Ep12: The Cadets Go Shopping

"Tell the others, you three self-train! I need to tend to a matter!" Lao hurried off, leaving Valhalla behind.

"Captain!" She yelled after, but Lao had already runoff. "Damnit...who's the leader of us then?" Valhalla sat down, meditating in frustration. She felt two hands land on his head before she could get into the mood of it. "So, this is the student you were talking about," went one new voice. "Mmhmm, the black and yellow armor looks so nice.." went another. It was the dragon, Valhalla thought, but she was curious about who she was talking to. Was it another dragon? Maybe one of her pets? Her mind wandered as she kept up her posture, ignore the various hands that walked along her body. Locking herself in meditation, she listened to the conversation around her.

"She seems to be asleep Fallen."

"She is just relaxing. She did this late time too!"

"Oh?"

"Mmhmm, she would glow yellow, and smell like spring water." Another pat on the cheek. "But she's really hard to lift..."

"Maybe it is the armor, shall we take it off?" Val furrowed her brow. "Uh oh, it seems she heard me Fallen."

"Armor off and on, she is still really soft…" Val felt the dragon's breasts squish her back. "Can you take your armor off?"

"No," she responded. She felt claws try to tear it off, to no avail.

"Can you use magic master?"

"In due time," went the new voice which was apparently her master. "For now, why don't you get acquainted with her? Then, we can go watch a new show of mine."

"Another one?"

"Yes. Have you ever seen a vampire revived twice?"

"No master, but that sounds fun." The body on her back seemed to leave. Val opened one eye, seeing the dragon and another person flying away. She was almost certain she would see them again, but for now, at least she could have a moment of reflection to herself.

"Hey Val!" Went another voice. She groaned and gave up on trying to meditation, seeing Jacob walk up to her. "Where's Lao?"

"The captain had something he wished to do. His instructions were to self train."

"So what I'm hearing is, we can just do nothing the entire day?"

"Of course your cursed ears would pick something so absurd up. We are going to wait for Elizabeth, and we will tell her."

"Alrighty," Jacob shrugged. They both waited in silence until they heard Elizabeth's shoes crunch on the ground, seeing the human wave at them. "Hiii!"

"Lao said we had to go shopping for weapons," Jacob blurted out. "You blithering idiot!"

"Shopping!? But it's only our second class!"

"That is right. You and I, we need tools for attacking. So, we are going to go get them." The incubus looked right at Val. "Isn't that right little Valkyrie?"

"You are my age Jacob. We are all adolescents here." Valhalla glared at him, but the damage had been done. Liz was practically glowering, digging in her purse for currency. "I can't wait! I can get more cooking tools, a tent…"

"Elizabeth if we are going to go along with this dog's idea.."

"Hey!"

"...you must prioritize buying a weapon," Valhalla pointed out. "Jay is getting his, but it would be dangerous for you to not have one as well."

"But...you're right. I should still get medical supplies and a tent."

"And we have the funds for it!" Jacob pulled out a pocket full of gold, along with another bag full of it. "Hehehe."

"Should I asked where you acquired that amount of money?" Valhalla said, noticing the smugness in his chuckle. "I stooole it. Yep, this guy doesn't abide by any rules…"

…..

Last night...

"Glad you finally decided to come bunk with us Jacob!" Add excitedly said. "Don't ever feel unwelcome, there is always plenty of space for another incubus in the castle!"

"Smh, I'm just tagging along because you said you had food. I didn't feel like hunting for my food tonight."

…

"Ahh, that hit the stuff," the wolf boy said as he sat back in his chair. "I never knew you could cook meat in so many different ways…"

"Compliments to the chef! You can go meet her actually, she is a really nice night gaunt," Add said, picking his teeth through the holes in his helmet. "So, I'm guessing after this you're going back to your place hmm?"

"I would, but you offered me a place to stay over," Jacob said, getting up to stretch himself. "Now, I live a pretty, pretty active lifestyle, but I guess if you insist…"

"Great! We can get a weapon and a bit of gold for you to go purchase a weapon!" Add got up, picking up his empty plate.

