Charlie: Hey. I wanna get this thing finished as fast as I can so yeah, I'm sick of looking at quick edit by now. Anyways, the last chapter before the epilogue (Which would be the most uneventful chapter of this fic, and finally, a break from deaths.) This would probably be the ONLY chapter where things actually try to flow together. Some stuff gets cleared, and if you know enough about bioweapons, Khathlati isn't acting like one, so that explains that. Anyways, enjoy, and I decided to let Kiyoko and Erk win…because well…just because.
Erk: Because you-
Charlie: You will shut up before I inflict great bodily harm upon your mind and body.
Erk: goit…and he doesn't own FE.
Spring
Chris sat back in his chair and gave a long sigh. It was the third day he and May had spent in hiding. Unfortunately, it was getting very boring. He looked over to May. The young doctor was sprawled out on the ground, staring at the clouds through a small window in the warehouse ceiling. She had somehow found a feather and was blowing it up into the air over and over again.
Chris sighed, and the day dragged on. A cloud hung lazily in the clouds. As time ticked on, he began to frantically think about something to do before he dies of boredom.
Then he remembered the makeshift lab he had set up. Hoping beyond all hope, Chris got up and moved into a secret back room where he had set up a poor excuse for a chemical lab, but it served it's purpose well. Looking in, all the dirty vials he had were still intact. Smiling, Chris ran out and grabbed at May.
"May! Come quick!" Chris said.
"Ugh…what?" May said dully.
"I remembered, I have a small lab in the back with Khathlati samples." Chris said excitedly.
May's eyes instantly widened. "What! Isn't it dangerous?"
"Nah." Chris explained. "Before the real Khathlati got loose, I kept a few samples of the benign agriculture strains in my basement. These are harmless to humans, but still have the genetic makeup of the virus. Since there's nothing else we can do, lets go play with it. Maybe we'll get a breakthrough."
May shrugged. It sounded iffy to her, but she was too bored to care.
"All right, but we're more likely gonna kill ourselves before we get anywhere." May said getting up.
"Well, we'll never know until we try." Chris said leading her into the back.
May nearly choked when she saw the pitiful excuse for a lab. There were two tables, one holding a rack of three dirty test tubes, and the other holding lab equipment. There was a mini-well to one side for water and a torch for heating and burning. All the equipment looked older than the scouring.
"Chris…not to be pessimistic here…but how did you not kill yourself in this thing before?"
"Hey!" Chris said. "I worked hard into putting this lab together! It'll hold."
May was still skeptical about the reliability of the lab, but as the pair worked with the meager amount of samples, her unease began to dissipate. As shabby as the lab looked, its equpiment was amazingly durable, surviving constant bangings, burnings and smashings.
The pair worked for hours providing little to no results. Soon, by nightfall, the meager amount of samples Chris had left was down to one dropper full. The two sighed and decided to give up.
Suddenly, May noticed something in one of the mixing bowls. There was some kind of unnatural growth.
"Chris…" May said tugging his sleeve.
"What?" Chris said tiredly.
"I think we got something."
May dragged Chris to the bowl and had him examine the solid growth inside.
"Ugh…looks like fecal matter to me." Chris said making a face.
"Take a sample!" May said.
Reluctantly, Chris took a small scoop and put into a sample bag.
"Okay, now what?" Chris said. "There's no way we can run tests on this thing. We just have something that looks like crap in a bag now. Whoop-de-doo."
May sighed. It was painfully true that they had absolutely nothing in terms of equipment. Then she got an idea.
"Try dropping some into that last bit of Khathlati." May suggested.
Chris shrugged. "Okay, not like that little bit is gonna do much anyways."
Taking a small scoop, Chris dropped a bit of the growth into the sample of Khathlati. Suddenly, a fizzing was herd and the two watched in awe as the brown material burned through the sample, leaving nothing but a film of white on top of the broth Chris grew the bacteria in.
"…Are those…dead Khathlati particles?" Chris asked.
May looked at it. "Looks like it…" She said. "Do you think…"
Chris and May looked at the brownish growth Chris had in the bag and in the mixing bowl.
"I think we're on to something." Chris said.
Then, without thinking, Chris and May recovered the notes on what made the growth, took a few samples, and dashed out of the warehouse for the Medical Research Center, risking that the assassins weren't lying in wait for them.
