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Morning…
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A figure lay curled up under the blankets, clearly intent on staying asleep. Two other figures stood over her, amused expressions on their faces.
One was on all fours, and was canine in appearance. She had a slight muzzle and long, floppy brown-furred ears. She had a light coating of white fur with black and brown markings, and a long tail which wagged about behind her.
The second was an older woman, with an ample bosom, smooth, slightly turquoise skin, short brown hair, and slim claws on her fingertips. Her arms were folded underneath her breasts, and a thoughtful expression was on her face.
The dog woman, a Pokégirl called a Boobgle, gently nudged the figure with her cold, wet nose. “Mistress? Is wake time. Morning foods being served.”
The figure under the covers mumbled something incoherent that sounded vaguely like ‘go away.’ The older woman, a Psi-Dyke, chuckled.
“I don’t think she’s gonna get up that easy, Molly,” she said.
The Boobgle whimpered. “But Anya, Mistress Tina needs wake now. Foods is being served. Also, we has work today.” She nosed the sleeping figure again, which squirmed in annoyance.
Anya stroked her chin thoughtfully. Her eyes wandered over to a set of vials on her Tamer’s bookshelf, and smirked. She picked up a small vial of a blueish powder, and unzipped the leather top she wore, baring her D-cup bosom. She sprinkled the powder on her bosom, gently rubbing it into her flesh.
Molly blinked. “What you doing?” she asked.
Anya shivered as the Bloom Powder took effect. Her breasts ballooned outward, fluffing out at least three cup-sizes until they surpassed the size of her head, her leather vest unzipping even further.
The Psi-Dyke huffed, pleased with the result. “Little more than I wanted, but for my plan it’ll work.”
Molly watched in confusion as Anya crawled into the bed, straddling Tina and lowering her enhanced chest onto her Mistress’s face. The Boobgle stared for a moment, confused, as nothing seemed to be happening.
Then Tina’s muffled cries could be heard beneath Anya’s inflated bosom. “You going to get up now?” Anya said, smirking. Tina screamed something that sounded vaguely affirmative, and Anya rolled to one side, letting Tina sit up, the slender, muscular young woman putting a hand to her chest, which sported B-cup breasts that were covered by a spandex tank top. Her long, bright red hair covered her elegant, slightly aquiline features. She gave Anya an irritated look.
“While I do appreciate the feel of a nice big set of breasts, was SMOTHERING me with them really necessary?” she said.
Anya chuckled. “No. But you need to get up anyway. It’s your first day, remember? We’ve finished the training course and are now qualified to go out with the main team.”
Tina blinked, and then nodded. “Right, right.”
Molly nosed her again. “Please to get up. Morning foods is being served and Molly smells bacon…”
Tina chuckled, patting the Feralborn girl on the head. She yawned, and said, “Yeah yeah. Just lemme get ready here.”
She yawned again and got up, putting on a black, form-fitting, lightly armored bodysuit. She stretched again, and kissed both Anya and Molly, heading out with them to the main lounge area where various crew members were having breakfast with their Pokégirls. Tina noticed one particular member of the crew, a muscle-bound Rising Sun League tamer named Daimonji. He was currently showing off his admittedly impressive physique to a Supe-Bra Genius and a Mechanibabe that worked with their crew.
The two of them were deliberately ignoring his advances, arguing the merits of advanced science vs. practical mechanics in their work.
Tina chuckled, shaking her head. She picked up a plate, her girls following behind. “Old muscle-puss still at it, I see?” she asked to the Ingenue chef behind the counter, picking up some bacon and scrambled Chickenlittle eggs.
The Ingenue shook her head. “Boy just won’t stop. If he and that psychotic Chibi-Slicer of his weren’t so damn good as a bodyguard for the field teams, he would have been fired years ago.
Tina grinned. “Well, here’s hopin’ I and my girls end up more useful than Daimonji.”
