Approximately Three-Hundred and Fifty Years Ago.

"Weeeeeeeee!" Penelope squeaked happily as Halifax pushed her on a wooden swing. The two had taken a break in the small village, and the young girl wanted to play a bit. "Push me higher!" She giggled as Halifax smiled.

"Not too high, please..." Arcus sighed as he leaned against the tree, wary of Halifax giving in and sending Penelope on a one-way ticket to low orbit if she wasn't careful. "I'd rather not have my first wielder reduced to road kill just yet. At least give me a few decades."

"Oh shut up. I'm not stupid, and even without a wielder of my own, I'm more than capable of keeping my power in check." Halifax rolled her eyes as she continued to push the young girl on the swing. "Reflia asked me to take Penelope out and see the world a bit, and so far, she seems to be taking things down here quite well." She smiled as Penelope happily commented on the cows in a nearby field.

The Demi-God was only fifty years old, a veritable baby by Divine standards, and this was her first outing to the mortal world. Reflia wanted her to see how mortals lived and asked Halifax to take Penelope with her on the Divine Blade's adventures for a time, something the Halifax reluctantly agreed to after the young girl pestered her into submission.

{Babysitting still sucks... I'd much rather spend this time with Sherry, though as Empress, she's probably a bit busy. But at least this girl is pretty adorable.} (Halifax)

"Just do me a favor and keep a close eye on her." Halifax said to Arcus as she continued to push the swing. "I'd rather the bad habits of the other Demi-Gods didn't rub off on her.The world needs less arrogant bastards, and she's as sweet and pure as sugar right now. Best we keep it that way.."

"I'll do what I can!" Arcus replied with a laugh. "Hey Pen, you want to go into town? I hear there's a really nice bakery with some good treats!"

"Really?!? I want cookies!" Penelope smiled as she leaped high out of the swing and landed a few feet away. "Can we get some?" She asked Halifax, her eyes boring into the Divine Blade and overwhelming her with cuteness. “Please?”

"Weeeeeeeeel... I suppose we can get some snacks." Halifax sighed, breaking down and agreeing while Arcus laughed at how easy she was swayed.

"She's too cute, huh?" Arcus snickered as Penelope picked him up and put him on her back. “I have the greatest partner ever!”

"Yeah, just don't spoil your cute little sister too much. Otherwise, she might go rotten." Halifax said as she turned to head down the hill toward the small town.

They'd arrived from the Heavens via the portal in the Holy City and were slowly traveling through the Demi-Human Federation on their way to the Imperial Capital. Halifax figured they'd wander around as a party of adventurers for a few decades to get the young Demi-God used to the mortal world and allow her to hone her powers and develop her bond with Arcus. It wasn't uncommon for most Demi-Gods to undertake such a journey, as even the most isolationist of th Gods understood the need for their children to develop social skills. However, most followed in their parent's footsteps and thought themselves above the lower world, something Halifax hoped she could prevent from happening with the young Penelope.

"Don't worry, I'll spoil her an appropriate amount." Arcus laughed as Penelope caught up to Halifax. "You're a good girl, right Pen?”

“Mama told me to be the goodest girl while with Big Sis Halifax!” Penelope smiled which caused Halifax to turn away in embarrassment.

“See! So it's okay if we do these things once and a while!" Arcus' comment caused Penelope to giggle and cheer as they headed into town, before happily munching on some sweat treats before continuing on their journey.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Twenty Years Later.

*SWISH* *SWISH**SWISH* *THUNK* *THUNK* *THUNK* *THUNK*

"Good, good. It looks like you've got full control over Arcus' arrows. Now you just need to increase the frequency of your shots and work on adjusting the power output to give them different effects." Halifax said to Penelope as she slowly let the bow down. She'd just taken out several large monsters with a quick barrage of arrows, destroying creatures that would've taken average adventurers weeks to eliminate individually in mere seconds. "You've come far since we started. Good job Penelope." She said, patting the at this point teenage looking girl on the head. “Your training is coming along nicely.”

