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PoV :
1. Gloria (Virgil’s love interest and member of the Argent Dawn)
Recap: We met Virgil, and his best friend and love interest, Gloria, while in a rather intimate moment before Edmon came walking down the halls, possessing an Undead, to inform them of their first assignment. The Argent Dawn is the group of humans that have been ritual-tied to Elinor’s Faith-Based Seed religion; the more faith they have in our Empress as a goddess, the more powers they will be able to manifest from the branching seed she can share.
After following Virgil, and getting to know a bit about our leader, let’s see things from his love interest’s side!
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Air hissed through Gloria’s teeth as she stumbled off-balance while hopping on one foot, trying to put on her second boot. Stupid body! It’s so hard to move after all these changes!
Tucking into a low roll, she bounced back up; luckily, she didn’t embarrass herself in front of Edmon and Virgil, still in the room behind her—unluckily, her brown locks were a complete mess around her face.
She felt gross—sweaty in awkward places, dirty from rolling around in the dust with Virgil several hours ago, and not having brushed her teeth the night before because of their extracurricular activities.
Panic quickly set in her breast as she jogged, each bouncing step sending a jolt through her sore muscles. Oh, no … Did High Lord Edmon want us to take a shower because he saw how I looked? Did Virgil think I was gross when I breathed in his face…
She lifted up a hand, puffing out some air before grimacing; it smelled rancid to her. No-ho-ho … Why?! I thought I was sexy, but he was just … No, I mean, he was excited, but that was before I got up … Shut up, brain!
Throwing her messy locks back, she grunted. “C’mon, pull it together!”
She only made it a few dozen meters down the massive central hallway of the palace’s east wing when a thought occurred to her. Wait … I can’t speak to the Ri’bot or Nalveans … How am I supposed to get everyone ready? Is it a test … Dammit! No, first get Triana and the others.
Gloria soon caught the faint echoes of Edmon and Virgil’s voices behind her, drawing her backward glance that almost resulted in another stumble and fall. Hopping a little to slow down and take the branching corner, she muttered a curse.
Who can help me with the Ri’bot … Who can … Gwen! Gwen can talk to them, but she’s always so busy. It is the morning, though, and my only other option is playing charades with them. Please, please, please help!
The palace was shockingly big—in hallways, rooms, and general size; she felt like a little girl in a castle. At first, it was frightening, and the terror the Ri’bot caused was a knife in her heart, twisting and ripping, but the Empress changed all of that.
Granted, the Undead weren’t any better for her mental health at the start, yet as the weeks went on, they became a sense of comfort. The Empress provided the order she desperately needed, and Virgil gave her the comfort that stabilizes her—now, though, everything was changing.
Elinor granted her not only the physique she’d always dreamed of but the power to fight back against this cruel world they’d been forced into against their will.
As an added bonus, she had Virgil’s very muscular and warm body to snuggle up to at night; it seemed perfectly acceptable, given Edmon’s reaction, embarrassing as it may have been, which only served to strengthen her resolve.
Plus, she knew exactly who Virgil was—it was the primary reason she’d opened up to him in her moments of weakness—and his transformation was more than adequate for her standards as an added bonus; she only hoped he was satisfied with her.
A small smile played at the corner of her lips as she recalled the scene she’d awoken to, feeling her breasts against his hard, hot abs and side—seeing the product of her touch against his skin.
Her lips soon pulled together as the unfortunately timed tingles radiated through her abdomen and thighs. Mind out of the gutter, Gloria! Chill! Chill!
Taking deep, calming breaths while fanning her burning face, she directed an awkward smile at a few passing-by women with their sleepy children, just getting up for the day. It brought more unwelcome thoughts.
How will my children look after this … Can I have children? We aren’t really dead, but … Can Tiffany have kids?
“Mmhgm … More useless thoughts,” she grumbled, slowing outside of the cracked door that led to one of the rooms they’d converted into a sleeping space. “Focus … Focus.”
Going inside, she squinted, adjusting to the dim atmosphere; the human half of their group was sleeping in the same area to grow more accustomed to each other—she and Virgil had snuck away the last few days, but their relationship wasn’t that big of a secret between the members.
Gloria first caught sight of Triana, resting on her back on a rather large cot without a blanket; she was dressed in her bra and underwear to remain cool in the hot jungle environment; Lucky promised that temperature regulation in the city would be coming within the next two weeks, but it wasn’t high on the Empress’s priority list.
