Disclaimer:
"Arc the Lad" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.
From Desert and Snow
The faint stars glistened from afar. Sitting on the porch of the Misro Inn of Niedel, Kukuru looked towards the sky. Her long ponytail fell lightly onto her back, as she raised her head. Her youthful face, pale but vibrant, held a contemplative stare. She turned and looked towards her warm room inside the inn. She didn't know what to think, for the hour was an anxious one for her beloved friend, Arc. All of his companions were having high hopes for their friend, who was soon to compete in the arena for the Wind Orb. It was only hours before the event of the arena. Though Niedel was usually bustling with commotion even during the late hour, perhaps the event brought a great hush unto the people.
The rest of her companions, being all the opposite gender, were resting inside the cold floor of the large storage room, since there were no other vacancies for all of them together. She was allowed to rest on a comfortable bed of the inn. Yet the bed did not bring forth much comfort that Kukuru had hoped. She closed her eyes, but no sleep will dwell therein. Thus, she got up. Closing the door behind her, she gently walked across the hall of the quiet inn, onto the front porch, stepping down the few steps and then onto the dusty dirt floor that surrounded the inn. Wondering what to do while the night seemed so young, she silently walked about with her head looking onto the floor. A strange sound caught her attention as she raised her head to get a clearer echo. She caught the sound of the winds being sliced apart. She followed the faint noise, as it became evident it was coming from the back of Inn.
She stopped as she saw Arc breathing heavily as he seemed to be in the process of training. His bandanna wet with cold sweat and his shirt damp, he seemed to hold so much energy in his age and stance. Arc raised his sword, which glistened in the faint moonlight coming from the large star that was slightly covered with grey clouds. He then quickly one-handedly swung it towards his right side, as he quickly cut the air again. He continued his swordplay, the blade dancing about in the air in his hand. Kukuru watched as she leaned closely towards the wall of the inn. She watched as the blades of grass underneath Arc would dissipate from the force at which Arc was slicing through the area about him. She smiled at Arc's determination to win. Arc landed his sword upon the floor, letting it sit rooted in the sands. He slightly walked back, as though he was admiring his handiwork. He sighed, as he let his head down, still breathing heavily. Kukuru quickly turned away; ready to leave before showing Arc her presence.
"Kukuru…" She froze in her tracks, surprised that he noticed her there all along. She turned around as she met his gaze looking back at her with a tired look.
Tosh got up in his uncomfortable position, finding Chongara's bottom half, taking almost all of his sleeping space. Tosh slightly grumbled, as he scratched his head in thought. He peered above, finding Gogen strangely afloat, resting silently upon all the barrels. Poco was curled up like a little puppy in the corner of the room. While Iga, looked as stiff as a board. Tosh continued to look about, slightly confused at the missing presence of Arc. He calmly got up, hoping to not disturb anyone's sleep. The moment Tosh began to stir, Chongara immediately grabbed him. Tosh's hair seemed to stand on its own from the sudden fright as Tosh panicky tried to free himself from Chongara's unexpected grip. Chongara merely murmured, "No…no…tis too precious…can't sell….can't…give…" Tosh gritted his teeth as he used all his might to get Chongara's arms off his leg. He pushed and pulled apart Chongara's arms, yet to no avail. Tosh slightly growled as his face turned dark from bitterness at his own disposition. Suddenly, the stagnant Iga moved about in his slumber as he shoved Tosh's free leg away from his side. Tosh, losing his balance, with his eyes wide, fell upon Chongara, who immediately let go of the leg and loudly snorted. Tosh jumped over him and ran to the door. He turned around to see everyone's reaction. To his surprise, they were all asleep, almost too deeply asleep. Chongara scratched his large belly, as he mournfully murmured, "…gah…now broken….gah…Chongara…so unhappy…(snort) (snort) "
Tosh sighed with relief as he opened the door and left the room. After a short moment passed, Iga got up in a sitting position with his eyes still closed, "Yes, I would like some wine with that…thank you…" Then he quietly laid his head back down into his once again stagnant position, stiff as a board. Tosh walked towards the door. He didn't mean to intrude into her privacy, yet he thought it wouldn't hurt if he did check up on her. He turned towards Kukuru's room, but was surprised to find it slightly opened. He opened the door and went in cautiously, but to his misperception, she was not resting on her bed. Tosh's mind started to wander as he summed up the fact that neither Arc nor Kukuru were resting in their respective rooms. Worried about their whereabouts, Tosh decided to seek them out.
Kukuru and Arc were sitting upon the floor, next to Arc's standing blade. She let her hand pass along the grass, feeling the tingle of their poignant edges. Arc simply looked straight ahead, towards the city, towards the hills, with the Niedel Arena behind them. Kukuru was slightly amused at the way Arc occasionally took a glance at her. She turned towards him, "Practicing for tomorrow?"
He quickly looked away and returned looking towards the hills. "Yes, for a moment…"
"Everyone believes in you tomorrow. You'll do fine."
"I know. We've come this far. Walking down the path that my father walked on made me realize that this journey is but one part of a larger path." A moment of silence passed them by. He looked at Kukuru and smiled, as she smiled back at him. Kukuru admired Arc's strong sense of hope and peace. She leaned back and looked towards the sky.
"You are right. It is a fraction of a larger path...a greater plan, perhaps. I guess, as a child, I've always believed it. My mother sometimes spoke of it and of the Great Light, called Holy."
"…Great Light…Holy?"
"Yes, she said it would protect those who pursued righteousness not for selfish aim. I've always regarded it as a child's story. It's strange how I can still recall her words…OH!" Kukuru suddenly stopped as she realized how rude she was to speak about her mother in front of Arc. Since the disappearance of his mother, the entire team decided to be careful what they say in front of Arc.
"I-I'm sorry, Arc." Arc turned away as he began to silently ponder. Kukuru started to beat herself up in her thoughts as she always failed to recognize others around her and spoke too soon for her own good. "I…I didn't mean to-"
"Kukuru," Arc slightly interrupting her train of thought, "…it's the first time you ever spoke about your parents."
"Oh…yes, that's true." Kukuru was even surprised at herself; she hardly opened up to others to the point of talking about her family. She suddenly blushed from embarrassment of her mistake and reaction. Arc disregarded the previous subject.
"I would like to hear more about them. You rarely talk about your village or your family."
"Perhaps, it was because there was not much to tell…" Kukuru softly spoke, her eyes fixed on the floor around them.
