Kratos vs. Alucard: The Grudge
By Opiate109
The stadium
was packed with eager spectators, impatiently awaiting the day's
match. The excitement was endless, as nearly the entire population of
the city was gathered in the stands. Bets were being placed,
arguments were breaking out about who would be the winner, and
souvenirs and other products were being sold at an alarming rate. It
was truly pure chaos as the city emptied itself into the
stadium.
There were, of course, several exceptions. Oddly enough, the two warriors who were set to fight today sat barely twenty feet apart, situated in a nearly empty bar. There were only three others in the bar, and those three were always late for the matches. The discussion at this table was all about Auron's actions only days before.
"Auron, you were acting a little strangely in your match before," Sora said, quietly. He leaned low to the table, attempting to keep the conversation between himself and his other two companions.
"There was something…clouding my judgment. I knew what I was doing, but I couldn't help myself. It was as if something was controlling me and making me watch as it slaughtered my opponent," replied Auron, sighing as he recalled the incident.
Zidane, the third member at the table, was the next to speak. "Do you know what it was?"
"I have an idea, but I don't want to point any fingers until I've truly figured it out. Besides whatever it is gone now. I can assure you that I am back to my normal self once more," Auron replied coolly. He sighed loudly and began to immerse himself in his thoughts.
Alucard sat in his usual corner table, seemingly taking little notice of his opponent. He drifted in and out of Auron's conversation with his two younger friends and then went back to thinking about his opponent. His attention went back and forth like this for some time, before he began to take things a little more seriously.
'Ironic, isn't it? We're so similar, and yet, once again, greater powers have forced one of us to take another innocent soul,' thought the son of Dracula to himself, as he stared into his glass of wine. He swirled the glass slowly, watching the patterns in the liquid. He noticed a droplet land on his coat and stared at the crimson stain silently. "So much like blood…"
His comment drew the attention of the three who had previously been trying to keep to themselves. Sora looked at the half-vampire in confusion. The keyblade wielder could sense the sadness that had long been reflected in Alucard's gaze. He wanted to say something, but could not find the right words. He sighed, and noticed his two companions looking at him strangely.
"Say, Alucard…shouldn't you already be at the stadium?" Zidane asked, titling his head slightly to the side. He awaited a response from the half-vampire, but his other companion answered him instead.
"The match is not for another two hours. He has time," Auron said, coldly. He could read Alucard's expression, a grim mask of doubt and hopelessness. Auron turned to see Kratos displaying nearly the exact same expression. He realized that today's match would not be quick, but it would be silent. The two fighters seemed to have no interest in winning, although Kratos did seem to have a certain urge in his eyes. 'I suppose being the God of War would inevitably give you an insatiable bloodlust.'
Alucard just grinned to himself, fully aware that Auron knew exactly why he had yet to go to the stadium. He looked past the three to see Kratos stand up. The God of War dragged his Blades of Chaos behind him, the sharp swords that were attached to chains in Kratos' arms. The muscular soldier silently walked out of the bar, leaving just Sora, Alucard, Zidane, and Auron remaining.
"Hey, Sora, let's go. I want to get a good seat," laughed Zidane. Sora looked at the young man curiously. Something about him was not right. Ever since Vivi had lost, Zidane had acted a bit differently, although Sora couldn't pinpoint the exact change in demeanor. The two left, murmuring to each other about whom they thought would win. Alucard smiled as he heard the name Kratos drift across the empty bar.
"Do you even plan on
fighting today?" Auron asked, eyeing the half-vampire
closely.
Alucard merely sipped his wine and began to swirl it
again. A few droplets once again landed on his coat as he looked up
at Auron.
"Of course I plan on fighting. It will serve me no good to just let him win. I've still got a rematch to earn…"
Auron nodded, assuming he meant Sephiroth. The red-coated swordsman had heard stories of the fight, in which Sephiroth mocked Alucard, tormenting him maliciously before he struck the final blow. Auron sensed a change in Alucard, as the half-vampire stood up and exited the bar. Auron eyed the glass of wine, which had been tipped over by Alucard's quick exit. The Merlot trickled off the table slowly, dripping onto the wooden floor and forming a shallow pool. Auron left the wine as it was and quickly walked to the stadium, hoping to catch up with the others on the way.