The girl used to have short black hair and be about as tall as Gloria; they’d seen each other around town—it was a small place—but she didn’t expect her to take on this kind of figure in her wildest dreams.
Gloria thought the nineteen-year-old girl to be more of a quiet and subdued type, and that couldn’t have been further from the truth now.
Triana’s hair thickened along with her muscles, and her raven locks dyed a flaming orange; she was even taller than Virgil now and had no issues showing her skin, unlike Gloria. In fact, she’d gotten Violet to craft her webbing through some of the animal furs of the creatures brought back from the slaughter to create a custom outfit.
She looked more like an Irish barbarian princess than a Latino due to her new height and sharpened features. Sharp green eyes, pelt-like bra top, shoulder pads housing bone teeth, arm guards, boots, and bottoms that showed off far more of her muscular thighs than Gloria was comfortable with.
Triana was very beautiful, in a wild fashion that highlighted her serious and intimidating gaze. Among the items brought back from their world, Triana managed to snatch a hand ax, belts to incorporate into her clothing, and oddly enough, a belly ring. However, her most prized possession was from Ectria—their Ri’bot combat instructor—who gifted her a massive battle-ax.
Gloria had no doubt the woman had more than a passing fascination with some kind of online roleplaying group in the States; in the last few years, they’d gained access to somewhat shoddy internet access that was brought in by a failing tourist business hoping to provide the service for people passing through.
It may not have worked for the tourist bit, but more than a few town residents paid them for the satellite services; Triana and Virgil were among the repeat customers, which had them competing for bandwidth at times.
Creeping around the cots, Gloria glanced between her fellow Argent Dawn members; they were an odd bunch, and each of them had their own little quirks, but they’d all passed Tiffany’s fidelity test. Elinor might as well be a goddess in her mind, but she was afraid she might have the least faith in the group.
Of course, Tadeo’s black hood was pulled over his head, back facing them to hide his face; the boy didn’t appear to have the best confidence in his looks because he always wore a mask.
Closing the distance with the barbarian woman, she swallowed the saliva in her mouth and whispered, “Psst … Hey, we need to get ready.”
Triana’s rising and falling chest fluttered as she awoke, her green irises snapping open to quickly focus on her environment; the girl’s voice had deepened from her transformation, becoming more commanding and reflecting an Irish accent. “Ah, Gloria … Is something the matter … Leaving?”
A few low groans rolled around the three other men as they stretched and rolled to the side of their makeshift beds.
Sosimo yawned, stretching his arms across his chest and rolling around his neck. “Early training today, huh … Do we get breakfast?”
The twenty-two-year-old young man had filled out significantly over the last few days, black hair turning a sandy blonde with his eyes becoming sea green. He was a bright fellow that seemed to enjoy more ranged combat, but his skills with a Ri’bot sling wasn’t doing well—his aim with a blowpipe was on point, though.
He slept in his boxers with a sheet half-covering his midsection. Gloria’s eyes lingered on his tight, muscular chest and biceps; Virgil was more filled out, but there was an appeal to how Sosimo’s physique was shaped.
Roberto scratched his neck, popping his back while getting up and shoving his gut forward. “Ugh—you think Antonietta’s making that awesome sausage she whipped up two days ago? I saw some more meat coming in yesterday,” he stated, pulling his hood over his head.
Triana twisted left and right on her cot, bones giving sharp cracks from the growth they’d likely experienced through the night. “That’d be nice … You think we’ll get the chance to try hunting ourselves soon?”
“Hope so!” Sosimo responded with a grin. “I’m looking forward to getting out and doing some real stuff.”
Gloria sighed, glancing between the three; Sosimo and Triana were cut from the same outdoors-type cloth while Roberto marched to his own drum.
The eighteen-year-old boy’s messy black hair, dark brown, almost black eyes, and fair features hadn’t changed all that much to Gloria’s surprise, and he still only stood close to his previous height at about 5’10” tall.
Roberto’s quirk was his bulky white sweatshirt that Violet mirrored from his previous garments. He wore tight cream jeans and white boots made out of the spider creature’s silk, which would survive this world’s harsh environment.
He never tamed his hair and didn’t seem to be that energetic, yet always followed instructions. The boy’s combat skills were laughable at best, which Tiffany commented that he was probably suited to a different skill set then.
She didn’t know why he wasn’t freaking out about the diagnosis because she was going crazy, not knowing exactly how her powers would manifest.
