This chapter was originally longer but I had to cut it. So it's not quite as action pact as I had intended.

Anyway, if anyone has any request of something they want to see in a skit just let me know either in the review or pm me. Also if you have any concerns with the way the story is going, again just let me know.

Read, review, enjoy.

Chapter 9: To Trust a Fox

Yuri and the others hurried to where the boy told them the knights attacked his caravan. It hadn't been easy leaving the boy in Heliord, especially since he didn't want to be with any of the knights. Both Flynn and Yuri had to reassure him that no harm would come to him while they were going to help his parents.

Flynn and Sodia weren't sure how serious to take the boy's words about the knights attacking him. But it was a clue to where Ren is, so it was good enough for them. It really concerned Yuri that the child would even accuse the knights. There had to be some truth behind them.

The boy had said his caravan had been attacked on the newly built road to Dahngrest. It was a more direct route that shaved off a day of traveling. It now only took a day and half to get to the guild city if someone walked like they were doing.

They probably walked for about an hour before they found any signs of the kid's accusations. There were busted wagons on the side of the road and a smoldering fire pit that supported the boy's words that they were attacked earlier that morning.

A knight's body was also slumped up against a tree with his helmet smashed into his face. With all the blood running down his breastplate there was no need to check and see if he was alive. There were also two unmoving bodies just lying on the dirt road with their eyes still open. They were dressed like civilians whose expressions that looked like they never saw their death coming.

"Do you really think the knights could have done this?" Karol asked out loud as they examined the carnage.

"This scene doesn't really explain anything," Flynn started. "But something did happen to these people. I'm willing to believe the child when he saw someone who looked Yuri."

"You think?" Yuri mocked. But he was feeling sick at the thought that the knights did this.

"But Ren hasn't killed anyone yet. I don't think she'd actually do something like this," Estelle defended.

"I never said she would," Flynn told her.

Yuri walked a ways and spotted some droplets of blood away from the other bodies. Someone had been cut and then moved on. "Let's just hope she hadn't gone far so we can get the real story here," Yuri said.

They were about to move on when they suddenly saw a flash of light through all the trees ahead of them. It was very brief and it easily could have been passed off as a trick by the sun light. But it reminded Yuri of Ren's spell. That, and Repede started giving warning growls. All of them silently agreed and hurried toward the source.

As they drew closer, they could hear the sounds of a fight. Metal on metal and the cries of attacks. They came across another knight on the road, this time his face wasn't smashed in but there was still blood on his armor.

Finally, they came to the edge of the cliff where the road had been made for quicker access. There were two more bodies in high ranking knight's armor on the ground with bright yellow tabards. At the base of the hill, there was a knight with a longsword fighting someone who bore a similar appearance to Yuri.

Ren's movements were slower than what they had seen before. After all the scrapes she had with them she still hadn't changed her clothes, so it was hard to tell if she had any new injuries that were hindering her movement.

The knight swung his sword over his head and attempted to crush Ren underneath it. But the fox was still faster. She easily sidestepped and her hand started glowing blue. By the time Yuri and the others reached them, Ren had already punched the knight just below the base of his neck. The knight's armor was shattered where Ren hit him and he was sent flying back.

But not before a small dagger slipped out of his sleeve and embedded itself into Ren's solar plexus. When the knight hit the ground he didn't move again. Ren, however, fell to her knees holding the knife. If it was a little higher then Ren probably would have died as quickly as the knight.

Then again, it was probably as deadly because blood started coming out of the corner of her mouth. "Hey," Yuri yelled out to get everyone's attention. There was no way he was going to let Ren get away that easily after everything she had done when people thought she was him.

Ren's head shot up to them and her eyes narrowed at them. "You guys again. You sure are relentless, aren't you? Are you here to kill me?" Ren asked in-between breathes. She looked down at her wound and her face twisted in pain.

Estelle hurried over to Ren and she tried to back away from the princess. "We have no intentions harming you," Estelle pleaded. "Please, just let me heal you."

