CHAPTER 3…..THIS STORY IS HONESTLY DOING BETTER THAN MY OTHER ONE, SO I HOPE YOU LIKE THESE CHAPTERS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,REVIEW!….NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY...LET US BEGIN.
(Btw if some weapon names confuse you and i don't either explain it at all or don't explain it well enough, look it up!)
MONSTER GIRL QUEST AND HALO ARE ALL OWN BY THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES AND PERSONS, I DO NOT OWN THEM.
The Duo, after a few days of hiking, had made their way to Iliasport. It was much more humid and hot than any other part of the continent they had been to, most likely due to the fact that it was closer to the equator. The monsters had also gotten far stronger, but due to the beast's new weapon they fell like flies. Luka looked around the town while Alice was sweating herself to death.
"It's…..so hot" she breathed. He huffed in mirth. For a monster lord she acted quite funny.
He looked around, trying to find the actual port in this town so they could get off this continent. As Luka observed the area he noticed a slight problem, it wasn't a lively town at all. Most ports from what he was told were thriving with people, but it looked so lifeless. There were people around of course… but they seemed so downhearted.
"It's not very lively for a port town" Alice commented.
"Took the very words out of my head" He replied. Luka had finally set his eyes on the port. He saw another perplexing sight. Not a single ship was leaving. He walked over to a crew member from one of the vessels and confronted him.
"Do you know why there are no ships leaving port?" Luka asked. The man looked in shock at his appearance, before quickly clearing his throat.
"W..well, there is what we believe is a curse. Whenever we leave, no matter how nice the day looks, a massive storm hits and we can't cross the sea" He explained. The beast nodded before walking away.
"Hmm, curious" Luka rubbed his mandibles in perplexity. He figured it must be magic from a monster, it had to be. He walked over to Alice. "Do you have any ideas? Since you're the Monster lord and all"
"I recall Alma Elma being up to this, she thought that if humans couldn't leave the continent, then there would be less hero's to worry about" She explained. "She took the whole "self defense" idea i enforced and set it to another level"
"So...how do we cross?" He asked, Alice shrugged.
"Ask around, maybe someone here knows," she suggested. Luka shrugged before turning around to meet an unwelcome sight.
"There is a way my hero!" Amira said with a skip in her step. The beast slumped over before walking away and proceeded to bang his armored head on a wall for a few seconds.
"Are you alright darling?" She asked. Luka immediately felt the unbearable rage creep up his spine like a match lighting a piece of rope.
"Just an aneurysm out of sheer stupidity" He responded. Luka slowly stopped banging his head against the wall and took a deep breath. He then slowly exhaled, sounding more like a guttural growl than anything else.
He looked over at the monster and sighed again.
"Anyway, what are you on about?" Luka asked.
"There is a way to cross the sea...but it requires the Poseidon's Bell," Amira explained.
"Poseidon's Bell?" He clacked his mandibles together.
"Yes, the infamous treasure of Captain Selene" she answered.
"Hmmm, alright, where is this treasure?" Luka asked.
"It is to the east, on the shoreline, can't miss it" Amira replied. "Was this information helpful?"
"You have made me enraged, but yes...very helpful" he replied.
"Then I shall bid you….adieu!" She remarked before scampering off somewhere.
"I have heard of this treasure, it grants any ship that carries it protection from any storm, no matter how severe" Alice explained, crossing her arms.
"That would be very valuable….hmph, we should probably be on our way. A port town like this will only suffer if it does not have access to the rest of the world" Luka replied before walking away. The monster lord watched him leave, deep in thought.
'He is always on task no matter what, huh? Idiot' The Lamia thought to herself before smirking.
(A LONG TREK LATER)
"I figured we would be there by now...but I guess this will do" Luka said as he sat next to the fire. After the long walk they had realized that night was coming and decided to set up camp halfway between the cave and the port.
"As always, your food is acceptable" Alice complimented before stuffing her face full of a meaty steak that the beast had cooked. Luka chuckled as he watched her eat. She was always a glutton and he found much humor in her banter about food.
"So...what are you going to do once we get to the castle?" He asked. Alice's eyes widened momentarily before swallowing the food in her mouth.
"We will probably fight….there is nothing else we could do" she replied. "Stop the heavenly knights then fight me, simple"
"It's weird hearing that from you" Luka pointed out. "Since your basically telling me to kill you"
"Let's just...drop the topic" Alice asked.
"Alright" he replied.
A few minutes of silence graced the two, both just staring into space. This was not a uncommon sight when they camped...after a few days being together this had become routine.
"I need to sleep," Luka pointed out. He yawned before crawling over to his tent. He curled up before letting the sweet embrace of unconsciousness claim him.
(POV SWAP)
"Ugh" the beast groaned before looking around, seeing nothing but an endless bright horizon. He could see the bright sun and white clouds above him, but nothing else. He slowly got up, trying to get his bearings.
"You are Luka, Correct?" A very deep and disturbing voice called out. Luka looked down and saw the source, a glob of black liquid on the floor.
"Yes, what are you?" He replied.
"I am a part of you...we are the same being...we.….are...hmmm...i don't have a proper name yet...but i will think of one" The strange blob replied before it suddenly consumed the entire area with black liquid, it was nothing but a black, wet void. He looked around and finally saw white, pupiless eyes staring at him from the wall. It slowly morphed into a giant head. The eyes were like streaks of white, going to the back of its head. Its mouth had pink gums...and huge fang-like teeth. Its tongue went on for at least a couple of feet, it was bright and pink.