"Any siblings?" Arc also leaned back and looked towards the sky.
"No. I'm the only child as you are."
"And your parents?"
"My father is the head of the Sacred White Clan. His lineage has started when he was twenty years old. And my mother…passed away when I was eight years old." A moment of silence passed by, as Kukuru kept looking at the green area. Arc gazed at her, slightly perplexed at what she said.
"I-I wouldn't have imagined."
"Does it surprise you?" She asked, not looking back at him.
"No. I shouldn't have… I'm sorry about your mother." Arc realized Kukuru's past was quite vague to him. Hearing that she's lost her mother at such a young age, made Arc ponder at the similar position that he found himself in.
"It's all right, Arc..." She decided to quickly pass the awkward silence as she smiled at him, "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
"Well, as long as this battle draws us closer to the whereabouts of the Wind Guardians, then this entire ordeal would be worth our time."
Kukuru giggled as she leaned forward and let her hands support her head, "As usual, back to the reason of why we started this journey. So many things have happened thus far," slightly closed her eyes, she continued, "I still can't believe you were…son of the true King of Palencia."
"…it still doesn't seem real to me as well…" Arc coughed uncomfortably. "I remember, the first time we met…"
At this moment, Tosh turned around the corner of the inn, hearing their voices. He had no intention of intruding their conversation, yet his eyes seemed to reveal a faint disappointment at their encounter. Kukuru grinned thinking of the fateful day when she stood under the Guardian Peak, as Arc continued his thoughts, "You said you wanted to avoid marrying the Crown Prince."
Kukuru still regrets from time to time what she has done and what path it has led everyone to. She nodded as Arc laughed a little and he softly spoke, "I know this is quite wrong of me, but I can't help but be glad that you did."
Kukuru felt herself hold her breath. She didn't know how to take in the words he just spoke to her. Yet she decided to not overreact to anything. She did not want to misunderstand and consider his feelings towards her. Arc continued, "…We would have never met."
They turned to face each other. Kukuru felt her face flush so terribly that she turned away and quickly added, "Of course, all the others too. This adventure and about your father…none of it would have happened."
Arc slightly blushed from feeling quite uneasy and nervous. "If - If my father was the King today," Arc stopped, as looked at her, "And if I was the Crown Prince of Palencia…"
Kukuru didn't turn her head to look at him. She was afraid her entire face would reveal her anxious thoughts and emotions. She couldn't help but be nervous about the expressions that he uttered. She was unsure of how to interpret any of them. There was not a moment, when she did not wonder about the same thing, ever since the day she saw Arc show to the King of Palencia the symbol of his lineage. Kukuru shyly looked at him. The clouds cleared away from the moon, revealing a clear gleam across the towns. Their eyes seemed to lock on its own. Staring into his light brown eyes, Kukuru couldn't lie to herself, she truly admired Arc, perhaps more than she realized or hoped. As time passed by between them throughout their adventures, she couldn't help but find his curiosities amusing, his ordinary looks warm, and his gentle compassion for others alluring. Arc brought their eye contact to an end, finding himself feeling completely timid around her. Kukuru has always been more confident, vibrant, and headstrong. Arc nervously chuckled and said, "…Makes me wonder where we would be right now…"
Kukuru's eyes wavered, as she was unsure of how to react. Arc noticed she seemed a little insecure and pressured to utter words that she did not yet feel comfortable saying. Yet, hearing what Arc had to say made Kukuru realized that their feelings have grown farther than she could comprehend. Nonetheless, she did not want to break her promise to Tosh, a promise that he would be the first to know where her feelings were leading her. She sighed as she looked down at her hands, resting on her knees. "It makes me wonder too, Arc."
Kukuru got up from where she sat; she walked a distance away as she patted her clothing to remove the dust that came from the ground. She stretched slightly as she looked at Arc, who got up as she did. "It's getting late, if you don't get enough rest, we can't be too confident that you'll be able to win that orb tomorrow."
Arc didn't know how to read Kukuru's abrupt change of topic. He went to put his sword away in its sheath, as he turned around he was surprised as Kukuru stood closer to him than he expected. Yet he seemed a little down that he couldn't understand her feelings much less his own, and though he had a nonchalant expression, Kukuru grinned to find the childish uncertainties build up inside of him. Kukuru raised her hands, and held the ends of his bandanna. She lightly tugged on it as it tightened on his forehead. He looked into her eyes, and she drew closer to his face and said, "It does make me wonder, but we should think about it after the whole messy situation is over. That way, peace will find its way of joining two hearts together. Don't you agree…Arc?"
Arc, staring into her crimson eyes, recognized that she once said the same thing after the attack near the Water Shrine, when he believed Tosh and Kukuru were in love, only to find that he misunderstood the entire situation. The wind blew past them, as his chestnut hair faintly covered his face. Kukuru's long hair tossed about with the wind, as she sweetly smiled back at him. He grinned as he finally returned Kukuru the warm smile that made her heart dance. "Yes…I agree. Let's go back…" Kukuru returned him a nod, as they strolled towards the inn together.
Tosh, on the other hand, quickly withdrew as he saw that they were coming towards the inn. He walked back into his room, shutting the door behind him. He stood near the door of their room, staring down at the floor. His eyes dim with distress lost its entire luster. He suspected their emotions have grown for one another. He simply laughed at himself as he shook his thoughts away. He sat next to Chongara, the space he occupied before was already too crowded for him to lie down again. Therefore, he pushed Chongara over completely to upon his belly, as Tosh potently made himself room to sleep. Chongara mumbled again, but being a deep sleeper, did not wake up. Tosh breathed in and out heavily as he closed his eyes to rest.
Kukuru woke up, with her eyes wide. She looked to her side, as she realized she's been dreaming the entire time. Kukuru stood up from her bed, as she stared around her small room of Gazalla Inn. The curtain in the corner of the room, revealed the faint light of day peeping in. The wooden ground underneath the bed seemed to hold the heat of the desert. The stuffy environment was least of her concerns, nonetheless. She was rather quite surprised that her flashback would be so vivid. She realized that she seemed to have seen more than she could recall from her own memories. She didn't know that Tosh has seen her conversation with Arc. Or was it her mind filling in the spots of her own memory with other scenes? She sighed, remembering the fragments of memory coming to life in her dreams. Kukuru got up and looked outside the window, finding the Alatos citizens quickly rebuilding their sandy town together. From Romalia, she was able to find a slow boat ride that was able to bring her to Alatos shores. She sought ways to avoid large crowds of people as she headed towards the desert.
