The Wise Man Chronicles: Chains of Perdition

by Melissa McClendon

Fanfic Seven in the series. (I write terrible synopses) Everything is falling into place now. As the war between Cross and Lacour rages on, Ashton and Celine fight for survival while Bowman and the others struggle against events beyond their control.

Star Ocean: The Second Story

The Wise Man Chronicles

Fanfic Seven: "Chains of Perdition"

By: Melissa McClendon

melissa_mcclendon@yahoo.com

*~*In much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow*~*

            The air was musky, the stench of death dominating the room. It was cold and damp in the dungeon, everything shrouded in darkness. The sudden rattling of chains, however slight, suddenly broke the silence of the room; a sharp intake of breath filled the area as the lone prisoner slowly began to awaken. "Mmm…" A soft female voice stirred, obviously in a great deal of pain. "Where…?"

            Celine Jules, fighting lethargy, sluggishly opened her pale violet eyes to find herself cloaked in darkness. Her mind tried to race through the possibilities of where she was and more importantly, why, but the throbbing ache screaming through her head and neck prevented it. Inadvertently tugging at the chains binding her to the wall, she gasped in pain as the cold metal cut into the open wounds around her wrists. Her head shot in the direction of the sound of the door being thrown open, closing her eyes to shut out the bright light flooding the room.

            "Ah, you are awake. Good." Kayura stated as she entered the chamber, two guards close behind her. "How are you feeling this morning, Celine?"

            Violet eyes flashed in anger, glaring up at the tall swordswoman. "I should have known all along that you were the traitor…" She rasped out, eyeing the guards carefully.

            "You're right. It was very naïve of you to have trusted me."

            "You were our friend…" Celine whispered, the loss of Chris and Kayura's betrayal stabbing deep into the sorcerer's heart.

            "Enemies often come in the guise of friendship, Celine. It is a lesson you should learn well. There are those you trust most yet they are not what they seem."

            "You expect me to believe anything that comes out of your mouth?!" She hissed, her fists clenched in a failed attempt to use Heraldry.

            "Your efforts are in vain. Sealing your powers was the first order of business." Kayura chuckled softly, the sorceress' struggles amusing the warrior. "We can't have you blasting your way out of here to warn your friends, now can we?" Kneeling down beside Celine, their eyes locked once again. "Besides, it would do you no good. My Mistress is dealing with them even as we speak."

            "Then why not kill me… Like Chris and the king…?" Celine's voice quivered for only a moment, choking back tears of mourning her fiancé's death. She refused to show Kayura any sign of weakness.

            "Because you are still more useful to us alive than dead. Be thankful, my Mistress grants mercy to few."

            "Your mistress… I didn't think you of all people would answer to a higher power. So who is she? Marina? Were the two of you in this together the whole time?"

            "I don't have to answer to you, Celine. You forget your place. But no, that pathetic fool has no power over me." Kayura replied in disgust, there was no question that she obviously felt superior to the Chancellor of Lacour.

            Celine closed her eyes in pain, wishing she could just shut them all out. Just close her eyes forever. A spark of intuition suddenly caused her to reopen them in anger, the violet orbs molten. "You were the one who attacked Noel in Herlie, weren't you?!" She demanded, all the pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place.

            Kayura chuckled softly. "Credit for that belongs solely to my Mistress. The irony of finding him here on Expel was almost too much, even for her. Once the reality of it sets in with him, it may prove to be his undoing."

            The Heraldic mage could not hide her puzzlement. *~*Noel knows this woman…? That would explain his odd behavior ever since… But… They must have known each other long before he came to Expel--*~*

            "Don't try to make sense of it, Celine. They are both well beyond the comprehension of us mere humanoids."

            "I won't believe any of your lies…" She whispered even as she knew Kayura was telling the truth about the woman who attacked Noel. *~*What does she mean by it will be his undoing…? Oh dear… Please let Noel be safe. Please let him be far away from here.*~* Their eyes locking once more, Celine was determined to play this out. "You will not turn me against Noel."

            "That is not my intention. Believe whatever brings you the most comfort, however. If you want to continue believing he is the reserved, pacifistic zoologist that he leads all of you on to be, then nothing I say will change that."

            "I'm glad you've resolved yourself with that, darling. It will save us both a lot of trouble. Now, you must have come down here for some reason, what is it?" Celine demanded, trying to remain brave.

            "I just wanted to see how you were adapting to your new home, for you will be here for quite some time. I know these aren't the comforts you're used to and demand, but my Mistress simply has no use for such luxuries and neither do I."

            "You've come to gloat in other words." Celine sneered.

            "More or less… But we must keep you healthy for the time when my Mistress will need you will be soon. Everything is falling into place as we speak. It is only a matter of time."

            "Well, please send the little darling my regards, but she will get nothing out of me." Celine managed a devilish smile, hoping to infuriate the chancellor.

            "You will find that my Mistress has ways of getting people to do exactly what she wants. How else do you explain the war?"

            Celine's eyes iced over in understanding as Kayura and the guards left the room, slamming the door shut to leave the sorceress in complete darkness. As her ears began to ring from the disturbance, true fear finally began to unfold deep within her stomach. This woman had manipulated Cross and Lacour into war. That meant she must have someone in control at Lacour as well. "…Marina…" She whispered. Her friends were truly in danger now.

            Dias was silent as he remained in the shadows of Noel's room, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the wall in thought. His apathetic blue eyes moved from Noel, still unconscious, on the bed to Bowman and Nineh; his expression never changing. *~*He won't like hearing about Noel…*~*

            Bowman slowly stood up from where he had been knelt down beside Noel, stretching his legs before turning to look at his wife. His solemn eyes examined her face, concealing a frown upon noting the fresh cuts and bruises, moving further down to see the bandage wrapped haphazardly around her neck, soaked from the rain with spots of blood. "What happened to your neck?" He inquired, gently tilting her chin up with his thumb before reaching underneath her hair to untie the cloth.

            Dias found himself actually holding his breath, his gaze firmly locked on Nineh's backside as he waited to hear her reply. *~*I should have told him… This will be hard enough on her.*~*

            Nineh glanced down at Noel, searching for the words to describe what happened. "I… Well… Ahh!" She couldn't conceal her pain as she winced, nearly recoiling from Bowman as he finished removing the bandage and the crisp cool air began to sting at the open wounds on her neck, still trickling blood.

            Dias unconsciously flinched upon Nineh's cry of pain, nearly rising to his feet before he realized it.  *~*I'm getting soft…*~* Despite how much he wanted to deny it, Nineh Jean had really grown on him since he first met her. "Noel—"

            Nineh panicked upon hearing Dias begin to explain. She just couldn't bring herself to tell Bowman what had happened yet. "I was careless in the forest! It was dark and storming… I tripped and cut myself."

            Bowman stared at her for moment, his eyes moving down to look at the puncture wounds on his wife's delicate neck. *~*She's lying to me… They're both hiding something from me…*~* Masking his suspicions with a sad smile, he gently caressed her cheek. "You should have been more careful, darling. I'll be right back."

            Dias watched him leave the room, noting the look in his eyes. Waiting for the door to close, the warrior stood up and moved between Noel and Nineh, ready to protect her at any moment should the mage awaken. "Why didn't you tell him about Noel?"

            "I… I didn't want to worry or anger him. He's been under so much stress lately." Avoiding Dias' intense gaze, Nineh wiped at the blood trickling down her neck with her fingertips. "He's already lost Keith… He blames himself for Ashton's disappearance. And he feels like he hasn't been here for Noel when he needed him. The last thing he needs to hear right now is what happened in the forest."

            "He needs to know, Nineh. He may know something about Noel that we don't and can help him." Suddenly remembering the drawings she insisted on bringing, Dias reached inside his bag and pulled them out. "He may know something about these too."

            "I'll tell him tomorrow, Dias. I promise. I just can't bring myself to do it right now…" Nineh glanced down at the drawing of 'Filia' in his hand. "He kept calling me Filia… I believe that's her, Filia Chandler." She indicated the woman in the drawing.

            Dias found himself swallowing the lump in his throat. *~*He really has lost his mind…*~* Glancing up, their eyes locked. "That's Filia Lantis. There's no way he could have known her… He would have only seen her once, before we fought Indalecio… She lived millions of years ago… She was merely an apparition when we saw her… He must really be losing his mind."

            "He kept calling me Filia… He acted like we had known each other forever… And he would get upset when I didn't remember things from our past."

            "How could you remember things that never took place?" Dias shrugged, handing Nineh the drawings.

            "Are you sure he couldn't have known her somehow…?"

