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Night soon fell upon the forest of northeast Valendia, far north of the Cerobi Steppe beyond the jaundiced mountain range that covered the far east of Ivalice's continent. The plan was soon set in motion after a long brainstorming session involving three maps, four rewrites and a secondary choice of characters for the main assault. They realised in the end that in order to access into the well-guarded abbey, they needed to reach into one single point that had no guard but was impossible to break through without magic. The abbey was in sight, a gorgeous monastery of red sandstone complete with bell tower and rectangular high walls where guards kept posted on every point, vermin-faced people of indiscriminate race. The first problem was that it was a clear way from the forest outskirts giving a free open plain between trees and abbey wall exposing anyone to come within range of their vicious arrows. The second problem was of course the anti-magic field which was very subtle, and it was only until too late when one entered its boundary of how powerful its suppressive ability was. The moment James entered the region he felt a strange tingling trying to resist, a pulsating infrasound that rattled throughout his very being. Clearly the demon within him was not enjoying this "feeble" attempt to subdue him, but James felt glad at least that there was one worry of his being put out along the way during this. Alongside him in the midst of night, under dark clouds whispering across the sea of stars, were four other forms hunting through the bush as they waited for their signal, the five of them grasping something firmly underneath their arms. "Hell of a sszhtory you told usszh today," said Baldwin to FG. "Huh?" "You're not even magic, you're an orphan, a sszhodomite-" "What did I JUST fucking say about that word?!" "-I mean, you trying to win Lunatic of the Year award or sszhomething, what elsszhe you haven't told usszh?!" "Heh...how about I'm from another world entirely, like not even from Ivalice?" "...oh now you're jusszht being sszhtupid come on." "Shut up," said Navarro, "we have to focus on our plan kupo. Your brother is counting on us." "Don't have to tell me, I've thought of nothing elsszhe." "Is your clan always this chatty?" Fochs said this alongside FG, his Wolf-skin blending in well with the dark of nightly leaves as the raptor responded: "Kinda, we had a fight before all this happened so things are sorta tense." "I see." "...nice ladder you guys built." "Thank you, we've been planning this for months now so we made sure this thing would work." "Will it fit through the window?" "No worries, we used to have someone who memorised the whole place down to the floor and his memory was never wrong." "Except," hissed Adhur, "when he took a wrong turn ssssstraight into the ssssharpessst of bladessss." "Adhur...don't." Even in the dark James could feel Fochs' piercing state of contempt upon the Serpent-cloaked female, who simply said nothing and waited for their signal. It was a plan that had to work by momentum, and once things went flying, they had to move as they grabbed readily the ladder underneath, except Navarro who carried it alongside her. Ahwul and Hwisler stood ready in the trees with longbows firing towards the abbey, aiming towards whichever shone the brightest in the field around the red walls, glinting arrows of studded steel. The guards all looked curiously towards it, seeing silver of some sort, strangely gilded for an arrow as they hollered to their friends before seeing the two bird-cloaked fiends from the forest. "Wot on earth are they-" "DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING!" Hwisler's oddly polite battle cry came followed up by the sudden launch of a catapult hidden in the trees, shooting one single flaming chunk of wood straight into the top ridge of the abbey's wall. Three guards were killed in the sudden blast, crackling splintered flames across the wall as screams of panic and fury came from both wounded and unscathed trying to help them away from the carnage. The rest of Clan Farthing shouted out with protests from the trees, jeering and chanting to become more of a nuisance. "GET THOSE FUCKIN' VERMIN!" roared one guard fiercely. "VERMIN!?" shouted Weezul. "LOOK WHO'S TALKIN' RAT-FACE, AAAAAAAHEHEHEHEHEH!" "GET THE GATES OPEN NOW, THEY WANNA WAR THEY'LL GET ONE!" Reciprocating by a fierce volley of arrows straight towards the woods, the Dive Talon Hwisler who stood out in front of the group simply backed off swiftly as if taunting them, dodging shots that went searing past him. "OOH, hwooh, careful now! See if you can't hit me this time!" "YER FUCKIN' DEAD BIRDSHIT!" "Well! And here I was trying to play a game with all of you, no need to be so sore about it!"

The distraction, as pathetic as it was, did everything possible to keep them focused on one side of the abbey, with five shadows all connected by one long dark object sneaking round the monastery hiding swiftly beneath the north wall. They pulled up the long quavering ladder ramshackled together from various bits of wood and steel before planting it squarely upon the wall's face, right underneath one small window thirty feet upwards above them. The abbey's north wall wedged itself in between the east and west-facing ramparts that circled around the abbey, their only access through the sheer barricade of sandstone. The archer Hwisler kept his enemies distracted whilst the other Clan Farthing members continued to jeer and squawk lewd threats to lure out the main garrison. As they started readying their forces to hunt them down, Ahwul was in the trees signalling towards FG's group via a blinking light. The sound of a door creaking from the other side greatly sent them hurrying up as guards shouted orders. "Quick," said Fochs, "they're opening the gates!" "I know I know," replied James, "just hold the ladder steady." "Wouldn't want you to fall," murmured Adhur darkly, "can you fly without magic?" "Yes...and no, alright here goes." He climbed up the ladder feeling his balance off-kilter as they struggled to hold it firmly, his claws clacking on wood and steel meshed together on the rungs for structural build as the ladder wobbled gently. Sighing desperately to keep himself confident, he scaled more slowly as he reached the target, an iron lattice barring them from access as he pulled out his scissors. The abbey walls continued as long walkways on either side of him, whilst the monastery itself had its back wall become part of the actual defence wall itself, as if to prevent intruders running along the topside of it to access the windows "W-woah jee-e-eez!" Steadying himself as he leaned back slightly to bring his weapon out, he pushed back against the wall of the abbey before burning up hotly along the tips, shivering with nerves as he clamped firmly down onto the lower section of the barred guarding frame. It took him a few attempts to cut through but the sheer intensity of hot scissors managed to carve through as he worked on the next ones, three along each side of the window's frame. Hwisler had already taken off back to the forest as soon as he saw guards come through the main door, grand and intimidatingly solid oak that fully creaked themselves open. "Hurry up kupo!" said Navarro fiercely. "I'm almost there!" James pulled the last strut out of frame with one clean solid cut, burning through steel as the iron lattice fell down onto the stone window frame shortly before James carefully summoned a cold fierce controlled wind in front of him. Knowing the solid steel was too heavy for him to lift, he carefully deposited it out from the window and gently guided it down to the soft grass, making sure that not a sound was heard. Come on, said FG, just like Kammy showed you remember your training...theeeere we go, man this is a lot easier since that quarian upgrade jeez. It was difficult controlling the harsh weight of a steel-crossed frame to the ground but he managed after two minutes before climbing right into the window frame as he brought out his length of rope, given to him by Navarro for this mission. With nobody to hold the ladder once they all would start climbing, they all agreed that this was a safer alternative so long as one person was inside.

