The Last Saga 2 (part 2 of 3)

a Original Fiction fanfiction by Kaiser

**********

PART TWO

**********

"So he just let you go?"

After the incident at Adelaide Pass; Baliero, Rune and Satsuma made a 
point of it to flee the Strolheim Mountain Range as quickly as possible. 
Once Angel Knight Vohraphamon released him, Baliero rushed to join up 
with Rune and Satsuma on the outside of the cave area. The one that made 
up the first area of the pass. From then on they swiftly rushed towards 
the very end of that mountain pass. It was a long, winding stretch of 
stone built in-between the rocky mountains to the other side of the 
range. Thus it was a bit of a walk to reach the region on the other 
side. But once they left the vastness of Adelaide Pass, they came to 
this new area.  

It was a grassy stretch of land called Emerald Oak. 

If any of the regions of the three major countries of world (Daneland, 
Lemarchand, Geshtar) could be divided into states, then Emerald Oak had 
to be the largest of all. It was a vast set of plains that stretched 
from the Strolheim Mountain Range in the northwest all the way to the 
Great Desert of Ka'ha in the south, which separated Daneland from 
Geshtar. Emerald Oak  made up around a third of all Daneland. And to the 
far east of this region was the massive city of Castel, poised upon the 
borderlines between the Emerald Oak region and the Eastern Snowlands. 
The population of Emerald Oak were divided by sub-shire systems and 
small villages that were dotted across the grasslands. Emerald Oak was a 
perfect place for farming and agricultural expansion. And because of 
this, farmland was far more common here than anywhere else in the world. 

On the edge of one of the mountains beside the rear exit of Adelaide 
Pass was a small Inn. A traveller's stop that was remote in the least. 
And so Rune, Baliero and Satsuma made a point of stopping there for the 
night. They would need to rest up for the walk tomorrow. They had a lot 
of ground to cover and no other way to reach Castel than by foot. In the 
recreation room, the eating hall (of the Inn) the three companions sat 
around a circular wooden table in the middle of a few others. This place 
was not busy but did have at least twenty other people in it. Some were 
obviously spending the night. Others had just stopped for a quick ale 
before leaving. A waitress then came to their table and handed them what 
they had ordered when they arrived. An ice water for Rune, a beer for 
Baliero, and a freshly squeezed lemon juice (deliciously bitter) for 
Satsuma. 

"Yup," Baliero said, gulping down some of his pint, "...I have no idea 
why. Vohraphamon said something about me having a small 'role' to play. 
But I don't have a clue what he was on about. Besides..."

"Besides what?" Satsuma asked.

Baliero looked to Rune. "...It doesn't really matter that he didn't kill 
me. Because I'm not the one he's after. That's you... right, kid?"

That was the truth. "...Yes. He is after me."

"Well then," Baliero put is pint of beer down, "I think you'd better 
start explaining to me just what I've gotten myself into. 'Cause you 
aren't just a pair of randomly travelling kids, that's for damn sure."

Satsuma took the opportunity to explain. "Yeah well, that's kinda 
obvious now. When Rune and me lived on Frayne Island, it was attacked by 
that guy, that... 'Angel Knight' or whatever you called it. When we 
found Rune's Grandpa, he told us that she wasn't related to him by 
blood. And that her father brought her over from Lemarchand. He said 
that she had a destiny and that she had to go to Castel if she wanted to 
learn anything about it. So Rune decided to go there. And since she's my 
best friend, I came with her. That's about it."

Baliero nodded. "I see. Well ain't this a kick? The Queen's Army called 
me a traitor for leaving because of Avernae's new involvement in the 
war. Then I stumble on a couple of kids that prove once and for all what 
I've always known. That Avernae really are untrustworthy." 

"I can understand if you don't wish to get anymore involved in this, 
Baliero," Rune said, "But I have to reach Castel. It was my Grandpa's 
dying wish."

The ex-soldier sniggered, "Listen, kid, I'm excited about this. 
Whatever's going on around here, its obviously pretty important. And 
it'll prove what the Avernae Church is really like. You couldn't get rid 
of me now even if you tried."

That was good for Rune to know. She had a feeling that she would need 
all the help she could get if she ever wanted to reach Castel. There was 
a lot of dangerous people in the world these days. Baliero's sword 
skills and geographical knowledge would not be a hindrance to her 
journey with Satsuma. Rune was just about to tell him so. But she was 
interrupted before she could do that. Rune, Satsuma, Baliero and just 
about every other person in that bar turned on their chairs and looked 
to the door as girlish screams took the spotlight.

In the vein of 'help me!' and 'somebody please help!'.

This was the cry of a young girl. Who was around nine years of age. 
Probably no older than that. Tears ran down her cheeks when she charged 
up to the circular tables that happened to have many a burly man 
surrounding them. Her braided brown hair whipped from one side to the 
other as she came to a stop and frantically tugged at the coattails of a 
particular man, who happened to stand out a little more thanks to the 
strapped axe on his back.

"P-please, Mister?!" She cried out, "W-would you help me?! C-can any of 
you help me?!"

The axe-wielding man patted her on the shoulder. "Now, now, dearie. Calm 
down. I can't understand what you're saying to me if you're all upset 
like this. So just take a deep breath and start from the beginning. What 
is your name and what do you need help with?"

"...My name is Tia," She said, catching her breath, "...I need someone 
to help. My Mommy and me were picking rare flowers at the ruins of Kol 
Sohrab. But she wasn't feeling so well... Mommy fainted when we were 
trying to leave... she's all alone in there!"

The crowds of all those who had gathered at that bar section of the 
stopover gasped. Not at the fate of the woman who had entered Kol 
Sohrab, but at the fact that she and her daughter had gone in there in 
the first place. What idiot would risk their life like that?

The axe-toting man looked to his fellow drinkers. None of them were in 
love with the idea of helping this girl by entering Kol Sohrab 
themselves. And neither was he. "Look, little girl, the County Lord 
prohibited entry into Kol Sohrab for a reason. You know as well as I do 
that the ancient Dragon Worm now sleeps inside its halls. No one was 
supposed to enter it until Lieutenant Colonel Dupart of the Queen's Army 
arrived to exterminate the beast. Even if any of us were able to help 
you, we would risk the charges of the court."

Tears reappeared at the Tia's eyes. "...B-but... I... my... Mommy..."

"It is simply not possible, child. And even if you have come here 
directly from the ruins... the chances that your mother is still alive 
are quite slim."

And the shock of those comments had its way with Tia. The girl's eyes 
watered rapidly. It was the reality of the situation that was the 
hardest to accept. But there were others who were not prepared to sit 
back and listen to that. One of them being Rune. "How could you say such 
a thing to a frightened child?!" 

Rune glared daggers at the axe-wielding man from her seat at the table 
with Baliero and Satsuma. "Would you really let an innocent woman die 
just because you are unwilling to be charged with trespassing?"

"The Dragon Worm is dangerous!" The man yelled back, "It has already 
slaughtered dozens upon dozens of people who have visited Kol Sohrab in 
the past. None of us have the strength to kill such a creature! We were 
all told to wait for the arrival of Dupart and her troops before 
entering Kol Sohrab! If that woman has fallen to the beast then it is 
her own fault! A result of her own impatience!"

Rune did have to admit that the axe-guy had a point. If entry into the 
ruins was prohibited then why would Tia's mother have done it? 
Especially with that Dragon Worm thing on the loose. Nonetheless, taking 
one look at Tia's emotionally unstable face would sealed Rune's 
intentions at that point. The dark-haired woman stood up from her chair 
and walked over to Tia. She crouched down to meet the nine-year-old at 
eye-level, putting on the warmest smile she could manage.

"...Hello, Tia." Spoke the wielder of Rustam, "...My name is Rune. I 
know you must be very scared and worried for your Mother now. And I 
know... just what that feels like. So I will help you to save her. I'll 
go with you to Kol Sohrab."

Tia blinked her tears away. "...R-really...?"

Baliero piped up, leaning back in his chair. "Rune? Are you sure? What 
about Castel?"

"Castel can wait," Rune replied bluntly, "My Grandpa told me to always 
help someone when they were in trouble. I have to help Tia to rescue her 
mother. I'd feel so guilty if I didn't."

Looked like they had been dragged into another detour. But she wouldn't 
be doing it alone. As usual, whatever Rune got involved in, Satsuma also 
got involved in. The redhead stood up from her table and winked, showing 
her participation. "...Well... there could be some wicked treasure in 
there for me to steal in that Kol place! Might as well tag along for the 
ride."

"..." Baliero released a perturbed breath, "...I said I wasn't going to 
get involved in anything un-connected to Castel and Avernae. I'm holding 
to that. You two are on your own. But... I'll get things ready for you 
when you get back..."

Rune nodded to him with a smile. "Thanks, Baliero."

Then she turned to the little girl in front of her. "Now, Tia. Can you 
show us the way...?"

**********

Even Angel Knight Wishram was filled with awe when his dark eyes looked 
out through the window of the airship to watch the mighty city of 
Castel. The Cloud Dancer ship flew right over its vastness and layout. 
And through those small windows of the airship the few people who 
happened to be on it could see the greatest city in all the world. 

Castel. 

It was literally colossal. 

Full of shops, houses, sporting coliseums, mansions, street carts, 
churches, gardens, parks, halls, shopping arcades and most important of 
all; the residence of Queen Diamond herself, Phoenix Castle. Interwoven 
into all of this were thousands of cobblestone streets. Tamed horses and 
smooth wooden carriages rode along those roads with that familiar sound. 
Wisps of smoke rose up from chimneys dotted along the houses in the 
residential area. Each and every hour bells were rung to signify their 
passing. The bustling streets were packed with people. Darting in 
between the buildings to do their various aims. Work, rearing children, 
sightseeing, travelling, shopping, stealing. Castel's populous was a mix 
of all kinds of people from across the continent. Rich people, poor 
people, young people, old people. Those that were strong, those that 
were weak. Those that were kind and those that were unfair. 

The streets were filled with stalls and markets. Selling all kinds of 
goods. Those ranging from fruits and vegetables to weapons and armour. 
Things that were rare in other villages and cities were commonplace in 
Castel. If there was anything in the world that a person would want, 
that person would have had no better place to look in than this city. It 
was overflowing with uncommon merchandise. And the overpowering stench 
of wealth and power hung well in the atmosphere. But Castel was not just 
a place for the buying and selling of items.

It was also known as the 'Shining City of Pleasure' and 'Mortal Heaven 
on Earth'. Which was a name given in regards to all that could be done 
and enjoyed here. The culture of 3000 years of rich history was gathered 
and displayed in the many art galleries and museums scattered around the 
richer parts of the city. These exhibits showed everything. Ancient 
weapons and old scriptures, distant works of art from the furthest 
reaches of Daneland, Lemarchand and (despite the war) Geshtar. These 
were masterpieces such as paintings of the Gods, statues of great 
leaders in bygone eras, and story scrolls written by some of the 
greatest writers of all time. 

The nightlife of Castel was just as vibrant. When the sun came down and 
the moon and stars took its place, the city became everything its title 
of 'Mortal Heaven on Earth' stood for. The hundreds of gambling dens, 
casinos, and ale bars opened to a willing public. Staged fights and 
tournaments took place in underground rings. Pugilists, swordfighters, 
magic-users and animals tore into each other for sport before the eyes 
of loud and jeering crowds in smoky, alcohol-ridden environments. To 
accompany those overloaded places were the brothels and massage parlours 
that made Castelian nightlife infamous. Women and men (and those 
in-between) of the finest beauty worked in places like those. Possessed 
of convincing sexual zeal and the appetite to make money, they sold 
their bodies in fabled prostitution rings. Lecherous people (men and 
women, middle-class and working class) came to these legendary brothels 
and watched the lavish dancing of the models. All thoughts of wives and 
husbands became secondary to the raw human urges that were stimulated as 
a result of these performances. 

Any sexual pleasure could be satisfied in Castel; even those 
particularly dark in nature.

The shadow of this city hung over the world. It was the first ever city 
of its kind. A place so big and so diverse that anyone could find 
happiness here. Or descend into a life of depravity from trying. Never 
before (and arguably, never at all) would there be a city in this world 
that encompassed so much, so seamlessly. 

The city was cut into three districts. Northtown, Eastdale, and 
Southway. Northtown was primarily where all the business and law took 
place. And was quite officially the upper-class section of this society. 
Eastdale was more of a residential area. A working-class place. While 
Southway was a mixture of both. Where the majority of the city's 
populous came to enjoy their lives. A city inside a city, if you will. 

