Tales of Harmonia
Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
The strange complex into which Aidan and Juna had been led surprised them. The hard, steel tiles on the ground and the cold wallpaper lining the walls stood in stark contrast to the warm (if shady) tavern that lay aboveground. There was little doubt in their minds, however, that this was the hideaway of the Hand of Beatrix. Although they had never seen it before, a peculiar symbol adorned all of the doors and was printed at interval along the walls: a black pentagon, on the inside of which was inscribed a black hand, fingers outstretched and palm facing outward. A single snake slithered between the fingers and then coiled around the wrist, its face pointing downward.
Their shadowy guide led them down a series of hallways, each of which looked much like the last. They were a multitude of doors branching off of these tunnels into which they were not taken, but looking in, Aidan and Juna could see rooms filled with strange devices: machines purred like giant mechanical cats; screens which hung impossibly in mid-air displayed strange numbers and letters; buttons flashed on panels connected to other, more complicated devices.
"Is that… magitechnology?" Juna whispered to Aidan, keeping out of earshot of their guide. "These devices have not been seen since before Aselia was reunited from the two Ancient Worlds. We still use some magitechnology today, but this…"
Aidan could say nothing. He wasn't much of a history buff, but he still found it very shocking that these Hand of Beatrix bandits were dabbling in ancient technologies that once possessed the ability to destroy the world. Then again, perhaps it wasn't so odd at all, if one considered that they might not have been mere bandits at all. Aidan pondered the implications of this.
In the meanwhile, their guide suddenly stopped at the end of one hallway, before a tall, steel door with no windows. The seal of the Hand of Beatrix was emblazoned on it as it was with all the others. Without a word, the man turned and extended his hand, signaling them to wait. They did so; he stepped through the door, which slid open of its own accord for him, and then shut behind him, preventing their access.
"I guess this is it," Aidan said, a hint of anxiety in his voice. Juna nodded.
"Yeah. I don't think there's any doubt about it." She paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at the door. Her arms were folded across her chest and she, too, looked nervous.
"You think his superior is that Sonia woman Shareen was talking about?"
Juna nodded. "I do. If it is, then we're going to have to be extremely careful. She's an important figure in this faction of the Hand, and my intuition tells me she won't hesitate to kill us."
Aidan looked even more nervous. "Wh…what do you think they've got all those weird devices for?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"I don't know." Juna shook her head. "But if they really are more than just bandits, it isn't a good sign that they're in possession of technology that was once capable of destroying the world."
"But magitechnology can be used for good, right?"
"Of course," the woman replied with a curt nod. "But it all depends on who is at its helm. 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely.' Many people would kill for supremacy over such instruments – and many have, in the past. Somehow I don't think these—"
But she was cut off by the screech of the metal door sliding open beside her. Immediately she stepped back beside Aidan, and the robed man appeared again. "My master will see you now," he said simply, and then turned back into the room. This time they followed.
The office was much more lavishly decorated than the rest of the complex. A velvety, wall-to-wall carpet softened their steps; several animal heads hung decoratively on the walls on wooden plaques; a fire crackled in the very back of the office; and in front of this fire was a beautiful mahogany desk, behind which sat a woman in a plush chair. Her hair, an alluring mélange of crimson and black, draped alluringly over her shoulders, but her cold, penetrating eyes stayed her attractiveness somewhat. She stood up as the duo entered, and they could see that she was dressed in a very elegant black, sequined gown. With a gentle sway of her hips she crossed the room.
"Welcome to my office," she said. Her voice was sweet, and carried a heavy accent – one we would attribute to an eastern European. "I am Sonia Mi'Arden. My associate tells me that you have made… a remarkable discovery. Please… have a seat."
The woman moved back to her desk and sat down, gesturing politely towards the two leather chairs located in front of it. Juna and Aidan obliged, making their way towards the comfortable seats.
"The Spiritua Statue," she said in her musky accent, dispensing with the pleasantries of learning their names. "Some say it is only a legend… but if found…" She gazed at them each in turn. They did not need to hear any more to know what she wanted.