"You look like a monster" Luka huffed. The creature laughed in mirth as well.
"Best not to judge…..Luka" It remarked. "You are a bit grotesque yourself my friend"
"Maybe so….but what are you? Why are you in my head?" He asked.
"Consider me a friend...not a foe…" The creature replied. He narrowed his huge white eyes."i am here to assist you...but unfortunately, i cannot fully awaken. Wish i could do it by myself...but i am technically connected to you...so...if i could help i would...but it appears your stuck with me in your dreams till i am woke"
"So...you know everything?" Luka asked.
The creature nodded it's huge head.
"I have every single memory of yours...since we were born at almost the exact same time" The creature responded.
"Wait….how did you get into my body?" He asked.
"Uhhh...hmmm...it was a form of pass down? No idea...all i know is that one of your family and my family are connected like we are" The goop replied.
"Okay, doesn't help but it's something...do you have a name?" Luka asked. The creature looked up in thought.
"I believe my species are called….symbiotes?" He replied. "As far as my own name...I'm still working on it"
"So...can you get out of my body?" He asked. The creature immediately shaked his head.
"I can't...and even if I wanted to...I would be powerless" The symbiote answered.
"Well, it was worth asking" Luka shrugged. "Now….when do i wake up from this strange vision?"
"Wait for it" The symbiote started. "Right about…..now!"
(POV SWAP)
"Aaghh!" Luka screamed as he jumped out of the tent, his breathing loud and frantic. He held his chest as he continued to hyperventilate. After a few moments, he slowly began to breathe at a much calmer rate. The beast looked around to see it was morning. The early sun was still low in the sky. Luka sighed in relief, the vision was over. That bastard scared the life out of him before he awoke.
"What was that?" Alice asked, her eyes still slightly widened from his sudden awakening.
"It was...a vision...of a creature made of black goo" He started. "We had quite the discussion, before he caught me by surprise as i awoke, and i was so surprised it caused me to panic"
"So...a nightmare?" She asked.
"Yes...let's go with that" Luka replied. He put on his helmet."Now, let us head to the cave"
(ANOTHER LONG TREK LATER)
They had arrived at the cave entrance. It was just like every other cave the beast had walked into. It was dark and bland stone, with specks of moss covering the walls. He looked into the darkness before sighing. Luka ignited his blade, using it as a torch as he walked into the darkness. He looked around and still saw no indications of life. The beast turned around and Alice was right behind him. He chuckled before walking onwards.
"It smells like fox" She observed.
"I don't know what fox smells like, so I can't really add much to that….but at least we know what to expect," Luka replied." I wonder if this legendary captain put traps around here?"
"This place...feels so….dead yet alive...wonder if we'll meet a ghost or two,heh" he chuckled, although he got a very unexpected response.
"Gg...ghost!" Alice squeaked. Luka looked over at her, with a face of humor.
"Are you okay?" He asked, trying not to laugh.
"Ff..fine" she replied. The beast shrugged it off as he continued onwards, till of course he felt a certain monster's breath on his neck and hands on his shoulders.
"Do you need to cower behind me?" Luka asked. Alice huffed, but didn't move an inch. He simply grunted before walking further into the cave. "What was that!?"
"Aaahh!" The lamia screamed as she jumped on top of the beast with her coils, causing Luka to almost lose balance and fall.
"Alice...take a tip...from me" he started. "Lay off the ama ama dangos, they are not doing any favors for your weight, ugh"
"Sshut up!" She yelled. "Deal with this!"
Alice scurried off before Luka was left with his opponent which was….a kitsune. A very weak kitsune. She only had two tails, indicating she was below average.
"Wwhha! A beast is here!" She yells, she was quite frightened by his appearance, he couldn't blame her. The kitsune had grey fur and red eyes. She was quite small too, looking like a child.
"Get out of my way...i will have the Poseidon's Bell!" Luka growled. The kitsunes faced turned into a smile.
"Tamamo said i can't let anyone take the treasure" she replied.
"Alright, then i will have to force my way past you!" He said before he roared with rage and got into his fighting stance, blade in hand. Luka wouldn't actually kill her, he'd just scare her. He charged her, his eyes glowing a golden sheen in the darkness. He launched a mock strike and hit the ground...and that was all she needed to bolt.
"Uhh! I'm gonna go now!" The kitsune choked before bolting into the darkness.
He could hear her hit something before yelling in desperation. Luka, being the beast he is, rushed over to help her. He found her tied up in a cobweb, struggling to get free. He noticed something on the ceiling. The beast looked up and saw a spider girl.
She attempted to snatch him but he rolled out of the way. After he dodged the attack he sheathed his blade and quickly pulled out his repeater.
Luka aimed it at one of her legs before pulling the trigger, sending a barrage of energy bolts right through her leg, cutting it off. The spider girl fell to the ground, holding her leg in pain while yelling from the wound. Luka wasn't too concerned, she was an arachnid type, they could grow limbs back. He calmly walked past her, holstering his gun before grabbing the kitsune by the shoulders and pulling her out of the web.
"Uhh...thanks!" She said, wiping some web off her clothes.
"Don't mention it, now I believe you were running away?" He calmly stated.
"Ooh! Right!" She yelled before dashing off into the darkness.
Luka stared at the scene in humor. He looked back at the spider girl and felt a bit of pity...but he immediately hardened himself and walked further into the cave.
"That was rather cold, Luka" Alice pointed out.
"Yes...well...I don't really care," he replied.