The room he was in appeared to be a guest bedroom of sorts with quaint doublesized bed on his left and a small fireplace on his right, the door exiting the room behind him as he threw the rope outside of the abbey. He tied it firmly beforehand to the bedpost itself as he waited beside the window, seeing his fellow interlopers climb up one by one before pulling up the ladder into the room itself, collapsing it to one side against the bedroom wall. Navarro came first being the lightest, followed by Fochs, then Baldwin and finally Adhur who seemed to be somewhat older than the rest of them. "Hhhhhh...I'm out of practissssse." "Hehehe," Fochs sniggered, "hope you're not TOO out of it. Alright, we're in...can't believe I'm back in this place again." "Did you notify your clan, kupo?" asked Rocino. "Ahwul got my message, I signalled her." "Will they be alright?" "The moment they're back inside the woods, the guards have lost us. We can't fight them head on but our woods are our domain and they can't ever find us in them. That's the only way we've been able to last this long. Alright, we're in the north side guest bedroom so that means..." The Wolf-worn leader brought out a map from his satchel, discreetly disguised within his furred clothing as he unveiled the abbey's diagram. "We need to circumvent around the west side of the abbey since we're on the second floor, in order to reach the side staircase. We pass through the library next to the dorms, Adhur you have your plan." "Indeed I do," hissed the "Serpent" gladly. "I have ssssspecial planssss for our friendsssss in the dormitory, hsssshmhmhmhm." "Right...after we pass through there, we head down towards the grand hall and avoid any guards there before we make our way down to the basement. Once there, we find our cell holding area which we use for punishments so that's probably where your friends are. As for Scarface himself...we'll need to find whichever room he made out his own along the way as I have no idea." "You don't got a throne room or sszhomething?" asked Baldwin derisively. "This is a monastery, not a castle. Once we find your friends, we have them escape through the compost chute at the bottom of the abbey. Alright, Operation: Redwall starts now, you find any guards, kill them quietly then dispose of the bodies, is that clear?" "No problem, they won't get a chansszhe to sszhcream when I choke the life out of them." "Good. Alright, follow my lead." Fochs went out in front cautiously leaning up against the side of the bedroom door listening for any guards in passing. None so far came within the first ten seconds as he cautiously went out the room, beckoning the others to follow him by a gesturing hand. The abbey halls were dark and silent, even with the torchflames flickering alongside the walls, shadows dancing mournfully upon cold lonesome corridors. They rushed silently as best they could, the Wolf and the Serpent keeping eyes around corners to make sure they would not bump into anyone. One guard came walking down the halls with his Dire-Rat face, stern and tactful in his stride as Adhur waited at the corner that turned north. The moment his foot came down at the corner she grabbed him by the throat and sunk the fang of her beastly skin straight inside the neck, trapping his breath as there came a silent gasp of help that no one would hear. Slumping dead within an instant, she hastily dragged the body to a nearby empty guest room and stuffed him under the bed, snickering darkly at not being out of touch as they walked on.

By some instinctive memory ingrained, Fochs walked through the stone hallway with practiced gait, yet ever watchful for another foe lying just around the corner as the corridors began to twist and turn slightly. Zigzagging slightly adding greater danger to being caught, they heard other enemies in some rooms up ahead, sliding past a door to one room where three of four of them were in the midst of a card game, light shining out from underneath. Adhur, Fochs and Navarro slipped past the door just before it opened suddenly, leaving James and Baldwin trapped with the door right in their face as one guard stepped out. "OI CHERYL!" "What?!" She turned back towards the room with her hand on the door, short sword glinting straight beside her hip. "Moind yer liver, maybe you should get sum grape juice this toime." "Fuck youuuuu I can handle it!" "Sure can't 'andle these cards, we're playin' Open rules an' you STILL can't get an 'and roigh'!" "Oh I'm sorry I didn't fucking travel like YOU, wherever the fuck you came from, you just HAPPEN to have a better pack of cards than my weak-ass deck!?" "Maybe them Farthing lot can teach you, HAHHAHAHAA!" "GO FUCK YOUR MOTHER YOU COCKFACED SHIT!" The guard slammed the door shut and trodded off down the hallway, not even noticing the raptor and bangaa ducking down behind it as Fochs, Adhur and Navarro hid right around the corner opposite. Baldwin rushed up straight behind her as the guard walked off in the midst of frustration. "Fuckin' wish I had a better deck, don't even remember where any of us came from but still got no excuse to have his overpowered piece of shi-HRRK!" Baldwin's surprising silent approach ended upon two feet behind the guard, locking both fists behind and in front of her throat to crush her between his knuckles, twisting violently sharp to snap her windpipe out of joint. "My brother could teach you...bitch." Hearing the last gasp of the guard he dragged her away down towards the nearest door which just so happened to be the library. Light flooded in upon opening as the moon turned bright, clouds disappearing from the tall windows above as they scurried forth whilst keeping check on all corners. Fochs and Navarro climbed up onto the bookcases keeping watch for any guards, whilst James, Baldwin and Adhur ducked out hiding in the darkest spot. The place was empty of all posts in the midst of night, one central circular floor of a large overwhelming compass that pointed to all great corners of Ivalice, with three grand windows oval-shaped very thinly bringing light upon the floor. Most of the bookcases, in rows of two with six on each side, were now bereft entirely of their lore torn apart and desecrated by the invaders of this abbey. A tragic sight, paper trailing from one bookshelf to another massacred, the few tomes that remained untouched now sitting forlornly as if waiting for their execution date. Baldwin could not help but take at least one or two for himself, petting his satchel softly as Fochs returned with Navarro to them. "Place is all clear," said the Wolf, "this spot will be a good hiding place, put the body under that desk."

Baldwin did as he was asked, stuffing the guard straight underneath one of the writing desks occupying the space one's chair would be. He could not help but look underneath the mask of the Dire Rat and now wished that he had not, shuddering horribly before heading back to his group. As exposed as the library was, the fact nobody would ever approach it especially at night made it perfect for them as they moved on. Heading back out, they made their way towards the dorms as the raptor spied on through the keyhole, peering through to find many guards asleep upon well-ruined beds. "Full house inside there," said FG quietly, "what you got in mind?" "Jussst a little ssssedative," whispered Adhur, "for thosssse unable to sssssleep quietly." She pulled out from her satchel a small bottle of some dark green liquid as she took the tapestry hanging off a wall nearby and uncorked the bottle before rolling it right underneath the door. The faintest smell of something acrid whiffed past James' nostrils, and almost immediately she began to stuff the doorjamb underneath with the tapestry to trap whatever smell was now inside with them. She also tore a strip off to jam straight into the doorlock and make sure none would ever escape, after Fochs himself had pulled out a strange lockpick that, rather than unlock the door, had simply broke the lock by tearing the tumblers out of alignment. "Ssssweet dreaaaaamsssss." "What'sszhit do?" asked Baldwin. "Ssssend them off into a dark deep ssssssleep that will cloy their lungssss full of death, from which they have no hope of awakening from ever again." "Ooof, nasszhty." "But tactful," said Navarro, "less foes to deal with kupo." "I wouldn't call that tactful, rather cruel." "Not nassssty enough for thosssse who try to take my home and memoriesss from me." "Where to now?" "Down here, thisss way." They hurried after Adhur who found the second staircase, a smaller one as opposed to a much grander one for the main hall they had not witnessed as of yet. Unfortunately it was blocked by debris, boxes and barrels all piled up rendering it completely incapable of passing through. "SSSSTUPID foolssss!" "Calm down," replied Fochs, "we can still do this, we just have to go another way." "Can't we just break through?" asked FG. "No, too much noise, also your...fake magic I guess, the fires might alert some people down there, we'll just have to go through the grand hall itself and hope for the best." "Alright, lead the way." Heading down further through the hallway they sneaked round towards the far west side of the abbey halls, a few small twists and turns in the corridor inciting more danger of being caught as one guard nearly spotted them. But Fochs had caught wind of him before anyone else and latched onto the corner of one ceiling of the hall, claws digging fiercely into the stone masonry. Before the guard could reach his allies, he came down with both daggers upon his head ripping apart his throat to stop him from ever screaming, gasping futile as he choked blood violently before him.

