Without the malevolence choking the air, it was easy to tell what was and wasn't a hellion; some attacked, others hid, but all of them were sorely weakened without the malevolent domain keeping them corrupted. It took the rest of the day to clean up the entire town, but not long after nightfall, the team was confident that they had quelled everything in Lastonbell.

Exhausted but satisfied, they headed to the inn for the night, paying for two rooms and a hot meal. Just like in Marlind, the innkeeper wanted to let them stay and eat free of charge, but Eizen insisted. Then, over dinner, one of the staff members came by and spoke.

"Pardon me, good Shepherd, but…I wanted to let you know that we've gotten the sauna operational again," she said with a slight bow. "Please, feel free to relax there as long as you wish, no extra charge."

"A sauna?!" The words came from both Eizen and Sadie at the same time; Eizen looked confused, while Sadie looked eager.

"What's a sauna?" Eizen asked as the staff girl hurried away.

Sadie rolled her eyes and muttered a grumble of disgust, and Edna took the time to answer Eizen's question. "It's basically a really hot room full of steam," she explained; "you get undressed, go in, and sweat a bunch. I'm glad to hear they managed to get it up and running again - I could use a break, and the heat is so relaxing."

"I've always wanted to try a sauna," Sadie remarked brightly. "My father used to teach me that sweating is how the muscles purge themselves of toxins, leaving the body refreshed and strong."

"Hey, my father taught me that too!" Eizen exclaimed. "Let's all go!"

"We can't all go," Edna told him sharply.

"Huh?" Eizen asked. "Why not?"

"Because someone needs to act as Zaveid's chaperone and keep him as far away from the girls' sauna as possible," Edna replied flatly.

"Oh come on, babe!" Zaveid exclaimed. "You can't keep holding that over my head!"

"I can and I do," Edna said simply. "You can't be trusted, and we don't have a fire seraph to keep you under control." Knowing the humans would need it more than her, she sighed heavily. "I'll keep an eye on him," she grumbled. "You and Sadie go enjoy the sauna, baby brother."

"Uh…" Eizen's golden eyes flickered with something between desperation and confusion as he tried not to understand what Edna was implying. "Thanks, big sis," he managed at last. "I, uh…I appreciate it. We both do."

Even if one of you doesn't really understand why, Edna thought, glancing at Sadie, who was wolfing down her food without any regard for what was going on, clearly eager to be done.

After dinner, Eizen and Sadie headed for the sauna, and Edna kept her umbrella pointed menacingly at Zaveid so he wouldn't go after them.

"You know, you're my Sub Lord, Edna," Zaveid remarked. "If I really wanted you to get out of my way, I could make you."

"Then why don't you?" Edna asked dully.

"Because, believe it or not, I am actually capable of some amount of restraint." Zaveid stretched and groaned before sitting down on a chair in the hall and leaning back, his hands behind his head. "I really wish you'd at least let this go. A nice hot sauna would be great right now, for both of us, after everything we've done today, and I can keep my winds to myself - I got most of it out of my system at Cellie's birthday party anyway."

"Maybe, but without a fire seraph, I'm not about to take your word for - wait." Edna felt her stomach turn as her brain finished processing what he had just said in a casual, offhanded way, almost as an afterthought. "You did what at Cellie's birthday party?" she demanded of him, her eyes widening furiously.

Zaveid chuckled. "I think a better question is 'who'," he smirked.

Every inch of Edna's body flashed hot and cold, ice in her seraphic veins as her skin flushed in horrified shock. "You're…you're not serious," she managed. "You can't be serious. You didn't actually…"

"Aw, c'mon, half the kingdom was there!" Zaveid said, still grinning. "All those pretty ladies in one place, most of 'em drunk, plenty of 'em desperate for attention…now there's a recipe for a good time if I ever heard one. How's a guy like me supposed to resist?"

That nauseating, self-satisfied smirk told Edna that he really was serious, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. "I'm gonna be sick," she choked through her fingers.

"Sheesh, relax, would ya?" Zaveid asked, as though there was nothing at all wrong with what he was saying. "If it helps, I didn't make any moves until after you turned me down."

"I - you - that could not be further from the point!" Edna shouted at him, unable to keep her voice down. "That was our home, Zaveid! Our family's home!"

"What, does the whole eastern forest belong to the family?" Zaveid retorted. "'Cuz I always took it pretty far out into the woods before things got messy-"

"Always?!" Edna yelped. "As in more than once?!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He grinned again, and Edna genuinely felt her gorge rise. "Yeah, it was quite a night…If you want exact numbers, I didn't keep count, sorry."

"I cannot believe you," Edna said, struggling to deaden her tone. "I cannot believe you!"

"Are you really that surprised?" he chuckled. "What else would you expect of me?"

"I thought that maybe, maybe, just maybe, you might have had even the tiniest shred of decency!" Edna snapped. "I can't believe you would…that you would do that, at a ten-year-old's birthday party, at our Cellie's tenth birthday party!"

"Again, I always took it somewhere private, it's not like any of the kids woulda seen me," Zaveid dismissed. "Besides, a party is a party, and what's the point of going to a party if you don't have a little fun?"

"There are other ways to have fun in life," Edna snarled.

"Yeah…not as much, though," he shrugged, still grinning.

Words completely failed Edna, and she stabbed him, not hard enough to make a scene just in case anyone was around, but hard enough to hurt.

"Ow!" he yelped. "The hell was that for?"

"How can you even ask that?!" she raged, barely managing not to scream.

"I honestly don't see what the problem here is," he shrugged, leaning back again. "I had fun, they had fun, at least a dozen women get to tell all their friends about how they got with a real live seraph, and since I got it all out of my system, I can focus on being the Prime Lord for the foreseeable future. Where's the downside?"

"You-!" Edna shook her head furiously, desperately trying to find some way to express her disgust. "You took advantage of some drunk women at a ten-year-old's birthday party, and you really have to ask what's wrong with that?!"

"Took advantage?" Zaveid repeated, raising an eyebrow at her. "What kind of man do you think I am, exactly? I didn't do anything they didn't want me to do, you know me better than that, at least."

"I don't know what to think about what you would or wouldn't do anymore!" Edna snapped. "How do you even know if you did or not?"

"Because I asked," he answered simply. "I always gotta ask. You weren't the only one who turned me down that night, you know, but if a lady says no, I walk away, simple as that."

