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Ten days had passed since Kruz and FG's expedition, and it was the day of the semi-finals in the grand Triple Triad Tournament of Bhujerba. The number of tourists positively doubled over the course of two weeks desperate to see what new plays had been made, as well as cheering for their favourites. The arena which was situated in the most ancient district of the city, appeared far too grand and awesome to play a card game in at first, but it was purely for the acoustics and the exciting seatview that one could get upon the battlefield. The coliseum, with crowd capacity of 60,000 viewers all encompassing around one huge arena flat field, became the central ground for intellectual warfare as opposed to its much more physical and violent past games. Thousands piled in from every place in Ivalice, every walk of life, from high commander of the Archadian empire to Rabanastran merchant, everyone was welcome provided they had a ticket ready to present. A huge overwhemling sanctum of sports both bloody and non-combative, set in stone with fine carvings of ancient warriors past, ruthlessly slaying monsters vaguely similar to those in today's world. James' group got them easily being part of Fayne's entourage and in truth the chief card champions were no better than hot celebrities as they made their way in by the combatants' entrance away from the massive crowd. The front halls arching like a cathedral's were clotted full of eager spectators, whilst the backroads of the coliseum showed Fayne's opponents both beaten and yet to come. All sorts were here, from overenthusiastic nerds whittling off various decimal calculations; sultry serious gamblers that rubbed their decks like they were going to fuck them after they had won the finals. The wily, the gamblers, the cold calculators, the bluffers, , the ones foolishly hitting above their ownweight, all the players of Ivalice stood waiting whether they had lost or not already. No one was allowed to leave Bhujerba until the finals had won, and so Fayne stood amongst them, a few nodding heads of respect or a handshake here, even a few high-fives of utmost credibility and many many cold looks of defeat. Dahlia was insanely nervous, sweating bullets as the group walked behind the cleric who clearly stood in his element, waltzing up towards the waiting room for combatants. The first few opponents by bracket tournament-style were no match for Fayne, easily taking them down one after the other as James' group got to see the royal smackdown from the sidering. From ground level they would watch Fayne walk out from the tunnel beneath the roaring seats, with thousands of roaring Ivalicians screaming the place up to a crescendo that lasted even minutes after the voices had stopped. Despite the large size of the arena, the actual battlefield was situated upon a small table clamped straight in the very centre.

From the crowded seats it looked tiny, almost impossible to see as nothing more than a wooden square seat perfectly shaped without the slightest groove upon it. What the crowds really were watching would be the giant projected screens, four of them pointing out to the four cardinal directions where all the people could see, even from ground level. The screens which looked surprisingly like they would at any basketball game in FG's world, were actually more close to microscopes in their design. A high-powered lens over the the table itself, which through a series of smaller lens in the greater pipework twisting above the arena like a bronze elegant sac for beekeeping, produced the wide HD images that all the people had come to see. They weren't even mechanical, just simply a very carefully-crafted process of lens that showed the table perfectly from above, a strange sight to see that was oddly modest for the sake of this tournament. The raptor wondered if other places had this or if they used much more ingenious technology, but it was certainly the sporting event he had come to known in other worlds. Right down to the shrieking horde, the banners shouting support for a favourite player and even having co-commentators that boomed over the entire arena upon starting up the exhibition. "WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE ANNUAL TRIPLE TRIAD TOURNAMENT OF BHUJERBA! I'm your host Bob Johnson." "And I'm Mog Mogson, kupo! I hope every Bhujerban out there is able to hear us over our newly-crafted speakers, transmitting our handsome voices all across the city! And if you bought a receiver from us you can listen to us at home if you were not able to purchase a ticket!" "We have a real treat here today folks and for those of us just joining in, we got the best table in from the finest crafters of this city, that's prime Kentham mahogany, magically-imbued with the most potent magicite out of Lhusu Mines to provide ZERO amount of lag between turn orders." "Indeed, kupo! Magicite technology is always improving and we are very glad to announce we have finally achieved zero lag tolerance within this coliseum. And who are we going to see today Bob?" "Well Mog we have our last sixteen contestants and whosoever is the last four shall reach the finals themselves later on this evening. From Rozarria we have Marcus Oldfield, Jeane Gillespie and Adolpho Buonaparte." "Those are all you need really from Rozarria, Marcus is a solid fighter, Buonaparte or 'the Wallmaster' as they call him back home, and lastly the dangerous Gillespie who has been climbing her way up since her disgraceful defeat four years ago!" "Let's hope her luck is in the cards tonight Mog, but things might be heating up when she has an old rival joining in." "Which one, kupo?" The commentators' laughter echoed across the stadium before Bob resumed his speech. "Well nobody in Bhujerba that's for sure, we have four homeboys trying to keep the peace for Purvama whose names are Amitabh Hussein, Rajesh Bahchan, Terrance Major and Meera Davinder." "Ahhh Davinder, the Tarot Temptress as they call her. She's a feisty one, pretty much our best player from this continent owing her mastery to the Same rule." "But will she be able to handle any Wall rules is our question to the fates. Interestingly we have two people from Valendia only." "The ENTIRE continent?" "Yep, indeed and wow both of these two are coming in strong with the backbone reputation that they both deserve, we've got Fayne Smithee of Western Valendia and Jeremy Thatcher of Archadia." "Oooooooooh what a duel that will be kupo! Both representing Valendia but clearly not on the same side, even having one of the Inquisition themselves for this tournament!" "The bookies have already placed Thatcher on being the winner of this tournament by 5-1, with Fayne Smithee batting a 20-1 so if you believe in the light of Kiltia, then you best put your hopes and wallet in our good cleric of Lea Monde."

The rest of the commentary listed various other participants from other regions of Ivalice before the tournament would start. When it did begin, each of the two contestants currently playing would step out from opposite ends of the arena from the tunnels and sit upon the table facing each other. Some would shake hands, others would not as they laid their decks out. Every card game that was played would be by the Random rule, but occasionally there would be another random choice for using either Plus, Same or Same Wall rules just to mix it up a little. Reflecting the truest testament of how prepared the Triple Triad players were, the Random rule caused the magically-imbibed table itself to suddenly choose five of one's own cards randomly without provocation. Players would still know what cards had been picked on their own side, but they never knew what they were going to get unless they came out with a strong pack. Fayne managed to climb his way up deftly, beating player after player with a very carefully-chosen pack that would not screw him over should ever the rules change. Admittedly the Same Wall was his weakness, a rule he quite still never comprehended and frankly neither did most people. The commentary was what made it more exciting for James, hearing their orgasmic exhilaration for every move pulled smoothly by the players before it was soon down to the final six. Fayne was still in the game, and so both him and Baldwin were currently planning out their next moves inside their waiting room. Being as it was originally a bloodsport arena, the waiting rooms they expected to be rather mouldy with the sweat and tears of many warriors. In actual fact it was the cleanest waiting room James had ever seen despite being cast in stone, well-worn with stone seats as well as surprisingly tech-savvy containers with secure locks powered by magicite stones of electricity. The blend of past and future was alien to FG, but then he realised he had no place to say anything as Baldwin and Fayne sat on the stone seats planning their mean offensive. "Okay, sszho the plusszh rule-" "If they try that, I have my Windbreaker deck." "Sszhame rule?" "Planewalker deck." "Got your main deck at leasszht?" "Nothing that hitsszh below five on more than one point." "Good good." "You have my other cardsszh?" "All sszhafe bro, your babiesszh are fine with me." "Glad that wasn't out of context," said FG. "How many times you won this tournament?" "Three," said Fayne, "five-five-two, five-five-sszheven and five-five-eight." "Huh...what happened to last year?" "I did not attend."

