The Conquerors bloodline

Chapter 17: The Insect Arrives

"He's been through here" Parc muttered, tips of his fingers stroking against cracks in the wall of the hallway leading to the kitchen from where Krave was scuttling. He looked over to Najenda over his shoulder, in her arms a large rifle like he'd seen the imperial guards using and a cigarette in her lips.

Her eyes sharp and analytical as she stared down the hall, "we getting close?" she asked.

Parc snorted, "were these any other tracks I may have been able to give you an answer. But cracks in walls aren't exactly a drying blood stain or footprints in mud."

Both continued walking forwards, Parc's dagger unsheathed, gripped tightly in his right hand.

"Hey Najenda," he kept his head pointed straight ahead as he talked, "why do you trust me?" he asked. Truly curious why she was giving him so much trust after everything she'd learnt about him with his ties with Esdeath and the fact that that relationship was now biting them all in the ass.

She chuckled a response, "trick question. Why wouldn't I trust you. You've been nothing but honest with me. Least I can do is give a little bit of trust. I knew you'd be a pain in the ass the moment I learnt Esdeath had a thing for you. Doesn't change the fact your hearts in the right place and you're a damn good killer. If not reckless as all hell."

"I'm not that bad, am I?"

Najenda rose a brow, looking at him to ask if he was serious, "Parc, you fought a teigu user without one of your own. What you did was down right idiotic. Let alone reckless."

"Okay, point," he nodded. Letting silence fall between them as he kept an eye on the markings on the wall to see if Krave had decided to go climb on the ceiling at some point.

"Here's another question then. What was with that underwear this morning. Sure as hell wasn't anything you wear on a daily basis unless you're planning a date." He looked her up and down, "and you don't seem the dating type. Least, not currently."

"What, I caught your eyes or something," she snickered. "Think of that as motivation."

He rose his brow to her questioningly.

"Don't think I don't see your eyes wandering over me every time we're in a meeting. I've seen your contemplative glances. And with how you're going through the girls, I can see you're up to getting us all under your thumb." Her voice turned sharp, "I can just tell you want me and the others for your own."

'Well, can't argue that.'

"Honestly, I have no idea what's going on with them. I'm not even trying and somehow, they keep finding themselves in my bed. Not that I'm complaining." He chuckled, "so, wearing that was motivation? Sounds like you're up to it."

Najenda curled her lips up, "ha! Not anytime soon kid, I've no intension of screwing around while this wars still going. Think of that as a sneak preview for if you do well and play a big part in ending Honest and the Emperors reign. Do that, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you have at me. Give you a chance to catch my heart."

"Lubbock's going to be jealous if he hears about this little deal Najenda," Parc said, not really caring for the boy.

"Lubbock he's a good man, better than most nowadays. While I don't mind his infatuation with me. I can't let it become anything more than that. He's already at the point he might do something stupid if I'm in danger. I'm not letting him do anymore. It would be better if he found some other woman far, far away from this mess. Someone who didn't have an axe looming over their head every minute of the day."

Parc was unable to separate his gaze from her as she spoke, her voice low, but resolved. She strode with such confidence, it gave her this untouchable aura. And along with the sway of her hips, accentuated by the visible curve of her derrier, it made her an extremely alluring woman.

Suddenly, Najenda stopped, her eye sharpening as she hand shot up, clenching into a fist. "You hear that?" she asked.

Parc strained his ears, clacking and scratching noises, though faint, were coming from just beyond the dinning room doorway. "That's him," Parc muttered, making quick strides into the doorway and into the dining room, Najenda just a step behind.

"Keekekekeeke~ Najenda~ Najenda~" He heard Krave's shattering from above, his head twisted around falling from his body, neck elongating and thinning the closer it got to the ground. The masked visage looking between Najenda and Parc with an manic smile.

"How nice~ how nice~ Her Greatness was wondering where you were~ she misses you~ kakeekekekeeke~"

Najenda recoiled slightly in disgust at the sight of Krave's snake like neck with the full sized head atop it. Her rifle shooting up to point directly at the forehead before firing a shot that would have killed had Krave not pulled his head back up to the ceiling in seconds, retracting his neck back into his body.

"So mean~ so mean~ why the violence~ I'm just here for a tour~ just a tour~" Krave's bony limbs scuttled about the ceiling like a cockroach, head unmoving like an owl, constantly locked onto the two.

Najenda's face visibly turned to one of disgust, "jesus, what's the empire feed you fucks nowadays."

"Centipedes~ centipedes~ rats~ cats~ bats~ whatever I want~ whatever I want~ my favourite are tongues~ soft~ tough~ slimy~ young~ old~ rotten~ fresh~ You must try them~ you will never regret it~"

Parc stood up right, he could tell that Krave wasn't currently intent on attacking either of them, there were too many escape roots for him to escape through. They would need to trap him somewhere before they even got the chance of a fair fight.

"Why don't you come down from there and we can talk in full," Najenda lifted the rifle, firing a single shot to Kraves sternum. Yet hitting nothing as Krave's body contorted and thinned into a line, running around where the bullet landed.

"Tsk," Najenda clicked her tongue.

"Najenda and Parc~ Najenda and Parc~ and Akame~ and Akame~ three I've found~ more to go~ Kakeekekeekake~" Krave shot through the window, shattering glass as he began to scale the outside of the mountain side base. Najenda running to the window and peaking out to see where he was going.

"He's heading to the dorms, Lubbock's and the girls are there, we should hurry." She said, getting a curt nod from Parc, both sprinting through the headquarters.

***

Sayo had found herself staring out her window over the forest that Night Raid called its home. Her mind stuck on the conversation she had with Najenda, the leader earlier that day. The offers she gave her on what she could do from now on.