"Weapon?"

"Of course, all great cadets need a weapon."

"I'll have you know my tree branches are fine."

"As fine as your teammate's ax?"

"...alright, so maybe something, but only because I like spiting her."

…

Back to the present…

"Yep, no rulez." Jacob said with a proud grin on his face. "So, where should we go, because I already have a place in mind…

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After a hop, skip, and a quick bicorn ride, they hopped off at a hill before what looked like a large market, with stands, tents, and small stores dotting the landscape. "Welcome, to the black market!" Jacob yelled, listening to his voice echo through the valley. "Of course, the name is only for good fun. It's actually a really safe place to walk around in...I think."

"I can't believe we came here without a chaperone," Val said, already regretting her decision to tag along. "What if we get corrupted by the atmosphere?"

"Pssh."

"What about her?" Val motioned to Liz, who was still ogling at the sheer size of the place. "Father would never let me come here!"

"Oh yeah, she's human."

"I should kill...no, not yet. Elizabeth, give me your hand." Liz skipped over to Val, extending her arm out. Val grabbed her forearm, holding on to it until Liz had a yellow aura around her. "Have I been purified?" The human asked, looking at the outline move with her limbs. "Sort of, it should protect you against the harlots. Think of Jacob but worse and less unsightly." It was at this moment where a random branch flew into Valhalla, breaking on contact. Can't imagine where that came from…

Now prepared for the lust-accomodating elements, the three teens went down the hill into the market. As they made their way to the heart of it, the number of people passing became denser than gold. They had to hold onto each other's hands, walking single-file so they do not get lost from each other. "Is now a bad time to say that you are burning my hand Val?"

"Be silent and lead us to the weapons area, this was your idea," Valhalla retorted back, feeling a tug from behind her. "Liz?"

"A man has grabbed me," she said, the three of them looking at him. "Why, I'm just inspecting the princess of course. Royalty go for a high price in the -gah!" He looked at his hand, seeing two needles forced deep into it. "You little-" by the time he looked up, they were already weaving away through the foot traffic, Liz taunting him raspberries and a cheeky wave. "Ha, the look on his face!"

"You're royalty?" Val and Jay asked her. "Well, I didn't tell you because I thought it would make you both treat me differently. I didn't want you guys to find out like this however..."

"That's fine, it only makes you hotter. But how did he know?" Jacob questioned.

"He's a degenerate we don't think about it," Valhalla said, slowing the group down to a walk. "Are we almost there?"

"Yeah, just a bit more weaving." Jacob led the two further and further until they finally emerged from the dense ground into a slightly less packed area. "This is Iron Alley. You can find a vendor anywhere, but this is where all the good stuff is at. So first thing on the list?"

"A weapon for Elizabeth, then maybe I'll get a shield."

"Oh, warming up to sullied objects I see?"

"Not a chance in this world. I am going to purify it before use." She turned to Liz. "Well then, what should we get?"

"That one look's interesting." Elizabeth was pointing to a booth with a shiny black sword laying out on display. "I don't know Eli-"

"Good eye, that looks cool." Jacob took her over to the vendor, seeing a few other well-crafted blades that laid on display alongside it. None of them, however, looked as elegant and dangerous as the black one, shining like obsidian in the late morning sun. The only portion that couldn't be used as a reflection was the handle, looking graning and cracked like molten ground. "It even looks better up close," he said, reaching up to touch the edge of the blade. A drop of blood formed the moment he tapped it, making him confused. "Wait.."

"So it actually is obsidian, but where would someone find enough to make a blade this well?" Valhalla wondered, touching her ax against the sword. Elizabeth peeked inside, seeing someone sitting in the darkest corner inside. He had his head was craned down towards something in his lap. His excessively long sleeves on his purple jacket hid what he was holding in his hands. His dark brown hair covered his eyes and went over his shoulders, and was as messy as someone who had just woken up outside. The majority of his body was covered by a blacksmith's apron long enough to touch the ground while he sat. "Hi!" she said, trying to get his attention. It failed entirely, the seller continuing to do what he was doing. "Well, we would like to buy the black sword out in front, and I wanted to see if I could have it?"