The cleric sweeped cards across the seat as if practicing a magic show, flourishing with a talented flip that made an entire row of seven cards turn over in but an instant as he combo'd against Baldwin's practice set, before James asked: "Wait wait didn't Baldwin tell me you were champion for nine years running?" "Only in Wesszht Valendia," said the monk, "you DO realisszhe thisszh isszh not the BIG tournament throughout the entire world right, jusszht in Bhujerba." "Ohhhhhh...I thought this WAS the big tournament since everyone was getting up about it." "Naaaah that only comesszh about every four yearsszh. That and the real big tournament you can't jusszht walk up and sszhay 'hey lemme play in the tournament even though I only jusszht arrived lasszht month' like what we did. No you gotta get it sszhigned down firsszht for the REAL big tournament, thisszh isszh jusszht an open battlefield where anyone goesszh. Believe me, if thisszh wasszh the big tournament you would know about it, you would not get AWAY from it." Dahlia looked coldly to one side as Fayne interrupted Baldwin with a clearing of his throat. "MMHMM, I have never actually won the grand tournament for all of Ivalisszhe. I am but a regional champion, and though I hold record in mosszht regionsszh I have never won the true grand tournament at all. Hopefully when it returnsszh in two yearsszh time I will manage to make my way passzht the high elite." "And who is that kupo?" Navarro could not help but ask finding herself little else to do for the moment, loitering against the waiting room wall as Fayne added: "The Archadian Inquisszhisszhion...asszh we call it, VERY powerful playersszh, true to their craft and almosszht unbeatable. I have never managed to beat any of them, and I here tell that one of them isszh actually in thissh tournament." "Ahhh yes, I did hear them mention a Jeremy Thatcher. Hmm, this will be interesting." "I thought you hated cards?" asked FG. "Only to see if Fayne can truly beat his arch-rival, kupo." "Hahahaha..." The bangaa of holy clergy deftly flipped his cards up once more before neatly sliding them back into his cloak within a secure pocket. "My arch-rival isszh not a problem...thank you, by the way for coming with me." "No problem dude," replied James, "I mean I wanna see you beat some ass in this tournament even if I'm not really into playing." "I am a little....saddened that your friend Kruzzh could not join." "Oh he's watching!" "Really?" "Yeah he said he was in the seats, got some real prime seats for all his crew that wanted to join thanks to Cid scalping a few dozen tickets, just look out for the banner in black and white on the front row, south seats." "S-scalping?!" cried Dahlia. "That's shameful! I thought an engineer like Mr. Rzepka would at least have some respect for business industry." "You DO realise Rzepka isn't his actual name right, he just totally stole that off the cartographer on the ship." "Wh-what?!" "TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE NEXT MATCH!" shouted an attendant outside. "THANK YOU!" replied Fayne in acknowledgement. "So who's next kupo?" asked Navarro. "Jeane Gillesszhpie...my arch-rival, or rather I am one of HER many arch-rivalsszh." "...I see."

The moogle nodded firmly without another word, Dahlia sensing a look between them as she tried to move the conversation elsewhere. "How are the children James?" "Oh fine," said FG, "Mrs. Imrie's all better, managed to wake up about two days ago, the kids are all happy and there was hugging, tears, you know the usual. Kruz offered to take them back with us to Lea Monde after all this was over." "Oh how lovely, that was good of him! I'm very glad to hear that they're all fine." "Yeah I mean...hoo...serious luck that Berniere has, falling on us right when we passed in that minecart." "Was he alright kupo?" asked Navarro. "Um...kinda? He seemed sorta distant, like way less chirpy than usual, did something happen?" "No...I think he must have overexerted himself. He said he had been very tired of late, not sleeping very well so probably just exhausted kupo." "Yeah I guess." Soon the match was starting as Fayne got up with a hug from Baldwin and a firm shake of confidence from him by the shoulders, grabbing each other's elbows before he walked. James and Navarro gave their support too but Dahlia had one thing to say shortly before he left. "Fayne." He turned towards the nu-mou, her hand placed on his shoulder as she looked blankly towards him, murmuring softly to his ear. "...I have a gift for you." "Hmm?" Pulling out from within her robe pockets, she offered him a Triple Triad card that he looked at briefly before gasping with disbelief. He started to become nervous, trembling in his voice suddenly as he asked: "Wh-wh-where did you...GET thisszh?" "When you go out there...and face her," said Dahlia unreacting, "I want you...to fucking destroy her." His eyes blinked widely at her shaky language, but she was dead serious. He looked at the card once more memorising it before he nodded softly with a smirk bashful, chuckling confidently. "I will do my besszht...for you." "Thank you." She smiled back politely feeling terrible for but a moment as Fayne strided out towards the coliseum central, cheers of adoration from all corners of the room screaming loud and high towards the battlefield. There were boos and jeers inbetween but he could not tell if it was for him or for Jeane Gillespie who walked towards him in resplendent purple robe, cold look seething on her face like a dead fish. He could not help but look towards the south seats scanning for where Kruz would be. Sure enough there was a huge banner with a crude skull and crossbones painted on it, except the skull was a reptilian sort reminiscent of Kruz's head as Fayne saw clearly the captain in brown scales waving at him. His crew in turn were cheering forty-strong amongst them, banner proclaiming " GO FAYNE, MAKE THE BROKEN PETAL PROUD!". Fayne blushed at this attention, grinning up at Kruz and waving at him before clearing himself up and not letting his heart get too emotional. He had to focus, not worry himself about the 60,000 eyes on him, only six of which that really mattered. Upon sitting down at the lone table, the two found themselves locked within a magic forcefield of solid blue, shaped like a cube that completely captured both fighters in mortal combat over the game of cards. The cube served two purposes for every battle that played upon this table which generated the magic for it. Firstly, it prevented other people from interfering with the game, but more importantly it silenced the noise of the stadium from outside of it allowing both players to focus purely on their cards in total containment. As the forcefield completely encompassed them, the world outside turned mute, Jeane started her opening before the match would start. "Finally we meet." "Much asszh I never want to." "Hm. That Dahlia." "Hmm?" "I will give you one fair warning. Leave her, preferably in a ditch." "What?!" "You may think I'm cruel, but desperate times call for desperate measures, you have no idea what she is capable of." "I know perfectly well." "Really?" "I know...that sszhe isszh capable of far more love, purity and kindnessszh than you ever will be. And for that, I will not abandon her on the whim of a cold-hearted wench who abusszhed her and for the good of my friend, I will take you down." "That won't matter either way, your journey ends here bishop. I hope you saved your prayers for this." "...I do not need the light of Kiltia for a children'sszh card game."

Fayne suddenly undid his robe slipping it straight back onto his seat like a cover as he revealed his lean bare chest, taking his cap off to place it on the ground next to him. The crowd positively gasped with excitement, screaming cheers and possibly some swooning amidst the boys and girls of his fanbase, if any, as he placed his hands squarely upon the armrests, leaning forwards dominantly. "Now fight me, bitch." Jeane smirked condescendingly before undoing her robe in turn seeing that this got serious, sweeping it off behind her to reveal her extremely quilted bra of fine lace and cream-coloured elegance supporting a hefty C-cup. The crowd turned wild with frenzy at the showdown imminent as James leaned towards Baldwin at the tunnels asking: "Are they playing strip poker now or something what's going on?" "No idea," said Baldwin. "I think sszhit'sszh about to get sszheriousszh." "Hmph, they should have called this Striple Triad." "PFFFFFFT...hhhehehehhahaha, awww I gotta tell Fayne that after, thasszha good one!" "AND WHAT A SIGHT WE HAVE ALREADY!" cried the commentator Bob. "Fayne and Jeane have taken off their robes showing that they are all business tonight in this coliseum looking ready for a fight." "A true gladiatorial experience kupo!" replied Mogson. "As always we are playing by the Random rule and we have no other rules being played for this match so both of them are coming in strong for this! No combos." The players planted their decks on the table alongside of each other, waiting to see what would happen. The table began calculating within its magic properties, through an inordinately complex random number generator on which five cards they would be forced to use. It was only a matter of seconds before five cards were slotted out from each deck, and the game would begin like it had done for Fayne the six previous games. The monitors showed both nu-mou and bangaa with their hands steady upon the table, their cards known only to them by the magicite shimmering with power to let them only see their own pack. None of the audience would see what they had until they had put their cards firmly into their place. The arrow was spun, and Jeane had the first shot with commentator Bob shouting: "The cards are out, let the battle BEGIN!"

The crowd roared with excitement cheering with joy to see the hands slowly move towards the nine rectangled marks in the centre of the table, the voices of thousands never reaching the contestants as Gillespie made her move. "And Jeane starts off first," began Bob, "stuck right in the upper-middle with a Bandercoeurl top-centre, all-rounder with no weakness hitting six and seven on all points." "Fayne steps in," continued Mog, "almost instanteously with a Gazer on top-left, but that doesn't take Jeane's starter next to it kupo. That old ghost friend of his has never left the pack, six on south with sevens all else." "Almost too predictable, but they do say you can't get rid of your ghosts right?" "Indeed Bob. Jeane flies in with a Reaver card centre-left and OOH it takes the Gazer from the bottom, first blood of the match! That Reaver card is hitting high eights with a four on north." "Smithee's playing defensive here, didn't even try to take the Bandercoeurl so he must be feeling her out." "Well let's hope he doesn't take too long, Jeane's first two cards have five at their lowest and-wait, Fayne's coming in with a Bellwyvern and SLAPS that card across the face from the bottom-left, kupo!" "Ohoho!" chortled Bob. "My what a big drake he's got, a puny five on north was all it took to take down that Reaver, six on south with eight on west and east. If this were a combo game we'd have some serious problems but Fayne's set the score back to equal. Jeane pulls out a Pandora and it MURDERS his Bellwyvern from bottom-centre space!" "WOAH," cried Mog. "that's a nine on the west point kupo! That Pandora is bad news, touting big number seven north and east and a puny three on south! Things are getting interesting, she's taken back her one point ahead of him with control of the board, BUT WAIT KUPO! Here comes the Malboro come to stink up her plans with a foul eight on its west point!" "Another favourite of Fayne's, that smoking gun, or mouth of tentacles rather now occupying the bottom-right and keeping stable with a seven on north point. Jeane divides up her tactics...she's got a Deadly Nightshade and she's going for one of her own!" "Not a good sign kupo, showing a bit of weakness there if you can't fight your own opponent's cards and have to take your own. Snatching back her Bandercoeurl with Deadly Nightshade on the top-right, that one powerful west-side nine and an unexpectedly weak card!" "Only number it has open to take is a five on bottom but does Fayne have anything to hit northwards with...wait a minute, something's happening! Smithee has begun hesitating, his hand is shaking! He's having an attack of some sort, something's happened to him!"

