The Twin Swords

Part 4

(see disclaimer in Part 1)

"Remind me to never escort you anywhere after this," Kari grumbled, glaring at Reikku. The two of them had just emerged from Batmo Cave, in which Kari had gotten a new toy from a fallen monster--a high-quality black lacquer bow and quiver filled with phoenix-fletched arrows. In the fight where they'd gotten the bow, Reikku had quite nearly gotten the both of them killed. Twilight had just fallen, and the pair of travelers was heading up to the open iron gates of Vinquette Hall.

After entering the grounds, Reikku walked forward and shook his head. "Am I the only one who has a bad feeling about this one?"

"Oh?" Kari asked with a smile. "Are you afraid?"

Reikku's face went scarlet. "Me? Afraid? Are you kidding?"

Suddenly whirling, Kari thought she caught a glitter from the corner of her eye. "Hey, over by that tree. Something was there!"

Reikku narrowed his eyes. "YOU'RE the one who's scared, aren't you?" In reply, Kari just walked into the thicket of pines where she thought she'd seen the movement. Reikku, shaking his head, just stared after her until he heard the voice behind him.

"Move, you're in the way!"

"What!" Reikku whirled, hand on the hilt of his sword. "Say that again!" The intruder was a man a good few inches shorter than Reikku, with long, thick red hair, annoyed green eyes, a thin body stature swathed in heavy robes, and one white, slender hand planted on his hip.

Looking bored, the stranger flicked a tuft of hair out of his face. "The master's a vampire. He snatches women and sucks their blood..." He scanned Reikku with a distasteful expression. "But you're a guy... and you're in the way. So go home." With that, he shoved past the ex-gladiator as though he wasn't even there, heading straight up to the mansion and inside.

"Jeez, pushy much?" Reikku grumbled under his breath, dusting himself off. After a pause, he shook his head. "A vampire? No way!"

---

The flicker turned out to be a pale white winged creature flitting about in the branches.

"Bats...?" Kari murmured aloud. Before her eyes, the little bat's form hazed, then became that of a pale spirit in the form of an almost noble man.

"Could it be...?" the ghost whispered. "It looks like her..." And it began to hover towards her.

"Yeek!" Feeling the soft hair on the backs of her arms stand up, Kari fled.

Watching, the ghost nodded. "Yes, it IS her... I'll ask the count to take care of her."

---

Falling to one knee after she reached Reikku, Kari looked over her shoulder. "I, I, I..."

Turning, the blonde boy looked down at her. "Huh? What's wrong?"

Standing up, Kari pointed into the woods. "I'm telling you, I saw something! It was a ghost!"

Reikku rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Suuuuuuure ya did."

"I definitely saw it!" Kari protested. "It was the ghost of a sad-looking man."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a tree branch?" Reikku asked skeptically. "You're awfully high-strung, you know. C'mon, let's get going."

Glaring, Kari continued along the path to the black mansion ahead of them. As they opened the door, it began to rain.

---

A black-haired man in a dark uniform, waiting at the foot of the stairs, bowed as they entered. "Welcome to Vinquette Hall."

Reikku nodded in return. "We're sorry to visit you so late, but we'd like to meet with the master of the hall."

"The master... perhaps I may be of some assistance."

"Actually, in Wendel..." Reikku began.

Kari stepped forward. "It's very important, so we'd prefer to speak to him directly."

The man, who seemed to be a butler of some sort, shook his head. "Unfortunately, the master is asleep at the moment. I'd be happy to be of service in some way."

"No, that's all right," Kari declined. "We'll just come back after he wakes up."

"Regrettably, our gate is only open at night," the butler replied. "Wouldn't you perhaps prefer to wait here until he awakes?"

"But, this place is... a bit..." Kari looked around uneasily.

A voice behind them made them both turn. "Guests? How unusual..."

Both Kari and Reikku turned. The speaker was a pretty young girl who seemed about Kari's age, with long red hair and bright gold eyes. She was dressed in low-slung pink harem pants, violet armwarmers, sandals, and a teal breastband. A striped beret was perched nonchalantly on her head.