To the west of Southway was Phoenix Castle. It was located at the edge 
of the town. The abode of the royal family. It was surrounded by rose 
flower gardens, stone archways and a huge moat of crystal clear water. A 
wonderful palace etched from marble and supported by foundations of 
stone and steel. This was where most of the laws and legal workings that 
dominated Daneland were conceived. Queen Diamond was on relatively good 
terms with parliament, so no conflicts between the monarchy and the 
legal system conceived by parliament really took place. Phoenix Castle 
was also the second-biggest castle in the world. Second only to that of 
Ottaman, his fortress home of Katabul. This did nothing to take away 
from the majesty of Phoenix Castle and the surrounding city. And while 
the Cloud Dancer airship landed before an open patch within the safe 
confines of the castle precinct, Wishram could not help but thank the 
Gods for his opportunity to see this place again. A small group of 
castle guards stood by below the airship, their clothing blown back by 
the force of its lowering engines. Accompanying them was a feared man 
known as Sidney Maximillion Heidal. Who happened to be both General of 
the Queen's Army and the Danelish foreign ambassador. Heidal was 
well-respected in all three countries of the world, and it was his job 
to greet foreign leaders such as Cardinal Danel. 

The airship landed to a slow stop on the smooth bay at the short rear of 
the towering Phoenix Castle. When the engines came to a stop, the 
stepping path unhinged from the side of the hull and touched upon the 
marble of the ground. After a few moments of waiting, the foreign 
visitors from Lemarchand left the Cloud Dancer. First came Angel Knight 
Wishram. With his spear and armour fully ready for anything. Then out 
came Cardinal Danel and Helene (Who had a distracted expression on her 
face). Following those two was Angel Knight Ishmael and the attendants 
who happened to be holding the luggage of said party. The clanking sound 
of metal shoes upon the steel of the steps soon stopped. Both of the 
Angel Knights guarding their charges. 

The Cardinal and his daughter were in Castel. 

Heidal bowed briefly to the leader of the Avernae Church. "Welcome to 
Castel, Cardinal. I hope that you will enjoy your stay. Be assured that 
we consider ourselves blessed to be in your presence. Especially in such 
taxing times."

"Greetings, General Heidal," Replied the highest ranked of the Clergy, 
"I have heard that union of strengths between the Force of Onreld and 
the Queen's Army is going smoothly all thanks to your efforts. I am 
pleased for this. And pleased that I will be meeting with Queen Diamond 
today."

Heidal nodded. "She too is as pleased to be meeting with you.  She 
believes that there is much to discuss between the two of you. I have 
arraigned the finest accommodation in the castle for you and your 
daughter."

Knowing that she had just been addressed, Helene broke herself out of 
her reverie and bowed to the well-respected commander of the Queen's 
Army. "...It is a great pleasure to meet with you... General Heidal."

Heidal nodded to her to acknowledge that. While his subordinates took a 
special note of the holy songstress, Helene Ferey. Many stories had been 
told of the flaxen-haired girl's beauty. Both in body and voice. It was 
safe to assume that neither estimation had been a lie. 

"I am sure that you will also enjoy it here in Castel," Said Heidal, 
"...And I had heard that you would sing a verse from Opus Edda in a 
private sermon. I look forward to it."

Helene was no stranger to flattery, but it seemed more potent when 
coming from a war-hero like Heidal. But now was the time for meeting 
with the Queen herself. Heidal let the luggage handlers from the Cloud 
Dancer pass him by. Following the other servants on hand who would lead 
them to the quarters of the Cardinal and the songstress. Then Heidal 
motioned for Danel and Helene to follow him to the Throne Room. Where 
Queen Diamond would be. The two followers of Avernae walked with him 
towards the polished silver gates of Phoenix Castle, which parted open 
for them as they all approached. The two Angel Knights, Wishram and 
Ishmael, trailed after them. They would still have to guard the two 
dignitaries after all. Though they inspired many a glance of fear. The 
legendary destructive force of the Angel Knights was known throughout 
the world. Castel was no exception. But that was not very important to 
them. What mattered now was one of the major reasons for Cardinal 
Danel's trip to this city.

A meeting with Queen Diamond.

**********

"...So... this is Kol Sohrab."

It was eerily silent. 

Rune was more than astounded to see it. Kol Sohrab was a set of ruins to 
the southeast of the Strolheim Mountain Range. It was once a small town 
built by travelling settlers from Geshtar. Refugees from years of 
internal battles between the warring tribes, people who fled Geshtar 
long before the unification of the tribes under Ottaman XII. These were 
people who were too poor to survive life anywhere else. And so settled 
here. Kol Sohrab became an isolated town that ran on its own local 
agriculture rather than trade with neighbouring towns and villages. Even 
before the war with the south, Geshtals were mistrusted and ridiculed in 
Daneland. Thus the people that lived here had no choice but to live 
under their own power. To aid the problem of water supply, Kol Sohrab 
was built over a section of a large river. However, the peaceful times 
did not last. There was an earthquake here around 200 years ago. It was 
a violently powerful one. Felt all the way over in Strolheim Village. 
Unfortunately the quake occurred just a short distance from Kol Sohrab. 
Thus it felt most of the impact. The town largely collapsed into itself. 
And the vast majority of the 1500 people living there were killed in the 
onslaught. 

Once the damage was done, Kol Sohrab was largely reduced into a ruined 
ghost village of stone. The ground underneath the town had been carved 
into a set of makeshift pipelines that supplied water from the river to 
every inch of the village. Of course this all was destroyed when most of 
the town collapsed into the earth. Thus a fair amount of people were 
drowned as well as crushed. But the mixture of diverted water and deep 
soil mixed in the ruins of Kol Sohrab. Which allowed rare vegetation to 
grow upon the wrecked stone homes of the dead settlers. The flowers and 
fruit that grew in the ruins gave the whole place and air of beauty 
alongside its sadness. And because of the rarity of this greenery, many 
traders from nearby villages came to the ruins on a monthly basis to 
pick at them. However this was a job for the brave. Many tales had been 
told about disgruntled spirits that remained in the physical world to 
haunt the ruins of Kol Sohrab. No one knew whether these stories were 
true or not. But there were those who claimed to have seen such spirits. 

Just recently, when the trips to Kol Sohrab had died down thanks to the 
weakening economy (brought along by the war)  a monster had taken up 
residence in the ruins. That was the so called 'Dragon Worm'. Some 
argued that it was one of the creatures that had escaped from the Enfar 
Colliery. Others claimed that it was a final punishment of the Gods to 
tarnish the memory of 'filthy sinners' like the Geshtar people. Views 
such as those tended to occur a lot more since the war started. But 
whatever the reason, the presence of the Dragon Worm was seen to be a 
problem. However. Kol Sohrab was a relatively small village but large 
enough for people to avoid the Dragon Worm. Therefore some people were 
confident enough to ignore the lost souls and risk death by the Dragon 
Worm's venomous fangs in order to reap the benefits of the rare flowers 
that could only be grown here. Which was the major reason why Tia's 
mother had dared to come here in the first place.

Rune, Satsuma and Tia walked carefully through the moss-covered stone 
paths of the ruined town. Satsuma took a particular interest in this 
place. There was clearly little of value left here aside from the lush 
flowers, which was not Satsuma's style. But it was an amazing sight to 
the eyes. She had never seen a place as damaged as this. The stone of 
the walls of the houses were cracked and covered with leaves. Pools of 
water were everywhere from the broken waterway, rising up from the soil 
beneath the stone. This place had a clear and frighteningly beautiful 
mix between life and death. 

"Whoa..." Satsuma expressed, "This place is..."

Rune nodded while they all walked. "...Yeah. I know what you mean. But 
lets just hope that we can find Tia's mother though... before that 
Dragon Worm comes around here."

So far all had been clear on that front. And Tia led Rune and Satsuma to 
the innards of the ruined ghost town. The three of them stalked over the 
stone pathways and dodged around all the devastated stone homes, covered 
in plant growth. Until they reached a quiet place that was clearly the 
centre of the town. A large building which seemed to be some kind of old 
meeting hall. Like the rest of the town it was cracked and fragmented. 
And covered in moss. At this point in Kol Sohrab, the bones of those 
killed in the earthquake were everywhere. Preserved probably by the 
residue of the flowers and moss. Tia stopped before this hall. So Rune 
and Satsuma also stopped. 

"This is the place! This is where my Mommy is!" Tia said desperately. 
The girl then threw caution to the wind and ran straight inside. 

"Wait up, Tia!" Yelled the Master Thief. 

Satsuma was about to run after her, until she noticed that Rune was 
awfully still. The dark-haired swordswoman had her head lowered and her 
hand against her heart. Her blue eyes were also closed. Almost as if she 
was pondering something. As beautiful as Rune looked when she was doing 
this, Satsuma could not stop from being worried by it.

"...Rune...? Is everything okay...?"

Rune tightened her hand over her chest. "...I... know this may sound... 
strange... but I think that... I can... feel..."

"Feel what?" Satsuma questioned. 

"...The sadness..." Those ocean blue eyes of the Islander opened again, 
"I can feel the sadness in Kol Sohrab. It's... overflowing. And deeper 
that... I can feel... outrage. Outrage at the loss of life... the 
forsaken futures... and the... resentment... of the persecution..."

Satsuma blinked with confusion. "...Persecution? Persecution of who...?"

"The Geshtals..." Rune answered correctively, "...I can feel their 
suffering... it started... before the quake... that ruined this town..."

Regardless of whatever was going on in Rune's heart from being here, it 
wasn't as important as what they had come here to do. They had to help 
Tia rescue her mother before the Dragon Worm attacked them. Satsuma 
grabbed Rune by the arm and quickly pulled her out of whatever she was 
feeling. They had to catch up with Tia. Satsuma then ran inside the hall 
at the centre of Kol Sohrab. Rune was forced to follow. They both 
entered and saw that which had drawn Tia's mother here. Most of the 
floor and nearly all of the walls were covered with moss. Growing out of 
that moss were flowers. The purple-leafed blossoms that had attracted so 
many willing people to them. It was like a stone garden. Satsuma looked 
up to the ceiling to see that a wide hole had been blown open in it. 
From the quake, no doubt. A short distance away was a stone altar. Tia's 
mother (Mariah) had propped herself up against it. She looked like an 
older version of her daughter. The sheer resemblance between the two of 
them was uncanny. Tia kneeled down by her mother's side with another 
emotional frown. 

"Mommy!" She said desperately, "I'm so glad you're okay! I got two 
grown-up women from that Inn near the mountains! They're going to help 
me get you out of here!"

Mariah struggled to speak. "...Tia... thank you..."

Satsuma walked up to the older woman and crouched down to get a better 
look at her. From the looks of it, Mariah was very pale. Not to mention 
tired. It would prove difficult to get her out of here... but not 
impossible. "...Ma'am? Can you hear me? We're gonna get you outta here. 
It's not safe and I can see that you need a doctor fast. Rune!"

The swordswoman was still caught up with what she was feeling from this 
place. But when she heard the desperate sound of Satsuma's voice, she 
pulled herself back into attention. Rune jogged over to the others and 
reached for Mariah.

"We'll have to carry her on our shoulders," Satsuma confirmed, "Man, now 
I wish that good for nothing Baliero would have come with us!"

The three other women ignored Satsuma's whining and just focused on the 
task at hand. The saving of Mariah. Satsuma wound her arm around her 
waist and put Mariah's right arm around her neck. Rune would have to do 
the same. And she would have done so...

...Until they all heard a rather loud but distant roar.

The terrifying scream of something large, something animalistic. Rune, 
Satsuma, Mariah and Tia all froze in place when they heard it. Only Tia 
and Mariah had heard it before. But they all knew just what it belonged 
to. The Dragon Worm. A few seconds later, the roar was heard once more. 
But this time it was much louder. Which in turn meant that it was 
getting closer and closer to them. 

Tia visibly trembled. "...I-it's the Dragon Worm..."

"...Dammit!" Satsuma growled, "Just when I thought we could get your mom 
outta here before it even showed up! We gotta be quick! Rune, grab her 
arm!"

Rune nodded and proceeded to do so. Then a third scream came from the 
Dragon Worm. This time it was bluntly loud. Unavoidably so. Echoing 
throughout the grassy meeting hall. Tia looked up and screamed with 
terror when she saw it. The head of the Dragon Worm peered through the 
large hole in the ceiling. Its face contorted in anger. Or what looked 
to be anger. Rune and Satsuma looked up at the beast with stunned 
expressions. It was by far the most terrifying creature either of them 
had ever seen. The Dragon Worm was a large creature with a thin but 
lengthy body. From the snout of its head to the tip of its tail its 
bodily length stretched out at around twenty-seven metres. Its long, 
thin, skeletal head thrashed from one side to the other, the scaly fins 
on its head and upper neck shaking. Its slimy beige flesh bulged every 
few seconds. While puffs of steam were ejected from its nostrils 
constantly. It was then that Rune noticed the bones dotted across the 
moss-covered floor. But unlike the skeletons on the outside, these were 
broken and separated. Now they began to realize that this was the 
feeding ground of the Dragon Worm. 

"...This... is bad..." Satsuma spoke. 