Horking one reddened spurt from his lips, he crumpled as Fochs dragged him away whilst Adhur swiftly brought out a cloth to wipe away the bloodstain whilst still fresh, the Wolf-clad clan leader forced to drag his prey along the corridor until they found a good hiding spot. The Serpent-wearing assassin alongside him had thought ahead and quickly tied the now-bloodstained cloth around the victim's neck trapping the blood in to prevent anymore spillage, Navarro catching on to make sure no drops had been spilt to betray their presence. Nearby was the infirmary, just four minutes walk away from the dorms as they saw no one was attending it, apart from one wounded rat-faced guard with his entire left arm crippled and burnt from the recent assault. He wasn't sleeping well, and the sound of the door creaking had alerted him crying: "Wh-...who'sere?! Arfur? That you?" No shadow came from the door, only darkness and nothing more as he gently got up from his bed. Seven beds against left and right walls, the moonlight did not reach this place so clearly as it did the library but there still remained light from the stars above, giving an eerier presence than normal despite no shadow ever moving, except his own. His shoulder looked the worst, completely blackened out by fires with splinters rather hastily removed from it, a clear sign of blood indicating the bandage needed changing soon judging from its red bulbous volume pressing through the gauze. He walked between beds, wincing with his left arm now in a sling as he hobbled softly towards the door, gasping: "Daniel? Marv? C-come on mate ahm nae in the mood fer this ahm sore as fuck, jus' tell me whut yous wantin' an' lemme sleep...aaagh...f-fuckin' Faram dammit..." The door remained open as the guard cautiously looked outside waiting to be jumped on, almost hoping he would be just for something to happen and yet nothing ever came. No sound or presence but for the torch flickering with soft crackling upon its stately walls as he closed the door sighing, biting his lip as he closed the door weakly shut with his other arm. He never went back to his bed once a shadow appeared behind him, a Serpent's fang piercing inside his throat before he even realised it. His only blessing was that it had come so quickly he could barely remember his last moments. Placing the dead guard alongside his equally-dead comrade, the hospital beds in the darkest corners made perfect hiding spots for them, evidenced by James and co. crawling out underneath from one of several the victim had passed in his last moments unawares. Adhur asked irritably towards her temporary companions: "Why did none of you kill him firssst? Ssssaving me the pleassssure are we?" "I don't kill unarmed people," said FG. "Especially if they're not able to fight." "Neither do I kupo." "Faram forbidsszh me from doing sszhuch, I mean if they were coming at me ready to kill yeah but not like him all messzhed up an' crippled." "That's why you're here Adhur," said Fochs calmly, "you're the assassin, not us, you're not bound by our morals." "Hm...well...glad you undersssstand my job'ssss worth...even if that makessss you all accomplicesssss." "We might as well take some medical supplies whilst here, in case of us or your friends being hurt." "Agreed, kupo."

Navarro swiftly took the most important basics of medicine with her, some gauze tape, antiseptic, splints and herbal painkillers before leaving the infirmary. Soon they found themselves staring down upon the great hall of the abbey itself. What once had been a magnificent order, of dining tables and sumptuous feasts, now turned to rotting defamy. The several wide oval mahogany tables that spanned at least perhaps twenty seats long for each, were now piled on with either rotting food, charred remnants or misplaced weaponry. It was almost as if no one had bothered caring about their current state, the room spanning perfectly rectangular with two long staircases curling slightly towards the centre of the room. One table had even broken fully in half by a crushed piece of masonry lodged out of its alignment from above, the stone jutting parapets of the upper floor acting like safety railings for those above the great hall. One doorway to the south lead straight towards the front of the abbey, presumably outside to its central gardens whereas the other doorway, a wide circular arch to the north between the staircases, lead down into the basements guarded by three vermin guards in cold dead masks of former creatures. There were also other guards at the doorway opposite, one on each side leaving both north and south walls perfectly in view of either force. They stared down watching between the parapets, looking cautiously as the light of the starry night dappled across the floor behind them from the old sturdy windows. "Any ideas?" asked FG. "We need a distraction," replied Fochs, "something that won't sound the alarm, something that normally happens in an old abbey like this." "If we snuff out the torches they can't see shit, that light from the window doesn't go down into the lobby." "True...that's it, there's an idea." "Huh?" "You've got that wind power, don't you? I think I have an idea." A few minutes later, the guards stood waiting slightly tired but ever diligent with spears at the helm keeping watch for any trouble, even if none was to be expected at all within the abbey for the past six months. Then suddenly there came forth a howling monstrous gale at the sound of something opening, cracking slams all across the west side of the upper floor. The shrieking force came throughout the grand hall as the guards covered their ears, four males and two females amongst the lot. "THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" "OI THINK THE WINDOWS BURST OPEN, JEEZ!" "THERE WASN'T ANY WIND TONIGHT RIGHT?!" "NO!? WE'RE ON AN OPEN FIELD THOUGH, YOU GUYS CHECK IT OUT-AW DAMMIT THE TORCHES WENT OUT!" Darkness came to the grand hall as all of the lower level had been completely blacked out, not even the light of the windows up above able to touch down on them as shadows unseen crept silently across to the north wall. There came a brief silence as the wind stopped suddenly, before instantly resuming once more about a minute later with tremendous force frustrating the garrison down below. "YOU GET UP THERE!" "WOT ME?!" "YOU ASKED FIRST!" "IT'S NOT MY JOB TO CLOSE THE WINDOWS, BESIDES THERE'S THREE OF YA!" "WOTCHA MEAN?!" "YOU GOT THREE PEOPLE TO TAKE THAT STORM NOW GET UP THERE! BESIDES, NO ONE ELSE IS GONNA COME UP FROM THE BASEMENT UNLIKE THIS FRONT DOOR, RIGHT?!" "...UGH, FUCKIT ALRIGH', COME ON LADS GET UP THERE!"

The wind came shrieking down upon their heads as the three guards of the basement entrance went bravely up the grand staircase towards the west side of the hall. Before they had even got halfway, four shadows unseen had hopped their way over the parapets that lined across the entire hall, jumping expertly from stone to stone behind torch braziers that had once lit both sides of the stairways. Hands of fur and claws grabbed on to the tapestry hanging on the north wall in the midst of raging storms, sneaking down towards the basement area. The guards struggled to face the onslaught as they stomped their feet towards the howling windows, rattling violently by some unseen wind that permeated across the entire west hallway. Hanging upon a tapestry lining next to the ceiling, the raptor waited for them to clear the stairs before ceasing his furious storm, slipping down the tapestry his friends had just gone through to leave the guards closing windows that had simply been opened for effect. Darker within the basement they went, traversing into the wine cellars and storage areas looking for their friends. The kitchen was also located in the basement, which they avoided on account of the intense burning light of flames boiling from inside, several guards on kitchen duty mumbling away to themselves on how nobody appreciated a good souffle in this abbey. Sneaking past the doorway where light poured out, they waited until one guard crossed past the flame's orange glow giving the briefest moment of darkness to pass through, heading further towards the cold storage areas of the dark former monastery. Farther down within the depths of the abbey, there came screams faintly past and out of earshot from the kitchen, accompanied by the sounds of wretched sobbing from the coldest place in the abbey. In the prison cells which normally were used to contain criminals or miscreants until dealt with by the abbey's laws, there were six shadows hunched over each other, within one large empty space of cold pure black stone big enough to hold at least twenty people, to which no light would ever reach except for the soft muted flames of torchlight. The screams of a maiden cried out bleakly: "S-STOP IIIIIIT!" But the guards would not listen, six of them holding down their new victim as Dahlia was forced to look on from her chained position against the wall, verminous faces glinting cruelly in subtle lighting. "Give up yet?! If you come with us, then yer friend won't suffer." "PLEASE, HE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" "Because you're being an arrogant bitch," said one female of the group, "and if you don't do what we say, you're gonna see what the insides of a priest look like." "DON'T DO IT DAHLIA!" roared Fayne. "_DO NOT LET THEM, LET THEM H-HHAAAAAAAAARGH, AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAARGH! _"

