Parasite King

Madaline leaned up against the shattered shell of the Diamond Tortoise, trying to catch her breath. The new weapon was more than strong enough to handle her new skill, but she was starting to think SHE might not be, quite yet. Just that one attack had drained her of everything she had. Still, as she watched the cheering figures of her younger brothers and sisters, she couldn't help but smile.

With as much as she disagreed with Matthew that the younger kids should be learning to fight, She had to admit, seeing them now, she knew they needed this. In their new world, they needed to grow up fast, not sheltered behind Grandma's barrier, always protected by someone else. They needed to know that if push came to shove, they had what it took to protect themselves.

Even months after the start of "The Game", some of the younger children still woke up in the middle of the night, screaming from Mom and Dad. The first month, she barely got any sleep herself, as she rocked one kid to sleep, only for another one to wake up shortly after. She had gained a newfound respect for her mother after that, imagining all the sleepless nights she must have spent, caring for children that weren't even her blood.

But that's what real love looked like; they might not have been related, hell, some of them didn't even speak English when they got dropped off at the orphanage. But they were Family. And real Family cared for each other no matter what.

Recovering slightly, Madaline grinned ear to ear and pushed off the shell, making her way towards the celebrating children. As she approached, however, the kid's shouts of joy quickly changed to one of fear and surprise. Madaline's eyes went wide as she noticed the slight shift in the shadow cast over the group. Turning around, she stared in horror into the blood-filled, half crushed eye of the Diamond Tortoise as it glared at her in hatred.

Mustering the last of its strength, the beast raised its massive leg and aimed to crush the hapless girl. Madaline could only stand in horror-filled shock as the leg hovered over her, her body still too weak from the skill's backlash to muster any kind of resistance. As the leg came down, she simply closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable end, and apologizing in her heart to her parents.

......

But the end never came.

After a moment of nothing happening, Madaline opened her eyes in confusion to see the Diamond Tortoise standing in front of her, seemingly frozen in time, its leg hovering only a few feet from her head.

Turning around, she saw the tall form of Matthew standing behind her, one hand gently touching the Tortoise's leg, as he stared down at her with a frown.

Madaline's shock quickly dissolved into tears as her face wrinkled. She then wrapped her arms around her older brother and sobbed into his chest. Matthew's frown softened into a sigh, as he returned the hug and gently moved the sobbing girl out of the way, just as the leg (and the rest of the Tortoise) collapsed into frozen chunks of flesh and bone.

Matthew simply shook his head and said in mock scorn

[Matthew]: - "Oh come on now, what kind of 'Hero' balls her eyes out like that. Can't let the 'Fan' see you like that now, can you?"

Madaline gave humph, and pushed the young man away, before wiping away her tears and without any warning, slugged him in the gut.

[Madaline]: - "Screw you! you jerk!"

Matthew doubled over, but through the tears, he didn't miss the slight smile on Madaline's face as she dashed into the crying flock of children who met her at the Gate.

---

Bella tucked the last of the children into bed, gently flicking the glowing runes on the door seal as she exited the room. The soft glow they gave flickered out, throwing the room into darkness, before another flash and a soap bubble-like barrier formed around every crack and entrance.

Bella gave a short nod and turned down the hall. The shadowy form of Matthew waited for her at the end of the hall. As she drew near, he spoke in a quiet voice,

[Matthew]: -"He's waiting outside..."

Bella simply gave a nod and walked down the stairs and through the kitchen, before exiting the back patio door. Matthew followed silently behind. When they exited, the figure of a large man leaned over the deck railing, a lit cigarette the only source of light illuminating his form in the darkness.

As Bella sat down in a rocking chair, Matthew frowned and flicked a finger. The cigarette was snuffed out in an instant, covered in a thin layer of frost.

[Matthew]: - "I'll have to ask you not to smoke here, Mr. Hilannd."

[Bob]: - "Ahm, ya, my Apologize. Old habits die hard, and all that. Anyway, I'm glad you could spare me the audience, 'Heaven's Blessed Daughter'. "

Bella gave a humph, and spoke in an annoyed tone.

[Bella]: - "Now don't you go starting with that either, Robert. I get enough of that from your Brother's 'gang'."

Bob Hilannd gave a sarcastic laugh and said

[Bob]: - "Now now, Ms. Bella, the Association is an upstanding organization that has nothing but the people and the world's best interests at heart."

Bella snorted and replied,

[Bella]: - "Bah! You know just as well as I do that your Brother is the only decent folk in that rat's nest. If he hadn't grab that Dog by its collar the moment he could, I don't doubt it'd be eating our corpses rather than guarding the Door. Enough of that though, let's get to Business. What do you think of my proposition?"

Bob was silent for a long moment, fiddling with the frozen butt of his cigarette. When he finally spoke again, his voice was quiet and thoughtful, as if he was half speaking to himself.

[Bob]: - "... They have potential, I'll give you that. Especially the girl. But they're still rough. If we're going to oppose the Sponsors publicly, we're going to need more than just them. Or You. We still can't see all the cards at play, Bella. There's more going on here than just a 'Game', but I can't figure out just what it all means yet. Do you really want to try this? Even if it means putting yourself, or even them, in danger?"

This time it was Bella's turn to remain silent. When she spoke, her voice was tired and worn.

[Bella]: - "I can't protect them forever, Robert... "

[Bob]: - "Bah! I've read my fair share of Cultivation novels. I'm more than certain you'll outlive every one of us, at this point."

[Bella]: - "Hahaha, I'm not too sure about that. I won't deny I feel better than I have in twenty years. But I'm serious. The world is changing. Faster than I think any of us really understand. Something is coming, and these old bones can feel it. We all have our Destiny, Robert, our part to play in the Maker's Design. I don't know what mines might be yet. But if it comes down to it... if I can't stay by these children's side... I want to make sure they are ready for what's to come. That they have the strength to stand up and protect what is important to them. To do that, I need your help. Please."

With a sigh, Bob flicked his cigarette into the darkness and turned to face the old woman.

[Bob

]: - "I can't promise you this will work. I'm still learning as I go. But I can try. I can sure as hell try."

Bella gave a thankful smile, though hidden by the shadows, and she finally relaxed in her chair.

[Bella]: - "Thank you... That's all I ask."

---