            "Yes. That is Filia Lantis. She was Indalecio's daughter. She was killed in a terrorist act millions of years ago when the Ten Wise Men were first being created. Lantis went crazy when he found out and reprogrammed the Ten Wise Men to destroy everything. That was all before Energy Nede was created, where Noel was born and had been living when we first got there. He really isn't well if he thinks he knew Filia and thought you were her."

            Nineh sighed, glancing down at the Nedian. "He isn't well… but I don't think he'd simply imagine all that… He knew so many details… And he kept talking about their daughter Jadaera—"

            "I want to think the best of him too, Nineh… but we can't help him if we don't see things for what they are."

            Nineh went silent as Bowman entered the room again, carrying a change of clothes for his wife and clean bandages to dress her wounds. "Chisato is looking for you, Dias. I think she's working on her story about the battle we had at Cross… Something about wanting a couple of different perspectives…" He shrugged as he set the bundle down on the bed.

            "I love her timing… We're being hunted and she wants to write an article about it." Dias mumbled as he left the room.

            "I found you something dry to wear… Its Labe's, so it will be a little big on you, but I didn't think you'd want to wear anything of Celine's." Bowman began as he moved over to grab the washcloth and one of the fresh salves he had prepared for Marina earlier, plenty left over to treat Nineh's wounds.

            "I think you just didn't want me running around in something that revealing." Nineh countered wryly, a smile tugging at her lips.

            "You're right… but we'll pretend it was your idea." He grinned devilishly, much too sensual for Nineh's liking as he moved back to face her and began to gently clean her wounds with the damp cloth.

            "What are you up to, Bowman? You're supposed to be telling me what an idiot I am for running off like that…" Her gaze was intense, watching him as he continued to remain focused on tenderly cleaning her wounds. "Bowman, are you listening to me?"

            "Yes, darling, I heard every word." He whispered, their eyes locking for a brief moment before he returned his attention to her neck. It was already bruised and swollen, but at least the blood flow was beginning to recede. Something had happened out there tonight and she was afraid to tell him what. He could see it in her eyes; hear it in her voice. She never could hide things from him. "I don't feel like arguing, Nineh… I almost went crazy when I couldn't find you… I'm just glad you're safe." Flipping the washcloth up to rest on his shoulder, he scooped up some of the salve and began generously applying it to her wounds.

            Nineh couldn't help but sigh in relief as the salve instantly began working, cooling the stinging to numbness and taking away the sharp ache that had spread throughout her neck. It did nothing to sooth her guilt however. "I'm sorry I scared you, sweetheart… I wasn't trying to… I just needed to go for a walk this morning to think things through and I got lost…"

            Bowman smiled and stopped applying the medicine long enough to tenderly kiss her. "If I thought you had done that on purpose, we would be arguing right now. Just promise to hit me over the head next time instead of getting lost and scaring the hell out of me."

            "Oh, I promise." Nineh laughed, the rich melodious sound filling the room as the vision of her clabbering Bowman over the head with a frying pan ran through her head.

            Bowman pretended to wince even as he grinned at her again. "Great…" Tilting her chin back up slightly, he slowly began wrapping clean bandages around her neck.

            Ashton Anchors shot bolt upright from his makeshift bed when the ice cold water hit him like a thousands tiny needles throughout his entire body, the sudden movement causing his wrists to jar hard against the chains keeping him close to the wall, the cuffs digging deep into his blistered skin. Fiery green eyes shot up in fury at the slender Nedian woman standing between two soldiers, one of them holding a now empty bucket. He had been dreaming peacefully for the first time since he had been thrown in this hellhole. It had been a beautiful dream where he wasn't the prisoner of this maniacal woman but reunited on Earth with Precis. The cold, fathomless black eyes that met his heated gaze erased all memory of that dream and left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

            "Forgive us, but you would not wake up." Jade's words echoed polite concern but her detached tone conveyed no sincerity. Glancing towards the two guards, she signaled for them to leave.

            Ashton's eyes never left Jade's as the two men left the room, the door shutting behind them. He had only seen the Nedian one other time since their battle on the shores of El and he was thrown in her prison, but that had only permitted the vehemence he felt for her to grow tenfold. He didn't even want to think that she had went after Bowman and Nineh once she finished with him. "What do you want?" He hissed in demand, sitting up as best he could.

            Jade's thin lips parted into a menacing smile, at least that's how it felt to Ashton. In any other context, it might very well have been a beautiful smile exposing perfect ivory teeth. Jade herself would have been a dark, elegant beauty with the long silky texture of her ebony hair with the faintest glint of dark brown, her flawless pale alabaster skin, her lithe feline figure, and obsidian eyes. It was her eyes that would have brought the entire picture together into a breathtaking woman if not for the cold, menacing light in them. They were the darkest orbs he had ever seen on a person, the black pools emitting infinite power and wisdom that was twisted into a cynical contempt for the universe around her. The smile was not beautiful; it was a shear mockery by a cruel and evil woman. "You were never taught much etiquette as a child were you?"

            Ashton rolled his eyes, tearing his gaze from her. "You wouldn't have come down here unless you wanted something from me."

            Jade laughed softly, relaxing her guard as she moved to one of the corners of the cell and leaned against the wall lazily. "You are correct. If I had no use for you, we would not be having this conversation, Ashton."

            Ashton was not at all amused by how she had learned who he was, but he concealed it as best he could. That's all he could do. "So what do you want?!" He demanded in irritation.

            "I would like to discuss your friends in greater detail. Now, we can do this the easy way where you cooperate or we can this my way, which I will be sure to make far more painful than anything you have ever experienced. I am in a pleasant mood today, so the decision is yours."

            Ashton swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat the instant she mentioned his friends but the feeling of heaving up bile only worsened as she continued. Taking a deep breath, he looked back up at her through tangled brown hair. "The most painful thing I could ever experience is betraying my friends to a heartless bitch like you."

            "Good, the day will prove most interesting then. What you do not understand is I have people everywhere, watching their every move. It would take little effort to learn everything about them. However, close relationships have always proved the most insightful. The man and the woman that were with you and the linguist, who were they?"

            "You might as well kill me because I'm not going to tell you anything." Ashton replied coldly, trying to retain his composure. This woman would not get the best of him.

            "Your death will come in time. The information I want will come now. Who were they?"

            Jade's voice began to scream in Ashton's head, thousands of daggers digging into his brain as the question reverberated again and again. Liquid fire filled his lungs with each breath he took and started flowing throughout his body like blood, threatening to burn everything to cinders. Icy pinpricks tore into his skin but offered no relief from the internal flames. Every inch of his body shrieked out to him in excruciating pain. He could literally feel his bones bending outward, his body threatening to explode. "W-what are you doing to me?!" He rasped out with all the strength he could muster.

            "It will only get worse." Jade replied, her eyes tightly closed in deep concentration. "Who were they?"

            Ashton's body contorted with pain, ignoring the fresh blood flowing from the deep cuts of the manacles digging into his wrists. Every fiber of his being cried out in compulsion to tell her everything about Bowman and Nineh Jean, but his heart was still in control. His loyalty was still intact but slipping rapidly. "B…" He literally bit the word off by digging his teeth into his bottom lip, drawing dark crimson blood.

            "Do not prolong your agony, Ashton. Tell me what I want to know." Jade's voice was gentle and soothing, tempting him to tell her everything. "This will stop if you tell me what I want to know. Who were they?"

            Everything was growing dark; Ashton's eyes began clouding over in an emerald haze of agony. He tried to shut her out with every fiber of his being, but it was useless. With every second, he felt more of his willpower slipping away. *~*Gyoro! Ururun! Help me! Stop her!*~* He knew the cry to them was useless. For some reason, he had been unable to feel or communicate with them at all since he was locked up. Had she done something to them too? Their silence was deafening, a ring in his ears worse than the screams of her voice inside his head. "Bowman!!"

            A faint smile crossed her lips as she opened her eyes, watching the relief from the pain and horror at his admission wash over his features. He was strong, but she knew he would not be able to hold out long. The stress of everything he had endured would prove too much. One thing she was grateful to her longevity for was her understanding of humanoids. "Bowman… Bowman Jean, the pharmacologist." Jade's analytical mind quickly went to work, reviewing everything Kayura and Marina had told her about the man.