"Come near me and I'll cut off your hand," Ren threatened and more blood came out of her mouth. Estelle actually backed away from Ren.

Yuri felt himself moving closer to Estelle just in case Ren decided to lunge at her. "You really are a stubborn one. You'll likely die if you keep refusing help," Yuri said bluntly.

Suddenly, Ren gripped the knife's handle as she forced herself to her feet. "I don't have time for this," she muttered and quickly pulled the weapon out of her torso. Ren hunched over as the knife dropped on the grass. She took just two steps before she fell to the ground again.

Estelle didn't hesitate to cast a healing spell before Ren could offer any resistance. Sodia and Raven ran ahead to keep Ren from running away after she was healed. Estelle used a quick spell, enough to close the wound and keep her from bleeding anymore.

Ren looked back at Estelle like she had just stabbed her again. "Why would you-" Ren started to say.

But Flynn interrupted her. "Tell us what happened here?" The Ringing Fox was now surrounded and she kept eyeing each of them wearily.

"What do you think?" Ren said as she stood back up. "I've just killed some of your knights."

"Since when does the Ringing Fox actually kill someone?" Yuri asked.

"Only when I know they're my enemy," Ren said. It had almost sounded like a threat. But she made no move to fight back. It almost seemed like she was giving up. But Yuri wasn't so sure and he made sure to keep an eye on her hands to make sure she didn't pull off any artes.

"There was a kid who ran to Heliord saying knights attacked a caravan," Raven started. "Care to share why the knights would do that?"

Ren only shrugged, "There were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That's not much of an answer," Yuri told her. "Come on, you know more then you're letting on."

"Like you all would believe me," Ren narrowed her eyes at Yuri. "Besides, I'm not completely sure why the knights attacked them either."

"It sounds like you have some ideas."

Ren stayed quiet.

"Ren," Flynn began, "right now all we care about is trying to find and save the rest of the caravan people. I can tell you care too. Why else would you fight when you didn't have to?"

Leave it to Flynn to catch that detail. Yuri definitely didn't see it at first. But thinking back, the Ringing Fox only fought unless it was necessary. Why would Ren fight those knights unless the knights really were up to something?

"I suppose I don't have much of a choice," Ren finally concluded. She let out a sigh before she said, "Like I said, I'm not entirely sure why the knights attacked. I happened by the caravan just as the knights began to attack."

"Why?" Flynn interrupted. Both he and Sodia were having a hard time believing what Ren said. They had spent two years fixing the problems within the knights. Overall, they seemed to have done a good job. But now it sounded like they have done nothing.

"All they had said was come with us or die," Ren answered, sounding slightly irritated that Flynn interrupted her. But there was also a touch of despair in her voice. "They killed two people just to show that they were serious. I tried to stop the knights but you see how that worked. The other knights took the rest of the people off somewhere. My partner is currently following them."

"Your partner?" Yuri blurted out. "And here I thought the Ringing Fox was a solo act."

"And you really thought I could have infiltrated all those labs by myself?" Ren asked. A sly smile crossed her mouth. "You guys really saw me as a threat."

"Regardless, we need to see if what Ren said is true," Flynn said to them all. "Sodia and I will investigate this claim. Yuri, if the rest of you can take Ren back to Heliord and have the knights lock her up. We can get answers out of her later."

If what Ren said was true, then Flynn should have more back up. But they definitely couldn't leave Ren. Not after they had finally caught her.

He was just about to say something like that to Flynn when Ren spoke. "I want to come."

Everyone looked at Ren. For a moment they couldn't believe what she had just requested. Yuri almost wanted to laugh. "After all you've done, what makes you think we're just going to trust you. For all we know you could be luring us into a trap so your so-called friend can finish us," Yuri replied.

But Ren just put her hands on her hips. "If you don't bring me along then my partner won't help you and that means you also won't be able to find where the knights went. At least not any time soon."

