Hello from your Dark Side

Prompt:

Katsumi pulled her goggles down as she worked on her invention. The last time she'd tried this, her work had been interrupted by a messenger. At a critical moment too! Her Luck stat had only barely managed to ensure there were no serious injuries. She pulled out a small metallic orb and set it next to the glasses on her workbench. The last time Katsumi had tried it with a headband. It had bothered her, wondering if that might have factored into the explosive results. Though, she supposed, that result could be used by the Rune Knights to quell rioters. All it would take is a simple recalculation and nudging the results. Sleep gas or paralyzing agent instead of fiery death. She filed that away for possibilities. Time to-

"Private Akahoshi!" A voice called out. Katsumi sighed, swiping up the metallic orb. It seems something else needed the Engineering Corps attention. It took every point in her Charisma to paste the smile onto her face. Then she turned to face the messenger. "What can I do for you?" The messenger saluted which Katsumi snapped back. She found it odd however. Her rank as Private was the lowest in RK. More likely than not, this messenger outranked her. "Urgent job assignment, Private. A group of bandits has attacked a small town in the mountains and is kidnapping the inhabitants. We're pulling together a small squad to take care of it. You'll fill in as the representative from the Engineering Corps."

Katsumi started moving before he finished. Her workshop leathers were thrown onto a hook. The jacket of her uniform slipped on, followed by the belt holding her weapons. She threw her hair up into a messy ponytail. In hindsight, it should have already been up in the workshop. Katsumi waved to the messenger. "Lead the way, fill me in on the way." The messenger nodded, turning on his heel. Katsumi followed as closely on his heels as she could. "There aren't many Rune Knights in residence here. Staff Sergeant Holdings and Ensign Hampton are out on assignment with their squads. Corporal Nour Jenkins, Privates Rose Glover, Fay Tyson and Brodie Waters will join you on assignment." Katsumi frowned at the messenger's back. They didn't even have enough to field a full squad, even a small one?

The messenger stopped by a huge bird. White feathers, tipped with radiant blue, covered the exterior. Each feather, if stood next to Katsumi, would have brushed her chin. A sharp beak and swiveling eyes adorned the head. A crest of near black fully blue feathers lay near the neck. As Katsumi approached, the crest came up. The bird started hissing at the new arrivals. The messenger smiled weakly at Katsumi before beating a hasty retreat. A slim girl in a Rune Knight uniform hurried from behind the bird. "Matisse! Stop that!" The hissing cut off as the bird nuzzled the girl. She humphed as she pushed at the beak. "I'm sorry, she's not usually like that. I'm Private Rose, Bird mage! Its a pleasure to meet you!" Katsumi nodded, approaching slowly. Before she got close enough to offer her hand to Rose, a booming voice shot through the area.

"You're all here! Good! Mount up! No time to waste!" A thick man, whose uniform was ill fitting, strode past Katsumi. She tensed as another two Rune Knights passed by. "Did you hear me, Private Akahoshi? Private Glover? Mount up! We can get details sorted on the way!" The man boomed once again. He clambered up the side of Matisse with surprising agility. Katsumi could make out a small structure built onto the back of the giant bird. So Private Glover provided transportation then? Did she serve any other purpose? The swordswoman had a bad feeling brewing in her stomach. She hopped up onto Matisse despite the feeling. They were Rune Knights. They'd be able to handle a few bandits.

The structure on Matisse's back was built for a small group of people. The front was angled back away from the bird's head. The front most portion of the triangle got used to store equipment as well as any additional baggage. The rear part of the structure hunkered down against Matisse's back. It gave the impression of a rather small discolored hump on the bird's back. Katsumi stepped inside to find that dimensional magic had been used to make the space bigger. Not much but enough that the smallest squad of Rune Knights could move about comfortably. It looked like the structure was an ongoing project of someone's. Katsumi couldn't say that it was Private Glover's even if Matisse was most likely her bird. The other two Rune Knights tried to introduce them but the thickset man cut them off. No talking was tolerated.