Tadeo was the last human member of the fifteen-man roster of the Argent Dawn and the shyest. Gloria found the seventeen-year-old boy’s mannerisms reasonably cute. He didn’t talk much, keeping his face covered out of embarrassment, but she was sure he wasn’t that bad to look at, given what she could see.
His black hair had dyed white, covering much of his forehead and framing his light yellow eyes, previously brown. He wore a fitted black shirt, pants, and shoes; overall, he was the one Gloria knew the least about.
Tadeo leaned against his knees, vision moving between them, gauging the situation.
Clearing her throat, Gloria glanced back, making sure they hadn’t woken any of the other room’s occupants and motioned for them to follow her into the hallway.
Triana snatched her two weapons, arm guards, shoulder pads, and boots from the ground.
Sosimo gathered his own strange items—for some reason, he wanted a heart-guard, which just comprised a metal shield over his chest. He had a place for his blowpipe on his belt and a shoulder strap that carried a sheathed Ri’bot curved blade.
Violet crafted the young man’s brown pants with side pockets, and his fitted dark green shirt had stretched to his expanding muscles to show off their shape. She felt a little lucky to have so many handsome men to ogle from time to time—of course, she’d only look—no need to touch when she had Virgil.
Making their way outside, she gave them a bright smile. “So, we’ve got our first mission from the Empress!”
“Ye-heh-ahh!” Sosimo cheered, lifting up his hand for Triana to high-five. “What’s the gig—just us?”
“Doubt it,” Roberto yawned. “We’ve been doing too many group exercises to split up now—bit surprised, though, seeing as only Virgil’s got some powers so far.”
Triana grinned, left brow raising while staring down at Gloria, shifting her equipment in her hands. “Who knows, maybe Gloria found some secret superpower from last night’s exercises!”
“Ooh, do tell!” Sosimo snickered. “I haven’t been able to beat Virgil yet; did ya wear him out?”
Roberto held his hands behind his back, lifted eyebrows scanning the near-empty hallway; only a few men were groggily stumbling toward the showers. “Hmm … I don’t see our esteemed leader here—man, what did you do to him, Gloria?” he asked, pulling the strings on his hoodie to tighten it around his face.
“Nice!” Triana laughed.
Tadeo’s confused yellow eyes shifted between them, arms folded across his chest, and clearly not following the conversation. He’s such an innocent boy!
Gloria released a hot puff of air, vision sliding between the three troublemakers; they were such children. “He’s meeting with High Lord Edmon right now, getting the details, and no, we’re going as a full unit.”
Virgil and she were the oldest in their group—with the possible exception of Elluinara—Ri’bot were notably younger than most humans, seeing as they grow into adults much quicker.
She was thirty years old while Virgil was thirty-one and only five months older than her; of course, who knew how they were going to keep track of their age in this new world with thirty-hour days.
Walking toward the main gathering area in hopes of finding Gwen there, Gloria allowed the four to jog after her. “I don’t suppose you want to know the details of our mission … away from the valley,” she added, giving a sideward smirk at the group.
Excitement brimmed in their faces, drawing them away from her private time with Virgil.
“Outside of the valley?” Triana cheered. “Yes! That’s so … Wait, are we going to the south? The Empress has been doing treaty work there, hasn’t she?”
Roberto nodded, playing with his hoodie string. “Yeah, remember the conference? She’s doing some trade stuff, but I heard there’s an army of Ri’bot gathering to our southeast, too. Are we going to do something with that?”
“Oh-ho-ho!” Sosimo nudged Triana. “Combat, right off the bat? Do you think that’s it—I mean, probably not, but could you imagine it?”
A low growl rumbled in Tadeo’s throat. “Us being torn to pieces? Yeah, I got the picture.”
Triana clicked her tongue. “Aww, c’mon, Tadeo, have some faith in us!”
Gloria rolled her eyes. “I can beat you in swordplay, Sosimo—the Ri’bot children give us a run for our money, and you want to go up against adult warriors—Ri’bot like Ectria?”
Triana, Sosimo, and Roberto grimaced at the mention of their mentor.
“Yo, Ectria’s a demon,” Roberto mumbled.
Triana nodded, adjusting her equipment in her arms. “Right? She’s a monster. Remember yesterday?”
“How could I forget,” Sosimo muttered, rubbing his wrist. “Thirteen on one, and she rolled us.”
