Chapter 10

Albion Main Hospital:

"Thank you for coming to visit me Captain," Noelle Bor whispered softly from her hospital bed. "Truly, it means the world to me."

Esther, unsure of whether she was embarrassed or ashamed, could not manage to make eye contact. "Noelle…"

A pregnant silence followed, neither shipmate willing to make the first gesture of conversation.

"Captain, " Noelle began, "This isn't your fault. None of it is."

The normally strong captain sagged in her bedside chair. "Of course it is Noelle. You lost your arm helping to capture that cold blooded killer," her voice filled with anger and revulsion, "And I let him get away!"

Esther raised her head, only to meet her ex-subordinate's eyes. Esther had expected Noelle to be traumatized from loosing an arm – and more importantly to the sailor – loosing her lifestyle. Instead, Noelle's gaze was strong, fierce, and unrelenting. "Noelle, I should have watched the prisoners better. I should have know that shackles would not hold hell's intellectual spawn.

A smile crossed Noelle's face.

"Captain," her eyes twinkled, "Knowing you, they were watched with every possible precaution available. If Lohengrin escaped, truly, you cannot be at fault."

Esther stared.

"After all, you were running a full ship with only five people! A whole pirate ship and only five people, yourself included." The black haired beauty threw back her head and let out a rich and heart warming laugh. "Not even the best Naval sea captain could ever do what you accomplished. And on top of this ridiculous task, you were vigilantly guarding a well known international terrorist with a history of escape!" She winked, "By god Captain, I'd say 'you never stood a chance', but you would get irrationally angry."

Esther reacted unconsciously with pure mule headed stubbornness. "I would not become angry!" Upon hearing the ferocity of her own words, Esther's hands immediately went to cover her mouth as she let out a squeak of surprise.

Noelle grinned. "Oh my, imagine what Mary would say if she heard that noise!"

Aghast, Esther rebuked, "You wouldn't dare!"

Noelle laughed again, "Of course not Captain. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Esther let a rare sincere smile cross her features. "Heh," she sighed, "Yeah. I can trust you to keep a secret, can't I."

Noelle nodded in reply. A second silence stretched over a few minutes, during which, Noelle's face became a serious mask.

"The others came to see me earlier, you know?"

Esther looked up, immediately attentive and interested.

"I'm not sure Ion or the siblings knew the whole of it, but privately, Mary told me a significant portion." Noelle paused, waiting for Esther's head-nod to allow her to continue.

"The monster that you saw –"

Esther immediately cut her off, "-Was probably a drug induced product of my imagination. Please don't tell anyone about this. I need all the credibility I can get in order to convince the bank to lend me enough money to finance a second ship."

"Captain, that isn't what I meant."

Esther's eyebrow skyrocketed.

"Captain, you should not doubt your eyes; nor should you doubt your heart. What you saw on that ship was indeed as real as you and me."

Esther didn't say a word.

Noelle's voice continued in a deadpan tone, "There are stories Captain, from my childhood, from heretic society in which I was raised."

"Gypsies," Esther whispered under her breath. That name itself could conjure up bad intentions if spoken to loud.

"Yes, Gypsies."

"Please," Esther murmured, "Tell me what you know, or what you think you know."

Noelle nodded and continued, "My family aren't Gypsies in the traditional sense of the word; however, we hold much in common with our ancestors. We share the same appearance, attitudes, and mythology." The black haired beauty shifted in her sheets, "My grandmother use to tell me of this belief that predates to the ancient technological age, when man still understood the workings of machines."

The young woman reached behind her pillow and withdrew a leather clad book, worn and torn by possibly centuries of use.

Esther sucked in a deep breath. She recognized the binding. A forbidden book of the heretics. "Noelle," the red haired captain ushered with a sense of warning.

"Forgive me Captain, but it is for your safety that I relay this information to you," she paused, "regardless of its origins." She took a deep breath, the contents of the book apparently enough to even scare the owner. "During the technological age people strived to create creatures, similarly to how we struggle to create machines and tools. Many years of research and study went into their creation. They were created with a single purpose in mind; to watch and guard the sanctity of human life. Centuries of advancement, and four beings were produced."

