Sanctuary

by Mauled2Death

Pushing onwards to see his fate through, TJ's journey continues in book two of Frequency: Sanctuary. In order to gather his remaining memories he and his companions strive to defeat some of the greatest Agasuras Jienda has ever seen to collect the pages of a magical tome named Memorius Sanctum. Yggdrasil finds itself in a race against time to complete the book or die trying.

8. A Place to Call Home

The Fifth Harmony: A Place to Call Home

"Whether it's for me, for him, or for Her, I dunno. Does it matter? I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, so I'll play their game. It'll make my revenge against that damn old man that much sweeter." (Suuba)

TJ blinked a couple times as his normal vision returned to him and he found himself back in his own body. The sensation of being in that of his younger self, a woman he did not know named Seres and Lady Amae he nearly lost his balance due to the differences. It was both a relieving, and rather disorienting experience. Kooh and Peorth seemed to be discussing the matters pertaining to Memorius Sanctum for a brief period before he found himself back in his physical body. Had there been a time lag between when she had stopped reading and when he had returned?

"...had the same feeling also, correct?" Peorth asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kooh nodded. "I'm nowhere near as familiar with the language as your are Princess, but that was definitely gibberish if I've ever heard it," Kooh answered before she crossed her arms. She glanced at TJ and offered him a smile. "Hey welcome back!"

The Abellan tilted his head quizzically. "Did I go somewhere?" He asked.

"Well not exactly..." Kooh said before placing a finger to her lips and rolling her eyes, her gaze shifting to Sellistar. "You just kinda...spaced. Your eyes sorta glazed over while you listened to the book, so I thought you dozed off. With your eyes open at that!"

He blinked slowly. "R-really? So that's what happened huh?" He scratched his cheek with his index finger out of embarrassment. "W-well...there was a reason...for that. I mean! It's big! Huge!"

"Do tell," Peorth answered.

"I saw a memory. I saw one of mine but the other wasn't! I saw God Ah and La-"

He was cut off as Peorth held up a hand. "Hold it right there TJ. You say that you saw a memory of God Ah's family?" He nodded once. "I see. It does raise a bit of curiosity, but I cannot help but feel that the mysteries of God Ah's family are not meant to be known by us. At the very least, not through this means. We do indeed pursue them, but you are also a member of God Ah's family-that knowledge is yours to know. If there are other things we are to know, I know that we will find them as we approach the promised time. I will be patient. Though your other memory may not be of that time-do you wish to share it with us?"

He was a bit startled by her response, but Peorth had her own reason for doing things, so he would not insist on the matter. The Cerebians held their own secrets, and though knowing things about him they too had their own reasons for keeping them. Perhaps here also, that knowledge could potentially fall into the wrong hands, or perhaps she just felt it would be better if certain things about God Ah remained unknown to the Cerebians. "Sure. A lot of interesting stuff happened."

"Let's hear it Little Lamb," Kooh chimed.

TJ described the things he heard and saw, from the time he left home where his guardian Yuna saw him off to his adventures from the forest, through the city and eventually to the mansion where Peorth awaited. He told the two how he saw their old companions, and as the story went on their expressions ranged from surprise to happiness.

"...I see." Peorth said as she placed one hand to an elbow and the other to her cheek, her face lightly flushed. "It has been quite some time since then. You really were very quiet back then, were you not?" She chuckled. "That nickname you had given me is very reminiscent of those times. The two then gave their all to follow in their parents' wakes also-each striving in their own respects to prove that they were worthy to be in the royal guard." She chuckled gently as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "To think that they would someday become my Keruz...it feels like it was only yesterday that I had appointed them."

Kooh pursed her lips. "But you never let me call you Pe-Pe."

The guild master opened her eyes and her cheeks flushed slightly. "T-there was no need for it...you pronounced my name without any difficulty. That aside it was..." She began to mutter and her words trailed off.

"Didn't catch that last part there Princess!" The God's Governor grinned devilishly.

She shifted her glasses before putting on her usual stoic expression. "It was irrelevant."