The crowd gasped silently in wait as Fayne dithered between his last two cards, hand tensing up shortly before a sudden affliction ran through him. Baldwin panicked, the sight of his brother's hand spasming hotly with sharp pain as he kept both hands on the table. No one outside the cube could hear him as he made every motion in his body refuse from screaming as his false foot violently pulsated, the phantom pain crying out with misery tingling through his teeth. "Wh-what's happening?!" asked FG. "Hisszh foot'sszh fucking up!" said Baldwin. "DAMMIT! Come on bro, fight through it, you had worsszhe problemsszh than thisszh!" But the cleric did not shriek as he breathed harshly, focusing on his cards and keeping strategy pumping through his brain by repeating numbers constantly. Jeane simply smiled to him with her head on one hand propped enjoying the show, chuckling darkly. "Having problems, dear?" "JUSSZHT...NNNNNNNNNNGODSSZH I am...thinking." "Did you get a paper cut? Awwww poor baby, why don't you quit now and go run off with your dear sweet Dahlia who'll kiss it and...well, it would be the first time she ever soiled her lips with a cleric especially one who's-" "That is ENOUGH!" Stomping his foot brutally into the dirt he felt the tingling pain turn harder for an instant as he dulled it best as he could, gritting his teeth against the furious agony storming through his heel. "I...will not leave, until you are beaten. Take THIS!" He slapped down the second last card he had as Bob the hume commentator came up once again as the voice over the coliseum. "Fayne Smithee just had a little smacktalk with Jeane but now he's back on track!" "OOOH kupo!" exclaimed the moogle commentate. "We've got some serious business up in this competition right here, Fayne puts down his Bune card coming in hot from the centre-right and he FLIPS that Deadly Nightshade down to his!" "What will happen now?! Both are equal with no greater control over the board, if nothing changes then-...WHAT!?" "IT'S A DRAW!" "WAIT FUCKING WHAT?!" cried FG. The clan watched on from the wings as the crowd went wild with an uproar, howling shrieks of outrage and disbelief as both players had themselves come to a standstill. Their brows turned wet, their fingers tense as Fayne did everything he could to calm himself down and let the pain subside from his phantom foot, the commentators struggling to hear themselves over the maddened frenzy of the stadium audience. "I-...I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" shouted Bob. "An unPRECEDENTED result!" squawked Mog. "This is the first draw we have had, at least for this year kupo!" "Jeane slaps down a Cerberus with Fayne bringing up his Deathclaw and they cancel each other out! Nothing taken!" A few minutes of uncertainty was left within the arena, causing people to start muttering with intrigue like the sea about to rise.. The raptor however looked to Fayne then Baldwin, asking the monk beside him: "So...what happens now?" "We gotta reroll, if a Draw happensszh in thisszh tournament, or any really, we gotta reroll everything. Rulesszh, cardsszh, we sszhwitch them up all over." "So it's gonna be a completely different game." "Oh yesszh...I jusszht hope my brother can handle thisszh much pressszhure on him." "It's not even the last match, he's got like six more after this." "Five...but yeah I...hhnnnngh..." He cupped his head in his hands shaking fearfully before he murmured: "Come on Fayne, come ooooon you got thisszh, you can whip that bitch into dirt." "Why does he hate that lady so much?" "He beat her pretty badly onsszhe...never got over it, Jeane got pretty ssszhitty towardsszh everybody, sszhtarted a whole sszhmear campaign on my brother that never sszhtuck, but Fayne took it persszhonally. Now we'll jusszht have to sszhee who getsszh revenge on that." "THE RULES HAVE CHANGED!" roared Bob in the commentary. "This is a battle to the finish for a place in the finals, we reload the cards and we are playing Random with...THE RULE OF SAME! COMBOS ARE NOW OPEN!"

Screams across the stadium pounded out through the arena's stone walls, echoing sharply towards a crescendo of excitement as Fayne's cards were reshuffled along with Jeane's. The moment he saw what he had, he did everything he could to not grin as the roll was made once more. Fayne went first this time as the match restarted in earnest, with Mog Mogson over commentary. "Fayne starts his offensive with a surprising move, kupo! Slap-bang in the middle with a Cataract Aevis." "A solid player with six on east and north, but seven on south and west. Jeane plants her Mistmare on the upper right, protecting its weak spots leaving only seven west and eight south." "It's almost as if Fayne is daring her to make a move, he's-wait a minute! What is he doing?!" "He just put his Wendigo down on top-left! But he's left himself open from the east, he could have taken that Mistmare with his seven the same!" "Has he lost his nerve, kupo?! Or is he pulling her in for an attack?!" "She takes the bait, she slaps down a Purobolos top-centre and-OOOOOOOOH A DOUBLE-FLIP! Fayne's Wendigo gets taken down by an eight on Purobolos' west and the Cataract Aevis down in central-middle stood no chance against its seven on south." "Jeane has control of the board, two cards more than Fayne won by her hand as the bishop makes his move. He brings out the Giruveganus and plants it...firmly-wait-wha-k-kupo?! Wha-WHAT IS HE DOING?!" The crowd turned to insane shrieking at what just occurred, James almost lost sight of the screen as he tried to comprehend. Baldwin however was screaming furiously grabbing at his earflaps. "F-FAAAAAYNE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!?!" "WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" "HE JUSSZHT THREW HIS CHANSSZHE AWAY THE FUCKING IDIOT, HE HAD HER RIGHT THERE FOR A SSZHWEET COMBO!" The commentators turned frantic, Mog struggling to find his words amidst the frenzied cries of the audience. "Fayne has just dropped down his Giruveganus west of his Cataract Aevis, placing it centre-left but...but he could have won it back!" "The Cataract had a weaker number on its eastern side," emphasised Bob, "what is our bishop planning?! That's a rookie mistake, he had the numbers to win it back!" "At the very least his Giruveganus has a powerful eight on south so unless Jeane has a secret weapon up her sleeve kupo. And so Jeane seizes the chance to lock him out with a Leynir on centre-right." "The only spaces left now are the entire bottom row, Fayne has two more turns left before he can make a comeback. His next card is a Leamonde Entite, representative of his hometown as he places it bottom-right. OH, it flips her Leynir, he has one card gain on this!" "A taste of success," continued Mog, "but it's not enough to cover his losses even with a strong nine on the Entite flipping over northwards against Leynir's southern six. Jeane has one last card, she puts down her Abaddon straight on the bottom-left, she's not even trying to take his Leamonde Entite!" "She's teasing him now," said the hume Bob, "she may not have to call every shot in the book but that's because she doesn't need to. She knows her victory's absolute at least from what I know right here having a six-to-two majority on the Triple Triad board. If Fayne does not win at least two cards back he has no hope of standing in this contest."