Aidan reached for the satchel hanging on his waist, and he pulled out a small strongbox which he placed on the desk. Sonia gazed at him, almost impatiently, as he pulled out a key and unlocked it. Taking the box into her hands, she threw aside the lock and opened the lid.
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed upon the priceless treasure within: they were as diamonds, mirroring the diamond on the crown of the statue of Spiritua. With gentle hands she took it out of the box and looked it up and down. A grin came over her face as though she had just been presented with the key to the earth itself. Sonia stood up from her chair and took a turn about the room, barely containing her excitement.
"Marvelous…" She was clearly talking more to herself than anyone else. "Simply marvelous…"
Aidan stood up as well, and moved over to Sonia. "It is magnificent, isn't it? Take a look at the engraving by Spiritua Herself…"
Then Aidan made the mistake of trying to take the statue to show the inscription.
As if guarding her own crystallized life from a thief, Sonia turned away from Aidan. In that quick motion, the item slipped out of her hand and careened wildly toward the wall. Juna looked on in horror from her seat. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, even though the entirety of it took only a second. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then an ear-shattering crash. Dust fell like snow from the head of the Spiritua Statue, and the golden object dropped with a clang to the floor. Then there was a blood-curdling cry from Sonia's mouth, and Aidan stepped back in horror.
"This is not the Spiritua Statue!" she bellowed, turning to face them. Her eyes burned with the fury of having been deceived. "No real diamond would shatter so easily!"
By this time the shadowy man had stepped forward. His hands were diving beneath his robes now, searching for something; Juna stood and joined Aidan as he began to edge toward the back of the room. The plan had gone horribly wrong, and all they could think of now was how they were going to get out in one piece.
"Imposters!" Sonia pointed a long, red nail at them, turning her burning gaze to their shadowy guide. "No real archaeologists would make such a juvenile mistake! Rafael! Eliminate them! They have come to infiltrate this place!"
The objects Rafael had been searching for then showed themselves: two curved daggers of hungry steel. He advanced menacingly, undaunted by the idea of a two-on-one fight (for by this time Juna and Aidan had already drawn their weapons, realizing that they would have to fight their way out). This frightened the duo: they knew they had the advantage of numbers, but evidently this mattered little to Rafael.
"I suppose my risk backfired," he hissed, gripping his blades tightly. "But one cannot win every gamble."
Blades pointed down, the daggers and their wielder darted forth with humbling speed. Aidan and Juna only barely dodged in time; Juna's tight dress had been slashed at the shoulder. If she had been a millisecond slower the damage would have been severe. They passed a glance at one another and knew that they had to stay separated in order to divide Rafael's attention. Luckily, he came after Juna first: she was the quicker of the two, and now that she had some idea of her opponent's capabilities, she was able to dance around his blows narrowly but safely.
In the meanwhile, Aidan charged in from behind. Rafael was so busy trying to strike Juna that Aidan felt sure his spear would find its mark. Waiting for the perfect moment did not take too long: Rafael was not covering his back well at all. When Aidan struck, the timing could not have been better.
Or so he thought.
A split second before his attack would have connected, Aidan briefly saw Rafael's head turn. The shadowy man kicked hard with his legs and propelled himself into the air; Aidan's weapon sailed harmlessly underneath. He then landed atop the spear with one leg and used his momentum to spin his body. Rafael's toned leg connected firmly with Aidan's cheek. The pain caused him to drop his weapon, and he spun like a tornado as his body flew to the left. The boy landed with a thud on the ground, sliding hard into the steely wall.
Rafael advanced, preparing to swat out the insect that would no doubt be the least dangerous but the more annoying of the two. When he reached Aidan's fallen body, he flourished his knives and readied himself to stab.
"Carnage Elegy!" Juna cried suddenly. A barrage of energy surrounded Rafael, filling every pore of his body. He cried out in pain and found that he could not move his body at all. The power of Juna's music had infiltrated his body and stiffened his muscles momentarily.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" Juna grabbed Aidan's arm and pulled him to his feet, not even giving him a second to recuperate before dragging him toward the door. It was at this point that they realized Sonia had vanished. However, Juna knew that her spell's effect would only last for so long, and thus they did not have the luxury of pondering where Sonia had gone – or why.
