Author's Note: Alright you guys can probably guess the drill at this point. Thanks for reading, leaving reviews, etc. No need to keep y'all up here so enjoy chapter 3! Don't get the idea that updates will always be this quick.
P.S. Any major questions will be answered up here in the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or ROTSH as they belong to their respective owners.
"Quotes."
"Reading and/or Thoughts"
Emphasis/Emphasis
Castletown, Melromarc
August 25, 2552, 0744 Hours
BANG BANG BANG!
"Shield Demon, open this door NOW!" A screaming voice radiated through the wooden door to Kat's room.
Kat, to her credit, was already standing in front of the door with her magnum drawn, ready to kick the door across the hall. She had known they were coming when she saw Myne taking a hike to the castle from her window. Deciding confrontation was a specialty of hers, she chose to stand her ground where some may have fled. "Did the princess set you up for this?" Kat questioned the knights on the other side.
A loud crack was their response as the door began to splinter apart after being hit by a battering ram. "Don't make us break down this door!" The knight on the other side warned Kat.
"What'd you tell them?" Kat wondered, thinking over the multitude of events of the last day. "Was it the slave master? Or perhaps a lie about attempted murder." Kat chuckled at that. If the princess said that she had tried to kill her, they had no idea who they were dealing with.
Crack! Another piece of the door shot past her as a gap made the two sides visible to each other. Taking a breath, Kat determined she could either kill these knights and be done with it or face the royal court and challenge their claims. Both were risky, but thinking back to what Myne said the other day, she might not be persecuted, however she'd be hinging her possibilities on a potential lie. However, her other option was to definitely become an enemy to the kingdom so in the end it was an easy choice.
Holstering her magnum, she made eye contact with one of the knights through the now open gap in the door. "Fine, fine. I'm coming out." She told them, moving the dresser out of the way and opened the partly destroyed door.
A squad of knights flooded into the room and attempted to restrain her, key word being attempted. "The king has requested your presence, demon. You're coming with us to the castle." The leader of this squad snarled at her with a ferocity that would make a grunt cower in fear.
Those that managed to grab ahold of her, she easily yanked herself from their grasps, nearly pulling a few of them to the floor. "Don't push your luck. Just show me where to go." Kat warned them, standing over the leader and using her sheer size to intimidate him.
Directing her where to go, Kat followed in the middle of their little column as she was led through the castle and eventually entered an all too familiar throne room. Looking around, she saw the other heroes standing before her with Myne, who appears to have been sobbing, taking cover behind Motoyasu. The three of them stood with expressions of anger, hate, and disgust filling their faces to which she could only roll her eyes.
Of all the figures before her, the first to speak up was the king himself. "You absolute fiend! How dare you show your face around here?! If I could have my way with you, I'd send you back to hell!" Aultcrey berated Kat in an attempt to intimidate her which she brushed off. Truth be told, the only way she'd be scared is if Chief Mendez walked out from behind one of the many pillars lining the room. Aultcrey took a deep breath before relaxing in his throne. "I apologize. Myne, my dear, could you please give your testimony once more?" He asked in a softer tone.
Myne's hideous sobbing began to fill the room as she spoke up. "It was last night. After s- she told me she doesn't d- drink, she barged into my room and… and assaulted me. Stinking of alcohol and drunk beyond belief, she pinned me down and began forcing my clothes off, but I was able to escape and ran down the hall. I was lucky to find Sir Motoyasu who was staying at the same inn." She explained before burying her face into the tall blonde's cloak.
Kat just stood there, silently bewildered at the wildness of Myne's story. "That was your plan? You'd have to be a moron to believe that." She thought as she reached for the side of her helmet. "Wow, that's quite the story, princess." She retorted, a mixture of sarcasm and intimidation etched in her voice, something both Myne and the king seemingly picked up on for a split second. "But I've seen marines come up with better excuses. Let's be honest with ourselves, do you really believe that?" She asked, glancing towards the other heroes. Ren was stoic as ever, though she could see in his eyes that there was some slight doubt, unlike Itsuki, who instead took another look towards Myne. As always however, Motoyasu didn't seem convinced.
