Author's Note: We broke 10,000 views! I'm quite grateful for the viewership this story has gotten considering the extreme niche of this crossover category (Like 5 other stories only before this one). Anyways enjoy Kat kicking the shit out of a pervert for her pseudo daughter!
P.S. - Any major questions will be answered up here in the next chapter.
P.P.S. - Apologies about the slower updates. I've been binge-playing Baldurs Gate 3 the last couple weeks so I only write a little each night compared to my original multiple pages per night.
Dgreen20 - Challenges will be posed to her, but it's still early in the whole "hero" thing so there aren't really any meaningful creatures that can, at least not yet.
CT7567Rules - I can't guarantee that I will update Alice's Bow Hero story. I don't know enough about the Bow Hero to make an accurate story, nor have the time to completely write a standalone one myself.
Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or ROTSH as they belong to their respective owners.
"Quotes."
"Reading and/or Thoughts"
Emphasis/Emphasis
Castletown, Melromarc
September 3, 2552, 1416 Hours
"Kat! I challenge you to a duel!" The annoying voice of Motoyasu declared, standing over Kat's shoulder.
"Oh my fucking God I'm going to break his finger." Kat thought with a sigh, barely believing that Motoyasu was trying to even entertain the idea of a fight. "What. The fuck. Do you want?" She asked in the most obnoxious tone, turning to face the man with a scowl on her face.
Without skipping a beat, he tested his luck by leaning in close, barely a few inches away from Kat's face. "I've recently been informed that you're keeping a slave; Raphtalia! You've been using her to fight, something no one should be forced to do." He said, dramatically pointing her out like he had solved a serial murder case.
Kat held back the want to throw him through a window, instead gritted her teeth and silently cursed her shitty luck. "And what one God's green earth would make you think that?"
Motoyasu's face went from accusatory to flabbergasted. "The fact that Raphtalia fights for you even though you're a scummy criminal! Don't think I noticed how uncomfortable she looked when we met back at the hourglass." He said, pointing at the tanuki in question who had a look of puzzled confusion.
Kat clenched her fists, a seething anger slowly rising from the bottom of her chest. "Oh I remember. Raphtalia is my business and mine alone. If you dare try to interfere between us, I will turn you inside out, you scrawny dumb piece of shit." She said, loudly rising from her seat and poking a finger into his chest. "And so what if she's a slave? I bought her freedom with my own money so you have no say in our affairs. Besides, it's not like it's illegal to own a slave in this kingdom. You, Myne, and the king all left me to rely on myself, and while I could've certainly done so, I needed some extra help in this unfamiliar world." She paused, putting on her helmet and placed a hand on her still holstered magnum. "But if this is how you're gonna act, then fuck you and fuck off. Raphtalia, we're leaving. We don't have to entertain this pervert." Kat finished, pushing past Motoyasu and making her way to the exit of the large dining hall chamber.
Standing up, Raphtalia took a single step before a surprisingly sturdy hand grabbed her arm. Forcefully spun around, she came face to face with the Spear Hero who had a worried look on his face. "It's ok, I'll rescue you from that monster's clutches." He said, pulling her into an uncomfortable hug.
Now having crossed the line, Kat marched in between the pervert and her girl and aggressively pushed him away. "You are on thin fucking ice Motoyasu. I don't want to make a scene and destroy this party, but if you value your life, you won't touch Raphtalia again." She threatened the man, standing her full height over him.
Her threat only served to anger the man, much to her dismay. Now screaming in her face, Motoyasu caught the attention of everyone at the party. "You're a soldier from the future keeping her as a slave to do your bidding and you call yourself a hero?! You of all people should know we can't act like scum here, so I challenge you to a duel for her release!" He declared, throwing a glove at Kat's feet in a ceremonial fashion.
Recognizing she was about to have a fight on her hands, Kat rapid fire thought of every possible scenario in which she could kill the man just by using her surroundings. "And I don't care. Raphtalia is under my care, and I'll be damned if you take her away." She said with venom laced in her voice, placing a hand on her magnum, ready to draw in less than a moment's notice.
"That is ENOUGH!" The booming voice of King Aultcrey declared, his eyes glaring with hatred at Kat. "If you harbor a slave in your party, then you truly are worthy of being called a demon. I won't tolerate this behavior anymore. Shield Hero, I order you to accept this duel!" He exclaimed, slamming his fist onto the arms of his throne.