The Ingenue nodded, serving Anya and Molly as they came behind, politely greeting the two Pokégirls (and patting Molly on the head as the dog Pokégirl barked happily, piling the bacon high on her plate). “That’s right,” she said, “You just passed your training period this week. You actually get to go on the interesting missions now.”
Anya chuckled, the Pokéwoman ruffling her Mistress’s hair. Tina nodded. “That’s right. I’m a little worried, but I’m honestly more excited. This should be so much fun.”
The Ingenue chef shook her head, chuckling. “If you say so, kid. Just remember those scars on Daimonji’s arms didn’t come from ‘fun.’”
Tina pffed. “Daimonji’s a doofus who flexes more than he fights.”
The Ingenue chuckled. “True, but that’s beside the point. You do need to be careful.”
Tina grinned and rolled her eyes, picking up some chilled milk from the cooler at the end of the line. “I will. Thanks, Dee.”
“Advice is free, kiddo. It’s life that’s costly,” the chef said, getting a derisive laugh from the worker behind her. As Dee began to serve the person behind her, Tina sauntered over to a table with the other graduated trainees. She sat down by one of her friends, a bookwormish young man with an Amazonlee. Anya deliberately sat between her Tamer and the young man. The Pokéwoman knew the young man was a decent person, but she instinctively wanted to keep her Tamer from male contact.
Tina knew all this, and didn’t really care. She just knew that it was the Pokéwoman’s way of being protective. She leaned behind the Pokéwoman and called out to her friend. “Hey Donovan! How’s it going?”
The bookish man blinked. He turned to look towards the sound of the voice, but saw only Anya’s enhanced bosom blocking him. The effects of the Bloom powder were wearing off, but there was still a lot in the way. He leaned back behind her, seeing Tina grinning at him. He blushed, running a hand through his short black hair, and said. “H-Hey Tina. Did you sleep well?”
“Yepyep!” Tina said, “Although I woulda slept even better if the Psi-Dork over here didn’t smother me with her boobs to wake me up.” She poked the Psi-Dyke in the ribs, getting a smirk from the Pokéwoman.
Molly looked up from her bacon, hearing a voice she remembered, and grinned upon seeing Donovan. “Hello Master Donovan. Is Nadia awake?”
Donovan smiled at the Boobgle, nodding. “Yeah. She’s just getting breakfast for us.”
Tina chuckled. “So. You excited about our first major mission?”
Donovan nodded, grinning. “I’ve been really wanting to take a look at the higher level mechs. Especially if they were involved in the Titan Wars, when the late Lord Sukebe sided with humanity to save our ancestors from the lunatics that created the Titan Pokégirls…”
A nearby old man muttered, “People forget that Sukebe created the designs for the Titans.”
Donovan smiled, adjusting his glasses. “But he didn’t create them. He instead opted for tactics that allowed humanity to survive its own foolishness, and allow us to live our lives as they are today.”
The old man stared at him and said, “You’re with the Parity Movement, aren’t you?”
Donovan blinked, and said, “Why… Yes, yes I am. Why do you ask?”
The old man sighed, shaking his head and going to get breakfast. Tina giggled. “Not everyone thinks so highly of old Big Daddy Perv. They remember the Revenge War that came before the Titan Wars and the Red Plague. And the Legendaries and their kits remain a headache for people to this day…”
Donovan sighed. “That’s the problem with people. They see only the bad.”
Tina gave him an incredulous look. “So you’re saying that you AREN’T mad at those Macavity kits that were living outside our hometown for pantsing you and hanging you from a flagpole when you were younger?!”
Donovan blushed. “That’s different. Mama Macavity took them away shortly afterwards. And besides, I met you shortly after I was hung up, so it wasn’t all bad.”
Tina grinned, blushing a little. Anya grumbled, but said nothing.
A Squirtitty sauntered over, carrying two plates of food. Molly waved, and said, “Hiya Nadia!”
The turtle Pokégirl grinned. “Good morning, Mols.”
Tina and Donovan chit-chatted idly over breakfast, discussing what mission they might be sent on. As they talked, Daimonji came over, his Chibi-Slicer, Yachiru, clinging on the muscle-bound oaf’s shoulder, a vapid grin on her face as she stared at a bug that floated around Daimonji’s head.
