Chapter Twenty-One: False Pretense
"This is it?" Agrias asked.
Alicia nodded, looking sheepish. Rolling her eyes, the Holy Knight drew her blade, a scowl forming on her face as she kicked the door inward. She plunged into the building, her knights behind her, and quickly scanned the corridor. It was only a moment before a man burst into the passage, hand on the hilt of his sword. It wasn't who Agrias had hoped to meet, but he would do.
"Where is he?" She asked, her voice dark.
Zalbag Beoulve hesitated, confusion etching itself into his features. The Arc Knight slowly removed his hand from his blade, as another man jogged down the stairs behind him. Agrias did not recognize the second knight, though she had no doubt that she could handle the both of them. They would not stop her.
"Lady Oaks?" Zalbag asked, cocking his head to the side.
"I'll not ask again." The woman replied. "Where is he?"
"Ramza's not here. He left with our sister, and the Tingels."
"Running like a coward. I should have expected as much."
"Alicia, Lavian, what is the meaning of this?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Do not feign ignorance with me!" Agrias called, pointing the tip of her blade at him. "You know full well why we're here?"
The man gazed at her, confused, for a long moment. Suddenly realization hit him, and he glanced back at the other man. The man shrugged, and took his hand off his sword.
"Where is the Queen?" Zalbag asked, his concern a very convincing lie.
"The Templars took her." Lavian explained. "We were attacked on the way back to Zeltennia."
"Under your brother's orders, no doubt." Agrias added.
"Lady Oaks," He began, his tone serious. "I can assure you that Ramza would do no such thing, nor would any of us."
The audacity of his lies sickened her. It was clear he'd been caught, and he was just as cowardly as his younger brother for trying to deny it. Agrias wanted to spit on him, but he was too far. She instead snarled, stalking slowly toward him.
"Who took her?" Zalbag asked, his eyes on Agrias' knights rather than her.
"A man named Wiegraf." Alicia said quickly.
"Weigraf?"
Zalbag turned his attention to the man behind him, who stared at the floor thoughtfully. When the Beoulve finally turned back to face Agrias, her sword was at his throat, but he seemed unperturbed.
"Lower your sword." He said warningly.
"You'll not deceive me. I know Ramza is in league with the church, and I'll not stand here and be lied to when-"
The woman wasn't expecting to be grabbed from behind, her arms pinned to her side as Lavian and Alicia both restrained her. She surged against them, but the two women were strong enough to keep her arms trapped.
"Agrias, stop!" Alicia shouted. "Ramza wouldn't harm the Queen! You have to see that."
The Holy Knight struggled for a moment longer before her head fell, the sword slipping from her grasp to clatter to the floor. She went limp, collapsing into the arms of her knights, and began sobbing. She had failed, and now Ovelia was lost to them. Her only goal had been to keep the woman safe, and would have given her life to save her. Instead she had handed her charge to the Templars, and there was no telling what fate would befall her. She cared nothing for the war or politics surrounding her, she only wanted the Queen to be safe and sound.
Lavian and Alica sat with her, the arms around her less restraining than comforting, as Zalbag kneeled in front of her. The Beoulve placed a hand on her shoulder soothingly, reaching up to wipe away some of the tears of shame from her face.
"Do not despair. We'll get her back."
As far as places for a former Hokuten Commander to lay low, none could have been better than Gollund. The mining town was of no interest to either side of the war, so while it was under the control of the Southern Sky, it was hardly filled with watchful soldiers. The people of Gollund were mostly unaffected by the conflict, though they still enjoyed complaining about it.
The Inn Zalbag had chosen wasn't of the highest quality, but what one in Gollund would be? It would be suitable for the night at least, which was all they needed. After arranging for two rooms for the four of them, Zalbag gathered with the Lionsguard in Lavian and Alicia's room. They'd made good time thus far, but haste was of the essence.
"That man, what was his name again?" Lavian asked, looking a little ashamed she had forgotten.
"Beowulf."
"Yes, that's it. He's sure Wiegraf is in Riovanes?"
"Last he had heard that's where the Church had stationed him. He was the Emissary to Grand Duke Barinten."
"This Barinten, will he be a problem?" Alicia asked, frowning.