"Please don't do that, Sister Halifax... I'm not a kid anymore..." Penelope said as she pushed the Divine Blade's hand away, puffing her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Sorry, sorry." Halifax laughed as she tried to placate the Demi-God. "I tend to forget that sometimes. Compared to me you're still just a newborn, and I swear it was jest yesterday when you barely made it to my hip." She laughed.

"She's still just as adorable though!" Arcus laughed as Penelope threw him into a nearby tree with a thud. "Hah! Try harder to break me next time!"

"You're..." Penelope sighed before shaking her head and deciding to ignore him. "Never mind..."

"Nice to see you fight like siblings. Or perhaps I could say a married couple?" Halifax snickered.

"I'd sooner ram your blade through my chest than exchange vows with that idiot..." Penelope rolled her eyes as Halifax handed her a water canteen.

"Am I not good enough for you?!?" Arcus cried in despair and shock. "Pen! After everything we've been through?!? We even bathed together! How could you treat me so harshly! What about my love? My feelings! Does none of that mean anything to you?!?"

"I swear I'm going to leave you in a hole in the ground..." Penelope said before taking a gulp. "No, maybe I should just melt you down for scrap."

"If it's you, I'd gladly get turned into an armor piece for you to wear! Just please make me into a nice pair boots!" Arcus laughed as Penelope continued to argue back with him.

{Seems these two really are close. I've watched them bond over the last two decades and I'm really happy with how things turned out. Penelope may act all standoffish when it comes to Arcus but I know how much he means to her. Maybe I really can foster an equal relationship between Weapon and Wielder... She could even be the first Demi-God to recognize that we're more than just tools. Maybe... Maybe she could finally be the one to make change the others.} (Halifax)

"Anyway... Those creatures were pretty weak." Penelope said as she finished taking a sip and hooked the canteen to her belt. "Why did we even need to fight them anyway? They don't seem important enough to involve multiple divine beings."

"It may not seem that way to you, but in reality it would've required high-rank adventurers to handle them." Halifax answered, reminding Penelope that what came easy to her was nearly impossible for most mortals. "At least four Adamantite rank adventurers would be required to handle these, six Platinum ranks if you were trying to go budget. Those Warp Chimera's are no joke and mortals have to be careful when dealing with them since they can paralyze and inject you with a fatal toxin. Don't forget that as a Demi-God your growth ceiling is much higher than theirs, and your baseline puts you ahead of just about anyone else down here."

"If you ask me Mortals are far too weak." Penelope said with a shrug. "Now I understand why Lira and Meldor complain about needing to clean up mortal's messes all the time. It really is annoying."

"As an adventurer, it's one's job to take care of dangerous foes like this." Halifax replied, not liking where that line of reasoning would lead. "Those with power have a duty to use it to protect the weak. Isn't that what Lady Reflia always says?"

"Maybe, but then the weak should show more appreciation to the strong." Penelope retorted.

"Is getting paid not enough compensation?" Halifax asked, again disliking Penelope's words but holding back from yelling at her.

"I was thinking more along the lines of-" Penelope paused as a fourth Warp Chimera leaped out from the tree line. The giant creature looked like a mixture of a lion and scorpion with a thick main and large barbed tail as well as six arachnid like legs.

"Look out!" Halifax said as she pushed Penelope out of the way, slicing the creature in two with a single slash. "Phew! That was close. The Quest only said there were three! Where did that extra come from?" Halifax asked as she turned to Penelope. "You alright?”

"I... I didn't need you to save me!" Penelope huffed. "Idiot! Moron!" She said before storming over to Arcus and grabbing him before heading into the woods and their next stop on the Quest.

{I swear, this kid...} (Halifax)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Twenty Five Years Later

*WOOSH*

"The whole village..." Halifax paused as she watched the flames overtake another building. She'd been contacted by Penelope and informed that members of Vikes' Cult had been spotted in the Eastern Demon Kingdom and requested the Divine Blade's assistance in rooting them out. "Penelope!" She yelled as she took off running toward the Demi-God, who was standing in front of a group of villagers that had just been executed by Demon soldiers. "Penelope!"