            Ashton closed his eyes in defeat, the tone of her voice causing him to fear for his friend's life. Bowman's blood would be on his hands, he was certain of it. *~*I'm sorry…*~*

            "Do not blame yourself, Ashton. I would have found out shortly. Who was the woman?" Jade had hoped she could draw some conclusion of who the woman was, but Kayura and Marina's reports had failed to mention anything about her. *~*I do not believe it is Nineh Jean… Bowman is not the type to bring his wife along. She most likely was killed in the attack on Linga.*~*

            "Why is she important to you…?" Ashton whispered weakly, his body still aching from the torture it had been subjected to.

            "I learned long ago to not give expositions on my intentions. There is no need for you to know her relevance or lack thereof." Jade's voice was a murmur now, her eyes lulled over.

            Ashton could see she was obviously weakened, a bead of sweat trailing down from her temple as her eyes misted over before closing. **You cannot tell her who that woman is. You will be forfeiting everything she is if you do. You must remain strong.** A quiet, gentle voice echoed inside Ashton's mind. It conveyed sincerity, tenderness, a deep concern for Nineh's life. It was everything Jade's was not. Calm warmth began to fill his entire body, strengthening him, easing his pain and suffering at the hands of Jade. Feeling refreshed, the presence of the voice left him and he looked up to find himself staring into Jade's black eyes. *~*What just happened…?*~*

            "We will continue this another time." Jade stated, moving towards the door. "I have more pressing engagements that I must attend to. Just remember the consequences if you prove less cooperative next time."

            Outside and well past the guards, Jade took a deep breath, fighting to regain control over her senses. *~*Something just happened in there… This cannot be good. I have overexerted myself lately and must rest. I am too close now to give into weakness. I will prevail…*~*

            The aroma of freshly crushed herbs hit Noel's nose as he slowly awoke, his brown eyes fluttering open to a dimly lit room. His body felt as if it were on fire, trapped beneath the heavy quilts stacked on top of him. Sensing movement beside him, Noel slowly shifted his gaze to watch Bowman pour the contents of a small blue vial into a pitcher of water. The monster lurking deep within seemed to be soothed into recession upon laying eyes on his friend. "…Bowman?" His voice was dry and raspy, foreign to him.

            "Welcome back." Bowman grinned in reply, relieved that Noel was finally awake as he stirred the mixture. "How do you feel?"

            "I've… felt better." Noel mumbled, glancing around to find them completely alone. Where was Nineh? *~*I hope I didn't hurt her too much… How could Bowman even look at me right now…? I'll never forgive myself for what I did to her.*~*

            "You've looked better too." Bowman chuckled, adding a dark green powder to the mixture. "We were worried about you, old friend." He whispered, rubbing the cool liquid onto Noel's forehead.

            Noel frowned. He didn't want Bowman to worry about him. He didn't deserve his concern. *~*I have to get away before they get involved… I can't allow what I did to Nineh to happen again… I can't lose control again.*~*

            "Opera is doing a lot better. Nineh and Leon found her in the forest outside Mars." Bowman was trying to keep Noel with him but could easily see his friend was withdrawing back into the depths of his mind. "She got away, Noel. You saved her life—"

            "How is Nineh?" Noel quickly interjected, closing his eyes to shut out the image of Nineh struggling against him as he tried to rip out her slender throat. "Was she hurt badly…?" He whispered. *~*I'm not fit to be around people…*~*

            A confused look washed over Bowman's face and Noel instantly realized they hadn't told him what happened in the Heraldry Forest. "Nineh's… fine." Bowman trailed off as he finished stirring the mixture. "She's resting in our room. Do you know what happened to Celine?" He quickly changed the subject, fighting down the conflicting emotions stirring within him. He knew Nineh and Dias were hiding something from him and Noel's inquiry confirmed it.

            "She had already escaped when I got there… I'm surprised she didn't come here…" Noel trailed off again, remembrance of that day brought back memories of Jade and he couldn't handle that right now. He still wasn't able to contemplate the possibility that she really was Jadaera Chandler.

            "Hmm… Maybe she went to Arlia or Salva… Mars would be the first place they'd look for her…" Bowman could only pray that was the case.

Bowman's voice slowly pulled Noel out of his trance, offering him solitude from his nightmares for a few fleeting moments. "It's really hot…"

            "That's what this is for." He replied, reaching for a cloth and dipping it into the mixture before ringing the excess liquid out and allowing it to rest on Noel's forehead.

            "Why don't you just take the blankets off?"

            Bowman smirked. "Trust me, Noel. Is this helping?"

            Noel nodded, grateful for the comfort Bowman's concoction was providing from the sweltering heat. "I could try to cast—"

            "You're too weak and you know it. You never fully healed from before and it's now caught up to you." Bowman chastised.

            "Many things have caught up to me…" Noel muttered, more to himself than to Bowman. *~*I love you... Please... Take care of Jadaera…*~* The Nedian closed his eyes, his heart wrenching as his thoughts drifted to Filia's last words. If that woman truly was his daughter, then he had failed them both in every way. He had failed Filia as her husband and protector and he had failed Jadaera as a father and in his last promise to always care for her. It had come full circle now. His past had caught up with him when it shouldn't have even been possible and his dark side was in close pursuit. It would only be a matter of time before Bowman and the others would have to destroy him.

            "What has caught up to you?" Bowman inquired; worry gracing his brow as he watched his friend slowly drift back to his inner thoughts. *~*Could he be referring to that Nedian…?*~*

            "It isn't important anymore, Bowman…" Noel replied, fighting the images of the burning ruins of Giveaway as he had searched for Jadaera running through his mind. *~*She was killed when the Defense Force attacked the remaining Alliance members there…*~*

            "It is important, Noel. I am your friend and I'm here to help you." Bowman insisted, sensing that the Nedian was hiding a great deal from him. *~*From all of us…*~*

            "How can you be my friend? You don't know me at all…" Noel hissed ruefully, tearing his gaze away from Bowman. *~*You'd hate me if you knew…*~*

            "You're right. I don't know you, none of us do. You won't let any of us in that wall you've built around yourself. I don't understand what you've done that is so bad that we'd hate you for it… We already know you were a partisan to the Ten Wise Men." Bowman shot up from his chair, needing to stretch his legs. "People make mistakes, Noel. You can't go on blaming yourself for being on the wrong side of the tracks for a little while. It's over. It's in the past now. You helped us destroy them. Whatever you feel you've done wrong… I think you've redeemed yourself for long ago."

            "I will never redeem myself, Bowman. I have a seat reserved for me in the darkest bowels of hell when I die. IF I die!" Noel cringed, instantly regretting that he had shared that bit of information. If Jadaera had lived this long, could either of them truly die? Or were they doomed to wander this universe, empty shells for the rest of eternity? To Noel, eternal life was a fate worse than anything hell could conjure up. *~*Unless this is my hell… To think my daughter has been alive all this time, twisted and tormented by my own experiments… That's the only explanation if that woman is indeed my little girl… This is my hell. To be perpetually alone, cursed to this demonic body with the knowledge I have condemned my daughter as well…*~*

            Bowman wasn't sure what to say to Noel after that. His mind kept stumbling over his last statement. "W-what the hell? If you die?! What the hell do you mean, 'if you die'?"

            "Nothing… Just a lapse of ignorance. Bowman, you can never understand. You don't know anything about me and should leave before something happens." He tried to keep his voice calm and monotonous, the normalcy he kept around them, despite the fact that he could feel his emotions raging inside. That was not a good sign. His growing inability to control what was within him was decreasing by the day now. Soon, they would be at risk.

            "How the hell can I?! You don't tell me anything! You don't even give me the chance to—"

            Both pairs of eyes flew towards the door as it slowly creaked open and Nineh entered the room, bearing a tray full of steaming food. "All that shouting must mean you're feeling better, Noel. I thought you might like something to eat." She managed a sweet smile for his sake, shuffling across the room to lay the tray down on the nightstand beside the bed. "Sweetheart, what have I told you? Screaming and arguing with patients only makes them worse, not better." Gently kissing Bowman's cheek in hopes of calming him down, she moved around to where she was standing behind him in safety in case Noel wasn't himself again.

            "Thank you, Nineh…" Noel began, keeping his eyes downcast. He simply couldn't gaze into those comforting blue orbs. Not after what he had done to her. "But I'm really not hungry—"

            "If you want to regain your strength, you need to eat. And don't argue, you'll hurt my feelings. I prepared that especially for you. I cooked several different herbs into it that will help you get back on your feet. You never recovered from your previous illness. You should never have overexerted yourself like that." She teased with a smile, as playful as she could muster despite her fears.

            *~*She's teasing me… How could she possibly even look at me? I tried to kill her and cooks me dinner?!*~* Noel couldn't return the smile, but looked to the food instead. "Thank you, Nineh. I will eat as much as I can."

