I vaguely remember how I rolled out the plot of this chapter and I hated every word of it, so I don't even mind that I let it all be erased from my documents. I changed some details of the mission that seemed simpler to work with. Country dwellers wouldn't typically be hired with protecting the literal king and his family, so I lowered the rank a few pegs. Let's see how this plays out now.
I also removed a couple of spells that were written in a different language because I no longer have access to the translation generator I used all those years ago. Very sad lol
- ML
Chapter 4: Beyond the Barrier
Reiji's blurred gaze stared at the ceiling, dreading the day ahead of her. The night consisted of tossing and turning, struggling to find a comfortable sleep position in the pit of nerves about the upcoming mission. Her dreams were plagued by fears of failure as a mere observer of her mission. At one point, she felt intense arousal from an unexpected erotic dream, in which Otto pleasured her until her legs ached from clenching so much.
Reiji woke up multiple times in the night in sweat, falling off the bed once as well. She wound up making multiple trips with intense bowl movements from anxiety. She felt sick to her stomach, but had hardly any food left to digest. Even her body assumed they were in grave danger, as usual before any assignment. And the cafe, oh no…
Reiji thought of the details of the trip for the escorting mission. "A trip from Foretito to the Twilight Zone," she recounted to herself, remaining in her somewhat comfortable spot in bed for once. "For 36 hours." She sighed audibly, wiping her eyes. 36 hours was in fact bad for her. In 24 hours, she would be going to the cafe as the stand-in manager for Mina. The Dinvisifro Demon would be going away to manager a restaurant business outside their little village. But because Reiji was so disheartened at Miratona's refusal to let her contribute more to the mission, she had forgotten to inform the secretary of her other priorities at work.
Finally, the buxom female sat up in bed, her locks of hair quivering to life. She shifted over to sit on the edge of the bed, head low. She wore only her black capri shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt from one of her closest friends, Ryouichi. It was ripped in a few places and near form fitting, perfect for the privacy of her bedroom.
"If it were my choice, I'd stay right here with a book," the female demon grumbled, getting up with her pair of glasses in one hand. She went through the motions of her morning rituals in the bathroom, but skipping the hair wash this time. She then ate food for a change, a thing she normally skipped in the morning to save time. Three toasted slices of bread with a medium fried egg on each, with butter and Jade flower tea.
I'm going to meet members of the royal family today; I have to look my best.
She nodded. It was decided: she would wear the armor from Michele's shop. She returned to her room to find the pieces on the floor by her clothing rack. She dressed in her typical undergarments, this time adding a dark blue bishop button up shirtand black ankle banded pants. She carefully lifted the chest armor over her head to slide it on, securing the armor with leather laces double tied and metal clamps shut. The loin cloth was nailed to the metal around her belly, convenient for Reiji at least.
When the buxom demon looked at herself in the mirror, she took in her appearance. She felt hefty as a proper soldier. Reiji hid the rosary under her shirt. She looked at her handed, disappointed she hadn't requested suitable pieces of armor for the rest of her body. But there was no time for anymore dressing up. She hastily tied her hair in a high pony tail, put her combat boots on over the banded pants and socks, then headed out the door with only her keys to lock the door.
Having been an extra on a mission, she hardly required additional items.
She was first to arrive at the town hall. Reiji was determined to get this over with. The weary demon shifted in her standing spot. Was she so late everyone left without her? Was she too early? Then, she saw Shugo with his younger sister Ushizumo. They were significantly more dressed down, which Reiji wilted at. Oh, I'm such an idiot! She cursed to herself, growing more nervous by the second. Her female friend ran up to her, grinning widely.
"Rei-taraaa!" the ginger Demon squealed, then halted at the sight of her armor. "Oh my gosh, you look like a royal knight!"
"Do I? Michele showed me this. I-I thought it was appropriate," she blushed, looking down shyly. Ushizumo giggled.
"I mean, you're only dressing for the king, this is perfect."
"Wait, we were supposed to suit up?" Shugo blurted in shock. "I look like a bum, Zumi! You damn fool!" the Jade Dragon Demon scolded his sister, who stuck his tongue out at him.
"Good thing I'm not going," she snickered. Shugo grumbled in response. "Anyway, gotta go! Bed is calling my name. Bye, Rei-tara!" Ushizumo said before skipping back down the road. Shugo nudged her arm.
"That secretary's gonna be pissed when she sees Ryouichi too, I just know it."
Off to a great start…
Reiji sighed, relaxing her hands at her sides. "My armor isn't even complete; we all failed to dress, didn't we?"
