Author's Note: Hey guys! It's now the 5th chapter of this story which is exciting. Always remember to review, follow, share, and let's get into it.
Disclaimer: I don't own ROTSH or Kaiserreich as they belong to whatever companies own them. I just own my OC.
L: If you go back and reread chapter 3 when Rifana and Raphtalia are split between Alice and Naofumi, you will see that Rifana has always been with Alice while I kept the Naofumi - Raphtalia duo the same.
Battlesny: Look, it's the best I could come up with at the time without redoing the whole scene. I know it requires the blood and all that, I just made it go like "Co-op loot shared" type of thing.
"Quotes."
Thoughts
"Reading"
Rural Iowa, United States of America
May 27th, 1547 Hours, 1937
A teenage girl is seen running through the thick brush. The scent of smoke and ash sat heavy in the air as she looked back, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to stop, to go back and do anything she could to help, and for a moment she almost did but quickly remembered what her mother told her.
"Lauf Alice! Lauf und hör nicht auf! Dein Vater und ich werden direkt hinter dir sein, also bleib nicht stehen! Finde MacArthur und du wirst Sicherheit finden!"
A loud bang whizzed through the air followed by a petrified shriek with a second bang soon following the first. Finally cutting through the other side of the forest, she found herself on the nearby hill she would run to before supper. Looking back, she could only stare in horror at the burning of a farm and the waving red flags with torch and hammer encased by a cog.
Brikard's Inn, Castle Town
January 7th, 0721 Hours, 1944
Alice's eyes shot open in an instant as she inhaled deeply. Releasing the large intake of air in short, skipped breaths, she tried to get her cloudy vision to try and focus on her surroundings. Placing a hand sober her eyes, she felt the cold sweat beading off her forehead. She blinked a few times to help adjust her vision and noticed she was in a bed. Sitting up, she grunted as the soreness in her muscles let her know she was still alive. Looking down at her body, she saw that she was topless and wrapped in bandages.
Grabbing her chest and taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down through breathing techniques before her eyes fully adjusted to the room she was in. Warm sunlight peeked through a mostly closed window curtain illuminating the room to some degree. Looking around, she first saw a slumped form sitting in a chair next to her bed who she recognized by the blonde hair, pointed ears, and pistol sitting in her lap.
"Rifana?" She asked, reaching out and touching the now older looking weasel's shoulder.
The demi - human jolted awake at the feeling of being touched, snorting as she gripped her pistol in a momentary panic. It took her but a second to gather her bearings and realize who had tapped her shoulder. "Alice!" She cried out, leaping up from the chair and jumping straight into the Marine's arms. "I didn't think you'd wake up! Please, please never do that again, ever!"
"Uggnnh" Alice groaned under the weight of her companion. "Good to see you too, Rifana. What happened?" She asked, returning the gesture.
Rifana tightened the grip on her hug a little. "You took a huge hit from the cave monster and when we tried picking you up, you cried out in pain before going limp. We brought you back to Brikards and I've been taking care of you while Naofumi and Raphtalia went off doing jobs and occasionally swung by to drop off some money."
It was then that Alice noticed a couple pouches ranging in size sitting on the dresser next to her bed. "How long was I out?" She asked.
"It's been two days since the fight. I was so worried about you." Rifana said, emphasizing it by tightening her hug yet again with a few tears streaming down her face.
Alice pulled away from Rifana's strong grip and held the remarkably strong, now, woman in front of her. Taking her thumb, she wiped the few tear streaks lining her cheeks. "I'm alright. It's gonna take more than that to kill me, well not really since I was shot, but still." Alice joked.
Rifana let a smirk form upon her lips. "Please don't do that again. Promise me you won't ever do that again."
"I promise Rifana. It was stupid for sure, but circumstances required it and I would do it again in a heartbeat to save you and Raphtalia. Now, let me get out of bed and move around. My muscles are sore and laying in bed all day isn't going to help." She said, swinging her legs over the side. Standing up, her legs felt like jelly yet she pushed through, standing up while putting a little weight on Rifana's shoulder. "Where's my gear?"
