A Casual Collection: Season 2

Ep13: My Prize is a Mantis?

"So let me get this straight. Even though the mission was a success you are complaining about it?" Geo asked Lao he skimmed through the report.

"That is correct Lord Geo."

"It seems like a normal bounty to me. Go in, kill the suspect, get out, and let the people do the rest of the action."

"You haven't read past page two yet sir." Geo flipped a page, moving his finger along the lines so he didn't get lost. "...dark valkyrie.....blood on alter...there is one line that just says "party" over and over.

"I needed sleep, so I asked Melisa and Sir if they could manage the report taking. They did not manage it at all."

"What of Valhalla?"

"She is fine, she wishes to do something before she could 'look us in the eye again'..."

Valhalla had trekked up the mountain, stripping away her purple armor as she gazed at the sides around her. She turned out to have a one-piece wetsuit under her armor, hugging her body tight as she stretched around. "Yes, this should be the perfect place to meditate," She told herself, taking a seat on the cold, bald rock and starting her purification. Instantly, demonic mana started steaming off her. Her skin was turning back from purple to her natural light brown color. After the initial burst, she slowly simmered back to herself, regaining her golden aura while braving the chilling conditions of the summit.

All was going well until she heard the familiar flap of wings settling beside her. "Your armor is off," went the dragon, who sat down beside her. "You also look cold..."

"You know what Fallen? Every time you do this I end up being clawed at or boobhugged. I just came back from a very tedious mission and the last thing I need is a purple, big-tittied heretic disturbing my peace in freezing wind chill. Now go."

"..." Silent and flabbergasted, the dragon girl awkwardly shuffled away, sitting on the edge of the summit. "Thank you," Valhalla said, her yellow aura returning as she put her full focus back into the restoration of herself. As soon as she finished she went to retrieve her armor, seeing Fallen waiting beside it in her tiny dragon form. "You think making yourself small and helpless will make me feel a shred of anything for you?" She responded with a tiny flame, pawing at the armor. "It isn't going to work," Valhalla said unamused, putting her armor back on her. "I just wanted to heal my wounds in a secure location. It turned out not to be as secure..."

"I think she is on a mountain," Lao said.

"I see. It says the other two escaped with no harm other than mental and a bit of a stomach virus, ouch...ah, the most interesting part. As it says 'in raiding the target's house I came across a mantis. After killing her, she would not stop following me and I could not effectively get rid of her. To keep her at bay, I have made her my eternal maid.' Now Lao, this is very unlikely. I commend your honesty, but to think you could pull such an outlandish statement-"

"Master Lao, I have prepared your lemonade," went a monotone voice from the stairs. "You disappeared again, so the beverage may be less cool than you wanted."

"Is that?" Geo asked.

"I really hated that mission," Lao stated, with as much disdain as his maid's voice lacked emotion. He turned around, leaving the king with his report to head down the stairs. He saw her green body adorning a skimpy maid's uniform now, and her short hair carrying a bonnet on top of her. Her sleeves appeared torn by the blades as she was putting them on, hanging off her shoulders in just two large ribbons of fabric on either arm. She held up a pitcher of lemonade, perfectly crafted for Lao to test. "I have completed your beverage Lao."

"I thought I insisted that you didn't need to follow me," he said without slowing down. The mantis girl walked behind her, focusing her purple eyes on his back. "That is the one thing I cannot do Lao, as you killed-"