"Look at you, making up excuses, trying to make this less legitimate! And you call yourself a hero!" Motoyasu angrily exclaimed, his nose scrunching as he pointed his spear at her accusatorially.
All Kat could do was internally facepalm. This guy couldn't be serious, could he? With a sigh, she placed a hand on her hip and pointed to the sword and bow hero before waving them over. "You want to know what I was doing all night?" She inquired, yanking a small chip from the side of her helmet. Opening her hard case, she grabbed her personal TACPAD and slotted the chip into a small insert at the bottom. "Well? Here you go." Kat gestured to the others to watch as she played back the last ten hours of her messing around with a light metal ingot.
Ren and Itsuki, being a bit more inquisitive than their spear hero counterpart, stepped forward and watched the recording. The recording was boring in - and - of itself, showing Kat perform and document a series of tests comparing and contrasting light metal to known metals on the periodic table. Nowhere in any of the fast - forwarded segments showed Kat even bothering to stand until she noticed Myne through her window leaving the inn and soon enough a squad of knights entering the inn.
"You clearly faked that footage! There's no way Myne would lie about something like this!" Motoyasu continued to berate her.
"I take it back, he's worse than Halsey. He's loud AND stupid." Kat thought, selectively drowning out Motoyau's voice.
"That's quite the hefty defense." Itsuki remarked, raising a brow towards Myne. "Looks like she didn't leave her room or even sleep all night."
Ren nodded his head in agreement. "Looks solid to me. Myne? What're you trying to do?" Ren asked the red head, squinting his eyes in suspicion at the princess.
"Oh come on! You guys don't seriously believe a video she just mentioned?!" Motoyasu tried arguing to bring them back over to his side.
The two other heroes just looked at each other with confused looks before walking over and taking a stand beside their armored shield hero counterpart.
Aultcrey in all this looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel. His face was contorted into that of sheer anger. "The counterevidence of such a device is not enough to go against my daughters word! Consider yourself lucky, because due to your status as the Shield Hero, you can't be punished with death as assault and rape is a capital offense in this country. However, news of your crime and this trial will spread far and wide, and all the townsfolk will know of your sickened ways. THAT will be your punishment!" Aultcrey announced with a flourish of his wrist, making it an official decree.
"Hey, what gives? Your highness, that's not fair." Itsuki spoke up, attempting to defend Kat.
Ren crossed his arms and stared at Aultcrey with a deadpan look. "Yeah. If you do this, don't expect any help from us."
Kat eye's the two teenagers. She smiled, knowing that she had allies in this world even if everyone else would hate her, not that she'd care all that much. "Guys, I appreciate the support, but you don't have to throw yourselves away just for me. I can handle myself just fine. They seem to have it out for me and there's no changing that." Kat informed the duo, giving them a comforting nod.
"We can't just leave you by yourself. What they're doing is wrong" Itsuki tried counterarguing.
Placing a hand on the young boy's shoulder, Kat smiled, even if he couldn't see it. She could tell Itsuki had a good head on his shoulders, and she admired that. "But it's not your fight. I've been through war, this is nothing." She reassured him with a chuckle.
The blonde teenager looked to the floor in thought for a moment before looking into her visit and nodding confidently. "We'll still help whenever you need it. Just ask." Itsuki offered Kat who simply nodded in return.
Kat then refocused her attention to the old ass fuck sitting in his throne. Taking a step forward, she used her demanding presence to make the room go silent in anticipation for what happened next. "I'm deeply flattered by your offer, you old coot, but frankly I couldn't give a shit." She told the king before turning on her heels and walking out of the castle.
The familiar ring of a bell announced someone's entry to his rather famed shop. "Welcome! I'll be with you in a moment." Erhard's voice sounded from the back room. Poking his head from around the corner, he had a smile on his face, expectantly waiting to see a new customer. Instead, he got someone he was becoming a little personal with. "Oh, Shield Sis. I saw the trial, damn shame." He remarked.
"Can't win'em all." Kat shrugged in response. "Although, I'm still new to this world so understanding everything's gonna be a bit tougher without a companion. Considering everyone's avoided me, I doubt I'll find one normally. Got any ideas?" She asked, crossing her arms and leaning against a wall.