The two continue down the cavern till they see an opening to their right. Luka pokes his head in and sees a chest in the middle of an empty room. Any regular man or hero would most likely rush the chest and try to take all the loot, but his sense of smell told him to avoid that option. It was a monster, not a chest. It smelled nothing like wood, only of mucus and other foul liquids they use to digest men and their seed. Luka walks away in disgust, not even thinking about it.
"Smart of you" The monster lord complimented.
"If I couldn't smell that horrendous odor...I don't think anyone could," he replied.
Just as they continued walking they came across a door. Unfortunately, there was a high ranking monster guarding it. She looked similar to a kitsune, except she had the bottom half of an oversized fox. Luka counted the tails...seven. She was a force to be reckoned with in monster standards...fortunately for the beast, he breaks most standards. He cautiously walked over to her. The kitsune immediately got her guard up the moment she saw him.
"What's your business here!?" She asked, her canines showing.
"I am here to claim the Poseidon's Bell and go to the sentora continent!" He roared. His fiery eyes made a few sweat drops fall from the kitsune's forehead. "And if you don't want to end up the same as Granberia...get out of my way!"
Her eyes immediately widened at his statement. He was the one to defeat Granberia? She almost couldn't believe it...but now that she looked at him, he does look like the warrior the heavenly knight described as she returned battered and bruised.
"I...cannot!" She fired back.
"Then you will fall!" Luka replied before cracking his knuckles.
"There is no need" a voice came from the now open door. Another kitsune walked out from the door. She had blonde fur, with white tips on the end of each of her nine tails. She had bright green eyes and her clothes were some interestingly colored robes...but they covered up everything so he wasn't complaining. Luka recognized the woman. She was the heavenly knight of earth...Tamamo. In her hands is what he assumes is the Poseidon's Bell.
"But Tamamo, he is trying to ruin the miss-" the kitsune was cut off by the heavenly knight.
"No...you're no match for him Nanabi, no matter how strong you are right now" Tamamo explained. She turned his attention to the beast. "So...warrior Luka, i've heard stories about you"
"Stories? There's not much to make a story about" he said, being humble subconsciously.
Tamamo laughed at his remark. The mood took a much lighter tone than before. She slowly walked around him, sniffing him carefully.
"Ooh...you're a rare one in this world...defiant. You have a scent of dominance to you...i like that" she remarked. "You are strong, i bet alipheese the eighth would even have trouble with you, haha"
"But most importantly….you smell like the man with a heart of gold under all that rage and pain" Tamamo continued, her tone turning genuine for mere moments. Luka freezes up for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Anyway, I'll be taking this now"
"Stop, i need that...and if you don't give it to me...i will take it" He growls, he's a bit less aggressive than before...mostly because Tamamo doesn't seem to be a bad person, so she gets some leeway.
"Actually, you can have it," she replied.
"Wait...what?" He asked.
"I give it to you as thanks for saving one of my kitsunes from before, she told me about it...so take it as my thanks as the leader of the kitsunes" Tamamo gestured for him to grab it. He took it, and she walked away, her other kitsune's in tow.
"That...was one of the strangest conversations I've ever had" Luka said as he examined the Poseidon's Bell. He carefully put it in his pouch for safekeeping.
"Damn foxes" Alice cursed as she came out of the shadows.
"You sure have a grudge against kitsunes don't you?" He asked. She cheekily smiled while nodding her head. Luka rolled his eyes before walking towards the entrance to the cave, monster lord in tow.
(A DAY OR TWO LATER)
The pair had finally returned to Iliasport. Luka had now reached the actual port part of town and was trying to get a boat to head over to sentora.
"This is the first day I have ever left this continent" He said to himself mostly.
"I've passed by it a few times while in flight" Alice replied.
"Interesting" Luka responded. He looked around and eventually saw someone that resembled a captain.
"Uh excuse me, sir?" He asked. The man immediately jumped from the beast's query.
"Yy..yes?" The captain asked.
"We seek a voyage to the sentora continent" Luka explained, but was only met by laughter.
"Hahahaha, did ya not know, boy? Do ya know what happens every time we go out to the open ocean?" The man asked. The beast immediately pulled out the bell.
"If we hang this on the ship's bow we should be alright" He explained.
"But it's just a dinky old bell, what's that gonna do?" The captain asked.
"I'll handle this Luka" Alice says before walking past the beast and in front of the captain. Her eyes suddenly flashed before returning to normal. "Follow my commands"
The man immediately stood to attention, awaiting orders. Luka shaked his head before chuckling, was there nothing this woman couldn't do?.
"Yes your wish is my command!" The captain hollered.
"Take us to the sentora continent, begin the preparations at once" Alice ordered.
"Yes m'am" the man replied. "Boys! Get the ship ready! We're heading to sentora!"
The crew quickly got to the preparations directly as he gave the order. They all got to work.
"Thank you Alice, for helping me," Luka said. Alice huffed before walking onto the ship. He shrugged his shoulders, she would come around. And with that, they set off for sentora.
(NIGHTFALL)
They're voyage continued into the night. Luka crossed his arms as he watched the moon. He rested his back in front of the Foremast. The beast sighed as he looked at the almost sapphire orb sitting there in the pitch black sky.
Luka looked around before walking towards the edge. He put his head over the edge and watched the waves hit the ship. He could feel his legs slightly buckle from the sight. The beast grumbled before looking away, water wasn't his thing. He tried swimming once….then he immediately stopped. Luka despised swimming...he just can't do it.
