The legion of ghostly soldiers raced forward towards the unsuspecting Windurst while their summoner ordered them to march forward into battle. Ephraim stretched her black feathered wings out momentarily while contours rustled about. She tilted her head back, then shot straight up into the skies in one swift motion, her gigantic wings making a huge boom as she left the chariot. The soldier was left dumb stricken.

His heart beat in his chest as he looked back and fourth, from Windurst to the army behind him. If he leapt from the moving platform, he would surely be trampled by the soldiers on horseback. Their bloodthirsty cries sent chills down his spine. That is when her voice boomed across the land.

"Pathetic citizens of Windurst, hear my call!" She roared as she swept through the streets, her voice somehow carrying into amazingly loud proportions. "Feast your eyes upon the thousands that have fallen in battles long past! They have perished with the shame of defeat in their hearts, and they now wish to unleash their hate upon all who I command! Join me and San d'Oria now, or you will be slain without mercy!"

----

Silver was in shock. What he saw, whether it be a demon or a flying Yagudo, was not bluffing. He could hear the stampede approaching Windurst, and fast. "Mac, we've got to do something. Protect Heaven's Tower at all costs, and I'll meet you back later. Got it?"

"Gotcha!" Said Maccabee, as he immediately summoned Ifrit to his side, who hoisted the Taru onto his shoulders and rode off to the tower. Silver turned back to the streets, seeing that the commoners were running in every direction. The nation had yet to have been attacked, yet she was already in a state of catastrophe. Fighting the crowd, he hoisted himself onto a pole and climbed to the top of the Auction House where he could get a better view from over the wall. The sight before him made his jaw drop. As he stood there, dumbfounded, arrows began falling of the sky so numerous that it could have been called rain. This was enough inspiration to find cover for Silver, and he immediately did so. Leaping from the Auction House, he jumped inside one of the many teller booths and shut the door. A moment of silence filled the area, until the beating of the many arrows filled the city with a horrible, thunder like sound. The screams of the wounded sent fear into Silver's heart. Innocent people were dieing, and for a senseless war. The arrows began to thin out, and he then made his exit and began to run through the streets. If the arrows weren't enough, the army had now broken through the gate's defenses. The first to come were the soldiers on horseback, most of which were carrying long pole arms that could be swung from quite a distance. They separated into every direction, raiding the streets like madmen as they brutally murdered any who came within their reach. Suddenly, Silver realized something; he was in the middle of the street.

"Get out of the road, you idiot!" A young, feminine voice yelled out to Silver. He looked around frantically, until finally he matched the voice with the person. She was on an archway, a few feet ahead of him, waving out to get his attention as her white hair waved in the wind. "They're gonna kill you if you don't get out of the way! Do you want to be a road waffle or something!" Her insults continued, until she was cut off by a huge rumble. The gallops of the many horses were causing a massive vibration, which caused the archway to collapse. The girl screamed as loud as her mithran lungs would allow, until she hit the ground, stunning her. Silver immediately acted.

The soldiers were in view, their lances held high as they raced towards both the girl and himself. He ran towards them. They were closing in, and he felt he couldn't reach her in time, but he ran all the more. His heart beat in his chest; he felt he was so close to the raging army he could reach out and touch them. Taking a deep breath, he lunged forward, grabbed the girl, and rolled off to the left into a small crevasse barely large enough for two people. The girl's eyes were tightly shut as she gripped Silver's upper arms, sweat forming on her brow. After she felt that she was out of harm's way, she opened her eyes to display two dark, glowing green ovals. She stared into Silver's face. "Who…who are you?" She asked, dazed. She shook out of her trance. "I mean…ahh… Just who the hell do you think you are!" She asked, kicking and punching him until he backed up.

"Calm down!" Yelled Silver, glaring into her face. "If it wasn't for me you'd be dead; I'm not your enemy."

She snorted through her feline nose. "What ever! You were taking advantage of me! You thought that if you could play Mr. Hero, you could put your hands all over me just to push me out of harm's way! Well guess what, hero? I don't need your help, you worthless . . . PEON!" Without hesitation, she threw a low powered fire spell in his direction, sending him out into the open.

----

The elderly mithran leader sat in meditation high atop Heaven's Tower while Ephraim perched herself along the railing of the edifice. Adaj slowly opened her eyes, her back turned to the demonic woman. "And so you arrive." She said, lowering her head. "Finish what you came to do. I will not resist."