The butler bowed. "Welcome back, Isabella-san. How is your room? Is there anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant?"

The girl, Isabella, continued forward. "Not a thing. I've made myself quite at home."

The butler bowed again. "You are much too kind."

"Are you both staying, too?" Isabella asked Reikku and Kari. "Be sure not to disturb the count." And she continued up the stairs.

"What do you wish to do?" the butler wanted to know.

"We'll take up your offer and stay here tonight," Reikku replied.

"Very good," the butler said jovially. "Then I shall go and prepare the room." Bowing once again, he left.

Once the butler was out of hearing, Kari rounded on Reikku. "WHY did you say that!"

Reikku turned around, placing hands on his hips. "WHY are you so huffy!"

"I told you, this place is certifiably creepy!" Kari retorted. "It's crawling with ghosts!"

"You're just seeing things," Reikku scoffed. "And what would our gracious hosts say if they heard you spouting off about spooks?"

"I'll tell you what, buster," Kari said in a low and threatening voice. "I still don't trust you. If this is a trap, I'm taking you down with me!"

"A trap?" Reikku asked incredulously. "Oh, and what would be in it for me? We came here to get the caves unsealed, in case you forgot."

Kari shook her head. "Well, don't you try pulling any funny business while I'm sleeping!"

"Who'd want to?" Reikku grumbled, turning his back on her.

"Hmph!" Kari replied in kind.

"Everything is ready," came the voice of the butler, who was heading down the stairs. "Your room is upstairs to the left."

---

Kari, sitting on the twin bed at the east end of the room, sat up and looked at Reikku, who was staring out the window and brooding. "Hey... while we're waiting, why don't we go talk to that other girl, that Isabella? She might know how to get on this count's good side, or how to persuade him to help us."

Reikku nodded. "If you think so. It'll kill time at least. As long as you don't get too whiny about the ghost thing." Although she shot him a dirty look, Kari followed him over to Isabella's room nonetheless.

Isabella was sitting at the table in her room and playing with a glass of wine when the pair entered. "Oh? The overnight guests..."

"Are you, um, staying here too?" Reikku ventured.

The red-haired beauty stood up and inclined her head gracefully to him. "Please call me Isabella. And yes, I am currently residing in this hall... did anything unusual happen?"

"I saw a ghost outside," Kari said frankly, despite a dirty look from Reikku. "I think it's dangerous here."

Isabella nodded, as if this made sense. "What you saw was most likely his servant spirit."

"Servant spirit?" Kari wanted to know.

Isabella nodded again. "The master has bat servant spirits. What about you?" She turned to Reikku.

The blonde scratched his head. "Well... I heard some odd gossip."

Isabella nodded, giggling. "Oh, I'm sorry. You're worried about the vampire talk?"

Kari stared at her, disbelieving.

"Well, um, yeah," Reikku admitted.

"Not to worry," the strange girl assured him. "His tastes have changed since moving here."

Reikku nodded, looking relieved. "So you know the master, then?"

Isabella shrugged in an offhand matter. "I'd say yes, I know him fairly well..." She shook her head. "Better than anyone else..."

"So are you two... dating?" Kari asked with an impish grin. Reikku stared at her, only realizing at that moment that his companion had her girly side as well.

"Dating?" Isabella burst into giggles again. "That'd be nice." Though still smiling, she sobered. "Now let me guess... you two have come to get him to unseal the caves leading to Wendel."

Reikku nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Isabella nodded in return. "I thought so. Very well. Since I'm his girlfriend" (the giggles threatened to strike again, but she seemed to be holding them at bay) "and all, I'll ask him for you."

"Would you really?" Reikku brightened visibly. "Thank you so much!"

Smiling herself, Isabella sauntered forward and tapped him on the nose. "You're such a sweetheart. Let me give you a tip. A water spirit is trapped in Marsh Cave. If spirits are your thing, it'd do you well to pay a visit."

"Arigatou!" Reikku replied. He and Kari both bowed, smiling.

