Arondight the One Who Remembers
Mission parameters this time are simple. Break a hole through the wall, let Wana and the legio cybernetica in and cause as much chaos as possible. Should have been really easy. Even their heavy cannons can't hurt me nor my hubby inside me, but turns out they weren't just gonna roll over and surrender to us.
I should have expected that many of the soldiers I was facing would be fanatics, and when one soldier stands and fights without hesitation the rest are a lot less likely to run. We still mowed them down, my dark matter gauntlet and abyss cannon making short work of them. We had already taken down almost a thousand combatants.
"Targeting solutions to the high velocity cannons found. Demolish them, dear."
Talking with my pilot after thousands of years of silent observation, only being able to make my most primal emotions known was like the sweetest nectar. I simply couldn't have enough of it. I spoke at every opportunity I found and also indulged in… other aspects of my pilot. My hubby's voice forced my fantasies back into a corner of my cogitators.
"It's a lot more comfortable now that you can actually talk to me instead, and I do quite like listening to your slick voice all the time. It gets me… quite hot."
After this I'll ride him till my cogitators reboot . The cannons were still pounding on my carapace as I rampaged around high on love. Crash through a line of metal cavalry stakes. And watch as the corrupted started fucking each other, this was pretty fun! Having my lover piloting me and watching the newly united couples declare their love among the whistling of cannon shells. Speaking of whistles, a loud one was coming from behind me. Well, no need to rotate my ion shield towards there, it can't hurt me anyways. For less than a millisecond my proximity sensor alerted me of a large object behind me. Then… a massive crash sounded behind me and my carapace cratered.
"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!?" My scream resounded through the battlefield ,even the enemy cannon crews were so shocked that they stopped firing. I barely regained my balance and turned around to see what had hit me. A marble pillar-like object was lying on the ground, its silver surface so shattered that it was impossible to tell what it had been before. Something threw an almost ten metre tall monolith at me at speeds rivaling a fucking cannon shell, I'm surprised the damned thing didn't just turn to dust.
"Arondight, are you alright? I'm seeing a few errors in cooling vents 1,3,4,7,9 and 13; should we shut the reactor off." The worried voice of my husband focused me on my damage control algorithms.
"I… alright, I think. The reactor still works, we can still fight. I'm going to shut off the ion shield and some non essential systems, we are going to need to turn the reactor down a bit to keep safe temperatures. Weapon ranges down ,we're going to be a bit weaker and slower for now. "
They damaged us good, not a mission kill yet but if any more vents shut down we'd need to get out of here. Focusing back on the mission I readied my augur array to find the assailant, who was most likely the Custodians daughter. I doubt even the strongest of the remaining heroes could muster that kind of strength.
There! I reported to my hubby
"Behind that wooden house, movement far too fast for a normal human."
"Understood firing Icarus Autocannons." The Thunk thunk thunks of high calibre magical ammunition filled the air, ripping through the uninhabited building to their target. But none of them found their mark, I had to recheck my targeting data. But the footage didn't lie, she had dodged them. If she can pull off impossible feats like that, occupying her for long enough might be trouble. We should've predicted this, even diluted the blood of the Ten Thousand is powerful. By the Throne, I can get why Druella is attracted to strong people but did she need to set her bar this high?
"She dodged them, attack ineffective. Rearming, estimated completion time five seconds."
"We might have to rely on the abyss cannon. I don't think engaging in close combat is plausible." He has a point her blade might not be monomolecular but if she hits my joints with her massive strength she might just jam them.
I kept tracking her with my augurs but suddenly a massive amount of sensor footage started jamming me. What the hell? Switching to visuals I saw what it was. Some kind of smoke with different metal shavings in them confusing my signals. Switching to infrared didn't help either, she disappeared.
The enemy cannons had resumed firing, I turned back and started firing at them. They fell fast but more took their place faster, come on Druella, I can't hold them forever. Every second I didn't watch Naotora was one more second for her to prepare.
Movement once again attracted my gaze, there on the walls. She was getting closer, most likely hoping to engage.
"Leon, to the west, on the wall."
"I see her, cycling abyss cannon, aiming…" Just as he fired something shot at our cannon's elbow joint, throwing off our aim. My sensors turned on instinct just to see a green haired half elf aiming a seventeen pounder I had decrewed. Damn it. Primera Concerto, one of the heroes that had dodged our attempts to bring her into the fold. She should have been near the castle, so why was she here? I sent Druella her location and hoped for the best.
"We can't keep taking hits like this, my joints are still functioning but eventually they will jam." I don't see a way out of this, and we need to keep Naotora here till Druella can interfere.
