Author's Note: Apologies about how long it took for this chapter to come out, I had some business to attend to alongside burned motivation. Anyways, as you all know, follow, review, etc, blah blah blah. Last chapter we saw Kat and Raphtalia trauma bond, but what does that mean for the future?
P.S. Any major questions will be answered up here in the next chapter.
ideal man - No. Sergeant Johnson won't be making any cameo's.
L - There was no backup plan, so it was matron vs matron in a battle of accusations. Melromarc already hates the shield hero because of the past ties with demi - humans and slander from the church, so most would still considerably side with the monarchy, even if the shield hero was a woman herself.
Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or ROTSH as they belong to their respective owners.
"Quotes."
"Reading and/or Thoughts"
Emphasis/Emphasis
Emerald Plains, Melromarc
September 2, 2552, 0554 Hours
A week had gone by since their fight in the mines. Kat sat on a rock swiping through her TACPAD trying to find the necessary designs while watching Raphtalia chase down a large porcupine. Somehow, she'd aged nearly ten years, looking now like a young adult rather than an unassuming girl. Kat initially noticed it after they had settled all their business in the mines, seeing her demi - human companion grow a little taller and bulkier. "This world just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Kat thought as she shook her head.
"Kat, look out!" Raphtalia's voice suddenly shouted at her.
Looking up from her TACPAD, Kat saw the porcupine monster making a running charge before leaving at her. Responding immediately, she caught the creature with her prosthetic arm and held it in place. It struggled to break free from her literal titanium grip, but Kat held firm and waited. As Raphtalia's form broke through the tall grass with a menacing scream, Kat threw the porcupine to the ground, stunning it from blunt force trauma and watched as Raphtalia's short sword swung down and bisected the creature.
+215 XP
[Catherine B - 320: Level 19]
+284 XP
[Raphtalia: Level 17]
Shearing her sword after wiping the blood off, Raphtalia grabbed the creature by its tail and held it in the air with a smile on her face. "Kat, look! I got it!" She declared with absolute glee.
"Good job, although we gotta work on your precision. You missed every knife you threw at it. We can't have that happen, now can we?" Kat asked in a criticizing manner.
Raphtalia deflated a little. "Noooo, we can't." She sarcastically responded. "But I'd have hit it if I had my own magnum!" She followed up with, trying to defend herself.
Kat patted her head. "That doesn't excuse your lack of focus with your knives. You'll get your own soon enough, but I want you to be a perfect shot with mine before we let that happen."
"I know mom." Raphtalia scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Kat shook her head in disbelief. "It's gotta be puberty. No way she'd act like this otherwise. I mean, she aged nearly a decade in a week!" She thought as she fed a few parts of the porcupine to her shield. "Raphtalia, I've been meaning to ask. How did you grow up so quickly?"
"What do you mean?" Raphtalia asked, raising a brow in confusion.
"I mean you were a kid a week ago and now you're a young adult." Kat pointed out the obvious to her seemingly oblivious companion.
"Oh! My parents told me that we demi - humans age differently compared to regular humans. We can grow into adulthood either by naturally aging, or by leveling up." Raphtalia explained, tapping her finger on her chin as she recalled what information she could remember.
"Then let's hope that extends to your mental maturity too." Kat teased the young adult demi - human before returning to a more serious tone. "But seriously, before I can give you your own sidearm, you need to be one hundred percent accurate with your sword, knives, and my magnum. Remember what I told you when I got you that ball? I want to see improvement every time, and there's still a lot to work on."
Raphtalia pouted for a moment in protest before quickly giving up and accepting Kat's words. "I know. I just want to be as strong as you one day, and I'll do anything to get there!" She triumphantly declared.
"Don't get the idea about cutting corners." Kat scolded her. "You'll be as strong as me someday, I promise you that. But for now, I think it's time to get you an equipment upgrade. That short sword looks like a dagger in your hands now."
Raphtalia's eyes lit up at the mention of new gear. Happily hopping up and down, she hurriedly packed up their few scattered items and ran up right beside Kat, ready to go. As the pair began the trek back to Castletown, Raphtalia tried to whistle a tune, but only managed to produce broken pockets of air and spit. Kat giggled at Raphtalia's poorly executed attempts before easily whistling a tune of her own.
Raphtalia rolled her eyes and groaned in response. "Ughhh. You don't have to taunt me, you know?" She said out of the blue, making Kat crack up with laughter.
