Back to the roots or Taking a whole new path

by Tukuyomi

Sequel to A new life: Now that the dragons are gone, what is there left to do for Kidd and Harle? A little adventure maybe?

17. Secret wishes

A/N: Whew, finally done. Blame Xenosaga II and Fatal Frame III for that, as well as my recent obsession with Bleach XD Thanks for the reviews once again, I really appreciate your opinions on this. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well.

Chapter 17 – Secret wishes

It had taken them almost two days already and they still hadn't arrived. Two days that Kidd had spent pacing across the ship, never standing still for more than a few seconds. Two days she had cursed, over and over again. Everyone could see she was worried to no end, but no one could offer help. Not even Harle.

Harle lay on her bed, lost in thought. There really wasn't anything she could do as long as they hadn't reached Guardia other than waiting. There wasn't anything she could do, and yet, she felt so restless, useless. She wanted to do something.

Those things Riddel had told them…it must have been a shock for Kidd. Marle was the only remaining person she could call family. To know that someone was out to kill her had to be ripping her heart in two with her inability to do something. She had to be sick with worry. She had seen Kidd's face crumble with pain and disbelief. The news had been outrageous, and yet, they hadn't questioned Riddel in the least. They knew she would never tell such a thing about her father if it wasn't true. They knew she still loved her father beyond imagination. It had been brave of her to tell them.

And still, Harle wondered how Riddel knew such a thing, and at the same time be so shocked to hear other things about her father. Riddel had told them she had been eavesdropping on him in front of his office door, listening to a conversation her father had shared with an unknown person with the words "get rid of her" and a high amount of money at its centre.

Harle didn't like how it really sounded like an assassination request, and the price was certainly fitting for someone like a queen. The probability that Guardia inhabited many other women worth killing for this amount of money wasn't exactly high.

Either way, they didn't have much of a choice as long as they didn't know for sure who the target would be. They had to head for the castle, quickly. Riddel had told them her father had set the time of the assassination on three days. The third day had begun hours ago already, and it irritated her that Guardia was still out of sight. It could be too late already. It unnerved her that Kidd could still do nothing else than pace the deck, even though it was raining enough to drown the world.

Harle idly wondered what the others were doing. Eve and Clair had agreed to help, things had gotten too much for them to simply ignore and it would weigh too heavy on their minds not to do something. Harle knew Kidd was grateful for their help, despite the fact that she had run out of the room without another word, to assemble everyone to head for Guardia. She hadn't even talked to the captain first, as if knowing he would simply let her make the decisions she deemed necessary. Harle had watched him, noticing the strange look he had given her as she left. He had looked proud, but also guilty. She hadn't been able to read his expression. It could have been guilt, shame, or simply the shock of what was happening. Harle couldn't rid herself from the thought that he was hiding something from them, though. It was an unpleasant feeling.

A reluctant knock broke Harle's train of thought, causing Harle to look at the door. "Entrée.", she called out, sitting up in her bed. The door opened slowly with a creak, and Clair stepped into the room. Her face was blank but Harle could see she was tired and worried.

"You don't look trés bien.", Harle commented, patting the spot next to her, inviting Clair to sit down. Clair silently sat down next to Harle, looking down at the wooden flooring.

"I don't think anyone does, right now.", she muttered and sighed.

"Zat may be correcte.", Harle said, looking at Clair. "Still, what iz it? You came to moi pour un reazon, non?" Her voice was gentle and Clair hung her head at the thought of what she was about to say.

"I...I wanted to ask you something." Her voice wasn't more than a mumble, and Harle leaned closer, curious.

Clair didn't know how to say this, she didn't even know if she should. They had decided to help them after all, and things would just get unpleasant if she brought up things like this. And yet, she couldn't help it. She just had to know.

"When we confronted him, he…Viper…he told us…things…about you.", Clair said, her voice wavering. She couldn't think of a way to say this without it sounding terrible. "He told us…unbelievable things." With that, Clair turned her head to Harle, seeing her previously attentive expression turn into a look of grim understanding. It scared her.

"Zeze t'ings were not exactly…chouette, iz moi correcte?", Harle asked, her voice completely even, as if she was talking about someone else. "He told you…ze most terrible t'ings, non?"

Clair chuckled at that, mentally kicking herself for having been so stupid. Of course Harle wasn't like that, how could she even think something like that of her? It was utterly ridiculous.

"I'm sorry I bothered you with this. Of course he lied.", Clair said and giggled, scratching the back of her head as she stood up, already heading for the door.

"Au contraire.", Harle's words halted Clair's hand on the handle of the door. "What he said may be correcte. Who knowz?" Harle eyed the other woman intently as she said this, awaiting her reaction. Her voice was nonchalant, and it almost frightened Clair. She wouldn't let it show, though.

"No, really, he told us such nonsense…", Clair said hastily, but couldn't bring herself to laugh anymore for fear it would sound awkwardly choked.

Harle stood up, walking towards Clair at a slow but determined pace. "Tell moi…what did he say? You wanted to know if he told you ze trut', non? Zat iz why you came here pour moi." Her tone wasn't at all unfriendly, much less threatening, but the way her voice didn't match her expressionless face made Clair step backwards unwillingly, not in fright, but surprise. She shouldn't have come here, for all of a sudden, she didn't want to know. At all. But it seemed to be too late now. She owed the other woman an explanation.

"He…he said you were a…goddess.", Clair said hesitantly, her voice growing quiet at the end. She couldn't bring herself to laugh and say how silly this sounded, for Harle's widening eyes caused her voice to die in her throat.

"Did he say zat? How amuzing, trés drôle.", Harle said, turning around quickly as if to shrug it off. She knew she shouldn't act so funny about it, but what was she to do, when forced to admit she was some kind of beast, a monster? She wasn't a goddess by any human definition. A goddess was supposed to be something people could look up to, pray to. She was no such thing. But how to explain something like this? It was all so difficult. Explaining why she was a dragon and not a human was as impossible as explaining why the colour of her hair was dark and not a bright, gentle blond she would have preferred. It was who she was, though she hadn't had a word in the decision at all.

"What…what did he mean with that?", Clair inquired, confused at Harle's behaviour. The moment these words left her mouth, Harle turned around to her, her crimson eyes glowing. But instead of stepping backwards in shock, Clair stared at her in fascination.

"A goddess. It'z who moi iz, it'z mon true self. Ze sevent' dragon. Ze goddess of ze dark moon." Her lips formed a dry smile but still gave away an almost invisible tremble as her eyes grew even brighter.

Harle knew the feeling that ignited this fiery blaze in her eyes. It was hatred, mixed with disgust and regret. Those feelings still came far too easily, but she could control the now. They didn't threaten her sanity anymore, or at the very least, she wouldn't let them do it. It was time she learned to deal with her dragon powers. To accept them, not thinking of them as a curse but a gift no one else had.

"So he…didn't lie?", Clair asked, trying to sound calm but failing miserably. Harle's eyes were intimidating, eerie, piercing right through her. And yet, Clair couldn't avert her eyes from this strange sight. Harle's eyes expressed so many emotions all at once, not trying to hide a single one.

"Non, Viper iz better zan zat. Lying iz beneat' him. Why should he lie, anywayz? It'z ze trut' zat hurtz ze most. Trut' causez people to suffer more zan lies. Une tragédie complètemente ridicule, non?" Harle's voice sounded sad, and the glow of her eyes wore off until it disappeared completely.

"What…what about the orphanage then? Is that true too? The children…", Clair's voice failed her at the end, now that she already knew the answer. The realization hurt her in a strange way she hadn't expected. She wasn't scared, or angry, or even disgusted and disappointed. She just felt pity.

"Such pauvre enfantz…zey screamed so loud in ze fire…screaming pour someone to help zem…but nobody came. Moi juzt watched zem, coughing and crying.", Harle explained, looking at Clair. Not a single tear rolled down her cheek, and her voice was steady, as if she had been a mere bystander, completely unaffected.

Clair closed her eyes, blocking off the sight of Harle for a moment to breathe. After she reopened them, Harle still looked at her, her face unreadable.

"So…you really killed them?" The question caused Harle to finally turn her head away from her, facing an empty wall.