"Cheer up, we're just low level body guards!" Shugo attempted to reassure the green haired Demon. She ignored him, the dreadful pit in her stomach only getting deeper. Then Ryouichi showed up. To both Reiji and Shugo's surprise, he wore black slacks and a matching blazer, with a brown button up underneath. However, his hair was combed sticking out in places. Now only Shugo stood out in his casual jeans and a zipped up jacket. The male Beast burst with laughter, pointing at his friendly rival.
"Did you just roll out of bed to meet the king's wife and kid?" he taunted the Jade Dragon demon, who growled at him. "I'll roll you, you little rat."
"Oh, no you don't!" Reiji grabbed his collar, dragging him backwards. Ryouichi cackled again, shaking his head. Suddenly, the doors to the town hall were pulled open, catching the trip by surprise. Reiji sighed in relief when she saw Miratona. She too was dressed formally, but that was just her normal dress code in her line of work.
"Good morning everyone," she greeted them. Ryouichi strolled inside first with a confident strut. Shugo huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. Reiji folding her hands in front of her, her shoulders tense. The secretary led them to a back room just a few feet away from her office. She unlocked the door, then pushed it open.
"Shugo, please select a uniform from the male humanoid section; your attire is pitiful."
Miratona motioned to the silently fuming Shugo. Ryouichi laughed at him once more, but shut his mouth when the female Beast Soul shot him a glare.
"Reiji," the Miratona continued. "Your armor is missing something. Do you want to borrow gloves as well?"
"Uh, yes, if you don't mind," the darker elf replied politely. Ryouichi and Shugo were also ordered to fix their hair It was apparent to Reiji that the royal family must have high expectations as the required dress code. This thought made her stomach swirl with butterflies.
Shugo was dressed in a clean suit and bow tie, while Reiji was clenching and unclenching her fists in her full metal gloves. Light green gems were molded into the outside of the hands, connected to trail of shapes carved down to almost her elbows. The material of the metal gloves matched her chest and belly armor nicely.
"Keep those for future endeavors," Miratona had said. But Shugo was instructed on how to clean the suit properly before returning it. The green haired demon was pleased with the new addition to her armor.
The group were led out of the village with the mission secretary at the front. This was the part of any mission Reiji looked forward to the most: unlocking the boundary. It was a massive device that surrounded the whole territory of the village and its farmlands, keeping the folk safe from feral predators and intruders. This boundary was a force field that made the territory invisible to the outside world. It was also one of many, many boundaries protected in the land of Purgatory. Only a few members of the town hall have access to the boundary. Miratona was one of those fortunate few. The trees above thinned out in the path through the forest. Miratona's right hand contorted and shapeshifted into that of a different beast. Dark purple flesh extended into four long claws as she reached out to heightened energy source before them. A passageway formed in the boundary, the edges of the doorway glowing a faint green in the crimson early morning light. A large automobile awaited them, idling a few yards away. It was covered in dust from a long travel through the red desert.
"This is it?" Shugo asked, skeptical at the size of the car. The secretary ignored his question, opening a rear door. The inside certainly reflected a more spacious sitting area similar to a round booth. Reiji's eyebrows raised in surprise. This vehicle must have been worth a lot wherever it was from. Ryouichi's jaw dropped in awe. The group of three got in, but before Miratona shut the door, she leaned in to speak.
"One more thing, do not look directly at the gentleman's son. He is a Medusa demon."
"Medusa? They're a pretty big deal in the west," Shugo said, shrugging. "No problem." After that, the door was shut and the driver sped off. Reiji stared out the window at the vast nothingness of the land beyond the boundaries. For once, Shugo and Ryouichi behaved themselves in the same space, exchanging words about the mission, what their roles would be. But Reiji paid no attention to them, imagining a figure running of the rippling heat waves as the red sun rose. It's long, dark hair streamed behind it.
"... Hades to Reiji!"
she jolted out of her trance, looking at the duo. "Uh, yes?"
"Did you forget you're in this too? Pay attention to the driver!"
"Right," Reiji muttered, nodding halfheartedly.
"As I said, we'll be arriving at the checkpoint in three minutes," the anonymous driver said. "Make sure you take all your personal belongings with you, and don't look directly at the son as his eyes will turn you to stone for 30 minutes. I've had a few passengers who did not listen. Additionally, you three were given a small sum of Luba for food and other necessities from Chief Midnight himself. Use this stipend wisely."
Ryouichi handed Reiji a purple envelope, a symbolic color Reiji often saw around the village town hall. Even many famous plants were purple. She stashed it away in her pants pocket. They arrived at a small checkpoint, consisting of five guards surrounding a bigger truck, most likely carrying the family they were protecting for the next 36 hours.
