Nina sighed as she made her way through the refugee camp. She just got done satisfying a customer, two loaves of bread given to her as payment. But knowing Luca, Nina was going to have to split the bread amongst everyone in the camp. That is, if she could keep the bread hidden from MoMo. The blonde was ten times stronger than any man, she could even eat metal for God's sake. They could use MoMo as an enforcer and get more food, but Luca wasn't one to take advantage of the bandaged beauty. Nina sighed as she rubbed her bum, still sore from the last customer......they were never gentle. But if it wasn't for Luca, Nina doubts she would still be alive right now. She continued walking through the camp, making sure to tare pieces of bread off and handing it to the ones who needed it. She sighed before spotting MoMo, jumping in a mud puddle with some young boys, getting her feet and legs dirty.
"MOMO, stop that!" Nina called out, putting whatever bread she had left in her pockets before running to the girl. She grabbed MoMo's arms and began pulling her away from the mud, making the young boys gasp before running off fearing that they would get in trouble. MoMo barked at Nina for making her friends go away, even if the bandaged woman could easily snap Nina's spine and continue playing. "No, we gotta get back to........"
"Nina......."
The young woman's eyes widened before turning to the sound of the voice. Standing a few feet in front of her was a young man, roughly her age if not two years older. He was lanky, wearing oversized clothes that acted like a winter cloak to keep him warm. His hair was shaggy brown and he wore a worn leather cap on his head.
"Joachim......" Nine closed her eyes before tugging MoMo's arm to make her follow. MoMo hissed, planting her foot in the ground and anchoring Nina in place. The young woman kept tugging on MoMo, but was met with zero results of success. She sighed as she continued trying to pull MoMo with her. "I'm on break right now......if this is about business, see another girl."
"What? No......I..." The young man's voice was weak as he took his cap off and held it with both hands. He didn't want to come off as hostile to the lady. "I.....uh....."
"You know, right? What shape my body's in?" Nina asked as she stopped tugging on MoMo. Joachim gulped as she turned to face him, making the poor lad tremble. "Or maybe, you know......and still want to have me? Customer?"
"I.....no, I was....."the lad gulped as he looked Nina in the eyes, eyes that looked as if they could pierce his very soul. "I was just worried about you......we're friends......and I just.....I just think you should stop.......doing this."
"........." Nina felt her grip on MoMo tighten before she yanked the blonde out of the mud. Nina looked at Joachim before turning around and began walking towards her tent. "If this is you wanting a freebie, don't bother."
"What, no Nina!" Joachim choked on himself before walking after the young lady. "That's not what I want!"
"THEN JUST HAVE ME ALREADY!!!!!"
Joachim stopped in place when Nina turned around and yelled at him. Many people turned to the commotion, unsure of the meaning for such a yell. Nina stared into his eyes before leaning in close and whispered to him.
"If your really brave enough.....come to the riverside tonight when the midnight bell tolls."
And then she left the young lad there, pulling MoMo along with her. Joachim stood there, confused and scared. Nina was his childhood friend, someone he always played with. He didn't like this profession she had taken up, especially with how her body is now, the sickness she harbors. Nina knew how he thought, she also knew that if he was really concerned about her, he would show up no matter what.
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North-West India
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Vortigern or as he was/is called by the Kushans, Emperor Ganishka sat in the empty war counsel chamber. Raising his army had proven somewhat difficult, seeing as though all the nobles forgot who he was when he left to conquer Camelot. Most of the nobles needed to be killed to make a statement. And if they required "motivation" to serve him.........well, sons were very important to nobility. If you got a hold on the sons, the families were sure to listen to your demands.
He knew the problem with him being Emperor stemmed from him being a foreigner. It makes sense then that they purposely forgot him, not wanting history to admit a foreigner conquered them and ruled for a time. Vortigern has made it quite clear he doesn't care about the color of skin, he even let the empire keep worshiping their gods. Hm, it was times like this he missed Boscogn. He saved that man from slavery in his youth and tried helping him reunite with his wife and child. But the slavers had killed them when they arrived. Boscogn committed his life to Vortigern since that day.
'But I never thought he'd loose it......' Vortigern thought to himself. Boscogn was the strongest man in his army, a loyal follower even when he told him he planned on betraying his own brother. But upon learning of Boscogn's demise, Vortigern wished he could alter time itself to prevent his best friend's death.
He wanted to put Boscogn in charge of everything military wise, he was an excellent leader with skills that pushed human limitation. But Boscogn couldn't handle politics, having a hatred for it like Vortigern. So the Pendragon left a noble in charge of the military. But after Boscogn's death it told Vortigern that his niece Artoria had earned the right to Camelot. So, he left it all behind, only to hear that a month or so later that Morgan betrayed her own sister.
"Master?"