"Oui…moi set ze fire. Ze door wazn't even locked. It would have been ze easiest t'ing to ezcape…mais, enfants panic so easily, non? Zey should have juzt run out of ze door in front of zem, and yet…ze deat' of zeir…mot'er waz too much for zem to t'ink clearly. Zey must have suffocated misérablement…", Harle explained, her neutral tone shattering at last, giving in to whimpers that threatened to become sobs.

Clair just stared at the other woman, shaking her head to free her mind of the ugly images that were forming in her mind. Images of children running around in panic, crying for help. Images of burnt bodies scattered on the ground. She could almost imagine the nauseating smell of burnt flesh and hair.

"Why…why did you do it?", she finally managed to choke out. She must have had a reason, she wanted to believe that Harle wasn't someone to just kill people like that. Memories of what Harle had told her a few days prior came to mind. "Did you…do it for someone important to you?", she asked quietly, causing Harle to face her again.

"Oui…non. Moi can't tell. Moi did it to honour ma famille, mais…moi also did it because of mon hatred pour humanz. So much has changed, moi can't tell anymore ze motives of zis odder Harle. It iz un parte of moi, mais it seemz too detached now. However, zis doezn't take ze sin from moi. It iz moi who iz guilty of having killed zem. Seulement moi." Harle added the last sentence with a tone of deep regret, watching as Clair walked past her.

"That's…", Clair started, sitting down on the bed heavily, "I don't know what to say." She knew it, now. But was she more satisfied? Her curiosity was sated, but at what price? Still, she couldn't bring herself to hate Harle. She hadn't known her for long, and maybe Clair was too focused on seeing the good sides of her, but she couldn't help but marvel at the other woman. Her strength, her wisdom, her calming nature.

Harle nodded at Clair's comment, understanding completely. It was better like this. She didn't need to hear what the other woman was thinking, she knew it already. She knew how torn Clair was, trying to weigh her own sins against Harle's, coming to the conclusion that someone like her could not blame her, sad as it was.

"People are pretty disgusting when it comes down to it, aren't they?", Clair said and chuckled, only to wince afterward at the sound of it.

"Love and hate make people do disguzting t'ings. It haz never been diferente.", Harle said, approaching the bed Clair was sitting on with slow steps. "Ze only way to ezcape zis iz not to feel anyt'ing, anymore. It iz not a very fortunate alternative however. One only few people choose. So ze only option left for ze rest iz to alwayz struggle for eternal peace, wit'out ever achieving it."

"A useless struggle indeed…", Clair sighed as she leaned back to lie down on the bed, thinking about their situation. It was hard to accept that someone would have to pay the price in the end. Because of all that had happened so far, they could hardly end all this without a sacrifice. It had gone too far to just say sorry and be done with it. There had been killing so far, and killing would also have to end this. There was no other way, was there?

"Does…Kidd know about this too?", she asked, taking her thoughts into an other direction. She tried to imagine how Kidd could always be so cheerful and strong when Harle was so guilty. It was hard to understand, just like it was with Eve. She couldn't believe Eve could still stand being around her. She had accepted all this so easily. But Clair tried not to doubt herself any longer, she just wanted to believe in Eve, and trust her.

A wince made her turn her eyes to Harle, who was grimacing at her question. "Zere iz no way she would not have known. It waz her famille moi killed back zere. She waz ze only survivor."

A gasp was all Harle heard in response. She looked at Clair who lay frozen on the bed, her eyes wide. After a few moments of contemplation, she turned her head away from Harle, trying to hide her shock, even though she knew it was more than evident. She knew she should say something, she was the one who wanted to know all this in the first place, but words failed her. Again.

Harle watched her, knowing she wouldn't receive any other reaction from her but silence. She knew Clair was thinking about saying something, or running from the room altogether, finding none of both options satisfactory, which was why she still lay there. Harle wondered how she would react in such a situation. She would be afraid, most likely.

"It iz too long a story, mais moi will understand if you wish to leave zis ship once we reach Guardia.", Harle said to give Clair the opportunity to say something, even though she knew the answer she would get.

Clair looked back at Harle, seeing a small smile on her face, encouraging her. "No, I…we won't leave you now. We said we would help, and that's what we'll do. We will trust you, if only because there is no one else we can trust anymore."

This caused Harle to chuckle, and her smile widened. "Merci beaucoup. Zere are not many people such az yourself.", she said and reached out her hand in gratitude.

Clair took it and let herself be dragged into a sitting position. She was about to let go of it when she noticed a strange mark on the back of Harle's hand. "What's this?", she asked, turning Harle's hand to look at it more closely. It was only a small spot in the centre, but it had an angry red colour.

Harle withdrew her hand for a moment, looking at it for the first time. "It lookz like un sting. Moi hazn't noticed it before.", she said with a frown, but shrugged.

"Didn't know there were so many insects around, I guess I'll have to be careful.", Clair said and smirked, standing up from where she had been sitting on the bed in front of Harle. "Well, I'd better check up on Riddel, got to apologize for having been so mean to her, I really don't know what had gotten into me." She waved her hand to dismiss the thought and made her way to the door, turning around once more before exiting it.

"By the way, you should get Kidd out of the rain up there, she'll catch a cold." Clair giggled at Harle's grimace, quickly adding "Drag her if you have to."

"Moi will do zat.", Harle replied, a mischievous smile forming on her lips as she thought different ways to get Kidd out of the rain. Kidd had been understandably resistant so far.

Harle's eyes swerved to her side, seeing Clair still at the door, her hand on the handle without pushing it down. Harle opened her mouth to speak but Clair interrupted her.

"Thank you…Harle.", she almost whispered, and Harle had to strain to hear it. Before she could answer however, Clair was already out the door.

---

"Riddel, are you in there?", Eve asked as her knuckles hit the wood of the door for the third time. After a few moments she heard a faint "Come in" from the other side of the door and moved to open it.

Inside, she saw the taller woman sit at a table passively, her fingers drawing invisible circles on its surface. "What is it?", she asked without looking up, having recognized Eve's voice.

"You okay?" Eve asked with genuine concern, closing the door behind her almost inaudibly. She stepped closer to the table. "You look pale."

Riddel snorted at that, a rather unladylike sound that made Eve look at her questioningly. "I'm perfectly fine, please leave me alone." She wearily laid her head onto the back of her hands, the fingers intertwined.

Eve chose not to listen, and sat down at the table opposite of Riddel. The room was swaying slightly, a sign that the weather had gotten worse. She had yet to get used to this.

"It's about your father, isn't it?" Eve's voice was soft and gentle, but Riddel still refused to look at her.

"Why would someone like you care? You have turned your back on him, you want to see him dead.", Riddel said darkly, her fingers tensing. It wasn't just about her father, it wasn't. But no one would understand. She didn't even understand it herself.

"That's not true...I just want to prevent him from causing a lot of trouble. Trying to kill the Queen of Guardia is not to be taken lightly, never mind his other plans…", Eve explained, looking at the plain surface of the table in front of her.

"What do you mean by that?", Riddel asked, unable to hide her curiosity any longer. She lifted her pale head to look at Eve, and Eve saw the evident confusion in them. It wasn't much of a surprise, Riddel was going through a lot. Eve wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

She looked back at Riddel, trying to think of what to say. She didn't really have any idea about what Viper was doing, really.

"You see…he had all those guns stored on board the Longinus One, I think he wanted to bring them to the warehouse.", she said thoughtfully as she tried to figure out just why he had done what he did.

"My father has a whole army at his disposal. What would a few guns mean to him?", Riddel asked, her fingers twirling on the tabletop.

"I don't think you know just how much of a difference these guns make in comparison to ordinary swords.", Eve said earnestly as she shot Riddel a stern look. "He would have certainly gained some power with those."

"Power to do what!", Riddel snapped angrily, having heard enough. They could talk on and on, but the fact remained that both of them didn't know anything and she would rather not talk about such things which only caused her to get even more confused. She couldn't bear this anymore. She had to see her father, soon. She had to see her, soon.

Eve regarded Riddel for a few moments, then bowed her head. "I'm sorry. It's just…hard not to think he's plotting something." With that, she stood up, seeing Riddel's forehead return to the back of her hands.

Not wanting to bother the other woman any further, she turned her back to Riddel and walked to the door. She was disappointed with herself, for having come to cheer Riddel up, but leaving her after having done the opposite. She felt like leaving her all alone.