“Hey hey, Probie,” Daimonji flexed (there was no other way to describe the way he moved), his pride in himself and his body showing with every annoying step.
Tina rolled her eyes. “It’s Tina, Daimonji.”
Daimonji reached over to try and steal a biscuit from Tina, but Anya slapped it out of his hand. He chortled, and said, “Whatever. You only get to be called what you want AFTER you survive a big mission.”
Tina sighed. “Whatever you say, big man. When’s the boss coming?”
Daimonji sipped the milk he had with him. “In a bit. He likes to start the day taming that Chimera of his.”
Tina blinked, and chuckled. “Awfully virile for someone as old as he is.”
Daimonji snorted, walking off to get some seconds for himself and Yachiru. “Some people get old. Boss just ages another year.”
Tina rolled her eyes again. Anya grinned. “Sounds true enough. Certainly he beat up my old crew enough times when he was a soldier,” she said.
Tina sipped her apple juice. “That why you left the Limbec Knights and put yourself up for sale?”
Anya sighed, her good mood deflating. “That’s part of it. And no, I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”
Tina blushed, realizing her mistake. “Sorry…”
Anya smiled. “It’s fine,” she said, “You’re young yet. You’ll understand why some people don’t like to talk about things soon enough.”
Tina frowned at that, but shrugged. “Whatever,” she said.
One of the elder crew members came in, a muscular woman covered in scars, and said, “Eat quickly. We’re moving out in short order.”
The various crew members and crew Pokégirls traded worried looks. Tina blinked, and looked up at Daimonji. “What’s up?”
Daimonji frowned, the loutish tamer stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Must be major if we’re moving out this soon. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to take rookies along…”
Tina frowned. “I can handle myself. Plus I got Anya and Molly, and they can smack Yachiru around easily enough.”
The Chibi Slicer riding on Daimonji’s shoulders stuck her tongue out at Tina.
Tina chuckled, Daimonji rolling his eyes. “Whatever,” he said.
Breakfast was ate, and everyone gathered in the main hall, where the aged boss stood on the stage, his Chimera looming over him, the muscular, triple-headed beast glaring at the crowd. The boss himself looked like his was carved out of stone, his powerful, muscular body glad in black jacket and jeans, a pair of black leather workboots on his feet. His face bore a horrid burn-scar around one eye, the empty socket covered by a patch. His missing eye didn’t detract from his imposing gaze.
Eric Marcus was a man who had seen it all. And to his crew, it always seemed that he wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone.
“Okay people. We have a big job today. We’ve discovered the location of the Warmechs used during the Titan Wars. Satellite view shows a lot of aqua cutter weapons on it, leading us to believe that it was one of the ones used to kill Infernus and turn her into Inferno Island up north.”
The older scientists in the group all began muttering excitedly. The rookies, like Tina, all joined in, glad that there first mission would be so important. Warmechs were a huge find.
Eric’s next comments killed any good mood in the room.
“The satellite view also showed us that the machine was active, and has developed a small modicum of intelligence, about as much as a feral animal, with no sign of further growth.”
The room went dead silent. Eventually, Tina gulped and raised her hand. “Sir?”
Eric looked at her for a moment, trying to place her. “Rookie, right? Tina… something.”
Tina nodded. “Yes sir. Tina Walters, I just passed the training course. I was wondering… how can a machine have a mind of its own?”
Eric frowned. “You familiar with the history behind the Titan Wars, kiddo?”
Tina nodded meekly. “A little. I know we’re retrieving tech we find from the Titan Wars and repairing it for government use.”
Eric sighed. “Okay. For Probie here and anyone else who was asleep during their history lessons, Daimonji, I’ll review.”
There was light chuckling directed at Daimonji from the crew members, the aforementioned oafish Tamer just sneering. Yachiru, meanwhile, had fallen asleep on his head.