Corporal Jenkins waited until Rose had gotten Matisse into the air before speaking. "Alright!" he snapped. "We're going to rescue a village in the mountains from a bandit incursion. No killing unless absolutely necessary." The man passed a meaningful look at Katsumi. She stared back unabashedly, calling up every bit of Deception she had. Inside, she was shaking. How many times had she been written up for 'excessive force'? "I'm Corporal Nour Jenkins, B rank Physical Mage. I'll fight on the front lines, provide distractions and act as rearguard if needed. Private Rose Glover is a C rank Bird Mage. She'll be transportation, obviously, and provide support to the rest of the squad." Katsumi raised an eyebrow. Bird mage could have meant a lot of things, as did Physical mage. Jenkins skipped a lot of pertinent information. The thing the Swordswoman couldn't figure out was why. The information might keep them all alive. "Private Fay Tyson and Private Brodie Waters are C rank Water Mages. Waters, you'll focus on defense, providing cover for civilians and Private Glover. Tyson, you'll be long range attack. Hit bandits out of my reach, as well as those that might be about to hurt civilians." The Corporal had gestured to the other female and the male in their midst. The woman was fidgeting nervously with the edge of her uniform. She seemed on the unhealthily thin side, a pallor to her skin that appeared to be gray. Katsumi would wager this would be her first mission. Private Waters was a solidly built male. His uniform stretched enticingly over his muscles. Short brown hair was swept off to the side. Smiling green eyes sparkled from a mirthful face. Katsumi might have eaten him up if she ever thought she had a chance.

The silence from Corporal Jenkins brought Katsumi's attention around again. The Corporal was discussing something with Rose. The gamer girl's jaw dropped. He'd deliberately ignored her presence. He'd left her out of the briefing entirely. Katsumi put her hands on her hips. Could it be a misogyny thing? No, he'd introduced Private Glover and Private Tyson easily enough. Katsumi went back over the briefing in her head. She thought she might know why Jenkins never rose above a Corporal. If her hunch was correct, that is. Katsumi leaned back against a nearby wall. She could make this into an incident. That wouldn't be too hard. The question would be whether Jenkins wanted her to do so or not. He might be looking for justification in his ways. Katsumi could also individually introduce herself to each member. That might rub that Jenkins was incompetent. She liked that idea but also didn't want to create discord and distract from the mission. Katsumi decided to try a different approach.

The swordswoman approached the Corporal. She saluted briskly. "Corporal Jenkins, you forgot me in your briefing. I thought it might be beneficial for everyone to know my capabilities." The corporal turned from Private Glover. His body suggested it was the last thing he wanted to do. Katsumi was sure her suspicions were correct. "Well, you hardly need direction from me, Private Akahoshi. Your strength easily surpasses my own. Do what you will, don't get in the way of the squad. Isn't doing your own thing what your family is good at?" The color drained from Katsumi's face. Her assumption hadn't been even close to the mark. This situation couldn't be worse. Her back straightened, her hands clasped behind her back. "Very well, Corporal. I find your decision rash and petty but I'll follow orders." Jenkin's curled a fist. Magic flared around his clenched fingers. Katsumi raised her chin, a subtle challenge. Let him hit her. His backwater career would be over. There were three witnesses to back Katsumi up. Maybe. She might be overestimating whether they were loyal to Justice or to Loyalty.

Rose interrupted the spat. "We're here! Get ready to drop!" Corporal Jenkins offered Katsumi a tight smile. "Ready to Drop! Three! Two! One!" The others of the squad clearly knew what was going on. Katsumi on the other hand was clueless. She'd only been in that RK station for a little R&R. When the back of the structure opened up, Katsumi couldn't hold back her scream. They were all sucked out into empty dark sky.

