Disciple of Zero
Verse 2: A Shrine of Seas
"This was a bad idea."
Nil gave a sigh as he stared at the hook for the fishing rod he'd pilfered from the soldier's supplies from the last fight, shrugging and casting the line back out with fresh bait, the soft plip of the hook hitting the water sounding a short ways off from the shore of the inlet, the smoking remains of the boats, added by the smell of charbroiled metal and flesh not really doing much to bother Nil at the time.
"Please tell me something is biting, I'm starving."
"Not yet…" Nil muttered, glancing over as Zero sat down beside him, watching the line carefully. "I think the fish around here got scared off when Mikhail was blasting the shit out of those boats."
"Please, they'd have come back by now. We've been resting for a while anyway." Zero stated, one of her legs bouncing, Nil chuckling.
"Yet I can tell you're eager to get a move on already." Nil mused, twitching the line in the hopes of something biting, "Ugh, come on, I normally have better luck than this."
Zero didn't give a verbal answer, but the rumble of her stomach clued the Disciple in on the tone and her crabby expression as her right fingers rolled on the sand. A pervading silence followed as only the lapping of the waves hitting the shore provided noise.
…
…
…
"Nothing. All those explosions definitely scared the fish off." Nil sighed, reeling the line back in, Zero giving a pouting sigh.
"Great, so now I'm hungry and pissed off. Well, whatever." Zero muttered, staring at Nil's back as he shoved the rod back into the pack he had with him, already starting to creep over towards him.
"I know what you're thinking Zero, and the answer is no." Nil spouted, not even looking around. "We took up enough time this morning."
"I have no idea what you mean." Zero shot to her feet, Nil chuckling.
"Hehehehe… please, I've been stuck with you for years Zero. I know damn well how you get when you're not on an adrenaline high." Nil hummed, hefting the pack over his shoulder, "Besides, if we did, you wouldn't have any pent up anger to vent on your sister once we find her."
"Oh come on, I'd just get back into the groove anyway!" Zero snapped, Nil dodging the punch she threw at him, "Don't dodge!"
"Haha! Not today Zero." Nil scoffed, dodging another punch from the Intoner and catching the next one, "How about this? We kill Five, then I'll take care of it, okay? I won't complain and we can go at it all night. Deal?"
"Ugh, fine." Zero huffed, heading back down to the camp, then halting, "That just have me an idea actually…"
"Oh crap." Nil sighed, Zero chuckling to herself.
"Once we kill the bitch, we add insult to injury by engaging in some old-fashioned debauchery in her room. Hah! That skank'll have all of this coming to her!" Zero declared, Nil sighing and rolling his eye.
"I'd rather not do it in that woman's room, but, whatever, you won't go back on it now." Nil muttered, Zero chuckling.
"Hey! Dragon, get your ass up, we're getting on with this!" Zero shouted, making her point by punching Mikhail on the head, the young dragon yelping as he shot up, Nil stamping out what was left of the campfire.
"Ahh! I'm up, I'm up!" Mikhail screeched, Zero rolling her eyes as she turned, grabbing her sword from nearby and hefting it over her shoulders.
"Let's get going. The shrine city Five is at should be nearby. Strange you can't see it yet, it's supposed to be pretty big." Nil clambered up onto the rocks and looked out further down the coastline, Zero giving a hum as she joined him on the perch.
"That is strange… then again there is some fog rolling in." Zero added, Nil shrugging, "Better not be some cheap tactic like being hidden under the water or something."
"I'll bet money on it." Nil quipped, Mikhail looking between the Disciple and Intoner, chuckling.
"Well, enough chatting around, let's go! There's gonna be a bunch of soldiers showing up soon and I'm in the mood for some murder." Zero rolled her right shoulder as she spoke, pointing her sword forward, "Let's go and kill an Intoner."
"So… what happens once you kill all your sisters?" Mikhail posed the question as the Intoner and Disciple duo headed up the path edging closer to the coastline. Zero gave a snicker to it, Nil already seeing the coming remark.
"I eat 'em."
"Aaaaahhh!"
"She's messing with you Mikhail." Nil sighed as he tapped Zero on the back of the head for her rather poor-in-taste joke. The Intoner whacked him back in response.
"Oh, haha, I totally believed you!" Mikhail laughed as he realized the joke, though in the meantime of course such things were being said as Nil and Zero began cutting their way through the soldiers that began charging down the road at them.
"Once I kill them, I can exploit their powers." Zero said, Mikhail making a humming noise in response.
"So, you're going to steal their Intoner magic and stuff?"
"Think of it like this…" Nil paused for a moment as he ducked a slash from a soldier, driving his sword in between the gap in the armor to nail the soldier straight in the heart. "When Zero kills another Intoner, their power goes to her, as she's the nearest Intoner for that power to enter. Plus since I'm her Disciple, it also means I'll get stronger too."