It is said that in moments of extreme fear and danger, the human body releases adrenaline, which can lead to extreme acts of bravery and skill, and cause the victim to think with lucidity he or she has never before experienced. This "flee" instinct was kicking in now: as they ran, Juna and Aidan felt as though they had navigated the cold, professional tunnels all their lives. It was almost as though Providence had guided their footsteps, leading them directly back up to the sliding door barring them from the tavern.
Juna let slip a muffled expletive.
"What's the matter?" Aidan asked, looking quizzically at her. He rubbed his wounds and divided his attention between his cursing comrade and the hallway behind them. He knew that they would not hear Rafael's footsteps or even see his body before he was upon them, but his instincts would not allow him to simply leave his back unguarded.
"I don't know how to get back out!"
Aidan suddenly realized that she was right. Rafael had pulled aside a purely-ornamental beer mug to open up the door from the tavern-side, but they had had no indication of how to open it from the complex-side. The walls were not adorned in any way unusual to the rest of the complex. "You don't suppose the door can only be opened from one of those weird magitechnology terminals, do you?"
Juna turned her head and swore she heard someone coming fast down the tunnel. "I hope to Martel not."
Furiously and determinedly she ran her hands along the smooth walls. There had to be a hidden panel or switch that would open the door for them. Aidan took note and did the same. After only a couple of minutes it became apparent that there was no such panel – or if there was, that they had no more time to bother searching for it. Rafael would be on them momentarily.
Use the card.
"Huh?" Aidan looked around quizzically. "What card?"
Juna gave him a look that clearly questioned his sanity.
Use the card!
With a sudden look of realization, Aidan reached behind him and pulled a familiar piece of paper from his back pocket. It was decorated with strange oriental markings that bore no particular meaning to him; but he knew that the card was very special. Shareen had used one just like it to summon a creature when she had saved them from their execution. She had told them to use this one if they were in trouble.
"Well…. Here goes nothing." Aidan held the card aloft and tried to remember how Shareen had used it. It seemed a simple enough procedure; he took a chance, and threw the card forward.
It spun in the air for a moment, tossed about by the force of being thrown, just as any normal card might have. Then, however, it did a most peculiar thing: it stopped, quite on its own, in midair… and then it began to glow. Rays of red light erupted from the card, and it looked vaguely like it had been set on fire. Before long, though, Aidan and Juna could make out the distinct form of a guardian much like the one Shareen had summoned to rescue them.
The creature looked like an almost exact replica of the bird-beast she had summoned back at the Ring of Fire: it was a tall man-vulture with leathery skin, sharp claws, a pointed beak, and a strange wheel on its back; it hovered ominously in the air for it had no legs to speak of. This one, however, was red instead of blue, and a piece of paper draped across one spoke of the wheel carried the symbol for fire.
Aidan did not know how to address the creature, and luckily he did not need to. It seemed to be fully informed of the situation, and it had already prepared an escape route. With a brusque wave of its claw, it signaled the two to stand back; they obeyed, and it faced the wall that they desperately hoped to turn into a door. Then the beast extended its arms and opened wide its toothless jaw. Energy began to form at its palms and it let out a low, long, agonized cry. In a flash of light, a bright burst of flame roared into existence.
Then, the wall was gone.
Aidan and Juna have never since been able to fully explain it. They have tried to reason that the heat created pressure which smashed the door open, or that the heat simply melted the wall entirely. Neither explanation really seemed to make sense, but it didn't matter at the time. They had a clear escape route, and a meager window of opportunity to escape unharmed. As they made their retreat, Juna and Aidan looked back to see if the Guardian would follow: it did not. Apparently it also knew that Rafael was coming for them, and it intended to hold him off for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, the duo's retreat was not yet secured. A small obstacle yet remained: the bartender and a small contingent of men loyal to the Hand of Beatrix. They stood barring Aidan's and Juna's path, wielding whatever odd instruments they had handy: clubs, table legs, broken bottles, and so on. Aidan, however, was in too much pain to fight, and Juna was in no condition to fight off five assailants. The Guardian would have been a good help, but even they agreed that Rafael was the bigger threat.