"Ah! Halifax, I was wondering when you'd show up." Penelope greeted her with a smile. "I've already gone ahead and handled this village, and there are a couple more we'll have to-"

"What the hell are you doing?!?" Halifax screamed, startling the Demi-God and the soldiers.

"Cleaning out the Cultists?" Penelope replied with a raised eyebrow. "Lady Reflia's orders were to eliminate the Cultists to stop them from digging deeper roots. We discovered that they were using this village as a base, so I wiped it out."

"So you killed everyone?!? What about the innocent people that lived in the village?!?" Halifax yelled as she got in Penelope's face. “Did you even try and figure out who the Cultists were before wiping them all out?!?”

"The village was harboring Cultists. There were no innocents." Penelope responded, baffling the Divine Blade with her callousness. "Not to mention that it would be impossible to discern normal villagers from the Cultists since they blend in with the population. So I decided that culling the entire village would net the best results and prevent their escape."

"Do you even hear yourself right now?!?" Halifax growled. "This is not what you were supposed to do! Listen, the Cult might be bad but you can't just go around resorting to their methods! These are people Penelope! They have lives! Villagers or not you can't just cast them aside like trash!"

"Why not?" Penelope asked. "They're just mortals." Her words slammed Halifax like a massive tidal wave. "This world is filled with them. A village being destroyed changes nothing in the grand scheme of things. Meldor and Lira agree with me and their methods make operations like this so much easier and effective."

{I knew it was a bad idea to let her work with those other Demi-Gods! I fucking knew it would lead to this! She was already going downhill but I see now that it's gone beyond the point of no return!} (Halifax)

{Maybe be a bit nicer, Pen. Halifax does have a point. You shouldn't use such blunt force tactics.} (Arcus)

"And I don't remember asking for your opinion. All I need to do is perform my duty and do as Lady Reflia asks of me." Penelope replied. “And your duty is to do as I say.”

"Y-You..." Halifax backed away slowly, her face going dark. "You turned out just like the others..." She said as she put her hand on the hilt of her blade, which caught Arcus' attention.

{Woah! Calm down, Halifax! Don't go doing something stupid!} (Arcus)

"I've done something stupid, Arcus..." Halifax said as she turned to leave. "I taught a monster how to kill." She said, walking away so as to stop her self from killing the Demi-God right then and there.

"Wait! What about the Cult?" Penelope reached out to her but was ignored. "We still need to destroy their base!"

"Do it yourself, Demi-God." Halifax replied curtly, her words little more than a viroal soaked grow that caught Penelope off guard. "After all, they're just mortals. They should pose no challenge to you, plus you'll get to satiate your blood lust."

{Halifax! Wait!}

(Arcus) Follow current novᴇls on N()velFire.net

"And tell your mother, I'm done. I'm not spending any more time training a disgusting creature like you." Halifax said as she took off running at high speed, leaving a baffled Penelope behind.

{And there she goes...} (Arcus)

"Halifax... Wait..." Penelope said, her outstretched hand seeming to beg the Divine Blade to return. "I thought... I thought you... Please... Don't..."

_____________________________________________________________________________

Five Years Later

"Thanks for making time for me, Sherry." Halifax said as she sat across from Empress Sherldine. The Empress was her closest living friend and someone the Divine Blade trusted implicitly. It was unusual for Halifax to show up to the Imperial Palace unannounced, but when she did the Empress made certain that she was accommodated. "I hate to bother you when you're so busy..."

"I'm never too busy for you." Sherry chuckled as a servant brought out tea for the two of them. "You're an important friend of mine, and I've told you before that my status of Empress doesn't change that. I'll always be here for you, Halifax." She smiled, understanding that the Divine Blade was suffering from a severe bout of depression, the cause of which she already knew. "Besides, I don't get to see you as much as I'd like, so I'm always happy to see you when you come to the Capital."

"Thanks..." Halifax said with an awkward smile. "I'm sorry I don't get here as much as I'd like, I'll try to do better."