"I doubt it. Duke Barinten has remained out of the war thus far. He has always prided himself on being a self-sufficient ruler. Unless it's for his own personal gain, he won't be involved."
"Let's just hope, then," Agrias said quietly. "He has nothing to gain from the Queen being taken."
Zalbag glanced over at the Holy Knight. She'd kept mostly to herself since they had left Bervenia, speaking little and usually just to her fellow St. Konoe. No doubt she still didn't fully trust him, and he couldn't fault her for that. They were, technically, enemies. Agrias had no way to know that Ramza and the others didn't really want to fight the Southern Sky, and Zalbag didn't know how to explain their real goal to her.
"If Wiegraf took her there, which I must say is not likely, we'll do whatever is necessary to get her back." Zalbag assured her. "What I expect is that we can at least find out where he's gone since leaving Riovanes, which is a good start."
They spoke for a few minutes longer before Zalbag and Agrias retired to their own room, silence reigning as the woman prepared a bath. Zalbag stared at the ceiling, vaguely noting the sound of sloshing water in the small washroom, and thought. He'd never expected Wiegraf to lend his sword to the Templars, but with the true motives of the Church he shouldn't have been surprised.
He had to wonder what leverage they had to recruit the former Death Knight, however. Wiegraf was as distrustful of the Church as he was of the aristocracy, and for him to completely turn on his own twisted morals was cause for some contemplation. The Templarate must have had something he wanted, some cause he saw appealing. Perhaps he had been swayed by the Lucavi, in which case there was little hope for Ovelia.
Though he was exhausted, Zalbag was still awake when Agrias came back into the room, lying on his back with both hands beneath his head. The Holy Knight stared at him for a long moment before she climbed into her own bed, rolling away to face the wall. The only sound for a long time was their breathing, as Zalbag's thoughts fought sleep away.
"I'm sorry." Agrias said quietly, her voice sounding strange after such a long silence. "I should not have accused you as I had. I simply…"
"Do not worry over it." Zalbag replied casually. "I understand your reasons, and can't blame you for them. Were I in your situation, I would have assumed the same."
"Still, I should not have called your honor into question," She continued. "Regardless of where our allegiances lie."
Zalbag glanced over at her back, damp blonde hair spilling across the sheets as she stared out the window next to her bed. Though he'd never met Agrias Oaks before she'd stormed into Bervenia, Ramza had spoken very highly of her, despite her siding with Delita against him. When Zalbag had asked why he defended her when she had helped wipe out hundreds of men at Bethla, Ramza merely smiled knowingly. What wisdom did his little brother possess that Zalbag did not?
Something was amiss in Riovanes Castle, though Agrias couldn't quite put her finger on what. They'd been escorted silently by what she could only guess were a pair of Duke Barinten's famous assassins, though they hardly looked the part. The Holy Knight watched them warily as they walked through the dimly lit passage, taking note that aside from them the castle seemed to be deserted.
It was a man and a women, likely younger than she, both dressed in attire she had never seen. They wore white cloth, with no armor or weapons save the strange rods that rested diagonally across their backs. Judging by their appearance, it was likely they were siblings, for they possessed the same deep mahogany hair and dark complexion.
Agrias glanced sideways at Zalbag as they began to climb the stairs to Barinten's antechamber, noticing he too seemed concerned by the lack of knights within the castle. Agrias had only visited Riovanes once before, while escorting a member of the nobility, but she could distinctly remember the Grand Duke's penchant for heavy security. It was peculiar that he would change his ways.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the assassins separated, taking up positions on either side of the large door. Agrias nodded to them, striding forward to open the door. The man stepped forward, raising one hand to stop her, before turning his gaze to Lavian and Alicia.
"They must remain here."
Agrias glanced at the women, frowning. She didn't wish to leave either of them behind, but it wasn't uncommon for a ruler to insist that bodyguards not be admitted into their chambers. With a small sigh, she nodded to the women, who shrugged in return, and opened the door.
As Agrias and Zalbag entered, the two assassins followed them in, closing the door and blocking it. The Holy Knight paid it little mind, stepping lightly down the three stairs to where the Grand Duke waited. The aging ruler of Riovanes sat at his desk, shadows dancing off of his face in the candle light, and watched them with undisguised interest.
