Author's Note: Well, glad to see we're all sorted. Sorry for sounding angry Dark Axem! Funny what multiple misunderstandings can do. Out of a point, I've only seen the Exorcist once (it wasn't scary at first, but when I read a real life story of exorcism, it became pretty frightening, don't think I'll be watching that again!), and if you're curious about which bit was taken from it, it was Vivli's exorcism speech in the FFXI Chronicles 2, I adopted it to suit FFXI lore and religion, but since I didn't know how to perform an exorcism myself (unsurprisingly!) I took some lines from the script to the Exorcist, and from the trailer for the new Exorcist film which I downloaded to try and find some appropriate lines, believe it or not. It's actually one of my more logical rip offs, unlike the heaps of Firefly rip offs in this one. I finally got Bootus reading it (although he still hasn't read the Chronicles story), and he's been calling it 'Medieval Firefly', it's that bad. Lucky nobody saw that show.

Wait. I was supposed to drop the rip off thing. Anyway, a few more points I wanted to make. About the Cardinal. I'm still at a crossroads about that. He is evil, obviously, which becomes more and more apparent hopefully as this goes on, but I kind of liked the idea he honestly believes him ruling San d'Oria is the best for everybody, making him a bit more twisted than just plain evil. Plus it makes a change. But I do like how he comes across in this, as a manipulator and a slimy guy who is obviously lying. But I could easily make him turn out to be somebody who wants power, so wants to rule San d'Oria, but I think I've done too many 'I want to rule 'coz I'm evil' villains. On the bright side, I do introduce a 'new' evil villain in this, who is just plain evil.

And TheFrogKiller, I knew you were being sarcastic when you said about that, because I know you're not the type of person to say that in a nasty way, but it made me realise I had been a bit mean, hence the guilty feeling. No fault on your part!

Oh, and I found out where I got the name Princess Astra from. It bugged me so much I typed it in in Google to find out. Surprise, surprise, and I should have known this I guess, she's a character from Doctor Who. I've seen hardly any of the old episodes, but they must have referenced her somewhere or heard the name, because that seems to be where she's from.

Useless trivia over, I'll shut up so people can read. I'm far too chatty for my own good.

CHAPTER 37

RIOT

A young man marched out of the crowd Olose had taken control of so well.

"Okay, if you're so smart, what's the Cardinal planning to do with poison? Huh?" He didn't seem too believing, and a bit worried about Olose's suggestions.

"How should I know?" Olose shrugged. "I can't pretend to know the answers. I can just tell you the facts. The facts are simple. Supplies during the final leg of the war were cut off, especially to the areas King Richard was fighting in. No food and no reinforcements were sent. The authority to alter the war plans rested on the Cardinal alone. Now he's cut off the food supply to the city, claiming that food must be rationed in the aftermath of war, and I've intercepted a package full of poison. Make the judgement for yourselves!"

"What he says is true!" Dartian cried, stood in full Royal Guard uniform. Everybody fell silent. "We have to strike back against the Cardinal. Tell him that we are not going to take this. We have to stop him and reinstate the King."

"But if he is dead, then there is nobody left in the royal line!" The same argumentative figure from before cried.

"There's an alternative, but in the meantime, we have to stop the Cardinal from taking over!" Olose explained.

"Do not listen to this rebel." Came a calm voice. "Stand with him and you stand against us." Captain d'Mil and a whole squadron of Temple Knights filed into the busy courtyard where Olose spoke. "Olose Sampson, you're under arrest. You too, Lieutenant Dartian. Your charged with treason and sentenced to death." D'Mil explained calmly.

"You're a good person, Santia." Dartian said calmly. "Even if you are my rival. The Cardinal is evil. You must see that."

"He's doing what's best for San d'Oria!" D'Mil protested. "We need order, his methods are unorthodox, but the best in the long run."

"Unorthodox?" Olose exclaimed. "He's trying to poison the population!"

"I have his word that you are lying. The Cardinal would never do that." D'Mil seemed slightly shaken. Olose held up a bottle full of a milky liquid.

"Then explain this!" Olose yelled. D'Mil paused. She looked at it, recognising the poison painfully.

"That's not possible." She said in a barely audible whisper.

"We don't need to take this! Get 'em!" Cried one of the crowd, and the group began to advance on the Temple Knights. They drew their swords.