"That is still not the point here!" Edna groaned. "Even if you didn't do anything criminal by human standards, it should be criminal to go to the birthday party of a ten-year-old girl who calls you family, the daughter of a couple who took you in for no real reason, and then use that child's party to…to do that! Do you not understand this?"

"Nope," he replied, "I guess not."

"You're disgusting," Edna growled. "I can't believe I ever cared about you. You know it's probably your fault Niko turned, right?"

All at once, the smug amusement was wiped away from Zaveid's face, his smile dropping as he sat up abruptly, as though she had administered the slap she so desperately wanted to give him. "What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at her.

"Lust is a form of malevolence, you idiot," Edna hissed. "Niko's resolve was too pure for her to turn on her own, something corrupted her from the outside, and you were probably spreading malevolence all over that party!"

Zaveid paled. "You…You don't really think…?" he rasped.

"It's the best explanation I've been able to come up with so far," Edna shrugged. At the back of her mind, a tiny voice tried to speak up in protest, but she was too furious to listen. "Something changed at that party, and I can't think of anything else. And I've wondered."

"But…" He shook his head, his gaze turning to the floor in front him. "But then…why did she turn a few hours after I left? That doesn't make any sense…And…and seraphim don't produce that much malevolence no matter what we do, I can't have caused enough to turn Niko into something that could kill Sorey and control dragons…"

"It's not a perfect explanation, I'll admit," Edna conceded, "but I can't think of a better one. Plus, it would explain what Pighead was talking about earlier, with the choice you made and all that."

His eyes went wide. "No," he whispered. "No, he…he said the choice I made a long time ago…Cellie's party wasn't that long ago…" With a soft moan, he buried his face in his hands. "It can't be my fault…I was just…I was just having fun…That can't be what he meant…"

"What else could he have been talking about?" Edna asked sarcastically.

When Zaveid lifted his head to look at her, his orange eyes were surprisingly haunted. "You really think this is the worst thing I've ever done?" he asked, and he gave a completely mirthless chuckle. "Oh, Edna…Please, stay that naïve, okay?"

"What could possibly be worse?" Edna asked, surprised.

"Let's just say there are some things I don't like to dwell on," was the only answer he gave her. All sorts of horrible possibilities started flashing through Edna's mind, and he gave her a knowing look. "No, not what you're thinking, trust me. I've never done anything criminal - not by human standards, not by any standards…but there are things too horrible to be considered a crime, you know. Sins so terrible that just committing them is its own punishment, and would render all other punishments utterly pointless." He sighed. "Beats the hell out of me how the headless snake-pig would know about the one I'm thinking of, but…I mean, everything is in the Earthen Historia somewhere, maybe there's an iris gem floating around that told him or Niko the whole, sorry tale." He shook his head again and looked away. "Niko…" he muttered. "Niko can't be my fault…it can't be my fault…"

Reminded of why they were even having this conversation, Edna felt her fury rise again, and she reached to where the little normin plushie dangled from her umbrella and squeezed it, over and over, until her thoughts started to settle. "Even if that wasn't what General Donovan was talking about," she said at last, "that doesn't mean it's not what happened. Do you know of any other reason why she might have turned?"

"…No," he admitted, his expression pained. "But it…it doesn't make sense…"

"Nothing else does, either," Edna pointed out. "And even if it's not your fault, you're still disgusting. You know that, right? You are vile, and depraved, and repulsive in every way."

"Yeah," he mumbled, "I know. I'm many things, Edna, but I ain't stupid. I know what I am…" His voice dropped to the faintest whisper as he added, "I know who I am."

"You know who you are…" General Donovan's words echoed in Edna's head, and she felt a prickle of foreboding that was quickly swept away by her anger and disgust. She shook her head. "And you don't even feel a little inclined to change, do you?" she grumbled. "Seriously, how can someone like you be a Prime Lord?"

"I ask myself that every day," he sighed. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's something any seraph can do if they're willing, and I was the only one who volunteered. Any port in a storm, as they say."

But Maotelus said you were receptive, as if it's not just something any seraph can do, Edna thought, but she didn't bother saying it out loud, knowing he wouldn't be able to respond due to his oath. Whatever. Maotelus made it seem like only fire seraphim could be Prime Lords for a long time because he was worried about how humans would take the implications, maybe this is just more of that.

Footsteps caught their attention, and Edna turned to see Sadie making her way towards their rooms.

"Oh, you're done already?" Edna asked her.

"Yes," Sadie nodded. "I…I'm not exactly sure what one is supposed to do in a sauna to pass the time, and just sitting there in the heat was very uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" Edna repeated. "Weirdo…"

Sadie flushed. "I…I'm sorry, Lady Edna," she mumbled. "Please forgive me."

"For what?"

"For…for saying something you wouldn't agree with," Sadie replied hesitantly.

Edna rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm gonna go join Eizen in the men's side, if that's alright with my chaperone," Zaveid said, standing up and glaring at Edna.

"Sadie, were there any other girls in the sauna with you?" Edna asked the Squire.

"Uh…no," she replied; "it was just me."

"Go," she told Zaveid.

He tipped his hat and walked away without another word. Edna could see the knots in his exposed shoulders, left over from the implications of their conversation, and she couldn't help feeling smug that he wasn't so self-satisfied about his gross behavior anymore.

"Pardon me, Lady Edna, but…is everything all right?" Sadie questioned timidly. "I feel as though I've walked in on something…"

"No, we were done talking," Edna replied. "I'm tired; I'm going to bed."

"Y-Yes, me too," Sadie agreed with another little bow. "We've been quite busy today."

"Indeed," Edna concurred, unlocking the room she and Sadie were to share and stepping inside. "We accomplished a lot. We've earned a break."

They settled down, cleaning up and getting in their beds, while Edna's rage slowly burned itself out. The fact that she had been so desperate to help Zaveid just a couple of days earlier felt like a bad joke. He deserves to be as miserable as he is. This whole thing is probably his fault.

But as she drifted off, some distant corner of her mind pushed through the wall she tried to shut it out with and reminded her of her conversation with Niko at Cellie's party. It could be your fault just as easily, said her conscience; if your ploy shook her resolve a little, it might have made her impure enough to turn. It's not fair to put all the blame on Zaveid.