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to make you pay for the damage to my wall," the bartender threatened, pounding his fist with a brass knuckle.
Wearily, Juna and Aidan brandished their weapons and prepared for one last fight.
"That ain't no way t'talk to a lady!" a slurred but well-meaning voice called. Juna gasped and looked up to see her bar friends standing up in an imposing group, flexing their muscles and showing off their drunken, but heartfelt, chivalry. "S'time we paid the lady back fer 'er drinks, boys!"
There was a cheer from behind the lead sailor, and they all stepped forward toward the barkeep and his motley crew of muggers. Suddenly Juna and Aidan weren't such a big priority anymore; a loud, violent fight ensued, with ten friendly sailors versus five unfriendly brigands. Although Juna could not help but worry for her new allies, she and Aidan knew that this was not the time to waste the chances they had been given. Quickly and silently they headed for the door.
They had only just passed the threshold into the dark of night when they heard a beastly cry, and a glowing red card appeared in Aidan's hand.
---
In a private quarter of the Hand of Beatrix headquarters, a familiar woman dressed in black kneeled reverently before a lacquered mahogany desk. A figure sat behind the desk, wreathed in the shadows created by the large fire crackling in the fireplace on the wall behind him.
"We have been infiltrated," Sonia said simply, bowing her head in shame. It was as though she was afraid to as much as gaze at her master.
A low chuckle issued forth from the shadowy figure. "Is that so?" The voice was masculine and deep.
Sonia nodded her head. "Yes. There were two of them. They claimed to be freelance archaeologists."
As the beautiful woman recounted the events, of how the Spiritua Statue was clearly a fake, the dark figure nodded his head and drummed his fingers on the thick, expensive desk. "I see," he said finally. "And of course true archaeologists would not be fooled by such an obvious imposter."
Sonia nodded. "Yes. I take full responsibility. I should have been more suspicious of them in the first place. The Spiritua Statue is only a legend…"
"No," her master interrupted with finality. "You did your duty to the Hand of Beatrix. I should be angrier with you, my child, if you had ignored such a luscious opportunity."
Sonia looked up in shock. The firelight danced against her milky face; her eyes sparkled in it as she gazed at her master. "Are you certain…?"
The silhouetted head nodded curtly. "The only thing that matters now is how much those two imposters know, and with whom they are connected."
"But the headquarters…? They found their way out by force. Everyone in the tavern knows…"
A shadowy hand extended, silencing the fear. "Have our men seal the door immediately. Subdue the patrons of the tavern by any means necessary – without killing them, of course – while the task is performed. When they wake up, everything will go on as normal. Nobody will believe a group of drunkards who think they saw something before they passed out from drinking too much."
"Of course." Sonia stood up and nodded her head. "It will be done."
"Sonia," the man said as the woman began to turn away. "What about the intruders?"
She turned her head back to him; an unusual glimmer was in her eyes. "There is no need to fear. The Shadow of Death is upon them."
There was a long moment of silence from her master. He nodded his head and made an amused chuckle. "I see. That will do. Leave me."
Sonia smiled and nodded her head, turning towards the gigantic oak door at the far end of the room. Crossing the carpet, she summoned her strength and exited through it. At her exit, the shadowy figure stood up and faced the fire. The warm, orange light bounced off the short figure's balding forehead as he gazed at its intricate dance.
"None yet has eluded the Shadow of Death," he said solemnly. "I pray that his record will not be tarnished now, of all times…"
Then the man dropped to his knees, clasped his hands solemnly before the fire, and began to pray.
---
Aidan and Juna raced between buildings and down alleys in as random a fashion as possible, knowing that it was the only way they could elude their pursuer. They also knew that they could not return to the Fujibayashi headquarters, for fear of leading Rafael straight to their friends. No; they had to elude him, and kill him if necessary, in order to preserve their mission.
As they ducked into what seemed like the hundredth dark alley of the city, Aidan stopped abruptly and leaned against the wall of one of the neighbouring buildings, panting heavily.
"Aidan!" Juna said in a loud whisper. "We haven't time to stand around!"