Moving to stand directly in front of Barinten's desk, Agrias and Zalbag bowed their heads respectfully, as was the custom when dealing with a ruler, though Duke Barinten was actually considered of lesser blood than the Beoulve who stood before him. His position had been attained by cut-throat politics and military means, as somehow the more obvious choice for the new ruler had committed suicide. Nothing had ever been pinned on Barinten, and the decades since had made many forget what had happened, but Agrias was sure he'd killed his rival for power.
"Grand Duke Barinten." Zalbag said casually. "It has been some time since we'd last met."
The man said nothing. Slowly he laced his fingers together, staring coldly at Zalbag for a moment before his gaze slipped over to Agrias. There was something dark in his eyes beyond the selfish, greedy man she knew him to be. That sense of foreboding came over Agrias again, as she stared into the shadows that passed over his face.
"What brings you to Riovanes?" He asked finally, his voice devoid of emotion.
"We heard that a man named Wiegraf Folles had come here on behalf of the Glabados Church."
"He came, and he left."
"So he is no longer within Riovanes?"
"No."
"Then we're sorry to have wasted your time, My Lord. Do you happen to know to where he departed?"
Again the man was silent, his gaze wandering back to Zalbag's face. Agrias couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. She couldn't begin to fathom where this feeling of dread came from, but she was sure that Zalbag was under the same impression by the distant look on his face. Agrias suddenly thought that coming to Riovanes had been a bad idea.
"Let me make things simple for you." Barinten said, sitting back in his chair. "Hand Taurus over to me, and I'll let you both leave with your lives."
Zalbag's hand instantly jumped to his chest, gripping something that lie within his tunic, and his eyes narrowed. Agrias knew little of what they spoke, though she was educated enough of the Church's motives to know of the holy stone recovered from Goug. She stared at Zalbag thoughtfully, curious how the eldest living Beoulve had acquired it.
"What are you?" Zalbag asked, only to have the Grand Duke laugh in his face.
"We are the future."
Duke Barinten nodded to the assassins, rising to his feet as they slipped from the room.
Alicia tapped her foot idly as they waited, arms crossed over her stomach as she grew more impatient. Lavian was more relaxed, sitting on the landing with her chin resting in both hands. It had been only a few minutes since Agrias had gone in to see the Duke, but already Alicia was growing anxious.
She didn't trust Barinten, and had expressed as much to her commander to no avail, and wasn't comfortable being in Riovanes. The Grand Duke had a reputation for being uncommonly ruthless when dealing with his enemies, and Alicia couldn't honestly believe he would consider them allies. She merely hoped that the Templars hadn't gotten to him first.
As the door opened, she turned, relief washing over her. That feeling swiftly faded as the assassins stepped out, and only one glance at the man and woman had her reaching for her sword. There was no subtlety in their cold, focused expression.
She hadn't gotten it halfway from the scabbard when the tan skinned woman raised her hand, and wordlessly blasted her down the stairs. The unfamiliar magic formed around her randomly, illuminating the air near her before Alicia was hit full in the chest. Her breastplate absorbed most of the impact as her body flung backwards.
Alicia landed roughly several steps down, scrambling to her feet as her compatriot jumped up. Lavian, though distracted, was quick on the uptake. The woman spun as she leaped to her feet, drawing steel as the man moved against her. He had his staff in hand in an instant, thrusting it toward her skull as she rose. Lavion ducked low, rolling across the landing and away from his blow.
The knight cursed, her armor clattering as she ran back up the stairs, and met the woman's rod with her flat of her blade. Deflecting the horizontal strike quickly, Alicia shoved the assassin back as hard as she could, reaching the landing and sidling away from the stairs.
She was more comfortable with the small stone wall to her back, wary of being blasted back by that unique magic again, and gripped her sword with both hands. The dark haired woman angled toward her, cocking her head and regarding her curiously, her face blank and distant.
The knight scowled, lunging forward to stay close to her foe. The assassin had the advantage of reach with her long staff, and would no doubt use it. Alicia closed the small gap between them, hoping her friend was faring well against the other of Barinten's killers, and slashed down. The assassin blocked the strike with the center of her staff, a small sleeve of iron keeping the weapon from being split, and pushed Alicia away.
