Chapter 658: Her Name
When Laz returned with the girl in tow, there were a lot of questions from his subordinates, but he cleared those up right away.
"Boss... I was just asking. No need to be so heavy handed," Blake complained as he picked himself up from the floor, wishing he would have hit something other than the stone wall.
"Did you really think that the First would be someone with disgusting preferences like you?" Seven asked, poking the still in pain Blake.
"Well what do I know when he returns with a half naked young girl from who knows where?"
"How about asking first before just blurting out the first dumb thing you can think of? Maybe then he wouldn’t feel the need to see how bouncy you are when slammed against a wall?"
"Maybe you should be glad that the kid didn’t understand what you were implying?" Two said, taking another look at the young girl who was going with a few of the village mothers to get changed.
"Why’s that?" Blake asked, but Two turned away from him and faced Laz.
"Why do I get the impression that this little girl could kill every one of us with barely an effort?"
"Because you have good instincts and aren’t an idiot," Laz responded with a laugh.
"You’re not going to tell us about her?" Two stated, more than inquired.
"Best you don’t know. But just know that she isn’t as young as you’re thinking and even I would have a hard time trying to subdue her if it came to it. Also... I don’t know much about her loyalty other than she won’t hurt me. As for anyone who show’s her killing intent? Well... there would be much less messy ways to die. Let me just put it that way," Laz explained.
"Right. Understood. Still... She isn’t nearly as scary as that thing out there. So I’m only guessing that’s not what she’s here for?"
"No. Just an sudden discovery while I was searching around. This castle isn’t what we think it is and may be the only key to our survival," Laz suggested.
"We can’t live here forever. At some point we will need food," Two responded.
"I’m aware and that isn’t what I mean anyway," Laz informed him.
There was something that was tugging in Laz’s head, a thought that didn’t want to leave him. This was a building build out of the immortal body of a divine beast. What’s more, it didn’t always reside here either as was evident by the young girl’s memory so that could only mean it had been moved here at some point.
’So if it was moved here, could it be moved again? Seems like it should be able to... but how...?’ Laz thought while thinking back to the divine artifact Library and wondering if it was somehow similar.
’Not that it said it was build out of an ancient beasts body.... actually, it probably wasn’t, right?’
*Kat? Kat? You there?* Laz tried, but received nothing but silence in return.
’With how often she’s not there, I sometimes wonder if I am just talking to myself most of the time? I mean... she’s helpful when she’s here, but she’s normally so quiet it’s like she isn’t there at all...’
Laz wasn’t going to get an answer so he just waiting with the others until the young girl returned, dressed in a rather pretty yellow sundress that one of the mothers had left over from her older daughter. Along with the dress, her hair had been tied up into pig tails with bows along with some sandals. Compared to how she was before, she looked like a little angel now.
She ran up to Laz and twirled around, showing how the dress flung around with her movements, obviously still enjoying the feeling of moving with feet. The women who had helped her clapped while she giggled as the stunned men’s responses. Seeing something so cheerful and innocent had a rather impactful effect on the men and women who had only been engaged in battle for as long as they could remember.
"I will protect that smile even if it costs me my life," Sixteen muttered while Two and Seven nodded in agreement.
Blake was strangely silent.
"Look at you! How are you feeling?" Laz asked, laughing at little.
"Amazing... but... uh..." The little girl stopped in front of Laz and had a slightly inquisitive, slightly sad look on her face.
"What’s the matter?"
"Well... the nice auntie’s asked me for my name... but I never got one so I didn’t know how to respond," the girl said, pointing over to the nice women who now seemed to be glaring at Laz.
"I appreciate what you’ve done for us m’lord.... but really? To leave your daughter without name of her own seems pretty irresponsible."
"That’s right m’lord. Maybe someone of your status doesn’t understand just how much of a embarrassment for those young’ins born out of wedlock to not be given a proper name. Now we be seeing your surprise and know you be a kind man who probably didn’t know he be having a daughter. But now that ye be aware, you should be a good man and take responsibility for young lass. She be needing her dad more than ever right now...."
And the ’advice’ went on and on, making Laz raise an eyebrow at the young lady who was still standing in front of him with a big smile. As Laz looked closer, he could see a bit of mischievousness within her eyes.
’She’s not as innocent as she seems...’ Laz thought to himself with a sigh.
"How about Nagini? It’s the name of a very powerful being from where I come from," Laz said with a sigh after thinking about it for a while.
"Nagini?’ The girl asked.
"Yes. Nagi for short? How’s that sound?"
"And my family name daddy?" she said, obviously remembering what the older women had told her. Only lords and royalty had names that could or should be inherited. And since that’s what Laz was, she should make sure she has his last name as well.
While Laz understood this principle, there was a slight problem with it. While it was all fun and games for now, should one of her people, if she had people, ever find her, shouldn’t her family name then be related to her mother? Or at least to her real father?
Still though, seeing those eyes looking up at him, Laz knew he wasn’t going to be able to tell this little girl no.
"Crowe. You shall be my Nagini Crowe. How’s that sound?" Laz said, finally giving in.
The smile she gave lit up the whole room as the village women clapped as though proud of making him admit this connection. And while it might have been a good thing from where they were standing, there was no way they could understand just what effect this would have on the future.
Of course neither did Laz at the time.
With that settled, Laz dismissed the women and called Nagi over to his side along with the senior members of his legion.
"Did you enjoy that?" Laz asked, looking down at the girl. He finally understood that she wasn’t as naive as she had been acting from before, although she really hadn’t known the castle was the body of her mother. After all, there was no way to fake the kind of crying she did.
"I did daddy. Why? Are you ashamed of this daughter of yours? Nagini asked.
"Whatever. Anyway, I need a favor," Laz said.
"What is it daddy? Anything for you!"
"You remember what I said about this building? Do you think you might be able to connect to it? I believe that this place can actually move around. But to do that, we would either need to find some sort of controls for it or find some other way to connect to it. If it’s you... then it might be possible," Laz explained.
Nagi thought about this deeply for a moment before she responded.
"I’ll try!" With that, she went and sat down on the throne like seat that was close by while the other’s all turned to face Laz.
"First. Is this something a little girl can do?" Two asked. He remembered what Laz had warned him about but still couldn’t see her as this ancient being like Laz had said she was.
"If anyone can, it will be her."
"And what’s the plan once we can move this thing?" Two asked.
"I was made aware of some things recently. Right now, we only have one chance to survive this thing and make it out of this alive. The Empress is currently call forth everyone still able to fight to set up one last stand at a mountain fortress somewhere in the mountains away from the capital. As for the capital itself... it has been abandoned. The Emperor went crazy and started a bloodbath. While he is now stronger than ever, he has also lost any sense left in his head and is nothing but a monster now. The tide should reach the capital within a few days where they will meet this mad Emperor. No matter who wins, we will be screwed though. So I think it best if we meet up with the Empress and see what can be done on her end. As for the Emperor and the shadow dragon? If we’re lucky they will take each other out. But I doubt we will be that lucky."
"The capital has been abandoned? What about our families?" Seven asked, looking very worried for the first time since Laz had met him.
"Anyone who survived ended up following the Empress and she’s giving shelter to all who reach her. So although I don’t know about your families, there is still a chance they are alive. At least for now," Laz tried to reassure the man.
While he still looked pale, it wasn’t as bad as before.
"And what exactly do you think this giant hunk of rock will do?" Two asked.
A massive rumbling sound although with the shaking of the castle began just as he asked.
Laz smiled.
"It will make one hell of a difference."