"I think I do, but you're not gonna like it." Erhard said, sensitively bringing up the subject. "Word around town for the last few months says a guy named Beloukas sells a certain type of merchandise. I think you can guess what it is."
"If you mean a slave, no. I've already ruled that out. I'm not gonna force someone against their will." Kat asserted herself, cutting off all notion about the idea.
"I don't know what else you could do, kid. If everyone's avoiding you like the plague, it might be your only option. Think about it this way, since you hate slavery, you'd be saving someone from the cruelty of it." Erhard suggested, trying to make the situation sound as light as possible without stepping on Kat's toes.
Looking at the floor, Kat found herself lost in thought. Erhard had a point, if she got herself a 'slave' she could give them all the benefits of freedom. Scrunching her face, deep down she hated the idea, even if it was the most logical solution at the moment. "Fine, but I don't approve of this. Where can I find this 'Beloukas'?" She asked the older man. Even saying the person's name left a bad taste in her mouth.
"I heard you can find his market if you use some back - alleys from here. It'll look like a circus tent. He'll set you up." Erhard explained, stroking his beard.
Kat deeply sighed while turning and heading for the door. "I'll be back." She said, taking her leave to go find this slave marketeer.
As the door closed behind her, Erhard's head fell as he sighed. "God, I can't believe the world's come to this." He remarked with a sorrowful expression.
On the surface, the alleys of Castletown appeared to be a maze of never ending twists and turns. To Kat however, they were nothing but a set of instructions to follow in a specific path. Following the guidance of Erhard, she ducked and weaved through the alleys, noting how it got darker the deeper she went, no doubt a sign of progress.
Soon enough, she stumbled upon a clearing with a large, old red and white tent pitched in the center. Her stomach churned upon laying eyes on structure, a sickened feeling spreading throughout her stomach as she reasoned with herself that this was necessary. Then, her instincts flared. Turning faster than one could blink, she had her magnum drawn and aimed at a stout man wearing a black suit with an absurd feathered collar and tall top hat.
"Why hello there young lady. I suppose you came looking for me?" He asked with an unnerving smile, seemingly unphased she had her gun pointed at him.
"Let me guess, Beloukas?" She asked with a cautious tone, eyeing the man from top to bottom.
He let out a hearty laugh. "Why yes, valued customer. I take it then you already know my business model?" He asked, his demeanor not wavering and smile not faltering.
"Slaves, I know." Kat told him, relaxing her stance a little, but keeping her pistol held in a low - ready position. "And I'm here to buy one." She informed him, shaking at those words.
"Ah, swell then. If you would please follow me, Miss Shield Hero." He told her, heading towards the large, circular tent; his smile never faltering.
Upon entering the tent, Kat recognized a familiar atmosphere of death and misery. Following behind the stout slave merchant, she observed every nook and cranny of the space around her. Inside the cages were mostly animals and those demi - humans Myne told her about yesterday. Such a sight disgusted her so much so that she had to force herself to not break this man in half right then and there.
"As you can see, I have a fine assortment of slaves. From demi - humans to complete beastfolk, my selection is far and wide. I personally would recommend this fine beast for a lady like you." He proposed to Kat, tapping his cane on a cage that housed a complete, level seventy five wolf beastfolk. "This mutt would make for an excellent offensive companion to round out your defensive nature, Lady Shield Hero." He told Kat, his creepy smile fixated on her as he adjusted his bow tie.
The beastfolk suddenly lunged at her from its charge, scratching and snarling, trying to wrap Kat in its jaws and rip her apart. Standing unphased, Kat just simply shook her head. "No, too unpredictable."
"What a shame. No worries, there's still more I will happily show you." Beloukas offered, turning around and continuing his waddle - like walk up through the rows of cages.
As they passed by a series of unremarked cages, Kat suddenly heard some light coughing come from one of them. Removing the cloth covering the cage and kneeling down, she activated her helmet mounted lights, and, together with her augmented vision, she got a better look at what, or in this case who, inhabited it: a demi - human child no older than ten with raccoon - like ears and a bushy tail, long, scraggly brown hair, and dull - pink eyes.
