"Someone finally went and killed the thing?"

"Yes. He said he saw it with his own eyes."

The room was dark. Aside from the weak light filtering in from the window, the only source of illumination came from the mana-stone lamp sitting on a table. There were few furnishings about, none too lavish, most crafted by wood from the forest and covered in furs from hunted beasts. Decor included little more than that and the desk where the dark-haired leader Rozio sat in contemplation, his brown eyes unreadable. The henchman who brought the news remained frozen, unsure whether or not it mattered from the tone he used. "How's our contractor?" Rozio wondered.

"I didn't have time to ask."

"I see… We're still in business for a little while longer then. This place is running dry… tch. That bitch Izanami is really mucking up things. Orbis? Do we have any more information on the mages?"

"They've gone silent."

Rozio knew what that meant and cursed. Must've been found out. Careless jackasses. Orbis, the city of mages, crowning achievement of ether technology. They took a big risk scoping out a place on guard twenty-four-seven. Rozio had warned to stay clear of Orbis until further notice, but he could never keep his hot-headed younger brother under control. The payoff was worth it sure, Orbis having access to most of the world's known rune supply, but the secluded bunch were tight-knit and not anyone could waltz on in. He could bet now setting foot anywhere near that place would be met with extreme hostility. "We're on our own when in a jam… figures. Here we are, busting our balls for these clowns while they sit pretty in their fancy castle sipping wine and booze."

"Are we still going to act on our plans?"

"Does it look like we got a choice? We practically sold our souls signing that agreement. Maybe this is karma? Little shit was way over his head and now we're paying the price. By the way, who beat our beast? I figured that town was all out of adventurers. I guess we can mark that place off our radar now, huh?"

"They were but then these two weirdos showed up and mopped the floor with it."

"Not surprised. A farmer with a shotgun could've beaten that thing. What I want to know is where they're from and why you're so up in arms about them. What, they beat Izanami?" Rozio laughed.

"They might be able to." The henchmen's words prompted him to raise an interested brow. "I'm not sure about the girl, but the guy was able to hold his own against the Mad Dog, Azrael. He got a few good hits in and walked away alive on top of that!"

"The Mad Dog… Mad Dog, Mad Dog… Uh, remind me who that is again?" His henchmen stared blankly at him, shocked anyone could forget that man's name for an instant. "Oh, right! That berserker who's been running amok and stirring up trouble with those church snobs. Why should we care about some aimless wanderers? Probably appeared coincidently."

"They're heading north."

His tone turned cautious. "Here?"

"Not here exactly, but dangerously close. The old merchant they're traveling with lives in Watercrest. They're in Greenstone right now."

"Shit. Are they with the capital?" Rozio asked with a note of urgency.

The man shook his head. "They didn't seem to be carrying much of anything, let alone documents belonging to the Kingdom of Illia, Tyjr, guilds or Orbis. We don't know who they belong to."

"Whoever they are, I don't like them. They sound like trouble. From Greenstone, they'll be pulling into Watercrest in two to three days. It'd be suicide to ask my men to slow them down if they've got a guy who can tussle with the Mad Dog and live to brag about it the next day." Rozio itched his goatee while considering his options. "We have to play our cards right, that's all. Tell our guys to pull out of Tyjr. It's been a few days and I need to hear what info they've collected regarding Mordio."

"Yes, sir." The henchman nodded and strode out.

Rozio waited a moment before locking the door and enchanting a simple noise canceller on it. He then retrieved a communication crystal from his bottom drawer. A projection sprang from the small rock and he smirked. "As always, looking like shit, Kent. Don't tell me you stopped for a drink on the way here using my money of all things."

"Shut up, there's no rush." Kent's red eyes were half-lidded and matching hair somewhat disheveled. Rozio rolled his eyes, knowing full well what his companion was up too. "Besides, what's a few silver coins, right?"

"This just means you've got another debt to me." He kicked his feet up on the desk. "But you might wanna pick up the pace."

"What's going on?"

"We ran into a bit of a tight situation that might get in the way of business and we need the manpower. How many guys do you have that aren't drunk?"

Kent chuckled. "About ninety in total. But what's got you so shook, Rozio? You're not the kinda guy to let some bad news get under your—"

"Orbis is out." Rozio exhaled a stream of frustration and fixed himself properly in his chair.

