There was no way out for her.

The thought did not frighten her as much as it had when it first emerged within her mind. Rather, Quintia Presidos almost felt calmer at this point, if that was even comprehensible, for it would set her free of this living nightmare.

Even though she was suspended by her wrists, broken and bleeding, Quintia did not feel it. A large amount of time had already passed, but she had given up attempting to calculate how long it was. The worst part, however, was not this - it was how those lash marks riddled her torso, more wounds than there was untouched synthetic flesh, dried blood clinging to the edges of them. Some of them healed better than the others, as though her system was frantically attempting to retain the blood she was quickly losing.

However, several of the wounds were not so. They had been ripped into her flesh deep enough for her to see her inner gear systems and circuitry, dried blood cresting around them in dark patches.

Chains jingled when Quintia absentmindedly attempted to move her arms, a jolt of pain rushing right through her entire frame. It did not seem to hurt as much at this point, however, after so many days. Humans truly were not incorrect to say that after getting used to pain, it become nothing more than a dull ache that one could easily ignore.

Her memories traced back to the last few fragments that she had shared with her brothers and her creator.

Quintia remembered how she had stood at the side of the newly named Supreme Commander of the Valencian Armada, overlooking the holographic projection map of the Spiral. Her brothers were by her side, she recalled, Servius and Albinus, while Ulysses mapped out the course of the next conquest of the Armada.

Her creator's voice echoed in her audio, as clear as she had just heard it a few second's ago.

"The opposition in Monquista has died entirely, and Mooshu will follow soon enough once the resistance headed by Gortez is put down."

She was the one that had headed the force of soldiers to break the Monquistan resistance. Quintia Presidos had been the one to lead the legion of clockwork soldiers into the desert world, directly engaging the hulking ape on his warship in single handed combat. It was a battle that could have cost the life of anyone else, and she had emerged victorious.

The journey back to Valencia was one of triumph, during which the lieutenant commander of the Royal Guards had basked in the glory of success, of bringing honor and victory to her Commander.

Quintia laughed bitterly in the depth of her throat, the sound quickly turning into a painful hacking; blood dousing the front of her torso as it trickled from her lips. The Templars had done more damage than she had initially thought - although it was not exactly surprising to her as the fact they had not executed her yet.

Forgive me father, I have failed you...

Had she possessed the eyes of a human, they would have closed tightly out of the shame she currently felt coursing through every inch of her being. To think that the Supreme Commander of the Armada had entrusted her with the task of bringing his arch - enemy to justice, and she had failed in this mission - it was unthinkable.

Quintia Presidos Septimus, the lieutenant Commander of the Royal Guards, had failed in her mission -

"Thinking back on your failure, oh lieutenant commander?"

Mercilus' gloved hand reached out, pinching her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes. The Templar held an unwavering gaze, one of pure hatred against the clockwork Armada, and against her creator. There was nothing this man would not do to get his revenge upon the Supreme Commander.

"It is nothing but a contribution toward the cause of the Armada. After all, I am His Majesty's soldier and officer, to give up my function for him would be what you humans would call an honor."

Quintia did not fear for herself. After all, she was a Royal Guard, a clockwork virtually built to protect the Supreme Commander.

"What good would it do for your dear creator?"

Atticus' sneer could be heard as he released her mask - face; boots thudding softly against the stone floor of the chamber she was confined in.

"But of course, with how much it would hurt him to lose you, I have nothing to complain about. If you insist on throwing yourself down for his sake, that pathetic excuse for a king and emperor, be my guest."

Quintia was almost certain that if she had human eyes, they would have narrowed with the new emotion she had so recently learned - hatred. Granted, Ulysses Septimus, her own creator, was less than perfect in many ways as a human soldier of the Armada, at least he acknowledged that he was so.

"Although I have to admit, Commander," Attcius spun around, arms crossed over his chest. "Ulysses Septimus is quite intelligent for someone of his nature, for one who had to cheat on the way up into the throne of the Grand Master Assassin."

"Your criminal records beg to differ, Grand Master."

"What others believe of me, I could care less for. The past is in the past, there is no need to waste one's breath over events that have already transpired, no?"

The sneer plastered across the Templar Grand Master's face twisted; his intent of a clear malicious nature. His robes swished softly, boots clacking as he retreated out of the chamber, his shadow covered by the forms of two brutish Templars, their footsteps thunderous as they now approached her.

They both carried large knives in their hands, each of them cackling menacingly, speaking in a tongue that had taken Quintia several seconds to decipher.

"It truly is such a pity that such a pretty girl has to be with the clockwork devils."

"Indeed. Strip her flesh from her bones!"

And now, all of hell will be unleashed. To be all honest, Quintia's death has to be the one death I feel the worst about within this entire story, like Edward's from Valencian Legend. Poor girl, she had so much going on in her short duration of function, and she had perished thinking she had failed her Supreme Commander. Who else here thinks that all of hell shall now go down on Atticus, Adrian, and the Templars after this?

Also I cannot possibly be the only one hating Atticus and Adrian right now.

Until next time! :D and psst, reviews are appreciated.

-Hades