Raphtalia tried appearing annoyed, but couldn't keep up a straight face. Kat's laughter was infectious and Raphtalia was not immune to its effects as she suddenly broke out laughing. Even with Kat's stoic Spartan training, their laughter bounced off of each other and refused to give either of them any room to breathe. Between the two of them, the first to break and start coughing over the lack of air was Raphtalia, who's coughs sounded more like struggling wheezes. Quickly killing her own laughter, Kat knelt beside Raphtalia who'd fallen to her hands and knees struggling to get a breath.
Picking up her companion bridal style, Kat carried Raphtalia to rest of the way to the outer walls of Castletown, giving the demi - human enough room to finally take a deep breath. When air re - entered Raphtalia's lungs, it was one of the best feelings she'd ever felt besides Kat's warm embraces. Taking a few deep breaths to gain a hold over her airways, Raphtalia looked into Kat's faceless visor and wrapped her arms around Kat's neck before leaning into a hug.
"Thanks for taking care of me, Kat. That's one of the best moments I've ever had ever since you saved me." Raphtalia complimented as smiled widely. Holding on tightly, she leaned into Kat's chest and simply laid there, absolutely loving being carried like this.
Closing in one the walls of Castletown, the guards patrolling the perimeter were the first to spot the odd sight. When one shoved the other forward to confirm what they were seeing, the royal knight that Kat could only guess was of a lower rank marched towards them with a confused look on his face. Wordlessly, Kat walked right by the young man, simply flashing him her legendary shield before proceeding to enter through the open main gate.
"Alright, we're here. Let's go see Erhard about that equipment." Kat said as she began to put Raphtalia down. In response, the young woman held on tighter around Kat's neck making her instinctively reach for Raphtalia's wrist to break it, but she caught and stopped herself from committing such a horrible act.
"No, wait. Can… can you carry me all the way there?" Raphtalia asked, giving her largest puppy eyed look she could in a moment of pleading.
Kat pondered for a moment, but she didn't take long to choose. Inaudibly sighing, she stood back up to her full height with Raphtalia's young adult form still firmly in her grasp. "This is the one time, alright?" Kat reluctantly agreed to the adorable woman in her arms, emphasizing the single tense of her agreement.
Raphtalia nodded with the biggest smile on her face and the cheeriest attitude Kat had ever seen. Carrying her through the city got the pair a multitude of looks, mainly the regular disgust and fear that they didn't care about. Finally arriving and entering Erhard's shop, the pair were greeted by the blacksmith with a hearty laugh when he saw Kat carrying her number two.
"Shield Sis, little lady! How ya doing?" He asked as Kat finally set Raphtalia back down on her own two feet. Seeing this older version of Raphtalia made Erhard pause and do a double take just to make sure he wasn't going crazy. "Wow, little miss is that you? I almost didn't recognize you! I gotta say, you've grown into a fine looking young woman." Erhard complimented with a nod, getting a smile in return from Raphtalia. "How's life been treating you so far out there?"
Raphtalia gripped onto the countertop and leaned close to Erhard's face with a smile. "Kat's taught me how to throw knives and is gonna show me how to shoot soon! She's been an awesome caretaker and teacher and I don't wanna let her down!" She excitedly declared.
"Is that so?" Erhard asked with a raised brow. "Well you're certainly more enthusiastic and outgoing, nothing like the pipsqueak you used to be." He told her with a laugh. Raphtalia grumbled in response, only making him bellow an even harder laugh.
"Alright old man, cut her some slack. We're actually here to get her some better gear. Got any recommendations? I'd prefer to keep the price under one - fifty silver." Kat asked, placing a bag of money on the counter.
Erhard rubbed his chin as he looked around the shelves of his shop, eyeing for a weapon that would best suit Raphtalia for such a price. "What about this one, Mr. Erhard? It feels really sharp and fits nicely in my hands." Raphtalia suddenly asked, picking up a larger looking version of her short sword. Its hilt was made of gold while a small red gem lay embedded where the blade and hilt met. The blade itself was polished to such lengths that Kat reflected perfectly from its metallic surface.
"Oh yeah, that one's made of magic iron. It'll never lose its sharpness so cutting through any monster that gets in your way won't be an issue." Erhard explained the magical enchantment in its most basic of forms.
"And how much would it cost? She seems to like it." Kat asked, remarking about Raphtalia who was doing several practice swings with the sword.
"I'd normally charge a hundred twenty five silver, but I could sell it for one hundred flat because I like you." Erhard offered.
"What about eighty? I doubt the king's paying us like the others." Kat tried bargaining.
Erhard scrunched his face in thought before giving his answer. "I guess I can do eighty. But only because I like you that much, Shield Sis."
"Works for me." Kat said. Pulling out the appropriate funds, she was reminded of her still plentiful yet finite supply of cash even with the blacksmith's sale.