The rod was whipped around quickly as the Lionsguard knight stumbled back, flying in a wicked arc with enough velocity to break bones. Alicia fell back, rolling as she slipped beneath the staff, and quickly bounded to her feet. The assassin continued after her, thrusting quickly with the blunt end of her staff. Alicia took the blow full on the chest, thankful her breastplate was well padded, and slapped the woman's rod aside.
Alicia was ready when the assassin's hand came up again, quickly darting toward the edge of the landing. Planting one foot upon the low wall, the knight dove away, arcane energy exploding behind her as she fell toward the floor below. She rolled upon landing, coming up in a crouch. Above her the assassin drove her staff down, using it to vault smoothly over the wall and down toward her. All the while, that same cool calculation remained.
With what seemed nothing more than a flick of the wrist, Barinten flung the heavy desk to the side. It flipped once before crashing into the stone wall, shattering as the Grand Duke charged at them. Agrias stood in a state of shock, her mind trying to grasp how the overweight noble could be so strong. As Barinten bore down on her, the Holy Knight panicked for a moment, before rough hands shoved her away.
Zalbag pushed them apart, diving away as the Duke barreled through where they had been standing. Smiling devilishly, the man turned slowly, facing Agrias with that same dark shadow in his eyes. She drew her sword, despite the fact every instinct was telling her to run, and took a defensive stance.
What happened next would forever haunt the woman's dreams. Standing the middle of the room, the Grand Duke began to change. His arms began to elongate, popping audibly as bone and sinew reformed, the transformation shredding the heavy cloak that he had donned. Agrias felt her mouth fall agape, shock and horror taking over as she witnessed this abomination.
Wicked claws formed on one hand, as the opposite appendage underwent an even more drastic alteration. A black carapace began to form over the man's right arm, bulging out until his hand became a massive pincer, easily as large as the Holy Knight's torso. It snapped open as Barinten let loose a piercing wail that chilled Agrias to the core.
As the carapace spread to cover the man's entire right side, several segments crawled down his spine, forming a prehensile tail with a razor sharp talon at the end. The tail whipped back and forth as though it had a mind of its own, the scream dying off as it finished the transformation.
"Behold Zeromus, the condemner of men!" The creature roared in a malicious voice.
"What the hell is that thing?" Agrias cried, her gaze darting to Zalbag.
"One of the Lucavi." Zalbag explained quietly, looking just as disgusted as she.
"The demons of legend?" Agrias asked, shocked. "That's impossible! Those were fairy tales, meant to scare children."
"I'd say it was more than a myth."
Agrias couldn't comprehend what was happening. Demons didn't exist, not really. They were unbelievable monsters, analogies the church used for the evils of men. There couldn't be true, flesh and blood Lucavi living among them It had to be some trick, some sorcery. Agrias couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she was facing one of the demons that sought the end of all mankind.
Before she could explain to Zeromus that he wasn't real, just a literary creation of the Glabados Church, the beast charged her. Agrias backed furiously, stumbling away as the monster closed the distance between them, that terrible claw snapping as it came for her.
The demon was met with a blast of magical power, as Zalbag unleashed his swordskills on the beast. Zeromus turned on the spot, dashing toward the more immediate threat, his clawed feet gouging the stone floor. Agrias was still recovering her wits, watching in shock and disgust as Zalbag fought the Lucavi.
Zeromus' pincer met with the Beoulve's sword, batting Zalbag's arm away with enough force to make the man stumble. He recovered quickly to sidestep a vicious slash from the demon's other hand before dragging his blade along the monster's flank.
Hands shaking, Agrias raised her sword, forcing herself to act. She wouldn't let the man face down such a creature alone, even if she was terrified of trying to fight the demon. She had her honor to hold to. With a cry of defiance, she charged at its rear, ducking below the tail as it whipped toward her head. She drove her blade home, wincing as it glanced uselessly off of the demon's protective shell, and backed quickly away.