Kat's emotionless visor stared right through the king's eyes, her own etching into his retinas. "Fuck your order." Kat declined, placing a hand on Raphtalia's shoulder and giving her a comforting nod. "Let's go."
"Guards, seize them!" Aultcrey ordered his men who quickly surrounded the pair.
Pulling the collar of her shirt down to expose the upper portion of her chest, Raphtalia revealed no signs of a slave crest. "Wait! I'm not a slave; look, there's no crest! I'm with her in my ow—" Raphtalia tried saying before a guard's hand covered her mouth and began dragging her back.
The king's expression changed from that of anger to pity. "You poor thing. You can't speak out against your master. No doubt your crest is drawn in a location better hidden. Guards, strip her down and search for the crest that binds this poor creature to the Shield Demon's servitude." Aultcrey ordered his men, his expression changing once more to smug satisfaction.
In a flash, Kat drew her magnum and aimed it at the guard who's eyes opened in terror as he realized what was about to happen. However, surprisingly, Raphtalia was quicker as she brought her head forward and reared it back, head butting the man and causing him to loosen his grip. Using this new freedom of movement, she lifted her legs and swung backwards into his knee, shattering it with a sickening crunch. Now free from his grasp, she spun around and brandished her sword to his throat. "Do that again, and I will end your life where you stand!" Raphtalia yelled at the guard who fell to the floor crying in pain over a broken leg and bleeding nose.
A small sense of pride swelled in Kat's chest before forcing it back down. "We can't fight the kingdom, at least not until I can read their language and understand magic." She thought. Gritting her teeth, Kat sighed knowing she'd have to relent, at least for now. "Fine. I accept your stupid duel."
The king visibly deflated with relief. "Good. Then we shall see to it in the arena, for tonight, we watch our holy savior and Spear Hero, Sir Motoyasu, fight in honorable combat against the Shield Hero!" The king proclaimed with a flurry of gestures, exciting the crowd who cheered and hollered at the event's announcement.
Kat leaned against the wall of the darkened tunnel that led to the arena. Across from her stood Raphtalia who held a confident expression. "How sure are you about this? Not killing him, I mean." Raphtalia asked her caretaker who simply chuckled in response.
Kat smiled and shook her head. "I can't guarantee I won't. So far his current track record lines up with someone who's been given too many article fifteen's to count." She joked, making Raphtalia's head cock to the side in confusion.
Kat exhaled a deserved sigh. "Ok, that's on me. An article fifteen is a generic punishment for doing something stupid. A slap on the wrist that can add up. Motoyasu, being all dick and no brains, would've certainly had a small pile under his belt if he was a soldier. And much worse for sexual harassment charges." She explained, summing up the story for Raphtalia's understanding.
A smile formed on Raphtalia's face. "Then I hope you pummel that pervert into the ground. He should be no match for you." She confidently declared.
The blaring of trumpets caught their attention, focusing their gazes to the iron gate that separated them from the arena itself. Slowly, the gate began to rise. Taking a last minute stock, Kat checked if her magnum was fully loaded, Raphtalia's old short sword sharpened, and stretched out her muscles. "Raphtalia, got any ideas about what Motoyasu's abilities are from the stories you've read?" Kat asked her tanuki companion.
Raphtalia simply shrugged in response. "No. Most of the stories I know are about the Shield Hero. I'm sorry Kat." Raphtalia apologized, shrinking a little in shame.
Kat smiled at Raphtalia in reassurance. "Don't be sorry. You've only got so much intel to work off of. When I… we finish learning how to read this world's language, there's gotta be some book somewhere outlining prior heroes abilities."
Raphtalia raised a confused brow. "Is that why you've been staying up long into the night?" She asked, getting a nod in response. "Kat, if that's the case then you should have just asked! I know how to read so I'd be happy to help." Raphtalia exclaimed, shocked that Kat didn't just ask her to teach her how to read their language.
"I didn't want to pull you away from your training. Besides, I'm a cryptanalyst. Indulging in unknown information is kinda my thing." Kat said, stepping up to the almost open gate.
"A crypt— what now?" Raphtalia asked, shaking her head in disbelief at all these big, unknown words Kat's telling her.