The boy threw her a pleading look. "But Juna… I'm so tired," he panted. Aidan took a quick look at their surroundings. They were between two small buildings, two or three stories high, with rows of balconies lining their walls. The apartments inside were dark and quiet. In fact, the entire scene was quite serene. "Besides, I don't see that Rafael guy anywhere. I think we lost him."
Juna walked back towards him, holding her sides and also breathing with evident fatigue. Before she could agree with him, however, she looked slightly upward, agape with fear. "Look out!" she cried.
It all happened so fast. Aidan barely had time to see what all the commotion was about before Juna's slender but powerful form pushed him to the ground. When the dust settled and Aidan righted himself, he was astonished to see Juna pinned against the wall of the building he had been leaning on, a star-shaped shuriken lodged into her shoulder. His eyes raced skyward to see a menacing, cloaked figure standing on the railing of one of the balconies of the adjacent building. Rafael had his curved blades in hand and was preparing to strike.
"How did you find us!" Aidan shouted, brandishing his spear. Rafael's dark, exotic voice chuckled.
"You two have been very amusing prey… but none elude the Shadow of Death for long."
Aidan looked over at Juna; blood trickled profusely down her arm from the wound on her shoulder. He quickly moved over to her and tore a strip of cloth from his shirt; quickly and deftly he removed her from the wall and bandaged the wound as best he could. It would not serve well in the long run, but it would stop the bleeding for now.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Spinning, he saw that Rafael had leapt from the balcony to the ground – a three-story drop – and had done so completely unfazed. He was advancing on them with his blades in hand. Aidan stood and held his weapon aloft; Juna stood as well, feebly, but Aidan extended a hand to stop her.
"Don't get up," he ordered. There was a resolve in his voice that Juna had not heard before. "I'll take care of him."
She was about to protest, but knew that he was right. Juna was in no condition to fight whatsoever. She also knew that Aidan was no match for Rafael in speed, but he might at least be able to hold him off long enough for the others to reach them. Surely Shareen would have known something was amiss by now.
Without warning, Rafael tore across the alley like a blinding streak of darkness. Aidan could barely keep up with his movements; he suffered a slash to the shoulder as a result of his mostly-failed attempt to dodge. The boy spun, spear gripped in both hands, as he looked for his opponent. Rafael was nowhere to be found.
"Above you!" Juna's voice cried. Aidan looked just in the nick of time to see two more shuriken raining down on him from a second-story balcony to his right. Pushing against the ground with the foot of his spear, he threw himself aside and the two steel blades embedded themselves harmlessly in the floor behind him.
Now that he had a lock on Rafael's position, Aidan was ably prepared for the man's next attack. It came from above: a sheer drop from the balcony, using the momentum to crash his twin blades directly into Aidan. The boy was prepared, however, and brought his spear up to block the attack. He could feel shockwaves pulsing through his arms as a result of abruptly stopping so much kinetic energy, but he used his own counter-momentum as leverage against Rafael. Thrusting out with his arms, he sent the light assassin's body flying into the wall like a rag doll. Surprised at having been countered, Rafael could do nothing to resist; he slammed against the hard, brick building and let out a cry of pain at a feeling he had never felt before.
"Ah, pain… It has been so long," he muttered as he began to right himself.
Aidan would not give him that chance.
Like a flash of light, the spear lashed out in Aidan's hand, aimed directly for the vulnerable heart of his opponent. He struck nothing but stone. Although Rafael's dodge was feeble and slow, it was agile enough to get him out of the way of the attack. Aidan was momentarily stunned by how quick Rafael could move even when he was in pain. In this moment, Rafael vanished once again.
"Damnit!" Aidan cursed, twirling once more and trying to find the Shadow of Death. This time he looked up at the balconies as well, but saw nothing in every direction.
"Behind you! Watch out!"
Aidan spun once again, but not quickly enough this time. He briefly saw two shurikens appear out of thin air and rocket toward him with the force of a bullet. Both of them found their mark, one at each side of his chest. Although his chainmail tabard prevented the worst of the damage, the thin, penetrating blades of the shuriken were able to sink between the steel rings and penetrate the flesh.
As the stunned boy sank to the floor, he saw Rafael reveal himself from underneath his dark cloak. It had made him practically invisible against the dark backdrop of the buildings. He advanced on Juna with a malicious glare in his evil eyes.
