Colonel Vito stood before Lady Bellatrix with a bowed head. Just a step behind her was her Ladies, the two madams who held power in the Old Empire’s Confederacy. They stood without a word, and with their eyes closed. Lady Bellatrix’s red-eyed stare made Colonel Vito hesitate to raise his head.
“I ask, where is Wendy?”
Colonel Vito didn’t answer, simply afraid. He simply believes that even the magiborne and the magi are bound by ‘science’. The magitech that they created, just another branch of science.
But there was no question about the power that the Ladies of the Pact have. It was fortunate of him to have been their mediator, but Colonel Vito wished he wasn’t. Not when faced with Lady Bellatrix, Holder of the Imperator’s Crest, and was called Lady Death during her active duty in the Tripartite Alliance and Athesian Empire War. Of course, he only knew because he was allowed to know.
Even without that Crest of Power of hers. She was a dangerous individual. Not once he saw her miss when she was playing sports during his visit in her shooting club in Wilde.
But what was even more unsettling was the sparks that she could conjure without minding it. Even the cosmetics that she wore on her left hand burned because of the energy that she manipulated. It was a silver hand reinforced with some sort of blackened iron. The platinum blonde hair that the Lady had turned pale white.
“She...must have been captured.”
“And why is that?”
“Because...Thomas Strongarm was not enough. It seemed like they were working with militants, and the army personnel. My agent...failed to examine the situation and was killed in action,” Colonel Vito played a recorded audio.
“This is Thomas, Sir. I am currently facing Colonel Elric. My suit’s damaged, and I don’t think I can take him on with my injuries, Sir.”
She glared. Her hand, thinly layered with a transparent film of bluish red light. The Lady remained cold.
“And I expected better than you. I had hoped that this wouldn’t come to pass. But I will not fault you, Colonel Vito. You trusted this man, and yet it seemed like we had underestimated our enemy as well.”
The heat that vanished became cold. But it resurfaced as her cold anger flared up. Colonel Vito remained bowed, though the man hated bowing to anyone, there was no helping it when it came to one of the most powerful women in the known continents.
“Intelligence Units have tracked down where Miss Wendy came out.”
Colonel Vito took out a folder. The folder floated from his hand to the Lady’s hand. She looked at the files, the photos, and handed it back to Lady Velia.
“My daughter has been bruised, beaten, and treated like a dog. I had asked her for a bit of sacrifice, but it seemed like I had overestimated the foolish fakes of the hounds. Colonel, tell me, where is she right now?”
“My sources have tracked her into one of Knia’s broadcasting stations, Ma’am. But--”
“But? I have heard that four times when you started speaking that. Now, tell me, because oh dear, I am running out of patience here.”
Colonel Vito shouted inwardly. How he wished to be away from her, mourn Thomas, and not face this woman right. Not that he had a choice in the matter. He was here because the ball-less sons of bitches wouldn’t even last a second when facing her.
Beauty and power. That was something that made her dangerous. It was awful how he was frightened. But then again, the Magi always had a way to frighten anyone who stands before them.
“I had tasked an infantry fire team with the task of infiltrating the suspected broadcasting station.”
Mid-sentence there was a sudden entry. Colonel Vito looked at the person who entered and stared.
“Ladies, there is something that you must see.”
Behind him was a group that was carrying a battery-powered television seated on top of a trolley. On the screen of the television was a gory sight of a limbless man. Colonel Vito stood, gaping at the sight of the man who was just ranting in the summit a day ago.
“This Ryne Alathor,” said the man who stood with a rifle at hand. Next to him was a soldier whose head was downed. “Though we have been captured, we are here to show the people of Holmia, that although these terrorists want their so called ‘rights’ they have abandoned, threatened, and had threatened your lives. What we have here was the man who stood before, rightfully punished for the sake of his transgressions. Their leaders are dead, and we have shown you what hostages could do.”
The hostages stood, chest puffed, chin lifted, and holding the rifle of the enemies. The ignorant would believe that they did this. But Colonel Vito knew how capable Thomas was, and how fierce Colonel Elric was. They were among the most stable of the magiborne, and they expect to make believe that they did this?