The person looked up from his task, staring at her with baggy eyes. "You wish for the Shadow Star?"

"Yes, it is a lovely blade. How much, I always have a bit of money in my satchel…"

"Free of charge." He got up, revealing that he had been secretly drawing in a notepad. "I'm glad someone appreciates the simplicity of it. What is your favorite bit?"

"It's so sharp, and the handle feels nice on the hands," she says. "That is nice, I wanted to make it so it would never leave its owner. But, there is one catch to it."

"Yes?" She waited for the drawback, knowing in the back of her head it wouldn't be free without a reason. "You must never let its power consume you. Every day that passes adds to its thirst for blood, eating away at your every core until it leaves you an empty vessel of destruction. The obsidian should help persevere your being from it; give you time to acclimate."

"That seems...a bit depressing."

"It is indeed. Ironically, traveling to and fro to forge it helped me with my own depressing issues. Maybe I just merely passed it on to the blade…" pulled out keys from his pocket, unlocking the glass. Elizabeth swore she felt a soul leave the sword. The aura she felt around it was frightening, as if it was inviting her into the gates of hell. "Second thoughts?" The seller asked. She nervously shook her head, reaching her mana-encapsulated hand to the handle. The spell seemed to be keeping her fine but it was waning with her hand right on top of the sword. She felt her mind jump when she grabbed the handle, the cracks in the grippy surface pulsing blood red. "Control it, you will be fine."

"It's saying to give in," she commented, rubbing her temple while holding the sword. The voice in her head quieted once the red in the handle became permeate, but her mind felt that much more cramped with her new weapon in possession. "It is your decision what to do with it. Whether you command it or share your body, whatever happens, depends on your mind," the blacksmith says. "I could never use it for example, even if I was the one that created it. Especially not after..."

"Not after what?" She asked.

"It is nothing you need about, but enjoy the sword. I sense you will make great use of it," The blacksmith said, going back to his corner to draw. He went back to being absorbed in his notepad, scribbling away a drawing to pass the time. His concentration was broken by a circle gift tossed on top of his drawing. "Hmm?" He looked up, but Elizabeth was gone and had taken the sword with her. He got gloves and a helmet before opening the gift to see what it was. He ended up unwrapping a cookie for himself. "What a nice girl," he muttered, putting the cookie in his mouth and continuing to draw his picture of his long lost elven mate.

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"Guys?" Elizabeth yelled out, wandering around the alley. The sword dragged along behind her while she walked around, leaving a trail in the ground. She found both of them on the inside of a ground, arguing with each other over a metal stick that Jacob was holding in his hand. "It is impossible for that to do more damage than a blade! A blade can cut into armor, your staff can only do blunt damage." Valhalla took her ax off her back to prove her point, waiting for it to grow to full size. "Even then, it's simply too small, even if fast."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. This bo staff is top quality iron, and can take any impact you put onto it." He knocked on the staff, listening to the staff ring against his fingers. "Plus, and that is not all, it has extra features along with it."

"Extra features? So you spent all that money on dumb gimmicks and an iron stick?"

"Of course, you would think that." He runs his hand along its length, stopping and pressing down. A knife popped out of its side, with a small and serrated edge. "A nice knife for a fallback. And…" He then took the ends of the staff, giving each a small wiggle before pulling it away. The main portion fell away as small iron chains extended out of the new holes until the chains were taunt. "Now you have a mace. Can your ax do that valkyrie?" Ooos and ahhs echoed from the crowd around them.

"No. Like I need anything so trivial. And don't you all have anything better to do?" she snapped at the crowd. She spotted Elizabeth standing among the others. "Elizabeth, not you too!"

"I think the bo staff is nice. So is the ax as well," she said, not wanting to get into the argument. "Also, I have finally picked out my weapon." She raised it to show them, unknowingly cutting a gash into someone's side with the blade. They groaned in agony as they kneeled over themselves, clutching the cut now into their waist. Like that the crowd's attention shifted away from the argument, as everyone surrounded the man who had been cut. She placed down the sword and went to help him, but didn't notice the sword soaking up the blood its tip had been dirtied with.