Kat waved her off as the gate came to a halt. "I'll explain later. For now, let's win this competition so they'll keep their grubby hands off of you." She said as they stepped into the brightly lit arena that her visor automatically polarized to combat.
An announcer spoke up to address the arena. "The field between the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero shall now commence. The duel will come to an end when one of the combatants is either defeated or admits defeat. Because the duel is taking place before high majesty King Aultcrey XXXII and his excellency the Pope of the Three Heroes Church, it has been declared legitimate!"
The king sat in a boosted space overlooking the arena. Beside him stood a man dressed in heavy religious clothing; a pope, bishop, or some other high ranking church official no doubt. Motoyasu then suddenly walked out from the darkness of his tunnel flanked by his harem. Parting ways from his group, Kat overheard Myne wish him good luck before going to stand opposite of Raphtalia. Kat stood there giving off no hints of emotions as she analyzed whatever she could about Motoyasu and his spear. The biggest thing Kat noticed was part of the spear's shaft was covered in an all too familiar asteroid rock. The question then remained, what did that mean?
Cracking her neck, Kat loosened herself up a little knowing speed would be her best bet if she didn't want to waste the ammunition. Pulling out her short sword, she held it in a reverse grip as she got into a low takeoff stance. "I'm gonna be nice and give you one chance to opt out before I break a hundred and forty seven of your bones." She offered Motoyasu.
Motoyasu scoffed, seemingly offended that Kat would dare to trick him into forfeiting. "Yeah I'm gonna pass on that. You can go ahead and save me the trouble by jumping out yourself before I do it for you." He replied with a counteroffer.
"Then I guess we're at an impasse. You better be ready because I'm going to shatter your skeleton." Kat bluntly informed Motoyasu, sending chills down his spine at how casually the delivery was.
Motoyasu paused for a moment to think of a worthy response, one of the first, if not only, time he'd do so. "Don't get too excited. Ever heard the story about the unstoppable spear meets the immovable shield?"
Kat rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Everyone's heard of it. If you think you're the unstoppable force, be my guest." She taunted him. "Should I kill him? No, that'd make me an enemy of the kingdom; not like I already am anyways. And… ugh I can't believe I'm admitting it. We need the spear's power to beat the waves because I'd be a fool to think the rest will be as easy as the last." She smirked, knowing that, while she couldn't outright kill him, she could beat him into submission. "I don't care if I win, I'm just gonna teach him a lesson in the meantime."
The combatants stood silently, poised to strike at each other in a moment's notice. The tension in the air was so strong you could feel it as you breathed. A bead of sweat trailed down Kat's forehead in anticipation for the announcement. "Begin!" The announcer declared. Before he even finished saying the word, Kat took off with such speed towards Motoyasu that the crowd only saw a blue blur.
Motoyasu, caught completely off guard by the incoming superior… no, frankly absurd speed of his adversary, wasn't able to dodge the single punch to his chest. He felt practically all his ribs shatter as he was sent flying across the arena and landed head first into the sand. As the Spear Hero lay there motionless, everyone let out an exasperated gasp thinking Kat had just killed him. Their worries were put to rest, somewhat, when Motoyasu slowly pushed himself up, writhing in pain and coughing up blood from no doubt his ribs becoming a shotgun.
Rising to his feet, his body was unsteady and needed the help of his spear to stand completely up. "I… can't lose. Must free Raphtalia… from you." He sputtered, blood coming up his throat. Tilting the spear towards Kat, she stood there with a look of curiosity and watched as Motoyasu recited a spell incantation. Upon speaking the last word, albeit struggling, a barrage of large, flaming meteorites surged toward Kat.
Kat's eyes widened in shock, not expecting a meteor shower to be shot at her. Nonetheless, she threw her panic aside and focused on each and every meteor. Her augmented reaction time really gave her an edge as she was able to calculate the path of least resistance through the seemingly random barrage. Dodging the first flaming rock as it shot past her head, she sprinted towards the cluster of incoming projectiles. The impacts threw tufts of sand in the air, shrouding her vision, but she just kept going; dodging, weaving, tucking, and rolling, all to close the gap between Motoyasu and herself and deny him his precious ranger ability.