"The offer still stands for you to join my personal guard." Sherry replied. "I'd sleep soundly at night knowing you were around to protect me, and I know Albert would as well."

Halifax remained silent for a solid minute before finally speaking. "Sherry... Do you think I can ever be free? Can I ever really take my life into my own hands?"

"I..." Sherry hesitated to answer, understanding the deeper meaning beyond Halifax's question. "If I could undo everything you've been through, I would... Even if I had to sacrifice everything else... I'd even relinquish my throne if that would give you the peace you seek."

"I'm just so tired... So tired..." Halifax said, holding back tears. "I helped to train and raise another monster, I'm tossed back and forth at the whims of Gods that couldn't give a damn about me... At this point, the only thing keeping me going is the knowledge that my actions are saving lives..."

{And even then, I don't know how long I can go on... I'm so tired...} (Halifax)

"You're a wonderful adventurer. I constantly hear reports of your deeds across the continent. You've saved citizens of the Empire countless times. If not for you countless lives would've been lost, and in the century since you departed the Palace you've made this world a better place, Halifax." Sherry said as she reached across the table and took Halifax's hands into her own. "I don't know if you'll ever get the freedom you want... And I'd love to tell you that one day you'll meet someone who can grant you that which you desire most... But I..."

"I know..." Halifax smiled as she reached across the table and placed her other hand on top of Sherry's. "I don't expect you to lie to me just to make me feel better." She chuckled.

"The Gods truly couldn't have picked a kinder soul to inflict their cruelty on." Sherry said as she bit her lip in frustration. The Empress was intimately aware of the hell that Halifax had endured, aware of even the deepest shames that Halifax never wished to speak of. "I wish... I wish there was something more that I could do for you... I'm sorry."

{I wish I could take your place... You deserve rest... I can see it in your eyes, my friend. You're tired... The kind of tired you can't sleep off, but the Gods... They'll never allow it.} (Sherry)

"Hey, Sherry... Your offer... To be your Guard... Can I accept it?" Halifax's request took the Empress back. She'd offered it countless times over the decades and always been rebuffed by the Blade, stating that she served no one and was driven by wanderlust. "At least for a little while... Can I stay here with you? Please?"

"Halifax..." Sherry said as she stood up and circled around the table. "You can stay for as long as you like..." She said as she pulled her into a hug, something that caught the maid off guard seeing as this was the Empress embracing what was to her a commoner. "As long as I walk this world you will always have a home here. Always."

_____________________________________________________________________________

"Thank... You... Sherry..." Halifax mumbled to herself while asleep before waking up under a tree, blade at her side. "Sherry?" She looked around for her friend, but naturally, she was not there. "Oh... Yeah... Just a dream..." She said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Haven't had one of those in a while..." She chuckled.

While the Divine Blade did sleep it was incredibly rare for her to dream, and most times it was nightmares rather than pleasant ones, made worse by the fact that her dreams were almost always extremely vivid and lifelike. "But I suppose I should be happy it was of you, Sherry... Even after all this time, you're still at my side. Aren't you?" Halifax said, reaching into her coat and pulling a small locket out, opening it to reveal a picture of her and Sherry that was created using magic all those years ago. It was a gift from the Empress to the Divine Blade at her coronation, and the only memento of her friend that she had left. "If only you could be here now... I think you'd get along with Akagi... Hell, you'd probably appreciate the kitty!" She laughed as she put the locket away just as Zo and Ro returned to their campsite.

"Oh, hey, you're finally awake." Ro commented as Halifax stood up from her napping spot against a tree.

"Yeah, sorry about that..." Halifax stretched as she stood up. "I guess I was a bit more exhausted than I thought."

"It's fine." Zo sighed. "Anyway, we're nearly at Northwind. If we pick up the pace we'll reach it within an hour. Chloe is waiting for us at an inn, so let's get moving."

"Yeah... Let's get the kitty cat and find Labrys..." Halifax said as they walked into the woods.

{And then finally... Finally, I can be free... Sherry... If only you could be here to see it...} (Halifax)