Victory was assured. Jeane grinned like a snake upon seeing its prey in the grass, the bishop having one last card left in the bank underneath his hand waiting for the right moment. Baldwin twisted his earflaps slightly with his hands wincing feverishly, James sighed shaking his head whilst Dahlia bit her fist squeaking silently. It all came down to this as Fayne's rival started her victory speech, leaning back with arms folded. "Hmhmhmhmhahahahaha...I told you that Dahlia was bad luck for you, you're in the same position I was back four years ago...how does it feel?" Fayne did not respond. "Come on, be a man and just end this already, you only have one card left and we both know who's the real tactician here." "Indeed," said the bishop, "we both know who it isszh." "Good. I'm glad you understand." "I don't think you do." "What?" "...would you like me to tell you who the real tactisszhian isszh here?" The cleric brought up his final card coldly grinning. Jeane's face fell in an instant as she stared upon her own portrait embossed into the card itself before Fayne added: "It'sszh not the lady that'sszh on thisszh card right here." "Wh-wha...wh-wh-where did you...where did you get that, you cold feeble LIZARD?!" "Dahlia sszhent you her regardsszh," replied Fayne smugly. "I wasszh waiting for your arrogant ego to walk right on in and activate my trap. Thank you." "No...n-no this...this is...THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! I DEMAND A FORFEIT!" "Good bye, my dear Jeane." "NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" With dramatic flair as his hand shone high up in the sky, the bishop of Lea Monde slammed the card of Jeane Gillespie herself right into the final slot hard enough to make the table shudder. It was a moment he had been savouring as the crowd screamed with excitement, shrieking cries like a massacre as if they had just witnessed it. It was in that very moment however that the real terror would soon come, as Jeane's cards began turning against their own will, one by one, flipped into Fayne's card colours straight across the board. "HOLY SHIT!" "WHAT IN GODS' NAME JUST HAPPENED KUPO!?!" "HE MADE A COMBO, HE'S DOING THE COMBO AND IT IS DESTROYING THE BOARD!" "DID HE JUST...HE HAS JEANE GILLESPIE'S OWN CARD AND JUST USED IT AGAINST HER! _" "_HOW DOES HE EVEN HAVE THAT!? Jeane lost it years ago during her great defeat and not even had it on her, a POWERFUL card with an A mark pointing north above all and an eight on its west, COMPLETELY dominating both the Cataract Aevis above it on centre and Jeane's very own Abaddon just-placed previously on bottom-left!" "AND THERE IT GOES!" cried Mog with a shriek. "Cataract Aevis got flipped, then the Purubolos, THEN the Wendigo adding to the Abaddon he just flipped-" "HE HAS THE BOARD," screamed Bob alongside, "IN ONE SWEEP HE HAS FINISHED WITH A GRAND MAJORITY OF EIGHT-TO-ONE!" "WHAT A HUMILIATING DEFEAT KUPO! MY GODS I DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO THINK, I COULD NEVER IMAGINE THAT FAYNE SMITHEE WOULD BE THIS CRUEL UPON VICTORY!" "We just learnt not to mess with the Smithee, that's what we learned today folks. This is unprecedented, never before has he ever shown that card and it is a rare sight to see such a perfectly-lined combo!" "A secret weapon truly, but it is with that that Jeane Gillespie is out of the competition and Fayne Smithee can proceed to the next round kupo!" Even after they commentated their best the screaming crowd did all it could to keep them drowned out, the room filling with a horde of voices of which Clan Koridai's were lost in. Baldwin was jumping off the walls down in the wings, grabbing James into a tightened hug and lifting him up like about to perform a dance routine as the raptor turned briefly between panicked joy and exhilaration. "HE DID IT, HE FUCKING DID IT HOLY SSZHIT FARAM PRAISSZHE HIM!" "W-WOAH BALDWIN SHIT!" "YEAAAH IN YOUR FASSZHE BITCH, MY BROTHER TOOK YOU DOWN, YOU GOT NOTHING ON USSZH, NOTHING! ...uh." He realised what he was doing as he suddenly put down FG, looking sheepishly up at him before stepping back at least three feet to rub his arms all over his body as if trying to clean himself. "S-s-sszhorry uh, got a little-" "Yeaaaaah well um, h-hey I mean congrats your brother totally nailed it tonight I mean what's not to get excited about?!" "RIGHT yeah totally I wasszh really exszhited fer my brother n-no need to think anything el-" "HE DID IT, HE ACTUALLY DID IT!" Dahlia screamed this much to their surprise cheering from beside the waiting room whooping it up as she jumped positively for joy. "GO FAYNE! GO FAAAAYNE!" "YEAAAAAAAH WHOOOOOO!" Baldwin whooped next to her bouncing alongside as they made a small dance of victory next to each other, the raptor smirking as he joined in swishing his hips with them hollering the bangaa's name. Navarro stood next to the waiting room door pressing foot against the wall behind her shrugging as she shook her head. She was more than ready to leave by this point as she went back inside the room mumbling: "I should have gone with Berniere, kupo. Didn't even say goodbye to me before he left...hm. It's official, I'm surrounded by idiots. Most of them that is."

Three days after the tournament had ended, the night had fallen upon Lea Monde with very few still awake, the bells of the cathedral ringing silent for all the folk drifting into their sleep. The bakers and carpenters, the blacksmiths and tailors, even most of the church itself had gone asleep with only the night watchmen and a few workers across the halls cleaning up their last duties. The Broken Petal made its smooth landing upon a good distance from the city's walls, droning quietly to not disturb anyone. It had been a rather smooth sailing despite being longer than the previous flight as they flew over the Dalmascan desert, swerve between territories of kingdoms and eventually settle down upon the region of West Valendia. The ship's skystone powered down as it neared the sweet earth before hovering gingerly above the cold grass, by at least a good eight feet. Fayne stepped off eagerly first along with the rest of Clan Koridai whilst Kruz simply waited on top of the ship, the gangplank unfolding with a many-jointed creak as if watching an accordion collapse. The gangplank stretched from a rather crumpled-looking state, before extending neatly towards the ground as they made their way off firmly, with the cleric on point wearing a steel-looking medal signifying he was now in 4th place, a claim he allowed himself to be proud of with Dahlia now beside him. "I'm...sorry you did not win." "Now now, what did I tell you about blaming yoursszhelf?" "I...hmhm, you're right, of course. That Archadian was incredible I almost feared you would lose everything!" "Only my chansszhe to get a bronzzhe medal rather than thisszh...but I can feel Jeane Gillesszhpie'sszh sszhorrow contained in it and that...well, I cannot revel in another'sszh sszhuffering asszh a prelate but...hmhmhmhmhm." "Hhhheheheheheee!" "I sszhtill don't get it!" asked Baldwin from behind him. "How'd you even GET Gillesszhpie'sszh card?!" "I do not need to tell you everything, brother." A wide smirk came from the bishop as the monk threw his hands up exasperated. "We could have usszhed it a bit earlier!" "And ruin the sszhurprisszhe for the complete victory, did you not sszhee the look on her fasszhe?!" "...yeaaaaah okay that wasszh pretty amazzhing, I mean Jamesszh even recorded it on hisszh memsszhtone thingy!" "Hah! Wonderful, I may not have won the war of the Triad but I did win the battle that meant mosszht to me." Dahlia blushed at the hidden wink that Fayne gave as they hopped off the end of the gangplank. Behind them was Navarro still with the book inside her satchel, artifact glowing weakly as James waited behind next to Kruz. "We're just gonna return this thing and maybe I dunno, catch a room to sleep in." "Sure you guys don't wanna sleep here? I mean it's late at night and I got no reason to go anywhere else?" "You sure you allowed to park here?" "Not obstructin' anything," shrugged Kruz, "you can sleep off up in the guest rooms if you wanna, course you an' me share my bed." "Heheh, yeah." "...listen, James uh, if things don't work out with yer clan after all the things an' such...would...you..." The kremling rubbed his neck awkwardly despite knowing he knew the answer. "Would you like...join my crew maybe? If you wanted, I mean, only if you wanna go to sumplace an' keep on goin' around Ivalice I mean-" "Let's...just see how this all goes with my people first, then we'll see if I can join you or not. But...if it wasn't for the clan I would definitely be one of your crew." The look that Kruz gave upon hearing this was the same look a boy would make seeing a giant birthday present, grinning wide from cheek to cheek with full-on teeth before he composed himself firmly. James saw who he had been waiting for at last, the the Cupid Mark Crusaders along with Mrs. Imrie also following on behind them. Dragged by both hands gently, her pallid complexion showed an anaemic state she had gone through, but slowly yet surely it was making its way out of her body as they stepped off the plank together.

After making their way through the city's main street, seeing the signs of ancients written on almost every street corner and shop front, they stopped at the steps of the cathedral where they would part lastly. The girls were tired more being it past their bedtime than anything as their prompt enthusiasm for breaking curfew for returning so late conflicted with their eyes worn and drooping giving bags underneath. Mrs. Imrie softly said in weaker spirit: "I...cannot thank you enough...after...everything." "It's alright," said FG, "I'm just glad you all are fine but really you should thank Berniere." "I never did get the chance. Lu said that he departed very quickly following some...stress concerning his clan." "What happened?" "I do not know, I do hope he's alright but, now I must get the children to bed. Goodnight Mr. Campbell." "G'night mister James!" shouted Blum. "Thanks fer..everythin'." "If you see mister Berniere," added Lu, "tell 'im....tell 'im I said thanks, from all of us!" "I sure will," replied James, "now go on, get to sleep, you guys earned it." "G'night mister James!" "A-and thank youuuu!" With Belle's final wave the girls headed back to their home as James' group headed up the steps, stopped briefly by guards of firm regalia order and woven mail with sparsed flecks of luminous silver protection. "Halt, who comes to the cathedral past this hour-...oh, father Fayne, I have not seen you in quite a bit!" "Good evening Clyde," said the bishop kindly, "forgive me for the nightly hour but I am in need of mother Mariel regarding...a-mission that we obtained from her." "Ahhhh she told us about you heading off for that, alright go on in. She should still be up, I think last I saw her was in the library only thirty minutes back." "Thank you." Entering together they passed through the main hall of the Grand Cathedral, which at night was much more solemn than they ever expected it to be. Very few souls met them as they made their way through with Fayne occasionally stopping to ask others on where Mariel now currently was. All sources pointed to the library, and after a few hellos and pitied looks from various churchmembers concerning his new foot, they found themselves at its entrance staring down the aisle between two rows of bookcases, leading towards the central moonlit reading circle.