[Treasury Shield:]
Account: 583 Silver, 92 Copper
Taking Raphtalia's now old short sword that looked like a regular knife in her hands, Kat held the blade in a signature reverse grip. "Raphtalia, let's test out that magic iron. See if you can knock your old sword out of my hand." Kat challenged her younger counterpart.
Raphtalia had a confident grin slowly grow on her face. In her mind, this wouldn't be easy, but she knew what to expect seeing as her training was taught by the Spartan herself. At least, that's what Raphtalia believed. "I accept your challenge." She said with a graceful mock bow.
"Whoa, hold on. If you're gonna spar, do it out back. I've got a training area set up for things like this." Erhard interjected, stepping in between the two women. Leading the two of them outside, he practically shoved them into his small, makeshift sparring arena.
Each taking a corner, Kat and Raphtalia stood there waiting for the go from Erhard. "Get ready for the ultimate beat down!" Raphtalia already triumphantly declared, pointing arrogantly at Kat's larger form.
"Oh, so I shouldn't go easy on you?" Kat shot back, cracking her knuckles intimidatingly.
"If you do, I'd never forgive you." Raphtalia said with a confident smile.
"And… BEGIN!" Erhard's voice echoed through the street.
Raphtalia drew first and charged at Kat with a blazing speed, wanting to end the fight quickly against her much more capable teacher. Bringing her sword into a downward slash, she expected Kat to glance the blow, not Kat's robotic arm holding her blade in place.
"You said you'd never forgive me." Kat told her in a mocking tone, making Raphtalia's face drop in realization for what she had signed up to. Yanking the magic iron sword, Kat easily wrestled it from Raphtalia's grasp who let out a little yelp in surprise. "And you're dead. Honestly Raphtalia, I expected more from you." Kat said disappointingly.
"That's not fair! You didn't even use the short sword to block it. You just grabbed it with your metal arm!" Raphtalia tried deflecting the blame, leading Kat to place a hand on her shoulder.
"And you think the enemy is gonna play fair? My instructor always told me to expect the unexpected. Wanna know what happened the one time I didn't listen? Boom." Kat said, pointing to her eye making Raphtalia jump. "Try again. This time, use everything I've taught you." She told Raphtalia before handing back her iron sword and taking her corner of the ring.
Starting over, Raphtalia still drew first, but instead of direct action, instead utilized dexterous maneuvering to try and disorient Kat. Kat, for her part, kept a close eye on Raphtalia's blade, not letting her fancy footwork cloud her judgment. Once she closed the gap a little closer than necessary, Raphtalia struck from the left, a blow which Kat easily deflected when she suddenly drew one of her throwing knives with her offhand and attempted to slash slash at Kat's hand that held the short sword. Kat, reacting almost instantaneously, parried the attack with the sword with such force that it knocked the knife from Raphtalia's hand.
"Better. That surprise attack was good, but you followed up too slowly." Kat explained. Raphtalia nodded and carefully digested the information, however that didn't stop her from pouting about the less.
Setting up for a third trial, the two of them continued this back and forth training session. Hours went by as each iteration had Raphtalia seeing tiny increments of gradual success, weaving each critique and lesson Kat explained into her next move. By the time they had ended, Raphtalia was dripping with sweat and panting from exhaustion, barely able to stand.
"You're getting better, keep it up. But you still have a long way to go." Kat complimented Raphtalia, looking at the short sword still in her hand.
Sprawled out onto the earthen ground, Raphtalia simply nodded, her muscles too weak to form even simple words. As she took large breaths of air to refill her aching lungs, a growl from her stomach spoke of her true desires.
"Sounds like you worked up an appetite. Don't worry, me too." Kat said, extending a hand to Raphtalia.
Raphtalia firmly clasped the offered hand of Kat who easily helped her to her feet. Taking a gulp of cold water, complimentary of Erhard, she took a moment to relax as she felt the cold liquid circulate through her blood. After thanking Erhard for being allowed to use his arena, the two of them set off in search of their next big adventure: getting some food.
Entering the restaurant they'd visited once before, Kat and Raphtalia found an empty table near the back of the establishment. The room was rather quiet, filled with only a small number of patrons who individually ate their meals or gossiped in hushed voices about local drama. A few of them stole glances towards the Shield Hero and her companion, but neither paid attention to it.
Waving over one of the available waiters, the pale man with brown hair and stubble who had served them previously quickly moved to their side. Taking off her helmet to look the man straight in the eyes, Kat caught an unnerving glance from him which she brushed off. "Two orders, preferably your largest in protein."
His eyes darted and focused on everything around Kat, doing seemingly everything he could to avoid her own as he shakily pulled out a small notepad. "O– on it, madam. It'll be two silvers." He stuttered, hurriedly scribbling down on his notepad.