"There," Elizabeth said, finishing her covering of the wound. "Now nothing can get into the wound." The guy nodded, laying on his back to wait out the pain. "Valhalla can't you heal him?"

"I don't exactly know a spell to heal a wound instantly," she said back. "Why didn't you put your sword in a sheath?"

"I forgot! I was originally going to put it in my bag but I needed more space…" She tried fitting the sword in, only getting halfway before the bag started stretching. "See?"

"Well, if we hurry we could go get a better one before Lao comes back," Jacob said. "And before he gets up."

"Oh, that would mean you could see my family then." Jacob and Valhalla both looked at her with weird looks. "Don't you get it, we can head to my kingdom!"

____________________________________________________________________________

Since Jacob had spent most of his money on his bo staff, Elizabeth was the one to pay for the ride this time. She sat in the back, her sword laying flat on the ground of the carriage while she slept away. Jacob and Valhalla sat up against the front, both of them looking at the slow stay eerily still while they rode to their destination. Jacob was the first to point it out, showing Val on a particularly tight curve. The obsidian sword was completely immune to the laws of the world, everything else being pulled towards the end. Yet, the sword stayed right in front of Elizabeth as she snored on. "The sword is just obsidian, right?" Val asked.

"It should be. Maybe it has a few spells placed on it?"

"A spell that makes it impervious to moving?"

"Well…." The carriage they were in suddenly slowed down, sending Elizabeth stumbling into the two. Noises of complaints and soreness came from inside, while the driver recklessly brought the horses to a halt. "I brought you to the stupid rock you weirdoes! I'm just glad you paid me upfront…" He waited for the three of them to get out, counting his money before leaving them behind with a cloud of dust kicked up.

"Fuck you too pussy!" Jacob said, throwing a rock at him. "Damnit, he's out of range…"

"My shoulder..." Elizabeth rested against Valhalla, waiting for the dull throb to go away. She looked around the ground for her sword, starting to panic when she didn't see it around her. Fearfully, she looked down the path the driver had gone down, seeing the last bit of the horse round a bend in the distance. She gave chase after it, yelling after the driver to slow down but he never did. "My…pant…sword..." It was a free weapon, but now, she had effectively lost her weapon within an hour. She walked back with a guilty feeling in her heart, thinking back to the nice blacksmith that gave it to her.

"I can try to fly after it," Valhalla offered. "I'm sure with enough quickness-"

"It probably wouldn't work…" Elizabeth sighed.

"Hey, don't be like that. You can still show us to your folks," Jacob said. "Besides, think about it. If it was free he probably wanted to get rid of it anyways."

"I guess." Elizabeth went to the rock they were dropped off at. It was massive; large enough to rise above all three of their heights. It was also oddly placed; just a bit too much out of the forest to be comfortable with. She dug her hands into the bottom of the rock, grunting as she squat-lifted the boulder up. Under it turned out to be a latch and a hinge that connected the boulder to the ground like a door. "I'm the only one that knows about this, so ssshhh."

"Where in heaven's name are you taken us?" Val asked, not expecting the last moment or two to happen. The three of them climbed down into darkness, Liz pulling the rock back down over them once they were all inside. Val and Jay had to stand awkwardly next to each other in the dark until their mate lit a torch inside. They saw that they were in a small tunnel, with groundwater occasionally dripping down inside. There was only one direction they could go, which extended farther than the torches' light could reach. "Isn't it obvious? My parents. Hey is that my sword?" She spotted its gleam on the ground. "It is!"

"How did it get here from the carriage?" Val asked, looking at Jay nervously while Liz went to go pick it up. The color of the fire camouflaged the blood drops that laid on the sword, quickly being absorbed into the blade as she tucked it into the safety of her inner elbow. "Who knows, but now I don't have to tell the blacksmith I lost the blade," she said relieved, squeezing around the two to lead the way through the tunnels. The path underground never widened up enough to get out of walking single file; passageways appeared left and right, with Elizabeth seeming to randomly take one before continuing on with her touch.