Wrapping an arm around Alice, Rifana started walking over to a wooden door outlined by stone. "Over here. I put all of your things in the closet for safekeeping for when, if, you woke up." She explained.
Slowly hobbling their way over, Rifana opened the door revealing Alice's clothing, rucksack, and other pieces of equipment. Helping her get dressed and ready like a child helping a sick parent, the added weight certainly didn't help with Alice's walking. Leaning on Rifana once again, she made her way over to the pouches of coins and dumped them into her reserve account.
Treasury Bow
[ 128 Silver / 250 Gold ]
"Well we're no longer hurting financially." Alice said, laboring a breath. "Ok, where's the healing pills I made?" She asked, taking off and digging through her rucksack.
"We used them all already. You got the lion's share, but we had to split them to benefit all of us and it left you just one or two short of being fully healed. Sorry Alice." Rifana said.
"I understand, don't worry about it. Do I feel like shit? Certainly. Have I felt this bad before? Definitely. Let's just get to the apothecary and pick up a potion." Alice said, nearly falling over as she threw on her heavy rucksack.
Slowly making their way outside, they traveled onward to the apothecary taking short rests every five or ten minutes for Alice to catch her breath.
A short bell jingle alerted the graying haired man to the potential customers who just entered. "Be right with you in a minute!" He called out from under his countertop. Standing up from whatever activities he was partaking in, he saw two females standing before him. One of them was a dress wearing, blonde haired demi - human and the other was a strangely dressed, presumably human underneath that helmet and puffy hair. "Ahh the Bow Hero, welcome. What can I do for you two ladies?" He asked, seemingly not bothered by Rifana's presence.
Shifting her weight a little, Alice spoke up. "We're here for a healing potion or two. We had a fight with a monster in a cave and I took a beating. I'm sore and can barely walk." She briefly explained.
"Ahh, so you must be looking for something akin to this?" He asked, reaching below the counter and pulling out a small red triangular bottle with a flowing red liquid inside.
Picking up and examining the bottle, it came up on Alice's H.U.D. as a good quality healing potion. "It looks like just this one should do. How much are you charging for it?"
"It would set you back four silver my dear." The old man smiled.
"Could we do two? We're not exactly rolling around in coins." Alice tried negotiating.
"Sorry, but I have to make a profit and the ingredients for good quality potions aren't cheap. Even for a legendary hero I can't spare anything after the first wave." He apologized.
Alice sighed. Pulling out the four pieces of silver, she set them in front of the apothecary before pulling the cork out of the bottle and downing it right then and there. As the last drop of red liquid entered her lips, her body shook for a moment before she loudly exhaled. Stretching her arms and legs, she didn't feel any soreness, discomfort, or loss of feeling. Standing straight up, she took a few steps around the area and nodded at the results.
"Oh you do not know how good that feels." She exaggerated.
"We'll I'm glad you're doing better my dear. I'm also glad that my shop has been graced by your presence. Please, if I may know your name I would be most honored." He inquired.
"Alice Schmitt. And you are?" She asked in return.
"Luther Heinrich. Good to finally make your acquaintance Bow Hero. If I may ask, who might you be, miss? I didn't see you at the trial." He said, directing his attention to Rifana.
"Oh, me? I'm Rifana. Alice saved me and my friend from being a slave after that trial. I owe her my life." Rifana smiled at the old apothecary.
"Well you seem like a joyful young lady, Rifana. It's hard to believe you could have been a slave just under a week ago. It's a barbaric practice that I think the king should just outlaw already to save the queen's time."
"Yeah, that seems to be a common consensus with the few we stay and speak to. Anyways, we should be going. Thank you Luther for the potion, I really needed it. Before we head out, do you have any spare tools that can help me make medicine in the field?" She asked.
