Tales of Harmonia
Providence – Retribution – Judgment: The Trinity Reunited!
"What the hell is he doing here!" Juna flared, standing from her seat immediately after seeing Aidan walk through the door to the meeting room with one of the Papal Trinity in tow. She slammed her fist on the table, demanding an answer. "Did it occur to you that he's the enemy? That bringing him here is like leading a cat into the mouse hole?"
Aidan looked slightly annoyed. "Hey! First of all, you don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" he retorted, looking every bit as angry as she did. "The only reason I went along with your damned scheme is because I wanted to find out what was really going on!" Juna looked stunned by his forcefulness. She staggered a little, taken aback by his words. "If you think I'm so stupid that I would lead one of the most powerful men into the world right into your base without thinking, then why did you ask me to do this mission?"
"I—I didn't—"
"You know where I met Arthur? Spying on the Pope, or trying to," Aidan explained. "He's trying to do the same thing we are. I thought we could help each other and unravel this mystery together." The group fell silent. Genis opened his mouth to speak, but Aidan thrust out a finger and shook his head. "And I blindfolded him on the carriage ride here. He doesn't know where we are."
The group looked over at Arthur, who seemed a bit shy and nodded his head quickly with an uneasy smile on his face. They couldn't deny that he seemed friendly. Besides, as far as he knew – and it was the truth – they meant no harm to the Pope. They merely wanted to find out what he was dealing in. He simply didn't know how they intended to do that.
"Fine," Juna relented after a while. "Then let's figure out what we're going to do next. I take it you found the passage we need." Aidan nodded his head, and gave Arthur a friendly glance. "Okay. Did you hear the Pope say anything unusual?"
"Well… he… he wasn't there," Arthur said nervously. "In fact, I don't think he was in the Glass Cathedral at all. I checked the audience chamber, and he wasn't there… and so I figured he must be holding one of his private meetings in his chambers, so I snuck into the secret passage and… well… he wasn't there."
"Not in the Cathedral at all?" Raven inquired. "Very odd indeed. I would imagine the Papal Knights would put him under lock and key after the events at Malachite."
Genis let out a laugh. "Ironically, it would have worked out better for us if they had."
Arthur interrupted. "The Papal Knights do have the Pope under lock and key. Not even the tour groups are allowed anywhere near the corridors leading to his chambers. Security in the rest of the cathedral is a bit lax because of their focus on his room, but…"
"So he snuck out?" Juna asked. "I guess his knowledge of the secret passages is better than we thought."
Aidan looked confused. "I thought the Pope was supposed to know all the secret tunnels in the cathedral. I mean, they're there for him, right?"
"That's true," Arthur explained, "but each Pope does not always get the full information about the secret passages. You see, it is one Pope's duty to pass his knowledge of those routes on to the next Pope. Usually, when the Pope suspects he is nearing death, he writes a list of the passages he knows and readies it to be given to his successor. However, it does happen that one Pope is murdered, or dies suddenly of illness, or other such things; in these cases, no record exists of the passages, and the new Pope, if he so desires, must find them on his own."
"But why don't they just keep a record of them? I mean, you know, why doesn't one Pope write the note as soon as possible? That way he wouldn't risk dying before writing it."
"The trouble," Juna elaborated, "is that the secret passageways in the Glass Cathedral are both very beneficial and very dangerous to the Pope. They are only useful if he and only he knows where they are. If, at any time, his list leaks out, every secret passage listed there would become compromised. Assassins could lurk in the castle and strike from behind any corner, their entry completely undetected. However, the Pope can similarly use them as avenues of undetected escape when needed – a use exercised many, many times in the history of the church. Therefore, it is beneficial for one Pope to pass the knowledge onto the next, but it is dangerous for any document to exist for too long. The Pope writes it when he thinks he is near death, and passes it on to the next Pope, who reads it, memorizes it, and destroys it."
"That's all very nice," Audrey pointed out, "but what are we going to do? If the Pope isn't even in the cathedral now, we have no clue when he'll be back."