"I am envious of you fish, lucky bastards" he hissed.
"What are you doing?" Alice blurted. Luka jumped.
"I was just!...looking... at the sea" he replied.
"It is beautiful" she replied before staring into the moon herself. "You looked nervous there for a second"
"Oh...uhh...it's just…..i can't swim" He quietly said in shame. The lamia suddenly burst with laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Alice died. "A beast that can defeat Granberia...pfft..is afraid of water?"
He nodded.
"It's just...my body isn't built for it...plus my heavy armor...I'd drown...i wouldn't know my lung capacity since….I've never swam more than once" Luka explained. Alice was about to respond before the sky turned into a ravenous storm. Lightning soon began to strike around them and the surrounding sea. Typhoons formed across the ocean as far as the eye could see. The waves began to grow to several stories high. By some miracle the ship wasn't affected by it whatsoever.
'Looks like the Bell worked after all' The beast thought to himself. His eyes widened before he began to sniff the air, making sure he wasn't wrong. Luka immediately pulled out his repeater and pointed it upwards.
"I smell a succubus" he growled.
"You know what a succubus smells like?" Alice asked.
"Yes...I fought off a pack of them trying to invade our village long ago" The beast explained before returning to the sky, weapon tracing.
"Oh ho ho, so this was the warrior sweet Granberia talked so much about!" A playful voice remarked around them. Luka aimed around, trying to find the source. Suddenly he saw someone drop in front of him. He trained the gun on the woman. She was indeed a succubus. She had a huge head of long pink hair, so much in fact that he wondered how she didn't step on it. She wore a small tunic on her chest that just covered up her lower half of her cleavage, nipple included. She also wore what appeared to be very thick panties for her undergarments with very tight pants and a huge veil-like cape on her back and covering her shoulders. The succubus had bright red eyes and pale skin...with interesting tattoos on said skin. She had huge pink wings that resembled dragons. Don't forget the huge horns succubus are so well known for...but she was no ordinary succubus, she was the highest class of succubus. Luka could smell it...she was the Alpha of them….she was their Queen. There was no doubt...she was the succubus Queen and heavenly knight of wind….Alma Elma.
"So...we finally meet, Luka boy!" Alma Elma almost squealed in what could be seen as...excitement?. Luka was definitely Alien to her personality...most folk, including monsters, had a hardened heart in this day and age and were just trying to survive in this cruel world. Alma Elma on the other had sounded like a child, completely and utterly playful and mischievous.
"Yes, we meet at last, heavenly knight" He bowed his head in respect.
"My! So respectful….that's cute" She giggled with a sweet, almost too sweet smirk on her face.
"If you have come here to stop me...i will have to fight you" Luka said, his face contorted into a small snarl.
"Oh...well I guess I have no choice then! Hehehe. Well then Luka boy…..wanna play?" Alma Elma said before opening her mouth, revealing her tongue. He sighed, a sigh of lust. Luka knew what was about to happen, he just hoped she would be an actual fight...like the last heavenly knight he crossed fists with.
"I just hope you know that this tactic won't work on me" He said before putting his repeater on his back and cracked his knuckles. The succubus Queen suddenly dropped her seduction act and slowly gained her own stance.
His eyes widened at the level of experience she had...her posture and form were all signs that she is a fighter, that is her true nature.
'Wait...she can actually fight!? Yes! Finally a challenge!' Luka screamed in joy on the inside as his body began to heat up from the pure battle thirst coursing through his muscles and veins. He was getting really excited.
"Well then Luka boy...let's dance" Alma smirked before flying into the air and launching a punch to Lukas face, sending him crashing to the ground. He quickly got up before blocking the next attack and countered by sweeping her legs and following up by punching her in the gut on the way down. She coughed up some phlegm before using her tail to strangle Luka by the neck. He grabbed the tail and quickly ripped it off before getting a kick to the mandibles. He staggered before roaring in fury, his eyes now a glowing yellow. He charged, blocking every hit and landing a punch to her gut followed by a palm strike to her jaw. Alma dropped to the ground from the last hit. Her eyes now glowing a bright red as she recovered before lunging at him.
Luka attempted to land an uppercut, but she dodged and hit him right in the ribs. He roared in pain before grabbing her by the neck and throwing her at the mast, disorienting her. The beast growled in satisfaction before running towards her and slamming his armored helmet into her skull. She screamed in pain before her palm struck him in the jaw, knocking him back. Alma jumped onto him, sending Luka to the ground.
She began to constantly land punch after punch to his face. She attempted to land a haymaker but Luka caught the hit with his palm. His mind was beginning to devolve into his most primal instincts...he was starting to thirst for death. He grabbed her leg and quickly stood up before throwing her into the mast once more.
Alma recovered much quicker this time before flying into the air.
"I'm actually beginning to enjoy myself" Luka growled almost sadistically, his eyes still a neon yellow, his pupils or irises unable to be seen by the sheer brightness. Alma smirks before landing.
"You're good...haaa….too good" she giggles in between breaths. "I don't ever fight seriously...I guess now...maybe i should?"
She looks down in deep thought, rubbing her chin. She shrugged.
"Nah! I'll leave...you win, Luka boy! ..Oh…. Monster lord?.. seem to have found yourself a strong man….he looks like an amazing time in bed" Alma laughed, her eyes no longer glowing.
"Yyy...yeah...sure" Alice crosses her arms before looking away.
