Chapter 52: Imprinting

Hiro had slept in this morning. She yawned and stretched as she woke up.

"God... I'm so tired..." She mumbled.

She sat up, and went downstairs and into the dining hall.

Linn and the business man from yesterday were talking.

"I'm telling you!" He said. "Those Leviathan's are quite the investment. Put them to work at building things, and you've got your future made! I mean, look at the size of that... That fortress!"

Linn sighed. "That would be true, but do you really think you could get them to work?"

He looked down. "Hmm..."

I walked in. "You guys, they won't work if you tell them to. They're like five year old kids."

I grinned. "Make it a game or competition, then you'll get their attention."

The man looked at Hiro.

He held out his hand. "My name is Satoshi Hajime."

She shook his hand. "Hiro Usagi. Nice to meet you."

"How much do you know about these Leviathan's?"

Hiro laughed. "Well I lived with them long enough to know that they can do WAY more than build."

Her face became serious.

"You would limit them by simply working them as builders. They can cook amazing food, smith the finest weapons and armor, Summon anything you can imagine, are amazing interior designers, hold technology in the palm of their hands, and yes. They can build. They are also empathetic, and mentally unstable. You might not want to provoke them..."

Satoshi looked at her. "Well, I take it you know how to get them to listen?"

She nodded. "They'll listen to me. But I won't order them around, of all you have them do is build. Come up with more, and we'll talk."

He sighed. "Alright, have it your way."

We walked off.

Linn sighed. "Hiro, are you trying to scare him?"

She looked at her mother.

"Mom, he's stupid. He shouldn't go near the Leviathan's, let alone boss them around..."

Linn shook her head. "Well, you know them better than I do."

"He said something about a... Wait. The Leviathan's! They didn't come back with us! How are they!?... Oh never mind... Where's the fortress?"

Linn pointed at the front door.

"Walk outside."

She did. She gaped at the humongous Palace they had constructed.

"Holy Damn... That IS big."

She walked over to the Leviathan's.

"Hey guy? What are you up too? And why..."

Hiro looked around, and noticed two things she didn't expect.

The first was that this palace was crawling with people.

The second? Max. She recognized the Leviathan's separate from each other and Max was special to her. She could spot him from a mile away.

The silliest and most friendly of all the Leviathan's. He still had that signature tattooed on his claw.

He looked over at her. "A MISTRESS!" He screamed.

Hiro ran up to him, and hugged him.

"Why do you always get so carried away!" She sobbed.

"I thought you were dead."

"I wouldn't want you to be lonely Hiro..." He said.

"I'm sorry."

That was the first time he had referred to her as just Hiro. No title attached...

He had also apologized to her, which was out of character in Leviathan culture. Though Max was the most sensitive, and if anyone were to do that. It would be him.

The other Leviathan's stopped.

"Max, you forgot to say Mistress..." Said Fred.

"I think he has imprinted on Mistress Hiro." Said Talin.

Winston gaped. "He's LEAVING US!?"

They all cried.

Winston walked up to me bawling. "Take good care of him Mistress... MAX IS SO COOL!"

Max smiled at him. "Don't worry Winston... You're still awesome."

Hiro thought for a moment. What happens when a Leviathan imprints on you?

Hiro walked to the castle. "What is this place anyway?" She asked.

"The Palace of Thorns! MY MASTERPIECE! TALIN NAMED IT! TALIN DID!"

"IT WAS TALIN!" They screamed, pointing at Talin.

He waved. "ME!"

Hiro looked around. "I wonder if Eiji's up yet... Maybe I should find him."

Hiro walked away from the Leviathan's. She looked behind her, and Max was still following her.

"Max? Don't you want to go back and stay with your friends?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. I AM YOUR BUDDY NOW!"

(I am your sole protector and guardian. From now on I will be your follower. This means I will be able to find you if we become separate, and locate you through mental communication...)

"Why me?" She asked.

"WHY NOT!" He laughed.

(Why did you become friends with Master Eiji? Was there some grand scheme to it? No. I just want to fight by your side, and I hate seeing you so lonely... This will help me be a better friend.)

Hiro thought for a moment.