She'd have to join the Revolutionary Army whether she liked it or not, either as a willing member or a prisoner. Though her affliction of missing her leg would definitely make her much more difficult to place anywhere of use. At most she might be able to become a tailor or transcriptionist.

"I miss my bow" she sighed exhaustedly, hugging her only leg to her chest. She knew that being one legged wouldn't be a massive problem, like Najenda she could probably get a prosthetic, but how long would that take? They were expensive and she doubted the Revolutionary Army would just up and start handing them out to just any cripple.

The draw of the string, the nock of the arrow, the release. The form, the practice, the mentality. She missed all of these, how just standing down range, a single tree stump fifty meters away. She wanted to breathe in mildew air, she wanted to release an arrow and send it lodging into the wood.

She wanted to feel like she wasn't so helpless.

Sayo leaned her head back, overlooking the dawning world outside. "I wonder how Tatsumi's doing?" she thought. Jumping as she heard a loud BANG! Resound through the floor. Soon followed by another.

"What was that?" She muttered, grabbing the crutch she'd been given to help her move around with the need of being carried. Using it to help her stand, hobbling to her door. But hand freezing just at the handle as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Kekekeekeke~ whats this~ whats this~ a legless beauty~"

Sayo shivered, her entire body trembling as she turned to her opened window where a skeletal figure was crawling into her room from above, bone thin fingers clutching around the top of the window frame.

Whatever this 'thing' was, Sayo could tell it wasn't human, not anymore, even if it resembled one in form. Just the way it scuttled and crept against the stone. What ever this was, it was likened more to a danger beast.

"Wh-what-" Sayo's eyes widened in horror and disgust. She could feel her lungs draw in air, ready to let out the loudest scream she could produce. But just as her lips opened, she felt her body crack against the wall. The beast had lunged her, forcing her against the wall before lifting her up by her cheeks and slamming her onto the floor.

Clambering atop her with its beady, insectoid eyes. Her own trembling and unfocused as she clawed at the meatless arm of the creature.

"Don't struggle~ don't struggle~" it said, hands gripping her cheeks, forcing her mouth to open. her attempts at screaming coming out as only gurgles and spurts of spit.

The creature's other hand lifted, index and thumb coming closer to her face, forcing their way between her teeth. She could only kick and cry as she felt her tongue pinched between the fingers. The beast dragging her tongue out of her mouth until it started to hurt.

"Oh so cute~ so cute~ kakeeke~ I like~ I like~" it released her cheeks, but she could do nothing to resist. It's bony body held such strength that it easily pressed her to the ground. It lifted its now free hand, fist closing but for a single index, held straight, the skin writhing and splitting down the middle as a bleached white bone knife grew from it.

Seeing this, Sayo's struggles became more intense, her free hands doing what they could to dig to her hip where she hid a knife she had pleaded Parc for so she wouldn't feel so defenseless at all times.

"GHAAA!" Sayo cried out as she felt the bone blade cut into the side of her tongue.

Just then, as if a angel sent from heaven, her door burst open to a green haired boy. "SAYO!" he shouted. Pausing the creature in its tracks, it neck twisting to look at the new attendee to its lunch.

Taking the creatures short distraction, Sayo's hands finally felt purchase against the handle of her dagger, tearing it free from the back of her pants. Twisting her hand enough to send it plunging into the monster's side, only entering about halfway in before she felt it hit something hard

"So rude~ so rude~" the beast grumbled, leaping away from Sayo to avoid dozens of thin, near invisible silver wires coming from the boy, Lubbock. "Lubbock and Sayo~ Lubbock and Sayo~ Her Greatness will be so pleased~ Kakee~" it cackled shooting out through her window to continue it's exploration, leaving a trail of blood towards the window after Sayo's dagger left its side.

Sayo sat up, spitting blood to the side from her bleeding tongue, her arms wrapping around her body in fear.

"You okay?" Lubbock knelt by her side, eyes never leaving the window as he placed an arm on her back.

"What-what was that?" she asked.

Lubbock's teeth clattered together, a frustrated growl escaping his throat, "a bloody intruder, that's what. Come on, I need to get you to the safe room with the others." Lubbock hooked his arms around her lifting her up and making his way towards the doorway.

In the hallway, he saw both Najenda and Parc rushing towards them "you two okay?" Parc urgently asked, eyes focused more on the thin stream of blood coming from Sayo's lips. "Shit, he tried to get your tongue?" he questioned, lightly holding the bottom of her chin, tilting her head every which way to see if there were any more wounds.

"I'm, I'm okay," she stuttered out, "I was able to stab it."

Parc's eyes widened, lips curling up with a bright grin, "good, well done," he turned to focus on Lubbock, "get her to safety, and seal everything. Did you see which way he went?"

"No, he just ran out of the window and climbed on the wall like a goddamned bug. I bloody hate bugs." Lubbock shivered, looking to Najenda, who just gave him a simple nod.

"Sayo, well done. Just wounding that psycho is not something many can say." He chuckled. Giving Lubbock a nod of his own, before letting them go on his way.

Parc and Najenda looked into the room, at the trail of blood leading out the window, "he's going to need to treat that soon. His blood's thin. If we can find him before he eats we could start wearing him out as he bleeds out."

Parc followed behind Najenda, jogging through the halls to the stairwell to the upper floors where she was hoping Bulat and Akame already were collecting any teigu they had in storage that hadn't yet been delivered back to the R.A

***

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I have no idea how this has happened but less than 20 chapters in and this is already in the top 200. Holy crap guys. That is not what I was expecting when I started this. Not even mentioning I only started this 2 weeks ago and this stories already been added to over 1000 collections. Just-just WOW.