Chapter 27: The Equal Dragon Weapon
Flashback.
Arlecchino's POV.
A completely normal day in the House of Hearth, albeit with Gloom still getting used to being around the other children, "Remember Gloom, if you want to have a slice be actually damaging, you need it to be strong, but also fluid, so losen those shoulders." I instructed the black-haired child.
Taking notice of what I said, Gloom adjusted her position and started slashing the training dummy much better, much to the awe of the younger children.
Flashback Pause.
"Hold on, you train literal children?" Shimmer questioned with a disturbed look on her face, "That's really messed up you know?" She pointed out.
I clear my throat, not having given that point that big of a thought at first, "Those who wish to learn how to fight anyway, at first we had a... Strict dead line with Celestia always looming over." I explain, hoping to diffuse the situation.
Flashback Resume.
As Gloom kept attacking the dummy, somewhat mimicking my own fighting style, a Cicin Mage came running to me with a letter, "Lady Knave! I don't know what's going on in Snezhnaya, but the messenger who brought this was completely beaten and mauled!" She explained to me, causing me to quickly grab the letter and opening it up.
Reading it's contents, my face paled, "Gather up all the agents here and ready them for a trip!" I order the mage, losing my composure for a moment.
"Father can I come too?" I heard Gloom requested with an eager voice, "Sorry, but might be way too dangerous, you wait here alright?" I tell her with a reassuring tone.
Flashback Pause.
"Good thing I didn't listen, right father?" Gloom pointed out, much to my chagrin, "It also put you in danger, so no." I reply with a facepalm.
Flashback Resume.
At Snezhnaya, I was horrified to see my fellow Harbringers fighting a giant monster with sewed on parts from different creatues, mechanical parts and even it's guts spilling out.
Running towards a downed Rosalyne, I helped her to her feet, "What's the situation?" I questioned, forming my Pyro Scythe, ready to fight the monstrosity.
"We're as clueless as you are, Kavarra says it looks familiar, but even she doesn't have any idea." Rosalyne explained, activating her Crimson Witch form.
Flashback Pause.
"Kavarra?" Shimmer inturrepted confused, "Who is that?" She asked, "Right, you haven't met her yet." I realize, not remembering any moment the two could have been introduced, "She's a reincarnation like you and Gloom, she arrived two years after Gloom and earlier than that we chatted through a so called interdimensional cellphone," I explained, causing Shimmer to look curious.
Flashback Resume.
Dashing to the monster, I sliced at it's front limbs to throw it off balance, but against my best expectations, it stood on two legs and began breathing a cloud of electrified at me, which I was able to barely dodge.
"This is getting out of hand!" Childe exclaimed as he used his Vision to splash Hydro into the beast's mouth, making it stop it's breath.
Having seen an opening, Sandrone ordered some of her puppets to leap at the monster to hold it's mouth shut, "This should allow some time to get damage in!" She told us, prompting the Tsaritsa herself to use her control over Cryo to freeze the monster in place.
Flashback Pause.
"You beat it? So it shouldn't be a problem then." Shimmer commented, clearly thinking that the Equal Dragon Weapon is dead to to being frozen.
Gloom's POV.
I clear my throat to catch Shimmer's attention, "That's not exactly true..." I correct, remembering what happened that day.
"Yeah, between when I arrived and when the Tsaritsa froze that aberration, I took a lot of damage, and..." Father started, pointing to me, "...She decided to disobey me and came anyway." She explained, to which I began retelling.
Flashback Resume.
Running towards the battle noises, I saw the giant frozen monster first and then the damaged Harbringer, including Father, "F-Father...?" I called out catching her attention.
"Gloom? I thought I told you to wait at the house." She pointed out, but I slightly ignored it, "Y-you're hurt..." I whimper out sadly.
Father noticed the whimper in my voice, triggering her paternal instincts, "D-don' worry Gloom! I'm fine! Really!" She reassured me.
Flashback Pause.
"That sounds so precious!" Shimmer cooed at the imge she most definetly imagined, "Man I wish I was there to see it!" She said, much to my dismay.
Cupping her face with my hands I look her straight in the eyes, "Shimmer, I want you to know, if you weren't my girlfriend, you'd be at the bottom of the ocean for that." I warned, making my fellow reincarnation to roll her eyes, "Anyways, moving on." I say as I star again.
Flashback Resume.
Feeling a surge of anger at the frozen monster, I stepped towards it, and for the first time in my life, my tentacles burst out from under my skin and I wrapped them around the frozen monster.
Father, the other Harbringers and even the Tsaritsa were shocked at the display, but not as much as when my tentacles lifted up the monster and I began spinning it around before throwing it over the horizon.
Flashback End.
"That's when the Tsaritsa suggested to Father that I should become number two of the Fatui, and here I am." I finish retelling.
"That's the first time I'm, hearing the whole story..." Lyney commented, habing stayed quiet the whole time to learn the entirety of the story.
Shimmer looked surprised at the end of the story, "One day you will have to tell me how the harbringer ranks work..." She requested, "But then you have the Equal Dragon Weapon still frozen right?" She asked, prompting me to turn to Father since I didn't have the answer to that myself.
Father sighed at that question, "No, we don't where it should have landed, all we found was chunks of ice." She told us.
"Doesn't that mean... It's still alive somewhere?" Neuvillette pointed out, causing everyone to shiver in fear.