The Last Saga 3 (part 2 of 3)

a Original Fiction fanfiction by Kaiser

**********

PART TWO

**********

Elle sighed whilst sipping on the straw of a tall milkshake that Nagi 
had bought for her. Though she did not feel very happy, it was a nice 
day out. Rare as such weather had been in the past week, the sun was out 
and shining. The white clouds around were thin and far between. There 
was also a calming breeze in the air. Which helped to cool down those 
most sensitive to the heat provided by the sun. The young blonde woman 
sat alone at a small plastic table, surrounded by other tables, right 
outside of an Ice Cream shop. This shop was in the middle of a city 
bazaar, lined by cobblestone paving. This was the town of It was a nice 
place. This was the coastal town La Cruz, on the very edge of Norhia. 
All things concerned, most people seemed peaceful and quiet here. It was 
different in the bigger, busier Norhian cities; Oswyn being a classic 
example. But for the most part, La Cruz was a sleepy, beach-laden resort 
for recreation and naval trade. Elle sipped softly at her milkshake 
though its straw whilst waiting for Nagi and Long to return. Apparently 
they were looking for an Inn to sleep in for the night. This looked like 
a place that travellers came to quite often, so Elle doubted that the 
two of them would have any real trouble in finding one. But they were 
taking their sweet time in locating one. Maybe they had gotten lost. 

For a while, Elle managed to put the events of one week ago behind her. 
But they came back just as easily, with the thought of lost friends. 
Elle's pink lips abandoned the straw and her head lulled, splashing her 
platinum blonde locks over her shoulders. No matter what she did, she 
could not stop thinking about what happened at the Stone Temple Ruins. 
Or rather, the former Stone Temple Ruins. On that day, when Sydney Linus 
Krauser raised the Celestial Deity Sczamahchai from its seal prison, and 
brought down that dread fortress from beyond the stars; the Stone Temple 
Ruins and everything around them had been utterly destroyed. There was 
nothing left of White Raven now. All that remained was the black crater 
created from the energy blasts of the Divine Pyramid. And the 
after-effects of the appearance of that vessel were... numerous. 

Queen Catherine XXIII had sent surveyors to what was now called the 
North Catherian Fissure. The damage done had claimed all the lives of 
the Blizzard Guard troops stationed there,  including its leader, 
Zuriel. Thankfully it had been an under-populated area, so other than 
the Norhian soldiers, no one had been killed. The Catherian surveyors 
found little all around cost deducted as a result of the pyramid. But it 
did hang ominously in the skies of Catheriah. The Divine Pyramid of 
Pandoria was awesome. At a height of almost 2000 metres, the width of 
the bottom was around 2100 metres, while the width at its tip was no 
more that about two metres. Its tip was flat, and the Stone Eye at its 
front stuck out whenever someone neared the pyramid. In fear of its 
power, Catherine had ordered dragon riders to investigate the place. 
Their attempts were futile. The pyramid's energy shots gunned the dragon 
riders down before they came within a lick of the place. That was a 
couple days ago. There were rumours going around that Queen Catherine 
was planning an assault of a much larger scale on the Divine Pyramid, 
but Elle couldn't really substantiate them at this point. 

Norhia had, comparatively, suffered far more than Catheriah herself. For 
one thing, a huge chunk of the Blizzard Guard had been lost. Which was 
damaging because their numbers were relatively low, especially with 
comparison to the Norhian Regular Army. Plus, a huge black hole in the 
Blizzard Guard had been created with the loss of Zuriel. He had done 
well in the way of leadership and would not be easy to replace. Elle had 
discovered that Zuriel's second in command had taken over the group. But 
it was commonly thought that that man (whoever he was), was simply 
incompetent. There was also the loss of both Krauser and Molly to deal 
with. While Molly Ragwurm was missing (Nagi had not defeated her, but 
did not see how she fared either) Krauser had out-rightly betrayed 
Reidenbacht and the Norhian Parliament. It was no surprise to some of 
the more liberal backbenchers of parliament that Krauser had betrayed 
them, very few people trusted him to begin with. But what Reidenbacht 
was peeved about was the failure to carry out his plans. Provoking Civil 
War via the Celestial Deities was impossible now. The Gold Crystal was 
gone and the only Norhian with knowledge on raising them from their 
seals had retreated into the Divine Pyramid. Nobody knew what Norhia 
planned to do next, but the plans for Catherian Revolution were most 
definitely off the cards. 

People were much more frightened about Krauser/Atma God's declaration 
from his new palace. He had threatened to 'absolve' all reality into 
'one form', whatever that meant. The townspeople in Catheriah (who were 
all naturally religious and superstitious) had taken this command to 
heart and were in the grip of fear. Norhians (on the whole) had 
maintained their calm and simply assumed that this was all just an 
elaborate hoax. Ostantinoples had mixed reactions. Those to the north, 
with ties to Catheriah, were all scared. Those to the south, were fairly 
uncaring of the issue, thinking it to be simply Catheriah's problem. The 
Ostantinople Lords retained that same sentiment. And they had kept mute 
about it all. But no matter what the opinion, the whole world was up and 
aware of Krauser/Atma God's machinations. Though for now Elle had only 
one concern. 

Roll.

In the nightmare of the Pyramid's attack, the Stone Temple Ruins had 
been obliterated. Just after Roll used her magics in teleporting the 
group to safety. She had stolen the power of Sczamahchai right before 
all that. But it transformed her into Demi-Sczamahchai, a smaller, more 
compact form of the Demon God King itself. Though much annihilation had 
taken place, Elle was certain that Roll/Demi-Sczamahchai was still alive 
and well. Somewhere. But thinking of that issue made her remember the 
discussion they all had with Dr. Oro, back at his lab, just six and a 
half days ago.

~~~~~~~~~~

"We've got to get back to Catheriah! We have to save Roll!"

Elle yelled fervently at the group to motivate them into action. She and 
Nagi, Long, Sapphire and Dr. Oro had gathered up at the old wizard's 
small lab in Ostantinople. Roll's (or rather, Demi-Sczamahchai's) 
teleportation magics had returned them to the small valley that 
contained the lab. Once they had all shaken off their shock, they 
entered the laboratory and healed themselves up. Elle's magics had cured 
them all of their injuries. But nothing they could do would heal their 
shock on the entire situation. Krauser had attained the ungodly powers 
he sought all along. He had brought down the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria 
and he had destroyed the Stone Temple Ruins. They would have died too, 
if not for Roll. Aside from Elle, the whole group remained quiet. Nobody 
liked to think of it... but it was highly unlikely that she could have 
survived the explosion from the blast that finished the ruins. 

The shorter Dr. Oro stood beside the taller Sapphire. "...That is 
impossible, my dear. The teleportation chamber has been used once 
already. After transporting five of us, it needs time to gather energy 
before it can generate another portal. We cannot go back."

"But what about Roll?!" Elle shouted, tears in her eyes, "She saved all 
our lives! She knew that the only way to get us out was to steal the 
power of that monster! She saved us! And now you'd all just sit back and 
do nothing?!"

Sapphire lowered her eyes. "What can we do? We cannot get to Catheriah 
now. Just as Dr. Oro has told you. And more importantly... we cannot be 
sure... that she survived the whole ordeal..."

"How can you SAY such a thing!? Am I the only one who wants to have her 
back?! If you won't help me then I'll go alone!"

The blonde girl turned away in a huff, stomping over to the door that 
led out of the lab. But Nagi moved just a little bit faster than that. 
The last of the Xian rushed ahead of Elle and blocked her pass. Then 
drew back her hand. Elle yelped as Nagi slapped her viciously over her 
cheek, her head wrenching back amid her tresses of blonde. Nagi then 
lowered her hand and shut her eyes. Which, Sapphire noticed, were 
already watering.

"Just shut the hell up," Nagi seethed, holding back her emotions, "Roll 
gave her life to save us. And now you'd just throw away that gift by 
going back? What the hell will you do when that Pyramid attacks again? 
Huh? You think you can run from it? Ask it to play nice? Well that's not 
going to happen. Now grow up and stop acting like such a spoiled little 
child! You're not the only one who cares about her! And I damn well 
won't have you implying it, either!"

Elle held a palm against her now reddening cheek. Her eyes were wide. 
But she had calmed down a little bit. Nagi ignored the one tear that 
dripped down her cheek, and strode off to the side of the room again. 
Sapphire walked up to the silent Elle and put a caring arm around her 
shoulders, comforting her. 

"It's okay, Elle," Said the God Summoner, "We all want her to be safe. 
But this is far from a safe situation. That man, Krauser, is more than 
any of us can handle."

Nagi then directed her fury at Dr. Oro. "Sapphire's right about that, 
you know. Now you'd better start talking. Who the hell is that man? What 
is that Pyramid? What do you know about it?!"

"...Keep calm," Replied the old wizard, "I will tell you everything I 
know. First of all. That man we met on the roof. His name is Sydney 
Linus Krauser. A Norhian. He has terribly great magical powers that 
outshine anything I have ever come across before. Krauser was the one 
who murdered Roll's father, Enryu, and imbued Elle's father, Stephen, 
with the curse of demon magics. Ten years ago he attempted to raise the 
Celestial Deity, Ixram, probably with the same intention as now. I had 
long suspected that Krauser was still alive... but I had no idea that he 
was in league with Reidenbacht and the Norhian Parliament. It serves me 
right for believing that he would have remained idle all these years. 
His God Blood makes him believe in his right to dominion over 
existence... I should have known that he would make a second attempt at 
some point."

Elle lowered her hand from her face, still in Sapphire's embrace. 
"...God Blood. I remember him mentioning that. He said that I have it as 
well. What is it?"

"God Blood," Dr. Oro repeated, "is blood with special properties that 
allow for stronger magical power than usual. It was formulated years 
ago. Because you see, although the Demon God Kings caused destruction on 
a large scale, other Celestial Deities were summoned in secret. Lesser 
ones that brought prosperity to a select few. One day, all those 
thousands of years ago, a Celestial Deity took on humanoid form. And 
fell in love with a female human. They produced a child, one with blood 
properties from both Deity and human. That child was to become the same 
hero who wielded the great sword Deuel and brought about the defeat of 
the Four Wise Men. The same one who ended the two-decade long reign of 
the Four  Demon God Kings. That bloodline has maintained throughout the 
years. You and Krauser share it. I had hoped that you would never 
discover this aspect of yourself, Elle. Which is why I hesitated to tell 
you of the demise of your parents. Doing so would mean knowing of your 
heritage. And there are many people in the world who would seek to take 
advantage of you because of it."

"What about that Pyramid?" Questioned Long, "I have never seen anything 
like it. What is the connection?"

Dr. Oro sighed. "I had hoped... that the legend of the Divine Pyramid of 
Pandoria was nothing but an ill-conceived myth. However, I seem to be 
wrong in that belief. You see, years ago Krauser and I were students 
together. Learning of magic and history under our teacher, Master Li. He 
told us... that at the dawn of time... the Gods descended from the skies 
and created the world in their own image. And they came by means of a 
vessel. And that vessel is the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria. I hesitated 
to believe the story, thinking that no contact had been made with 
anything higher than the Celestial Deities. Whether or not it is true, 
remains to be seen. But the Pyramid does exist. And Master Li informed 
us of one thing. The Gods predicted that the Pyramid would rise again 
when the world was on the brink of collapse. A sole human being would 
step into it. A human being that carries God Blood. That person would be 
the one to save the world with the Pyramid's great powers. They would 
become 'Atma God', a divine being with power the likes of which 
transcend that of even the Gods and Deities themselves. Krauser has 
become Atma God, by being the first person (of God Blood) to enter the 
Pyramid in billions of years. But rather than turn to good and use his 
powers to save us all... he has decided to wreak obliteration and weave 
death into the land. He claimed that he wished to absolve all reality in 
one form. If this is true, it will be the end of us all. In so many more 
ways than one."

"But if the Pyramid was his only goal, why did he free Sczamahchai?" 
Sapphire asked. 

The old warlock tapped his staff. "I think he knew that it would take a 
tremendous amount of energy to actually bring down the Pyramid from the 
heavens. That kind of power cannot be called on easily. And more 
importantly, it needed a bridge. A sort of spring-board. To reach the 
heights that would normally be inaccessible. Thus I assume Sczamahchai 
acted in that role. Once it was freed, Krauser used Sczamahchai as the 
axis of the Gold Crystal's beacon. It seems... that Krauser's plans were 
far more than I would have guessed. I can tell he has been planning this 
for a while. It was so ingenious. To manipulate the Celestial Deities 
and gain favour with Reidenbacht. I should have seen it coming..."

Nagi shook her head. "There was nothing you could have done. Lets not 
regret. Lets just think of a way of stopping that bastard before he 
carries out his plans."

"He said that he was going to collapse reality into one form," Long put 
forth, "but just what did he mean by that?"

Dr. Oro shook his head. "I have no idea. But whatever it is, it must 
take much time to gather power for. I think that was why he said he 
would do it in three weeks. I believe that Krauser will need to gather 
his strength in order to carry out his scheme, regardless of his new 
powers as the Atma God. We will have to figure out a way of stopping him 
beforehand."

"Is that even possible?" Stated Sapphire, "We couldn't handle him as a 
normal human. And from what you've said, he's now twenty-times as 
powerful as a Celestial Deity. How on earth can we stop something like 
that?"

"We will have to discover a way," Dr. Oro responded, "I have many books 
about the past and about the Gods. I will begin the research and scroll 
through them. I will try to find any form of information about the Atma 
God and the Divine Pyramid of Pandoria. Hopefully we might unearth 
something... anything."

