Tales of Yibixus: Lina

No idea if any of you are enjoying these, but I'm enjoying the word-building. These stories are almost like extra Lore for the Grimalkin universe.

Tales of Yibixus

Lina

Standing over her haul, Lina looks down at the specimens she’s captured. Several cages and crates full of materials wait patiently at the portal site back to Yibixus. The hum of the portal is somewhat comforting to Lina. She’s always had quite an affinity for them.

From a young age, she was about to produce portals with ease. She was years ahead of her brothers and sisters. A child prodigy amongst her peers.

“Lina,” Dr Elm looks over his clipboard with a smile. “Another mission completed with the ruthless efficiency I’ve come to expect.”

Brimming with pride, Lina stands up arrow straight and puffs out her chest. “Thanks, Doc,” she replies. “I’m honored you trust me.”

Dr Elm lowers the clipboard in his paw to his side. He gives Lina a curious look. “Why don’t you take me up on my offer?”

“Let a Formador enhance me?” Lina asks. “Am I not already ‘efficient’ enough, Doc?”

Dr Elm chuckles as he takes off his glasses to clean them. As he wipes at the thick lenses with a cloth, he looks up at Lina with a smirk on his face.

“I could make you faster,” he explains, “stronger and more.” Dr Elm pauses as he puts back his glasses. “Lina,” he says frankly, staring up at her. “I can enhance you to the point where you could become the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Lina looks away in thought as Elm steps closer.

“It’s what you’ve worked so hard for, isn’t it?”

“Captain?” Lina asks, tempted by his offer. Lina then resets her focus on him and glares down at him with the same steel she’s shown on the battlefield. “And what exactly would I owe you for the privilege?”

Elm throws his head backward and belly laughs. “Ah, Lina! So distrusting! Can’t I help out a friend without it being a debt you owe me?”

“You’re reputation precedes you, Doc,” Lina replies, folding her arms. “Right now, our agreement suits me. However, if I let you enhance me—I would be in your debt.”

Lina looks away at the strange and foreign scenery around them. Seed World E69c is so different from Yibixus. Untouched and peaceful. The sort of place she hopes to get stationed at when she nears retirement.

“What enhancements?” Lina asks with a lingering thought, throwing her better judgment to the wayside.

“Nice here, isn’t it?” Elm replies, reacting to Lina’s far-off gaze. “If I tell you a secret, will you trust me?”

Lina’s ears prick up. “Secret?”

Elm turns his body to look at the greenish-blue hills off in the distance. He closes his eyes and allows the breeze of the alien world to rush through his whiskers. He lets out a long breath before opening his eyes with fierce determination.

“This world will soon be consumed,” Elm says emotionless. “Everything living creature on this planet will be absorbed by the Remnant.”

Lina doesn’t know what to say. Not one to ask too many questions, she had always wondered why she’d be tasked with capturing Seed world creatures.

“Consumed…?” She asks, unable to stop herself from looking a touch concerned

“Yes, child,” Elm nods. “The Remnant must feed.”

A chill runs down Lina’s spine. She’s never been scared of anything, but he’s referring to that Orb. That thing shakes her to her core. It’s like something from a waking nightmare. She can barely believe it’s real.

“T-that…orb?” she asks, unable to hide the fear in her eyes.

Elm, yet again, throws his head back in laughter. “The great Lina,” he teases. “Are you scared, child!?”

Lina brings her hand to the hilt of her sword. Although she’s not in danger, her instincts take over. That thing does indeed frighten her.

“That’s awful,” Lina replies softly, looking at the beauty in front of her. “You’d destroy this peaceful place… for….for…..?”

She grips her sword. Something is telling her that she needs to be ready to defend herself. As Elm turns to face her, he notices how stiff she is. She’s like a coiled snake ready to strike. He knows he’s putting her on edge.

“Lina…?” Elm asks, focusing on the paw at her side. “Why so tense? I’m only telling you the truth. You’re such a determined individual with such potential. Youngest knight in Grimalkin history, Am I right?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Well then….,” Elm tilts his head to one side and smiles. “Do you want to be Captain?”

Slowly taking her paw from her sword, Lina nods. It’s all she’s ever dreamed about. However, to become Captain, she’d need to beat the current one in battle.

“What I’ve told you is the truth behind my achievements,” Elm continues. “The Remnant provides me—and all Grimalkins—with all the Selee energy we could ever need. All it asks in return is access to planets like this one.”

A silence falls over them both as Elm just stares in Lina’s direction. The gentle breeze brushes over them both, and the creatures of this planet can be heard all around them.

Lina can’t bear to look at Elm any longer and stares down at her feet. She can’t get over the idea of planets like this one being destroyed just so Yibixus can have power. She can’t begin to allow herself to think about just how many worlds may have already been ‘consumed.’

“Stick with me, Lina,” Elm says confidently, breaking the silence. “And I’ll make you Captain. You’d have the influence and power you’ve always dreamed of.”