Too angry to accept this, Edna shoved the thought aside and went to sleep.

~o~

In the morning, when the boys and the girls met back up, Zaveid and Edna exchanged one single look in agreement: Eizen didn't need to know. He had enough going on, after all, and Edna trotted over to her Shepherd.

"How are you feeling, baby brother?" she asked him, remembering his ordeal from the previous day.

"I…" Eizen sighed. "I'm fine, Edna. I'll be fine. I have to…"

"Are you still conflicted over killing that monster?" Sadie demanded.

Eizen looked up, startled. "Well, I mean I-"

"Maybe purified hellions don't have to die, but he refused to be saved," Sadie spat. "You shouldn't feel any remorse for him. Or does he just remind you too much of your own parents?"

"Calm down there, babe," Zaveid told Sadie. "We all did what we had to, but that doesn't make taking a life easy. You'd be surprised, if it had had to be you."

"I…am not so sure of that, Lord Zaveid," Sadie said primly.

"In any case, our work here is done," Edna stated. "Let's get going; we have a lot of ground to cover."

"To Pendrago, then," Eizen nodded. "Let's hope things aren't as bad there as they were here…Actually, let's stock up on supplies while we're in town first, just in case."

"Yes," Sadie agreed, "and let's be sure we're more prepared in case we have to camp outside again."

"Right," Eizen said, and Edna and Zaveid took their places within their vessel as the humans left the inn.

Hey, Edna?

The question, shielded from the Shepherd and Squire, startled Edna. What? she growled in response, though she isolated her own voice likewise.

So…we agree, then? Zaveid asked her, almost nervously. That Eizen doesn't need to know? You won't…tell him?

Yeah, dummy, we agree, Edna grumbled. Whether it's your fault or not, we can't do anything about it now, and knowing the possibility would just make everything harder for him. Why would I burden him like that?

Thank you, Zaveid breathed, as though this had been weighing on him all night.

You know, if you actually feel even a little remorse for what you know you did do-

I don't, he told her. Not unless it really did make Niko turn, and even then…well…come on, how could I possibly have seen that coming? I'm still a seraph, we don't produce that much malevolence. I'm not convinced it even could be my fault. He sighed, then added, But I am still going to do my best to clean up this mess, whether I made it or not. I'm the Prime Lord now.

Yes, you are, Edna muttered, gods help us all.

Look, I'm not perfect, but this is my responsibility and I'm not gonna let anyone down, Zaveid said firmly. That's enough, ain't it?

It'll have to be, she admitted begrudgingly.

Shutting out Zaveid's whining, Edna expanded her awareness to look around outside her vessel. Eizen was buying supplies, and it was a struggle for him to pay the shopkeepers, all of whom recognized him as the Shepherd. Both humans were stopped regularly wherever they went by people eager to offer their gratitude, and though he tried to insist that it was nothing, that it was his duty, Edna could feel the way her baby brother's heart swelled at the attention. For the first time, no one was treating him like hellion-spawn - and sure, they didn't know his parents had been hellions, but they did know that the Lord of Calamity was his sister, and not one person seemed to hold any judgment for it.

When the shopping was done and it was time to move on at last, getting out of town was slow going, as every five steps was interrupted by another grateful citizen. As ridiculous as it was getting, though, Edna just sat back and let Eizen enjoy the praise. He did well, and it's about time people started treating him like it.

At long last, they reached the gates, where two soldiers stood guard. Edna emerged, and Zaveid followed suit; though they'd purified everyone, the sight of guards was still enough to set everyone on edge.

"May we pass?" Eizen asked when neither soldier made any move to stop him.

"Of course, noble Shepherd," the man he'd addressed replied.

"Any idea what's going on in Pendrago?" Zaveid asked.

"No," the soldier replied, "but if they too have fallen, we won't let them take back Lastonbell."

"We're counting on you, and Sindra," Eizen told him as the doors opened.

"We won't let you down, noble Shepherd," the soldier responded, and the group crossed the threshold into the vast meadow beyond.

Unsurprisingly, there were hellions outside, a fair few of them, though not quite as many as Edna had expected given the recent state of the town itself. After quelling a few batches, they were granted some breathing room, and Eizen took a moment to observe the scene that stretched before them.

"What are those leaning towers for?" he asked.

Not sure, Edna replied. Sorey or Mikleo would probably know, but they're both gone.

"Lord Mikleo isn't dead," Sadie pointed out.

He might as well be, Zaveid told her. Dragons can't be saved. Believe me, I've tried…Edna's older brother was my best friend for a long time, and I had to kill him after he turned. That's just how it is with us.

"But we saved Lady Sindra…"

She hadn't fully manifested as a dragon, Edna explained. We go through several stages of corruption, and we can still be purified along the way, but once we become fully-fledged dragons, the power of purification can't save us. Mikleo's worse than dead, and there's nothing we can do but set his soul free.

Edna and I have already mourned him, and the old Prime Lord too, Zaveid added. You'd best get it out of the way yourselves, both of you. Mikleo and Lailah are gone.

Somber silence stretched between them for a minute, interrupted only by a few more hellions that tried to assault them. Edna debated lashing out at Zaveid for invoking her brother's name, but it wouldn't accomplish anything, so she restrained herself.

"So…these towers," Eizen said at last.

No idea, Edna said. They're a lot sturdier than they look, though, I can tell you that; you don't have to worry about them falling over on us.

"Okay, that's good to know," Eizen said.

Edna smiled to herself. For all his curiosity, Eizen had never been a ruin nut like Sorey; he was a more practical sort of person, and she was grateful for that.

Together, they crossed the plains, hellions swarming them from all sides and quelled as they approached. The four only got a few cuts and bruises from the fights, but with a full stock of apple gels in their supply, nothing worrisome came of it.

Then, as they left the field of leaning towers behind, the hordes thinned.

You feel that? Zaveid asked Edna.

Yeah, she replied. We're outside Sindra's domain, but-

Suddenly, a line of arrows buried themselves in front of Eizen and Sadie, both of whom leapt back in shock.

"Come no further!" shouted a voice, and Edna and Zaveid emerged to manifest fully. "We will defend the capital with our lives, monsters!"

"Take it easy," Zaveid said in a placating tone, stepping in front of the humans and holding up his hands. "We're not here to cause any trouble. This here is the Shepherd, Eizen; I'm his Prime Lord. Lastonbell has been purified. We're not your enemies."

