Note: These intervals, along with the bonding between the characters, will be intertwined with the general story, as, without characters, the story would be pointless. What point is reading or doing anything if you don't care about the characters? Next up will be catching up with the villains.

Minor little thing here, but apparently, FF11 (Online) has a world with a similar name as Fa'Diel known as Vana'Diel. Probably no connection, but I thought it was sort of interesting.

Also, there will be references to future events, as well as Heroes of Mana.

Catching Up

Huh...that went well. If by well, one meant completely terrible, then yes. It couldn't have gone any better.

Duran had spent the last hour doing nothing but beating himself up over what happened back at the port.

"There was no way you could've known." Faerie told him in his mind, mainly because a slew of other people were here.

"I should've stayed though." Duran argued back. "I...I just assumed that they were with us. I should've gone back."

"And fight against all these people?" the winged woman told him. "I know, I wish they were here too, but you're not responsible for what happened."

"Still…." Duran slammed his fists against the railing of the ship, sitting on the wooden ground and resting his head on his arms. "Dammit." he mentally cursed. "Everything so far has been a complete disaster." Faerie found herself unable to respond. Sure, she could deliver more logical explanations and assurances to him, yet it was clear that he wouldn't be receptive of anything she or even Lumina could say, so both of them remained silent.

"What's up with you?" a voice suddenly said, Duran looking up to see Angela looking down at him.

"What's up with you?" he asked back. "Three people were left behind back there, and since we boarded, I haven't seen you give a care about it!"

"Who's to say I don't?" the young woman answered back. "I just know that there's nothing that can be done about it."

"Excuse me?!" Duran lifted himself up. "How can you be so blase about it?!"

"Well, one, we're out in the middle of the ocean, so unless we can swim however many miles, there's no way we can get back to them." Angela explained. "Two, there was no way that we could've made it through those people, they all essentially pushed us forward, and three," she folded her arms on the railing, watching the sea. "I don't think that they'll be in much trouble."

"What?!" the soldier shouted, not even realizing that several of the other escapees were looking at him, puzzled as to what was making him so riled up. "How can you say that?!"

"Well, think." the 'sorceress' explained. "How many times have they saved our asses since we met them?" she asked. "And how many asses have they kicked too?" Well...yeah, there was that. Though, if one were to ask him, Duran would insist he kicked the most. "Look, yes, it's terrible we can't do more." she sighed. "But still, you can't deny that they've proved that they're more than capable of handling themselves." Well, yes there was that. Still though...he didn't like it. And while her points made sense, he still felt that she was still being a little too cold for his liking. And while that might've been, could he have seen it, Angela had been doing nothing but nervously fidgeting and clenching her teeth, the tension near unbearable. It was only when she had managed to get herself somewhat mellowed out that she had seen him. And yes, perhaps she presented herself that way, yet Duran also seemed to forget that there were also other matters that needed to be addressed. "By the way…" she then said. "Thanks. For keeping that Hugger from getting to me and all." a slight grimace came to her upon thinking of the possibility if his shield hadn't been there. "I mean...I could've been skewered back there, so…" she trailed off. Truth be told, she had been meaning to say this for some time, but really, suffice to say, she wasn't exactly used to saying things like this.

Though thankfully, despite his surprise and seemingly slight skepticism, Duran was receptive to her words. "It was just right. It's a soldier's duty to protect those who can't protect themselves."

She nodded, looking down at her staff. What was up with it? It had done its job before, and despite the danger she was in, she was ecstatic about what had occurred. Yet when those hounds were on her again, nothing. What was so different? "So...are you still not going to go through with this whole 'Mana Sword' thing?"

"No." Duran shook his head, sensing Faerie and Lumina's unease, yet he continued. "My mind's made up. It's not something that I can take right now. None of us can."

"Well...no. No one feels like they can-" Faerie began, but Duran cut her off.

"It's not a feeling. It's a fact." he said.

Faerie sighed. "Well...sorry to say, but it's not like there's anything that can be done about it." she admitted. "I'm sorry it's so inconvenient, but you don't seem to understand what's at stake here!" she was beginning to grow frustrated.

"Sorry to say, but she's right." Lumina agreed. "Those nasty Benevodons aren't just going to wait until you're ready to try and burst out, nor is Mana just going to stop being drained from the world."

"I know that!" Duran shouted, then realizing the multitude of eyes he was drawing on himself. "I know that. And...it's not like I don't get what's at stake. Hell, even now, I still don't entirely believe it. But…" he clenched his fist. Then, as if it were an answer to a prayer, the young man's face lit up. "But I think I know someone who would be a better candidate."

Valsena

He knew it the moment Stella denied it. And in retrospect, the moment he told the young man 'no', he should've known that his answer would have mattered not to him.

