"Y'know what they say right? You gotta watch out for the quiet ones…with a person like that…people don't expect them to lie so well…I guess that's kinda the issue innit?"-Edith M. Brown Diary, 850
Spinning on her heel, Edith found herself face-to-face with the last person she'd ever thought she'd see. But there she stood, her reed of a Blade stood there, tall and strong like an oak in a storm. Much like Edith, Nona wore the traditional training habit of the Church, though the black qipao dress came to rest at her thighs instead of her knees due to the blonde's tall stature. Long boots and a large Edwardian trenchcoat hid the numerous weapons already tucked away on the elder woman's body, one's that Edith had no doubts about them being there.
But that was where the similarities ended. Long blonde hair had been shorn short into a ragged bob that brushed at the nape of her neck. A multitude of scars littered her pale skin, some criss-crossed while others dipped low over every possible inch of skin covering the woman like stripes on a tiger. And right there upon her forehead where her Blade insignia was supposed to be, sat the mark of a Homunculus (the Spriggans equivalent to the Faeries' Heralds).
"…N-Nona?" Edith whispered barely able to contain her surprise, "Is…is that you?"
"My name is Scar" Nona retorted.
"You're…you're alive?" Edith stepped forward towards her old friend, ignoring the retort. It had been years since she'd seen her—and for good reason—but yet, she couldn't help but reminisce on the wonderful times the two spent together.
"No thanks to you" Her answers were short and clipped, but her stance was that of a predator playing with their prey.
"What are you doing here, Nona? How are you alive? I-I thought everyone had C-Communion"
"Some of us are too stubborn to die" Nona narrowed her eyes at the young woman before her. "And I told you, my name is Scar" Her eyes narrowed further if possible.
"Fine, Scar, then—" Edith rolled her eyes, a little annoyed at the elder woman's insistence, "—what happened to you? That mark—tell me you didn't…!"
"Oh! But I did!" Nona purred.
"Why—why would you do that?" Edith felt appalled at what her old friend had done, "Weren't you happy being a Blade—my Blade? I loved you!"
"YOU DID THIS TO ME!" Nona roared, all composure completely lost, "I told you, Sina—" She spat out her title like it was grime on her tongue, "—I refused to play second fiddle to a child! But no more" Suddenly lunging forward and grasping Edith's head between her hands, "This time, you're mine!"
Edith's head was slammed backwards so hard that she knew the whiplash would last much longer than anything that Nona was about to do. Against her better wishes, her body froze like stone, her pupils shrank and her iris' bled red, expanding until only red remained. Here, Edith could feel the familiar feeling of alkahestry transmutation against her skin and by the hand of her betrayer, she was pulled inwards towards whatever Hell Nona had waiting for her.
"The Power of the Spriggans in relation to the Trio of Heralds…shows us the true monsters that hide within these Walls…But what should we expect from those who worship the Titans who prey on us?"—Church of the Walls: Church of Ymir Propaganda, Anonymous
Although Edith knew it wasn't real—at least for her—she still felt helpless as she watched the memory play out in front of her. To her right, on the other side of the Chapel stood present-day Nona, who watched the proceedings with barely contained glee.
Autumn 842
Church of Spriggans, Chapel
An eighteen year old Nona lay sprawled on the floor, her habit lay like wings around her broken form as she bled out onto the floor of the Spriggans' Chapel. The thorny crown she had been forced to wear blocked any of her remaining Blade powers and the arrows in her stomach were just for good measure.
Up the front of the Chapel stood three pyres, one for each of the latest Homunculus nominations, and a collection of the younger boys sat sprinkled about their feet, bound and bloody. Some wore the rags of peasantry whilst others wore the fine garbs of nobility; a few were even seen wearing the robes of the Wallists. But that did not matter. Much like the Herald experiment, the Homunculus experiment was not without its pains.
"Now—" A young man dressed smartly in vest and collar lowered the crossbow from his fallen target, "—where were we?"
"We were praying, Brother Pride" Smiled his similarly dressed counterpart.