"Well then….I'll bid you, farewell!" She waves before flying away at blinding speeds. Luka looks around and suddenly the storm stops. The moon begins to shine once more and the waves almost instantly calm down...the sea is at peace once more.
"So she was the cause of the storms" Luka pointed out, his eyes back to their regular gold color.
"How can you just start your adventure and already be able to fight off heavenly knights?" Alice asked, her eyes slightly narrowed.
"Well...I have been training ever since I was young enough to walk, my father told me to. He told me if i were to continue this training for the years to come...i would be unstoppable. Of course, that was before he brought dishonor to our family name" He spat.
She nodded.
"Now then….that battle plus the bright moon in the sky has made me tired, i need to sleep" Luka breathed. He walked away into the lower decks, trying to find a bunk.
(POV SWAP)
The day was storming, the sky dark and the only sounds that could be heard was thunder and lightning hitting the nearby trees. The electricity flashed and two figures could be seen on a high ridge,covered by the trees. A pair of elites. They kept silent for many minutes, the only sound being rain dropping onto their very different armors.
"So, might I ask Arbiter, why are you assisting me on this scouting mission?" Shipmaster asked.
"It is the least I could do, after all...your son is at risk" Arbiter replied. "And i know how it feels to lose a son, Rtas, i don't want you go through that pain again"
"Let's not discuss my firstborn, please?" Rtas asked.
"It's not your fault he fell in with the storm facti-"
"I said stop!" The white armored elite hissed. "He is the way he is because of me...and i will deal with it, one day"
The Arbiter nodded before pulling out his plasma carbine and looked down its sights. He trained his weapon towards an enemy hideout. The building was of forerunner design, odd spikes pointing out every which way. There was a very well guarded interior, sangheili and lekgolo everywhere.
"I see two guards at the entrance and four squads patrolling the rest of the compound. They are all moving in around the base...they look as if they expect company, if we wish to get the Intel, and see if they know about Luka, we need to be smart" he explained.
Shipmaster nodded, his right mandibles growled in acknowledgment. He felt the left side of his face in annoyance, how he longed to have his left mandibles back once more.
"Did you know the humans call me half jaw?" Rtas pointed out. He was met by chuckling.
"Well, they call me Arby, like that fast food place that has been around for five hundred years" The Arbiter laughed.
"I remember the time when the entire phantom began to chant that ridiculous slogan the moment you elevated up to the troop bay" Shipmaster laughed.
"What did I have to do with meat? I question our men's intelligence sometimes" He chuckled. Thel immediately crouched next to rock to his left. Rtas laid down right behind a fallen log. A phantom slowly flew past, its side gunner searching for any intruders. Once the ship was gone the two sighed in relief before cautiously moving out of cover.
"Patrols, i didn't see the phantom before" Arbiter pointed out.
"Wait...that phantom is of Banished design, could it be?" Shipmaster asked himself, his eyes widened in realization.
"The banished and the storm faction are likely making an alliance" Thel confirmed both their fears.
Rtas huffed.
"Scum usually fall in with other Scum" he cursed. Arbiter put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Remember brother, we have killed hundreds of brutes and storm faction soldiers, this will be no different" he explained. Shipmaster straightened his stance. He grabbed his needle rifle before walking away from the ridge and slowly made his way down the hill. Arbiter immediately activated his battle mask, it covered his mandibles with hard plants and his face in a metal, almost knight like mask. He could see through two eye shaped holes on each side.
"Are you ready Arbiter?" Rtas said through the radio.
"Yes, let us begin" he said before sprinting towards a large rock that was at the base of the hill. Thel quickly got to cover, carbine in hand. He looked over to see Rtas taking cover behind a tree. Arbiter looked past the boulder and could see a squad of sangheili and unggoy. He slowly raised his hand and silently counted down.
Three.
Two.
One.
They burst through the tree line and immediately opened fire. Arbiter aimed for a sangheili ultras nape, he fired. The elite screamed in pain as he fell over. Shipmaster fired at the unggoy, their small bodies plus their huge heads made them easy targets. He rolled away from a volley of plasma bolts before shooting a barrage of needles into the aliens head. Rtas fired one shot at another grunt, quickly killing it before throwing a plasma grenade at another. The poor creature screamed in fear and shock as he ran towards his allies, begging them to remove the explosive. The rest of the patrol immediately ran as the grunt exploded, taking most of his comrades with him. The white armored elite slowly huffed before walking towards Thel.
"Duck!" Arbiter yelled before firing in Shipmaster's direction. Rtas immediately dropped to the ground and spun around. He saw a spec ops elite quickly drop to the ground with a thud.
"Thanks" Rtas grunted before getting up. He looked at the dead sangheili in curiosity. "I didn't know the storm faction had spec ops"
"I knew, I fought a few on one of our mining colonies" Arbiter replied as he quickly dragged the bodies into the brush, out of sight. "From here on out, stealth camo"
Shipmaster nodded before he pressed a button on his forearm before turning almost completely invisible, only his outline was able to be seen by a keen eye, but the storm made his outline disappear in the rain. Rtas slowly walked towards the base, Arbiter to his left.
"I do prefer this cloaking technology compared to the junk i used back in the covenant" Thel said, sounding pleased as he looked at his cloaked body.
"Now, how should we do this part?" Shipmaster asked. Arbiter looked towards the compound in some thought before coming up with plan number one.
"We could go through the front and sneak in...and most likely have to shoot our way out" He suggested.
"Hmm, seems like the simplest yet the most difficult plan, try and think of another one...that will be our last resort" Rtas remarks. Thel nodded before thinking once more.