- - -
"So, Auron, who do you think will win? Seems like Kratos is the favorite…at least, I picked him," Rikku said, smiling slightly. She seemed surprisingly upbeat after Yuna's untimely defeat earlier that week.
"Alucard," Auron replied coldly.
Sora looked at him in shock, "...But, Kratos is a third seed…and he's a god!"
"In his world, perhaps. Alucard, however, is the son of the single greatest evil to ever walk his Earth."
Sora and Rikku were both silenced by that comment, thinking of nothing that could justify their choice in victor.
The details for the match had been pre-set, as Alucard has already picked a Roman coliseum as his choice of terrain. Sephiroth smiled as he allowed Kratos to choose where to begin. Alucard followed suit and with that, the match was set to begin.
"Good luck, Kratos… Daywalker," Sephiroth said. To most, it seemed like uncharacteristic kindness, despite Alucard's flash of vehemence that sent shivers down Sora's spine. Alucard eventually stopped glaring and walked to the nearest pillar. Looking around, he stuck a large sword into the ground behind it. Few took notice, but it drew a smile from Auron and Dante, who were watching the fight together.
After the announcer finished his tirade, nothing much happened, as the two combatants weren't fans of anything overly flashy or extravagant. The fight began in silence, as Kratos began to swing his blade around, awaiting a move from Alucard. Alucard did not react, however, and merely stood with his sword in hand. He looked at Kratos with newfound anger, but did nothing other than watch.
The God of War grew impatient and stopped spinning his Blades of Chaos. He took off at a run towards his opponent, who still did not react. When Kratos finally reached a spot he found suitable, he swung his left arm towards his right, causing his blade to quickly snap to the right. Alucard jumped back and easily dodged the swing. Focusing all of his attention on his foe's weapons, he also managed to evade a vertical slash downwards from Kratos' right arm. Alucard waited until the second blade had embedded itself into the ground to react, at which point he dashed towards his opponent. Kratos struggled to free his weapons, shocked to find that his left blade had become stuck in the ground behind him.
Alucard lunged forward and slashed downwards. A quick flash of silver was all Kratos saw before his opponent was behind him. Kratos finally freed his right blade and blindly swung it backwards. Alucard jumped to the right, dodging the wild attack. He noticed that the blade had been slowed enough to prevent it from being embedded and decided it was to keep his distance for now.
By the time Kratos had turned around, both blades finally free, Alucard had backed way far enough to be out of Kratos' range. Kratos erupted in anger, and darted towards his opponent. He flailed his arms in what seemed like a random motion, although neither blade touched the ground. Alucard ducked under the first blade and deflected the second with his sword. He dodged the next swing, but was hit by the subsequent strike, which, fortunately, was positioned in an awkward angle, allowing him to avoid any major damage.
The son of Dracula fell to the ground, landing roughly on his right arm. Kratos stopped swinging his blades and carefully approached his fallen foe. The God of War inspected Alucard before moving closer. The half-vampire seemed to have been knocked out and a slight trickle of blood was leaking from his side. Kratos took another step forward, and leaned in even closer. He readied his Blades of Chaos, preparing himself for anything that might happen.
He was too slow to react, however, as Alucard's body seemed to disappear. He looked around, but saw nothing except the ground around him. The God of War mulled over the possible tactics of his opponent and refastened his grip on his chains. His attention was drawn upwards, as he heard a flapping of wings above him.
Alucard had assumed his bat form, much to the shock of the crowd. Murmurs spread through the stands, as the bat flew higher, now beyond the reach of the Chaos Blades.
"That's cheating!" Tommy Vercetti shouted in anger, standing up quickly. Those around him smiled, as they knew he had made a bet with Auron the day before. The mobster quickly stomped over to Auron, who was talking with Rikku. "Hey, Auron…the bet's off. Nobody said anything about bats or whatever the hell that is!"
"No," Auron replied coldly, turning to face the mobster. Vercetti growled at the quick response and drew his gun out of its holster. Auron stared carelessly into the barrel of the gun, and smiled as he looked just beyond Vercetti's left shoulder.
"What the hell are you smiling at?" Vercetti asked, as he turned around. He was quickly silenced, as he saw himself staring into the twin barrels of Dante Sparda's trusty handguns.
