AN: This is probably the slowest part for some reason. I just don't feel inspired to write this. (Yeah, how in the world will I ever be a writer? hum?) I know I must build momentum, good momentum. But still...

This feels like I'm building inertia instead. like the amount of energy stays constant while the mass increases, thus the entire mass must slow down.

That and I beat Suikoden 5. Good game, but it told me that I cannot endure anymore RPGs. Sadness...

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Chapter 10: Le Buque

"You're joking," said Bishop Gabriel.

Gabriel sat cross-legged in front of an orb. He wore a typical blue and back priest robe. His yellow eyes looked almost haughty at the equally yellow orb where Mitchel's face was staring at at him. The orb sat on top of a cleared desk in the center of a dim room.

"I am not, Gabriel!" said the image of Mitchel. "He's alive! You told me that the damned Kage fellow Wat..whatever his name is, had killed him!"

Gabriel's face expressed skepticism. "Were you drunk at the time? We all know you enjoy yourself to the utmost."

"Look! I was not drunk. I am not joking. I am not insane. It's him! The very devil himself has come back!"

At that Gabriel laughed heartily, a mirthless and sarcastic laugh. "The devil? He has convinced all of his congregation that he is the angel, the savior, sent by the Sword and Shield themselves!"

Mitchel scowled, annoyed by Gabriel's needless wheedling. "Devil or angel. He may be back because of that brat. Then all our plans would be ruined!"

"Our plans?" said Gabriel with a warning tone. His yellow eyes seemed to turn into a even paler yellow, that almost glowed. "Let me remind you that it is your own cowardly confession that sent Nathan to the headsman's block. It is only because of that brat's trust in you that we haven't sent the Howling Voice after you."

Mitchel obviously flinched, though he quickly recovered. "And it's at my request that Sasarai did not denounce you."

"Ha! Then what use would you have once we have him eliminated?"

"I have the control over the Southern Regiment," said Mitchel. "Not that it will mean a thing if Alexander drops in on you."

Gabriel snorted, but that statement did concern him. He had lived long enough to know one of many canonical statements that the Healer Bishop had lived by. One of them was "When you kill someone, be sure there is a body and they are really dead. But even then, you can still make a mistake." Alexander had never been mistaken with any prophetic sayings.

"Fine," relented Gabriel. "Close the borders and set a guard at each gate house. Send the Temple guards and Magicians here within a week."

"At once!" confirmed Mitchel, then he added, "What about Sasarai? You know he can ruin everything."

"The brat will not live long. I can guarantee it."

"How?"

"Because our greatest supporter is also his most trusted Father."

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Morgan stared. She was an adorable little girl, wearing her favorite pink outfit and bows. Since the afternoon, she kept her behavior as sweet and agreeable as possible. She was to have a cordial dinner with Lady Chris and Sir Percival, thus she was to be on her best behavior so as not to embarrass Papa.

So she bided her time until their dinner started. An experienced maid from the estates waited on them hand and foot. It was dark out now. The candles and oils were lit. Morgan sat two seats from her father's right, opposite of the brat...

PJ, named so as not to confuse him with his father, was digging into his appetizer with a salad fork and crunching on his celery with his mouth open. Then he sipped his soup noisily, using a tea spoon. He had tucked his napkin into his shirt instead of placing it on his lap.

Morgan was appalled. Did this boy not know table manners?

PJ seemed to understand how his frivolous disregard to etiquette was disturbing Morgan. He had met plenty of fastidious girls like her. His father was Sir Percival, and that afforded many opportunities to meet up with snooty daughters of rich councilmen and knights. He opened his mouth nice and wide, showing Morgan the totally appalling mishmash of masticated fish and zucchini, breathing out to allow her a full whiff of wonderful garlic and onion.

Morgan clutched her little fist and narrowed her eyes. Her leg twitched.

There was a loud bump under the table.

"Ow!"

"PJ?" asked Percival, distracted from his conversation with his best friend and captain. "What's wrong?"

Morgan gave PJ the most annoying triumphant look. She seemed to dare the boy to tell on her.

"Nothing," said PJ between gritted teeth.

While the children entertained each other with inane offenses, the conversation of the adults turned serious.

Somewhere else in the house, a bold man was hunched over, meandering the hallways, going through the room like a malevolent ghost from the past. He was in the study, fluid red eyes darting left and right.

"My, my. Aren't we being careless?" he chuckled to himself as he pulled off a book written in the old script that resembled dragons in motion. "Priceless Cyndaran text, used as a children's story book. You have changed."

He tucked the book under his arm and went to the master's suite. There, he rummaged through the desk, looking through the papers. There was a rather conspicuous letter on the corner of the desk. He picked it up, smiling grotesquely as he skimmed the letter. "So that's where you have disappeared to...looks like Leknaat was right..."

