Chronicles of Metal: Chapter 10 – Pleading

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Aoi could hardly believe what she was seeing. The tiny creature held the last living town guard by the lip of his breastplate, dangling him over the edge of the bridge. And she's just proclaimed she'd protect the two of them.

Wait... Two? Aoi's eyes widened when she realized she'd forgotten all about Hazel. She scrambled to her feet, groaning as the arrow stuck in her shoulder throbbed with agonizing pain. She fought through it however, finding the small girl slumped over next to the corpse of the first guard. "Hazel?" She dropped to her knees next to her, more from exhaustion than urgency, and placed a hand on the girl's head. "Hazel, c'mon." She half chuckled, trying to fight through the creeping fear of the worst that washed over her. "Don't do this to me, kid. Wake up."

Though she didn't move, Aoi felt her shallow breaths against her hand. She must've passed out from shock at some point. That alone came as a huge relief.  At least she wouldn't have to see whatever was about to happen to them.

"What shall I do with him?" It took Aoi a moment, but she looked back to see the small creature looking back at her.

"M-me?" She said with a gasp, finding just talking caused her wound to throb. "A-are you talking to me?"

"Yes." She nodded her head slightly, still dangling the guard over the edge of the bridge. "They came after you, and I decided to help. Now his fate is yours to decide."

"Please!" He begged, trying to grab hold of the bridge himself. "I was just doing what I was told. I-."

"Quite you." Vespa ordered.

The man's pleas descended into just whimpering. But Aoi had seen enough already. Five of the six guards that had chased them were dead, and this last one clearly wasn't a threat anymore. "Just... Let him go." She muttered, not wanting to see anymore bloodshed. "I mean, let him go free!" She added quickly, realizing the tiny creature was about to let him fall.

Vespa gave a small smirk, then abruptly yanked the man back over the side. He collapsed in a whimpering, gasping mess, only for Vespa to jump from her perch and land next to him. "Leave, and never come back here."

That was all the inclination he needed. The man scrambled to his feet, stepping over the bodies of his comrades, and fled for the riverbank. It was hard for Aoi to say she was content with this. Cradling Hazel in her lap, her vision darkening around the edges, her shoulder throbbing with pain. So much had gone wrong today, yet she was alive and the guards were dead. All because of this little creature that emerged from the cathedral.

A little creature that, before Aoi knew it, was standing right next to her. "You are wounded." She spoke softly, stowing her tiny spear across her back. "Drink this, it'll help."

She pulled a flask from inside her cloak, but Aoi couldn't fathom how. The flask had to be almost half her height, and filled with a blood red liquid. She'd heard stories from some of her patrons of magic satchels that could store any item inside, no matter how big. She'd have to add that to the list of otherworldly things she'd seen that day.

"Now, hold still." Before Aoi could react, Vespa had circled around her and yanked the arrow from her back. She didn't scream, but made a face like she'd tried to. A warm trickle ran down her back, and Vespa placed a hand over the wound to stem the bleeding. "Quickly, drink it. It's a healing potion."

Aoi had heard of those too. She had no idea how they where made, but wasn't in much of a position to argue. She pulled the cap off and gulped the strange liquid down, finding it's taste indescribable. However, after a moment the throbbing, stabbing pain faded away and the darkening edges of her vision returned to normal. She looked back to see the small creature toss the still bloody arrow over the side of the bridge, and felt around for a wound that was no longer there.

Her eyes drifted back to Vespa, as the tiny creature circled back around to her front again. Despite the violence she'd just displayed, she seemed positively tame smiling down at Hazel resting on her lap. "What...?" Aoi gasped, unable to find the words. "What are you?"

The tiny creature looked up at her. "As I said, my name is Vespa. I command the insect legions of the Golden Jungle. We watched you approach, and master Beard allowed me to assist you."

A majority of that went over Aoi's head. As far as she knew, there weren't any jungles around here. She'd never even heard of an insect legion. And... Master? Something as powerful as her had a master? And his name was... "Beard?" She finished that last part of her thought aloud.

"That would be me." Aoi looked back to find a large figure standing in the still open door of the cathedral. He was cloaked in a black cape with his hood up, obscuring everything about him but his voice. Even that was cold and raspy. Nothing at all like Vespa.