“Captain, your strike team, did they do this?”
“I don’t think they do, and I doubt that they could do this, Ma’am.”
“I see. Then you expect me to believe this? So, tell me, why Elric is now broadcasted dead, and limbless.”
The room temperature became so cold that everyone other than Ladies of the Pact started shivering. Colonel Vito scoured his mind for answers, but found none. He didn’t want to lie and thus answered.
“None. I have no idea which force is meddling with us. But I assure you that with all confidence, those who did this are not part of the Holmian Military.”
“It seems so, considering that however the team did this, they were able to take Elric out. Minerva, Dastan, and Herlock are still around. I doubt they would appear now that they had Elric butchered in a live broadcast, which leaves Witch Sicily. I shall take care of them.”
Colonel Vito brazenly took a step forward.
“That wouldn’t be necessary, Ma’am.”
Lady Bellatrix stood up. “You’ve given me nothing, but disappointment. Although my Huntsmen have recovered the spark-infused artifacts through this chaos. I will not allow them to take family away from me. I’ve given you this chance, a favor, at the cost of MY FAMILY and you dare to say to me that it isn’t necessary? How dare you, Colonel Vito. HOW DARE YOU.”
Do not make the Lady angry. That was one of the protocols that Colonel Vito was told to follow when working with Lady Bellatrix and her Pact. He and his big mouth. It was clear that he had no way of stopping her from taking action. By Jove, help those who would stand in her way.
“I...understand. I will ask my forces to secure the perimeter within the area while you do your work...Madam.”
“For once, you have said something that sits right with me, Colonel. If my Wendy is harmed further than this, and if I feel her cold body...Then don’t expect the kindness of my Pact. The industries of Lazon, and the mercy of my Huntsmen. Do you understand, Colonel?”
“I do. We do.”
“Good,” she turned towards Lady Velia. “My lady, you shall be stationed here for a moment while Velna and I give a demonstration to these Crestless fools what it’s like to face an Imperator in battle. I gave them mercy, guidance, and yet that Witch Minvera dares to spit in my face and harm my family. I will not lose family ever again. I will not. That is why I will take care of them myself.”
Lady Bellatrix walked out of the chamber and went to her room to prepare. Lady Velna followed her to help her get suited up to her proper combat dress. Most of the time she was gentle, calm, and composed to hide that true military bearing. But this was the true face of Lady Death.
Lady Velia stood next to Colonel Vito. “Are you unharmed, Sir?”
“No, I am not, Ma’am.”
“Hmm, it is good that you aren’t. Forgive me, my big Sister. You have read up on her, so you must know how protective she has become when it comes to our circle. You must understand even I wouldn’t be able to stop her...and truthfully, no one can stop her now unless you know how to revive the dead.”
“Ma’am, I ask that you at least let me see through this.”
“Oh, Big Sister will make you witness it. That’s why prepare yourself, Colonel. It is better that you have a first-hand account on what she will do. It would be best if you see it for yourself, since it seemed like you do not understand how patient she was and how she trusted your team to do the job properly. But now Miss Wendy is missing, and there is a third-party that had somewhat involved themselves in this. Colonel, secure the hostages if you can, I want Ryne Alathor to testify on who did that to Elric, do you understand me?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Thank you, and you should follow.”
Colonel Vito gingerly followed them to the landing pad where he found the Lady wearing a mesh bodysuit equipped with strange runic carvings and spark-infused artifacts fused with the suit.
That thin layer of bluish and red film on her body surrounded her like a flame would of a wick. No one stood next to her when she released such absurd energy. She suppressed herself, climbing on the ramp of the tandem-rotor aircraft. Colonel Vito sat not far while the Lady remained in the ramp, staring icily at the City of Knia.
It didn’t take long for the aircraft to appear near the base where the enemy was. As expected, they were welcomed with surface-to-air missiles. The pilot didn’t move however as Lady Velna gathered power through that mark on the back of her hand and created a multi-layered shield that shot the missiles before they could approach.
“Well, well, you have grown wonderful. I see that your practice has not slackened, my sweet.”