There was only one problem. She was a Spartan III, and unlike her older counterparts in the Spartan II program, she wasn't as perfect as them. The overwhelming field of fire first struck her shoulder, impacting with such a force that it threw her off balance. The second fragmented as it hit her knee, almost sending her tumbling to the ground while the third slammed right into her chest with such strength that it blew out her Mjolnir shielding and sent her flying back several feet, landing unceremoniously in the sand.
The meteor storm continued to pelt her, almost no differently than during training when she was fired upon by entire machine gun crews. However, she was still a Spartan, and she wasn't about to lose to some intangible source of energy. Bringing her shield up to protect her from the sheer volume of mass that continued to pelt her, she quickly jumped to her feet and braced her boots into the sand. As the remainder of the barrage slammed into her legendary defenses, the force slowly pushed her back several inches through sheer kinetic energy. Once it was over, Kat breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Grunting, she snapped her head towards where Motoyasu was standing. "Ok. My turn." She stated, running right up to the man who had even less time to react in his ruined state. Grabbing the sides of his head, she slammed his face right into her knee, breaking his nose, some teeth, and shattering an orbital bone blinding him in one eye. Not done yet, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him at the wall that lined the edges of the arena, destroying one of the wooden pillars that held the crowd aloft.
Kneeling by where Motoyasu lay, Kat hovered over the bloodied, broken, mangled, and somehow still conscious man and cracked her knuckles. "Ready to give up? You don't have to die here, a pitiful excuse of a man. Frankly, I can do this all day. Hell, I'm just getting started." She coldly informed him.
A sudden gust of power wind blew over Kat, barely swaying her nearly two - ton armored form. Not even needing to guess where it originated from, Kat slowly craned her neck in the direction of Myne. "Do you want to try that again?" She simply asked, causing Myne to start shaking in fear. "Oh, so the slut does have a sense for self preservation." She thought, internally taunting the redheaded princess.
It was then that, surprisingly. Motoyasu spoke up, albeit barely above a slurred whisper. "pweesh… schtap." He barely uttered, only Kat seemingly catching his words.
"It seems your precious savior's down and out. If I were you, I'd call the match for his sake. I don't want to kill him, but I'm not opposed to it." Kat demanded the king as she pulled out her magnum and stuck the tip of the barrel against Motoyasu's head. The blonde man began sobbing uncontrollably in an ugly and shattered scene. Kat's bluff worked as she saw the king sit back in his chair and raise his arm to silence the crowd.
"Shield Hero, I regret to admit it, but you have bested Sir Motoyasu in honorable combat. However, your threat against my daughter in the middle of the duel was uncalled for and jeopardized my family's safety. Therefore, I declare Sir Motoyasu the Spear Hero, the winner of this tournament!" He announced. A roar erupted from the crowd who cheered at the Spear Hero's 'victory'.
Kat shrugged as she stared down the king's smug contempt gaze. "I expected some bullshit like this, but I got what I wanted. Private, we're leaving." Kat ordered Raphtalia who turned to leave but was instead apprehended by several guards alongside a court mage who casted a holding spell on her.
The king let out a bellowing laugh at the feebleness Raphtalia showed in trying to escape, even if not her own. "Not so fast, Shield Hero. The terms of your defeat were that poor girl being freed from your infernal shackles, and I intend to do just that. Seize the Shield Hero before she can commit any retaliatory acts against the crest removal ceremony." The king ordered his men, picking and schooling his words carefully so as to sound as noble as possible.
Kat broke out into a sprint heading straight for Raphtalia. However, before she could even take a single step, another court mage casted a holding spell on her, freezing her in place. Kat grunted as she tried to force her body to move, and bit by bit it did, but for the most part it wouldn't cooperate. Kat stood there helpless as all she could do was watch as the guards grabbed ahold of Raphtalia's clothing and violently tore the fabrics from her body.
Raphtalia let out a fearful scream as she tried squirming, but so long as the holding spell was maintained, there was nothing she could do. Kat glanced her eyes to the crowd hoping to see Itsuki and Ren, but couldn't find them anywhere. Raphtalia's screams grew more desperate as, now nudely laid bare, she was tossed and turned as a man carrying a bowl filled with the same ink Beloukas had shown Kat several weeks prior examined her body. Unknown to everyone, Kat's face held a determined look to see those guards buried. Observing each and every one of the guard's faces, she made sure to burn them into her memory. Forcing her body to move, she fought through the resistance while reaching for her magnum. It was slow, arduous, and painful, but the moment it was in her hand, she tilted the barrel towards the mage who had entrapped her and squeezed the trigger at a snail's pace.