"Magus... I'm sorry."

"Don't. He got what was coming to him. Probably killed doing something stupid, you know him. Guess he didn't want to take the heat for this mess he startedloop. We still got some dirt on the sages, but I doubt we'll be getting any more. Once we take care of Watercrest and clear those mines, we head to Orbis. We should have the power to hit those mages hard. The Empire can wait, they're not going anywhere."

"Revenge? Who knew you could be such a caring big brother."

"He may've been a little shit, but he's still my baby brother. I'm not asking you to tag along. Our agreement will become null and void once we finish up Watercrest. Orbis is my problem."

"Heh, get real. Ain't getting excitement like this anywhere else. Besides, sticking it to the snobs in Orbis is exactly what the doctor ordered." Kent's cocky smile faded to a solemn stare. "I'm not gonna betray you, man. Anytime you need help I'll come running, no questions asked. We'll get 'em back, I swear."

Rozio nodded and cut communications off. He stared at the orb for a minute, and when a thought flashed in his mind, he called the guild in Greenstone. No response. "...Shit." Rozio rushed out of his room, the banging door disrupting the clamor of inaudible conversation below. "Everyone, we're packing up and heading to the safehouse in Watercrest! Don't ask questions and get those runes outta here—"

The front door being blown off its hinges and sent flying through the hall along with the two guards disrupted his order. Ragna strode in and scanned the place. "This is where you idiots were hiding, eh? Figured you'd be close by, but not this close." He looked up to the second floor and met Rozio's gaze. "I guess you're the head honcho?"

"And you're responsible for the silence in Greenstone?" Rozio returned.

"You're half right." A battle cry from a charging subordinate averted his attention. Ragna swung his blade and effortlessly destroyed the sword he wielded, then sent him spiraling into the guild's bar with a straight punch to the nose. The other members stood frozen at the show of power, Rozio quicker to gather his bearings than his men. "And I'm guessing you're the one who ordered your little cronies to stalk us?"

"I don't have any interest in you. Besides, you're not associated with the guilds, capital, Illia, Empire, or Orbis, are you? So why're you barging in here?"

"Better to nip a potential problem in the bud before it becomes a serious pain in the ass later. I don't know what your goal is here, buddy, and frankly, I don't give a damn. But for the trouble your pals brewed up, I think it's safe to say I owe you an ass-whooping, yeah?"

"Dammit…" Rozio growled.

"Boss!" came the voice of an approaching henchman. "We've loaded most of the runes into the cargo and they're on their way to Watercrest now. We'll hold him off, get going."

"Not so fast!" Ragna kicked off the ground, sword held high above his head. The lackey leapt to meet him. Ragna twisted his body to duck under his spear and axe-kicked the subordinate to ground level. When Ragna landed thanks to the loss of momentum, he looked up and swore as Rozio was nowhere to be seen. He groaned at the chorus of shouts behind him and focused on them. He avoided a lunging spearman with a sidestep and retaliated with a haymaker, quick to parry a mace and blast its wielder and his buddies backing him up with a wave of seithr. From the corner of his eye he spotted a caster conjuring a spell.

Ragna's fist sheared through the rock spire, and released a little explosive force to travel up the rock. The caster stood frozen as her spell blew up in a shower of debris, the spire now reduced to its base elements. Before she could attempt another Ragna closed the gap in a split second. The henchwoman had little time to process how he covered half the guild in the blink of an eye before she was hurled through the wall by a seithr-enhanced punch to the gut.

His seithr-oozing fist swung around to shatter the blade of an underling trying to blindside him, the shield he raised in defense shattering like cheap glass. Ragna was surprised that the last guild member hadn't thrown themselves out the window like he saw a few others do, but this worked for him. Ether surged around the underling's fist and Ragna met it with his own. The struggle for dominance lasted about three seconds before the lackey went flying back like a cannonball. He slammed into the wall and felt something warm trickling down his neck and knew it was blood. He heard the sound of footsteps and sat up, vision disoriented.

Ragna approached the henchman, his weapon no longer at arm's length and his stupefied appearance relaying he was in no condition to fight. To be safe, Ragna kicked the spear away, then picked him up by his collar. "I think it's time we had ourselves a little chat. You can go to sleep once I'm done with ya."