No response came.

"Come on out," Zaveid went on, his tone still gentle. "Let's talk about this. General Donovan is dead, you don't have to worry anymore."

Slowly, from behind some hills and bushes, a contingent of Rolance soldiers emerged, red and silver against the green grass, their helmets covering their faces, all with bows nocked and drawn. One of them, whose armor looked oddly familiar to Edna, stepped ahead of the rest.

"You say Donovan is dead?" barked the leader.

"Sure is," Zaveid replied. "The good Shepherd here killed him himself. Sindra has been reinstated as Lord of the Land, and the citizens have all been quelled."

"Prove it!" snapped the soldier.

"We, uh…we don't really have proof," Eizen stammered.

Zaveid chuckled. "Nah, we have something," he said; "I had a feeling this might happen. Recognize anyone?"

And from within his seraphic being, Zaveid pulled out a decapitated head by its red hair and tossed it at the line of Rolance warriors.

"What the-?" Eizen exclaimed as Donovan's head thumped across the ground. "Zaveid! You were carrying that this whole time?!"

"Picked it up last night," Zaveid confirmed, "just in case we happened to come across something like this. Good thing I thought ahead, huh?"

"Gross," Edna said, biting her tongue to stop herself from adding, but points for being prepared. No way was she going to give the dirtbag credit, not even where it was due.

"Captain?" asked one of the soldiers.

The leader of the contingent had knelt down to prod at the head with his bow. "It's him," he confirmed, rising back to his feet. "They're telling the truth. At ease, men."

All the soldiers let out audible sighs of relief, putting away their bows and arrows and pulling off their helmets. Each revealed face was entirely human, and Edna knew they had been right: Pendrago had stood strong.

"Right," Zaveid said brightly. "Now that that's cleared up, mind if we get by? Even if the Lord of the Land for Pendrago hasn't fallen, I'm sure the Lord of Calamity hasn't left y'all alone."

"You are most welcome here, all of you," bowed the leader of the soldiers, his helmet under his arm to reveal brown hair, blue eyes, and a chiseled jaw. "My name is Martin, and I am the captain of the Rolance military. Donovan defected from us a month ago, ceding Lastonbell from the Empire, and we have been defending our borders ever since. We are in your debt for ending that menace."

"It was our duty," Eizen said, stepping forward. "Captain Martin, my name is Eizen, and this is my Squire, Sadie. We've come from Hyland to lend our support to the Empire as well. Do you need any further assistance from us?"

"No, thank you, good Shepherd," Martin told him with a smile. "We have managed to keep the capital safe, though the outlying settlements have suffered somewhat." He turned to his soldiers. "Men, bring news to the Emperor and the church that Lastonbell has been reclaimed! Sanji, Eugani, gather some of the guards at headquarters and prepare a team to reconnect with our neighbors."

"Yes sir!" the soldiers all responded at once, snapping smart salutes, and they disbanded.

"I am very sorry that your introduction to our nation had to be so unwelcoming," Martin told Eizen and his group. "Rest assured, your troubles with the citizens end here. Please, won't you come and visit us in the capital?"

"Thank you, Captain Martin," Eizen said, "but we have other business to attend to-"

"I think we should pay them a visit," Zaveid told Eizen. "It'll be good to assess things for ourselves, and the people will be glad to see you. Besides…" He smirked. "I think you should meet the local Lord of the Land. Don't you agree, Edna?"

Edna blinked. "Um…"

Zaveid raised his eyebrows at her, as though there was some meaning to his suggestion, and she scowled at him. "You know," he prompted. "For family, and all that?"

"Family…?" Suddenly, she understood what he was getting at, and she smiled, though she was careful not to aim the expression at Zaveid. "Yes, of course," she agreed. "Absolutely, Eizen should definitely meet her."

"Who?" Eizen asked. "What's going on?"

"You'll see, baby brother," Edna chuckled. "Come on, let's go." And she and Zaveid retreated to rest within him.

Questions burned in Captain Martin's eyes, but he apparently decided not to question the words of the seraphim, and gave a slight bow. "If you will follow me, noble Shepherd and Squire," he said formally.

"Are there hellions around here that we need to quell?" Eizen asked, falling into step behind the captain.

"Hellions are everywhere," Martin replied; "if you try to quell them all, you'll be busy for weeks, if not years. We've managed to keep our citizens safe, and that's all we can ask for at this point."

I like this guy, Zaveid remarked.

Why? Edna jabbed at him. Because he's just as lazy and nihilistic as you?

Ouch, he chuckled. That hurts, babe.

"We might not be able to quell everything," Eizen said slowly, "but if there are any giving you a hard time, at least…or any who attack us on the way…"

"There haven't been any of real concern, besides the Lord of Calamity herself," Martin told him. "But if we find any on the way, I will of course stand back and let you purify them, gratefully so. We've lost seven men to hellion fights already."

Edna felt Eizen grit his teeth. Before he could lament his sister's doings, she told him, That's actually a remarkably low number, considering how much malevolence Niko has been spreading. Remember, baby brother, she doesn't want anyone to die.

That's not the point, Eizen thought at her, not hiding his words from Zaveid. Chaos is her main goal, and people are going to die because of it…but she wants none of it to matter. I have to stop her, Edna.

Take it easy, Zaveid piped up. We'll stop her, kiddo, don't you worry. Let's just focus on doing what we can when we can do it.

"How are things in the Kingdom of Hyland?" Martin asked, interrupting the internal conversation he wasn't aware of. "Messages from so far beyond Lastonbell have been very few and far between…"

"Hyland is safe," Eizen assured him. "Maotelus has cast a domain around our capital, Ladylake, to prevent the Lord of Calamity from getting in, so that there's a refuge safe from her rampage. Aside from that, there isn't much news."

"Apart from the rise of the new Shepherd," Sadie added.

"Oh, right!" Eizen said quickly. "Niko killed the Shepherd of legend, Sorey, and the former Prime Lord was turned into a dragon who now serves her - I'm sure you've seen those two dragons she commands? They used to be Sorey's Prime Lord and Sub Lord, Lailah and Mikleo. Zaveid took the mantle of Prime Lord in Lailah's place, and, well, I drew the Sacred Blade."