"I might have an idea, see that crack on the wall she's running down? We collapse it with the twin autocannons and trap her there." Better to try and fail than not try.
"ETA four seconds. Line up the shot, dear."
The armoured woman running on top of the wall stepped on the target area, and more than eighty 50mm rounds found the wall in less than a second, crumbling the pillars inside and breaking the tall stone structure down. Credit where it's due, Naotora almost escaped by jumping the second she realised what was happening only to be hit in the face by a chunk of stone flying up.
She lost her balance and fell down onto the rubble. Slowly repositioning we directed my Cannon at her, bouncing the enchanted cannon shells sent by the half elf archer along the way. I'll see you on our side soon, Naotora.
The twisted parody of a Thermal Cannon, sending black rays of pure energy in a cone shape that corrupted the very air it passed through, only when it was about to reach the Curator's daughter a golden glow surrounded her. A golden glow that deviated the rays of monstrous energy around her.
"That was…" The shocked voice of my husband echoed inside me.
"Yes… without a doubt, that was the Aegis of the Emperor. He's opposing us directly."
We were damned, I had known this. But… to see it like this broke something in me. We had broken our oaths of servitude not only because of our love but because we had taught that this may have been better for humanity in this world to become one with the Monsters. Perhaps one day even the Fallen God could have been banished. But He on Terra thought otherwise.
I gathered my subminds, no time for regret now. Commit to it, you're already damned. The Abyss Cannon was cooling a few more seconds till it could fire again.
Firing my stubber we charged in for close combat and brought my corrupted Thunderstrike Gauntlet down, its dark matter oozing talons tried to wrap themselves around Naotora. With a swing of her halberd my hand was deflected. With a move impossible for the unaugmented she stepped on my arm and jumped towards my knee. I tried to pull back but my current form wasn't fast enough, my mad dash backwards didn't prevent her from smashing the backspike of her halberd into my knee.
"AAAAGHH!" My scream drove Leon mad, making him lash out on Naotora. With a smash from the Darkstrike Gauntlett she was launched through the sky. With a resounding KATHUUN-CRACKK! She smashed through the stone bricks of a nearby watchtower only to get back up again. She's even tougher than expected.
My twin Icarus Autocannons spewed magical lead at her but every single shell was expertly deflected with her halberd. She spun and twirled it around, altering the courses of the bullets. That's just straight up impossible, how is she seeing the shells coming? Some kind of blessing from a god? No, she wouldn't accept that… unless it's being done without her knowledge.
No time to ponder, We fired my Abyss Cannon and Naotora had to jump upwards to dodge it. She was most likely hoping to rebound from one of the nearby buildings but at the arc of her jump she was shot by some kind of concussive arrow and fell down. I saw the shooter at the edge of my vision. It was that hero, Primera. Now corrupted and turned into a werewolf and surrounded by her new pack. She waved at me and then jumped off the tower she was on.
Druella really came through with that one. I staggered up to the stunned demi god and wrapped my gauntlet around her. I raised her up to my face and routed more energy to my gauntlett. Whatever happens I know lady Druella will be very happy with this.
"My lady, I apologise for my forceful manner but do not worry. This won't hurt one single bit, in fact it will feel quite pleasurable." I should have just fired everything from the start but it's over now.
Naotora the Comet from the Mountains
If you're gonna apologise don't do it in the first place! I seriously can't break her grip and listening to her tell me how happy Druella will be with her staticky voice was really starting to annoy me.
Why does the ancient knight from before the Long Knight have the personality of a shitty playwright? Wait, no time to get distracted! I'm seriously going to get corrupted if I stay here a few more seconds and those cannon shells she keeps bouncing certainly aren't helping. I can feel the slimy dark matter coating my insides already, my mind is getting…muddy. I don't have any choice, I'll have to risk it.
Please work.
I opened my mouth and tried to repeat a word I had seen Father say in my dreams. The arcane syllables left my mouth and pain exploded from my throat, I could taste blood in my mouth and my jaw felt stiff. It hurt so much, but it worked. The words shifted the fabric of reality with their eldritch meanings and Truth was revealed. Cutting a massive gash on the knight's gauntlet hand.
I screamed as I dropped down to the ground. I can't move, it hurts so much. I saw the knight back away, supporting its arm that was barely holding on with its gun. The knight took a few steps more and limped outside the walls deeper into the forests that surrounded Lescatie. I won, hehe… HAHAAHHAAHAA…. I FUCKING WON! I didn't care about the blood spilling from my lips nor the cracked bones in my Jaw. I kept laughing, I couldn't stop. The corrupted around the battlefield were scared away by my maniacal laughter.
