Cato
Cato put down the Elder Scroll. How many times had he looked in it and seen that same event play out? It was disheartening that even now, with everything he had done to change it, nothing had truly changed. His life played out according to its predetermined path. Beating out his own path through whatever methods were on hand, the destination never changed. The Elder Scrolls were never wrong. It wasn't that he desired to escape his fate as such. Escape wasn't a word that Cato associated with himself. No, all he wanted was to change it enough that he felt that the canvas of his life was carved by him, not by the mysterious arms of fate or Akatosh or whoever the hell could truly claim to be in control.
He needed air. The office felt stale. He put the Elder Scroll back in its place with less reverence for each time he did so. It was early in the morning still, too early for him to get any real work done, but he headed out nonetheless.
To investigate the Khaos Brigade and find out if they were planning on interfering in the peace talks between the factions. That was the task now given to him to Azazel. Cato pouted. Finding Khaos Brigade presence in the city was so embarrassingly easy that Azazel should feel ashamed for outsourcing the task. Of course, calling it outsourcing wasn't completely fair anymore – Cato had become more than a one-time consultant to Azazel now. Azazel had started referring to 'we' whenever he spoke of important matters, as though Cato himself was Fallen. Their cooperation was the seed of something greater. Time would show what.
The Khaos Brigade was a group t known to Cato since before he even met Azazel, though even back then they were linked without their knowledge. It was a group that, much as the name would suggest, sought to bring about greater chaos in the world. The reason for said chaos varied greatly depending on who you asked. For Perseus, it was for the sake of humanity, a way to weaken the factions and give humans a chance once again, spearheaded by the hero faction, a pseudo-faction made up of great men and women who harbored the reincarnated souls of heroes. Perseus had mistaken Cato for one of them because of a curious naming coincidence.
Even back then, it was clear to Cato that the hero faction encompassed only a portion of the Khaos Brigade's strength. In Italy, this was confirmed to him. There was the so-called Old-Satan faction, a group of outcasts among the devils who traced their genealogy back to the original leaders of the devil faction. Though Cato was unsure of their motivations, said motivations certainly didn't include human prosperity. He encountered none of these old devils to learn more from in Italy, only normal humans who acted as agents that he could question.
They had infiltrated everywhere it seemed. Indeed, no matter where Cato looked, members of the Khaos Brigade were abundant. That was their current strategy. By being everywhere, causing small-scale trouble and growing distrust within the ranks of the three major factions, they advanced their chaotic endgame. All of it was a charade put in motion by Ophis, the dragon god. Terrorists, that's all they were. Terrorists working in the service of a dragon. Like the dragon priests of Tamriel, they were the most despicable of existences. And, as Azazel had so cleverly deduced, they would be present at the peace conference.
Though Cato had to admit his fault in the sequence of events that led to the delay of said conference, the delay was most unfortunate for Azazel's hopes of everything going smoothly. Only a few weeks prior, the Khaos Brigade had been stretched thin in their battles against mythological pantheons across several continents, but now, they could bring down their full force to bear. It wasn't very likely that they would, seeing as a massive confrontation against the combined might of the greatest representatives from all factions was unwise in the extreme. Terrorists never sought to beat the opponent in open battle. The only goal was to prevent unity. If they went too hard, they would unite the factions against them if they weren't just destroyed outright in the battle itself.
Their goals perfectly aligned with Cato's own up to a certain point. Chaos and unity were flip sides of the other. In a sense, his goals and the goals of the Khaos Brigade were relatively in line, though their endgames were polar opposites. Chaos was the adhesive needed to unite the factions against the dragons. That was why he had tried tampering with the Excaliburs before giving them back to Xenovia, and it was the reason that the Church had delayed the peace talks. The charge had been set, so to speak.
