Disclaimer: I own nothing except my three (four if you count dead people) OCs, whose backgrounds are heavily influenced by Sylvia Engdahl's novel Enchantress from the Stars. Anything you recognize is from the Trinity Blood manga, by Kiyo Kyujyo, or the novels, by Sunao Yoshida.
Chapter 7
"So Syeira said 'yes' and tomorrow Abel's coming to pick her up. He said he'll make it so no one questions her background, so as an agent she's in a perfect position." Matxin told Zera via communicator. Her lifelike holographic image nodded. "So you'll be coming back to me soon?"
"Yes. I may make a few stops on the way there, though. I figure if I can pick up a few more languages and maybe some local currencies Mimal may take me on. We'd be working together." Zera smiled at Matxin's idea. "I suppose if that's the case than the delay is acceptable. I've missed you."
"I've missed you too. But I have to stay one more day in Rome."
"Why?"
"To see Syeira in a habit, of course!" Both parties dissolved into laughter. "She'll hate it," Matxin continued, "because they're so impractical, but she'll put on her stoic agent in the line of duty face and deal with it. Only Syeira would face a dress the same way most face an army." Matxin smiled fondly at the thought of his sister and Zera giggled. "I bet she'd rather face the army!" she said, before noticing the smile on Matxin's face. "You know, women don't like it when their boyfriend smiles at the thought of another woman."
"She's my sister! Don't give me those mental images!"
"Telepathy won't work over this distance."
"With the nanomachines, it might. Besides, I was speaking figuratively."
"I know, I was simply teasing you." Zera had an inquisitive look on her face. "There is one thing I'm curious about."
"Yes, love?"
"How did Syeira become your sister?" Zera asked. "You mean, why did my brother ever marry her," replied Matxin. "Well, yes. I mean she's so obsessed with the Society and her work, and she has a rather abrasive nature. What sort of man was your brother?" Matxin sighed. "Evrek is hard to describe. He was older than I, and throughout childhood I idolized him. It didn't hurt that he spoiled me rotten. He was intelligent, with the second best grades in his class at the Academy, but he wasn't entirely focused on schoolwork. In fact, he tended to goof off in class, which got him into trouble more than a few times. He had a terrible temper and could sulk for days. Syeira was the only one who could withstand his outbursts and pull him out of his sulks. But despite he was popular, for his sense of humor, his looks, and his athletic strength. He was a gymnast, a swimmer, a runner, anything he wanted to be. But he wasn't that strong with powers. I don't think he was focused enough, disciplined enough. That's what killed him. He couldn't maintain his Shield."
"I wish I could have met him," said Zera.
"You would have gotten along well," Matxin told her. His voice was sad as he thought of what could have been and he stared at the floor. Zera, hoping to draw him out of his melancholy mood, interrupted his musing with the first question that popped into her head. "Why did he marry Syeira?" Oops, she thought, that probably isn't the best thing to ask. But it seemed to work.
"The two of them met in Academy," Matxin said. "Syeira had skipped a stage"
"She skipped an entire stage? No wonder you call her a genius," exclaimed Zera.
"Yes. Remember how I said my brother had the second best grades? She had the best. Anyway, that, combined with her nature, kept her apart from most of the class."
"I can see why people stayed away," Zera interjected.
"Do you want to hear the story?"
"Sorry."
"And it's not what you're thinking. She was actually kind of shy before she and Evrek had been dating for a while. He gave her confidence. She only became so cold and abrasive after his death. But back to the story.
"As Evrek told me, one day he thought it would be fun to play a joke on the shy girl who always sat in front in class. I think he put something sticky in her hair. What happened next was totally unexpected. She turned around and met his gaze, then began to insult him extremely loudly and eloquently. I never got to hear exactly what she said because at the time my parents deemed me too young to know those words. Then she used telekinesis to throw him across the room and stormed out. The very next day he apologized and asked her out. Nobody knows why she accepted, but they were dating when they entered the Society and married after becoming Agents."
Silence fell, but it was not unhappy. Both parties were thinking that it would not be long before Zera became a Senior Agent, and wondering where they'd be then. Matxin was still wondering as he said goodnight and fell asleep. That night, he dreamed of Syeira and Evrek's bonding ceremony, except that it was Zera and himself making vows.
In her room across the hall, Syeira also dreamed of her bonding ceremony, and felt like crying when she woke to an empty bed. What's wrong with me, she thought. Why am I so emotional? Perhaps it's thinking of Matxin and Zera living happily together in the Empire. Deciding that must be the cause, she briskly her face and dressed. Abel was to pick her up at nine, so she had time to pack her meager belongings, including the one remaining vial of nanomachines. Someone knocked on her door, and she quickly moved to hide all of the Republic technology, thinking, It's too early to be Abel. Who is it? She was surprised to find Matxin standing on the other side of the door.
"I thought you left last night," she told him, after he had entered the room.
"I decided to stay another day. And before you ask, yes Zera knows and she's agreed to it."
"Why?" Syeira was curious. She would have thought Matxin would race to his girlfriend as soon as possible. Matxin grinned at her confusion and elaborated, "I have some shopping to do. Sunglasses and a camera."
"Again, why?"
"Sunglasses because I'm tired of people looking at my eyes and crossing themselves. Apparently red eyes are a sign of evil. A camera because I have got to get a picture of you in one of those lacy dresses with your three inch heels."
"Matxin!"
"Can you imagine how everyone at the Society will react to seeing that?"
"Matxin Stenre!" Syeira scolded again, only to have Matxin laugh. When he calmed down, he said, "Seriously, I wanted to tell you that I'm going travel back to the Empire by land. I want to pick up a few languages and some travel experience so that maybe Mimal will let me work with Zera. She's moved into an apartment near the shop that would be perfect for us."