“It’s thanks to your teachings, Sister.”
Lady Bellatrix walked out of the ramp. She stood physically in the air and walked twenty meters away from the aircraft. She was like a deity looking down on the mortals and despite the resistance from below. The artillery shells, the anti-air guns couldn’t even break the tenth layer of the shield she wove around herself.
“Sicily,” her voice boomed on all ears. “As someone who wields the spark, you know that you are powerless before me. The bloom favors me as well as the spark. You cannot win. You can try, but you won’t.”
The Lady waited for an answer but one came.
“Very well. You have made the choice.”
Power gathered from the back of her hand and that crown with a streak of lightning manifested above the base. There was a sudden beam of light that pierced through the ten layers of the Lady’s shielding, but she blocked it with that silver hand of hers reinforced with blackened iron.
“Pathetic, to use an artifact to harm me?”
The energy that broke off from her shield layering became dots of light that spread into firefly-sized orbs that surrounded her. Then they gathered into one single form and began firing shots at the enemy.
It was a rain of energy bullets that used her shield as ammunition. Colonel Vito knew that she was strong. But she was like a gunship of her own, destroying everything with her precise shots.
By the time ten layers of shield of hers were down to the only one shield layer. The base that once stood against the holder of the Imperator’s Crest became ruins. Her overwhelming power, and the destruction she sought made Colonel Vito wonder how anyone would fare against her.
She descended into the ground where Witch Sicily was barely standing.
Colonel Vito’s men surrounded her while Lady Bellatrix stood before her.
“Minerva,” she said while coughing off blood. “She wouldn’t stop just because your dogs found Elric. This isn’t the end, Bellatrix, this is far from it.”
Lady Bellatrix palmed her forehead and drained her off her spark. She looked at Colonel Vito with her red eyes burning from the sparks she got from the Witch.
“Find Wendy, Colonel. That’s what I require of you.”
Colonel Vito nodded. He watched the Lady go back to the aircraft without a word. He didn’t have the guts and he wanted nothing more than to find Miss Wendy before Lady Bellatrix warns them again.
Colonel Vito stood before Lady Bellatrix with a bowed head. Just a step behind her was her Ladies, the two madams who held power in the Old Empire’s Confederacy. They stood without a word, and with their eyes closed. Lady Bellatrix’s red-eyed stare made Colonel Vito hesitate to raise his head.
“I ask, where is Wendy?”
Colonel Vito didn’t answer, simply afraid. He simply believes that even the magiborne and the magi are bound by ‘science’. The magitech that they created, just another branch of science.
But there was no question about the power that the Ladies of the Pact have. It was fortunate of him to have been their mediator, but Colonel Vito wished he wasn’t. Not when faced with Lady Bellatrix, Holder of the Imperator’s Crest, and was called Lady Death during her active duty in the Tripartite Alliance and Athesian Empire War. Of course, he only knew because he was allowed to know.
Even without that Crest of Power of hers. She was a dangerous individual. Not once he saw her miss when she was playing sports during his visit in her shooting club in Wilde.
But what was even more unsettling was the sparks that she could conjure without minding it. Even the cosmetics that she wore on her left hand burned because of the energy that she manipulated. It was a silver hand reinforced with some sort of blackened iron. The platinum blonde hair that the Lady had turned pale white.
“She...must have been captured.”
“And why is that?”
“Because...Thomas Strongarm was not enough. It seemed like they were working with militants, and the army personnel. My agent...failed to examine the situation and was killed in action,” Colonel Vito played a recorded audio.
“This is Thomas, Sir. I am currently facing Colonel Elric. My suit’s damaged, and I don’t think I can take him on with my injuries, Sir.”
She glared. Her hand, thinly layered with a transparent film of bluish red light. The Lady remained cold.
“And I expected better than you. I had hoped that this wouldn’t come to pass. But I will not fault you, Colonel Vito. You trusted this man, and yet it seemed like we had underestimated our enemy as well.”
The heat that vanished became cold. But it resurfaced as her cold anger flared up. Colonel Vito remained bowed, though the man hated bowing to anyone, there was no helping it when it came to one of the most powerful women in the known continents.