Kat furrowed her brow at the man's apprehensiveness as she handed him the coins. As he dashed away, her mind floated to the day of her 'trial'. "I don't care how I'm viewed, but how can these people believe such blatant propaganda? ONI would be having a field day ripping it apart and explaining how to improve every single detail! Feels more like a fucking witch hunt that's got everyone by the balls." Kat thought, struggling to rationalize how someone could easily fall into such a trap. If she'd have fallen for something this stupid in bootcamp, Mendez would've killed, revived, then killed her again for not using even the most basic of rational thought.
"Kat?" Raphtalia suddenly spoke up. Snapping back to reality, Kat's attention darted from where the waiter had run off too to staring directly into Raphtalia's glowing red eyes. The tanuki demi - human was hunched over the table, leaning in to try and get a reading on her caretaker. "I saw your thinking face. What was it about?"
Kat sighed. She knew she'd have to explain why everyone except Erhard seemingly avoided her like the plague. "Raphtalia, before I met you, I was… framed in a staged trial on trumped up accusations of assault and rape against the princess of this kingdom. Now," Kat paused, leaning in close before continuing in a tone barely above a whisper. "Raphtalia, do you know what rape is?"
The tanuki went silent as her posture deflated and eyes shifted to the floor. She tensed up, taking more than a moment to think of her response. "Y- yes. Some of the other slaves talked about it… and how it happened to them." She replied, shifting in such a way that Kat could easily tell it was an uncomfortable subject for her.
Kat breathed both a sigh of relief and worry. "Good, then I don't have to explain how serious it is. Long story short, I was 'found' guilty and sentenced to public shaming." She said, reaching out and clasping Raphtalia's twitching hands. "But I was able to convince two of the other heroes of my innocence. Remember when we met Ren and Itsuki at Lute Village, and how they mentioned a trial?" Kat asked to which Raphtalia just silently nodded. "That's what they meant."
The two of them sat in silence for a solid minute as Raphtalia ran Kat's confession through her head again and again, each time slowly unraveling and understanding why she'd been taken from the slave market that fateful day. Shooting a look at Kat, she leapt over the table and wrapped her arms around the Spartan in a massive hug with her head buried into her shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." She apologized to Kat, seemingly forgetting for a moment that her own situation was far worse.
Kat, taken aback by the action, was unsure of what to do before shaking her head and returning the gesture. "Thank you, but you don't have to worry about me." She simply replied, softly stroking Raphtalia's head. The action felt… relaxing, comforting, something she hadn't felt in a long time. The tanuki certainly had a certain natural charm about her that made it easier to confide in her over others. Perhaps it was the eerie similarity of the experiences of their younger selves that allowed them to connect no differently than if she were simply another Spartan. Continuing to hold Raphtalia's athletic frame and gently stroke her soft hair, the pair sat there as the few eyes within the establishment were glued to them, but they didn't care.
Their touching moment was then suddenly interrupted by the sound of plates clattering onto their table. "Apologies for the interruption madams, but here are your meals. Please, do enjoy." Their waiter said before bowing and quickly making his way back to the kitchen. The smell of the freshly cooked wellington's shot straight into their noses and sent a wave of hunger through them; none more so than Raphtalia who's mouth began salivating at the intense scents. Forgoing their heart - felt moment, she picked up her fork and knife like Kat taught her and happily chowed down on her meal after being thoroughly exhausted by Kat's sparring session. Seeing how happy she was, Kat scooched just a tiny bit closer to her companion and, just as happily, enjoyed her meal whilst keeping an eye out at the other patrons.
Taking several large bites, Raphtalia paused for a moment and turned to Kat. "Kat, vut fuub tid yo hav in te oo-enn-esh-schee?" She asked with a mouthful of wellington, spittles of food flying out of her mouth.
Kat looked at her with an unamused expression. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she held a hand up in front of Raphtalia's face offering her a napkin. "Please wipe your face, Raphtalia. I told you, if it's not an emergency then don't speak with your mouth full. You're just getting food everywhere else but your stomach." Kat reminded her excited companion. Swallowing hard, Raphtalia let out a heavy breath as she wiped her mouth with Kat's o - so - generously provided cleaning utensil. "It really depended on what you wanted and where you were getting it. If it was the mess hall on a base or ship, you could expect to get something like this from time to time. But if you were in the field it was MRE's and shitty nutrition bars." Kat briefly explained as she took another fork - full of wellington.
Raphtalia raised a brow, interested in the selections of these provided foods. "What made the bars so bad? Were they hard to eat? Did they not taste good?" She asked in a flurry of questions, hopping up and down in her seat faster each time.
