Chapter 16 - Madness is Divinest Sense

Indalecio was walking the hallways now, knowing Shin was out on another raid yet again, and also knowing what the enemy was up to. Forces divided, he could only hope Shin might eliminate some; including their errant companion. The last thing they needed now was someone interfering with things and getting directly involved. They needed numbers and resolve - not division and mutiny.

"Cyril."

The silver-haired Wiseman spun at the sound of Indalecio's voice, right hand sweeping out as a spell charged. "Indalecio, I'm warning you-"

"I'm not here to start a fight, but I'll finish it if I must," he replied, hands still at his side. The mirror Cyril had been watching had fallen dark, now only reflecting the room and Cyril. "I'm not here to talk about your petty obsessions, or your reasonings. I'm here because we need to stop the nonsense and deal with what's going to happen."

"Going to happen? Don't tell me the almighty Indalecio is actually scared," Cyril straightened up somewhat, an amused look crossing his face. "Please, Indalecio, if you have any doubts, step aside. I'd hat for you to look foolish in front of the others."

"Sarcasm won't solve anything," he returned, flicking a lock of stray red hair from his eyes. "I'm not scared, Cyril, but the human is a threat to us - and the Tetragene - they might actually know something about us, and if not, they're still quite formidable. I doubt they could scratch us alone, but Ruprecht is with them."

"Tell me something I don't know," Cyril snapped back. "If I see him again I'll make sure he's in many little pieces scattered around this miserable world."

"Such love," Indalecio breathed before speaking normally, "and he would know exactly what's most useful against us - our weaknesses - and be able to utilize this world's materials as well. We can't take the fight to them, however, its too risky to take chances like that when we're this close. They must come to us, if Shin cannot deal with them."

"They're split up, we can take them like this," Cyril said. "The human and Tetragene are in one group, sure, and Ruprecht and that one whom Jibril and Nicolus said won that pathetic tournament, but that's not much of as threat. Even eliminating half of them at once is helpful."

"Half that Shin will deal with, unless the others return quickly. But I don't know if Shin can handle them - Shin's been known to be unreliable, and they have the aid of soldiers there as well."

"Who were useless before."

Indalecio shook his head. "They've been able to hold Shin off long enough from the full-scale invasion. And with those people there, it might be much harder."

Cyril snickered slightly. "Maybe Shin will actually do some work, as he's never even gotten to the front lines before to deal with the soldiers. Still, Ruprecht's presence at the front lines may pose an even bigger problem for Shin, since they'll have knowledge about him. I always suspected Ruprecht would be swayed, I just never expected it here and now, so close."

"These people are unpredictable and complicated, its no wonder that he was so deluded," Indalecio said, turning. "Cyril, I'd keep your machinations to a minimum right now until we deal with them; then perhaps you and I can have a 'tournament' of our own to see who should have the rights to Nede."

~*~

"The ruins should just be ahead," Leon said as they walked through the forest, bits of cloud-filtered sunlight passing through the heavy canopy above. "Once we're there, it should only be a short trip through the caverns after entering and we should find the stone. It won't be hard to miss; it's rather bright and shiny."

Claude nodded, his eyes alert for any danger. Ever since they had arrived on the island, he had felt a chill as though something were keenly aware they were here and did not like it. As though there was something that inhabited the temple and felt they were desecrating its land with their mere presence. He did not voice this feeling however, as he was worried that he would lose credit with the others as a leader. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his ears straining for the slightest sound, but nothing came.

They made it to the clearing around the ruins, and the fog there lay in thick, wet strands like garland on a Christmas tree. Celine snapped her fingers, conjuring a flame for a moment that was weakened by the moisture in the air. The step pyramid before them was obscured, making it unclear where they needed to enter.

"I wish Ernest was here," Opera said softly, "he'd know how to get in."

"Someone's over there," Bowman said, taking a defensive stance as everyone saw a shadowy form in the fog. Claude gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles almost white. The only sound for long moments was the sound of footsteps on wet grass until Opera gasped.

He was tall, taller than Claude, and had long blonde hair pulled back behind him. He was dressed in a white coat, and the cigarette between his lips glowed so dimly it may as well have been out. The most notable feature, however, was the third eye on his forehead. His eyes swept over everyone critically, looking them over.

Leon folded his arms across his chest, not impressed. "No one's supposed to be here," he said matter-of-factily. "This place is off-limits."

"Ernest?" Opera said, her eyes looking him over, her voice tentative. "Is that really you?"

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but enough that Claude caught it, raising his sword. "Something isn't right here," he said, while his own thoughts suspected there was indeed something that didn't want people here - and was willing to use anyone to keep them away.

"Look out!" Celine screeched as Ernest let his whip loose, sending it straight for Claude's neck. He dodged, barely enough to avoid strangulation, but felt the harsh sting across tender flesh and cringed as he rolled to the left. The others had taken battle stances, Leon and Celine in the back, while Bowman cracked his knuckles and Opera brought Kaleidoscope to bear.

"Don't make me use this!" she said, eying Ernest warily as he recoiled the whip.

"Leave here now," he hissed, glaring first at her, then to Claude. "All of you are not welcome here. Leave and you shall live; remain, and perish."

"That's not you Erne-" Opera never had the chance to finish as the whip lashed out again and struck her right arm, causing her to scream. Celine began chanting at about the same time Leon did, even as Claude and Bowman charged to strike.

Bowman was quicker, landing a solid punch top Ernest's face as Claude swung the blade low and clear of his ally, striking Ernest's left thigh and drawing blood. They stopped on opposite sides of Ernest as the two mages finished casting. The two spells struck, even as Opera prepared to strike, the energy clear in the misty air.