"Ojama shimasu," Kari added as an afterthought. (A/N: Loosely translated as "Sorry to bother you". In Japanese it really does mean "I will bother you" or "I have bothered you". It's used more as a greeting or parting line used when in someone else's personal space than anything else. Based on the translation used in the game, I'm pretty sure this was Kari's original line.)

Isabella nodded to them once again and took a sip from her wineglass. "You'll find Marsh Cave to the east of the hall. It's not particularly dangerous, but be careful."

The pair of them headed back to their room.

Stretching, Reikku headed for his side. "Ahhh... it's been years since I slept in a bed..." So saying, he headed back, flopped onto the twin bed, and closed his eyes, still wearing his boots and everything.

"Hey, don't be so eager to nod off!" Kari scolded. "You heard Isabella-san say the master's a vampire!"

"Hmm...?" Reikku mumbled vaguely. "Yeah... right... vampi...zzz..." His sentence was lost in snores.

Outraged, Kari shook a fist at him. "Don't fall--oh, never mind!" She headed to her own bed, shaking her head. "Whew... today sure was tiring... I'll rest a bit, too." She knelt and proceeded to slip off her boots--even if Reikku didn't, she had manners.

Reikku snored again and rolled over.

"Asleep already?" Kari looked up at him, planting hands on her hips. "Tsk, no sense of urgency." Sliding into the bed, she closed her eyes and curled up.

This hall... reminds me of the consul's... looks like I'll dream again tonight...

---

Having slipped with relative ease into the hall without anyone's noticing, Julius was now free to explore, so long as he didn't alert either of the count's twin butlers. He'd heard rumors about the two of them that were fairly worth listening to, whether or not you believed the stories about monsters or were just knowledgeable about the parallel world of Mavolia. In any case, at least now he could check his theory. If it was one of the girls in the hall instead of the one that got away, he would be able to search for the key in secrecy. His lord would be relatively pleased about it, at least.

Moving surprisingly quietly for his heavy robes, the redhead stalked down the halls, just a shadow in the darkness of the night.

---

Kari looked back over her shoulder, realizing that Reikku had fallen, and stopped dead.

"Don't worry about me, just run!" the boy insisted, his face screwed up in pain.

"No!" She shook her head furiously. "I won't leave you!"

"I twisted my ankle..." Reikku told her. "You run ahead!"

"But..."

"Mother told me to protect you, so RUN! My parents and I will catch up later," the little blonde insisted.

Kari bit her lip and nodded, reconstituting herself. "Got it! We'll meet up later!"

"Yeah," Reikku replied.

"For sure!" She ran on, looking back only once before fleeing the scene altogether.

---

"They're, they're... gonna get him!" It was her own voice again, but older, after a few years.

"Poor thing. Wish I could help." Bogard now.

"Willy and Kaseem and Mother were all killed!" Kari shouted. "And that boy, too!"

"It's regrettable, but I've got my hands full looking out for you," Bogard had told her. "Believe me, Kari!"

"But, but...!"

"I'll tell you one thing you can do. Pray. The Goddess'll help him."

---

Kari sat up with a jolt. "That dream, again..." She shook her head. "I prayed... over and over... And I'm still praying... But the sadness in my heart won't go away..." Scowling, she slipped into her boots and stood up. "I can't sleep..."

A mutter beside her made her turn. Reikku was talking in his sleep. "Mom, Dad... I'll protect her..."

Wha...? "I'll protect her"? Could he be...? Is it really?

She nodded to herself. I knew it! He IS Reikku! He made it after all? What a relief! But it was my fault Reikku's mother and father were... Shaking her head, she fled. I'm sorry! Forgive me! All because I was there. I really am so sorry...

Heading for the door, she stopped short. "Hm? What's that?"

"Well done. Splendid." It was a voice almost exactly like the butler's, but strangely different. Peeking outside, Kari saw a man with white hair, dressed in a white uniform, standing near the west door into the mansion. "That girl does look quite the catch! The count will be most delighted."

"The color of his clothes is different..." Kari murmured to herself. "And he looks strange."