Excalibur Destruction was the name of one of the Excaliburs. Each of the swords had a certain property, effectively an enchantment, and Destruction had one that suited his purposes excellently. When overcharged with holy power – something that a holy sword user like Freed Sellzen could do naturally – it could be directed outwards to cause massive devastation. By rigging it, it was effectively a bomb that no one could defuse. Sadly for Cato, the sword hadn't been in possession of Kokabiel or his lackeys, so he had been forced to go to the source. It was currently located in the Vatican, volatile beyond any construction Cato had ever made. Valper Galilei's knowledge of the holy swords had proven invaluable – yet another chance encounter that went in Cato's favor.
After the peace conference, all the factions would be reeling from the attack from the Brigade but unsure of how to proceed, and at that point, when the factions were at their wit's end, Cato would set off Excalibur Destruction, blaming the Khaos Brigade and thus pushing the three factions over the brink and into each other's arms for a counter effort. Chaos to bring unity. There was also the option of trying to resurrect Ddraig at the peace conference to achieve the same result, but the risk was greater if he chose that avenue.
For now, it meant that the peace conference was imminent, and the Khaos Brigade was ready. With how many things were happening in Kuoh in such a short span of time, it was a wonder that the city was still standing. It might not be for long. Cato knelt on the road where some kids had drawn hopscotch in chalk onto the road. He felt the cold asphalt beneath his fingertips, tracing the first number while his thoughts drifted away. In Skyrim, kids would've drawn a similar game only with charcoal onto a less sophisticated road. That was how it once was.
"Was this my fault?"
He walked back and forth with an agitated gait, his eyes tracing the city that was once Dawnstar. In his minds eye, he saw the children playing, he saw the ships entering port with merchant goods and fish, he saw the gentle snowfall on the straw roofs and heard the awful bard's play from the open inn door. With a blink of his eyes it was all gone, replaced by blackened ruins. No words were offered to ease his mind.
"Was it my fault? Serana?" his words came out angry as he turned to Serana who refused to meet his gaze in turn. His face hardened. It was too late now. The destruction was not wrought of his own hand, and the anger he felt deep within was born of regret rather than guilt.
"We… couldn't have known," Serana said at length. She didn't blame him either. That was all he needed – it was all he ever needed. He nodded and trudged onwards. There was still much to do.
Cato shuddered. He stood up and moved on, walking over the chalk court. It was too early in the morning for children to be out playing. Depending on how everything went, it might soon be that no one would ever play on it again. He kept walking through the streets, letting his nose take him wherever it would, filing away the intricacies of the city for no reason other than remembering them. Eventually, the city started waking up around him, stirring slowly before warping into the usual morning rush. People always busied themselves with things they needed to do but didn't care about, all too ignorant of their imminent deaths.
He still had work to do. There was always so much to do. And someone was following him.
A few members of the Khaos Brigade had joined Kuoh Academy posing as transfer students, and because of incompetence on the part of the devils at the academy – though they were children, Azazel had divulged that they were, as a matter of fact, custodians of the city – they had slipped through whatever nets were in place to catch them. Jeanette and Arthur were their names. Two youngsters who drew the eyes and admiration of their fellow students with their beauty and charisma. How anyone could overlook their presence passed beyond absurdity.
Cato wasn't too interested in the individuals themselves. The city was slowly filling with members of all four factions that were more interesting than Jeanette and Arthur. The two youths did, however, make for a plausible tale for Cato to feed Azazel. That was the final obstacle for Cato before the peace conference, to balance the information given to Azazel with the shock and carnage bound to happen when the Khaos Brigade swooped down on the peace conference. Give too much information and Azazel might prepare himself well enough to avert catastrophe – or worse, postpone the negotiations – but give too little, and Cato would mark himself as complicit or incompetent, both of which were detrimental down the line.