            "That's all I ask. Otherwise, Bowman will be cooking your next meal." She threatened, giggling even as she clasped her husband's hand. She couldn't keep up this charade on her own. She needed his strength. She needed to feel him beside her.

            "Darling, we want to make him better, not kill him." Bowman kissed the tip of her nose, grateful that she had entered the room to break up the fight. He knew that was exactly what she had been doing.

            "Exactly, so he better eat every bite or else."

            *~*I truly am in hell… I tried to kill her and now she is killing me with kindness… Why didn't she tell him what happened…? Then he'd know how sick I truly am…*~*

           

*~*Flashback*~*

            "We have to get out of here now!!"

            Jadaera cringed as Jareth yelled over the detonations to his remaining men, protecting the tiny Nedian child from the explosions with his own body. Her brown eyes grew wide as the night sky was set ablaze, an eerie orange glow illuminating the entire area. *~*Daddy… where are you…?*~*

            Keeping a hand clamped on one of Jadaera Chandler's arms, Jareth's piercing green eyes scanned the vicinity for the rest of his men, the explosions rocking the area surrounding him tuned out for the time being. "Spread out! We'll meet at the rendezvous point—" The human flinched as obsidian shards shot out of the earth beneath one of his men, impaling and tearing his body apart before their eyes. Ignoring Jadaera's cry beneath him, Jareth stole a glance to his right to witness the source of the Heraldry. Inadvertently, his hand tightened around the girl's arm.

            Noel Chandler's eyes frantically searched the area for other signs of life as the rocky shards quickly extinguished his victim's life. The Defense Force's attacks could have been directly in front of him and he would not have noticed. He had everything tuned out. All he cared about was finding Jadaera. A flicker of movement elicited lightning reflexes from the Nedian, brown eyes glazed over in a primal light focused in on another one of Jareth's soldiers mere seconds before he screamed in agony as a powerful gust of wind thrust him high into the air and countless rays of violet energy collided into his body, incinerating the soldier before he was dropped mercilessly to ground, snapping him in two. The death of a second soldier didn't phase the Nedian as turned back to searching for any sign of Jadaera Chandler. "Jade?!!" Noel screamed in desperation, praying his daughter would hear him over the incoming assault of the Defense Force.

            Jadaera gasped when the desperate cry of her father hit her ringing ears. Frantically struggling to free herself of Jareth's firm grip, she tore into the flesh of the hand covering her mouth with her teeth, drawing blood as he tore the limb away in a hiss of pain. "Father!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, breaking free of Jareth and running in the direction of Noel's voice.

            Relief flooding his entire body upon laying eyes on his daughter, Noel knew they weren't out of the water yet. "Jadaera, get down!" He commanded, fearing the debris of the Defense Force's attack would strike her as he raced towards her.

            Shutting out the pain of his wounded hand, Jareth quickly jumped to his feet and chased after Jadaera. Another explosion nearly knocked him to the ground again, but he maintained his balance and closed the distance between himself and the Nedian girl as she struggled to stand back up from the aftershocks. Reaching for her dark brown hair, he jerked her back to him and hauled her high into the air, ignoring her screams of pain as he secured his arm forcefully around her waist. Threatening to squeeze the air out of her by tightening his hold on her when she kicked and punched wildly, Jareth turned his attention to her father. "I didn't want to hurt her, Noel, but you leave me little choice in the matter!"

            Noel stopped dead in his tracks when Jareth seized Jadaera, fearing any sudden movements would endanger her further. Masking the shock of facing one of his former students, the Nedian's eyes rest upon his daughter as she slowly stopped struggling, realizing it was futile. "…Jareth...?"

            "I had hoped we wouldn't meet again under these circumstances, but these are the times we live in." Jareth continued, watching the Nedian for any sudden movements like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. He knew Noel Chandler was capable of anything, especially now.

            "Let her go, Jareth…" Noel commanded between gritted teeth, his fists clenched firmly in anger.

            "And have you kill me like the other two? I don't think so, Noel." Jareth moved a few steps back to put more distance between the two of them. "I should have known you were just like the others… You were just better at hiding it."

            "Let my daughter go, Jareth… You don't understand what I'm having to do… You'll be just like the people you despise if you continue this… Let her go and run away before the Defense Force gets here. You know what they'll do to you."

            "I'm not an idiot, Noel! I let Jadaera go; you stab me in the back when I try to get away. I don't think so." Jareth stepped further back, his deathlike grip on Jadaera unrelenting.

            "You trusted me before… Trust me now." Noel inched his way forward, hands up in truce.

            "It's far too late for trust now, Noel. You ended any hopes of that when you began—"

            There was a high-pitched shriek as an orb of molten fire crashed into the ground mere feet within Jareth and Noel, erupting into a menagerie of heat and flames knocking them both flying into the air. Jadaera was rendered unconscious as she landed several yards away, her tender skin suffering from several burns from the unbearable flames. Jareth collapsed on top of her with a loud thump, nearly crushing her small frame from the impact of the collision and the weight of his much larger form.

            Noel was thrown back in the other direction by the blast, breaking his arm from the force of the landing. A large piece of debris soon followed him, crushing his legs as it crashed into him. There was no outcry of pain; there was no time for that. He had to find Jadaera. He had to get Jadaera. "Jade…?" He whispered weakly, almost inaudible to Jareth and his prisoner several feet away. He had sustained much more damage to his body than he thought. *~*I can't see… My eyes…*~* Everything was pitch black, only the blasts of the Defense Force Heraldry and the stench of burnt flesh was left to him. Swearing silently, Noel forced the excruciating pain of several broken bones and the sickening sensation of his blood being emptied out onto the ground at an alarming rate. "…Jadaera…?" He struggled to shout for her, but the demands of his body were quickly overpowering his will and he would soon be unconscious.

            The reeking smell of billowing clouds of smoke hit Jareth's nostrils as he slowly forced himself up, his body jarred from the impact but for the most part uninjured. Glancing down, he could see that he would have to seek assistance for Jadaera soon. The tiny Nedian's body had nearly been crushed to death by the human, her arms and legs broken in several places. Bruises and third degree burns marred her body, her tattered dress covered in fresh blood. It was growing increasingly difficult to see with the black clouds of smoke surrounding them everywhere, but his sharp emerald eyes soon found the wounded form of Noel Chandler, struggling to remain conscious. *~*I have to get out of here…*~*

            Jadaera slowly came around in a haze of pain, her bloodshot brown eyes quickly finding her father several feet away from her. "D…daddy…" She whispered hoarsely, her throat choked with unshed tears from the pain she now found herself in. "…Help…"

            Noel never saw the approach of two foreboding figures, his eyes severely damaged in the blast. Never felt them throw back the weight crushing the lower half of his body with ease, he had already passed out by that point. Everything was a shroud of darkness to the unconscious Nedian.

            Jareth quickly moved to shield Jadaera when he caught sight of the two Nedians knelt down beside Noel. Grateful that they were safely shrouded from their sight by the smoke, he could only watch in fear as they loomed over Noel. They weren't members of the Defense Force, he knew that much. Daring to take a closer look, dread instantly rushed throughout his entire body and he knew he was in grave danger if he did not escape with Jadaera while he still had the chance. If all the intelligence reports he had viewed were correct, those two "men" were two of the completed Wise Men, Ruprecht and Nicolus.

            "Daddy…" Jadaera was too weak to struggle as Jareth lifted her crumpled form up off the ground. *~*Get up, Daddy… Don't give up… Don't let him take me…Daddy!!*~* Unable to speak or move any longer, Jadaera Chandler could only feel cold tears stream down her face as she was carried off, the pain screaming throughout her entire body no match for her breaking heart.