He turned to the vid-screen behind him, and pressed a few buttons on the remote, showing a handsome young man in a labcoat.
“James Scott, better known as Sukebe,” he said, pressing a button that moved the image along, showing some of Sukebe’s earlier accomplishments, “He invented a device to travel to alternate realities, reverse engineering tech he found there and selling it, eventually starting to invent things on his own. The first were his matter transportation spheres, which eventually became today’s Pokéballs. The second were his lab assistants, the first Pokégirls. He lived a relatively happy life, by all accounts. So naturally, life decided to take a dump on him.”
The image shifted, showing a rather mousy-looking young woman with short brown hair and glasses. “Linda McKenzie, an intrepid young reporter, snuck into his lab, wanting a story. She met Sukebe’s girls and interviewed them, the girls not knowing better. She presented the story as a horror show, calling his creations monsters. His lab was raided and destroyed, his girls sending him to an alternate dimension to save his life while they were killed by the military, his work shattered, the portal destroyed on their side. When he came back, he found his lab in ruins, and the corpses of his girls, his lovers and friends, left to rot. This, understandably, made him go a little nuts.”
The image shifted, showing Linda McKenzie dressed glamorously, signing autographs at a social function. “Sukebe found out that the one responsible was Linda. It had taken him two years to replicate his device in the reality he had been sent to, and when he got back, he found that Linda had become a best-selling author, was hailed as a heroine, and had been elected to public office. That pushed him over the brink.”
The image shifted, showing Sukebe from before, only now clad in an outfit most everyone recognized, a modified version of his suit and labcoat, only now with armored gauntlets, boots, and shoulderpads, a cape and hood attached to the shoulder pieces.
“Sukebe began to create an army, rebuilding his lab on a grander scale and making his first Pokégirls. He created the Generals to lead them, and the Legendaries to act as heroic inspiration for his army of revenge. Thus began the war of Sukebe’s Revenge. It would end quickly.”
The image shifted, showing five monstrous, gigantic women, a shadowy beast with glowing red eyes in the lead, a woman seemingly formed from tornadoes, a woman formed from living lava, a woman made of solid ice, and a massive two headed woman with a body as big as a mountain. “Sukebe originally planned to create five powerful, giant Pokégirls called Titans. But he decided the plans were too risky and went with the Legendaries instead. The former nation of China got a hold of the plans during a raid on one of his bases, and created them as weapons to use against Pokégirl kind. The problem was, they couldn’t control them. Typhonna, Storm Gail, Infernus, Frigida, and Mountaintide all rebelled, and began to attack everyone, their power reshaping the landscape. Sukebe’s armies switched sides, helping humanity to fight off these five Titans.”
The image shifted, showing giant machines that looked like walking tanks. “War machines with powerful weapons and advanced artificial intelligence to guide them, called Warmechs, were built. The combined effort of Pokégirls and the technology designed to fight the Titans put four of them down for good and trapped Typhonna on the moon, but not before the former nation of Russia’s actions came back to haunt us. The plague they released to try and stop Pokégirl kind had mutated, and made 90% of humanity’s female population completely sterile. All it had done to Pokégirls was give them a cold, and actually increased their fertility, which meant humanity could work with them to try and rebuild. Sukebe agreed to put aside his hatred for humanity and Linda McKenzie, and lived out the rest of his life helping the governments restructure. The Titan-fighting technology was shattered and scattered as a whole when Typhonna was exiled to the moon, which is why companies like ours exist today. Because the end of the Titan War didn’t end political and social mistrust, especially among humans and Pokégirls, every League has at least one group like ours, which gather the tech where we find it and repair it for the governments to use.”
Eric smirked. “It just so happens that ours is the best.”
“HOO-RAH!” every Tamer and most of the Pokégirls in the room chanted in unison.
Eric’s somber mood returned. “Which brings us to the problem,” he said, “We’ve found the tech, but we’re not the only ones. The Warmech is on an island smack dab in the middle of the territory controlled by Madame Yggdrasil of the Limbec Knights.
