Ley looked at Gen curiously and floated forward until they were beside her. She looked at the alien and scowled but didn’t say anything. Being next to the celestial was like being next to a camp fire. They were giving off constant e and it was just strange. Warm even. She didn’t know if she liked it or not but it didn’t seem to have any issues being near her.
“Something troubles you,” they said. They stared at her and then their eyes widened slightly. “Your stone has been destroyed. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah well it doesn’t matter. I’m just a normal human now. It was just a good time for a few days. But I’m used to being normal.”
“That is not what truly plagues you though,” they said crouching.
She scoffed looking away from them, “I don’t want to get into it.”
“No, I don’t believe you do. You are bothered by something else,” they said. They floated closer and then sat, shrinking down to a more manageable size. They floated at Gen’s height and stared at her. She scowled. “I apologize. I am bothering you.”
“Yeah. You are,” she said sharply. “Go away.”
They raised their hand to say something but paused. Turning slowly they stared at the edge of the pillars. At the edge of the massive temple in the clouds that they were occupying. The stars were starting to make themselves present. But something else was starting to bother them.
Narrowing their eyes, they reached toward the sky with a hand that was shimmering with light. And then suddenly they jerked their arm back eyes going wide. They floated backwards quickly and reached out toward Gen, “Gen. Stand up. We are going to be experiencing company.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ley went to answer but a sharp blue green light struck the temple. Gen jumped to her feet, stumbling backwards. Ley floated backwards in front of her and raised their hands. The blue knight, accented by green came forward. She raised her hand and called her staff to life pointing it at them.
“Long time no see Ley.”
“Kathryn,” Ley said softly. “No. Legion.”
She paused and through the voice of the alien she said, “Correct. I had hoped to catch you unawares but it seems another of your number are still here. Oh wait. Genevieve. You still remain with the knights after what was done to you. I thought you would abandon them finally from what I know of you.”
“Well you don’t know me that well do you,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“I had to distract your other knights,” Kathryn said walking forward whipping the staff back and forth. “To get you alone. You see I didn’t remain near this planet because I have an interest in the rest of you all. No. I’ve come for that.”
She pointed the staff at the crystal and Gen glanced over her shoulder. The crystal gleamed in the subtle light of the temple. Without Marco nearby, it wasn’t as active but even then it had its own gentle light within it. Ley’s gaze never left the possessed knight that they themselves recruited.
“Oh Kathryn. I am sorry that I put you in harm’s way like this. I never intended this for you.”
“Well you drafted me into this battle,” Kathryn said. “And now I’ve been taken over by this alien being. Intentions or not you’ve put me into this situation. And now I don’t need you anymore Ley. Legion has given me more power than you ever could. Including a way to be rid of you.”
She tossed an orb at Ley and the celestial caught it in their hand. But then it exploded with green energy and Ley let out a scream that hit them to their core. Gen recoiled down to her feet and shuddered. The scream lasted for a long time and then suddenly it was over. Gen raised her head and Ley was gone. No scorch marks, no explosion, just gone.
She looked around quickly and shook her head, “What happened? What did you do them?”
Kathryn stood upright and tapped her staff against the ground. Instead of answering she jumped forward and brought the weapon down. Gen knew better than to block and rolled to the side. It crashed hard and she rolled backwards.
Getting to her feet quickly she watched as Kathryn attacked her. She brought her hands up and even without a stone she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Twirling the staff around Kathryn went on the offensive.
Gen blocked the first one. Deflecting the staff away from her. She didn’t even bother trying to counter attack at this point. Against an alien powered knight that she fought before she was possessed, she was focused on defense. After another parry the staff broke apart and sent Gen flying back from the strike.
She crashed into the crystal and let out a cry. Her back burned and she slumped down to the ground. Pressing both hands to the floor she gasped. Not just from the pain but because she felt energized suddenly. She stared at her hands with double vision and couldn’t tell what she was about to do.
“You are sturdy for a human,” Kathryn said slowly. “I am impressed. I understand why Ley took an interest in you all. But that crystal. That crystal is going to be mine.”
“I don’t know why you want this thing,” She looked back at the crystal and she saw it. Pristine alien rock that gleamed underneath her gaze. “But fuck you. You can have it. Over. My. Dead. Body.”
As she spoke the crystal pulsed and gleamed. She felt it shaking under her feet. Trembling with something like anticipation. She got back to her feet, her arms shaking slightly. But she raised them, one palm flat against her forearm and the other extended. A stance she learned a long time ago.
The crystal seemed to recognize what she was doing. And it pulsed. It glowed and shook the ground beneath her feet. Kathryn stumbled slightly before righting herself. She turned the staff around and Legion’s influence flooded her body before she charged at Gen.
Readying herself for whatever happened next, Gen grit her teeth together and even without her stone shouted, “Let’s go to work!”
The Harlequin Library 