*~*End Flashback*~*

            "Daddy…"

            Jade opened her eyes to find herself completely alone in her laboratory. Touching her long slender fingers to her cheeks, she was surprised to find tears there, making their sojourn down her face. *~*I blacked out again… That is not good. I need to regain my full strength before the time comes… It will require every ounce of my power.*~* Wiping away the tears, she moved her hands to rest back in her lap. Gazing upon them only elicited more painful memories, the scars of her transformation had faded long ago but she could still see every one of them. Just as it had changed her life and cursed her for all eternity as an abomination, she would always be able to see them. *~*He abandoned me… He just let him take me away…*~*

            Jade took a deep breath and rose to her full stature. She would not allow trivial matters to bother her when she was so close. There was a reason she and her father had been reunited now. There was something much larger at play, but she would never allow it to interfere with her plans. The man her father once was would be a powerful asset in achieving her goals, but the Noel Chandler she met in Herlie and in the forest was only a shadow of his former self. That man was weak and pathetic. He would be consumed by it all. "Telling him my intentions would prove useless…" Jade whispered absent-mindedly as she approached the newly completed sensory deprivation tank. Created for a specific purpose, she now only needed to prepare for the arrival of the guest of honor that would be subjected to its deceits. "…so close now…"

            **He did not abandon you…** A gentle voice soothed from the back of Jade's mind, instantly catching her attention.

            *~*He abandoned Mother and I… He didn't try to save me. He allowed them to turn me into one of… them.*~* Jade hissed back vehemently as she focused all of her powers to shut out the voice. Within seconds, she could feel it slowly slip away into the void from which it came. Cold disdain instantly washed over her as she realized the cause of her weakness during the interrogation with Ashton. *~*I must be more careful… I am too close now…*~* Taking one last look at the tank before her, Jade twirled around and began a long stride to summon her commanders. "Marina is taking too long. It is time to attack Mars…"

            "We'll keep to the forest until we reach Herlie." Dias stated, not looking up at Bowman, as he remained knelt down packing things into his satchel. "I have a friend at the port that will get Marina and Leon safely back to Hilton."

            "Are you sure you won't need me to come along?" Bowman inquired, tossing a small package of herbs, bandages, and fresh poultices he and Nineh had prepared that morning to Leon as he approached them. "Just in case." He said quietly to the Fellpool before diverting his attention back to Dias.

            "Noel and Opera need you here." Dias replied carefully. "Chisato and I can get them back to the port. We'll need them to help us find Celine and Ashton when we get back."

            Bowman slowly nodded. He wasn't about to voice the increasing apprehension he was feeling towards the entire situation, especially to Dias. "Yes… We have to find them." The pharmacologist still held hope that Celine would arrive in Mars any day now but he feared the worst for Ashton.

            "Try to have them ready when we return so we can start right away."

            Marina watched the conversation move from Bowman to Dias with detached interest from where she sat on a chair several feet away, absorbing every word but trying not to listen. How could she? She knew what they were discussing. They were anxious about escorting her back to Lacour, as well they should be. They were worried about Ashton and Celine. Where were they? Were they alive? The mage sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head on the back of the chair. *~*They are alive… She still values them enough to allow them to live…*~*

            "How are you feeling this morning, Marina?" Nineh cheerfully inquired as she knelt down beside the chancellor and began examining the bandages wrapped tightly around her arm.

            Glancing down at the slowly healing arm, her thoughts instantly went to Kayura and their battle at Cross Castle. Kayura would not have disobeyed Jade by killing Marina, but she had wanted the mage to leave with a few scars just the same. *~*Her resentment of me has turned to hatred… What is there to resent? If anything, I should resent her humanity. She was given a choice with her life. She was born to a mother and father… I am simply a creation that lives to serve its Mistress… Its creator… I am nothing more than a tool used in her journey...*~*

            Nineh finished checking Marina's wounds before glancing up at the chancellor, her deep sapphire eyes full of concern. "Are you feeling alright, Marina?"

            Marina slowly fell out of her trance and gazed down at Nineh, a sad smile on her face. "Yes… You have truly been kind to me, Nineh. Thank you." She tried to remain cheerful; she truly was grateful to Nineh. But a dark shadow now marked the woman and a feeling of dread had been developing in the pit of Marina's stomach since Nineh had returned with Noel and Dias. Nineh Jean was in danger, she was certain of it. *~*What does she want with you, Nineh…? What could you possibly do to help her quest…?*~*

            "I'm glad I could help. Are you sure you're feeling well though?"

            *~*It doesn't matter. I must complete my mission now. I don't care what happens to this woman or any of them… They are pawns, like Kayura… Like me…*~* Marina gently patted Nineh's hand in reassurance. "Please, don't worry about me anymore. I just don't know if Leon should return with me. He might be safer with all of you."

            "I believe he'll be safest with you for now… We have to find our friends and there is no telling where that will take us. Besides, he's taken it upon himself to protect you." Nineh smiled, glancing over at Leon as he conversed with Bowman and Dias.

            "He is a very sweet boy… beneath all that arrogance." Marina chuckled softly, slowly easing herself up out of the chair.

            "He's actually grown quite humble in the past year. He was terrible before that." Nineh winked as she walked beside Marina over to her husband and the others.

            "We're just about ready." Dias stated matter-of-factly.

            "Will you be able to travel, Marina?" Leon inquired.

            "Yes." Marina couldn't conceal her smile, his deep concern for her welfare was touching. "Don't worry about me."

            "We're just waiting on Chisato now… Where is she?" Dias was growing anxious, ready to get this over with. Escorting the supposedly dead Chancellor of Lacour to Herlie was not going to be easy.

            "I'm right here!" Chisato called as she came running out the door, stuffing papers into her bag. "Had to finish my—"

            The men all cringed and Nineh and Marina gasped in surprise when the Nedian tripped over a rock and came crashing to the ground with a loud thud, sending dirt everywhere. "Are you alright, Chisato?" Nineh asked carefully as she watched her jump back up, dusting herself off.

            "Yeah, should have been more careful there." The reporter smiled weakly as she walked the rest of the way to them. "I'm ready."

            "Good… Let's get going then." Dias commanded, turning to begin the sojourn to Herlie. "I'll see you in two days, Bowman."

            "Let me know as soon as you find Celine and Ashton." Leon stated before turning in Dias' pursuit.

            "Thank you again for everything. I will not forget this kindness." Marina waved good-bye to Bowman and Nineh before following behind Leon.

            "See you in two days." Chisato smiled and ran to catch up with Dias.

            "I guess that gives us two days to get Noel and Opera back on their feet…" Bowman began, wrapping an arm around Nineh as they watched their friends disappear into the morning sun.

            "We can do it... we'll find Celine and Ashton in no time." Nineh said firmly, trying to remain brave for Bowman. He didn't need a cowardly, simpering wife dragging him down right now. As long as she was with him, she would do everything she could to help him. Even if that meant burying her feelings of impending doom. Something in Marina's eyes spoke of senseless death and destruction. No remorse, no sincerity. Something was closing in on all of them; Nineh could only pray she was wrong.

The crash of thunder rattling the windows caused Noel to stir awake from another fitful slumber. This was the second night in a row it had stormed now, but the Nedian could easily since this was a milder one than the storm that struck last night when he was in the Heraldry Forest. Ignoring tugging thoughts towards that night, Noel forced his concerns to Dias and the others, knowing they had left that morning for Herlie. *~*He'll take care of them…*~* Feeling as if he were being watched, he slowly rubbed the sleep from his eyes and found himself staring at Nineh Jean.

            "I hope I didn't wake you." She whispered from where she sat on the chair at the end of the bed, slender fingers fidgeting with the folds of her robe.

            Noel shook his head, unable to find words to respond to her at first. "It was the storm…" He finally managed awkwardly.

            "I hope Dias and the others are alright… It seems like another bad one." She nervously stated, her sapphire eyes moving to gaze out the window.

            "I'm sure they made it to Herlie before nightfall…" Noel tried to offer her some reassurance, but that had never been his forte. Not to mention he was probably the last person that could ease her mind at that moment. "Did Bowman ask you to check on me…?"

            "No, he's asleep. He wouldn't have asked me to… I just happened to be awake and decided to check on you and Opera …"

            Noel frowned, her compassionate nature only increased his guilt tenfold. "I don't deserve your kindness, Nineh… Did… Did I hurt you badly…?"

            Nineh just looked at him for a moment, her eyes unblinking. "N-no…" She smiled weakly. "I'm fine, Noel… Don't trouble yourself over it."

            "No… What I did was so horribly wrong on so many levels… Why didn't you tell Bowman? I deserve his hatred as well—"

            "Noel, please… I don't hate you…" Nineh sighed, she knew better than to have come here. "I didn't tell Bowman because I know how worried he's been about you… And how much stress he's been under from all this… He doesn't need to hear about this. I will tell him when I think I should."

            "I don't deserve your forgiveness, Nineh…"

            Nineh was silent for a moment, allowing him to accept the situation for what it was as she debated with herself over the issue of Filia. *~*I have to know…*~* Taking a deep breath, she prepared for the worst as her deep blue eyes slowly moved up to lock with Noel's. "Can I ask you something, Noel…?"

            "What is it?" Noel inquired absent-mindedly, another crash of thunder temporarily diverting his attention.

            "Who is Filia?" Her fingers had stopped toying with the folds of her robe and were now dug into the arms of the chair, bracing herself.