This was what people felt when they actually accomplished something difficult? This is great, wonderful even. I should have left home a long time ago!
"You hurt her pretty badly yet you're laughing. Do you enjoy her pain that much?"
Druella's silky voice sobered me a bit but it didn't stop my laughter. I was still giggling like those women that hang around the Preator Guard. Sure I was done for and that pissed me off beyond all reason but… I beat a knight! She ran with her tail tucked between her legs. I slowly got up and got ready to fight, no proper human would go down without a fight after all.
"Ifs no about the pain and suffewing… Ifs all about vicfowy. Theve's somefhing pwimal about beating an opponent thaft mafferes." My speech slurred and I couldn't pronounce some of the tighter letters. I felt my desire to fight increasing despite my wounds throbbing and heating up.
I prepared myself to fight and watched as Druella tensed up only for a golden flash to blind us. I heard a massive roar and felt wind going through the gaps in my armour. Suddenly I felt a massive arm grab me by the waist.
"Upsy Daisy. You're going on a ride with Uncle Priamos." What? Huh? We sped up and by the time I opened my eyes a few seconds later the walls of Lescatie were already almost on the horizon.
"What the fuck?"
"Language! Do you want me to put pepper in your mouth?"
Huh?! What?!
Catarina Trenck the Everlasting Captain
Armour on, sword staff at hand; time to face the music. Or certain doom from what those moans can tell me. Salvarison has already been mostly overrun, I have to rally the survivors and push out of the city if any of us is to survive. I can't get to my horse right now, so I'll just have to kill as many monsters as possible and attract the survivors towards me.
Following Nao's example I opened the window and jumped off the wooden frame shattering the armouries brick wall at the same time. The barracks was already lost, any survivors would be on the wide and open streets where weapons could make up for humanities physical inferiority. I flew for a good few seconds and then latched onto the wing of a shocked harpy.
A strong pull and she began the fall down to the earth. Positioning myself above her I crushed her spine below me. My eyes trailed the hot blood spilled out onto the ground and my first disgusting thought was 'what a waste.'. Don't think, your will is only a hindrance now, only do what your master wants. I turned my head towards the shocked succubi, orcs and many other beast type monsters below. They were shocked by my brutality, good, I can kill them faster that way. My leg muscles coiled and I launched myself towards the nearest werecat. The enchanted steel of my blade pierced her heart, I raised her up and threw her to the mob of seductive half beasts.
The monsters here lacked the discipline of the ones at Mount Unbesiegbar, they were only militia in truth. Corrupted and sent out to corrupt more, but emotions like 'mercy' or 'empathy' were unnecessary for me right now. I tuned them out, the only things I can allow myself to feel is hate, disgust and loyalty. I baraled towards them and screamed with all the air in my lungs.
"ALL OF YOU STILL FIGHTING RALLY TO ME, COME TO THE ROSE SQUARE WE SHALL FIGHT TOGETHER!"
Before my words had even finished I severed three monsters' heads from their torsos. Blood, sweet blood flew everywhere. But I kept twirling my swordswaff around severing limbs and piercing vitals. No single step without a life extinguished, no single breath taken without the intent to kill. Nothing will stop me from reuniting with Markus and Nao.
Eventually my path was cleared, I could see the square I had called the survivors to. Stepping over the bloody remains of the former soldiers I ran towards the middle of the square, I could already see the Lescatian and Stahlstadner soldiers coming towards me.
"Rally at me and form a square! All guns at the centre, clear firing lines. Any and all repeaters are to be given utmost protection. Quicker! Form! Form!"
Straining my voice I shouted my orders to the three hundred or so survivors that had gathered around me. From the heavily armoured greatswords to the leather clad levies of Lescatie. Even the remaining Surefires and their bodyguard cohorts were here. Among these troops there wasn't much order to be found. The only thing bringing these men and women together was the desire to survive, and a determined authoritarian voice ensured they followed my orders.
Rifle lines formed, repeaters were set up and our backs were against a thick stone wall. I saw a familiar face in the distance… Willmarina. I had guessed but to see her lie this broke my heart. I'll free her from such a twisted existence. On her tails a horde… no, a regiment of succubus knights. That must be the Order of the Iceflower, this'll be a tough fight. We won't just be able to tear through their ranks.