"In any case," the butler continued, heading to the east door and opening it, "no more bride hunting. We can go back to the underworld of Mavolia."

And then he went inside.

"Bride?" Kari said aloud. "Is that Isabella-san? Mavolia? Does that mean everyone here is really a Mavole?" Concerned, she headed through the hall towards Isabella's room. When she opened the door, the other girl wasn't there. "Isabella-san isn't a Mavole, is she?" Deciding to look further, she took a few steps forward. There was a thick book lying on the table in the middle of the room. Picking it up, Kari began to read.

Zan Biye month, Salamander Day (Tuesday)

That cad. I thought I'd get to see him, and then he runs off to the human world. What nerve! Aristocratic devils--what ARE they thinking? In other news, I heard that a party of Gemma Knights brought down the Vandole Empire and ushered in peace.

Among the Gemmas was a minstrel named Granz with a magical voice, which reminds me... that primate princess was going to look into a human named Granz. Did something happen to her in the human world? Either way, this must be investigated...

"It's a diary..." Kari murmured, closing the book. "Is it Isabella-san's?" She shook her head, realizing something. "Hold on... The Gemma knights were active nearly twenty years ago! How old is Isabella? The ghost, the butlers, and now this... what in the world is going on here? I'm sure I can figure it out if I can just meet the master!"

Scowling, Kari headed back into the main hall. The door that the white butler had opened was still ajar.

"First rule of investigation: legwork," Kari said with a low sigh. Clenching her fists, she walked inside.

---

In the basement of the hall, there was a curious room in which something resembling a silver egg enclosed what looked like a hearth. Knowing better than to walk straight up to the thing, Kari pulled out her new bow and fired a tentative arrow at it. Having been run through basic archery by fine teachers in the Mana Village as a child, Kari's aim was true. Upon being touched by the arrow's tip, the silver egg popped like a bubble, and a small figure wreathed in flames appeared.

"There was a spirit trapped inside!" Kari gasped.

"Hotcha! I'm free!" The little elemental struck a V-for-victory pose. "I'm Salamander, a fire spirit! Are you the one who removed the metaball? Thanks! Now I'm freeeeee!" Kari hid a giggle at the creature's genki behavior. "Hm? I should repay you... after all, you're the one I owe my freedom to! Whateeeeeeever ya need! Woho! Ignite to remember! I'm cooking with gas!"

A warmth filled the hollow in Kari's chest where she constantly felt the pure power of Wisp. It was joined by a soft but steady heat as Salamander's physical form dispersed. "Thanks, Salamander!"

---

In another room (this one on the ground level), Kari encountered a monster unlike any she'd ever seen before.

It seemed to be some kind of giant spiderlike creature that ran on a sort of clockwork; its colors were mottled shadow and it ran in a strange sidewinding fashion. The brunette felt the hair on her arms and neck stand up--she hated spiders.

Maybe I can just go around this thing... Kari dashed past the beast to the door behind it--no good. Locked. If there's another way...? Returning to the door she'd come through, Kari discovered to her dismay that it, too, was locked.

Bogard had once told her about this. Powerful mages and owners of castles could set up a system in which a trespasser's only option was to go up against a strong monster in order to proceed or escape. It was meant to discourage intruders, and the monsters chosen were usually rare ones like this.

Kari gritted her teeth and smacked the spider with her staff. The blow glanced off, with no effect other than to make the creature notice her. Backing away, she shot a blast of light magic at the thing; it, too, blasted into sparks off the hairy hide.

"Just one thing left," Kari murmured to herself, tapped Salamander, and sent a blast of cycling flames straight at the thing. It shrieked and jumped backwards, singed. Grinning, Kari sent more tongues of flame at the creature until it fell.

That was done, but it had left Kari spiritually drained; this place wasn't a safe one to rest in, and so she would have to chance the rest of the dungeon with only items to heal herself with. Putting on her most stubborn face, Kari set her shoulders and pushed through the newly-unlocked northern door.

