CHAPTER 14 –THE ELITE GUARD

Johnny got a good look at Julia’s elite guard with Julia now standing in front of them. Johnny could only stare stunned with his mouth hanging open, to see the amount of body parts that had been replaced with cybernetic parts. The four were separated with Julia in the middle with two of the elite guards on each side. She began to give introductions starting from the left and ended at the right.

Margaret was the first to be introduced. She came up and stood in front of Johnny. Margaret stared at Johnny with her ruby colored eyes. Johnny stared back at her form, trying not to be intimidated as she was taller than he was. He couldn’t admit her features made her look like a goddess in her own right. She had red hair that she let loose down to her lower back wirh redish-brown horns spiraling out from behind her ears. A devil tail poked out from behind her that was leathery with a shade of crimson red that had an arrow pointed at the end of it. The most stunning part of her was her wings. Her wings looked like they were made up from swords and daggers.

Margaret's armor had Johnny looking at her with admiration. There was no telling how expensive the armor must have cost. She wore a breast plate that exposed her lower chest that was black, gold, and red plated armor. On her head was a jeweled circuit made of black, gold and red metal that was encrusted with rubies and onyxes. Her arms and legs were protected by red. gold. and black metal boots and gauntlets that were encrusted with rubies and onyxes. Black leggings covered up her lower section with her boots coming up to her knees. Her weapon of choice were two radiant short swords she held in each hand.

“This is Margaret. She specializes in supportive and defensive roles, including assisting with healing along with reviving others if needed. She is our main weapon specialist, who can create any type of weapon imaginable from her wings.She is also an expert with cybernetics. She is part valkyrie and part succubus.” Julia informed Johnny with a smile. Margret nodded in response.

Julia then introduced the rest of the group. “This is Cleo. She is our assassin. She helps deal with issues on scouting missions that get messy or keeps hidden foes from getting the jump on us. She is a wolfkin.

Johnny had to tilt his head down at Cleo, who was the shortest of the bunch, only coming up to Johnny’s shoulder height. She was slowly swishing her midnight blue colored tail back and forth, in a shy timid manner. Cleo didn’t immediately look at Johnny, which gave him a better look at her while he waited for her to look at him.

Cleo was outfitted in midnight black leather armor that matched the color of her hair and tail. Her body was protected by a light weight vest that covered her chest, with matching leather short pants. She wasn’t wearing any shoes or gloves to protect her arms or legs. Instead her legs and arms were made out of jet black cybernetic arms and legs. The cyborg limbs only made Johnny shiver thinking what she must have been through.

Her dark brown skin was covered with scars of all types, burn marks, cuts, slashes. Just looking gave Johnny an uneasy but admiral feeling for her relentlessness. Some of her scars looked like they were new while others were faded from passing time.

Cleo finally looked up at Johnny with her sapphire blue eyes. She studied him over before giving a nod. Johnny could only guess she must not be very social or just shy. He would have to ask Julia about it later.

The next to be introduced was Qin. “Qin here is the support specialist. She does most of the heavy damage with her cybernetic summons to use as weapons. She gets extra assistance from Margaret when her summoning runs out. She can have a maximum of six summons at once. She also does healing when needed too. She is a dragonoid just like Orion.” Julia stated.

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Qin was just as intimidating to Johnny as Margaret was, standing at about seven feet in height, with perfectly complexioned olive skin and a red pixie haircut. Red crimson scales protruded down the side of her body, arms, legs, and her three and a half foot tail. The scales gave her extra protection along with the armor she wore. Her armor was like Margaet’s, colored red and blue, aligned with rubies, amethysts, and sapphires. The only piece of armor that was missing were the boots and gauntlets. She didn’t need them since, her feet and hands being cybernetic. They each had three inch retractable claws, five on each, that reflected with shiny silver that were sharp enough to puncture steel.

The only feature that caught Johnny’s eye the most that took the cake were her wings. Unlike, Margaret’s wings that were made of swords. Her’s looked like the skeleton wings of a dragon that spread out three times the width of her body. Where there was supposed to be fleshy membrane was radiating with white light instead. The wings could retract behind her back and over her shoulders. They acted like laser cannons, which she promptly decided to show off to Johnny real fast. Only for Julia to scowl at her for it.

After fussing with Qin, Julia then introduced the last of her elite guards. “This is Lisa. She is a panther demi-human. Her specialty is scouting. Since the void claimed inside of her ears and right eye. They had been replaced with cybernetic parts. She can pick up on more sights and sounds with tracking. She sets traps, scouts, and does any other reconnaissance for us. Usually, she does most of the scouting work. We were short handed here, so everyone was needed for assignments.” Julia finished.

Johnny looked at Lisa who had flowing jet black hair that was long and sleek. Her fur was the same color on her slim tail, with caramel colored skin. She stood at around six feet in height. Her fur was covered with a leather armor that was similar to Cleo’s, with matching boots and gloves. The outfit changed colors with the surrounding environment making Johnny raise his brow.

She looked back at Johnny with her eyes, looking him up and down. Her right eye gave Johnny the creeps the way she looked at him as if she was staring into his soul. She silently nodded at Johnny with a cautious look.

Julia finally introduced Johnny to the group. “Now I would like you to all meet Johnny.” Julia said with enthusiasm as she looked at her elites then to Johnny and back. “He is a champion from Earth. He was chosen by The Radiant One to ascend into void portals and destroy their cores. So far he has managed to help defeat a class VI mystic rift eater. ” She finished her speech of Johnny with a heroized tone.

“Defeating a class VI rift eater, huh? Not bad for a rookie champion. I’d say you got lucky with the champion pick Julia,” Margaret replied, speaking with a whistle, looking at Johnny, who thought her accent sounded from somewhere in the Baltic region.

Julia spoke up again, focusing on Johnny. “They will help with your training. I’ve seen some of what you can do, but I need to see what more you can achieve. Once I get a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. I am going to train you day in and day out with them. I will make sure they won’t go easy on you either, Johnny. If you want to survive. You will need to go through the harshest things we do.” She added a bit of a seriousiness to her voice.

Johnny just nodded but then spoke. “I understand.” He just sighed thinking of how helpless he was with the times he had been attacked since coming into this world.

“I’ll have you train with Margret first with figuring out what weapon suits you best. Then if there is time today. I’ll have you train with Cloe on physical forms to see where you are.” Julia finished her talk with a resolve to get Johnny at his best.

“For now, I would like you all to get to know each other better. As you will all be supporting each other.” She told the group as she began to walk away. ”I have to go off and do paperwork on the new scouts that are doing their jobs for the time being.” She sighed with frustration. “I'll be at my tent by Johnny’s prototype thingy.” She finished her statement with a ton of boredom and frustration in her voice.

“The poor dear just doesn’t know how to make her life feel better.” sighed Margret as she looked at Julia as she walked away. Margret then turned her attention to Johnny. “So, looks like the alliance has given us a new playmate, isn't that right Qin.” She looked over at the dragonoid with a grinning smile.