~~~~~~~~~~

That was nearly a week ago. Two weeks were left before Krauser/Atma God 
would compress all reality into one form like he said he would. Dr. Oro 
was with Sapphire back at the lab. They were doing all they could to 
look through the books that Oro had hanging around. So far they had 
found nothing that would be of any real use to them against the Pyramid. 
But while the two of them did that; Elle, Nagi and Long had travelled to 
Norhia. During the short few days after the destruction of the Stone 
Temple Ruins, there had been reports of a four-winged creature attacking 
known criminals in the town of La Cruz. Dr. Oro managed to find out 
about this via his powers and sources. The others were sceptical, but 
Elle was sure that it was Roll. She knew that the Soul Stealer was 
alive. She just knew it.

Soon enough, the milkshake Nagi had bought for Elle ran dry. She didn't 
bother to stand up and get another one. After all, Nagi was the one who 
carried the money in their party. And she was off with Long, finding an 
Inn to spend the night in. So Elle just looked around for a little 
while. She would have to wait until Nagi and Long returned before she 
could start the search for Roll. Though Elle wanted to help the girl, 
the chances were high that Roll was dangerous in the Demi-Sczamahchai 
form. For now Elle would be content with simply getting to know her 
surroundings. She had never been to Norhia before, let alone La Cruz, so 
it was only through the guidance of Nagi that the three of them were 
able to get around. 

While Elle looked around the cobblestone streets of La Cruz, she noticed 
a small group of people gathering around something across the road. She 
was curious now. Elle slipped back on her thin aluminium chair and stood 
upright. Then walked across the street to that crowd. It might have been 
a bit nosy, but she wanted to find out what was going on over there. She 
came up to the back of the group, behind two burly and somewhat 
'electrified' men. Elle peered through the gap between the two of them 
and looked forward at the centre of the ring of people (mostly men). The 
crowds were cheering on a certain someone. A young 'woman' at about 
16/17 years in age. With smooth, creamy, milk-tone skin and long dusty 
blonde hair that ran down to the bottom of her shoulder blades. And the 
most expressive set of big, beautiful jade green eyes that dazzled the 
crowds around her. The girl was dressed only in a skimpy silver-link 
skirt that cut off a third of the way down her thighs. Around her 
arguably flat chest was a small silver-colour bikini, and hanging off 
her neck was another silver item, a necklace. On that necklace was a 
heart-shaped piece of silver which read 'Goddess'. This street performer 
moved in a coordinated and rather erotic dance before her spectators, 
thrilling them with teasing wiggles of her cute little behind and the 
gyrations of her slim hips, guided along by the movements of her long, 
velvety legs. She danced with great grace, running her hands through her 
hair and winking at the more zealous men in the crowds. Causing Elle to 
blush a little. She had never seen such a beautiful girl who was as 
comfortable with displaying herself in front of others as this one.  The 
surrounding group showed their appreciation with more than a few lusty 
glances and heavy breathing. As the girl danced; many of them threw gold 
pieces into a small basin. A lot of cash was piling up inside it. The 
dance soon ended however, with her body bent forwards at the hips, her 
butt thrust into the sights of those men behind her. She bowed to them, 
and they all burst out with cheer, throwing more and more gold pieces 
into the cash bowl. The street dancer blew kisses to all her adoring 
fans, accepting their praise and giggling at their attraction to her.  
When she bent over to collect her money, the crowds began to disperse, 
returning to whatever it was that they had been doing beforehand. All 
except Elle, of course.

The girl looked up from her crouched position and stared at a blushing 
Elle, just until she felt two dark shadows being cast over her from 
behind. She stood up from the ground, leaving her bowl of money for the 
moment. Though she possessed a magnetic smile, it faded into a cocky one 
when she saw the two men. They were not part of her fan club. 

The taller one scowled. "Pervert. Still carrying on with the charade, 
huh? No matter. Just time to collect our fee for the week. You remember 
our offer, don't you?"

The girl shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. But if you think that you morons 
are gonna railroad me into giving you money then you've got another 
thing coming. It's MY money, I earned it."

"...Sophie," The shorter one was less confrontational but just as 
determined, "we aren't kidding around here. We want our cut of the 
money. Half of it. This doesn't have to get rough, you know?"

The taller thug smirked. "Yeah. Just pay up, bitch. After all. If you 
ain't afraid of our fists, then just think about what would happen when 
your 'fans' all find out about your dirty little secret, huh?" 

The one known as 'Sophie' frowned, looking away. "...Bastards..."

"So? You gonna pay up?!" Yelled the tall guy.

Sophie snorted at the pair of them. "Go to hell!"

It seemed that the taller thug was in no mood for that one. He growled 
sharply, then reached for the silver bikini that Sophie was wearing. He 
dragged her into him, then drew back his fist to punch her. Strangely 
enough, she didn't look the least bit scared, neither looking away nor 
squirming. But that didn't stop Elle from getting involved. She 
wordlessly jogged forwards to put a stop to this, but the shorter 
ruffian stepped ahead of her. When Sophie saw this she took action 
against her aggressors. The taller man thrust out his fist to punch her. 
But her own hand swiftly shot up and grabbed that fist. Seconds before 
it hit her face. The large thug was surprised at that. But Sophie didn't 
allow him to stand there speculating. She instantly shot her knee 
upwards between his arms. And squarely nailed him in the mouth and nose. 
Elle cringed at the sound of bone cracking. While the shorter thug 
looked on in surprise. The tall guy yelped in pain as bloody spurted 
freely from his nose and mouth. He toppled to the ground and rolled 
around with screams. The shorter punk blinked nervously, as the once 
seemingly defenceless Sophie turned her eye to him. 

"You wanna try takin' me on?" She questioned provocatively, "Or are you 
gonna get some sense and scram while you're still able to?"

No reply came. He simply dragged up his friend and made a break for it. 
Leaving behind Elle and Sophie. Now it became obvious to Elle that this 
girl was a fighter. She had quick reflexes and a surprising amount of 
power behind her strikes. The street dancer scoffed at the two who had 
threatened her, then grinned a powerful smile at little Elle.

"Hey there," She said cutely, "Thanks for havin' my back. This is the 
second time that those guys have been bothering me. But this was the 
first time I decided not to hold back against them."

"What was that all about?" Asked Elle.

Sophie crossed her arms. "Well, the pair of them used to watch me dance. 
Then after one of my performances, the taller one said he wanted to 
sleep with me. I turned him down, but he wouldn't stop pestering me. So 
to get him off my back, I just told him my secret. Ever since then, 
they've been trying to rob me blind."

"...Your secret...?"

Sophie probed Elle for a second with her large green eyes, then said, 
"You know what? You look like a pretty trustworthy girl. I guess my 
secret will be safe with you. You really wanna know...?"

Elle nodded. Just out of curiosity. Sophie leaned into Elle's ear and 
whispered faintly, "Okay. Here's my secret. I'm actually a boy."

The eyebrows of the innocent Elle shot up with shock. Sophie was a BOY!? 
She (or rather, he) didn't act like a boy, sound like a boy and 
certainly didn't LOOK like a boy, but he was a boy. It was amazing. 
Sophie pulled back from the startled Elle's ear and grinned proudly, 
pressing his hands into his small hips.

Elle was stunned. "...Y-you're a boy...?"

"Yup!" Replied the fellow blonde, "...Well, just in body. In spirit, I'm 
ALL woman. I know it's probably a little odd for you... but I feel great 
like this. So anyways, who are you? To introduce myself, I'm Sophie 
Blue! Street dancer and martial artist extraordinaire!"

Elle reached out and shook hands with Sophie. "My name is Elle. Elle 
Stuart."

"Nice to meet you, Elle! I'm sorry you had to see me kick that guy's 
ass, but, you know what beautiful 'women' like ourselves have to put up 
with, right? Anyways, I'd like to invite you back to my place, but, I'm 
spending most of my time at an Inn right now."

"Why?" Elle wondered. 

"Well..." Sophie's thoughts drifted, "...I live at a little house 
outside the city, on a cliff  over looking the Norhian Sea. Problem is, 
a cave is near my house. And a few days ago this
freakish, four-winged monster started hiding out in there. It's 
generally a peaceful creature but I can't live there with such a thing 
on the loose."

The moment that Elle heard 'four-winged monster' her whole expression 
uplifted into a dazzling smile. One that caught Sophie off guard. Elle 
stepped forwards and took Sophie's hand into her own, smiling 
brilliantly, "Are you sure? A four-winged monster? Are you sure that's 
what you saw?"

"...Uh... yeah... why...?"

Elle shook her head. "Never mind that! Sophie, could you do me a favour? 
When my friends come back, could you show us to the cave that you saw 
that monster in? Please?" 

Sophie shrugged his little shoulders. "Sure, I guess. But why would you 
wanna meet with something like that...? It's a monster. If the Norhian 
soldiers weren't so busy with that new leader of the Blizzard Guard, I 
would have asked them to take care of it."

Elle was barely listening to the words that were coming out of Sophie's 
mouth. She simply reflected on what was said before. Though she couldn't 
be completely sure of it, Elle had a hunch that this, four-winged 
monster, was in fact Roll. She looked over at the table she had been 
sitting at before, the one of with the empty glass, beside the Ice Cream 
shop. Finally, Nagi and Long had gotten back from their Inn-hunting 
excursion. They were standing by the table, looking around for Elle, who 
they had left there. Elle eagerly clasped Sophie by the wrist and 
dragged him over to that Ice Cream shop. Nagi and Long stood there 
waiting, unaware that the girl who possessed the God Blood was coming 
their way. 