Various desks were set up alongside each other in a small circle but now stood currently empty of any books to read, with Mother Mariel standing in front of them, facing six strange black shadows between her and James' group. Suspicion grew within them immediately as they began to make swift tracks, hiding behind the bookcases with Navarro and Baldwin heading in first to closely listen on what the conversation would be. There were certainly six of them, cloaked in black and not of any order upon Lea Monde's clergy as they now stood perhaps seven feet away from the old nu-mou as one shadow spoke, a very astute-sounding older male stooped within the same height as her. "Do you have any other grimoires then?" "Not that I can think of," replied Mariel humbly, "I am not certain why you want to know so much about these things." "Are you certain you cannot show us the artifact? The very fabric of existence may rely upon it." "Until I know who you are I am not to show anyone such things, whether I have the artifact or not is-" "Don't. Please, we are not morons, we know very clearly the Sercian Stone is here." "If you so know about it then why not seek elsewhere? I can neither confirm nor deny that it is, but whatever notion you have does not concern me in the slightest." "We are dignitaries of Mt. Bur-Omisace madame, please do not obstruct us." "Hmhmhmhm..." She crossed her arms together with a small rub of her chin with the back of a finger. "I am not so swayed by words like other fools may be, your identification is suspect and your motives are even moreso." "Madame, I assure you we are of a higher authority and...you do realise that if you obstruct us you might be endangering a great many people of this nation." "That, according to you. I am under sworn duty by the light of Kiltia to not allow anyone to come closer to whatever artifacts may lie back there, unless you are officially escorted by a further dignitary above me. Now, if you have nothing further to ask you may try again another-" Bang. The feeling in the pit of Mariel's stomach was unusual. Hot burning solid weight slowly cooling as her breath escaped her. Pain coursed through her in an instant as her hands shook, her throat turning dry as a vomiting sensation felt the urge to come forth. Her hands were wet as she looked down, glowing red in the bleak moonlight. "Wha...wh-wh-what...oh...g-gods help me..." It was only when she collapsed forwards that they truly realised what had happened. Baldwin's scream set off everything in an instant no matter how quickly Navarro tried to stop him. " MOTHEEEERRRRR!" Charging forwards he cracked his fist into one shadowed being as the cloaked figure flung backwards against the bookshelf, screaming with fury as he threw another one out of the way to run straight towards Mariel's body. Blood poured underneath her body, darkest red with her head lying down upon its side in shock as he turned towards the cloaked group, quivering with horror through every part of his body. Then there came shock. Then there came latent fury. "_Y-you...I'll f-f-fucking KILL YOUUUUUU! _"

He grabbed the fallen cloaked figure he had thrown previously who tried to punch him, grabbing the fist with one hand before snapping the wrist inwards as pain violently coursed through the assailant amidst screams of burning anguish. With one arm bent towards the middle of his waist, the attacker felt Baldwin's other fist ram straight in his throat breaking the windpipe clean through out of alignment as choking gasps came from him, staggering back before Baldwin felt a sudden burning sensation drive into his upper right chest. He fell screaming to the floor at the bullet that shattered through his muscle, trying to clutch his wounded chest instinctively. A thin tall figure amidst the cloaked interrogators stood with smoking pistol, seeing the monk fall onto his back from the intense pain that shattered through his pectoral. The shorter male who spoke previously cried out in shock: "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" "I tire of this," said the gunman with cold female voice, "I am not wasting twenty more minutes with some old bureaucrat." "YOU...THIS WAS NOT OUR PLAN!" "THEN WE IMPROVISE, WE ARE NOT MORONS WE CAN THINK AHEAD OF THIS! DON'T. Move, any of you." She said this to James' group behind her as four more cloaked beings appeared from the shadows grasping both Fayne and Dahlia tightly by the wrists, with James inbetween. Fayne struggled trying to break free as he staggered forwards, his brother wounded and held at gunpoint as he cried out shocked with stricken tears. "Wh-wha...what...m-mother...MOTHER NOOOO!" "ENOUGH!" roared another assassin. "If I hear so much as one of you breathe the next moment I will mark your brother's head with a bullet. My men are restraining your mages well enough and I have plenty more guarding this library, and I do not want to hear another word on-" "YOU MURDERER!" cried Baldwin. "YOU FUCKING BITCH YOU KILLED HER! SSZHE DID NOTHING TO YOU!" "QUIET!" The woman fired her gun between the bangaa's legs a foot beneath his crotch, shrapnel from the floor scraping against his thighs neatly as he breathed painfully hard. Navarro could do nothing but kept her sword held where people could see it. Something was off about this assassin ticking in the back of her head. "Unless you want to join her you WILL be silent, if she wanted to be liked then she should have been willing to compromise. Now...you know her well don't you? Tell me where she holds the artifacts." "I...will NEVER-" "Then get someone who will or else you will meet Faram sooner than you want! All I ask is that people be more considerate of the future, of our existence fragile an-" "THAT IS ENOUGH!" roared the cloaked male. "We are not committing another murder, I NEVER WANTED THIS!" "You do not achieve anything without trouble, ever. If you are not willing to reach the full capacity of your instinct then you have no right to be here. Did you REALLY think that if we asked nicely, she would let us have it?!" "It is not my fault she did not know! She cannot know and she could not have known our inevitability, I COULD HAVE TOLD HER ABOUT THIS!" "And jeopardise our mission!? The people like THESE all around you in this godforsaken cannot have that power for there would be utter chaos, it is only the select few as us that have been CHOSEN, tha-" "L-LISTEN TO YOURSELF! FOR GODS' SAKE YOU WERE NOT LIKE THIS! ...you were not like this." Dahlia, despite the panic she was in, felt somehow the male's voice was also familiar to her, but she could not quite place it. The woman cloaked would have said something in response to this very firmly until the sound of screaming agony brought everyone's attention to the centre of the room. "G-GAAAAAAAARGH!"

Turning back towards the site of their murder, one of the cloaked beings stood suddenly with chest thrust forwards as if ruthlessly impaled from behind by something invisible. His chest bled deeply, pouring red down the front of his robe as an abscessed wound had suddenly formed from out of nowhere, a blatant twisting hole they could see right through. Then someone gasped pointing towards the wall now bathed in moonlight. A dark twisted spire impaled fully through the hume's shadow, pulsating vile strength as a voice came brokenly behind him, from the floor itself. "You...sh-shouldn't have done that, my dear... _" Mother Mariel blinked, staring at Baldwin briefly. Her eye turned dark as night for but an instant before the pupil began twisting back inside itself, warping towards a thin tendril so black it had become blue by the moonlight. The nightly length shadowed upon the wall extricated itself from the cloaked assassin who fell upon the ground, dead upon instant before they followed its trailing motion on the wall, crawling its way back towards the nu-mou's fallen form. Transcending through her saintly clothes upon her back, it suddenly slipped right inside her with a cold powerful aura following behind it. The female assassin tensed her fist. "...what...in gods' name are you?" "_Your gods... or mine? _" murmured Mariel darkly. "_I suppose...they are not the same are they, dearest? _" The old nu-mou slowly rose back up, her fur now stiff and frozen with darker grey before her eyes blinked starkly, glassy with death as she chuckled sweetly. As sweetly as a babbling brook laden with foul poison choking the river's stream, blood no longer pouring from her bullet wound as she softly pressed her fingers into her stomach hole. Gasping with breathless chuckle, she pulled out the now-crumpled bullet before twisting it further in her fingertips, crackling it to a fine brittle as her eyes flickered between normal, deathly and pure black. "No...n-n-n-no..." Baldwin looked on with disbelief as did Fayne with sheer horror whilst their friends could not comprehend this unearthly power. The woman tried firing once more straight for the head but this time Mariel dodged, her head suddenly out of shot with near-perfect agility almost blindingly fast for the naked eye before another dark shadow reaped itself across the wall violently from her body. Invisible across the air, the gun suddenly was ripped from the right hand of the assassin as well as her actual hand twisting violently out of socket, wrenched forth until the bone snapped sharply with an echo across the hall. "_A-AAAAAARGH! AAAAARGH GODS, YOU...YOU FILTHMONGERING...KILL HER, KILL HER FOR GODS' SAKE!" Screaming as she clutched her arm broken, she fell kneeling from the hot agony as she struggled to nullify her wounds, the hunched male pulling out his healing items desperately. The shadow slipped back across the wall as the cloaked fiends rushed in to attack Mariel, all three of them as more shadows appeared on the wall. One shadow twisted itself around the blade that one enemy held before wrapping around his hand, pulling the man's sword to forcefully stab his friend own beside him in the stomach, crying with fear from both of them. Shrieking in his horror, the third one was left panicking before his neck was violently snapped as he felt something grasp him just briefly before he fell collapsing, a wheezing shriek rent full with agony as only one still remained before Mariel. During the distracting fight, the raptor saw his chance as he shot out a blast of fire from his hand straight towards one of the two men holding Dahlia, burning his hood off as he fell back screaming against the wall causing the other to start panicking, until James clocked him solidly in the face with a hard fist. Fayne took this opportunity to stomp his solid metal foot straight onto one of his own captor's foot, crushing the very ankle itself as the man began howling with pain, before he cracked his staff across the other captor's face. Rushing towards Baldwin to help, Navarro slammed into the female assassin in order to knock her down only to find another shadowed fiend had leapt up from behind the bookcases. Before he could drive down upon the moogle's head, he suddenly stopped in midair screaming as something began to twist drilling into his stomach, blood pouring upon the midnight floor.