All the same though, there was one detail that Aoi couldn't get over. "Your name is Beard?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, it's weird." His reaction took Aoi aback. This guy was responsible for saving her and Hazel's lives, yet he seemed very... Not how she was expecting. "You are from Hashigin, aren't you?” He said, quickly composing himself. "Tell me, what is the situation there?"

"I..." All at once, Aoi thought about her sister. And Aeirfin. And all the regulars who she'd gotten to know. She'd forgotten all about them during the chase, and not knowing what had happened to them put a sick feeling in her stomach. "I don't know... I was out fishing when Hazel came to find me." Her eyes drifted back to the girl resting in her lap. She remembered though, something one of the guards had said before Vespa had appeared. "One of them said... Something about the Viscount though." She said, her brow furrowing at the thought. "Everyone knows he's a total horn-dog, but this?"

Vespa turned to her master. "If they're targeting the women... It could be he's looking for slaves."

"Great..." Beard nodded, looking out into the darkening sky. "Sounds like a real piece of shit."

Suddenly, Aoi had an idea. A crazy idea that she never thought would work. But for Aki, it was all she could do. "Please." She muttered, glancing at Vespa. "I can't offer you anything, but I need your help." Both she and her master looked at her, though she couldn't even begin to guess what they where thinking. Sure, they'd helped them when she ran to their doorstep. But now she was asking them to go off into... She didn't even know. A bandit raid from Norn? An uprising? She couldn't possibly justify this, but she couldn't do nothing either. "I can't fight like you can. But I have to help my sister." She pulled Hazel up to lean on her chest, hugging her tightly. "She's all we have; I can't live without-."

"Whoa, woah. Slow your roll." Again, his words where confusing to her. He raised an ash black hand though, and it was enough to get her to listen. "We'll go investigate and see what we can do. But you'll have to make your own way back." He lowered his hand again, and nodded towards the cart they'd ridden here. "Take the kid and head back down the road you came."

That hardly came as any comfort. For all she knew they where just shooing her away and planned on locking themselves back up in their cathedral. "But I-."

"It's alright." Vespa placed a small hand on her arm. "Master Beard has given his word that he will assist you. And I swear on my master Teen-Spirit that I will do whatever I can for your sister." Now there where two masters? And this one with an equally weird name. But having Vespa reassure her was weirdly comforting.

"Vespa, join us inside once they are on their way." Beard ordered, sliding back through the doors.

"Right away, master." The small creature bowed quickly, then leapt to the cart with a single motion. "Come, this way."

Shaking her head, Aoi scooped Hazel up under her shoulders and knees. Vespa watched as she lay her in the flatbed, resting her head on some of the hay that had not scattered during their chase. Before climbing up into the seat though, her eyes drifted off to the burning city in the distance. Her and Hazel were safe, for now. But what about Aki? Hazel hadn't been able to tell her what had happened, but whatever it was couldn't have been good. And Aeirfin. She hadn't seen him for a couple days, so he might not even be in the city right now. She knew that was wishful thinking, but didn't want to entertain any other ideas about it.

Clearing her thoughts, Aoi put herself in the rider's seat and took the reigns. "T-thanks for saving us." She muttered as Vespa hopped off of the cart to the bridge's stone railing. "If you're ever in town, come say hi." Small talk? Seriously? That as the best she could do? "You get, like... Free meals for life."

"I shall." She bowed her head quickly. "I look foreword to eating your food again."

With that, she hopped from her perch and dashed back towards the cathedral. Making it inside just as the doors closed shut. It took some working, but Aoi managed to get the cart turned around moving again. The horse was slow to move, obviously tired of her haphazardly yanking the reigns. She didn't mind through, she needed some time to unpack, and didn't want to jostle Hazel in the back. One thing stood out to her though. The day had been full of oddities, to be sure. But something Vespa had said bugged her for some reason.

Making it to the end of the bridge, Aoi looked back, just now realizing what it was. "Again?"

Inside the entrance hall, Beard waved his cloak away, it vanishing in a wisp of smoke. He approached the center of the hall, where most of the NCPs where waiting for him to return. "How'd it go?" Tao asked earnestly.

"Well, Vespa was way to strong for just a handful of guards to take on. Probably should've seen that one coming." Beard answered, approaching the center of the room. "But we have a game plan. Hexis, head back up to the lookout and keep an eye on our fishermen and the girl. If any more guards ride out to intercept them, shoot 'em dead."