Sitting upon his throne, King Richard could only sigh as the images of Loki's son flashed in his mind, the disappointment and dismay in his expression at the monarch's decision to not give his blessing to his quest, and with that, the sudden flash of determination that followed afterward. He should've KNOWN that the boy would do something like this. And the days after when he hadn't shown up on duty at all made his suspicions grow even more. He paid a visit to Stella's abode, of which she denied anything, and that Duran had simply 'gone off', but he could see it in her eyes that, in one way or another, she had assisted him in some way. This was especially damning when he noticed Loki's sword had been removed from the wall.

'Just like his father.' Richard inwardly sighed, shaking his head. So damned stubborn. The boy's skills couldn't be questioned, yet, like his father before him, neither of them were invincible, despite what they might've believed from time to time. A part of him was deeply ashamed of it, yet he found himself cursing that same quality of Loki repeatedly. Should he have known at least some degree of restraint or the knowledge to accept that he was in over his head, then perhaps he would've still been here. 'You tested your luck in the Peddan War with those dragons before. Maybe you should've taken that as a wake up call that the Golden Knight was still just a man.' "Ah!"

"Sire?" a high ranking soldier rushed to his side, Richard holding his upper abdomen.

"I-I'm all right." he assured. "Just a mild cramp is all."

"Are you sure?" the soldier asked again. "Really, if I may be so bold, sire, you shouldn't be out of bed, period."

"I'm sure I'm all right." Richard told him. "Focus on your duty, soldier. Altena still needs to be watched out for."

"Yes, of course. I'd best be on my way." With that, the soldier made his way from the throne, leaving Richard to his thoughts, of which there were many.

'Valda…' he mused, the picturesque features of the once young monarch of the sorcerer kingdom came to him, as well as her warm, lovely smile. 'For what reason has one from your nation come into our kingdom in such an aggressive manner?'

While he knew the woman from the days of Peddan War, she then a recently crowned queen as her mother tragically perished in a last ditch effort to protect her people and land, even before she joined Roget and Richard, along with Loki and the others that had composed of the party, she assisted Valsena against the Dragon Lord's forces, and subsequently, Pedda. He remembered well when he and the rest of them found her in Altena, near catatonic from the loss of her mother, Queen Aradia. True, he knew her little aside from her assistance to his country when he, like her, was a young heir to the throne, yet then, she released a catastrophic blast that took out several of the Dragon Lord's forces and forced their Peddan pursuers to flee. It was then that she had reached her limit, that she could no longer stand by and simply allow Roget and the rest of them to fight without her. With Roget's approval, Richard himself welcomed her, and he still remembered the moment that she flung herself into his arms, the sensation of her touch as she laid her head on his chest, the springtime scent of her hair, her vibrant, green eyes...he also remembered the growl that came from his throat when Loki gave him a thumbs up when she did so. And since she had joined them, the knight wasted no time in teasing and prodding at the then prince about his new 'girlfriend'.

It certainly didn't help matters when she outright gave him a rather passionate kiss when the war was officially declared over. Then it became constant questions on when he was going to 'get to the honeymoon phase'.

'You were one of the few that knew, old friend.' Richard thought. 'You were one of the few that knew…of us. Of our…'

He found Loki invading his mind more so than usual, especially ever since the fight that put him in this weakened state. The dark specter looked nothing like him, yet his movements...by the Goddess Herself, his movements were spot on. If he didn't know any better, it was like some horrid reflection of him had emerged from the spirit realm and encompassed his physical attributes, but removed any trace of his soul. And yet...and yet, Richard found himself unable to shake the familiarity that came when he faced the dark knight. Loki's words, his mannerisms, his way to get a rise out of the then prince (and even when he had officially been crowned king) all came back to him. And in some way, at least according to theories that he had heard, that knight was connected with the Wizard of the Red Lotus. And if that was true...then that simply made things even more confusing. Valda...the woman, even when she was young, let nothing get by her (especially his attempts to conceal his obvious attraction to her), so either the wizard had master discretion, or, distressingly, Valda had knowledge of it. Yet...that couldn't be. No, he refused to entertain such a thought. Richard would not shirk his duty to his people, but he couldn't accept such a thing. He wouldn't.

And yet he suspected, to his dismay, that this was only the tip of the iceberg that was coming their way. And it wouldn't just be Valsena that would be affected.

Altena

He couldn't do it.

Closing the tome detailing the exploits and findings of the Great White Mage Minwu, Jose sighed and rested his head in his hands. To think, in such a short time, things could go so wrong. The snow that hadn't been able to touch the castle ground was now steadily falling outside, their own country had decided to invade other countries for their respective Mana Stones, and even more, their own princess had been, for reasons that baffled him just as much as the previous grievance, declared an enemy of the state and was to be hunted down and brought back to the kingdom.