The tentacle's shadow on the wall hooked upwards inside of him, wrenched through his throat before he vomited out his own heart impaled upon the black length, blood drooling partly down his front as he choked gasping with but a scream. Teeth cradling the ventricle organ, the shadow hurled him across the room with a simple flick of its entire self, snapping him in half from the force before throwing him into the wall with a crumpling snap. Mariel's eyes dripped black upon her cheeks, smiling kindly before she felt another presence from behind. Turning fast she saw three men rush towards her, guns firing all at once as the old woman now transformed sliced the very bullets out of the air itself, deflected by her hand briefly showing the blood-red glimmer of an ancient mark. The bullets did not stop fully however as they sliced through her body minutely, shattering out her back in small bloodied spurts as she gasped brokenly. A soft gurgling chuckle that Baldwin became terrified of, the sweet voice he had known since childhood now crooked and twisted with an evil undertone. Then he saw the true origin of it once he saw her back pulsate with an odd symbol, one burnt red like wounded flesh that was both familiar to them, and yet all too horrifying to witness. Fayne gasped as he fell to his knees before it whispering with an ungodly fear. "H-hoh...g-godsszh...n-no...n-n-no it cannot be." "M-m-mother?" The symbol was that of the Rood of Iocus, the grand icon of Kiltia itself but something was very wrong. Whereas normally it was golden and bronze of warmth and light pointing upwards to the heavens, the central cross was white as bone with blood-red on all six main points, pointing downwards into the depths of infernal. Throbbing with great powers of darkness smouldering as she turned softly back towards them, a look of sadness upon her face before she unfazed her eyelid, revealing the warm kindly eyes they had once known. "Shhhhh...do not be frightened my dear sons... mother's here. _" "No...m-mother, what'sszh wrong? Wh-why isszh...that'sszh not-" "The Blood-Sszhin," gasped Fayne. "No...hoh godsszh pleasszhe thisszh...thisszh cannot be what...m-mother pleasszhe-" "_Be not afraid," said Mariel calmly, "_I must first cleanse this place of all these loathsome little rats. _" Mariel pointed to one of the three assassins who suddenly started choking, grabbing his throat frantically as he screamed gargling before his lungs imploded inside of himself. A violent puff of flesh ripped from his mouth before collapsing with suffocation, his two friends panicked with fright as both the woman and the stooped male hurried themselves off hobbling towards the exit. James readied himself to stop them, but the shorter male banished him from their sight with a rippling tornado tearing him off his feet sending him straight up into the air. Making their escape, they managed to flee the room as three other survivors followed before FG fell back to earth, stopping himself short with a gust of wind to allow himself to land safely. Mariel however had the remaining two assassins shaking before her, pistols aimed but quivering in their grip as the nu-mou slowly reached out two tendrils of darkness, clasping around their guns sweetly. "_Do you know what sins you must answer for? I do... I have known all your sins. _"

She suddenly appeared behind one of them as if formed from the darkness, the faintest shadow from out the corner of one's vision that looked almost like a solid form as she whispered in their ears. Fear and sorrow came forth as the men started to cry beneath their hoods, wretched sobbing rose all of a sudden as she spoke words that no one else could see. She read through their minds grasping for a plea to sanctuary for what it did to commit to such dark dealings, as she listened to what they spoke simply from within their hearts. The nu-mou smiled nodding with eyes black, yet brimming with their last moment of pittance. "You have one last sin to commit... upon yourselves. May the light of Kiltia forgive you... because Faram will never find you within my darkness. _" That was all they had to hear. Slowly they began turning the guns towards themselves placing firmly into their mouths. Shivering with tears and muffled moans they screamed for one final second before they pulled the triggers. Almost simultaneously they ended their lives by their own hand as Mariel stood between them, watching their bodies fall as her tendrilled forms slipped neatly into her back. Crackling bone and pulsating flesh beneath her ruined robe, the darkness pulsated back from her eyes as they returned to normal, old and kindly shuddering with hot wizened benevolence. Dahlia had rushed over to where Baldwin still laid whilst Fayne stood in shock, healing him of his wounds enough to let him stand up despite the bullet that had gone through him. Nothing vital thankfully, but with a mix of gauze, antiseptic and Cura she patched him up trying to focus purely on her occupation to deal with what had happened. Several men dead, cloaked for their own funeral as Baldwin got up wheezing slightly, staring at Mariel along with James and Navarro who asked: "...what...did you just...what...happened kupo?" "I suppose," began Mariel, "my secret is out then. We gather at hours late and I fear that we might look better upon this as the dawn rises but I think that...this may be the time for me to explain myself. Forgive me...I had no plan on misleading you, I did not want this to happen but...where do I begin?" "How about the fact you are possessed by a demon? A woman of the church, a matron of all things cursed by a foul beast?!" "I would not call it that." "What?" "More like...I possess it." She enunciated this with a firm grin knowingly, but they had no words for it. She explained herself best she could seeing that there would be no escape from this. "Before I...explain my origins I...must apologise greatly to my dear sons. Baldwin...Fayne...please forgive me for this. I know that I may seem hypocritical but when I explain, all shall become clear when you-_A-AAH!" Fayne struck her across the face with a vicious hand laced with fury. His eyes twitched latent of piercing rage shaking up through his arms as he stood before everybody else. His brother was first to cry out in protest from the shock more than anything. "F-FAYNE!" Mariel staggered back, purely from shock feeling the bishop strike at her as she leaned against the reading desk bracing herself for his tirade. "...you....h-hhhhhh...you...you WORTHLESSSZH WHORE!" "F-f-..Fayne...please, allow me to-" "After everything...I have learnt from you, all the lesszhonsszh of the Dark, all the great and terrifying evil that YOU have sszhpoken of, YOU TRAINED USSZH FOR! Knowing that you of all people were the very origin, THE VERY HEART OF IT!?" "P-p-please...let me-" "SSZHUT UP!" He striked her across the face again in a sudden rage sending her back down onto the floor. Baldwin cried out again: "FAYNE STOP IT!"

But he would not listen. He stood bitterly above her with fists clenched in fury as the clan felt the need to intervene, but before Navarro could step forwards first he turned with pointed finger at her. "DON'T YOU DARE FIGHT ME! I AM WITHIN FARAM'SSZH LIGHT AND YOU WILL NOT CHALLENGE ME!" "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW KUPO! She at least owes you an explanation now stand DOWN!" "SSZHE OWESSZH ME MUCH GREATER THAN THISSZH, ALL OF THISSZH! THISSZH THING THAT I AM, A DEFENDER AGAINSSZHT THE DARK, AND SSZHE ISSZH BUT THE FUCKING BLOOD-SSZHIN, THE VERY ORIGIN OF IT!" "Fayne," warned FG, "I want you to calm down and think about this. You know Mariel is not gonna hurt you, she owes you an explanation that's fine but leave her alone, she doesn't want this." "And what are YOU going to do to me...demon?" "...wh-what?" "I sszhaid..." The bishop turned coldly towards his leader. "What...are you going to do to me...demon?" "...if you don't stand down now, I will kick your ass until you do." "Are you...hhhhaaaaaaah..." Pains riveted up his leg in an instant, the stress finally pushing through to its limit as he grasped his right knee squeezing his eyes shut from the tingling constant pain. But his voice simply turned bitterer for it. "Are you... threatening me?" "Does it LOOK like I'm not? I'm your leader, you follow MY orders, I'm not asking you again." "Neither am I. TERRRR_SANCTUS!_" With sudden whirl of his staff he shot out a white brilliant ball of light instantly striking FG straight in the chest sending him back hard. But even worse was the fact that pure holy strength pulsated throughout his body, burning inside of him as he screamed agonising fits of pain. It was not the scream that any mortal would ever make, darkness coursing through him to try and fight against instinctively. He could not control it, and soon he revealed to his entire clan the dark wicked features of demonkin whilst on his hands and knees, shrieking with a voice twisted infernal. "_A-AAAAAAAAARGH! AAAAAAAAARGH GOD, DAMMIT AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAARGH! _" "WH-WHAT!?" cried Navarro. "What in gods' name is wrong with you, kupo?!" "_YOU...F-FUCKING SHIT FAAAAYNE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MEEEEE!? _" "LOOK!" shrieked Dahlia. "H-his eyes, they're t-turning black like Mariel's d-did! H-hoh Faram what is happening?!" Navarro stepped back with realisation as fangs grew from James' lips, claws reaching out as he struggled to push everything back in, the demon now awake within his body and mind. He shook powerfully, forcing his sheer will as he focused on a happy memory, one he always kept now and forever which seemed to work always. It took him at least three minutes to stop feeling the pain run through him, screaming constantly before lowering into a deep bestial form of anguish, steam wrought from the darkness coiling around from his body before shuddering back into himself. He almost tried to vomit before getting back up, staggering with harsh breaths as Fayne snarled upon him.