Meanwhile, as the morning drew near in Seirya, the darkness did not cease to leave the presence of the people. As though the entire world was covered in a shroud of shadows, though morning came, one could not call the hour of the day morning at all. In the Kingdom of Palencia, Clive opened the door to where a large mirror stood. It was the same mirror that Prime Minister Andel stood before to create the darkest of his schemes. Clive composedly examined the surroundings. The place was oddly unaltered even after the Great Disaster, as though some mystic force held the location in one piece. Clive took off his thin glasses and settled it down close to the ill-omened mirror. His back to the mirror, he walked around the chamber, finding the curtains still damp from the waters that spewed through the cracks of the castle walls. No windows were in the room, only one door that led to this dark corner. Clive lifted his right arm to his side, as his large coat made a soft rustle against the air. Snapping his fingers, the entire room illuminated with red flames upon the broken and empty candle holders upon the walls of the chamber. The flames did not bring about the same bright gleam as other flames, yet these flames were as red as the dark autumn leaves that stained the earth in its season. As Clive stood still, the reflection of himself inside the mirror slowly stirred and turned. The image distorted as a most ghastly face appeared within the mirror.
"So you've returned to this place, Clive…" Clive turned around, his stern eyes staring back into the mirror. He grinned as he slightly bowed his head. The Dark One continued to speak; "Now as my power remains upon the people of this world, my deception covering the expanses of their land, the light is disappearing as well as the people's will to remember it…"
"Yes, Master." Clive raised his head as the curtains were unraveled, madly fluttering inside the chamber. "The light of the Guardians have completely faded. There is nothing that poses a threat to your plan now, Master."
"On the contrary, Clive," the Dark One's voice resonated as Clive's eyes revealed his concern at what he has heard, "though the Guardians' powers cease to exist and the Ark remains a useless artifact…there is still one that can stands against me."
Clive narrowed his eyes as he was clearly irritated at the potential threat, "What could possibly exist to be powerful enough to stand against all your power? You can not mean…?"
"Arc?" The Dark One laughed. "No, the boy has no strength left inside to even fight the weakest of chimeras. I know his capabilities more than he does, which makes my revenge all the more eminent."
"Then who can stop you?"
"The truth can stop me, Clive. There still remains a light, an eternal light that emits its life unto man. The Great Light called Holy."
"Holy?" Clive stood up and stared into the mirror, fainting reflecting his own image. The ghastly appearance continued to utters its evil desires, "Yes…Holy. It was the roles of the petty guardians to reveal unto mankind the existence of this Great Light…that is, until I took the matter into my own hands. I covered the minds of people with my deception, made them forget their Guardians, made them abuse their blessed powers, and made their curiosities extend to selfish ambitions; it was I, who created the flawless plan to ruin them, a flawless plan to stand against the Great Light...until…" The voice of the Dark One grew deeper as it hissed with much hate and resentment, "The foolish boy dared to rise against me, dared to use what I've already planted against me! The guardians and their powers are still nothing compared to my own might! I will rise above Holy and reign over their precious world, then," the grim face upon the mirror grinned, "Then I will have my ways with the boy, he would wish he has never faced me before…"
"What must I do?"
"We must move to destroy them before Holy comes to disclose my plans. Haste is what we need, and with haste we shall take the lives of these people here."
"I understand quite well. A strategy has already been formed to do as you asked." Clive smirked as he picked up his glasses, holding it on by its rim. He held it a distance from his face, peering through the skewed image of his surroundings through the glass. "In fact, it has already commenced. Millmana is where it will all begin…"
"None can stop it. With all my powers bestowed on you, Clive, all will be done as I have planned…" With this the Dark One's grim appearance faded away into darkness of the mirror, as the only reflection left was that of Clive, who still stood, holding his glasses.
With a look of poise, he spoke gently, "Pity; they do not comprehend just how far the eyes of the Dark One perceive."
On the other side, upon the land of Forles, in a humble town of Holn, Lieza finally approached her home, quite tattered from the storms of the Great Disaster. She observed the village, finding nothing but ruins and people hitting the earth in bitterness and sorrow. Paundit slightly whimpered as it walked before Lieza few steps, sniffing around his surroundings. Lieza, watching her steps, stood near the edge of the cliff. She sighed, seeing the broken view of the Forles hills and valleys below her. Much of the people's belongings seemed to have fallen over the stony cliff.
"I'm back, grandfather…" She stared above to her left, to what was left of the large windmill next to her home. As the wind traveled through the tearful atmosphere, the windmill creaked as fragments of its still holding on with the woven fibers fluttered with the wind. Lieza held her golden braid, as she narrowed her eyes. The people diligently worked, removing the large boulders that fell upon the town as well as their livestock. Cursing as well as encouraging one another, the people were spurred to move swiftly through their despair. Lieza walked into their home, as the furniture was generally in its own area; still the entire house was in disarray. Walking next to the fireplace, she stopped as she noticed glass shattered from a broken frame. Carefully she knelt down and turned the frame over to find a faintly damaged picture of her grandfather, herself, and Paundit. She smiled, wiping the debris away from picture. Paundit entered the house, but something was strange for he was faintly growling.
"Paundit, what's the matter?" As soon as she asked the question, Lieza heard loud cries and noises from the townspeople outside. Lieza drew closer to Paundit as she courageously walked outside her broken home and confronted the mob that gathered closely around her home.
"What is going on?" She calmly asked.
"We've been attacked by the chimeras recently." A broad man spoke rashly towards her as the rest of the villagers with him nodded in agreement. Paundit intensely growled at hearing their voices rising. Lieza calmly placed her hand on his back as she stared the man straight in the eyes, "How could it be? After the Great Disaster, shouldn't the number of chimeras decreased?"
"Yes, that's true…but," Lieza's eyes looked a little confused as they continued, "since the nights before you've arrived, what's left of our stocks are being taken away by those fiends."
"Perhaps, they are hungry and seeking food by invading our territory." Lieza suggested, finding it to be the only logical explanation of their behavior.
"That's what we believed as well. Yet, we've followed the chimeras over to the mountains, where they resided. No traces of blood, no traces of the remains of our animals are left. The monsters themselves were there and were quick to drive us out from their habitat."
