Interlude 7

“Stop struggling - you’ll only make it worse for yourself.”

“Come now, stand over here. Don’t look away from your Master! Ever!”

“Kneel. Now, tell me, who do you serve?”

“Useless, useless, useless! Bitch! How dare you-! Know your place.”

“Come here, darling. I’m sorry for how I acted before, but you know I only do it because I love you.”

“Why? Wh…y?”

Talon Laurent remembered every minute of her old life, even if she didn’t want to.

At night, it was the worst for the darkness reminded her of her old home, her cage, the metal bars and the collar strapped around her neck.

She remembered the darkness of the shipping crate, the tightness of her bindings, the lust filled eyes of the traffickers as they prepared her for the auction, and the disgust she felt in the pit of the stomach when she saw her new owner.

A handsome looking millionaire who treated her kindly, at first, and then he took her first time.

And then he took her again, and again, roughly, painfully, without a shred of affection.

He was her ‘husband’ and nothing would ever change it.

She tried telling the butler, but her master beat her for that and gave her to the butler for the night.

Then, she tried to escape and was never allowed to sleep in a proper bed again.

The dog kennel became her home until it was time for her nightly duties.

Until Talon had enough.

She killed her master, and the butler too, and the men in suits who came to stop her.

The last thing she remembered was the bodies of fifteen men and a butcher knife in her hand, resting against her throat.

She slit it and then found herself before Harmonia.

“Talon Laurent, you are dead, and this is-”

“I don’t care.”

“…Pardon?”

Void of life in her eyes, Talon glanced up at the goddess and gave her a thin smile. “I don’t care - just let it all end. Erase me, please.”

Surprised, the Goddess ceased her speech and hummed, tapping a finger to her chin a few times. Then, she smiled and said, “Even if you have the chance of saving others like yourself?”

That had gotten Talon’s attention.

From the age of thirteen, Talon had known nothing but life under her master’s thumb, as a slave.

Eventually, she became numb to everything, the violence, the intercourse, the feeling of plunging steel into flesh.

Yet, in that instant, something changed inside her.

A fire was lit and it burnt brightly.

“…What do you mean?”

“I am the Goddess Harmonia, and I beseech thee, good and noble young man to aid me. My world is under threat from a great evil that desires nothing but destruction and death; you and several other young souls hold the powers necessary to fight back against this darkness.

“The Demon Emperor, in all his evil, seeks to dominate the world and make slaves out of all of its people. The tragic fate you have suffered is the same that hundreds of thousands will face unless he is slain. You, Talon Laurent, have the ability to stop him and save them all.”

Then, Talon acquired Carnwennan and killed.

She killed bandits and raiders.

She killed pirates and demons.

She nearly killed Amen, had the Demon Emperor’s generals not stopped her.

And then, she saw him - the Demon Emperor, her final goal, the man she would kill with her own two hands.

Yet, Amen had betrayed them for him.

Hailey knew his name.

She knew him from before they came to Aangapea.

A coincidence? Possible, like Guy and Yve, but I don’t buy it. She sat upright in her bed and brandished Carnwennan. I don’t know if she’s a traitor or not, but there’s no denying that there’s something wrong about this whole thing.

Harmonia; I don’t trust you, but, then again, I think you don’t want me to trust you.

After all, if you knew who I was, then you definitely knew who Hailey was.

So, why didn’t you tell her?

Or did you?

I don’t know, but Hailey Carman - I shall determine if you’re trustworthy personally.