Fayne's scream echoed across the walls as Dahlia weeped pitifully, torn between submission and being strong for her friend who suffered against their will. The rat-faced keepers slowly twisted the sharp knife straight into Fayne's foot, tearing a new hole just above the ankle from the side if carving an apple. The sounds of sucking flesh desperately trying to bind itself still was agony to Dahlia's ears, crying out for them to cease. But they simply watched with fascination at the bangaa's foot, his claws twitching in spasms of pain and agony. "Wot you say to that priest?" The bishop snarled with vindication towards his captors, keeping silent to stay strong in protest as they beat a fist across his face, which frankly was a blessing to focus on another kind of pain. "COME ON, SAY SUMTHIN'!" "...I...hhhhhh...have nothing to tell you...filthy vermin." "Hhhhohohoho...yer a real choirboy arentcha?" "I...am-graced by Faram, the light of Kiltia will protect me and guide my friendsszh to me, or by sszhome deliveransszhe, to free me from your wretched grasszhp." "Or, if yer friend over there agrees to come with us. She's a very special girl she is." "I will not let you have her, whatever foul purposszhe you plan for her you will NOT take her." "Yer in no position." "Then kill me. Fine, I will not yield, I have lived my life good." "F-Fayne no!" cried Dahlia meekly. "I have my...duty. I will not yield to you vermin. None of you. My sszhoul will not be tainted by cruelty, not greed nor egotisszhm will blacken my heart. May the light of Kiltia take me...I have done my besszht fighting that which find company in the Dark." The guards all sniggered to each other, before raucously cackling at their pious new prisoner as he sneered fervently against them. Held down only by their stronger fists, they all turned towards him as one of the six guards left to get something from a nearby corner, a male of the group saying: "You don't get to choose where your suffering ends, my little clergysnake. That...is up to yer friend." "No, Dahlia do not obey them, I implore you!" "Such a noble gentleman you are...well...let's see if you can't handle us raising the stakes hmm?" The knife used to twist into Fayne's foot was left standing like a peg, as one guard handed the other a weighty hammer. The bishop started to hyperventilate, biting his lip knowing this was going to hurt far more than ever he had known as he turned towards Dahlia. She desperately wanted to speak, but his eyes bade her to keep quiet. "Don't." "B-but they-" "Don't. Do it. Whether they take you or not, they will NOT take you while I am here." "WHY DON'T THEY TAKE ME ANYWAY, WHAT'S STOPPING YOU!?" "You have to submit," said the guard with hammer, "that's very important to us. We have a ritual in mind for you, and you must submit before you can come with us. Either you submit now...or your friend will...well, let's just say he's glad he has a staff with him fer a crutch." "N-no, no don't please d-d-don't no-h-hooo..." "Dahlia." Fayne's stern voice, desperate as it was, cut through her thoughts as the hammer slowly raised up above them. "Do not. Yield. Do not...yield, I will be alright...I will, not-_GAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAARGH! BALDWIIIIIIIIIIN! _"

The hammer swung down perfectly upon the blade's hilt, slamming straight down into his foot and shattering through the very bone of his ankle snapping it nearly halfway. The bones of his foot were misaligned violently, cracked like the fault of the land after an earthquake as blood dripped slowly from him. Fayne screamed openly with tears down his cheeks, sobbing wretchedly as Dahlia could no longer keep silent. She saw the hammer raise once again and cried out: " NOOO! STOP, PLEASE I'LL DO IT, I'LL COME WITH YOU JUST PLEASE STOP IIIIIIT!" The guard's hammer slowly went down to his side, turning towards the white mage who gasped tearfully, shaking all over as he walked straight over along with two others. The Dire-Rat face, cold and stiff of former life bent down towards her with cruel steel eyes. "Do you submit?" "Y-yes, yes I submit, please...d-don't hurt him...please." "Very well. Come with us." Unshackling her from the chains they grabbed her by the arms and slowly walked from the prison cell down further along the hallway, towards the farthest absolute corner of the very abbey's cellar. Fayne cried out with panic stammering in his pained voice: "D-dahlia, no!" "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry I...I can't...I can't let them hurt you." "PLEASSZHE DAHLIA DON'T!" "Please...f-forgive me." Taken beyond the stone corridor where the light did not reach, she disappeared with two guards as the bishop was left lying upon the floor, impaled by the knife in his torn broken foot staring up at the four remaining. "What...wh-what are you...going to do with her?" "She has a very special gift," said one with female voice. "One Scarface shall much appreciate for the birth of our new master into this world." "Wh-wh-what? No...she is but a white mage what can she do...h-hoh gods..." "Course, she might not survive the whole ritual which means that you won't be any use for leverage. Don't worry, we have a way of...clean disposals. Go get our former leader...he must be hungry by now our dear Bully." Two of the four guards headed off towards another area of the basement, the priest left trapped upon the prison floor with no escape and his staff uselessly lying against the far corner wall. The pain continued running through him, and he almost feared that he might pass out as he began to vomit slightly from the sheer force of agony running through him, puking a greenish-yellow mixture. His mouth and throat began to feel like burning as he asked harshly: "What...demon are you trying to call to our world, harlot?" "One who shall cleanse the land of all sorrow and impunity...don't worry, you won't live to see it. None of us will. But at least you'll be able to feed our...Bully. Don't make a sound, unless you want him to find you...if he has not already that is." At that moment, the sound of something beastly came lurking around the corner, a shadow faintly crossing the pale light of the cold cellar. Something was resisting, snarling and rasping from a deep throat of smouldering dark hunger. Fayne gasped with shock at what came before him, dragged into the large cell as he witnessed their monster. A tall long-armed beast, whitish-grey fur with the same mask of Dire Rats that the rest of them had. But this one was different, much more horribly twisted and mangled by some unknown fate. Large-clawed feet of a much different beast, standing to a height of 7'2'' overshadowing upon all of them, the body lean and taut almost to the point of bulimic for its height with what tail it had ripped off to leave a bare bloodied rump. But there certainly was no lack for hunger as it drooled from its verming lips, warm yellowed teeth sharpened like fangs with eyes blindfolded completely as it sniffed. It almost acted too similarly to a rat to be anything sentient. " Who...am...I?" The monster spoke this as the guards quietly left the prison cell leaving Fayne incarcerated, his new cellmate already hunting feverishly for the faint trace of blood in the air as it hunched forwards. Almost travelling on all fours, the giant rat beast that once had surely been man or bangaa, found its prey as it sniffed across the cleric, sharp breaths of fear heard by the beast. " Who...am...I?" "I...I-i don't know...you poor pitiful thing, what...what are you?" " WHO. Am. I?!" "I DON'T KNOW, PLEASDZHE DON'T, I BEG OF YOU!" " RAAAAAAARGH!"

It was but in that instant that Baldwin found his fist launched straight into one guard's sternum, the coughing shriek of pain as he bent over straight into the monk's harsh knee cracking the chin wide open. Shadows violently flickered between walls as the monk stood out in front with one well-concussed guard before him, the rest of the group behind him cleaning their blades of blood with the last guard slain. Taking the keys off of one, he opened up the old prison cell and saw a familiar form lie prostate on the floor. Panic rose up in his being as he rushed forwards hurriedly. "B-b-...Baldwin..." The monk looked upon his brother on the floor with both relief and shocked anger, seeing the blood drip out from his crippled foot as he tightened his fists. Unbeknownst to him, a shadow came slowly from the darkness lurching towards him. "...what...have they done to you?" "D-dahlia...get...Dahlia, I'm alright...wounded badly but n-not...dying, I'm fine-" "You're NOT fine, they broke your fucking foot! I will find her and I will make them PAY for what they did to you-" "BALDWIN BEHIND YOU!" Almost immediately upon hearing the slavering snarl he turned hard and slammed a vile uppercut straight up towards the monster's chin right before it swung down its claws fiercely across his chest. The power of it slammed him down to the floor as it tore through half his armour ripping into some of his flesh but Baldwin simply stood, not even crying out in pain as he stomped his foot defiantly in front of it, between beast and his brother. Blood dripped slightly down his waist to the floor. "Get...away...from my brother." " Who...am...I?" "What?!" " WHO. AM. IIIIIIIIIIIII!?" With roaring fury the monster slashed out with long-limbed claws as Baldwin ducked, punched with both barrels straight beneath the solar plexus, slamming his fists deep to try and crack through the entire body. But the monster's strength was unexpected, taking the blow harshly with little effort before a hammerfist came down upon where Baldwin once stood. He slid between the bowed white legs before slamming his foot straight into the back of its knee, knocking it down slightly enough to launch onto its back and punch-thrusting straight into the back of the spine. The monster shrieked as Baldwin hung on, latching one arm around its throat as he crunched his elbow harder into the spinal ridge. The beast however was resistant, and simply swung the bangaa straight towards the wall knocking him harshly against stone. Losing his grip as the side of his head smacked against the prison wall, he fell off and rolled slightly before softly getting up, right before a foot crushed down onto his back. The monster's filth-ridden claws scraped neatly upon his armour as he gasped from being squeezed like a press.