---

Opening another door in the hall's depths, Kari paled and bit back a cry of shock. "Eeek! What the!" The room was nearly filled with coffins.

Steeling herself, the young girl picked her way towards one and pried it open. A young woman was inside, pale-faced, her hands folded at her chest. Kari frowned. "Not dead, but... is she asleep?" Slowly, she opened another coffin to find a similar woman inside. "These people... they're Mana women!" Sensing a movement behind her, she whipped out her staff. "W-what!"

The butler in white had opened the door to the north of the room. "Kari-san... this is where those who have lost the count's favor sleep."

"What does that mean?" Strange thoughts filled her head--just how perverted WAS this count guy! A harem like this!

"You are the final bridal candidate, but you are too early!" the butler proclaimed, striding to the center of the room.

"Get a grip!" Kari shouted, her face bright scarlet. "What have you done to these Mana women?"

"How did you know that they are Mana women!" The butler drew close, an intense but unreadable expression on his white face.

The bat from before suddenly appeared, blurring into the blue figure once more. "Bring this girl... to the count..." it moaned.

"Who are you!" the butler demanded. "I... I can't be bothered! I've my own work to do! I'll just make it quick!"

"It WAS an evil spirit!" Kari murmured under her breath as the bat disappeared.

The butler growled and lunged forward, white fur sprouting all over his body. He was... some kind of werewolf!

---

Panting, Kari stood over her fallen foe, glaring. The wolf had collapsed into a heap of white paws and tail and tired puppy after she'd given it several knocks upside the head with her staff. Shaking her head, she put her weapon away. She'd have no further trouble with this one.

"What was all that about?" she asked the empty air. "That bat was the one I saw in the woods. And that ghost... he wasn't scary. He seemed even... kind. Why do they all want me to meet this count?" Shaking her head again, Kari continued on. She'd get no answers just sitting around here.

---

Meanwhile, in another chamber in the mansion's western wing...

"Not here either..." Shaking his head, Julius closed the coffin he'd been looking into. That was the last of the lot. It was certain now. That girl was the one.

"What're you doing!" The voice made Julius turn, looking over his shoulder with an arched eyebrow. It was the scruffy kid from outside, the blonde in dirty red clothes.

"What are YOU doing?" Julius returned, putting a hand on his out-thrust hip and looking down his nose at the scamp. From experience, he knew it was best to take on an attitude that was equal parts condescending and seductive while dealing with the common bumpkin.

The boy stepped forward with a scowl, raising his sword, and Julius sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm looking for the vampire's fiancée," he snapped caustically, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Leave me alone. Baka." Feeling a twinge at the edge of his magical senses, he turned towards the northern door and smirked. "Oops... hellhounds do have quick reflexes. I'll be off now." Flipping his bangs, he strolled nonchalantly out the southern door, leaving one very confused village idiot behind him. He had all the information he needed. Now, he could report back to Dark Lord, and possibly get some quality alone time. And after that, of course, sleep.

---

Opening one last door, Kari immediately noticed two figures standing by the far wall, apparently in deep conversation. One was Isabella, that she knew... the other was a man seemingly in his early twenties, dressed all in scarlet with pale skin and shoulder-length silver hair. He wore glasses, but even those and his bangs couldn't disguise the red markings on his forehead or the fact that his eyes were different colors--one gold and the other ruby.

"Lee. What do you think?" Isabella was asking. "How's the new candidate? Does she suit your fancy?"

Kari realized with a very uncomfortable feeling that Isabella was referring to her.

The man shook his head and ran one hand through his hair exasperatedly. "Don't believe the butlers. I'm not bride shopping." His voice was of relatively high tone and had a timbre reminiscent of a lowly tuned viola. Isabella pouted at him, and he laughed. "Now, now. No need to look so suspicious."

Kari walked in at this point--she couldn't sit still any longer. "Isabella-san?" Turning to the man in red, she frowned. "And you're the master... the count, aren't you?"

The man walked forward and bowed his head politely. "Either way, I am Lee." He laughed softly. "I assume you got past the butler?"