Placing a hand on Raphtalia's shoulder so that she wouldn't launch to orbit, Kat nonchalantly shrugged her response. "They tasted like dirt, simple as that. But they got the job done. Gave you enough nutrients to last a week."
Raphtalia crossed her arms and pouted at Kat's explanation of 'dirt food'. "Hmph. I doubt it since I've eaten dirt." She said, swiveling her head in a pompous manner.
Kat giggled at Raphtalia's dramatic display. "And now you're having a beef wellington. Oh how the times have changed." She said in a half - sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes and raising a few soft chuckles from Raphtalia.
Kat stared happily at Raphtalia as she laughed. "She's changed so much. A week ago she was a sickly, scared little girl; now she's enjoying life without a care in the world. None of that stupid fucking branding and she even jokes about her old life! God I'm such a horrible parent." Kat thought with a smile, staring at the young woman who'd grown up right in front of her very eyes.
Having finished their lunch and now back out onto the streets, Raphtalia stretched to help settle her overstuffed stomach. "Best. Food. Ever." She said, taking a big breath of chilly afternoon air.
Kat nodded and softly padded Raphtalia on the back. "Glad you liked it. It's one of the few times I've ever had the luxury of treating myself." She happily remarked. "But now we have a few other orders of business before this next wave, whenever it comes. First, you need a new outfit, something more suitable for combat. A dress like that's only gonna get caught on snags and get you hurt. I saw a tailor's this way and I've already got the design on hand, so c'mon." Kat explained, waving for Raphtalia to follow and she made her way down the street.
Soon entering the tailor's shop, they were met with a ringing chime. Kat took in every detail of the place; it reminded her of the many stores she'd passed by when on deployments — most of which were destroyed in some manner. Her curiosity was suddenly thrown aside as she was bombarded by a young woman no older than herself with dirty blonde hair and glasses. "Welcome! Oh, Lady Shield Maiden, what a pleasant surprise." She bowed, greeting the duo in a cheery attitude. "Oh. My. Goodness! Aren't you just the cutest thing!" She shouted at a pitch that made both Kat and Raphtalia wince as she ran up to Raphtalia.
Taking an extremely rare step back, Kat was at a loss for words as her mind scrambled to find out how to deal with someone as high energy as this. "Uhhh, pleasures all mine ma'am. We're here to get my companion a new outfit. I've already got a design ready." Kat explained to the tailor.
The tailor, who's name tag Kat read as Marie, shifted her focus from doting on the adorable tanuki in her presence to the towering shield maiden. "Of course! What can I do for you, Lady Shield Maiden?" Marie asked with a quizzical expression.
Pulling out her TACPAD, Kat swiped through a few files before settling on one labeled Uniform and opened it, revealing a BDU garment with a lightly wooded camouflage pattern. "This uniform is standard issue amongst soldiers where I come from. Think you can make it?" Kat asked, not entirely sure if a 'medieval' tailor was up to the task.
Marie's eyes leaned in close to the screen, observing each and every tiny detail of this unfamiliar clothing. It was something she'd never seen before, but then again the one asking for it was the Shield Hero from a strange land so she wasn't going to question it. "I've never seen such detail before, but it seems simple enough! Although, it may take a little longer than my usual requests. I'll need to take your companions' measurements first." She explained as she grabbed a hold of Raphtalia and practically dragged her to a stall. After a few minutes, the two women emerged, Raphtalia's face a little flushed and Marie jotting down notes on a clipboard. "Alright, I've got everything I need. I should have it done in…" She paused, tapping her cheek with her finger as she thought. "Four hours, tops! That's including the boots. Is that alright with you, Lady Shield Maiden?"
Kat nodded to Marie and summoned a pouch of silver. "That's fine. How much is it all?" She asked the tailor.
Marie shook her head and waved her arms in denial. "Don't worry about it, Lady Shield Maiden. Having the honor of making a new outfit for you is rewarding enough." She said, bowing before Kat who raised a brow. "I'm deeply sorry about the outcome of that trial, so please accept this as a form of forgiveness."
Kat was taken aback by how Marie was acting. She thought back to how almost everyone was just a drone who mindlessly followed propaganda, but now she's met someone who, not only didn't believe it, but is apologizing on behalf of it. Taking twenty silver from the pouch, she placed the coins into Marie's hands and closed them shut. "Before you say anything, I insist. You're quite mature for someone your age, Marie. I appreciate it." Kat nodded to the young woman who gave a smile in return.
"You're very generous, Lady Shield Maiden. I'll have your order in perfect condition upon your arrival!" Marie triumphantly declared as she ran to the back of her shop.