"In short terms, that." Zero clarified, Nil shaking his head, the two reaching yet another gateway leading onto yet another soldier infested beach.
"What, does Five just place all her soldiers on these beaches or what?" Nil scoffed in annoyance as he side stepped a jab from a spear, metal screaming as he drove his sword through the armor plating, Zero kicking another soldier into those behind.
"Wow, look at them! They're everywhere!"
"They're like ants to you, just crush 'em." Zero ever so casually suggested, Mikael making an unnerved sound as he flew by overhead. The Intoner and Disciple used the distraction of the soldiers' shock to quickly cut the lot down.
"That's really mean Zero." Mikhail said, Nil shrugging to add to it.
Nil then ducked another spear and grabbed the shaft, flinging the soldier off and impaling him on his own weapon, driving the spear through the armor and deep into the sand before spinning around and jumping over another soldier, Zero running the enemy through, and both let out annoyed groans when two boats crashed onto the shore.
"You'd think they'd stop spreading their numbers so thin." Nil caught an arrow launched from an archer's bow from a distance, seeing the enemy flinch from the lightning fast reaction, Nil smirking as he snapped the arrow in his hand merely by tightening his grip on it. He followed up by loosing a blast of lightning that arced through the men on the boat, their wild screams as they were fried alive carrying through the air.
"Hey, the more we kill now, the less we have to deal with when we find Five!" Zero said, Nil nodding in agreement. The effortless attacks from the two continued into the next small cape, the duo cutting their way to a cliffside outlet, Nil whispering as they jumped onto the wooden walkway.
"Well, Five at least has good taste in scenery… among other things."
"The water here is so pretty too!" Mikhail said, flying back over the fighting.
"Will you two quit looking at the scenery and get back to the fighting?!" Zero snapped. Nil and Mikhail both let out annoyed grumbles.
"Yeah yeah, back to the slaughter it is."
"Fiiine."
Zero rolled her eyes at Nil and Mikhail's replies taking the lead forward. And as they continued, amid cutting throats of slashing chests open, Nil took the occasional moment to listen into the chatter going around the soldiers they were encountering, and he merely sighed as he listened to the scream from the last one he shoved off the cliff, leaning on his knees as he watched the man crash into the water.
"Let's narrow down the types we've killed so far. There's some who've been terrified for their life, that's normal, reckless idiots who think they can win, and then the nuts who want an audience with their Intoner… knowing Five, how much you wanna bet she's "treated" some of these poor saps?"
Zero just made a huffing sound as the approached a large barricade constructed in between the gap leading past the gorge, Nil approaching and looking around the sides with a far more analytical look on his face.
"Don't know and do not care, she'll be dead soon anyway." Zero punctuated her point by kicking the barricade. Nil sighed when it didn't budge and only irritated the girl even more, leading to more pointless blunt trauma to the metal barrier, "Just. Fucking. Fall!"
"Y'know that scaffolding running up along here seems like it'd be a much better way to get past this then trying to kick this giant metal shield down like an idiot." Nil's tone was remarkably dry as he gestured with his arms to the shoddy wooden construction slapped onto the rocks, likely added with the barrier in a hurried attempt to block him and Zero once news had reached the back lines. Zero cleared her throat as she lowered her leg, Nil bearing a smirk.
"I-I saw that. I was just trying to make a more direct path. I hate tedious things like this."
"Hey at least be glad you dented the metal. But damn they wedged this thing in."
"Shut up and start climbing."
Nil snickered as he pulled himself up onto the edge leading onto the scaffolding , Zero just jumping the distance to get ahead of him again. Nil stepped forward and vaulted off of his hands, Zero rolling her eyes with a chuckle as he flipped before landing on the other side of the barricade, the teenager chuckling as he looked back up at Zero.
"Show off."
"Ha, like that matters much to you." Nil snickered, Zero dropping down beside him. Mikhail landed on the ledge above the two.
"So, Zero, what kind of sister is Five?" At Mikhail's question, Nil gave a small smirk, already expecting something.
"The slutty kind." Was the blunt reply given by Zero.
"What's "slutty" mean?" The oh so innocent dragon inquired. Nil put a hand to his eyes in anticipation where it was likely to go.
"It means all she thinks about is dirty stuff."
"Oh. So she's just like you?" And that was the killing remark. Zero flinched in annoyance, and Nil couldn't keep his amusement at bay anymore.
"Pff… HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Nil's sudden outburst of laughter at Mikhail's statement was quickly met with Zero slamming her gauntlet into his stomach as she let out an angry growl, but even as he buckled over Nil was still laughing through his teeth.
"Well, he's not exactly wrong!" Nil dodged the next punch Zero threw at him even amid the bit of wheezing coming from him.
