Gleaming Darkness. Glooming Light.

1-Good enough and loyal for its long lost queen.

CHAPTER | 1

"The threats that should alarm me. Give me a number of Pariahs you have dealt, while the child's in your keeping." A voice that was slightly on strain spoke dryly from an old woman, the monotone professional character on her strong accent was apparent.

"Oh for dear God, Miss Armada. Too much to be listed if you ask me to which tried to kill the little girl, not adding those whom I had successfully maneuvered to be lost in their path before they even reach us. You should know how we'd been migrating, at least five times a year." The younger woman perceived the life she tried to survive for over a decade, she gushed and bragged about it unaccording to the grim stories she just told.

But I know that she's just glad it's all done from the past and she now feels habitual on engaging with those foes frequently.

"Are there any creatures that...?" The older left an open question for the younger to fill the blank.

"No! There are no Abyssal, until now... not yet. These attackers can't cross the boundaries and deal with my traps at once. But they are all teaming up to bring their intentions accomplished, they pay people or form alliances together with a job-insider to seek us and destroy. Gladly for me and sadly for them, I can already smell their wicked plans even before they enacted it." She laughed in between her words as the listener stays dark silent, unbothered by her unnecessary humor."On the other hand, there's this time where I had come up against a clawed nemesis under different schedules...on all it's fours, Ms. Armada. Take note that it happened twice. Moreover, it is more peculiar that one has a light brown fur who used rare wizardry weapons, the other one has a fur black as night who used guns filled with poisoned bullets... I know they aren't Pariahs... or anything like it. Besides, it seemed to be obvious that they had two different commanders. What do you think?"

The crisp and scorching sound of a cigarette being extinguished in crushing exertion of force has originated from the rough tin can ashtray. It was sudden - it shows extreme displeasure.

A long moment of quietness has erupted.

"I shouldn't have had focused outward if I have known that enemies were just around my circle." The older's pitch was very low, comparable to a low-volume growl. "Nevertheless, I did set several contingency plans and I'll apply the first one that must be executed as she has ordered. Yet, it is the most unfortunate for me and for this child to take this year as a start. Two heirs from north and west were bestowed upon my name to be underneath my wings. My thoughts whirls on how I will cope up with your bastard daughter and those two simultaneously, as roaming traitors lurks around my backyard." She hissed.

"Well, at least you had Ellister, Goodwin, and Jeouvane surrounding close to you." A quick sip of tea rang through the steep pause of silence. "You won't know how hard it was to be a lone protector and a mother to this poor girl."

I sat like a child and took sneaky movements behind the railings near the wooden stairs, I was above them and hidden from both their views. There I saw the guest with aging grey hair. To her clothing, I could easily judge that she is a woman with societal power on governance. Her lips were wrinkled to extreme dryness, caused by the cigar. The other features on her body that includes her stance signify her authoritarian character. Then I saw, with my bare eyes, the small letters scripting to the chest pocket of her coat, her name.

I. Armada - 1

That doesn't give much information valuable enough for me to comprehend why is she here, I haven't seen anyone like her this close to us before without ending up dead in witch traps. And what does that numerical number after her name denotes?

I continued to observe and found that the one conversing in front of her - was a dark-skinned curled-hair woman who wears the same enthusiastic smile beyond compare, which I had to see plastered on her face at everyday basis. I saw how she entwines her fingers calmly at her crossed thighs and the way she served the tea without the other occasional garments or utensils for guests. But what astounded and bewildered me the most was the fact that she's not wearing any kind of weapon or simply just her wand.