"Sit down, old man. You couldn't outshoot me even if you wanted to," Dante said, gesturing to the empty seat between him and Auron's other friend, Vincent. Vercetti was hesitant to sit down, as he had heard many stories of Vincent and Dante since arriving here. He saw that he had no choice, though, and left Auron alone. "Sure, sure. What do I care? Besides, that hulking monster can still win."
"Not likely," Vincent said. "You saw what Alucard hid behind that pillar, didn't you?" The mobster just shrugged his shoulders at that comment. Vercetti had no idea what they were talking about and went back to watching the fight.
The fight itself wasn't that entertaining. The bat would swoop in and scratch Kratos every now and then, only to be quickly scared off by Kratos' weapons. It seemed to be a stalemate, until Alucard abruptly flew to the outer edge of the arena. Kratos watched as Alucard transformed back to his humanoid form and knelt down behind a pillar.
The God of War sensed trouble and ran towards the slightly ruined pillar. He swung his right arm quickly, and watched as he chopped the pillar down, only to reveal Alucard standing with a much larger sword than before in his hands. He seemed unphased by the vicious slash, but he could feel a slight bit of blood running down his nose. Kratos had very finely sliced the bridge of Alucard's nose.
Alucard didn't bother to wipe the blood of his face, as he ran towards Kratos in anger. Kratos swung his left arm, followed quickly by his right. Alucard ducked under the first swing and rolled forward, effectively evading the second blade as well. In one smooth motion he regained his stance and swung his sword at Kratos' stomach. The God of War blocked the attack with his right arm, but felt the warmth of his blood slowly pour out from the cut. He looked at Alucard to see the cut on his nose slowly heal itself, the blood apparently pouring into the sword Alcuard was holding. It seemed this particular weapon held more than a few tricks in store, as this fight was far from over.
Once again, the crowd was shocked to see a formerly wounded Alucard regain control of the match. Vercetti growled and looked to Auron, who sat in silence. He peeked beyond the swordsman to get a glimpse of Rikku, before he noticed Dante laughing at him.
"She's not legal yet, so calm down," Dante chuckled, drawing the attention of Vincent and Auron. Auron smiled as he realized what was going on, as did Vincent, which shocked Dante and Tommy. Up until then they hadn't realized the gunman was capable of showing any positive emotion.
Rikku, seemingly unaware of the conversation, gasped with the rest of the crowd, as Auron and the others looked back toward the fight. Alucard had disappeared, after draining much blood from a wounded Kratos. The God of War slowly shook off his injuries and took a few steps backwards. He listened for any sign of his opponent, but could not find any.
He continued to backpedal a little, until he felt something push up from below. He jumped to his side and watched as the ground opened up. The warrior was shoved off balance and pulled in by a strong hand, one that was much stronger than his own, thanks to the blood Alucard had drained. The ground shut quickly after Kratos had been pulled in, leaving the audience with nothing but an empty battlefield to watch. As if on cue, they turned their heads toward the stadium's screens, anxious to catch a bit of the action in some fashion or another.
"What the hell?" Kratos asked aloud, unable to see in the darkness. He could not swing his blades as he had little room to maneuver in the underground chamber.
"It's the lion pit. They would store the gigantic felines here for special matches," Alucard's voice answered back in the complete darkness. "I would expect you to know about something like this, as you're more familiar with these coliseums than I am. I made sure Sephiroth took notice of this detail, as it does tend to slip the minds of most people. It's a small room, more of a cube really. There is no lion, of course. In fact, there is no other substantial body at all, save for your own." Alucard was trying his best to sound mocking, much as Sephiroth had years before.
"How did I end up down here?" Kratos boomed.
"It's quite simple, really. You came in through a square, made up of several layers of wood nailed together, and covered in sand to hide it from prying eyes. Normally it would be pulled open by ropes by slaves. These ropes would be attached to one or several small metal loops found on the top, and sometimes the bottom of the wood as well. The piece of wood would fling open; it acted as door, just on a strange side of the room. Like a giant crate, made to contain wild beasts…Suiting, for our match-up, is it not?" Alucard spoke in a cruel tone, drawing a growl from Kratos.
Alucard was relieved at the anger the man was showing, but , at the same time, was slightly worried. In order to contain Kratos, he would need to bar off the trap door that acted as the ceiling. Unfortunately for the son of Dracula, this meant he would most likely have to turn back from his mist form to his normal form. 'Alright, I just hope he's still too confused to notice anything…' Alucard thought to himself, as once again assumed his solidified appearance. He found the metal loop that acted as a handle; one was located on each side of the trap door.