"I know.", she heard Riddel whisper, but didn't turn to look at her. Instead, she opened the door. The sound of heavy and rushed footsteps which had previously been silenced by the thick wood now reached her ears, and it took her a few seconds to realize that the figure which had just been passing her by was Kidd. Eve heard her knock impatiently at each door she was passing, shouting "We're there!", "Come on out!" and "Get ready!" in an unsteady succession.

Eve saw the urgent expression on her face, and immediately gripped her sword and stepped out of the cabin, seeing Harle do the same, only with a much more eager look. She seemed to be glad and watched Kidd fondly.

"Eve! What's the matter?", Clair, who came running towards her, asked worriedly. In her right hand she held her rod, and Eve watched it in satisfaction. She hadn't given up yet. She was still ready. She turned to look at Clair and saw her clear and strong eyes. Her overshadowed expression that had formed over the last few days had vanished. She was definitely ready.

"Seems we reached Guardia. We should hurry." Stepping back to make place for the rows of armed pirates passing them, Eve nodded to herself and followed suit after locking her hand with Clair's, reaching the deck with everyone else.

The rain was still coming down hard, and the sky was dark with black clouds, the line of light on the horizon growing thinner slowly but steadily. It was almost dusk. The clouds above them rumbled angrily, as if to warn them of what lay ahead of them. And yet, nobody standing on the deck would be stopped now. It was too late for that.

"You're goin' ta turn Truce upside down and search for anythin' suspicious. Don't leave one bloody stone unturned." Kidd's voice as she pointed onto a large group of pirates was loud but hoarse, probably due to having shouted through the rain for too long already. Eve regarded her face with a pang of worry. Kidd looked tired, but desperation flared in her eyes. She would go to her limits and beyond. Eve envied her strong resolution, promising to herself that she would do everything she could to help her.

"Aye!", came the eager answer from her fellow pirates and without another order given to them, they jumped off the ship, swarming out towards Truce village. It was important for them to find something, anything, that would serve as proof against Viper. They would only stop him, but couldn't try him. Kidd intended to hand this task over to the Guardian Court, for Guardia was the deepest one involved with all this at the time.

"Will zey find somet'ing?", Harle, who stood right beside Kidd, asked. Kidd took another quick look at the map she held in front of her, confirming her suspicions once more. One of the crosses on the map was on Truce Village, there had to be something there.

"They'll have ta.", Kidd said grimly, rolling the map up to return it to its place at her belt. "As for ya three.", she said and regarded Clair, Eve and Riddel who had followed them onto the deck. Kidd couldn't help but smile weakly at the resolve each of them showed. "Help me save the queen or I swear I'll have ta kick yer sorry arses so hard you'll kiss the moons!"

Eve was the first to laugh at that, closely followed by Clair, and eventually by Riddel, albeit weakly. Eve, who stood in the middle, quickly took the hands of the women to her side and raised them high into the air.

"Aye!", the three of them shouted, and even though she felt guilty to feel that way, Riddel had to smile.

"Zey learn trés rapide, non?", Harle commented and smirked, leaning against Kidd. Kidd grinned in response, for a few moments masking her tired and worried expression.

"Let's go then!", she shouted, and was ready to leap forward when a firm grip on her shoulder halted her. She turned to see it was the captain.

"And ya think it's awright fer ya ta leave me alone on this ship with only three bloody weaklings?", he asked laughingly, pointing towards the three men who stood beside him. Aside from them no one was left.

"Aw, don't ya worry. Three pirates are enough ta fire three cannons, right?", Kidd answered, causing the captain to laugh even harder. "See ya."

Without another word, she took Harle's hand and both of them jumped off the ship and onto the harbour in unison, closely followed by Clair, Eve and Riddel, who did the same, only with slightly less elegance.

They dashed across the harbour, Kidd occasionally looking back to see if everyone was still following. They had to hurry, even though Kidd was well aware that Riddel's condition wouldn't allow her to run all the way to the castle.

---

"Three hours, understood?", Viper asked, hardly waiting for an answer as he distanced himself from Luccia.

"Understood.", Luccia confirmed, not without a hint of stubbornness. The dragon beside her grunted, lying down on the wet grass beneath him. They were in a clearing not too far from the castle, a spot well enough hidden from the rest of the forest to not be seen easily, but not covered too much to not be able to see the path that ultimately lead to the castle's entrance. It didn't matter much however, for night would fall soon, and no one was suited better for the night than them.

"Don't mess this up, Luccia.", Viper added, for some reason not quite satisfied with the answer he had received. "You are nothing without me." His voice was hard and dangerous, and Luccia mused on how well he would like it if she just killed him right here, if just for having said that. But he was right, she couldn't. As long as she didn't have what she wanted, she couldn't afford to lose him.

"Of course.", came the short reply from Luccia. She disliked talking to him, who couldn't care less about what she said. She just wanted him to leave her alone with her creations.

She heard his footsteps growing quieter and watched him leave from the corner of her eye, his black coat blending into the darkness perfectly, making him almost invisible. Her own black and white outfit stood out more, but that was as much expected as wanted. After Viper had gotten out of sight, Luccia leaned against a tree and exhaled softly, closing her eyes. Just a bit more…only a few hours and the worst would be over with. She couldn't stand the thought of being near him any longer.

She heard the rustle of steps nearby, and moved her head in the direction the sound came from. "Sit down.", she said without opening her eyes, listening to the sounds indicating that Jack had sit down. He didn't mind the wetness of the ground, as she expected him to. He didn't seem to mind much at all.

She listened to the dragon, whose breathing was calm and even, telling her that he wouldn't cause any trouble just yet. Luccia knew he wanted to, but just like her, he couldn't just do as he pleased. He was just as much in shackles as she herself was. Unable to free himself. She almost felt sorry. She sometimes wondered what Viper's shackles looked like, wondered how strong they were. After all, there wasn't much that was able to restrain him.

"Once they're here, what will we do with them?", Jack asked, his voice sinister and his lips curling into an ugly, wicked grin. Luccia preferred not to look at him.

"We will stop them.", she answered simply but truthfully. After all, it was what they were here for. To stop them for three hours.

"Stop them…how?" Jack asked with a mock innocent voice, his grin widening as he took out two of his throwing knives, moving the blades across each other as if to whet them. They reflected the moonlight as clearly as glass. The blades made an irritating sound Luccia found hard to ignore.

The dose seemed to be losing effect, but it was no use to worry over this now. It just had to wait until this was over. Everything had to wait until this was over. She hated waiting, it only intensified the feeling of not having what she wished for.

"We will not kill them.", Luccia said in a low voice, eyeing Jack whose smile fell at her words.

"How very…kind of you. Such mercy.", he commented sarcastically, looking at Luccia with eyes that revealed more knowledge than she wanted him to possess.

Remarks like these made Luccia want to crush him, they let her see the utter lack of power over him. It made her want to cover his body with bleeding cuts just before dissecting him into a hundred shreds of failed humanity. She knew she would never do it, but she couldn't keep these thoughts from crossing her mind. She almost invited them, even. She was that ugly.

Still, something had gone wrong after all, but she would fix this, eventually. Once this was over, she certainly would. She was completely in control and wouldn't lose the same in front of what could only be described as her creation. All the alterations he had gone through at her hands made him her property. And yet, he wasn't what he should be.

Despite being an undeniable improvement, he still wasn't what she wanted. He was better than the current dragon, who observed them in a miserable attempt of feigned ignorance, but still not good enough. He still bore too many imperfections. She wasn't there yet.

The dragon snorted, and Luccia knew he was laughing at them. He was enjoying the pathetic struggle of power between them, and Luccia could hear his quickened breathing clearly.

She was completely in control. She was.

---

"I think…we should take a break.", Clair was the first to suggest, her voice hesitant, knowing full well the answer she was about to receive.

They had entered a forest not too long ago, and even though she knew it was full moon, it was eerily dark, the high trees preventing the pale light to reach the ground in full splendour.

"No breaks, we're almost there.", Kidd answered, trying not to sound too harsh. There was absolutely no time for breaks, every passing minute could mean it was already too late. They had wasted so much time already, the fierce weather having already consumed so much of their time. She quickened her pace unconsciously, and while Harle had no trouble keeping up with her, the distance between them and the other three women grew. The ground was muddy and squashy under their steps, even though the rain had stopped about an hour ago.

Eve and Clair walked intentionally slowly, each having one of Riddel's arms on their shoulders to offer support to the slightly panting woman in the middle.