Zalbag remained close to the beast, hacking away at its more vulnerable left side and avoiding that massive pincer as best he could. Agrias circled toward him, waiting until she was sure her skills wouldn't harm him before she used them. The Holy Knight raised her sword, muttering an enchantment and bringing a massive shard of ice down upon their enemy.
No sooner had the spell struck Zeromus than his tail sought her once more. It snapped to her, wrapping tight around her sword arm, and yanking the woman into the air. The demon slammed Agrias against the wall before flinging her to the ground, the tail's hold on her arm constricting until she was afraid she would lose hold of her weapon.
Acting fast, the Holy Knight reached for her boot, drawing the long dagger stowed there with her free hand. The Lucavi was still busy with Zalbag, forcing the man back as it slashed out at him with claws and its pincer, which gave Agrias a precious moment to slash at the tail that was crushing her wrist.
With a smooth swing, she cleaved through it, freeing her arm as the demon screamed in pain. The distraction proved enough for Zalbag to move away from the corner he was being backed into, as Agrias ripped the flailing remnant of the tail from her arm with disgust.
The pain in her forearm and wrist was great, and it was likely a bone had been broken. A few more moments would have seen her arm crushed and completely useless. Dropping the dagger and switching her sword to her off hand, Agrias scrambled up, biting down on the throbbing agony in her arm.
Zalbag laid into the creature with another swordskill, and Agrias followed suit, blasting it with another freezing shard. The demon seemed torn between them, now that Agrias was no longer standing in shock and fear. Her terror had subsided into righteous fury that such a creature would walk the earth, and she no longer thought of her own demise. Her attention was occupied in trying to discern how to destroy this abomination.
Zeromus rounded on her, the elongated, clawed digits on its left hand stretching to her as the Lucavi muttered in an ancient language. Not a moment later an orb of pure darkness burst from the outstretched hand, drawing loose parchment and rubble from the battle toward it as it flew through the air toward Agrias.
The woman dove as the sphere reached her, narrowly avoiding the spell, causing it to instead impact the wall behind her. Agrias felt herself sucked backward mid leap, the spells detonation catching everything in its gravity for a moment, before it exploded outward. The Holy Knight was flung forward, rolling through the air before she slammed into the floor hard enough to knock the wind from her, and slid into the opposite wall.
Struggling to catch her breath and gain her footing, Agrias rose, using her sword to prop her up. The demon had once again turned its attention to the eldest living Beoulve, snapping that massive claw open. Zalbag raised his sword, preparing to charge the beast, when the same undeniable pull made its presence known.
The demon used its ancient magic to begin drawing the former Hokuten toward its deadly pincer, Zalbag struggling to fight the potent graviga spell in vain. The Beoulve was lifted into the air and yanked forward as though a rope had been wrapped around his waist. To Agrias' horror she saw the claw clamp down on the man's torso, lifting him high above the demon.
She was running as Zeromus began to crush the man, the beasts hollow cackling filling the room, as Zalbag drove his sword into the beasts arm over and over. Agrias could hear the sound of bone scraping steel as the demon constricted Zalbags chest, the only thing giving it pause the plate armor between it and the man, and she raised her sword.
The holy explosion took the demon across the back, the powerful sword skill causing the creature to stumble as she reached it, planting one foot on its leg and leaping up. Crying out in righteous fury, the Holy Knight gripped her sword with both hands, the pain in her wrist adding fuel to her inner fire, and slashed down at the monsters head.
Zeromus screamed as the blade bit deep into its armored skull, shaking hard in an attempt to throw the woman off. Agrias clung to it's side tenaciously, her injured hand clamped down on the demon's shoulder as it flailed. The movement brought Zalbag closer, and despite the agony he was in, the Beoulve was still clear-headed enough to thrust his own sword forward, burying it in the Lucavi's throat. Agrias yanked her sword free, slashing down once more at the back of the demons neck before she was tossed from it, landing in a heap on the floor.
The monster stumbled, that crushing claw finally releasing Zalbag, as it scrabbled to remove the pair of swords that had been buried into it. Roaring and flailing, Zeromus fell to his knees, before finally that dark energy swarmed from within. Agrias began to be pulled across the floor as the demon's life ended in a terrible black vortex.
With a thick, hollow thud, the Cancer stone fell to the floor.