Alucard spoke once more, as he hadn't heard Kratos moving around in a while. "You really should have paid more attention. Letting your opponent catch you off-guard is the biggest mistake one can make." As he spoke, he drove the Muramasa, his long sword, through the metal loop and several feet into the solid dirt behind it. 'That should work much like a lock; at the very least, he'll have to first discover the sword to get out, which is easier said than done in this darkness.'
Kratos looked around, scanning the blackness for the body of his opponent. He was halted by the frank, cold voice once again. "You won't be able to see me. Just be thankful that in my mist form I won't be able to strike you too hard either," Alucard said, as he resumed his gaseous state.
'Perfect. He's more vulnerable here than he is up there. I have no intention of killing him outright and I know he won't surrender. I just hope this plan works…' Alucard thought somberly to himself. He tried to remember what he had learned from the conversations he had heard Kratos partake in while he was in the bar. Maybe he could use the man's past against him.
"Tell me, Kratos…" Alucard said, once again in that faux mocking tone. "How does it feel to be to weak again? To lose once more, even in your new form? How do you plan to protect any mortals, when you can hardly protect yourself!"
"Shut up!" Kratos boomed, realizing how alone he was when he got no outside reaction at all. It finally sunk in that he was almost completely at the mercy of Alucard. He attempted to open the trap door above him, but found himself unable to move it. He couldn't tell what the obstruction was, but felt that it was fairly sturdy.
"I've taken a precaution to make sure that you can't open that. How does it feel to be so trapped and hopeless? What if your family was in the arena right now, under attack?" Alucard asked. He hated himself for what he was doing, but had no desire to take another life. At least not until he reached where he planned to be, that is.
Kratos let out a growl and punched upwards. He felt the trap door move, but could tell it would not open. It was not until he removed his hand that he noticed that he had cracked the layers of wood that it was made of. He saw the recently stirred-up dust swirl in the thin beams of light that now penetrated the darkness. He continued to punch upwards, hoping to break the trap door enough to squeeze out.
'Damn it! He's going to get out on his own…' Alucard thought to himself. He reached for his sword, which had been placed to prevent the door from opening. He pulled it free and jumped out of the pit just as Kratos punched the trap door open. The God of War was shocked at the sudden lack of resistance, and quickly jumped out of the pit. He readied his blades and prepared for Alucard's attack.
Alucard dashed towards his opponent, who was waiting for him. The half-vampire managed to dodge the first few swings, but was struck in the leg by one of the blades. He tumbled forwards, struggling to keep his grip on his sword. He landed on his stomach, but rolled over quickly enough to see one of the Blades of Chaos rushing downwards towards him. He brought up his sword to parry the attack, barely managing to deflect the attack in time.
Alucard noticed Kratos was keeping his distance. 'Damn, I'll never win at this rate,' Alucard thought to himself. He rolled to his left to avoid the next attack and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side. He stole a quick glance down to find that he had rolled on top of the sword he was using earlier. He pulled it out from underneath him just in time to roll out of the way of another Blade of Chaos.
"Just keep still and die!" Kratos screamed in anger, swinging his arms wildly. Alucard could sense the rage coming from his opponent and finally stood up. He ducked almost as soon as he regained his footing, however, due to a vicious swing from the berserk warrior.
'It's impossible to get close to him. He's just too fast. I'll need to somehow get close to him as he's at a disadvantage from my close-range attacks…' Alucard mused, all the while still backing up. Alucard attempted to think of a plan, but was shocked when Kratos actually spoke to him.
"Alucard, I won't lose again. I lost too much the last time I accepted defeat," Kratos said, bluntly. The crowd was surprised at his comment, as up until then they simply believed that the warrior was nothing more than a raging lunatic.
"Then it is a shame that I must force you into acceptance," Alucard replied coldly. He readjusted his grip on his two swords, knowing that the large Muramasa would be useless with just one hand.
"I have some unfinished business here," Alucard said, as he gave a quick glance toward Sephiroth. The tournament organizer grinned and Alucard was shocked at the similarity between the silver-haired champion and another, more familiar evil he had faced in the past. 'So much like him…'
"I'll die before I lose again!" Kratos responded with a ferocious shout.