Roberto grunted. “Sure, but I bet if we had Elluinara on our team, we would have won, but she just watched.”
“I’m not so sure,” Tadeo replied. “You and I are basically worthless right now—we can’t even swing a sword more than a few minutes without getting tired.”
“Eh … sure,” Roberto mumbled. “Just wait until our powers kick in, though—we’ll show her what we’ve got then.”
Letting them vent the frustration she shared, Gloria waited for an opening; she had to take the long walk down the spiral staircase to the ground floor and climb to the second level of the west wing to reach their other members.
She yawned when the four fell into silence; wiping at her eyes, she said, “We’re going to the south—to a Nalvean City-State to train with their soldiers and help them out. It’s basically for good PR.”
“PR?” Triana and Tadeo asked.
Roberto waved his hand. “Public relations … Huh, so … we’re going to train with Nalveans, too … Aren’t they supposed to be even stronger than the Ri’bot?”
“A lot stronger,” Triana replied, sounding excited. “Virgil told me that Elluinara said they had a huge Empire and military—even a navy!”
Tadeo’s yellow eyes widened. “Navy … Are we going to use boats?”
Gloria shrugged. “No clue. I was just told to get everyone together in the Main Hall; we need to pack for a long journey—we’ll be gone a while, so get that big monster toad thing to help bring our supplies and stuff.”
“Oh?” Sosimo asked, picking between his teeth and glancing up at Triana. “How long are we gonna be gone?”
“Again, not a clue. Virgil will let us know after we get everything in the hall—oh, and we can take a shower, he said—no rush.”
“Sweet,” Roberto nodded, stretching out his hood and putting his hands in the front, connected pocket. “We doin’ that after or before we get our stuff?”
Gloria turned the corner with the others following when they reached the central hallway, leading back to the palace. “Doesn’t matter. If you want to quickly get your tents and everything first and shower, then that’s fine—just make sure you don’t take too long.”
“Mmh, you sure it won’t take long?” Triana mused, looking her up and down to note her dusty cheeks and dirty hair.
“Really?” Gloria sighed, looking up at her as the giant barbarian girl casually walked beside her; Triana’s long legs easily outpaced them had she not restrained herself.
She snickered, looking away. “Just pointing out the obvious—uh, heh, I’ll get all my stuff packed before hitting the showers. Meet you there?”
Gloria’s light brown eyes lifted to the arched ceiling while shaking her head, knowing the girl just wanted to hear details—typical nine-teen-year-old. “Uh … Yeah, sure…” Although it did give her a sense of pride, knowing she did excite Virgil and bragging about it certainly couldn’t hurt.
Roberto was already splitting off with Sosimo, ignoring them while making their own plans.
“Yo, bro, what do you wanna do?” Roberto asked.
“Mmh,” Sosimo’s gaze drifted to Tadeo, “I’m thinkin’ we shower first. You in?”
Tadeo shrugged, and the three instantly changed directions, moving to a room closing in on their right.
Roberto waved at them. “Hey, nothin’ else to talk about, right?”
Gloria shook her head, gut tightening as the hard part drew closer. “Nope. I’ll meet you in a bit.”
“Sounds good,” Sosimo replied. A thoughtful look moved his eyes, shifting topics in an instant. “What powers do you think you’ll get, Tadeo?”
“How should I know,” he mumbled, scratching his covered neck and shifting around his mask, “maybe something to help protect everyone.”
“Sounds sweet,” Roberto laughed, “because you and I need it, my man—gah, I think if we just had one more person, we could totally beat Ectria!”
A soft chuckle shook Tadeo’s frame. “That or us being even a little useful.”
“C’mon, bro, don’t get down on yourself like that,” Sosimo grunted, jabbing his arm as they disappeared into one of the bathing areas.
Gloria suddenly realized the boys likely knew what Tadeo looked like under the fabric, considering they washed together, and a spark of curiosity momentarily pulled her thoughts away from the long descent and climb to the Ri’bot area.
It wasn’t until Triana nudged her with a teasing upward twist to her lips that Gloria’s mind returned. “Hmm … You can’t be thinking about the boys stripping, hmm? I bet they’re doing the same with us,” she whispered, leaning down as a few fifteen-year-old girls trudged out of a nearby room, dark bags under their eyes.
A stream of air puffed out of Gloria’s nose. “Mhm, and imagining you crushing them between your bare, muscular legs?”