A gunshot rang out through the arena as the mage dropped to the floor screaming in agony. Breaking focus, the holding spell that was casted on Kat dissipated. Seizing the opportunity, Kat charged into the group of guards like a raging bull and ran over all of them. Picking one of the men up, she threw him so hard into a wall that he was embedded several inches into stone, clearly dead. Stomping her boot on the next guard's head, she quickly completed her execution by pointing a single round through each of the guard's heads in a gory display of brutality that had much of the arena screaming in fear.
Once the immediate area was clear, Kat's head snapped to the king who was sitting there wide - eyed and in complete shock. Raising her pistol, she fired a single round at the king. Aultcrey clenched his eyes shut as if to brace for the sudden release of death, but it never came. As he opened his eyes, he saw the dust of freshly cut stone floating just millimeters away from his head. His expression of shock shifted to terror as he slowly realized what kind of message Kat had just sent him.
"If you EVER try to pull shit like this again, the next one won't miss." Kat threatened the king who froze in his seat. Holstering her pistol, she bent down and picked up a clearly traumatized Raphtalia. Carrying her bridal style while covering up any of her womanly assets, Kat shoved her way through the arena back into the darkened tunnel where they had entered from.
Those who hadn't witnessed the duel were frozen in place either out of shock or confusion as the Shield Hero walked through the castle corridors carrying a naked demi - human. Raphtalia held onto Kat for dear life, terrified of the prospect of being… mistreated again. For her part, Kat fulfilled Raphtalia's unspoken wish and silently carried her out of the shitty building. The traversal though the streets was even worse as many of the residents gathered around Kat to see what was going on. Without a care in the world, Kat just pushed right on through them knocking them over and ignoring the crude remarks by those who fell to the ground.
Finally arriving at the one place she can trust in the city, Kat entered Erhard's shop and was instantly greeted by the older man. Upon seeing the pair, Erhard didn't even say a word as he grabbed a large blanket of cloth from behind the counter and gave Raphtalia a bit of her modesty back. "Shield Sis, what the hell happened?" Erhard asked, his expression a puzzled mess of confusion, shock, and anger.
Kat took off her helmet and rubbed her shortly shaven head. "The king ordered me to duel the Spear Hero. Granted I could've just walked out and they couldn't have stopped me, but after they tried taking Raphtalia and the fact that I can't fully read your language yet kinda made my decision. Either way, unless he gets healed through magic, which I have no doubt is happening, he's gonna be crippled for a while." She explained, giving him the brief split summary of the previous hours activities.
"Fuck…" Erhard groaned, looking sorrowfully at Raphtalia. "I'm guessing they tried to violate the little lady?" He asked, wincing as the words left his mouth.
Kneeling beside Raphtalia, Kat ran a hand through her short, yet extremely floofy hair. "In a way. They tore her off her uniform trying to find the slave crest I branded her with. Jokes on those assholes I guess. They're either really stupid or just racist, or both, but I'm sure it came to a shock when they didn't find the mean shield devil lady wasn't mind controlling a slave or whatever." In Kat's moment of silence as she pondered over what to do next, Raphtalia spoke up and gave a few more specifics.
"You know, I could've easily taken them all on, but that stupid mage locked me in place. All I could do was scream as they ripped off my uniform. Damn perverts didn't even leave me with wearable clothes." Raphtalia said with a snarl, bearing her canines in frustration at the recent memory.
"And now you have to buy a new one." Erhard surmised, ever proficient with storytelling and bullshitting.
Kat snapped a finger gun right at Erhard. "Bingo. No clue how much it's gonna cost, hopefully not a lot. I'm not so convinced it'll happen, but I swear to God I wanna be paid for doing my job during the wave." She complained out loud, deflating a little at the lost prospect of payment.
Raphtalia spoke up, getting as comfortable as she could in just a blanket of cloth. "If there was a party, it'd make sense if we were gonna get paid right? I mean, it probably went towards the pervert Motoyasu's healing costs, but it could've happened."
Erhard stood there silent for a moment in contemplation. "Shield Sis, I can tell you're pretty worked up over what you've had to deal with, so go ahead and shop. I've almost got the little lady's gear cooked up, but It'll take another day or two to fully assemble. In the meantime, I can keep an eye on her. She can tell me the stories you guys got from the wave." He told Kat, extending his hand.