But a light had come through in the darkness, sweeping forth with blaze of glory as the monster shrieked at being struck by fire and steel combined. The shining pair of scissors tore across his white fur singing to the flesh, force it off Baldwin as the raptor grabbed his hand and pulled him back up offering a potion for his troubles. The two nodded silently as both took on the rat-beast violently slashing the air with its claws back and forth, long hammering swings that both raptor and bangaa ducked together before Baldwin punched once more in the solar plexus. At the same time, the clan leader stabbed straight into the flank above its right left boiling the blood inside and ripping the wound open with hot blistering flesh, the monster's scream of fury rattling throughout the very prison. The beast swung out its arm and slapped James across the face by a mighty backhand that struck him down hard, ringing from his ears slightly as it hobbled towards where he laid. Baldwin saw his opportunity once more and rushed forth slamming his knee directly into the now-wounded right leg, straight into the back of its own knee. Stumbling down forwards, the rat-monster of indeterminate species snarled from being crippled suddenly as James now found himself within sight of the head. Scissors thrust forth straight into its eye, which whilst already blinded still had enough feeling in them to send agony violently run down through the monster's innards, screaming and scrabbling at its blindfold half-ripped by the scissors. They saw nothing but a hollow blackened eye socket from which no vision could ever be seen again. Staggering back up, it kicked out its left leg to smack Baldwin straight in the gut and push him away with a scraping punch-like slam to his belly forcing him to breathe in deeply for his second wind, gasping hotly. But James still remained its target as the one closest to its face before fiercely bringing up its fist to hammer down upon him as he dodged back, stabbing the wrist to try and cripple the use of its left hand. The beast shrugged it off, rushing forwards with a sudden punch that slammed into James' face knocking him backwards even worse to bruises on his face. With head ringing and his vision blurred slightly, he dodged just in time to avoid the worst of its sweeping claws and biting teeth snapping shut on where he stood, the raptor striking upwards with a burning swing to rip straight across its pectoral. His blades caught in the rib, scraping through solid bone as it shrieked and clutched itself suddenly, gasping thick deep breaths of a hollowed decrepit form that was fuelled only by hunger, or even anger entirely.

Before it could strike again, Fochs came hurling from the dark corner of the cell by wallkicking upwards, striking down with both blades upon the monster's back as he tore straight through its cold flesh. The twin swords scraped through either side of the monster's spine shrieking cries throughout the cellar as blood poured openly from two fresh gaping waterfalls of red. They could see the bone from within, the twitching rears of its organs full on display but still it was standing, bloodied but unbowed. As it turned with a vicious swipe aiming for Fochs, the Wolf-clad clan leader ducked fast with superior speed and tore his sword across its leg trying to cut sharp to the very bone. Struggling forwards with blood dripping down its back and feet, the monstrous Bully felt its hungering strikes of fury start to slow down, deprived of its energy as the three fighters stood ready to attack it once more. In a desperate move it lunged forwards, suddenly upon James as it pinned him down to the floor with blind quivering rage in its body, claws up high to strike down upon him. The raptor swung up his scissors blocking horizontally across all of its claws, the other hand of the beast trapping him down by the shoulder as it struggled to push through, sneering hot slavering drool upon the FinalGamer. With one hand trapped and the other occupied in resistance, he blinked hard to keep the spit from his worn bloodshot eyes until Baldwin came flying across his face. The monk with flying kick went perfectly into the rat-beast's jaw cracking it violently out of joint, his foot smacking hard enough to shatter bone as the monster shrieked and staggered against the wall. With jaw now hung open, the one known simply as Bully roared with spit flying coloured red, the last of its energy focused on killing Baldwin who backed off swiftly from the easier slowing swipes of the infernal beast. Committing one final rush, the monster practically galloped towards him as the bangaa waited with fist ready to strike. As it opened its mouth wider than ever before, beyond the limits that it could take, he slammed his right elbow straight into its dislocated jaw snapping it from his view, before his left fist went striking hard up into it's very mouth. The palate snapped fiercely as Baldwin roared shattering through almost to its brain as he cracked the very inside of its skull, screaming cries of pain as it staggered back clutching its crippled mouth. The pathetic form of the monstrous Bully was soon rendered nothing, as Baldwin rushed forwards to put an end to its misery by grasping its larynx with one violent thrust, snapping it with one twist. The final screech it made could barely have been heard except by the most sensitive of animals, crying gasps as it succumbed at last to its broken wounds.

The savage laid dead, as Baldwin walked over towards Fayne who had been tended to by Navarro the entire fight unbeknownst to most of them. The moogle cautiously applied the right treatment with antiseptic, splints and gauze bandage after gently removing the knife that had been impaled through him. Once it had all been applied properly to allow the bone to set best it could, they gently helped Fayne back up before he fell right into Baldwin's arms. "Th-th...thank you." His brother hugged him tightly, sighing happily but also with a thin underlying of rage as the raptor brought Fayne his staff, which became his crutch as Baldwin supported him. The cleric hobbled weakly, the monk keeping pace softly with him as Fayne begged: "G-get...Dahlia...they went...d-down there. I tried...I tried to s-s-ssszhtop her...hoh godsszh forgive me-" "It'sszh alright," said Baldwin, "you did everything you could, we'll bring her back. I need to look after him, until we're ready to leave, you go on without me." "Alright," said FG. "You need anything?" "Sszhome drink would do, I mean we ARE in a sszhellar hahaha...but no, you go and get Dahlia, I'll keep my brother sszhafe an' the exzhit clear." "Good. Don't worry, we're not leaving without her." "Right...thank you." The two nodded as the gang hurried off towards the darkest reach of the monastery basement, the two bangaa brothers hanging onto each other as Baldwin hobbled his brother gently out from the prison cell towards their exit point. Yet his fists still burned with rage, and Fayne could sense it in him, calmly kissing him upon the cheek holding him closer for support. "Don't...pleasszhe." The monk sighed deeply and allowed himself to calm down, knowing his brother would be safe now in his arms. They made their way towards the exit point hidden away at the place nobody wanted to be in this abbey. Fochs and James stood out in front as they found something that did not look like it belonged anywhere. A store room at the back of the abbey now completely decimated by an immense gaping hole in the cold stone floor with jagged circular indentations. Yet it was far too broken along its circumference to be anything else as they noticed a stairway winding downwards hewn from stone. "That...wasn't here before," said Fochs. "What is it?" asked FG. "It's not natural," said Navarro, "yet also not made by hand, kupo. I see a light down there." "I alwaysss did enjoy the dark," hissed Adhur, "it sssshall give me a great advantage." "At least there's that," replied Farthing's leader, "we'll get your friend out, but after we do, I need your help to find and kill Scarface." "Our mission is to deal with the artifact," said the moogle, "if he has it then we must destroy him if this is what he creates, kupo." "Agreed. Alright, I'll go first." The Wolf-clad leader made his way down cautiously, taking care with each step as if one could break at any moment despite being thick and smoothly sculpted, a fine contrast to the jagged pit. The walls were also rather sharp, fractured and twisted even deep beneath the earth as flames flinched desperately from darkness all around them. But as they went deeper beneath the abbey, the flames started turning more odd in their flickering movements. Each new sconce of burning light turned weaker, more frail and unmoving in its slow sensual dance of pulsating warmth. By the time they reached halfway, the flames stuttered and shivered yet never burning out, pausing and unpausing with strange distortions. Even the sounds of crackling it made would stop and start suddenly, and even the warmth of heat it pulsed towards them would just simply stop in its broken state, resuming seconds later. The sounds of the cavern were also the same way, silence then unsilence, drops of water cut-off mid-echo before resuming sharply like the choking gasps of a dying man trapped within the well. It all turned stranger once they reached the very bottom of the pit, only to find an even greater room sculpted from underneath.