"So be it…" Alucard acknowledged. He stuck the Muramasa in the ground and threw his smaller sword upwards and slightly forward. Kratos' eyes, much like most eyes in the stadium, were drawn toward the sword, which now was an errant projectile. They did not notice when Alucard once again transformed into his bat form and flew towards Kratos.
Kratos finally took notice when Alucard transform himself back to a human in midair, a few feet above and in front of Kratos. Alucard landed and looked up, hoping his plan worked. Sure enough, the sword was coming down straight towards him. He reached up, and with a noticeable effort to perfect his timing, grabbed hold of the hilt of the blade. Kratos growled and prepared to swing his blades, but was halted by a sharp pain in his right arm.
Kratos let out a shout and looked at his wounded limb. Sure enough, Alucard's sword had drawn blood. Alucard grinned, and slashed once again. Kratos attempted to block the attack with his left arm, but was once again deeply cut. He took a few quick steps back, and wrapped some of his chains around his arms. Alucard slashed once more, but Kratos blocked this strike with his right arm. The chains were enough to stop the blade, and Kratos swung his left arm quickly. The blade did not have enough length to move, but his fist collided with Alucard's left shoulder.
Alucard faltered due to the force of the blow, but swung again. He followed this attack up by taking a step forward and swinging again. Kratos again found himself forced to block and step back with every swing Alucard made. The chains were grinding into his flesh and Alucard's sword often found skin. Kratos was growing more and more angry, feeling more helpless with each wound Alucard inflicted. Kratos cursed to himself and made up his mind about his next plan of attack.
With a shout, the warrior jumped forward. He swung viciously, but met only air, as Alucard quickly sidestepped the attack. Kratos realized his mistake and turned to meet the half-vampire. He saw nothing of his opponent though, as Alucard's blade slashed across Kratos' eyes, effectively blinding him.
The gruesome sight caused many in the stands to look away, as Alucard followed that up by driving the sword deep into Kratos' stomach. Kratos howled in pain and swung around blindly. Alucard easily dodged the wild swings and pulled his sword free. Kratos swung once more, but completely missed his target. Alucard reacted by leaning back and slashing at the throat of Kratos.
The God of War's blood poured out quickly, staining Alucard's coat. Kratos fell to his knees, but still attempted to swing. Alucard dodged the strike and decided to show mercy upon his fallen foe. Rather than giving him an agonizing death, Alucard shoved his sword into Kratos' head. After bowing his head in respect, Alucard left quickly, leaving a bloody corpse and a stunned crowd behind. Sephiroth merely smiled, apparently quite pleased with the outcome of the match.
- - -
The Soldier's Spirit was in its stage of usual chaos that always followed matches. The only difference between this and most other nights was the absence of the match's victor. Alucard was nowhere to be found, even for those who were looking outside of the bar for him.
"Where do you think he went?" Sora asked the three traveling with him, expecting no answer.
"I have an idea…" Auron said, from the front of the group. Sora looked at Zidane, and then at Rikku. Neither had any idea what Auron was talking about, and all three just followed him.
They were all shocked, however, when Frog came storming out of an alley, and headfirst into Auron.
"Ah, my apologies Frog," Auron said, with great respect.
"Watch thyself next time, or I'll be forced to kill thee!" Frog shouted, in an uncharacteristically high volume. He seemed far too angry to be the Frog that had fought Riku days ago.
"Frog?" Zidane asked, quite intrigued at the knight's behavior.
"I… I must apologize. I haven't been myself as of late. Please, I ask that thou forgive me…" Frog said, shaking his head and walking away quickly.
"What was that all about?" Rikku asked, in her usual bubbly tone.
"I'm not sure, though I expect it has something to do with that move your friend pulled," Auron stated, looking towards Sora. 'Or perhaps, it was Sephiroth again…Could he have made Frog that way too? He acted quite similar to how I was when I was fighting Big Boss…' Auron thought sadly to himself.
"Riku…What did you do?" Sora asked under his breath, as he continued to follow Auron.
Down the road, no one noticed as Frog turned into another alleyway. His thoughts raced, as he couldn't understand why he was so angry lately. 'And today, when the Vampire killed that man… I couldn't help but smile…' Frog thought to himself. He looked upwards at the pale half-moon that dominated the clear, dark sky. He could feel his anger and rage coming on again, as he tried to struggle against it. The act was pointless, though, as he could tell he was fighting a losing battle. 'I must do something! I cannot let this evil triumph!' Frog ran back out into the alley, and decided it would be best if he locked himself in his hotel room.