"But then again...you could very well do this to trick me," he muttered darkly. "No. No. That can't be. You are trying to confuse me. You are trying to deceive me. Everything you are is here. I just have to be patient, like you, and plan my moves."

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Le Buque had changed and not changed since the last stretch of time Alexey had spent here.

The Mentors, large horse-sized insects that resembled wasps with shiny husks that glowed, still made their nests on the roofs of the houses that were on the sheer side of cliffs. The buzz in the air from the beating of wings was deafening and soothing at the same time, like the continuous roar of civilization. A Le Buque insect rider had skillfully dismounted a Mentor. He adjusted his skull cap before waving his hand in a concise gesture. The aerial shopkeepers, the ones who kept their open air stand in a platform high in the sky, clapped their hands to gain attention. Most people wore the traditional wide brimmed mushroom cap hats. They still sported the trident-like weapons and greeted the new arrivals with the politeness and hospitality that they were once famed for.

However, Alexey could tell the differences from what everything was like sixty years before. The atmosphere around him felt depressed and heavy. There was an unspoken sorrow, bitter and defeated. The traditional long accosting that invoked the blessing of the spirits had been long since replaced by the punctilious and terse Harmonian welcome. Enough time had passed that the newer generation had been throughly assimilated to the ways of their conquerers. And even after the Second Fire Bringer War, Le Buque was still as forgotten and forsaken by their more punitive brother clans.

"There will always be sins and injustice. Retribution will always be sought. In what form?" thought Alexey. "Perhaps I was too harsh, allowing Le Buque to live..."

"Um...Sir? Are you alright?" asked a Le Buque young girl who was passing by. She seemed to be around twelve, a little older than Morgan's age. She had reached the point when she was about to grow. Brown haired and brown eyed, she wore the modest clothing of traditional Le Buque costume with wrists and ankles exposed.

Alexey blinked, returning from reminiscing. "Yes. I am alright," he said, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious. Le Buque people were typically dark haired with dark eyes. Shy and modest, the Le Buque people rarely gave into overt offense. The woman wore similar clothing as the men to avoid revealing skin. Here he was, with pale blue eyes and pale blonde hair. His companion was probably the opposite of what Le Buque people considered a respectable woman. Then it occurred to him that Jeane had somehow disappeared on him.

Alexey frowned sightly. That woman should not utilize her charm rune so often. At the gate house, he had to present the papers that explained his relation to Harmonia. He had opted to be a magician taught in the Crystal Valley Academy. A mage who had been away to hone his skills, now returning to offer service to the Temples. The gate house guard harassed him a little, asking him extraneous questions. Alexey was patted down for any sharp weaponry. They did take his answers at face value since most people considered pure mages as somewhat not right in the head. As for Jeane, she never had to say a word. She smiled and passed right by. No one questioned her, they were all too mesmerized by the mysterious and breath-takingly beautiful Rune Mistress as if they had been captivated by a miracle.

Something was decidedly unfair about that.

"Have you seen a white-haired woman around here?" asked Alexey of the girl once he gathered his thoughts together. "She is about this tall," he raised his hand, "Wears black, has her hair up in a ponytail."

"Um..." the girl seemed to think for a minute. "You mean that pretty new lady?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Then I think I saw her around the Weapon shop two tiers up east of here."

"Thank you," said Alexey. "By the way. What is your name?"

"Michelle."

Hum...Harmonian name..."Well. Thank you very much Michelle," said Alexey.

"You're welcome sir," returned Michelle. She went on her own merry way.

"Now if I only remember where the Weapon shop is," muttered Alexey to himself. It had been a long time since he truly knew his way around Le Buque. He once lived here, with his own nest and his own Mentor Insect. He preferred Le Buque because the people were always polite, rarely giving into the disdained starring. That and he found traveling by Mentor easier than teleporting all over the place.

On the way there, he bypassed many other Harmonians, mostly magicians and some, definitely higher ranked Temple Guards in disguise as common soldiers. Some of them give him quizzical looks, seeing that his garb was Harmonian but his cloak had a distinctive foreign design. Some stared at him, trying to puzzle out the awkward un-Harmonian feature about him. He was a blue eyed blonde, with a roundness that was not typical to the Crystal Valley First-Class-Citizen stock. Some just ignored him, seeing that he was not about to cause any trouble. Ultimately, every one who entered the traditional schooling were taught rudimentary manners that told them all to be more tolerant of the personal practices of others. Inequality existed for natural advancement and smooth assimilation of the conquered, or at least that was the theory.

The numbers of Harmonian soldiers did concern Alexey. He had never seen so many of the regulars here in one town. There had to be a six-hundred strong battalion of mixed Temple Guards and magicians. The Temple Guards were typically assigned to special missions. The Magicians usually moved as support for the regular army. Why were they here?