That left him with Jeanette and Arthur. They were probably part of the Hero faction seeing as they were human, and since he already understood the Hero faction's part in it all, there was no need to interrogate them or deal with them directly. His interest was in the preparations they made at the school itself and anyone they met with. From his understanding of the minor factions within the Khaos Brigade, they all acted as separate cells without meaningful contact between them. It was built like a terrorist organization, or perhaps an empire. They all answered to the might of their god-king Ophis with no regard for the identities or motivations of their allies. Cato clenched his fist by his side. Humans in willing servitude to dragons…
He had to set aside his feelings for now. Since he had no personal business with Jeanette and Arthur, he had instead opted to stay in the open, hoping for opportunities to come to him. It was a time-tested technique. When left with nothing specific to look for, simply put yourself out there and let the dice fall as they may. Of course, hanging around a high school too much at his age was bound to raise suspicion among ordinary folk as well, but that was where his reputation as a private investigator paid dividends once more. Normal people would recognize him as the brilliant detective, and the devils and Fallen both were already aware of his role, at least to some extent. Which meant that whoever was following him was bound to be related to the Khaos Brigade.
"Didn't take you for a pervert who'd hang around high schools hoping for something."
Despite never formally meeting the man, Cato knew him well.
"It is custom to introduce yourself by name when first meeting someone," Cato said, not turning around to face his solicitor. The man behind him did nothing for a bit, but eventually walked to stand opposite Cato. He was a pretty man with dangerous features. The type that was popular in the media – wild white hair, sharp features, and a dangerous smirk. Only his eyes gave away his annoyance.
"You know who I am."
Cato shrugged. "It makes no difference. We have not met."
Vali ground his teeth and clenched his fists. He said nothing for a while, and Cato saw fit to let him stew. Eventually, Vali relaxed his stance. "You're an annoying bastard."
Cato shrugged again. "I don't remember asking you to be here."
"I suppose that's a fair point."
Cato doubted that Vali had followed him under orders. Though he couldn't claim to know the boy, he still had an idea of what to expect given the dragon-nature of Vali's sacred gear. Issei was an anomaly in that regard, having no pride and caring little for dominating the wills of others. Azazel had already confirmed that. All Cato knew of Vali was that he was a battle maniac, a bloodthirsty sort, in every sense a young dragon. He had tried to belittle Vali at first to get a rise out of him, but he himself was the one starting to feel annoyed.
"Why are you here?" Cato asked at length, allowing Vali some sense of control in the situation.
"Throughout my life, I've witnessed the triumph of the mighty over the weak. My lineage is discredited and marginalized, forced to live away from the Underworld that they used to call their home. All of it because they lost. They were beaten. They were weak," Vali paused for dramatic effect. Cato almost rolled his eyes at the kid. "They were weak, so they deserved to die longing for the home they couldn't keep."
There was no deception to be found in the young man's proclamation, but nor was there an answer to be given. Vali wasn't put off when he received no response, he only continued.
"Well, I didn't come here to hear your opinion of my ancestors. I'm here because I heard a story, you see. Only a few days ago, a burly man came to me with something of a vendetta. He claimed that I had killed a man among men, a friend of his, and at first, I didn't deny it – how could I be sure that I hadn't? His friend had travelled here, to Kuoh city, for a personal grudge, something that he needed to do alone. Devil knows what he found here, but he was never seen or heard from again. Now, how does that concern you?"
Cato frowned. How Vali had drawn the connections was impossible to tell. Maybe the Khaos Brigade had a better information network than Cato had surmised, or maybe Vali had some brains hidden well beneath his cocky brawns.
"Disappointing that you still have nothing to say. Perhaps you're too daft to understand. A member of the Khaos Brigade was killed in this very city without the Fallen or the Devils knowing anything about it. You killed him," Vali said, smiling savagely as he did so. He began pacing around Cato, mimicking a predator poised to pounce. It would be a disaster if Vali attacked him now. The man was too wild to be contained; there was no way to limit the boundaries of their battle. Civilian casualties were bound to happen, but that was of no concern in the grand scope. The real issue was that a fight would inevitably result in the death of Vali, and then the sacred gear that held the soul of Albion would be lost to him until its next cycle – something entirely out of his control. He had to bite his lip, take the blow to his pride, and let Vali play his piece.
"Suppose I did," Cato said slowly. "What then?"
Vali stopped directly behind Cato but made no move to come closer. "That would make things interesting, wouldn't it? We'll see how things go at the peace conference. You will be there, won't you?"