Suffice to say, he understood none of this. This was completely out of the Queen's character. Had she not outright fought against tyranny with that youth Roget and their (former) ally, Valsena, against Pedda and their subsequent supporters? Her very joining in the young rag tag group from various nations was to fight against the advanced kingdom that was threatening to become a global power. So why this sudden aggression against their ally country, and against Richard of all people.

Even if it was unspoken and unknown by many...Jose knew well of the two and their 'activities' that occurred sometime during and after the war. How close they were before they eventually had to go their separate ways to their respective kingdoms. It was very warm at first, their relationship, their duties keeping them preoccupied, but they saw each other from time to time when they could, each journeying to the others' country to visit, and, late in the night, give each other some more...intimate company. Jose said not a word of it, and no one was the wiser, for, after all, the Queen of Reason and the Hero King Richard to be involved in some sort of scandalous behavior? Absurd!

"Jose?" the old man heard a voice, looking to see a young man coming into the library.

"Ah, Victor." the aged sorcerer sighed. "How have you been? Anything occurring as of late?" he then thought better of it. "No, there wouldn't be. Nothing that would be told to you."

Victor nodded. "Everything here's been even more tense than what had become 'usual' since a short time ago." the trained magician confessed. "But the soldiers are still looking, so at least Angela hasn't been found yet."

"Some good news, at least." the teacher felt some ease in his old heart upon hearing that. "Hopefully she can make herself scarce for just a little longer…" he rose from his chair to place Minwu's Tome back in its proper place. It was then that Victor noticed something on the desk.

"What's this?" the young man saw what appeared to be a letter of sorts, a feather quill and ink pot nearby as well. Instinctually, he reached for it, only to have the old man snatch it away.

"That's private, young man." Jose sternly said. "Keep to yourself." Victor was taken aback by this, Jose's brows then softening. "I...apologize, dear boy." the teacher sighed. "It's...just very personal." he looked at the contents of the paper, his lips tightening. "And...truly, I would've never thought I would have to write it."

"What do you mean?" Victor asked.

Jose was quiet for some time, an uneasy silence hanging over the room. "I cannot say for certain, at least, not yet." the old man said. "But, from what I suspect," he looked down at the letter again. "I may have to have it delivered sooner than I would like."

Wendel

White. How, white light. That was all he knew as his and everyone else in the city were blinded by the brilliance of it, all of them sent to the ground by the enormous force that came from it. Yet when it ended, the young priest saw that their invaders were gone. The city was back to how it was, despite the damage that had been done, the people were saved.

And yet...it served to lead to a terrible discovery.

"Henry?" the robed man turned to see a sagely old woman, her habit draping her shoulders. "How is His Eminence?"

Henry could only sigh. "His condition is still dire." he told her. "He's stable at the moment, as in, his heart is still beating, but other than that…" he trailed off, for he dare not want to think of the possibilities.

"I see." the nun lowered her head and muttered a small prayer to the Goddess. "Forgive my badgering, it's just that some of the younger girls are getting antsy."

"No, no, it's all right." Henry assured. "Though...I need to be getting back to him, so…"

"Ah, yes, of course. Please, excuse me." With that, the old nun left the young man, he in turn went back to his duties.

Entering the Priest of Light's personal room, he was unnerved by the sight of the old, usually stalwart man now little more than a shriveled up, bedridden raisin. His skin was pale and he had broken out in yet another cold sweat, his eyes closed and brow seemingly cast in a forever furrow. "Ah, there you are, Henry." one of the several medics attending to him said. "His fever's up again."

"Hold on a moment." going over to his bedside, Henry opened his palm and placed it on the old man's forehead. A small light emitted from him and went inside the old man. The heat radiating from him seemed to die down a bit, yet Henry and everyone else knew that it'd only be a matter of time before it would rise again. "I...I'm sorry." the young priest apologized, unsure whether or not the head of Wendel could even hear him. "There's only so much I can do…"

"Nonsense." one of the medics said, writing out the towel that had also been used to lessen the heat of the old man. "It's because of you and the other young men here blessed with these holy powers that he was able to survive performing such strong magic."

"...survive, yes. But it won't guarantee he'll live." Henry sighed, taking a seat in a nearby chair as he watched the medics continued to perform their duty.

Indeed. Ever since the attack by the beastmen, the poor man's condition has seemed to get worse and worse, and Henry and the other priests' efforts to keep him stable only seemed to be a temporary reprieve. And with that, there was no guarantee of just how much LONGER that His Eminence would survive. There was perhaps one amongst them that could keep him lasting far longer, perhaps even provide enough of his energy that could maybe bring the old man out of his coma.

If that young priest was still with them. Henry didn't wish to dwell on such dark thoughts...but it couldn't be denied that, if the siege on the Holy City had caused so much damage...then perhaps it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that he had encountered trouble himself.