The moment the girl laid eyes on Kat, she backed up to the other end of the cage and cowered in fear, afraid of this faceless, blue armored monster. Kat's heart felt like an Elite just stabbed it with an energy sword as she watched the suffering girl let out yet another coughing fit.
"Ah, this mangey half racoon is sick as a dog and suffering from mental disorders. I've been having trouble with her myself. You see, her previous owner loved his torture." He said with a laugh, not caring about any of the slaves.
"I'll take her." Kat confidently said, rising to her feet.
Beloukas's smile momentarily faltered as he spoke up. "B- but madam, you haven't seen the rest of my merchandise yet. Are you sure you— "
Kat balled her fists tightly and craned her neck in Beloukas's direction. "Open the door or I turn you into confetti." She threatened the slave merchant.
Stunned from being threatened in such a manner, Beloukas silently juggled through his keys and opened the cage door that held this young girl. After opening the cage, he excused himself to get the necessary materials for the slave crest, something Kat frowned at upon hearing. Kneeling down, Kat extended a hand towards the girl who was still cowering in fear.
"Are you alright?" She asked in a soft and comforting tone.
"She's asking if I'm ok? Why? Doesn't she want an obedient slave who can't harm her?" The girl thought as she kept to her corner, still afraid of this faceless woman.
Kat sighed, her heart being pulled more and more at the sight. Taking off her helmet, she hoped a friendly face would at least help in consoling the girl. "Hey, don't worry. I'm gonna get you out of here, alright?" She informed the girl, gently waving her hand towards her.
Slowly and reluctantly, the girl took Kat's hand who helped her climb out of this claustrophobic cage and to her feet. Beloukas soon returned carrying a myriad of ingredients and set them on the table for Kat to use.
"These, valued customer, are the ingredients for the slave crest. It will make it impossible for her to defy your orders, harm you, lie, and more, if you wish." Beloukas said, his smile appearing almost sadistic.
"No." Kat firmly stated, refusing to bind this girl to anything.
"But madam, without it, she could be subjected to execution on sight." He cautiously informed her of the stakes at hand if she refused.
"They can try." Kat hissed, venom lacing her voice, scaring the girl who stood by her.
Beloukas heavily sighed. "Very well. If that's all then she'll be twenty five silver. That is, of course, unless you're looking for something else?" He tried suggesting.
Dropping the silver on the table, she glared daggers at the slave merchant. "If I'm here a minute longer you'll find your brains painting the wall." Kat threatened him as she picked up the girl who was gently crying in fear and began carrying her out.
Taking her leave, Kat left the tent and found a staircase to sit down on. Putting her helmet aside, she placed the girl on her leg and used her thumb to wipe a tear from her eyes before pulling her into a comforting hug. The girl froze up at this gesture, unsure of what to do. However, she quickly found it feeling nice, but refused to return it out of fear of being reprimanded.
Releasing her from the embrace, Kat gently rustled the top of her head. "You don't have to worry, it'll be ok." She softly informed the girl who's name she hasn't gotten yet. "What's your name? Mines Kat." She said with a comforting smile.
"R- Raphtalia, mistress." Raphtalia stuttered, clearly unsure how to address Kat.
Kat winced at being called that. "Just Kat's fine. You have a pretty name, Raphtalia." She complimented her.
"Thank you." Raphtalia replied as a smile formed on her face before quickly wiping it away out of fear of being punished. However, she couldn't resist but to lean into Kat's metallic hand. Even if it was cold to the touch, it was the softest thing she's felt in a long time… other than being hugged of course. Another coughing fit suddenly struck as Raphtali began to hack her lungs out.
"C'mon Raphtalia, let's go somewhere safe." Kat said with a gingerly tone. Picking up the young girl, she held her in her arms much like she had seen many evacuating parents carry their children. "From here on out, I'll protect you, I promise you that." She reassured the girl who had latched onto her chestplate.
Arriving back at Erhard's shop, Kat pushed the blacksmith's door open with a ring to an all too familiar bell.
"Shield Sis, your back!" Erhard smiled and waved at Kat before he noticed the little girl in her arms. "Oh my. Who's this little lady?" He asked, leaning in to get a good look at her.