"FOL!"

Everyone was silent as the assault dissipated, watching carefully what Ernest would do; he collapsed forward to his knees, the whip slipping form his hand as a strange faint aura left him, rising to the sky. Opera dropped her gun then and ran over to help him, all three eyes on the verge of crying, even as the other four were still cautious.

"Ernest?"

".Opera?" he managed, breathing shallowly. "What. what happened? Where am I.?"

"The Hoffman Ruins. what."

Leon snorted, closing his book. "A ghost, a spirit possessed him and tried to drive us out by using him." Leon smirked. "I never truly believed it was possible, but now I have irrefutable scientific proof." Celine muttered something under her breath, rolling her eyes, and walked over to Bowman to escape the egotistical little maniac.

Claude sheathed his sword and drew out supplies to cook with so that they could recover and move onward into the ruins. Ernest was hurt fairly badly from their assault, and there was no way they were going in even slightly worn. Aside that, they could find out what Ernest knew; after all, Opera knew him fairly well. He watched her settle him on a rock, and then came back to Claude as Bowman, Celine, and Leon started a long debate on Heraldry and science that no one else really wanted to be in on.

"Claude, much as I know Ernest, his favorite I know we don't have; its Hassaku Tea, and I haven't brewed any recently since I drank the last batch, so try to fix something that'll help him really well."

"I thought teas helped the mental side?" he asked, poking around in their supplies of food.

"Yes, perhaps, but you know how we get about favorites - I know your love of steak and have seen you after eating it," she said. "Maybe something like Shrimp Doria or some Meat Dumplings at the least; not sure if you even have the means for a steak. Just try your best. I'll see what he might know about Hoffman, if he's been inside."

Claude nodded, dedicating himself to the task of cooking, rather than watch her talk to Ernest. Silly as it seemed, it bothered him. They had been close, hadn't they? And all of the sudden, with his appearance, it was like nothing. He resumed cooking, his attention divided between listening to her, and the diatribe the other three were having as his own thoughts mused on about himself, Opera, and Rena.

"So the entrance is reluctant," she said, leaning back against a large rock by him. "Okay. well, with Leon and Bowman here - with Celine's knowledge - we should be able to tackle that. Was hoping you'd gotten inside, but that's okay." She sniffed the air delicately. "Ack, Claude!"

Claude snapped from his reverie to look down at the food and groaned. "Lovely. smelly rice-cakes again!" Everyone looked at him with various expressions, from Ernest's weary one to Leon's dissatisfied and Celine's amused. Opera suppressed a laugh and walked over. "Claude, go rest, I'll fix us all something to eat - you're far too exhausted right not to concentrate I think."

'If only that were the reason," Claude thought, looking back one last time as he walked a bit of a distance away and settled into the damp grass to rest.

Everyone glanced at each other, slightly worried. "I hope we didn't upset him," Opera said. Celine nodded in agreement as Bowman shrugged.

"Think I ought to talk to him?" the physician offered.

"If you think it will help," Celine said, sitting down on a rock as well to wait for food. "So, Leon, what's your theories on Heraldic powers and their sources?"

Bowman walked over to where Claude was lying, leaning against a tree right by the spot. "You ok?" he asked, removing the cigarette from his mouth a moment and exhaling. "You seemed rather. upset. when you left. The others are worried."

Claude stirred slightly in a slight shrug. "I wouldn't really know. Not sure what to think right now about much."

"What's on your mind?" He took another long draw form the cigarette and settled in, expecting a long talk to come of this. He had been through much in his years alive, and through most of the perils of youth.

"I just don't understand people. at least women," he said after a long pause. "Rena's absolutely ga-ga over Dias, and Opera. I thought there might have been something, but look at her fawn of Ernest." Claude sighed, closing his eyes. "It seems like every time something seems to start going right - something happens."

"Both the people you mentioned seemed to know the others involved in their past; you're sort of walking in on things that were," Bowman said careful, watching Claude open his eyes and met his gaze. "As I've gathered it, Rena and Dias grew up together, no? And Opera was looking for Ernest, right?"

"It's just so. misleading. I guess perhaps I need to quit chasing after things and let them happen as they may - quit hoping for things so much," he replied. "Or I'm just seeing more than what there is."

"Its possible, or maybe they need to resolve feelings with the other person first before they can come to you fully," Bowman said. He pointed over towards Celine. "I used to know her - long time ago. But I went and settled down with my wife instead of marrying Celine. I don't know if that's the best choice I could have made - don't get me wrong, I'm happy, but I do sometimes wonder whether I would have been better off with Celine; I'll never really know. I can say I never expected to see her again, though, living in Linga while she was in Mars." He chuckled slightly. "Trust me, life is funny in how things happen; for all you know, you could end up with someone completely different."

"If I even find someone who cares as much about m as I do of them," the blonde said cynically. "I suppose I should just worry about the task at hand; saving this world - and getting home."

Bowman nodded. "Sometimes its best to worry about the now and let things come as they may, generally ends up better than trying to force it. It's like trying to call a bunny to you; it takes time sometimes, and you can't force it." He tried to suppress a laugh as Claude sat up and looked at him like he was crazy. "Bad analogy, but it gets the point across; if it isn't going to happen, it won't. If it will. then you just have to wait sometimes."

Claude nodded. "I suppose you're right. I shouldn't get all gloomy over this. I'm just kind of mad I waste some food because I let things distract me."

"We'll manage, even with an extra person," Bowman said. "Let's get back to the others. Smells like Opera's made us some Daikon Miso Soup and Cabbage Rolls, which the soup is some of the best stuff around."

Claude chuckled and got up, following after the older man. 'I'd prefer a good steak, but to each their own.'