Author's Note: I have encountered a plot hole. Not a very major one, but a plot hole none the less. It seems when Arcadia is introduced, she says she is the daughter of 'Lord Valance', however, later on, her father is called Andrew. Oops. Well, I've made an excuse this chapter, but will probably go back and correct it at some point. In this chapter Arcadia actually mentions her father and explains why he has two names. But at least I finally noticed it there.

This chapter has a lot happening in the elvaan chateau too, which is nothing like it is in the game. I use the good ol' '600 years before' excuse. The Chateau got remodelled at some point clearly! Or at least its interior layout!

Oh, and about the one word chapter titles. I've stuck to them so far because it's quite effective to sum up the whole chapter in one word, and I prefer to have one style of title throughout (apart from the 'The Twilight of the Immortal' chapter, but that was intentional for effect of it being the final battle between Abaj and Olose). So I'm going to do my best to stick to them. I say my best because I'm running out of words to describe chapters. So I might have to stop it later and come up with more creative things.

Anyway, this chapter was a bit rubbish, mainly because nothing unexpected happened and no new plot bits were really revealed. I worked on developing Astra and Arcadia a little instead, but it didn't really help. I've actually enjoyed how this storyline's been going, I thought it was coming out well, so this is the first chapter I'm officially disappointed in and felt was bad since the whole last story leg. That I think was flawed purely because we all knew exactly what was going to happen, and it was just me stalling them by throwing things at them. This time the plot has been evolving as they've been finding out more things and battling a real villain. But yes, this chapter was a bit worse than the others. Hopefully it'll still be enjoyable though!

CHAPTER 39

INFILTRATION

"What are you talking about, Olose?" Arcadia asked. "What poison?"

"We found a whole shipment of that poison intended for delivery to the Cardinal. We think he plans to infect the population with it."

"That matches up with what Julie said." Arcadia agreed.

"I'm only one man. Don't quite have enough blood to cure everyone." Olose sighed.

"So you had the poison. All of it. And you lost it?" Arcadia asked in disbelief.

"Dartian was supposed to keep an eye on it!" Olose protested. Astra walked around for a bit in a daze, and quickly left the room. Olose shot a curious look to Arcadia. "What was that?" He asked.

"I will go and check. You decide what to do with Santia." Arcadia walked out after Astra. Olose turned to Santia.

"That was odd." He muttered. "So, what now?"

Astra was stood in the street, watching people pass. But that expression of fascination had faded. She looked miserable.

"Are you okay?" Arcadia asked gently. Astra shook her head, sending her long hair waving everywhere. "What is bothering you?"

"I want to kill the Cardinal." She answered. She paused, reconsidering her words. "Not just kill. But hurt. Watch him bleed and die slowly." She paused a second time and turned to Arcadia. "Am I a bad person?" She asked suddenly. Arcadia laughed.

"No. Of course not." She answered. "You've lived your entire life unable to do so much as stand up thanks to the Cardinal. It's perfectly natural to hate him. To want to kill him."

"But Miss Julie always taught me to not think like that. She even took away any books with violence or killing in them." She paused. "I always thought she didn't want me learning about violence. I think she didn't want me trying to hurt her."

"Stop you from rebelling against her by shielding you from all thoughts of violence." Arcadia figured. "She was clever. But completely evil."

"She was nice to me for so long." Astra looked at the people passing in the city. "She was more of a parent to me than my father. Should I care more that Miss Julie died than my real father?"

"Your father was really kind to you. He really cared for you. She was just kind to you so that you would stay where she wanted. She poisoned you, remember?" Arcadia told Astra. Astra paused.

"I'm glad she's dead." She said plainly. "I'm a horrible person."

"No you're not." Arcadia smiled. "I think you'll be a great ruler though."

Santia had sat down, and Olose paced, listing the problems.

"The Cardinal needs to poison the population. But how? He can't inject everybody, that's impossible." Olose paused.

"Then he must need to use another form of infection." Santia shrugged.

"He can't send it through the air, can he?" Olose asked, concerned.

"That would be impossible to control. His guards would fall victim too." Santia pointed out casually.

"The water supply isn't regulated. Drinks comes from wells, so that's impossible." Olose disregarded yet another theory. "But there must be an answer here somewhere." Arcadia and Astra hurried in.

"Look at this!" Arcadia handed over a flyer to Olose. "The knights are sticking them up all over the city." Olose scanned it.

"It says the Cardinal shall be crowned king tomorrow evening!" Olose gasped. "We have to stop him!" Santia read over it too. "And to celebrate, he's going to give out the rest of the food he's confiscated." Olose paused, and his jaw dropped as Santia's eyes went wide. "Oh, hell no!"

"What's wrong?" Astra asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"If the Cardinal infects that food with his poison, then the entire population of San d'Oria will become as you were. They're all starving out there. They're going to gobble up that food instantly." Olose explained. "We have to stop him. Now."

