Rise of the Great King

Chapter 2: Meeting some Ironbloods

Charlemagne

I stood on my bridge looking out to the dock that I was constructed in. Looking up I could see that I was in a what looked like a warehouse, which was not normal for a dockyard. While pondering this I heard the door to the bridge open and turned my head to see two people walked in. One being an older gentleman, and the other a... teenager? They felt familiar, yet I had never seen them before So I called out to them. "Hello there, can I help you two?" Looking to me the older man spoke first. "Indeed you can, I am Friedrich de Grosse." The younger man cleared his throat and spoke. "And I am Gascogne, greetings Charlemagne." Upon hearing their names I instantly realized these were the two ship's souls that had fought me for control of my body during my "construction". Based on the fact that I was still here it would seem I had won that fight.

Nodding to myself I turned to fully face the two of them. "Ah, so that's why you two look familiar. So... what happens now?" Friedrich smiled and spread his arms out in a grand gesture motioning to the bridge and ship around us. "We lend you our strength to fight the Sirens and take back our home. By the way, that is quite the feat you managed, besting not one, but two battleship for control of your body. You possess a strong will and conviction my boy." Gascogne nodded in agreement while speaking. "Indeed, though do not forget the promise you made with us, if you falter I will not hesitate to do what is necessary." Right, I had made a deal with them at the end of the fight. We will share control of my body, if my dedication to fighting the Sirens ever falters they will be able to take control of my body and fight where I couldn't. And if they really felt like it, they could decide to absorb my soul and I would become nothing but a memory. "Don't worry Gascogne, I won't forget."

     Gascogne crossed his arms and nodded at my response,  FDG clapped his hand together and smiled at the two of us. "Good, now that that's out of the way. Come here, we must complete our pact." I walked over to them where FDG proceeded to pulled Gascogne and I into a hug, surprising Gascogne and myself. After a moment I hugged both back feeling a warmth spreading between us. FDG Smilled and spoke " We are now a family, we will fight and die together, I am happy to have you two." He acted like a father, which was a little odd at first, considering he was a ship's soul made manifest. But I didn't mind too terribly much since it was nice to have a family again. Gascogne sighed after he was pulled into the hug, feigning being uninterested, though he did return the hug shortly afterwards. Before this memory could continue something started calling to me, pulling me away from the pleasant dream and back to reality.

Upon barely opening my eyes I was greeted by someone that I hadn't seen before, a woman with silvery white hair and crimson eyes was holding my head in her lap, and I could feel her gently running her hands through my hair. Well I wasn't expecting this when I woke up. While this was a very strange situation, I was still sore and in pain so I closed my eyes again and stayed quiet while listening to what was happening around me. "Z46, have you found the shipgirl yet? We still need to find out what this human "captain" is doing on her ship." A voice spoke, clearly female and with the authority of a leader. I didn't hear a response so I assumed she was talking through some sort of communications equipment. After a couple seconds of steady breathing from the woman combing my hair she spoke again. "I see... try moving deeper in this vessel, if you encounter any more sealed bulkheads leave them be, we know too little about this ship and where she came from."

The woman then gave a glance to the girl playing with my hair. "Graf, why are you combing his hair?" The woman coming my hair shifted a little bit, probably relaxing herself and looking up to the assumed leader. "I am Helping this one rest while our medicine begins to heal him. why do you ask?" "You are not known for your kindness to anyone outside Ironblood." The woman in charge said with a healthy dose of skepticism. Graf spoke in response to her leader. "I feel drawn to this man somehow, perhaps he will be the one to help me destroy this detestable world." The other woman sighed before walking around my bridge and speaking. "If you so, just make sure he stays alive. We need to speak with him."