Vali didn't wait for an answer as he left. Azazel had made no mention of Cato attending the peace conference, but Vali was right, of course. Cato would be there. His blood boiled. He understood in his mind that he was still in control, that Vali's condescending tone was naught but bluster, but his patience was wearing thin. He was tired of his role as everyone's tool. There would be no waiting out the peace conference and hoping for things to work out, not anymore. His groundwork at the Vatican would be wasted, but he could wait no longer. All of the bending, the bowing. Being treated as a mere curiosity by Azazel, being talked down to time and again by strangers and fools. Kokabiel deserved a better death for at least understanding what he was dealing with.
It was time to show the world what a dragon hunter was all about. Well, almost time. Cato made an effort to relax. There is always so much to do…
"You've found them?" Azazel's tone wasn't questioning as much as it was expectant. Cato was uncertain just how much information to divulge to the man. If things played out well at the peace conference, the two would be stalwart allies in the fight against the dragons, but until then, Azazel's ambition was limited by his inability to see war as the only true means toward peace. His past attempts at pushing Azazel's notions toward a more steadfast solution had been of no consequence. "No, of course you have. What are their plans is the question that I should be asking, isn't that right?"
Cato mulled his reply over in his head while Azazel poured them both a glass of red wine. He had considered it constantly since his run-in with Vali, running the conversation over in his mind's eye over and over, but there was no correct way to play it. He just needed himself in Azazel's good graces enough so that his actions at the peace conference wouldn't make an enemy of him. The Khaos Brigade were a true boon in that regard – they were Cato's enemy as much as they were Azazel's, so throwing them under the bus would be a net gain even if he blundered. Maximizing the value that he could squeeze out of them had been his strategy so far, but it was all about to change.
"Cheers!" They clinked their glasses at Azazel's exclamation. Azazel was in a good mood.
"All the factions seem to be gathering around Kuoh now," Cato said. A good beginning if a little weak – it showed that he was paying attention to the big picture rather than his specialized task and that he had some understanding of the gravity of the situation. And it bought him some time to think things over again. He took out the note he had prepared. The only thing he prepared. Handing this over was set in stone, the rest of their conversation would be improvised. "I made a list of the operatives that I've confirmed to be a part of the Khaos Brigade. Their names, ages, fake identities and notable features."
Azazel snuck a glance over his shoulder at the list before frowning deeply. "Long list. Some names that I recognize off the top of my head, too. I wonder… some of these names are people whom I can hardly imagine working together. Humans and devils, side by side. Kokabiel would be pissed."
Cato suppressed his smile at Azazel's immediate acceptance of his claim. He could've put any name in there and the Fallen would've believed him. Good for Azazel that it was an honest list this time, though the name Vali Lucifer was noticeably absent. "Truth be told," Cato said. "I'm more worried about the potential traitors within the ranks of the three major factions. Yours included."
Azazel's frown deepened. "Traitors…"
"You're right to be surprised that many of these people are working together. Whoever is pulling the strings must be a person of magnificent persuasive ability. Terrorist organizations rarely manage to reach this scale, and the most successful ones are typically linked by some ideology, something that transcends the individual's reservations about his fellow man. But I see nothing that this mix of actors would ever agree on. Perhaps you can enlighten me?"
"No shared ideology…" Azazel stroked his beard thoughtfully. "A particularly charismatic leader then. Someone who could sway those who already have an allegiance. I see your point."
Cato shot Azazel a glance. Did he already know that Ophis was the mastermind? If so, nothing Cato said could push Azazel to more extreme action than he should already be taking. But then again, Azazel had underreacted severely to Kokabiel before Cato's interference. The fallen angel was clearly terrible at handling crises.