Kari grimaced. "Oh... I'm sorry about that... but I had no choice. All I want to know is... just what ARE you people!"

Lee bowed again. "I'm a Mavole, though I haven't been back home to Mavolia in quite a while. And this... is my friend Isabella."

The redhead winked and blew Kari a sassy kiss. "Nice to meet you again."

Lee went on, still smiling faintly. "I have known her for... oh... how many years? I'm not sure what it would be in human years..." Shaking his head, he turned around with a sweep of his cape. "I'll explain about the guests and myself. Isabella, do you mind?"

Isabella shook her head with a distinctive pout. "Stalling again, ne, Lee? Today I'm finally going to know your true intentions."

Sighing, Lee pushed his glasses up on his nose and walked to Isabella, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I have all the time in the world with you. Can we do this later? If not, I could invoke the Prince of Mavolia's..."

"Why would the prince support humans?" Isabella interrupted, sounding quite cross indeed. Lee stepped back. "Besides, the one you made the promise to died a long time ago."

Lee shook his head seriously. Kari, feeling lost, wondered what was going on. "He may not be dead. And even if people die, promises don't." Lee rose quite a bit in Kari's eyes with that--it was one of her chief beliefs. "I have a duty..."

"The Mavole prince is a count in this world," Isabella said roughly. "But he's more emotional than he once was." Suddenly, she coughed, dropping to her knees.

"Isabella-san!" Kari lurched forward a step.

"Ugh... do you intend to put me to sleep too! How could you--" Abruptly, she collapsed. Lee stepped forward and raised one hand, and the redhead was lifted into the air and towards the far end of the room, held loosely as a rag doll.

"What did you do to Isabella-san!" Kari demanded.

Lee shook his head and regarded Kari with an austere look that made him look not unlike Bogard. "What awaits you is total darkness."

"Great! Just in time!" Kari turned; it was Reikku's voice.

"Reikku!" As the gladiator took in the scene, she shook her head desperately. "Isabella-san... Count Lee tried to...!"

Stepping forward, Reikku got his "idiot" face back on. "Hmmm, lemme guess... YOU'RE the one who takes women and sticks em in coffins, right!" He pointed right at Lee, who was staring at him, nonplussed.

"A prognosticator, ne?" Lee raised his eyebrow. Such a wry expression made him seem oddly human. "Look closely. They're sleeping peacefully, right? As long as they are at my residence, I will keep them safe, as shall be the case with Isabella. And now, this girl as well... I will protect them all!"

"Who gave you the right!" Kari demanded.

Lee shook his head. "I promised a friend that I would protect the Mana women. This mess with Dark Lord was all brought on by the Mavoles. I'll resolve it."

"How dare you!" This was even worse than his being a hentai--Lee was a CHAUVINIST! "And how do you think these women feel!"

"Until this chaotic world has settled, they'll stay asleep. You, too. And no harm will come to you."

"That's no kinda logic!" Reikku protested.

"Even if by force, you will be mine..." Lee said softly, whipping a thin fencer's foil from out of nowhere. Even as he did so, a pair of bat wings exploded from his shoulderblades.

His lunge towards Reikku was graceful and calculated. The gladiator jumped back, tripping over his heels and landing in an ungainly flop on his back. Kari struck with her staff, but Lee caught it on his thin rapier blade and it glanced off.

He'd been professionally trained, as many nobles were, in fencing as an art. That made his skills no less deadly, especially because those wings propelled him farther and higher than an ordinary mortal could jump. They were flight-size, so when folded would reach from Lee's head to his ankles. Reikku, scrabbling to his feet, calculated the difference in strength feverishly, watching for the Mavole's next move. To defeat the count, careful thinking would be required...

---

"Release Isabella-san!" Reikku demanded, pointing his sword at Lee, who had collapsed to his knees, breathing hard, at the battle's end. "And the others, too!"

The bat appeared yet again, blurring once more into a human form. "Don't blame the count..." it said in its spectral voice. "It was I who asked him to protect the Mana women from the Heretic Hunters."