Ferolia

The moment that Coco stopped in her tracks, Anati sensed that something was wrong. "What's up, girl?" the female beastman questioned, the chocobo only released a quite trill. And as she looked in the distance, her companion saw it as well.

Was that...the King?

He looked in their direction, Anati maneuvering Coco to hide behind a thickened tree. Indeed, it was King Gauser himself, seemingly staring at a small mound of dirt, a stick protruding out from the ground, as if it were a marker. What was he doing here? The young woman and her bird stayed silent as they continued to observe the king. His eyes...there was something unusual about them. Though she hadn't seen him for her entire life, the sight of him was quite intimidating, it being no wonder that he was indeed the king of all her people, but what was he doing out here? After all, someone of his stature all the way out here? Then again, he WAS the king, so why wouldn't he do what he pleased? Anati shook these useless musings from her mind, then focusing on what had drawn her attention in the first place. His eyes...while there appeared to be nothing unusual about them at first, both she and Coco found that they didn't appear as...fierce as they should've. Dare say, they were lacking in any emotion at all. Even closer inspection showed that they seemed to lack any pupil, the iris a blank, gradient-like sphere of gold. Dare say, he almost looked like he were walking around in a half daze, only aware of so much of the world.

Just what was going on?

Anati and Coco continued to watch, Gauser touching the dirt that composed of the patch, seemingly interested in it. He sat kneeled by it for some time, both the young woman and bird puzzled by what was so interesting about it. Then, to their surprise, his eyes seemed to begin to change. A small, yet visible pupil seemed to materialize, and an awareness came to his eyes and general features once again. His eyes widened as he stood over the patch, his clawed hand running over the stick that served as a marker. Then, to the shock of Anati and Coco, they witnessed something both incredible and unbelievable.

Tears. Tears trailing down the cheek of the mighty king, the strongest of them all. Was he...crying?

Then, something even more incredible. From behind, some sort of 'shape' manifested behind him. A small, but presented, winged woman bathed in light appeared, clearly there, but her shape was not entirely visible, as if she were using energy to manifest into their world from another. Her shape wasn't entirely able to be distinguished, yet she seemed to have no legs and wings, along with a ring of light around her. The king seemed unaware of her presence, yet he clearly reacted to it, his shoulders shaking and his body heaving. "K-Kevin…" he muttered, both Anati and Coco's hearts nearly stopping. Kevin? As in, that young man they had met before? Was that...his son?! "Kevin…" he said again, now gripping on the stick. "Diana…" Diana? Who was that? Clearly someone important to him. Was it some relative? Or maybe...someone he loved? A wife or lover?

Just then, the haze that once plagued his eyes came over him again, the female figure that had come up behind him dissipating into nothing yet again. The king rose up and stared down at the patch of dirt for a good while before turning away, Anati and Coco waiting until he went off before they emerged from their hiding place. The two approached where the king had once stood, observing and surveying the patch. If she didn't know any better, the young woman would have assumed that it was a grave of some sort. Had someone died? It must've held some sort of importance, if the king had such a reaction to it. A chill then ran through Anati. Was Kevin buried here? No, no, that couldn't be. The mound was too small. Yet something was buried here...and Kevin himself was rather despondent when they had first ran into each other.

She knew little of what it meant to the king, let alone why Kevin was in such a similar state when they first met, but at the moment, despite herself, Anati found herself linking both of them to whoever or whatever lay in this mound. Seeing that it was surrounded by blooming flowers, she plucked a few and lay them on the mound, Coco doing the same with her beak, the two then staying by the small, assumed grave.

From behind the thickened bushes, a pair of golden, dark eyes studied the two, most notably Anati. Suffice to say, their observer was NOT in a good mood. The siege of Wendel had failed, and now, the king...or rather, his Master was NOT pleased. Yet still, other stones remained. As well as the opportunity to choose more candidates to 'assist' in channelling their power.

And while it might've been too soon to tell...he believed he found a possible one right in front of him.

Nevarl

The brick wall was cold against her back, her once lovely dress torn in various places and her cheek still stung, both from the tears she had shed and the blow delivered to her. It hadn't been but a short time since it all happened...so how could things go so wrong?

Flashback

She had seen him, just for a moment, yet she had seen him leap across the gate and to the outside world beyond the fortress. And while she wouldn't dare say it aloud, Jessica found nothing but relief in her heart upon seeing it.

Only...now what?