With all the scents mixed together from the fight, it seemed unlikely that Repede would be able to follow them. Then there was also fact that it would just be Flynn and Sodia going to find these knights.

"Why are you so concerned about these people?" Sodia spat out.

"Because," Ren started sounding more regretful this time, "if the knights are doing what I think they are doing then it greatly concerns my objective. Plus…I think it's my fault these people were taken."

"What makes you say that?" Yuri asked.

Ren was silent for a moment. "You're not going to believe me if I tell you. If you all really aren't like them then the only way you will is if you see it for yourself." It wasn't a good enough explanation for them to risk their lives trusting her.

"Fine, you can come with us," Flynn suddenly said that surprised everyone, including Ren.

"Are you serious?" Both Rita and Sodia said at the same time. Everyone else was surely thinking the same thing.

Rita continued with her argument, "We can't let her come along. How are we supposed to trust this fox mask wearing freak?" Ren actually looked over at the mage with an annoyed look.

"If we all keep our eyes on her then it shouldn't be a problem," Flynn suggested.

"Speak for yourself, Flynn," Yuri muttered. This all could be ruse that Ren came up with so she could escape. But all Yuri had to do was look at Ren and something just told him that she was telling the truth about the knights taking the people. And for some reason he even believed her when she said something was going to happen to them. "Whatever," Yuri finally agreed. "But you better tell us what the hell you've been doing and why once this is settled."

Ren's annoyed look turned its attention on Yuri. "As long as I don't think you'll later stab me in the back."

"Isn't this great?" Raven chimed in with his hands behind his head. "All of us getting along and trusting one another. That's just wonderful."

Ren joined the party.

/~/~/

Skit: Foxes

Rita: I can't believe we're trusting that fox mask wearing freak. I'm pretty sure foxes are tricksters and will lead to your downfall if you follow one."

Estelle: That may be true, but in some areas that believe foxes represent wisdom and act as a guide to enlightenment.

Rita: I sincerely doubt that's what's happening now.

Estelle: Of course it's not.

Rita: Good. I'm glad you see too.

Estelle: Ren's not actually fox.

Rita: And I lost her.

Ren suddenly joining the conversation: Regardless, you all are following a person you call Ringing Fox.

Rita: Oh shut up. It's not like we're following you because we actually want to.

Estelle: And I'm certain you're not leading us to doom.

Rita: Enough with the fox symbols!

Yuri shows up: How hell did you all get on this topic?

Ren muttering to herself: This is one strange group I got stuck with.

Yuri: Says the girl who wears a fox mask and dresses like me.

/~/~/

They continued northwest for maybe an hour. Ren was leading them toward where her partner should be. During that time no one talked. All their eyes were on Ren as they waited for her to make a move toward them.

Finally, Ren stopped and examined the area. If Yuri recalled, then they weren't too far from the ocean. That could also mean they were getting close to the beach where Ghasfarost was located. Yuri was starting to get some bad ideas about what happened to the caravan people if they were indeed going to the old blastia that was converted to a mana lab.

Yuri could also see a worried expression on her face by the way her eyes rapidly searching. "Don't tell me you've already gotten us lost?" Rita snapped.

Ren quickly turned to the mage with an expression that that could only mean that she was tired of hearing her. Yuri figured that since he was sure he had been wearing a similar look the last few days because of Rita. "I told you before; my partner is the one who'll know where the knights are. But we should have met up with him…" but she trailed off to scan the trees again.

"Anyone else getting the feeling that we're walking right into a trap?" Sodia muttered. It was debatable who was more upset with partnering with Ren; her or Rita.

Ren didn't seem to hear or care what the knight was saying about her.

"That's enough, Sodia," Flynn told her sounding tired of telling her that for the third time. While Yuri was just as feed up with hearing that, it was probably for the best that there was one person who was watching Ren as an enemy. So far, Yuri wasn't sure what to think of Ren.

"But commandant, what if it was her partner who attacked the caravan and those were innocent knights she killed?" Sodia argued.

