasps out, practically running to the dumbfounded Knight.
Novena stands there in stricken surprise, as her leader, the exotic Gloria, practically smother Novena to herself, a gloved hand cradling Novena's head and the other wrapped around Novena's wider shoulders. Novena exchanges startled looks with Nero over Gloria's head, and the other Knight just blinks back at her, equally bamboozled.
'What is she doing?' Nero mouths, waving Blue Rose at them from behind the Executive.
'I don't know!' Novena mouths back. She's about to say more but her squad leader had pulled back, cupping Novena's face and tilting it this way and that. Most likely inspecting Novena for injuries. Unfortunately for Gloria… most of Novena's injuries are almost done healing, if not outright gone by now.
"I heard from one of the Knights assigned to the town that you were alone in the business district when the demons came," Gloria says, worry clear in her voice. "We found nothing, so we thought you'd perished."
Huh. How about that?
Novena shakes her head, subtly basking in the motherly affection her squad leader is giving her. "Nero saved me," Novena says, nodding to the said Knight and pulling Gloria's attention in the process. "If it wasn't for him, well…"
Executive Gloria finally pulls away from Novena, regarding Nero with a grateful look. "I owe you thanks," Gloria purrs, her usual habit of, ahem, flirting with the others back now that she's calm and composed. "I couldn't imagine if I lost my darling little girl."
Novena rolls her eyes in fond exasperation, watching Nero flounder with a little too much amusement. Oops.
"Well, uh, no problem?" Nero clears his throat, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he reorders his thoughts. "Anyway, what the deal with all these demons popping outta the wood work? And why now?"
Sensible questions. "We also came across an active Hell Gate, on the way here," Novena informs Gloria, whose frosty eyes widen in alarm before narrowing sharply. "A demon came out of it, probably a Devil, really, but we managed to kill it."
That seems to surprise Gloria once more. "I… I see. We'll report it to the Supreme Commander when we get back." Gloria says, nodding decisively. She turns back to Nero, addressing his question this time. "As for your question… It's still unclear for the sudden surge of demon activity across the island, and if there is a Hell Gate that is corporeal… There might be others scattered throughout, acting as gateways for the demons to come through."
The Executive twirls her knife in her finger, lips pursed as she saunters around them, thinking deeply. "There's too much questions, and not enough answers," She says in the end, and Novena shares a grimace with Nero. The situation is really that dire. Executive Gloria looks over at them, slipping her weapon into the sheath inside her boot. "The only thing we can do is drive the demons back, until the Supreme Commander manages a permanent solution to the demon infestation."
"I'm afraid I'll have to leave the mass slayings to you lot," Nero says, giving Novena a pointed look. The older Knight merely nods, understanding Nero's own high-priority mission. "Commander sent me on a personal errand, you see."
Executive Gloria merely nods, slipping into a graceful curtsy. "Then may the Saviour be with you on your journey." Gloria turns to Novena, who straightens in reflex. "Come, Novena. I must take you back to Headquarters." And with that said, Gloria turns on her heel and saunters away, the tail of her suit swishing with the movement of her legs.
Novena turns to Nero, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Saviour be with you, Nero." She murmurs quietly, squeezing the younger Knight's shoulder. "Be safe, and come back to us."
Nero smirks at her, all boyish cockiness and confidence. He gives Novena a shoulder squeeze too, letting go as swiftly as he reached out for her. "You'll need your Saviour more than I do, hag." He retorts.
Novena scoffs, managing to roughly scrub at Nero's scalp to mess up his snow white locks. The younger Knight splutters and swerves out of her hand, and Novena chuckles, shaking her head. She nods at the Castle's massive door, leaving him a last bit of advice before they separate.
"The Gyro Blades are scattered throughout the Castle, but they're going to be inactive." She begins. Nero pays her his full attention, nodding. "The Anima Mercury should be hidden within the Library. You remember where it is?"
"Just outside the main Castle, in the right wing." Nero answers promptly, much to Novena's satisfaction. "So, Gyro Blades around, Anima Mercury in the Library. Anything else?"
Novena shakes her head. "Not that I know of." Novena looks up sharply when her name is called by Executive Gloria, who was waiting down the bridge, and Novena gives Nero one last smile. "I'll have to go. Let's see each other again, brat."
And before they could dissolve in one of their childish arguments, Novena turns and jogs up to Gloria, who is looking at Novena with a rather particular look on her face. The walk together, Gloria most likely leading them to the nearest shortcut that leads to Headquarters.
"So… That's Nero, hm?"
Novena blinks at her squad leader's sudden question, before smiling and nodding. "Yes! Former squad mate when I was back in the General's Unit, though we don't usually work together as he's a special operative." Novena explains. "He's also in my batch when I was still a Knight-to-be. Youngest one to join the ranks."
Gloria nods slowly, a slow smirk spreading on her lips. "You fancy him, then? You both have," She pauses for effect, because of course she would. "Chemistry."
Novena laughs derisively, scratching at her wrist. "Haha, no, it's not like that. He already has a sweetheart." Novena looks over her shoulder, seeing Nero disappearing into the Castle. "He's my little brother."
Gloria makes a humming noise, noncommittal and very vague, and they walk more in peaceful silence. It wasn't until they've reached the secret tunnels that Executive Gloria said something that made Novena absolutely ecstatic.
"Oh, the Supreme Commander has issued an order, so you're probably included in it as well," She says, punching the code into the panel and making the fake rock wall slide to the side to reveal the entrance. "He said that all Knights are invited to join the 'Last Supper'."
Novena can't help but grin, recognizing the code.
Finally, finally…
It's time for her to undergo the Ascension Ceremony.