Ephraim was taken by surprise. "Do you not fear death, old woman? Is your life truly that expendable?"

Adaj smiled. "I have lived a good life. I have traveled the path of the light for many, many years." She stated. "I have seen your heart, Ephraim. You were not always this way . . ."

Ephraim's eyes became wide.

"I have seen the good in you, child. Once, you walked the path of the light. You loved unconditionally . . ." As the words passed from her mouth, Ephraim closed her eyes. She remembered the way she used to be, and how happy she once was. Her father. . . Dakan. . . They all came back.

However, she shoved them aside.

"Silence, old fool!" She yelled as she rushed forward, thrusting the scythe through her back, causing the woman to hunch over. She did not cry, nor did she yell out in pain. She held on strongly. "Windurst . . . Will never . . . Falter . . ." She removed the blade, and the woman fell, the life having been pulled from her body.

Ephraim sighed. For the first time in ten years, she looked back at how the way things used to be. Everything had happened so fast. But she couldn't let that stop her, and so she turned her back on those memories. She looked down to the mithran elder. "Hag. Your mind tricks have no effect on me. May your soul burn in hell in the afterlife." Chanting under her breath, she set the body ablaze.

"General Ephraim." Said the first of her chariot guards as he approached her. "Windurst has fallen."

With her usual cold stare, she looked toward him. "And the survivors?"

The soldier was hesitant. "There are none." He replied, clearing his throat. "No one would falter." Ephraim's back was turned to the soldier, and he slowly and carefully unsheathed his blade as not to catch her suspicion.

"The old woman was right . . ." She stated, shaking her head. "No bother. I have the army of the netherworld . . . I need nothing more."

He then made his move. Swiftly, he raced towards her in an attempted assault. "You won't succeed!" He yelled, swinging his blade at her neck.

She turned around and caught his blade with her own. "Foolish boy! Do you think you could so easily take my life?" He was stunned that she so easily was able to counter. She shoved him back almost effortlessly. "I can cense hostility for miles, fool. This is one such gift of the Dark Arts!"

"Whatever magic you're using has a weakness, just as everything else in this world." Said Jaques, removing his helmet, then tossing it aside. He then assumed a defensive stance. "You can't do this. Altana will not allow you to enslave the world!"

"Altana?" Ephraim asked, laughing. "Altana has no say in my actions! I do as my please, and nothing, not even a Goddess, can change that!" The two warriors clashed. Ephraim swung her blade towards Jaques, which countered by waving his small shield to block it. With his sword hand, he thrust towards her chest. Ephraim bolted to the side, and the two began to circle. "Is that you talking, or is it your master?"

"Master Dakan is a great man! How dare you speak his name!" His face became filled with anger.

Ephraim only grinned. "Is he, now? What you mean to say is, that's all you've been taught is that Dakan is a great man." Jaques seemed unaffected. "Has he ever told you about his father, Jaques? Has he ever told you how he demanded that he be executed for denying the King's wishes?"

Jaques was appalled. "That's not true! Take that back!"

"I will not!" She yelled. "It is true, Jaques. That is the type of man that you serve! A man that mercilessly casts away his own blood, regardless of circumstance! His father's wishes went against that of his blessed kingdom, so he killed him!"

"NO!"

----

Silver patted at his sleeves until the fire went away. "Listen, if you don't stop being such a pain in the ass, I'm leaving you stranded here!"

"You can't do that!" She demanded, jumping out of the hole and hitting him hard on the arm. "Stop being such a jerk!"

"You've got to be kidding me . . ." He said, rubbing his head. "One minute I'm trying to violate you, and now I'm your protector? Make up your mind!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" She yelled with a hard shove. Silver, however, was unaffected; he stared towards Heaven's Tower in the distance. "Maccabee . . ."

"Huh? Who?" The mithra asked. "Hey, stop ignoring me!"

"My friend . . . He's over by Heaven's Tower." Grabbing her by the hand, he raced towards the tower. "Come on!"

As the two raced towards Heaven's tower, the gallop of a single horse could be heard behind them. Silver turned around and drew his knife. "We gotta take care of him, or else he'll attract others."

"WHAT!" She yelled. "Fight him! Are you crazy!" She then frantically began looking from side to side, looking for a place that she could hide.