WC: 1519

Katsumi screamed as she fell. The rushing air stole the sound from her lips but she screamed nonetheless. Why had her Luck failed her? This was going to be a Game Over when she finally hit the ground. Ah, that Baka, Corporal Jenkins must have been planning to kill her all along! There wasn't any other explanation! Flapping wings barely registered to her hearing.

Suddenly, her free fall jerked to a stop. Talons sank into the shoulders of her robes. Katsumi looked up, shocked to silence. A dark red bird, angular in shape, pumped powerful wings above her. Private Glover must have provided the gentle descent. Katsumi crossed her arms, her lip stuck in a pout. That was it! She didn't have the Charisma or the Will to deal with this. As soon as this mission was over, she'd hand in her resignation. There had to be other, safer ways to enact good in the world.

The squad appeared to be holding back laughter. Corporal Jenkins had a shit eating grin on his face. They'd known this was the method of infiltration. Bastards. They could have given her a heads up. This was why Katsumi preferred to be a solo player. If she could have without alerting their target, the raven haired mage would have screamed at them all. As it was, Katsumi found herself tempted to clip Jenkins' bird with her sword. Let him scream and panic.

Below Katsumi's feet, she registered several sources of light. A frown flickered on her lips. They were high in the sky still. Whatever was making the light had to be massive in size. The answer became clearer as they continued to descend. Horror blossomed in Katsumi's stomach when she realized exactly what the light sources were. The houses of the small village were on fire. Small figures scurried in between the flames. She couldn't tell from this height if they were bandits or villagers.

Jenkins flashed hand signs at Glover. The mage paled but nodded. Winged shapes flew into the burning village. At the same time, their descent became more rapid. The dual use of her magic clearly stressed Glover out. Katsumi scowled to see the misconduct. Glover wasn't strong enough for both tasks. Jenkins shouldn't have ordered her to do both. It could get Glover killed if the conditions were bad on the ground.

Katsumi pulled one of her weapons from her belt. The rifle unfolded smoothly. Cool metal touched her cheek and the scope unveiled the distant figures. Bandits. At least some of them were. The others were villagers in the process of... Katsumi squinted through her scope. Her eyes widened as she confirmed her suspicion. The villagers were being eaten. Alive. Her rifle barked, drawing on her Gun skill. A bandit head exploded below them.

Jenkins cursed Katsumi. "That removed our element of surprise!"

WC: 475/1994 (3000)

The raven haired swordswoman ignored her CO. She lined up another shot. The rifle roared with another spray of blood down below. The bandits began rushing around, looking for the source of the attack. Katsumi was lining up her third shot when Jenkins grabbed her shoulder. "Stand down! We have to pull back and attack from another angle!" The swordswoman looked at him, aghast. They couldn't delay! People were being eaten! They were trained soldiers, meant to protect the people.

She tried to reason with him. "Sir, people are being eaten. Alive. We're sworn to protect." His gaze darkened, yanking on her shoulder. He pointed at the rest of the squad. They were packing up but Katsumi didn't have a high enough Insight skill to know if they felt as she did. "They are your first priority, Private Akahoshi. We cannot save people if we're dead. Their numbers appear to be reduced, these just the dregs. We cannot walk into an ambush simply to save people." Katsumi clenched her jaw. That was exactly the thinking she'd had in LAO. She had had the power then and denied helping. No wonder her friends couldn't stand to speak to or look at her. Elizabeth and Agil suddenly made much more sense.

Her fingers closed around her badge. It clattered to the feet of Corporal Jenkins. "Then I quit. I didn't sign up to the Rune Knights to let people die in front of me." Her magic gathered around her as Katsumi leapt straight into danger. Her rifle transformed back into its handle form. Clipping it to her belt, Katsumi pulled out her scythe handle. Its transformation rammed the blade into the back of a bandit. This was what they deserved.

