AGNÈS OBLIGE

Whatever Agnès had been expecting of the King of Caldisla, it hadn't been… that. He was the size of two men, and had the good humor of three.

"Tiiiiiz," the man had boomed upon seeing Agnès' new — and temporary — friend. "I'm both shocked and relieved to see you! Have you seen? Do you know? But of course, the outskirts of the city are now crawling with Eternian war mongers! How did you elude them?"

"Your majesty," spoke Tiz, "I had the aid of my traveling companion in battle. She is an accomplished fighter! May I introduce…"

It seemed Tiz was remembering that he had no leave from Agnès to make her introduction. It was all right. Agnès would do the deed herself.

She raised her voice to a level befitting the Great Hall in which she stood. "Your majesty, I extend my deepest apologies for the plight I have brought upon your kingdom. I am Agnès Oblige, Vestal of Wind."

The King gasped, clutching at his chest. The guards around him shifted their weapons and eyes uneasily.

Agnès hurried onward. "I have heard that the Eternian airship, the very one that pursued me earlier this day, has made berth in a lake southwest of the city. Its cannons are trained upon Caldisla. I came here to tell you — I will resolve the matter."

With that, she made a brief, little bow and began to stride out of the Great Hall. At any moment, she expected to hear the words — stop her! But they never came.

"Wait — Agnès!" Tiz was running after her, his voice hushed. "I thought you were going to ask the king for passage to Ancheim! What do you mean, you'll 'resolve the matter?'"

Agnès made no answer, but pushed through the cavernous doorway. She marched towards the exit to the outdoors, resolute.

Tiz was still with her. He was gaping at her. "You can't mean… Don't tell me you're thinking of storming the Eternian camp! You can't do that alone!"

Agnès, feeling safer for being outside the Great Hall, turned to face Tiz, her lips set primly. "I'm well aware that I'm no match for an airship, Tiz."

"Then you can't be… Agnès, no!"

"As long as people of Caldisla are held hostage, I have no choice." Agnès bowed her head.

Please, friend, grant me the courage to see this decision through.

"You can't give yourself up!"

"It's not your decision to make."

Agnès thought of that moment in that great ravine, when the Eternian airship had been lobbing bombs at them. The shells had slammed into the rock walls around them, shattering the stone into hundreds of sharp missiles. Tiz had covered her body with his to protect her from the deadly shrapnel. So gallant… But he hadn't known what calamity he would bring on her by giving his life for hers. The words of Lilta's curse ran through her mind…

The disaster waylaid by sacrificing another's life for your own will return to you, threefold.

After his chivalrous maneuver, she'd put Tiz in his place— as firmly as she could. She'd been so proud of herself for that. She'd felt brave and independent. But now… an entire city sat poised in danger if she didn't give herself up to the Eternians. And she was torn.

Agnès might have fled before. And the temptation was so great now! With Airy's guidance, Agnès was so very close to saving the world from evil. All she had to do was return from Ancheim, where she'd been just days before, and pray to the Crystal. She could do that! She'd been praying to the Crystal her entire life.

But to sneak off and flit away… leaving all these Caldislans for dead? She knew what the Witch, Lilta, would have to say about that.

Remember, Agnès, Keystone XI: 'Vestal, No Life Shall Be Laid Down for You, Only Yours Lain For Others…'

So, no. Both principles and the curse kept her in check. She would deliver herself to these Eternians and save both Caldisla and the continent.

She didn't know what would happen after that. Would the Eternians… would they harm her?

Airy the cryst-fairy had an idea, though — "A good one!" she insisted. "When you get captured, find a way to get the airship to Ancheim! That's your ticket across the sea!"

Tiz was staring at the fairy, dumbstruck.

"It's true," Agnès began, "no sailing ship can traverse the seas now that it's rotted."

Tiz turned his outraged expression onto Agnès. "You can't be serious… Agnès, they'll kill you!"

The blunt words made Agnès shudder. But over that fear, a fresh vein of anger pulsed. "I'll not ask you again," she told Tiz sharply. "Leave us. You are too eager to meddle in the affairs of others." She pinched her lips together and gave him a curt nod. "Farewell."

TIZ ARRIOR

Spinning around, she strode away towards the city exit.

What a silly…

"Agnès, wait!" Tiz called after the vestal. "That road leads to the graveyard! It's a dead end."

Agnès stopped, then turned around. Her face was a blushing inferno. "Which… which way is the lake?"

Tiz grinned. "I'll show you the way there."

"That's… that's just not acceptable!" Agnès sputtered.

"It's a grand idea," piped Airy. "With your sense of direction, Agnès, it'll take us ages to find the airship."

Well then. It seemed he had an ally in the Airy the fairy. He would try to stop thinking of her as a little monster inside his head.

Agnès, still looking mortified, conceded to the advice of the cryst-fairy. "Very well then. I ask you to accompany us to the lake." She sniffed slightly, lifting her chin into the air. "But only as our guide. Is that clear?"

"Crystal!" beamed Tiz. "But before we go, we need to make a stop."

/ / /

Tiz wished he could relish the powerful weight of his new broadsword, but he was too worried about Agnès to appreciate the weapon the way it deserved.