Kari sighed. So Lee wasn't a chauvinist after all. Just this weird guy.

Reikku stepped forward, shock on his face. "Lord Granz! How did you...?"

The ghost stared wistfully at the gladiator, his faded eyes flickering. "Reikku... I remember... that time you..."

Kari blinked. "That ghost I saw... it was Lord Granz!"

Lee stepped forward as well. "Granz! How did you get here? You've been alive all this time? Or... are you an apparition?"

"You mean you two know each other?" Reikku asked blankly.

"We're the best of friends!"

"That explains a lot," Kari commented under her breath.

"I'm only doing this as a favor for him," Lee continued.

"Lord Granz... did you really ask him to...?" Reikku faltered.

"Even if you were trying to protect..." Kari burst out at the same time. "How could you...!"

"My apologies," the ghost of Granz went on. "There really was... no other way. Kari... we must keep you alive... there's a reason you must not die... No matter what, you must survive. Reikku, protect her."

"You're better off leaving this place," Lee cut in. "Dark Lord's underlings are lurking about. It's not safe here."

"What about Isabella-san?" Kari asked anxiously.

"She'll be fine," Lee said with a sigh. "She'll wake up soon."

"Lord Granz!" Reikku was still ignoring Lee and Kari. "So are you still alive? Or are you...?"

"Forget about me," the ghost said with a very earthly firmness. "Just get going. Realm soldiers could be here any minute."

"If you go to Wendel, beyond Marsh Cave," Lee told Kari, "befriend the water spirit along the way. The fire spirit you have will break the firestone seal at the entrance."

"Marsh Cave water spirit..." Kari repeated. "Got it. Thank you, Lord Granz, Count Lee!"

Reikku nodded. "Let's go, Kari!" She nodded in return.

"Take care of each other," the ghost instructed.

"We will!" Reikku assured him. And the two of them were off.

Once the adventurers were out of the room, Lee turned to his old friend. "They're being hunted, Granz. Perhaps they should have hidden out in Mavolia for a while..."

"No," Granz replied. "They are making their own way through this. They need to believe in their own power."

"I suppose that's true," Lee agreed reluctantly. As Granz's form faded into nothingness, the count headed over to where Isabella still hovered in midair. With a wave of his hand, he brought her to the ground, but turned his face when she sat up.

Standing, Isabella flipped her hair, resting her knuckles on her hip. "Lee, why are you crying?" Head bowed, pointedly avoiding Isabella's eyes, Lee had let a few stray tears slip down his cheeks. "Were you reminded of Medusa again?" Stepping forward, she turned the count's face towards hers. "Let me share your burden of sorrow..."

---

Meanwhile, Kari and Reikku were making good on their escape, charging through the forests that surrounded the hall. This feeling... It's just like before... I don't want to think about it anymore. As they circled around to the clearing leading to the main gates, Reikku tripped and fell flat on his face. Kari turned, anxiety plain on her own.

For a brief moment, both of them saw another, similar incident from long ago.

Reikku, standing, burst out. "I knew it! You ARE Kari... the girl who was at my house! You're alive!" Laughing as he realized how stupid that sounded, he went on. "I'm sooo relieved."

"Reikku..." Kari bowed her head, her voice contorting. "I'm so very sorry! It was my fault that your parents--"

"Don't be ridiculous," Reikku interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "The one who killed my mother and father was that rat, Dark Lord! I'm the one who's sorry. I promised my mother I'd protect you."

Kari looked up, seeming very childish indeed. "You don't hate me? If I hadn't been there, no one would've died! Your father and mother..."

"I'll never forget my grudge against Dark Lord," Reikku said grimly. "But knowing you're still alive, I can throw away my painful past. Kari, we've got to look ahead!"

"Is it okay?" Kari asked, chewing her thumbnail. "Do you forgive me?" She bowed suddenly. "Thank you..." She stood straight again, blushing and smiling. "Then... then let's go to Wendel!"

---

At the knock on the door, Dark Lord looked up. "Who is it?"

"Me." The voice was unmistakable.