"One of us could sneak in and the other takes a sniping position, whilst the other gathers the intel while the entire compound is distracted" He suggested another plan.
"Thel? What's the first thing they're going to check on when they hear a sniper is taking them out?" Shipmaster asked, smirking sardonically.
Arbiter sighed.
"Rush towards the intel to secure it" he said, trying to sound out of breath, like a teenager being told to by his father.
"Those two really have made an impact on you" Rtas chuckled before the two dropped their casual demeanors and got back into the combat mindset. They traced their weapons towards the entrance as they snuck towards it. The pair immediately took cover in a ditch filled with mud as they avoided a spotlight. The light could show even a cloaked elite from its rays.
"Well, so much for clean armor" Shipmaster grumbled as he saw the mud cover his cloaked frame.
"It'll be fine, just focus on the mission" Arbiter said. Rtas nodded. "Rtas...stay here, I'll take out the guards"
He nodded again before aiming his weapon at the two sangheili guardsmen. They were common minors, no real danger. The Arbiter silently walked behind the guard to Rtas's left, avoiding the spotlights and signaled for him to fire when he took out the first guard.
Shipmaster aimed directly at the guard. Thel activated his knuckle blade and slit the guards throat. Rtas immediately fired a needle towards the other guard's skull. It went right through his cranium, but he shot two more times for good measure. He slowly got up and rushed for the other side of the entrance. He narrowly dodged the spotlights before pressing his back against the wall. He nodded over to the Arbiter, he was ready. Rtas slowly walked closer to the entrance.
"Have you noticed none of these foot soldiers have no energy shields? I find it strange" Rtas pointed out.
"They must be running low on supplies, and only sending their advanced tech to the higher ups whilst the lower tiers get junk" Thel explained.
"How many are there again?" Shipmaster asked through the comms, he had forgotten. Thel shaked his head while smiling, his friend was getting too old for his own good.
"Two above us and six elites and eight hunters at base floor level, whatever this intel is...it must be critical" Arbiter explained. "That's not even counting the ones in the barracks...they have an entire militias worth in this base...sixty soldiers at least"
Rtas cursed.
"Just what we needed, should we send for reinforcements?" He asked. Thel shaked his head.
"I'll handle this...just stay back" He said, his expression suddenly darkened, turning into one of pure animalistic fury. "This...is gonna get a bit messy"
The Arbiter quickly put his carbine on his back and grabbed two plasma grenades before slowly walking through the entrance. Rtas immediately walked away from the base, he knew what was about to ensue...and when the Arbiter's pissed...it's better to stay out of his way.
Thel walked through the entrance and threw the grenades at the two guards manning the spotlights. He watched as they yelled in shock before getting blown into pieces. He turned his head back to what was in front of him. The Arbiter was instantly met by at least thirty troops, not counting the pairs of lekgolo. They all watched him, weapons trained on him. He deactivated his camo, the entirety of the group almost gasping from who they saw. Everyone but one elite was shocked, a zealot who looked too cocky for his own good.
"Put your hands behind your back, heretic!" The zealot ordered, his plasma rifle aimed at his skull.
"As you wish" Thel replied cunningly. He slowly put his hands behind his back, the guards not noticing his pair of plasma rifles that were holstered on the back of his waist.
The Arbiter quickly pulled out his rifles before lighting the zealot up with plasma bolts. Time seemed to slow down as he ducked and weaved through the constant spray of shots coming at him, all the while taking out the infantry one by one with each shot. Thel jumped into the air as he holstered his rifles and pulled out his energy swords. The one on his right glowing a reddish gold whilst the other its regular neon blue. He dashed towards the enemy, his swords spinning like he was in a dance of death, he sliced into one elite after another, all he could see were bodies and blood. All he could hear were the sounds of pain, anguish, rage and fear as he ripped and teared through the army with great efficiency. He sliced backwards as he reflected a plasma round back at the foe, making a hole in the elites head. The Arbiter then quickly jumped onto a lekgolo's back, it roared and warbled before he sliced it's neck clean off. It dropped to the ground, its body dissolving into small worms as the hunters were known for.
Thel immediately felt the impact of another Hunter slamming into him with its shield like arm. He didn't falter however, he grabbed the shield and pushed it downwards before he sliced the hunters arm clean off. He finished it off with a thrust right through its head with his blade. He looked to his left and saw two more charging him.
'Only four more to go after these two' Arbiter thought to himself before charging towards the two, swords in hand. He jumped towards the closest hunter to his right and landed straight onto it's chest, sending it crashing to the ground from the extreme weight. Thel quickly decapitated it before rolling out of the way from the others plasma beam. He rushed the lekgolo before dashing behind it and slicing it in half from the back, another weak point besides the neck.
Thel was about to run towards the next pair, but he was blasted in the chest from the impact of a gravity hammer. He was slammed into the ground, he quickly got up before roaring at his assailants. They were brutes, their red armor and differently designed weapons indicated they were members of the banished, a rogue faction of brutes and mercenaries that split from the covenant long before it fell. The brute chieftain huffed in humor at the Arbiter's presence.
"Hahahaha, so….Arbiter….are you ready to die?" He asked, his voice laced with overconfidence. The elite huffed before looking up to see the Shipmaster on the elevated platform, weapon aimed directly at the brutes skull
"You first" Arbiter nodded. The chieftain suddenly dropped to the ground, needles protruding through his head. The elite rolled behind a ghost, the vehicle just covering his entire body. He deactivated his blades and pulled out his carbine.
