After we summoned the portal through dance, the Reaper Pool rose up from the Earth.
"Alright," I said standing on the edge, "Let's hop in." Suddenly, I was pushed down the well and I screamed. "NAMIKO!" I closed my eyes and I was in the Reaper Pool in the castle garden. The Reaper Realm's night sky was beautiful as I looked around at everything around me. My personal maid was in the garden, taking a stroll.
"Is that you Princess Ace? And Lady Namiko?" The woman said, rushing up to us.
I smiled. "Yes, it's me. Do not inform my parents that I'm here. Let it be a surprise," I told her, sending her on her way. I went to my bedroom and sighed. "I havent been here in so long..." The room was decorated beautifully after I left. I stood there in awe as I looked around.
"Ladies. Please make yourselves comfortable and call on me if theres anything you need," the maid said, bowing. I smiled.
"Thank you. But your relieved of duty for the night. Get some rest, ma'am."
She nodded and left the room to go to her own quarters. Namiko laid on my bed near the window. "We need to train tomorrow. I mean we are fighting a powerful and fierce Valkyrie Reaper. Plus, we're both only half Valkyries. My other is just Grimm Reaper while yours is-"
"Satuban. My other half isnt Reaper."
My eyes widened. "Your father is a Satuban? I had no idea they still exsisted."
Namiko nodded. Satubans were a dark race of elves that lived past the Grimm Kingdoms walls in the forest. They were users of shadow magic and dark magic but they weren't evil. They were also called Shadow Reapers. Some of them weren't bad, well at least that's what I heard.
I nodded. "Explains the ears," I said, looking at her as she recovered her ears. "The next two days, we need to train." Namiko nodded as I walked up to my hammock. I looked down. I felt bad for abandoning the Sins but I needed to keep them out of anymore danger and that would be taking on Orion head on. Theres no telling how many people she's corrupted or taken over. Us two cant do it alone.
Namiko looked at me. "You're thinking, what a surprise. Well since you want to know how many people she's corrupted, there were five others, including myself."
I glared. "Six total, including Yakima.
"I've had visions of the other five yhat she has as her little army, if your truly interested in it right now."
I sat up in my hammock. "Tell me."
"Akira. He's a demon as well, a very unstable one."
"Related to Yakima?"
"I'm not sure honestly," Namiko sighed. "There was a woman. I believe her name was Ladora. I dont know what she was to be honest. I dont think she was human. Mother hated humans."
"That's two. Three including Yakima, correct?" I said, staring down at her. Namiko nodded. "Mhm. Yakima makes three, despite him not being there while I was corrupted."
"Anyone else you have in mind that you can remember, Nami?"
Namiko sighed. "I hate the thoughts now coming back to me. Mother made me do some horrible things. I'll continue trying. One was a Jinoy. I don't know its name though. I just know, it was utterly terrifying."
Namiko looked at the wall. "The last was another Reaper," she muttered. I looked at her in awe. "A what?!"
"Look Ace, I dont know if that Reaper is there any more. But, you know how you said Nuava was acting off?"
"Mhm."
"Did she have a black marking over her left eye?"
I thought back and grunted. "She has a full blown Primary One corrupted. Where could she have gotten the ability to do so?"
"Well, Ace. Its said that Jinoys are deeply connected to the Primary Ones. So, maybe it did that through that Jinoy she corrupted. Only priest Jinoy's and their decendants can do so."
I growled. "Ugh!"
"Then, including herself would be six. The best thing we can do is take the time and study the powers and weaknesses of each creature she has against us."
"Namiko, we dont have the time to individually study each being. We need to begin building a team. Including Orion, that's seven against two. Taking them all on head on is going to be challenging, exhausting and we can use up our power in quick barrages which lead to gray marks and overusage of our marks," I said, sitting up. "Tomorrow, we train then assemble a team. I have an idea already for a team member."
Namiko smiled. "Well, let's get some rest, little one," she said. I growled.
"Just because you're 100 years older does not mean that I'm little," I said, turning over and falling alseep.
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
*Meanwhile*
Orion paced back and forth as she growled and pounded the table. "Where is she?! We just had her! And now she's gone!"
Ladora took off her Catalian mask and looked at Orion. "My Queen," Ladora said, as the mask gently grazed the scar that was over her blinded eye, "The Jinoy you named Serbus has told me that he cant sense her anywhere here and that a friend of his has felt the presence of Princess Ace and Namiko's as they crossed through the Reaper Pool. Meanwhile, I can't-"
"Namiko? Shes working alongside that horrid princess?" Orion said, smirking deviously.
"What's so funny, your majesty?"
"Marigold can only 'cut' my powerful Strings of Fate, not completely disintegrate them. She only cut Namiko's, which means I can reconnect them once more. I can have her attack Ace if I'm close enough to recreate and revive that power."
Ladora smiled as another Reaper entered, a woman named Xarsi (Pronounced Zar-See) entered and smirked. "Hello, dear," Xarsi said, going to Queen Orion and smirking. "Miss me?"
Orion stared. "Finally, you've been revived, are you still willing to help me?"
"Only if you allow me to kill that brat Marigold for putting me like this! You know what she did, 25,000 years ago. I'm going to break her skull in half," Xarsi said, her Reaper Marks glowing a bright orange.
Orion smiled. "Ace and Namiko will be under my control just like the Reaper Realm will be, as long as they keep that darkness within them.
Akira's painful cries filled the ears of all who lived in the tower of Catalyst as his markings bestowed on him by the Demon King, burning him. The same marks that he was born with were his greatest pain.
Both the brothers had curses: Along with being the Demon Kings' Guard Dog, Yakima's curse (after defiling the Demon King) was primarily staying in his ferret like form but only through the power of Merlin, she was able to alter it, due to it being a minor curse, in her eyes. But, Akira's curse was not only serving as the Demon King's Guard Dog, but also those marking covering his body were his greatest weapon but weakness. This curse placed on him by the demon king due to his skill not being as equally good as his brothers.
Yakima looked dumbfounded at his brother, eyes as if he was seemingly emotionless and detached. Akira grabbed his throat as Yakima continued to stare. "This is your fault. Once Orion is done with you, I will kill you. Torture you to the point where nobody will be able to recognize your pathetic-"
"That's quite enough." Queen Orion said, entering the room. She placed her hand on Akira. "Akira," Orion said soothingly and motherly, "your time will come to destroy him but, I need you to remain calm."
"Are you working on a way to get rid of this horrible curse infecting my body?" Akira asked as the markings burned him horribly.
"That's what I'm here for," Xarsi said, tilting her head and igniting powerful green energy from her hands. "It wont hurt a bit, my little demon..."