"No!" D'Mil screamed over the crowd, but it was futile, nobody heard her. "No! Don't hurt them!" It was too late, and battle erupted in the streets as the Temple Knights were literally bundled by the attacking rioters. They stabbed many, killing them, but couldn't hold them back. D'Mil herself was forced to the floor. "No!" She yelled uselessly pinned down. She tried to slash with her sword, but her arm was crushed and the blade taken from her. She tried to escape, but she stood no chance. She felt a blade penetrate her leg and screamed in agony.

"STOP!" Olose cried, but nobody listened. "STOP! You don't have to kill them! They're not your enemy! The Cardinal is!" The rioters fought without stopping. They had no consideration for life. Rage and mob mentality had taken over them. It was only a horrific howl tearing through the air and a gigantic monster bounding into the middle of them that stopped them.

A werewolf tore through the centre of the crowd, snarling. The crowd scattered and ran in total fear. Most of the Temple Knights retreated too, except those who were dead or unable to move. As the crowd filtered away the corpses of knights and rioters were left behind, seemingly filling the small gap the Temple Knights had occupied.

"My goddess." Dartian whispered.

"What have I done?" Olose said in shock, still in his werewolf form.

D'Mil looked up with blurry eyes at the werewolf looming over her, reached for a blade, but her blood loss had sapped her strength. She faded out before she could attack, giving herself to the monster.

Arcadia ran to the back of the prison carriage, pounding the door.

"You are making a mistake!" She snapped. The Temple Knights ignored her. Astra was laying on her back, staring at the ceiling, the only position she could comfortably sprawl in without tiring herself out from muscle use. "Fools!" She screamed after them, but they ignored her. She slumped down on the small bench hanging as the prison wagon was pulled away.
"Where are we going?" Astra asked innocently. "Does this always happen?"

"I think we're going to prison." Arcadia sighed. "And no."

"What's a prison?" Astra blankly questioned. Arcadia smiled slightly with an annoyed laugh.

"Prison. It's a place you are not allowed leave. You are taken there when whoever is in charge thinks you have done something wrong." Arcadia explained in the best way she could do.
"What did I do wrong?" Astra asked with a wide eyed stare at Arcadia. Arcadia was worried she was about to cry.

"They think you are a threat to their ruler because you are a princess." Arcadia explained.
"No. I meant, before." Astra said.

"What?" Arcadia asked, puzzled.

"Before. I wasn't allowed to leave. I was at prison." Astra misused another word, but Arcadia chose not to correct her. She was feeling too sorry for Astra to care about her grammar. "Why was I at prison? I hadn't done anything wrong, but I wasn't allowed to leave."

"That was different." Arcadia sighed.

"Why?" Astra asked. She was just confused, but Arcadia had already noticed her habit of constantly asking questions until she fully understood. Arcadia paused, her head pounding. She wasn't feeling too good, and certainly didn't need capture.

"You were ill. People were trying to protect you." Arcadia explained with a sigh, raising her hand to her head to feel her temperature. She felt hot. Something was wrong.

"Where are we going?" Astra asked. Arcadia struggled to get up to look, but her arms just shook as they tried to lift her body weight. She swayed, feeling weaker. Her muscles became heavy, and she could barely move them. If she was alert enough, she'd of noticed that her skin had become paler. Astra watched, fascinated. Arcadia swayed and collapsed. "Arcadia!" She suddenly cried. She tried her best to get up and help her, but her arms just shook and her muscles shut down. She couldn't keep it up. She laid back, panting, unable to move. "Arcadia!" She cried again. Arcadia sighed.

"What is happening to me?" She questioned. Her eyes suddenly went wide. "The soup! It must have been…" She trailed off, passing out. Astra blinked, looking at the ceiling.

"But Miss Julie makes the soup." She said innocently.

Julie approached the Cardinal with a smile.

"That was quick." The Cardinal told her.

"I can travel quickly. The right teleport spell and a quick chocobo can get you anywhere fast." She grinned. "Astra left the house."

"I know. My troops should have picked her up by now." The Cardinal shot back.
"I managed to make sure her new friend will not be doing anything soon." Julie laughed. "A nice test to see how effective that poison is. Have you deployed it yet?" The Cardinal paused.