"That is odd." Lieza began to ponder silently as the rest of the crowd murmured among each other. The man continued to speak, "Few of the men decided to travel through the chimeras, to find their livestock. But…"
"They have not returned?" Lieza's expression revealed her signs of worry.
"Yes...and it has been already two days…"
"The place where Chimeras reside would mean possibly the Chimera Research Lab or Mother Claire's home… yet, we can't be certain."
"We are preparing ourselves for any immediate attacks. We will protect our livestock. After all that's happen, and even this, there seems to be less hope for a peaceful future every day…" The crowd slowly dispersed heading towards their own families or homes. Lieza stood quietly observing the scene. Paundit walked next to her and licked her hand to get her attention. Lieza stooped down and pet Paundit, her eyes still with thought. Night drew close as the people of Holn were quickly preparing to find a place to rest their weary bodies. The men of the village began to surround their only source of food and means to survive. Inside her home, Lieza searched the cabinets, drawing out any sorts of healing ointments that she could find. Paundit sat faithfully close by, watching his master's every move. She finally tightened the long purple sash around her waist. She kneeled on the floor, as she called Paundit over. Paundit eagerly walked and sat before her. As Lieza smoothed the ruffled hair on Paundit's back she gently spoke to him, "The villagers sure seemed to be stirred up by these strange events. If there's one place I know better than most, it's the Chimera Research Lab. Paundit, I'm going to go there tonight and see what exactly is going on again."
Paundit seemed more than ready to follow but Lieza stopped petting her fury friend as she sighed in deeply. "But Paundit, you will not go with me this time…" Paundit blinked as it slightly whimpered and nudged her hand away to object. She smiled as she held his face, slightly scrunching his skin together, making him appear like a stuffed animal. "I need you to go to Mother Claire's place. She knows about Chimeras behaviors more than anyone. So I need you to go and see if the chimeras are holding the livestock there. If they could not find the carcasses of their animals, then they must be alive somewhere."
Lieza let go of Paundit's face as she tickled his ears and whispered, "Ready?" In response, Paundit made a grunting noise, almost a slight growl. Lieza rose from where she kneeled and grabbed her Scorpion Tail whip and jumped out of her back window, already shattered from the Great Disaster. Paundit followed after her. She looked about to make sure no one would notice her leave. She nodded towards Paundit, "Be careful, Paundit…"
Paundit immediately dashed away into the bushes, making only the slightest rustles through the green bushes. Lieza inhaled and exhaled deeply as she quickly headed towards the Chimera Research Lab. The villagers cautiously waited, holding their only offensive tools. They watched the skies draw darker and the clouds gathering towards the moon. Though all were calm, in the midst of that calm brewed the malignant plans and powers of the Dark One.
The skies seemed particularly darker near the region of East Aldia. The waves crashed deathly closed to the homes of the civilians in Prodias. The Ceremony Pavilion in shambles, the buildings around the area crumbling even still was already covered by the water. All that remains is a rocky island that's nearly inhabitable. Indigos barely survived the massive floods of the Great Disaster. Most residents took to the Wastelands and the Ruin Town to hide from the phenomena. Shu and Shante quickly found rest in Indigos. After few days of traveling through East Aldia, they finally reached their destination. Shu's apartment didn't seem to exist any longer, same goes for the Indigos Bar that Shante worked at. Observing the remains of the Indigos Bar, Shu and Shante walked in, avoiding the debris that fell once in a while. Clearly many civilians took to wasting their days mourning over their loss by drinking any unbroken bottle of wine, as they were scattered about near the stage and the counter. Shante looked frankly disappointed at the people who took to taking over her work space. Shu motioned to her towards the door, thus Shante followed Shu away from the sad scene.
"Let's go to the apartment complex. We'd be better help there." Shu carried his bag over his shoulder and walked forward. As Shu and Shante walked into the crumbling building, it was evident that many people already settled in quite well. One who was organizing the number of people occupying the apartments was no other than the doctor of the town, Lado. Shu has not gotten the chance to meet Lado again fter he has graciously offered his services to Elc, who asked him to heal Lieza. As Lado was quickly fumbling down names, he noticed Shu and Shante walking in.
"Shu! My goodness…it's been a while, my friend!"
"Same goes for you. I didn't expect to find you here. Nonetheless, I'm glad to see that you're safe."
"Hah! Safe! You can hardly say that I'm safe, Shu," as Lado was pointing to the large desk that used to hold all the room keys he continued, "See the missing keys, and the angry people here. There's a multitude seeking shelter, but there aren't enough rooms, and there are injured civilians but I am their only doctor! There has been no rebuilding of this city as of yet, but there's drunkards running amuck, and there's-"
"Speaking of drunkards, I'm surprised to see you're not destroying your liver at the bar, doctor," Shante smiled as she lightly patted Lado on his shoulder. Lado with his handkerchief tapped his forehead from the sweat that resulted from his heightened stress level. Shu smiled, "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Heh, done saving the world, are you?" Lado grinned, as he put his handkerchief away into his long sleeves, "Unfortunately, people scarcely remember it as saving the world after all this. Well, the up stair corridors could use some restructuring. If we're going to find people some place to stay, it'd be best to start there."
"Very well then, I'll see what I can do. Shante, perhaps you should stay here and assist Lado with the wounded."
"I will. Watch your step, Shu." Shu nodded as he promptly passed the people who were lying down the floor. As he was walking up the stairs, he was surprised to see how sturdy it was. "Strange, through the Great Disaster, I expected this entire place to have collapsed."
Shu continued forward but stopped abruptly as he caught the essence of an unknown great power. He looked up as three men in dark scarlet cloaks turned the corner to walk down the stairs. Shu quietly observed them, as the first of three started down the stairs. He slightly moved aside, barely making eye contact with the three strangers. As they started walking out the apartment, Shu glanced at them quickly. He turned away, feeling their essence completely away from the building. As he walked along the corridors, he stopped as the place was tremendously unstable. It seemed as though the ground underneath him would shatter if he were not careful. To test the strength of the foundation, Shu picked up a decent sized stone. It was quite heavy in his hand. He tossed it across the hallway. The moment the stone hit the floor, the impact caused the foundation to give way, as the left side of the hallway crumbled and caved in slightly.
"It's unlikely for the ground to still be standing when three men walk across…unless…" Shu's eyes grew wide. He quickly dashed downstairs. Shante stopped her assistance, seeing the apparent change in Shu's stance. Shu walked up to Lado, "Lado, who were those three men in red just now?"