Anya’s blood froze, her eyes shooting wide open. Molly whimpered, sensing her harem-sister’s distress. Tina frowned, Anya’s mind subconsciously broadcasting fear over the Alpha bond they shared.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, “You okay?”
Anya gulped. “…I used to work for Madame Yggdrasil. Her level of authority and power was seconded only by Mao Shin Mao, Madame Infinity herself, and matched only by the mercenary Mephaesta…”
Tina gave Anya an alarmed look, as did the younger Tamers and Pokégirls who had been listening in. Eric nodded. “That’s the other problem. The Warmech is sentient and defensive, plus the island is unexplored territory in Limbec Knight waters. I’m reluctant to take you rookies with us, but we need all the help we can get once the Warmech is disabled.”
Eric folded his arms. “We’ll be splitting into squads and approaching the island from different angles. I’ll be leading the main squad personally, since I and my girls are the heaviest hitters. The Warmech, from our satellite observations, has trouble adapting to opponents coming from multiple directions. It’s taken up residence in the center grove of the island, so if we’re lucky it should a reasonably simple task to confuse it enough that it shuts down. That’s of course not barring Ferals, or whether or not Madame Yggdrasil beats us to the island, or this, or that…” Eric sighed, rubbing his temples. “Get ready, everyone. You’ll find your squad listings up on the main board.”
Tina frowned. She was still eager to go on her first mission, but wasn’t sure about facing off against the Limbec Knights, the self-proclaimed ‘protectors of Pokégirl-kind.’ She looked over at Anya, at the haunted look on the Psi-Dyke’s face.
“You gonna be okay?” Tina asked.
Anya smiled weakly. “…Madame Yggdrasil and I parted on bad terms. We had… a disagreement in policy in dealing with humans…”
Tina nodded slowly. “And that’s why you turned yourself in and let yourself be bought by me…”
Anya sighed. “You have no idea how much of a relief it was to be bought by a female… But yeah…”
Tina frowned. “What… What was it specifically that made you want to leave?”
“Pray you never find out,” Anya said, her tone asserting that the discussion was over. She picked up her Pokéball off of Tina’s belt and put herself inside it, needing some time alone.
Tina huffed. She was dying of curiosity, but the old Psi-Dyke had been a great friend to her and she wasn’t about to risk her friendship asking about something that clearly bothered her.
Molly came up behind Tina, gently nosing her. “Mistress? Everything be okay, yes?” the Boobgle asked.
Tina smiled at Molly, leaning down to kiss her on the head. “Sure it will, hon.”
Later, everyone gathered together in the launch ships, preparing to head for the island. Tina’s team consisted of her, Daimonji, Donovan, the old veteran Kurgan, and a young woman named Christine.
Tina was questioning the wisdom of this grouping. Donovan and Kurgan were constantly at odds, she didn’t get along with Daimonji (very few female team members did, actually), and Christine, unfortunately, had a shaved head.
Normally, this wouldn’t be a point of contention, but Daimonji’s Chibi Slicer, Yachiru, was fascinated by baldness. Daimonji would usually keep her in her Pokéball around Christine, but the Chibi-Slicer had figured out long ago how to let herself out of her Pokéball.
“Just keep her away from me, you little punk,” Christine said, poking Daimonji in the chest.
The younger Tamer just grinned weakly, holding on tightly to Yachiru’s Pokéball. Tina could almost swear that she could hear Yachiru chanting ‘shiny head’ over and over from inside the ball. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why she does this…”
“This mission is going to be enough of a headache,” Christine muttered, “Sentient Oldtech is the worst…”
Tina blinked. “How do you figure?”
The old veteran, Kurgan, chuckled softly. “Imagine a Beshemoth with a GunValkyrie’s firearms and the territorial attitude of a pissed-off Leviathaness…”
Tina and Donovan traded nervous looks, having not really considered that before.
Kurgan chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
Christine snorted. “Bad enough we’re going after a Warmech when it’s awakened… But those goddamn Limbecs as well…”
Tina frowned, biting her lip. “…I know of the Limbecs in concept, and I know Anya left them out of shame… What are the Limbecs?”