The black haired beauty started idly flipping between pages. "One was given property of the sea, the second was given the sky, the third was given domain of the land."

"I thought you said there were four beings?" Esther questioned. "Well, what did the fourth one receive?"

"The soul," Noelle breathed, "The fourth received domain over the soul."

"You know you speak blasphemy Noelle, please control your tongue. Only god controls the workings of the soul. Only he and The Lady"

"Yes," Noelle replied, "The Lady and the Fourth are one in the same. She was supposedly kind, beautiful, and pitied humanity." For a second Noelle seemed consumed in thought, "Or that is how the Church portrayed her anyways."

A light knock was heard at the door. Both Esther and Noelle jumped slightly from their seats mildly alarmed. Noelle quickly hid the leather-clad book back behind her pillow.

"Come in," Esther said warily.

The door opened to reveal Mary in the entryway. "I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, and not to belittle your importance Mrs. Bor, but we have an appointment at the bank within the hour. Captain, we should get going now, if possible."

Ether rose to accompany her lieutenant, when Noelle grabbed her arm and pulled her down quickly.

"Captain, beware, I believe you have encountered the second son, the most violent of the group. He has the strength of a heathen god and the experience of many of your lifetimes. He is an animal, but an exceedingly important one. If Lohengrin has truly brought it to his side, it could unbalance the system of our world." Noelle leaned closer, the stub of her lost limb beginning to show speckles of red against the bandages, "Esther, the last time the balance was lost, the world went into the war time age. Human beings as we are, cannot survive such destruction again."

Esther softly removed the other woman's arm. "I understand Noelle. I understand."

"Please," there was desperation in Noelle's eyes, "The remaining three cannot reunite. The only reason we survived the siege of the three in the last war was because of The Lady." The black haired woman sighed, and immediately looked years older, "The Lady is gone. She cannot save us anymore."

Esther stared at her shipmate for a moment. "I promise Noelle. I will do everything I can, and then," she smiled, "And then perhaps I will do a little bit more." Esther patted the sheets softly. "Trust me, and get better Noelle."

Abel was dreaming. At least, he thought he was dreaming. There was no way that Lilith could be so alive and carefree in the world of the wakeful. Abel and his siblings had made sure of that many lifetimes ago.

But she was before him now, as stunning as she had been in his memory. Her hair was a shade so similar to Esther's, laid against tan Indian skin. Her body was draped in white robes, given to her by the Church, her allies in her cause.

She stood before him now, a solidarity figure against the imageless dreamscape. Abel kept his eyes wide, afraid that if he blinked, the image of his adored would be gone. She seemed more real than ever before. And she seemed even more lifelike when she opened her mouth to speak.

"Abel."

He froze. Time stopped, or slowed down, he wasn't sure. She never spoke in his dreams. He hadn't realized how much he missed the sound of her voice, neither accusing nor reprimanding.

"Abel, how have you been?"

His voice was caught indefinitely in his throat. Words couldn't describe what he was thinking, if he was even thinking at all. This woman caused him to feel emotions so strong they could extinguish any flame of anger or rage.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he muttered, "Lilith."

She smiled faintly at the recognition of her name. That smile lit up Abel's spirits and gave him the courage and reassurance to speak. "I've missed you."

Her deep eyes softened momentarily, "I know."

Abel frowned slightly. "I gave them a chance Lilith. I tried really hard. Even when I was bound in shackles that dug at my ankles and wrists. Even when they left me to die on that prisoner boat. Even when they shot and hurt me after I had saved one of their own. They called me a monster, and," his voice choked up before finishing with a growl, "and they are the real monsters. They just can't see it in themselves."

During his brief monologue, Lilith's form had moved closer, edging towards him with open arms, wide and accepting. "Sshhhh," she cooed softly, taking his head into her waiting arms. "I know."

"I just don't see how you can feel the way you do about them. Foolish Terrans."