Riddel had sprained her ankle on the way, and having used a Recover element in her already weak condition, was now tired out and hardly able to walk on her own.

"But-", Clair tried to protest, but was silenced by the look Riddel gave her.

"I'm fine…I'm truly sorry to cause you such trouble.", she spoke between quick breaths. In truth she felt terrible, but she wouldn't allow herself to say so. She was already more than enough of a burden to people who owed her nothing, but still went out of their way to help her.

"Just…hold out a little longer, alright? We'll get you to the castle in no time, and get you back into top shape!", Eve said encouragingly and laughed gently, earning an appreciative glance from Clair. Riddel's face lit up slightly, and Eve hoped it would be enough to last until they had reached the castle.

"Thank you.", Riddel breathed, trying to ignore the sting this dealt to her pride, being practically carried like this. She felt useless and undeserving, and hoped the others didn't care.

They continued on in silence, each of them having their own reason for not speaking, may it be fatigue, worry or simply a lack of an appropriate topic, which was hard to find concerning their grim situation. The forest continued to get darker the further they went, and for a moment Clair wondered if they were heading the wrong way. After all, she had seen the tip of the castle even before they had entered the forest, surely it couldn't be that far.

"Here's the path leading ta the castle. We're almost there.", Kidd said eventually, turning around to wait for the others to reach her. "Can ya manage a little more?", she asked, her previously hard features softening at the sight of Riddel's tired face that was covered with a thin layer of sweat and slightly red underneath. Kidd assumed she had a fever as well, ordinary fatigue alone didn't look like this.

Riddel nodded in response. "Yes, I will be fine." With another look at Eve and Clair, she started walking again, but was soon stopped by an all too familiar voice.

"Why don't you rest a little bit? There is still plenty of time until the fireworks start."

Kidd was the first to spot her, seeing Luccia stand a few metres to her right. She immediately unsheathed her dagger and together with Harle, stood protectively in front of Clair, Eve and Riddel, who with the exception of Riddel had also taken out their weapons.

It was almost too dark to see her, but as she stepped out of the shadow of what they had assumed to be a rock, they saw Luccia wasn't alone. Both the dragon and Jack stood to her sides, the latter bearing a sickening grin on his otherwise handsome features.

"Luccia.", Kidd growled, her eyes darting from one enemy to the other, trying to analyze which one of them would pose the greatest threat. To her surprise, the dragon seemed to be the most harmless one. "Ya'd do better not standin' in our way! Let us through, now!", she shouted fiercely.

Kidd should have expected them to appear, but that didn't mean she had the time to deal with them now. Luccia being here could only mean that Viper was already at the castle. Maybe it was already too late. She didn't want to think about this possibility.

"I'm afraid I can't do that.", Luccia answered and allowed herself to smile. She wouldn't mess this up, for sure.

Kidd grunted at that, taking in her environment. With things standing like this, she didn't have a chance of reaching the castle in time. There was only one way.

With a start she dashed along the path that lead out of the forest, Harle closely following her. They only had to get out of this forest, and they would be almost there. Just a little bit more…

"Sorry ladies.", a sudden voice halted them, and they saw Jack standing before them, blocking their way with obvious satisfaction. "I can't let you through here." In his hands he held several throwing knives, and Harle prepared her cards, knowing she was at a disadvantage.

"Stop this, Jack! Let us through!", Kidd barked, losing her already short patience. However, Jack just smiled at her outburst, shrugging.

"Juzt what did you do wit' him, Luccia?", Harle asked, trying to keep her voice even despite the rush of fear she felt at the sight of Jack. Was he still too strong for her?

Luccia laughed at the question, a dark and hollow laugh, devoid of emotion. She averted her eyes from where she had fixed them on Riddel and saw Jack successfully driving Kidd and Harle backwards by walking towards them, until the five of them stood in a circle.

"I just gave him what he wanted, and he does me a favour in return.", she answered.

"What he…wanted? What waz zat?", Harle inquired, not satisfied with Luccia's answer. But her question only caused Luccia to laugh once more.

"Isn't it obvious? He was weak and sought for power. I gave him this power.", Luccia explained. It was almost the truth. Aside from enhancing his physical abilities, she didn't do that much. She didn't even mess with his mind, aside from injecting a few doses of drugs every now and then, to keep him from getting too self-absorbed with his newfound powers, and ending up ungrateful.

To do that, she simply had to lower his brain activity, practically shutting out possibly distracting thoughts and his unwanted will. However, once the paralyzing drugs wore off, the suppressed functions would come back with full force. Which was just one more reason to keep him under the influence of drugs all the time from now on, regardless of side effects.

"Well, if it's like this…", Kidd hissed, readying herself to attack Jack without holding back. She was ready to launch when Harle gripped her arm, stopping her.

"Not yet…", Harle breathed, only for Kidd to hear. Kidd didn't particularly like the idea, but tried to hold herself back. Her gaze shifted to Riddel, who stared at Luccia, unable to bring out a word, and Eve and Clair, who seemed too busy concentrating on how to protect her from possible attacks.

"It seems you don't appreciate Jack the way he is now. I wonder how you would like to see him in a more respectable form?", Luccia asked, drawing the straying looks onto herself once more.

"Whaddaya mean?", Kidd snapped, speaking for everyone. Her glances darted between Jack and Luccia, trying to be ready for any surprise attacks. When her eyes met Luccia's, she was greeted with a self-confident smile.

"I think he would look much better…as a dragon.", Luccia said darkly, snapping her fingers, which caused the dragon behind her to rise to its full height. His yellow eyes gleamed and he roared as he clawed his paws into the ground before him.

Kidd could see Harle trembling at its sight, and the shriek she heard shortly afterward confirmed her suspicions that Riddel did not know about this dragon, that this was the first time for her to see such a thing.

Her eyes were wide and she screamed at the top of her lungs, almost surpassing the dragon's roar, which ceased soon after. Eve and Clair stood in front of Riddel, their weapons held defensively.

Seeing Harle's increasing doubts, Kidd decided to voice the question among them. "What is this thing, Luccia!"

However, Luccia didn't look at Kidd, instead marvelling at the scared expression on Harle's face, enjoying every second of it. It was an expression that showed how hard she tried not to be afraid, but failing due to the sheer similarity to the Black Dragon God she knew and killed. Luccia was well aware that Harle knew this dragon not to be a Dragon God, but still enjoyed the thought of killing her by the hands of this dragon.

"It's a robot, isn't it?", Kidd asked further, taking another look at the dragon's spread wings. It had to be a robot, there was no other way.

"A robot? I expected you to say that.", Luccia said coolly. "Having been raised by the great inventor Lucca, I expected nothing else. However, I am not Lucca, and therefore, the dragon isn't a robot. Mechanics are hardly my field of expertise." A small superior smile began to form on Luccia's lips as she said this, taking in the look of disbelief on Kidd's face, and the increasing fear on Harle's.

"You're bloody lying! This ain't a Dragon God, and except of 'em, there are no dragons!", Kidd shouted angrily.

"Oh?", Luccia asked, feigning surprise. "You must know something I don't, then." She went over to the dragon and took out one of her throwing cards. Her cards were slightly larger than Harle's, and while this increased the attack range and ultimate width of the wound, she knew it was a disadvantage regarding environmental changes such as wind, or rain. The rain had just picked up again, but nobody seemed to notice, for their clothes were already wet from the rain shower earlier.

Luccia saw the others tightening their grip on their weapons as they saw her drawn card, but Luccia didn't mind. She walked the few steps which parted her from the dragon, and stopped beside his right paw. He growled as he saw her approach, but stayed in place as if bound by an invisible chain.

With a speed that seemed surprising for a scientist fairly unaccustomed to battling, she slashed through the scaly and leathery skin of the dragon, and caused a long red line to appear. The dragon roared in pain, but didn't lift his paw.

Luccia smiled at that, she had half expected the dragon to kill her on the spot. She still waited for the day he would. She held the card she had just slashed the dragon with in front of her face, and the moonlight highlighted the dark fluid that dropped from its edge. It was blood.

"Does a robot have blood, I wonder?", Luccia asked provocatively.

Clair had heard enough. She didn't understand much of what was going on, but she wasn't about to stand around, playing her little role of a support character in expected silence.

"Tell us, then! We don't have all night!", she shouted, startling Eve and Riddel, who stopped her uneven breathing and sniffling for a few seconds.