Juna nodded her head and closed her eyes, deep in thought. "Yes, that's true. For now, I think we'll send a small group in through the passage to the Pope's chambers. If he really isn't there, we can snoop around and see if there are any hints as to what he's been doing with the Hand of Beatrix. If he has returned by then, we'll kidnap him as planned."
Arthur stepped forward, a look of shock on his face. "What? Kidnap His Eminence? You must be joking!"
Raven laughed coldly. "You did indeed lead him here blindly, Aidan."
The boy looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Arthur… I couldn't tell you right away. I couldn't risk having you… you know… tell the Papal Knights and all."
"But… but…" Arthur was flustered. "You can't… what are you going to do with him?"
Juna held out her hand. "I assure you, we intend no harm to the Pope. However, the only way to get any information from him is to interrogate him where he does not have the home field advantage. Once we know what he's up to, we can decide what comes next, and you may part ways with us if you so desire, as long as you assure that you will not tell your comrades about us."
Arthur was uneasy, but nodded. "I have already sworn this. But if you attempt to harm His Majesty with undue cause… I will stop you."
Juna smiled. "Your loyalty is admirable. Let's see how well it holds. We move for New Meltokio within the hour."
Her five companions saluted her and shuffled out of the room, leaving Arthur to wonder what he had gotten himself into.
---
Night was falling on the plains surrounding the gleaming jewel of New Meltokio as the caravan arrived. The world's twin moons, Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, named for the ancient worlds which were fused to form Aselia, shone brilliantly in the starry sky. Under their gaze, seven cloaked figures stepped off the wooden wagon and darted quietly towards the city wall.
"Are we all aware of the plan?" Juna asked in transit. She was answered with six tones of acknowledgement.
The plan was simple. Arthur, Aidan, Juna, and Audrey would follow behind Bartheo, Raven and Genis; the latter group would scout ahead and stand watch within the cathedral, ensuring that the former group's mission went unhindered. They would not have to use the main entrance – now locked, as always after nightfall – because Arthur was familiar with one other secret passage that led into the castle from a cemetery in the western part of the city. He was accompanying them because they needed his knowledge of the castle's layout in order to move as efficiently at possible.
When the group finally reached the city gates, they were not surprised to find them shut tightly. There was no chance of them being opened unless the Pope himself showed up on the other side; not even the Papal Trinity were an exception. They had expected this, however, and thus were unfazed by it. Juna sent a curt nod in Genis' direction; the old half-elf nodded back, and faced a section of the wall a good distance away from the gate. He mumbled something under his breath, and suddenly the very shape of the rock changed. It became jelly-like for a moment, wavering unnaturally in the air, and then shifted completely aside, creating a door for the group to enter through. When they had all safely passed under the eyes of the night watchmen, Genis closed the magical gateway, and they continued on their way.
New Meltokio was a positively gigantic city; many tourists got lost in its winding roads every day, thus necessitating the creation of a faction of the Papal Knights dedicated specifically to sending these befuddled tourists on their way. Arthur, however, had lived in the city all his life, and knew the back streets like the back of his own hand. He expertly navigated the group through a labyrinthine series of alleys and roads, so that it only took them a few minutes before they reached the extreme western edge of the city, and the cemetery that they had been looking for.
Nobody needed to tell him what to do. The bishop made a beeline for a large headstone at the rear of the graveyard, which anyone could tell from its ornate decoration belonged to someone of great importance (though not a Pope, for they were buried in an underground mausoleum as they have been for hundreds of years). He briefly examined the face of the stone; it was too dark to see anything that was written on it, so none of the group could accurately tell what he was looking for. Apparently Arthur knew it by touch, though: after only a few moments, they could hear – and faintly see – the headstone slide backwards a few feet, revealing a dim, dingy staircase underneath.
Before they could even worry about finding and lighting a torch, Arthur wielded his staff – a beautiful weapon made of pearl, with an opal sitting atop its head – and held it aloft. Instantly a warm glow emitted from it, allowing them an acceptable field of vision in the ancient darkness. Juna and the others were suitably impressed.