"Though you were really cute back then too. You'd skip out on lessons to go into the city with TJ and play with the others, and you were always so fussy about eating carrots. You'd slip them onto my plate while the head maid wasn't looking." Kooh laughed and the guild master's expression faltered.

"D-do not tell him that..." She whimpered.

TJ laughed quietly. When it came to memories of the past not even the guild master could keep her usual expression. Seeing her like that was a very rare occurrence, but hearing about what she and the others had gotten into were even more so. The painful memories still lingered, and they were likely even harder for her to swallow than they were for him-unlike him though, she could recall all of it up to this point, including his departure from them and eventual return. Did that mean she may have had an idea of his whereabouts during the times he could not recall? Though like she had said, it may have been better that information like that remained secret. When he had discovered what had happened to Hanamah and his relation to the event, it had changed his whole world-though for the better, had he known from the start, how would his journey have differed? The time and the place...all that had happened during the City of Iron trip had opened his eyes to the world around him, and with it came the truth. It was how he became the Abellan, and stood here with the Queen and God's Governor now. Perhaps for that very reason he needed to pursue the Sinners, gather his memories and little by little, find out the extent of his abilities, and the truth behind his identity. Agasura or Cerebian? Which side did he belong to, and which fought for what reasons? There was still so much he did not know, especially about God Ah's family.

The playful banter continued on between the cousins and he could not hide the smile he wore at the sight. Perhaps he would not find the answers right away, or anytime soon but...he was here now. He would not make the mistake of taking the time he had for granted, after all the metaphorical rug could easily be pulled out from below any of their feet. He would do everything he could to see to it that none of them would have to experience that event, so these days could remain. The peaceful days they all held so dearly.

"So TJ, did you get that pin because it reminded you of Velvet?" Kooh asked with her head resting over her left arm, both draped around Peorth's shoulders-the guild master remained unfazed by the matter.

Her words brought him back to reality, and like a candle that was just lit the fact returned to him in a hurry. He was still as of yet to tell the two what had happened during the mission to the Pharaoh's Chambers. "Ah no that's not it! I met her, and she gave it to me!"

The girls looked at each other incredulously before shifting their questioning gazes back to him. "Please, enlighten us on this matter," Peorth requested.

"When I had defeated the Sinner in the Instance Dungeon-my sister, Avaritia, Elpis had said that the sealed Saint would return. Next thing we knew Velvet appeared-she looked just like she had back then, and I could talk to her and everything. She asked how you were doing and spoke a little about the past...the same fact that I discovered during that glimpse into my memory. She gave me her pin, and said I could summon her by using the name Caritas. But also...she said we would meet again-that, and that she and the others are waiting on the other side. Our time was short but...they're out there somewhere, and I feel that if we follow this path we'll see all of them again." His eyes shifted from his shoes to his guild master who now had her hands cupped to her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to fight them back and Kooh offered her a handkerchief, though she seemed like she was on the verge of crying herself-she chose to be the shoulder that the guild master could lean on.

The Queen gracefully accepted the handkerchief and removed her glasses to gently wipe the tears away. Though it was short, those few moments seemed to last an eternity. There were the occasional times where Peorth's usual demeanour would falter and make way for the occasional smile and other such expressions, but this was different. Rather akin to crossing paths with Freya, she showed a vulnerability that she would rarely ever risk. It reminded him that though she was the leader of the guild Yggdrasil, though she was a queen and a Warlord, and even more so the Cerebians' proxy that she too was just a girl making her way in the world...and once in a blue moon, that she too would need a shoulder to lean on. There was not much the Abellan could do for that girl, but he too would give his all to be strong for her, just as she did so for everyone-for her people, for her friends, and even for him, more than he could ever imagine.

She took a deep breath and returned the handkerchief, then placed her glasses back on before slowly opening her eyes. At that second of the day, the moment in time ended and the clock seemed to start ticking again. "It seems that you really are connected to everyone hmm?" She asked smiling ever so slightly. "You are the catalyst that will bring order to this world...and it seems that you will also be that which reunites me with the shards of my broken past." There was a slight pause as her eyes seemed to focus on him. "TJ, I have a request for you."