Rune kept her eyes on the Dragon Worm. While her left hand reached back 
to Rustam. She unsheathed the blade and unhooked her arm from Mariah's 
waist. "...This is going to be... rough... if we don't do something. 
Tia, Satsuma. You guys will have to carry her out of here for me. While 
I keep that thing busy."

The Dragon Worm leered above, while Satsuma answered, "Are you out of 
your MIND?! I can't leave you alone with that THING!"

"Would you rather us all die here!? I can't risk you-"

Rune was silenced by a fourth shriek from the Dragon Worm's parted jaws. 
This time it acted. It slithered from the hole in the wall down to the 
innards of the hall. Along the far wall. It planned on feeding for sure. 
A rush of adrenalin surged through Rune. Instinct. Blind will. Maybe it 
was an after effect of coming to Kol Sohrab. Despite Satsuma's urging to 
stay back, Rune ran straight ahead with her unsheathed sword. Tia, 
Satsuma and Mariah all watched as the young woman rushed across the 
floral ground to the encroaching Dragon Worm. Rune then pulled her blade 
to one side and readied herself for a horizontal swipe. The slithering 
beast swung its head the opposite side. Then right back around in the 
very second that Rune entered striking range. The girl released a hard 
cry of pain when the bony head of the Worm batted her away from it, 
knocking Rustam right out of her grip. 

Satsuma was distraught. "Rune!"

The dark-haired teen was thrown full-throttle across the room from the 
force of the blow. Her torso skidded into a nearby side room. Rune came 
to a stop with an ugly thud against a stone pillar erected toward the 
centre of that smaller room. While the Dragon Worm roared a cry of 
victory and slithered closer to the other three. Satsuma grimaced and 
withdrew Quiri from her side pocket. The Dragon Worm was about to kill 
them.

In the side room, Rune groaned. She was face down. A trickle of blood 
trailed down from the side of her skull. But other than a little ringing 
in her ears, she felt okay. Still she did not make a move at that 
moment. Even though she could hear those frightened screams of Tia in 
the background. It was almost as if she couldn't move. Like something 
was pinning her in place with invisible hands. She thought nothing odd 
of it until a voice whispered into her ear,

"She who will meet with the Oracle of Heaven and cleave the Holy Realm 
in her true heart's image... the Descendant of the People... the very 
outlet of the rage of the forgotten souls of history... the Scion of 
Earth..."

Rune groaned once more, stirring. "...What... are...?" 

"You can hear it, can you not? The voices of the souls who will never 
find their rest. You can feel their anger. Their dissatisfaction. Their 
will to be manifest once more... you are their only hope for 
deliverance. You are the sword of the forgotten... the weapon of the 
unspoken... the star which will, inevitably, lead all souls to their 
redemption."

Rune didn't know where that voice was coming from. Or who was behind it. 
But it was very much real. And speaking things that were becoming more 
true to her. The more time that Rune spent inside Kol Sohrab, the more 
she felt from it. But it was not a good feeling. It was a feeling of 
sadness, dismay, mournful pain, agony, fear, terror, and 
disillusionment. But more than that... 

...there was anger.

And so Rune was swept away in a tidal wave of forgotten memories. Her 
body quivered when she was shown images of the town, 300 years ago. Upon 
the day the quake struck. Now she could see what happened. The stone 
homes shook. The glass broke. The ground cracked. The sky threw down 
bolts of lightning and bellowed claps of thunder. Literally tearing 
apart Kol Sohrab. Water rose up from the broken grounds and consumed 
those who could not get away. Women and children were drowned. While men 
were crushed to death during their efforts to provide an escape route 
for their families. The whole of Kol Sohrab was swallowed up in 
destruction. But even further back. Rune could see what life was like 
before the quake. The fear of the Geshtals. Constantly hounded and 
terrorized by the mistrusting Danelish. Any person who dared to leave 
the town would have suffered at the hands of their neighbours. Now Rune 
could see the Geshtals being beaten, whipped, tortured and flayed alive 
at the hands their persecutors. As far as they were concerned, the 
Geshtals were nothing but crazy heretics from a land of heathens. 

Which was when the symbol of Avernae appeared in her head...

...Alongside a girl.

A beautiful girl with blonde hair and the most melodic voice you could 
imagine. Yet... to see her... Rune was not filled with love or 
understanding. But rage. The rage of the Geshtals. The rage of those who 
suffered against Avernae. The millions of forgotten dead souls that were 
screaming out for a sword. A sword to strike back. To avenge themselves 
from beyond the grave. This was no sudden burst of emotion. This was the 
Anger of the People. The will of the damned souls and those crying out 
for a new order. For a revolution from eternity. 

...For a new world.

"Yes!" Yelled the ethereal voice, "You feel it! Filling you! Consuming 
you! Devouring you! YOU are the jar that holds the collective resolve of 
the people! YOU are their voice! YOU are their sword! YOU will be their 
release! YOU will be the crux and the conclusion to all of their pain! 
YOU will sow all the discontented to the Soul Stream! YOU will be the 
victor of the Contest of Heaven and Earth! YOU are the axis upon which 
the Holy Realm will form! YOU are the Scion of Earth!"

Rune curled up into a fetal ball and struggled with all these 
sensations. It was overwhelming. Too powerful to imagine. The combined 
rage of the people. Of the lost souls. The cries of the damned and those 
who would be doomed to suffer in silence. Her body shook violently. And 
was now surrounded in a bright amethyst glow. So strong that it 
illuminated that dark side room to the fullest. Rune's eyes flashed 
open. Gone was the blue of them, now they were tinted with crimson. 

"...I... I... am..." The struggle was reaching its head... 

... and a tremendous new power awakened in Rune. "...the Scion of 
Earth!"

A thunderous explosion of momentum rocked the very ruins of Kol Sohrab. 
All the stone buildings shook like leaves with the force of it. The long 
cracks in all the walls widened and deepened. The waters below trembled 
and thrashed at their surrounds. Moss was unhinged from the stone it 
clung to. Statues that had been erected in reverence of ancient Geshtar 
lords shattered. Along with any remaining fragments of glass. An ill 
wind swept through the ruins of Kol Sohrab and blew at the greenery. 
This was the wind of destiny. In the hall, the Dragon Worm stopped 
before its lengthy jaws reached to gobble up the girls. It could feel 
the power from there. It was terrifying. And the Dragon Worm screamed 
its terror into the air with more of those loud shrieks. Then the far 
wall across from them burst open in brilliant purple light and shards of 
old stone. Rune stepped out of the new hole in that wall from the side 
room. Satsuma, Tia and Mariah were all shocked to see her. Surrounded in 
burning amethyst flames of magic. Her head was lowered. Thus it was 
impossible to see the furious expression of utter anger on her face. The 
Anger of the People. Rune pulled her hand up lifelessly and pointed at 
the Dragon Worm. Energies gathered at that hand. Swirling silvery power 
that encircled her hand and shined against the flames of magic over her 
body. That silver energy grew into the shape of a sphere. And widened in 
size/diameter. The energy of the orb grew more and more intense. Until 
she threw that powered magical orb at the Dragon Worm. It flew through 
the air with almighty speed. Then struck the Dragon Worm across the side 
of the face. The beast released another terrible cry, this one borne of 
agony, as the side of its face was burned away. Beige flesh and green 
blood were fused together in searing heat. The blood splattered over the 
ground and the scraps of burnt flesh were hurled into the air. Satsuma 
was left stunned when the slithering monster toppled, collapsing 
lifelessly onto the grassy floor. That was the magical attack, 
Scramasax. 

Satsuma blankly stared over at her flaming friend. "...Rune... has the 
power... of magic?"

The Scion of Earth stretched out her free hand. Her sword, Rustam, 
needed to be back in her hand. Invisible energies dragged the blade to 
her fist once more. It flew into her hand and Rune sheathed her sword. 
Then mumbled softly, "...I am their sword... and I am their 
instrument... I am the descendant of the people... the spawn of their 
discontent... I am the key to the new world... I am... the Scion of 
Earth..."

...A few moments later, she passed out. 

"Rune!" Satsuma sheathed Quiri and quickly rushed over to her fallen 
friend. While Mariah and Tia took the time to adjust to what they had 
just seen. But new figures appeared in that instant. Tia wiped the tears 
from her eyes and looked to the doorway when she heard the loud sounds 
of boots rushing across the stone floor. And she was more than surprised 
to see around twenty troops from the Queen's Army, marching into the 
hall. Alongside them was, surprisingly enough, Baliero. With a 
disappointed smile on his face.

Satsuma held onto the comatose Rune while watching this. 
"...B-Baliero...?"

"...Yeah," The swordsman sighed, "...I didn't wanna get involved in 
this... but that damn thing called guilt got in the way. And when I came 
around to Kol Sohrab to help... I ran into these guys..."

Right then a confident woman strode past Baliero and the soldiers, 
dressed in a feminine soldier's uniform of her own, and bearing the 
standard emblem of the Queen's Army upon her armour, the purple rose. 
She gaited up to Tia and Mariah, her loose layers of cloth and steel 
armour jingling along with her movements. She then kneeled down at the 
pair of them and smiled.

"Lieutenant Colonel -- Isabella Katherine Dupart," She spoke, "At your 
service."

**********

Many tales had been told of Queen Diamond elegant and authoritative 
looks in the past. But Helene had seriously underestimated how true they 
were. She had never physically seen the Queen of Daneland before, so she 
had a lot of time to make up for. But when Helene did see Diamond, she 
was struck by how pretty and young she looked. Her whole body was 
dressed in a lengthy midnight black regal gown. Shimmering with edges of 
silver-like fabrics. Her knee-long black hair was tied up with four 
elongated hairpins keeping it that way. The Queen had a dignified and 
eloquent air about her. Her high cheekbones and stern summer blue eyes 
seemed to possess much knowledge. But her body did not reflect this. 
Though she was only 22 years of age (she even had two children to her 
name, James age 3 and William age 4). It was no real surprise to Helene 
that she commanded so much respect from her people and armies. The Queen 
was clearly larger than life.

Helene, Cardinal Danel, Angel Knight Wishram and Angel Knight Ishmael 
stood in the grand Throne Room of the highest monarch of Daneland. Like 
the rest of Phoenix Castle it was a delightfully decorated room and so 
clearly reflected the Queen's regal status. The spell of  Queen Diamond 
worked its charms on both Ishmael and Wishram too. They were just as 
quiet as most Angel Knights were, but showed their respect by bowing 
before the Queen and her three armoured guards. The only one of all who 
did not seem to be effected by Diamond was Danel. This was not their 
first meeting. But, in nature, it was one of the most serious.

The Queen herself could plainly see that Danel was in no mood to play 
around with humble pleasantries today. Which was to be expected. Ottaman 
and Geshtar were the most important things on the agenda. But that 
didn't prevent Diamond from showing her own respect to her guests now.

"...Greetings," She spoke in that righteous, powerful voice, "I am very 
pleased to see you all in Phoenix Castle. Though I am not pleased with 
the circumstances that have warranted this visit. In such times I find 
myself wishing for an end to all this bloodshed."

Helene bowed down before the Queen. "...I wish for the same thing, Your 
Majesty."

"...Ah, Miss Helene Ferey," Said the older woman, "I have to say, my 
dear, you are more beautiful than I would have imagined. And I hear that 
your vocal talents are second to none in Valencia. I am sure that many a 
suitor will ask about you during your stay."

The blonde songstress blushed. Compliments from noble people had a 
largely intoxicating effect on her. "...Why, thank you... Your Majesty."

When that little discussion between the Queen and the teen was 
concluded, Danel turned to his daughter with a serious expression on his 
face. "Helene. I will be busy discussing things with Her Majesty. Until 
our business is concluded, you must vacate this room. Angel Knight 
Wishram and the servants will attend to your needs if you wish to 
explore the castle. Do you understand?"

Though she wanted to stay and speak with Queen Diamond some more, Helene 
knew that this wasn't her business. At least not now. When Danel passed 
on this sort of thing would be her duty. But that day had not yet come. 
The beautiful girl bowed to the Queen to dismiss herself, then turned 
and strode for the door at the opposite end of the room. Wishram soon 
after followed her. Leaving behind Danel and Angel Knight Ishmael, to 
speak with the Queen and her few available attendants. 

The Queen watched Helene and her guardian exit with the closing of the 
door. "She seems to be a very polite and attractive girl. Your 
child-educating skills have clearly made a brilliant mark, Cardinal."

"Thank you," Danel was awfully short when it came to Helene, "Now we 
must discuss what we shall do with the unification of the Force of 
Onreld and the Danelish Army. Those who threaten the kingdom of the 
Gods, Ottaman and his empire, must be stopped. Lemarchand is prepared to 
support Daneland to the fullest extent possible."