"Alright then wise guy, you take point until we get to the shrine." Zero planted her foot onto Nil's back to shove him forward, "I am so paying you back for that jab tonight."
"Oh please, I know damn well you like my sarcasm. You just hate how I so easily direct it at you."
"Keep it up and I'll cut it off when you're sleeping!"
"No you won't. You'd lose your best way to relax then."
"Just get your ass onto the front and scout out that house!"
"Like we even need to guess what we're gonna find in there."
"Come on you two, stop fighting!" Mikhail's somewhat timid word earned a glare from Zero. It's not that the two were fighting… this was just how Zero was, and how she'd behave under pretty much any normal circumstances when the mood provided for it.
Nil rolled his eye as he moved forward, Zero giving him an indignant look as she gestured with her arms. And almost as soon as Nil walked out into the open area the house was in, sword wielding soldiers began filing out, bursting through the door in a frenzy.
"Oh woulda look at that!" Nil threw an arm out, Zero clicking her tongue.
"Stop talking and start killing!"
After the usual routine, and once the soldiers were nothing but blood dripping smears on the ground, Zero took a moment to look the house over, a hand on her chin. Considering she and Nil had spent the year holed up in a one room cabin they'd merely found at some point after escaping the Cathedral City, now she was wondering if it would've been possible to find a place like this instead.
But then she also wondered why she was even having those kinds of thoughts. Thoughts that someone like her shouldn't be having.
"Looks like people used to live here at some point." The statement from Zero was more to divert her own thoughts than anything. Nil caught the little moment of wistfulness in the girl, but he wasn't going to act like he'd noticed.
"It's a house. Near the coast. I bet it was some rich noble's beach home or, more likely case, a fisherman's hamlet." Nil said, Zero again giving him a look for the sarcastic remark.
"Must be nice living near the sea. Think of all the yummy fish!" Mikhail let out a pleasant chuckle as he landed in the clearing.
"I mean not that we weren't. Just shoved away from the coast by a good half mile or so." Nil shrugged, and Mikhail shrugged his wings in a mimicry of the motion. Zero shook her head a bit at the scene, and one could have almost caught the brief smile that showed on her face. The party continued forward from there to the next shore where they could see fishing boats, white sand, and open water.
But, no shrine. Not a single darn sight of it anywhere. Even though this was supposed to be where it was.
It just wasn't there. Somehow.
"What the hell, where's the shrine?" Zero looked around the inlet in bewilderment, reaching into Mikhail's saddlebags and whipping out the map, "The shit?! The map says it's right here, so where is the damn thing?! Dammit… I think we've been had."
"Uh… Zero?" Nil said.
"But that doesn't make sense! We've seen the damn thing here, and you said the villagers nearby always talked about it…" The girl didn't notice Nil's statement. She just kept ranting, even as the boy put a hand to his sword and Mikhail got ready as well.
"Zero."
"So why isn't it here? What the fuck Five?! What kind of stupid bullshit are you pulling?!"
"Hey, Zero, sweetie, I think we have something more immediate to be worried about right now!"
"What have I told you about the stupid pet names?!" Zero turned around and shoved the map back into the bag as she turned to look at Nil, the Disciple shooting his hand off to point near the shore, Zero looking in the direction he was pointing as she saw what had startled him lurching out of the water.
Taller than several men stacked on top of each other. It's skin a sickly pale green and bearing rusted, worn armor, it's gross blue tongue lolling from its mouth, a massive club being dragged behind the thing as it lurched out from the archway jutting from the water.
"What the hell is that?" Zero said, Nil clicking his tongue.
"A Gigas… those things live in the mountains, so I don't know why the fuck one of them is here at the sea." Nil said, Zero already drawing her sword.
"Also, another strike for using that pet name."
"How the hell else was I gonna get your attention?!"
"And another strike for that reply. With what you earned from earlier, I'll 'punish' you after we deal with this thing."
"Hey, don't threaten me with a good time."
"Just be careful you two, this guy is strong, really, super strong!" Mikhail said, Zero scoffing as Nil readied his blade.
"Well, whatever this thing is, if it gets in my way, it's going down!" Zero and Nil shot to the side when the Gigas brought its club down to try and smash them into paste. Mikhail lifted back into the sky and began to circle the inlet.
"Well it is trying to kill us after all!" Nil added, jabbing his weapon into its leg, spurts of red fluid following the ripping out of the blades along with the beasts roar, Zero taking the chance from the Gigas being distracted by it's now torn open leg to jump up and rake her sword across its face, the beast turning to her when she landed.
"Heh, what're you looking at shithead?!" Zero taunted, the Gigas swinging at her again, but it's now wounded eye from Zero's cut threw off its aim, causing the club to miss horribly, to Zero's amusement as she moved under the beast and cut its other leg, Nil clambering onto it's back and driving the butt of his main sword's hilt down onto one of the spikes on the creatures back, the Gigas lurching as the spike was driven in further and out through its shoulder with a spray of red, Nil being thrown off and skidding to a stop in the sand.