Alicia finally managed to land a cut, a feeling of triumph washing over her as blood trailed in an arc behind her horizontal slash. The wound on the woman's stomach was shallow, and the assassin gave no sign that it gave her any pause, countering with a blow to the knight's shoulder hard enough knock her onto her rear.
Scuttling away, the female knight rolled away from the next attack, the rod smashing down onto the stone floor with a loud crack. Alicia leapt up, rushing forward while the woman was vulnerable to finish her off. Thrusting ahead, she aimed the tip of her sword toward the dark skinned assassin's midsection.
At that moment her opponent's eyes seemed to clear, and with a shock her head shot back, the staff falling from her grip. Alicia hesitated, halting her killing blow with the sword a hair from the woman's navel, and frowned. The assassin looked around quickly, eyes wide, before her gaze landed on Alicia's.
"Where… where am I?"
The knight did not drop her guard, in case this was a ruse to get her complacent, and cocked her head to the side. Glancing at her fellow knight, who still stood atop the landing, she noticed a similar reaction in the other assassin, unarmed and scrambling down the stairs with concerned urgency.
"Rafa!" He called as he stumbled, panting, and grabbed the girl.
The man had a deep gash in his left arm, blood pouring unnoticed down his bicep as he pulled his sister into a tight embrace. The woman, still befuddled, clung to him. Alicia took a step back, her confusion echoed in the eyes of Lavian, and lowered her sword.
It was only a moment later that the door to Barinten's chambers open, and Agrias emerged a bloody mess. She supported Zalbag, favoring one arm and looking as though she'd been through hell itself. Lavian dashed to them as Alicia looked on, unwilling to turn her back on the assassins.
"Lady Oaks!" Lavian said, helping her hold Zalbag up. "What happened?"
"The Duke… he was… a monster."
Alicia didn't understand. Barinten was hardly a skilled swordsman, and the woman was sure that there were no other knights in the room with him. How had he taken on both Agrias and Zalbag himself? It hadn't occurred to her that her commander had meant monster in the literal term.
"Is he dead?" The male assassin asked, still holding fast to his sibling.
"Yes." Agrias said, panting. "We managed to take him down, but Zalbag is in dire need of attention."
"Quickly, follow me." The dark skinned boy ordered, motioning for them.
Zalbag drank slowly, wincing as even the smallest movements made his ribs and back ache. He relished the pain, using it as a reminder of how close he'd been to the abyss. If Agrias hadn't gotten to the demon when she had it was likely he would have been crushed, and had more to worry about than a couple of cracked ribs.
He handed the cup back to Lavian, and took a deep breath. He could stand with a little help, and walk with a cane, but knew that before too long the pain in his body would fade. Rising with Lavian's arm beneath him, the Beoulve nodded to her, and they made their way out of the small room.
The others were in another bedroom, anxiously waiting for Zalbag. The man took a seat as Alicia pulled a chair out for him, letting his breath out in a rush as he leaned back comfortably. Agrias stood not far off, her hand wrapped in bandages the same as his entire chest, and looked him over appraisingly.
"Are you feeling well?"
"Hell no." Zalbag said, laughing. "But I'll live, thanks to you."
"It was nothing." Agrias replied, glancing away nervously at the praise.
"I'm sorry to be rude, but I don't believe I've gotten your names." Zalbag said, his eyes turning to the white clad assassins.
"My name is Rafa," The woman said, her voice light and sweet. "And this is my brother, Malak. I'm so… terribly sorry for our actions. We could not stop ourselves."
She bowed respectfully to Lavian and Alicia, her face soft and full of shame, and a moment later she elbowed Malak hard to force him to do the same. He seemed less remorseful for his actions, but in Zalbag's experience men generally were. Few possessed the true honor and bravery to admit they had done wrong.
"What happened?" Alicia asked, glancing at the bandage that covered Rafa's midsection.
"I'm not sure. We've worked for Barinten for… as long as I can remember. He was a bastard and swine, but I'd never thought he could control someone as completely as he did us. If he could… I don't know why he waited until now."
"He wasn't the Grand Duke anymore, not really." Zalbag answered, sighing. "He was one of the Lucavi."
"Lucavi?" Malak asked, looking suspicious. "What's a Lucavi?"