"Hey, did you hear?" a conversation drifted into Alexey's ears. "Lord Alexander has returned from the dead."

"Of course I did! Why did you think I attended the sabbath?"

"Really? You actually believe in his resurrection? That he came back to take Lord Sasarai with him?"

"I don't think he's here to take Sasarai away. He is the Healer Bishop."

"But that was what Lord Gabriel said. That Alexander is the reaper of souls."

At that, Alexey rolled his eyes and treaded on, ignoring the rest of the conversation. His mission here was not to dwell on the opinions of the people. Responsibility when driven by conscience, was the most noisome burden one could have. He did observe how the Le Buque people reacted to him.

The Le Buque all went by their own way, their wide-brimmed hats keeping their eyes hidden from view. They were probably staring at him too, though Alexey was less concerned about that. Le Buque people's daily tasks kept them from furthering their curiosity.

Eventually, Alexey arrived at the eastern most part of the town. He ignored the furtive and almost guilty staring. There was obvious fear in their eyes, a nervousness that belonged to a child who was afraid of getting caught with stealing. A faint brush of their minds told him of anxiety, an unease in concern for social injustice.

"Stupid kid!" cried some harsh sounding man. "How dare you!"

Alexey's attention was immediately turned to the speaker.

The speaker was near the front of the weapon's shop. He recognized the speaker as Harmonian. The crisp, elegant, and snobbish accent was there, along with the stereotypical blonde hair and blue eyes. A quick glance at the uniform and pins identified his rank as a colonel of a battalion.

"I'm sorry mister!" apologized the boy. He looked to be seven, short and scrawny. He had some disheveled brown hair and terrified brown eyes. "I did not mean it, I swear!"

The Colonel, perhaps more irritated than usual, reached over and punched the boy squarely in the chest. The boy flew backward toward the ledge, stopping just in time to avoid a long fall.

"That will teach you not to steal!" spat the captain. He shook his change purse as if to demonstrate his point.

Alexey frowned, disconcerted that someone of rank could dare be so blatantly hostile in a place that is full of Third-Class Citizens. If caught by a superior, the Colonel would be quickly stripped of all titles and responsibilities. Such temper towards citizens, no matter the class, was condemned. He looked to the few other Harmonians, many of them frowning at the disturbance.

Well...I am technically his superior...Slowly, a bemused look danced upon Alexey's face. He was rather interested in the results of this one confrontation. And that Colonel would not survive if he pissed off the entire town.

The commotion caught the attention of many people. Many of the Le Buque men looked ready to defend one of their own, but their fear of worse treatment halted their immediate compulsion. There were some other Harmonian soldiers garrisoned in the town.

A middle aged woman who was shopping at a fruit stand not too far away had dropped her newly purchased basket of apples. From the similarities between her features and the boy, one could only discern that the woman was the boy's mother.

"Get up!" gruffed the Colonel. He walked over to the ledge and kicked the boy.

The child rolled over, accidentally hitting his head on the cold solid cable anchors. "Oww..."

The Le Buque watchers winced, some tried to move toward the boy, but fear of Harmonian retaliation was stronger than the desire to help.

"I said, Get up!" The Colonel kicked the boy again, almost rolling him over the edge. He was about to kick the child again when an all too familiar sultry voice spoke.

"Oh, come on, sweet. Don't be so angry. It's just some change."

It seemed that Michelle had guessed correctly where Alexey's companion had fluttered to.

Alexey frowned again. Nothing good could come from this. Jeane had never directly stopped a conflict.

The Colonel's eyes immediately looked at Jeane up and down. Even with her shroud concealing her face, the rest of her womanly curves were easily discernible.

"Just some change?" echoed the Colonel, eyes furtively darting to her chest. "You don't understand milady. These Le Buque trash must be taught!" At his declaration, he reached down and dragged the boy to his feet.

"No" sang Jeane. Her hand shot out like a snake and hooked the Colonel neck. She pulled him close and spoke lovingly into his ears. "If you want to punish someone for stealing..hehe..." Jeane clearly pointed to Alexey. "You should punish him."

"Him?" The Colonel looked down, past two tiers of platforms, only to see another Harmonian brat who probably had not even finished puberty yet. His vision became focused there, failing to pick up the Harmonian who was gazing towards him with cold eyes that contained the irritation of a thousand years. "What did he do?"

"Some of the greatest thefts in Harmonian history," she whispered into his ears, like a child telling naughty secrets to another. "He stole three of the five Elemental True Runes from Harmonia...hahahha.."

The Colonel narrowed his eyes at Jeane as if she was some recently escape patient from a nut house. "...What?"

Despite the vertical distance between them, Alexey had heard everything and he had had enough with Jeane's antics. He made a walking motion as his entire being flashed hot white. He appeared next to the Colonel, surprising not just the man, but the entire crowd.