Taking their leave, Kat stole a glance at Raphtalia whose face was still flushed red. Letting out a laugh, she was amused by how embarrassed her companion looked. Raphtalia shot back an angry look. "W— what's so funny?!" She exclaimed, trying to put up a wall of bravado, only to serve in making Kat laugh even harder. "You suck." Raphtalia pouted, playfully punching Kat in the shoulder which, once again, was as hard as a rock.
"And you're adorable." Kat replied, causing Raphtalia to blush even harder from embarrassment as she jogged ahead.
Returning to Erhard's, Kat had a little side project she wanted to surprise Raphtalia with. Distracting Raphtalia by having her take some time to practice with her sword alone, she struck up a conversation with the blacksmith. "So the armor is called M52B Body Armor. It's a lightweight and maneuverable full body protective armor used in all military branches of my universe." Kat explained to the man, showing him the blueprints on her TACPAD.
Erhard scratched his chin as he carefully evaluated the armor. Nodding his head, he had to give props to whoever designed it. It was almost as protective as full plate without any of the mobility downsides. "Shield Sis, your universe is full of surprises, you know that? Give me a few minutes to copy the blueprints and I can get to work on it. Since it's a custom job, it'll cost you two hundred silver." Erhard informed Kat as he started scribbling information from her TACPAD.
Summoning the coins and passing them to Erhard, she clasped his arm and pulled him close before whispering into his ear. "Raphtalia's really been hammering me about wanting her own sidearm and I think it's almost time for her to get one." She explained, pulling up its blueprints.
Erhard simply copied the instructions before discretely tucking them away and giving Kat a wink. "Consider that on the house. A present for the little lady if you will. Oh, speaking of which!" He paused. Reaching beneath the counter, he pulled out a small box and slid it over to Kat who took a quick look at its contents and nodded to herself.
Putting it away for now, Kat smiled at Erhard's generosity. "Thanks, I owe you one. Got an idea of how long they'll take?"
"Give or take a few days. Doubt it'll be in time for the wave though, sorry." He shrugged before heavily sighing, his face trading its usual humorous appeal for something more serious. "Hey kid, don't die when this thing happens, alright? You owe me a lot more than one and I need someone to keep milking money off of." He remarked with a smirk.
Kat rolled her eyes at his abominable attempt at humor. "Oh har har. Very funny coming from someone in arms reach." She teased the man.
"Oh yeah? Then put'em here." Erhard said, jokingly taking a boxing stance.
Kat rolled her eyes at the man's display, but before she could get another word in the door leading to Erhard's training area swung open as Raphtalia stepped in, eyes widened in surprise. "Kat, Erhard, come look!" She called out to them, pointing to the street. Intrigued, the duo followed the demi - human and saw a marching column of armored horses and knights funneling down the busy street. Hundreds, if not thousands, of onlookers watched in amazement and paved a lane for the royal army.
Kat crossed her arms. She had to hand it to them, the military was clearly a professional force, but she shook her head, knowing that their reliance on ancient technology put them at a severe disadvantage. "Seems like the entire town's on edge. That next wave is no doubt on its way, I just wish I knew exactly when." She remarked, watching the carriages fade out into columns of infantry.
Erhard furrowed his brow at Kat and cocked his head. "Wait. You mean to tell me no one told you about the hourglass?" He asked, his voice containing a mixture of both confusion and concern.
Kat paused and thought for a moment before it clicked. "Oh you fucking bastard." Balling her fists, a look of frustration plastered itself on her face. "No. It seems the monarchy wants to fuck me over in every which way. I've already dealt with bullshit like this from ONI and I didn't appreciate it. Mind explaining?" She asked, annoyedly pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Well, the Dragon Hourglass acts like a timer that tells us how much time we have left before the next wave. You know that church that sits in the town square? That's where you'll find it. After it's counted down to zero, all four heroes will be transported to where the wave is." He explained, pointing out the opulent blue building with a large gold insignia made up of three of the legendary weapons.
Kat sighed at the prospect of having to interact with a religious order. "Jesus Christ, I hate this place. Once again, you've helped out tremendously, Erhard. I'll be sure to pay you a visit once the wave's over." Grabbing Raphtalia's hand, she waved goodbye to Erhard as she began marching, no, stomping her way there.
Erhard smiled and shot them a thumbs up. "Good luck you two!" He shouted over the blaring fanfare of trumpets.
Zigzagging through the complex network of roads and alleyways that made up Castletown, Kat and Raphtalia eventually made their way to the church thanks to Kat's near - perfect memory. Standing outside, Kat looked up and meticulously observed every detail of the building. Its bright blue and gold decor gleaming in the early afternoon sun made it quite the eyesore for Kat who scoffed at it. Balling her fists, she hated the memories it brought up of the Covenant's genocidal crusade against humanity.