The Queen nodded to him. "Yes. Which I am thankful for. Each and every 
day my armies struggle to shrug off the taint of Geshtar. I have been 
informed by General Heidal that the southern resistance forces are close 
to breaking point. If the front line is broken then Ottaman will surely 
lay waste to southeast Daneland. I cannot let that happen. I owe it to 
my people to assure their safety. Which is why it is absolutely 
essential that we combine our forces to resist the dark tyrant of the 
Bloody Horde."

"Understood," The Cardinal replied, "The Force of Onreld is ready and 
willing to follow your commands in the next major push against Geshtar. 
I have assembled a dossier on the military capacity of the Lemarchand 
forces. One of my personal attendants will hand it to you shortly. From 
then on I believe we can decide on the level of force needed to put down 
those who would transgress the will of the Gods."

**********

"...Mmh... mmm... mmmh..."

Rune stirred.

Her now dry lips parted slightly. And her eyes opened slowly. Which was 
when she felt that she was on top of something soft. Rune groaned and 
then leaned up. To see that she was on a bed. A fairly comfortable one 
in what looked to be a spare room. Not much in it but wooden walls, a 
table and a bowl of water. Rune ran a hand through her hair and looked 
down to her legs. Satsuma was here too. Asleep though, with her head 
resting peacefully on the edge of the bed. Rune's face flushed to watch 
that. Satsuma was so cute when she slept. And she had probably been here 
with Rune for a while. But that just led to more questions. Like how on 
earth did she get here?

Though she hated to do it, "...Setsu... wake up... Setsu...?"

Satsuma was a far heavier sleeper than Rune was. But for the most part, 
Rune was successful in waking her friend. The redhead mumbled to herself 
and her eyes fluttered open, waking up, just as Rune had done. When 
Satsuma first realized that someone had woken her up she was a bit 
annoyed. And was about to say something about it. But she silenced 
herself when she realized that it was Rune who had done this. 

Satsuma rubbed her eyes. "...Rune? Hey, you're awake! Are you feeling 
better now?"

"...Yeah, I feel great," And so she did. Truth be told, Rune had never 
felt this good, "But I don't understand. I thought we were at Kol 
Sohrab. What happened? Is Tia's Mother okay? Did the Dragon Worm hurt 
any of you?"

The ring-haired teen shook her head. "Ah, heck nah. Not after the way 
you slaughtered that thing! It was awesome! Though I'm kinda cheesed off 
that you didn't tell me you could use magic..."

Rune blinked. "...Magic? Setsu, what are you talking about?"

"...You mean to tell me you don't remember?" Asked the other girl.

"No," Replied Rune, "...All I remember is the Dragon Worm coming down 
from the roof of that grand hall. I tried to attack it... I think I 
remember that... but then I was hit... everything after that is... 
hazy..."

"Hmm. Baliero was right, then. He said that it was probably the first 
time in your whole life that you used magics. But it was so cool, Rune. 
After you got hit, I wanted to help you but I couldn't leave Mariah and 
Tia alone. I was ready to fight that thing, then just a few moments 
later, you blew up the far wall and sliced off half the Dragon Worm's 
head! You passed out right after that. Then Baliero arrived with that 
Isabella woman and a whole bunch of troops from the Queen's Army. They 
helped Mariah out and carried her back to her house. And that is where 
we are now."

Rune's eyes widened. "Wow. I had no idea..."

"What, about the magic-thing?" Asked Satsuma, "You're one of the lucky 
ones. Baliero said that 1 in 10,000 people can actually use magic. 
That's probably why those Angel Knight guys are so hand-picked, right? 
But whatever. Right now it's not important. All I care about is that 
you're okay. You really had me worried over in the ruins."

"I'm sorry I worried you," Rune apologized, "But I'm glad everyone is 
okay."

Satsuma smirked. "Everyone except that Dragon Worm! Thanks to you, 
Mariah's mom is gonna be okay."

"Is something wrong with her?"

"Well there was," Satsuma stood upright from the bed, "She was really 
sick. That's why she passed out in Kol Sohrab. The flowers she was 
getting were medicinal. Her doctor told her to get a sample and crush 
them, mixing them with water. Then she'd have a cure for her illness. 
Mariah wanted to wait until the troops from the Queen's Army came and 
killed the Dragon Worm for them. But both she and Tia knew that she 
wouldn't last that long. That was why they went there in the first 
place. But everything's fine now. Mariah took the medicine and now she's 
fit as a fiddle."

That was a fact that Rune was happy for. Though she didn't know what to 
think about the whole magic issue, at least entering Kol Sohrab and 
facing the Dragon Worm wasn't a waste. Rune yawned and stretched out her 
arms. Then hopped out of her bed with a new spring in her step. Though 
she really didn't understand it, the dark-haired beauty was feeling a 
lot more outgoing now. The two girls then left that small spare bedroom 
and walked over the banister to the flight of wooden stairs that led 
down to the ground floor. Rune and Satsuma walked down them to see 
Isabella and Baliero sitting by a table in chatter.  They stopped when 
they saw the two girls coming down to meet with them.

Baliero was the first to speak. "Hey, Rune. Feeling any better?"

"Yes, thank you." She said in reply.

Rune's gaze then turned to the woman sitting across from Baliero at the 
table. Satsuma had called her 'Isabella' but Rune had never seen her 
before. Whoever she was she was clearly a military girl. Baliero noticed 
the sudden exchange of glances between Rune and Isabella and so 
proceeded to introduce the two. "I guess you two haven't quite met yet. 
Rune, this is a... friend of mine. Lieutenant Colonel Isabella Katherine 
Dupart. The leader of a division of the Queen's Army called the Blades 
of Rossellini. We grew up together in a little town way south of here 
called Rork. We both joined the army, but... somehow she got promoted a 
hell of a lot higher than me."

And then Baliero pointed at Rune. "Isabella, this is Rune of Eltah. I 
told you pretty much everything I know about her. She's on a journey to 
Castel right now. But we got caught up in the whole thing with Kol 
Sohrab when that little girl was asking people for help."

Isabella stood up and nodded to Rune after hearing all that. "...I see. 
It's a pleasure to meet with you, Rune of Eltah."

"The same to you." Rune said respectfully. 

The military girl held a hand to her cheek. "So... you are the daughter 
of Richard of Eltah, correct?"

"...Yes. Why? Did... you know him?" Rune asked, tilting her head to one 
side. 

"Not personally," Isabella said, "But I knew of him. He was closely tied 
with the previous Cardinal of Avernae, Berthelsen Schaefer. Then after 
Berthelsen's murder, Richard disappeared without much of a trace. I had 
heard that Richard had a daughter but I had no idea that she was still 
alive."

Rune remembered hearing people speak about that issue on Frayne Island. 
Nine or so years ago, the previous Cardinal had been murdered. No one 
knew what the possible reason for this could have been. Some argued that 
it was the work of the Geshtals. Others claimed that it was just a 
savage act by a random political revolutionary who resented the 
power-base of the Avernae Church in Lemarchand. But whatever the reason, 
the ruthless murder of benevolent Berthelsen Schaefer had an impact on 
the world. It led to a sense that no one was really safe anymore. 
Whether it be from the Bloody Horde or opportunistic heretics. Rune 
thought on this some more. If Richard had ties with a Cardinal, then he 
probably was a Lemarchand national. Thus Rune had to be too. But did 
Richard have any ties to Berthelsen's murder? She didn't like to think 
that her father would be capable of something like that. But it seemed 
odd that Richard would choose to disappear when a friend of his died. 
Maybe that was something she would have to investigate when she reached 
Castel.

Isabella continued when Rune did not reply, wrapped in her thoughts. 
"Well, I have decided to ask the Lord of this region not to press 
charges against any of you for trespassing in Kol Sohrab. Your 
intentions were good. And if what Baliero tells me is true, then we have 
more important things to worry about. Though I'll have to be sure before 
I do anything about it."

"You still don't believe me, do you?" Baliero prodded, leaning back in 
his chair, "Look, I'm not making this up, Isabella. An Angel Knight, 
calling himself Vohraphamon, slaughtered the Griffin Panzers. All of 
them. Their corpses are still hanging around in Adelaide Pass. Avernae 
is as bent as a horseshoe. I mean, bloody hell, they attacked Frayne 
Island! Ask these kids. Their homes were burnt to the ground by these 
people. And yet now you military big-wigs wanna involve them in our war 
with Geshtar?"

Isabella sighed, placing her hand above the strap of her sword 
(Vacherie). "Baliero, how many times must we go over this? The front 
lines are about to be broken. The Bloody Horde is simply days away from 
destroying the cream of our armies. We need Avernae's military strength 
to win this. We CANNOT defeat the Bloody Horde without the support of 
the Force of Onreld. You of all people should know what the situation 
is. But... I will go to Adelaide Pass to investigate the issue. Once my 
team evaluates the evidence we may be able to bring up charges against 
the Angel Knight that did this. But I highly doubt that these acts have 
been authored by Cardinal Danel."

It was obvious that Baliero and Isabella didn't quite see eye to eye on 
this subject. But then Satsuma piped up with issues of her own. 
"...Yeah, that's all well and good, but what about me and Rune? We have 
to get to Castel so she can figure things out. How much further do we 
have to get there."

A rejuvenated adult female voice answered that one. "You can use my 
horses, little one."

Rune, Satsuma, Baliero and Isabella looked to the doorway. In it was the 
owner of this house, the now healthy Mariah, with a cheerful Tia 
standing beside her. Rune was the one who spoke first about the horses. 
"...You have horses?"

"We raise lots of them!" Tia answered, "It'll take you guys days to 
reach Castel if you walk there. But our horses could get you there super 
fast!"

Mariah nodded. "It's our way of saying thank you. If not for your 
bravery, I would not be here now. And this little girl of mine would 
have become an orphan. We are eternally in you debt. If you ever need a 
place to rest or stay for a while then please think of this home as your 
own."

Satsuma nodded back. "Thanks, ma'am. We appreciate it."

**********

Phoenix Castle was actually larger than it looked from the outside. Its 
halls were similar to the Holy Basilica in many ways. There were fine 
artworks around, there were many statues, some of the Gods (like Zaiki 
and Ishu) and others of previous kings of Daneland. These halls had high 
ceilings and were arched. Fine red carpet imported from weavers in the 
Pleasure Isles were laid out everywhere. But in some ways it was very 
different to the Holy Basilica. More guards were stationed here. In each 
of the corridor walls were these war-like displays of swords crossed 
against swords. On the frame that held them there was the symbol of the 
Bainbridge Monarchy, the purple rose. Which had long since come to 
symbolize the chastity and noble honour of its current leader, Queen 
Diamond. 

Helene looked around with inquisitive eyes, while Wishram took up the 
rear, always at hand for the protection of his Lady. She felt a lot of 
similarities between here and the Holy Basilica. But Phoenix Castle was 
definitely more aware of the issues with Geshtar. The people of 
Lemarchand were very frightened of the horror stories they were hearing 
from the south of the world. But the people of Phoenix Castle and Castel 
were a lot more aware of the need for action, not fear. It showed in the 
way the defences for this castle were handled. Thankfully Helene was 
allowed to explore certain parts of the castle at her own discretion. 
The place that Helene wanted to go to most now was the library. The 
songstress had heard that many old books, scriptures and magical 
grimoires had been stocked at library of Phoenix Castle. Thus she was 
curious to see if any of these rumours were true. 

The two walked through all the various hallways and stairwells that made 
up the complex structure of Phoenix Castle. On the way there they took 
directions from any of the attendants they could find. Until they 
reached the library itself. Or rather the door to it. Wishram slowed to 
a stop and stood before the large pine double doors that led into the 
library.

"I will wait for you out here, Milady." Claimed Wishram.

Helene smiled one of those warm, gentle smile to him. Wishram seemed to 
know that she liked doing things in privacy. Reading was one of them. 
The girl turned to the doors and pushed them open while her guardian 
Angel Knight remained at the doorway. Helene's baby blue eyes widened 
when she looked around at this place. It was a fairly large room with 
many books slotted into tall bookcases. Tables were laid about all over 
the place with thick texts on them. And this library was divided into 
many sections. Historical, Sociology, Magic, Geography, Fiction, Poetry, 
Mathematics, Musical History, Engineering (magical), Physics, Biology, 
Chemistry, Astronomy etc. It was apparently empty though. There was 
nobody here except for Helene.

Or so she believed. 

The blonde teen strode up to a nearby table and looked at one of the 
books that had been opened on it. It was called 'Algern's Theories and 
Research in Magical Engineering'. It was a little bit dusty, so no one 
had been reading from it in a while. While she flicked through the pages 
of this book, a voice called out to her.

"So, you are Helene Ferey?"

The girl in question blinked and looked up. Someone actually was here. 
She turned to look at the direction from which the voice came. And she 
was more than surprised to see the man behind the voice. He was old. 
Very old in fact. Short and stooping, dressed in snowy white robes which 
were edged with a gold-coloured material. A bald man of a lightly 
browned skin tone, a tan equated to a southern descent. Despite his lack 
of height this man clearly possessed knowledge. But who was he?