At those words he felt an unusual feeling within-not as the Abellan, but as TJ...and nothing more than that. "Anything," He answered confidently.

"Would you take me along on your journey? It need not be on every outing, but should the Sinners appear, please take me with you." She paused for a moment, be it for an opportunity to find the right words or to muster her own courage, he could not say but her smile grew a little nonetheless. "Though I would be honoured if you invited me on your outings occasionally."

He grinned at her. "You can count on that."

"Take me every now and again too! If something happens to you two I'm gonna be crazy worried!" Kooh complained as she lowered her head.

The guild master patted her on the head as she chuckled gently. "You need not worry. TJ and I are more than capable enough of looking after ourselves. That aside, perhaps your power could be put to use on other dispatch missions? Though you are my shadow, you are also a God's Governor Kooh, and one of the strongest members in Yggdrasil. Your work as a team leader may be of great service."

Kooh pursed her lips at her cousin's words. "I guess..."

Peorth pushed her glasses once more. "Pray tell TJ, you had mentioned that you could summon Velvet, correct?"

The Abellan nodded. "The guys had seen it. They could vouch for that-or I could try to do it again." He answered, brimming with confidence.

"No, there is no need. I have no doubts on the matter. What I am curious about is the ability that you have obtained that has allowed you to do so. Memorius Sanctum had informed me that you would be able to call the Seven Sinners and utilize their strengths...perhaps I should have read the more recent pages...but I could not bring myself to do so...in spite of the fact, I had faith that you would return. You are indeed here now...my faith was not misplaced." She smiled gently and he grinned bashfully. "But please, do tell."

"According to Elpis it's broken up into three different abilities...Synergism for summoning an ally to fight in my stead, Command is for an attack or support skill/stance, and Manipulation is for using the Seven Sinners' abilities. I think she said the umbrella term for it was Invocation?"

The guild master placed her hand to her lips solemnly for a couple moments. "I have never heard of such spells before...save for the third usage of Invocation. Not even Memorius Sanctum had mentioned it under any of the identified spells and stances. It seems to be an ability unique to you, TJ. I applaud you for getting a grasp on such a technique in such a short period of time."

He knit his eyebrows as he rubbed his right arm gently. "W-well...truth be told I haven't exactly mastered it yet. To use Synergism I have to learn the lyrics and notes to Velvet's song. I guess it's the same way with the others, but I only have just that one right now." He shook his head. "I dunno where to find them though. When she disappeared I'd found this page of the tome but...well that's about it. She had no idea how it worked either."

"So the page came from her huh? The Princess read it but we didn't understand a word of it. The words are there but they're all jumbled up." Kooh explained as she furrowed her brows.

"Huh?!" He asked incredulously. If what she said was true, then Peorth had just read a series of words in no particular order. She was the incredible one for managing that feat.

The guild master nodded. "The words are certainly there, but I could not make sense of them. Have you seen it for yourself?" He shook his head. For some reason he could read some Agasuric, but he could not read Cerebian for his life. If their writing looked like gibberish to him, the actual gibberish would be no different. "Perhaps we could view it together? It may not be the best place to begin, but Kooh and I could share our knowledge of our language with you. You may call it wishful thinking, but at times I believe we must be willing to view things outside of the norm in order to come to conclusions that we would not typically expect."

She certainly raised a valid point. It was purely by chance that he tried to and was able to read Avaritia's message in the Instance. Perhaps the action was, but not so much the reason. His whole being was one great enigma to him really, so it was not entirely impossible that he could do so again. He walked over towards the guild master and God's Governor and glanced at the book.

"You cannot read it from that far can you? No need to be so bashful TJ. If I am to bite, I assure you I will be gentle." Peorth suggested with a tiny smile.

Kooh looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Was that an innuendo I heard just now Princess?"

"I know not what you are talking about."