The path they took started to rise, turning into more of a mountain trek than a walk. Elizabeth had to pause to put on gloves before continuing, holding the light in her mouth as she went on. "Jacob, you better not be looking at her," Valhalla said as the incline brought the wolf-boy's ass close to the middle of her view. "Jacob!"

"I'm not. It's not like I can help it, she probably doesn't even care."

"Y-you're were staring at my butt?"

"If it makes you feel better Val is staring at mine. Isn't that really-huugh! You punched my balls…"

"Shut up and move!" Dirt turned into gravel and wooden walls, their footsteps overshadowing Jacob's whines of pain while he clutched his crotch. Elizabeth held up his hand to stop them, shining the light towards a ladder going straight up. "This is the last bit, I promise."

The three of them emerged into natural light at last, filling into a bedroom filled with pink and yellow. the bed had enough stuffed animals to bury someone under and was large enough to host a small gathering in. She closed the panel they came through, then dragged a carpet over it to cover it up. "There we go!"

"When you said we were going to meet your parents, I didn't think you meant going right into their room," Valhalla said surprised, going to the window. She could see the rock they came from there, along with the rest of the realm the bedroom overlooked.

"Oh, this actually my room! My parent's room is way duller." Elizabeth went over to a mirror, taking a brush out of her mouth to tend to her hair. "The pink just makes everything so casual."

"Too casual, this feels wrong to be in here," admitted Jacob.

"Why would it be wrong? The furthest I'm doing in here is simply freshening up. Maybe even a quick shower…" she muttered about what more she could do for herself as she went to the bathroom, putting down her satchel and taking her sword with her. Jacob shrugged and sat on the bed, looking around at each of the dolls and stuffed toys.

"Jacob, did you notice when she took her sword with her?" he turned to Val, shaking his head. "Aren't you the least bit concerned?"

"I don't know how women work. I'm serious, I am not a perv. I know you hate me but believe me." Jacob looked tempted to raise his hands, not wanting to take any risks while being in Elizabeth's room.

"Calm down, I am not accusing you. It is just...it is awfully weird to take your weapon with you when you bathe." She walked up to the door, placing her ear against the wood. "I wonder what's happening…"

____________________________________________________________________________

Nothing frightening seemed to be happening now thankfully. Elizabeth stripped while the water in her bathtub got hot, quickly slipping into it and sinking down into the bubbling water. Her sword laid outside the tub, at her side while she relaxed. "Boy, it was surely scary to lose the sword. I don't know where I would put you yet..."

"What about through the heart of your father?"

"No, no, that is…." for a second, she had thought her mind had played a trick on her. She settled deeper into the tub, her knees coming up above the water level.

"You heard me, foolish princess!" Elizabeth sat up straight, looking down at the sword. "Yes I! It's always 'free' that gets people. You are just one in many that have fallen to my might…" black smoke started filling the bathroom from the sword, creeping over all the surfaces. Elizabeth went as far as she could below the water, but a hand reached below the surface to grab her throat. She struggled and shook around, but was lifted out of the water almost effortlessly.

Her assailant had grown from a sword with shadows to a man in protection as dark and as slick as the blade. The sword had become his right arm, while his left - the one who held Liz - was covered in armor. The most vulnerably part of him was his head, where one eye was merely a red glow, and two scares crisscrossed between his eyes and over his nose bridge. Black hair as long as hers flowed horizontally out in the nonexistent wind. "Look at you, squirming in my grasp," he chortled. "At least the last ones had some fight, but you are just a child."

"I'm….seventeen…"

"Barely old enough to inherit a throne. Not that you will need to worry about that anymore. I can just pretend to be you…" His grip tightened on her neck, just a few pounds of force away from breaking her neck.

"I….I…."

"What? Can't you spit it out?" He asked.

"...You looked...really nice."

"What are you on about?" He said, narrowing his eyes. "I'll have you know that flattery wouldn't work. I'm not looking for a slave."

"Hasn't...anyone...ever….complemented your hair?" She said, pointing her oxygen-deprived hand to it. "This hair...this hair hasn't been tended to ever since my last victim."

