Hello faithful reviews! I'm so sorry I took so long to update but I had to reformatt my 'reliable' computer 3 or 4 times and I hadn't saved the half a chapter I'd done of this to floppy! I tried to start again and bam! Reformatted again! Anyway, reviewer responses!
Narukusnoone: Thanks so much for your review!
Hyliansage: yeah...Lloyd a drama queen...I'll try to fix that in the latter chapters. And as for Limstella feeling ashamed...I'm not sure if she truly can it would probably be more of an artifical thing. Like in her death quote she says something along the lines of "These feelings are manufactured, even this sorrow" which suggests that even if their just programmed into her she does still feel them. Thanks for your review and kind words -corny.
Aerisghost: I didn't care if Eliwood, Lyn or Hector died or what after awhile as well. I even insulted Eliwood immediately after his dad kicked it. (He was closing his eyes WAY too much!). As for the thing you said about the characters being better than in the game was really nice, thanks! Not sure if I agree but thanks all the same.
Kouichikimura4eva: thanks for the review bell. Our good friend matt hasn't gotten round to reviewing yet...bugger. But anyway, you can write well yourself so...yeah! Can't wait til last resort…and the end of Mr.Brightside (shameless plug for a friend)
Arashisama: thanks for the review. Limstella so owns Sonia.you could even say she pwns her. To the extreme!
Chapter 2Limstella awoke at the crack of dawn as usual. Sonia was still asleep on her bed with too many pillows and silly tassels so the morph took her leave of the older woman's quarters and went to survey her surroundings more carefully than the day before.
The headquarters for the Black Fang was fairly large, the corridors themselves were huge, not a big as the Dragon's Gate but close. Though she was inside the building her hair whipped around when a cold blast of air from outside managed to reach the inside of the building. Why Lord Nergal had chosen for her to have such long hair she would never know. It was a nuisance to her but all the morphs had the same thing to deal with, Ephidel, Limstella, Sonia and she assumed the newest morph; Denning had long hair as well. She could just burn it off but that would serve no purpose and may anger Lord Nergal. Limstella only took orders from her master. She didn't do anything unless Lord Nergal allowed it. It was required. Limstella was only a morph after all. Her master was a human and that was much more important than a person that was created was.
She continued walking until she got outside. A harsh wind was sweeping through the entire area but Limstella could not feel its icy touch. What she could feel however was the crackling sensation in the air that signaled someone in the vicinity was using a magic spell. Someone powerful. Perhaps if she could appraoch that person from behind she could take that person's essence.
Limstella began to walk soundlessly. She could not afford to ruin this oppurtunity by alerting the person of her presence by the sound of her footsteps. As an added precaution she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and hid most of her face within the folds of the dark fabric. Only her eyes would give away the fact that she was a morph.
As she grew closer to the source of the magic she heard voices. Limstella recognized those voices. The girl Lord Nergal had given to Sonia to take care of and the Valkyrie Ursula. Though she could no longer take either person's quintessence Limstella wanted to see whom was using the magic in case either one of the other magic users were to have some sort of...misshap. Their essence would be most powerful indeed.
Limstella quickly hid behind one of the storage sheds and melted into the shadows. If she could observe the mage's true power in battle then she would know exactly how to bring her down later on.
"Okay Nino, just concentrate and chant the words. Don't forget to aim where you want the spell to go," Ursula said as she opened a fire tome.
"A-alright. Here we go!"
Limstella nearly gasped as she realized that it was that young child was the source of the magic in the air. She couldn't be the sole contributor of all that mana. Her master was even more brilliant than anyone else knew. He had kept this girl because of her magical abilities.
She observed the lesson for the duration and waited until the two left.
"Very well done Nino. Now remember...don't tell Lady Sonia of this."
"Okay Ursula. Mother probably wouldn't like it if she knew you were teaching me too."
Limstella contemplated telling Sonia of the secret lessons but decided against it. If she wanted to know things going on around her headquarters then she had best figure it out herself. Brining either Nino or Ursula to an early grave would not help Lord Nergal at all. Nobody was any good to anyone if they were dead or had weak quintessence. If she was to kill either of them her master's plan would fail, he needed the Four Fangs.
Seeing as the sun was rising Limstella returned to Sonia's quarters and acted as if she had never left. Let the foolish woman ask her where she had been, Limstella would not divulge that to her.
When she awoke Sonia took little notice of Limstella murmuring spells under her breath. Limstella didn't look up and Sonia didn't say anything to her in return. Both women ignored each other until Sonia left her room and went to conduct whatever it was that she was told to do.
Limstella stopped looking at the magic tomes in front of her with some difficulty. Magic was strange that way. It captivated its user and caused many a mage to go mad just restraining his or herself from using its strength. However Limstella was not weak like those who were taken over by the desire to use magic, she could not be driven insane by magic alone.
