Pluto

She did not linger in that Rust mill, which she now knew to be the hidden headquarters of the Twisted Black Legion.

Her fear only grew as she took to the skies once again, shooting into the now black stary sky.

So many answers had been given, and yet with them came only more questions. Brutus was clearly a leader of little question and little mercy, she was intelligent and driven by forces that were not entirely her own, but why? It tormented her, the uncertainty of everything haunted her being... if not for the tranquillity of the night, that cooled her hot blood and refreshed her with the frosty air, then Brutus felt as if she would have imploded.

Her destination was clear to her however, she would have to Storm towards the West city, in the slums of the Black ward to find her mission.

GO WITH WRATH

No. No this was... this was wrong, she was unarmed... she could not go without a weapon. Perhaps she could weave into the nearest Steel-Hand garrison post and fetch herself a musket... but the thought disgusted her, there was no honour in those abominations, Brutus needed something she could swing... and so as she hurtled through the sky like a bullet, her head turned not west but east.

On the horizon, her eyes caught on a tall, gleaming structure nestled into the Eastern mountain range... it allured to her.

DO NOT DELAY

Comfort was there, what she needed was there.

OBEY, OBEY.

Golden eyes, why couldn't she stop thinking about them? strong arms, Briskwave horns. She had to go to the great Brass Cathedral, then she could fulfil her mission.

The Basilisk pushed against the western wind and narrowed herself like a spear, with one push she fired out into the stars, streaking among the ether, a shadow on the Black sky.

She must have crossed several hundred miles in mere moments, she flashed into a sudden stop above the highest brass tower of the Cathedral, the **** of which put a massive strain in her bones and limbs, despite her seemingly strengthening them to prevent this.

There was no fear of **** as she allowed herself to dip into a freefall, shooting down towards the tower, which like the Rust mill, had an aerial hatch.

She went from the freezing sky to a deep warmth as the Basilisk fell into the Towers top chamber. Muscles flexing and hardening to absorb the shock, Brutus landed hard on a wide metal plate, that clanged as she collided with it gracefully.

Her body shook with the shock of her landing, it rattled her bones... but they did not break? slowly, carefully she stood and examined her surroundings.

To call this chamber large was an understatement, lavish furnishings dotted the room, the ground, save for the landing pad was covered in a soft carpet of ruby red.

A Chandelier of gleaming glowing Bolt anchor hung above, and small torches illuminated the space with a brilliant and soothing light.

She saw the grand bookcases that covered the entire west side of the Chamber, as well as the Holy symbols of the Brass crossed blades all over the place.

She did not know what this place was, but it made her feel warm, and safe, at least until something bashed into her back, as arms wrapped around her neck.

"You're back, you're actually back!!!"

The arms were gentle, soft. The scent of flowers and soft caramel filled her nostrils, the body that hung from her, laughing and smiling, was light as a feather, or perhaps... Brutus was two strong to notice any of the weight.

She remained silent, caught off guard as the Girl let her go and spun around to look at her.

"You've been gone for so long, I didn't think... I thought I lost you." Her voice was gentle and kind, warm as honey.

Brutus just stared, she... she had seen strange things so far, but this Girl was something else entirely.

The Girl looked as if she had only recently grown out of adolescence, she was much shorter than Brutus; the same but ultimately different.

Her skin was not ruby red, Insidious scarlet or dark maroon, but instead, she was pale pink, her eyes were a reddish-magenta, with the width and curiosity of youth.

Her lips were a soft pink and her long wavy hair was tied in the most elegant and beautiful Braid that Brutus recalled seeing. Despite her pale countenance, however, her hair was only streaked with little dashes of white, while the body of her locks were blacker than the night.

Her horns were long and spiralling above her miscoloured brows; highbuck Horns that were etched with strange symbols, like Brutus' single horn was.

The girl was dressed in a smooth beautiful gown, with an ivory fur mantle on her shoulders, she seemed so much more elegant than the Centurions, and ten times more beautiful. Brutus... felt... something, warm, loving for this girl, but her lack of knowledge continued to frighten her.

"What's wrong? aren't you happy to see me? I'd heard the Empress had sent you away... I was worried you'd be gone for good this time."

"...."

The Girls smile faded as a look of revelation overcame her "You... You've forgotten me, haven't you?"

"Yes." Brutus answered.

"Completely? d-don't you even know my name?" She asked, her tone steeped in melancholy.

"No."

The Pale girl frowned and nodded, as if she had lost some kind of battle "I... I was hoping, that this time would be different. But, you came here, you remembered this place where no one else is allowed to go. That must mean something right?" She hoped.

Brutus was hesitant to speak.

But in spite of her apparent sadness "W-Well then... Hila, I am Pluto."

"I am... Brutus." If the Executioner had any other name then she did not know it.

"I know silly. Hey, where's your sword, I've never seen you without it?" The girl asked before recognizing the Executioners silence "I suppose you don't know, apologies. Ironically, I forget how little you remember sometimes."

Brutus opened her mouth to ask, why? why did she remember so little? what was she?

DO NOT SPEAK.

...But she couldn't.