Taking his hand, Kat firmly shook it and nodded in agreement. "Deal. Raphtalia, I'll be back in a couple of hours. Once I place your new uniform order in, I'm going to get my damn reward money." She said with conviction as she turned and walked out of the shop. She sighed as she stepped out onto the street and closed the door behind her. "This kingdom is disgusting. These people act like Innies and expect to get away with it! I hope that goddamn queen gets back soon. If this country is a matriarchy like Myne said, if she cares at all about her subjects then she'll certainly tear the king and his conniving daughter a new one. Otherwise force will be met with force." Kat thought, smiling at the prospect of the corrupt monarchy getting their comeuppance. The walk through the streets was met with a lot more open hostility from the local populace than normal. Many openly cursed and swore at her, some spit at her feet as she walked past, and others tried getting in her way who she promptly sidestepped without care; all because she nearly killing their beloved Spear Hero.
Finally arriving at the tailor's with a slowly amassing mob on the cusp of rioting simply because she existed, Kat stepped inside and was immediately met by Marie who met the armored warrior's gaze with a nervous look. "Lady Shield Maiden, what happened? There's a lot of angry people standing in front of my shop and that's never happened before." Marie asked, her worried eyes darting back and forth between the mob and Kat.
Kat shrugged nonchalantly. She understood Marie's worries but knew nothing would come of it, yet. "Eh, it's nothing out of the ordinary. The gist? Had to duel the Spear Hero. Guy's an asshole and pervert so I put him in his place with a lot of pain. I lost because of interference, but I was satisfied, that was until they decided to rip off my girls uniform to find a nonexistent slave crest. Jokes on them I guess. Those six dirty guards are dead now." She casually explained to a closely listening, yet horrified, Marie.
Her expression of horror changed to anger and she stomped a foot down and yelled loud enough for the mob outside to hear through the glass which shut them up. "They destroyed my work just to get back at you and harmed a child just to do it?! Why would they assault a goddamn kid?! Do they know how much time and effort I put into that custom job!? I swear I'll march down to the king myself and give him a piece of my mind!" She exclaimed, infuriated over her lost work.
Grabbing Marie's shoulders, Kat held the much smaller woman in place to prevent her from doing anything… absurdly rash. "Trust me. I want nothing more than to rip that corrupt monarch limb from limb, but until I'm fully capable of knowing this world's language, reading a map, and get a better understanding of how magic works, I've gotta stay put. But, first things first, how much for a new outfit for Raphtalia?" Kat asked as she summoned her pouch of silvers and coppers.
Marie waved her off, refusing to accept any of Kat's coins. "I'll send the bill to the castle. They destroyed my work and traumatized the cutest girl ever so they deserve to pay for it." After getting out what felt like a bombshell of feelings, Marie's demeanor shifted back to her initially bubbly self. "I'll get to work right away on a replacement for Raphtalia. The poor girl's no doubt terrified after that happened to her, let alone by the crown guard themselves. They should feel ashamed of themselves! Lady Shield Maiden, I have a favor to ask. Can you get rid of that mob still standing outside, it's making me really nervous."
Kat nodded at Marie's request. "Certainly." She simply stated before disappearing outside somewhere unknown through the mob. Wherever she went and whatever she did, needless to say it got the crowd moving.
Castletown, Melromarc
September 4, 2552, 0652 Hours
The remainder of the previous day had come and gone. Kat picked up Raphtalia's replacement uniform before the pair were summoned to the castle for… something. However, due to the recovery process for Motoyasu, the wanted meeting had to wait until the morning of today, but not all was bad. As the duo were getting dressed, having woken up hours before anyone else, Raphtalia knocked on her new M52B helmet Erhard had worked through the night to finish.
"It's not that heavy at all." Raphtalia remarked, a brow raised as she gave the angular metal a few more taps.
Kat nodded and explained "It's gotta be. Troopers are running with over a hundred pounds of gear, last thing they need is their armor weighing them down." Taking off her own helmet, she handed it to Raphtalia. "But compare it to mine. You should feel a noticeable difference."