"Yes!" He responded enthusiastically, pulling out a small wooden box. "It's an old set I haven't found the time to throw out, but it should serve its purpose."
Taking the small box, she stuffed it in whatever open pouch was available in her rucksack. "This will definitely help save us some money. Rifana, let's go see Erhard. I need to ask him how long we have left until this next wave."
"Wait." Luther said. "You don't know about the dragon hourglass?"
"Dragon hourglass? Not a clue. What is it?" Alice asked.
"It's a large hourglass situated within the confines of the Church of the Three Heroes. It's a timer that will provide a countdown to any hero or adventurer that comes within close proximity of it. Surely the king would have told you about it." Luther explained.
"No, he didn't. And I think I have an idea as to why. But thank you for this information nonetheless Luther. You've been more than helpful this visit." Alice smiled.
"My pleasure."
"Alright Rifana, let's go. We have our next point of interest to check out; and someone to talk to." Alice said, walking out of the shop.
Stepping outside, the morning crowd had grown in size. Using whatever height advantage she could get at being 5'9, she looked for the rooftop of the large church she had seen several times while perusing around the city. As her gaze wandered closer to the castle, she finally saw it sitting near the courtyard serving as the city center. Before she began moving, Rifana stood by her side; and now as a full grown adult, there was a clear two or three inches in height she had on Alice.
Rifana chuckled. "It seems you're now the one who needs looking out for." She joked, emphasizing the tilt of her head to match Alice's eyes.
"Is that so? Well, always make sure to remember who saved you, trained you, and grew you." Alive shot back. "Besides, being taller than me might draw some unwanted attention because you don't see that many demi - human adults. But hey, what do I know? I'm shorter than you." She smirked.
Rifana opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came of it. Slouching, she recognized she lost and couldn't argue against it. "Why are you always right, and so literal?"
"Because I, like you, had to grow up sooner and quicker than expected. I'm a Sergeant which means I lead a small group of Marines. . . at the age of twenty two. That normally doesn't happen until one's late twenties at best from what I was told by older service members who enlisted before the war." She explained as the two of them made their way to the church.
"I —-" Before Rifana could say anything in return, a loud voice crashed through the crowd.
"Hey! What's that stupid demi doing strutting around like it belongs?"
Quickly looking around thanks to being 6', Rifana saw an older man standing by a cart roughly five yards away with his eyes deadlocked on hers.
"Yeah I'm talking to you. What, you don't understand me? You deserve to be put on a leash." He insulted.
Rifana gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly. There was no doubt she could kick his ass then and there, especially with how old he was. An arm found itself wrapped around her shoulder as she was pulled in closer to Alice's side.
"It's not worth it. I know I've set a bad example on how to deal with people like that and I'm working on it, but going after him is going to be a one way ticket to jail, or worse." She said, cautiously. "The only reason I've probably gotten away with it is because of my hero status, but I doubt even my word will mean anything when it's against you."
"It just makes me so mad." Rifana whispered.
"I know. Trust me, it makes me mad too. America too was segregated, but my parents taught me to never think like that. Behandle Menschen nach ihrer Integrität, or, "treat people by their integrity" is what my father always said."
Rifana held a raised eyebrow. "What language was that? It sounded so strange and punctual."
"It's called German. You know, I could teach you if you helped me learn this world's language." Alice offered.
Rifana smiled. "Deal!" She exclaimed, seemingly forgetting the incident.
As the duo finally arrived at the steps of the large, white marble Church of the Three Heroes, Alice couldn't help but stop and take in the architecture for a moment. "I thought I'd never see a structure so beautiful in a long time." She complimented before her eyes caught the three symbols atop the building. "Rifana, what do these guys actually worship? I understand it's the 'Church of the Three Heroes' so probably the legendary heroes, but why isn't the ShieldHero up there?"
"From what I remember about the stories my parents used to tell me, a long time ago there was a great war between us demi - humans and the humans. The Cardinal Heroes of that age picked sides, with the Spear, Sword, and Bow choosing humanity and the Shield choosing demi - humans." She explained briefly.