"The list is long enough even without traitors. Damn it. I can't even have you snooping around the factions to weed any of them out, it's just too dangerous." Azazel's eyes had taken on a dangerous glint to them, a look that finally matched the genius that he was supposed to be. Perhaps he'll finally come up with a proper solution. Azazel let out a breath. "We'll need to involve the other factions as well. I had hoped to be able to contain it myself – the rise of a faction hellbent on war will be damaging to the peace talks. But there's no way to sweep it away quietly, none that I can think of at least. Keeping it to ourselves now that we know the extent of their commitment is something we can't do."
"Damaging to the peace talks? On the contrary, a common enemy is grounds for unification. There is a saying to that effect, and I seem to recall a story about two dragons raging in battle and how all three factions had to call a ceasefire and use their combined might to end the battle."
"Ddraig and Albion." Azazel was still laser focused. "Did I tell you that? Well, I suppose I did. I'll admit, I hadn't thought of it like that. The truth is that all three factions are failing at the moment, declining in power. None of us want a common enemy. The way I saw it, we would have a Westphalian peace moment where all of us accepted that war, no matter our differences, just isn't worth it. Not now, not ever. With a faction that desires war for its own sake, that idea is out. Yet your approach holds merit. Tell me more."
Azazel directed his attention to Cato rather than the note. He felt the pressure Azazel exerted and had to concentrate to keep his voice unempowered. "I notice that you've been referring to us as 'we', but lest you forget, I'm not a member of the Fallen faction," Cato said, licking his lips nervously. He hadn't planned for his earlier statement to prompt Azazel asking him for advice, but a plan slowly gathered in his mind as he spoke. Something that would let him weave his way out of his current persona. "The girls from Kuoh Academy, the representatives of the devil-faction. I will take this information and anything else we deem important to them and inform them of your good faith."
Both of his targets, Hyoudou Issei and Vali Lucifer, were from the devil-faction, which happened to be the faction that he knew the least about. This was his chance to rectify that. For a moment, he considered whether to use his role in returning the Excaliburs as leverage to bring in the Church as well, but it was better if he alienated himself from the Excaliburs if he did end up blowing them up. Bombing a holy site tended to reflect poorly on the culprit's character.
Azazel nodded slowly. "There's merit to that, true. However, I feel that the quality of your current results are at least partially because you're an unknown actor." Before Cato could respond, Azazel shook his head. "No. I'm being foolish again. We need to do everything within our power to stop the Khaos Brigade now. You will go to the devils; I will make direct contact with Michael."
"Azazel," Cato said, empowering his voice slightly. There was still one last thing to make certain. Something that could perhaps change that same old vision in the Elder Scroll. "The Church, the Fallen, and the devils. There's a group conspicuously absent from the factions, though some might claim the Church represents them. One which makes up a sizeable portion of the Khaos Brigade operatives in Kuoh."
"Humans. I suppose I understand your concern, but I will do my utmost to ensure the best possible outcome for humanity – as will the Church."
Perhaps they would keep the best interests of humanity in mind. Perhaps not. "No. That won't do at all."
Azazel looked puzzled. "Not good enough…?"
"Don't misunderstand. I believe you when you say that you will keep our best interests at heart. At the conference you will. Afterwards? I've seen what has happened to Kuoh, Azazel. There was no compassion for humans in any of the destruction or memory altering coverup," Cato said. It wasn't like he was stepping in to be some magnanimous hero to save humanity, it was just a chance too good to waste. "There is no regard for our fickle lives to be found among your esteemed ranks, no one who understands the plight and ambitions of humanity. That's why you see humans in abundance among the Khaos Brigade's number. And I will go as far as to say that it's why you will never have peace."
Azazel sunk back in his chair with an uncertain expression. There was no anger in Cato's voice as he spoke. Only passion.
"Humanity needs a representative. And I will be it."
When he finally made it back to his office, Cato was exhausted. There was still work left to do before the peace conference. At least he had a deadline and a clear course of action now. Azazel still had the gemstone dagger, so he would have to make a new one. When he got into the basement, the Elder Scroll taunted him, daring him to see if things had changed, but for once, he ignored its siren call. This will work. It has to.