"P-please, don't kill me!"

"If you tell me what I wanna know I'll consider it, at the very least." Ragna slammed him against the wall. "Where's your boss heading and what's he plannin'?"

"I-I'm a newbie, they don't tell us nothing!"

"That sucks." The lackey's eyes widened in fear as Ragna aimed his sword at his neck. "Guess there's no point to you then."

"Wait, wait! He left in a hurry, m-maybe you can find something lying about in his room!"

"Hm. Good point. Which one's his?"

"F-first room at the staircase edge!"

"All right, thanks." Ragna let him go and sheathed his blade. He began toward the steps, but not before delivering an uppercut to the not-so-slick subordinate attempting to sneak up on him. He came crashing down with a sickening crunch, probably hitting the floor headfirst. Ragna sauntered up the stairs. When he opened the door, he tossed a coin in and smirked when a sigil appeared on the ground and the coin vanished. To test it once again, he flicked another and nothing happened. Ragna went through all the drawers, coming across some notes and considering himself lucky this world's language was the same as his own. He frowned at the useless documents, tossing the sheets onto the table. "At least I know where they're gonna be, and if I'm right… Ugh, this is gonna be more of a pain in the ass than I thought."


Azrael's eyes opened to behold darkness, a space his contractor summoned him to on rare occasions. Devoid of all life and feelings, perfect for one with the moniker of "Goddess of Death." She sat garbed in empress-like regalia, lifeless crimson eyes focused on him. "Were those mortals to your liking?" her gentle voice echoed within the void.

"I'm not sure about the woman, but the guy she referred to as Ragna appeared weakened."

"You seem elated nonetheless."

"Heh, indeed." Azrael patted his chest. "He's the first warrior to inflict pain on me in a long time. My apologies, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I devoured him so soon."

"So long as you effectuate your end of our bargain, you may do as you wish. I will not tolerate any form of insubordination. However, your childish antics aren't the cause of my summon. The location of that girl is what I desire. What did you learn?"

"Did you need to ask me?"

"Divine I may be, omniscient I am not. Were I, the need of a mortal would be unnecessary and Amaterasu continues to blind me."

"I haven't got much since entering the continent, but the church has been more guarded lately and I don't think it's because of me alone. They seem more stiff than usual, probably from the Royal Empire."

"I see. This may prove advantageous for us. Continue your search and do not forget where your priorities lie." Same as before, Izanami whisked him away to a church where she believed her answered lay. Hands stuffed in his pockets, Azrael approached the large wooden doors subjected to a plethora of protective seals. With an almost bored sigh he kicked them off their hinges, the wood sliding to a stop before the pulpit where the head priest stood, garmented in clerical robes and had slim eyes gleaming with hostility.

"I don't suppose you arrived to confess your sins?" The priest's calm tone reverberated throughout the hall of worship.

"Dunno, do you have time?"

"Not for scum like you."

Azrael chuckled. "Such harsh words. I have feelings, too, you know?"

"I'm sure you do."

"What, don't believe me?"

The priest sighed. "I ask you leave this monastery at once, for you stain this holy ground."

"Not until I get the information I came for. A bit of politics on my end and I'm afraid this can't wait." Azrael replaced his casual tone for one suiting his nickname. "Unless you wanna meet your maker today, tell me where I can find Noel Vermillion. I know you guys have her hidden somewhere on this continent. One of your buddies' final words."

He spoke with contained rage. "I will say nothing."

"So be it." A light yellow sigil appeared beneath Azrael's first step in, and from it sprang a rectangular prism-shaped cage. "What, do you think some puny charm like this will stop me?" Azrael almost laughed and shattered the prison with a punch, the priest unfazed.

"No. They will."

Footsteps pierced the brief silence, the monastery trembling with each footfall. A translucent giant emerged from the shadows and blocked his path. The white, faceless golem stood more than four meters in height, ether coursing through its armored flesh, ever-changing colors like a rainbow.

"Homunculus, again?" Azrael said unenthusiastically. That rush he experienced while fighting Ragna did not surge through him, his fist remaining unclenched and eyes devoid of their wonted gleam even as it charged and threw a punch. He met the golem's fist, and with a grunt, pushed forward and bent the creature's arm in an unnatural way. It made an odd cry of pain while retreating and Azrael shook his head in displeasure. "This one's weaker than the last. The church is running on fumes, at this point. Can't even make a somewhat worthy doll." He had better things to do than play around with the church's toy. The berserker pulled his fist back and lodged it right in the artificial being's gut, sending it flying through the pulpit into the wall at the far end of the church. The wall buckled under the force of the golem's body and the unstable support beams fell on top of it.