"This tunnel will take us into a small room on the western side of the cathedral. It houses various artifacts and thus is only used during the day by tourists. Nobody bothers to guard it at night, especially now that the cathedral is on high alert and the Pope's security is top priority," he explained.
Quickly, the group dashed down the dusty tunnel, hardly stopping to sweep the hanging cobwebs from their faces as they went. At the end of the tunnel, the climbed a short stairwell; Arthur tapped the solid ceiling with the head of his staff, and it slid open effortlessly.
The group had to squint, because they were now being bombarded by the fluorescent lights of the crimson-walled room. One by one they emerged from the blackness, invisible behind them now in the glare of the light. They could see that this room did indeed hold some artifacts of great value, including a shawl rumoured to have once belonged to the archangel Zephyr, after whom Juna's organization was named.
"Okay," Audrey said quickly, "We don't have time to waste." She nodded at Bartheo, Raven and Genis, who slipped quietly out the door of the room and looked around. Several moments later they returned and ushered the remaining four group members out. Arthur led the way; left out of the room, and then left again to come into a hallway Aidan recognized from earlier in the day. He was a little surprised that they had no encountered any guards thus far; however, it wasn't too surprising, considering that any knights on hand were likely busy watching the hallways around the Pope's chambers, and the entrance to the cathedral.
Before long they came to the familiar bust of Pope Gregorius X's wife Amelia, and Arthur instinctively pressed her left eye inward to reveal the hidden doorway behind her. Juna chuckled quietly, having not seen the passage before. "How appropriate," she commented. Aidan, Audrey, and Arthur ignored her, dashing up the dark passageway as quickly as they were able.
When they reached the far end, Aidan pressed his ear against the wall to see if he could hear anything in the room. It would be disastrous if they walked in while the Pope was still awake, or while the guards were searching the room. Hearing nothing, the boy swung the wall outwards, and the dim lighting of the Papal chambers greeted him.
When he saw that the Pope was not in the room, Aidan wondered whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Whichever one he decided on, the group darted into the room and made a beeline for his desk. There was an assortment of papers and folders atop it, and they suspected that there had to be some clue hidden in the pile.
Something rustled behind them, and they all froze.
"Well, well, well," a female voice called out listlessly. Aidan and the others turned around to see a woman leaning against the wall, hidden in the shadow of the doorway they had just opened. "I see my suspicions were correct after all."
The woman stepped forward, and her silver armor glimmered in the lamplight. Aidan briefly caught a glimpse of the symbol of the Church of Martel – the now familiar angel descending from heaven – on her right shoulder. She ran a hand through her long, purple hair and smirked victoriously at the intruders. Her other hand rested on the hilt of a long katana sheathed at her waist.
"Marisa…" Arthur mumbled under his breath, looking ashamed.
"Consorting with traitors," the woman reprimanded. She stared at Arthur with cold, dead eyes. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I never thought I'd live to see the day I saw the Providence of the Papal Trinity plotting high treason." Arthur remained silent.
"I could call in the guards and have you all arrested right here…" Marisa mocked. The look in her eyes – that of a lion admiring its cornered prey – told them that she had no intention of letting the Papal Knights have the glory of this kill. "No, maybe not." Effortlessly, she drew her blade from its sheath. It was a magnificently-crafted weapon, wrought of the finest steel. Its edge flickered as though hungrily awaiting its meal. "I think I'll indulge myself for once."
Arthur worked hard to suppress a laugh, and succeeded. Her words were nothing short of a great understatement; Marisa Myst was well known for her cruelty – it had given her the nickname, "Bloodmist". She was the Retribution of the Papal Trinity, responsible for dealing out its punishment in her own brutal ways. Nobody had yet crossed her and lived to tell about it, and she was about to add four notches to her bloody belt.
Aidan slid his spear off his back and gripped it tightly in both hands. He was not about to let one single woman get in his way – not again.
"So the mice will indulge me," she said almost hungrily.