Helene placed her hand on her chest. "Who... are you?"

"...Who am I, eh?" The elderly library-dweller said, "One must know 
one's self before asking that of someone else. But I'll indulge you this 
time. They call me Oro. Professor Oro, if you will. I teach the students 
of the Castle in all subjects... in particular History and Magics. But I 
see that you are well versed in such matters. At least the ones that the 
Holy Basilica wishes you to know about."

"What do you mean by that?" Questioned Helene.

Professor Oro closed his eyes with a smirk. "...I don't think that 
your... 'Father'... has been completely honest about bringing you with 
him to Castel. You must see that there is more to all this than Danel is 
willing to allow you to know of. But what exactly will you do about it?"

Helene blinked. "...What are you talking about? Is this something to do 
with my Father?"

"...In a manner of speaking," Claimed the professor, "but we seem to be 
thinking of two very different people. Who share rather different 
notions. I cannot explain this to you. Such past matters must be 
discovered by one's self. But I can at least... guide you. Look over 
there..."

Helene followed Professor Oro's eyes to the point at which he was 
pointing out. Over on a separate table were two cages. One had a tabby 
cat inside it. The other had a mouse. Oro spoke on when Helene watched 
this. "You see? That cat is trapped inside a cage. Though it is safe 
where it is... it is also isolated. And can only be fed by the hand of 
the keeper of the cage. If I were to release it from its imprisonment... 
it would attempt to eat the mouse in the other cage. While the cat is 
satisfied with the result... the biggest question is not how the cat 
will eat what it chooses to. The important question is... why did the 
keeper of the cage let the cat out? Especially after going to the 
trouble to locking it up. What's your take on that?"

"...I..." Helene was stuck for words. She didn't have a clue about what 
this guy was getting at. Did any of this even HAVE a point? "...I'm not 
sure, sir."

Professor Oro smirked again. "Exactly. You are still in the dark. About 
both your heritage and your future. If you wish to learn more about the 
scenarios and the designs that are swarming around you now... you must 
ask yourself constantly. Why? Why do you exist? Why did you come to 
Castel? Why do you possess such strong magical energies? The true way to 
know something is to know the reason behind its occurrence. It's a 
strange fate for you, my dear. You will soon find yourself inside a 
firestorm of destiny. And when you do... you will understand everything 
I have just spoken of."

Helene's soft cerulean eyes rolled. "...Could you just help me find a 
book?"

"Huh?" Professor Oro's shoulders sagged, "...Were you even listening to 
me?"

"...Uh... yes..." The songstress turned to the bookcases, "...but I 
think I'd just prefer a book instead of this little... discussion. I 
have a sermon I must sing for later on. I would like it if I could find 
a book on the expression and application of vocals?"

Oro shook his head and motioned for Helene to look around. Intelligent 
though she was, the girl seemed to be less conscious of her importance 
than most people. Which was especially odd for woman was groomed to be 
Danel's successor. Still, the wheel of destiny would turn. And Oro's 
smirk returned to him as he watched the girl pick out a book to read.

"Hmph..." He whispered to himself, "They are the Word of the Gods and 
the Descendant of the People. They shall meet again and thus a new world 
will be cleaved. To Heaven shall be a mortal paradise - to live by 
rapture and joy. To the people there shall be a mortal hell - to live by 
flame and sword. The chant of the prophet will bring understanding. And 
the epoch of the Gods will begin anew. That time is fast approaching. 
You can remain ignorant no longer, Helene Ferey... Oracle of Heaven."

**********

"...We're finally here..."

Quite a few hours had passed since the incident at Kol Sohrab. Once Rune 
was rested from her efforts against the Dragon Worm, the group had 
already made their minds up to continue towards Castel. Before they 
left; Mariah and Tia had offered up three horses for them. Rune selected 
a white one named Snow. Satsuma chose a brown one named Chocolate. The 
final horse was a black one named Ebony. Which was picked out by 
Baliero. The use of the horses would make it far easier to reach Castel. 
There was a stretch of clear land (another part of Emerald Oak) between 
Mariah's Horse Ranch and the city Castel, around 5 miles away. To get 
there from the ranch would not take long on horseback. While the three 
journeyed to the city to seek out whatever answers Rune believed she 
would find about her past, Isabella would not be joining them. She would 
be leaving with her small number of troops (selected from the Blades of 
Rossellini) for Adelaide Pass. If what Baliero had told them was true 
then they had to do something about it. 

After saying their goodbyes to Mariah and Tia at the ranch; Rune, 
Satsuma and Baliero all left and rode towards the horizon. To the place 
that Rune had been looking to reach since the beginning. Once a couple 
more hours had passed, the three of them could see the gigantic city on 
the horizon. Before they knew it, the three were riding into the gates 
of Castel themselves. The sun was beginning to fall now. Night would 
soon be with them. But until then a lovely golden red sunset could be 
seen over the region. And it enhanced the allure of this city. The 
horses of the three travellers galloped straight through the outer city 
walls that protectively surrounded most of Castel. Nearby were a set of 
stables. They were interconnected with the ranch run by Mariah. So the 
three of them could drop off the horses there and they would be returned 
shortly by the stable owner. Once that issue was taken care of, Rune, 
Satsuma and Baliero left the stables and walked out into one of the busy 
cobblestone streets that had made Castel quite famous in design and 
architectural circles. 

This was it.

"Whoa..." Satsuma blinked at the packed streets and all the people 
buzzing around entering stores that sold all kinds of goods that she had 
never even heard of before, "I knew this place was big... but I didn't 
think it would be THIS big..."

Baliero smiled proudly. "Yeah, this is it. I grew up in Rork but this 
town has always felt like 'home' to me. It's where I signed up for the 
Queen's Army. No matter what you want in the world, a place like Castel 
can bring it to you. One of the many reasons they call it the Mortal 
Heaven on Earth. There's nothing else in the world like it."

"Good," Rune said, "Then I guess I'll find what I'm looking for from 
here. But what about you, Baliero? You said that you'd take us this far 
but no further. Is this where we say goodbye to you...?"

The easygoing Baliero looked up into the red sky. "...Well... I didn't 
think that I would mind it. But... I can't let you kids handle all this 
alone now. I need to know the truth about what's going on here. I'm too 
curious to turn away now. Like I said before, you couldn't get rid of me 
even if you tried."

"I'm glad." Acknowledged Rune. 

"Well, whatever the reason," The swordsman looked to the west of them, 
"We don't know how long we'll be in Castel, so, I think we should hire 
three rooms to enjoy for a few nights. I've got enough money for the 
three of us. You two go and explore the area for a while. I'll rent use 
some rooms. Then I'm going for a drink. The Inn I'm going to is called 
the Gold Clover. It's on Viand Street.  Don't forget that, alright?"

The two other girls nodded to Baliero as he left and vanished into the 
crowds to go rent some rooms for the three of them. Which left behind 
Rune and Satsuma. The ring-haired teen girl grinned and wrapped her arm 
around her friend's shoulder. "Can you believe that we're actually here, 
Rune? We're finally in Castel! As soon as morning hits us, we should 
start looking for information and try to figure out what your Grandpa 
meant. But for now... why don't we just have some fun here?"

Rune looked over at her friend, innocently. "...Satsuma... could you do 
me a favour...?"

"Huh? What is it...?"

"Could you..." The black-haired girl lowered her face, "...let me do 
this on my own?" 

Satsuma's eyes enlarged. Her smile faded. What was that supposed to 
mean? "...You don't wanna hang out with me?"

"No!" Rune tried to clear up how that sounded, "No. Not at all. You're 
my best friend. It's just that... I need some time on my own to think 
things through. I'm not even sure what it is that my Grandpa expected me 
to do here... but I know that it was important. So much has happened so 
far as well. We met Baliero and Isabella and the others, I gained this 
magical power... and now I know that my father had connections with the 
Avernae Church and the previous Cardinal. But there is so much more to 
all this. I can sense it. Like Vohraphamon. What does he want? Why 
haven't we seen anything of him since Adelaide Pass if his will to 
capture me was strong enough to lead to the destruction of Reen Village? 
Satsuma... I think there is a much bigger picture here... like a puzzle. 
And there are still missing pieces to that puzzle. I have to find 
them... and figure out... just who I am. So right now I just want to be 
alone to think of all that. You do understand me, right?"

She did. But that didn't stop it from bothering her. Most of the time, 
Rune and Satsuma were inseparable. Always doing things together, looking 
out for each other. Ever since they first became best friends. Because 
of this... Satsuma didn't like the idea of Rune doing things without 
her. 

But what could Satsuma do to stop her? "...Okay... I guess..."

Rune's smile returned to her. She knew that Satsuma would at least try 
to understand. The older girl pressed a caring hand against Satsuma's 
cheek for a brief few seconds...

"...Thanks, Setsu." 

...Then walked off slowly to be on her own. Satsuma held her hand to the 
cheek that Rune had touched. And watched her friend disappear into the 
crowds. 

Now that she was on her own, Rune scanned through everything she could 
see around her. The crowds, what they were doing, where they were going, 
what shops were around, what places could help her find things out. 
Castel was definitely a big place. Whatever she was supposed to find 
here, it certainly wouldn't fall into her lap. But just where was she 
supposed to start looking? Maybe if she could get to a place that had 
something to do with Avernae, like a church or a chapel. If anything... 
Avernae was at the centre of all this. So maybe visiting a church nearby 
would do some good. Rune then proceeded to ask around. Speaking to 
anyone in these crowds that might possibly know where the nearest church 
was. Eventually she came across a young girl who happened to be a local 
choir girl. She informed Rune that a nearby church. It was only a short 
distance away. Rune thanked the girl and marched through the cobblestone 
streets until she got there. It was a relatively secluded building cut 
off from the main roads in a side street. The closer Rune got to... it 
the further away the sound of the chattering of the people became. Then 
she happened to take a look at the name of the church, inscribed on an 
iron sign. It was named after Nai, the God of Fire. And the principle 
god of this region. After all he represented good luck and fortune. 
Though not many people were outside of this church, Rune could hear the 
people inside. There were lots of them. She opened the doors herself and 
strode in. Her idea was right. The benches (around twenty on either row) 
were packed to the brim with men, women and children. Each had a 
miniature copy of Opus Edda (third edition) in one hand and a handout 
about the hymns that would be sung during the early evening service. 

As Rune stood in the doorway, a young man came up to her with a copy of 
Opus Edda and a hymn sheet inside of its pages. "...Here, ma'am. You 
should have this if you want to join today's service."

"Uh... thanks..." She said, taking the book into her own. Rune doubted 
that this would get here anywhere now. But she was here. She might as 
well sit down for a little of it. But to her dismay there were no seats 
left. So she was forced to stand back at the rear wall with a few others 
who arrived too late to get a seat. 

Then everyone silenced themselves when a pastor in black robes stepped 
up to the altar to address the crowds seated in his church. "Welcome 
all. In the papers today, we read that the armies of Geshtar, those that 
would commit sins that go against the very fabric of the Gods, are close 
to fully invading Daneland. These are troubling times. And I remember 
thinking to myself that things would never be the same again if Geshtar 
were to conquer us. But then I scolded myself for thinking such things. 
Because we already have the deliverance we need for our salvation. We 
have the Gods to rely on! Trust your hand to them, place yourself in the 
bosom of their warmth, and we will have nothing to fear! And to solidify 
our belief, we have a VERY special visitor today to sing some of Opus 
Edda's most prized hymns. Miss Helene Ferey."

The pastor bowed and stepped back from the altar. All those people in 
the crowds froze with shocked gasps. It really was her. From a side room 
at the left of this hall, came the serene, chaste and beautiful young 
woman herself. 

Helene Ferey. 

Rune herself stood paralysed when she saw the girl. And heard the name. 
'Helene Ferey'. The name sounded so familiar. And so did the face. Rune 
was caught up in both this woman's angelic beauty and the incredibly 
strong sense of nostalgia she got from looking at Helene. But who on 
earth was she? Why did Rune feel like... she knew this girl? 

Rune turned to the man standing next to her. "...W-who... just who is 
that girl...?"

"You don't know?" The man whispered, "That's Helene Ferey. She's the 
daughter of Cardinal Danel and the future leader of the Avernae Church. 
How could you not have known that? Now that the Cardinal is visiting 
Castel, the entire city is alive with talk of unification. I know this 
is because the Gods are smiling on us. They wish us to do down the evils 
of Geshtar."

Rune didn't care much for the pseudo-religious war fervour, but was more 
than thankful for the information. This girl was the daughter of the 
Cardinal. Danel himself was in Castel. It was all useful info. But 
still... at this point... Rune could not help but admit that she was a 
little curious about this Helene girl. This feeling of familiarity kept 
bubbling over inside of her. But what did it mean? Did Rune somehow know 
this girl? But if so, why couldn't she remember her? Those were new 
questions that Rune suddenly needed to have an answer to. So nothing but 
interest made her continue to watch as Helene addressed the people in 
the seats. 