"Back already? Come on in." Julius calmly turned the door handle and walked in as his lord stood, pushing in the chair he'd been sitting at. Once they were locked into the room, he spoke again. "Well?"

Stepping forward--which put him so close to Dark Lord that their bodies pressed together--Julius smiled slowly, looking brazenly into his lord's eyes. "I'm certain of it. She's the one. None of Lee's had the key. I was right all along."

"It's good to know, but now we actually have to catch her." Dark Lord leaned forward, put his arms around Julius, and rested his chin against the top of the mage's head. "You just had to go and complicate things, didn't you." From the tone of his voice, the incident of the Mana girl wasn't all he was talking about.

"Yes, I did. It's what I do," Julius' muffled reply came from against Dark Lord's chest. "Stop that. You're making me feel short."

"You are short." Smirking, he released the ruffled mage. "But, hey. Short people have more fun."

Julius barely stifled a laugh. "Do they, now? How would you know? You're too tall to ever have been a midget like me."

Dark Lord grinned crookedly. "You always seem to."

"Pervert."

"So are you."

"Oh, yeah?"

"And don't you deny it."

"Who said I am?"

"Good point." Making sure the door was bolted firmly, Dark Lord took Julius into his arms again.

This time, the embrace lasted quite a bit longer.

---

The girl's form was faint, as always. He could only catch the vaguest impression of her sleek, strong young body, with ripples of her long, curly chestnut hair fanning out around her. As ever, he couldn't see her eyes. She was reaching towards him, and he was trying his hardest to grab her hand, but they always fell short. She was crying out, shouting to him, but he couldn't hear her over the roar of the rift in the world. His throat was raw from his cries back, and he could feel the tears on his cheeks as he tried, tried, tried to get back to her.

Every day they had spent together, singing the same song. It was a good song, a song about awakening, a song about birth. But something had disrupted the melodies that wove in and out of time, and they could no longer sing. Something else was forcing its powerful, frightening song over theirs, so that they couldn't get out the notes. Something that wanted this sacred chamber of the Mana flow to itself.

The strange song pounded richly, rawly, discordantly through his entire body, sending repeated chills from his shoulders to his hips, through his heart to the insides of his thighs, thrumming, making his nerves ache and his head buzz with the strange power. No wonder he couldn't hear her. He couldn't even think her, could barely see her. He was falling, falling, he knew. His last thought was despair, despair at this terrible turn of events.

How could the Goddess want him separated from his own twin sister?

---

Julius was sitting up even before his eyes were open. As always after the dream, he was sobbing, his narrow chest heaving, his pale face red and tearstained. Desperately, he clutched himself, burying his face in his crossed arms. The old scars on his back throbbed painfully, just as they had when he had first--Julius quickly blocked the memory from his mind. He couldn't think of that, not now. It would only make everything worse.

Dark Lord, beside him, snapped into wakefulness, sitting up and watching helplessly. "What is it...? What's wrong...?" Julius didn't even glance up. Although the gentle arms that encircled him came as a surprise, all he could do to acknowledge the embrace was to cling to his lord desperately, still sobbing and shaking. "Julius, what is it? Say something, please! You haven't been like this since... not since..."

"Don't say it," Julius managed. "Don't say it! Don't... remind me... please..."

Cradling the little mage to his heart, Dark Lord reflected on the irony of the matter. Having gone to sleep together for once, before his common sense could reclaim him, he'd been worried that Julius would be witness to his nightly weakness. Instead, it turned out to be the exact opposite. Here he was granted a glimpse of Julius' nightmares.

It was clear that the mage would be quite unable to say anything on the subject of his dreams for a while... maybe not ever. But Dark Lord knew that even if he could, he wouldn't eavesdrop on Julius' private horrors. Mercy knew that Julius had more horrors to reflect on than anyone else.

---

The Goddess' Dictation of Eyes

Brown for the worker,

Blue for the dreamer,

Gray for the fighter,

Black for the scholar.

Red and gold are begot of the night,

and

Emerald and amethyst shine with my light.

«end secret»

(TBC)