Triana pulled in her still smiling lips. “You know—I knew a few boys that fantasize about that.”
Gloria snorted, eyeing the girl’s tall, well-built frame. “Internet friends, I assume—doing those … what were they called, memes, I think … Is that why you want to look like that?”
“Huh?” Triana shifted her hips and carried items around to examine her figure. “I’m totally super killing it, woman—I don’t know what you’re on, but these muscles are as hot as it gets, and have you seen my ass? I could crush a tank!” she laughed.
“If that’s your thing…” Gloria returned, utterly losing the girl’s train of thought. “I just think it’s crazy how serious and scary you can look and then be—this,” she said, pointing to her teasing and light-hearted expression.
“It’s called atmosphere! Although…” Triana moaned, working around her shoulders and neck. “I’m still so sore … You have no clue how hard it is for me to just walk—I’m focusing so hard right now, and I didn’t think these big boobs would feel so strange—at least you kept the same cup-size—how did you live with them being so big?”
A rumble shook Gloria’s throat, vision flicking to her animal-skin bra; the giant girl’s breasts were basically at her eye-level with how tall she was. “It sucked—but I feel a lot better now; you’ll get used to them, I’m sure … Regretting how you changed?”
“You kidding me?” Triana laughed, shifting her big ax to gain a better grip. “Not even a little! I’m the character I always roleplayed as! I’m totally going to get super awesome barbarian abilities; I know it—oh, you should help me come up with some cool war paint designs—oh, and some bone necklaces would be so cool!”
“I already did your hair,” Gloria mused, “and now you’re dragging me into arts and crafts? Gah … And at least you know what you want to be.”
“It’ll be fun! Wait, uh … you don’t know?”
Gloria shook her head. “Not the faintest idea … I just want to help Virgil.”
“Mmh? Heh, what kind of help?”
“And I thought my mind got stuck in the gutter,” she grumbled, catching sight of the majestic Seraph as they entered the gathering area that overlooked the Grand Hall; Gwen was setting up a table with water and the first batch of the strange oatmeal that recently came up from the kitchens. “Yes!”
“Hmm…” Triana followed her gaze to the woman. “Oh—talking to the Ri’bot, yeah, that could be a problem—good thing Gwen’s up. Eh, heh, and so the ever so pious Gloria also has a dirty mind, huh? Mind sharing your wise, mature—ahem, licentious thoughts— with the younger generation; I’m so curious about last night!”
“Get out of here,” Gloria grumbled, trying to push the solid chunk of muscle next to her off without much effect until she decided to move—which subsequently caused her to misjudge her balance and sent her sprawling across the ground with a squeal that didn’t match her masculine frame.
The clatter of her ax spinning across the granite drew several eyes, and for the first time, Gloria saw the girl’s face flash crimson with everyone watching her; obviously, she put a lot of effort into trying to look cool. “Aww, no … Why here?”
“My bad,” Gloria sighed, bending down to help her up and gather her items. “You know, I stumbled and had to do a roll to get back up on the way to get you guys.”
“Mmh…” Triana brushed her red locks out of her similarly colored face, trying to regain her confidence by redirecting the conversation in a pretty typical direction was something Gloria had come to expect. “Is it because you can’t walk straight after last night’s … activities? Heh, I did notice you weaving back and forth in the hallway…”
Gloria decided to play into it this time. “Oh, definitely,” she whispered, “you have no idea; Virgil’s a total beast—I think I blacked out once or twice—maybe more.”
The girl’s flaming orange eyebrows rose in disbelief. “No way … For real? Did it hurt?”
It suddenly dawned on Gloria. No way … It totally makes sense now; she’s a virgin.
“Mmh, I’d think you’d know. Am I right?”
“Y-Yeah! No, totally!” Triana mumbled, gathering up her items quickly before stumbling a few feet away. “So … umm, yeah, I’m gonna go get everything ready!”
“Mhm. See you in a bit,” Gloria waved off, laughter in her voice.
She shifted her weight to the side, catching Gwen’s eye; taking a deep breath, she closed the distance, which took longer than she thought considering the breadth of the area.
“Gwen, hey!”
The redhead smiled, setting down the full bowl of oatmeal she’d just poured. “Hello, Gloria. Getting ready for the day’s training?”
“No, umm, actually, I was wondering if you could—you know, help me with translating real quick?” She turned to see Sari’aél playing jump rope with the children; it warmed her heart and chased away her crude thoughts. “The Empress is sending us on our first mission, and High Lord Edmon is currently with Virgil.”