"Hello," She spoke in that soft melodic voice, "...I am glad that I can 
join you all in your worship tonight. These are, as Pastor David put it, 
troubling times. But I believe that with the union of hopeful hearts and 
the love owed to the Gods, we can pull through this. Which is why I 
chose a very special verse of the hymns of Opus Edda to reflect on and 
sing tonight."

The crowds all rose to their feet as Helene began to sing. The organs in 
the back started up by the clever fingers of the man sitting before it. 
While everyone's enchanted eyes focused on the woman of the hour, 
Helene. "Shyah ah! Ma y et no mah syah ha! Itto y et mezameh hah yah! 
Tome hwa y et mah shaha! Orm no y et yah tee hah! Orm no ete ya 
ihehayah! Kah me y et so jah mah hah-hah! Kah me y et so jah mah 
hah-hah! Kah me y et so jah mah hah-hah! "

The part of the song that said 'Kah me y et so jah mah hah-hah!' was 
repeated more than a few times. So Rune accurately guessed that that was 
the chorus. She didn't understand a lick of the language, but knew full 
well what it was. Et Ohm. The original, mother-tongue of the world and 
the language in which Opus Edda had first been written. The chorus was 
the one part of the song that the spectators seemed to understand. Which 
is why they sang along in the same vein as Helene. 

"Kah me y et so jah mah hah-hah!" Sung the girl along with the crowds, 
"Kah me y et so jah mah hah-hah! Kah me y et so oninho meh et y tah yah! 
Shyah ah! Ma y et no mah syah ha! Itto y et mezameh hah yah! Tome hwa y 
et mah shaha! Orm no y et yah tee hah! Orm no ete ya ihehayah! Kah me y 
et so jah mah hah-hah! Kah me y et so jah mah hah-hah! Kah me y et so 
jah mah hah-hah! Kah me y et so jah mah hah-hah! mah hah-hah! Kah me y 
et so oninho meh et y tah... yaaaaaaaaah..."

The final syllable of the hymn was extended with great skill and beauty 
by Helene's vocal chords. Leaving behind a lingering echo of immaculate 
decibels in the air. Helene's singing voice was perfect. And it left the 
people watching it almost spellbound. Just like Rune. Although she could 
not explain it herself... Rune could feel that this 'Helene' was 
important. Important to her, to the people, to Avernae, and even to the 
world. Something about her just screamed significance and value. From 
her innocent beauty to her wonderful voice. Rune simply had to meet this 
girl. 

**********

Helene wiped the beads of sweat from her face with an exhaling breath. 
Though it was just a few hymns she had sung to the people of this small 
church, it still had the draining effect on her then it would have in 
front of a larger crowd in Valencia. Helene put her hands together 
tiredly and bowed before them, in thanks. They did the same. And the 
blonde slowly sauntered off the stage with her hymn sheet tucked under 
her arm. It was a taxing process for her to sing like that but Helene 
loved the idea that she could reach out to people. And times like these 
were to be enjoyed. It was the first occasion in a while that she had 
been out and about without the watchful eye of Angel Knight Wishram. He 
was back in Phoenix Castle with Cardinal Danel and Angel Knight Ishmael. 
Planning for the fusion of the Queen's Army to the Force of Onreld. 
Normally Danel would have never allowed Helene to go out into a city on 
her own like this. But she had agreed to sing at this church (built in 
the honour of the Fire God, Nai) beforehand. And since everyone was so 
busy, it made sense for Danel to allow Helene some time for herself. 

The blonde walked into the side room of the church from which she had 
previously emerged. It was a small place. That door led to a corridor 
that entered into a three-wall recreation space. There was a 
mildly-comfortable sofa there. Alongside a small wooden table with a 
relatively normal selection of different refreshments there. Tea, 
coffee, biscuits, etc. Helene was not all that hungry at this point. All 
she needed was a good rest. She flopped down onto the sofa, her navy 
blue skirt whipping around her thighs. She sighed and shut her eyes for 
a moment. Just so she could rest for a brief few seconds. But then those 
few seconds of sleep were overtaken by full-blown shuteye. Around an 
hour and a half later on in the night, the sun had fallen into the 
distance. Replaced by the twinkling stars and the vibrant moonlight. 
Helene didn't wake up from that sleep until she heard a knock on the 
door. 

Half-asleep and half-awake, she mumbled out, "...Come in..."

The door clicked open. The sound of shoes clicking over floorboards and 
into that small recreational area could be heard in the background but 
never appreciated. Helene's blue eyes rolled slightly in her 
half-sleeping state, not really noticing who had just arrived. 

"Excuse me..." Whoever this person was, they were female, "...Would you 
happen to be the daughter of Cardinal Danel? Are you really... Helene 
Ferey...?"

As impolite as it was, Helene spoke back to this stranger in her sleepy 
voice. "...Yes I am... and... who are... you?" 

"My name is Rune. Rune of Eltah."

It was then that Helene fully awoke.

Her eyelids shot open and her smooth sapphire eyes widened. Her neck 
swerved around and took a hard, proper look at the girl who claimed to 
be called Rune. Helene began to slowly de-fragment this girl's image bit 
by bit. Assessing it what she believed was true. But could it be? Could 
this woman really be... Rune? THE Rune? HER Rune? The blonde quickly 
fished out the picture of young Rune from her pocket. And looked at it. 
Then looked back up at the older version. There was no denying it. The 
older version was clearly taller, had longer hair and possessed a figure 
that had fully filled out... but there was the same childish innocence. 
There were physical signs too. Both the older Rune and the young Rune of 
the picture had a tiny beauty spot on the right side of their mouths. 
And they had the same, bashful smile. This was the one. This was same 
girl that Helene had seen in her dreams but nine years older now. 
Enjoying all the allure and physical charm an adult teen could hope for. 

Rune grew curious when no reply to her came. "Hello? Is something 
wrong?"

"By the Gods..." Helene said, astounded, "...It's you..."

Rune blinked. "It's me... what?"

"N-nothing," Helene blushed suddenly, realize just how attractive Rune 
had become, "...I had no idea... that... you..."

It was obvious that Rune didn't quite understand what Helene was getting 
at. So she just ignored that awkwardness and spoke on about the service. 
"...That was some wonderful singing out there. I've never heard of 
anyone with a voice like yours before. What was the name of that first 
hymn you sung?"

Helene was not sure why they were talking about this, but, "...'Kah me 
no Shyah'. Which means 'Praise be to the Gods' in the old language of Et 
Ohm. But are... you sure that's what you want to speak about? Is there 
not... more to discuss?"

"...Is there?" Rune questioned, "...I don't really know why I cam back 
here... I guess I just heard you singing and... I felt like I should 
meet with you. I know this'll sound crazy, but, I feel like I've met you 
before. But I just can't put my finger on it..."

Helene was stunned. Rune didn't remember her. And yet... Helene barely 
remembered Rune either. What was going on here? "...I know... I feel the 
same way. When I look at you... I feel like... I'm missing something. 
Something important."

"...Well..." Now Rune herself seemed to be acting bashfully, "...It was 
nice to meet with you. I guess... I should be going now..."

Sudden as it was. The young woman gave a brief nod to Helene then turned 
around on her heels to leave. There was a sword at Rune's waist that 
Helene was just now noticing. But it was the furthest thing from her 
mind right now. The saintly blonde woman stood up urgently before Rune 
could leave and said, "...W-wait a second!"

 Rune stopped and looked back with a rising smile. "...Yeah?"

"...Um... I'd like to talk some more... if that's okay...?"

"...Sure," Replied Rune, who turned back around, "...I do have a couple 
of questions... but... I didn't think that someone as... important as 
you would really care about them."

The songstress shook her head from side to side to dispel that idea. 
Which Rune took the hint of. She smiled again then took a seat next to a 
grateful Helene. As hard as it was to believe, the two felt a connection 
to each other. And so they talked. Introducing themselves and what they 
were doing here in Castel. Helene was the one more willing to be open 
between the two of them. When it came to the subject of the purpose of 
visiting Castel, Rune seemed to be far more distracted and distant. 
There was clearly an issue there. But for the most part, Helene made no 
attempt to press Rune about it. After all... she had her own little 
secret in her heart. Whether Rune remembered it or not, she and Helene 
had once been friends in Valencia. That time had to be around nine years 
ago. Both their memories on those times were fuzzy. Rune even admitted 
that she didn't remember anything about herself or her experiences 
before the age of 10. But Helene had proof that the two of them had 
known each other before. That little photograph was all she needed to 
prove it. Still... Helene kept this all to herself. She had not really 
had a conversation with a person she could regard as a 'friend' in 
years. The last thing she wanted was to spoil it all by saying something 
that might overwhelm Rune.

The two continued to discuss and laugh and reflect. Warming to each 
other. And eventually Rune suggested that they leave this church hall 
for now. And that was something that Helene agreed to. It was getting a 
little stuffy there anyway. The two young women fled, in giggles, from 
the church via a back door that led out into the nearby main road. And 
thus they found themselves touring through the streets of Castel. It was 
pitch black now; the cobblestone streets only illuminated by gas-lamps 
and moonlight. Since neither Helene nor Rune knew this city well, they 
just stumbled around to where their fancy liked, all the while talking 
and getting to know each other. 

The more they did this... the more Helene could remember about her past. 
It was not a reaction she was expecting. But when she and Rune spoke of 
so many things, like what 
colours/food/clothes/shows/figures/sports/studies they liked, Helene 
could feel older and more treasured memories returning from the hidden 
corners of her mind. In her mind ran images of their younger 
counterparts, running through the rose gardens of the Holy Basilica, 
playing in the grass, lounging around in the Grand Hall, eating together 
in the now famous Valencia bakeries. Just enjoying their young lives. It 
was clearly a time that meant a lot to the songstress. It hurt her to 
think that Rune would have forgotten those times (just as much as idea 
that they might have meant less to Rune) but Helene could ignore that 
for now. This was their reunion. She didn't want anything to sour the 
moment.

Eventually they realized that they could continue no longer. Helene just 
needed to sit down for a moment to catch her breath from all the 
walking. Then Rune gazed up at a nearby clock tower. It was nearly 
11.23. They had been walking and talking through this district of Castel 
for nearly three hours. Rune flopped down onto a bench with Helene at 
her side. Thankfully they had stopped on a quiet road overlooking a 
large city lake called the Azure Drop. The view of the busy lights that 
illuminated the city in the background splashed over its waters. As did 
the light of the moon and stars. It was a wondrous sight for the eyes to 
behold. Unmistakably romantic. A fact that neither girl was completely 
oblivious to. 

Helene sighed happily and pressed her palms into her lap, looking out 
over the Azure Drop and the surrounding city view. "...This really is a 
wonderful city. I had heard many stories about it in the past... but I 
did not believe them. Now I realize that they spoke the truth."

"Yeah," Rune agreed, "My Grandpa often talked about this place. He said 
it reflects the power of the mainland. The symbol of the strength of 
mankind and its achievements. I didn't really listen to him much... but 
he was right. Castel is a great place to visit. I can't imagine what it 
would be like to actually live here."

"...Would you like to live in Castel?" Asked the blonde.

"Maybe," Rune answered, "It's so full of dreams and everything. Though I 
can't imagine living anywhere outside of Frayne Island. It was so sleepy 
back there... but it felt like home, you know? As if I should have been 
born in no other place. I just recently figured out that I was born in 
Lemarchand, like you, Helene, but... Frayne Island will always be my 
'Castel'."

Helene could see that much. "...I'd love to see your island one day."

"You'd love it," Replied Rune with smile, "The beaches and water are 
just so breathtaking. And although I got the feeling that the people at 
Reen Village didn't much like me, I'm sure that you would be accepted 
there."

"...H-how could anyone not like you?" The songstress asked rhetorically. 

To that, Rune just chuckled. "...They like foreigners in Reen Village. 
Just not the ones who decide they want to stay there. I hesitate to call 
them xenophobic just because of that... but... I never felt very 
accepted by the other villagers. Just Satsuma and my Grandpa."

Helene's smile fell at the mention of the ring-haired girl. "...this 
'Satsuma' girl... she's... your best friend now isn't she?"

"...Yup," Rune looked out to the Azure Drop with a distant gaze, not 
noticing the sudden change in Helene's mood, "She's been my best friend 
for as long as I can remember living. She can be kind of an airhead at 
times... but... I don't think that there's a single person in the world 
who means more to me."