Back in Ostia, Hector raged about his throne room in a fury as the now rejuvenated Scientist Dr. Pan revealed that the rogue Ostian Scientist Dr. Charlie Wu had about five thousand samples of deadly pathogenic particles in his basement. Next to Hector, Serra tried frantically to calm him down.
"Hector!" Serra pleaded. "Our force is still in there. It's five against one, we'll win."
Hector turned towards the pink haired cleric and calmed down a bit. "For the world's sake Serra, I hope you're right."
"Umm, your highness." Dr. Patric interrupted.
"What?" Hector snapped.
"There's something else about Charlie that you should know." The man said nerviously.
Hector tensed. That phrase has yet to lead to good news.
Kiyoko stormed after Charlie down flight after flight of stairs. Seemingly after the second level, the basement went all the way into the core of the ground before opening up into a huge storeroom.
Kiyoko froze the minute she stepped into this room. Around her, shelf after shelf of vials of liquid marked "Khathlati Strain" stood menacingly, taunting her with the liquid death they carried. As she tried to recover from the shock, a body suddenly slammed into her.
"OW!" Kiyoko cried as she hit the ground.
"OOF!" The voice of the man that crashed into her responded. "Sorry 'bout that."
Kiyoko saw the familiar purple hair of Erk and relaxed a bit.
"Where's the others?" She asked.
Erk tensed up a bit. "Carrying…umm…her out."
Kiyoko nodded. She knew it must be hard for Erk. Cautiously, the duo crept into the third floor of the basement, careful not to bump into anything. Around them, the bubbling liquid death changed colors and intensities as they moved from shelf to shelf, indicating a different mode of killing. As they advanced into the core of the room, both began to feel very uneasy.
The underground vault was expansive, and it took a good ten minutes before Kiyoko and Erk reached another door in the back. By that time, both figured it had been a few good hours since they set out for what everyone first thought was a routine search. Stopping at the door, Kiyoko suggested that they get some rest before they move further. Erk nodded his head and the two slumped to the floor, taking turns sleeping and looking out for any unwanted visitors.
Upstairs, Rath ventured back into the basement after he helped Guy and Audrey carry out Priscilla's body. The three had tried their best to clean her up and wrap her in a clean cloak. They did a pretty good job, but the hideous wound in her neck still showed. Audrey and Guy stayed behind to help the militia carry her body back to Ostia. Rath then ordered everyone to move at least five to ten miles further away from the house, and ready cannons. He told the commander that if he didn't surface in two days, they should blow the house into bits and burn the ruins. The commander reluctantly agreed and Rath ran back into the house.
Now he worked his way down the seemingly endless third flight of stairs, he only hoped that it wasn't too late to help out.
Rath's reaction to the final level of the basement paralleled that of Erk and Kiyoko's. He stood in shock for a while before shaking it off and dashing towards the other end. Trusting his honed reflexes from living in the plains, Rath dashed quickly towards the other end with no fear of knocking anything over.
Arriving at the other end, he found two slumped figures next to an ominous door. Approaching cautiously, he found Erk and Kiyoko heaped on the ground, both with their eyes closed. Rath gasped in horror and ran up to the two, thinking that they were dead. He relaxed when he found out that they were just sleeping and decided to wake them up.
"Ugh…just another minute." Kiyoko moaned as Rath shook her lightly.
"Leave me alone…" Erk mumbled as Rath shook him as well.
Left with no choice, Rath took a canteen from his belt and dumped water on the two. The effect was instant as both got up screaming to high heaven.
"RATH!" Kiyoko yelled as she figured out what he did. "Don't scare me like that!"
Rath chuckled at their puffed faces but then soon got serious.
"Come on…" He said. "Lets go before Charlie gets bored."
Kiyoko and Erk nodded and opened the door cautiously, aware that what lied behind it would not hesitate to send them to their graves.
"WHAT!" Hector screamed. "HE'S WHAT!"
"He's not human." Patric explained again. "The man is a five hundred year old fallen cleric of the Elimine order. After being kicked from the order for misguided actions, he sealed himself away five hundred years ago and swore one day to come back and take his revenge against the infidels who turned from St. Elimine."
"Dear…God…" Hector said dejectedly. "We're dealing with a monster here?"
"Simply put, yes." Patric said.
Hector looked gravely from the scientist before him to the pink haired cleric next to him.
"Guys…" He said. "Come pray with me."
Hector then lead the two into the Chapel of St. Elimine behind the main castle. He walked to the alter, knelt down and prayed.