He had worked with Azazel on a plan to introduce the newly coined human faction. There would be backlash from the Church seeing as they currently considered themselves the human representation, laughable as the notion was. Backlash was irrelevant. They would all gather beneath his banners once the dragon was unleashed. Azazel had called the three factions 'failing'. They would struggle under the pressure of the Khaos Brigade even if they united, but with a dragon in the mix, they needed direction. It was an opportunity he barely created for himself, one that had dropped into his lap so easily that he worried it was guided by fate.
Nonetheless, they had to make his entrance favorable for the backlash to be irrelevant. The Fallen would readily accept him, of course, and he could make some headway with the devil faction himself once he got around to filling them in on the Khaos Brigade's actions. He still needed to be able to make a case for himself though, and he currently had no idea how to do it. The easiest way would be to introduce himself after the conflict that was bound to happen, but that would require the Khaos Brigade to strike early. Or perhaps for Cato himself to be delayed…
He shook his head to clear his mind. Doubts were of no use. There was no situation he couldn't handle. The worst-case scenario was that he'd have to charm the faction leaders and bide his time.
Yes, everything would work out.
He got to work on the next dagger. He carved the runes into it and infused them with the words of power, feeling as they called back to him from the cursed stone. The idea had come to him when he first began dabbling with the enchantment school of magic. The ancient word walls of Skyrim were imbued with words of power that resonated with greater power – the stories told on the walls were almost alive from the dragon magic. The Greybeards up on their mountain had showed him how to imbue such runes with their voices when they taught him his first words of power. Cato had harnessed that concept and manifested it into enchantments, allowing the power of the thu'um, the shout, to be transferred onto objects. Though the enchantments had vast power, they had the pitfall of being powered not by soul gems but by the initial infusion of the Voice into the item, thus making them more or less single use regardless of what shout was used. For a resurrection and binding spell, a single use was enough.
His hand trembled slightly as he held up the finished dagger. The Cursed Alduin had once used this very same resurrection spell to reignite the age of the dragons. Cato would use it to end the dragon menace for good.
Ddraig will die.
A curious naming coincidence. I wonder how that happened.
I edited the prologue slightly – nothing consequential, just a few errors and inconsistencies I noticed when I looked through it.
I feel like this chapter took me forever to write. Oh, it did?
Bonus scene "Drinking buddies II" (not exactly canon)
"Wait, wait. Wait!"
The world spun a little as Cato steadied himself in reaction to Azazel's outburst.
"Wait."
"You got somethings to day?"
"What?"
"Say."
Azazel shook his head. "What was it we were about to do?"
Cato straightened his back and flexed his biceps, showing off his powerful physique. "Wrestle!"
Azazel shook his head and waved his arms wildly, then stopped shaking his head as he looked a little queasy, burping loudly before finally speaking. "Stop posing. You know I hate that."
"Then get on the floor and get down for a tumble."
"That sounds all kinds of wrong. I'm not into the whole bear thing. Oh, right, wrestling. With clothes on, right?"
Cato pulled on his T-shirt, considering how best to respond. "You prefer without?"
"I just, you know, wanted to make sure that, you know…"
Cato pulled off his shirt, his skin glistening a sexy sheen thanks to the warmth and humidity of summer. His muscles danced and rippled as he stretched his arms and neck. Azazel just gaped at him. "All right, come at me bird-boy!"
"Your pants…?"
"What?"
"It's just, you're still wearing them."
"Of course. Now come at me, let's fight."
"Oh fight! I get it."
"What do you mean 'you get it'?" Cato said, starting to feel the thirst for another glass. "What is there to 'get'?"
"Oh, it's just," Azazel started, an expression so smug that Cato almost smothered him then and there. "If it's a fight you want, it's not like you'd stand much of a chance, you see."
"Oh, are you something of a martial artist yourself?"
Azazel's eyebrow ticked. "Don't you dare say it."
"Because I consider myself…"
Azazel conjured a spear of light and smashed it into Cato's kneecap.
"Ah. Fuck. I can't believe you've done this."
"No more goddamned mentions of your supposed karate skills, you hear me?"