"How?" Arcadia asked. "If we're going to get a shot at getting to the Cardinal safely, it's going to be during is coronation, when we can present Astra as a challenge under the safety of the ceremony."

"We can't wait until then. By then the poison will be spreading and the citizens will be suffering too much to stop anything the Cardinal does. We need to stop him tonight!"

"The Chateau d'Oraguille is impenetrable under lockdown, like it is right now." Santia explained. "There's no way we can get in."

"Not for a mortal." Olose grinned.

"You can't fight your way in." Santia decided. "Too many guards, even for you. And they'll know I'm a traitor by now."

"There must be another way." Olose decided. "Nowhere is completely impenetrable."

"The Chateau is." Santia answered with all of her elvaan pride. "There is no underground passage you can use, and the walls are solid constructions that are impossible to climb."

"What about from above?" Astra blinked innocently. "We could just come down from the sky."

"Yeah, except for that fact that we can't fly." Olose sighed.

"He doesn't mean to be cruel. It was a good suggestion." Arcadia said kindly to Astra.

"So, you think the walls can't be climbed?" Olose asked Santia. Santia rose an eyebrow.

"They're made of solid stone. So, yes." She answered bluntly.

"Even by a werewolf?" Olose asked with a slight smile.

Two of the Temple Knights lounged around sleepily on guard duty upon the mighty walls of the chateau. Both heard the strange scratching sound, but neither bothered to react. They were guarding a tower in the mighty Chateau d'Oraguille, and it was currently under lockdown to protect the new Cardinal. Nothing could get in, which made them fairly obsolete. The scratching sound, however, got louder.

"Stupid birds." One commented. There was a pause before the suspect reached the top of the wall and leapt into the tower.

"That's no bird." The second muttered. Olose, in full werewolf form, growled. The two Temple Knights reached for their blades, but they fainted from fear as Olose let out an inhuman roar. Olose turned back into his human form and smirked.

"Won't mind if I borrow these?" He asked one of the unconscious guards, before bending down and taking their red tunic.

Olose strolled through the chateau, actually surprised that nobody stopped him and asked him who he was, since he was technically a stranger in a uniform. It was just as he was having those thoughts that somebody stopped him and asked who he was. He cursed to himself for tempting fate.

"Urm, transfer from the outer gate." He tried.

"Transfer? We're the Temple Knights. We're supposed to stay at the chateau. Sure, I knew the Cardinal had sent a few knights over that way, but you shouldn't been transferred back." The Temple Knight explained to him.

"Oh. Got a better explanation?" Olose asked.

"I think you're a spy." The knight explained.

"I meant one that got me off the hook." Olose casually said. The knight drew his sword.

"I'm taking you right to the Cardinal." He spat.

"Oh, what a tragedy." Olose sighed, knowing it was exactly where he wanted to go. "Well, you got me. Take me there right away!" The Knight smiled.

"You cocky son of a…" He trailed off, slapping handcuffs on Olose. "You aren't going to get out of those. So that little escape plan forming in your head is over."

"I'm doomed." Olose muttered with as much enthusiasm as a dieing hornet.

Santia was distracted, going over plans to the ceremony planned for the coronation of the Cardinal while Arcadia and Astra chatted to each other. Arcadia was trying to help Astra understand more about what was going on and the world around her.

"So, why doesn't everybody just go and get rid of the Cardinal?" She asked. "He's being mean, so if we got rid of him, we wouldn't have a problem." Arcadia smiled at her innocence.

"It is not that simple." She explained. "We cannot just go and get rid of the Cardinal because he has the Temple Knights supporting him. Even further, there is the matter of honour involved, the Cardinal is the ruler of San d'Oria. Going against him counts as treason."

"Why is he in charge then? When he's evil?" Astra asked.

"He was a skilled liar." Arcadia gave in explanation. "Technically, you should be in charge."

"So why am I not?" Astra asked, doing her best to sound like Arcadia. Santia giggled slightly, hearing that Astra was trying to imitate Arcadia's posh accent. She clearly looked up to Arcadia a huge amount, and took her as a role model. Santia thought to herself that Astra could have made a better choice, but remained silent.

"You will be." Arcadia explained. "Tomorrow, at the coronation, we shall present you and you will take the throne from the Cardinal. The people of San d'Oria will have to swear allegiance to you."

"So I will be in charge." She said, sounding unsure of herself. "Of all the city? What will I do?"
"I will do my best to help you." Arcadia told her. "You will have advisors to help you the best they can. It will not be easy, but you will adapt."

"What about the poison?" Astra asked.

"Well, if the Cardinal successfully deploys it, then nobody will be able to oppose of him, and you can be disposed of." Astra gulped as Arcadia explained this. "But do not worry! That will not happen! Olose has never failed."