"Where is she?" Nagi wondered, "Maybe one of us should have stayed with 
her."

Long crossed his arms. "She couldn't have gone very far. We only left 
Elle alone for about half an hour. Besides, her glass is still here."

Elle and Sophie advanced on the two of them a few seconds later. Both 
Long and Nagi looked relieved that she was back, but was also curious 
about the one that she had brought with her. Nagi was the first to 
speak. "Elle, where have you been? You said you were going to wait here 
for us."

"I'm sorry, Nagi," The healer put forth, "But I just met someone who 
might know where Roll is! This is Sophie. He says that a four-winged 
monster is occupying a cave near his home. I bet that that's Roll!"

The last of the Xian eyed him over. "...He?"

"Uh, yeah," Sophie bashfully ran a hand through the back of his hair, 
"...I'm kind of a boy. My name is Sophie Blue, and I..."

The street dancer drifted off with a whisper. The moment his eyes 
drifted from Nagi to Long, he was almost speechless. Almost. Sophie's 
large green eyes were struck with a longing, in a glance that was 
directed to the now startled Long. A furious blush of red covered his 
cheeks, and Sophie leaned over into Elle's ear with a whisper. "...Oh my 
Gods, Elle! Who is that gorgeous stud over there with the golden hair?!"

Elle sweatdropped, whispering back. "...That's Long. I met him in 
Catheriah. He's quite a quiet guy, but he's also a friend of mine. And 
the woman beside him is-"

Sophie wasn't really interested in the details on Nagi. He rushed over 
to the taller man and looked up at him with those big, expressive bottle 
green eyes. Long blushed awkwardly when Sophie wrapped his both of his 
thin arms around the dragon-man's muscular right one. 

"Hi..." Sophie spoke lustfully, "...I'm Sophie Blue... your name's 
Long... right?"

Long looked away bashfully. "...Uh... um... uh..."

"Silly boy! You don't need to be shy around me! I'm the one who's 
supposed to be using the coy act, right? Oh, you're just so adorable!"

Nagi's eyes widened. "Um...okay... uh, Elle. What were you saying about 
Roll?"

"Sophie says that he's seen something that fits her description after 
she transformed. I think we should go there as quickly as possible and 
go see if it really is her. We can't be sure until we find out for 
ourselves."

The queen of the Xian nodded. "Fair enough. But lets not get our hopes 
up, alright?"

Elle nodded to that. But the truth was, she was already excited. The 
Stuart girl had no realized how much she actually missed Roll. Deep 
down, she was already so stoked by the idea that she was going to see 
the Soul Stealer again, no matter what form she was in. 

**********

Sapphire tapped her sea-blue polished fingernails into the wooden 
reading table over and over again. Her eyes scanned from one side to the 
other, taking in all the information that had been written into the book 
rested before her. Reading this stuff was even more boring than she 
first thought it would be. Now Sapphire was beginning to think she 
should have left for Norhia with Elle, Nagi and Long. The God Summoner 
sat astride a small pine table at the corner of Dr. Oro's small library. 
One of the eight rooms of his lab. All around her were hundreds of books 
slotted into bookcases to contain them. Most of them had grown dusty 
with age. But all contained facts from in all kinds of subjects. The 
most prevalent being magic. Historical information was rich in Dr. Oro's 
collection too. But finding specific data on the Divine Pyramid, 
Celestial Deities and the Atma God were almost impossible. The books on 
the ancient world were sketchy and vague. They did not go into the kind 
of detail that they would need. 

"Sapphire, Sapphire," The girl said to herself, "Would your brothers 
believe you if you told them that you were planning to save the world by 
reading books?"

A familiar voice answered. "It is not the books, but the information 
inside them that counts."

The cinnamon-skinned woman looked upwards and saw the great wizard 
himself, Dr. Oro, standing in the doorway into the small library, his 
staff in hand as usual. Sapphire lowered her head again and yawned 
tiredly. "Doctor. It's so hard, reading all this stuff. I should have 
gone looking for Roll with the others. This is boring."

Wood creaked against wood as Dr. Oro sat down on a chair at the table. 
"Oh, listen to yourself. 'This is boring'. You sound like a little girl. 
And here I was, thinking that you were the mature one of the group."

Sapphire pulled a smile. "Sorry about that. My grandfather says the 
exact same things to me, on occasion. I should visit him after all this 
is over with-"

A soft rumble rocked the building. From the ground upwards. Both 
Sapphire and Dr. Oro juddered in their positions. Sapphire's chair fell 
backwards. She yelped in surprise when she fell back onto the floor from 
the chair. Dr. Oro managed to hang onto the table, which shook but did 
not overturn. The walls and the bookcases next to them also trembled. 
Some of the books that were in them were tossed out of their places and 
thrown to the ground. Then, all of a sudden, the rumblings stopped. The 
walls stopped shaking and the books stopped falling. And all became 
quiet again. Sapphire waited a few moments, then rolled over with a 
huff. 

Dr. Oro released the table and shook his head. "...Ugh. I can guess what 
that was."

"Another tremor," Sapphire spoke, standing up, "A scream of the planet. 
The Unumbanga is in agony. It was a little stronger than the one we felt 
yesterday. But not nearly as strong as the ones during the arrival of 
that pyramid."

"I fear they will keep getting worse until the day that Krauser carries 
out his plans." Said the old warlock.

Sapphire bobbed her head, just before she went to pick up one of the 
fallen books. "Yes. Which is why we should be getting back to work. As 
boring as this all is, my grandfather sent me out into the world to find 
out what it was that disturbs the Unumbanga. Now that I have discovered 
the reason, I must do something about it..."

Sapphire trailed off that second. There did not seem to be a reason for 
this. Until Dr. Oro looked at the young woman. Her sharp blue eyes gazed 
down at the book she had clutched in her hands. It was an old book known 
as the 'Verses of Eternity'. Though the title suggested that it was some 
sort of fantasy story, it was actually a written chronicle of the 
history of the world. Starting from the migration of the ancient 
Norhians, via ship, to the places that would one day come to be known as 
Catheriah and Ostantinople. And Sapphire had picked up the book when it 
was opened on a most interesting page. 

"What is it, child?" Dr. Oro asked.

Sapphire began reading absently. "...It had been over twenty years since 
the four magicians from all known lands came together and called on the 
four monsters of destruction, when the first ever child of human and 
Deity came of age. He saw the devastation caused to the world and went 
about setting this to the correct path. His quest was to expel the four 
forces of death and save his country from harm. Eventually he took up 
the enchanted sword, Deuel, forged from the very fires of the eternal 
magics of the universe. Then he went on a quest with his many friends 
and, one-by-one, put down the four men who called on the Demon God 
Kings. When the last wizard fell, it was victory for humanity... all who 
loved life rejoiced. It was the end of nearly a quarter of a century of 
death..."

From hearing that, Dr. Oro now put his thinking cap on. "...Wait a 
minute...?! How could I have overlooked something like that yet again?!"

"Overlook what?"

"Can you not see it, Sapphire?" The smile returned to Dr. Oro's wrinkled 
face, "The sword! The sword Deuel! It was the weapon that put down the 
Four Wise Men and saved the world all those years ago! What if we could 
find it? We could use its powers against Krauser!"

Sapphire unexpectedly clammed up. Her head looked downwards, towards the 
book, which she now closed. Then Dr. Oro noticed the sudden change in 
her demeanour. What could that have meant? "...Sapphire? Is something 
wrong...?"

The God Summoner looked away. "...You wish to use... Deuel...?"

"Yes," He responded honestly, "I do not think there is any other weapon 
that we could use against Krauser now. But the big question is... where 
can we find it...?"

Sapphire squirmed. "...I know where Deuel is..."

"You do? Then-"

"You cannot use it," She replied sharply, "...it is... forbidden."

Dr. Oro gave a questioning glance to the girl. "...What do you mean? 
Forbidden?"

"Yes. The sword Deuel... is spoken in the tales that I learned as a 
child. After the death of the hero who originally sealed away the Four 
Demon God Kings, Deuel was given to the Cloud Dancer Tribe for 
safekeeping. Many people have tried to use it. And have raided our 
village to get to it. But its power was so great that we could not allow 
it to leave the Village of the Wind. We then decided that we would seal 
it away in an underground mausoleum which is  called the Tomb of the Sky 
King. For hundreds of years it has remained there. And we are forbidden 
to either take or wield it."

Dr. Oro was surprised by that. "...Sapphire. So far, this is the biggest 
possible tool we have for use against Krauser. We have to follow through 
with it, do we not?"

Sapphire was still sceptical. "...If you really seek to resurrect 
Deuel... then you will have to speak with my grandfather..."

**********

The sound of the waves crashing into the beaches was calming. It was a 
sound that came often at the cliffs overhanging the beaches of the 
Norhian Sea. Sophie's small beach house was just ahead of the edges of 
those cliffs. While the cave that he had described was just a short ways 
ahead, further beyond Sophie's homestead. The street dancer had led 
Elle, Nagi and Long out of the suburbs of La Cruz. The town was not too 
far from the coastal area, so the walk did not take long. Just about 
twenty minutes. 

As the group strode along the grassy lower cliff of the coastal area, 
Sophie, with his arms still wrapped around one of the embarrassed 
Long's; sighed softly to himself. "Ah. I love this place. It's so 
peaceful and gentle, right, Long?"

Long was stuck for words. "...Uh... well..."

"You're so adorable..." Sophie swooned, "I bet you haven't been around a 
gorgeous woman in while, right? That's okay. Long... you need someone to 
take care of you..."

Nagi rolled her eyes as they all walked. "How much further is it?"

"...We're here." Replied Sophie. 

And so they were. The closest point to the end of the grassy cliffs. 
Across from them to the right was the average sized cave that Sophie had 
told them about. Across from them to the left was Sophie's beach-side 
home. It was a small wood and stone building, the kind of place that 
seemed more of a vacation pad rather than a long-term home. Sophie 
tightened up his grip around Long's arm and smiled now that he was back. 
But his smiled vanished once he noticed two shadowed figures scampering 
around it. The martial artist released Long's arm with a scowl.

"Dammit," He swore, "It's them again!"

Elle, Nagi and Long followed Sophie's glance over to the beach house. 
There were two men standing beside it. But more importantly than that, 
Nagi noticed the things that they were holding in their hands. Fire 
torches. The pair of them were preparing to burn down Sophie's home. 

The blonde boy was just about to run over there and stop them, until the 
taller one (who had by now patched up his jaw) yelled out to him. 
"Freeze! One false move and this precious little home of yours goes up 
in flames!"

Sophie skidded to a stop. "...You damn bastards!"

"We want what's ours, Sophie!" Yelled the shorter one, "The money! We 
tried to reason with you and you wouldn't listen to us! If you don't 
give us what we want right now, we'll be forced to burn this place to 
the ground!"

The fist of the blonde martial artist shook. These two had backed him 
into a corner. There was no way he could allow them to torch his place 
like this. So in the end, what choice did he really have? Long narrowed 
his eyes at the pair of them. "...Who are they...?"

Sophie huffed. "...They used to be spectators of mine. I'm a street 
dancer. When I told them my secret, they forced me to give them money. 
They tried to attack me before but I took care of them. But now..."

"...Gods dammit," Nagi seethed, "why am I always being thrown head first 
into someone else's problems? Is any of this really important?"

Sophie yelled back with a pout, waving his arms. "Hey! That's my home! I 
worked really hard for that place! Just 'cause it's no skin off YOUR 
nose doesn't mean that I don't care!"