"And that didn't sit too well with humanity." Alice finished, a switch clicking in her head. "I think I have a theory as to why Naofumi was dragged through the mud without hesitation. I'd need to gather more information though to be sure. Let's talk more inside." She said.
Making their way into the church, they were greeted by the sight of a nun in white dress. "Welcome, lady hero, to the Church of the Three Heroes. What can I do for you today?" She smiled at Alice.
"Hello ma'am. We're here to see the Dragon Hourglass in order to register for the upcoming wave." Alive informed her.
"Is that so? Right this way then." She said, gently waving her arm. The nun walked in the direction of the hourglass with Alice and Rifana following close behind.
Upon seeing the Dragon Hourglass, Alice and Rifana couldn't help but stare awestruck at the device. In the center of a small, circular chamber floated, somehow, a large hourglass surrounded by elegant designs of gold that swirled around it, complimenting the crimson red sand with.
"Holy hell." Alive muttered. Walking closer to the hourglass, she suddenly realized she had no idea what to do or how to use it. "So uhh, do I need to tou—" She was cut off as a glow came from over her shoulder. Bringing her legendary weapon to bear, out of nowhere a beam of energy shot out from her Thompson and towards the hourglass. "Something new every day I guess." She quipped to herself. The room around them lit up orange for a moment before fading out. On her H.U.D., Alice saw a new blood red timer appear.
00:23:12:48
00:23:12:47
00:23:12:46
00:23:12:45
Oh shit less than a day!? There's almost no time to prepare any further for that! Alice thought in a panic. At that moment, a familiar voice spoke from behind her.
"Alice, is that you?" Ren called out to her, his party trailing close behind him.
"Alice, who are they and how do they know you?" Rifana asked, placing a hand cautiously over her pistol.
"Good to see you too Ren." Alice said sarcastically. "Gonna scold me for what I did at the trial?"
"No. I came here for the hourglass." He replied calmly.
"Well if that's the case, she's all yours." Alice said, taking a few steps down.
As the black haired teenager stepped forward, the gem in his sword caused the room to momentarily glow a bright red before fading in a similar manner to hers.
"So, have you thought over the trial yet? Or are you still convinced about the guilt of a clearly innocent man? You seemed to have some wits about you, especially compared to Kitamura." She lightly complimented.
"I never said he was guilty, just that I was neutral until something more substantial came up. For now I won't work with him, but I'm not going to go out of my way to negatively affect him." He explained.
Alice sighed. "Dammit Ren. Fine, but sooner or later you're going to see how it was a ploy. Besides, I have a running theory as to why he was targeted like my newspaper said."
"Oh yeah? Let's hear it."
"So a long time ago there was a large - scale war between humanity and demi - humans, a war that forced the Cardinal Heroes of that age to choose sides. The Spear, Sword, and Bow Heroes sided with humanity while the Shield Hero sided with the demi - humans. Now, my newspaper said that the princess was supposed to betray us, but she didn't, only Naofumi who was the Shield Hero. What if he was the sole target in order to be convicted and refused both assistance and power by the state? The same state that practiced slavery and prejudice against demi - humans."
"And you think this is because?" Ren asked, unsure as to the validity of the theory.
"Have you seen demi - humans like Rifana here in rags and shackles?" She asked, receiving a nod. "Ok, now the old Shield Hero siding with the demi - humans must have left a poor taste in humanity's mouth. The actions of the royalty could have just been passed down judgment."
"Ok. That sounds like it may hold water, but I would need more than one second hand testimony." Red said, skeptical of the claim but not ruling out the possibility entirely.
Alice sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Next time you see Naofumi, ask the demi - human with him for her story. Her name's Raphtalia and she's the other one I saved from slavery alongside Rifana, her best friend."
"Alright, I can agree to that. However, that must wait until this wave is over as we have just over twenty three hours." Ren suggested.