"Three men in red? Hmm, quite frankly I don't know, Shu. They were upstairs for the night. Though I prompted the civilians to rest upstairs as well, the unsteady grounds ward them off."
Shu remained quiet, sinking in the information. Shante walked next to him, noticing his face showed clearly signs of his distress. "Shu…?" Without answering her, Shu walked outside the inn. He looked about the city. The people looked with curiosity as Shu ran around the corners of the buildings. Passing the Hunter' Guild and reaching the corner of the Comic Shop, he stopped as he began to focus his thoughts. His left hand reached for the small throwing knives he equipped on the side of his belt. Shu walked cautiously forward but stopped as he noticed three large shadows upon the floor growing darker and smaller by the second. Shu jumped aside as he threw three knives, directly aimed towards the three men cloaked in red. With their large capes, tightly wrapped around them, they spun around and stopped his little projectile weapon with their silver armlets that was wrapped upon their forearms. Landing steadily, the three still veiled by the large hoods, stood up.
"Why do you pursue us, stranger?" One of them spoke up, obviously the one leading the threesome.
"Didn't know that the territories of Blood Okami reached as far as East Aldia..." As Shu spoke, the three seemed alarmed, as they slightly grunted from his words. The leader spoke, "How surprising…to find someone who knows of our existence…"
"What brings the Okami here?" Shu steadily spoke, as he slowly reached again for his belt. The leader's lips curled to form a grin. His voice took a deeper tone as he faintly said, "Careful…We can taste fear before seeing it…"
Suddenly the two behind the one who spoke jumped forward and kicked Shu, who was thrown to the wall behind him. Shu held his chest from the momentary pain, as he quickly dodged again from their quick fists, which hit the wall. Shu quickly jumped upon the wall, walking over and jumping unto the other side. Being right behind the leader of this small group, he quickly threw a high kick, towards him. Their leader, with his back to Shu, hastily raised his arm and blocked the impeding attack. Shu backed up as he swiftly threw a punch. The leader simply turned around to grab Shu's fist, bringing it upwards, as he returned a kick to his stomach. Shu stepped back, as the man cloaked in red rushed forward. As Shu whirled around to throw another kick, the figure suddenly disappeared and the only thing wrapped around Shu's leg was the large red cape. Shu looked with alarm as the maneuver caught him by surprise. The remaining two, running across the wall, flipped forward, throwing several shurikens at Shu. Shu quickly dodged them and even kicked one away without getting injured. The two swiftly slid down from the wall. And the last of them reappeared from the lifeless red cloak that was lying on the floor, rising from the floor and taking form. He maliciously chuckled as he nodded with sure approval of Shu's keen skills. Shu simply narrowed his gaze towards them. His mouth and chin covered from the large maroon shawl wrapped around his neck.
"Stealth …just the way I remember it…." Shu spoke as he stood up from his position. "I didn't know Okami resorted to attacking in groups…"
"We do prefer to fight one on one," the leader spoke up quietly, "In this case, however, you are an exception…an unusual exception. To know so much, it's surprising that you're alive, but…we can't let you live any longer." With this, one of them jumped upon the leader's shoulder, using it to get the boost to jump across towards Shu. Shu got into a stance that brought him lower towards the ground. As he was about to dodge the coming kick, the other two swiftly reached behind their backs, thrusting out two shotguns. Shu dodged the kick and jumped upon the walls to get the upper hand. Missing the bullets that were following after him, the debris luckily covered Shu's appearance, distorting their aim. Spotting their red cape, Shu rushed in to kick only to fall on the cape with no one in it.
"Damn…" Shu whirled around and found the two remaining armed with their shotgun. Alarmed, Shu raised the red cape over him. The other two stopped advancing abruptly. Shu noticed their strange behavior. Using this opportunity, Shu immediately tossed the red cape towards them, ran, and quickly slides down the floor between them to the other side. They whirled around as Shu quickly jumps and thrusts a kick on both of their faces. The two falls on the floor, dropping their guns, while the stagnant cloth rises again and this time flutters towards Shu. Shu whirls back and flings three small knives at the airy cloth. The leader dodges two but gets hit by the last, as he slams down to the floor. Shu sighed in deeply as he steadily gets up. The leader hissed, "Why you…" The two behind his arose as they reached for their guns.
Suddenly several shots were heard from behind, as it hit the floor next to them. Shante appeared with her hands raised towards them with Shu's machine gun. The three nodded as they unleashed gaseous bombs on the floor to make their exit. Shu and Shante coughed from the dire smell that was left from their disappearance. Shante walked forward, still coughing a little, "Shu?"
"I'm here, Shante." Shu appeared amidst the smoke, dusting himself off.
"What happened? Are you injured?" Shante cautiously walked forward.
"Barely," Shu raised an eyebrow, as he tilted his head, "Shante, I didn't know you knew how to use my gun..."
"Oh," Shante peered over at the machine gun that she was holding tightly, "I…uh…don't actually."
Alarmed, Shu took a step back. "You don't?" Before Shante could answer, Shu portentously walked forward, cautiously raising his hand up, "Actually, before you answer, why don't you give that gun to me first?"
"Good idea, it was getting quite heavy." As she gave the gun to Shu, she sighed and stretched her arms. "It seemed to be the only weapon for the moment. I thought you may need it."
Shu cautiously looked around. Shante peered into his face, marked with pure mystery. "Shu…what's the matter? Who were those people just now?"
"I didn't know that I would meet them again. After all those years, I thought by now they would have brought an end to their cultish faction." Shu's eyes seemed to faintly show signs of worry and wonder. Shu carried his gun upon his back. Looking back at Shante, he softly spoke, "There's much to me that you still don't know, Shante…"
"There are many things we all don't know about one another. Some more than others…I know it's hard to open up."
"It's not that. Knowledge of my past will certainly put your life in danger. It has already taken the lives of those close to me. They are not common assassins or group of trained soldiers. I know their hideous ways inside out. With one link, they trail down through every corner to take the lives of all those connected." Shu turned away, as Shante looked upon the floor, understanding Shu's complicated state.
