Makai City, Avalia, 9 E 261
Makai Palace, Royal Barracks, 7:13AM
Today was the day. Luna was already awake and fully dressed in her usual gear for a battle. All black with hints of silver in the armor - she was ready for anything. She stared at her reflection in her sword as she finished her final set of practice swings against the rising sun of Makai City. Ever since that moment years ago, Luna devoted her life to the sword. She wouldn't ever forsake that duty for anything - because as long as she can keep her most precious person, Evelyn, safe, then nothing else truly matters, does it? That's how Luna saw things, in any case.
Honestly, when news of this assignment became known, Luna knew she had no choice but to be one of Princess Evelyn's companions on this journey. The Princess was so painfully naive - she needed someone with a more...
realistic outlook on life to be able to truly keep her safe. Especially if she had to consider the other Royal Guard chosen for the mission. That useless pile of commitment as steady as a gloop of slime who was known as Vayne Barton. Everything about him was pure laziness from the first moment Luna met him in the training academy years ago - and he still was more or less the same ever since. The best Luna could really say about him was that he had natural talent despite his hatred of effort -as well as the fact that Vayne was undeniably a powerful summoner, though his familiars were certainly different from the kind Luna employed.
"Knowing him, he's probably still asleep." Luna muttered to herself, sheathing her sword. With a lacy handkerchief she wiped the sheen of sweat off of her brow and draped the black cape neatly over her shoulders, enjoying the fluttery feeling of the leather touching the small of her back. "How
useless.
Luna exited her personal lodging and shut the door. It was the last time she was going to see this room for a long time, but Luna didn't really have any special sentiment for it. To anyone looking at her, it'd be easy to count her as among the most dedicated of the Royal Guard. As Luna knocked on the wooden door to Vayne's room, any illusion of her as a serious swordswoman was shattered instantly.
"Barton, if you
really got drunk the night before, I'll beat you 'til you can't even remember your name!" Luna shouted, rapping the sheath of her sword hard against the wood. "If you dare be lazy as usual, I'll really make sure you get a fitting pun-ishm-"
Then Luna slapped herself, fury and shame blazing in her eyes.
"Ugh, you're infecting even me." The dark girl grumbled with spite. She then sighed and knocked one final time. "Make sure you get to the docks on time, okay?"
The Royal Landings, City Docks, 7:35AM
Luna mostly ignored the chatter of the Princess and that maid she could never remember the name of. It was just another sign that Evelyn really wasn't suited for some kind of grand expedition like this. She was still glowing with that childish innocence to the point that it was almost painful for Luna to watch. And that maid was no better - enabling that kind of thing could only be a bad thing as time went on. The sooner disaster struck, the sooner Evie would be snapped to reality. That would be for the best, wouldn't it?
She also ignored the crowds as they watched the Princess depart with her party. They were completely irrelevant - the dark Royal Guard couldn't care less about them, truth be told. If push came to shove, she'd sacrifice any number of peasants for her goal.
"Evie." Luna's voice was hardly more than a whisper. "You really shouldn't expect any kind of kindness from the vampires. It'd be best to finish our task as quickly as possible, even if it means lethal force. Whatever it takes, I'll protect you."
Luna then sighed, giving her best attempt at an awkward grin. Even if her face didn't show it, her heart was fluttering with the pain of unrequited love. Still, she was a Royal Guard now, and she had her mission. In any case, being all serious all the time wouldn't make the Princess smile - and the inner child inside of the dark swordswoman threatened to burst out. Luna lowered her voice again, a low and anxious murmur - giving in - taking a more friendly demeanor.
"An adventure like this is just like the old times, isn't it?"
Luna then glanced slightly behind her at the robed man following at a grudgingly respectable distance. Luna didn't know Filnian all that well, but she did know she didn't like him. A young man like him close with Evelyn so often could only be a bad thing. If anything were to happen between the two-
Luna didn't want to risk it. So she sent her iciest, more foreboding glare at the manservant as soon as the Princess's attention was elsewhere.
Don't you try anything suspicious, Reth.Whatever the case, with this motley crew, it seemed that a journey of sorts was beginning.