"Listen, just cast a few spells here and there and I'll handle the rest!" The soldier on horseback came into view. He wore the armor of a Samurai, and he wielded a long, oriental spear which he began twirling above his head as he approached the thief.

Shaking out of her panic, she grinned. "Alright! I'll show you how powerful I really am!"

The bone soldier took a large sweep at Silver, which was easily deflected by rolling off to the side. The warrior ran past him, and turned around for another attack. As he initiated the same attack, he became engulfed in flames. While the soldier was distracted, Silver sliced at one of the bone horse's front legs, which dropped it almost instantly and set the flame engulfed samurai rolling on the ground. Silver held his knife, ready for him to return. "Nice touch." Said Silver, speaking to the girl while keeping his attention on the task at hand.

"Thanks!" She said. "So, what's your name? Not that I care or anything . . ."

He laughed. "It's Silver Tear." The soldier raced towards the thief, and swung his blade to his neck. He then ducked, and rushed towards the ghostly soldier and sliced his neck, dropping the skull. The body fell to the ground, and turned to dust on impact. Patting off his clothes, he turned to the girl.

"Silver Tear? What kind of name is that?" Her tail swished back and fourth in curiosity.

"It's . . . a thief name. When you become part of a tribe of theifs, you are given a special name."

"Oh, I see, you're a thief." She nodded, and grinned, then realized what he had said. "You mean . . . you're a thief!" Silver tried to speak, but she stopped him. "You just better hope that you don't try to steal MY items! Cause the moment you do, your toast. Got it!" Silver rolled his eyes, and began to walk to Heaven's Tower, which angered her further. "Hey! I'm speaking to you!" She yelled, running to catch up with him. "Well, since you're not polite enough to ask, my name's Emira."

"Nice to meet you." Silver said, more aggravated than polite. As the base of the holy tower came into view, his heart sank in his chest. He first told himself that the small figure lying down at the base was not Maccabee, but somehow in his mind he knew that to be untrue. He raced towards him.

His hunch was sadly not a mistake. He was face down, in a pool of blood. Silver shouted his name several times before turning him around and cradling him in his arms. "Mac . . . Mac, please speak to me!" He said, doing everything he could not to burst into tears. "Maccabee!"

The taru's eyes slowly came open. "S…sorry, Silver… I… held them off as much as I could, but they…"

"No, no… you did fine, Mac. Don't apologize." Maccabee nodded, and closed his eyes.

"Listen… you can't beat… her…" He struggled to get the words out, but he spoke nonetheless. "You have to… run back to Bastok… warn the others, and… stop her…"

"Her? Who are you talking about? Maccabee?"

"Please… tell Hicks that… I'm sorry…" His head limped, and his eyes closed.

"Maccabee?" He paused, and shook his comrade. "Maccabee? Speak to me, Mac." He continued to shake him, calling his name softly. Finally, he softly laid him back down and placed his hands on top of one another on his stomach. Without saying a word, he walked away from the tower.

"Silver? Where are we going?" Emira asked, not knowing what to say. She never was good at emotional situations like this.

"I'm going to Bastok. Wherever you choose to go is your own business." His voice was cold and determined. Never looking back, he marched out of the city, Emira by his side.

----

Jaques, on his knees, bowed his head in shame. He had been defeated, but he had given it his all and it shown. Ephraim's blade was pointed to his throat. "My brother is not the man you thought him to be, Jaques." The boy was silent. "Your style of combat is very impressive. You mix the defensive maneuvers of a paladin with the aggressiveness of a warrior. This is something that I have never seen before. Tell me, Jaques. Did my brother teach you this?"

He was hesitant. "No." He spat out, staring to the ground. "I studied his style, then made my own."

Ephraim smiled. "You're an amazing boy, Jaques, and because of this, I will make you an amazing offer." She tilted her blade upward, causing him to raise his head to see her. "Join me. Become my apprentice, and I will teach you all that the Dark Arts have to offer." Jaques was beside himself with surprise. "You are old enough to see which is right and wrong. Don't let Dakan pull your strings any longer. See the world for yourself, and make your own decisions, Jaques." His eyes were wide with surprise. "My brother has betrayed you, Jaques. He has hidden his true self from you. He is not worthy to be the master of such a talented young soul . . ." Silence fell upon them both, until Ephraim spoke again. "Tell me, Jaques. Will you embrace your destiny?"

He trembled with fear. He stared into her eyes, and the words that his heart yearned to say passed his lips. "Yes, master."