She drew back from him momentarily, and the fair-haired youth cursed himself for offending her. "Abel," she said seriously, "I know what it may look like to you, trust me, I know. But," she whispered while staring straight into his eyes, "You must also look at the situation from their perspective."

Abel cocked a mocking eyebrow. He immediately regretted it when he saw her frown.

"Every single creature on earth has something that terrifies them. The squirrels fear the cats, the bugs fear the birds, deer fear the humans. Never mind that humans probably didn't feel the need to eat that particular deer. In that specific case, the fear is irrational. But none the less, the animal runs, flees, or lashes out at the thing they perceived to be a threat."

"So. You're saying that they aren't monsters, just animals."

"No," she sighed, "They are like you."

"Pfft," he spat, "They are nothing like me."

"Really," she questioned. "I seem to recall one time someone scared you to the point that you sought to kill him."

Regret crossed Abel's features. "I don't want to talk about that," he stated hoarsely.

"Abel."

"I'm done dreaming! It is time for me to wake up!" he shouted at no one in particular before turning away from her.

Then he heard her, barely more than a whisper, "He is still alive, you know?"

Abel froze in his tracks. A shiver skirted up his spine. Him. Eyes wide, he turned to face the woman he had adored, only to find she had disappeared. And then, the dreamscape shattered.

Vanessa and Ion were exploring the local market late in the day.

"Ion, do you really need that little trinket?" asked Vanessa Walsh playfully. "It's a bit pricey, and our ship did just burn down, we could save the money for something important like lodging, or food, or-"

"No," Ion cut in, "I'm going to get it. All we lost was a ship. A ship can be replaced. Noelle lost her entire arm a while back. I'm going to get her a little something."

Vanessa's playful act was dropped. I never imagined the thought behind the gift.

Ion continued to ramble on, "And well, It has pretty much stunted her career as a sailor, at least for a while. We're not going to be able to see her, but I want her to remember me a bit. And maybe remind her that we remember her too. I'm going to get it Vanessa, whether you want me to or n-"

This time Vanessa cut him off, "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I get it Ion. Here, I'll pitch in a bit too." She quickly thrust some money into his hand and stalked off through the crowded market.

Dietrich rapped lightly on the swollen wood door.

"Come in," said a soft voice from inside.

Dietrich pushed the door open softly and stalked across the room to stand opposite of his sitting fair-haired acquaintance.

"Abel Nightroad, it pleases me to see you fully recovered."

The sitting man let out a muffled snort.

Dietrich arched an eyebrow, questioning the man.

"I'm not anywhere near 'fully' recovered," he stated plainly, "However, I appreciate your blood sacrifice. It-," he looked upwards slightly as if he were trying to recall something, "It was sufficient in relieving the majority of the pain, and in the end helped me to escape. For that Terran, I am in your debt."

Years of perfecting his poker face allowed Dietrich to keep the sly smile off of his face. His lord's brother owed him a favor. How quaint. Quickly the thought was gone, and all that remained was the mission. "There are some things I need to make clear to you," the devilish boy stated plainly.

"Yes," Abel replied in all seriousness.

"It is probably beneficial to my own well being to be completely upfront and honest with you." After all, you could squash me. However, on second thought, you wouldn't get away unscratched. "I work for an organization called the RCO, the Rosen Kruez Orden."

"And I care because?" Abel drawled out dismissively.

Arrogant little abomination. "My organization is tasked with creating events that benefit the Old World Order's legacy. We seek to see you gods return to your rightful stations over the world's divisions." And quite possibly further my own ambitions.

"And what events, dare I ask, are you lot planning now?"

Dietrich smiled, and a glimmer of self satisfaction touched his eyes. "I plan on paying a visit to the queen of Albion."

Yes. I'm aware that it has been almost a full year since I updated. And, yes, I'm aware that I should care, feel sorry, and possibly provide more than a measly 2360 words for you to consume. But then again, the fandom for this particular book/tv show is practically dead, and the only reason I have to update this is because I refuse to not finish something I start. For those handful of people 4-5 at the most, thank you for your continued support and I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. I certainly tried.

As a side note. I've discovered that torturing the main character is an excellent way to get the plot moving along nicely.