"Agreed." Alice said, extending a hand. "Allies for now?" She offered.
Ren groaned, but ultimately decided to shake it. "For now."
Alice nodded. "We'll see you at the wave. Good luck when it happens." Walking away from the Japanese teenager, she smiled, feeling as though she had parted ways with him on better terms than they had met.
Stepping outside the church, Rifana walked beside her, staring curiously at Alice with a brow raised. "So I'm going to assume he was one of the other two heroes, right? You two did seem to know each other. And what was this trial you mentioned? It sounded important."
"That, Rifana, was the Sword Hero. His name is Ren and he is a more quiet, pragmatic, and lonesome individual from what I could assess when we first met. As for the trial," Alice sighed. "I'll let you know after the wave once we have some privacy."
"Ok." Rifana nodded, remnants of confusion still lingering on her face. "What should we do now? Should we head back out and level up some more?"
"In due time. We need to make a quick stop at the tailor then over to Erhard's. After that, let's stop for a meal because I am starving. Then we need to work on your training." Alice explained.
"What do we need to continue my training for?" Rifana asked.
"Because you're now the legal enlistment age for the United States Marine Corps. Welcome aboard recruit, I'll be your drill sergeant for the next several months." Alice said with a shit eating grin.
Rifana rolled her eyes. "I thought I'd already done that a while ago."
Alice straightened her hand and stuck it right in front of Rifana's face. "Did I say you could speak, recruit?" She joked.
"No you didn't." Rifana replied sarcastically.
Alice chuckled. "No but seriously, I am going to up your training to eleven now that you have the body and mind to tackle a real woman's job starting now. Beware."
"I trust you fully and unconditionally." Rifana stated confidently.
"Well then, every new recruit needs a uniform." Alice said, steering them into the direction of Mary's tailor shop.
Walking side by side, the sun has now risen high above the horizon, illuminating everything around them. As the two of them walked silently to their first destination of this new age, Alice couldn't help but stare at Rifana. Her lightly tanned skin, bobbed - blonde hair, soft orange eyes, and toned, exposed arms basked in the sunlight, almost elevating her in some way. An unfamiliar feeling pulsed in Alice's chest, one that felt natural, almost calling to her. She tried ignoring it, but it only got stronger when she looked at Rifana. Turning away, she shifted her focus on finding the tailor's store.
A small bell jingled when the door opened. Stepping into the building covered in clothes racks was an American Weltkrieg uniform wearing female with a brown, puffy bob cut and slightly taller female demi - human in a dress with a blonde bob cut.
"Welcome! How may I help you today!?" Shouted a recognizable voice from behind a small pile of clothing.
"Hello Mary. I'm here to make a custom order for a uniform." Alice replied.
Mary, the tailor, leaned out from behind the stacked clothing. "Ms. Schmitt, Rifana! Oh it's a joy to see you again! Say, how are you and Raphtalia holding up? I remember you two clearly from just how cute you are!" She directed her attention to Rifana.
"I'm doing alright, thanks for asking. As you can see I'm not a girl anymore, and neither is Raphtalia. I wouldn't put it past her that she's also all grown up." Rifana replied with a smile.
"Oh? Where is she now?" Mary inquired.
"I had to pass Raphtalia over to the Shield Hero so that he would have a companion to help fight for him." Alice informed her.
"The Shield Hero? Wasn't he the one that assaulted the princess?" Mary asked, squinting her eyes behind her large rounded glasses.
"That's what all the reports say, but trust me when I say that it isn't true. I could tell that the princess was lying through her teeth thanks to having to deal with so many enlisted - men's bullshit."
"Is that so? Well we'll have to wait and see. I don't exactly trust his word on the matter, but your voucher for him tells me a few things. Let him know I won't harass him if he decides to ever visit." Mary offered. "Now, what can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for a new outfit for Rifana." Alice said. "As you can tell, she's grown to be a fine young woman, but that dress has got to go. I'm surprised it's even fitted her ever since she became a teenager. Do you think you can make her a uniform just like mine?"