            "I don—"

            "Please, don't give me that. I don't believe that you simply imagined all of that. You've been hiding a great deal from the others, haven't you?" Her eyes pleaded for the truth, her voice soothing.

            Noel sighed, closing his eyes in deep thought. "Filia… was simply a woman we met on Energy Nede. She was Indalecio—"

            "Noel, stop it. You can't go on denying everything about you. I know you didn't imagine it all. Please don't try to prove otherwise…" Reaching inside the pocket of her robe, she unfolded a piece of paper and laid it on the bed for him to look at. "I don't believe Filia was simply the daughter of Indalecio Lantis…"

            Noel opened his dark brown eyes to gaze down upon his drawing of Filia, his tribute to his memory of the day they met. "Filia Chandler… was my wife…"

            "And Jadaera…? Was she your daughter…?" Nineh hesitantly whispered.

            "Yes… she was our daughter… She was so much like her mother…" Noel buried his face in his hands, fighting back the emotions dwelling deep inside. He had never spoken of them to anyone, why was he telling Nineh? "They were both murdered by the Frontier Alliance… Filia died in my arms… All she asked was that I take of Jadaera… I couldn't even do that…"

            "Noel… I—"

            "I fell asleep… She was in my arms… They took her from me… I couldn't protect my own daughter…" Noel shut his eyes tightly, fighting back unshed tears as his chest burned from the restraint. "I looked everywhere for her… My own student… My "friend" took her… He was with the Alliance… He was the one who knew where to find them… Where to find my family… How to hurt me the most… He took Jadaera from me…" His body shook as he inhaled deeply, offering little comfort for the pain in his chest as images of Jareth Mahler terrorized his conscious. *~*How could you have betrayed me, Jareth…? How could you have murdered my family…?*~* Easing his trembling hands, he dug his fingers into the massive quilt covering his weakened body as an outlet for his rage and despair. "By the time I found them… The Defense Force counterattacked… Jareth and Jadaera were both killed in the explosion… I was badly injured… Taken back to the Heraldry Lab to complete my work…"

            Nineh bit her lower lip nervously, regretting that she had drudged up such painful memories for him. "Noel, please forgive me… I did not mean to…"

            "No… Don't apologize, Nineh… I just have a bad habit of focusing on the negative…" Wiping at the perspiration on his brow with the back of his hand, Noel opened his eyes to look at Nineh. "I have never spoken of this to anyone… The pain was too much for me… I did such terrible things to avenge them… but the pain never goes away…"

            "Noel, you helped destroy the Ten Wise Men… You are an extremely kind and gentle man… I have seen you do so many wonderful things… Whatever you did might have been a mistake, but most people would have done the same in your shoes. People make mistakes… It's what makes us human. You have to move on… You can't keep blaming yourself for the past. I'm sure your wife and daughter would want that." Nineh's eyes were an intensely deep cobalt, locking with his as they swam with a mixture of emotions. Noel could easily get lost in those eyes.

            "It's not as easy as that, Nineh…" He let out a deep breath and rest back against the pillows. He had managed to talk about Filia and Jadaera, but barely. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her or anyone everything. They would never understand. They would never forgive him for being the abomination that he was. *~*I should have died with them…Instead I live on under the illusion of being a hero… A pacifist reluctant to fight but did the right thing anyway… It is best that that illusion continue…*~*

            Nineh was startled when she heard something crash to the floor outside the room, quickly rising to her feet and glancing around nervously. "I should get back to bed before Bowman wakes up… I'm sorry I disturbed you, Noel. Please get some rest…"

            Before Noel could reply, she had already shuffled out of the room. *~*She is still afraid of me… She sees me for the monster that I am…*~* Forcing the matter from his mind, he reached for his still damp jacket laying beside the bed and retrieved a small object from the inside pocket. "Jade is after this… I'm sure of that now… Why…?" He cringed as pain shot through his head at the mention of her name. *~*I must move on… This is not my Jade… This is not my daughter… She is with Filia.*~* After several deep breaths, the pain subsided to the nether regions of his mind and he was able to concentrate once more. "She must have been the one who murdered Keith… She has the other piece… I have to find out what this is going to do…"

            The room was dark, moonlight filtering in from the open windows casting an ethereal glow on the dim wooden floorboards. Shadows danced across the walls, blending into the environment as a lone figure slowly entered the room, seeming to glide across the floor as the door eased shut with a gentle gust of wind. Resting in front of the large full-length window and basking in the silvery rays of the moon, Marina Classico took a deep breath and turned around to scan the area. The room was empty, not even rodents dared to interrupt the fateful meeting between Marina and her creator. "…Mistress?" She carefully whispered, fearful that Dias, Leon, or even the reporter had followed her to their deaths.

            Jade stepped out from where she had been merged with the shadows cast against the wall with feline grace, moving over to the window beside Marina. "You're late."

            "Forgive me, Mistress… I was being cautious… Dias Flac is suspicious of me and the Nedian woman would walk through the bowels of hell for a good story…" Marina replied meekly, her eyes remaining fixated on the sea spread out before her outside the window. Dias had chosen a small inn near the port to rest for the evening so they could set out for Lacour on the first ship the next morning. Marina had hoped watching the sea would calm her, but it served only to intensify her despair. She was caught in a deluge of fate; she could no more escape the chains of perdition than Leon and his friends could. She only wished she could be ignorant of it like they were.

            "And the boy fancies himself your protector." Jade stated coldly, uninterested in Marina's excuses. "When do you leave for Lacour?"

            "In the morning… Dias has already arranged for a ship to take me back to Hilton. From there it will be mere hours before I reach the castle."  Marina concluded confidently, folding her arms over her chest as she turned to face her Mistress.

            "And as you sail back, Mars will already have been burnt to the ground in the name of Lacour… No remnant of it will remain." Jade's tone never changed, a mask of cold contempt. "The king has only a matter of days to live thanks to the poison you continuously fed him, Rosalia must follow him. The boy must begin construction on a new Lacour Hope. We'll need its energy to help activate the crest."

            "You retrieved the other piece?" Marina conveyed curiosity even as her mind raced with thoughts of the destruction of Mars and what lay before her when she returned to Lacour. *~*That would explain the soldiers Dias saw on our way to Herlie… He thought they were returning from the attack on Linga… If only he knew they were going to destroy Mars…*~*

            "Not yet, but it is a minor obstacle. I will track it down when the time is right. Without sufficient energy, the completed crest is useless to me anyway… Kayura has one of their most skilled mages; she will be a great asset in that area."

            *~*Celine Jules never left Cross… Both of our powers will be used to complete the circle that began so long ago…but that is not enough. Leon? Perhaps he can be spared if he builds a new Lacour Hope… That still is not enough though… Dr. Chandler…? Would she use him…? Or does she have something else in mind…?*~* Marina glanced back out the window towards the sea, waves crashing against the beach reminded her of how futile it all was. The tide was drawing in for all of them and soon Jade would cross the sands of time where nothing would ever be the same again.

            "Who was the woman traveling with you? She was with Bowman Jean and Ashton Anchors when I took the first piece of the crest from the linguist."

            Marina closed her eyes in carefully masked regret. Keith Klasner's death had been senseless, but Jade had insisted that was the way it must be done. Now the moment she had been dreading since she left Mars was upon her. Jade was after Nineh. "Her name is Nineh Jean… She's Bowman's wife."

            *~*I was wrong… That's the first time in millennia… How ironic…A woman who resembles my mother is married to a man that resembles her murderer and my tormentor… One will serve as my salvation and the other will be dust beneath my boot…*~* Jade chuckled softly as she turned away from the window.

            Marina twirled around to face her Mistress as she walked towards the door. "Nineh Jean is nothing… She is useless in reaching your goals, Mistress."

            "You underestimate her like you did Chandler. Her talent is natural where yours is artificial, like the rest of you. Return to Lacour and do not fail me." As the door opened and Jade once again melted into the shadows, a smile crossed her lips. From somewhere deep within her mind, within her memories, she knew Nineh was the one. The connection to Filia Chandler. It would be dangerous, one mistake would ruin everything, but Jade was confident she would succeed. She had too many things in her favor not to. Millennia of careful planning was beginning to play out, everything was falling into place perfectly. *~*She is the key… I'm certain of it now. Coincidence and truth now walk hand in hand against fate.*~*

            "Dear, Dias said it would be two days…" Nineh chimed as she approached her husband, perched against a tree on the outskirts of Mars gazing out to the morning light.