The swordswoman danced through the small group of bandits she'd landed among. Her scythe straightened or curved with her movements. A dance of death that reaped every life about her. Then the blood hit her nostrils. Katsumi coughed at the delicious scent. Dead bodies lay everywhere. No. No. No! It had been a while since she'd been around copious amounts of blood and corpses. She'd almost forgotten about the curse housed within her chest. About the power that flooded through her body for a price. Drool gathered within her mouth.

"Keep moving. That's the key. Move." The sound of her voice helped snap the hypnotizing power of the nearby dead. Innocents needed her aid. She wouldn't let this curse win. Not now. Doubts floated about whether 'not ever' could even be possible. Katsumi took a deep breath when she realized she had to use this disgusting power. The flicker of flames and the distant screaming provided no indication of where the rest of the bandits were. Focusing on her hearing, the predator slayer closed her eyes.

Their heartbeats came through loud and clear. The rapid beating of three hearts, probably in fear, surrounded by five hearts she supposed were faster due to excitement. Something she'd know if she'd ever bothered to use this power. Katsumi opened her eyes. A bird hovered before her. "Wha-" The bird exploded, sending razor feathers in every direction. The swordswoman shielded her face. Wounds were opened along the length of her arms. Several feathers lodged into her stomach and shoulder. Katsumi lowered her arms to see a pair of shapes walking out of the flames in front of her.

"Glover? Waters? What is going on? Shouldn't you be with Jenkins?" The pair looked at each other and laughed. Katsumi frowned, keeping her scythe between her and the Rune Knight soldiers. "Jenkins didn't get it either when we captured him. Tyson did though. She'll make a good teammate... or meal." Waters said coldly. Glover flicked a finger at the corpses around Katsumi. "You're stronger then we thought. Perhaps Master will be able to talk you into our way of thinking." Katsumi grasped the situation, a dawning horror on her features.

LAO had done a questline where you and a few NPCs were sent to rescue victims of a cult. Once you reached the base, maybe took out a guard or two, part of the NPC allies turned on you. It turned out they'd been indoctrinated during an earlier mission. They attempted to capture you to turn you into cultists or sacrifices. Katsumi had hated the quest. She'd run away, leaving her allies to their fate. When she returned to finish the quest, her former allies had taunted her with their bodies.

Katsumi's fingers tightened on the haft of her scythe. "You underestimate my power." The two cannibals started laughing. Glover wiped tears from her eye. "There's one of you and two of us. We're more powerful than Jenkins told you and our magic isn't -" Katsumi stood next to her. Glover's eyes widened before her head slid off her body. "And I am a survivor. Your power, your numbers mean nothing. I fight to survive." Waters had the look of disbelief plastered across his features. Katsumi leveled her blade at him. "I'm no longer bound by Rune Knights' rules. Your life is mine to claim." Waters turned to run. Red descended over her vision. He had the audacity to betray his teammates but not to stand and fight an overwhelming opponent?

"Get over here!" Magic flashed as a bony whip burst from her wrist. A jagged edge slid through Waters' stomach. Katsumi yanked on the bone whip. It jerked Waters back toward her. Katsumi spun, swinging. Waters screamed once. His body slid apart, blood splattering the ground. Katsumi flicked her blade. "I'm surrounded by idiots." She muttered, checking to see if her targets were still in place. They weren't. In fact, nothing living seemed to be left in the village. Katsumi sighed, letting her head hang. She'd failed. The victims would probably be eaten upon the bandits return to HQ.

Her fingers touched the hole where her RK badge used to be. Then a slow journey over her Guild tattoo. It seemed like she'd been hitting walls ever since joining the Rune Knights. Walls in her work, walls in helping people. Everything wrapped in red tape or rules or politics. While she'd been excited upon first entering the RK, Katsumi no longer felt it was the right place for her. She'd go her own way. The world needed investigators that could do what the RK couldn't. She'd also look for the solution to her uncle's games. Something didn't sit well with her about them. Maybe she could even get Agil and Elizabeth to talk to her. Maybe. Katsumi ignored the smell of blood as she stared into the flames. It was time to start a new chapter.

WC: 1109/3103