Helios

Chapter I

        Cleaning armour sucked, especially when someone such as myself was injured and still had about a hundred more sets to clean out of the ten I had just finished. It all started when I went out on my own – again – on a job that I barely understood in the first place. Simply, the money reward was good enough to warrant my attention.

        Had I read the actual description, I would’ve realized that I was hunting a high-level Kithkin – a type of dark entity that took the form of any animal it came in contact with but was easy to spot because it had a purple sheen to it and red eyes. This one had modelled itself after Arachne, a vain mortal woman who had been turned into a Chaoskin spider by the Godling Athena, but had been killed long ago by a Fighter, like myself.

        Chaoskin are similar to Kithkin, but are actually found on four of the five continents of Niflheim (Durathor, Zephyrus, Fujin, Shuu, and Centrumm) and normally keep their noses clean for fear of getting both hunted down by the Clans of Centrumm or the Godlings. As such, Godlings are the ones who we either worship and trust, or fight and refuse their guidance. Terrans are the earthen monsters Clan members fight with the most, but some we can learn from and even partner up with.

        The Kithkin, however, are demons from another dimension that had been accessed via a portal the Government had opened despite warnings from the Godlings. They normally look like black smoke, but when they take form, they’re even more dangerous and deadly.

        So, as ill equipped as I was with just a steel sword and armour that was more jerkin than metal, I went to the town of Sequoia, determined to get my ten thousand rupees. That much could cover two months worth of rent for me and then some. Talk about sold!

        Little did I know, (thanks to the villagers not telling me) this Kithkin had been kidnapping villagers to take back to its nest to feed its babies. The nest was a run down house that it had lured me to after attacking a couple on a nighttime stroll. If I had half a brain, I would have realized that this was a trap right from the get-go. When I did realize it, I was already being jumped on by the monster. Thankfully, I killed it, but now I was stuck with its angry kids.

        When I had tried to escape, a floorboard had given way and my foot fell through and I fell to my knees. I tried to pull my foot out, but it was caught. As the spiders got closer and louder, in my panic, I began to have flashes of my past when I was a slave before I became a Fighter. I could practically feel the cuffs on my wrists as haunting laughter echoed in my skull.

        A cold sweat began to run down my back as I stared at the thousands of tiny, beady red eyes and I screamed for someone to help me. I hadn’t screamed like that since I was a child. Thankfully, some of my clan-mates who had been sent by our master had come to my rescue. Apollo, the master’s son and a Summoner by birthright, used one of his Salamanders to burn down both the house and spiders while Luna, a Tamer, and the twins, Cassandra the Bard, and Helenus the Scholar, pulled me away.

        Because I was so suddenly traumatized by the experience, I passed out. When I woke up, Apollo gave me a stern lecture, Helenus also scolded me for not reading closely, and his sister complained that I – again – broke clan rules by taking on an A-level job. Luna only smiled sweetly and said she was glad I was okay and should say thank you for having such good friends.

        After I muttered out my appreciation, we went back to the clan house where I got another scolding from Master Helios and was promptly sent to our Terran Dwarven blacksmith, Mr. Ymir. He grinned widely when he saw me, his gold molar flashing brightly at me.

        “Aye, thar ya are, lass...I see ya got some more “reminders” for not paying attention to the trouble ya were gettin’ in’ta.”

        I scoffed at him.

        “Just tell me what I got to do.”

        He chuckled again and motioned to a large pile of randomly discarded armour and weapons.

        “Clean’em up nice an’ shiny, lass; I wanna be able to see my soul when I come back an’ check up on ya.”

        “Yes, sir….” I mumbled, grabbing a rag and a piece of armour, sitting down to start cleaning it.

        So now, here I was, cleaning armour because I was too interested in money and not my own well being. Feeling tears sting my eyes, I rubbed the breastplate in my hand a bit harder until I heard a jingle and looked down to see a large bag of rupees by my foot.Looking up, I saw Apollo staring back at me. His lips were pursed in annoyance but his green eyes were kind.

        “What’s this for?” I asked bitterly, holding up the bag.

        “That’s half of the reward,” he replied shortly, “I figured you deserved something after the earful father and I gave you.”

        I rolled my eyes.

        “I don’t need your help, Prince Helios.”

        His eyes narrowed and he smirked.

        “Then give me my money back, Ser Twyla.”

        I held the bag defensively to my chest and we both laughed. As I turned back to my “job” I felt a warm hand brush against my head, playing with the strands, but it disappeared just as I was relaxing to the touch. Embarrassed, I hunched over and began to furiously clean the armour in my hand.

        “Oy!! Twyla, ya buffoon!! If ye keep scrubbin’ like that, yar gonna peel off the finish! Stop!!”