"That's a good plan," Syeira told him, "but there's one thing I'd like you to take with you."
"What's that?" She reached into her bag a pulled out the nanomachines. "This."
Abel arrived promptly at nine to find Syeira waiting and ready. "Hello Lili," He said, "Where's Mat?"
"He's going to be leaving for the Empire tonight so he's out enjoying his last day in Rome. We're meeting at the café where we met you tonight to say goodbye."
"Oh." Abel seemed a bit surprised so Syeira decided to exercise her Lili persona. "What's wrong Father Nightroad? Afraid to be alone with me?" He blushed and didn't reply. Syeira took that as her cue to pick up her bag and leave. "Come on Father, I haven't a clue where we're going!"
"Coming!"
Abel and Syeira's destination was the Vatican State Affairs Office, commonly called Palazzio Spada. It stood on the opposite bank of the Tiber River, across from San Pietro. The stone façade of the castle was reminiscent of an ancient pagan temple, decorated as it was with statues of ancient heroes and goddesses. It looked fittingly dignified to be the center of the Vatican's diplomatic activity. As ambassadors from every nation frequently resided there, a strict, vigilant attitude was kept towards security (1).
It was slightly embarrassing when Abel seemed to have lost his identification card, but they eventually made it inside. Syeira took in the layout of the building and security detail with the eye of an experienced agent, in case it was ever necessary for her to break in or out.
First thing, she was outfitted with a uniform. A white and blue habit with a silver neckpiece and cross, a matching wimple, layers of lace underskirts, and shoes that she would never be able to walk in. Zera and Matxin would laugh over this, Syeira thought grimly. Her hair had to be taken out of it's comb in order to fit under the wimple, so she braided it.. Last, but certainty not least, she was allowed to pick out a rosary. She chose a simple but sharply pointed cross made of silver that looked suspiciously like a dagger. She was fond of saying that in unknown territory one could never have enough weaponry.
The remainder of the morning was spent filing extremely tedious paperwork. It wouldn't have taken so long if it were not necessary to hide the fact that Syeira wasn't a citizen of Albion but a traveler from the Empire. She was somewhat curious as to why Abel had chosen his own homeland to be hers as well, but shrugged it off and continued filling out documentation for Lili Stone (2). Abel confessed to her that he had revealed her true origins to his boss, Caterina Sforza, the Duchess of Milan, who had agreed that false documentation was necessary. The Cardinal seemed eager to have an agent with ties to the Empire.
Syeira and Abel had lunch at a nearby café, where he briefed her on all things Albion. She pretended to be enthralled by his words, the picture of a perfect student, but in truth she'd already picked the knowledge of English and Albion in general from his mind, and her thoughts were wandering. So she was caught by surprise when Abel suddenly stood up. "We should head back."
"What for?"
"Weren't you listening? The unarmed combat instructor is to assess your skills this afternoon during Esther's lesson."
"Oh. Esther is the other trainee, correct?"
"Yes. She's a wonderful girl, came from Istavan where she" Abel extolled the virtues of the other girl he'd brought to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but Syeira wasn't listening. She was thinking of the unarmed combat test. In the Academy she'd excelled in self-defense classes and in the Society she saw more combat in a year than any Federation citizen saw in their entire life. But what skills should she reveal to the instructor? Lili was supposed to have been trouble growing up, hence the nickname Lilith, so perhaps a rudimentary understanding of defense and offense?
Back at Palazzio Spada 'Lili' was introduced to Esther. The pretty young nun was a sweet girl with a strong core. Syeira detected a hint of jealousy from her, but couldn't fathom why. After all, she was the newbie who had to be escorted everywhere by Father Nightroad. Her confusion dissipated when she saw how warmly the young nun greeted Abel, and the blush on her pale cheeks. She has a crush on him! Syeira thought. Perhaps I could use her to help watch his movements?
Her half formed plans were interrupted by the instructor, who introduced himself as Father Cheval. He told Syeira, "The earliest and most primal fear we have is falling, even though most people have many opportunities to fall and realize that they can survive. So, your first lesson will be on how to fall properly. Slap the ground as you hit and roll. Esther?" he held out his hand to the redhead. She took it and went flying over his hip, only to slap the ground and roll out of her fall perfectly. Cheval extended a hand to Syeira.
She took it, meaning to let him throw her as he had Esther, but the moment she felt his tug, years of training and experience took over. She turned, letting her back slide into the curve of his pulling as she gripped him with both hands and drew him over her right hip. He faltered, then steadied, and went to sweep Syeira's feet out from under her, but she'd predicted his move and jumped. In midair her leg snapped out towards his unprotected head. He raised an arm at the last second and her foot connected with the sickening crack of bones breaking.
Moving on instinct, Syeira had underestimated her Crusnik augmented strength. Her kick sent Father Cheval flying across the room, straight into Esther. Both nun and priest hit the wall with a loud thump. Looking at her fellow student and wounded instructor lying in a heap, all Syeira could say was, "Oops?"
AN; phew, that was long. Sorry if it drags in parts. I'd like to thank Shadowmaiden3 for her advice.
(1) This description was paraphrased from the one in the book Silent Noise, by Sunao Yoshida.
(2) Stenre, in case no one's noticed, is the word for stone in the ancient language of Eragon, by Christopher Paolini.
Thank you for reading and please review! Even if you feel you have nothing to say a simple "hi, I'm reading your story" will make me happy! Oh, and recently I've started posting art for this story on DeviantArt. You can go to http : / / crazypenguin9198 . deviantart . com / gallery / (remove spaces) to see it, or just search 'Trinity Blood Invaders'. It's not very good, but I'd be honored if you'd check it out anyway!