Kat felt a gentle hand grab her arm snapping her attention away from the opulent building. "Hey, I can tell you're uneasy. It's because it reminds you of them, doesn't it?" Raphtalia asked in a soft tone, glancing between Kat's faceless visor and the golden insignia that clung to the tower of the church.
Kat nodded as her blue eyes met Raphtalia's red. "You could say that. Having fought against zealots all my life, I don't have a positive outlook on religion. Because of it I lost my family, my home, my brothers and sisters..." Kat trailed off as Raphtalia silently stood, nodding and listening.
Taking a step, she moved around so as to stand between Kat and the entrance to the church. "I understand. Before I was born, of all the four heroes only the Shield Hero stood up and protected us demi - humans. And now I'm fighting alongside her." She explained with a smile spreading across her face. "You're the strongest person I know. You can handle this."
"She knows how to give a damn good pep talk." Kat thought. With a deep breath, she gave Raphtalia a short nod of approval before stepping forward and pushing open the wooden doors that separated them from the interior.
Upon opening the door, a nun dressed in white robes with some strange cross around her neck bowed and greeted the duo. "Welcome, lady hero, to the Church of the Three Heroes. How may we assist you in your divine work?"
A familiar chill ran up Kat's spine. Her instincts told her to not trust this woman, and perhaps by extension, no one else who associates with this place. "We're looking for the Dragon Hourglass. We were told you've got it on hand?" She inquired from the nun.
Smiling, she nodded in response. "Of course. Right this way." The nun said, extending her arm down one of the many adjacent hallways. Without another word, she stepped off in the direction of the hourglass with Kat and Raphtalia quickly following behind.
After a short walk, they finally laid eyes upon the hourglass. Its large, golden frame was complemented perfectly by the red sand slowly falling from one end to the other. The pair stood motionless, Raphtalia enamored by its glistening beauty while Kat remained shocked and amazed at the technological workings of the uniquely complex contraption.
Taking a step closer, the hourglass began to glow and hum. "I'd give everything to break this thing down and study it. I take it that it runs on magic?" Kat asked, looking back at the nun who simply nodded in response. "So… how does this thing work? To register for the wave do I just— " She tried asking before the gem of her shield began to glow, cutting her off. From out of nowhere, a blue beam of energy shot out from the hourglass and enveloped Kat, catching her off guard. Instinctively taking a defensive stance, the room energy surrounding Kat flashed brightly before slowly fading. On her HUD came a new notification, one of a blood red timer.
00:12:35:56
00:12:35:55
00:12:35:54
00:12:35:53
"Only twelve hours left?! We need to prepare, NOW!" Kat thought as she began devising plan after plan. In the middle of her rapid firing contingencies, an all - too - annoyingly - familiar voice called out to her.
"Kat? What're you doing here?" Motoyasu called out from the base of the steps, his party of females collectively gathered around him. One member specifically made Kat roll her eyes: Myne.
"Kat, is this the Spear Hero?" Raphtalia asked with a raised brow, her eyes intensely scanning each member of the party. When her eyes met that of Motoyasu's, his prior expression of curiosity was replaced with that of lust.
"Oh my. Why hello there! I'm Motoyasu Kitamura, the Spear Hero! Why is such a fine lady like yourself traveling with a rapist like her? Please, leave her and join my party, so that I may fight and protect you." Motoyasu said creepily to the tanuki.
As he took a step forward trying to place a hand on Raphtalia, a metallic fist slammed into Motoyasu's jaw nearly ripping it clean off and sending him flying into a nearby wall. Landing with enough force to become embedded into the concrete surface, Motoyasu groaned in pain as his hit points dropped to near single digits. Kat, nodding at her handiwork, silently turned and clasped Raphtalia's hand before she headed for the door.
"Hey bitch! You can't just get away with attacking Sir Motoyasu!" Myne exclaimed.
Stopping but for a moment, Kat turned back to look at the frankly sickening individuals before flashing them the middle finger and taking off. A blood vessel clearly popped in Myne's forehead because she had the audacity to run up behind Kat and grab her arm, something she immediately found out was a grave mistake. Spinning around faster than Myne could blink, Kat grabbed the princess by the collar of her armor and raised her a solid two feet in the air.
Bringing Myne close to her visor, Kat whispered in her ear. "Don't. Test. Your. Luck." Dropping Myne to the floor with a loud thud, Kat and Raphtalia exited the church, no doubt having lost whatever good graces they may have had with the organization.