This was far from over. Hawkeye would surely be hunted, her father already having doubled down the forces and sent a good portion of the guild out to find him, and the invasion of Laurent would be underway soon. It seemed that the focus was strained between these two things. The daughter...well, now the 'princess' of the guild, or kingdom, was wishing to be anywhere rather than where she was. Hawkeye's words regarding the title still stung her, they repeated endlessly in her mind. Did he really believe that she wanted this to happen? That she WANTED for the guild to become a kingdom? That she had any part of play in her father's decision? Hell, she had no say in it, neither did Eagle! Their father outright came out and proclaimed this to everyone, and everyone was just as equally surprised and taken aback! Did she want to have a kingdom invaded? No! Did she want to take down Laurent! Absolutely not! 'Then why did you say that you trusted your father's judgement?' Jessica paused, becoming chilled. 'Well?' the inner voice asked an answer. "I...I don't know." she answered, knowing well she probably looked like some crazy person. "I...I just...I mean, Father was right in that the wells were drying up and things weren't as they used to be. And...and he seemed so concerned for us both." She remembered his words clearly.

'This is to ensure the future for your children. And your children's children, and theirs.' he told them both. 'I won't lie in saying that there will be some...dire things that will have to occur to ensure this, but it is for the best, I promise you. I'm doing this for all of us. Especially you both.' she remembered the way he stroked her cheek. 'Please...my dear princess. Understand. It's all for you.'

"All for me." she said. "All for us…" only now, there was no 'us'.

Eagle...the sight of his blood covered form lying limply on the floor...and Hawkeye standing there with his blood on the thief's body...Jessica clenched her fists and thrust her head down into her hands. Her brother. Her big brother...gone. And not just that, he was brutalized. Blood poured from his throat, a large, gaping wound in his neck...Jessica pushed back the bile rising in her throat, the sting of the acid irritating her esophagus. She remembered her words to Hawkeye...her begging him to confess that he didn't do it. Only to be met with nothing. Silence...or maybe, a silent admittance of guilt?

Thus, she found herself here: in her room, drowning herself in her own sorrow. How long she had been here, she didn't know, and frankly, had lost all will to care. To hell with everything, she thought. Things couldn't get any worse, they couldn't!

Suddenly, she heard the door to her room open, a purple cat entering. "Mew?" Niccolo spoke, the young, blue haired woman startled at the sudden intrusion. "Sorry if I scared mew."

"What….what are you-" Jessica began, but Niccolo stepped in and closed the door.

"Sorry to just come in like this...but I have to talk to mew."

"Niccolo, this isn't exactly a good time-"

"It might be the only time." the cat interrupted.

"He's right, you know." another voice said, a masked ninja coming in, followed by what appeared to be a twin duplicate.

"Bill!? Ben?! What are you-" Jessica began, yet both of them covered her mouth.

"Shh!" both said in unison. "We had to sneak all the way in here!" Bill said.

"So don't blow our cover now that we're in!" Ben finished, then taking their hands off her mouth.

"Well, seeing as you all just so 'humbly' invited yourself into a lady's room, what is so important that you decided to barge in here? Sorry to say, but I'm in no mood to just talk." she sighed, her distress clear.

"Not even about what happened?" Niccolo asked, Jessica's lip trembling.

"No. We're NOT discussing that. If that's what you're here for, then please leave. I...I can't deal with this now-"

"I know. I'm sorry. I really am." Bill chipped in, nodding to his brother.

"But this is important." Ben added. "Your father's life might be on the line. And yours."

"What?" Jessica stood from the chair in front of her vanity, she just about to take off her jewelry before the intrusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Please, Jessica." Niccolo asked. "Ask yourself, do you really believe that Hawkeye would do something like that?"

Jessica froze at what had just come from the cat's mouth. "Niccolo...please, all of you, just leave-"

"Do you?" the cat repeated. A tense, gripping silence fell over the young woman's chambers, Jessica turning away from him, Bill and Ben and staring down at her hands that were currently gripping her dress. "Do you?" Niccolo repeated, Jessica still remaining silent until finally, an answer.

"...no." she whispered. "No. I...I don't."

"Neither do we." Bill admitted. "But...we...we blew it back there."

Ben lowered his head. "It all happened so fast...but...but both of us made a terrible mistake."

"...so did I." Jessica whimpered, Niccolo gently nuzzling her arm.

"It's not mewr fault," he assured her. "It's not any of mewrs fault." he turned to Bill and Ben.

The next question on the young woman's mind was the expected 'If not him, who did?', yet before she could let it slip from her lips, a certain face immediately came to mind. "But...but how would she-"

"Shh!" Niccolo shushed Jessica, looking back to the door, then locking it. "I'm not sure." he confessed. "But I heard everything."

"You did?" Bill and Ben said together, the cat nodding.

"That's kinda why I came in here too." Niccolo confessed. "I...kinda busted him out."

Jessica was puzzled at first, yet then remembered. "That explosion...that was you?!"

"I couldn't think of anything else!" the purple cat exclaimed, but then remembered to keep it down, whispering then, "We need to get out of here." he then pointed to Jessica's necklace. "And you need to get that off of you!"