...Not exactly the statement that Helene wanted to hear. At least not 
after all the time that she and Rune had spent together. In her normally 
innocent heart, Miss Ferey could feel the tiniest twinge of jealousy. 
Rune was her best friend long before she even knew of Satsuma. But to 
her credit, Helene did not (at that point) dwell on her apparent 
jealousy. Rather she focused on enjoying her time with Rune to the best 
of her ability. The two then continued their talk and looked out into 
the view across the Azure Drop. It was a quiet side street. But Helene 
and Rune were not alone there. Not anymore. Two figures watched them. 
One figure ignorant of the other. And that girl happened to be standing 
just thirty metres away. Out of earshot but close enough to see just who 
was there.

That girl happened to be Satsuma. 

She had not intended to... eavesdrop on Rune. Although she was a little 
thrown by Rune's request for 'privacy' the Master Thief gave her that 
wish. It was purely by coincidence that she came across this. But it 
didn't stop from having an effect on the redhead. Satsuma's brow 
furrowed upon watching her best friend with this other girl. And 
suddenly she felt anger. It was a quick, sudden experience but it was 
anger. If Rune wanted privacy then what was she doing with this blonde? 
Why did they seem to be talking so intimately? And what did Rune have to 
say to this stranger that she couldn't say to Satsuma? The girl narrowed 
her eyes in her new anger. But rather than go over their and break it 
up, Satsuma turned on her heels and stomped off in the opposite 
direction. Back towards the Gold Clover Inn, where they would be 
spending the night. 

Satsuma stalked off angrily whilst the second figure, standing in the 
shadows, watched her go. Then that person's eyes turned back to Rune and 
Helene. A small chuckle could be heard in his throat when he looked at 
the two young women together. And he did not interfere with them. "I'm 
so happy for you, Milady."

From the wooden bench she was sitting on with Helene, Rune looked up 
into the dark skies, adorned with the stars. But her real focus was on 
the moon. "...What do you suppose is up there, on the moon? I've always 
wondered if there were people on it just like us. Or if it was inhabited 
by monsters or something. It always looks so beautiful on nights like 
these. Do you think there's someone up there enjoying this as well?"

"I don't really know," Helene replied softly, "I guess I never really 
thought about it. But I bet if there were people up there, the Earth 
would look as beautiful to them as the moon does to us."

"Yeah. I'd like to think so. The world is so beautiful right now. And 
when we hear so many stories about Ottaman and the Bloody Horde... not 
to mention other things... it makes me worry about the future." 

When Rune mentioned 'other things', Helene didn't realize that that 
comment pertained to the Avernae Church. "...It is frightening. It's why 
the armies of Lemarchand and Daneland have to work together to stop that 
man from taking over. But I have faith in the Gods. I truly believe 
their fortunes will shine down on us and protect everyone from Ottaman."

That was not an uncommon belief. And coming from anyone else, Rune would 
have taken that as just another pipedream from a deluded Avernae 
fanatical. But Helene's faith was different somehow. It was endearing. 
Not that Rune herself could understand why, but it did not strike her as 
blind optimism. Not from Helene. She smiled warmly to the blonde, who 
gave a bashful smile of her own, her cheeks sporting a little blush. 
Then Rune looked up at that clock tower again. It was getting late. 
Satsuma and Baliero could be getting worried. 

Rune looked over at Helene again. "It was really, really nice speaking 
with you, Helene. But it's pretty late right now. I should be heading 
back to the Inn I'm staying at with my friends before they get 
concerned."

"...I see," The Ferey girl lowered her head. This had been such a 
magnificent night and she didn't want it to end. But what choice did she 
have? "...But... do you think we could see each other again? Maybe 
tomorrow?"

The swordswoman smiled generously at the songstress. "Of course. Let's 
meet up here, at about 4 in the afternoon. Is that okay with you?"

Helene nodded her head quickly to assure Rune that that would be okay 
with her. It was settled. They would meet again tomorrow. The 
dark-haired girl stood up off the bench and smoothed out the strap 
holding up the sheath of Rustam, which had somehow come loose. Then she 
turned to the daughter of the Cardinal and gave quick wave of the hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Is all she said.

Helene's smile brightened. "Definitely."

With those parting words, Rune left Helene and the lakeside bench. The 
Avernae-follower watched Rune slowly disappear back into Castel's 
background when she turned a corner at the end of that long street. Once 
she was gone, Helene eased back on the bench and swooned. The Gods must 
have started to smile on her already. Surely it was more than 
coincidence that the one girl that Helene could truly call a friend 
appeared before her today? Helene smiled with the possibility that holy 
forces had brought she and Rune together again. This was their chance to 
pick up where they left off nine years ago. Even if Rune didn't remember 
their past at the Holy Basilica, they could begin their friendship anew. 
The blonde girl was so caught up in all this that she did not notice 
that the figure in the shadows was approaching her from behind. 

Luckily for her, it was Wishram. "...Milady."

Helene blinked with a judder and looked up. "...W-Wishram? H-how long... 
have you been there...?"

"Long enough," He replied casually, "You should not have left the church 
without informing someone of your intended location. But... I am pleased 
that you have found someone... that you feel you can truly speak to."

Helene smiled innocently at her guardian. "Thank you, Wishram."

**********

The preparations for the union of force between the Lemarchand and 
Danelish military had been going smoothly. Under the watchful eye of 
Angel Knight Ishmael and two delegates of the Danelish Parliament; 
Cardinal Danel and the Queen's advisors had agreed on the certain 
figures and weaponry that this union would share. Lemarchand and the 
Avernae Church would supply at least 740,000 soldiers for active duty 
against the Bloody Horde. Fourteen battleships would be supplied. As 
well as twenty carrier ships. Another 2,300 magic users would be 
enlisted into this new army. There would also be a shipment of 
armaments. They would vary from everything between swords to ramshackle 
muskets. That amount would weigh at around 300 tons. And thus have a 
value of around 1,250,000 gold pieces. Which was nearly two thirds of 
Daneland's total annual revenue. A heavy price for Lemarchand to pay. 
But it was all for the right reasons. And this agreement between 
countries was, by no means,  based on a one way street.

By agreeing to this, Queen Diamond had to allow Avernae to become the 
official religion of the state of Daneland. Avernae was already insanely 
popular in this country. But this would make worship of it official in 
the mainland. Not only that, parliament would have to agree to the 
creation of political party in the name of Avernae. Since the Queen was 
not representative of parliament herself; the agreement to that was 
given by the Danelish Parliament's delegates. It was given the all 
clear. Most of all, the funds and supplies that Lemarchand was offering 
would be estimated in value. When that was done, Daneland would have to 
pay back all of the debt in yearly payments made directly to the Avernae 
Church, one half of it going to the Lemarchand Avernae power-base, the 
Holy Basilica, while the other half would go toward establishing the 
Avernae Church as the head religion of the Danelish state. In truth, 
this 'agreement between nations' was more like a heavily brokered loan 
than a union of forces. But that was not the image they were giving out. 

The political/financial/territorial/militaristic/religious merger 
between the two countries would be now known forever onwards as the 
Daneland-Lemarchand Coalition. The very symbol of that combination, the 
joint army, would be known to the world as the Sacred Knights of the 
Sovereign's Guard. The name both representing the Avernae Church's 
pledge to protect the Queen and her rule, as well as marking out the new 
religious Avernae-based future facing her kingdom of Daneland. 

Less than an hour ago, Queen Diamond had signed that agreement. Now 
everything was in motion. Danel sat at a pine table in his large 
quarters in Phoenix Castle, with his reading glasses on. In small 
candlelight, he read upon a copy of the parchment that acknowledged the 
legality and details of the Daneland-Lemarchand Coalition. The whole 
agreement had come along swimmingly. Now there was only one thing left 
to take care of. And that event would begin soon.

"...Finally..." Danel muttered to himself, "...The star of destiny has 
finally fallen upon the world. The endless bounty of the Holy Realm is 
upon us. And the age of the Gods will be resurrected once more."

Another voice called to him however. "...Are you really that sure of 
yourself...?"

A furious expression crossed Cardinal Danel's face. She swung around on 
his chair and stared at the one who had entered his room without 
permission. It was Professor Oro. The man that had spoken with his 
'daughter' in the library of the castle. 

Danel knew him well. "...Well. I would not have expected to see you in 
this place. It has been a long time, Professor."

"... So. Everything you've worked for has reached its head, hasn't it?" 
Replied the short old man, "Your dream to create a holy world for the 
Gods and Saints of Avernae is finally at your hands. But what makes you 
so sure... that everything will pan out the way you have intended them 
to? What makes you so sure of yourself, Danel?"

The Cardinal's brow creased. "Because it is the will of the Gods. Older 
men like ourselves should know this by now. It is fate. It cannot be 
resisted. The prophecies of Opus Edda are coming to life as we speak. 
Soon the Contest of Heaven and Earth will take place. Then all sin and 
impurity will be burned away from the land like never before. I'm simply 
doing the work of the Gods."

"Is that right?" Oro shook his head, "...It's such a shame. Alongside 
Richard, Berthelsen and Shaddad, you were one of my best students. But 
you have abandoned your talent for your fanatically religious zeal. What 
kind of life have you condemned yourself to?"

Danel smirked at the older sage. "Is that right? Tell me something, does 
a teacher not take responsibility for the mistakes of his students? You 
criticize me in my actions. But what have your other students made of 
themselves? Richard of Eltah is dead. That fool was so desperate to 
prevent his daughter from taking on the role of Scion of Earth that he 
cast a mental spell upon her. One that, I am told, has blocked all 
memory of her childhood. Shaddad, now Ottaman XII, is quite possibly the 
most feared warrior king in human history. Is he a model student of 
yours? And what of your favourite, Berthelsen? He is gone. Unable to 
fulfil his duties... worthless."

"You're still jealous of him, aren't you?" Retorted Oro, "Even after all 
these years, while he sleeps in his grave... you are still jealous of 
Berthelsen's talent. I know full well that you led the conspiracy that 
had him murdered, Danel. His blood is all over your hands. And to think 
that you have the nerve to adopt his daughter and call her your own."

Danel gripped his fist. "Helene is the Oracle of Heaven. Ironic as it 
is... she was needed for the Contest of Heaven and Earth. So I did what 
was necessary. When Berthelsen attempted to resist the inevitability of 
the Contest, I knew that precious flower had to fall into my hands. And 
she will be victorious, bringing about the Holy Realm and the new age of 
the Gods."

"That is just a fantasy, Danel. You have no real way of knowing who will 
win the Contest. What if your angel fails? If Helene falls then the 
world is doomed, according to Avernae's teachings. Berthelsen knew that 
the risk was too great. As did Richard. If they attempted to resist 
destiny it was because they knew that the consequences were ominous."

Cardinal Danel smirked, closing his eyes. "They were simply cowards. 
Helene will not lose. She is the sacred light to counter to the unholy 
darkness of the Scion of Earth. Rune of Eltah may be the representation 
of the Anger of the People and she may be the descendant of their 
discontent. But what the people of this world think is NOTHING in the 
face of the will of the Gods. Mortals are merely sheep who have lost 
their shepherds. I have simply authored the scenario that will return 
the shepherds to them. The foul pollution of sin that drips from the 
souls of mortals will finally be absolved and returned to the mud from 
which it sprang. Those that cling to their hedonistic desires shall be 
set ablaze in holy flame. The embrace of the Gods will return to the 
world... the great empire of righteousness they will build on face of 
the Earth will lead the pure towards their final salvation. Destiny has 
been set in motion. And there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop 
it."

Oro opened his eyes. "You're right. There is nothing I can do now. The 
Contest of Heaven and Earth shall soon begin. I just hope you realise 
how much is at stake. For if the possibility of a mortal hell is equal 
to that of your intended godly rapture... I shudder to think of what 
will befall the world... if the Scion of Earth is victorious."

**********

"It was her, you know."

Helene and Angel Knight Wishram strode down the streets towards Phoenix 
Castle. It was late. Helene often found herself yawning. She had to get 
into bed. After all, it had been a long day for her. But she was in a 
happy mood, no matter how tired she seemed. And Wishram knew that the 
girl she had met with, name Rune, was a very large part of that. 
Although it did not show, he was very happy for her. Wishram had known 
Helene since she was born to her true father, the previous Cardinal, 
Berthelsen Schaefer. In some respects he felt as though he had a hand in 
raising her. Thus Wishram was very proud of her. Though it displeased 
him to think that Helene had been unhappy up until now, he was privately 
glad that the songstress was embracing a true friendship. 

While the two walked through the empty night streets, Wishram turned to 
Helene when she addressed him. "...What was that, Milady?"

"It was her," She repeated, "Remember a short time ago I told you that I 
have seen a certain girl in my dreams? It was her. She and I both have 
no real memory of those times. But I know that the Rune I was friends 
with in the past is the same as the one I spoke to tonight. I never 
thought that I would meet her. At times I thought that Rune was nothing 
more than a dream of mine. But she's real. Surely it is fate that we 
have met in Castel after all these years?"