"You, my dear, are becoming quite a nuisance," he said coldly. The woman tried to scramble away, but it was no use: Rafael was on top of her in only moments, curved daggers in hand. "I would have killed him that time if not for your interference. But now that he is incapacitated, I shall take the opportunity to ensure that you never bother me again."
As he raised one of his knives into the air, Aidan saw it glimmer in the moonlight. That image sent a strange feeling coursing through his body. Watching the beautiful full moon reflected in that instrument of death made him feel like he was no longer himself. The boy stared off into nothingness, trapped in some sort of illusion.
He was no longer standing between two buildings, engaged in a fight to the death. He was in a forest, draped in moonlight penetrating the leafy canopy; and he was surrounded by a circle of wolves. They all sat around him, staring at him, wagging their tails like domesticated dogs. Occasionally they whined quietly at him. He gazed at each of them in turn, frightened by them at yet, somehow, knowing that they were his allies… his children? Suddenly, all at once, the wolves let out a howling chorus into the night, causing the trees to quiver. Aidan looked up at the moon one last time… an eye, glaring down at him, peering into the very depths of his soul.
The dagger glinted once more and then Rafael brought it down.
"Stop!" Aidan cried. His voice was deep and hoarse now, commanding, powerful. In shock, Rafael stopped the blade in mid-air, only inches from Juna's beautiful neck. She had her eyes closed, fearing the worst, but opened them to see what had happened.
"What did you say?" Rafael demanded, turning his head slowly in Aidan's direction.
"I said… leave her… alone!"
Rafael gazed at his prey with wide-eyed fear as he saw what happened next. As Aidan spoke, his voice grew more throaty and deep with every word. He stood up and threw his spear to the ground. The boy kept his eyes locked on the full moon, glowering above them like an ominous lantern; his body convulsed with pain as it began to transform.
First, his human-like stance became much broader; his arms grew longer and his legs extended and took the appearance of an animal's, with the knee jointed backwards compared to human knees. Long, matted brown hair erupted from all over his body; it was silver and beautiful like the moonlight wreathing him. The two embedded shurikens were pushed out of his flesh and the wounds sealed themselves up immediately. Claws extended painfully from his fingers and toes; a long, toothy snout took the place of his flat nose and mouth. Finally, his eyes became a shade of yellow, and the pupils narrowed to slits. The transformation was complete; Aidan was now more wolf than man.
"Wh—what's this!" Rafael cried in horror, standing up and staggering backwards. "What kind of beast are you!"
Aidan did not answer. He sniffed the air tentatively and then leapt forward, brandishing his claws. Letting out a long, guttural howl, Aidan slashed furiously at Rafael's chest; the swift assassin only barely managed to dodge the attack. A series of blows ensued, and Rafael narrowly eluded each one, taking several gashes to his beautiful black cloak. Before long, however, Aidan had him pinned against a wall with nowhere to run.
"Pl…please! Spare me! I beg of you!"
Aidan growled fiercely. "Spare you… like you would have spared the girl?" He let out a furious howl that forced Rafael to his knees, quivering with fear. Suddenly the werewolf leapt back, and with ninja-like grace he planted his feet on the wall of the adjacent building, suspending himself momentarily like a spider in the air.
"Beg the Moon for forgiveness!" The wolf thrusted forth with his powerful hind legs and, reaching Rafael, he grabbed the assassin with his arms and held him tight. Then Aidan kicked again towards the center of the alley. Powerfully he launched Rafael into the air, and the Shadow of Death swore he could almost touch the moon at the apex of his climb. "Lunar Requiem!" As Rafael was suspended in mid-air, he heard the cruel cry of a werewolf beneath him. As he gazed up at the moon – closer than it could ever be, an illusion created by the attack as he realized in his last moments – he almost saw it glare at him. It shone brighter than it had ever done before as it reacted to the shrill sound, and a great sphere of energy extended from its surface in all directions. Rafael looked on in amazement and horror as the bright light engulfed him; and then, he ceased to be.