“Intelligence Units have tracked down where Miss Wendy came out.”
Colonel Vito took out a folder. The folder floated from his hand to the Lady’s hand. She looked at the files, the photos, and handed it back to Lady Velia.
“My daughter has been bruised, beaten, and treated like a dog. I had asked her for a bit of sacrifice, but it seemed like I had overestimated the foolish fakes of the hounds. Colonel, tell me, where is she right now?”
“My sources have tracked her into one of Knia’s broadcasting stations, Ma’am. But--”
“But? I have heard that four times when you started speaking that. Now, tell me, because oh dear, I am running out of patience here.”
Colonel Vito shouted inwardly. How he wished to be away from her, mourn Thomas, and not face this woman right. Not that he had a choice in the matter. He was here because the ball-less sons of bitches wouldn’t even last a second when facing her.
Beauty and power. That was something that made her dangerous. It was awful how he was frightened. But then again, the Magi always had a way to frighten anyone who stands before them.
“I had tasked an infantry fire team with the task of infiltrating the suspected broadcasting station.”
Mid-sentence there was a sudden entry. Colonel Vito looked at the person who entered and stared.
“Ladies, there is something that you must see.”
Behind him was a group that was carrying a battery-powered television seated on top of a trolley. On the screen of the television was a gory sight of a limbless man. Colonel Vito stood, gaping at the sight of the man who was just ranting in the summit a day ago.
“This Ryne Alathor,” said the man who stood with a rifle at hand. Next to him was a soldier whose head was downed. “Though we have been captured, we are here to show the people of Holmia, that although these terrorists want their so called ‘rights’ they have abandoned, threatened, and had threatened your lives. What we have here was the man who stood before, rightfully punished for the sake of his transgressions. Their leaders are dead, and we have shown you what hostages could do.”
The hostages stood, chest puffed, chin lifted, and holding the rifle of the enemies. The ignorant would believe that they did this. But Colonel Vito knew how capable Thomas was, and how fierce Colonel Elric was. They were among the most stable of the magiborne, and they expect to make believe that they did this?
“Captain, your strike team, did they do this?”
“I don’t think they do, and I doubt that they could do this, Ma’am.”
“I see. Then you expect me to believe this? So, tell me, why Elric is now broadcasted dead, and limbless.”
The room temperature became so cold that everyone other than Ladies of the Pact started shivering. Colonel Vito scoured his mind for answers, but found none. He didn’t want to lie and thus answered.
“None. I have no idea which force is meddling with us. But I assure you that with all confidence, those who did this are not part of the Holmian Military.”
“It seems so, considering that however the team did this, they were able to take Elric out. Minerva, Dastan, and Herlock are still around. I doubt they would appear now that they had Elric butchered in a live broadcast, which leaves Witch Sicily. I shall take care of them.”
Colonel Vito brazenly took a step forward.
“That wouldn’t be necessary, Ma’am.”
Lady Bellatrix stood up. “You’ve given me nothing, but disappointment. Although my Huntsmen have recovered the spark-infused artifacts through this chaos. I will not allow them to take family away from me. I’ve given you this chance, a favor, at the cost of MY FAMILY and you dare to say to me that it isn’t necessary? How dare you, Colonel Vito. HOW DARE YOU.”
Do not make the Lady angry. That was one of the protocols that Colonel Vito was told to follow when working with Lady Bellatrix and her Pact. He and his big mouth. It was clear that he had no way of stopping her from taking action. By Jove, help those who would stand in her way.
“I...understand. I will ask my forces to secure the perimeter within the area while you do your work...Madam.”
“For once, you have said something that sits right with me, Colonel. If my Wendy is harmed further than this, and if I feel her cold body...Then don’t expect the kindness of my Pact. The industries of Lazon, and the mercy of my Huntsmen. Do you understand, Colonel?”
“I do. We do.”
“Good,” she turned towards Lady Velia. “My lady, you shall be stationed here for a moment while Velna and I give a demonstration to these Crestless fools what it’s like to face an Imperator in battle. I gave them mercy, guidance, and yet that Witch Minvera dares to spit in my face and harm my family. I will not lose family ever again. I will not. That is why I will take care of them myself.”