"I can clean it for you…" He lets her go, laughing maniacally to himself. "You're a real riot young lad! Fine then, I'll let you have the honors of cleaning the hair of...what name do I go by in this era?"

Cough, cough, cough- "Shadow star sir…"

"What a pathetic name. Nevertheless, groom me. But you should know, I am still going to kill you."

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"And that was how the merchant pigs killed my mother," he said, biting into his cookie with all the anger that his past brought up. "I was too weak to stop them. I should have run like my parents wanted, but I couldn't live with myself if I let the vile snakes have their way. Do you have more cookies?"

"They are in the satchel," she said, the knight rifling through her belongings. "Ow! Your bag has needles!"

"I like sewing," she innocently said, dunking water onto his hair. "I can sew you something adorable if you want."

"I don't need adorableness. I need intimidation, hair that shines as bright as this blade!" He held up his blade to test it, seeing her braiding his hair behind him. "What are you doing?"

"You will look so nice in braids! Trust me."

"You are pushing your luck princess. But anyway," he took another chomp of the cookie, almost biting over the entirety of it. "I am beaten half to death and banished as a result. My eye and my face were almost unrecognizable...I found a person that would help me, a soul that wanted a vessel. Rage and vengeance had consumed me, so I agreed."

"Is that way you have the scars and the glowing red eye?" she asked. "Yes. This 'glow' you call is where the soul watches inside me. We lived and died gloriously, but as if life was a wheel, we had also turned into a wandering soul, stuck together and waiting for a third. He...no, she had told me of you. Had said we now have a chance to live once again…" Elizabeth did her best to hide her tears, but it only made her waterfall come all at once. "That is such a sad story," she said, hugging his armored body. "You lost your entire family, and all you have left is a cursed sword…"

"Get off my arm fool! You are still naked!" He reminded her.

"Who care's about that? You're hurting on the inside. You just need someone to help you feel better," she argued.

"And what do you know? I murdered dozens and I still sleep fine! You know nothing."

"Yet the only ones you have lost sleep over were the last people you cared about."

"That is...not wrong." He turned back around, taking another cookie. "You remind me of my playmate from the olden days...she was so outgoing and bold."

"Did she hug you a lot?"

"No, that would be an offense punishable by death. But...I bet she would have." He looked down towards his blade again, seeing his hair now fully braided, and filled with flower heads. "This is horrifying."

"Yes...well, I guess I am going to die now," she said sadly. "But, it was nice talking to you. I hope your parents are looking down on you with smiles."

"Yes, smiles...I have changed my mind. I won't kill you just yet, you're not worth my time to slay yet. I shall let you foster, grow until you have become a worthy advisory."

"So I'm not dying? That's wonderful!"

"Yes, it is…." he covered Liz's eyes to keep her view blocked while he faded back into the sword. When she was able to see again, she was back in the tub, with water all over the place while the sword laid there. "Was that a dream? It would be disappointing if it was, that lad seemed so nice." She got up out of the water, getting a towel to cover her pruney skin. Any longer in there and she would be looking like a grandma.

She wrapped a towel around her body and opened the door. She gasped when seeing Val fell with the door, landing with a wet, metal thud. "Elizabeth! I heard you drowning and, and…" Val started blushing, immediately pressing her face into the ground. "I am sorry!" All Jacob could hear was screaming and profuse apologizing, his wolf ears picking up everything even with the dolls he jammed to the side of his head.

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"I am once again sorry!" Valhalla said, apologizing for the tenth time in a row. "Really, it is okay, I don't think you are a pervert," Elizabeth reassured, turning to the wolf boy who had his head buried within her bed like an ostrich. "You can look now, I have all my clothing on." He sat up, holding one of her bears while sighing. "Don't I look freshen up and presentable?"

"Not at all," Jacob said, not seeing much of a difference beside her hair in a ponytail.