Luccia turned to look at Clair, a rather bored expression on her face. "A rude one, are you not?", she asked. "I told you, it is a dragon. Made from flesh and blood as you can see." She motioned for Jack to come to her, and he obeyed, his wicked smile still plastered on his face.

By the time he arrived at her side, Luccia had already taken a rather small box about the size of her palm out of one of her various pockets. At first the box seemed to be made from metal, but as Harle saw how little it reflected the moonlight and how rough its surface seemed to be, she knew it must be made from stone. She wondered what kind of thing would have to be stored in stone.

"Now, Harle.", Luccia almost hissed, and as she looked up from where her eyes had regarded the box, her eyes had changed. Her former calm facade had crumbled, and her eyes were filled with utter hatred and disgust. Harle knew it was aimed at herself, and shirked back unconsciously. Luccia seemed about to let go. Her eyes were mere slits, her lips curled up in a grimace of hatred. Harle should have known all along, yet she hadn't.

"I don't think you have any idea how much I would like to see you dead." Luccia spoke slowly, deliberately, seemingly enjoying every second of it.

She could see Harle stare back at her, her body motionless, while both Kidd and Clair looked all too eager to attack.

"But how to do that?", Luccia continued unimpressed. She then opened the box and even before it was fully opened Harle could see the light emanating from it. Calmly, Luccia took the contents out of the box.

It glowed strongly, in a tone too bright to be called crimson but too dark to be called pink. Luccia held it in one outstretched hand, for everyone to see. It was pulsating as if alive, contracting and relaxing in a steady rhythm, its glow like shockwaves radiating from its pulse. It was shaped like a heart.

"Wha…what's this?", Kidd asked, growing more and more annoyed at not knowing anything, but also having difficulties to hide her growing intimidation. Luccia seemed have one ace after another up her sleeve, and Kidd wasn't sure if she wanted to know how many there were left.

"Ze Blazing Heart…le cœur en feu…", Harle whispered, too entranced by the relic to tear her eyes from it.

Luccia's smile widened at that, impressed. But as she looked into the puzzled faces of the others, she knew she would have to explain. It mattered little. It was her task to keep them away for only a little longer, and if she could achieve this without too much unnecessary bloodshed, all the better. She knew they wouldn't dare to be the first to attack from the way things stood. They had been unable to beat the dragon or Jack so far, and they wouldn't be able to do so now, either.

"The Blazing Heart, one of the three ancient relics of life that are said to harbour unbelievable powers. Only two of them remain, for the Frozen Flame is no more. This...", she stretched her arm a little more towards them for emphasis, "holds the power to shape life." Luccia explained, seeing comprehension slowly fill her enemies' eyes. "The power to found life into the very shapes you imagine."

Everyone had gone silent, and Luccia took pleasure in regarding every awe-struck face but halted upon the sight of Riddel. She still stood, albeit weakly, with support of two women, but her face was so pale Luccia guessed she would faint soon. It didn't bother her, as long as she was awake by the time it mattered. After all, Riddel was the spectator she had so longed to have. Luccia would show her the full scale of her greatness, and have her regret the day she had ever turned her back on her.

"Now that we have all assembled here to learn this, it would be a waste not to have you attend to a little experiment.", Luccia spoke, taking a slim test-tube out of another pocket, presenting it to her audience. It was filled with blood.

"Now, you might think this is ordinary blood, but I beg to differ. This is the blood of a Dragon Goddess." Luccia laughed evilly as she said this, taking in the most expected shocked stares. They were so easily impressed.

"Bloody bitch!", Kidd roared, unable to contain herself any longer. The thought of what she might have done to Harle scared her. Her look eventually fell on Harle beside her. Harle's whole body trembled, and she regarded the back of her hand in shock and wonder. She finally moved her head upwards to regard Luccia, her mouth opening to speak but failing to do so. She hadn't realized what this sting on her hand meant, and now regretted it that she had been so foolish as to believe in insects or the like. The thought of someone having taken made her shiver, and she was afraid to think of what else they could have done to her.

"Now, now, it's not yet time to be upset, for nothing has happened yet. However, we are about to see the result of blending dragon blood with the depraved soul of this young man.", Luccia announced in a low voice, and upon regarding the still glowing relic in her hand, caused it to flicker and blaze as if oil had been added to its fire.

"Oh no you won't!", Kidd shouted and broke the group's lethargy as she dashed towards Luccia, intent to take the cursed relic from her. Her eyes fixed on the bright item in the scientist's hand, but failed to notice the dragon's eerily fast movements until his paw struck her in the stomach, causing her to fly backwards.

"Kidd!", Eve shouted, and in synchrony with Clair, prepared another attack. However, Jack blocked their way and with two powerful arms grabbed their wrists to hurl them backwards.

Now with both the dragon and Jack occupied, Harle took the chance and attacked Luccia, but to her own surprise her attacks were weak and empty of the will to win. She flung her cards aimlessly in the rough direction of Luccia, who had hardly trouble to dodge them. Harle could hear her egocentric laughter. She tried harder to concentrate and attack more seriously, but her limps hardly obeyed her command. She was weak.

Luccia looked at Harle with amusement. So her drug still worked, with was surprising considering the amount of time that had passed. It was an unexpected turn of events, even though she knew that it wouldn't last much longer. Once Harle found out how the drug worked, it would lose its effect even faster. It didn't bother Luccia, however.

"Give moi…ze relic.", Harle said as dangerously as she could, but knew her weak stance and confusion made it hardly believable.

Luccia raised her brow at this demand, and shifted her glance to Jack. "Take care of this for a while.", she said and threw the relic over the short distance to Jack, who caught it effortlessly. Without another word, he ran away, leaving Eve and Clair who were still lying on the ground to stare after him.

She absolutely wouldn't let this happen. Heedless of her unusually weak constitution, she brought her legs with relatively small effort to break into a run, and followed him. Kidd, who had just scrambled to her feet cursed at the sight, her eyes darting between the path to the castle and the route Harle and Jack had taken. The directions were complete opposites.

They had already lost so much time, and yet, Kidd had made a promise as well. She knew how scared Harle still was of Jack. Kidd had promised not to leave Harle alone again, promised not to let anyone hurt her again.

She shook her head. It wasn't the time to think but to act, and Kidd decided to run after Harle. As she passed Eve and Clair, she raised her arm behind her to point at the castle. "Hurry!", was all she managed to shout in the short time before she had vanished in the woods.

Eve only had the time to nod and as quickly as her new bruises allowed, got up to her feet and helped Clair do the same. However, as they were about to run, Luccia snapped her fingers once more and the dragon turned to face the women without protest.

"Kill them.", Luccia said coldly. She wouldn't have them get to the castle, not just yet. There was still some time left to fill, and while she knew that the dragon would probably be unable to kill them as she ordered, he would beat them down enough for them to have to crawl their way to the castle afterwards, if they so insisted.

The dragon snorted and grunted, and lifted his paw to strike Eve and Clair, who looked at their nemesis in fear. Clair closed her eyes, cursing her weakness. It was no use to even try to stand up against this thing. Her wooden rod was all but utterly useless against the thick skin of the dragon, it wouldn't even tickle him. As for Eve…her sword might be useful, but even then Clair knew this was no old fairy tale where knights with shining swords had still been able to fight the greatest of beasts all on their own. They just didn't have a chance, at all. They should have had better run away when they still had got the time. But it was too late now. They had lost. After all, they hadn't been able to do anything at all.

Clair reached for Eve's hand. If she were to die, she wanted it to be hand in hand with the one who meant the world to her. She wished she had had more time to talk to her, more time to enjoy with her. But wasn't it always like this?

Clair felt the hand beneath hers tremble, letting her know the dragon's paw was about to crush them. It would be quick, the dragon would be strong enough to kill them both with this one hit. They wouldn't have to suffer for long.

"No!" The voice that suddenly reached their ears instead of the anticipated sound of their own breaking bones sounded familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, being too loud and high-pitched for Clair to recognize immediately. She opened her eyes slowly, her vision blurry with sparkling dots from having shut her eyes too tightly. A few moments passed until she saw a slim form in front of them, and heard exhausted breathing. It was Riddel, standing in before them with outstretched arms that began to tremble with the effort of holding them up.

A few seconds more passed until Clair dared to look up to the dragon still towering above them, balancing his weight on his hind legs, his paw in midair as if time had stopped. He looked confused at the sudden turn of events.