Pluto chuckled and grasped at the palm of her hand. "You don't have to wear that in here you know." like a serpent she swept up to hang from Brutus' neck, it was apparent that this was a habit. "There isn't anybody here, come on take it off." She whispered.

Her fingers wrapped carefully around the girl's wrists and lowered her down with a measured strength. Brutus guarded the buckle like a frightened child.

Pluto huffed, she wasn't at all discouraged but seemed to just push on without worrying about the consequences of her actions, it felt deeply irritating. "Oh don't look at me like that, I am not annoying, I'm sweet and gentle, just like you always say."

"I'm wearing a helmet, you can't tell what I'm looking at-"

"Just. Like. you always. Say." She growled playfully, squeezing her hand pleasantly. "I won't hear another word on the matter. Come sit."

"This one must not linger," Brutus whispered, but the girl clutched her tighter.

She turned back and looked at Brutus with sad eyes, moving to hold on her arms, rought with lean muscle, hard as iron. The Girls eyes cut through the shadows of her mind, big and pink like Berry Ice-Cream and clouds on a summer day. "You musn't do that, You are a person, not a Digit." She whispered desperately.

YOU ARE NOTHING

"I am nothing." She echoed

YOU ARE NO ONE

"I am no one." Again she repeated.

Pluto frowned deeply but reforged herself a smile and tugged at Brutus' arm "Come, sit with me?"

Brutus felt the need to bow and so she did. Adhering to the Girls commands felt oddly natural, despite the sense of comradery that teased its way to the surface.

Even as she followed the girl over to the wide reclined seating of soft leather and fluffy furs, Brutus felt frustration, she was stuck at a crossroads... between lucidity and chaos, waking and dreaming, comfort and anguish.

As they sat, Pluto retrieved the glass jug from the table between them and filled a crystal glass with clear and cold water. She slid it over happily "You should drink."

"Why?" Brutus asked.

"Look, I know you're about to go on a... mission, you always have that walk about you when you're about to-- just trust me okay? drink the water." She asked softly.

Brutus stood and paced, the girl looked displeased.

"this one cannot linger here, I do not know you, I do not know myself. Why must I drink? it could be poison, it could be anything, everything is wrong, nothing fits."

"You don't need to get upset."

"This one is not upset, this one feels nothing. The mind works, the voice speaks, but I cannot hear it, the mission is clear, but I cannot see it, the heart beats, but I cannot feel it. Explain this to me, explain even the smallest part of it to me, and I will drink to your heart's content." Brutus growled like a wolf, where she was numb before, she now exploded and burned from inside. There was nothing numbed about this feeling, it was all too familiar; Rage, she felt so much rage.

Pluto did not flinch, she tapped the glass "Sit down, Lady Basilisk. Stop yelling and drink, You know somewhere deep down inside that I can't tell you anything, and that I can't even you why. So just... just please do as I ask, I am not your enemy." She pleaded softly.

Brutus shook her head, as her lips curled, and yet... she retook her seat.

Her hand moved on its own, the fingers pressing into the disks on each side of her beaked mask. With a twist and click of each side, the mask hissed as the compressed air within escaped, cracking open to reveal little but her black lips.

She took the glass and pressed it to her lips, drinking the cold, tasteless liquid which refreshed her to no end, and filled her with a sense of relief as it cooled the wrath that built in her chest like a flame.

Pluto renewed her smile and huffed "I am always here at night for you, if you didn't know that then you wouldn't have come here. My hammer is on the mantlepiece over there, take it, You were always better with it than me anyway. Ugh don't just stare at me like that, you are Brutus the Basilisk, the most dangerous soldier that the empire has ever known, You cannot be seen unarmed. Go on, take it."

Brutus closed her mask, the mechanism in the mask ceiling shut to protect her visage. Without a word she stood and moved over to the hearth which blazed with fire.

Sat on a stand of brilliant gold, above the mantlepiece was a one-handed western-styled war hammer. Its head was octagonal and flanged, its segmented teeth could cut into armour, while its weight could crush bones with ease. Her gauntleted hand wandered across the Shaft of what appeared to be ivory heartwood, reinforced with rickets of meridian steel.

But it was the Head of that hammer that caught her attention. It was crystalline, dark and insidious, deep amber in colour, and quivering with life at her touch.

"Be careful with it, Impact Anchor isn't easy to control--" Pluto warned.

Brutus with her fingers flicked the heavy hammer up and out of its stand as if it weighed nothing, catching and twirling it dexterously behind where she hung it from the metal hook that hung from her left shoulder.

Its weight there made her feel better, although her hip still felt oddly light, a phantom ache as if she had lost a limb.

The Girl smiled "...Nevermind." She stood, her long gown following behind her, as she carried herself in the prim and proper way toward Brutus. "I suppose you shouldn't linger... but, will you visit me again, after the deed is done?"

The Executioner said nothing because she could not promise, perhaps it would be better for her to stay away. Whatever she was, she was clearly dangerous... but this girl seemed gentle, kind, perhaps Brutus was unworthy of such company.

And so she merely bowed silently and took her leave from the girl who gave only a sad smile, at the sight of Brutus' departure.