Thel poked his upper body above the ghost before he opened fire at the group of a dozen Brutes, dropping about six of them in one spray. He ducked back into cover before reloading.
Rtas jumped to the ground before crouching behind a crate of supplies. He ducked as a plasma round blurred right above his helmet. He was cornered, he could hear the hunters roared before charging up their beams. He had no position to escape, but looked at the shot up crate and saw it was filled with a bunch of plasma grenades. How they did not explode from the constant punishment was a mystery to him, but he did not complain. He holstered his rifle before grabbing a handful of grenades and throwing them over his head. He continued the process for about thirty seconds. All he could hear through the enormous explosion that ensued was the screams of hunters, brutes and sangheili.
"Maybe I should've called for backup" Shipmaster growled before slowly getting up and out of cover, rifle now in hand. He looked around and slowly lowered his weapon, all the targets had been eliminated. Smoke rises from the bodies of the explosion's victims, all burnt and crisped.
"Well, the patrols would've heard that explosion, we need to hurry" Arbiter explained as he jumped out of cover. Rtas nodded. They quickly moved to the level below through a small ramp. They hastily ran down the ramp, guns at the ready. The area was darkened, only the blue lights of the forerunner structure illuminated the area. The pair could see the intel, an interface built into the structure. They rushed over to the device, weapons trained on either entrance.
"Rtas, can you look at it's contents? I'll cover you" Arbiter spoke. Shipmaster nodded before holstering his rifle. He began to type and try to access the files for target sangheili on the storm faction's radar.
"How do you know how to access forerunner tech?" Thel asked. Rtas laughed.
"Because I attended class on high charity, you on the other hand were training for almost the entirety we were stationed there" he replied. The Arbiter could only laugh as well. He remembered those days, when they were close friends, at least before they were separated because of different rankings. Then Rtas was forced to despise him when he became Arbiter...as it was once the highest rank of disgrace in the covenant….when before it was a rank of glory.
"Alright, I'm in" Rtas explained before typing even faster than before. He looked into the database with worry, not sure he wanted to see what it contained. He suddenly came across a profile of a picture of a sangheili infant.
Luka Vadam: strategic value of capture….absolute.
Shipmaster quickly typed once more. Hoping they didn't yet know his location. He looked and saw the location of the world his son inhabited was unknown to them as of yet, he sighed in relief. All of this had been worth it.
He suddenly heard the sound of footsteps. He looked and saw a Field Marshal charge in from the left entrance, they had been caught again. The distinct shape of his helmet and shoulder plates indicated his rank. The elite had two energy swords and a very bad attitude by the look of it. What made Shipmaster curious was that this Marshal wasn't of the larger elite subspecies, he was a regular sangheili. His leaner figure and darker skin plus the regularly shaped mandibles show the difference quite clearly.
"Arbiter….call in a phantom for pickup, this one is mine" Rtas ordered. Thel nodded before rushing out the other entrance. The Shipmaster looked on at his opponent, his teeth bared and his breath like that of smoke.
"Rtas Vadam….or should i call you "the executioner"?" The Field Marshal said mockingly. Rtas instantly growled in disgust at the use of his nickname he had way back when. "Say, didn't Atriox himself give you that scar on your face? If so...that is quite the honor to have been almost killed by the leader of the Banished"
"You know nothing of honor, storm faction scum" Shipmaster snapped back, he grabbed his energy sword before igniting it. The two slowly circled around one another before quickly charging. The elites blades met, a bright flash of light sparked from each impact. They quickly backed away from each other. Rtas quickly grabbed his other blade and ignited it, but the blade was a bright glowing red. He ran towards the Marshal, blades moving so fast they could only be described as blurs. He blocked an incoming slice before countering with a backlash to the elites neck, cutting his head off.
Shipmaster looked down at the corpse before deactivating his blades and putting them back on his belt. The kill was easy, he might have been a Field Marshall, but just by his shiny armor he could tell the Marshall was young and inexperienced.
Rtas muttered sangheili curses under his breath before quickly walking up the ramp and back outside. He was met by a squad of red armored elites, most of which held plasma rifles, but he noticed the swords of sanghelios insignia on their chests, they were allies. He quickly dropped his guard and walked over to them.
"Leader! We have cleared the area of all storm faction forces, the base is ours" A minor explained. Rtas nodded.
"Very good, then let us keep this outpost, for our own advantage" he ordered. The minor immediately nodded before jogging away
as he walked over to the landed phantom.
"These sure do move fast these days" Shipmaster remarked before walking into the troop bay. Arbiter nodded.
"Yes, well let us be thankful that we know Luka is safe, and that you are still breathing to see him once again" He smiled. Rtas nodded.
"Yes….let us be thankful" he repeated in his own words before the hatch closed and the phantom slowly elevated above the ground and flew into the clouds at extremely fast speeds, out of sight.
Two elites watched as they left, one with orange armor and another with Maroon armor. The latter of the two looked over and asked.
"Do you ever wonder why we're here?"
"Simmonja, you always ask that question to me" the orange elite retorted.
"Well sorry Griffn'ee I just get curious sometimes" Simmonja snapped back.
"Hey! You two!, get your pathetic hides over here" A general ordered, the two immediately rushed over to help.
(POV SWAP)
"It is about time" Luka sighed as he looked around Port Natalia. It was quite the interesting town and was quite diverse in its culture. The most surprising aspect of it being the peaceful coexistence of mermaids and humans. The beast looked around and saw a plentiful amount of mermaids and humans all talking and walking around the marketplace like it was a regular occurence. He smirked, this was an example of his redemption, if the entire world becomes this way...his redemption would be complete, that is his goal.