Martin slowed, then stopped, turning on the Shepherd with wary eyes. "Who is Niko?" he asked.

"Oh, uh…" Edna felt the depth of Eizen's grimace.

Just tell him, baby brother, she advised. You might as well.

"The Lord of Calamity…is a girl named Niko," Eizen explained hesitantly. "Niko Rangetsu-Crowe. She's…my sister."

The Rolance captain's blue eyes widened in alarm.

"But I'm not like her!" Eizen added quickly, before Martin could say anything. "My sister has always been unstable, I took the mantle of Shepherd so that no one else would have to suffer for her madness. I want nothing more than to stop her, I swear!"

"We quelled Lastonbell, didn't we?" Zaveid pointed out, emerging to support his human nephew. "We're not here to help dragon-girl have her way, we're here to take her down. If you're even half as grateful as you say you are, the least you can do is give us the benefit of the doubt."

What doubt? Edna asked pointedly, though she kept to her place in Eizen's chest.

"Our Shepherd comes from a family of hellions," Sadie spat, stepping forward. "His parents were sustained through malevolence alone for many centuries; his mother was the Lord of Calamity long, long ago. I don't trust him any more than you do, Captain Martin - that's why I insisted on being made a Squire. My father is a knight of the Kingdom of Hyland, and my mother works devoutly at the Sanctuary to worship our Lord of the Land and the Great Lord Maotelus. I myself am engaged to Sir Leybon, a nobleman of Hyland, fiftieth in line for the throne. Do not trust our Shepherd, but at least trust me; I won't let him destroy the world we've all worked so hard to protect."

Absolute silence met this rant; Edna didn't know what to say, and she had a feeling Eizen and Zaveid were equally dumbstruck. Sadie's brown eyes blazed with passion laced with something akin to hatred as she met the gaze of the Rolance captain, who looked back at her with no expression, his face chiseled from stone. A minute passed, then another; a breeze ruffled Eizen's cloak and Zaveid's hair, but besides that, all was still.

"You did quell Lastonbell," Martin said at last, bowing his head, not to Sadie, but to all three of them. "This is a strange time we live in, and it is not my place to question the will of the Great Lords. If you drew the Sacred Blade, Shepherd Eizen, then I will trust you despite your family. And I will also trust you, Squire Sadie. If our world is in your hands, there is not much else I can do."

"Thank you," Eizen told him, though Edna couldn't quite piece together what emotion there might be behind the sentiment, even from within.

You know why she came with us, Edna remarked to him privately. Were you expecting her to say anything else?

I was…starting to hope that maybe she was getting it, Eizen admitted. I guess I was wrong.

Without any further discussion, the humans started walking again, and Zaveid returned to his spot within his vessel. For Edna, the walk wasn't a peaceful one, even when they weren't facing the occasional hellion that attacked them, for whom Captain Martin stood back and led the Shepherd and his crew purify the creatures. All the joy that had filled her baby brother on the way out of Lastonbell had drained away, leaving nothing but empty confusion. Finally, Edna stopped taking refuge within him and opted instead to walk on her own - better than marinating in his unhappiness. Before long, Zaveid had joined her.

Grasslands gave way to fields of wheat, left untended as hellions hid among the golden stalks. Eizen didn't even ask, he just started plowing through the crops in search of hellions to quell, and Edna didn't question him. Doing good in the world was the only way he knew how to cope with the sting of Sadie's judgment, and for a Shepherd, that wasn't a bad thing. Then, at last, they approached the gates of Pendrago, and Eizen breathed a gasp of astonishment, having apparently only just noticed what they were walking up to.

"Do you need your eyes checked, Eizen?" Edna asked him. "First the holy tree in Marlind, now the capital of the Rolance Empire…it's like you can't see big things."

"I'm just not used to…to anything of such size," Eizen told her. "How big is this place, exactly?"

"Big," Zaveid answered. "It's the biggest settlement on the continent…might be the oldest, too."

"It's older than Maotelus, at least," Edna concurred. "Maybe even older than me. In any case, let's meet up with the Lord of the Land already, so we can get going."

"If you will all follow me, then," Martin said, knocking on the massive gates. After an exchange with a soldier, the doors opened, revealing the massive city that was the capital of the Rolance Empire.

"Whoa," Eizen breathed; Edna glanced over and saw his golden eyes wide with awe.

She rolled her eyes; it wasn't that special. Visible from the gate was only the courtyard, surprisingly empty of foot traffic for the great city. "You might as well give us the grand tour while we're here," she told Martin; "Zaveid and I know our way around, but I'm sure Eizen and Sadie could use the guidance."

"Of course, Lady Seraph," Martin bowed, and he strode forward, talking to the Shepherd and his Squire as they followed him.

While the humans explored the city, Edna and Zaveid returned to rest within their vessel; he was distracted enough that being inside him wasn't uncomfortable anymore. Martin showed Eizen and Sadie the marketplace first, where they refilled their apple gel stocks and bought their first supply of peach gels; after that, he showed them the inn, took them around the long way so they could see where people gathered to be addressed by government officials, then pointed out the headquarters of the Rolance military. When they reached the soldiers' station, Zaveid emerged.

"Why don't you go on ahead, there, Captain?" he suggested. "Edna and I can get the Shepherd and his Squire where they need to go from here, and you probably have a lot of stuff to tend to."

"It's no issue," Martin began.

"No, no, you go and take care of all your captainly duties," Zaveid insisted, waving a hand. "We've got this."

From within Eizen, Edna eyed Zaveid. What is he up to? she wondered, not trusting the bastard for a moment. He really wants him gone for some reason…

"I-If you insist, Lord Seraph," Martin conceded, bowing. He turned to Eizen and added, "We of the Rolance Empire are forever in your debt, noble Shepherd; should you ever want for anything, please let me know, and I will do everything in my power to secure it for you."

"Thank you, Captain Martin," Eizen told him, giving a half-bow in return. "You owe us no debt; it was our honor to help you and your nation. I don't expect there to be anything you could do for us that we would need more than your people do. Please, just take care of the citizens, and hold out against the Lord of Calamity while we gather the strength we need to stop her."

"You have my word, no one will be allowed to entertain ideas of joining the Lord of Calamity," Martin declared. "I wish you well." With that, he strode for the door to the soldiers' headquarters and entered.

