Shadow of the Abyss

"It was foolish of Reese to turn his back like that," Zolf grumbled. "That girl was… very lenient. Her aim was inhumanely accurate despite being blinded by his spell. Had she aimed for his chest, I'm afraid the drones might have needed to cart him away then and there."

"Altair had been so radiant it would seem there existed another." Lady Sabia Tyv mused, with the broach of Pisces just above her bosom. She grinned. "And a woman no less. How fun. How old is she, Lady Darkfire?"

"twelve, though there isn't a way to verify such data." Admiral Darkfire said, somewhat interested in the woman herself. She had heard Reina was a talented alchemist, but her skill with the sword wasn't to be frowned upon.

"She looks nearly fifteen. You sure?" Zolf said.

"She has no reason to lie," Vaiga said, glancing at him. " Altair, too, looks fifteen, but he's only twelve. It's not strange for conditioned bodies to reach maturity faster than normal bodies."

Lady Sabia snickered and touched her lip with a curious gleam in her starry blue eyes. "They seem to be in a relationship," she said, with a creasing mischievous glow. "Is she, by chance, human? By my recounts, Altair isn't."

"That I do not know," Vaiga said dryly.

"Shouldn't blood samples be taken from all recruits?' Zolf recollected, having bushed up on Imperial Law.

"Reina was a special case."

"Like commander Iliana?" Captain Cedric remarked

Vaiga did seem surprised by Cedric's involvement. He had been one of the few trying to investigate her, alongside Fat Mike, to no avail.

"That is correct. Iliana brought Reina onto the base, and I allowed it. Whether Reina is a full-blood human or not isn't something I know about nor care about."

"But if Altair is mating with her, it is our problem," Cedric said coldly. "If the boy is sexually active, it's his duty to a denizen of Earth to copulate with Eartherns. So is the Law."

"That's a law?" Scythia laughed. "Hells. You guys really are crazy." she couldn't believe it, and neither could some of the members of the twelve Zodiacs, as some laughed.

"And what do you suppose we do, Cedric? Force him?" Vaiga said, lifting a brow.

"Why not?" Said Cedric. " He's a boy."

Godric, who bore the crest of the Roaring Lion, laughed, "Force him!" He shouted, "Altair is one of Earth's most talented individuals. And you think you can what? Force him? Under the eyes of the Twelve Zodiacs and Genisis?" He looked at Cedric as if he were the biggest fool. "Sythia… if we took over earth… what type of fine would we have to pay?"

"Hmmm. Two hundred years of jail time, possibly a couple million in fines. Though we could just hire someone to do it." Scythia mused aloud, silencing the various mortals within the High Tower. "I'm sure the Senate on Genisis will toss the matter under the rug."

Wordless Vaiga Darkfire turned to Cedric pale as a ghost. Her expression was dark at the fool who didn't seem to understand the mechanics of Genesis. Earth was but a single drop in an expanding universe, a meaningless existence to various corporations.

The only reason Earth was still allowed its freedom and hadn't been seized away was due to the Geopolitics of Genesis seeking to claim ownership of Babel's Tower.

Had Earth not been registered well before the eruption of Babels Tower by an unknown party, the Freedoms Earth held would have been nothing more than a dream.

"Leave," Vaiga demanded, trying to maintain her decorum within this den of monsters.

"Admiral—"

Before Cedric could finish, a cruel primal intent shimmered off the arcs of Vaiga's pupils; one more word, and he was dead.

Cedric bowed and left in a hurry.

***

"Come on, Kuu!" Ren cheered, hopping back onto her mount. The Kistune hopped onto her shoulder. And once more, a golden radiance swelled through the scarlet of her pupils. Ren giggled at the kitsune affection. "Careful, or Art might get jealous!' She snickered, almost envisioning his brooding expression." Come on, Grey! Let's goooo!

To Art!"

Shrieking through the forest, the Direwolf carefully recalled Altair's scent and raged ahead.

Nearly an hour later, Ren caught sight of dark flames peaking in the distance a mile off.

"Wow~ it looks like Laros is fighting someone. Onwards Grey!"

"Awoooooo!"

"Awooooo!!"

"Kuuuuu!"

Racing onwards into the thick of the flames, Ren eyed her surroundings, grinning as she found her Prince firing his Tech Pistol into the arm of a young woman.

Altair had really found joy in playing with his new toy. Each bullet with most tech Pistol held an electrical charge due to the electromagnetic railgun fitted inside the barrel. Any projectile shot would inherently gain a charge, whilst mana would only amplify the elemental power.

"I give! I give! Don't shoot me!" A young officer cried, cupping the bullet holes in her arms, pleading with the young lord.