Azrael turned around and strolled out of the church, discontented and craving a drink. Why was everyone so damn weak? So pathetic and worthless? Was a challenge, a battle, something that got his heart racing and made him wonder if he would make it out alive so hard? Though he did have hope, his patience would not last long. "The Kingdom of Illia it is."


"Princess, how long will it take to find Izanami?" Gii asked.

"That, I am unsure of," Rachel replied. "Izanami has not once appeared before us, and I am uncertain of the duration of this little quest."

"What about the kingdom?" Nago asked.

"I am not too worried about its state of affairs. I'm confident Valkenhayn is doing just fine without me. However, it would be best if we hurried along." The only fear she did have was how well he handled her disappearance. Rachel looked toward the door upon hearing footsteps rushing up the staircase. "So the idiot has returned. I must ask how it takes two hours to find that batch of misfits." However, it was not Ragna who burst through the door but a sweaty, fearful Bang.

"Miss Rachel, please prepare to depart at once!"

"What has that fool done?"

"I do not have time to explain now! Please forgive my rudeness, but I might have to leave you behind if you are not ready." Bang left without giving Rachel time to interrogate the reason for his haste. She made her way outside and found Ragna sitting in the back of the carriage.

"What happened?" she inquired.

"Those Shadow Hunter guys're plannin' a raid on Watercrest. It just so happens that's where the old man lives," Ragna answered.

Rachel heard crashing in the inn and climbed aboard with her familiars. "Ah, so that is why he is more rambunctious than usual. How long do we have?"

"About two days, probably."

"Probably?"

"I doubt I slowed 'em down," Ragna said. "If I had to guess, there's another group waiting for them in Watercrest and they ain't gonna wait for us to get there."

"I see. On an unrelated note, did you happen to find that locket?" Rachel's smirk met his deadpan stare. Bang burst through the door; the way he ran and leapt onto his horse made them believe the old time wasn't too far past his prime yet. He gave the inn a solemn glance before they took off, mumbling something neither Ragna nor Rachel caught as it was deafened by the horse's galloping and the creaking carriage. They left a trail of dust in their wake as they exited the town. Ragna and Rachel held on, Gii and Nago bouncing about and nearly falling off when Bang swerved off road.

"Hey old man, wanna get your head in the game?" Ragna commented.

"We are taking a shortcut. If what you told me is true, our enemies may be waiting for us to pass through and we do not have time to deal with those scoundrels. However, this path is not well recommended."

"Why is that?" Rachel asked.

"We are about to venture into the Forest of Dreams. Having experienced its wizardry myself, its legend is no mere fairy tale."

"What's so special about this place?" Ragna asked.

"Its fog has the ability to display the past of whomever it takes hold of," Bang explained. "It is believed to be an effect of the enormous amount of ether, which grew more unstable when Izanami appeared. However, there is a belief this fog is caused by someone or something, but this is all superstition and speculation. There has not been much investigation conducted."

Ragna gave him a blank look. "And we're about to charge in at full speed?"

"I apologize for my selfishness, but I cannot afford to waste any time when my family is in danger. I must warn you, the dreams you have are not always pleasant. They mainly consist of repressed memories, so I ask you steel yourselves for the worse…" A silence fell over them all as the fog Bang spoke of began to engulf them.


Thank you Wild Blue Sonder senpai for betaing my work. Those who do not know who she is, I recommend you head on over and read her work. I might set a schedule or something for the ongoing stories I have now, be a little consistent in my updates in some fashion.

Bigboys: I would never, despite my love of porn. And thanks!

Ains Ooal Gown: Good to know I handle those brats and Bang well enough.

Crimsondemon666: Fighting scenes fixed, perfect. You enjoying the story is an added bonus.

Beard Cutter: I contemplated whether or not to do that, and settled for what you have here. It's good to know that Luna and Sena are being recieved well!

Guest: Here you go.

Xbox432: Glad you think so! You'll to wait and see for the second half.