"Right," Zaveid said, stretching. "As you saw earlier, the Sanctuary's this way. If you'll follow me, your Shepherdness."

Unable to take it anymore, Edna emerged. "What are you up to?" she demanded as they continued through the city.

"Who, me?" Zaveid asked with what was probably supposed to be an air of innocence. "Nothing at all. Just figured it would be easier for all of us to reminisce without a fifth wheel getting in the way and asking questions."

"Whatever," Edna muttered, though she didn't return to her spot in Eizen's chest, opting instead to walk beside the humans in case she had to keep Zaveid in line.

Around a few corners, they came to a grand, massive staircase leading up to a building on a high hill.

"This is the Sanctuary?" Eizen asked, looking up at the ancient building.

"Yep," Zaveid replied, "this is it, the Pendrago Shrinechurch. It also just so happens to be the very place your mother had to break into through the sewers to assassinate a corrupt high priest. You remember that story, right?"

"Wow," Eizen breathed, his eyes wide and distant. It wasn't the starry-eyed look Sorey used to get around old ruins; instead, it almost seemed like he was seeing what his parents had seen here in this city so many centuries ago, imagining how they felt on their covert mission for the underworld guild of the time, or when they'd seen Shepherd Artorius cheered on by crowds of people who knew nothing of what the ancient exorcist had done to achieve his goals. His reverence wasn't for something that was simply ancient, but clearly for the origins of what had ultimately led to his birth - not just the past, but his past, the legacy of his bloodline.

"Come on," Edna said, prodding Eizen in the arm with her umbrella, "let's go in. The Lord of the Land will be happy to meet you, I'm sure."

"That she will," Zaveid chuckled as he started walking up the stairs.

Sadie and Eizen followed, and Edna brought up the rear.

Inside the ancient building, it was cool and peaceful - there were people here, a fair number of them, but only a few hushed whispers disturbed the silence. As they made their way through the church, some people glanced at them curiously, but no one stopped them until Zaveid made for the doors around the side of the altar that would lead to the back rooms.

"Hold it!" exclaimed a priest, who came running forward to block, not Zaveid, but Eizen and Sadie. "Common folk aren't allowed back there."

"Back off, preacher-man," Zaveid told the priest lightheartedly, turning around with a grin. "These aren't common folk; this here's the Shepherd and his Squire. Me, I'm the Prime Lord, and Edna here is my Sub Lord. We can head to the back room, can't we?"

"The Shepherd?" the man gasped. "We…we heard news, mere moments ago, but…"

"Well, the news is true," Zaveid said. "Now, we'd like to meet with the Lord of the Land. Is that alright?"

"O-Of course!" the priest said with a bow. "By all means."

"Thanking you kindly," Zaveid smirked, and he turned and opened the small door, leading the other three through.

Down a hall, around a corner, and through another door, they found themselves in a second chamber, this one entirely empty of people. In the back stood a tall, ornate monolith covered in cryptic writing, at the base of which sat a fat, white cat with a yellow handkerchief around its neck, a yellow diamond shape on its forehead, and jet-black eyebrows.

"Morgrim!" Zaveid said brightly, walking up to the cat. "How are ya? It's been a while!"

"A long time indeed, wind hunter," said the voice of an elderly woman with no immediately apparent source. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine, milady," Zaveid chuckled, tipping his hat.

"Seriously?" Edna glowered at him, walking over.

"Hey, I gotta show a lady respect," Zaveid shrugged, "no matter what form she takes."

"Wait a minute!"

Sadie's surprised exclamation drew everyone's attention. Her dark brown eyes were wide as she stared at the cat.

"This cat is…?" she gasped.

"Sadie, meet Morgrim," Zaveid declared, waving a hand at the cat, "the local Lord of the Land. Don't let her appearance fool ya - she's much older and wiser than me."

"We don't all take humanoid forms," Edna told the Squire. "Some of us are shaped like animals instead. Besides Morgrim, I've seen a dog seraph, there's a rappig seraph guarding the Heavenly Gate, and Lailah used to talk all the time about an armadillo seraph she always wanted to meet. But even those of us who take the form of animals are still people."

"Morgrim…"

Edna glanced at Eizen, who was staring at the cat seraph in awe. She smirked. "Putting the pieces together, baby brother?" she asked.

Morgrim's eyes were fixed on Zaveid now, sharp and pensive. "So," she said at last, though her mouth didn't move, "you are the Prime Lord. I would never have expected this, yet you seem to be doing your duty well."

"Well, thank you!" Zaveid grinned. "I appreciate it!"

"But this means, then, that what I suspected was true," Morgrim went on, her tone sad. "The dragons who now serve the Lord of Calamity…"

"Yep, one of 'em's Lailah," Zaveid confirmed, his smile fading. "The white-horned one, to be exact; the other is Mikleo, Shepherd Sorey's Sub Lord and lover. Sorey himself is dead."

"I see," Morgrim sighed, and she turned her attention to Eizen. "But I can also see that a new Shepherd has risen, and not a moment too soon. Good of you to have come here."

Eizen was still staring at her, apparently beyond words.

"You have an odd air about you, young Shepherd," Morgrim noted slowly.

Edna poked Eizen in the arm with her umbrella, and he started.

"Guardian seraph Morgrim," he blurted, clasping a hand over his heart and stepping forward. "I…My name is Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe. You knew my parents a long time ago."

Morgrim blinked, her ears flattening against her head. "Rangetsu…?" she repeated.

"Yes," Eizen nodded. "My father is Rokurou Rangetsu…and you were once the allied seraph - malak, back then - to his brother, Shigure."

"Is that so?" Her white head tilted, and then she stood up, arching her back in a stretch before flattening to stretch her front legs, then her rear legs. "Come closer, then," she said, padding down from her perch; "let me take a good look at you."

Clearly nervous, Eizen knelt down as Morgrim stalked up to him, stopping only a couple of inches away and extending her head forward, her nostrils working like those of an ordinary cat. Then, slowly, she began to pace her way around him, carefully observing him from all angles, not saying a word. She came back around to his front…and then, suddenly, as she did so, she leaned against him and rubbed her head and side against his knee, again like a normal cat. Eizen gasped, then reached out and stroked the short, sleek fur on her head.

"Oh…" she whispered, her tone nostalgic and wistful. "Shigure…It's been so long, but I would know you anywhere, my dear friend…"

"I…I'm not Shigure," Eizen stammered.