Lady Bellatrix walked out of the chamber and went to her room to prepare. Lady Velna followed her to help her get suited up to her proper combat dress. Most of the time she was gentle, calm, and composed to hide that true military bearing. But this was the true face of Lady Death.
Lady Velia stood next to Colonel Vito. “Are you unharmed, Sir?”
“No, I am not, Ma’am.”
“Hmm, it is good that you aren’t. Forgive me, my big Sister. You have read up on her, so you must know how protective she has become when it comes to our circle. You must understand even I wouldn’t be able to stop her...and truthfully, no one can stop her now unless you know how to revive the dead.”
“Ma’am, I ask that you at least let me see through this.”
“Oh, Big Sister will make you witness it. That’s why prepare yourself, Colonel. It is better that you have a first-hand account on what she will do. It would be best if you see it for yourself, since it seemed like you do not understand how patient she was and how she trusted your team to do the job properly. But now Miss Wendy is missing, and there is a third-party that had somewhat involved themselves in this. Colonel, secure the hostages if you can, I want Ryne Alathor to testify on who did that to Elric, do you understand me?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Thank you, and you should follow.”
Colonel Vito gingerly followed them to the landing pad where he found the Lady wearing a mesh bodysuit equipped with strange runic carvings and spark-infused artifacts fused with the suit.
That thin layer of bluish and red film on her body surrounded her like a flame would of a wick. No one stood next to her when she released such absurd energy. She suppressed herself, climbing on the ramp of the tandem-rotor aircraft. Colonel Vito sat not far while the Lady remained in the ramp, staring icily at the City of Knia.
It didn’t take long for the aircraft to appear near the base where the enemy was. As expected, they were welcomed with surface-to-air missiles. The pilot didn’t move however as Lady Velna gathered power through that mark on the back of her hand and created a multi-layered shield that shot the missiles before they could approach.
“Well, well, you have grown wonderful. I see that your practice has not slackened, my sweet.”
“It’s thanks to your teachings, Sister.”
Lady Bellatrix walked out of the ramp. She stood physically in the air and walked twenty meters away from the aircraft. She was like a deity looking down on the mortals and despite the resistance from below. The artillery shells, the anti-air guns couldn’t even break the tenth layer of the shield she wove around herself.
“Sicily,” her voice boomed on all ears. “As someone who wields the spark, you know that you are powerless before me. The bloom favors me as well as the spark. You cannot win. You can try, but you won’t.”
The Lady waited for an answer but one came.
“Very well. You have made the choice.”
Power gathered from the back of her hand and that crown with a streak of lightning manifested above the base. There was a sudden beam of light that pierced through the ten layers of the Lady’s shielding, but she blocked it with that silver hand of hers reinforced with blackened iron.
“Pathetic, to use an artifact to harm me?”
The energy that broke off from her shield layering became dots of light that spread into firefly-sized orbs that surrounded her. Then they gathered into one single form and began firing shots at the enemy.
It was a rain of energy bullets that used her shield as ammunition. Colonel Vito knew that she was strong. But she was like a gunship of her own, destroying everything with her precise shots.
By the time ten layers of shield of hers were down to the only one shield layer. The base that once stood against the holder of the Imperator’s Crest became ruins. Her overwhelming power, and the destruction she sought made Colonel Vito wonder how anyone would fare against her.
She descended into the ground where Witch Sicily was barely standing.
Colonel Vito’s men surrounded her while Lady Bellatrix stood before her.
“Minerva,” she said while coughing off blood. “She wouldn’t stop just because your dogs found Elric. This isn’t the end, Bellatrix, this is far from it.”
Lady Bellatrix palmed her forehead and drained her off her spark. She looked at Colonel Vito with her red eyes burning from the sparks she got from the Witch.
“Find Wendy, Colonel. That’s what I require of you.”
Colonel Vito nodded. He watched the Lady go back to the aircraft without a word. He didn’t have the guts and he wanted nothing more than to find Miss Wendy before Lady Bellatrix warns them again.