The taller thug by the house darkened his expression. "All of you, shut 
the hell up! We're gonna get something out of this! Either the money we 
want, or revenge for twenty minutes ago! So what's it gonna be?!"

If Sophie wanted a roof over his head, it seemed like he would have no 
choice but to submit to these people. Then a shining ray of hope 
descended on the scene. But not necessarily a holy one. There was the 
dark gush of a 'whoosh' sound, the sounds of wings gliding a body 
through the air. Nagi noticed it first with all her Xian super-hearing 
skills. The queen of the warrior mages looked up to see a four-winged 
spectre zooming through the air towards the two thugs with the fire 
sticks. Nagi's almost characteristic frown reversed into a smile, 
knowing exactly who this was. The four-winged creature blazed downwards, 
blowing past Elle, Long and Sophie, ripping up the blades of grass with 
nothing more than wind resistance. The two yobs who were threatening 
Sophie's home were too shocked by the sudden appearance of this creature 
to do anything about it. Three seconds later, razor-sharp claws sliced 
their faces and throats into ribbons. With two quick strikes, the thugs 
both gargled death cries and collapsed to the grassy ground, dead as 
doornails. Elle's smile brightened (despite those gory murders she had 
just seen). The beast with the now bloodstained claws flapped down to 
the ground under the beat of its four wings. Demi-Sczamahchai. The half 
Celestial Deity snorted, steam rising from its small nostrils. Then dark 
light of amethyst surrounded its whole body. There was the chime sound 
of regressing energy to follow it. And when the light faded away, the 
towering form of a miniature Sczamahchai was replaced with that of the 
cocky adult teen, Roll.

The smiles of Nagi, Elle and Long widened when Roll (now dressed in blue 
denims, a white undershirt and a small black overcoat) began speaking to 
them. "...What the heck are you guys doing in La Cruz...? I thought 
you'd still be over at the old man's lab."

The first one to react was Elle, who shook the tears out of her eyes and 
ran over to her friend, the one who had saved her life at the Stone 
Temple. Elle threw herself into Roll's arms and laughed happily, her 
eyes still watering. "Oh Gods, Roll! I knew you were alive! I knew it! I 
just knew it!

Roll blushed, scratching the back of her skull. "...Uh, Elle? Since when 
have we been on a hugging basis?"

"...Oh, sorry..." The blonde then released Roll, still sporting a little 
smile, "I was just... so happy to see you..."

Nagi crossed her arms with a grin. "So you made it out alive after all, 
huh?"

"Heh, heh, heh," Roll pressed her hand into her hips, "You didn't really 
think that I could die that easily, did you? After I teleported you all 
to safety, I did the same for myself, right before that flying triangle 
thing blew up the tower. But I didn't have to time to teleport myself 
all the way over to Ostantinople. I just took myself to some place in a 
Catherian city. But I'm glad you guys made it out okay."

Long asked a more direct question. "...How did you...?"

"...What?" Roll thought for a moment, then figured out what Long was 
getting at, "Are you talking about the transformation between the human 
and the Deity?"

The Guardian of the Gold Crystal grunted a yes. 

"Yeah. At first it wasn't able to. I was stuck in that Sczamahchai form 
all the time. Then I remembered the fact that you could turn into a 
dragon and that Count Mehus could turn into a demon. I figured I should 
be able to have that same skill. After practicing for a while, I got the 
ability to transform between this form and my other one. Of course, even 
though I'm a hell of a lot stronger than I've ever been when I 
transform, it does have drawbacks. For one thing, I can't Soul Steal 
anymore. I dunno why... but I can't do it now. Sucks, huh?"

Elle nodded. "Yes. It's unfortunate. But you're okay. And we've finally 
found you. Now you can come back with us to Ostantinople and-"

Roll cut Elle right off. "Elle... I'm not coming back."

That caught the whole group off guard (well, except for Sophie). However 
Nagi was the one who pressed the former Soul Stealer about it. "...What 
are you talking about."

"You heard me," Roll replied, "I'm not coming back. I tried that whole 
'mercenary' thing, fight for cash and only cash. I'm not doing that 
anymore. From now on... I'm just gonna do as I please. Go where I 
please. Say what I please. Be what I please."

Long spoke on while Sophie grabbed his arm again. "What about Krauser 
and the Pyramid?"

Roll looked away. "It's not my concern."

"What do you mean by that?" Elle prodded, "We have to do something to 
stop that man!"

The taller girl closed her eyes. "I don't have to do shit-all. I told 
you that night before the destruction. I'm no heroine. I don't fight for 
others. I'm not like my father. And as far as I'm concerned, the world 
can just find itself another saviour. Right now I have only one goal."

"What's that?" Questioned Elle.

Roll turned her back to the healer, looking out over the cliffs. "...I'm 
gonna settle things with Reidenbacht. I'm gonna kill him. This whole 
mess started because of his ambition. And that'll be the last thing of 
worth that I'll ever do. After that? Who knows?"

Elle was left almost speechless by this. "...Roll..." 

"Forget it, Elle," She responded, "You're not gonna talk me out of it. 
This will be the last we ever see of each other. And if you really plan 
on taking on Krauser... well... good luck."

That was all Roll had left to say. With her back turned, the daughter of 
Enryu walked forward to the edge of the cliffs without a word. She stood 
a few seconds later. Then mystical energies started to surround her like 
before. Her body was instantly transformed into that of the grand 
Demi-Sczamahchai. The four wings of the half-Celestial Deity spread open 
into their full wingspan. The long muscled tail of the being slapped 
against the ground. Right before she flew off into the skies. The whole 
group watched Roll as she flied upwards and made a direct turn west. 
Towards the Norhian capital of Oswyn. In Oswyn, lay the great Lambton 
Mansion. And in the Lambton Mansion, there resided Joseph Reidenbacht. 

Elle was left stunned as the girl flew away to the west. "...She's 
really serious. She's going to kill Prime Minister Reidenbacht."

Nagi frowned. "She always was deluded. We're gonna have to catch up with 
her."

"What?" Long blinked, "But she just said that-"

"I know," Spoke Nagi, haltingly, "...but all the same I'm going after 
her. I've known Roll for a while. And I know that she's trying to run 
away from something. So Esdra and I are going to make a little pursuit 
of our prodigal daughter."

Elle nodded with determination. "I'm coming with you."

Nagi accepted that, then turned to Long and Sophie. "What about you 
two?"

"I suppose I should accompany you," Long then looked down at the smitten 
street dancer on his muscled arm, "What about you, Miss Sophie?"

Sophie giggled his childish little giggles. "Wherever you go, I go."

**********

The Village of the Wind was one of the most beautiful places in the 
known world. Being on the furthest edge of Catheriah, on the shores of 
the Norhian Sea, it was blessed with tropical climate that was common to 
most beach villages. All around the village were wonderful slanting 
tress, rich with coconuts, mangos, and a fruit that the Cloud Dancer 
people called 'Awa-Awa'. A rare delicacy that could only be obtained 
here. The Village of Wind was filled to overflowing with men, women and 
children of light brown, tanned skin. Happy, cheerful folk who worshiped 
the Gods fervently. In between all the wooden huts that acted as village 
locales, statues and tapestries of the Gods had been posted in great 
numbers. The greenery around was all too lush. Rare flowers of all 
colours grew here. The grass was as green as a freshly polished emerald. 
And the soil was so fertile that all manner of crops could be grown 
here. People who were religious tended to regard this place as a 
paradise. There was not a touch of hatred or misery in the Village of 
the Wind. However, there was a growing fear. One that was spoke in 
whispers between some of the older, more concerned members of the 
village.  And that was due to the rumblings of the earth. Though none of 
the common people in the village had the same level of intuition as the 
Elder and his family, they too could feel the dark  shadow of 
destruction that was enveloping the world. Because they knew that those 
rumblings were caused by the fear of the planet. People in the Village 
of the Wind tried to keep a positive outlook on the whole situation. But 
there was no doubt that there a hidden veil of worry deep in the hearts 
of the people.

To the corner of the village territory, by a stone well, a swirling mass 
of bluish energy appeared suddenly. It was a portal. The energy 
generated by the portal blew at the grass below it, until Sapphire and 
Dr. Oro stepped out of it. They touched upon the grass of the area and 
felt the heat of the sun splashing down on them. This was Western 
Catheriah without a doubt.

Dr. Oro smiled when he looked up into the cloudless sky. "Yes. Truly a 
beautiful place."

"I always told you that my village was wonderful," Sapphire bragged. Her 
smile then became serious when she remembered just what she had come 
here for, "We should speak with my grandfather, Elder D'Kai now. If 
you're really sure that using Deuel is the best way forward, then we 
cannot waste anymore time."

Dr. Oro nodded to Sapphire. The two of them walked through to the 
village. The moment that Sapphire was seen by some of the villagers, she 
was instantly recognized and bathed in their praise. Though Sapphire 
made sure to keep in touch with her people, it was not the same as 
actually seeing them. The God Summoner blushed cheerfully once all of 
her people came to see her return. Though she kept up the pace with Dr. 
Oro, she made a point of saying her greetings to all of them, all the 
while inching towards the furthest house of the Village of the Wind. 
That was the house of Sapphire herself. The house of her family. And the 
village Elder, D'Kai. Eventually Sapphire confessed to the villagers 
(whilst walking) that she was aware of what it was that was causing the 
disturbance in the Unumbanga. They were all shocked, but realized that 
if Sapphire was in the know, it would give them a better chance at 
stopping the disturbance. Knowing this, the villagers let Sapphire pass 
uninhibited to the home of the Elder. And the two came to the tall 
wooden house itself soon enough. Sapphire walked up the steps to the 
Elder's house, Dr. Oro hobbling along behind her. She opened the door 
and strode inside, only to see her wise old grandfather sitting across 
from her on his rickety pine chair. 

The elder of tanned flesh stood upright, running a hand through his long 
beard of pale grey hair, and turned around. "Hmm. It seems that that 
granddaughter of mine has returned."

Sapphire beamed happily. "It is good to see you, grandfather. Are my 
brothers well?"

"...Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Elder D'Kai chuckled, "As usual, your first and 
foremost concern is for your family. Kemah and Paari are at the 
waterfalls. Playing as usual. While Surai is visiting a neighbouring 
village over trade issues. You needn't worry about them. I can sense 
that there is a deeper problem that must be addressed. The pain of the 
Unumbanga is growing. So much so that it is taking shape physically, in 
the tremors that take place every few hours."

Sapphire lowered her eyes. "I know that. The disturbance is being caused 
by a man known as Sydney Linus Krauser.  He has taken refuge in a... 
vessel or fortress of the Gods known as the 'Divine Pyramid of 
Pandoria'. Because of this he has apparently become some almighty being 
known as the 'Atma God'. I fear that he grows stronger with each day 
that goes by."

Elder D'Kai nodded. "I heard that declaration. Everyone in the Village 
of the Wind did. That man claimed that he would collapse reality into 
one form. Though I shall not pretend to understand that comment, I am 
sure it will be the end of all of us. Not to mention the world in which 
we live."

"That is why we have come," Dr. Oro finally spoke, "My name is Oro, 
venerable elder. I am a wizard and magical researcher from Ostantinople. 
I believe that I have discovered a way of challenging the Atma God 
before it rages with the threats it has made to the world."

"...You know of a way to stop this?" Wondered the fellow old male.

Dr. Oro bobbed his head. "Yes. But it requires something that may 
interrupt your customs. We must use the power of Deuel to stop Atma God 
before his plans come to light." 