"Ah! That's right, Brother Lust! We were praying!" Pride turned on his heel, abandoning his weapon in favour of the bloodied athame he had collected from the small pedestal to his right, "Come now, say it with me! '…Thou shall not be afraid for the nightly terror by knife, nor the arrow that flyeth by day!—' "
"N-No!" Stumbled one of the younger boys huddled on the floor. His face was one of the more bloodied and broken among the gathered. "L-like the girl, I choose death over your false Gods!"
"MAURICE!" Wept the boy next to him as Pride simply stepped forth and sliced the athame across the boy's throat.
Screams littered the air as the young body of Maurice fell to the floor, lifeless and limp. But still the Brothers continued on. "Your turn, boys, to bu~rn!" Pride sauntered over to one of the torches on the wall and plucked it from its casing before he returned to the three pyres of the three boys stuck there.
Pride and Lust seemed to great delight in the pain they were causing the children. The torch was barely within an inch of the kindling and the boys were already crying, pleasing for their pathetic little lives. But it was to no avail. What use would it do to barter with the Devil already pleased with his lot? If he has no soul, why bother pleading for yours? You do not ask a bird why it flies or a cow why it moos, they just do. And so, herein falls the conundrum with these poor little children.
"That's enough!" Nona's voice was sweet, soft and cut like a hot knife through butter. All eyes turned to face her, where she now stood—alive—and bleeding power like it was tears. The fire, dancing inches from the boys' feet, was removed at the declaration; but make no mistake, Nona didn't do this out of the kindness of her own heart. She wasn't sure if she even had one anymore. She was pretty sure that had died when the Sisters pronounced her Blade, instead of Herald; so she had come here, to the Church of Spriggans, searching for more power—better, stronger power than that of the Faeries.
"I offer you a chance to survive the night—" Here she slammed her raised palms downwards, using her current power (barely noteworthy compared to the power of a Herald or a Homunculi) to slam Pride and Lust to their knees, "—Convert, Spriggans! Take the Goddess Ymir into your hearts, and I promise you mercy. But you must give ME the power of the Homunculi and say her prayer"
"NEVER!" Snarled Lust, his lip curling upward in disgust at the notion.
"SAY THE PRAYER!" Nona roared, the walls behind her lighting up in alchemic lightning. It danced over her form, leaving nigh a scratch nor hair out of place. For all the Faeries' flaws, being a Blade did have some benefits. Like seeing Spriggans piss themselves.
"It's your one chance! C'me on! Say it with me! Or you'll burn in Hellfire!" Nona taunted, the alchemic lightning transforming into wild blue flames that licked at the Chapel around them, burning only what she wanted. Nona's lips curled into a cruel smile as she watched the dark patch on the front Pride's pants expand as he pissed himself, and the bulge in Lust's pants grew too, but for entirely different reasons.
Nona enjoyed the feeling of control, of power, she always had and this Homunculi experiment? It was just the ticket she needed! Curling, her fire-ridden palms up into claws, Nona continued on, her hooded eyes trained on the cluster of boys before her.
"C'me on, say it with me" Nona purred, her voice now soft and sultry as the two Brothers joined in on the Goddess' prayer:
"The gem was born of evil's fire,
The gem shall be Her portal.
She comes to claim,
She comes to sire.
The end of all things Mortal!"
Twitching her hands only the slightest amount, Nona took great pleasure in the way the Brothers flinched. Pride was now surrounded by a puddle of his own piss, the stench of urine combined with the burning of wood and cloth filled the air. He stared at Nona with ashen face and unbridled fear in his eyes, as if he were being punished by Ymir herself.
To his right sat Lust who stared up at Nona's figure with eyes of longing. Low moans fell from his lips and following the end of the prayer, the bulge in his pants almost seemed to be straining at the seams of his pants. A small patch of pre-cum could be seen darkening the crotch of his pants, identifying what he really felt despite the situation he was in.
Hushed gasps fell from the lips of the captured boys still cluttered around the pyres. Here was their savour, a girl who wore power like a crown and danced amongst the flames like a Devil. "My, my!" Nona sang her blood singing with the power she wielded, "Well done! But my! How quickly you turn on your false Gods!"