"He does this sort of thing a lot?" Santia asked, casually looking up from the papers she was reading.

"You have no idea." Arcadia sighed.

"I think I have an idea." Astra said. "It's not a very good one, but certainly is one." Arcadia chuckled.

"No, it is a figure of speech." Arcadia explained. "It means you do not realise just what he is like."

"Well, of course I don't. I've only known him for a few hours." Astra answered. Santia laughed and Arcadia rolled her eyes with a smile.

The Cardinal smiled as soon as he saw Olose dragged in.

"Olose Sampson, I presume." He stated.

"Sampson?" The Temple Knight exclaimed. "I captured the Olose Sampson?"

"Quiet." The Cardinal ordered. The Temple Knight fell silent.

"Pleased to meet you, your worshipfulness." Olose grinned.

"You will not be so confident when I execute you, Sampson." The Cardinal told him.

"Of course, execution. Sure follow the teachings of Altana there." Olose taunted.

"Do not claim to know my intentions!" The Cardinal cried. "I follow Altana and what is best for this city! There would be no need for bloodshed if people like you would just settle down and let me rule!"

"What? Hand the city over to you on a silver platter?" Olose asked. "It's not going to happen. We aren't going to keel over to your wishes. You manipulate, lie and kill."

"I follow Altana!" The Cardinal protested.

"Like hell you do!" Olose cried back. "You're planning to poison everybody just so that nobody can protest. Altana stands for all of us, not just one power crazy cardinal!"

"How dare you speak to me like that?" The Cardinal roared. Olose snapped the chain on his handcuffs with ease.

"Because I know I can kill you at any moment." He grinned.

Astra had been looking at a painting of her father that Santia had found and shown her.

"He looks bigger there." She smiled. "Did he grow?"

"No." Arcadia laughed. "They just made him look taller for the picture. It makes him look more powerful."

"What's your father like?" Astra asked with a cocked head as she continued to look at the picture.

"Very loving, but quite strange." She decided. "He is called Lord Andrew, but he always makes me introduce him by his middle name. Valance. He thinks it sounds more impressive. He says Andrew is too boring so he trained me to introduce him by something that sounded better."

"And your mother?" Astra cocked her head the other way, as if looking at the picture from another angle would answer everything.

"She's nice. Sweet, pleasant. Likes winding my father up by pointing out all of his eccentricities. But they love each other very much." Arcadia explained. "They even get along with Olose." Astra giggled.

"It's funny when you make fun of him." She commented, pointing out the obvious, but deciding to make a note of it anyway.

"Yes, it can be. Olose is a rather amusing person." Arcadia replied.

The Temple Knight slammed into the wall and dropped down. Olose centred himself after his roundhouse kick, and stood before the Cardinal.

"Kill me and you'll never escape." The Cardinal warned.

"I won't kill you." Olose said calmly. "And I'll cover my escape." He walked towards the large dining room just to the left of the throne room. He grinned. "Thought you would be keeping the food in here." He looked at the mass of poisoned food. "I can smell that vile stuff from here. Had to keep it hidden until you return it, eh?"

"When I do, any traitors like you will be subdued and I shall rule peacefully." The Cardinal stated. "The King was weak. He led his people to war and lost."

"You manipulated that war!" Olose spat.

"A strong leader would have resisted manipulation. It is clear that I should take control." The Cardinal answered.

"He trusted you!" Olose cried.

"Then he was mistaken and shouldn't lead. I should." The Cardinal said plainly.

"Oh, got a bit of news for you." Olose said with a smirk. He drew a match from his pocket and lit it. "That poison of yours is very effective." The match burnt down and the Cardinal watched curiously. "But it's also flammable." He tossed the match into the room, and the food erupted into flames.
"NO!" The Cardinal screamed, running down towards Olose. He grabbed a sword from the fallen Temple Knight and attacked. Olose blocked his attack and kicked him across the head, knocking him out. He grinned and ran.

Temple Knights blocked his way, swords drawn.

"The Cardinal is unconscious in there and your precious castle is burning." Olose told them. "Choose now. Me or him." The Temple Knights looked at each other and rushed past Olose to save the Cardinal. Olose grinned a bright smile and ran, knowing now that his escape route was clear.

He skidded to a halt as two Temple Knights drew their weapons.

"We're not letting you go!" One cried. He went to attack, but a sword pierced his heart and he dropped down. The other turned around, but it was too late. He too fell dead.

"What can I say?" Shrugged Dartian from behind. "We just don't make our prisons like we used to."

"Dartian!" Exclaimed Olose. "Come on! We need to escape, now!"

"Yeah, I could smell the smoke. Way to go." Olose had a feeling Dartian was being sarcastic.

"C'mon! We have to get out of here!"

The two ran to freedom while the Temple Knights desperately attempted to stop the raging fire.