"Hm?" Vortigern hummed as he opened his eyes, spotting Serenity kneeling before him. The woman's skull mask staring up at him, hiding her true beauty. "Ah, Serenity........do not kneel, do whatever makes you comfortable—"
Almost immediately Serenity moved onto his lap, laying across him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The assassin who's touch could kill the mightiest of men, acted like a possessive puppy. She brought her left hand to his face and traced his jawline with one finger as she hummed.
"Silat......has made.....progress." She informed him. The prince of the Bakiraka clan, a group of individuals from the Kushan empire that the previous, well, the emperor before Vortigern first took over, banished. Silat was the son of the head chief, but maintained his station by battling brutally to keep it. "He's nearing.....the tower of.....conviction."
"Hmm.......very good." Vortigern hummed with a nod of his head. The Pendragon stayed there with serenity in his arms......her master had tried killing her on the battlefield during her fight with Vortigern, but the man had saved her and dare he say, was in........Vortigern sighed as he stood up, dropping serenity to her feet. "Go to bed.....I'll be there shortly."
"Yes......master." Serenity nodded before throwing two knives up at the ceiling. Two screams were heard before two bodied hit the ground. Assassins. Vortigern was used to this, and he would respond as he always did. Finding the nobles that sent the assassins, and kill their first son. As if reading his mind, Serenity took her mask off just enough to kiss his hand before putting it back on. "I'll.....find them.....while I wait."
Vortigern nodded as she disappeared in a cloud on smoke. The emperor sighed before making his way out of the chamber. He walked through the halls, an outsider amongst his own servants. He's tried being a good person, but the world hates those who try to be righteous. The kindest thing he could do for the Empire, was releasing the underage girls back to their families......at least the common folk loved him. Humans were odd like that, one minute they hate you, then they love you for saving something important to them.
Vortigern came to a stop upon reaching a balcony overlooking his kingdom. He wouldn't neglect his duties as a King anymore, doing so resulted in Artoria's rebellion and Boscogn's death. Then a huge shift of power echoed through out the world days after his niece was rescued by the loyalists. Something that he had killed his own brother to prevent. Morgan wouldn't listen to him, the darkness of her heart finally revealing itself once an opportunity to betray Artoria came to light, and her unhealthy obsession with the man who slain Boscogn.
"Hm?" Vortigern's eyes widened as a golden light emerged from the dark clouds over the kingdom. Vortigern backed away from the railing as the light, now recognized as an dragon avatar landed on the railing and looked at him with it's nonexistent eyes. Immense power radiated off of this being, enough to make Vortigern's muscles tense. "What is the meaning of this?!"
(Vortigern, the white dragon, kinslayer and betrayer....) It spoke with no mouth, an angelic womanly voice coming off it, tilting its head as it sat up straight, bigger than the man before it. (You have been chosen to serve.)
"Serve?" Vortigern raised an eyebrow, unamused by this mimicry of a dragon. Mages have sent similar messages by making magical copies of animals, but never before had a dragon manifested. "And who, might I ask, deems themselves worthy of me to serve?"
(The once and future King, destined to rule all and more.) the dragon spoke as it remained still. Vortigern did not falter in it's presence, observing even the tiniest of details. (She has deemed you worthy to serve, as is expected of one such as yourself.)
"So..........it's you, my dearest niece." Vortigern asked, realizing the gravity of this situation. A great darkness would come from his brother, a darkness that he couldn't anticipate. Vortigern narrowed his eyes at the creature. "If you expect me to serve you than you are mistaken child. Just because you have tasted the demonic godly power, does not make you my superior, nor does it make you worthy of my loyalty."
(She does not expect your loyalty.) The dragon spoke with a calm voice, it's tail slamming onto the railing and destroying it. (She expects your obedience.)
Vortigern dashed forward, grabbing the dragon's neck as he jumped off the balcony. The dragon screeched from the sudden attack, unable to even predict Vortigern's intentions. Vortigern growled as his grip on the dragon tightened. His eyes turned a shade of red as flames came of his pupils. His teeth became much sharper as he leaned it closely to the dragon as they descended, hitting a nearby tower on the way down.
"You are a FOOL!" Vortigern growled, his voice becoming much deeper as blue electricity started to form around his arms. "You have the audacity to demand my obedience?! No, one such as yourself will never get that! I know what you are now! Tell me, are you satisfied with the sacrifice you made?! You may be a god now, but you are nothing compared to me! Satan himself hides in hell because of what I can do!"
The dragon disappeared, phasing through Vortigern when they closed in on the ground. The king's eyes widened before his whole body transformed into dark smoke and flew back onto the balcony. He watched as the dragon flew away, a limp in its flight.
"Run little child......." Vortigern growled. "You don't know what a dragon is capable of....."
End.
Hope you enjoyed.
Yeah, Vortigern is stronger than you think. He also has experience with apostles, and judging by how he's still alive, the apostles met a sad fate.
Criticism is welcome.
Hope you have a good day/night.