It was five miles to the lake from the city walls. That didn't give Tiz a lot of time to convince her that her idea — of giving herself up to the Eternians — was complete lunacy.

He wasn't sure when it had happened exactly, but at some point, Tiz had devoted himself this strange girl. Maybe it was when she'd said she could undo the Chasm. Perhaps it had been before he'd clapped eyes on her, when her prayer had called him back from the edge.

Regardless, he was going to accompany Agnès on her journey, whether she liked it or not. And as of now, that was definitely not.

"The lake and airship are within sight," she was saying. Her lofty tone couldn't hide the tremble in her voice. "You can turn back now. At any time."

"I said I'd see you to the lake," Tiz countered.

Agnès sighed impatiently, but Tiz could tell it was a front. The vestal was terrified. Why was she so intent on sacrificing herself? Not only did she not want to do it, not really, it also wasn't the smartest path.

As if reflecting Agnès' poor decision, the trail beneath their feel was rocky and full of roots. They had to keep their eyes on their feet while walking… not that the view was any wonderful thing to look at and ponder. To their right, there were dark, tangled woods leading to the Peninsular Mountains. Intermittently, the bellows and shrieks of creatures would sound from the far distance in the forest. The place looked to be a breeding ground for fiends. And to their left, there lay the rotted sea, stiller than a glass of dusty water on a bedside table. The ocean stank, for all the world like a great, dirty bathtub. Monsters were probably stewing in there as well…

Tiz supposed the landscape would have been something fine, were evil not encroaching upon the world.

As for Lake Caldis, Tiz had never been there, but he'd heard that city-dwellers flocked to its shores in droves during the summer months. He doubted there would be any beach-goers there today, however, being that an Eternian airship floated upon its waters.

That airship was growing closer and closer. Tiz could see a small party of Eternians on the shoreline of the lake — very small. Only two people were visible. It was hard to tell from this distance, but he could have sworn they were arguing.

"Agnès," Tiz said, hushing his voice. "Perhaps we ought to approach through the cover of the woods. Before you give yourself up" — over my dead body, he thought — "we can eavesdrop and get some information from those Eternians."

Agnès, frowned, thoughtfulness replacing a bit of the terror on her face. "They do look absorbed in their discussion…" She bit her lip. "…Yes. I think you're right, Tiz. A covered approach is the best strategy."

Tiz pumped his fist behind Agnès' back. He had her thinking in more strategic terms now. And more, what they heard from the enemy might well cause Agnès to change her mind about surrendering.

They moved into the outskirts of the forest and approached the Eternian camp, keeping their footfalls light. Tiz tried to keep his broadsword from clanking.

Agnès was visibly trembling now, but she kept moving forward. Tiz… didn't know what to make of that. It was like she was keeping a secret — a secret that had to do with her weird desire to sacrifice herself. But how did that align with her mission to save the world from darkness? She couldn't save everyone if she was dead.

Pondering it, Tiz scanned their surroundings as they moved. He'd suspected that they might encounter an Eternian scout or two as they approached, but no such sentry was in place. Was that normal?

Once they were within earshot of the shoreside camp, maneuvering became tricky. Tiz and Agnès crept through the woods as silently as they could, placing their feet with extreme care. At the same time, the sounds of the commotion reached their ears, causing Tiz's knees to go a little weak. The Eternians, a man and a woman, were speaking about Agnès in the vilest terms — as if she was their prey.

"…The vestal got away because she had a colluder. We are not to blame for our quarry suddenly having backup…"

"…Skin her alive for the trouble she's caused…"

Agnès needed to hear this. They needed cover, to wait and listen more attentively. Tiz searched for, and found, a large, mossy boulder. He motioned to it, and Agnès nodded, lips pale. They moved to the the big rock and crouched, putting their backs to its mossy side.

"…Seven Sky Knights that they killed! Seven!…

"…Enlistment standards have gone to the dogs…"

"…In that at least, we find accord…"

"… Never should have sent the lackeys to do our dirty work… so few of them stationed with us…"

"…Your fault for screwing the Grand Marshal's wife, Barras…"

"…Just a rumor…"

The circular argument was growing more and more fierce. Tiz could identify two speakers — a man and a woman. At the moment, a deep male voice, at its highest pitch for excitement, was yelling.

"—If we had fought the vestal and her sidekick ourselves we wouldn't be in this, this mess No fuel, no provisions, no way of contacting the Eschalot at the land base… we're going to have to walk, at this rate. Walk! No henchmen here to carry your litter!"

The feminine voice spoke then, low and cool. She was audible in fits and spurts.

"I'd have you carry me, you big, dumb brute…but I wouldn't want to soil my robes…why Braev assigned you to this mission, I have no earthly idea… dumbest lump of muscle I've ever met…"

"Blast you, White Witch!" the man roared. "I have my asterisk, same as you. They're meant to be used! The vestal would be in our hands right now had you the courage. You're a coward, Holly. A white-blooded, pale-hearted, lily-livered COWARD!"

Tiz heard the unmistakable sound of a slap.

A quiet, ominous laugh.