Taking off her helmet, Kat breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Glancing at Raphtalia, Kat could see that she was clearly both disturbed and angered over the encounter. "We've got just over twelve hours to finalize our preparations. We should hurry and stop by the tailor's. Marie should be almost done with your uniform." She informed Raphtalia, quickly changing the subject.
Raphtalia agreed with an exaggerated nod. "Yes, please. The Spear Hero was such a pervert." She said, sticking her tongue out in disgust.
"Oh I'm well aware. He tried hitting on me when I first took off my helmet." Kat said, recalling her own first visit with the Japanese man.
"Oh yeah? And what'd you do then?" Raphtalia asked with an extremely curious expression.
"Almost ripped his arm off." Kat said with a malicious smirk.
"Heh. You probably should've." Raphtalia remarked, still queasy about her first meeting with Motoyasu.
"Maybe. But that's in the past. Let's get you that uniform." Kat said, getting down to business.
00:10:42:15
00:10:42:14
00:10:42:13
00:10:42:12
Raphtalia stretched as hard as possible, testing the flexible limits of her new outfit. "Marie did a fantastic job. If this is what the UNSC wears daily, I'm JEALOUS!" Raphtalia thought with a smile plastered on her face as the extremely soft and comfortable material passed her test.
Kat stood by her side watching Raphtalia committing to her uniforms' stress test. "Judging by the look on your face, I'm gonna guess you like it."
Raphtalia's head swiveled to face Kat, a shocked expression of offense having replaced her previous smile. "Like it? I adore it!" She exclaimed. "Thank you for getting it for me."
"You can thank me by surviving this wave." Kat said, taking a step back and reaching for something in her shield. "But there's something else I wanna give you. I had Erhard make these for you before we grabbed lunch, and they're very important for any trooper." She said, handing Raphtalia a small white box.
Opening the box, Raphtalia saw it was some sort of necklace with a small piece of metal that had Raphtalia's name engraved in it alongside some numbers and the rank of Private. Taking the item in hand, she was momentarily confused at what the necklace was. Seeing this, Kat reached beneath her own armor and grabbed hold of her own dog tags, revealing them to Raphtalia.
"They're dog tags, the main method of I.D. In the military. Congratulations Raphtalia, you're officially a Private of the UNSC Army." Kat informed her with a compersive smile. Taking off her helmet, Kat held it by her side and stood straight as an arrow as she brought a hand up and saluted the UNSC's latest member.
Gripping her tags tightly in a balled fist, Raphtalia leaped at Kat and wrapped her in a bear hug. Kat returned the gesture and gave her a pat on the head, neither exchanging any actual words for a solid minute. Kat then spoke up, breaking the silence. "Alright, alright. Go ahead, put them on. We've still got some work to do before the wave."
Doing as she was told, Raphtalia put it on and noted how snugly it felt around her neck. Watching how Kat put her own back beneath the neck of her armor, Raphtalia imitated the motion and did the same. "It feels weird, like it's brushing coldly on my chest." She complained, finicking with the dog tags beneath her shirt.
Kat gently brushed Raphtalia's hand away from the dog tags. "You'll get used to it. The sun's setting so we should rest up for the night. We've got only ten hours until this thing hits us." She explained to Raphtalia who nodded in agreement.
Making their way to one of the cheaper inns around town, Kat watched as the sun's light seemed to illuminate Raphtalia's newfound vigor. "She's definitely come a long way. Hopefully I've trained her well for tomorrow. And thank God she got used to my magnum, it'll probably be the difference between life and death for countless civilians." Kat gloomingly thought. Pushing those ideas to the back of her head, the two of them soon arrived and purchased one of the cheaper double bedrooms.
Immediately upon Raphtalia's head hitting the pillow, her lights went out. Rather than falling asleep herself, Kat broke open the book Gunther had given her a week ago and slowly began reading over it. Her TACPAD was placed beside the book, a few of this world's symbols translated into their English counterparts displayed on the glass screen. Taking a couple hours into the night, she tried transcribing the alphabet, making only bits of progress as she arduously went back and forth between each letter.
After some time, she'd only managed to get a few letters translated, but she felt satisfied with each victory because of the nonexistence of any meaningful guide. Plopping into bed beside Raphtalia's sleeping form, she ran a hand over the tanuki's short hair. "This is it. You better survive, Raphtalia. Otherwise I'm burning this kingdom to the ground." She menacingly thought as she laid back onto the soft pillow and drifted to sleep.
Author's Note: And there's chapter 5. Again, sorry it took well over a week to get out, things came up here and there alongside some burnt motivation. But now you've all read it and are waiting in anticipation for THE FIRST WAVE!