Trailing through the snowy path, Lieza reaches closer to the Chimera Research Lab. Through the Great Disaster, the mountain snow has melted tremendously, causing Lieza's mire path to be ever difficult to cross. She sighed in deeply as her breath was visible in the cold night. Finally reaching the entrance, Lieza carefully peered. Expecting the place to be deserted and completely darkened, she was surprised to find a brightened path through the cave. Lieza quietly stepped in, making sure her footsteps aren't audible. Recognizing the way through each corridor, she examined each room. Though the place was a little lit, and even the machinery seemed to work well. Finally as she was about to leave, a strange room caught her attention. It was different from the other rooms, for the door seemed much larger, and colored slightly lighter tone, as it was burgundy. Drawing closer to it, she suddenly stopped as she heard voices from within. Sounds of water caught her ear. The voices inside were quite muffled, so she quietly entered the room. Luckily the door did not catch anyone's attention, as Lieza quickly hid behind a large crate. The room was fully lit, yet it seemed undeveloped, or recently built. A large window to the outside snow could be seen from the far corner, which was the cause of the sound of water dripping in. Two men dressed in strange red cloaks spoke with one another, while few others chained up the few chimeras left in this snowy mountain path.
"Are we finished uploading them?" One of them roughly spoke, while the rest nodded. "Good…and the animals?"
"Ready to go."
"Excellent, then this place is no use to us now. We've extracted all the information needed. Let us return to Millmana." Hearing all they've said, Lieza decided she should find which crates held the livestock of her townsmen. The crates were settled on top of one another on a slope of the room. As she began to swiftly move from side to side, trying her best to be concealed in the shadows, she felt her leg suddenly slip from the puddle that was formed from the dripping water. Shocked, she gasped as she tumbled down the slant of the room and landed in front of the two men. The men whirled around, surprised by the sound. "What in the---!"
"It's an intruder!" Lieza looked up as the two men stood before her, their faces covered. A cunning grin was upon one of them as he spoke, "A pretty intruder, yes."
The one standing next to him, reached for his gun, but was stopped. He looked, confused while the other spoke, "No need to put blood on our hands. Besides," He motioned to the others standing next to the crates, as they proceeded to opening some, "they will be hungry on their way there. We might as well feed their hunger."
As the two men walked aside, two red skeletons and two great dragons have appeared before Lieza. The chimeras dangerously drew closer to Lieza, as she stood up. She, however, calmly reached out her hands and spoke, using her ability to speak with the beasts, "Stop! There is a misunderstanding. Untamed or not, I know you can understand what I am saying to you. I am not your enemy. If you have an enemy, it is these men who have captured you!"
The monsters eyes seemed to clearly understand what she was saying, but their motives didn't change as they kept walking forward. Lieza took a few steps back as she was shocked by their strange behavior. The men around her laughed in amusement of her chance to calm the beasts. "Impressive effort…Now I see, you must be the other one noted on the records, the other beasttalker. Unfortunately for you, you were one step too late."
The man moved his head towards the right, motioning Lieza to take a glance. Lieza looks and with wide eyes, her hand reaches her mouth in shock. A man turned the corner with an elderly woman tied up and held by his grip. The woman looked up, recognizing Lieza's face. "Mo- Mother Claire!"
"Lieza…oh dear."
The man chuckled as he spoke, "Fortunately for us, we were able to utilize her skills to manipulate these creatures. They listen to only our orders," The man turned around as they began to coldly walk away, "Now with all said and done…kill her…"
The two red skeletons rushed in, but Lieza was ready. She reached her belt and pulled her Scorpion Tail whip loose. Causing a swift crackle, Lieza held the soft edge of her whip with one of her hand. One of the Great Dragon swooped in to gnash her with its enormous jaws. She ducked and rolled away from it. She swung the whip to her side, as it grabbed onto a nearby stool. Using all her might, she threw the stool towards the beast, as it was fully hit. A red skeleton jumped towards her side. Lieza quickly snapped her whip to stiffen as she blocked the skeleton's sword. Realizing that the skeleton's strength is much superior to hers, she quickly kicked it away. Letting her whip loose, she grabbed its leg and pulled. As the skeleton fell, the two dragons rushed in above it. The last skeleton rushed in from her behind. She jumped and spun around, consecutively hitting all three. (Note to gamers: it's her Spinster move.) Falling away, the beast snarled. Landing on her feet, Lieza was surprised as the skeleton that she tripped grabbed her from behind. Falling on the floor, Lieza dropped her whip, as the other Skeleton quickly got up and kicked it away. Lieza struggled to get free, but with the beasts drawing in towards her, she knew her time was limited. She shut her eyes and with all her might called out, "Earthquake!"
The men whirled around, curious that she was lasting for so long in the battle. The men brought their capes over their faces to cover them from the sudden debris that resulted from the attack. The ground trembled and enormous gazers shot up from the ground hitting her opponents. Luckily, she quickly rolled away from the scene. As the dust fluttered about, she saw the shadows of skeletons' bodies dissembled upon the floor and the dragons lifeless. Lieza got up, breathless and flung her long hair aside from her shoulder. As she spotted her weapon and reached out to get it, a sudden bullet hit her arm. She cringed from the sudden burn as she grabbed her arm and backed up. With the debris finally settling down, she spotted the man, holding a pistol and continuing to aim at her. "You are a greater nuisance than you appear. We've considered sparing your pathetic life, but," the man looked back, motioning the others to take Mother Claire away, "One beasttalker is enough for our plans to succeed."
Mother Claire was dragged away with the other men rushing into the darker corridors. Still huffing and puffing, Lieza looked about yet to no avail. There was no escape in her current situation for she was cornered. Her strength has strangely depleted due to her last powers cast upon the chimeras. She was still heavily breathing from her lost of power. Though she wished she could conjure up another skill, she didn't think she could even cure the minor injury on her arm. The man walked forward, still holding his aim. Suddenly the window from the corner burst, catching everyone off guard. The dust and snow mixture flooded the premise, clouding everyone's view. Lieza took this chance, as she quickly dashed away. "Damn you!"
The man began to shoot mercilessly towards Lieza who ducked and ran behind all the machinery to interfere with his attack. The man sneered as he ran along side the crates. The debris caused panic to take over. The rest of the party quickly dashed towards the corridors, avoiding the hazy scene. The debris started to settle slightly and Lieza rolled forward to grab her whip. Just as she turned around, however, the man was before her, holding the pistol at her head. She gasped as he was ready to make his shot. Lieza suddenly spotted a pair of red eyes glistening from her peripheral perspective. She turned away as a large doglike beast grabbed unto the man's arm with his jaws.