Riddel didn't mind him as she turned her head to the side. "Run!", she hissed in a low voice, only for Clair and Eve to hear. "Hurry to the castle."

It was obvious what Riddel was planning, but Clair opened her mouth to protest. There was no way they could leave her alone with that dragon and this mad woman. However, before any words had the chance to leave her mouth, Eve tugged harshly at her hand as she broke into a run, forcing Clair to follow.

Clair didn't have the time to turn back and look at Riddel, trying to keep up with the pace Eve was setting. She couldn't hear any sounds behind her. No footsteps that indicated someone following them, no trample of the dragon. Nothing at all. She hoped Riddel was alright, because despite everything she might have said to her, she knew Riddel was just the victim of all this. They all were.

Back in the forest, Riddel panted, hating the feeling of sweat on her forehead, dreading to run into her eyes along with the rain she had finally noticed was falling. She had been exhausted by the time she had gotten here, but now exhausted was hardly enough to describe how she felt. Every inch of her body hurt and she could hardly stand on her own. She had clearly overdid it with a healing element that had drained her stamina almost completely. But then, she had had very little idea of what she was about to be confronted with, physically and emotionally.

'Nothing less from someone who sits in front of a window all day long.', she thought sarcastically, loathing the fact that she was so weak just because of a little running around and a twisted ankle. It was pathetic. She was getting dizzy too. Maybe she could blame it on the shock rather than her pitiful condition. At least this.

She looked up at the dragon, who by now had retreated its paw, seemingly awaiting new orders from Luccia, who was silent however. Riddel stared at her expressionless face as she weakly hobbled to a nearby tree to lean against. She finally reached one, letting out a sigh as she leaned her back against it. It felt good. Not quite as good as knowing to have finally done something useful for a change, but good nonetheless. Good for someone as weak and pathtic as herself.

"You are quite brave. Just minutes ago you screamed in fear of him.", Luccia remarked, moving to stand only two or three metres in front of Riddel. She shook her head in direction of the dragon, seeing that he had calmed down.

He had done a good enough job. At least twenty minutes must have passed, and for her to keep them away from the castle for such a long time without anyone getting seriously hurt was quite an achievement in itself. She was glad she had been able to lure them away, it had become hard to watch them. There were such a burden to look at and too noisy, getting far too upset about that little bluff of hers. They were so silly it was almost pitiable, if it weren't for them to be the last ones deserving pity.

"You wouldn't kill me, Luccia.", Riddel answered angrily, staring at the rain-soaked woman in front of her. What had gotten into her to do all this, how could she? But still, she was as much angry with herself than she was with Luccia.

Luccia smiled. She never tired of the way Riddel pronounced her name, caressing each letter in her own unique way even in anger. "You seem to be quite sure about that. Or is it rather that you do not care about living or dying anymore?"

Riddel returned the smile. "Why should I? Everyone keeps telling me my father is the biggest bastard on this planet, I have to depend on pirates and traitors, and in front of me is a person I thought I knew but don't recognize.", she answered and shrugged. "I was scared senseless by that pet of yours and I feel terrible on top of that." Riddel laughed at that, a rather hollow laugh that held no emotion. Luccia was surprised to hear her talk like this. She had expected to see the weak and depending girl she knew, but found a stronger person in front of her, a person who hadn't broken down in tears as she had expected her to, instead making wry jokes about her situation. It was…enticing.

"Where is my father, Luccia?", Riddel asked after a few moments of silence, her voice serious.

Luccia averted her eyes for a moment to look in direction of the castle, and as her eyes met Riddel's again, they had changed. They didn't exactly look sad, but they contained a hint of confusion Riddel found hard to look at.

"He is somewhere far away. Way beyond your reach. As am I.", Luccia answered and broke the eye contact for a few moments. "The soul, that is. His body you may find somewhere in the castle, hidden in the shadows."

"Don't say something like that, Luccia. You're right here, aren't you? Your soul too.", Riddel said with a gentleness Luccia found disturbing. It made her want to do things she had suppressed for too long to release again. She had turned her back to Riddel once, and it was too late to face her with the same openness again. She couldn't do it anymore. She wished Riddel would just stop being nice and start to think about the kind of person she really was. Was she still so naïve?

"No, it is not. But I am grateful for it. I would never have made it this far being the person I used to be. Doubts, regrets and a nagging conscience tend to hold you back too much to be able to do everything.", Luccia said, absent-mindedly putting away the cards she had been holding all the time. She wouldn't need them anymore. Riddel posed no threat to her, and she knew she would rather cut her wrists than use her cards against this woman. After all, it probably wasn't her fault for being so slow and naïve.

"What is 'everything'? Helping my father do whatever he does?", Riddel asked, her voice growing slightly weaker at the end. She was too tired to worry about falling unconscious now, but she knew it wouldn't be long.

Luccia grimaced at the accusation. As if it could be anyone's goal to support this man. "Your father is a very foolish man, Riddel.", she said, granting herself the pleasure of speaking that name. "Even though his plans have continuously been destroyed one by one, he refuses to give up."

"I know someone who is just like that.", Riddel said and a hint of a grin spread on her lips, but quickly vanished. Luccia was probably right about her father. She still didn't like to think about it. It was so unreal. She still remembered his strong yet gentle arms when he hugged her, his concern for her whatever she did. But she had also come to terms with what she was likely to find upon meeting her father.

"How…how many people are you planning to kill with this thing?", she asked after another pause. She tilted her head towards the dragon to emphasize.

Luccia frowned at this question, almost looking as if insulted. "You got me all wrong, Riddel." Again this name that had caused her so much pain. "I am not like him. My creation is not intended to kill but one person, nothing more. There are not that many people I would enjoy to see dead."

"You mean Harle, don't you?", Riddel asked. She had noticed the fierce looks Luccia had shot Harle, even though she didn't know of the history between them. "Can't you…let it go?" It was a silly question, but one Riddel found important to ask. She could see Luccia was angry, that she must have suppressed her hatred for Harle for quite some time, but still…she knew that she could never bear seeing Luccia do such a thing. And she was also afraid, because she knew that even something horrible like this would be unable to stop these feelings of her.

Riddel leaned her head back against the damp tree, her feet slipping on the muddy ground, almost making her fall. The rain had soaked the ground and everything else completely, and Riddel knew the temperatures had to be dropping despite her almost numb skin not recognizing this. As she looked up from her dirty shoes again, she saw that Luccia had gotten closer. Maybe she had stepped forward in case she was about to fall. The thought made her smile.

The tree she was leaning on smelled intense. Pure nature, so unlike the dry and dusty air in her rooms. Riddel suddenly felt like a runaway kid, enjoying the freedom of nature, even enjoying the cold rain on her feverish skin. The only difference was that she didn't have a home to return to once she got bored of being a rebel. There was nowhere to go but forward.

"This dragon.", Luccia said, interrupting Riddel's thoughts. "He has suffered for quite some time now, for Harle has escaped his claws so far." She shot an accusing glance at the dragon, for she knew the dragon didn't want to kill anyone, even though he was more than able to do so with little effort.

"The imperfections of his body hurt him every minute, every second he is awake." Luccia pointed at his wings, which were strengthened with metal. "Wouldn't it be terrible to have him suffer so much in vain? He was designed to kill her, bore so much pain to kill her. Should all this go to waste?", Luccia asked, her eyes boring into Riddel. "Isn't it far too late already?"

"Why do you let him suffer, then?", Riddel asked and looked at the dragon, but gasped as she saw an expression of gratefulness on his features.

"That was my fault, I have to admit. I didn't make him perfect, but I will on my next try. Once I created the perfect dragon, I will release him of his pain.", Luccia said in honesty. She was still angry with herself that her first dragon had turned out like this. The usage of the Blazing Heart was all about imagination. A soul was needed, and a creature of flesh and bone, but most of all, she needed to imagine. She should have pushed the images of her earlier failures out of her mind. This time, she would think of strong wings, not the ones she had used to try to create. It was silly how little control people had over their own minds sometimes.

"On your next try? Do you really want to create another monster like this?", Riddel asked, her voice considerably louder than before. The growl she received from the dragon made her gasp again, and she stared at him in disbelief. "Just what…is he?"

Luccia frowned at Riddel's outburst. A monster, she called it. How could she not appreciate a creation like this?