"Well that's rude, and I spent all that time in the bath as well…"

"Can we get the satchel?" If she was done, Jay had no more intentions staying in her room longer than needed. Before she had finished answering yes was outside, waiting for Val and Liz to join him. The hallways in the castle were just as long and confusing as the tunnels, sloping up and down at random intervals. Liz seemed in her element though, effortlessly taking the two to somewhere deep in the castle. "This is my fathers' work room," she told them. "He usually has to stay here for when rival countrymen or coups develop."

"How many times does it happen for your father to be barricaded in a maze?" Jacob asked, opening the door to one happening right now. A man in priest robes and several others had the king and queen surrounded, kneeling on the floor with blindfolds. "Daughter, is that you?" The king said, getting poked with a blade for speaking.

"Not again father! I wasn't told of the coup this time." She seemed more disappointed than worried for his life. The priest turned around, telling his men to keep the two hostages at bay. "Welcome, princess Elizabeth. I know this may come as a shock to you, but your father is no longer fit to rule this kingdom."

"But why?" The three were pushed in by two men blocking their escape. "You know very well why. All the movement your father has done will only result in our demise!"

"Carl isn't too fond of being pro-mamono sweetie. It iis much safe than my cousin's methods." The queen chimed in, also getting a blade poking in her cheek.

"If you two don't quiet down i'll make sure you are never able to talk again, and it's Priest Carl!" the priest clarified. "King Mark's methods keep his estate thriving and powerful. You, on the other hand, do not! Just look at your daughter, she came frolicking in with an incubus! The Valkyrie is the only acceptable thing here. You there, the brat in the black and yellow armor, kill this wolf."

"No, he is docile, although annoying." Valhalla said.

"Wow, you got rejected Carl." Jacob followed up.

"Priest Carl! Do I have to slaughter all five of you?" He was going red in the face with hysteria. No one seemed to be taking him seriously, despite his backing of armed and dangerous henchmen. Poor Carl.

"I can't be killed, I'm a valkyrie."

"Does this mean we have to kill him then?"

"I would prefer not to, Carl is just misunderstood."

"Honey he tried last time and we had to arrest him as well. Elizabeth, if you can, can you and your friends call the guillotine man? I think he is on his lunch break in the rafters."

"Do we have to? I don't want to bother him with this."

"Oh yes, we went shopping and I got a sword. Also, Jacob is a nice werewolf." Pat pat.

"Not the ears! They are still sensitive."

"Oh, that's sweet. Shame we had to meet like this blindfolded."

"It is alright Elizabeth's mom." They continued chatting away, the overlapping voices pushing Carl further and further until he went up and grabbed Elizabeth, holding her with his arm while a knife was pressed to the neck. "That is enough! Give me control or else I'll kill your daughter!"

"Oh dear, this is the second time I was being threatened with a neck injury today. Val and Jay?" They nodded, taking out their weapons to handle the rest of the guards that had been standing as backup. They were slow with reletively brittle equipment, making it easier for the Valhalla's axe to eat through the armor, while Jacob's staff slipped past sword blocks to knock the men unconscious.

"What possible coup could have been more important than this!" Carl, tired of being treated like he didn't matter, drove the knife into her neck. "Be purified brat!"

"I wouldn't try that if I were you." Black smoke shot of her neck to meat the knife halfway. It wrapped around the knife and sent it careening back into the priest, stabbing into his nose. Blood instantly pool on his clothing as he collapsed, screaming in pain as he clutched what was left of his nose. The smoke continued to envelope Elizabeth, surrounding and transforming her looks. Her pleasant and soft white dress had been turned into black plated armor, with the metal collar having what looked like black fangs sticking up around her neck. Her hair and eyes turned as black as the soul that had haunted her. The priest looked in fear as the princess was transforming, swearing plenty in his head on why he was dealt this bad hand. "I warned you," came a deeper but feminene voice, stepping out of the black smoke with red eyes that glowered at him.

"Dear? Is are going through another puberty?" Her mother asked.

"Dear? Mother…blood." She started walking towards the two, the guards around the king and queen yelling at her to stop her advance. Once she got within swinging distance, she paused and waited. The two men stopped yelling, then collapsed on the ground before they could even swing their sword. "Ah, did you take care of them?"