"You got it, boss." The corpse tipped his hat before heading up the stairs again.

"Synth!" He called next, prompting the skeletal android to move to the front of the pack. "I need a teleportation circle set up. We're going to investigate this little incident and..." He trailed off, glancing out the window again. "And I want to check out this Viscount for myself."

"Your will be done." He said, bowing his head.

As he set off to work, Tao approached excitedly. "Does this mean I can go to the city too?"

Although he considered it, Beard shook his head. "No, I want you here still." She was more likely to bring the city down herself than save it. They where all equally powerful, but he didn't trust Tao's personality to allow her to hold back enough. "Solomon, Isabella and I will be enough." Solomon stepped forth as Tao began to pout, but the maid was nowhere to be seen. "Where is she, anyway?" Beard said, looking through the room once more and finding no trace of her.

Tao's pout grew, puffing out her cheeks. "Servant girl said she was busy..."

"Busy?" Beard repeated in disbelief. This is the most excitement we've had since getting here. What the hell could she possibly have to do right now? Still though, they where short on time. And seeing Vespa return a second later, he changed his mind. "Whatever, Vespa can come with us instead."

"But masterrrrr..." Tao moaned.

"No buts." He said, ruffling her hair like a misbehaving child. "I still don't know what's out there. So I'm not going to drag four of our best fighters off to deal with this." She didn't look happy with that answer, and Beard felt a little guilty that she was the only one without a roll as of yet. "Once this settles down, I'll let ya come with me on the next outing, alright?" Tao's mood instantly improved. She looked up with stars in her eyes, but he didn't give her the chance to push her luck. "Synth, are we ready?"

"Indeed master." The android said, stepping aside and clacking his staff against the ground to reveal a large glowing rune emblazoned on the floor. "Please, step inside." He, Solomon, and Vespa did just that, and Synth raised his staff into the air. "**Greater Teleport**!"

A bright light enveloped them all, whisking them away to the city. Just before they did however, Beard had a thought. He was never one to command a squad like that, or make any sort of battle plans. He was just flying by the seat of his pants. Forget being in a new world, this would be the first legit mission he led ever.

Hopefully everything would go smoothly.

As the sun began to set, the light of the burning city lit up the night. From the highest floor inside the lords manor, Lady Astra watched the smoke rise into the sky. Her arms folder over her stomach, Her small smile beset by her burning eyes and furrowed brow. "My lady?" She turned slightly to find Tyr waiting behind her on one knee with her head lowered. "The servants have been evacuated to your quarters, as you asked."

Lady Astra turned back to the window again. "Thank you, Tyr."

She continued to watch the smoke, the light of the fires reflecting in her eyes. "My Lady...?" She glanced back, and the woman raised her head. "We should make our way there as well."

Despite this, Lady Astra shook her head. "Thank you, Tyr, but I intend to stay right where I am."

"But my lady!" Tyr jumped to her feet. "I can't protect both them and you if you remain here." Her words seemingly fell on deaf ears, and the young woman took a step forward. "There is only a single hallway leading to your bedchambers, it's perfectly defendable if they come for you."

The lady chuckled at that notion. "If I was what they were interested in, I expect they'd have come already."

That was hardly a fulfilling answer. Tyr took another, more aggressive step forward. "Lady Astra-!"

"Tyr!" She spun around, stopping her bodyguard cold in her tracks. "I'm not spending the rest of my life hiding away. This-." She placed a hand on the window. "Is where it begins for me. Depending on how the night ends, could spell the end for the Lazuli kingdom."

Tyr looked away, clenching her fists. "Y-yes... My Lady..."

Seeing her frustration, Lady Astra tilted her head and approached. "I appreciate that you care, Tyr. I really do. You're one of the only people I feel I can trust." Tyr blushed, more so when Lady Astra reached up to place a hand on her cheek to have her look her in the eye. "And I trust you to protect the servants." Tyr nodded her head slightly, unable to look away. "Once things pan out here, I'll come find you."

"Yes, my lady." Try dropped to one knee, vanishing in a blur of motion a second later.

Left alone now, Lady Astra turned back to look out at her burning city. "Tonight, is my chance." She muttered, the fire reflecting in her eyes once more. Her arms crossed over her stomach, her smiling reflection looking back at her in the window. "My chance to be free."

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