"Paundit!" Lieza immediately recognized her furry friend, as it continued to growl and tear away at the enemy's arm. She realized Paundit must have broken through the window and camouflaged through all the snow and debris.
The man struggled with Paundit, as it tore away at his red cape. Shot were randomly being made to the upper lamps, crates, and ceiling to drive the beast away. Paundit quickly darted away and boldly growled. The man threw shurikens towards Paundit, as he jumped away unto the crates. He quickly resumed to getting his gun reloaded, but a quick slash from the whip knocked the pistol from his hand. Paundit grabbed the dropped gun and rushed to Lieza side. Lieza held her stiffened whip against the man's face. The man grabbed his wounded arm, brutally marred from Paundit's powerful jaws, as he cursed under his breath. Yet two other men returned to assist their struggling comrade and started shooting towards them. Lieza and Paundit quickly jumped away. The snow upon the floor began to already melt as the place began to slightly flood. Lieza knew she and Paundit could not last an attack from all of them. Jumping upon the crates higher up, she noticed that the ceiling above them was weakening. It must be since the place is so underdeveloped that they could not properly set up the foundations. Paundit rushed in from side to side, distracting the men from aiming at Lieza. Lieza took this chance and with her whip she grabbed unto a lamp that flickered on and off and barely hanging. Apparently the lamp was hit several times from the man's unintended shots. With all her might she pulled on the lamp as it was broken from its ripped cording and flung unto the floor. The crash caused the lamp to burst from the impact, as electrical surge purged the wet area. The men quickly rushed away from the scene, for the base above and below them were completely severed.
"Paundit, hurry!" Lieza began to rush towards the broken window, hopping on the crates to draw closer to the window. Paundit immediately followed after his master's voice, quickly reaching her side. Paundit went out the window before her, as she struggled to pull herself over. Paundit grabbed her clothing and pulled her towards him. As she returned to the snowy setting, Lieza and Paundit rushed away from the scene.
On the other hand, in a land far hotter and dryer of nature, Kukuru walked through the desert of Alatos, letting the turquoise shawls upon her shoulder shield her face from the harsh desert winds. Upon reaching Chongara's shop, Kukuru smiled, thinking of the first time Arc and his friends met the strange tradesmen. Seeing that no one was presently in the area, she decided to go back. As she was exiting the shop, she looked towards the mountains. Though the place resembled only dunes of sands, Kukuru admired how through the Great Disaster, nature still stood its ground. As the winds trailed through the sands below her, she stopped as she felt a familiar presence. She stopped as she looked further on through the dunes, there she saw the Forbidden Ruins, the place where they first met Choko and also battled to recover her memories. Though the ruins remained the same way as they left it, a strange pulsating energy surged from it. She walked towards it, but abruptly stopped and hid. Two familiar men stood before the ruins, wearing large red capes and hiding their faces. They nodded towards one another and began to examine the area. As Kukuru wondered what brought them to Alatos, and even pondering whether they were still after her, she noticed three more men walking out the ruins with all types of chimeras chained up. Drawing away from the exit, the men spoke to one another. "Will this be enough?"
"Our device will make up for the rest of them. We just need to get specific kinds for our project to succeed."
"Agreed. Where to?"
"Send them to Millmana and the rest of us must return to Seirya. An excess of Chimeras have appeared close to the Sacred White Clan." Kukuru's eyes grew wide as she grew fearful for her village. The other continued to softly speak, "I don't think the clan could hold for much longer. Over half of the people wiped out during the Great Disaster. Not to mention the strange illness that began to spread like wildfire."
'What…' Kukuru could not believe all that she has heard about her village. A sudden sadness took over. She closely watched their actions as they walked silently along the desert sands. "Yes. I've personally asked our master for some support. After all, we were a part of them once…" Kukuru stayed hidden and shocked by all that she's heard. She realized she could not stay in the desert anymore.
"Come, let us head to the skyport." The familiar strangers in red began to move quickly away from the Forbidden Ruins. Realizing she was far out of their view, she rose from where she hid. Looking over the mountains of sand, she began to greatly fear for her people. As worry began to cloud her thoughts, she decided to return back to her people, back to her home.
Lieza slowly walked forward, through the snow. Paundit sniffled through the ground, guiding Lieza's path. She was breathing heavily. Paundit looked back as he noticed her steps began to slow down. Lieza fell to the floor on her knees, as Paundit walked over to her. He whimpered as he licked her hands to encourage her. She sighed as she pet her friend. "Thank you, Paundit. I would not be here if you did not come in that moment."
Paundit softly whimpered and nuzzled under Lieza's arm. "I'll be okay…I just need to catch my breath," Lieza looked over her wound. "They took Mother Claire, Paundit. We have to save her. They will use her to control the Chimeras. What could they be planning? I don't even know…"
Lieza shut her eyes, trying her hardest to think of what to do. Not having a leader made a significant difference in all her decisions. Paundit looked deeply at her, as Lieza pondered, "They're heading for Millmana. If we find a ride there, we can meet Shania and Diekbeck. With their help, we can surely devise a way to rescue Mother Claire."
Lieza opened her eyes and got up, dusting the dirt from her long skirt that was slightly torn from all the previous battle. "Paundit, let's go to Millmana."
Shu and Shante sat quietly near the waters right by Indigos. The evening dismally set upon the city. Lights drew to darkness, and the hopes of tomorrow rested for the night. Shu started at Shante, who also looked towards him. "Okami…what does that mean?"
"It means wolf. The group began first by members of the Sacred White Clan and the army of Palencia."
"Sacred White Clan…Wait, isn't that---?" Shu nodded towards her, understanding from where her questions came.
"Yes, it's the people that Kukuru came from. And Palencia is where Arc is from. The group was formed for the sole purpose of personal protection for the King and the royal family. With a righteous cause, the secretive assembly worked for the good of Seirya. They were barely visible to the civilians. Year by year and with every new King on the throne, the force grew more powerful."
"What- What could have gone wrong?"
"Their forces grew so strong and large, that within their faction they've lost all concept of unity. Their one ideal split into two, and within themselves, they began to compete to obtain the favor of the King. The king himself was oblivious of the inner rivalry brewing within. One side sought to only protect and fulfill their duty, and the other with their unending appetite for power only used the King to their advantage of rising on the power ladder. Respectively, the two sides were known as Sun Okami and Blood Okami. The king on the throne during that time was the father of the recently assassinated king."