Kurgan sighed. “They formed after the founding of Sanctuary in 100 AS. Unlike the Lady Sapphron, who believed that humanity and Pokégirl-kind could work in concert, Mao Shin Mao believed that humanity was a bane on the Earth and should be made extinct. Mao Shin Mao was a Tigress who was abused and abandoned by her trainer. She evolved into an Ebony Tigress after being offered an Ebony Stone by Sapphron, and began plotting against humanity. She gathered twelve like-minded Pokégirls around her, including that monster Madame Yggdrasil, and formed the Roundtable Council of the Limbec Knights. Some of the Knights are victims… Some of them are just psychopathic Pokégirl supremacists like the mercenary Mephaesta. In the end, they’re among the two most dangerous groups in the world, the other being Team Rocket.”
Tina stiffened, looking over to Donovan, who had closed his eyes. Tina had joined the Tech Hunters because she didn’t want to follow her childhood friend/rival on a Taming journey, thinking she could get more value out of the practical work these people did. Donovan, however, had joined out of heroic admiration. Team Rocket were the polar opposite of the Limbec Knights, human supremacists who saw Pokégirls as nothing more than weapons leftover from Sukebe’s Revenge War. They ignored the fact that Sukebe and his Pokégirls had switched sides, remembering clearly the time before the Titans. And a group of them had assassinated Donovan’s mother, simply because she had a prominent place in their community. Eric himself, who was out on a mission to retrieve some Oldtech from an abandoned lab, had saved Donovan and his father from being killed by the Team Rocket group, causing Donovan to join the Tech Hunters to work alongside his hero.
Tina shivered softly. She had been confident before, and was still gung-ho about going on the mission, but she was starting to worry. So many unknowns she hadn’t considered before…
Christine stared at her as they all sat down in the launch ship, Kurgan taking the helm. “Scared, Probie?” she asked.
Tina nodded softly. “Little bit… Molly’s a good scrapper, and Anya’s already proven herself a tough fighter, but still…”
Christine nodded. “Good. Stay scared, but don’t let it get a hold of you. A little fear is good for keeping you alive. Too much, and you die just as easily as you would from being too courageous.”
Tina smiled, nodding. Christine wasn’t as old and experience as Kurgan, but she was still a skilled Tamer and fighter, sparring constantly with her Herowu to stay in shape.
Donovan nodded. “I tend to try and concentrate on the goal. I’ve never worked with military grade Oldtech before, and I’d love to learn how the Warmechs worked.”
Daimonji grinned. “That’s the beauty of this job, Probie. It’s different every time, and there’s always something new to see.”
Donovan rolled his eyes. He had long since gotten used to the fact that none of the rookies were called by their proper names, instead being called ‘Probie’ due to their status as probationary field agents. Christine chuckled. “Just be wary and be ready, and the mission should go off without a hitch.”
As if on cue, Yachiru burst out of her ball and glomped onto Christine’s head. “SHINY HEAD, SHINY HEAD!” she cheered, rubbing Christine’s stubble. Kurgan looked back briefly, saw what happened, and shook his head, deciding to ignore it.
“Daimonji,” Christine growled, prying at the Chibi-Slicer, “GET HER OFFA ME!!”
Daimonji yelped, having been caught completely off guard by Yachiru getting free. He began trying to peel her off of Christine’s face before the older Tamer tried to murder him. Tina and Donovan laughed, enjoying the levity before going to work.
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Elsewhere…
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A lone figure clad in a concealing hood and cloak moved through a massive grove of fruit-bearing trees. Wind rustled the leaves, a fully ripened fruit occasionally falling to the ground. She moved slowly, with great reverence, doing her best not to disturb the natural beauty of the place.
She eventually came to a clearing, a small ring of trees with a throne in the middle. The throne looked like a tree in the shape of an elegant, richly decorated chair. And on that throne was a massive woman, with smooth, bark-like skin, root-like feet, long, vine-like hair that descended down over her bare breasts, and a massive system of branches growing from her head and back, filled with leaves and fruit.