"Y-you're not a girl!" Pride demanded, "What are you?!"
"I am GREED!" Nona roared. The human transmutation circle she had been creating under the theatrics of the wild alchemic lightning and fire, came to life. The circle bent and turned, covering every inch of the wooden Chapel, entrapping the boys within.
"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Came the cries of the boys, they didn't seem to understand what was going on, but they knew it wasn't good.
"Let us out!"
"Let us go!"
"Please!"
"Help us!"
"Miss! Please!"
"I am helping you" Nona intoned, closing her fiery palms into fists. The transmutation circle shone bright, brighter than ever before. She gave them a small toothy grin, baring her fangs as she felt the Gate draw near.
In that moment, Nona let her gaze wander from the frightened boys who clung to each other like children in the dark, to Pride who had pissed himself once more; to Lust who had finally cum in his pants, leaving a glob of white to spill from his crotch as he leant back on his heels with a gravelly moan.
And then, they were gone.
Spring 850
Order of Ymir: Church of Faeries Ruins, Stohess District
"Wasn't that beautiful!" Nona purred, bending down to Edith's level as the brunette collapsed backwards when the blonde let her go. Coughing and retching for air, Edith pushed herself up onto her elbows as she tried to catch her breath.
"Y-you…you burnt them?!" Edith demanded. "You burnt children?!"
"I devoured them" Nona corrected, "You see, unlike the crowning of the Heralds, the crowning of Homunculi is much more…accessible. All you really need is a sacrifice, and, well, with mine, it was only logical that I would claim Greed"
"Nona, why?!" Edith despaired, looking up at her Blade.
"I told you, my name is SCAR!" Nona raged, slamming her heel down on Edith's head, knocking the brunette's arms out from underneath her.
Then rearing back for another go, Edith could only cry out as Nona's heels connected with her automail shoulder, ripping the prosthetic from its socket and sending crippling pin through her body. Devoid of her arm, exhausted and starving for air, Nona easily kicked Edith across the room where the brunette flew until she became impaled on one of the outcropping pillars from the ruined Chapel. "And now I have more power than an itty bitty Herald could ever hope to wield!" Nona cackled.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's the hold up?" Drawled the Southern accent of Kenny the Ripper as he emerged from the shadows from where he had been watching for some time. "Whatever your talkin' 'bout, we don't have time for it. Things are goin' straight to Hell outside!"
"Kenny" Nona straightened up, her posture suddenly all grace as she turned to face the man before them. Blood dripped from the impalement piercing through Edith's chest and out of her mouth as she coughed it up. Tired eyes raised to meet the man known as Kenny the Ripper, a known serial killer and gun for hire. "What is it?"
"Well, the Scouts are in town and they're lookin' for their lil' angel" Kenny nodded towards Edith who hung from the wall like a butterfly in glass case. "Yep it's been a royal shit show"
"I see you've been reunited with your nephew, then?" Nona instead nodded towards the line of blood biting through his forehead.
"Pissy little brat, still hasn't changed"
"I'm sure. Have you brought what I asked?"
"Here ya go" Kenny tossed forth both Maria and Rose who had been hidden behind his tall frame. Both were bound and bloodied like they'd been through a war, "They were a pain in the arse but two lil' angels, as requested"
"Good" Nona's eyes trailed over both of the remaining trio before her.
"Now 'bout that payment—"
"Enough" Nona interrupted, seemingly happy with the two "Go play with your tin soldiers" She nodded towards the city outside that was lit up with gunfire.
"Awe! C'me on, now—"
"Go"
Kenny scowled, but fled. In the meantime, Nona raised her hand towards the two, palm outwards. With a quick twist of her wrist, she clenched her fist and the ruined ground that the two lay on was quickly engulfed in alchemic lightning as they became encaged in rock. Maria cried out in pain at the tightening pain as Rose lay at her feet, still out and severely hurt.
"Now, what to do you two, hm?" Nona sauntered forward, her eyes locked on her prey as she moved seemingly without a care in the world.