Elder D'Kai stiffened. "...Deuel...? The sacred, enchanted sword of 
legend? Hm. It is sealed within the Tomb of the Sky King, which rests 
below the Village of Wind herself. But the use of it is forbidden..."

"That's what I said," Sapphire interjected, "...but Dr. Oro is sure that 
this is our only hope..."

This was a tricky situation. Elder D'Kai blinked once, exchanging 
glances between both Dr. Oro and his granddaughter, Sapphire. He then 
turned his back to them and lowered his head. The customs of the Village 
of the Wind were important to him. As they were to the others. Even the 
liberal and reasonable Sapphire was hesitant about this. To break their 
codes and allow someone to use the enchanted sword Deuel... was a direct 
violation of their traditions. But at the same time, the responsibility 
of the Elder was to not only uphold their customs, but also to assuage 
the pain of the Unumbanga, the Spirit of the Planet. If using Deuel was 
the only way forward... the only way to stop the monster that was 
threatening the world, could D'Kai really stand in the way of that?

Elder D'Kai cast his gaze over his shoulder, at Dr. Oro. "...I agree 
that using Deuel might be necessary. However. I cannot make the decision 
on my own. We will have to consult the highest of the eternal spirits."

Sapphire was thrown. "...You will speak with Otfar?"

"I believe I have no choice. Stand back."

Both Dr. Oro and Sapphire did that, standing back. But only Sapphire 
knew what was going on here. The spirit 'Otfar' was that of the first 
ever elder of the Village of the Wind. He was a powerful man in the way 
of magics. And one of the original heroes who helped the legendary one 
defeat the Four Wise Men. Eventually he became so saturated by the 
magical energy boiling within him that his soul remained tied to the 
Village of the Wind, rather than passing on to the afterlife. From then 
on, only elders of the village were able to contact him through a sacred 
rite that was similar to God Summoning. Elder D'Kai stamped his bare 
feet into the ground one after the other, his green robes shaking around 
his legs. He pressed his hands together and shut his eyes. Then an 
ancient chant escaped his lips. The ancient language that had all been 
forgotten by those outside of the Village of the Wind. While D'Kai 
performed the rite, the room began to darken, despite the bright sun 
outside. A powerful green glow appeared before Elder D'Kai, catching the 
full attention of Sapphire and Dr. Oro. Then that glowing mass of energy 
gathered up a face. This was the spirit of Otfar.

Dr. Oro grinned. "Ah! So this is the fabled skill of Spirit Summoning!"

The spirit of Otfar spoke in loud, ethereal tones. "I am Otfar. Sage of 
the Village of the Wind. I counsel all elders in their appointed task of 
upholding our ways of life and protecting the Unumbanga. For what reason 
have I been summoned?"

Sapphire and D'Kai fell to their knees in respect. Though D'Kai was the 
one to speak. "Oh great Otfar. The Cloud Dancer people of this age have 
come into the throws of darkness. And it causes the Unumbanga great pain 
each and everyday. A higher force threatens the world just as the Four 
Wise Men did, all those centuries ago during your time in life. We 
believe that the only way to stop this evil is to unleash the sacred 
sword, Deuel, into the world once more. May we do this?"

Otfar remained silent for a brief few seconds before speaking. 
"...Necessity is the known bane of tradition. But for the devices of 
virtue... we of the Cloud Dancer Tribe must overcome our own 
apprehensions and work for the greater good. If you must use Deuel 
SOLELY for the purpose of protecting the Unumbanga, then so be it. 
Farewell."

Seconds later, the great spirit Otfar was gone. Vanishing into the 
spirit world. The darkness in the room disappeared along with the dead 
elder. D'Kai rose up from the ground (as did Sapphire) and turned to his 
granddaughter and the old foreigner. "...The great Otfar has permitted 
you to use Deuel. However I must warn you. To attain the sword you must 
pass a trial in the Tomb of the Sky King. And we of the Cloud Dancer 
people are forbidden to enter the Tomb. So you will be forced to do this 
alone, Mister Oro."

Dr. Oro accepted that. "Fair enough. I shall do this myself. Lead me to 
the Tomb."

**********

A few hours had passed since the reunion with Roll. 

Her words and actions had come as quite a shock. Especially to Elle. It 
was no secret that Roll was a careless, unmotivated woman. But this was 
different somehow. Roll had become... more than unmotivated. She seemed 
tired, somehow. Not physically, but of life. The panic at the former 
Stone Temple Ruins seemed to have been a shock to her. More so than the 
others would have at first expected. The flame of motivation that had 
been flickering inside Roll's heart was now wavering at alarming rates. 
Elle was afraid that it was about to be blown out completely. And what 
would it mean for Roll if it did? The group left La Cruz soon after the 
conversation with the ex Soul Stealer in pursuit of her. They marched 
west, towards the city of Oswyn. It was quite obvious that Roll was 
moving at a faster rate than they were. But they had to relax by the 
time the sun fell. From their current position, three miles west of La 
Cruz; Oswyn was not that far away. But the important thing was that they 
rest while they could. There was no catching up with Roll if they burned 
themselves out in the process. 

Elle, Long and Nagi made camp in the small forest they had ended up in. 
This place was called the Tiger's Forest, for unknown reasons. Sophie 
had tagged along with them (but his real intention here was to be by 
Long's side) and helped with the gathering of the firewood. As a martial 
artist, Sophie made a point of breaking down a tree with nothing more 
than his small but powerful fists. Soon enough, by the time the full 
moon had risen, there was quite a healthy fire in the middle of the 
chosen encampment. Before they left La Cruz, Sophie bought some fish 
(since it would be obvious that they were going to camp out) from one of 
the markets. He showed off his cooking skills to a surprised Long, who 
watched as Sophie prepared four well-cooked salmon for the group. Once 
the fish were ready, Sophie waited expectantly to see if his potential 
boyfriend liked it. He did. Unbeknownst to the street dancer of La Cruz, 
Long had spent thousands of years locked up in a crystal. ANYTHING would 
taste good to him. Shortly after the 'meal', the group spent the next 
few hours chattering. Mostly to get to know Sophie a little better. And 
so they, in turn, explained things about Roll, Krauser and their 
intentions for the next few weeks. He didn't seem to really understand 
the bits about Krauser, the Pyramid, the Celestial Deities or the Four 
Wise Men, but for the most part, Sophie was completely uninterested in 
anything that did not involve Long. 

Eventually those two fell asleep. Long slipped into dream land after a 
second helping of Sophie's salmon. The cheerful martial artist then did 
the same, snuggling up to the man who he felt so close to. Which left 
Elle and Nagi to converse between the two of them. By now the skies were 
pitch black and the stars were in full view. The forest was quiet, aside 
from the crackling of the fire, the hoots of the owls, and the rustling 
of the bushes in the wind. While Nagi slowly sharpened the tip of her 
spear, Esdra; Elle flicked her thumbs against each other.

"Nagi?" She spoke softly, "May I ask you a question."

Nagi didn't look up from the spear. "What is it?"

"...How long have you known Roll...?"

That sounded like the kind of question that Nagi would have expected 
from Elle. "Why would you even need to know something like that? Does it 
matter?"

"I'm just curious," Elle assured, "How long have you know her?"

Nagi stopped the sharpening of her spear. "...I guess about three years. 
We met at a bar in Ostantinople before we started doing work for Dr. 
Oro. We were forced to work together on a job for an Ostantinople Lord 
called Count Dengue. It was an easy job. And we split off after that. 
Then, a couple months later, we met up again to work for Dr. Oro. Ever 
since then we've been travelling the world together, doing jobs for 
whoever needed them."

"So you know her quite well?" Elle asked, following up. 

The shaft of Esdra was lifted. "I guess so."

"...Does she... tell you much about her past...?"

"...No," Nagi replied, "She doesn't talk about it with anyone. All I 
know is that she saw her village destroyed at the hands of that Krauser 
guy. And I only know THAT because Dr. Oro explained it to me after the 
Stone Temple disaster. When it comes to her past... Roll was pretty 
cagey."

Elle lowered her face. Nagi and Roll were practically best friends. Yet, 
Roll hadn't told Nagi about her past. So why had Roll told Elle about 
it? The healer remembered the day before Krauser entered the Divine 
Pyramid. She and Roll discussed what had happened previously in their 
lives. Why had Roll explained her past, though? If it was true that she 
did not like to speak about it, why did she tell Elle? This question was 
going around and around and around in Elle's head. She did not know why 
it was so important for her to know. But it was. 

Elle interlocked her fingers while hugging her legs. "...I wonder what's 
going through her mind right now?"

"Why are you asking so much about Roll?" Nagi enquired, "We're going to 
catch up with her in time. We know where she's going and she'll have to 
rest for the night, too. Stop worrying about it."

"It's more than that. Didn't Roll seem... different to you? Normally 
she's so confident and brave and loud. When we saw her this morning, she 
was so... mellow. Everything rolled off her back like nothing at all. 
Sapphire said that when Roll does her Soul Steals, she take a tiny piece 
of their 'personality' as well. Do you think that the Soul Steal of 
Sczamahchai caused her to act like that?"

After checking its blade for absolute sharpness, Nagi reattached Esdra 
to her back. "Maybe. Or maybe its less complicated than that. Maybe 
she's just fed up of it all."

Elle said nothing, confused. When Nagi noticed that confusion, she 
sighed and explained it all. "Come on. It's obvious. Roll was never a 
violent person. She was a cocky one, no doubt about that, but she's not 
a warrior. She's just a woman with a great power. And she used it to 
make money. After what happened at the Stone Temple... can you really 
blame her for being sick and tired of fighting? Roll doesn't even know 
what she's fighting for. Money? Revenge? Enjoyment? Instinct? Happiness? 
There are a million and one reasons but she'll never know for sure which 
one is the one that drives her. Wouldn't it be easier to just forget the 
whole thing? To give up?"

"If you really think that, then why are you going after her?"

Nagi gave no reply.

"...Nagi...?" Elle spoke, "...Why...?"

The beautiful Xian rolled her eyes. "Dear Gods, that's a stupid 
question. Why do you think? It's because she's my best friend."

**********

"In the name of the Gods! How big is this infernal place!?"

Though Dr. Oro had no way of knowing, he could sense that night had 
fallen on the Village of the Wind. It would have not been possible to 
tell from here, if not for his powers as an adept. Because no sunlight 
ever got down into these corridors. The old wizard frowned as his short 
legs ambled him through the many stone corridors and pathways of the 
Tomb of the Sky King. A few hours ago, the elder of the Village of the 
Wind, D'Kai, contacted the great spirit Otfar. Asking for Oro's 
permission to take the Deuel sword and use it against Krauser and the 
Divine Pyramid. That permission had been granted. So Sapphire led him to 
the entrance to the Tomb in which the sword had been sealed. It was a 
small stone pathway that was secluded by a large up growth of grass, 
hidden behind the village. Though it was not necessarily in a secure 
place, it took the magical chants of Elder D'Kai to actually open the 
stone slab of a door into the tomb. Once it had been opened, Dr. Oro 
descended into the dark crypt alone. It was forbidden for the Cloud 
Dancer Tribe to actually enter this place, so there was really nothing 
he could do in that respect. 