Aidan growled and leapt forth, despite Arthur's attempt to stop him. He lunged with the pointed end of his spear, aiming directly for Marisa's chest. The attack was so fast, so well aimed, that he was certain to spear her right through the heart.
He could not explain, then, why his blade struck thin air.
The other three members of the group gasped loudly, because Marisa was now standing behind Aidan, with her back to him, and the hilt of her sword was buried into his neck. Aidan was amazed at the fact that this woman was faster than the pain itself, which washed over him several moments later as he collapsed onto the floor. Marisa glanced down at him and licked her lips before turning her gaze to the others. They had all drawn their weapons by now and were preparing to fight her to the very last.
"Ah ha ha!" she laughed coldly, swinging her blade at the air. "Let me carve your path to hell!"
Juna was the first to attack. She leapt forward, swinging her flute in a direct assault on Marisa's face. She almost succeeded, but the swordswoman was faster; she stepped to the side and grabbed Juna's arm with her free hand. One powerful swing sent the instrumentalist to the ground with a crash, sliding into the banister on the corner of the Pope's bed.
Audrey came next, from behind the Pope's desk. Her weapon was a red gymnast's ribbon, attached to a long, thin stick, and she lashed out with this forcefully, hoping to immobilize Marisa's blade-arm from her while she was still distracted by Juna. The ribbon seemed to have a life of its own and found its mark; it wrapped around Marisa's right wrist. The Bloodmist was unfazed, however; she swept low on the ground, spinning herself around, and dragging the helpless Audrey with her. The young girl was tossed about like a rag doll before Marisa finally dumped her on top of Juna's agonized body.
"You call this a fight?" she taunted, running a finger along the length of her katana. "I haven't even drawn first blood yet."
The blade raised high above her head, and she readied to strike Audrey and cleave her in two. However, the weapon clanged hard against something, and Marisa was shocked to see Aidan's spear blocking her way. She glowered at him; her cold eyes were now filled with malice and rage. In an astounding feat of acrobatics, she leapt backwards, sailing effortlessly through the air; she spun once, carrying the blade in an arc before her. A wave of energy seared forth, connecting hard with Aidan's chest and leaving a gash on his flesh even underneath his protective armor.
Suddenly, however, he felt the pain wash away under a wave of warmth, and he could see that Arthur was casting a spell on him. He could actually feel the wound closing up, stitching itself back together, as though it had never been there at all. He was able to get up and fight again in an instant.
Marisa was on the offensive now, charging at him from across the massive room. She slashed horizontally at his neck, but his spear was well-suited to deflect an attack of that nature. He countered by forcing the weapon to the side and then driving his knee into her unarmored stomach. She sputtered and coughed up some blood; a look of shock was painted onto her face as she withdrew, clutching her torso.
"You… you drew first blood?" she bellowed as she glanced at the ruby-red liquid staining the carpet. "Intolerable!" A new rage enveloped her, and Aidan felt fear flow through his blood as he looked at her.
She advanced again, holding her blade to her side. A few feet from Aidan's position, she leapt into the air and came to an abrupt stop, holding the katana beneath her, pointed at the ground. "Suffer! Hellfire!" Then, she dropped; the blade pierced the ground, and waves of energy rippled through it. Suddenly Aidan was engulfed in flame, and he screamed loudly as the demonic heat seared his flesh. He could feel that even now Arthur was trying to soothe his pain and heal his wounds, but her attack was just too powerful. Aidan knew that the bishop had saved him from certain death, but another attack or two like that and he would be finished for good. Audrey and Juna were still unconscious, so he would be unable to rely on their help.
He knew that it was all up to him now, and this helped him to muster strength he didn't know he had. Somehow, the pain of singed flesh melted away, and he felt ready to take on his aggressor. She had withdrawn quite a ways now, and this gave Aidan room to advance at his leisure. He darted forth with his spear brandished. "Time to pay – Doublethrust!" He thrust the spear twice at Marisa's unguarded midsection, but she moved fast enough to dodge the assault. However, she was shocked to find energy emitting from the spear with each thrust; so shocked, in fact, that she could not dodge them in time, and both slashed her mercilessly, leaving blood dripping down her milky body.