The Angel Knight knew that better than Helene did. But his speech never 
indicated that much. "...Maybe so."

"I know it is," Answered the blonde, blushing, "I cannot wait until 
tomorrow afternoon. I can see her again. As long as my Father doesn't 
set any appointments for the singing of hymns at another church."

That was a possibility in Helene's mind. One that she hoped would not 
occur. Call it greedy, but Helene had finally found something that she 
had been denied for over nine years. The beginnings of a true 
friendship. She wanted nothing to spoil that. But the wheels of destiny 
were not tuned to her will and wants. A loud bang echoed in that paving 
beside the Azure Drop. One so loud that it shattered a nearby window 
from the force of the sound waves. Wishram became alert while Helene 
gasped at the sudden shock of the noise. But that noise was accompanied 
by visuals. A flash of light surrounded by thin streaks of lightning 
energy burst merely ten metres ahead of them. Helene covered her face 
while Wishram darted ahead of her, in a protective stance. He had his 
spear, Janus, right at the ready. When the light of that action faded 
away, another Angel Knight had been left behind. It was teleportation. A 
magical skill that even the Angel Knights had trouble mastering. Whoever 
this person was, he/she was VERY skilled. 

Wishram piped up. "Who are you!? State your business!"

The other Angel Knight did not answer.

"...Did you hear me?!" Wishram barked loudly, "I am second in rank 
beneath Angel Knight Ishmael! I am Wishram! I order you to identify 
yourself."

That was when the mystery Angel Knight spoke up. "...So. Danel has 
managed to break your spirit. To serve the one who we knew to be a 
detriment to Avernae and the Angel Knights... you have certainly turned 
yourself into the jaws of the snake, Wishram."

Wishram's eyes narrowed behind the visor of his helmet. "...Who are 
you...?"

Maybe it was better to show than to tell. The mysterious Angel Knight 
pulled up his right arm, surrounded in all that protective-yet-light 
armour. A glow gathered up at his hand. It was a glow of silver light 
that stretched outwards horizontally into a long line of energy. That 
surrounding light then vanished. Leaving behind an absurdly elongated 
and thin sword. The grip of which, the Angel Knight clutched. 

A chilled gasp came from Wishram. He'd know that sword from anywhere. 
"...Impossible! That sword... it's... Stratum El Dalvacour...! But that 
means that... but... you could not be... Vohraphamon?! It cannot be!"

Angel Knight Vohraphamon nodded, lowering his sword. "Correct. I AM that 
man. Your eyes are NOT deceiving you. It has been a long time, Wishram. 
Many things have changed since that eventful day that occurred nine 
years ago. My eyes have been opened. I have seen and marvelled at the 
very cogwheels of the universe. I have been schooled in the will and 
word of the true saviour. The time has finally come. The keys to the 
Holy Realm must be secured."

Wishram growled. "...No. I do not know who you are... but you are NOT 
Vohraphamon! And I will not allow the Contest to take place! That was 
why I remained an Angel Knight! Not to bend to the will of a man like 
Danel! But to carry out Cardinal Berthelsen's wishes for his daughter! 
For her happy life! THAT is all I exist for!"

"...Poor boy," Said Vohraphamon, "You do not seem to understand. The 
Contest of Heaven and Earth is going to take place. Because you have no 
say in the matter. It is, as I said before to others, unavoidable."

If Wishram had anything to say about it, that was a falsehood. The 
guardian of Helene Ferey growled with momentum and herded his charge 
behind him. Then he span Janus around his body in circular waves until 
it was positioned downwards from his body. Wishram then rushed ahead in 
a furious dash, pushing his spear ahead of him. Vohraphamon did not move 
away or even attempted to dodge the running blow. He simply pulled up 
his free hand. A powerful magical shield appeared before his body. But 
by now it was too late for Wishram to stop moving. He yelled a strangely 
mortal scream as he was tossed violently back from that barely-visible 
magical shield of Vohraphamon's. Janus was knocked from Wishram's hand 
and he was thrown over the edge of the platform overlooking the Azure 
Drop. His armoured body splashed into the cold waters of the city lake. 
Out of the way.  

Helene let off a frightened cry from seeing that. "Wishram!"

But Vohraphamon ignored Wishram and focused on the girl he couldn't 
protect. "So, Helene Schaefer. Or should I say, Helene Ferey? You have 
grown into a fine young woman. I can feel the strength burning within 
you. There is no doubt in my mind that you are the Oracle of Heaven. Now 
you will come with me."

"N-no!" Helene said with fright, "L-leave me alone!"

Obviously Vohraphamon was not the kind of Angel Knight that took 'no' 
for an answer. He simply swerved his risen hand around to make a few 
brief gestures. But they took their toll on Helene. The girl suddenly 
felt light-headed. Her eyes slipped shut and her body collapsed to the 
cobblestone ground. Out cold via the power of Vohraphamon's magic. The 
Angel Knight walked up to the sleeping girl and with one powerful arm, 
dragged her body up. He threw the girl over his shoulder and held her 
there. 

Vohraphamon took one last look at Castel. "...All your suffering will 
fade... when the Holy Realm finally comes into being."

A few seconds later, Vohraphamon was gone. Instant Magical 
Teleportation. And he had taken the Oracle of Heaven with him. 

**********

It was a few moments away from midnight when Rune finally made it to the 
place where she, Satsuma and Baliero would be staying for a while. The 
Gold Clover. It was not a very large Inn. It had a sidebar and the 
normal amount of tables any rational Inn could afford for those of their 
customers who like a bit of a drink. And at this time most of those who 
liked to drink did what they did best. Drink.

Rune pulled up through the double doors to the Inn, Rustam waving behind 
her in stride. Then she looked around. First from the reception desk 
then over to the sidebar. She scanned the tables for anyone who might 
have resembled someone she knew. After all, she didn't have any clue as 
to which rooms Baliero had rented out. Soon enough though she found the 
ex-soldier himself. He was sitting on a stool by the bar surface. With a 
half-empty pint of ale in his hand and fine look of appreciation on his 
face -- aimed at a waitress behind the counter. Typical Baliero. Rune 
skipped over to him, dodging through the tables and the men drinking 
around them until she stood beside her male friend. 

"Baliero," She said, "Is everything okay?"

The swordsman from Rork look over at Rune. "Hey, kid. You just getting 
back?"

"Yeah. You weren't worried, were you?" Asked the younger warrior. 

"Nah," Baliero gulped down the last of his ale, "...You can handle 
yourself. If you could take down that Dragon Worm in one shot then I'm 
sure you can hold your own against a petty mugger. By the way, did you 
and Satsuma have some kinda argument?"

Rune blinked. "...No. Why?"

"She came by in a huff about ten minutes ago. I asked her what was wrong 
and she just told me to 'mind my own damn business'. So I guessed that 
the two of you must be arguing or something."

"We didn't argue..." Now Rune was confused. What was Satsuma in a bad 
mood about? Was it because Rune had asked to be alone for a while? Maybe 
that was it. Little Setsu did seem a tad upset when Rune requested some 
alone time. If so then Rune had to put it right. The girl paid her 
thanks to Baliero with a nod, asked him for their room numbers, then 
made a quick jog for the stairs leading up to the boarding rooms. Rune 
climbed up them and walked down the subsequent corridor till she came to 
her gang's rooms. Rune had no.9, Satsuma had no.11,  and Baliero had 
no.10. Rune strode up to door 11 and knocked.

"Setsu?" She spoke warmly, "Are you in there?"

There was no reply. 

But Rune wasn't about to let it rest. "Setsu? Are you... angry with me 
about something?"

That comment provoked a reply from the Master Thief. "...Go away!"

Now something really was wrong. Satsuma was clearly upset. But what by? 
Rune shook her head and opened the door regardless. She marched inside 
the small room to see Satsuma, sitting by the edge of the window; her 
long strawberry-blonde hair undone from its usual ring style, hanging 
loose down to the small crests of her behind. Satsuma looked a lot more 
mature and elegant when she let her hair down. Rune had always liked 
that. But now the girl had a serious frown on her face. And Satsuma 
barely brought herself to even look at Rune.

Something was up here. "...Satsuma? What's wrong with you?"

"..."

"...Did I do something wrong?"

"..." Again there was no reply from her. 

Rune sighed. "...Is this because... I wanted to be alone for the 
evening? I told you that I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just 
wanted to some me-time to think things through."

Satsuma looked back at Rune with harsh eyes that were normally foreign 
to a girl with such a sweet and kind personality. "...Some 'me-time', 
huh? Just some time to yourself? Oh yeah, sure. Which is why you were 
hanging out with some blonde girl you don't even know?"

"...How did you know about... Helene...?" Rune's suspicions began to run 
wild too. And her eyes narrowed with questioning irritability, "Did you 
follow me? Were you spying on me?"

"You lied to me!" Satsuma shot back, "You said you wanted to be alone! I 
was just looking around Castel, thinking I should get better 
understanding of the place for you, so we could find out more about your 
past. Then I went to the Azure Drop and saw you with some girl! And I 
can tell you were talking to her about important stuff! Stuff you should 
have been talking to ME about! I'M your best friend!"

Whoa. Rune silenced herself. Satsuma was really hurt about this. But why 
on earth was she getting so upset? "...Setsu... look... it's not the way 
you think. I really did want to be on my own tonight. But I figured that 
I should find out a bit more about Avernae from here. I went to a church 
and that's when I saw her. Her name is Helene Ferey. When I saw her 
sing... I just got this really weird feeling that I'd seen her before. 
Like we knew each other. I'm still not sure why but I went around the 
back to see her. We got to talking, and I just, I liked being with her. 
It made me forget all my troubles with Avernae and Frayne Island and 
Grandpa.  I didn't plan on it. I didn't intentionally lie to you. But 
I'm really sorry if you think that I did. I never meant to upset you."

Accepted. But that just wasn't the only thing that was bothering Satsuma 
right about now. "...I don't like that girl." 

"Come on," Rune prodded, "Helene's really sweet and kind. I know that 
you two would really hit it off if you got a chance to know each other-"

But then Rune was sharply cut off by another burst of Satsuma's anger. 
"I don't wanna have a chance to 'know' her better! I don't want her 
anywhere around me! And I don't want her anywhere around you either!"

It occurred to the swordswoman now that this was about more than Satsuma 
simply feeling lied to. "...What is the matter with you? You're acting 
like Helene's evil or something. She hasn't even done anything wrong."

"I don't care! You're not gonna see her again!" Shouted Satsuma 
indignantly.

Rune now became justifiably angry. "You can't just tell me what to do!"

And then that same anger was returned with an equal fervour. "Oh yeah?! 
That's so funny, 'cause I think I just did!" 

"Why are you acting this way?!" Rune yelled demandingly. 

It was then that Satsuma's long locks of orange hair whirling about her 
shoulders when she stood upright, striding up to her slightly older 
friend. "I can't believe you'd even ask me that after everything we've 
been through!" 

But Rune was still confused. "What the hell is your proble-"

The dark-haired woman could not finish her sentence. The second that she 
tried to, Satsuma dragged her closer by the shoulders and pressed her 
soft pink lips up against Rune's. In a somewhat clumsy but desperate 
kiss. Rune was thrown for six. And stood their with her sapphire eyes 
wide open, arms hanging at their sides, completely paralysed. Satsuma 
was kissing her. She felt the younger girl release an anguish-ridden 
moan into her lips. Now she was understanding this all. In her shock she 
realized that Satsuma was... jealous. That was what this all was about. 
It was startling. But nothing startled Rune more than her whole reaction 
to this. Her stunned stillness lasted only a few seconds. Following that 
she found herself melting into Satsuma's advances, almost unconsciously, 
wrapping her arms around the Master Thief's neck and tilting her head to 
one side, returning and deepening Satsuma's kiss. It became more sensual 
as the two grew more comfortable with each other in that way. 

Just until Satsuma broke their kiss and pulled back, breathing heavily. 
Finding that her hands had settled on Rune's hips. While Rune's hands 
were perched upon her neck and shoulders. The two looked into each 
other's eyes with the sudden realization of what they had just done. And 
Satsuma was made painfully aware of how much arguing with Rune added to 
her sexual frustrations. Not that that... mattered much.

Satsuma lowered face. "...I... think I might be... in love with you."

"...Since when...?" It was a pretty irrelevant question for Rune to ask, 
but...

"I guess... since... we first met," The redhead replied, "...I wanted to 
tell you... so bad... but I was worried. I thought that you might hate 
me or something. And when I saw you with that girl tonight I just... I 
couldn't stand it... I couldn't stand the way she looked at you... I 
just..."

Rune's expression softened. "...Setsu..."

"I'm sorry I... yelled at you... but I just-" 

This time Rune cut Satsuma off. The nineteen-year-old replied to the 
eighteen-year-old's kiss with one of her own. And Satsuma didn't at all 
fight it. 

Onwards to Part 3

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