"I knew it...I KNEW IT! Your ability to resszhiszht Darkra, that epiphany you had on the Black Misszht, Baldwin told me you were making sszhome very sszhtrange noisszhes to yoursszhelf privately back on our sszhip, weren't you?! I knew...I knew that there wasszh sszhomething wrong with you, ISSZH THISSZH WHY YOU GAVE HIM THAT MISSZHION, MOTHER?!" He turned towards Mariel once again as he said this baring his teeth. "To bring down our very cathedral from around usszh, you and him?! Are all you part of sszhome grand sszhcheme to bring down our very sszhanctum, from within?! A HERETIC SSZHUCH ASSZH YOU!?" "I-it was not," panicked Mariel, "I-...n-no, that's not it, you do not understand!" "MY LEADER ISSZH TAINTED WITH THE DARK! MY MOTHER ISSZH TAINTED TOO, THE TWO PEOPLE I HAVE WHO COMMAND ME UPON THISSZH EARTH ARE INFECTED WITH VILE SSZHORSSZHERY! I sszhould have lisszhtened to my brother, when I heard that Jamesszh had a disszheasszhe but it wasszh not a disszheasszhe of the mind he had, but a disszheasszhe of hisszh WORTHLESSZH ROTTEN SSZHOUL!" "FAYNE STOP IT!" cried Dahlia. "TH-THIS ISN'T, THIS CAN'T BE WHAT YOU THINK-" "YOU KNOW NOTHING DAHLIA! You do not know of what a great and terrible cursszhe can commit upon thee!" "SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU KNOW NOTHING, HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME THAT WAY!?" "I AM PART OF THISSZH CHURCH AND YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY! I have dealt with thisszh wicked cursszhe over my cathedral, my home and that resszhide in it, FOR THIRTY YEARSSZH! And to think the one who trained me for battling againsszht it wasszh the very one who CONTINUESSZH IT! ...why? Why...you?" He stared down upon Mariel who did not dare to fight back, gasping as she tried to pull herself away before she staggered back up. Bruised upon her old cheek, she gripped the desk with hands shaking before trying to explain herself. "...I...I needed...a warrior of light." "What?" "The Dark...is not entirely an evil purpose...but it is an incorrigible existence that we must eradicate." "You lie, there isszh nothing not evil about the Dark, harlot." "But there is more to it than you think. It is true that...I am the one who holds its very power, the very source of it...through a long terrible history of old blood within this city." "You are the inheritor?" said Fayne firmly. "You, of all the people I have known, who sszhent me and my brother out to desszhtroy thisszh evil and YOU are-" "Please, Fayne. I had my reasons, I wanted...I wanted to stop the Dark from spreading. My dear I had no intention of using this power, I may inherit it yes, but I do not intend to use it for evil." "YOU JUSSZHT MURDERED HALF A DOZZHEN WITHIN THISSZH VERY HALL WITH YOUR VILE DARKNESSZH, YOU CAUSSZHED TWO MEN TO COMMIT SSZHUISZHIDE!" "Would you rather I have watched them kill you and your brother?! I will not let anyone hurt you, nor will I let anyone invade my dear city. And it is MY city...the Dark is much more intrinsic to Lea Monde than you think." "And what wasszh your plan, 'dear mother'?" "To eradicate the Dark." The bishop blinked curiously but his feelings of betrayal wound up tightly throughout his fist curling around his staff. "There are still unfortunates, wandering the abyss far beneath our fair city, as well as other places. I cannot control them, but I can control the Blood-Sin. I have powers you cannot comprehend, untenable secrets into both hearts and minds...but unlike those poor misfortunate souls you have slain, I can control it." "NOTHING can control the Dark, it isszh only good when exszhterminated!" "I know," said Mariel solemnly, "but you have seen for yourself how I can control it powerfully. To protect you...and this place." "You are not my protector...I refusszhe to let a demon sszhuch asszh you control me. You, and your twisszhted missszhion whatever artifact you needed, I will not let you have it." "Fayne, please-" "DO YOU SSSZHEE THISSZH?!" He pointed to his false foot. "I ALMOSSZHT LOSSZHT MY FRIEND, AND MY LIFE BECAUSSZHE OF YOUR MISSSZHION! Whatever plan of foul portent you had will not come to fruisszhion. Not here."