Behind him, Serra and Patric exchanged grave looks and they too knelt down and prayed.
Erk raised a torch stave and peered into the room. It was miniscule compared to the storehouse on the other side. A simple shelf of books stood to the side and a desk dominated the center. Behind the desk, a large chair with the back turned towards the door sat.
"So…" An ominous voice rang out. "You're finally here. I was worried that you weren't going to show."
The chair swiveled and Erk, Rath and Kiyoko were once again met with the demented face of the madman.
"I assume you enjoyed your tour of my underground vault?" Charlie asked in his eerie voice.
"No…" Kiyoko managed squeak. The two men stayed deathly silent.
"No?" Charlie asked in mock disappointment. "What a pity." His mouth curved into an evil smile. "Oh Kiyoko." Charlie said standing up. "You were going to be one of the survivors, but then you turned your back on me and cast in with Hector's lot." Charlie sneered gesturing at Erk and Rath. "Little do you know of the glory you've given up."
"I'd rather die then live in your twisted world." Kiyoko said.
"Is that so?" Charlie said. "Tell me, what's the difference? In my world, people die, but the survivors live on with their hearts and actions dedicated to St. Elimine and her teachings. In yours, nobody dies, but everyone lives in sin and neglect of the religion that has given the human race salvation."
"…" none of the three could give a response.
"I see my point was driven through." Charlie said softly.
"But…" Erk said. "Why? Killing isn't the answer to solving things! Elimine didn't teach that violence was the way!"
"Really?" Charlie asked. "Now tell me, if that was the case, why did she take up arms against the dragons? If your Elimine was as pacifist as you say, why did she fight?"
"Because we were being threatened!" Erk retorted.
"Were we?" Charlie said smiling slyly. "If I recall correctly, humans FELT that the dragons were a threat and THEY initiated the scouring."
"…"
Charlie threw his head back and laughed. "Oh Mage General." He said. "You have been so misguided by the corruption around you."
"But… Elimine didn't initiate a genocide to get her point across!" Kiyoko argued. "Why are you doing this?"
"Yes…" Charlie said. "Elimine didn't do what I did, but Elimine didn't have to deal with a group of infidels. Her disciples were pure of heart. The lot I have to deal with however, is not."
"But it doesn't make sense!" Rath said. "If you're so into Elimine, why are you a scientist!"
Charlie threw his head back again and laughed. "You really think I'm a scientist?"
"Everyone here knows you're a scientist Charlie." Kiyoko said.
"Hehe…" Charlie said. "You're right. Charlie IS a scientist. But I am not Charlie."
"WHAT?" The three cried in unison.
"Perhaps it's better if I showed you." Charlie said and he lifted his arms, reciting an ancient incantation.
Immediately, lightning and smoke began to fill the room. Erk and Rath quickly grabbed Kiyoko and shielded her in a corner. The three watched in horror as the body of the man standing in front of them fell away into a heap. Kiyoko noticed that the body that fell useless to the ground was no longer scary beyond all reason. However, in it's place, another form stood. A form of a man with a tormented expression upon his wrinkled face. Glowing yellow eyes and rotten teeth showed from his grotesque face and he spoke in a dry rasp of a voice.
"Charlie was a mere body I used to get close to your 'scientific' institutions so I could carry out my plan." The creature said. "My name is Krakaahm Tresvious III, cleric of the Eliminian order in the year five hundred forty seven after the passing of our lady and savior."
"…Impossible!" Erk gasped as he picked himself and his companions from the floor. "Five hundred years after the scouring…that makes you five hundred years old!"
"Fascinating isn't it Mage General?" Krakaahm asked. "I used my magic to seal myself away in an Ostian cave. A year ago when this man came exploring with his wife, he inadvertently released my seal. I saw his immense knowledge for the blasphemous art of science and took my opportunity!"
"What do you mean?" Kiyoko asked.
"I went to him, possessed him." Krakaahm rasped. "Killed his wife and used magic to turn Khathlati into the deadliest of all weapons!"
"You…monster." Rath gasped.
"Hahahaha!" Krakaahm continued. "And afterwards, I helped the spread of Khathlati, magically enhanced not to attack me, and carried vial after vial into other lands, keeping the plague alive."
"So…that's how the disease spread!" Erk asked unbelievingly.
"Yes you fool!" Krakaahm said. "Khathlati was so unstable after it's magical enhancement, that it could barely sustain itself long enough to be transferred by a mere sneeze. So I kept the virus alive, using my magic to deliver the plague upon your land. I was quite pleased with the results."