"This is Raphtalia, the 'slave' I bought. You got any spare clothes? I hate seeing these rags on her." Kat asked the hardy blacksmith.
"Yeah, give me a second. A customer's daughter forgot this, probably not coming back anytime soon." Erhard responded, grabbing a dress from beneath the counter and handing it to Kat. "Take it, on the house."
Taking the dress, Kat nodded in thanks. "Alright, give us a minute." She told Erhard, walking to one of the changing rooms. Awkwardly helping Raphtalia take off her ragged clothes, Kat noted the amount of scars, bruises, and other bodily wounds that littered the little girl's body. Sighing, Kat called out to Erhard and asked if he had a bathroom to which he replied yes. Informing him of her myriad of wounds, she asked him to prepare it for her, even handing him a silver for his troubles.
With the bath having been prepared after a few minutes, Kat got to work scrubbing Raphtalia's body, cleaning all the dried blood, dirt, sweat, and whatever other substances she didn't want to think about. Now thoroughly cleaned, Kat helped Raphtalia put on the dress Erhard had given her. After a few minutes, the pair walked back to the front room of the shop to show off Raphtalia's transformation from a beaten slave to a lively girl.
"Wow. The little miss certainly looks a lot better." Erhard complimented Raphtalia, looking her over.
"Well we've still got a few items to take care of." Kat said, patting Raphtalia's back like a proud mom. It was then Raphtalia began coughing again, causing Kat to give her a worried glance. "That's the most important issue. Know where we can get medicine? I have recipes to craft some, but I've got no materials to work with." She asked. "Also want to get her cleaned up before feeding her. Is there a barber around here?"
"A few blocks that way you'll find the apothecary, he'll have what you need for medicine. A little ways further you'll come across a barbershop." Erhard pointed out the window informing the pair. "But I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you intend to bring her back to get outfitted." He said, reading Kat like a book.
"Yeah. I didn't put a slave crest on her so she needs to be able to defend herself." Kat said, her protective instincts shining through her faceless armor.
"Well who better to train her than you, Shield Sis. In that case, I'll be seeing you." Erhard said with a nod as he waved goodbye to the duo.
Strolling their way through the bustling market, Kat held Raphtalia close who kept looking around, fearful of the general populace. Seeing Raphtalia in such an uncomfortable state, Kat gently patted her head which visibly eased her discomfort as she suffered yet another coughing fit. Looks of disgust and fear were expressed on the faces of the crowd as they shuffled out of the way while Kat simply stood tall and led the way to the apothecary.
Finally arriving at the store, Kat noticed how it looked like a massive greenhouse. Stepping inside, Kat's helmet removed any scented aroma that was lingering in the air, however Raphtalia was not so lucky as she let out a great sneeze. The shopkeeper, who originally had his back to the door, jumped in surprise hearing the pair before placing a hand on his chest and letting a chuckle escape his lips.
"Welcome, welcome." The older man greeted them with a smile. "What can I do for— by the Cardinal Heroes" He said in shock as he saw Kat. He knew this was the Shield Hero, her strange armor now iconic throughout the capitol, but he didn't expect her to be this big up close.
"I'm looking for medicine to treat a common cold. That or ingredients to make my own." Kat explained to the man, gesturing to the small form beside her who was too short to see over the counter.
The apothecary peered over the counter to get a better glimpse at the small child. Adjusting his glasses, he took a moment to observe her as she coughed once more. "Hmmm, I'm sorry but I'm quite low on both, I'm afraid. The first wave really did a number on us and people scurried to get their hands on whatever they could in the aftermath. However, there are specific plants that grow naturally in the forest you can use to make your own, if you have the necessary skills." The apothecary apologized, informing them of their potential alternative.
"What sort of plants?" Kat questioned, intrigued that such a process seemed easier than she had originally anticipated.
The apothecary put a hand to his chin with a focused expression before glancing about his shop. After a few seconds, he gave Kat a finger telling her to wait a moment before ducking beneath the counter, pulling out an aged book and setting it down in front of her. Opening it, he selected a page he was all too familiar with as he pointed out various plant - based herbal remedies and their ingredients. "If you want something basic, then these are what you'd be looking for. They're quite common in the nearby forest, though if you want something stronger you'd have to venture deeper out."