- - -
Meanwhile, Auron's group finally reached the arena. It had long since been emptied. Only the three organizers remained and they were in a room that was closed to any but themselves.
"Auron, why would he be here? That just doesn't make sense. He left quickly, so why would he come back?" Sora asked, as they rounded a corner into a hallway that extended both left and right. They took the left way, but were stopped by a familiar voice.
"Because, no one would think to look for me here, as your words have proven," Alucard replied from the right side of the passage. He was leaning against the wall, with a familiar glass of Merlot in his hands. His lips were tinted red from the wine, but Sora could not help but think of blood when they caught his stare.
"Why don't you want people finding you?" Rikku asked, as Alucard flinched at the sound of her voice. Auron smiled, and Zidane even began to laugh.
"Tell me, Alucard, why didn't you just kill him at the start today?" Zidane wondered, staring at the glass of wine being held loosely in Alucard's hand.
"As a child, my Mother told me not to hurt humans. Unlike my father… my Mother was respectable, an honest and kind woman. I have tried to see her wish through the best I can. I desperately wanted him to make a mistake, so I wouldn't have to make that decision in the end. I didn't know the extent of the pain he would take before he would quit, though."
"But why? I mean, he knew he had pretty much lost by the time you avoided his jump forward," Sora remarked.
"He had something to fight for. The last time he lost, he lost more than just a fight. He was fighting not to prove something to others, but to prove to himself that he was worthy of the lives of those he would lead into battle. At least, that's what I gathered from Freeman's information," Alucard explained, staring into his red wine.
"And what would Freeman's information say of you?" Auron asked, fully knowing the answer that would come.
"That I'm fighting for the near impossible chance for revenge," Alucard replied coldly, sipping his wine.
"But…if it's near impossible, why do you keep fighting?" Rikku asked, tilting her head to the side.
Alucard sighed. "You've never wanted revenge, have you?" Rikku stuttered in her attempts to respond, but the gaze of Alucard froze her tongue. She was thankful for the interruption that followed.
"Ah, so Frog wasn't lying! You really are here," Dante called out, as he, Kratos Aurion, Squall, and Vincent walked into the hallway. "The gang's all here, eh?"
"You spoke with Frog?" Auron asked. "Was he still acting strangely?"
"Yeah, to say the least. He was in the midst of some kind of internal struggle. He seemed to be fighting something back, with little success," Vincent replied grimly. Squall nodded and put his hand on his gunblade.
"I see…" Auron said to himself, a grim undertone in his voice. "Anyways, what are you four doing here?"
"Well, it wouldn't be much of a party without the regulars. Besides, we figured Zidane could use a drink and a few hands of poker, what with Vivi losing yesterday," Dante responded, with a grin. "You up for it, Alucard? Sounds like you and Vincent here would get along real well," he laughed.
"Very well. I have nothing better to do at this time. It's no use hiding when half the contest has already found me anyways," Alucard said, with a rare hint of humor. The group of nine contestants decided to head to the Soldier's Spirit, to meet up with a few other contestants who often shied away from large groups. For many, it was a lighthearted night, despite the gruesome match that had ended hours earlier. For one, however, it was a night of internal struggle, as Frog continued to avoid the others.
'What is this? Why do I keep wishing to see more bloodshed? What is happening here?' Frog was thinking to himself, as he blindly rounded a corner. He saw Auron, with eight others, coming his way. He hoped they didn't notice him, as he ducked back into the alley. He couldn't help but reach for his Masamune, although he had no idea why.
Frog fought back the urge to jump out of the alley right then and there and start killing for no good reason. His conscious mind could find no good that could come of this action, but the urge was there, nonetheless. The only thing that seemed to abate this desire was seeing Vincent and Dante both look at him as they passed by. They knew something was wrong with the amphibian, but decided to leave him alone. Whatever it was, he could probably deal with it himself better than anyone else could. After the group had passed, Frog ran out of the alley and headed to his hotel room, hoping to avoid all contact with people until he knew exactly what was plaguing him.
'Very slowly, it seemeth as if mine heart is being consumed by darkness,' Frog observed. 'I just prayeth I have enough light to keep the beast at bay.'