"What?" Jessica asked, both Bill and Ben equally confused.

"That's the reason Hawkeye couldn't tell you who did it! That witch, Isabella, cursed it!"

"Wh-What are you saying?" the blue haired young woman questioned. "I...I got this before all this happened! She...she said that it was a gift from someone!"

"Someone who?" Niccolo asked.

"I...I don't know." she confessed. "Isabella just said that it was from someone. She didn't say who. But…" she touched the ruby stone on it. "She said that Hawkeye would like it." a deep scowl came to the cat and behind the masks of the ninjas.

"Did she do anything to it recently?" Ben then asked.

"Well, no. Well, when Hawkeye was first put in prison, we ran into each other," the young woman reached up to her necklace, feeling quite uncomfortable with it now. "And I guess her hand slipped or something, because she accidentally got some blood on it. But I didn't see any...huh?" Jessica continued to speak, yet paused.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked.

"The...the necklace." Jessica began to pull, trying to separate the two halves that were once there. "It...ugh! It won't come off!"

"What?" Niccolo asked.

"I can't get it to undo itself!" the young woman pulled and pulled, yet still nothing. She then, while she knew that it wouldn't fit, tried to lift it higher up on her neck, yet, to her and everyone else's surprise, the necklace seemed to 'shrink' in diameter, a metal ring around her throat. Jessica was immediately taken back by the sudden cutting off of her air, staggering back and about to fall to the floor before Ben caught her. "I...ack! I...I can't breathe!" she choked out, grappling at the ever tightening death trap.

"Hold on!" Bill then drew out one of his trusty daggers. "Sorry, but it might nick you a bit." he then managed to squeeze the blade in between the necklace and Jessica's skin and pulled. Yet to his shock and dismay, the necklace only seemed to tighten, pressing the sharpened edge into the young woman's neck. More and more this went on, Bill now trying to pull back his dagger until-

CRACK!

The dagger's blade split in two, both halves falling and clattering to the floor, leaving everyone shocked at what had just happened. Jessica's gasps died down as it seemed that the magic was satisfied in knowing that there would be no more attempts to remove it, the necklace going back to its original diameter and allowing the young woman much needed air. "By the Goddess…" Ben gasped, clearly shaken by what he had just witnessed.

"Oh…" Jessica moaned, face contorting and developing tears filling her ducts. "Oh Hawkeye...forgive me. Forgive us...please…"

"Yes, indeed." a familiar, female voice said, all four of them turning to see that the door, despite it being previously locked, had been opened wide, revealing Isabella standing in the doorway. "Unfortunate that he isn't here to hear your apologies, princess." she smirked. "Nor yours, boys." She then centered her gaze on Niccolo. "I knew it was you. I found the tunnel, you diseased creature. Did you really think that it wouldn't be discovered?"

Niccolo paid no mind to this, immediately going on the defensive. "You witch! It's too late! They know everything!" he said, gesturing to Jessica, Bill and Ben. "And like hell mew'll get away with this! Flamekhan will-"

"Be out of commission for a time." Isabella interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Jessica got to her feet, drawing closer to Isabella. "What have you done to my father?!"

"Relax, princess. He's very much alive." Isabella answered. "Just a little...incapacitated at the moment. After Eagle's untimely passing, he needed sweet sleep." she then reached and took hold of Jessica's wrist. "Which brings us to you, dear."

"L-Let go!" the young woman protested, struggling to get out of the woman's grip. Then, Isabella snapped her fingers, the necklace once again tightening around Jessica's throat.

"Lovely thing, isn't it? The Choker of Death?" the red haired woman asked, Jessica unable to answer due to the aptly named choker cutting off her air. "The magic wasn't easy to find, but when you have connections like I do, you can pretty much get anything if you know where to look." she got no further, however, as a throwing knife was thrown her way, slicing against her side. The necklace expanded, allowing the young woman to breathe again, Isabella turning her angry gaze towards Ben.

"You dare?!" she hissed. "Come then! I'll deal with you all!"

"Niccolo!" Bill shouted. "Take Jessica and get outta here!" He then joined his brother, both of them pulling out their weapons. "We'll deal with this!"

"Bill!" the cat shouted in protest.

"Ben…" Jessica also said, but the two looked back to them.

"Go! Now!" they shouted in unison, both the cat and young woman taking in breath between their teeth, and they made their way to one of the 'windows' in the rocky wall. "Now…" Bill began. "Let's go, witch!"

Isabella chuckled, folding her arms. "Fine then." she then unfolded them, dark spheres forming in her palms. "Let us see what the 'Greatest Ninja Duo of Nevarl' can do!"