"N-nona…! Leave them…alone!" Edith croaked, panic colouring her voice as she watched her Blade stalk forth.
"Well, I need you alive for this next part, so I can't kill you…" Nona rambled as if she hadn't heard Edith at all. Crouching down next to the rocky cage, Nona peered in, watching as Maria shielded Rose's body with her own and laughed. "Ha! Look at you two! Like animals in a cage!"
"Nona! Leave them alone!"
"Well, you're mine now, so I s'pose you are" Nona ignored Edith.
"NONA!" Edith surged forth, mindless of the rock poking out of her as she tried to reach her Sisters.
"I told you, my name is SCAR!" Nona roared, spinning on her heel so fast that Edith swore she had whiplash from just watching her. With a wave of her hand, in a fit of rage Nona sent forth ink black rocks that required no transmutation. Much like a Herald she bent the earth to her will.
"Sina?" Maria whispered, her sad eyes flitting towards where Edith hung.
"ARGH!" Edith flinched back from the onslaught, and in turn back onto her impalement, as she scrunched her eyes tight against the onslaught of debris that was fired at her. When it eventually came to an end, Edith felt like she had been ripped full of bullet-holes like Swiss cheese; she hung from the wall unable to move. Unable to leave, unable to fight, it seemed she was to be crucified on the wall like her ancestors.
Edith's body trembled as she heaved again, spilling her guts and the bloody red substance within. Blood mixed with puke, tears and snot that accumulated down her small frame like oil paints on a canvas. "THE PRAYER, SINA! SAY THE PRAYER!" Maria cried, launching herself forward to hold tight to the bars of her cage.
"The prayer? What prayer?" Nona snapped.
"SISTER PLEASE!"
"Shut your mouth, whelp" Nona kicked the cage as passed, pushing Maria back onto Rose. "I s'pose it doesn't matter, I am far more powerful than some itty bitty Herald"
"SINA! SAY THE PRAYER!"
"I thought I told you to SHUT UP!"
Edith knew what Maria was talking about, and she also knew why Nona had no clue about what it was. While Blades and Heralds shared practically everything with each other, there were a few things that were kept from the Blades. This prayer was one of them. Bowing her head and gritting her teeth, Edith began to recite the prayer from Ymir's Last Sacred Rites.
"Power of the Devil,
Gift me with your light,
Shine into the dark,
Restore our fading sight…"
Edith's eyes glowed red once more, no pupil nor iris to be seen, only pure crimson red sclera. Alchemic lightning in, on and around her small frame and she easily broke from her restraints like they were child's play.
"…Rise into the dark,
Blazing Hellfire so bright!
Burn away the strife,
Let my hope ignite!
Let it ignite!"
The world was quickly engulfed in a bright red light. The aftershock and heat from the power Edith emitted was that akin to the aftershocks of a transforming Titan, destroying everything in its path and claiming all that dared touch it.
"Impossible!" Nona bit out as she watched the youngest Herald rise, finally claiming the true power she was born into.
"Let them go, Nona" Edith commanded, her voice was layered with a thousand others as she walked forth, feet never touching the ground.
"I…don't follow your orders anymore!" Nona snarled, firing back another volley of the inky black substance she had been playing with. This time, instead of the rocks she had used before, she merely solidified the black substance into shards of black. Like bullets from a rifle, they shot towards Edith at blinding speeds.
"I said…LET THEM GO!" Unperturbed, Edith swung her arm out and a shockwave of crimson light burst from her person. Shredding not only the oncoming attack, but everything else in its path. From their clothes, to the ruins of the Chapel, nothing was safe.
Nona attacked again, using her newly acquired Homunculus powers to manipulate the black substance now residing within her. Much like Edith, Nona wielded great power, but at a terrible cost and it seemed she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.
"LET THEM GO!" Edith ordered, now mere paces away from where Nona stood.
"No" Nona smirked. Both women raised their arm(s) laden with power towards each other, intent on finishing this one way or the other. Alchemic light danced around the two, red on one side and black on the other. Two sides of the same coin fighting one another, and in turn disrupting the delicate balance between them.
Red met black, and the world exploded.