36 hours...
She had forgotten to warn Miratona, again. I'm doomed.
Rouichi, Shugo, and Reiji got out of the vehicle. They were met by the guards, all shorter than the group by at least a foot. The five males were dressed in leather armor and clocks protecting their skin from the heat. The figure in the center, the tallest, wore a straw hat secured upon his head with thin leather string tied under his chin. They stood in front of a rather plain shack fit for one resident. The roof carried that familiar red dirt, which clung to the sealed glass windows and the wooden boards that made up a small doorway as well. The guards saluted with a left hand raising two fingers to their temples, feet together.
"Welcome to the Foreititou checkpoint, everyone," the middle guard said loud enough to hear through the protective layers. The driver of their smaller vehicle opened an umbrella for the mission group of three, as well as himself. Reiji took in the surroundings, noticing it was not quite as hot as the guards' clothing suggested. In fact, she felt warm in her own layers of armor and clothing, especially standing next to her Jade Dragon friend Shugo.
"You just passed over the border of Foreititou and have passed the wave check," the second guard from the right said.
"The security clearance is an invisible border kinda like ours, but way more complicated," Ryouichi explained to Reiji. She nodded along, thinking it best to not question their technology right now. Let's just get this over with...
Ryouichi, Reiji, and Shugo were led to the truck and climbed on, sitting in the back. A protective roof was installed in the back of the truck, with windows they could roll down if needed. But with dust constantly in the air, it wasn't recommended. In front of them, in the main compartment of the truck, Reiji saw the small family in question. The Medusa demon son was looking out a different window, away from their new passengers. He appeared to be wearing a mask over his whole face. The Beast Soul unfolded the paper detailing the mission.
"The mother is Miyan, father is Phina, and their son is called, uh," Ryouichi trailed off, nudging Reiji. She looked over the paper. His name was an old language she easily recognized. "It says Shaumikizashi, Ryo."
"That sounds ancient," he muttered. "And we will not call him anything else unless he prefers a different name," Reiji added. The truck pulled off from the checkpoint, thus leaving the previous, unmemorable driver behind.
"Don't forget, we can't look at the son," Shugo whispered. Ryouichi rolled his eyes. "Obviously, genius. We know the mask barely protects him."
"I was being helpful, you flea bag," the Jade Dragon slayer retorted in a somewhat louder whisper. Reiji loudly cleared her throat.
"I am afraid we did not pack refreshments, and the dust got in my throat," she announced, flustered from the attention she drew. Anything to keep the two hot heads from bickering. "Is there some water on this truck?"
"Huh? Oh, certainly!" Phina, the noble father answered. A compartment under her legs suddenly opened. Reiji parted her legs in surprise, revealing a mini refrigerator. She quickly crossed a leg over the other, blushing profusely. Shugo and Ryouichi helped themselves to water bottles, or at least they assumed the glass bottles contained water.
"Whoa, these are those new biodegradable bottles!" Ryouichi notes, popping the cap off and tossing it. "The glass breaks down so it doesn't cut animals or something, right?"
Reiji grabbed a bottle, taking a long swig. For some reason, she was parched, despite hydrating plenty. Something within her stirred, thirsting even more. She took another bottle, but it still wasn't enough. However, her body was cold, freezing even. The only thing warm was her neck, the little rosary necklace.
"Whoa, slow down!" Shugo laughed. "You're drinking like a fish! Are you feeling nervous? Self conscious?" He lowered his questions to a whisper. Of course, his inner nurturer.
"N-no, just a little hot," Reiji lied, forcing a smile. Just act normal and everything will go smoothly. I should call Lunalu at the next stop, she thought, figuring the maiden would gladly open for her in the morning. Coldness persisted as she ruminated over the mission objective and her job.
However, her train of thought was soon disrupted by rumbling in the distance. Reiji fixed her glasses, looking out the back window. She gasped in alarm as she saw a dust storm powered by the massive hoods of a herd approaching.
"Holy shit, it's a herd of bison cows!" Shugo exclaimed. They felt the truck accelerate, picking up a speed Reiji didn't know the automobile was capable of. But it was no match against the speed of the bison herd. Shugo kicked the back door open.
"I'll hold them off," he grinned, emerald green flames bursting in his hands. "Let's see how they like a ring of fire. Ryouichi, help me surround them."