Before Flynn or anyone else could respond, a new voice said, "If we did then why would we team up with our supposed enemy?"

Yuri and the others searched for the new person but there was no one. But then Ren walked past Flynn and looked up at the tree. Repede even started growling at the tree. "It's about to time you came back, Verius," Ren said.

They looked up where Ren was and to Yuri's amazement in was a small orange fox. It also had three multicolor tails. Stranger still, it talked, "I certainly didn't expect to come and find you with people." The fox jumped down and landed on Ren's shoulder. "Care to introduce me to your new friends?"

Everyone was just staring at this new creature. Karol even tumbled backwards. "What the hell is that thing?" He cried out.

The fox looked at the young guild master. "Now that's rather rude," the fox said sounding like his feelings were actually hurt. "What if I said all you humans look like-"

Ren covered the fox's mouth. "Sorry," she apologized. "This is my partner Verius. He's sort of sensitive about what people call him."

Her partner was a talking fox? How come that didn't surprise Yuri?

Verius shifted over to Ren's other shoulder. "Why don't you have a completely different form where people refer to you as a thing or adorable?" The fox replied to Ren and she simply shook her head at him.

"Wait a minute, is he a spirit?" Rita asked looking like she did when they met Undine.

"I believe that's what I am," Verius quickly answered her. He then turned to Ren. "We have to go Ren, it's as we've feared."

There was a brief moment of horror on Ren's face before Rita said, "Hold on, how do you have a spirit?"

"There's no time for that," Ren snapped. "We have to go, now." The fox jumped down for her shoulders and was motioning for them to follow.

"Will you wait just a damn minute," Yuri called out before the pair got too far from them. "What the hell are the two of you even talking about?"

The fox looked up at Yuri and said in a sarcastic tone, "I'd love to embellish you inquiries, but if we don't hurry those people will be dead." Verius and Ren started running off.

Yuri wanted to know why, as did everyone else. But he wouldn't let innocent people suffer because they weren't quick enough. Yuri was the first person to follow them.

Everyone ran through the forest and managed to avoid most fights with the monsters. Some of them seemed to understand that they were in a hurry. But there were a couple of instances where some monsters would get in their way and so Yuri and the others would have to fend them off for a short while before they could escape.

It didn't take long before they reached a clearing that lead to the beach Ghasfarost stood at. It was still some distance away from them but the old weather tower seemed to loom over them. Its metal skeleton looked the same but there were a few add-ons to the sides. What secrets was this old blastia hiding this time?

Everyone stopped to catch their breath. Rita and Estelle had fallen behind slightly and seemed to be out of breath. Estelle's hair had even fallen out of its clip and was a tangled mess. It was a style Yuri thought suited the princess.

"This is where the knights took those caravan people," Verius confirmed what they already suspected. He quickly climbed back on Ren's shoulders, probably so he could look everyone in the eyes.

"Somehow a lab and captured people don't sound too good," Raven said out loud. But there was a dark look in the old man's eyes when he said that.

Ren was one step away from charging up to the lab when Yuri grabbed her arm just in time. "What are you doing? We don't have time for this?" Ren said, looking like she was ready to attack him with that strange arte of hers. She even curled up her other hand.

"I know you are a lot smarter then you look. Charging in there definitely won't help anyone," Yuri told her. He still kept a hold on her arm and she kept looking at him like she hadn't heard him.

"He's right you know," Flynn agreed. Yuri never got tired of hearing those words come from Flynn's mouth. "But we can walk in. I'm the commandant so they shouldn't be too suspicious if Ren comes in with us. I doubt word of her appearance has reached the lab."

"You're really throwing you title around, aren't you?" Yuri said with a small grin at the end.

"I might as well use it when I can," Flynn replied without missing a beat.

Ren seemed to be considering her options before she pulled away from Yuri's grasp. "Fine, we'll do it your way first. But if something happens we're doing it my way."