"He is the result of an intelligent soul and a strong body, melted together.", Luccia explained, but saw only confusion and shock written all over the other woman's face. "This is how this relic works. A soul and a body are like water and sand. Each of them alone cannot be shaped, they always stay the way they are. Bringing these two together is what the Blazing Heart does, fusing them together beyond separation."

"You…you're saying this dragon has a human soul?", Riddel asked in shock as this realization hit her. Her features stiffened, leaving no trace of the fatigue she had felt only seconds earlier.

Luccia smiled. Finally Riddel began to understand. "Yes, a human soul. The soul of a soldier, in fact. But you have to wonder about soldier these days, they are so emotional, feeling pity and mercy when they are supposed to fight. Look at him, does he look even remotely aggressive? No, he looks just like a pet. This soul was useless.", Luccia said while pointing at the dragon and laughed. At the sound of her laughter, the dragon looked almost frightened and Riddel had trouble to think clearly.

"How…how could you! How could you do something like this to a human?", she then shouted at Luccia, on the verge of tears. She was terrible, treating life as if it was her personal plaything. And yet, Riddel still couldn't despise her.

"How could I? Well, I needed one soul or the other to kill that woman in a way she truly deserved to die. Ordinary means wouldn't have sufficed, for what she has done. I could have killed her many times, but not a single one would have satisfied me.", Luccia said, her voice growing louder. She knew she was getting angry and took a deep breath. There was no use in shouting, not to Riddel, for she would patiently listen either way. She didn't seem to be in any condition to escape.

"You should try to see it from another point of view. I granted him another life, and even though he might not like it, isn't it still better than death?", she asked, smiling unusually broadly. "This relic can save people's life, Riddel." She wasn't even lying, but she knew as well that the Blazing Heart would probably never be used with this intent. If it was to ever be used again. She doubted she would hold it in her hands again, she was sure Jack would mess it up one way or another. It wasn't her responsibility anymore, and she cared awfully little about what happened to this invaluable relic many people have sought over the decades. Riddel had already showed her well enough how little she cared for all this. She had lost, and as if it had been clear right from the start, Luccia had to fight the urge of laughing about this fact. At the very least she didn't have anything to lose anymore, now.

"Death?", Riddel asked in a whisper, and would have retreated a few steps if it hadn't been for the fact that she was leaning against a tree. "Do you mean that soldier…was dead?"

Upon that question, Luccia nodded eagerly. "Unfortunately so. They brought him to me to treat his wounds, but it had been too late at the time. He passed away soon after, and I decided to use him in this experiment."

Riddel's eyes went wide. Could she really believe such a thing? Such a fantastic story about life and death that even a child would have trouble believing. It was impossible, and yet the way the dragon looked at her…it was too hard not to think there was a human soul beneath this thick scaly skin.

"What…was his name?", Riddel asked and looked at the dragon, as if he would answer her instead of Luccia. "We should at least call him by his name."

Luccia raised her eyebrows at the question, once again impressed at Riddel's seemingly endless source of caring.

"I believe his name was…Heilel.", Luccia responded after a few moments of thinking.

"A strange name, Heilel.", Riddel whispered and was tempted to walk over to the dragon to touch him. She wasn't afraid of him anymore. She just felt pity for him.

Riddel closed her eyes for a few moments, feeling the need to shut it all out to think clearly for a moment, to sort all this information she has been given, and to deal with it. It was hard, and her tiredness threatened to gain the upper hand in her still ongoing struggle.

As she finally opened her eyes again, she saw Luccia still standing in the same place in front of her, her hair every bit as wet as before. She looked serious.

"About your next try…you want to use Jack's soul…and Harle's blood? That's not enough, is it?", she asked weakly, trying to keep her eyes open, even though it didn't make much of a difference, seeing how dark it was. But still, she had to see those eyes, her eyes.

Luccia nodded in response, and her face lit up for a reason Riddel didn't understand. "Yes, there is still a body missing, but there are many strong beasts around, it wouldn't have taken me long to find a fitting one." There she went. She just couldn't give it up, this useless talk about science that mattered so little anymore.

Riddel grimaced at Luccia's offhand way to talk about this as if it was nothing. "You would have…taken his soul even though he wasn't dead?", she asked. She didn't approve of taking souls of dead people either, Luccia didn't care about what they wanted. But to take a soul from someone who was still alive…it seemed even more cruel. Taking away your body to replace it with a nightmare.

She continued to watch Luccia, waiting for a response, but she got none. Instead, Luccia's features showed clear disappointment. Riddel couldn't believe she was in this forest, like this, having this kind of conversation. It was almost too much for her.

"Stop this, Luccia.", Riddel finally said, feeling relieved at having spoken those three words at last. 'Stop this'. It was the only way left for them.

"Stop?", Luccia asked, stepping closer to Riddel.

"Yes, stop. With all of this. Stop working for my father, stop trying to kill Harle, and stop doing these experiments. Just…stop.", Riddel said, and couldn't suppress the tears that leaked from her eyes. She didn't wipe them away, Luccia wouldn't be able to tell them apart from raindrops at this distance anyway.

Luccia's expression crumbled at this request, but was quickly replaced by a look of fake amusement. "Do you realize what you are asking of me? You are asking me to give up my whole life at your request, everything I have worked on these last ten years." She laughed to emphasize the ridiculousness of all this, but soon couldn't bring herself to laugh anymore. Ten years. A whole third of her life, and this woman was asking her to throw it away? It was impossible. She knew she had given up already, but that didn't equal stopping all this in its entirety. She couldn't do this.

But still, looking at Riddel's pained expression made her want to do anything to make her smile again, but she knew it was not in her power to do so. She couldn't let herself be swayed, again. She doubted she would survive being betrayed a second time.

"I realize this. That's why I want you to stop. You can't go on like this.", Riddel said, forcing her voice to stay even and not waver under Luccia's gaze.

Luccia shook her head and walked towards Riddel, pinning her against the tree with both of her hands at the sides of her head, and their bodies almost touching. She saw Riddel tremble but didn't draw away.

"You're naïve, Riddel. You make it sound so easy. But I can't go back now. It is far too late for that.", Luccia said, her voice starting out harsh but softening as she noticed Riddel's tears.

"Why? Why is it too late?", Riddel sobbed unwillingly, her tiredness and despair catching up with her with full force.

Luccia resisted the urge to wipe away the other woman's tears. "If I don't obey your father, he will kill me. He expects me to create a whole army of those dragons." It was impossible, for the Blazing Heart could only be used for a total of three times, but Viper did not now that. Luccia had planned to escape him once she had created the perfect dragon, which was a plan she was unlikely to execute regarding the current circumstances. But Riddel did not need to know that. It would prove her point well enough.

Luccia could see Riddel's eyes widen, but continued. "Also, I made a promise to someone. I promised her to take revenge for her. I promised I would kill her murderer and the murderer of her family. I couldn't live with myself if I were to break that promise."

"A promise…to whom?", Riddel asked, surprised at Luccia's unusual sad tone. She wanted to know who it was who could make Luccia sound like this.

"She was my friend, and also my mentor. She taught me many things. But then this girl…Harle killed her and her children." Luccia didn't know why she was telling Riddel all this, but the words came too fast and too easily for Luccia to stop them.

"You never told me.", Riddel breathed, unable to say any more. She wanted to scold Luccia for not telling her such things, but she was also scared. She wasn't sure if she could bear knowing all of Luccia's secrets. She was afraid that at one point she would fall into a dark hole, and lose the ability to go back to how it was. She wondered if that was the natural price of knowing someone completely.

"I only knew you for a few days.", Luccia said truthfully. How regrettable. They had grown so close in such a short amount of time, but it had been destroyed so quickly. Luccia had often wondered if she had gone too far that day. Maybe she should have just accepted it, and had tried to be glad for Riddel, instead of wishing her loved one dead. But just as it had always been, she had let the ugly side of her win. The only side that was capable of winning, probably.

"I'm sorry.", Riddel whispered. Her tears had dried but threatened to come forth again. All these years, she hadn't had anything to do except of mourning the loss of Dario and saddening her friends, the other Devas, with her depression. All this time she should have just gone to Luccia. It hadn't been so much as two hundred metres that separated her room from Luccia's workplace. Yet she hadn't gone, out of childish pride she should have had long outgrown of, out of anxiety to be rejected, out of fear what she would find. And also, deep down she had known Luccia hated Dario. She hadn't wanted to admit it to herself, but she had known that Dario had been the reason Luccia had walked away from her. She knew the reason of it know. And she wished things wouldn't have happened the way they had. She wished she had been able to keep Luccia from doing the wrong things.