“Mmh, yeah, I saw them moving to the lower floors a moment ago,” Gwen replied, continuing to help the other women prepare breakfast from the barrel from the kitchens. “Umm, yeah, I can help—in fact, why don’t you go get ready yourself. It looked like Triana could use your help.”
Gwen forced a laugh. “I’m fairly sure she’s beating herself up right now after that fall—at least from what I’ve come to know of the girl.”
Gloria was always impressed by how much time and energy Gwen showed; she knew everyone by name and at least a little about them personally.
“I would, but the High Lord asked me to do it personally,” she insisted, but the bright smile Gwen gave her threw Gloria off.
“Wonderful; actually, High Lord Edmon wanted to see if you had the mental fortitude to seek help or if you’d try and do it on your own; you chose the more efficient way, which is something he wanted to see.”
Gloria’s mind blanked for a moment. “It … was a test?”
“Which you passed,” Gwen replied, taking her apron off and handing it to another woman that happily took her place. “Lucky is currently in that area, and I need to discuss a few things regarding the planting effort in the Greenhouse District. Please, relax a little before your journey—we’ll be preparing the send-off.”
Slowly nodding, Gloria rubbed her left elbow before hesitantly walking away. “Thanks, Gwen … I’ll talk to you later.”
“Be safe!”
“Yeah, we will.”
Gloria trailed after Triana, mind spinning. High Lord Edmon predicted I haven’t tapped into the Empress’s translation ability and wanted to know how I’d react to an order I wasn’t well equipped to handle. He set all of it up. By what Gwen said, it’s further proof that I’m well suited for the Argent Dawn … I need to have more faith in the Empress.
Puffing out a hot stream of air, Gloria licked her lips and cleared her throat. She’s the only light we have in this nasty world—through her power, I have power—I am the sword of this, my new Empire … I’m the protector of these people … And it’s only because the Empress trusts in me.
Her focus moved between the children playing jump rope; the angel was having a surprising amount of trouble with the game, which could have been because the children were making it pretty much impossible, but the celestial woman only seemed to be enjoying herself.
I’m here to support these people—the Argent Dawn—I’m Empress Elinor’s protector … I want to be like Sari’aél … Yeah, that’s what I want.
Peace filled Gloria’s mind as she set her heart; she wanted to be a protecting light that helped those around her and shone through the darkness, just like Sari’aél.
Soon catching up to the barbarian girl, Gloria made small talk while gathering the large alligator-toad creature the Ri’bot called Torlim; it would be their packhorse on the journey, carrying their tents, single change of identical clothes, food, and survival equipment Edmon had put together himself days earlier.
Guiding the creature to the Grand Hallway, they left it in the care of Ectria; Elluinara, Ina’ko, Gomal, Koma, and Utila were all with the Xaria. It was a little embarrassing how swiftly the creatures could be prepared compared to them, but Gloria had to put it behind her—she still couldn’t understand them.
Heading upstairs with Triana to shower, Gloria removed her outfit, eyeing the barbarian girl; they weren’t the only women freshening up for the day. Making it into the downpour, they started to wash themselves of the dirt and grime.
Getting a bit curious about her companion’s internal desires, Gloria cleared her throat, using one of the public combs taken by the Ri’bot when looting their town. “Triana, why do you want to show so much skin … Wouldn’t it be better to wear the super-strong clothes Violet made for us? You’re just going to run into battle and get stabbed in the gut—I mean, Sosimo was so worried he had a heart plate, or whatever that thing is,” she laughed.
“Mmh,” Triana reached down to pick up the bar of homemade soap they were using, lathering it up before spreading it across her chest, shoulders, and sides, “Roberto asked me that—my thoughts are, why need armor if I have faith in the Empress to give me the strength that’s even stronger than armor—like Steel Skin. Camellia mentioned it to me.”
The red-haired spider woman’s human transformation flashed into focus; when she’d come back, Camellia’s body had been riddled with cuts and gashes, and there seemed to be a lot of damage done to her figure from whatever horrific battle she’d been in.
Sosimo, Triana, Roberto, and Tadeo had spent a considerable amount of their free time talking to the colossal spider. She was earnest and had nothing but praise for the Empress, saying she’d failed her mission and how ashamed she was, but as her companions told it, she was awesome—Gloria spent all her free time with Virgil, which she then noticed wasn’t the best idea—they needed to grow more as a unit.