The tree-woman’s eyes were closed, but she knew her servant was there.
“Report…” she said, her voice ancient and powerful.
The smaller woman kneeled before her, bowing. “Most noble Knight of the Round, Madame Yggdrasil. This one humbly comes before you to bring a message from Camelot.”
Madame Yggdrasil chuckled softly. “Oh my. From Lady Mao herself?”
The smaller woman nodded. “Most noble Yggdrasil, Lady Mao has noticed that several ships belonging to noted War Tamer Eric Marcus have left his facility and are headed for an island known to be in your territory.”
“Hnh,” Yggdrasil said, “What humans do hold little interest for me. There’s nothing on that island, not even Pokégirls.”
The smaller woman shook her head. “Most noble Madame,” she said, “That is where you are wrong.”
Yggdrasil quirked her head to one side. “Oh? How so?”
The smaller woman held out a file. A strand of Yggdrasil’s vine-like hair coiled out and brought the file over to her. The smaller woman said, “A recent satellite overview has shown that there is indeed something on the island. A Warmech that has become sentient.”
Yggdrasil’s eyes opened, revealing them to be all black save for white pupils. She looked at the file, and smirked cruelly. “That’s right,” she said wistfully, “Dear old Eric runs an Oldtech retrieval business. Dear me, these humans and their technology. The Titans are long dead, so why do they need it?”
“I wouldn’t presume to know, most noble Madame,” the smaller woman said, shrugging.
Yggdrasil chuckled. “Ah well. As much as I loathe to involve myself in matters dealing with technology, especially technology from the Titan War, I suppose I must take action. Does the Lady Mao have any action in particular she wishes me to take?”
The smaller woman shook her head. “No, most noble Madame.”
Yggdrasil stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Hm… My first instinct is to have the Warmech destroyed, then. I can always send the weapons to our scientists…”
The smaller woman nodded. “Whatever you decide, most noble Madame. The Lady Mao trusts your judgment in the matter.”
Yggdrasil nodded, smirking. She plucked an orange from her branches, and tossed it to the smaller woman, who reached out and caught it, revealing a taloned hand. “A gift for coming all this way,” Yggdrasil said.
“I am honored, most noble Madame,” she said, “May I be permitted to take my leave?”
Yggdrasil nodded, looking over the file. “If you must,” she said.
The smaller woman nodded, using her talons to peel the orange and eat it. Yggdrasil chuckled softly, and slowly rose to her feet, the motion like that of a tsunami as she rose.
Retracting her roots from the ground she had planted herself in, she began to walk through her grove, still reading the file.
“Hm… So it’s already become sentient enough to stake out territory, eh? That would probably explain why there are no ferals on that island either…” Yggdrasil said.
Chuckling softly, she considered her next move. “My my. So much to do and so little time. But what tactic to take? Send an aquatic force to sink the ships and then move in to claim the Warmech for ourselves? Invade the island while they are distracted?” She chuckled. “I feel like a child in a candy store. There’s so many delightful ways to deal with my dear old friend Eric and his little group of toy-seeking children…”
Yggdrasil paused, a thoughtful expression coming to her face. “…If I recall, dear Anya recently became a harem member of one of the rookies… Perhaps I should visit the island myself once the Warmech is subdued… If nothing else, to find dear Anya and make her answer for her treason…”
A cruel grin came to the Treant’s face as an idea occurred to her. “Oh yes… I know what to do now… But first, I must pay a visit to an associate of mine.”
She began walking again, a cruel chuckle rumbling from her throat, “This shall be enjoyable, oh yes… And I know Washu will have fun. The old girl’s been looking to test out her new playthings… And this island shall be a perfect test case for her.”
Yggdrasil smirked. “Dear Eric. You shouldn’t have accepted this job. And Anya? You and that human filth you’ve given yourself to shall be seeing me soon. Very soon indeed.”
TO BE CONTINUED…