With his energy exhausted, Aidan collapsed to the ground with a whimper. His body rapidly transformed back into a human, which was considerably less painful than the reverse. He was too fatigued and in too much pain to feel any embarrassment at the fact that he was now completely naked as a result of the transformation tearing his clothes and breaking the finely-wrought steel chainmail he had been wearing.
In complete awe, Juna inched towards him. "Aidan…? Are you all right?" When she reached his limp form, she heaved a sigh of relief as she heard his peaceful breaths: he was merely asleep. "I'm glad. But… what the hell was that…?" She glanced fearfully at the moon once more as she took the peaceful-looking boy in her arms. As she walked back towards the Fujibayashi house, something told her she would never see the moon quite the same way again.
---
Juna kicked open the door to the building and quickly made her way downstairs, amid curious looks and horrified stares. The worst of all, however, was the ruckus that ensued when she brought them to the grand table where everyone was still sitting. They all rose simultaneously and ran towards her as she carried the unclothed Aidan into the room
"What happened!" Shareen demanded. "I sensed that the Guardian had been defeated, but for some reason I couldn't get a lock on your position!"
"Did they torture you or somethin'?" Audrey asked bluntly.
A barrage of similar questions ensued, but Juna ignored them all and pushed through the crowd towards the large table. She laid Aidan out upon it and searched the nearby drawers for a towel with which to protect his dignity. Finally, as everyone settled around the table and their furious questions became silenced, Juna told them of what had occurred.
"A… a wolf-man!" Audrey asked, biting her nails. "That's scary! But he always looked so cute!"
Genis stroked his beard and looked curiously at Aidan's peaceful body. "A werewolf… hmmm…"
"A werewolf?" Shard asked, looking concerned at Genis. "You don't mean…"
The old half-elf nodded his head. "I do. The werewolves of legend. It all fits with the prophecy…"
Juna looked at each of them in turn and furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? What are you guys talking about?"
Raven chuckled coldly and nodded his head. "You're right. It does fit." At Juna's cold, demanding stare, he continued. "The scriptures of the Church of Martel say that werewolves will signal Ragnarok, the end of the world."
Juna looked taken aback. "No way. You have got to be joking. You don't think Aidan is… Fenrir!"
Raven shook his head. "No, of course not. Fenrir is supposed to appear at the side of the Queen of Darkness, leading her army that will facilitate Ragnarok."
"Besides," Genis added, "the legends say that Fenrir is a full demon-wolf, not a werewolf."
Shareen, who had been looking deeply confused, raised her hand. "But isn't Fenrir the animal companion of Celsius, the Summon Spirit of Ice?" This was, of course, common knowledge for her and anyone from Mizuho, whose history since the coming of the Great Chieftaness Sheena has been deeply entwined with the eight Summon Spirits.
Genis shrugged. "It is likely a mere coincidence. As I recall, that Fenrir was an elemental created by Celsius herself. The Summon Spirits were well capable of such things, and many stories tell of them doing so, especially in times of war or other dire need."
"At any rate," Shard said, "Aidan's transformation is a terrible omen. The scriptures say, 'When werewolves roam the lands and threaten the lives of man; this is the beginning of the End.'"
"But… wait!" Juna protested. "How can you say that? He didn't threaten anyone… he saved me! If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead now! And so would he!" She looked down at him nervously, her face marked with worry-worn care.
Raven looked calmly at her. "He killed Rafael."
"Wh…what?"
"He killed Rafael," the man repeated, running a hand through his hair. "He took the life of a man."
"But he did it to save me!" Juna protested, standing up from the table and glaring at Raven.
"That's irrelevant."
"How can you say that!" Her voice shook and her eyes trembled through tears as she spoke.
Genis slammed his fist on the table. A peal of thunder erupted somewhere overhead; everyone wondered whether it was only their imagination. "That's enough!" Juna and Raven looked at him shamefully. "The fact is that Aidan's transformation does support the prophecy." Before Juna could launch another protest, Genis barreled forward. "That does not mean, however, that he is an agent of destruction, or that his purpose is to spearhead the armies of darkness. The scriptures say nothing of the sort."
"That's true," Shard added as an afterthought. "They only say that the appearance of werewolves signals the beginning of Ragnarok. Nowhere in the scriptures are the werewolves connected to Ragnarok in any other way."
