Shadowcast

Daddy Issues: Part 4

"Thank you so much!" said Vozalt. She snatched the mask from Wendy and swapped out her goggles before they could even blink. The delicate carvings on the mask flared for a second as she affixed it to her face. Then, her eyes went dark, invisible between the slits in the visor. "I broke it last time I went to the Nine Hells."

"What were you doing in the Nine Hells?" asked Wren.

"Some asshole lawyer demon stole my ring," Vozalt said, showing the three a gold wedding band inlaid finely-crafted runic filigree. It probably meant something cute and romantic in a language Liza didn't understand. "So I had to get it back. It's my spell focus." Vozalt placed her hand to her left fist and, with the sound of rustling papers, drew a revolver out of thin air. She spun it on her finger, and it dissolved into a flurry of book pages. "But more importantly, my wife would kill me if I lost it."

Liza looked down at the wand jammed into her own pocket. "You use a spell focus? I thought you were powerful." Liza recognized her accidental insult after she said it. Wren and Wendy looked at her, wide-eyed. "I didn't mean that! I just- I've always heard of spell focuses being a thing for weak people!" Wren squeezed Liza's arm. "I mean people like me who can't catch up with everyone else!"

Vozalt laughed. "People say you're weak because you need to learn with a wand?" Liza nodded. "Don't sweat it, kid. I'm built different, too. And I'm doing pretty well, don't you think?" She patted Liza on the shoulder. "Don't let assholes tell you what you are."

Another airship came into port right next to them. Its hull was covered in bolted-on steel plates, and its rings of power were red, instead of the blues and greens of the merchant vessels. A woman who looked like an older, lighter-skinned version of Mako leaned out the front of the ship, politely shouting directions to the pilot inside.

"Ladies and gentleman," said Vozalt, "meet my friends."

A small band of soldiers crossed the self-extending gangplank onto the dock. The woman who looked like Mako helped a wounded man across. His midsection was covered in bloody bandages. The blue and gold stars sewn into his tattered gray uniform still shone brightly.

"Commander Chien," said Vozalt, saluting the wounded merc, "Good to see you alive."

"Lieutenant Vozalt," the man said, returning her salute, "Nice to see you, too." His jittery eyes wandered around the port, and then he relaxed, visibly shedding pounds of stress. "This place brings back memories. Remember the last time we fought each other?"

"Must have been twenty years ago."

"I still forgive you for kidnapping me," said the Mako look-alike. Chien looked over at her and withdrew his arm from her shoulder. He balanced himself against a railing and nodded toward Vozalt.

"Genny," said Vozalt with an understated smile, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Genesis threw her arms around Vozalt and buried her face in her shoulder. "I missed you so much!"

"How's home?"

"It's gone! They destroyed the Minaret! They killed civilians! Everything is gone!"

"Did you pass through Gravendeep? Is it still okay? Is Eberle safe?"

"The Viscount is fine," answered Chien, "She and Duke Francis took some of our wounded."

Genny pulled away from Vozalt and wiped her eyes. "Sorry. Military time."

"Soldiers," said Commander Chien, "Comrades. Friends. This is not the end of the Kataran Defense Forces. And yet, if this was to be the final hour of our shared project, anyone could look upon what we accomplished and say 'these were the best of Serna.' Because of your actions the world has prospered in peace for more than two decades, and countless innocents owe their lives to you. But Serna still needs us. Whatever force attacked us is well-hidden and numerous. But they are not invincible. I will not rest until every one of our brothers and sisters has been avenged, and every last servant of darkness is put in their grave. This task does not fall upon you. It was my oversight that allowed this to happen. Keep safe. I will call when the time comes for the KDF to return. If you should answer the call, we will take our revenge together. But for now..." He brought his hand up in a salute. His soldiers mirrored him. "Fourth Company, from the bottom of my heart, you are all, with the highest possible honors, discharged."

With his dismissal, Commander Chien handed his stack of notecards back to Genesis. The soldiers -battered, beaten, bloodied- stood tall in spite of their defeat. Some were teary, some held a stoic grimace, and some even smiled to themselves. They quickly went back to work, tending to their injured comrades and slinging bags and rifles over their shoulders.

"Uh oh," Wren said out of the blue. He pinched his nose to stop the blood steadily trickling from it.

"Uh oh what?" Liza asked.

"This is a bad time for a visit."

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Author's Note:

Sorry to leave you all with a cliffhanger. Oh wait. No I'm not. Muahahahaha!