"It was my fault. But you know now that I can't do what you ask of me.", Luccia said with a hint of regret in her voice. She tried to draw away, but Riddel's trembling hands on her arms stopped her.

"You must." Riddel's voice was faint, pleading. Luccia tried to tear her eyes from her, but found that she couldn't.

"What would change if I gave everything up?", Luccia asked. What would she gain if she was to throw her old life away?

"Everything!", Riddel cried, but knew that it would only really change one thing. It would wash the feelings of guilt away, which were sure to consume her heart if Luccia continued like this. She would forever feel guilty about her feelings for someone who wanted to kill people, for someone who wasn't able to see the faint borders of morality anymore. It was a selfish request after all. "You are not like this, Luccia! You have to stop this! Please…" She lost her struggle against the tears yet again, and banged her head against the hard wood behind her in frustration.

Luccia knew her resolve was almost shattered, she knew that she couldn't deny Riddel's wishes. She knew it all, but it was still so hard to accept. She hadn't wanted for any things she had done to happen. She had just stubbornly chosen the wrong path, thinking it would turn out to be the right one if she just continued long enough. She had always hoped, even though after suppressing her feelings long enough to completely ignore them she hadn't even needed hope. Once you have gone too far, you don't need a reason to continue, because continuing is the only way that is left.

"What makes you think I would give up so much just for your sake?", she asked and watched Riddel's eyes open, a new resolve blended into the other emotions she could see there. She felt as if she had asked herself this question, for she hadn't yet been able to grasp its intangible answer. She knew she was destroying her last wall of defence with this.

With a firm tug that stemmed from a power that Riddel hadn't thought still existed in her body, she pulled Luccia to her, closing the small distance between them. She buried her head in Luccia's stiff collar of the black and white jacket she wore, not daring to look into her eyes.

"Because you love me.", she whispered, her breath hot on Luccia's cold and wet skin. She kept still and listened to Luccia's breathing which had quickened notably. She had nothing to lose, so why was she afraid? It couldn't get any worse than what she had been through until now.

After a few minutes which had passed ever so slowly, Riddel finally looked up to Luccia, finding a face torn with pain and desire. "It's true, isn't it?", she asked quietly, her face depicting her hopefulness. However, the answer she received wasn't a "yes", an affirmative grunt or even a nod. It was something Riddel had never imagined to happen.

Within the blink of an eye, Luccia had crushed Riddel's slim form between the tree and her own body. Riddel gasped but Luccia didn't falter, intertwining her fingers with Riddel's smaller ones as she pressed her lips onto Riddel's. She marvelled once again at the softness of the other woman's lips, was intoxicated by their slightly salty taste. She let the wave of desire wash over her without resistance, giving in to her wishes, shutting out the dark thoughts long enough to take pleasure in the moment. She didn't care if it was wrong, or what she was about to do ten seconds, ten minutes from now. She only knew that this was something she would never regret, unlike so many other actions she had done. She wouldn't look back onto this and wish it had never happened.

Luccia's force was overwhelming for Riddel's tired body, and it needed all the willpower she could summon to stay conscious at this impact of physical and emotional sensations. She wasn't about to complain, though. After all she had brought this upon herself. She had challenged Luccia. A smile crossed her lips.

The kiss they shared was passionate and Riddel enjoyed the feeling of Luccia's wet form pressed tightly against hers. She enjoyed it, recapturing Luccia's lips every time they threatened to move away. Their lips danced and struggled, playing a fierce game of tug-of-war that needed no winner.

It was so different from the few kisses she had shared with Dario. Their kisses had been chaste and shy. Innocent just like their short relationship had been. She didn't regret this relationship that had made her so happy back then, but she didn't regret it being like this now either. She was different now. And she loved it. Loved the untamed desire that needed no gentle words to be expressed, only the touching of burning lips and the strong hold of the one she desired. Whether it was wrong or not.

She felt Luccia's possessive hands in her wet hair, pressing it against her head while keeping it in place as if in preparation for the unlikely case of Riddel turning it away.

When they broke the kiss, Riddel's breath came out in steamy puffs, misting Luccia's glasses shortly each time before dissolving in the cool air. Luccia's hair was probably as ruffled as her own, her cheeks were flushed and her lips glittering as much as her eyes. She was beautiful. Riddel couldn't withstand the temptation and leaned in to kiss her again. This time however, the kiss broke unexpectedly soon as Luccia grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from her.

"We can't.", Luccia breathed, hating herself for having let the dark thoughts back into her consciousness. Now it was too late to shut them out again.

Riddel, who had closed her eyes as she leaned her head against the tree behind her, opened them again with a smile that spoke volumes.

"We can…and we will.", she said, still out of breath. She was irrevocably lost in those eyes in front of her, and no matter what other people said, no matter what Luccia herself said, nothing would be able to change her feelings now. If she did something despicable by desiring this woman, then so be it. She didn't care.

"I'm sorry.", Luccia said as she cupped Riddel's flushed face with her trembling hands. "I…messed it up. Everything…" She gulped, as if suddenly realizing just what she had done. "I just…wanted you to look at me. That's why I did all this. I thought that maybe, if everyone would just recognize me for the scientist I am…you would too. I…wanted you back." After confessing this, Luccia couldn't bear to look at Riddel, for fear of the disgust she would find there.

To her surprise, instead of a gasp she heard a chuckle, and had to look up to make sure it really was Riddel in front of her. "One would think that, regarding our age, we would be wiser than this. But in reality we're worse off than kids. I guess that's because we missed ten years." Another laugh.

Riddel was shocked at herself for saying something like this and even laughing about it, but she knew it was her adrenaline high speaking, which had been the only thing that had kept her awake so far. Luccia simply stared at her in disbelief.

"How can you…laugh about this?", she asked, her voice unable to hide the spark of scepticism.

"I have no idea.", Riddel said, barely containing another laugh. "It's probably because I'm going to pass out in a few moments."

Despite knowing that, Luccia couldn't suppress a look of concern. She had no idea what to do once this happened.

"You changed me, Luccia. Ever since I first met you. I have had so much time to think over the past days, and I believe in you. It may be too late for Heilel, or Jack…but it may not be too late to stop the assassination of the queen. Your hands are not as stained as you think they are. Please use them to stop my father.", Riddel whispered, her voice losing its strength with every spoken word. She could see Luccia's inner struggle. She looked so helpless.

"You're so silly, Luccia. You changed me. Now please let me change you." She slowly lifted her right hand to stroke Luccia's cheek. She wanted to say so much more, wanted to do so much more, but she didn't find the strength. Her vision grew dark, and she couldn't say if it was due to her eyes closing or her brain refusing to work correctly. She didn't notice sagging into Luccia's arms as she passed out.

After a few moments of watching her in silence, she gathered Riddel up in her arms, and carried her over to where the dragon still stood calmly, his eyes watching her in a mixture of attentiveness and worry.

"Heilel.", she spoke slowly, her voice thick with guilt. "I promise to release you of your pain once this is over, but I have to ask you to do me a favour." She watched the dragon before her, for the first time looking at the real him, being fully aware of the human soul within him that understood her every word. For the first time treating him accordingly.

Heilel eyed her almost sceptically, and Luccia knew he was tempted to simply snort at her. But after a few moments of consideration, he spread out his left wing. He knew what she had been about to ask of him.

Luccia slowly walked under the shelter of his wing and carefully lay Riddel down onto the wet grass. She searched her pockets for some sort of healing element, but found none. As expected of a black innate. Black wasn't a colour of healing, it was the colour of destruction. Causing pain and suffering were all they were good for.

Instead of finding a useful element, her fingers touched the cold surface of the glass-tube containing the blood she had ordered Jack to take from Harle. She took it out of the pocket, and just the sight of it was disgusting and unbearable. Without another thought she crushed it in her palm, heedless of the blood covering her hand and the shards of glass piercing into her skin. She removed them one by one, then stepped out from under Heilel's wing into the rain. She turned to look at him.

"Thank you, Heilel.", she said, careful to call him by his name. It was the least she could do. "Please watch over her." She bowed before him, then turned to face the path that lay in front of her. The way to the castle wouldn't be long. She had to hurry.