"Oh certainly. Just hold still for a moment so I can get her measurements and observe every possible angle of your clothing!" May told her, the bubbly attitude coming right back to the surface.
Around fifteen minutes went by. Alice held as still as she could in several different poses allowing for Mary to make a note of every inch of fabric. Once she was all done, she adjusted her glasses and smiled happily at the young NCO and recruit.
"Come back in a day or two and I'll have it ready. The colors and styles are very unique. Whoever must have designed your outfit wherever you come from must have been a master at their craft." Mary said.
"Is there any way we can have it done by the end of today in preparation for the wave tomorrow?" Rifana asked.
"I can have it done by early morning tomorrow at its earliest if I work into the night. Considering the circumstances, consider it done Ms. Schmitt!" Mary said, essentially pushing Alice and Rifana out the door.
"She was very enthusiastic about that." Rifana said.
"I think we just gave her something new to do. Besides, she was like that when we came here a week ago when you were just a kid."
"Fair enough. I take it we're heading to Erhards next for whatever you have planned?" Rifana asked.
"Yup. Three very important items a Marine should always have on them and I trust no one else to make them more than him." Alice replied confidently, leading her companion over to the hardy blacksmiths' shop.
"Oh yeah, what did she mean when she asked if Naofumi was the one who assaulted the princess?" Rifana asked.
"Later." Alice simply replied.
The groaning of the heavy door leading into the thirty - something - year old's smithing shop let the man somewhere behind the counter know he had a customer.
"Hello! I'll be with you in just one second." Erhard's gruff voice sounded from across the room.
"It's been a while hasn't it, Erhard?" Alice asked as she stepped through the door.
A thud could be heard followed by a soft, "Ow, fuck." Emerging from the back room, Erhard saw the figures of Alice and Rifana, to which the pair could have sworn they saw his eyes light up like torches. "Bow sis, pipsqueak! It's been a while hasn't it? I honestly thought you were dead considering what Naofumi told me."
"Yeah well, it'll take more than a single hit to kill me, but that's up for debate." Alice joked, cracking a smile from the older man.
"Well it's good to see you alive and ok. What can I do for you today? Go ahead and request anything with a thirty percent discount because now I'm in a good mood seeing you up and at'em." Erhard offered, brightly smiling at them.
Alice was stunned for a moment. "Wow, really? Thirty percent off of anything?" She asked just to double check.
"Yup! If you purchase anything today you'll get thirty percent off." Erhard clarified.
Alice looked at Rifana who had an equally shocked, if not moreso, look on her face. "Well we came in here to request a couple custom items." Pulling out the gas mask from her rucksack, she put it on the counter. "I want to see if you can recreate the mask and maybe put a little magic on them for the both of us."
Picking up the mask, he gave a detailed lookover, analyzing each individual piece down to the straps and sealing. "What exactly is this?" He asked.
"It's a gas mask meant to seal yourself from hazardous environments. If the enemy used poison gas, something the Syndi's like to do quite commonly, you would want to get that thing on quickly in order to not breath what we dubbed 'spicy air'. It's a Canadian Mk2 Light Respirator that was supplied to us by our friendly neighbors up north. We didn't have control of America's most industry rich regions." Alice explained to the old blacksmith.
"I have no idea what most of that meant, but I must say these Canadians did a damn fine good job. If you want a second one made, alongside some enchantments, that's going to run you ninety silver compared to the normal one - forty."
A surprised whistle came from Alice. "That's going to eat most of what we've just saved up. Could you drop it to maybe somewhere around seventy instead so we have enough to pay for amenities and food?"
"Seventy five and it goes to the top of my list." Erhard counter offered.