Kiyoko, Erk and Rath stared at the monster in front of them, paralyzed by fear.
"But now my darlings." Krakaahm said. "Time for you to die slowly…painfully." Krakaahm smiled wickedly as dark energy began to gather at his fingertips. Kiyoko, Erk and Rath spread out and drew their weapons, but they knew it was futile.
Krakaahm didn't hold back. Bolts of black lightning lanced out striking the walls and striking all three of the unfortunate fighters. The blast knocked the wind out of all three of them, and the twisted cleric laughed. He drew a wicked knife and flung it, striking Erk in the shoulder.
Erk gasped in pain and crumpled, knowing that he was going to die soon. His thoughts turned to his loving wife and he smiled.
"I'm coming Priscilla…" He mumbled as Krakaahm readied to fatal blow while Kiyoko and Rath watched helplessly, too weak to stop him.
Just at the last moment, the door blew open and a auburn haired assassin burst in, lighting a piece of metal with a small piece of burning wood. The result was a blinding flash that hurt Kiyoko's eyes. When she cleared it, she found Audrey standing there with her eyes closed and Krakaahm holding his head in pain. She struggled to her feet and approached her friend.
"You okay?" Audrey asked.
Kiyoko nodded weakly and Audrey tossed her an elixir. Drinking it down, Kiyoko felt her strength return. She looked back at her friend. "Take Erk, bring him to the surface, he needs attention."
"I can't carry him." Audrey said.
"Then have Rath help." Kiyoko said.
"What about you?" Rath asked limping over.
"I'll be fine…I have an old score to settle." Kiyoko said.
"…Be careful." Audrey said.
"I will." Kiyoko assured her and the two girls embraced. Audrey, with the help of Rath, then supported Erk out of the room. Kiyoko once again turned towards the dark cleric who was now rubbing his eyes out.
"That was a fun trick." Krakaahm said. "No matter, they can go, they will die sooner or later. Now for you my darling."
Kiyoko stood her ground. "You tricked me, you used me, and you've hurt the ones I love." She snarled. "I intend to take your life."
"Haha, well." Krakaahm said. "This should be interesting."
The twisted man then without warning sent more lightning towards the young assassin. Kiyoko used all of her speed and reflexes to dodge the blow. Throwing herself against the wall, Kiyoko took out her throwing knives and flung them wildly at Krakaahm.
The cleric laughed as he dodged with ease. Kiyoko was surprised at his speed. Taking a deep breath, she took out another dagger and threw herself away as more lightning bolts slammed into the wall. Krakaahm was having fun playing with Kiyoko, sending bolts just slightly off target. It took, a while before she figured out that the dark cleric was tiring her out before finish her.
'He's just playing with me.' She thought hopelessly as she forced her aching muscles to dodge more bolts.
Kiyoko kept up as long as she could, but eventually she got tired. Her movements slacked, and she got hit. Soon, the girl crumpled to the ground, drained from exhaustion and the lightning bolts. Krakaahm laughed and walked up to her with a dagger in hand.
"I am going to have fun carving you up." He said wickedly as he raised his dagger.
Kiyoko waited for the killing blow, visioning her grandmother in her head. Her vision was suddenly stopped by a loud cry from behind the looming figure of the dark cleric.
"AUREOLA!" the voice cried. Krakaahm gasped in horror as the divine light of St. Elimine slammed into him.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He cried hideously as he melted under the pure light. Kiyoko looked up long enough to see a man in his late twenties holding a book and arm out.
"Charlie?" Kiyoko asked nerviously after the commotion died away. The man smiled and limped up to her.
"Hey there." He said, his voice was soft and welcoming compared to the dry rasp of the demented cleric. "Hang on a sec."
Kiyoko watched as the real Charlie took out a ornate stave and held it above her. Moments later, Kiyoko saw a blue light and felt strength flow into her body again.
"Uhh…thanks." She said. Kiyoko sat up and oriented herself. She looked back at the scientist and scratched her head. "I don't get it."
"What's not to get?" Charlie asked.
"You're a scientist…how come you know healing and light magic?" Kiyoko asked.
"I'm a scientist in a sense." Charlie said. "But I believed that science and religion could be fused into one." The man chuckled. "Needless to say I was mocked at both scientific conventions and religious gatherings."
Kiyoko laughed in spite of herself. "So…now what?"