As she gazed into Aidan's eyes, Marisa looked positively crazed now. She gripped her sword in both hands and leaped at him. He could practically see an evil aura pulsing all around her. She brandished the sword to her side and, as she reached the appropriate distance, slashed horizontally with such amazing force that the air around the weapon was visibly shifted. Aidan coughed up blood as the attack connected, leaving a gaping gash across his stomach. Marisa was relentless; she followed up by twirling her body and kicking her opponent twice in the face, and then slashing at him once again in line with his shoulders. He was momentarily stunned by the pain. "Gates of Hell, open to me – Hell Cleaver!" She stretched out her arms and exuded an energy that almost suffocated Aidan in and of itself. He looked down and tried to let out a scream: an abyss had opened in the floor beneath him, and through it he could see into the depths of the underworld; he was suspended above a land of fire and brimstone. A geyser of searing flame poured through this opening, engulfing Aidan in its relentless rage. After what could only have been an eternity of suffering, the abyss closed, and Aidan collapsed, an unconscious heap. Again, only Arthur's efforts during the attack saved him from certain death.
A look of crazed satisfaction on her face, Marisa turned to Arthur and grinned hungrily. "Just you and me now… the traitor and the executioner." She lifted her bloodthirsty weapon above her head again, and Arthur knew he could do nothing to stop her. Perhaps he deserved to die here. He was indeed… a traitor. He closed his eyes tightly and gulped, prepared to accept his fate.
Instead of feeling steel tear through flesh and bone, he heard the familiar clanging of metal.
"It's—it's you!" he cried, looking up to see Raven's katana barring Marisa's. They were staring at each other now; Marisa looked strangely pleased, and Raven looked calm as always.
"Brother dearest… so good to see you again," the Bloodmist said quietly. Raven ignored her and looked at Arthur.
"Get them out of here." He jerked his head in the direction of Arthur's incapacitated comrades. "I'll stop her." Arthur hesitated for a moment, unwilling to abandon the man who had just saved him. This did not sit well with Raven. "Now!"
Arthur was shocked, but nodded quickly and got up. He worked his magic and quickly brought Aidan, Juna, and Audrey back into the land of consciousness; then, he ushered them down the secret corridor and, barring any more intrusions, back towards the room through which they had entered.
Marisa did not seem to care that she had lost her prey, for she now had bigger game right in front of her. "My brother… how satisfying it will be to have your head mounted on my wall… the head of the late Pope's murderer."
Raven said nothing. Another clang as his sword clashed with Marisa's was all they could hear as they vanished into the corridor.
---
In the hallway that Bartheo, Genis, and Raven had been guarding, Genis was standing, staring down a strange young man dressed in black robes with a deep purple trim. The symbol of the Church of Martel was woven into the shoulder of his robe, in a crimson colour. He was holding a small wand that looked more like a war fan than anything else; Genis was holding his legendary kendama, One World.
"Oh no," Arthur gasped under his breath as he saw them. "He's here, too?" He and the others ducked and hid, not ready to face another battle.
"Halis Moonshadow, Judgment of the Papal Trinity, at your service," the man said arrogantly as he bowed low to Genis. "And I know very well who you are. What I don't know is what you're doing here." His long, crimson hair rustled playfully as he righted himself again, staring deep into the pools of wisdom that were Genis' eyes.
"And that is exactly how I intend things to stay," the half-elf retorted.
Halis let out a cold laugh and nodded. "Stubborn to the very end. It's a shame I have to kill you here. Living legend or not, you're breaking the law by conspiring against His Eminence, Pontifex Nigellus XVII. Your road ends here."
Genis was perfectly calm; a playful fire even danced in his eyes. "If you really think you can take me… go right ahead."
His opponent threw his black cape to the ground and held his battle fan out in front of him. "I'll show you the meaning of true power." The ground beneath him began to glow an orangey-red, and everyone could feel the raw energy emanating from his body. "Flame Lance!"