Looking over the book, Kat could easily make out the differences in the drawings of the plant, but whenever she went to read anything about them, a dreaded notification popped up on her HUD.
Failed to translate.
"Ugh. I can't read this world's language? That's bullshit." Kat thought, internally sighing at the idea of needing more and more help. "I see, thanks. This was very helpful. If you don't mind, how much for the book? I could definitely use something like this later."
"Oh, this old thing? You can have it for free. Consider it a gift for visiting this old man's shop, Shield Maiden. Plus, I've already mastered its contents and more, so I don't really care for it anymore." The apothecary replied, handing it over.
"Really? Appreciate it. C'mon Raphtalia, looks like we're on our own." She said with a bit of an optimistic tone. Turning to leave, Kat took a step before halting and turning back to face the apothecary. "Oh, and what's your name?" She simply asked him.
Sputtering for a moment, he cleared his and stood tall as he responded to one of the Cardinal Heroes. "Gunther. Gunther Freedman." He replied, nodding to her. "Good luck Shield Maiden. I hope you find what you need for your little girl."
"Thank you, Gunther. I'll come back someday and repay you for your help, I promise." Kat said with a determined nod.
Taking their leave, the pair then made their way to the barber's. Sitting Raphtalia down in a booster seat, Kat explained to the girl that if she was going to help, she'd need to have her hair cut to a regulatory length. Keeping her eyes shut tight the entire time, Raphtalia whined as each snip of the scissors cut off a piece of her beloved mane. However, to not disappoint her current caretaker, she stood still and took it like a champ. Once they were done, Raphtalia checked herself out in the mirror thinking it would be ugly at first, but as she looked and felt around, a small smile grew on her face as she admired her new hairstyle.
Kat, for her part, picked up loose clumps of Raphtalia's hair from the floor and held it to the gem of her shield and received an intriguing notification.
[Beast Tamer Shield (Unlocked):]
+ 10 DEF, +16 MAG, Increase Growth of Beast - Like Companions
[Advanced Beast Tamer Shield:]
+ 15 DEF, +22 MAG, Increase Growth of Beast - Like Companions II
Getting a few weird looks from the barbers, and promptly ignoring them, Kat quickly picked up the usable tufts of Raphtalia's hair. Once she'd finished, she examined Raohtali's haircut for herself and smiled, thinking the young demi - human looked cute. Deciding to do something unordinary and have a little fun, Kat picked up Raphtalia from the chair and sat her firmly on her shoulders as they set out once again. Raphtalia's eyes immediately began to shine as she let out a childlike laugh, but quickly caught herself and closed herself off from showing any signs of happiness, even after being treated well this entire time.
"Why is she putting up with me? Don't all humans hate demi - humans? She's treated me amazingly so far, but how long is she gonna keep going?" Raphtalia thought with worry, wondering if Kat would get bored of her sometime soon. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as, out of nowhere, the sound of her empty stomach filled the air.
"Hungry, Raphtalia?" Kat asked from below her.
"No mistress." Raphtalia said, shaking her head out of habit.
Kat paused for a moment and sighed. She wondered how badly her previous owner had treated her for her to deny food. The longer she treated the aftermath of Raphtalia's time as a slave, the more guilt she felt for not arriving sooner and doing something about it. But that was neither here nor there as she looked back up at the young girl sitting on her shoulders. "Let's get you some food. I can't have you fighting on an empty stomach." Kat remarked, spinning around and making her way to the nearest restaurant.
Passing by a sign that stood outside, when Kat went to read it, only to get notification that served to annoy her… again.
Failed to translate.
"Oh fuck you." She thought, internally sighing. "Guess it's another goal for later." She remarked to herself, bypassing the unreadable sign as she entered the restaurant while Raphtalia hung back with a nervous look on her face, her body squirming as she kept her head down.
"Uh, mistress Kat?" She spoke up. "They don't serve demi - humans."