Outside

"How does Hawkeye do it?" Jessica quietly asked, she and Niccolo inching their way across a ledge, just one wrong slip meaning a good fall.

"It takes practice." Niccolo told her. "I can't tell mew all the slips I made when I first got in the game." he caught her, she just about to slip herself.

"Well, I hope that this is just a one time thing." the young woman answered, they continued to inch along. Many of the thieves were out, searching for the runaway Hawkeye still, leaving the outside grounds mainly empty. That said, the natural terrain wouldn't change its conditions for them, so they seemed to make themselves their main obstacle.

Finally getting onto some semi-flat ground, Niccolo and Jessica rushed forward, the young woman stopping upon seeing a large gap, the cat springing and leaping across it with no problem.

"Come on!" Niccolo urged her, Jessica clearly fearful. "Don't look down! You've gotta jump." well, of course she knew that! But… "I'll catch mew!"

"P-Promise?" she nervously uttered."

"Yeah! Sure! Just hurry!"

Taking a heavy breath, Jessica stepped back and, albeit with some hesitation, began to run forward, drawing closer and closer to the gap. "Ah!" only for a form to block her way.

Leaping seemingly from behind her, Bill stood in front of her, blocking her way. "Bill!" she shouted. "You made it!" Yet her relief was short lived, Bill not saying anything. "Bill?" she then turned behind her to see Ben, he too displayed the same odd behavior. "Ben?" her eyes widened in horrified realization. "Oh no…"

"Jessica!" Niccolo shouted, leaping over the gap to get to her. "Hey, guys! What's going on-"

"Niccolo, look out!" Jessica's warning was too late, however, as the cat was grabbed by his throat and promptly tossed from the high place. "NICCOLO!" she shouted, Ben seizing her and holding her arms behind her back while Bill jumped down.

"Huh?" the purple cat looked down to see himself standing. "Well...what do you know. Cats DO land on their-" before he could finish though, a kick to the back of his head sent him flying and landing right on his face. "Face." he murmured in pain. He was about to rise, yet felt a foot place itself on his back, the back of his head taken in a forceful grip and a dagger held by his throat.

"Hold!" a woman shouted, Isabella coming towards the fallen cat. "Keep this one alive too." she then looked up to the captured Jessica. "I have use for both of them."

A Short While Later

"Let us out!" Niccolo demanded, both he and Jessica by the bars of the cell.

"Bill! Ben!" the young woman cried out. "What's wrong with you?! Don't you recognize us?!"

"Oh, they do." Isabella answered, placing a hand on each of their shoulders as the ninjas stood motionless by the jail cell. "They just don't care. They don't care about anything that is outside me." she then ran a hand across Bill's cheek and cupped Ben's. "You should get ready, you two. We head for Laurent soon."

"Understood." they both said in unison, then going off.

"Wait!" Niccolo shouted. "Guys! You can't leave us here!" yet leave them they did, alone with the woman that had assumedly entranced them. "You...you witch!" the cat hissed, bearing his sharpened teeth. "You won't get away with this!"

"Enlighten me then, pet." Isabella scoffed, reaching in between the bars and mockingly petting the cat on the head. "Who? You? A sweet little thing like you?" she smirked. "Aw, who's a sweet little kitty? Who's a-OW!" her fingers got too close, Niccolo seizing a few in his mouth and biting down hard, the woman retracting her hand to see he had broken the skin, blood oozing freely from the bite. She glared daggers at him. "Fine. If that's the way you want it." she hissed back, oddly very similar to his own hiss. "I WAS going to allow you to keep the dear princess her company, but you lost that privilege." she then whistled, both Niccolo and Jessica hearing large, heavy steps coming their way. Then, to their horror, two large, blue humanoid creatures with fearsome features of large, sharpened teeth made their way towards them. They bore large, curved horns and flaps of skin around their jawline that looked similar to the fins of a fish. Large, bat-like wings were affixed to their backs, and their gazes only further cemented that they were not of this world. "Take him."

With that, the door was thrust open and the two beings went inside, one holding Jessica back while the other grabbed Niccolo and hoisted him up over its shoulder. "N-No!" Jessica cried out, desperately reaching out for the cat. "Niccolo!"

"Jessica!" Niccolo shouted in turn, also reaching out for her, yet only their fingertips made contact with each other. The cat was carried away as he called out her name, the demon disappearing from sight. The demon that had been holding her threw her to the ground and left the cell, Isabella shutting it again.

"Welcome to the dawn of the Kingdom of Nevarl, dear princess." Isabella told her with a smile on her red lips. "Soon to be the Kingdom of His Majesty. Along with the rest of the world."