A dark circular room of complete silence, despite being occupied to the contrary with a low ceiling twelve feet above them as water stopped dripping, flames stopped smouldering. Twelve robed figures with Dahlia in the centre of them bound by ropes. Candles flickered strange colours both orange and purple, twitching suddenly between colours but that was not even the strangest part. It was the fact nothing moved within the inner sanctum, not even the candle flames. Trapped in time, completely frozen as they walked closer. Dahlia did not move, head bowed with tears on her cheek transfixed in solid form, like small crystalline streams as they saw something beyond it. A grand pedestal of sorts where a throne now stood sculpted of insane geometry, some sort of black stone, perhaps obsidian Triangles convulsed into themselves fracturing to tendrilled states, whilst circular edges contorted violently to non-Euclidean shapes without ever setting in. Still it did not make even a sound, yet the entire throne pulsated like a beating heart crushed slowly within a vortex, pumping with deep resonance as a voice called out from beyond terrifying the group through breaking the silence. "Well well well...what have we here?" The throne's occupant leaned slightly against the spiralling armrest with one arm propping up his head. From a distance it appeared to be a silver variant of the Wolf skin akin to that of Fochs' clothes, but of a much darker tint almost to the point of glistening a pale blue. One eye of his, that title he wore so well was indeed scarred out to a whitened pale sphere locked into his skull, an eternal snarl on his face. His voice was befitting for his throne, burning from the back of his throat with a bilious gasp of weariness. "A worthless pack of animals come crawling back into the abbey." "We're here to put an end to this," said Fochs defiantly, "your tyranny has gone long enough Scarface." "Tyranny? What tyranny do you call this?" "Kidnapping maidens, terrorising us...what would you call it?" "Unfortunate steps to a greater good. One you'll never understand." "Then make me. Because I find it very hard to not want to stop you when all I see is sorrow and misery and a horde of evil rats at your command." "Really? And what are YOU going to do to stop me hmm? Or my new master from beyond the stars?" The cruel-looking tyrant stood from his seat and sweeped his cloak behind him, walking forwards as he revealed his underlining of deep burnt blackened flesh from his hands to his bare feet. In his right hand he held a sword twisted out of shape, spiralling bizarrely twice before zigzagging erratically in a way that no true swordsman would ever have need with like the tailend of a tornado. But he also noticed the artifact glinting from its pommelled hilt, a fractured-looking crystal resonating silver and amber within its three-pointed structure, pulsating an odd purple gleam that coldly reflected in Scarface's eye. "You hide like vermin, you struggle to hold your clan together, what are you even? A feeble-minded thief who can't even begin to bring himself to witness what tragic fate awaits us. Why am I the one who shall witness this great coming to save our world from misery whilst you cower in darkness, feeling your own tears weigh down your heart until you're forced to sit with the dregs of society? What are you?" "A leader," replied Fochs. "A fighter against injustice, one who stands for all underneath the reign of cruelty like you. You think you're some great saviour? Because you have that power, that cursed artifact that destroyed all of us? Brought out the hatred inside of you, made you twisted out like this-" "But why are YOU the leader, Fochs? What makes you the leader, other than the guilt that's burning up inside of you that you never acknowledged?" "Guilt? What guilt? I never asked to be leader, I was the one that people looked up to for an answer when all of our memories were erased by you, by that THING you hold. They expected it of me, so I became it. You however are just a murderous power-hungry bastard." "Hhhheh heh heh heh...ohhhh this is wonderful, you have no reason at all haven't you? I gave you my offer to join me, to save our world from the great apocalypse that will come but you refused out of arrogance. I thought you had the heart to stand with me but look at you. A miserable little pile of secrets who can't even remember your own face. But I do. I remember each and every one of you."

James felt his head start to sting fiercely during this speech but he let Fochs confront his own opponent as the red Wolf raised a sword up to the cold single eye of Scarface. "Then you know exactly why I must take you down." "Ha ha ha ha...more than you think, so-called clan leader...Farthing Wood Fochs...what sort of name is that?" "Hmm?" "You have no names, none of you, as if you took them out of a child's book. Even me. Course I set myself up for the role but you...hhheheheh...you have nothing to oppose me with but this blade in front of me and whatever pathetic bunch of misfits you managed to rope in with you." "Friends come from odd places," said Fochs, "especially when we make a common enemy when you kidnap their friends." "Ohhh yes...the girl. Look how she stands still, along with all my most loyal sorrowful followers. Did you notice their tears are trapped in time? Frozen, transfixed...that's not magic you know...that is something else." "What exactly?" "...the very fabric of our universe. Our world is dying, one day it shall...and if I am to give it a little more time...I must see to this plan that I have seen within the artifact." "What plan is that?" "One you'll never find out if you try and stop me. I offer you one last chance, Fochs. Join me...we can save this world before our fates are written. As for the female...she will become a most perfect arbiter for channelling my master through to this world. I just hope that you live long enough to see it." Fochs stepped forwards as he swung out both blades, shimmering in darkness. "You take my sanctuary, you murder my family, and you wield your own madness like a weapon. I will never join you." Scarface simply sweeped out his sword and chuckling darkly, a twisted look on his one single eye as they saw a tear drip down his cheek. Yet he smiled as he walked closer, not even running as they stood with the ceremony behind them, still frozen in time by some strange dark magic. "Fine, enough talk. Have at you." As he walked forwards, his sword began to sing a most revenant tune, a mournful ring that swept across the cavern before he rushed towards Fochs. The song had briefly blurred their vision, staggering slightly as their heads began to throb with a deep welling ache as Fochs sharply focused himself, clashing both swords against the twisted blade of his enemy. Eyes locked against each other for but an instant before they parted, striking forwards once more to scrape yet again as Fochs swung with his left blade. The villain ducked low and forced his blade upwards, pushing through the clan leader's guard before striking him across the face with part of his sword. Blood streaked from Fochs' cheek as he gasped harshly, backing off as his backup came forwards starting with Navarro. But upon seeing the enemy approach, Scarface leapt back and threw his cloak out behind him, with a line of scorching fire tearing across the cavernscape. Fire that came wrought by pure lightning summoned from his cloak.

James guarded with his nano-shield pushing forwards with scissors out behind him, fireballs shattering with hot flames across his arm as his armour struggled to resist the hot thundering strikes. Rippling through his veins, the V-shaped power sash of his armour certainly did its job as the pain of lightning was far less than usual he had experienced. But it still hurt plenty enough when in full swing as he watched Navarro dodge ahead of him, hopping left or right to avoid sharp crackling bolts with intense agility, her whiskers shivering from the hot air just before the strike. Sliding fierce underneath one looming ball of fire that tore from a lightning bolt, she felt the heat singe across her whiskers before she found herself at Scarface's knees. Lunging forwards as her blade glinted with firelight above, the foe came down with his crooked blade as the moogle dodgerolled to the right, striking upwards with a roar as she scarred across his leg. The lord fiend retaliated by punching her straight across the room, a darkened fist formed in front of his own physical fist. With blood down his foot but no worse for it, he saw his next opponent approach in the form of James who striked hard against his blade, scraping horizontally against the twisted vertical blade. James felt a familiar sensation of dread pulsating from the artifact, a great eminence of dark disturbing origin as he focused purely on taking down the scar-faced warlock. Pulling back his blades the raptor thrust forth towards the scarred face, who ducked and swiped forth aiming to cut off James' head who blocked fiercely by his left-handed shield. The nano-blocks vibrated powerfully against the dark sword as he saw his chance to strike. "Tempus cecidimus." But the moment the raptor striked down upon his open head, the warlock chanted a few words lowly before vanishing out of thin air briefly, leaving James all by himself. Silence reigned for but a few seconds as his sword fell through, until a shimmering of silver fur and darkened smoulder reappeared in front of him, the raptor barely able to duck from the striking force of Scarface's sword as he scraped harsly across his steel shoulderguard, slicing the tip down James' sternum. With fresh blood barely leaking from the raptor's chest, he was too distracted to notice Adhur slithering up behind him ready to plunge her lethal blade straight into his back. But the warlock was much more alert than they had realised as he turned whirling his sword and cloak in one full circle, cleaving down upon Adhur's head. The Serpent-cloaked assassin dodged with superfluous speed, almost impossible to hit by her sheer agility as Scarface swung upon her thrice, right, left and downwards once more before she stabbed him straight into his right sword-wielding arm, blood dripping softly down her blade. Roaring from the potential poison, he snarled and shouted a most grave incantation as fire burned through the very earth, scorching hot lines that streaked past her leg as she shrieked with fury. The burns crept up along her reptile skin and ate through her cold dead scales, gasping to reveal partially her own leg beneath, a multitude of red blistering scars on aged flesh. But she was undaunted and simply rushed forwards with sword at the helm, dodging the first two strikes that came diagonal above her head, lunging her beast-hide's fangs right into Scarface's shoulder.