As Raphtalia took hold of Kat's helmet in one hand, it felt like she had picked up a one hundred pound weight. She struggled to keep her arm up, fighting against the weight, gravity, and the slowly trickling soreness of her shoulder. After a few painful moments, Raphtalia's arm went slack, dropping the helmet to the floor with a loud thud as it broke the wooden floorboards. Raphtalia scrambled to pick it back up, this time with both hands easing the burden of Kat's helmet, although still shaky. "This thing is so heavy. How do you even wear it? How do you even wear the rest of your armor if just the helmet's this much?" Raphtalia asked, gratefully passing the helmet back to its owner.
Taking and sealing it with its regularly assuring hiss, Kat shrugged in response to Raphtalia question. "Augmentations. I'm a super soldier, remember?" She asked with an unseen raised brow.
Raphtalia scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Right, you're the exception. I've been with you for such a long time that I forgot you're not a normal human."
Raphtalia's remark had the effect of making Kat's shoulder ears perk just a little. Normally banter like that would be either jokes she never fully understood or another service member trying to insult her, but this felt like neither of those; it felt like a genuine compliment. "You're the first person to ever say that in a positive light. That actually had a bigger impact than you think. Thank you, Raphtalia. But I think we've stood around long enough. We've got a summons to answer, otherwise they'll probably start a manhunt." Kat joked as she stepped out of their provided room.
The atmosphere within the halls of the castle was extremely tense. Kat could easily attribute it to her easy pummeling of the kingdom's seemingly favorite boy toy. She internally shrugged and pressed onward like a hatchet through the tension to the well known opulent throne room. Stepping through the foothold that was the jewelry encrusted doorway, Kat and Raphtalia found themselves the first party to enter and were greeted with expressions of disdain from the monarchists who filled the edges of the room. "Oh joy. The crumby old bastard's probably gonna yell like a toddler while we wait for the others." Kat thought, rolling her eyes as she laid them onto the king.
"I must admit, your combat prowess was certainly an interesting display." The king said in a calm and well mannered tone, doing the impossible; catching Kat off guard. "However, your actions to threaten me and my family will not go unpunished. Therefore, considering the result of our previous interaction, the Kingdom of Melromarc will be withdrawing any and all support for your venture barring this final time." He informed Kat and Raphtalia, narrowing his eyes and leaning forward to meet their gazes with a menacing scowl. "Am. I. Understood?"
Kat stood in a moment of pure hesitation. Her head was swimming with the what, how, and why of the king's current attitude. Sure he was pissed off, but since he didn't just blow up in front of her like her old drill sergeants, she couldn't help but be both confused and amazed at the same time. "You know what? I gotta say I'm impressed. You managed to do the impossible and do something unpredictable. How about this? As a fair trade for cutting off my support, we don't help your kingdom anymore. The continental map clearly marks borders of different countries, so let's see if they'd appreciate probably the greatest asset in the world currently standing before you." Kat wagered the old man, uncharacteristically boasting about herself in the single biggest bluff known to man.
"What's this about greatest?" The voice of Itsuki suddenly asked out of nowhere from behind the Shield Hero duo. Walking in, the teenage Bow Hero stepped up beside his bulkier Shield Hero counterpart, a smile plastered on his face as he looked over at Kat. "Good morning, Kat. I hope you guys slept well after that entire fight yesterday. Speaking of which. Raphtalia, are you ok?" He asked in a soft tone, placing a hand on the tanuki's shoulder.
Clutching her chest and looking to the floor as her face slowly blushed from embarrassment, Raphtalia slowly nodded. "Yes, sir Bow Hero, I'm alright. Yesterday was a fluke and I've been able to get over it. It hurts to say, but it's not the first time something like that's ever happened."
"Your highness, if I may. The event that occurred yesterday with Raphtalia was extremely inappropriate and I want you to know I condemn it wholeheartedly. Kat's reaction was quite violent, but not entirely dismissible considering what she had just had to do." The young Bow Hero spoke up, expressing his discontent with the king's actions. The king's expression swapped faster than a snap from frustrated to shock hearing the Bow Hero take such a blatant side. "In light of that, I believe you owe the both of them an apology." Itsuki said, his want for justice on clear display.
The king squinted his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as if frustrated about his current position. "Fine. Lady Kat, Lady Raphtalia, I humbly apologize for my actions that took place the day prior." He quickly said in a single breath.