Materializing out of thin air, a gigantic lance of flame appeared some height above Halis. The hallway they were in was more than high enough to accommodate this; in fact, they could hardly see the ceiling in the darkness, except by the light of the flaming lance. The weapon suddenly lunged down toward Genis, but was deflected by a bright barrier of green energy. The flame lance dissipated instantly, and Genis laughed.
"Oh, you'll have to do much better than that," he lectured as he began playing with his kendama; or so it seemed. Of course, the suffocating energy erupting from his body indicated that he was not playing at all. "May the merciless embrace of frost take thee!" Suddenly, a ring of cold, blue air danced around Halis' feet. "Absolute!" Genis cried; and then, Halis was encased in ice. It was one of those things that you missed if you blinked. Genis snapped his fingers, and the ice shattered, leaving a broken body in its wake.
Halis groaned in pain, but struggled to his feet. Arthur could see something in his eyes; something that told him Halis was regretting his choice to battle Genis here. Arthur didn't blame him: who would want to duel one of the Legendary Heroes? However, Halis' resolve was admirable. He fixed his eyes on his target and shook his head, determined not to give in. "I won't be beaten so easily," he taunted. Waves of darkness flowed from within his body. "Bloody Lance!"
Suddenly, a shining glyph of purple and green energy apparated beneath Genis, and he found himself momentarily stunned by it. Four spears of darkness rose from the corners of the glyph and hovered ominously in the air for a second before raining down on him; then, a fifth one assaulted him from above. Each one pierced his body cleanly, but as they were fashioned from magical darkness, none of them left any visible wounds. Genis doubled over in pain just the same.
"Ha! You're just an old man who thinks he's still at the top of his game," Halis taunted with a satisfied smirk. He waved his war fan dismissively. "You're not even worth my time."
Struggling with his feeble muscles, Genis managed to get to his feet. "Not… worth your time?" he replied with a weak chuckle. The half-elf merely extended his hand, and Halis was surrounded by light blue energy; he, too, found himself unable to move. "Let's see…"
Bolts of lightning suddenly rained down mercilessly upon Halis, coursing through his body and sending pain through his nerves. When the storm ceased, a blade of energy cleaved him, filling him with even more electrically-charged anguish. "I'll show you your powerlessness… Indignation Judgment!" Genis' words hung powerfully in the air as a sphere of electrical energy appeared around Halis and rapidly closed on him, finishing off the brutal attack that Genis perfected so many centuries ago. His opponent collapsed in a heap on the floor, barely able to move. "Now who's pathetic?"
Upon seeing Genis' victory, Aidan and the others rushed out to greet him. He reminded them that there was no time to lose, and together they returned to the room where they had entered the cathedral. "Wait… where's Bartheo?" Juna asked suddenly.
"I sent him up ahead," Genis said. "When I sensed Halis' presence, I knew our plan had gone amiss. I needed him to make sure our escape route was secure. But what about Raven? He ran off shortly after Halis appeared and told us that Marisa had dealt with you by now."
Arthur looked troubled as he spoke. "He… stayed behind. He saved us from her. If he hadn't come, she would have…"
Genis nodded knowingly. "I see." Without another word, he left the room and turned back toward the passage to the Pope's chamber before anyone could stop him.
"Come on!" Audrey shouted. "They'll be fine. We've got to get out of here before they call down the whole army on us!"
Although Aidan in particular looked like he wanted a rematch with Marisa, the whole group eventually agreed, and they set off down the tunnel to the outside once more. Certain that their two strongest allies could handle themselves against a single opponent, they didn't look back as they hurried down the dark corridor. It was for this reason that they neglected the cloaked body sinking into the ground behind them.
---
Raven's eyes were transfixed on Marisa's as they dueled, fiercely assaulting each other with their weapons. There was no sibling love between them; no holding back whatsoever. Only the desire to kill. Marisa seemed to be enjoying every moment of it.
"You're as strong as ever, I see," she commented as her sword locked against Raven's once again.
"And your bloodlust remains unquenched," Raven replied, eyes unflinching. Marisa laughed.