“I would…?”

“Yes!” Elm cheers, clapping his hands together. “With the enhancements I can bestow onto you, you’d outclass Ursula. You’d have her begging for mercy.”

Many moons ago, Lina did indeed challenge Ursula to battle. However, the young Grimalkin was made to look a fool. Ursula didn’t even rise to the occasion. She just shut her down and made her a laughingstock within the ranks of the Royal Guard.

With a simple move, Ursula had Lina pinned to the floor, begging for mercy.

If it wasn’t for Elm, she wouldn’t even be part of it anymore. He saw something in her that no one else did. That fire that burns inside her to be the best of the best

“For….,” Lina shifts her stance and imagines Ursula at her feet, crying out in pain. “…Mercy?”

“Yes, child,” Elm replies, lifting his clipboard to his face. “All I’d ask for is your undying loyalty. Remember, if it wasn’t for me—you’d be just more wasted Grimalkin potential.”

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Doc.”

“Is that a deal then?”

“How exactly does it work?”

“The enhancements?”

“Yes,” Lina replies, shifting uncomfortably as she already knows the answer.

“I’ve got several fresh Formadors ready to use their powers,” Elm admits, looking at the information on his clipboard. “All you need to do is allow me to bestow you with the gifts. Nothing more—nothing less.”

“You really think I’m capable of taking down Ursula?” Lina asks frankly, knowing just how fierce the Captain is firsthand.

“Yes.”

“And what about the Hybrid?” Lina asks, having heard of its destructive prowess.

Elm furrows his brow and looks suspiciously in Lina’s direction. He clears his throat. “How do you know about that?”

Lina thinks about ratting out her friend, but she just shrugs her shoulders in response. Elm then shakes his head from side to side—seemingly annoyed that Lina won’t say.

“Green,” Elm corrects, lowering his clipboard once again to give Lina his full attention. “It’s name is Green. Please don’t refer to it as anything but.”

Elm raises a single paw to his lips. “Let’s not talk any further about this. You shall meet me tomorrow at my laboratory.” Elm then places that saw paw on Lina’s chest and taps on her armor. “We’ll make you Captain, yet.”

The next day…

Somehow, Lina feels dirty. Even if the corridors are squeaky clean, she can’t help by feel this place is muddied by questionable activities. Approaching Elm’s secretary at the front desk, Lina leans herself the table, and her armor rattles as she stops.

“Elm?” Lina says, looking down at the small male Grimalkin looking back at her.

She enjoys a position of power. She can’t wait to best Ursula in battle and take the mantle of Captain of the Royal Guard.

The young Grimalkin stands from his desk and ushers Lina to follow. He doesn’t say a word. Pushing open the large double doors behind him, they walk into Elm’s Lab.

Creatures from other Seed worlds can be seen in similar cages as the ones from E69c, however, Lina doesn’t recognize them at all. The room is also filled with a weird static energy. Lina feels like all her fur is standing on end.

In the middle of the large room, standing by a single cage, Elm looks up from his work and sees Lina approaching. With a quick smile at Lina and a stern look at his secretary, Elm’s Secretary quickly scurries off—leaving Lina and Elm alone in his Lab.

“Lina!” Elm greets enthusiastically. “Come, Come.”

Looking around the room as she approaches him, Lina gets that same sinking feeling she remembers from when she took her Formador test. Something unnatural and abhorrent.

“I’d like for you to meet someone,” Elm grins, pointing at the cage at his feet.

Curious as she approaches, Lina looks down into the cage. What she sees almost brings up her dinner. It makes her feel sick to her stomach.

“D-doctor…?” Lina gasps, looking into the eyes of a frightened Grimalkin teenager.

Elm taps on the top of the metal cage and leans on it. “A Formador,” Elm explains.

Lina’s mouth drops, and she looks at the Doctor in shock. “W-why are you keeping her in a cage? She looks terrified!”

“Child…,” Elm scoffs, giving Lina a stupid expression. “Do you know much a Formador is worth? Do you think I’d just let her walk around free?”

Lina is speechless. She can’t stop looking at the child in the cage. The desperation and fear on her face is enough to scar her for life.

“Don’t worry….,” Elm laughs, standing up straight and adjusting the glasses on his nose. “We won’t ask her to use all her lives. Just a few, and then she’s free to go…”

“Yeah…?”

“Yes.”

That dirty feeling just got even more intense. Lina can’t believe she’s even in this situation.

“Lina….,” Elm grumbles. “Don’t tell me you’re going to let such a small thing stop you from becoming the Captain. This one knows the deal. She lends me what power she has, and then she can go home to her family.”

Feeling her heart in her mouth, Lina can’t bring herself to speak. She just nods in agreement.

Elm's face lights up.

“Good,” Elm smirks, leaning down to look into the cage at the young Grimalkin cowering inside. “Did you hear that, Ada? You’re going to help Lina here, and then you can go home. Isn’t that wonderful?”