            "I couldn't sleep…" Bowman replied absent-mindedly as he kept his eyes on the road. "I didn't want to wake you, so I decided to get some fresh air."

            "You were watching for any sign of Celine, weren't you?" Nineh whispered as she entwined her arm with his, grateful for the warmth from the chilly morning air. After watching him from the window of their room look for any signs of Ashton, Nineh got dressed and went outside only to find him on the other side of town waiting for Celine.

            Bowman sighed, trying not to grin at his wife's intuition. He knew better than to try to hide things from her. "I'm almost starting to believe she never left Cross…"

            "Darling, this is the first place they'd look for her. She's probably hiding in Salva or Arlia. Don't worry so much…" Nineh tried to sound confident that everything would be all right for his sake, but it was growing increasingly difficult to maintain that charade.

            Bowman smiled in reassurance, gently caressing her arm as he continued watching the horizon. Something wasn't right. There were no signs of life in forest or out in the fields. No birds, no insects, not even a gentle breeze. It was as if a shadow had fallen upon Mars. "You're probably right, Nineh… Celine would never endanger her people."

            A rumbling in the distance caused Nineh join Bowman in his vigil towards the horizon. Glancing up towards the skies, Nineh was surprised to find not a single cloud in the sea of endless blue atmosphere. "Is that thunder…?"

            A blast of violent Heraldic energy exploding near the house knocked Opera into the wall, causing her to hiss in pain as she forced herself back up with lightning reflexes and on towards Noel's room.

            "Opera!" Eglas Jules called from the bottom of the stairs, Labe close beside him. "What's going on? Where's Bowman and Nineh?"

            Taking a deep breath from the exertion, the Tetragene stopped to face Celine's parents as she recovered her strength, swearing silently that her body was still so weak from her imprisonment. The wounds she had incurred in her escape from Cross were already well onto the road of recovery. "We're under attack by Lacour! Gather up the townspeople and escape before they surround us. We'll distract them for as long as we can."

            "You can't possibly try to—" Eglas began, concern for the Tetragene welling within him.

            "Just go!" Opera commanded irritably, waving them away. "You need to get out of here! We'll be fine!" Watching them turn to leave out the corner of her gold eyes, she ran towards Noel's door and threw it open. "Noel?" She nearly panicked when she found his bed empty, praying something hadn't happened to him in the middle of the night. "Noel?!"

            "I'm right here…" Noel replied calmly, stepping out from behind the closet door fully dressed. "Where's Bowman and Nineh?"

            Another explosion erupted through the air, the ground shaking beneath its wake as clouds of billowing black smoke roiled out and threatened to envelope the town. Nineh was knocked to her feet by the aftershocks, nearly twisting her ankle. Bowman quickly dropped down to her side, protecting her body with his own as the citizens of Mars rushed from the town like rats from a sinking vessel. She clutched his arm with her hand, needing the contact to calm her nerves. "Bowman… we have to get to Noel and Opera…" She whispered, blinking back tears from the pain of her fall and the smoke burning her eyes.

            Bowman took a deep breath, taking her hand in his and entwining their fingers. His eyes were everywhere, a hawk ready to strike if anybody threatened them. He knew they had to get to Noel and Opera, but that was easier said than done. "I know, dear… We won't leave them."

            The smoke was beginning to clear and the explosions had subsided to a slow ebb. Blinking back soot, Nineh slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position as Bowman stood up, scanning for any sign of Noel or the soldiers. A knot of fear had swollen in her throat. What if Noel went crazy again?

            "Come on… We need to get to them before the soldiers invade." Bowman gently pulled her up, keeping her body pressed close to his. "Can you walk?" He inquired, noting her ankle was already beginning to swell.

            "I'll be alright. Let's just get them—"

            A sphere of fire plummeted into a house nearby, the blast sending shrapnel in all directions. Bowman reacted with lightning reflexes, pushing Nineh to the ground and shielding her small frame with his body from the flying debris. He winced, feeling the splinters and shards of glass digging into his back, but he didn't care. He would not allow any harm to come to her. "Stay down, Nineh…" He whispered into her ear as she struggled beneath him, knowing he was in pain.

            Nineh knew the soldiers were closing in on them. Each explosion was closer and more dangerous than the previous one. Soon, they would practically be on top of them. Turning her head to the side as more rubble rained down on them, a flash of bright purple light caught her eye. Focusing in on the shape controlling the dark magic, Nineh discovered Opera standing not far behind it, firing off blasts of energy from her gun in the direction of the soldiers. "B-bowman!" She choked out, smoke falling around them again like a heavy blanket.

            "Don't argue, Nineh… Stay down." His tone conveyed concern for her safety and the urge to sooth away her fears while his gaze remained firmly in the direction of the soldiers.

            "Bowman, I found Opera and Noel. Look!"

            Bowman twisted around enough to see where his wife was pointing. Noel's hands were raised high in the air as he chanted another spell, Opera covering him as he did so. "They can't hold them off…" He whispered, moving off Nineh as the explosions died down temporarily. "Not in their condition…" Seeing a clearing, Bowman grabbed Nineh's hand and pulled her forward as they took off running towards Noel and Opera.

            Opera moved back in one fluid motion as the wind began to pick up in front of them, knowing Noel was now casting his spell. Her gold eyes scanned the area for any sign of Bowman and Nineh as the smoke began to clear, praying the couple was all right. Noel suddenly motioned in the direction towards their left as he prepared to cast again. Opera looked for the soldiers he had undoubtedly caught sight off and planned to open fire on them. A flash of long azure hair in the smoke caused the Tetragene to hesitate, relaxing her trigger finger as she soon realized it was who they were looking for. "Noel, they're alright."

            Noel's dark eyes glanced towards Bowman and Nineh as they approached at a dead run, grateful they were all right. "Watch them, Opera." He commanded softly, flicking his wrist to initiate blasts of bright violet shards of light in the direction of the soldiers, hoping it would ensure the Jeans' safety. He took a deep breath when he knew Opera wasn't watching him, wiping the sweat from his brow. He knew he was in no condition for this and almost feared for his friends' safety more from him than from the soldiers.

            Bowman and Nineh were knocked to their feet as another orb of fire collided into a huge oak tree and exploded. There was a terrible creaking in a cry as its roots tore from their beloved earth and the tree came crashing down within ten feet of the couple, clearly blocking off the path between them and Noel and Opera. "Son of a bitch!" Bowman hissed between clenched teeth, his ears ringing as he pulled Nineh away from the fallen oak as the flames consumed it and threatened to dance onto them.

            Noel and Opera came running towards them, fearing for their safety. "Bowman! Nineh! Are you hurt?" Opera called from the other side, the fire not allowing them to get very close.

            "We're fine!" Bowman hollered back, lifting Nineh up with him.

            "We can't get to them…" Nineh whispered, staying close to him. The tree blocked off the path to them in the road and they couldn't go around, many of the houses were now burning as well and there was no telling if they were completely surrounded by the soldiers.

            "We'll find a way around!" Noel replied, careful to avoid eye contact with Nineh. The shame of what he had done to her in the Heraldry Forest was still fresh in his mind. He wasn't safe to be around anyone anymore.

            "No, it's too dangerous, Noel!" Bowman stated, keeping his body safely planted between Nineh's and the growing flames.

            "We're not going to leave you!" Opera insisted, knowing the soldiers were closing in.

            Bowman sighed, his hand finding Nineh's to comfort her. "We'll have to meet back up! We'll only get captured if we continue this!"

            "You're right!" Noel agreed. "This is getting us nowhere. We'll meet at the cave!" Not waiting for a reply, the Nedian began to pull Opera away so they could escape.

            "Be careful!" Bowman shouted before turning towards Nineh. "We're going to get out of here… I need you to stay close to me but promise me you'll find a safe place to hide if we run into any trouble."

            Nineh could only nod, finding it impossible to speak. Her throat ached and her lungs burned from the smoke but she knew it was mainly out of her own fear. She glanced in the direction of Noel and Opera one last time to make sure they got away.

            Bowman gently kissed the tip of her nose and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ears. "Everything will be alright, darling. Come on."