"It is certainly a change of pace" Alice crossed her arms. She was still in her human form, for these humans were only used to mermaids, not lamias. Luka nodded.
"At least I won't be a rape victim any time soon" he huffed. Unfortunately the moment he walked further into the town, he quickly heard gasps and fearful remarks from his presence. Luka sighed.
'Just ignore it, they will leave you alone' he thought before walking into the market to restock on supplies. Luka was just about to but some spices before a large explosion went off nearby.
"Oh give me a damn break" He growled before rushing towards the origin of the explosion. He pulled out his repeater as he saw the collapsed building. Luka looked around the entire area in search of hostiles, but found none.
"Help! Help me please!" A little mermaid cried. The beast slightly gasped when he saw her tail had been crushed under the debris. He looked behind him and saw a small group of both mermaids and humans rush towards her, trying to lift the large amount of junk atop of her.
"Stand aside" He ordered. The small group reluctantly backed off. Luka got his hands under the debris. To everyone's amazement, he slowly began to lift the pile of stone and metal. With a roar of frustration, he lifted the debris just high enough for the small mermaid's tail to be free. "Quickly, pull her out!"
The small group quickly dragged out before Luka dropped the huge pile. He sighed before looking towards the child. He walked over to her before kneeling.
"Are you alright?" The beast asked. She quickly nodded.
"It hurts a little, but it would've hurt a lot worse if you didn't save me! Thank you stranger!" The child smiled before grunting in pain and holding her tail. Luka looked and saw the mid section of her tail was heavily bruised. He put a hand into his bag and grabbed a cotton bandage before wrapping it around the bruised area, ignoring her grunts of pain.
"There, that should keep the swelling to a minimum" He said before standing up and walking away. Luka looked towards the crowd around the collapsed building, he could see he was no longer needed.
The rest of the children were safe and no one was severely injured. He sighed in relief before immediately getting agitated and his nostrils flaring from a familiar smell, the smell of man he hadn't seen in years. He quickly scanned through the crowd and saw his face. He had long black hair and narrow, crazy like eyes. All Luka could see was his red veil over his left shoulder before he disappeared into the crowd, out of sight.
"That...bastard" The beast cursed, after all these years...his past, no...his father's past, comes to haunt him.
"Luka? What's wrong?" Alice asked from behind him.
"Oh...it is nothing" Luka slowly replied before walking away from the scene. "Now then, let us find an inn to stay the night shall we?"
She slowly nodded, still slightly concerned for his behavior.
(AWHILE LATER)
After about half an hour they found a place to stay. A nice, small inn in the outer parts of town.
The beast sighed before sitting down on the bed. He slowly took off his helmet before looking down at the armor on his hands. He still had so many questions just from looking at the helmet. Did most of his species wear this armor? How effective was it in battle? Were there different kinds of armor? The questions almost never ceased. Luka just wished he could talk to a single individual of his race, whatever they were. He sighed in longing before putting his helmet on the nightstand. He looked over to see Alice was in her regular form. He often wondered how it felt to be human. The beast suddenly had a wave of curiosity.
"Alice?" Luka asked.
"What is it?" She replied in an almost annoying tone.
"What does it feel like to be human?" He asked. Alice's eyes quickly widened.
"Oh, umm….it feels different. I have legs, so that's a major change. But...it just feels different. That's all I can say" she replied.
"I see, hmm...i always wondered what it felt like to fit in but...it doesn't matter now" The beast said, trying to kill any drop of curiosity on the subject. He wasn't human, and he was never going to be human, end of story.
"You'll be fine" Alice encourages him. Luka smiled in the best way he could.
"Thank you, for a woman who says she's not my ally, you make a pretty good ally" he chuckles. She merely waves him off while rolling her eyes. This action causes him to laugh even harder, before he knew it he was slamming his fist on the bed from laughing. Alice then suddenly rushed him, covering his mouth with her hand.
"I think you're a bit more rowdy than normal, maybe it's time to milk you dry again to calm you down, hmm?" She whispered seductively, licking her lips. Lukas eyes immediately narrowed into slits at the thought, not from anger, but from lust. He had become quite frustrated after all, so might as well vent. He quickly grabbed her hand before pushing her down onto her back. The beast quickly grabbed her hands and got in really close.
"I think you're right, but there's only one difference, I am going to pound you till you can't get up properly tomorrow and you can scream and moan, but i will not stop till i am satisfied," Luka growled. He slowly opened his mouth and dragged his sharp teeth across the crease on her neck, causing her to quietly moan from the contact. He continued to drag his teeth up and down her shoulder.
"You want to continue like this? Or do you want me to get to the main course?" Luka asked.
"Let's get to business" Alice said, her face flushed from his advances. Her elven ears were slightly bent downwards too, she looked far too cute and sexy at the same time for Luka to resist. He quickly let go of her hands before stripping off his armor and under suit. Once he was done he looked up and saw Alice completely nude, all her armor gone. The sight caused Luka to lose control before pouncing on her. It was gonna be a long night.
END OF CHAPTER 3
WELL, I KNOW I DON'T REALLY DO MUCH LEMON IN A LEMON FILLED SERIES….BUT I AM JUST NOT GOOD AT WRITING LEMON, SO FORGIVE ME….BUT ANYWAY, IF YA HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, REVIEW! SEE YA!