"Well, guess those are there for a reason… so, guess is, it's been used as a guard." Nil noted, Zero chuckling when the monster started flailing now that it's sight was cut in half.
"What is it with big guys and always being slow and stupid?" Zero hummed, Mikhail making an offended sound.
"Hey! I'm a big guy!"
"Sloooow and stupid!" Zero only felt, of course, reaffirmed in her point when Mikhail whined.
"You don't have to say it twice!"
"Zero, lay off the kid." Nil shook his head as he gave a sigh, then shooting to the side when the Gigas' club came rather close. He responded by blasting it with fire, the beast flailing it's arms as it began to burn. "It's half blind, so let's kill it already!"
"Speaking my language!" Zero was already using the other spikes on the Gigas' back to clamber up, holding on when it began flailing wildly. Nil let out a loud whistle, Mikhail swooping down from his perch. Nil jumped onto the saddle mounted on the dragon's back.
"Good thing unlike her the dumb thing doesn't know how to fight with a blindeside. Mikhail, dive down!" Nil shouted above the air whipping around him, nodding once he had the idea, "Zero, get off that thing!"
"WHAT?! I'm about to stab it's face in!" Zero waved an arm as she was now using her sword as a hold on the Gigas over something else.
"Gigas' don't go down that easy, trust me! Mikhail, we're roasting that thing first!"
Mikhail nodded to Nil's ide. Zero gave a grumble but jumped off of the Gigas anyway. The now confused beast looked around, only to be greeted to Mikhail's roar as the dragon descended, flames flickering from the young dragon's jaw before the gout of fire was released. A ball of flame engulfed the Gigas, leaving it scorched thoroughly and with armor fused to its skin.
"Okay, now what?" Zero shouted, getting her answer when Nil stood on the saddle, jumping off, to the surprise of both Mikhail and Zero. Nil dropped through the air with his sword drawn, a small burst of white light coming from behind him, Nil using the momentum from the drop to drive his sword into the Gigas right down to its hilt, the beast falling back, still gurgling with life as it's arm reached up, Nil twisting his sword around and sparking lightning through it. The Gigas' arm twitched wildly for a few moments before going stiff and falling flat.
"There, it's dead." Nil stood up and yanked his sword free of the dead beast's skull, using his sleeve to wipe off the blood on his face, then chuckling as he stepped down onto the sand, "Whaddya think? Not so bad for an impromptu plan-UGH!"
Nil lurched again when he was met by a metal fist to his stomach, still standing but giving Zero a "why?" expression when he looked up to see her glaring at hi.
"That is for being a reckless idiot!"
"You pull crazy stunts like that all the time!"
"Because I can survive them if I mess up. You can't!"
"Pah, I'm not that weak!"
"Whatever." Zero huffed, slamming her sword to its sheathe, then turning back to Nil, now facing away from the water. "But, if Five thinks that'll be enough to stop us, well, she's an even bigger idiot. Now come on, we need to look for that shrine, but first…" Zero made a point to grab Nil by his jacket's collar, pulling him closer, "We're going back to that house over there to make due on your punishme-"
Zero was cut off when the noise of water being sent all over the place sounded, Nil also pointing off behind her, Mikhail's eyes widening as he saw it as well. Rising from the sea itself was what was left of an old water built town, enough intact to be used as an initial gateway or even encampment to the intact, untouched shrine now visible from a short distance off, the circular structure the exact location the party was searching for.
"Convenient." Nil hummed, Zero clicking her tongue as she let him go, the teen straightening himself out and fixing his jacket, that notable smirk on his face again. "So, which do ya' want first Zero? To keep going forward and kill your sister now, or do what you suggested and go to that beach house to make do on whatever happens when I get enough strikes?"
POW!
Another punch to the gut was the answer Nil got, Zero storming off onto the risen walkway with a far angrier look on her face than was usual for her. Nil was still hunched over and sucking in his breath, Mikhail leaning in close.
"Nil, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Probably deserved that one in all honesty." Nil hissed, standing straight pretty quickly though, "Not like Zero ever hits me hard enough where I can't walk it off… I'm good."
"Ah, that's good to know. Uh… hey, what did Zero want to go back to that house to do anyway?"
"Uhhhh… well…" Nil murmured, a hand meeting his face, "How the hell do I explain this to a kid?"
"ARE YOU TWO COMING OR NOT?!"
"Yeah yeah, don't get your panties in a wad!" Nil shoved a hand into his pockets, gesturing for Mikhail to follow as he stepped off, the dragon taking a moment more before following after the Intoner himself. "Well, we're here… time to kill an Intoner. For real this time."