“Huh … I suppose that works, too,” Gloria whispered, “but personally, I’d rather trust the Empress to give me an impenetrable set of armor. I’d just feel better knowing it was there—like seeing her actively protecting me from harm—I don’t know, something visual.”
“Mh-yeah, I can see that,” Triana returned, moving to her long flaming hair and using the conditioner as a face wash. “So, are you worried about tripping in the jungle? I am,” she grumbled. “It’s hard enough on flat ground.”
Gloria hissed. “I … didn’t think about that—yeah, that’s going to suck.”
“Good training, though … I guess.”
It didn’t take them long to clean themselves; Gloria felt so much better after ridding herself of the sweat. Dressing in their clean outfits to start their journey, they made their way to the Grand Hall, Triana holding her great-ax over her left shoulder.
The redhead’s lips parted in disbelief as they saw the crowd that gathered to see them off. “Wow … Wait, is that the Empress?”
Gloria’s gaze fixated on their white-haired goddess, sitting on a throne that was situated on the back of a large Undead spider. A massive, beautiful eagle-like bird stood next to her, scanning the scene in an imperial manner.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Gloria mechanically descended from the first level of the east wing to meet with her companions; Triana and she were the last to arrive.
They fell into place before their goddess, bowing their heads and taking to one knee; not a sound could be heard in the Great Hall other than soft fidgeting, and crying children were swiftly escorted further into the two wings.
The Empress’s voice was calming, yet held an authority that rippled through her bones like an earthquake. “Your first big journey. The Argent Dawn will sow goodwill and support across the Nalvean Empire—currently our closest ally. You represent me and this Empire, and I know you will display the dignity that is expected of that status.”
“We will not fail you, Empress! Thank you for this opportunity to show how generous you can be to those that seek peace with the Empire.” Virgil responded.
“Our Empire,” Elinor chuckled. “I may be the head, but it is by the body as a whole that will be judged. Use this chance to learn from the Nalvean culture and their combat tactics; these are races that have seen brutal war through many generations and live far longer than humans.”
“We cannot wait to start!”
Gloria stiffened, eyes going out of focus when her Empress’s glowing emerald irises shifted to her. “Before you go, I understand your name is Gloria?”
“Umm…” she coughed, face heating as panic erupted through her veins; everyone was looking right at her. “Y-Yes, Empress,” she choked, shakily lifting her gaze to see the Death Goddess’s soft face.
“Interesting … You share the same name as a fairy-like creature I was introduced to when meeting with Sari’aél’s father. She was the most lovely woman I’ve ever seen—no she really was the definitive Goddess of Fairies, I’m sure—radiating such emotion that only that name could be appropriate … I see you take after her.”
Did … Did the Empress … our goddess just call me beautiful? No way … I share the same name as a fairy goddess?
Confidence soon replaced her terror, filling her to the brim with gratitude as a tear slid down her cheek; Gloria knew exactly what to say to her. “Thank you, Empress … I will do my best to live up to that compliment—even if I don’t deserve it. I will serve the Empire to my dying breath!”
She lifted her hand as incandescent golden rays illuminated the space, strength mixing into every fiber of her being; tears slid down her cheeks with the rapture that filled her blood. It was warm life in her lungs that wouldn’t die, erasing every ounce of shame within her breast—mercy showering her with grace as Sari’aél’s glory laid out an unseen path before her.
Gloria’s flesh and bone were renewed in light, a long sword shimmering into being, her left hand closed around the welcoming hilt, and a kite shield enclosed her right with a full set of plate mail—she was a paladin.
Gasps echoed around the Great Hall as she unlocked her powers, but the only thing reflected in Gloria’s eyes was the pleased smile of her Empress and goddess; only one phrase was on her tongue. “I live to serve the Empire, Empress—its people—to serve you, my goddess.”
Sari’aél floated down from above, somehow deeping the sense of comfort that radiated through Gloria’s core. “Go with our blessing, Gloria, and be a healing hand to those in need. The Empress and I are with you.”
Everything else was a blur in Gloria’s mind as the crowd cheered, prayers were heard, and they exited the hall. Elluinara was in the lead, Virgil beside her on his white horse, and she noticed a new sword by his side—a samurai’s blade by design.
We’re really more than human … With the Empress, we can protect people … heal them. I can be there for people trapped in despair and darkness. Thank you, Empress … Thank you.
Maps:
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