"I'm the horse again?" the Beast Soul groaned, following his friend by jumping out with him. Mid fall, he transformed in a beam of light, landing on large black hooves. Horns green from his head. Shugo climbed on, then they took off. Reiji could only watch what they did next, as her role in this mission limited her from much more than that.
"Jade Dragon's Iron Boost!" Shugo shouted. Green flames bursts from his palms, leaving a trail of flame behind him and steed, boosting his speed as they began to run across the path of the her. The bison cows were powerful ferals, trampling everything in their path. They were quadrupled in size compared to Ryouichi, covered in dark grey fur with orange splotches. Their bison horns curved downward, sturdy and faced forward to barge through any obstacle in their way. However, the beasts scattered and separated to avoid the fire suddenly surrounding them. Shugo closed up the expansive ring of emerald green fire. The threat was neutralized. Ryouichi galloped back to the truck, catching up in a few minutes as the vehicle slowed down just enough to not break the Beast Soul. But he kept a fairly close distance.
"We'll stay out here in case any other Ferals come through!" Shugo announced at the driver. She nodded in response. He saw her lips moving, most likely relaying the message to the family. She tipped her black hat to Shugo.
"You think I'd have a chance with her?" Ryouichi asked. Shugo laughed. "Not a chance buddy, no country bumpkin in their right mind marries rich chauffeurs!"
"I will throw you off right now, you snake!"
"I'm part Jade Dragon, not a snake!" Shugo shot back.
Reiji sat back, sighing in relief. She shut the back door, growing sick of the dust flying. Her body was no longer so freezing. Perhaps it was a new way of her body telling her danger was approaching.
How delightful, another physical burden to bear.
Just before she had gotten comfortable with her temperate conditions, the coldness spiraled downward. She looked out the windows, feeling on edge. Suddenly, claws raking metal ensured, and her world literally spun out of control.
"AAHH! NO!" Dark green locks burst out in waves, halting the truck from tumbling. Reiji kept her eyes shut, landing upside down in a bed of her own hair. Something yanked and tore at her hair, screeching. Multiple sources of the same sound followed, closing in. Reiji forced herself to open her eyes. Through crooked glasses, she managed to climb out of her mount of hair, which kept the truck intact.
They were surrounded by Feral dragons, underdeveloped Creatures who still had most of their humanoid bodies intact, but were large enough to pose an actual threat. Reiji ducked back inside her hair, filled with freight. She looked around for Shugo and Ryouichi. The two males were okay, but the Beast Soul was holding his ankle, his face contorted in pain.
"My ankle! Those assholes made me trip!"
"Miyan, Shaumikizashi, are you okay?" Phina was heard from inside the truck. The masked young man nodded in response, unbuckling his seatbelt to fall against the ceiling, which might have been a floor by the looks of it. The mother had cocooned the three of them in silk thread, which Reiji recognized as those of a Mirror Moth, a rare Demon race known for their protective silk. The family were safe, for now.
"We have to fight them off. Reiji, come on," Shugo said. "Ryo, you stay with the family."
"Me? But I cannot fight!" Reiji protested. "I'm not allowed to-"
"Fuck what Miratona said!" the Jade Dragon slayer barked, shutting Reiji up. She created an opening in the locks to go out with ease. Shugo lit a small flame with his middle and index fingers.
"The truck will collapse if you cut it," Reiji whispered. The flame extinguished. The Feral dragons circled over head, swiping down to grab Shugo. He inhaled deeply before he
"JADE DRAGON'S ROOOAAAR!" It fell into a low growl scream as it tore the flesh of the Feral apart, charring it in seconds. He was soon attacked from behind, but Reiji, without shouting a corny name for her defense, created a sturdy barrier with a wall of hair. The Feral claws with its hands and feet mercilessly, cutting her hair apart.
"Oof," she winced. Shugo punched that Feral across the fast with a "Jade Dragon's Pistol Ball," sending the creature flying into its third and fourth companion. The fifth caught Reiji off guard as the barrier fell, taking claws across her chest. She yelped, falling backward. But her armor of course shielded her, which she of course forgot about. Despite Shugo's efforts. He was kicked in the head by a flying foot, knocking blood out of his mouth as he collapsed like a bag of rocks on the crimson dirt floor.
"SHUGO!" Ryouichi yelled angrily, beginning to charge at the attackers. But he crumbled upon putting weight on his ankle. Miyan cocooned her husband and son in her silk once more, staying inside the truck with their driver, who also clearly didn't fight. Reiji was on her own. Her legs shook as fear consumed her freezing body. A familiar hiss breathed into her mind. Then one of the Ferals grabbed her legs, dragging her into the sky.
Please review if you made it this far. :)