At first, this seemed like an easy task. There was one narrow path that 
led straight into a large chamber after a twelve-metres stretch. But 
this chamber did not contain the sword. It simply led to more pathways. 
The Tomb of the Sky King was a large network of interconnecting stone 
tunnels that criss-crossed all over the place. And Dr. Oro guessed that 
the overall layout of the tomb was around the same size as the Village 
of the Wind. There was no map of this place, but Dr. Oro theorized in 
his powerful brain that the labyrinth was shaped in the form of a 
pentagram-like star. The tomb had been designed specifically to throw 
off intruders with its confusing and monotonous design. The walls were 
covered with carvings of the Gods in their purest forms, as divine 
higher beings passing on the blessing of life to a grateful mankind. But 
those same images were repeated again and again and again the further in 
you walked. Until simply looking at them became an irritant. 

More than a few raiders had found their way in here, the old man 
guessed. Every twenty meters, there was an old skeleton lying on the 
stone ground with withering clothing, covered in cobwebs. The poor 
bastards had probably starved to death.  It seemed that finding Deuel in 
here was as hard as escaping. Now Dr. Oro understood the genius of this 
place. It had been designed specifically to do two things. One, to 
confuse intruders, and two, make them go mad. It seemed like a harsh 
thing for a relatively peaceful people to create. But Deuel's power was 
probably more than any normal human being should ever dream of. Thus 
protecting it from the greedy was more important than benevolence. 

Eventually, after touring his way though this long, fully complicated 
maze, Dr. Oro made it to a moderately-sized hall. Three more chambers 
led out from it to new areas of the maze. But for now, he would not move 
on. The old man held a hand to his back and sighed, easing down to the 
dusty stone ground in sitting position.  It was quite dark down here, so 
he lit some of the old torches mounted on the walls with his magic. With 
a flick of his staff, the fire sticks came aflame, brightening the 
cobweb-ridden complexities of this underground maze. 

"...Geh," Dr. Oro scoffed, "I should have brought one of the others with 
me. Those loud girls may lack tact, but at least they keep me amused. 
And this place is so quiet. If I wasn't bloody talking to myself, I 
think I'd be going mad down here!"

Well, there was something he could do about that, at least. A plan came 
to mind and the seated wizard pointed his staff to the centre of this 
chamber. He concentrated his mind, like always for this kind of magic, 
shutting his eyes. A smouldering green fire appeared before the rounded 
tip of the staff. This flame swished from the wooden stick to the centre 
of the room, as pointed out. Once the flame reached the centre of that 
still rather dark hall, it increased its size and slowly took on a 
humanoid form. Dr. Oro lowered his staff and opened his eyes as his 
magical fire began to transform itself into a lustrous human being, 
brightening the tomb with the emerald flames it was made out of. That 
creation, with ten fingers and ten toes, walked up to Dr. Oro and pulled 
a small smile with the mouth-like contours of its face. This kind of 
magic was known as Body Weave. The creation of a partially sentient mass 
of magical energy which assumed a humanoid form. It was impressive it 
its own right. However, it had its limitations. It could not fight and 
it couldn't actually touch things (lest they wanted to be burned to a 
crisp) and it was an ancient and rare magical skill that only Sages like 
Dr. Oro could master. 

"What is it that you require?" Asked the flaming magical entity. 

Dr. Oro chuckled awkwardly. "...I'm lonely. I need someone to talk to. 
From now on, your name is Anne. Do you understand what I have said?"

'Anne' nodded her 'head' to indicate a yes. "I understand."

"Good," Replied the old warlock, "You will dissolve in a few hours time, 
so I might as well get started. Perhaps I should start with how much 
this place irritates me? There are so many paths and turns and twists, I 
feel as though I'm going insane! I don't know how the Cloud Dancer 
people in the old age built things like this and retained their sanity 
at the same time."

Anne pressed her hands into her knees. "Do you think you have much 
farther to go?"

"It's hard to say," Dr. Oro put forth, "I have been leaving magical 
markers on every corridor I enter to make sure that I am not going in 
circles. But I have crossed the same path more than three times already. 
This current path that I travel along is not one I have walked in 
previous hours, but now I have three choices with which to carry on. I 
cannot say that I much like the idea of going through them one by one. 
If my guess is correct... the false two will simply lead me to more 
confusing corridors. I will have to figure out some way of telling which 
one is the real one."

"How will you do that?" Asked Anne.

Dr. Oro's shoulders sagged with a sad smile. "I... haven't got a clue."

**********

A peaceful morning had reached the shores of East Norhia. 

But that peace was not reflected in the debate hall of Lambton Manor. 
Like usual, all members of parliament had gathered together at the 
benches to discuss (or in most cases argue over) the issues that were 
concerning Norhia. Money and trade was the normal bag. But in this 
meeting there was a slightly different overtone. For the Norhian 
Parliament was awash with the talk of destruction, at the hands of that 
'floating pyramid' overhanging the skies of North Catheriah's Hiess 
region. People were fearful of it. Particularly those in positions of 
power. For it was known that Queen Catherine had sent dragon riders to 
investigate the place. None of those brave souls had returned alive. 
Even more terrifying than the force that fortress wielded, was the 
prospect of the 'collapse of reality' that the one occupying it had 
predicted. So it was perfectly understandable that the members of 
parliament were slightly... on edge. In particular because of the fact 
that, the one inside that pyramid, was none other than the Prime 
Minister's former poodle turned traitor, Sydney Linus Krauser.

The 90 members of the Norhian Parliament had all gathered up and had 
taken their seats in the rising benches of the surrounding stands. 
Government in this country was defined by three major groups/political 
parties. One was the Norhian Republican Party, or the 'NRP'. The party 
that was fronted by Joseph Reidenbacht junior, the current Norhian Prime 
Minister. They obviously held power at this moment with a total number 
of seats at 40 . Their views were, at the very least, non-radical. They 
were made up of the old military big-wigs who had been key figures in 
the Norhian Civil War, and the following overthrow of the monarchy. As 
well as a few younger men who took up the roles that their fathers had 
laid for them before death as parliament members. The NRP were the 
conservative type, but conservative to their OWN will, desiring to turn 
the clock back to the days at which free speech was more of a prize and 
less of a right. 

The biggest party in opposition to the NRP was the NSP (Norhian 
Socialist Party). Their overall seats in parliament ranked at around 30. 
Not enough to single-handedly overturn any judgements or laws passed by 
the unified NRP, but large enough to stand out as a major challenger for 
power. Led by the aging professor Donald Alwyn, the NSP consisted mainly 
of lower middle class civil servants and some of the highly educated 
scholars of the Norhian crop. The views of the NSP were simple. They 
wanted a breakdown in the power and status of the military and its 
higher ranked officials (the same types of men that were heading the 
NRP) and more funding for the economical expansion plans that had been 
constructed some twelve years after the downfall of the Norhian 
Monarchy. Their nature was, in most cases, fairly neutral, moderating 
the ferocious desires for military development that the NRP had an 
intrinsic possession of.  

To the far left of the NRP and the close left of the NSP was the Norhian 
Liberalist Movement or 'NLM'. A smaller group of pro-monarchists who 
demanded the restoration of the Norhian Monarchy (albeit in a 
constitutional role) as a priority. These were the outspoken hotheads, 
the younger members of the lower and upper middle classes who bared very 
little of their forefathers' resentment toward the old monarchic system. 
In theory. At 15 seats, the NLM was under the leadership of a man called 
Henry Pitt, a blood relative of the current chancellor of the exchequer.  
They represented a small minority of Norhians that lusted after the more 
cheerful days under the monarchy. Though this was a party of young men 
from all sections of the middle-class, it was seen as an outlet for the 
voices of the working-class. It had a blue-collar work/life ethic that 
vastly contradicted the self-indulgent, militaristic nature of the NRP 
and prodded at the NSP's infatuation with the economy. 

Like any other government system, it had its flaws. There was no party 
that represented the working classes exclusively. The five remaining 
seats were divided between three small, worthless parties that lacked 
the organization necessary to make a serious political challenge against 
the likes of the NRP. Parliament was often far more concerned with the 
issues of its own parties and not nearly enough about the views of the 
vast majority of workers who went without an impartial voice. 

With the jeering of the two other parties and the counter-jeering of the 
NRP, Reidenbacht stood up from his cushioned bench and walked to the 
podium, with his notes in one hand and a sharp eye at the backbenchers. 
"I will address Mr. Speaker for a moment, if he may permit me to quell 
the fervent whispers of my moderate counterparts..."

The scoffs of the NSP and NLM grew louder with that little comment, 
pulling a smile from Reidenbacht himself as he continued, "...with the 
conformation that we will not be joining in Queen Catherine XXIII's 
plans for the pyramid. A mission to launch an all-out assault seems ill 
advised at this point in time. And I feel that the Norhian Military 
would be better served with assignments that involve the defence of this 
country..."

As usual, the NLM were the first to heckle at the sound of Reidenbacht 
making excuses for lack of military action. While Reidenbacht sat down, 
Henry Pitt stood up from his bench, walking up to his opposing stand 
with a counter that. "Forgive my 'sudden' interjection, Mr. Speaker. But 
it seems rather odd that Mr. Reidenbacht is willing to simply walk away 
from this issue. After all, it was HIS advisor that brought this 
'crisis' into being. And considering the fact that he ALLOWED Krauser to 
drag over 20% of the Blizzard Guard into something it is now obvious 
they would never come out of ALIVE, one is forced to wonder, if he is 
running away from self-created circumstances that simply show his 
incompetence as a leader!"

The NLM all let off hearty grunts and yells of agreement to Pitt's 
words. Reidenbacht locked eyes with him and stood up to speak in reply 
to that. "...I thought that the interests of Norhia would be best served 
if her troops were defending her on her own soil. And while I admit that 
the actions of Krauser were a detriment to the army, I find it hard to 
believe that a man like Mr. Pitt, who has staunchly expressed his 
dissatisfaction with the Norhian Military, can actually claim to me that 
he has a better understanding of how the army should be run!"

The great 'yeah!' of agreement from the NRP came before Donald Alwyn of 
the NSP came up from the bench and stood against the platform. "Mr. 
Speaker, if I might interject, it seems... that both Mr. Reidenbacht and 
Mr. Pitt are ignoring the realities of the situation, in that all damage 
done to the Blizzard Guard can be healed through the process of time. 
What matters more is the COST of his healing period. Costs which I am 
sure the already over-stretched military cannot shoulder. My question 
is, exactly WHERE will the money come from to do this?"

To which Henry Pitt answered as he stood, "While I have no comment to 
that from the perspective of the Norhian Republican Party, I DO remind 
Mr. Alwyn that the safety of the Norhian people is far MORE important 
than the size of his wallet!"

The NLM all voiced their agreement as Henry Pitt sat back down, while 
the straight laced Donald Alwyn stood back  up to respond to that. 
"Somehow I'm getting the feeling that Mr. Pitt mistakes my financial 
concerns for greed... which is, in itself, ridiculous. My standpoint is 
simple. Right now there has been a large amount of funds taken from the 
treasury, which has been funnelled into the Norhian Military, as we all 
know. Not the least of which was spent upon the training on the very 
same soldiers who tragically lost their lives at the Stone Temple. My 
question to Mr. Reidenbacht, Mr. Speaker, is a valid one, because he has 
given us NO explanation as to how he will replace the money that he has 
used without even the full backing of his own constituency. Can we be 
forced to assume that this current worm hole in  the treasury will be 
satiated by cutting expenditure on the things that actually MATTER to 
Norhia's people?"