"Very well, try not to draw too much attention to yourself," Flynn told her. Then he looked at the fox on her shoulder. "And Verius, was it?"

"If you're going to tell me not to draw attention to myself, I'm afraid I can't do anything to change what I look like."

"I was only going to suggest not talking."

"I'll make no promises, especially if I sense any danger."

Flynn led them across the beach. They were still in a hurry but they managed a fast walk. It wouldn't look good if they just rushed at the lab. There were a pair of knights at the entrance to the tower and they would have alerted the whole tower of a group of people heading toward them and that they were armed. They even had bright yellow tabards over their armor too.

Ren stayed in the middle of the group in hopes that the guards wouldn't pay her any mind. Verius remained on Ren's shoulders and was remaining motionless. He almost looked like one of those dead animals that noble woman wore around their necks. The fox's eyes were closed and there were no visible signs that he was even breathing. Then again, Yuri wasn't sure if spirits needed to breath.

As they came closer the guards appeared to grow more and more aggressive. The two knights drew their swords and stopped Flynn when they were just ten steps away from the door.

"That's far enough, turn back now or will have you arrested for trespassing," one of the guards announced.

Yuri had to resist the urge to laugh at his friend's expense. There were still some knights who didn't know who Flynn was. But Yuri couldn't draw attention to himself either since there were still some people who thought he and Ren look similar.

Flynn was slightly flushed when he said, "I'm Commandant Flynn Scifo. I'm here to inspect the lab to make sure all precautions are being made in case the culprit, Ringing Fox, makes an attempt to sabotage this lab." Flynn managed to sound like a man of authority even though his face still looked a little red. It was still a good lie.

The knights lowered their swords but made no attempts to sheath them. "Our apologies, commandant," the other knight said. "But we still can't let you in."

"Are you ignoring a direct order from the commandant?" Sodia interrupted.

"We have our orders from the Holy Knights," the knight answered. "No one is allowed in unless they are authorized and the commandant doesn't have the proper clearance."

"Since when do the Holy Knights have more authority than the commandant?" Flynn asked, but Yuri could tell his anger was rising by the way his brow was knotted.

"Again, I apologize, commandant. But if you have issues with it then you should take it up with the Holy Knights or Lady Nightwood. But for now I have to ask you to leave."

Yuri had thought for sure that they'd get in without any trouble. Who would have thought the knights would say no to the commandant. It would figure that the commandant title wouldn't hold as much power as it did with Alexei. Everyone seemed taken aback by the knights, but Ren seemed indifferent to the whole thing.

But again, it was just Yuri's luck that it wouldn't be that simple.

"So much for diplomacy," Verius suddenly muttered.

The knights heard him and raised their swords. "What the hell is that thing?" One of them said.

Verius looked over at the knight and his beady little eyes seemed to glare at them. But then Ren said, "We tried it your way, now we're doing it my way."

"Wait a minute. Doesn't that guy look like the Ringing Fox?" One of the knights said as he examined Ren, who didn't seem to notice what the knights were saying.

The other knight pointed at Yuri. "He looks like the wanted criminal too."

You've really got to be kidding me, Yuri thought bitterly.

Just then, Verius jumped off of Ren's shoulders. He curled into a ball and tackled one of the knights in the face. The knight tumbled back and hit the ground hard. Before the other one had a chance to react, Ren rushed toward him and, with the handle of her knife, struck the knight in the back of the neck. Both knights were unconscious.

"We should have done this from the start," Verius commented as he strolled over to the large, wooden double doors.

"How come we can never go anywhere without breaking and entering," Yuri heard Estelle mumble.

Yuri gave Estelle a friendly nudge in the arm. "Might as well just go all out since the guards are taken care of." She still gave him a disapproving look and Yuri just shrugged his shoulders.

"Damn it," Ren's voice brought Yuri back to their situation. She gave the door a kick before she said," It's locked."

"They really don't want us seeing what's in there do they?" Raven commented as he looked up at the tower.