Fayne dug into his cloak before pulling out the shining dagger, a powerful spiritual light glinting from within constantly. Mariel gasped as she stood back slightly whilst James was still reeling violently from the shimmering power of Holy, riddling through his body in weakened spasms of agony as Dahlia cried out: "F-f-fayne, FAYNE what are you doing?!" "My duty," said the bishop, "to eradicate all that isszh unholy, to eradicate that which isszh the Dark itsszhelf and thisszh...worthlesszh harlot who sszhtandsszh before me isszh the very origin of it." "Have you gone mad kupo?!" cried Rocino. "For gods' sake have some decency-" "WHAT ISSZH DECSZHENT ANYMORE NAVARRO!? The one who raisszhed me hasszh become my worsszht enemy...I have my duty from Faram, the light of Kiltia...sszhineszh brightly through thisszh blade of mine, tempered with the grasszhe of Faram deep insszhide the ruinsszh of Lea Monde, powered with the mosszht potent Holy sszhtrength that though it may not cut down a monsszhter like we fought...will eradicate a sszhoul twisszhted by darknesszh. DON'T!" He pointed his staff fiercely towards them as he shone his weaponised light towards James. "If you move anywhere near me I will ssszhend our leader back to the devil'sszh embrasszhe that whensszhe came! I will deal with you later, you have no part in thisszh." "But I do," said Baldwin behind him. Fayne turned back towards Mariel as he heard his brother's voice, suddenly finding Baldwin stood between both him and the old nu-mou matron. The monk had his arms wide open in defiance, shaking through every part of his body with his wound gauzed over the right pectoral. Tears had come down from his cheeks as his voice quivered before Fayne asked him: "...Baldwin. What are you doing?" "...don't do thisszh." "What?!" "S-ssszhe...sszhe'szh our mother Fayne. You...you know sszhe isszh, you can't do thisszh." "Get out of my way Baldwin. You know what we musszht do." "But...b-but sszhe raisszhed usszh bro...sszhe...sszhe did everything for usszh, s-s-sszhe never made usszh sszhuffer, never hurt usszh, never...tainted usszh even with her...p-power like-" "You are not her defendant, that THING isszh not our mother!" "WHAT'SSZH DIFFERENT NOW!?" cried Baldwin. "Sszhe protected me, even with the Blood-Sszhin sszhe protected usszh, doesszhn't that mean sszhe hasszh a heart?!" "ARE YOU INSSZHANE!? Sszhe hasszh the Blood-Sszhin, Baldwin! We cannot allow that, not when we know about it! We became part of Kiltia by a sszholemn oath, to bring peasszhe to thisszh land of light but ALSSZHO to eradicate the Dark asszh we sszheek! If we desszhtroy her now we sszhall become FREE of it!" "BUT SSZHE'SSZH OUR MOTHER!" "I DO NOT WANT TO DO THISSZH BUT SSZHE HASSZH BETRAYED USSZH BALDWIN!" "SSZHUT UP FAYNE!" "YOU DEFY ME, YOU DEFY THE LIGHT OF KILTIA!" "FUCK KILTIA I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY MOTHER!" The cleric raised his staff as if about to strike his brother down, but Baldwin knew he could very clearly take him down if he had to by his greater strength. The dagger however was the bigger problem as Fayne tried once more with authority, striking his staff down upon the floor with a hefty echo across the hall seeing his brother's tears. He resisted the urge to comfort, steeling his heart as he made his voice firm. "...I am not asszhking you, asszh a brother. I am demanding, asszh a Father of thisszh church to move asszhide and let me fulfil my duty." "No." "You would dare defy me...to protect the very origin of evil in thisszh world?" "I do not believe that Fayne...could the origin of evil have given usszh warmth? Could it have fed usszh, took care of usszh, loved usszh? Everything sszhe hasszh done, we know the Dark isszh incapable of." "Her sszhoul isszh tainted." "Sszho isszh Jamesszh but we followed him didn't we?! YOU were the one who told me to sszhtop treating him different, 'he may be a sszhodomite but he hasszh done nothing but be a good leader and never sszhown anything towardsszh usszh', THAT WASSZH WHAT YOU SSZHAID!" "THAT ISSZH DIFFERENT, YOU ARE A BLITHERING IDIOT!" "I DON'T TRUSSZHT HIM BUT YOU MADE ME TRY TO! I TRIED TO SSZHWALLOW MY OWN FEARSSZH BECAUSSZHE YOU PLEADED ME TO, WHAT'SSZH DIFFERENT ABOUT THISSZH?!" "THISSZH ISSZH NOT SSZHOME AFFLICSSZHION BALDWIN THISSZH ISSZH PURE EVIL! SSZHE ISSZH WELL AWARE OF HER SSZHACRILEGE AND YET SSZHE FLAUNTSSZH IT!" "I don't care, you are NOT getting passzht me Fayne!" The moment Fayne tried something, Baldwin grabbed the knife from his wrist and pulled it against him, raising the dagger up to his throat. Their friends gasped behind them silently as Fayne's hand began to waver, quivering with protest at this reckless act. "Wh-what...what are you doing?!" "If you dare try to kill our mother, then I no longer want thisszh family...you sszhpill her blood, you sszhpill mine too...might asszh well do it with the sszhame blade." "B-baldwin...Baldwin you are not thinking right." "I am not the one trying to causszhe matrisszhide." "Sszhe...the Blood-Sszhin, Baldwin everything we have learned hasszh lead up to thisszh moment, do not let her guisszhe fool you SSZHE KNEW THISSZH WOULD HAPPEN!" "What?!" "Sszhe isszh usszhing your heart againsszht me! THISSZH ISSZH HER POWER, TO TURN THE HEARTSSZH OF MEN AGAINSSZHT EACH OTHER, YOU HAVE MY BLADE AT YOUR THROAT TO PROTECT HER!" "I AM ACTING OF MY OWN WILL FAYNE! YOU KNOW I AM, IF YOU WANT HER DEAD THEN YOU SSZHALL HAVE TO LOSSZHE YOUR BROTHER FOR IT! ...will you sszhacrifisszhe me too for Faram? Who isszh more important to you right here, your godsszh or your family?" His hand shook even further against Baldwin's grip, the blade only inches from the bangaa's throat as he raised his head upwards giving a clear shot for Fayne to slit it, pulsating with every word he spoke to him. Fayne's eyes began to mist with a memory potent as hesitation ran through him, further than ever. "...I...I-i-i-i...b-brother...p-pleasszhe... "DO IT! DO IT FAYNE! YOU WANT THISSZH SSZHO BADLY THEN-" "KILL HIM!" The cliffside where they used to sit. A warm breeze now cold with hatred. "But...b-but why?!" "He isszh not of our kind, that filthy degenerate hasszh tried to taint you againsszht me!" "But...he'sszh done nothing to me!" "He will sszhoon, hisszh kind all will...who isszh more important to you now, your 'friend' or your family?" "...I...I-i-i-my...family of coursszhe but-" "Then prove it." The glint of the knife pressed into his hand. "If you love your family truly, you will cut thisszh vile disszheasszhe from you...now go, and sszhlit hisszh throat." "Wh-what? No...n-no he, he'sszh done nothing wrong!" "HISSZH ENTIRE SSZHELF ISSZH WRONG FAYNE! If you want to prove you are part of thisszh family you will do asszh I sszhay!" "NO! I CAN'T DO THISSZH, PLEASSZHE FATHER DON'T MAKE ME DO IT!" "YOU WORTHLESSZH LITTLE SSZHIT!" The pain across his cheek as the hand flew across it. Rage from a younger voice came battling against the older. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" "WHAT!?" "GET OFF HIM YOU OLD BASSZHTARD I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM!" "YOU...INSSZHOLENT LITTLE WRETCH!" The hand that turned into a fist, broken across the younger jaw. The voice of the younger that turned silent. "I will not let you harm my family." The hand of the elder picked up the rock. "You degenerate FILTH!" "NO! FATHER PLEASSZHE, SSZHTOP IT NOOOO!" The boy that fell as his hand reached out towards the son. A cliff turned silent, blood dripped from the rock in one hand. The boy that followed after him. The water. Cold and screaming. "BALDWIN! BALDWIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

The hand that held the knife against his brother's throat. The tears that flowed from Fayne's cheeks as he dropped the dagger clattering upon the floor. He clasped his hands over his mouth as he began sobbing, knees turning weak as slowly he went down upon them to the floor. "...what...wh-what have I done...wh-wh-what did I...h-hoh godsszh B-Baldwin...I'm...I-i-i-i...I can't...I can't do it...F-faram forgive me but I can't..." Gasping pains came from his heart as he went on all fours, hands grasping against the floor silently screaming, words trapped in his throat filled with deep shame and regret. Baldwin kicked the dagger away and slowly petted his shoulder, his own tears shining through. "Thank you...for not-" "NO!" He threw Baldwin's hand away with disgustful shame. "I...I desszherve not you...hhhoh...Baldwin...I couldn't...I'm...I-i-i'm sszhorry...I couldn't sszhave you, I-i-i couldn't...I wasszh weak and now I...almosszht k-killed...I'm no better than him, I'm no better than he wasszh when he-GODSSZH DAMN YOU!" His fist beat into the library floor screaming as he bruised his knuckle upon the cold stone before Baldwin stopped him, pulling his arms closely to bring him into an embrace. "I'M SSZHORRY BALDWIN! I'M SSZHORRY!" Burying his head into his brother's shoulder Fayne weeped bitterly slowly rocking back and forth, as Baldwin hugged him sniffing back his own tears more in relief than anything else. Fayne cried into his arms screaming his brother's name, with Mariel sighing in relief as she nursed her bruises. Dahlia, in her eternal need to comfort, walked up to Mariel trustfully and tried to heal her wounds but Mariel refused. "Ah-ah-ah dearest...remember Cura is holy." "OH...o-of course, forgive me I-" "That's alright...I think your leader needs more help than anything." "But...wait, wouldn't Cura hurt him?" "Did it ever hurt before?" "...no." "Well...looks like he's more interesting than I first suspected." "And what of you, kupo?" Navarro said this to Mariel whilst still at James' side, the raptor still feeling the last of the Holy concentrate pass through from his body. "What exactly are your intentions...and why did you send us out on this mission for the artifact?" "I will gladly explain everything, but I fear that this may be too dark an hour for us to speak of these matters. Your leader needs rest, Baldwin and Fayne are dearly in need of some perspective and comfort...and I...need to rest quite a bit from all that which came upon us." "Very well...but...who were those people, and why were they seeking artifacts?" "I wish I knew...I do not recognise them and I certainly do not plan on congregating with them ever again. Do not worry about the bodies, I will dispose of them." "Can I help?" James stood up slowly breathing warm relief as pains continued through him of a dull pulsing. "If you would," said Mariel nodding, "it appears we have much to learn from each other." "I just...hhhh...need to catch my breath after...what happened?" "Are you alright James?" asked Dahlia. "I...hurts but...I'm okay...you don't need to do anything I...pushed him back into me again, he won't be...coming out anytime soon." "Who?" "...the demon." Navarro and Dahlia looked fretfully at each other, nervous around their leader who waved a hand to them saying: "We'll talk about this tomorrow." "Quite right dear," said Mariel, "I have a room available for you in the cathedral, all of you...just so I can compensate for what you had to go through." "That'd be nice...thanks. You guys alright?" "Maybe," said Baldwin. "I think me and Fayne are gonna need a long resszht...but you." He turned towards Mariel with accusatory finger. "I wanna hear everything from you tomorrow. EVERYTHING, you owe usszh a lot about thisszh...cursszhe upon you." "I understand," said the aged nu-mou, "and Baldwin...thank you for trusting me." "Don't make me regret it...tomorrow. Everything." "Of course, I owe you that much." With little else to say they began to head to the spare room that Mariel would upkeep for any guests from afar, six beds ensconced within a simple rectangular room of five dressers and two windows. Exhaustion had overcome them more by exhilaration than anything, as Baldwin slept next to Fayne whilst Dahlia and Navarro slept on the other side of the room. James soon joined them perhaps 20 minutes later after helping Mariel dispose of the bodies secretly so that no one would ever be the wiser, for when the morning would come. He also had to inform Kruz he would not be sleeping back on the ship, but that something had come up and Mariel had offered them a room within the church for easy access. He was surprised that nobody had come to investigate, but Mother Mariel said that she had many excuses that she could make to cover up such things. All they could do for now was sleep, and wait for the morning sun to banish what darkness they had felt. They all had their thoughts personally frought with confusion, distress and the temptation of mistrust between them. Fayne was at his most conflicted and ended up sleeping worse than others would. He almost hoped that the day tomorrow would not come, that this was simply but a dream and nothing else unlike those memories he had sought, pressing the blade to his brother's throat. Memories he could not share with anyone, especially not his dearest Baldwin.