The riflemen started to fire and succubi both flying and not started to perish. Many bullets were deflected by magic or simply shrugged off but their ranks were being thinned. The heavy thumps of the repeaters filled the air and drowned out the monster's screams. Some of them tried to flank us from the rooftops but the Surefires were veterans,a flick of their rifles and the alluring women had their heads blown open and their chests caved in.
We were holding but arrows had begun to rain, shields and armour could stop them for only a limited time. Soon we would have our own ranks turn against us.
I turned my gaze at Willmarina, every single bullet that was about to reach her was deflected or deflected by a frozen barrier. I couldn't let her reach our lines.
Shifting my grip on my sword staff I pushed off the ground cratering the paved road below me. One step, two steps, three and… Jump! I sailed through the sky over our firing lines, spun my blade around and brought it towards her neck. She saw me coming and deflected me to the side. Falling towards the charging line of succubi I brought my feet towards the ground and crushed one on landing. Grabbing another as bullets whizzed around me I threw the scantily clad monster deeper into their lines.
I should've thought this through. Now I'm surrounded and isolated. I twirled my polearm around to slice the chest cavity of a nearby succubus open but my blade was deflected by something. The changed eyes of Luciana met my gaze, they were yet familiar only coloured by madness. No… not madness, merely alien logic. My instincts screamed and I dodged a blast of black ice. Willmarina behind me, Luciana infront of me.
From behind Willmarina spoke to me.
"Catarina, you don't have to do this. We only want to help you, yet you kill us."
"Brainwashing and rape is helping now? I see no point to this conversation, husk." Adding a bit of hate to my voice I tried to bait her into conversation.
"Husk? Do I sound like a husk? I want my nation to prosper, Cat. I wasn't raped by Druella, I did what Nao thought me. I listened and weighed my options, it's just faster this way and much less blood will be spilled if Lescatie becomes a demon realm instead of the coup we were planning."
I turned to see her face ignoring the moans , screams and desperate cries that filled the air as combat went on. I wish I could at least feel rage towards her. I thrust my blade towards her throat and our deadly dance began.
"Less blood? You talk as if your kind deserve to be seen as people when your logic is alien and coexistence is impossible."
My first blow was parried but I kept up the attack, Luciana wasn't attacking me from behind, they didn't see me as a threat…
"Do you truly believe that? Even if a single city can't be coexistant entire nations can. And Naotora is key, Druella has a plan to monsterize her as an ally, but I doubt she could do it. She will escape, what she does after that will either spark a war of such a massive scale that only one race may remain on this world or it'll allow for proper diplomatic channels with the republic. I have only known her for a few weeks yet I don't feel insecure, risking my beloved's and my own future."
I shoulder checked her and thrust forth as she was off balance, only to be dodged with an impressive acrobatic display. Could a human body twist like that?
Blind trust like that's simply unnatural. A human can't trust like that, why is she allowing her emotions to rule her like this? I've done things on a whim, my entire service under Nao was because it seemed right to me. But this? This is simply ridiculous.
"You're insane… You've lost your mind."
"No, I was insane, I had lost my mind. Now I see it all clearly, I will not let indecision or doubt haunt my choices. I will do what I want, I will be with Elt and I will make sure you're happy as well. You always say monsters are too far from humans yet you yourself are a monster are you not? A half human one, but every single day you get more and more monstrous. However I've not seen you change that much."
Her words were followed by her first attack, a slash with her black ooze dripping sword. I barely deflected the instrument of corruption and spun my polearm around to slash at her exposed midriff. Desperately blocking it she took a step back.
"My cursed blood is kept at bay, I've never drinken blood. Monsters have been stuck on the same technological and societal advancement for a thousand years, not changing. There isn't any advancement among your kind. I won't let lust ever cloud my ambitions nor my duty."
We were at a stand still, my reach was invalidated by her strength and speed and If I got closer she would ruin me.
"Do you think I have? Look at me, I am here making sure you don't do something stupid like blowing up those bombs you set under the city instead of just taking Elt and enjoying my new life. Do you know why? Because I want peace, I don't just want pleasure, I want satisfaction! I don't want monsters to be known by the actions of the Fallen God's depraved followers!"
No matter what I say, she was affecting me. Slightly different yet the characteristic lust I had seen wasn't present, it was like I was talking to Willmarina wearing a scandalous outfit. The demonic energy was getting to me, but I had no hope of beating Willmarina alone, with Luciana there was no way.
Suddenly I had to block a spear chucked at me from the side
"Ghnk!" Such strength! I felt my feet get pushed back. Taking the opportunity Willmarina's sword stabbed through my armour and into my exposed flank.
I felt no pain only a dull throbbing.