Kat looked over to Itsuki with an unseen smirk on her face. "Wow. You actually managed to get him to say it. I mean, it feels disingenuous, but he said it."
The blonde simply bowed in a dramatic flourish in response. "I have a way with words." Itsuki joked with a laugh, getting a snort from Raphtalia.
"Yeah, you do." Ren stated out of nowhere, making Itsuki jump in surprise at the man's arrival. Stepping up into line alongside the two other heroes, Ren stood as stoic as ever as his eyes darted from Kat to Itsuki to the king.
The king's face lit up upon seeing Ren. Kat could tell that if he wanted anything from the Sword Hero, it was someone to back up his own position. "Ah, Sir Ren. It's great that you've arrived; we can begin the rewards ceremony. Heroes! For your efforts in destroying the second wave, I have nominated each of you a reward for your contributions." The king smiled, clearly putting on yet another act to save face.
"Wait!" Itsuki blurted out with a look of concern. "Shouldn't we wait for Motoyasu? He also took part in fighting the wave." He asked the king who gave him a sigh.
The king waved away Itsuki's outburst, and furthermore, his concern for his spear counterpart. "You need not to worry, dear Bow Hero. Due to the severe injuries Lady Kat inflicted upon Sir Motoyasu yesterday, he is being tended to by nursing staff in the castle infirmary. Now, onwards with the ceremony." He exclaimed, getting a rise out of his obviously corrupt entourage and supporters.
Itsuki sulked at the king just waving him, and by extension Motoyasu, off like that. Kat placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a quiet nod of reassurance to help cheer him up.
"For being the primary driving force behind the wave's defeat, Sir Motoyasu received four thousand silver which will be held until he is well enough to claim it. Sir's Itsuki and Ren are being awarded a sum of thirty five hundred silvers for their efforts in quelling the wave. Lady Kat will receive a sum of only five hundred silver for her rather small action during the wave. However, it's being revoked due to the cost of Sir Motoyasu's injuries and the bill of sale sent by one Marie Kasanova." The king said as his court clapped for each of the heroes barring Kat.
Kat just let out a single, unphased chuckle. "Why am I not surprised? Oh, right. You hate me for some ungodly reason."
"I've gotta agree with her. That's not quite fair, your highness." Itsuki said, taking a step forward. Nodding at Kat, he smiled at the woman before continuing. "You threatened Kat to accept Motoyasu's duel and then destroyed Raphtalia's dignity after he lost. You can't just take away her rightfully deserved reward because you're petty." He firmly stated, clearly not changing his mind anytime soon.
"He's right. Had you just left the two of them alone, you wouldn't be in this position. Besides, Kat clearly won the fight fair and square." Ren said, backing up his blonde counterpart.
Itsuki spoke up again. "Also, Kat didn't just sit around and do nothing during the wave. I saw her and Raphtalia run towards Lute Village which needed help. I don't know how many lives they saved, but if it weren't for them a lot more would've died. Because of that, I ask that you provide her with two thousand silver for her contribution to the wave and for desecrating Raphtalia in public." He declared, defending their not - so - little - action during the wave.
The king grit his teeth together before quickly calming and regaining his composure for the sake of his court. "Fine. Lady Kat, as per Sir Itsuki and Sir Ren's wishes, you will have your reward. Two thousand silver." He said with clenched fists, gesturing for the bag of money to be handed to Kat which was tossed in her direction. "There, happy now? If so, get out of my sight." He said with malice lacing his voice.
Picking up the bountiful pouch of coins, Kat fed the bag to her shield. "Very." She responded before turning to her two fellow heroes. "Thanks, you two. I appreciate you sticking your neck out for me."
Itsuki smiled and Ren shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's what friends do." Itsuki said in reply.
Kat shook her head. "No, it's what brothers do. Raphtalia, let's get out of here. This place makes me sick." She told her tanuki companion as she turned to walk out of the castle.
"I agree. It does make me sick." Raphtalia said as she locked eyes with the king before turning and following Kat.
"Good luck!" Itsuki called out to them.
"Yeah, you'll need it." Ren remarked in a quieter tone.
Author's Note: And there's chapter 7. Again, sorry for how long it took. I've been binging Baldurs Gate 3 ever since finding out about it and only wrote a little each day/night. Anyways, the king royally fucked up. Get it? Royally fucked up? Ok I'm done.