"No," Morgrim said, walking around to stand in front of Eizen and face him, "but he is here. I can sense his touch on you. Wherever you go, he walks at your side, lending you his aid."

"Wait a minute," Edna spoke up, "I thought Shigure Rangetsu was used to incarnate one of the Great Lords…Musiphe, right?"

The cat spared Edna a brief glance. "The Great Lords have been incarnated by many human souls throughout the ages," she said simply; "when they fall back into their hibernation, they release the souls they have taken. Shigure has been at rest for centuries." She turned her gaze back to Eizen. "But now, he seems to have come back, to lend you his support."

"But why would he do that?" Eizen asked, clearly baffled. "Shigure and my father hated each other!"

"Rokurou was the hateful one," Morgrim dismissed, lifting her black stub of a tail. "Shigure didn't have a hateful bone in his body. He was a fine man, possibly the best human I have ever known. Unfortunately, the bloodlust of his family's ways got to him in the end; he couldn't resist a battle, a challenge, a rival. He died proud to have been felled by his own flesh and blood, and he holds no grudge. It seems he sees you as a worthy heir to his family's legacy…as a nephew to be proud of. Even from what I can see of you, you don't seem to carry any of the brutishness your family was so known for."

"Brutishness?" Eizen repeated.

Again, Morgrim tilted her head. "Are you not aware of the barbaric ways of the Rangetsu Clan?" she asked.

"Barbaric…? No," Eizen answered, his eyes wide. "My father has trained me in the Rangetsu style of combat since birth, but beyond that, I only know that our ancestor came here from the far continent thousands of years ago. Any time I try to ask him about more than that, he evades the question."

"His mother didn't want him to know," Edna spoke up. "She didn't want any of her children to have any idea what kind of messed-up family he came from. Even I don't know the whole story, and I've been living with them."

"I must say, it's hard to believe that Rokurou would settle down with such a woman," Morgrim mused. "You say I know both of your parents, son of Rokurou? Who is your mother?"

"My mother is Velvet Crowe," Eizen answered. "She was the Lord of Calamity who fought against Shepherd Artorius, with my father at her side."

"That one?!" Morgrim gasped. "But…"

She trailed off, and her eyes closed. For a long minute, no one spoke.

"Yes, of course," Morgrim said at last, opening her eyes again. "It all makes sense now. The resonance that exploded across the land nearly two decades ago…The seal has been broken, has it not? And Maotelus has consumed what remains of Innominat."

"That's right," Eizen confirmed. "My father broke the seal to free my mother."

"Did he, now?" Morgrim asked, apparently more surprised by this than by the fact that the seal had been broken at all. "How very unlike him. But perhaps the bond he shared with her ran deeper than I thought."

"I'd say," Edna muttered.

"A little while after that, they were both purified," Eizen went on, "and Maotelus used what was left of the seal to give them human bodies, so they could live human lives and have a human family together. Me and my sisters…"

"Oh, there are more of you?" Morgrim queried. "Do tell."

"Uh, well, there's me, I'm the oldest," Eizen said slowly. "I have two younger sisters. The youngest, Celica, was born with the Twelve Year Sickness, but we recently cured her with an Omega Elixir. And my other sister, Niko…" He hesitated, then confessed, "My other sister, Niko…is the Lord of Calamity who plagues the world now. The one who killed Sorey and turned Lailah and Mikleo into dragons."

Morgrim stared at Eizen with intense eyes. "You are the Shepherd," she said slowly, "and your sister is the Lord of Calamity."

It wasn't a question, but Eizen nodded. "Yes," he replied. "That was why I took the trial of the Sacred Blade. My sister has always been unstable, and ever since she learned our family's story, she's been obsessed with malevolence. This…is what she's always wanted. I don't want anyone else to have to suffer for her madness, so I took the mantle of Shepherd to stop her myself."

"Hmm…" Slowly, Morgrim turned around and climbed back up to her perch at the base of the monolith. She circled on the spot a few times before sitting down, then tucking her front legs under her, leaving her a soft, white blob. "The circle of destiny turns once more," she said softly, her eyes closed. "So it has always been, and so it will always be. This one turned much faster, however; I never thought I would live to see it. But will this cycle end as the last one did? Perhaps…just perhaps…" Her eyes opened and fixed on Zaveid. "We can only pray that it does, is that not so, Prime Lord?" she remarked.

Edna was completely baffled, but Zaveid frowned and tipped his hat. "Well, if you're suggesting what I think you are…yeah, that'd be nice," he shrugged. "But I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you."

"I think I will hope," Morgrim stated. "Despite what some might say, hope is not a waste."

"Ouch," Zaveid chuckled. "Take it easy with the low blows there, sweetie."

"In any case, Shigure wants to help you, and therefore so shall I," Morgrim said, returning her attention to the Shepherd. "Do you see this monolith behind me?"

"Yes-" Eizen began.

"We know about the trials," Edna interrupted before Morgrim could get started. "That's why we came to Rolance in the first place."

"Oh?" Morgrim asked. "You didn't come to lend us your aid?"

"Of course we did!" Eizen exclaimed. "It's just that…well, Niko's such an aggressive threat, we can't run around cleaning up all her messes as long as she's still at large. But we don't have the strength to take her down yet, so…we don't really have a choice."

"Ah, I see." Morgrim blinked once, contentedly. "You are quite right. Very well then; is there some other way I can lend you assistance?"

"Well…what element are you?" Eizen asked her, getting back to his feet at last.

"Earth," she replied.

"Oh, shoot," Eizen sighed. "We need a water seraph and a fire seraph, desperately, and none of the ones in Elysia or that we've run into during our journey has been willing to help us, they're all too scared. I was just thinking, if you were water or fire, we could use your help."

"No," Morgrim chuckled, "you couldn't use my help. If you know of my relationship with your late uncle, then you know he used my power to suppress his strength, so that fights would still hold the thrill of challenge for him. Such is my ability. I would not be of any help to you in battle."

"Well, um…what about my family?" Eizen asked. "Do you know about our history, the things my father wouldn't tell me?" He glanced at Edna, and she understood his meaning without words: We're going to talk about how you know my mom didn't want me to know later.

"I know," Morgrim said; "I am more than familiar with the barbaric ways of your ancestors. However, it is not my story to pass on; confront your father if you wish to know the whole, sorry tale."