Even the left man, Henry Pitt, could agree with that. His party members 
(and those of the NSP) all murmured in agreement to that, mulling over 
the cost of Krauser's betrayal at the Stone Temple. Reidenbacht stood up 
again and took the floor at his podium, saying, "The 'worm hole' that my 
worthy counterpart regards, Mr. Speaker, is far smaller than he seems to 
be suggesting. The funding of the Blizzard Guard was well placed, as was 
the funding in the rest of the Norhian Military. I am not suggesting 
that mistakes have not been made. I am not suggesting that one part in 
the scope of our agendas must take precedence over another. However, 
what matters to the Norhian people is their safety, above all else. And 
in strengthening the army, we have done what was necessary in order to 
carry that out."

The Prime Minister sat back down on his bench, sated with that little 
blurb given in reply to Donald Alwyn's comments. As expected the other 
parliamentary members raised up with counter blasts to that, putting 
forwards their own comments. Reidenbacht leaned back and soaked up all 
the discussion, not noticing a small helper boy rushing towards him from 
across the room. It was forbidden for people to oversee what happened in 
parliament, only young helpers like these were allowed to enter. And 
even then, they could not speak much about what took place here. The 
helper boy stumbled past some of the other politicians sitting near 
Reidenbacht's bench and got the his superior.

"Mr. Reidenbacht, sir?"

The older man sighed. "What is it, boy? This is not a good time."

"I'm sorry, sir," The boy apologized, "but I think it's important. Your 
office, on the other side of the Lambton Mansion, has been broken into!"

"What?!-"

Before Reidenbacht could say anymore than that little outburst, one of 
the stained glass windows of the upper right wall suddenly burst open. 
The Norhian Parliamentary Members all silenced themselves when they 
heard the sound of shattering glass. All of them, including Reidenbacht, 
looked up at the far wall at the broken window. And saw the woman who 
had broken into the Lambton Mansion from there. 

Roll.

Though all eyes were on her, Roll's eyes were secured on the Prime 
Minister of Norhia. The furious eyes that had seen the damage caused by 
this man's ambition. The young woman scowled at him, clutching her 
fists. "...Joseph Reidenbacht! The blood on your hands will NEVER wash 
away! You are a dead man! Do you hear me? You're a dead man!"

Reidenbacht looked on (not really knowing who this was) while the other 
politicians of Norhia mumbled to each other with 'what is the meaning of 
this' and 'what on earth' every now and again. Nobody had to summon the 
guards for them to arrive. They were always at hand in the Lambton 
Mansion. One of the side doors opened up to reveal the armoured guards 
that had been positioned to protect parliament from intruders. The ten 
or so troops scrambled in and marched up to the wall that Roll stood in. 
While the politicians stepped back from the far wall in caution. Roll 
grit her teeth. Then she spread open her arms and the smog-like wisps of 
soul energy materialized around her body. In mere seconds, Roll was 
transformed into Demi-Sczamahchai once again. She released a powerful 
roar that echoed throughout all the great halls of the Lambton Manor. 
The politicians all gasped at the swift transformation between the 
beautiful girl and the half-Celestial Deity. Demi-Sczamahchai jumped 
straight off the wall and swooped downwards to a frightened mess of MPs. 
The first targets were the soldiers whom had come out to defend their 
leaders. Demi-Sczamahchai blew into them under the beat of her four 
thin, bat-like wings. She quickly spread out her disproportionately long 
arms, extending her sharp claws. Reidenbacht grimaced as his imminent 
assassin sliced through his guards with frightening speed. The death 
cries of the soldiers was followed by the splashing of the thick blood 
against the polished floor. Demi-Sczamahchai tore through the platoon of 
armoured warriors, ripping off their limbs, tearing out their throats, 
carving out their stomachs, breaking their necks. With a savage 
brutality that shocked even Reidenbacht himself. A few moments later, 
all that was left of the immediate guards were a pile of broken corpses 
resting in puddles of blood and shattered bone. Demi-Sczamahchai 
breathed outwards from her thin nostrils, billowing out smoke. While 
blood, guts and brain matter dangled from her claws. 

Reidenbacht was stunned. "...A demon..."

For a moment, the parliament members were too stunned to even try and 
flee. All fell silent as they watched the imposing image of 
Demi-Sczamahchai, her fleshy shoulders rising and falling with the 
release and intake of breath. Then she jerked her one of her lengthy 
arms around, pointing it at the far wall.  A blast of power was released 
from Demi-Sczamahchai's poised hand, one that rammed into that wall, 
causing a compressed explosion. Rock was smashed open to leave behind a 
smoking hole in the wall. With her other hand, Demi-Sczamahchai use 
magics to drag Reidenbacht over to her. The Prime Minister's body was 
held in position and dragged along by forces he could not control, 
unable to break free. He was pulled right across the chambers, past the 
benches at which everyone had previously sat. Soon he was face to face 
with Demi-Sczamahchai herself, staring into her blood red eyes of 
destruction. The half-beast pulled back her hand and then thrust a punch 
into Reidenbacht's face. A soft one. But more than enough to knock him 
straight through the hole in the wall. Reidenbacht cried out and was 
thrown across the grassy courtyard gardens of Lambton Manor, now outside 
in the open. She followed him out there while the other politicians 
scrambled to safety. With the sun coming down on her, Demi-Sczamahchai 
roared loudly into the distance. Soul energy enfolded the torso of a 
higher being. When it was possible to see her again, Roll was in her 
human form. 

The girl cracked her knuckles, looking down on at the wounded Prime 
Minister, whose cheek was reddened and bloody by the force of Roll's 
punch. "...I wouldn't do you the honour of dying a quick death under my 
powers, Reidenbacht. I'm gonna do it without the mysticism. I wanna make 
you feel every ounce of pain that you've caused to others. When I'm done 
with you, there'll be nothing left but memories."

Reidenbacht coughed noticeably. "Y-you can't... do this to me..."

"The hell I can't!"

 Roll shot her hand out and grabbed Reidenbacht by the throat. She 
lifted him up off the ground with only one tense arm, her face rigged 
with focus. The Prime Minister widened his eyes at Roll's amazing 
physical strength. Whether she knew it or not, it was another after 
effect of her Soul Stealing with Sczamahchai. Then Roll drew back her 
free hand and balled it into a first. Then punched Reidenbacht square 
across the face. The force of the blow was like a lightning bolt, 
echoing with a thunderous clap that instantly fractured the groaning 
leader's jaw. Reidenbacht's mouth overflowed with blood now, his gums 
swelling with it. 

"...Son of a bitch!" Roll punched him once again, causing him to scream 
in agony. A jaw that was once fractured was now completely broken, "It's 
because of YOU that Krauser got as far as he did! All because of power! 
Is that all powerful people care about?! More power?! If you want so 
much power, then digest this!"

Roll curled her fist and rammed it into Reidenbacht's stomach. The PM 
wheezed deeply and coughed up on the blood that was dripping from his 
teeth. The former Soul Stealer dropped her hold on the man's neck and 
let him fall to the ground, spluttering and gasping for breath. While 
his blood oozed onto the grass, Roll stood above Reidenbacht and 
scowled, yelling,

"How's this for power?!" Roll kicked him violently in the stomach with a 
jerk of the hips and knees. Reidenbacht rasped roughly from the force of 
the blow, the blood spluttering over the grass in turn. And she repeated 
that violent process again and again and again. And with every kick she 
cracked a fresh rib, "You arrogant bastard! You power-whore! How many 
people have died for you and what you stand for?! Eh?! How many people 
like me had to watch their villages burn to the ground so you could get 
your way?! How many more little girls had to cry themselves to sleep 
every night because their father's life had been taken from them thanks 
to your plots?! You think you can manipulate people and toy with their 
lives?! Eh!? Eh?! What the fuck gives you that right?!"

Roll repeated her thrashing of the Prime Minister, shattering his ribs 
and kicking at his hips, breaking the man down little by little. Until a 
few others made an appearance. Roll looked up when she heard her name 
being called out by someone. Across from her, running into her 
direction, were Elle, Nagi, Long, and the blonde 'girl' that had joined 
up with them (Sophie). 

Elle skidded to a stop when they finally caught up with Roll. "Roll! 
That's enough! We don't have to bother with him anymore! He'll get 
what's coming to him!"

"...In the name of justice, eh?" Roll jabbed at her, "...there's no 
fucking justice in what this guy does. And there'll be no fucking 
justice dished out on him. It's always the men 'behind' the evil that 
get away it. Krauser would have never gotten to the Stone Temple Ruins 
if this bastard hadn't of backed him. And all he wanted was to expand 
Norhian power. He's nothing more than a spoiled coward! Hiding behind 
magicians and allowing normal, innocent people to die for his ambitions! 
People like him are all the same! I'm tired of turning a blind eye to 
it! Just like I'm tired of caring about it!"

"...Roll..." 

Elle watched sadly as Roll continued to demolish the Prime Minister with 
kicks to the ribs and face. Nagi, Long and Sophie stared dumbfounded at 
the scene. With each blow delivered to Reidenbacht, his pools of blood 
grew larger. As the did the amount of bruises over his face and body. 
Until Roll stopped what she was doing, wordlessly. A battered and 
agonizing Reidenbacht groaned and whimpered even when the rain of pain 
came to an end. But he soon felt himself being hoisted up into the air 
again by the superhuman strength in Roll's arms. The two stared at each 
other. And from the look in Roll's eyes, she planned on finishing it, 
here and now. 

Reidenbacht's now bloodshot eyes began to water. "...N-no... please..."

"...Begging for your life, eh?" Roll shut her eyes, "...I wonder how 
many desperate people asked that of your soldiers before they lost their 
own lives? How much compassion did you show to people in your quest for 
power over Norhia? Did your father show any mercy when he wiped Nagi's 
tribe off the face of the world like horse-shit on a boot? Did your 
buddy Krauser show my Father any mercy ten years ago? Eh?"

Elle clutched her hands together. "...Roll... you don't have to do 
this..."

"...I've said it to you before..." Roll sighed, clutching her free hand 
into a fist, while her other one held Reidenbacht up by the neck. The 
daughter of Enryu parted her lips and revealed her gritting teeth, right 
before an animalistic growl was seethed out of them. She suddenly curled 
a punch around in a hook, aiming right at the trembling Reidenbacht's 
head. Roll's knuckles crashed straight into the temple, breaking the 
bone and battering the sensitive brain tissue inside. Elle's face jerked 
away as Roll cracked open Reidenbacht's skull from the most vulnerable 
point possible. The eyes of the Prime Minister rolled into their sockets 
as the damage done killed him almost instantly. Roll let his dead body 
dangle from her grip for a few seconds. Right before she dropped it to 
the ground. Her hands and shoes were now bloody from the devastation of 
Joseph Reidenbacht. Things remained silent for a while. Elle, Nagi, Long 
and Sophie watched the girl without a word being spoken between them. 
Roll gave the corpse of her target one last frown, while a tear dripped 
down from her right eye, rolling over the cheek on which Reidenbacht's 
blood had splashed. 

She then walked away from the dead body in slow steps, past the group 
and off towards the front gates of the Lambton Mansion, finishing her 
sentence, "...I'm no one's heroine."

**********

Dr. Oro sighed whilst walking with Anne. He had spoken to her for around 
twenty minutes, right before getting a few more hours sleep. When he 
awoke, Anne was still in existence. But the Doctor was still no closer 
to discovering which of the three paths he should take. He was still at 
that same junction he stopped at hours ago, deep in the several 
maze-like halls and corridors of the Tomb of the Sky King. He was in one 
of those monotonous, average-sized rooms that led to more passageways. 
There were three new passages to choose from (that's not including the 
one he had just come through) but there seemed to be little to assure 
Dr. Oro of which path was the right path. Going the wrong way could mean 
days of being lost down here. Or worse, he could ALREADY be on the wrong 
track. The Deuel sword was very well hidden. Who would have imagined 
that the Cloud Dancer people had such a confusing defence for the 
weapon?