"All the more reason to see what they're hiding," Yuri said. He'd hate to have to climb outside of the tower to look for another way in. But if they just blasted they're way in then they would alert every one of the intruders.

"Got it," Karol suddenly chimed in. He was crouched down by the knight Verius had knocked out and was holding up a small ring of keys. The young guild master rushed to the door. The doors gave a familiar clicking sound on his first try and then Karol pushed the door open slightly.

"At least one of you all is resourceful," Ren mumbled loud enough for them to hear.

Rita seemed to a take offence to that by the way she bit down on her lip. But the mage didn't say anything. She started tapping her foot impatiently, so before the mage cast some kind of spell, Yuri walked up to the door and said to Ren, "Ladies first."

She and Verius walked in together without a second glance at the others. Yuri followed in right behind her. If she did run off on her own then he supposed they had a good reason be in the lab now. "We saw the unconscious knights outside so we came in hoping to catch the Ringing Fox."

But Ren and Verius went in just far enough to look at the two paths before them: up or down.

Inside of Ghasfarost's skeleton looked just like it did when Yuri first came here. The giant tubs that ran all along the length of the tower that once had a bright green glow from all the aer it was absorbing now only gave off a dull blue light. It was a good thing the scientist and the mages installed windows, otherwise they would be climbing all the ladders and spiral stairs in the dark. There was also an odor from all the machinery in the small narrow space.

Verius padded over to the ladder that led down to the basement and Repede joined him. After a couple of sniffs, Repede gave an aggressive bark. Even the fur on his neck started to stand up.

"I concur," Verius agreed. Repede gave him a sideways glance, but did nothing. "I sense a group of people down below, and they've already lost a considerable amount of mana."

"What?" Rita exclaimed. "How are they losing their mana?"

"No time," Ren snapped and quickly jumped down the ladder.

"We're close. I'll explain when we get there," Verius told them before he followed Ren. Repede, who must have sensed what the pair already knew, jumped down after them.

Yuri might not trust Ren or her little fox spirit, but he wouldn't doubt Repede's judgment. Before anyone could say anything, Yuri followed his partner.

Ren and Verius were already heading down to the next level, and so was Repede. Now Yuri was starting to worry what they were walking into. Especially now that the floor beneath his feet gave off a slight vibration and Yuri was sure he was hearing some people crying. What the hell is going on? A sickening feeling was rising up in his stomach as he crossed the threshold of an iron door Ren had opened and walked down the spiral steel stairs.

Yuri began wondering if that door had been there the last time he was at the tower when he heard a voice echo off the stone walls farther below say, "Who the hell are you?"

There were torches lining the wall but Yuri wouldn't be able to see until he reached the bottom. But after the voice had said that, Yuri heard the sound of steel being hit and something falling.

Ten more steps and he found the body of a knight with his helmet smashed in. Yuri nearly slipped on the blood hurrying down. He hoped no one would break their necks coming down. He didn't want to yell and alert more guards if there were any more down there and neither did he want to wait for them.

When he finally reached the bottom, he first noticed a mage on the ground. Whether he was dead or unconscious, Yuri didn't care when he saw a group of about ten people in a large cage. All of them were either lying on the floor or sitting, but very few of them looked to be alive. Then Yuri looked up and noticed a rune that had some kind of formula written on the ceiling above the cage.

Ren was in front of a grey box and she had up the mage's holographic keyboard. She was moving her rapidly across the keys. Verius was on top of the box, watching Ren very carefully. Repede was by the cage, letting out soft whines as he looked at a small child not moving.

"What the hell?" Raven's voice suddenly said. Yuri glanced back and saw that the others had finally caught up.

Estelle ran up by Repede and was about to cast a healing spell when Verius' voice stopped her. "You're healing won't do them any good. In fact, it may just cause you harm."

"What's wrong with them?" Estelle asked.

"Their mana is being drained by that magic rune you see," the spirit answered.

"But why?" Flynn asked what all of them were thinking.