A vampire wearing a dress that covered more for the sake of leaving things to imagination than actual cover was slowly strutting towards us. But it wasn't her large breasts or long supple legs that drew my attention, it wasn't even the tall incubus with abs like steel visible beneath his suit and perfectly trimmed moustache with a greatsword in his hands. No it was her face… the face Identical to mine.
"Dear, could you deal with the remaining soldiers? I want to talk to Catarina without distractions." Silky smooth and filled with adortion she spoke with her supposed husband.
The brown haired incubus gave her a smile and a nod and quickly left. The vampire was walking towards me, her steps elegant and her eyes filled with pity and… maternal love?
"Lady Wana." From the corner of my eye I could see Willmarina and Luciana bow for the vampire, but I was too shocked to react.
"It's fine Willmarina, you don't have to bow. If you want you can leave now, I'm sure you'd love to get to your crush. I would hurry if I were you. I saw a werewolf and a succubus in a priest's outfit rushing towards the group he was with. Oh and Luciana, I think your old friend is with him as well."
Blushing, the two fallen heroes ran off.
"Close your mouth dear, you should only open up like that for your dear Markus."
She knows? Who is she?
"Where are my manners? I'm Wana Trenck, your ancestor. Pleased to meet you my dear . I'll be helping you find yourself, and embrace it all."
I was drawn to her… But my mind screamed at me to run.
"You look so much like me too! I'm sure you'll end up just as beautiful once you stop resisting your basic needs."
She slowly wrapped her arms around me and drew me in for a hug. Her hands put me at ease and my breaths slowed. The corruption within her was seeping into me. I know it was blurring my decision making ability but I couldn't resist it… I didn't want to resist it, could I be like her, could I shine like her if I drank that sweet nectar?
I was defeated before I even began to resist. My thirst… it was getting more and more intense. But I could smell it in the air, a scent familiar to me. Him, my old friend, covered in sweat and full of worry. Ahhh Markus ! Don't come here, please. Come to me Please !
"Hmmm, you can smell it can't you? Your 'prey' is coming."
I heard it then, a singular trumpet screeching out into the air. A horse rounded the corner and I saw Markus on his horse. Open faced helmet displaying his worried shaven face, just how I liked it. His armour, metal wings and even his plume were covered in dust, ash and blood; on one hand he carried the Lance I had gifted to him. Stay away please, I won't be able to control myself .
My ancestor stepped away from me and just as she was about to be speared turned into mist. Markus didn't even care, only reaching down and wrapping his arm around my waist. I felt my heart try to explode out of my chest.
"Cat you're okay, right? She didn't do anything to you, did she?" Haaaaaaaaaa…
"I'm… fine, just get me some place safe… I need to rest…" I'm sorry for tricking you Markus, but I need this.
He rode through the streets dodging monsters and rubble trying to find a safe place. I enjoyed the ride, wrapping my arms around his armour clad torso and taking in his scent. The blood coursing through his veins would be mine soon enough. Eventually we made it out of the castle city, through the wide open gates and into the forest. Down the road we found an abandoned shack, its owner long gone. But there was still an intact bed and firewood.
He helped me off the horse and led me into the shack. I acted weaker than I was and let him help me out of my armour. Lying on the bed I watched him take his armour off himself.
"I have some dried rations and water, give me a second, I'll take them out."
I got off the bed and slowly reached towards his taller form. Wrapping my arms around his waist I hugged him. He tensed, he realised I was corrupted.
"Don't move, let's enjoy this."
"Cat… don't do this. Calm down, you have not transformed yet."
"Hmmm, that blindness is so cute. You always had difficulty seeing through me. Markus, I've always been a monster. A Dhampir specifically, a half monster."
I turned him around and gazed into his eyes. The despair as he saw my slight fangs and red eyes was delicious, but I didn't want to see him sad.
"Don't look at me like that, I've always loved you. You remember that whole virginity thing we had? It was a trick, just to get you into my bed. Yet I still couldn't tell you, now I just want to enjoy you."
"I… we.. Stars how the fuck am I supposed to react to this?"
"Hehe, reach down and enjoy. We'll keep our oaths after this. Being monsters won't break our loyalty." I loosened my tunic and let him enjoy a glimpse of my cleavage.
He reached down and my fangs found his neck.
AN: Sorry for the delay! Normally this chapter was going to be even longer but I decided to cut it a bit short. Anyways, this'll have a nsfw version on QQ. Ah also I kind of forgot to characterise Markus, oops. I'll do something for him later on. Well, for now just enjoy!