"There was interference." He stated. "An unruly rebel named Olose Sampson." Julie smirked. "Riots are the result. Many of my Temple Knights have been badly injured and the captain is still missing."

"Without that poison, your plan cannot go ahead." Julie pointed out. "Shame. It was ingenious."

"It will have to be delayed. I can only hope that the citizens have the sense to allow me to take control anyway. If I do not take the throne, the anarchy that has already gripped the city will spread. That Sampson figure must be eliminated too before he gets the population to do something far more rash." The Cardinal stated.

"Of course." Julie smiled. "How is Astra? Tell me when she arrives. I would like to make sure she dies a comfortable death."

"We are just matching history." The Cardinal said bluntly. "She is dead in the eyes of everybody but you, me, and that hume woman. Sampson appears to know something, but he will not be an issue for very long."

"I could have killed her quietly in her home." Julie stated.

"No. I didn't want to have to kill until it was entirely necessary." The Cardinal explained. "But, she threatens my rule, and cannot rule herself. She must be destroyed."

"Of course, your eminence." Julie smiled. "You do realise that this plan has many flaws. I could simply, reclaim the poison." Lightning crackled from Julie's eyes.

"Would you be so kind, my dear?" The Cardinal asked sarcastically.

"It shall be done, your eminence." Julie bowed.

Oh no, I'm still alive. I don't deserve to be. I thought that might finally be the end. Perhaps karma for what I had done. But no, I live. I still live. I always have done. Wait. Why am I alive? That beast was going to kill me! It was right over me. What happened? We were attacked. So many pointless deaths. And that poison. It couldn't be? I thought it was over. I thought I'd never have to see that again.

Santia d'Mil sat up, trying to silence her thoughts. Olose stood beside her.

"You're awake." He said with a smirk. She went for her sword, but it was gone. "I don't want to hurt you. Hell, I saved you."

"Saved me?" She questioned, with a confused look in her face, settling back down.

Hey, maybe if I relax he'll kill me. I deserve it.

"Yeah. Olose Sampson. Professional werewolf. Had to chase the protestors away, then brought you here. The other Temple Knights I made sure made a hospital." He explained kindly.

"Why did you bring me here, then?" Santia asked suspiciously. Olose smiled slightly, a knowing smile, not a happy one.

"I saw recognition when you saw the poison." Santia's heart sank.

It was so long ago. I was loyal to the Cardinal. He had treated me like his daughter. Why wouldn't I trust him? I had no reason to think anything ill of him. No. I can't think like that. I'm just making excuses.

"Then fear." Olose stated. "Shame. I can smell emotions. Even through that crowd, you stank of guilt and shame. Then when the fight started you tried to stop it. You didn't want bloodshed. You may be loyal, but you're not evil. You're hiding something. What do you know about the poison?"

No. I can't tell that story! I just can't! It wasn't my fault! I didn't know! I was confused! What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to know? I didn't realise! I didn't believe! It wasn't my fault! It wasn't! It wasn't! It wasn't!

Santia suddenly burst into tears. Olose stepped back.
"It wasn't my fault!" She wept.

"I wasn't expecting that." Olose admitted.

"I didn't know any better!" She sobbed.

"What? What didn't you know?" Olose asked, sitting down beside her. She sniffed, her emotions had finally peaked.

If I had died, I would be free. But no! I live! I can't take it anymore! I have to tell someone! Anyone! Maybe he'll do the right thing! Maybe he can put it right! No. That's impossible. But it's a start.

"I-" She began, choking on her tears. She took a few calmly breaths, her experience in repressing emotions as captain of the guard came flooding back, and she sat up, cleaning away her tears. Her leg throbbed in pain, but she didn't care. It had been carefully bandaged, but she didn't even notice. "Eighteen years ago. The night Princess Astra was born." She began. Olose suddenly perked up with interest.

"What? What happened that night?" Dartian asked. Santia cursed. She hadn't even noticed him there.

"You must be really enjoying this." She spat. Dartian sat back.

"Not really, no." He stated. "My father was on duty that night too. What did you see that makes you special?" Santia paused for a whimper. Her face was burning with guilt, and Olose could smell it pouring from her.