Verius glanced at Ren for a brief moment, but she was too busy trying to stop whatever was happening. "It is partially our fault. We have been destroying the mana collectors and we didn't foresee what would happen should these humans get backed into a corner." Verius began. "Humans are rich with mana in their bodies. You all hold more mana in your bodies then your machines that can naturally collect mana from nature ever could."

"You mean to tell me that whoever is in charge of this lab is so desperate for mana that they're willing to kill for it?" Yuri asked in disgust. He may not understand all of this was well as Rita could but he knew that people couldn't live without any mana inside them. It was clear they planned to drain every last drop of mana from these people.

The spirit nodded his head. Just as he did that, the vibrating had stopped and the people in the cage seemed to be more alive know. "I've stopped the spell," Ren announced as her shoulders seemed to relax. "Verius, should I try to reverse it so their mana will return?"

"No, it's far too dangerous. Just destroy this accursed thing while I'll return the mana to them and destroy the spell," Verius told her. The spirit jumped down to scurry toward the caravan people. He easily squeezed through the bars and stood at the center.

The people who were conscious eyed the spirit nervously and there was one woman who edged against the wall and pleaded to Yuri to help them. He couldn't really see why anyone would think the little fox spirit was menacing. But after what these people went though, they'd probably jump at their own shadow for a while.

Verius' three tails began to glow as he raised them up. But Yuri's attention was distracted when he heard Rita yelling "stop" that was followed up by the sound of something smashing the machine with Ren's arte. When he looked he saw a hole the size of Ren's fist in the machine.

Flynn walked up to Ren; looking the maddest Yuri had ever seen him. "Who is reasonable for all of this?"

Ren narrowed her two color eyes at him. "If we knew, don't you think we would have gone after them instead of attacking the labs?"

"We could have found out if you hadn't destroyed the reactor," Rita snapped. Karol and Raven were standing in-between Rita and Ren, which seemed like a very dangerous spot.

"Maybe we could have or it could have been like all the other times I checked the labs and there was no information," Ren defended.

Some of the people were getting more strength and some started to push themselves to their feet. Repede moved his pipe to the side of his mouth and stuck his nose through the bars so the little kid could rub his nose. Yuri noticed another set of keys hanging by the stairs. He quickly grabbed them and moved over to the caged door.

"I certainly didn't sign up for people to be used this way," Rita continued, "but you don't have to destroy all the mana collectors. They were going to help people."

"Not if it was going to be used to power the mana cannon," Ren declared. "If they used that then-" She caught herself and quickly closed her mouth.

Yuri had unlocked the door and was checking to see if anyone was hurt and would need Estelle's healing. But whatever Verius was doing was working. The colors in his tails were growing dull as life was returning to them.

"Don't tell me they are planning on using people's mana to power the mana cannon they're building in this lab?" Sodia suddenly asked.

Her words made Verius' tails fall to the ground and his eyes were as wide as Ren's. "It's here?" Ren asked, sounding like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Ren!" Verius shouted and shoot past Yuri to climb back on Ren's shoulders. "This is our chance, we have to destroy it."

"I know," Ren started run back to the stairs. But thankfully Raven managed to catch her before she got too far. "Get out of my way!" Ren demanded as she raised her hand that looked like she was about to use her arte again. Verius even lowered himself like he was about to attack.

"Just hold on there li'll lady," Raven said to her.

"There aren't any people's lives in danger," Yuri started to say. "You don't have any more reason to keep quiet."

Ren lowered hand and shared a glance with the spirit. But Verius shook his head. "We can't keep doing this on our own," was all he said.

"I know," she said as she patted him on the head. Ren took a deep breath before she looked back at them with a new fire in her eyes. "I can't go into too much detail, but you have to believe me when I say these people aren't planning to use the manna cannon for a noble purpose. If it is here, I have to destroy it." Ren suddenly dropped to her knees with her head bowed. Verius mimicked her actions. "Please. Humans shouldn't have that much power. We have to destroy it. If you want me to beg, I will."