"Wow… this sure is a lot to take in," Audrey said, amazed. "I thought we were just investigating the Pope… now suddenly we're caught up in the end of the world? Creepy."
"You don't think… they're connected, do you?" Bartheo asked gruffly, looking uncharacteristically concerned. Juna hovered almost protectively near Aidan, as if shielding him from the barrage of recent accusations without even meaning to.
"There's no way of knowing right now," Shard said simply. "For now, we should continue with our original mission. We can neither speed up nor slow down the process of Ragnarok, certainly not with our current level of knowledge. We must let things progress a little further before we decide what to do."
Juna nodded her head curtly. Before she began her report, she requested some clothes and a bed for Aidan, who needed his rest, saying that obviously the tabletop was not the place to do so. Her saviour was accommodated, brought upstairs by a pair of male servants who retired him to a room on the upper floor.
"Now," Shard began after the deed had been done, "what have you gathered about the location of their headquarters?"
"It was in the tavern as you predicted," Juna answered with a nod. "There is a hidden door in a corner of the tavern, away from the bulk of the patrons. Hand of Beatrix members were able to use it freely because the bartender and many of his patrons were on their payroll. Anyone who thought they saw a secret door open in the back of the tavern would have to put their word against a reputable man's like his. As you can imagine, nobody would take the word of a likely-drunken man over a sober bartender who knows his bar inside and out."
Shard nodded his head slowly. "It does seem like a good cover," he said at last. "Unless the drunkard decided to prove what he saw by opening the door himself – exactly what we need to do. How do we do this?"
Juna suddenly gave a very sheepish grin and looked down nervously. "Well… er… you see, Rafael opened the door by pulling a hidden lever disguised as a beer mug on a shelf filled with glasses. But when Sonia discovered that the Spiritua Statue was a fake, we had to make a hasty retreat, and… since we didn't know how to open the door from the inside…"
Shareen let out a bubbly, amused laugh. "You followed my advice, huh?"
Juna looked at her quizzically, and then remembered how Aidan claimed to be hearing voices. She recalled that Shareen could communicate with them telepathically as long as they had a card. "Uh… yeah, I suppose we did."
"You don't mean you—" Shard said, astonished.
"—blew up the door? Yeah."
The ninja's eyes went wide with shock and anger. "You did what!" He rose and stared in disbelief.
"Oh, Shard, calm down," Shareen said, buffing her nails absently, completely unfazed by his outburst. "It's not that big a deal."
"What are you talking about, Shareen? It's a huge deal! Now everyone in the tavern knows there's a secret entrance there!"
His sister looked up at him and quirked a brow. "Yeah? And? Like Juna said, nobody's gonna believe a bunch of drunkards who say they think they saw someone blow a hole through the wall. The Hand of Beatrix members in the base are probably going to incapacitate them somehow and repair the door so that there will be no credence to their story."
Shard shook his head. "That's even worse! It's likely that they won't repair the door – they'll seal it off to prevent it from being investigated again! All our work will have been for nothing!"
"Oh, please. You're always so melodramatic, Shard," Shareen said, rolling her eyes. "Look. I'm sure the entire base was in a panic at first. It would have taken them at least a half an hour to get their act together. They've probably only just finished administering their treatment to the poor patrons to knock them out, so they're nowhere near having finished repairing the door."
"Then we have to move quickly," Genis said at last. "Juna, you said you met with Sonia… but what happened to her?"
"She got away during our fight with Rafael. I don't know where she went. To contact her superior, maybe."
"Then she may still be there," Genis reasoned, "and her superior may be with her."
Shareen stood up with an excited fire in her eyes. "Then this is the perfect chance! We might be able to catch Sonia herself, and if not, we can at least catch one of her subordinates and get some info on their operations! Let's go!"
"I agree," Shard said calmly. "But what about Aidan?"
"I will stay with him," Juna volunteered. "I'm in no condition to fight, anyway. I need a good bit of rest. I'll watch over him and explain the situation when he wakes up."
"Then it's settled," Shard said with finality. "Let's move out, everyone. We haven't an instant to waste."