Her orders were to observe Sonia's actions and the only way to do so was to follow Sonia. Though Limstella was not proud to be forced to lurk in the shadows she would do it for her master.
It was not a difficult task, locating Sonia. Limstella could hear her barking orders at her subordinates from her hiding place down the hall from the room the other morph was in. Sonia was coming her way. The loud clicking of her shoes on the floor alerted her of that soon enough so Limstella could hide herself properly.
"Fools! All of them! Fools!" Sonia yelled angrily.
Perhaps it is you who are the fool Sonia...thought Limstella.
Sonia brushed past Limstella without seeing her. Limstella waited until Sonia got halfway down the long corridor before beginning to follow her once more. Though, it was doubtful that Sonia would notice anybody following her in her current state.
Limstella noticed too late that Sonia was returning to her room. If Limstella was not there... she would deal with that obstacle once she came to it. She secretly wished that Lord Nergal would order her to dispose of Sonia but that would never happen. The only way Sonia was going to be killed was by Lord Nergal himself or by that Lycian noble's son Eliwood's hands. Limstella could of course get rid of Sonia but her master would kill her if she killed Sonia. Not to mention Limstella never went against her master.
"Where is that little..." she heard Sonia say, fury apparent in her voice.
Limstella walked through the door just as Sonia was about to leave the room. The older woman's face was twisted with rage.
"How dare you! If I told Lord Nergal of all that you are doing you would be back where you came from! I told you to stay here!"
"Do not use that condesending tone with me Sonia."
"Silence! I do not want to hear the ridiculous words of a monster such as you!" Sonia screamed.
Allowing your emotions to rule your actions once again Sonia. How pathetic. What a disapointment you are to Lord Nergal.
Limstella said no more, not speaking would anger Sonia more but it would only prove that the older woman was really the monster, the abomination. Sonia did yell some more and for a long time but Limstella just ignored her and waited for her to stop.
"…Well, you will be happy to know that I have contacted the King of Bern, you can leave now," Sonia said once she was sufficiently calm.
"Those were not my orders. I am not inclined to believe that you sent a messenger to the King Sonia."
"What did you just say? You doubt my ability? You doubt our Master's ability to choose the proper person for this job?" Sonia asked, her voice beginning to rise with anger again.
"I did not say I doubt Lord Nergal."
The older morph just laughed bitterly and brushed by Limstella to wherever it was that she was going.
"Oh, and Limstella, be a dear and don't leave this room," Sonia said as she closed the door to her room and locked it.
I shall have to inform Lord Nergal of this now Sonia. What a shame, he had such high hopes for you I'm sure.
Limstella murmured an incantation and was gone from Bern and a moment later arrived at the Dragon's Gate. It was still early but morphs were already everywhere but among them Limstella could not see Ephidel among them, it was of no matter really, if he had fallen their master could just make another. It seemed as though the gate had been under siege, certain places had been broken down and some walls had huge holes in them. What had become of her Master, had he been injured somehow?
She walked until she got to the main room; her master was not here at the moment. Where had he gone, somewhere else… She would simply ask someone what had happened and report to her master as soon as possible.
Limstella noticed there was blood on the ground or at least where there wasn't any debris. She knew it wasn't her master's but Marquess Pherae's, it seemed as if the opening of the gate had been unsucessful. All her master's quintessence…gone. That would mean that Limstella would need to get more to compensate for the loss and possibly gather more for her master if he was injured. But that would be an easy task, there were after all people still alive in Elibe and their lives would have to be sacrificed for the good of Lord Nergal.
The lives of humans other than her master meant nothing to Limstella; she had murdered so many already and had felt no remorse for taking their lives from them. Even when she saw the families of the people she killed crying and screaming at her asking why Limstella hadn't felt a thing. Of course she wasn't expected to feel any emotions, she was a morph and technically had no emotions to speak of. However if she were to fail Lord Nergal she didn't know what she would feel if anything at all before her master disposed of her. Morphs who couldn't do their jobs were killed and that was it, no one ever spoke of it though it happened almost everyday.
The morphs still around the Dragon's Gate were not much help, they had seen her Master disapear after being wounded by Marquess Pherae but didn't know much else besides that. After speaking to one particular morph Limstella learned that Ephidel had been dragged into the gate when the boy child had woken his older sister from her trance like state and ruined the attempt at bringing dragon's back into the world. Limstella knew that her master would no doubt be in the other place the morphs had taken by force. It was only a small concealed fortress in the countryside but her master had could work without being disturbed.
Limstella had to report Sonia's activities to her master, Lord Nergal could deal with her in any way he chose it mattered not to Limstella.
Well, gonna end it there I suppose. Phew, I know it's not a very long chapter but I haven't written this one in awhile so I'm not right on…anyway, I hope this chapter was up to par and if it wasn't feel free to let me know but just don't flame me, constructive critism is very much welcomed! Until next time!