Alice winced a little, but caved and accepted the offer. Handing the blacksmith the coins, her H.U.D. updated appropriately and she felt a small headache coming on. As their hands met, she clasped his tightly. "Erhard, if you break this piece of gear, it's irreplaceable and I will get you, that's a promise." She told him without wavering.
Seeing all previous emotion disappear at the 'promise' from the Bow Hero, a bead of sweat formed on Erhard's bald head. "I swear I will take good care of it." He said with a nervous chuckle.
"If you can do the job before the next wave in…" She trailed off looking at her watch. "Twenty two hours, that will give me an hour long window to give Rifana a crash course since the wave is in just under twenty four hours."
"What?!" Erhard exclaimed in shock. "The next wave is tomorrow?! I'll have it done by this evening." He said without a newfound purpose.
A silent nod came from the Weltkrieg veteran. "Understood. Rifana, let's go. We need to do some jobs before the timer ticks to zero." She said, making her way back to the door with Rifana silently following. "And Erhard, sorry for the tense atmosphere, we just have a strict schedule."
After eating, no, wolfing down a quick and early lunch, the Bow Hero pair picked up whatever jobs would have been the quickest regardless of experience or monetary gain. Right now they had to get as much monster fighting practical experience through quantity rather than quality which, if it were anyone else, would have no doubt tired them out by the third job on the bounty board.
By the time the sun began setting at around 7pm, Alice and Rifana were sweaty messes that, arguably, were on the cusp of collapsing from exhaustion. Alice's puffy bob was matted to her head as she entered Erhard's shop. Her legs shook as she struggled to walk and her breathing was heavy in order to get cold air back into her body. As Rifana entered behind her, she looked even worse with sweat tracing in all directions down her dress.
The two of them sat on an open bench by the door to catch their breaths. Erhard poked his head out from behind the door leading to the back of his shop. "Hello? Oh it's you guys! You two looked drained to high heaven. Do you want some water?" He asked them.
The two of them exaggeratingly nodded their heads. The blacksmith handed them some water skins which they downed. Alice momentarily shook as the cool water rushed through her veins. "Holy shit. You have… no idea… how much I… needed that." She said between breaths.
"I'll say. It looks like you two have been going nonstop on working. How many jobs did you take?" Erhard asked.
"Thirteen." Rifana said after taking another swig of water.
"That's…" Erhard paused, calculating when they last spoke to now. "A job in a little under an hour for nearly eleven hours. How did you guys not just fall over and die?"
"Semi - regular breaks… half hour… have a snack." Alice 'briefly' explained.
"Mhm… I'll go ahead and let you ladies take a few minutes to get settled. Once you're not on the verge of falling face first on my floor, take a peek in the back, alright?" Erhard told them.
"Will do." Alice responded with a nod from Rifana.
Taking at least ten minutes to get themselves reoriented, they rested their aching bodies. Now feeling better, they went to check out what progress Erhard had made. What they saw presented before them was a near identical replica of Alice's gas mask.
"Ta-daa!" Erhard opened with enthusiasm. "So it wasn't exactly easy to reproduce since it's made of rubber, something that's not really produced at all here, so I had to purchase some that was imported from Faubry. Thankfully once I made the air canister, the rest of it was easy since I just had to mold it." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "And you said you wanted some enchantments on them? Since Rubber and glass are susceptible to the elements, I made them have a moderate degree of resistance to heat and liquids."
Grabbing the reproduced mask, Alice took off her helmet, put it on, and took a couple long breaths to check the oxygen flow. When it wasn't evident that she would start suffocating, she took it off and handed it to Rifana. "Well it seems to work. I didn't feel like I was straining myself to breathe, which is one of the key things you want to look out for when wearing one of these. Now watch what I do." Taking her own mask from the table, she slowly put it on.
Imitating Alice, Rifana put on her own mask with the help of Alice adjusting the straps so it fits securely on her face.
"Now take a few deep breaths. If the air tastes a little funny, that's good. It means it's on tight and no air can come in except through the filter." Alice explained.