Shimmering from out of existence briefly, the warlord swept himself away with a dark burning mist before reappearing upon Fochs once more as the sword carved into the clan leader's leg. Crying out with pain and hobbling, he slashed out with both swords right and left before ducking on his good leg to spin slowly out of range, before Scarface's sword came down upon his head. With distance now between them, the cloaked fiend shot from his cape a flaming blast of electricity that Fochs could do naught but leap over, struggling with his leg as he gasped sharply on landing. Gritting his teeth, he rushed forwards and swung both swords up, but in mid-swing let go as they twirled smoothly into the air before his fist landed straight into Scarface's jaw, cracking hard as his free hand gripped one sword falling down expertly. Stunned briefly from the inopportune blow, he left himself open for Fochs' first sword to cut down across his arm slicing over the flesh, the second sword falling to the leader's other hand as he grabbed and thrust deep into his enemy's pectoral. The warlock staggered back trying to pull himself off from the blade piercing his upper chest, gasping as he swung his sword and knocked Fochs' away before a dark infernal chant of power came from his lips, channelling through the artifact. "_FULGUR INFERNOOOO! _" Lightning summoned forth from his wounded hand, as it arced briefly over his entire body setting the floor around him entirely on fire, bursting the hot air itself as he kept everyone at bay, flames crackling violently amidst a constant storm of thunderous fury. Chanting lowly with a voice deeper than they could hear, his wounds slowly receded as he recovered somewhat. But the raptor had a plan as he summoned his own force with a sweeping cut as wind forced through his scissors, a howling gale borne between his claws as he blasted through the fire and flames. Not expecting a breakthrough in his own dark magic, the warlock chanted a counterattack towards him as a burning lance striked from his palm towards him. Twisting and contorting, it came suddenly to existence out of a thousand particles, square-shaped and shimmering to twist into a solid object made of pure fire as he hurled it towards the raptor. He dodged it once but as it streaked past him, it reappeared suddenly before him by a sudden shift of perspective, a twist in the landscape that shattered briefly his own vision as he struggled to block the fierce weapon. Scraping hard against his shielded left arm, he tore through it best he could as he blasted a violent maelstrom towards Scarface opening up the path beyond the fire for his friends. Navarro was first in line rushing forwards with a low blade before another streak of fire came boiling from underneath, the solid stone almost bleeding like magma itself. The moogle leapt forth dodging the hot bubbling liquid that burned beneath her feet, as she swung her sword forwards, somersaulting with spinning blade that clashed fiercely upon Scarface's weapon ringing through to the artifact itself.

Recoiling off his blade, she ran forwards beneath his cloak and leapt to his back scraping through his heavy clothes and scarring the flesh underneath, the warlock snarling with rage as he turned and striked. Navarro clashed in mid-air as she was pushed back, but she stood firmly on her feet upon landing as her sword lunged forth to attack. Strafing from right to left upon seeing the curved blade come down, she striked to her left to plunge her sword into Scarface's wrist crippling his ability to wield the weapon, roaring as the bladed tip twisted violently from his joint as blood severed through his wrist. A vile backhand across the face he gave to the moogle as she fell across the floor, the flames now burning out around him as Adhur crept forth upon seeing her foe weakened to attack. Scarface switched to his other hand and used his wounded one to summon up a shield of blackened rock to scrape the assassin's sword across as she came soon within range. She striked with no means to get past as the warlock flipped the rock suddenly to slam her across the face before readying to crush her with solid stone until Fochs dodged in to pull her back to safety. She gave him a look of mutual disagreement as she gave Fox a stronger potion for his wound, smearing it down his leg as blood began to recede back into his flesh. Standing together, they formed an offensive duality as Fochs went from the left, whilst Adhur went from the right pincering their eternal foe. But the one-eyed Scarface simply twirled his sword deftly above him and used both hands to summon forth a violent storm of indeterminate darkness, crystalline sharp and made of a thousand tiny diamond-shaped particles that tore into their flesh, like knives cold as death streaking across their skin. The raptor rushed forwards seeing them cry out and struggle against the netherstorm as he blocked sharply with his scissors and body, pushing forth against it as the darkness did nothing to him. Every little scar and nick they made, seeping into his scaled body, cutting away bit by bit through whatever his armour could not protect, he gritted his teeth and resisted all the harder for it feeling the dark pulsatings within of need. He pushed back against it, mentally feeling his spirit resolve as he took the full brunt of the dark swarm. Cuts that turned black formed all over him as he felt the darkness burn fiercer within, either resisting it in turn or even meaning to absorb it, but he refuted either choice. The raptor was but nine feet away from the warlock Scarface with Fochs and Adhur behind him being sheltered by his body, before he burned hotly through his scissors as flaming dual blades glinting white hot. "RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" He swung his scissors as if hurling a hammer towards Scarface, guided by the wind from his claws as they spun violently towards him forcing the fiend to either guard or evade it as the fires of non-magical power cut ruthlessly through his storm of darkness. Hurling his blade above, he clasped both his hands upon the scissors in a perfect clap, bladetips almost piercing his snouted mask as his own sword spun softly in the air, held aloft by unseen strings of another power as the artifact glinted before coming down hard onto the scissors as if trying to shatter them. But neither weapon could break as they repelled each other violently, scissors scattering away across the floor whilst the sword went hurling itself through the air before Scarface could teleport himself. The mist of darkness followed his presence as he faded from vision to reappear grabbing the scissors. Right before three swords pierced through his flesh upon reforming the moment he grabbed his sword out of the air.

Fochs had stood waiting behind him as soon as the sword had gone knowing he would reach for it, his dual swords along with Adhur's katana straight through his body before he had time to reach. They did not waste anymore time as three blades tore into his abdomen, ripping aside his very innards as blood poured openly from both sides of him as the warlock screamed in fury. The pain had turned so intense at such a quickening moment, that he could not even fight back before come the killing blow. With one final strike, Scarface had fallen, cries of anger as he fell onto his knees feebly with hot blood spilling from his face. The sword was still in his hand as he struggled to stand up, gasping shortly before staggering onto two feet. But Fochs had now stood in front of him to punch him right in the jaw back down as he panted, laying onto his side staring up at the Wolf, spitting blood. "You...pfftah...you don't...realise what I was made to go through...what I did for us." "I don't care." "No...you wouldn't would you...heh...how much do you remember of what happened?" "Enough to know you caused all this...or at the very least that artifact." "Hhhhehehehe...you think you...could have done any better?" "My heart's stronger than yours. I know I could, yours was too weak, crippled with hate." "Really? I earned that heart from you, do you think that's true, Fochs?" "What?" "...take it. Take my hand and it...and I will show you what I have seen." He held up the sword smiling softly, his eyes turned oddly mournful as if a light had come on inside his head. Fochs was uncertain, but the moment he faltered, Scarface grabbed his hand and pulled it towards the artifact itself, clasping it tightly. The pulsating shard of amethyst began coursing through him, screams slowly rising from his throat as his eyes suddenly turned black for but an instant. To the Wolf-clad clan leader the world had stopped, halfway then resuming as the ritual continued behind him as chanting turned deep, solemn voices as his friends stood frozen in another time of existence. Then they sped up, then slowed down into a grave murmur. Then it stopped. Time uncertain of its speed as memories burned through inside his head, rampant with sudden horror and realisation that only he was privy to. Voices however spilled forth from his head like a sieve for all around him to hear, the ghosts of the abbey howling of its past. James, Navarro and Adhur could only watch in fascination from their own point of view, the two cloaked leaders trapped in their own timestream almost. But Fochs could see everything and only wished that he hadn't, as voices grew to an overwhelming volume that near-deafened their senses.