"Excuse my companion, good sir," said Alexey in a deadpan voice, with a thick and even more obvious Harmonian accent. He glared at Jeane, wishing that she could wipe that smirk off those full red lips. "Do not take her words too seriously. She is a little off in the head, prone to lying and ceaseless flirting. "

"Oh no. I'm speaking the truth," said Jeane. "It is all in the delivery whether I want you to believe me or not." She looked at Alexey meaningfully "Don't you agree?"

"No Jeane. I do not agree with you at all," he said evenly. "Truth is always subjective."

Meanwhile, the boy, who thought that he was forgotten, tried to crawl away. The woman who dropped her apples made discernible motions for him to come to her.

"Come back here!" The Colonel was not done with the child yet. He chased after the child, fully intending to give the boy another beating before dealing with the two wackos. They ran a good four yards.

"No," growled Alexey in irritation. He teleported again, appearing in the small distance between the Colonel and the boy. "Stop."

"Get out of my way, wretch!"

Alexey gave him a constrained look. "Do I even look like I am going to get out of your way?"

"Why you...!" The Colonel's hand balled up into a hard fist. He threw a punch, aiming for the young man's face.

Like a fan in slow motion, Alexey's body seemed to flow sideways as he caught the punch. He directed the punch to the side and grabbed at the weaker wrist. Then with the speed of a whip crack, Alexey brought in his other elbow fluidly and bent the Colonel's arm backwards then pulled the man close to him, preventing the man from moving.

They were slightly ridiculous, as Alexey was a head shorter and physically smaller than the Colonel. Alexey's grip however, was unrelenting, tighter than a hangman's noose. For a moment, the Colonel was afraid. He saw a faint dark red glow about him, lingering about him like the bloody trails of Death, taking him to the ultimate judgment of his soul.

"You will stop this," Alexey whispered into the Colonel's ear. "This is Le Buque, a Third-Class Citizen town. Do not embarrass Holy Harmonia in front of mere dogs."

The Colonel felt the sudden release, and he struggled away.

Jeane laughed gaily. She paced over to Alexey and hung herself on him most casually. She ruffled his hair fondly. "Ah...don't like changing the status-quo?"

Alexey closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Jeane, Just be silent," he said sternly.

"Hum...behold..." Jeane only grinned and gave Alexey a careless kiss on his cheeks. Afterwards, she disengaged herself from him and walked away, looking for the boy.

Alexey turned his attention to the Colonel again. His lips pursed in one straight line. The first offense was the most critical offense. The reprimand would ultimately decide future proper reaction.

"Who are you?" asked the Colonel, furrowing his brows. His previous aggressiveness was gone. Military education taught a demanding wariness of mages. "You're a magician, a powerful one. That much I can see."

Alexey shrugged. "I am just someone who used to serve the One Temple, that's all."

With that, he walked away. He no longer wanted to stay there and wait for the colonel's response. Jeane had just found someone useful.

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The woman who dropped her apples earlier was more than relieved when her son came back with only scratches. She kissed him on his cheek, his nose, and his hair.

The boy was more than embarrassed. He turned deep red, feeling more self-conscious than being caught for stealing. He was about to speak when he felt a deep pain on his cheek.

Smack!

"Don't you ever do that again!" the mother cried. expressing her furious stage. Everyone knew it was wrong to steal, even if they were near starving from the rigorous taxes Harmonia imposed upon Third-Class Citizens.

The boy rubbed his red hot cheek. Mom's slap rarely hurt. No, her disdain hurt more. "Sorry mum," he apologized.

The mother sighed deeply. "Well. Everything is alright now. I want you to go say thank you to the nice lady," said the mother, turning her head and gently pushing her son toward the woman. "Thank you...Jeane?"

"You're welcome, Iku," said Jeane, sporting her usual fairy smile. She still remembered the meek Le Buque woman from years ago. "Who is this darling boy of yours?"

"Oh! I am Xavier of the Carna people," said the boy, introducing himself. He held out his hand for a handshake.

Jeane's long delicate fingers just took the boy's hand when another voice spoke.

"Carna. Now that is an identification that I haven't heard in a while."

Jeane's eyes curved into half moons. "And this is..."

"Alexander of Crystal Valley," introduced Alexey. His eyes were on Xavier then Iku, though he seemed to be staring past them rather than at them. "I apologize for my countryman's behavior. He will be reprimanded."

"Well, thank you," said Iku, giving a deep bow. Harmonian or not, respect and thankfulness will reward one as thus.

"As long as we are here," said Alexey, "do you know of anyone who can take us into the Insect Handler's Altar?"

Iku furrowed her brows. "The Altar? Why? The place is very dangerous."

"Yes!" agreed Xavier. "The place has been infested with monsters from another world since that war ten years ago."

"That is exactly the reason why I must tend to the altar."

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Suikorin