The Dark Queen

Hair with the burning color of sunset, which reached just above her waist. Eyes the crimson color of scarlet blood that encircled her pupils. A figure most woman would kill for, especially in the chest area.

Erika looked at Toga with cold, uncaring eyes that saw straight through him as though his presence were no stronger than an insect. Her foot rested on a shirtless, blindfolded man who was hunched over. Her elbows rested on the armchair to her right.

Erika Noya, nicknamed Queen, the widow of beauty.

If it were anybody else, giving her direct eye contact would have been an impossibility most people even in the castle wouldn't fathom trying.

Toga, however, did it without blinking. This was still the same Erika he used to know, so he felt no reason to be awkward around her.

"If you're here. Does that mean I finally get my own Bond Guard?" Erika flipped the fans she held to cover half her face.

Oh yeah… that was a good reason to be awkward around her.

Toga finally broke contact and looked away. Erika frowned when she seen his answer. "I should have known. Breaking promises is what men do,"

"Erika, you know it's not like that," Toga said.

"You know I'm at that age where I need a Bond Guard right? I can't delay it any longer. You better have a good reason as to why you're not a sentinel," Erika said.

"It's because Shining spirits can't become sentinels,"

Erika glared at him; her face began changing into one of surprise when she started putting the pieces together. "You became the Red Dogs shining spirit…"

His refusal to say anything further was confirmation enough.

"Tchh… I should have figured. Someone like you couldn't be kept by one person," She said.

Toga moved closer towards her. "I'm sorry. I never thought something like this would happen. I promise I'll make it up to you,"

Erika blinked a few times. His face was extremely close to hers and her face turned as red as an apple. She turned her gaze to avoid eye contact. "Why are you apologizing? It's not like you could control that anyways," Her voice sounded a little shaky.

"No… no I couldn't. Truth be told, I'm glad this is the case,"

"Oh… did you really want to be away from me that bad?" Erika turned her head in defiance. He could sense offence she took, but he had to tell her the truth.

"Erika… Nylo's dead,"

Even saying it and reaffirming what he knew to be true, still tugged at his heart strings. Her previously pouty mood instantly froze into shock.

She looked at him giving him direct eye contact, if only to find a hint somewhere that he was lying. His gaze said it all. There were no falsehoods where he spoke.

"You're kidding… how did that happen?"

He didn't really want to answer. It would be like reliving the memory over again, but Erika had a right to know. She was going to find out anyway.

"If you weren't yet informed, Aeragis has awoken and went on a destructive path in the East Skyland. Nylo… was caught in the crossfire. It happened right in front of me… there was no way he could have survived it,"

After a short pause, Erika abruptly stood up. Kicking her masochist slave out the way, she rushed over towards him and put her hand on his face. "Toga, you…"

Toga couldn't look at her directly after that. He felt too ashamed now that it all came back. How could he even claim to want to be her Bond Guard anyways, when he couldn't even have the skill to protect his own brother?

"I can already tell; you want revenge on it don't you?" She said.

Again, he failed to answer, letting his silence do the job for him.

"I see… then maybe this was your destiny to see that thing fall," She said.

"Destiny? You really believe that crap?"

"That thing killed your brother and gave you purpose. You also became the shining spirit of the Red Dogs. The most loyal priests in the Skylands. Destiny or not, you were meant to kill that thing,"

Putting it that way, she did have a point.

"Plus, you have me. I'll do everything in my power to see it happen, no matter what,"

"Erika. I didn't come up here to…"

"Shhhh," She put a finger on his lips. "You didn't have to. I want to do it. You remember our other promise, right?"

He closed his eyes and nodded. "I remember,"

Erika smiled and flipped her fan in front of her mouth again. She turned back around and started walking back towards her chair, making sure to put extra swerve in her step the whole way. "Sadly, I suppose that means that I'll have to finally relent to the high council and choose a Bond Guard. No sense in waiting for you anymore,"

"Yeah… sorry about that," Toga scratched the back of his head.

"Perhaps I'll choose a man so dashing, you'll only wish you weren't a shining spirit," She looked at him with a stern eye this time.

Toga turned away in annoyance. Surely, she wouldn't do that would she? Looking at the tied up, half naked 'M' on the ground, that probably wouldn't be out of her realm of thinking.

{What kind of woman did I get myself entangled with?}

"So now that you told me everything. What's your plan now?" Erika asked.

Toga shrugged his shoulders. "I was told to go to the West Skyland to complete my merging. After that, getting stronger will be my only goal. If I have a shining spirit within me, I'm going to use it,"

"Really… is that all?"

"Eehhh?"

"I'm asking you is that your only goal?"

"Erika, I don't know if you know this, but taking on another shining spirit is extremely dangerous. I don't even know if I'd survive the encounter,"

"… Still a meathead like I thought you'd be," Erika complained.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Erika breathed a sigh of exasperation. "You still don't get our positions? While it's regrettable that we won't be together, this might actually be a good thing. You might not recognize it now, but you already hold a seat of power,"

"A seat of power?"

"Standing amongst the Order. I'm guessing your reveal hasn't been publicized yet. Soon as that happens, you'll have staunch support amongst your faction,"

Toga's face was unchanging. He wasn't that smart when it came to the politics of the Skylands and never thought he would need to be.

"It means your position isn't much lower than a council of the Edicts. And the stronger you get, the more on equal footing you become against them,"

"Oh… is that a good thing?"

"Well, yes and no…"

Toga looked at her with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Yes, in the sense that you're likely going to have more freedom, authority, and preferential treatment in The Order. No in the sense that many Edicts will now be giving you unwanted approach for favors and status. In other words… you'll be the center of power struggles,"

"Oh… that's what you meant,"

Erika smiled. "Fret not. For you have someone as wonderful as me to watch over you. I think we can be mutually beneficial towards each other,"

"Sorry, but when the time comes, I doubt I'll be of much use to you,"

"Oh, you'll be useful to me alright. I know how to make the proper use of my subjects,"

Toga thought on that. Sure she was being informative on his position, but didn't that mean that she would use him just as any of the other Edicts would if given the chance? The smile she gave off quickly informed him that despite what Erika said, she too was a person he was going to have to be wary of… The most person he'd have to be wary of.

"If that'll be all, I think it's time for me to head back. I'd like to get this merging thing done and over with as soon as possible,"

"Wait! One more thing," Erika said.

Toga rolled his eyes. It's as though she was trying to keep him here. "What is it now princess?"

She glared at him. Erika must not have taken too kindly to that joke. "Well since you're here and we've already discussed the issue of the Edicts, I want to warn you of the dangers of one of the Edicts in particular,"

"Easy to say as long as I've got nothing to worry about but their manipulation. Who should I have to worry about now?"

"His name is Gen Ichizo,"

Toga froze at that name. That was the one that showed up at their school and is the reason as to why Ryuma failed his exams. Hell, he was almost the reason as to why he would have failed his.

He remembered that amount of pressure he gave off with the Will of Dominance. Something he didn't want to look forward to being on the receiving end of again.

"Why this one in particular?"

"Edict Gen is the wildcard amongst the Edicts. One that can't be read, not even by other Edicts,"

Toga turned back towards her confused. "Are you serious? That's all? I thought I'd have to worry about being attacked by him or something,"

"With the type of man he is, that might not be a far expectation,"

"Really? What could he have done to warrant such a warning?"

Erika took a nice deep breath. "He once killed an Edict in broad daylight,"