            The image of Mars up in flames had stirred a lingering feeling of dismay deep within Nineh's soul. Had Linga looked like that when it was destroyed by Kayura's army? Her thoughts went to Celine then as she lay flat on her stomach beside Bowman, closing her eyes in hopes that it would all just fade away. *~*Where are you, Celine…? Wherever you are, I'm glad you're not here to see what they've done to your home… burning it to cinders for what? What is the point in all this? How is it right for them to destroy the homes and lives of so many innocents over their own selfish ideals…?*~*

            Bowman's gaze was fixed on the smoldering remains of Mars a couple miles away from where he and Nineh lay hidden behind some bushes on top of a hill. There was no sign of any stray soldiers having followed them, just the billowing clouds of smoke twisting in the sky above them, overcastting the remains of the sun and giving him a feeling of foreboding. Those weren't Lacour soldiers, he was certain of it. There was some deep, dark purpose to all of this and it was causing his fear for Nineh to grow tenfold. Somehow, that woman he had seen the other night was involved. She was involved with it all. She knew Noel and was slowly destroying his friend; she had murdered Ernest and Keith without a doubt, and probably had captured Ashton. Bowman sighed; it was his fault that Ashton was missing. He should never have allowed him to pursue her alone.

            "Do you see anything, Bowman?" Nineh whispered softly, not wanting to draw attention to her.

            The pleasant, tender voice of his wife pulled him out of the pool of desolation he felt over Ashton and the others. He would find him in time and would help the others. He couldn't let his friends down. However, his first duty fell to the woman lying beside him. He had to get Nineh out of all of this, find some place safe for her until this was all over. He would lay down his life to protect her; he knew it without a doubt. Bowman could not allow anything to happen to her or it would destroy him. She was not meant to be among the bloodshed and senseless destruction associated with war. "Nothing… I don't think we were followed, sweetheart."

            Nineh sighed in relief, grateful for their safety. "Do you think Noel and Opera will be safe?"

            "Yeah… They'll be fine, Nineh." He calmed, knowing better than to inform her that the bigger risk was to them because the soldiers had been on their side of the town.

            "Do you know where we're supposed to meet them?" She inquired, trying to keep her tone passive so Bowman would not know how frightened she really was. The slender fingers fidgeting and twisting strands of her long blue hair gave her away though without even realizing it.

            Bowman suppressed a smile, instantly noticing her fingers giving into the compulsion. She always did that when she was afraid, he had known that almost as long as he had known her. Nineh was trying to be calm and brave for him, trying not to burden him unnecessarily. Gently, he reached up and caressed her cheek. "Calm down, everything will be fine." Watching her hand drop to her lap, he moved back to scanning the area down near Mars for any sign of the soldiers before they moved on.

            Nineh tried to keep from fidgeting, cursing for not being more careful. Bowman had always been able to read her like an open book. *~*I feel like I'm being watched…*~* She glanced around nervously, biting at her lower lip. There was nothing that she could detect, not even animals. *~*Bowman would know… I'm just being paranoid…*~* Her cobalt eyes moved back to rest upon her husband, finding comfort knowing that he was there. He would never allow any harm to befall her as long as he was alive. She knew that with every breath of her being. But she also knew that losing him would be death to her. She would not allow him to get hurt in order to protect her. She couldn't. Something was drawing closer; she could sense it. Why didn't Bowman feel it? "Bowman, I—"

            Nineh suddenly screamed as she was jerked up and pulled back several feet from Bowman by her hair, the forcefully ripping several strands of it out. Bowman instantly shot to his feet, dodging the charge of one of the soldiers and drop kicking the other as Nineh was dragged further back by a third one. Nineh continued to struggle against her captor as another soldier emerged, only to be knocked to his feet, writhing in pain, as Bowman hurled a batch of poison pills at him.

            Nineh bit down on the hand covering her mouth hard enough to draw blood, stomping down hard on the soldier's foot with all of her weight. He howled in pain, instinctively pulling away from her. She quickly jerked free of his grasp but was slapped soundly across the face by the soldier in retaliation for the injuries she had inflicted. Clasping her stinging cheek in pain where only minutes ago Bowman had been tenderly caressing it to sooth her fears, she stumbled back dizzily.

            Freeing himself of his latest attacker, white-hot anger flashed through Bowman's body as he turned around just in time to see the man who had grabbed Nineh backhanding her hard enough to send her reeling, her cut lip trickling blood. Launching himself into the air, he kicked her assailant with enough force to break his nose with the heel of his boot. The man howled in pain as his grabbed his nose involuntarily, only to be punched there again as Bowman landed on his feet, adding several broken fingers to the list of injuries. "Nineh, get the hell out of here!!" He commanded, dodging the fist of one of the original soldiers coming up from behind him.

            Before Nineh could even move, the soldier Bowman had drop kicked in the beginning had his dagger to her throat and held her rigid body hard against him. "Bow—" She instinctively cried out, quickly cut off as she felt the cold steel against the slowly healing puncture wounds on her neck.

            Bowman twirled about to face them, his hands flinching in need to strangle the man holding his wife. "Let her go." He growled out between clinched teeth, every fiber in his body screaming in rage and most of all, in fear for Nineh.

            The soldiers smile was feral; the reaction he got out of the man who had nearly broken his leg was addictive. Glancing down at Nineh suggestively, purposely provoking him, his gaze focused back at her husband. "I don't think so. She's the one we came for."

            The dread and anger had only begun to set in with Bowman, thinking of only one person would have come for Nineh, when the soldier behind him drew his sword. Nineh's eyes grew wide as she witnessed the blade come down.

"BOWMAN!!!" Her bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the forest as the blood gushed out of his chest, impaled by the sword. Everything happened in slow motion then. Bowman falling to his knees as the blade was roughly jerked out of him. Nineh's adrenaline rush enabling her to break free of the soldier's grasp and clasp Bowman's crumpled form as she fell in shock. "Oh God… Bowman… No… no…"

Bowman was already shaking from the blood loss. His blood was steadily spurting out from the massive wound, staining Nineh's clothes and forming a pool on the ground. Everything was clouding over, his skin growing ashen as his body weakened to the point where the only thing holding him up was Nineh. He could hear her crying, her tears flowing onto his face as she clutched him to her, their salty essence finding their way in his mouth. He knew his body was going into shock, that he would soon lose conscious and pass on as his blood gushed onto the forest floor. He was dying. The blow was mortal. He was certain of it. Even with this knowledge, her tears kept him there. While his muscles turned to jelly, he could only think of her. He couldn't give her up to them. "…N-nineh…" He gasped out, coughing up blood from the exertion. "Get… away…"

"Bowman…" Nineh choked out between tears. She didn't care about anything else. Not what the soldiers had planned for her nor how they would use and molest her body before they killed her like that had him. She didn't feel their filthy hands clutch her shoulders and begin to pull her away. She could only feel the breaking of her heart. "Bowman… Bowman!!"

The last thing Bowman saw was Nineh being pulled away from him before the demands of his body outweighed his force of will and he slipped into unconscious as his body collapsed in a cold, livid mass.

*~*To be continued…*~*

Author's Notes:

This took a little longer to write than I originally planned, but considering the fact that I updated one of my other fanfics, I've been really ill, and another semester of college is drawing to a close; I'm surprised I even finished it this soon. I decided to end this here and save some of the other scenes I've written for the next fanfic. Luckily, that shouldn't take nearly as long to write now that summer is upon me. Woo-hoo! Now I just have to contend with work… Bah… Anyhoo, most of you probably think I've lost my mind after reading this. Just keep in mind that I was sick when I wrote most of "Chains of Perdition". ^_^ Well… that excuse doesn't work since the entire series is already planned out aside from a few minor details…Ah well. ^_^ This is the one that I've been wanting to write since the beginning. The fanfics before "Reunion" were just setting the story up and after this one, everything begins tying together. I hope everyone is enjoying the series as much as I enjoy writing it. One thing I am considering though is this: would all of you rather I continue writing the fanfics in long segments where you get it all at once or would it be easier if I chaptered each fanfic into ten page segments? If I updated each fanfic to the story via chaptering, you would be able to get the next fanfic sooner but not all at once. So would you rather the full fanfics all at once or chaptering them? Email me or let me know on the review form at Fanfiction.net which one you would prefer. Everyone take care, enjoy the fanfics, check out the site, and feel free to email me sometime. I love critiques or flames, whichever you prefer. It helps improve my writing.

I'd also like to send special thanks out to Debbie Dai-chan and Rena Chan. Both of you have been really supportive of this series and I just wanted to let you know I really appreciate it and that it means a lot to me. Although I normally don't dedicate stories until they're complete, you guys are just too awesome and I couldn't wait until I finished TWMC to let you know how much your support means to me. Debbie, feel free to email me anytime, I'd love to chat. Rena, I never heard from you again from the last time I emailed you. I hope your alright. The idea for a SO2 fanfic archive is great and I'd love to help out with it. Just let me know how everything is doing. ^_^ These are both awesome writers that everyone should check out at least once! ^_^

~Dei