Yuri glanced at everyone else who seemed unsure on what they should do. It was unquestionable that whoever was behind this had to be their enemy if he was willing to use people as fuel to power a cannon. Yuri was itching for a fight with whoever was doing all of this. But whoever they were, they were well organized and were more than likely pulling some strings.

"Right now, our priority should be to get these people to safety," Flynn started to say. "I can grant you an audience with his highness. You can plead you case and I can launch an investigation in the knights." Flynn said all of that but he didn't sound confident at all. He had wanted nothing more than to change the knights from the inside out and until now it had looked like he had succeeded. But now all of this happened. He was now the commandant but it was like he was a lieutenant again.

All hope seemed to drain from Ren's face at the knights words.

"It wouldn't take all of us to take these people to Heliord," Yuri suddenly said.

Flynn's head shot over at Yuri with the same expression he had when he was about to lecture him about following the law. "Yuri, if you thinking what I think you thinking then the answer is no."

"Look, we're already here and if we come back later with you formal complaint then they'll probably have everything gone," Yuri agued. "You're the commandant. We can just march up this tower and see if the person in charge is here and get answers while half of us escort these people back to the city." Yuri glanced at Ren and said to her, "I'm also not making any promises that you'll get to destroy this mana cannon." Ren looked at Yuri like she hadn't understood a word he had said.

"Sodia, I want you to make sure these people get back to Heliord safely," Flynn ordered out of nowhere.

"Comandant!" Sodia interrupted.

"Don't argue with me on this," Flynn said in almost a pleading way to the knight. "Just make sure they get to the city safely. We need answers and I'm not going to wait for them."

Sodia didn't object, but she glanced at Yuri with daggers. Yuri quickly avoided her gaze and looked at Karol and Raven. "You two go too."

Raven didn't look too pleased with the idea of splitting up, but it was Karol who objected, "But Yuri, what if you all get into a fight?"

"We'll be fine, but what if monsters attack these people? Sodia definitely can't fend them off herself," Yuri explained.

The young guild master accepted it and said he wouldn't let a single monster hurt them. He and Raven started to help the caravan people stand and explaining that they were going to get them somewhere safe.

"Then the rest of us will search the rest of this tower," Estelle commented.

"Lady Estellies, I want you to go with them," Flynn told her.

Estelle was about to complain when Yuri said as he gestured at the people starting to leave the cage, "They're going to need healing more than we are." Yuri agreed with Flynn on this. But Flynn probably only wanted to keep her out of the danger they very well could have been walking into.

"Don't worry Estelle," Rita suddenly said, "I'll be going with these idiots to make sure they don't do anything stupid." The mage shot Flynn and Yuri an angry look. "Don't even think about telling me to go. You'll need someone who knows a thing or two about mana technology. Not some masked freaked who goes around destroying it." Her last sentence held a lot of disdain. Yuri almost felt bad for Ren. But again, Ren didn't seem to hear Rita.

"Fine, but all of you better make it back to Heliord soon," Estelle finally agreed.

All of them started up the stairs but Ren lingered behind. Yuri waited as the others lead the caravan people out. There were a couple of people who were having trouble walking up the stair and they had required assistance. Estelle would have healed them except the caravan people were too frightened to stay in the tower any longer.

As Ren followed in behind the others, she paused in front of Yuri. "Um…," she started to say but she seemed to be having trouble saying what was on her mind, "I just wanted to say…thanks. Thanks for believing me. Yuri, right?"

She sounded sincere. But the fact she was still dressed like him and apparently didn't know the name of the person she was pretending to be made it hard for him to forget all the trouble she's caused them. She had said it herself that these people where only her because of her.

"Look, I'm sure as hell not doing this for you," Yuri told her. He was kind of surprised that he didn't sound as angry as he felt. "I'm only doing this to find out what's going on with this lab."

Ren's expression didn't change, "Well someone in my shoes can't really be picky when it comes to help."

"I guess you can't."