"Now, you get out of here. I'm staying down here." Charlie said.
"What? Why?" Kiyoko asked.
"Look, nobody's gonna believe this story." Charlie explained. "And all this needs to be destroyed." Charlie pointed to the shelves of Khathlati. "I have enough volatile chemicals here to blow the place to bits, so I'm staying down here and taking my 'legacy' with me. Besides, it's die here, or on the gallows. I'd prefer doing some good before I go."
Kiyoko looked at him. "But…I saw it! I'll vouch for you. The military can then come in an blow the place up without much effort or loss of life."
Charlie shook his head again. "I don't want to risk it. And I don't want to put you at risk because of me." Charlie looked at Kiyoko who tried to avoid his gaze. "I don't know what happened…but I know you went through a lot because I let myself be possessed. I don't want you to get involved anymore."
Kiyoko looked back at him. "No, I'm also to blame here. If you die down here, then I'm going with you."
"Don't be stupid." Charlie warned. "You have so much to live for."
Kiyoko shook her head. "I'm the leader of the assassin group that caused so much death and misery. When I go out, I'm gonna go to prison anyways. I can't stay cooped up. Better to go to hell than be locked up somewhere worse than hell."
"…" Charlie found himself speechless.
"Now, where are those chemicals?" Kiyoko asked.
Charlie stared for a second and then dumbly walked over to a bookshelf and pulled a book out. The shelf rotated to reveal drums of oils, gasses and gunpowder.
"This'll do." Kiyoko said pleasantly and started gathering the oils and gunpowder. Charlie stood dumbfounded for a sec before pitching in as well. The duo moved the explosive material and placed them in strategic locations around the storage vault. Then, taking the gas barrels, Charlie punched dozens of holes into them and let the volatile gasses permeate the vault. Within the hour, the two were done. All they needed to do was light the match. Going to the center, Charlie held up the flint.
"When I strike this, the entire place will blow." He said grimly. "Go up now… you don't need to die today."
Kiyoko shook her head. "No…I won't live my life in a prison."
Seeing that Kiyoko refuses to change her stance, Charlie sadly shook his head. "You're so young."
Kiyoko nodded. "I'll see you in hell?" She asked.
Charlie laughed. "Nah, you'll go to heaven, I'm going to hell."
Kiyoko smiled. "Last time I checked, heaven didn't accept murderers."
Charlie smiled and gave in. "Fine, then it's you and I and the banks of the River Styx." He then held Kiyoko and struck the flint.
Audrey and Rath watched anxiously for any sign of their comrade. They had safely gotten Erk out and were now watching the house with a furious intensity. Suddenly, the entire field in front of them became a fiery pit of hell as the building exploded, spewing flaming material and fuel onto the field. Audrey and Rath stared at the blazing inferno along with the members of the Ostian militia posted there. Then, something snapped inside Audrey and she regained her senses.
"Quick! Put out the fires!" She ordered.
The militia immediately went to work dumping water and sand onto the blaze, trying to contain it. An hour later, the flames subsided, and Audrey and Rath dug through the smoking wreckage, hoping to find a sign of their friend.
By nightfall, they uncovered fragments of charred human bones, and amazingly two mismatched hands entwined tightly. Sobbing, Audrey fell into Rath and cried into his chest, mourning over her lost friends.
By morning, everyone knew the heroic story of Kiyoko, a felon who saved the world. Hector, Patric and Serra emerged from the chapel.
"It's over…" He announced.
"We won." Serra said.
"Yes." Hector agreed, but he looked into the courtyard at his daughter and Roy, standing by the tiny memorial to her mother and his parents. "But at what cost?"
Patric shook his head. "Humanity came close to extinction. We lost sight of our own frailty and began to play God."
"In a way, Charlie was right…we do need guidance." Serra said.
"And I will find guidance for us." Hector said. "Before Charlie became evil, he believed that science and religion could become one and complement each other. I intend to see if it could be done."
Patric and Serra nodded their mute agreements as the watched the two children lay down flowers at the memorials. Above them, a robin flew overhead, signaling the beginning of spring. One year has passed since Khathlati first appeared. And now, it was the beginning of a new era, an era of healing.
Charlie: Cheesy ending, I know. Well, that's it for Khathlati strain. Anybody shocked at some of the happenings? Well, leave a review and tell me what you think. I'll get the epilogue up soon that'll wrap up some of the loose ends. Thanks for sticking with me everyone!