"My father is a hellion again, serving Niko," Eizen responded.

"Oh? Well, perhaps after she's defeated, then," Morgrim said. "Again, it is not my place to tell you of your family's legacy. I will leave that to him."

"Well, then…no, I can't think of any way you could help us," Eizen sighed.

"Hmm…" Morgrim closed her eyes again, and spent a long moment in pensive silence. Then she roused and met Eizen's eyes. "I will tell you what," she said; "go now and take the trials of Hyanoa and Eumacia. While you do that, I will make some inquiries around here. Once both trials have been completed, return to me, and I should be able to point you in the direction of at least one seraph who can help you."

"Wow, really?" Eizen asked.

"Indeed," Morgrim nodded.

"You have someone in mind?" Zaveid questioned.

"Perhaps," Morgrim replied patiently. "As of now, I know only of some vague rumors. But by the time you return, I should know enough to point you in the right direction. It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Guardian seraph Morgrim, if you can help us find even one fire seraph or water seraph who would join us, we will be eternally grateful," Eizen stated, bowing to her. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, son of Rokurou," Morgrim said; "in fact, I should be thanking you, that I got to feel the presence of my dear Shigure one last time. Now go. You have much to do, young Shepherd."

"Of course," Eizen said, bowing again.

"Oh, and…"

Eizen stopped mid-turn, but Edna noticed that Morgrim's eyes were on Sadie now.

"Young Squire," the cat seraph said softly. "A word, if you please?"

"Oh, yes!" Sadie gasped. "As you wish, Lady Morgrim!"

"You too carry a burden," Morgrim told her slowly. "This world…is a strange, mysterious place, that no one truly understands; to believe that you have all the answers is to be wrong, no matter who or what you are. So…do not be afraid to ask questions, even the ones that frighten you, and do not be afraid to doubt what you think you know. This is my advice to you."

"T-Thank you, Lady Morgrim," Sadie stammered, bowing almost deeply enough to hide her blush. "I am honored to receive advice from you, and I will take your words to heart."

"See that you do," the Lord of the Land said.

Tense silence stretched across the room for a minute. Edna was the first to start walking for the door, and Zaveid followed her, joined shortly thereafter by the humans. Then, suddenly, Eizen's footsteps stopped.

"Hey, Morgrim?"

Edna turned back around to see Eizen looking at the Lord of the Land.

"Yes?" asked the cat.

"You said Shigure is by my side, lending me his strength," Eizen said slowly. "Are there…I mean, do you sense any other presences walking with me, besides him?"

"Oh, so you've noticed!" Morgrim remarked. "Most impressive. Yes…you carry the blessings of many departed souls with you, their hopes and dreams riding on your shoulders. Some are faintly familiar to me, while others are entirely foreign, but I cannot be sure of the identities of any of them save for Shigure."

"I see," Eizen nodded. "Thank you, Morgrim."

"Be well on your way, noble Shepherd," she responded.

With that, at last, they walked away.

"What was that about?" Edna asked as they walked down the hall to the main chamber of the Shrinechurch. "What does she mean, there are other souls with you?"

"When I drew the Sacred Blade," Eizen said slowly, "I felt…other presences with me. Thirteen other people's hands were clasped around my own, lending me their strength as I pulled the sword from the altar. I…guess Shigure was one of them."

"Huh," Zaveid mused. "Well, I guess that explains that."

Edna stopped short, and Eizen followed suit. "What are you talking about?" she asked Zaveid, tossing him a sharp glare.

Zaveid gave a sheepish smile. "I kinda…tried to prevent Eizen from drawing the Sacred Blade," he admitted. "It ain't all up to me, but I do have some say. I was wondering how he managed to overpower me."

"Uncle Zaveid!" Eizen exclaimed. "Why would you-?"

"Hey, your mother was on the floor crying and begging me not to let you become the Shepherd, what was I supposed to do?" Zaveid exclaimed defensively. "Come on, you two know my weakness!"

"Weakness?" Eizen repeated.

"Apparently, crying women always get whatever they want from him," Edna said dully. "Never thought I'd see him actually follow through on that, though."

"Yeah, well, I guess I shouldn't've bothered," Zaveid shrugged. "Seems our boy was always meant to be the Shepherd. Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes, y'know? I tell ya, it's really good at those."

"Cruel joke or not," Eizen said softly, "this is my duty."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the Shepherd now," Zaveid dismissed, folding his arms.

"It was my duty to stop my sister!" Eizen snapped. "I had to draw the Sacred Blade, Zaveid! You really would have stopped me just because my mom asked you to?!"

"Look, it's over and done with, and you still drew it, didn't you?" Zaveid pointed out. "No harm done! Let's just focus on doing what we gotta do now, yeah?"

"Speaking of which," Edna inserted before Eizen's anger could build, not to protect Zaveid but because they really didn't have time to waste on this nonsense, "we have two trials we need to take. Which one should we go to first, earth or wind?"

"Uh…" Eizen looked at Edna. "Which one is closer?"

"They're both about the same distance away," Edna replied; "wind is to the west and then south, through Westronbolt Gorge; earth is south and a little east, in Aifread's Hunting Ground."

"Aifread?" Eizen repeated. "Hey, isn't that-?"

"Yup," Zaveid said, "that's the pirate king her brother was first mate to back in the day. Little ironic, doncha think?"

"Hardly," Edna said tonelessly. "The point is, the two trials open to us are both equally far from here. It's up to you which one we take first."

"Hmm…" Eizen frowned. Then, surprisingly, he turned to Sadie. "What do you think, Sadie?" he asked. "Which trial should we take first?"

"Can you not even make your own decisions?" she sneered.

"I just wanted to give you some say in where we go from here," Eizen told her frankly. "It seems like we're mostly just dragging you around all over the place, and that's not really fair to you."

"Hmph." She folded her arms and looked away. "Lord Zaveid is the Prime Lord, yes? It would only be right that we take his trial first."

"Alright," Eizen nodded. "Wind it is."

"To the Guinevere Shrine, then," Edna said. "Let's get out of Pendrago; I'll show you the way from there." With that, she returned to rest within Eizen, shortly followed by Zaveid.

"The Guinevere Shrine…?" Sadie repeated softly.

Everyone ignored her, and they started walking.