Kat paused upon the hearing information. Of course businesses would have such a policy, why didn't she think of that sooner? Such a shame that she didn't have a fuck to give. "Is that so? Well, if they have a problem with it they can complain to my boot up their ass. You're being fed so God help the idiot who stands in my way." Kat bluntly stated, growing ever more exhausted of this country's politics before turning and making her way in, waving for Raphtalia to follow her regardless. Passing by many whispers and hushed conversations over her status as a rapist and demon, Kat brushed off their comments as she sat down in one of the open booths, its wood frame creaking and splintering under her armor's weight as she called a waiter over.
It took a couple of minutes before one waiter, a pale man with brown hair and a short stubble, got brave enough to acquiesce to her request. Pulling out a small notepad, he stammered over his words as he asked what she'd like to order.
"She'll have whatever that kid's having, I'm good." She ordered.
"Then that'll be five coppers." The waiter replied, his hands shaking as he wrote down the meal.
Pulling out a silver, Kat handed the coin to the man who jumped in shock at the sight of the coin. "What's the conversion rate around here?" She asked the man.
The waiter took a moment to gather his thoughts before he could reply. "It's one hundred to one, madam. I take it you'd like change?"
Kat nodded while Raphtalia jumped in her seat in excitement. "Yeah that'd be great, thanks." Kat said, waving him off. Taking off her helmet and setting it aside, she pulled out her TACPAD and began going over her collected information thus far while adding new entries about medical data… well, whatever she could at least.
Upon seeing this strange device her mistress was holding, Raphtalia's eyes glowed with curiosity. Leaning over the table to see what she was doing, Raphtalia saw Kat… writing in a language she didn't understand. Kat, who took notice of this, raised a brow at the girl.
"You remind me of when I was a kid." Kat smiled at Raphtalia. "Shit outta luck and in the worst place possible, but curious about everything around her." She said, thinking about her time as a distressed war orphan and eventual Spartan III volunteer. "This is called a TACPAD." She told Raphtalia, holding it up for her to see better. "Where I'm from, it's given to everyone. And as you could probably tell, I'm not from around here."
"Where're you from… mistress?" Raphtalia asked, her head tilted with a curious look though making sure she addressed her caretaker properly.
Waving for Raphtalia to lean in, she used a hand to cover what she was saying from the other patrons. "The future." She whispered with a wide smile.
Raphtalia's eyes went wide in awe and wonder. She was about to muster a response until the waiter came by with her meal alongside a bag with ninety five copper pieces which Kat promptly fed to her shield.
Upon seeing her food, Raphtalia began to drool at the smell. "Is it really all for me?" She asked her caretaker. Cautiously reaching a hand towards it, she looked to Kat who nodded in approval with a smile. Happily digging into her food with an unbridled hunger that would make a brute jealous, Kat watched as Raphtalia wolfed down every bite. At one point the feeding frenzy got too much for her small form as she started coughing up scraps that went down the wrong pipe.
Kat pushed Raphtalia's cup of water closer to the girl who grasped it with both hands and chugged half of it to wash her food down. "You poor thing. When I find whoever did this to you, I'll make sure they know why we're called demons." Kat angrily thought while gleefully watching Raphtalia chow down on her first real meal in God knows how long.
Back at Erhard's shop for the third time today, the blacksmith greeted the duo with a cheery smile. "Shield Sis, welcome back! While you two were gone, I got something that I think the little miss can use." He said as he pulled a small blade from beneath the counter.
Grabbing the blade, Kat unsheathed it and gave it a few twirls, checking its weight and balance. After a few swings, she nodded in satisfaction before handing it over to Raphtalia, who took it with a hint of nervousness.
"Alright Raphtalia, show me how you'd hold your blade." Kat ordered the young girl, taking a step back to examine her posture.
Taking a moment to comprehend what she was doing, Raphtalia did as instructed and held her new sword with both of her hands… all while looking stiff as a board and like she could be knocked over given how sloppy her stance was.
Grabbing hold of Raphtalia's arms, Kat adjusted them to be in a more fluid, yet firm position. "Ok, here's what we're going to work on."
Author's Note: And there is the ever adorable RAPHTALIA! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Right now, Kat is such a mom, don't you guys think?