"Heh. You want to get rough then, do you? Put up your fists then, girl. Fight me off."

Sounds of a scuffle — grunts, pants, a high scream. Tiz couldn't believe what he was hearing. Agnès beside him was already lifting her head above the top of the rock. Whatever she saw had her eyes round with horror.

"Tiz!" she whispered. "We have to help! Crystals save her!"

Too quick for him to grab her, Agnès had slipped from behind the rock and was running towards the Eternian camp.

AGNÈS OBLIGE

It was a rape!

Agnès sprinted towards the site of the violence, dagger drawn.

The rapist was huge — large as the Caldislan king, but filled out with muscles instead of fat. This Eternian woman was in dire peril! And so was Agnès, if she didn't get the man, Barras, disabled, and quickly.

Just fifty feet from her, the Eternian woman, Holly, thrashed around on the ground. But the man was too massive to dislodge. He was pinning Holly easily, laughing as though it were all a game.

Holly was frantic. Agnès could see that she was trying to headbutt her attacker, but the man was arching out of reach, sniggering. His throat was extended — the long, ropey flesh exposed. The perfect target. Agnès put on a fresh burst of speed and readied her weapon.

She saw when Holly caught sight of her. The woman's eyes widened and she jerked. "B-Barras!" she gasped.

Giving a cry, Agnès arced her dagger down into Barras's neck. The blade ripped through his flesh.

"Aaugh!" bellowed Barras. He scrambled off and away from Holly. Hand clutching his neck, blood spurting through his fingers, he whipped around to face Agnès.

And this was very bad. Because she didn't think her dagger had sliced nearly deep enough. The muscles of this man were so thick! They had deflected her blade from his artery. She'd just enraged a bear, it looked like. But the rape had been stopped. That was good enough.

Barras was staring fixedly at her, hand still held to his neck. Agnès saw when the shocked recognition came to his eyes. He knew her! He knew her for the Wind Vestal.

But then the triumph on his face turned to surprise. His gaze fixed behind Agnès, past her shoulder.

Tiz. He was flying past Agnès, broadsword held high. With a yell, he brought the heavy blade down on Barras.

Barras dodged backwards, his big chest escaping the blow. But the broadsword came down on his shin.

The crack and the splat were the goriest things Agnès had ever heard. And everyone in their horrid, little tableau froze at the sight. Barras's leg was pulverized. Knee to ankle, the limb was bisected. The bones of his leg were right there — standing starkly white against the dark red of his flesh. Strands of sinew and shards of skeleton were smashed into the ground, the broadsword ultimately too dull to cleave through them — just crush. Crystals.

Time reclaimed them.

Agnès wretched. Barras was making horrible animal sounds. Holly was screaming at the top of her lungs. Tiz himself looked ill , pale and shaking.

Barras was fully prone in the dirt, chest heaving quickly. He'd turned somewhat onto his side, right leg curled up, fetal. His left leg lay in… remains. Breathing through his teeth, spittle flying, the ruined man clenched his fists, slinging them around his head like a demented baby. His face twitched and spasmed.

Tiz turned to her, distraught.

"Agnès… I need to finish it… him. This… it's not right. It can't be right."

She nodded, trying to project resolve though she trembled head to foot. "It's the right thing to do, Tiz." She swallowed, hard.

Holly was whipping her head between the two of them. "Wait. No! No!"

But Tiz was already wiping the blood of his dagger. Agnès blinked her eyes.

He'd been so fast. So clean. She remembered — he'd told her he'd been a shepherd. Had he just killed Barras like he killed his sheep when their time had come? However he'd been so remarkably skilled at euthanasia, she was grateful. Bowing her head, she said a prayer. "Crystals, divine this man's soul. If it be worthy, let it join in their Holy Light."

Holly was wriggling, crawling on her hands and knees towards the body. Was she hurt? Or had her legs given out? Agnès felt like sitting down herself.

"Barras. BARRAS!"

And wasn't that strange though, that Holly was clutching Barra's body like that? If Agnès had been attacked by a rapist, she wouldn't want to cuddle with his corpse…

"Vulna Cura! Vulna Cura! Raisa! Hominum Raisa!" Holly was shouting. She whipped her head around. Her eyes lit on something, burned. Rushing to her feet, falling like a foal, Holly scrambled over to something lying on the ground — a long, white staff, crowned with an ornate carving of wings. She gripped it and used it to lever herself to standing.

"VULNA CURA! HOMINUM RAISA!" Holly struck the ground with her staff, screaming the words repeatedly.

"Um… Agnès?" Tiz was grabbing at her shoulder. "Something doesn't feel right, here."

Agnès had to agree. Holly was acting very peculiar. And even more strange… all of Barras's blood had vanished from her clothing. The woman's face was still stained with blood, but her robes… her robes were pure white.

"HOMINUM RAISA!" Wind rushed around them.

Then Holly quieted. Through tangles of blonde hair, stuck like a curtain to her face, she smiled, long and slow.

"Holly…"

Agnès gasped so hard, she choked. She spun around.

Barras was sitting up.

His leg was whole.

His eyes were open. They were wide open.

And he was looking right at Agnès.

He winked.

"Time for round two, my dear."