"It really doesn't feel right." He said, annoyed. Fighting without killing felt boring to him, but even more, it felt wrong. The sword was meant to kill, not threaten or be toyed with. He sighed, holstering his Pistol. "And that should make four…"

"Art!!!!!"

"Ren!" The boy whirled, grinning as he caught Ren leaping into his arms. " I thought you were gone for at least a week." He said, Startled by how warm she felt. "How was the ride?"

"Intoxicating!" Ren cheered when she pointed to the three-tail purple tip fox. "And Ren made a friend!"

"Kuuuu!!!"

"…"

"That's a Kitsune."

"Yeah. And?" She tilted her head.

It was then he saw her eyes that shone a beautiful sea of gold. Altair boldly stared in wonder, nearly pulling off her mask as he held her.

"Your eyes are gold!" He said. " do you feel ok?"

"Hmmm, Ren feels happy!" She expressed.

Altair hummed in response and slowly pointed to the young woman bleeding out as the Drone performed first aid. "What about when you look at her?"

Ren glanced downwards to the pool of red. And for a moment, Altair saw the look of an angel sent from the Eternal Heavens. Her stare had been so pure, so without impurity, he felt she was a stranger. And yet…

"Fascinating…" He whispered as his palm tightened around her waist. Ren hurried her gaze to meet his. She knew that touch well. Especially when she felt his naughty hands cup her bottom. She turned the brightest shade of pink Altair had ever seen. He could practically see steam rising.

'The Eighth Form,' he immediately thought.

"Art…" Angel Ren said in a panicked moan. " You can't bully Ren."

But it was all he wanted to do. Altair looked past her mask to her pursed lips, plump, soft, and tender as if perfectly ripe for the picking.

"Art~" Ren mewled.

"Altair, we got the cube! Oh shit, Reina! That's you?" Talia said, drying the blood off her palm with a rag. She paused, staring at the two, and whirled around. " I'll be leaving La~la~la."

"No, save Ren. Art is a bully."

Teary-eyed as she was stunning, Ren had no idea the torment she was causing her Prince as he trembled not to bed her here and now with only the gods as his witness. Altair was sure her Lord Father would strike him down in a single fit of rage, consequences be damned.

Panicked, Ren was like an alert cat as goosebumps prickled her skin. She gulped. " y-y-you should buy a surcoat." She hurriedly said. " I fought a knight about an hour ago, and… he was wearing a black leather one. I-I thought you'd look quite dashing in it."

Altair released her. "Did you, now?" He said. " only if you wear one. Though, we might need to have yours custom fitted." He added, boldly tracing her curves with his eyes. "One more month and—"

"Enemies on the horizon!" Nia's rasped voice thundered.

"ALTAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The voice came like the crackles of thunder stirring the dirt and trees. Gruff and hard, as though it came from a man, but Altair recognized it.

"Alyssa." He said, rushing to Nia's location, high up on a tree.

From the north, she rode with some fifty men and women following on horseback. There gazes hot with fire.

"Shit… they already started making alliances." Altair spat, "We're heading into the woods. That'll force them off horseback. Laros, Talia, Nia and Olivia you are team. Talia is in charge. Aurora, Ren, you're with me. Pick off as many as you can.

If you can't continue, retreat."

"Sir!" His men shouted, breaking off deeper into the woods.

"Fifty men… that's about five teams each?" The Prince said.

"Search and Destroy," Ren said as the gold began to sway to a deep scarlet.

***

"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

"Rebecca, hold him down," Ser William Raymar demanded, weaving string through swollen flesh, amazed Reese was still alive. When he was done, William clasped his palms together.

Mana nodes gathered as the crest of the olive tree appeared behind, flooding the Earth and sky with golden light.

Healing Divine Light

In a baptism of radiance, flesh and bone began to mend before the naked eye. But it brought no joy to Reese Thorvel as his wounds felt as if hundreds of ants ate at his mind. Gnawing away until he wanted to scream.

"There…" Sir William said, ashen in the face. He tumbled to his side, his two circles drained.

"I'll kill her…" Reese gruffed, in a low, sharp tone, drenched in layers of sweat. " I swear I'll kill her." He vowed, clutching his shoulder where a gruesome pink scar lingered, still tender to the touch.

Lord Thorvel, " Rebecca said. "You mustn't move your injuries!"

"Call the Banners," Lord Thorvel commanded, rising to his feet with a belly of fire in his gut. Never before had he faced such humiliation, much less the prospect of death. He was a lord, the sole heir to his lord father's domain.

"That whore will pay for this!!"