"You've never heard the legends of the demons?"
"Sorry, we're not exactly… members of your Church. We come from a village far away." Rafa supplied.
"The Lucavi are powerful and ancient creatures, said to be immortal. My brother and I have been trying to hunt them down and destroy them, and stop whatever plans they have been trying to bring to pass."
Agrias shot a look at him, frowning thoughtfully. Something seemed to click in the woman's head, before she stared off into the distance once again. Zalbag adjusted himself, hissing at the sharp pain in his side, before he continued.
"After slaying one, I'd say Ramza wasn't lying when he said it was no small feat."
"Did you say Ramza?" Rafa asked, glancing at her brother.
"Yes, do you know him?"
"No, but there was a man who mentioned him." She added, pinching her lip between her fingers. "Before we lost control of ourselves, Barinten met with two Templars. A powerful sorcerer and a man named Wiegraf, and Ramza's name was brought up."
"Do you remember what he said?" Agrias asked, her voice urgent.
"Something about a book and a monastery."
"Did he mention the Queen?" Agrias continued.
"I don't believe so. This was weeks ago, but I'm fairly certain he never mentioned her."
"Thank you Rafa." Zalbag said with a smile. "That's very helpful. What will you do now?"
"Now that Barinten is dead?" She asked innocently. "We'll live. It feels like forever since we've done that."
"I hate to ask this of you, after what you've been through." Zalbag dropped his gaze, mulling over his words. "Barinten isn't the only threat around, and we need as much help as we can get."
"We've no love for war." Rafa said, glancing at her brother questioningly.
"If ever you need us, come." Malak said with finality. "If these Lucavi are responsible for this, we'll do what we can to rid the world of them. I'm sure there are… others here who would do the same, should we ask."
"What of you?" Rafa asked, glancing between the knights. "Where will you go now?"
"If the book Wiegraf is seeking is what I believe it to be, then I know where we may find him."
"Where?" Agrias asked, her gaze cool and focused.
"Orbonne."
Author's Note: First I have something to address, and thanks to Caellach Tiger Eye for picking up on it. I rewrote Chapter Fourteen, or at least part of it, and in doing so forgot that I wasn't planning on Reis and Beowulf being in possession of Cancer. I have since changed the scene slightly and added in that Aquarius is the stone that returned Reis to human form. Which makes sense to me, seeing as she possessed it and whatever powers were in tune with the stone would know of her affliction. It's ironic that he noticed this as I'm writing the Chapter with Cancer, and the timing couldn't have been better. I'd also like to note, and I should have mentioned this, that Fort Raithwall isn't actually Raithwall's Tomb from Final Fantasy XII. It's actually a fort named centuries before by people that had come there from the region of Ivalice where Raithwall existed. Sorry for any confusion that caused.
That is pretty much the end of the 'side-quest' chapters where I'm focusing on the point of view of only those within a certain party. There were some story elements to push forward, and with that done we begin to reach the end of Part Two. Expect to see more Ramza finally, after being missing for a little bit, as well as some of the spread out groups meeting up. I hope you like where the story is going, and have plenty of surprises in store for the end of this Part and the entire Part Three.
Caellach Tiger Eye: You have an uncanny ability to mention what I'm actually working on at that very moment. As you've noticed I'm actually bringing some of the other Lucavi in other than Chaos, and in fact I plan on using just about every stone not in the possession of Ramza and Co. It's up to you to guess who will be the next Lucavi! Thanks again for noticing the Cancer mistake, and you couldn't have had better timing. I agree with you that a lot of the 'enemies' in FFT were just on the wrong path and too far gone to do anything about it. That's partly the reason that Gaff and Zalbag are playing the roles they are here. If I'm going down the what-if road, I might as well have fun with characters who could have been Ramza's allies.
Gambit Knight: Initially the Gaff/Cid chapter was going to have a lot more Grumpy Old Men in it, but I had to temper their old codgerness with a dose of Gaff's history, which was too dark for any jokes. I played around with Cid's reputation a bit, but couldn't really explore their old man back and forthing. Perhaps in a later instance I can play with it more.
Slayermitch: You know your Dota? :o
Thanks for reading!