There's more to what they say than just insane ramblings. To some extent? I know this. It must be so frustrating not being able to speak your mind...

(It can be... But I always knew you tried. Some of it really is just fun you know!)

She laughed. "That I don't doubt!"

"What's up Hiro?" Eiji asked. "What are you two talking about?"

"BUDDY THINGS! And CAKE!" He screamed.

(We were just talking about imprinting... I'm really hungry. I mean REALLY. Leviathan's need souls to build strength. Normal food IS delicious, but it won't make me any stronger, or less hungry.)

Hiro blinked. "Huh... Well, Max has imprinted on me, and now I can hear his... Translations? If that makes any sense. He said that we were talking about imprinting, and that he's hungry."

She looked at Eiji. "Apparently when they scream out foods, it's because they're starving. He said that normal food tastes good, but he needs souls to fill him up."

Eiji looked down. "I never knew that. I always they just liked to eat... Souls? They need souls?"

"Mmmm! NOM NOM on THE PRIESTESSE'S FACE!"

(A good soul would be the Priestess. She is still alive, and is very dangerous. She may be angry about the party we had... I fear she may become a problem if she isn't disposed of.)

"Did he just say something about a Priestess!? " Eiji exclaimed.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah. She's still alive, and Max thinks that she's trouble. He wants her soul specifically. You said she was angry about your party?"

"Yes! Many MANY PIÑATA'S... But sadly no snacks."

(Yes. We made a game out of how many statues it would take to piss off the Priestess. It was funny! The gargoyles would freeze us, and we'd cut holes in the statues and free ourselves. Look at the back yard of the palace, and You'll see three of mine! Some of us tried to eat the gargoyles as a source of energy, and they didn't have souls. The Priestess was angered, but I regret that now... I really wish that she would have shown herself. I would have swallowed her there.)

"Oh no! Why did you HAVE to piss her off!? She's still alive, and if she's mad? That just isn't a good thing..."

Eiji sighed. "Really? They made her mad!? And she's not dead. Do you think she's the vengeful kind?"

"Yes she is."

(Yes she is.)

"Well that was pretty straight forward." Hiro said.

"OOOH! OOOH! THE SURPRISE PIÑATA'S! IT'S ALIIIIVE!... And I wrote a Romagedy... So you know."

(There were other statues. There were people trapped inside. All of them lived, and were connected to this Loki woman. She had been separated from her lover Katsu... It was so touching! I had to write a novel. It was a tragic romance with a twist ending! I may have gotten carried away with some of the characters, but it's well written...)

Hiro looked over at the palace.

"Is THAT why you built the castle!? To house unfrozen statues!?"

Max nodded.

"They unfroze the statues!?" Eiji exclaimed.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah, and from what it sounds like, all of Loki's friends from the other Havens too. Tira mentioned that there were other ones..."

Eiji sighed. "I don't know how I feel about the priestess being alive..." He said.

"What if she DOES attack? What then? Hiro, if she's not dead, then she has portals in the palm of her hand. She could destroy us."

Hiro held his hands.

"Eiji... We have the dreamstone amulet now. That will help us a lot... Don't worry so much. If you spend time like this worrying? You'll go insane..."

He kissed her softly. "I know... I just..."

She kissed him. "Don't say worry. We'll be fine..."

He pulled her in and held her as he kissed her... Then he remembered max was there.

He let go. "Well... I need to train more. We're going to be sieging..."

Hiro saw a painful look in his eyes. This had to be hard for him... This place was once his home.

"Then you should train." Said Hiro.

"And so will I. I'll be right next to you in the siege, so I can't slow you down."

He smiled warmly at her. "Thank you... You really are special to me Hiro."

He gave her a soft kiss, and left.

Hiro was blushing. "Wow... He's so... Just, wow..."

"Hiro! HIRO! Do we get to hit things!? And I'll bring snacks!" Max yelled.

(Hiro, train with me. I need souls to gain power, but this is good for you too. If you feed me souls, I will serve as a better mount. When you are mounted on me, our power is collective... The heavens stripped us of our true power by purging us of souls. If I were to gain back this power, I could fall into my true form again. Let me devour your enemies, and we will become stronger.)

Hiro shrugged. "I don't see why not..."