"Urm." She stumbled over her words. "Before hand. I was there when the Queen went into labour." She turned to Olose. "It wasn't natural. The Cardinal had called in a powerful black mage, ordered me to let her through the gates. I did. The black mage cast a spell on the Queen, causing her to drop into labour and give birth to the baby early."

"So that's why the Queen fell unconscious before she gave birth." Dartian gasped. Santia nodded.

"And then-" She choked again. "And then, she handed a bottle of that white liquid to the Cardinal. I asked him what it was, but he said that it wasn't important."

"White liquid?" Dartian whispered.

"Shush." Olose told him. "Then what?"

"After Captain Tarrak went off duty-" She paused again, finding it difficult to speak. "The Cardinal saw to make sure that I was left in charge of guarding the new born Princess Astra. I was honoured, and did my best. Later that evening he came to my side. He told me he had to see Astra. That something was wrong, he had heard that her premature birth was going to kill her. I asked him why he had made it happen then, and he said that he had seen a prophesy from his trusted seer that the Queen would die in childbirth otherwise. He gave me a needle, filled with that white liquid. He told me it was a cure. I went in and I injected it."

She screamed and whined. She kicked and sobbed. I held the baby down and I thrust the needle into its arm and watched that liquid pour into her bloodstream. I felt sick. I felt ill. I knew something was wrong. The liquid smelt wrong. The baby looked healthy. She was small, light, but healthy. Her skin was a healthy elvaan tan. Moments after I injected it, she turned white. Pale. She became sick. She fell limp. I thought I had killed her. I screamed in terror, and the Cardinal ran in.

"The Cardinal came in after I had injected it into Astra. I was horrified! The baby looked like it was dead!" She sobbed for a moment. "I thought that I had killed her."

"Then what did you do?" Dartian asked angrily, showing none of the sympathy Olose clearly felt.

"I-" She paused. "The Cardinal told me that he'd be honest. He told me that his seer had actually predicted that Astra would bring ruin upon San d'Oria. That this was the only humane solution."

He said that it was humane. That she would live, but be too weak to rule. Best for everybody. No worries. It had to be done. Of course I believed him. He said he was being honest. Why would I disbelieve him?

"I stole her life and the Cardinal made me think it was for the best. But I still stole a life. I still destroyed a baby before she had a chance to live for real." She laughed a bit. "Funny. I've killed so many with a sword, but this was a baby. She didn't deserve to have that done to her. Does anybody?" She paused, and looked up. "First time I've told anyone." She laughed innocently. "Funny, huh? I tell you, a rebel against the Cardinal, the man I serve loyally, but nobody else." Even Dartian had fallen silent.

"Why does he need more poison?" Olose asked. "He had enough for the whole city, but how would he inject everybody?"

"I-I don't know." Santia told him. "He told me he had nothing to do with it! I believed him until I saw the poison. It can't be coincidence. It just can't. I believed him! I always believed him! What if I've been wrong?"

"Then the Cardinal is poised to take over San d'Oria. We'll all fall to an evil man who would steal a life from a baby." Dartian growled.
"And it's my fault." Santia whispered softly.

"It isn't you." Olose sighed. "If you hadn't done it, he'd of got somebody else too." Olose paused. "But this time we have to stop him."
"Wait!" Dartian cried. "If he knows about Astra then-"

"Arcadia!" Gasped Olose. Santia regarded them with confused eyes.

Oh Dear Lord In Heaven Not More Author's Notes: Yeah, I figured that's what you're probably thinking. Just wanted to point out that Santia IS d'Mil, but I decided to call her Santia in the second half because she's basically becoming a 'good' character, which was my final decision for her. Served as a good plot device to explain things, and made her sound kinder. Plus the small 'd' was annoying me. I also tried a new idea with the paragraphs of thoughts, hope that worked quite well to show her changing emotions. I thought it was okay when I wrote it, but it reads a bit oddly. Hopefully it's alright.

Anyway, I still need a bit of help with direction on the Cardinal. I'm still planning to have him currently as a guy who believes what he's doing is for the best (which does involve poisoning the whole population), so he's clearly slightly insane and very twisted. But I could make him a power crazed bad guy. I'm not sure which is best. I might just use Julie as the power crazed bad guy. Not sure yet. See? This is why it's good to have a story plan instead of making it up as you go like I do!

No! That wasn't me insulting my writing skills! Don't yell at me!