_what is this thing?! i've never seen it before, i just saw it in that pit- we need to tell the abbott, maybe he knows abou- SISTER LOOK OUT! ...no...wh-what...what happened? what have you done- -we may mourn for our fallen child, for it is in innocence and curiosity that danger must always strike first to take them from us. we must- -this artifact must be contained. while we are in a state of mourning, we must not lower our guard over this influence for whatever dark portents it may lead- what's wrong? you used to love reading your farthing wood story. i can't sleep...i keep seeing her face, over and over again...i should have known, i saw it happen when i touched it and i did nothing to stop- -why did you touch it?! i don't know...i keep hearing this word, this voice it's in my head, i can't get it out of my head- what are you saying?! i saw it...i saw it father, i saw everything when i did. did what?! ...i killed her...i killed her because it was fate and one day, all of ivalice will die too...unless...i kill all of you- you can't do this to him, HE'S MY SON! i am sorry...he has confessed to his crime and acknowledges what he has done. he must pay by the laws of our abbey and be forced into exile. i won't let you do this, he made a mistake IT'S THAT DAMN ARTIFACT THAT TRICKED HIM, HE CANNOT BE PUNISHED FOR THI- what are you going to do?! i'm going to take that artifact and throw it into the ocean, somewhere where no one can touch it- -NO, DON'T DO IT! IT WANTS ME FATHER! I KNOW WHAT I MUST DO, I HAVE TO STOP IT FROM TAKING US ALL, I HAVE TO GIVE MYSELF UP TO IT! I CAN GET RID OF IT, GIVE IT TO ME! LET ME DO THIS, DON'T THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY! NO! please...just take mother and run...all of you, gather everyone you can and run before it takes you...there'll come a fire on this abbey and it will scar everyone...including me. no...no don't do this think of your mother, think of me, think of all that you have known- i'm sorry father...just...please...run...forgive me...tomalag...t-tomalag...h-he comes for me...HE COMES FOR MEEEEEE! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! _

The sword fell to the floor, along with Fochs onto his knees. Silence reigned once more apart from soft gentle weeping from the clan leader's heart. He reached forwards and embraced Scarface overcome with sudden emotion, gasping hot tears as whispers drifted between them. "I'm sorry...I'm s-so sorry...oh...h-hoh gods I....my son...my...I thought you were...I thought you were dead, I thought that you had been killed by-" "I might as well...be dead," murmured Scarface. "What...what happened? Why can't I remember? Why can't we...why were our memories taken?" "Because my heart...turned black from prophecy...grlk...i knew that i would have to...that fate...cannot be changed." "What...wh-what are you saying?" "I found it one day...buried in the rough from when the sky cracked with lightning...it whispered to me of my sister's death...and it came...I could not save her and when I wished I could...whispers of my master Tomalag...he told me that he could save me, save this world of ours from...f-from desecration, and destruction...but that we were fated to die." "WHY!? W-why...who is this bastard, what, wh-what did he do to you...to turn you like this?" "I...h-hhhrrrk...I saw a future that none of us could change...our world...destroyed...Ivalice...I'm sorry father...I'm sorry...I just...wanted to try and change things, this ritual I could bring my master through and...h-hoped I could change the future. But I...I could not bring myself to kill you...so I...thought if I could take your names, your faces...your memories...so you could become born anew and leave...or serve with me if you wanted...I could spare you." "You...wh-what of your friends? What of your mother and I, what of-" "Bajher? HhhhhHHHHhhh...that's not his name...his name was...gods...I'm the only one that remembers what any of your names once were...I gave you them...from that stupid storybook I loved." Fochs could only blink with growing horror as he could barely comprehend his former son's words. Questions burned deeper inside of him as he barely managed to compose himself, asking: "Why did you do this? What was so terrible you had to...change us like this?" "...the great...apocalypse..." The warlord pulled out from his cloak a storybook of animals on the front of it, bound with Ivalician script but the interior had been hollowed out to be made to hold something. He then untwisted the artifact from the sword itself and placed the strange violet object into the book closing it. With his final ounce of strength, he murmured an enchantment upon the book sealing it softly, before handing it over to Fochs. "Take it...take the artifact, put it somewhere safe but don't touch it...the book...it's not a very strong enchantment but it...will do for at least a small while...so that the influence won't-HHHHHRRHHHKK!" Blood coughed futilely from his dripping throat as he gasped heaving, choking wantonly as Fochs cradled his head. "S-so that the influence...won't...bleed out. You can't destroy it. I tried to, but please...b-be ready for...whatever might come...or at least hope...it doesn't come in your lifetime, father..." "...I promise. I'm sorry...but I can't forgive you...not for this. I'm sorry." "I know...but it's alright...I...I believe now that things...may turn out better than I thought." "Why?" "Because...what the artifact showed me...it never...foretold of you arriving...with your new friends...him." He pointed towards the lone raptor. "That one...the prophecy could not predict...ghhhrk...maybe...the future is not...set in stone after all...hhhhhhh..."

Upon Scarface's death, time started ticking once more within the cavern sanctum. Flames now crackled, deep and solemn voices began preaching towards a ritual in the very centre as Dahlia's tears resumed down her face. But then they stopped turning to see their leader fallen as Fochs kneeled before him with only a book wrapped firmly inside his hands. The robed summoners looked curiously around themselves, whipping off their hoods to reveal the faces of again, Dire Rats. "Wh-...wot 'appened?" "The fuck am I doing here?" "Wh-why am I wearing this mask?!" "I was...where-is this Cerobi Steppe, cuz that's where I was last remembering-" "Naaaah it can't be...hey, who are you?!" "You don't know?" asked FG. "N-no...what...were we doing something?" "About to...do you remember anything?" "No...not at all...oh jeez were we doing something, wot's this lady doin' all tied up?!" Without a second thought and feeling very out-of-place the robed former cultists undid Dahlia's restraints before pulling her very confused self up from the ground. She desperately pulled away from them soon as she could and ran towards Navarro. She hugged her tightly, the moogle looking around awkwardly around with arms out before gently embracing her back, hearing the nu-mou whimper softly into her ear. "Th-thank you...h-hoh thank you, I knew you would come, I knew you would..." "I never leave my clan behind," said Rocino, "now let us leave, kupo. James?" "Yeah?" asked FG bewildered. "You may handle this confusing state of affairs, I'm taking Dahlia back." "W-wait!" One of the cultists reached out to stop them. "Uhhhh...look, I don't know what we've been up to, but if you need some help-" "Your men have taken this abbey hostage," said the moogle shortly, "attempting to kill any and all intruders including the mutilation of one of my friends so forgive me if I do not trust you, kupo." "Wh-what!? Oh gods the fuck's been happening?!" "Calm down," said FG, "look we're all just very confused, there's been a shit ton of stuff happening and it's all because of that artifact. Now if you promise to stop attacking us then maybe we can come to an understanding. Alright?" "Um...if you say so I mean, I wasn't going to attack you at all, I mean...oh Faram what IS this place, what's happening?!" "We'll explain later. Fochs, you okay?" "...yes." The Wolf-clad male without a name simply nodded and dried his eyes shivering to stir a sense of diligence within him. "I'm fine. I have the artifact here, it's safe." "Alright...let's all go back upstairs and sort this shit out, then we'll see about dealing with the artifact permanently." With awkwardness in each step, all of them including the former cultists walked slowly back upstairs to the main abbey hall. None of the guards were fighting back, in fact all of them had been left just as confused and bereft of any understanding as the last as if their memories had been wiped out. The only ones whose memory had remained, theoretically, were that of Fochs' and James' fellow clan members. With the artifact now more safely contained, all they had left was to clean up the strange mess of the past eight months in the wake of this madness.