Present

Sitting here in isolation had given her much time to think, as really, there was little else to do. Her father had been stationed in the cell left to her, yet it was useless to try and strike up a conversation with him. Every time she tried, he would only remain silent, no doubt enchanted like Bill and Ben had been. It was safe to assume that everyone here had been entranced by that witch. Just what was she? True, it was clear by now that she was no ordinary woman, but there was no way she was human. Not after what she had seen. Was she some sort of otherworldly creature? She certainly seemed to allow them to keep her company. The stockades were mostly empty of them, yet from time to time, Jessica could seem some of those foul, otherworldly beings pass by, some giving her a glance and staring at her hungrily, as if they wanted to take a bite out of her...or maybe worse. She shuddered at the thought, though despite it all, she found herself completely spent. She had shed all the tears she could muster, and by now, her face was sore and she was feeling numb. Her hand placed itself on her necklace, her other hand clenching into a fist.

'Damn you…' she cursed to herself, Isabella's image coming to mind. 'Turning us against Hawkeye...killing Eagle…' yet she dare not try to remove it, having tried fruitlessly again and again, only to end up choked until she nearly lost consciousness. She remembered what Isabella had told her regarding the choker's magic, how, despite a curse already being on her, the witch's magic would prove ineffective against her, as wishing to do so would mean neutralizing the necklace's power. And it was clear she had no intention of doing that anytime soon.

'Besides,' she remembered that accursed woman's voice in her head. 'It's only fitting for a princess to see the beginnings of her kingdom.'

Though she had no more tears to shed, Jessica brought her knees to her chest and lowered her head, releasing a heavy, exhausted sigh.

"Let go of me!" Huh? Who was that? "I'm warning you!" the source of the voice was drawing closer, a horrid shadow trailing along the wall. "When my sister gets here, you're not gonna like what she'll do!" a demon held a wriggling shape in its grasp, Jessica backing up against the northern wall of the cell, not wishing to be any closer to it. "She'll kick your butt for sure! She'll-" the young thing got no more out and the cell door was opened and he was thrown inside. "Ow…" he moaned, Jessica left speechless as to what was just tossed in with her.

A young, blonde haired boy garbed in little more than a raggy old tunic with a rope serving as a belt, worn out slippers, and quite the number of bruises on him. "A…" Jessica found herself saying aloud. "A boy?"

"Huh?" the child rubbed his sore cheek. "Who are you, lady?"

Laurent Secret Base

"Take it easy, Auntie." Eliza urged. "You're still not exactly in the best condition."

"I'm well enough to take a small stroll." Alma answered, holding firm to the walking stick in her hand. "Besides, I need the exercise anyway."

"Me too." Gertrude confessed. "We've been cooped up in here for forever, it seems." she moaned.

"Better we be in here than out there." Merci replied. "Speaking of, isn't it about time for your shift, Eliza?"

"Ah! Right!" the blue haired young woman made her way to where the resting quarters were and pulled out a carefully wrapped up set of clothes. And with that, she then pulled out a small collection of jewelry. Some small articles that she picked up from the other girls, as well as some of the shops in Palo. Given that Nevarl had decided to invite themselves into the town and citadel, they appeared to want to integrate some of their culture in with it. After a few moments, she had changed into the appropriate attire, yet took a thick cloak with her, as the nights on the mountain could get rather chilled. "All right, everyone. I'm off."

With a wave goodbye, Eliza exited the cave and entered the massive field of samosa flowers, carefully treading through them until she reached the path down to Palo. Alma, Merci, and Gertrude watched her go, their former captain releasing a heavy sigh.

"What is it?" Merci asked.

"Nothing. Just...musing over some things."

"Such as?"

Alma lowered her head, sighing. "I feel that this whole siege is just the beginning." she then looked up to the mountains, the highest of them all that towered over all others. She remembered her trip there with Joster and Minerva when the war was over. The sunlight that managed to pass through the small cracks in the stone haven that one of their allies had come to roost in. Now, the harpies had taken it as their roost, and the status of what lay there had been in her mind since when she first saw it.

"Alma?" Gertrude questioned, the blue haired nursemaid continuing to stare up at the mountain.

"A box without hinges, key or lid." she closed her eyes as the night breeze chilled her face. "Yet a priceless treasure is found within." she then opened her eyes. "I can only hope that it will be ready, should it indeed be needed again."

Note: Eliza's outfit will be described later. Small reference to the hobbit also refers to a creature that'll be encountered by the six heroes later. Which, I admit, will lead to some plot differences, but nothing too major. Plus, I will be delving more into the harpies and their way of life, as I have plans for Harcypete that extend her role beyonds just a boss.

Also, we'll catch up with Hawkeye and Riesz, as well as Kevin and Charlotte in the next couple of chapters as well. Again, some things will be switched around, but for the most part, the core elements of the plot will remain the same.

Next time, we get to the villains' side of things!

Big thanks to all my reviewers and I hope to hear from you, as well as a few newcomers!