Anne pressed her hands together. "Still without ideas?"

"You betcha," Dr. Oro said, "My mind is so clouded right now. With the 
disappearance/death of Roll, the impending destruction to be caused by 
Krauser/Atma God, not to mention the possibly fruitless search now being 
carried out by Elle, Nagi and Long... my mind has not the concentration 
to figure out a solution to this riddle."

Anne shook her head. "I think you just have to focus. Just try to let 
all your worries fade for a moment. Then it will all be clear."

Dr. Oro nodded. For a fake girl created by magic, Anne spoke a lot of 
sense. "...You're right. I have to calm down. Start from the beginning. 
Now. What am I searching for? Deuel. A sword that contains ancient 
magics. Hmm. Magic such as that must radiate physically, mustn't it? And 
the physical radiation often darkens matter after extended periods of 
time. Meaning that the further in I go, the darker the walls should get. 
But how I can tell the difference between the darkness caused by the 
blackened walls and the darkness caused by the lack of sunlight?"

The old sage thought about that for a moment. Then realized the truth of 
the matter. He could illuminate these three corridors of the tomb. The 
one that brightened up was the false one. And the one that remained 
relatively dark was the one that he had to take. With a new plan in 
mind, Dr. Oro walked up to the first hallway. He pointed his staff down 
it. The space in front of the wooden pole suddenly lit up with bright 
blue magical flames. A harmless creation. Dr. Oro sent the flame ball 
down the path of the corridor, brightening it. There was no wall 
darkness. He then moved to the second corridor. He repeated the same 
process as before. Yet there was still no wall darkness. Then Dr. Oro 
came to the last remaining pathway. He threw another blue flame of 
light. This time, the walls remained black. The wizard grinned with 
success.

"Ah! It's this way! Come, Anne!"

The magically-created girl nodded her head and followed after the old 
man when he rushed down that new path. And from then on, Dr. Oro 
repeated the same thing to deliberate which corridors to take. The 
deeper he got into the tomb, the darker it got. The key to figuring it 
all out was which parts of it were darkened by magic radiation. Dr. Oro 
used this skill again and again until he came to one last room. One that 
seemed more significant than the others. Dr. Oro and Anne walked into 
it. This led them into a whole new vestibule. Larger than any of the 
rest. With the same ancient carvings of the Gods. But these ones were 
rather different. Because those carvings in the rest of the Tomb of the 
Sky King were there for decorative purposes. These carvings however, 
they clearly told a story. Starting from the beginning. Dr. Oro and Anne 
looked at the carvings from one wall of the room all the way round and 
then back again. It started with the nothingness of space. Then the 
Divine Pyramid of Pandoria came down from the stars and from it sprang 
the Gods. The Gods then shaped the known world in their own indelible 
image. And they vanished back into heaven via the Divine Pyramid of 
Pandoria. Then the carvings went on to tell the story of the Four Wise 
Men. How they summoned the Demon God Kings; Sczamahchai, Ixram, Thanatos 
and Anaxagoras. The destruction caused by them when they took over the 
bodies of their Summoners is bitterly displayed. Until a shining ray of 
hope comes. During the destruction, a child is born from sexual union 
between a Celestial Deity and a human female. This child then grows 
years later into the legendary hero. Who takes up the magical sword 
Deuel (which is displayed here with great reverence) and slaughters each 
of the Four Wise Men, one by one. The dreaded reign of the Four Demon 
God Kings is ended. And the final passage of the wall carvings showed 
the burial of Deuel, interred here in the Tomb of the Sky King. 

"This place was created thousands of years ago, it seems." Claimed Dr. 
Oro.

Anne nodded. "Yes. During the time of the Great Battle."

The two of them then looked over to the centre of the room. There was a 
stone coffin on the middle of the floor, covered with cobwebs and dust. 
They both knew what this might mean. Dr. Oro pointed his staff at the 
heavy lid of the coffin and used his powers to shift it. A green glow 
enveloped the lid when it rose up off the coffin and was tossed right 
over to its side. And there, in the clutches of a long withered 
skeleton, was the great sword Deuel, which still brimmed with the 
infernal ancient magics that helped put down the Four Wise Men all those 
millennia ago. Dr. Oro stepped over to the coffin, reached in, and 
pulled the sword free from the bony hands of that skeleton. When he took 
up the sword, he was immediately shocked by the magical strength that 
flowed into his body from the connection. Deuel was clearly a weapon 
like no other. Dr. Oro grinned, staff in one hand, Deuel in the other, 
knowing now that they stood a far better chance against Atma God. 
Finally.

"Heh, heh, heh!" The warlock laughed cheerfully, "Krauser, your plans to 
threaten this world may not see the light of day after all. Now... to 
find someone who can actually wield this."

**********

The sun was falling into the hills again.

The sunsets at any eastern point of a country in this world were always 
beautiful. None more so than those of Eastern Ostantinople, but the 
sunsets of Eastern Norhia were all too worthy of a similar regard. The 
pretty setting was enhanced in its allure by the soft backdrop sound of 
the blue waves of the Norhian Sea, crashing wonderfully into the beaches 
of Oswyn's east coast. Norhia could be just as beautiful as Catheriah 
and Ostantinople. It was a fact that Roll had not really noticed until 
now. The young woman stood on the lengthy edge of the cliffs. Below her 
were the beaches outside of the city of Oswyn. And out in the distance 
was the Greater Norhian Sea, which stretched all the way over to the 
uninhabited islands of the North Ice Cap. Her clothes and short milk 
chocolate brown hair swung softly in the breeze, while her heavy heart 
evaluated the beauty of this place through pensive jade eyes. Eventually 
Roll's eyes swung to the left of their sockets. She noticed (or 
moreover, sensed) that the healer Elle was standing behind her by a few 
metres. Just now appearing. 

"...How did you know I was here?" Roll said with a sigh. 

Elle blinked, not realizing that Roll was actually aware that it was 
her. Still she just ignored that and responded, trying her best not to 
sound too desperate. "...We followed you just like before, Roll. We 
couldn't leave it like that."

"...I had to kill him, you know," Roll's eyes looked back out into the 
sunset, "...he deserved everything he got."

Elle lowered her own gentle sapphire eyes, her bangs of blonde falling 
with the tilt of her head. "...Yes, I know that. I wanted to come here 
to you. To see how you were. We never really got to speak to each other 
much before... did we?"

"What is there to say?" Roll questioned rhetorically.

The healer looked up again. "How about... what's on your mind."

"On my mind? ...I don't know."

Things between the two feel silent again, just like before. Elle sighed 
at this. Roll was constantly blocking her out. Keeping Elle from getting 
closer to her than she wanted. It was a frustrating experience for Elle. 
Because there was so much that the blonde wanted to say to Roll. But 
Elle couldn't force out anything from her. Except maybe the one question 
that had been burning hardest in Elle's mind since first asked it.

"...Why did you tell me about your past?" Elle said suddenly. 

Roll said nothing.

But Elle would not let it go. Not now. "...Roll? Why? Why did you tell 
me about your past, that day we first met? That day before the Stone 
Temple disaster? Sapphire and Nagi both told me that you don't like 
speaking to people about what happened at your village. And about the 
death of your father. So why? Why me? Why did you tell me those things?"

After another moment of silence, Roll spoke up. "...You know, all 
through my life, I've had choices. Choices to do what I wanted in any 
way. Whether it be fighting against monsters or raising a family with 
some random guy. Even when I was younger, I could never make up my mind 
about what I wanted. When my Dad cooked for me before his death, he'd 
say 'what would you like for dinner tonight, sweetheart? Chicken or 
Roast Pork?'. And I'd never be able to give him an answer. So I'd toss a 
coin and leave it up to the Gods of Fate to decide. Then when I ate, I'd 
realize that I wanted the other one all along. I was so damn 
directionless back then. So indecisive. Not knowing what I really wanted 
and not knowing how I should go about getting it. And eight years later, 
after all I've been through, I'm still the same way. I still don't know 
what I want. I've spent the whole latter half of my life pondering on 
what should be living and fighting for. Should I be fighting for revenge 
for my village? Should I be fighting for truth and justice, protecting 
others and upholding the heroism of my Dad? Should even be fighting at 
all? The same fucking questions over and over and over again. In the end 
I took the middle ground and became a mercenary. Just fighting for me 
and no one else. No sense of good, no sense of evil, just neutrality. 
And yet... I'm still no closer to knowing what I should do with my life. 
I'm tired of not knowing my purpose. I'm tired of being so 
directionless. And I'm tired of..."

Elle looked on. "...Tired of what?"

"...I'm tired of... fighting myself over it," Roll answered, "...I'm 
sick of the indecision. My Father knew exactly what his role in life was 
and he died for it. I miss him so much... but he died knowing that he 
had to protect me... and protect the world, from Krauser. Now take a 
look at me. I am nothing like that. I'm not the hero that he was. I'm 
not the warrior that he was. I'm not even the person that he was. And I 
can't stop hating myself for it. Should I fight for his beliefs and do 
the right thing, even though I don't feel as passionate about it? Or 
should I turn my back on the needs of others even though it still hurts 
me to see innocent people being abused by bastards like Reidenbacht? 
Eighteen fucking years and I'm STILL no closer to understanding what I 
should be living for!"

The blonde Elle was almost stunned silent. 

Roll choked back her own sobs, her fists shaking. "...Dammit..."

There was nothing that Elle felt she could do to quell the internal 
conflicts that were burning inside of Roll. But that wouldn't stop her 
from trying. The normally timid blonde strode up to Roll, across the 
grass of the cliff, and pressed herself into the slightly taller woman's 
back. The former Soul Stealer became alert when she felt Elle's bodily 
heat on her back. Even more so when Elle wrapped those thin arms of her 
around Roll's waist. 

"...Nobody expects anything from you, Roll," Elle assured, "...I never 
met your Father. But I can tell that he loved you very much. I'm sure 
that he would be proud of you no matter what choices you make in life. I 
know that... I'm already... so very proud of you..."

Roll blinked. "...Elle... I..."

"You don't have to say anything," The blonde replied, "...It should be 
obvious by now. But... I loved you the second I first saw you. It just 
took the prospect of me losing you... to really make me understand just 
what it was that I was feeling."

"Elle, we've... only know each other for..."

The healer sighed into Roll's back. "Don't you believe in love at first 
sight? I shouldn't have to explain it to you. Even so... I know you 
don't feel the same way. And I understand that. But please just let 
me... just let me hold you for a little while..."

So the two stayed like that for a moment. Roll stunned with the 
revelation of Elle's feelings. While Elle settled into the embrace she 
had around the waist of her love, sharing her warmth, feeling her 
intakes of breath. Just this was enough to sate the girl. Just to hold 
the woman she loved. To help Roll battle through the demons that were 
chasing her around in her heart.  It was this will to help her that 
caused Roll to see how much Elle cared for her. And if she could not 
return those feelings... the least she could do would be to help bring 
about Elle's own dreams. It seemed like something she could lay down her 
life for. Even if it meant walking in her Father's path with 
unintentional shoes. 

"Elle," Roll closed her eyes, just feeling the girl's embrace of her, 
"...I can't feel what you want me to feel. But... I care enough about 
you to help you. If you still want my support when you all go up against 
Krauser, then, I'm all yours."

...Maybe a purpose for Roll's life wasn't as blurry as she had believed 
it to be.

Onwards to Part 3

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