"Then it would be Arc's grandfather…Yoshua's father…"
"Yes. He was different from many kings, as he was stern, steadfast and holding onto rigid traditions of the past. The Blood Okami noticed that the King preferred the Sun Okami's ways. Soon enough, they've devised a plan to foil the leader of the Sun Okami. Poisoning the King, the blame was placed upon the Sun. It was not enough for the Blood Okami to kill off Sun's leader. They went about massacring all who was on side of Sun Okami with the exception to those who put their loyalty on the Blood Okami."
"That's…horrible." Shu turned away and looked to the floor, "So, you could guess what happened to me."
"Are you the only survivor from the Sun Okami?" Shante's eyes returned a concerned stare as Shu sighed, "Even though there are survivors, we can do nothing for one another."
Shu got up and gave his hand to Shante, who stared in a confused way. His chin was covered by his long shawl, but his amused eyes didn't hide his thoughts, "Did that satisfy all your curiosities? I'm starting to worry how long you will last now."
Shante laughed as she received his hand and got up, "Well, good sir," Shante gladly looked back into his eyes, "You have the honor of protecting my life, since you so gladly put it in jeopardy."
"Hmph…the pleasure is all mine." Shu faintly grumbled, as Shante giggled at his reaction. They both began to walk back to the apartment. Arriving near the door, though the other buildings seem to be lit ever slightly, the apartment itself was pitch dark. Shante softly wonder, "Perhaps, the apartment lost power?"
Stepping into the cold lobby, they heard no sound, and the place seemed lifeless. Shu carefully watched his steps but began to sense a strange aura around them. Recognizing the essence, he turned around, "Shante!"
Suddenly the apartment was lit up, which blinded Shu and Shante for a moment. They looked around as they were completely surrounded by the members of the Blood Okami. Seeing an unconscious Lado in the corner, Shu and Shante, back to back, got into a defensive stance. The same leader of the group spoke up from the corner, "We've long been expecting you, stranger…or should I say… Shu."
Shu coldy stared at him, "So you've found me out…Kramer."
"Yes. It was hard to recognize you after all those years. We've hoped you would have perished throughout the past days."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Kramer, but I can't die so easily..." The entire group drew closer towards them, as Shante gave a nervous look towards Shu. The leader noticed her presence, "Of course, we did notice your persistent endurance against the recent attack. On the other hand, we have no intention of ripping out your heart ourselves. We leave that honor and pleasure to our Master…Clive…"
Shu raised an angry glance, "Clive! He is your master now?"
"Unfortunately, for your friend here, I can't ensure you of her safety." Shu stood protectively in front of Shante, who was quiet surprised, "Leave her out of it. It's always been between the Sun and Blood."
Kramer grinned as he boldly walked towards Shu, "Not quite, Shu. Not anymore. Not since Arc started his little conquest to strike the Dark One and she and you've been a part of it. After all," he chuckled as he gave an amused glance towards Shu, "The Sun Okami is no more…"
Shu held a fist as he angrily pushed forwards to strike Kramer. Kramer simply dodged it and grabbed the fist. "How the days turned your young heart dark…One might even think you were part of us."
"Don't degrade me to your level." Shu kicked Kramer on the stomach, as he whirled around to give another kick, but the two that attacked him with Kramer before blocked his kick and punched him. Shu fell to the floor, as Shante stood next to him. "Follow us, quietly, so we can spare you at least the pain of recollecting your miserable escape long ago."
Shu bitterly looked up, "You fail to remember the teachings. You always did underestimate your opponents."
"We shall see. Get them!" As though a large swarm of red clouds hovered over them, Shu and Shante immediately split up from where they were in the center. Shu whirled around and struck three of them with his knives, as they were hit on places that were barely fatal. Shu and Shante nodded towards one another, realizing they were outnumbered. Shante kicked the man behind her as she raised her hand to conjure up her powers, "Diamond Dust!"
At the same moment, Shu concentrated his strength, "Wind Slash!" Strangely, nothing has happened and even Shu noticed, as he turned around to face her. "Our powers…!"
Shante shocked by what happened was thrown to the floor by explosives thrown to the ground near her. She winced as she realized a great wound was on her leg. Seeing a pretty large metal pole next to her, she grabbed it and spun it around, striking the men before her. Shu rushed away from the explosives as he jumped and hurled a kick towards the person. Kramer smirked as he thrust out his large sword and dashed towards Shu. Shu on the other hand, quickly dodged the quick slashes. Shante noticed Shu's disadvantage, called out his name and threw the pole towards him, as he thankfully grabbed it and blocked Kramer's attack. Kramer whirled around and hit the back of Shu's leg, causing him to fall. Shu quickly rolled back and grabbed his pole and struck Kramer's face, causing his hood to fall back, revealing his face. Kramer angrily glared back at Shu, as Shu noticed the familiar gleam of his azure eyes. Kramer's fair appearance was a great contrast to Shu's dark facial expressions. He appeared to be only few years older than Shu, with a strange scar next to his eyes and above the prominent cheek bones. Shante was halted from her attacks, as the men threw paralysis darts. Getting hit, Shante fell to floor, feeling the sudden effects take over her body. Shu and Kramer continued their brief dual, which was stopped by the rest of the legion of Blood Okami members, pinning Shu down. Shu struggled as he scowled. Shante was thrown besides him, as Shu gave her a worried glance. Kramer walked towards Shu, lifting up his chin firmly with the blunt side of his blade.
"Do not blame me for your disposition. You've brought this upon yourself." With this Kramer abruptly turned around and walked away from them. Shu and Shante was lifted up and taken away. Kramer turned towards one of the members, "It's time to return to Millmana."
"Were we not planning on returning to Seirya with him?"
"We need not beckon the reaper when he's outside the door. We must return to Millmana and finish what we've started here first. It will not be too late to send them to Master Clive afterwards." Kramer sneered as he walked forward. Shu and Shante overheard his words, knowing now they were headed towards Millmana. Shu looked towards Shante, who returned a look that tried to reassure him, but Shu felt guilty he could not protect them both. With their powers completely gone, they began to ponder what would become of them. Though they feared there may be no escape, they knew only time will tell for them both.
To the Reviewers: Thank you once again for all that you've said! Please continue to read and review to your hearts' content. I'm so blessed by God through you all. God Bless you!