"Yes, mother…" The new, imposing Liz helped both of them up and removed their blindfold.

"Elizabeth, you've gotten taller," the queen said. "Have you been getting activity?"

"No, but I do have a couple of souls in my body now."

"Souls? What did I tell you about touching magic items that you do not know of?" She said with anger, giving her daughter a light slap on the wrist to reprimand her. "Sorry mother. What? No, I can't do such a thing!"

"Do what thing?"

"Oh, em, the soul has a method for utilizing the bodies. Hey says it is to 'sustain' themselves…" She caught the priest crawling to the corner, pointlessly holding his nose to stall the bleeding around the knife. "Fuck, fuck, fuck…."

"I thought you were a priest, not a sailor," Elizabeth said, holding her sword in hand. He scooted up against the door, reaching his hand for the handle but being denied when the blade tapped against it. "Please, you don't understand! This family will doom us all!"

"Then doomed we shall be." She drove the sword through his gut and watched the blood that spilled out of the wound collect on the sword. It was like a vampire fang, ruthlessly taking the life out of the priest until his eyes lost his color. Sated, the black visuals disappeared from her body, leaving behind her good old white dress and golden hair. Previously unaffected by the murder she committed, one look made her shiver with disgust and step as far away as possible. "Mother, I killed Carl!" she said with tears in her eyes. Her sword was the opposite, positively pulsing with all the newfound blood it had consumed. "It is alright, he was going to die anyway. You are still in trouble for obtaining that sword however."

"Oh, damn it…"

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"You and your friends are going to stay in here for the rest of the night." The queen said, being followed by guards that held onto the teens' arms. "But mother, what if Captain Lao comes back?"

"You should have thought about that before becoming a vessel for souls in a blade."

"That's not fair, I saved you and father's life."

"Elizabeth sweetie, we get our lives threatened once every several fortnights. But, I am proud of you nevertheless. Now think about what you have done." She left the three stuck inside, with one guard sitting on the carpet and another denying access out of the door. "Sorry, this is my fault Val and Jay," she said, sitting down on her bed. "I should have picked a better sword."

"Don't worry Elizabeth, it was actually Jacob's fault."

"Yeah, don't swea- what did you say?" The valkyrie lifted a finger. "If you never took us to that stupid market, we could have gotten a regular sword instead of one that summons an undead Elizabeth."

"That's like blaming Lao for being turned into a dragon toy!"

"That is a rash statement. It's not like you could ever back up your claim."

"Do you want to settle this one and for all?" Jacob said angrily. "I still have my bo staff ready to beat my superiority into you."

"Say not one more word." She took her ax from her back, letting it grow until it was slightly wedged into the floor. "I can't wait to smite your annoying behind."

"No fighting in the princess' chamber," went one of the knights. The two looked at each other then groaned since they had to put their weapons away. Elizabeth watched from her bedside, looking for pajamas to wear. "I wonder what Captain Lao is doing…"

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Melisa was laughing maniacally as she attacked the armor, putting scratches and holes into Meika that disappeared after a short time. "Die bitch die!"

"Melisa, we are not your mother…" Mei said calmly, biting her lip as another hole was poked into the cape. "This hurts after a while."

"Lao, are you alright?" Ka asked him. He nodded then felt something get jostled loose. "Stop, there was something knocked down."

"What? Ka!"

"I didn't break," she calmly said as Lao kneeled down to pick up the object. It was a small, pocket-sized portrait of two vampires and a human. "Hey, it is my family," Melisa said, picking up the portrait. "I remember this. It was before they found out I was only half-vampire."

"Do you want to throw it away?" Melisa felt tempted to, but then she remembered what Lao said her mother had said. She still hated her with almost every fiber of her body, but now there were a few that were willing to forgive and forget. "No, I'll put it up with the drawing from your dead dragoon."

"What? You're not still depressed are you?"

"Don't talk so based-like...based what is that?" Melisa shrugged as she placed the portrait up against the wall, comparing it to the talon drawing of Seian and Lao. "I don't know, but this wall suddenly looks aaaalot better. We should put more dead people up here, like that lilim you killed."