"Only because I have yet to spill your blood with my blade," she explained; and then added, with the utmost contempt: "dear brother."
Raven pushed her back and swung around in an arc, attempting to slice her torso from the opposite direction. She saw through the attack and blocked easily, however, a satisfied grin forever painted on her ruby lips. "It's no wonder the Pope's father fell to you," Marisa complimented – though Raven could tell it was more of a taunt than anything. "A feeble old man was no match for a power-hungry traitor." For the first time, Raven growled, and he swung his blade hard at Marisa's head in a feeble attempt to decapitate her. She of course dodged the barbaric assault with ease, letting out a shrill laugh. "You won't find me as easy a victim as he was!"
Raven did not falter in his assault. He brought the blade down over her head, and then slashed twice in a diagonal attack aimed at both shoulders, crying, "Cross Slash!" Marisa managed to parry the initial attack, but the second two swipes grazed both armor and unprotected flesh. Blood trickled down her arms and chest; she breathed in deeply and looked as though she was savouring the feeling.
"Ah," she said euphorically, "now I taste the rage that led you to kill him…" Marisa stepped back and opened herself to him. "Come! Unleash your fury on me! Make me your next victim!" The woman let out a cold laugh. "—if you can."
Raven lunged, and thrust the tip of his katana at her unguarded stomach. With uncanny speed, his sister stepped aside and grabbed the weapon between her index finger and thumb, stopping its momentum instantly. "Dark Spark!" she cried, invoking a storm of dark lightning to flicker along the sword's edge and directly into Raven's body. He cried out in pain as the attack engulfed him.
"I'm far more powerful than you now, brother," Marisa said gloatingly. She continued more darkly, saying, "I have had to be. For it is my duty – my privilege – to punish traitors… traitors like you. You shall pay for your treachery with your own blood."
Suddenly Marisa vanished, and Raven's eyes shot wide open as he scanned the room for her. He could not see her until she reappeared right in front of him – and beside him, to both sides – and behind him. "Mirage Thruster!" she cried, and her four selves lunged together. Knowing that only one of them was real – but that they would all hurt equally – Raven had no way of knowing which Marisa to parry. With her unmatched speed and skill, she could easily run him through. He prepared for the worst. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the air.
"Gentle winds, gather before me and transform into blades of air! Cyclone!"
Marisa's attack was halted, and Raven looked to see himself surrounded by cutting blades of wind. Three of the false Marisas had vanished, leaving the true one – she had been to his left – screaming in agony as the cyclone tore at her flesh. Raven instinctively flashed his gaze to the right and saw Genis standing in the doorway to the secret tunnel, beckoning. Raven saw Marisa slowly struggling to her feet as the attack ended, and he realized that he could not defeat her like this; he nodded to Genis and darted for the passageway.
"I don't understand," he muttered to himself as they made their hasty retreat. "She… should not be this powerful…"
Genis either did not hear him, or pretended not to. Raven's quiet words hung in the air as they ran.
---
As they reached the end of the tunnel, Arthur rapped three times on the door with his staff. The sound echoed momentarily and they could see the headstone above them sliding back to reveal the clear night sky and the cemetery through which they had entered. Arthur exited first, followed by Audrey and then Juna; Aidan came last after making sure they had not been followed. When he finally emerged, he took a quick breath of fresh air – not cleansing as he had hoped, but bred out of shock.
Bartheo, Juna, Arthur, and Audrey were all being held forcefully in the hands of green-and-silver clad knights wielding halberds. He could see two knights lying dead on the floor, their armor cleaved neatly over wounds that were still fresh with warm blood; Bartheo had obviously put up a good fight before finally succumbing to their sheer numbers.
"Members of Zephyr," the lead knight announced, stepping forward. "You are accused of the crime of high treason against His Holiness the Pope of the Church of Martel. You will be transferred to the Madrigora Dungeons to await sentencing." The knight jerked his head and one of his companions marched forth to grab Aidan by the arms. He added, "Do not try to resist. You are wanted alive… but are just as valuable to us dead."