Rifana flashed a thumbs up before taking the mask off. "That feels so weird and totally abnormal to use." She commented.
"Yeah, that's what we all thought. You get used to it after a while." Alice assured. "Thank you for doing this, Erhard. If we come across something later down the line, you may have just saved Rifana's life."
"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do, and you did pay. Just don't go dying on me because otherwise who else would I take money from?" He quipped.
A fist met his shoulder in response which, in all honesty, stung a little. "Ow." He said, rubbing his shoulder, and wounded pride.
"Well the wave is in roughly twelve hours and we still have a little more business to take care of. We'll see you again after it's over, alright?" Alice asked Erhard.
"Definitely. I look forward to seeing what you two become. Be warned, the horrors of the waves aren't to be taken lightly." He cautioned.
Alice grinned. "And neither is ten pounds of American steel." She patted her Thompson.
"If that's the case, then make sure to come back once it's over."
"We'll do our best!" Rifana responded enthusiastically.
Front Gate, Castle Town
January 8th, 0806 Hours, 1944
[Author's Note: Play When Johnny Comes Marching Home by Kaiser Cat Cinema]
Alice and Rifana stood side by side and watched as the morning sun rose over the horizon. Rifana felt like she was in heaven at how soft her new clothes felt on the inside. I have to admit, Mary did a REALLY good job at making the clothing seamless. The boots were also perfect, with the easy to slip on and off design. She even threw in some fingerless gloves for Rifana, which was nice. Alice thought.
As she looked around, she saw men and women, military and mercenaries, standing side by side overlooking the same rising sun. They were no longer faces passing by in a bustling urban center, but comrades in arms as the biggest fight for their lives was on the verge of existence.
Alice's face showed a strong, confident, and determined woman on the outside, but inside, she was scared shitless. This was going to be the hardest level of unconventional warfare she's ever faced while only having a battle buddy to truly watch her back, something she really couldn't complain about all considering.
"Alice." Rifana suddenly spoke, her expression shifting to one of worry.
"Yes Rifana?" Alice asked as she stood tall, watching the timer tick second by second.
"In case something happens to either of us, I just want to say thank you. You've given me so much when no one else would. You gave me hope, provided me with clothes, fed me warm meals, cured my illness, and taught me how to survive. How to live. You've given me a chance to live my life as I wish to do so." The young woman said. As she continued, sunlight began to break through the morning clouds, making the world beyond them seem to glimmer. "For that, I am truly grateful to have met you, Alice." She said, before taking a defiant pose, the sun behind her causing her to seemingly beam with hope. "I am your sword, for now and forever. I will fight with you, no matter what. For the people, for our friends, for you. No matter what lies ahead, I am with you!" She exclaimed, finishing her speech.
Alice's eyes met Rifana's. As she stared at her, she felt the pulsations in her chest return. The soft, orange eyes, blonde hair, and strong presence made her feel a sense of calm she had only felt when around her squad mates. She smiled and nodded before taking a short step back and standing straight. Rifana knew what was going to happen. As rehearsed, Alice brought a salute to the cup of her helmet, a motion which Rifana reciprocated.
The pair shared a smile as Alice watched the timer tick.
00:00:00:08
00:00:00:07
00:00:00:06
00:00:00:05
00:00:00:04
00:00:00:03
00:00:00:02
00:00:00:01
00:00:00:00
A bell rang out, signaling the Second Wave of Catastrophe.
This, is the way the world ends.
Author's Note: Well, there you have it, the precursor to the wave chapter. You guys got to see some emotions from Alice and you'll get to see some of her firepower in true action against whatever I decide to make the fight. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed it.
"Lauf Alice! Lauf und hör nicht auf! Dein Vater und ich werden direkt hinter dir sein, also bleib nicht stehen! Finde MacArthur und du wirst Sicherheit finden!"
Translation - "Run Alice! Run and don't stop! Your father and I will be right behind you, so don't stop! Find MacArthur and you will find safety!"