Neither did he. While Kooh complained that the guild master was being sneaky he took her up on the offer and took his place at her other flank as the three glanced over the book. Technically two, since he could not resist the urge to sneak a peek at her in his peripherals-catching a glimpse as she brushed her bangs aside, her sapphire eyes now clearly visible behind the glasses she wore. During those few moments he completely missed out on what she had said as she pointed down to the book and explained the words before them, and at that realization he turned his gaze to focus on that very thing. For a moment he could have sworn that the words on the page began to glow and move about as lines began to form-some of them taking the shape of music notes.

"A-are you guys seeing this too?" He asked as his eyes widened. Though unlike the first time, the words actually moved about and actively became notes. Were those the notes to Velvet's song? Perhaps the other side of the page had the lyrics he would need to memorize.

"Indeed...the words are coming together to form music notes. How incredible." Peorth answered.

"I can't see it..." Kooh muttered sullenly.

"Really? That's kinda weird...but you can read Memorius Sanctum too, can't you?" The Abellan asked.

The God's Governor shook her head. "Nope. It's all gibberish to me."

It seemed that ability may have been unique to the proxy and the Abellan. He felt a bit special, as if it were a secret shared between the two, but the moment subsided quickly as embarrassment settled in place of it. "You think this is Velvet's song Chief?"

The guild master nodded once solemnly. "Indeed. I would recommend that you memorize and practice this as soon as possible TJ. We know not when the next Sinner will appear, and I strongly believe that it would be in your best interest if you were to put your natural aptitude for mastery to use." He nodded and for a split second she looked to him before looking at the book. "Perhaps it would be in your best interest if we practiced together. I feel that your progress is much smoother when there is a mentor to assist you along the way. If there is anything you are unfamiliar with, you may ask me."

"That sounds fantastic. I'll be in your care again."

Peorth nodded. "It seems there are many more mysteries to the Keruz than we know as of yet. Together...with everyone..." She looked at TJ and Kooh. "I believe that we will unravel them. I am in your care also TJ, Kooh. Let us do our best together."

"Right behind ya'!" Kooh chimed with a grin.

"I'll do my best too." TJ answered with a nod and a smile.

A couple of days had passed, and TJ had spent most of it practicing in the guild room, accompanied by Shabur, Sellistar and Su occasionally. He often sat upon the roots of the tree, the tome levitating before him as he gazed upon the notes and solemnly strummed his guitar in tune to those that he thought were correct, and yet he felt the lingering sense that he had not quite gotten it right. Perhaps it would take more time and practice, but as he continued he entertained the thoughts of being able to do so with Peorth. He had not attempted to do the lyrics just yet, since he did not know enough about vocal music to attempt such a grand feat, but he felt that if he could do well when it came to the guitar side of the song she would praise the effort. His more personal wishes aside, if he could master Synergism and Velvet's song before the next Sinner appeared he would stand a much better chance at success. That fact raised one very particular question though.

Just how in the world would he summon the next Sinner?

To review what he currently knew, summoning them was necessary to defeating Asmodeus. Their powers were the key to doing just that, and also they would release the Saints according to Elpis, which were Peorth's old companions. In the same vein, releasing them would be exactly what Asmodeus wanted-though TJ may defeat the Sinners, would this not be the cause for Geseni oto Nitszch? He sighed audibly. It was his duty to slay the Agasura King, but also his duty to summon him and the Sinners? Perhaps Peorth did not know about that part of his journey but he felt reluctant to tell her. Surprisingly, neither of the two questioned his relationship with Avaritia, but it was possible that they had already known. His notes began to sound rather off and he placed his guitar down against Sellistar's trunk. The biggest problem of them all was that they were his family, and they knew him as Luxuria. Who in the world was Luxuria and from what time period did she come from? He leaned against Sellistar and groaned. All of it was rather frustrating.

As if in response the tree began to move and startled him. "Ah s-sorry Sellistar!" He said immediately as he sat up.

"It is not a problem in the slightest Little Sapling, but I cannot help but think that was quite a heavy sigh. Is there something on your mind? If I will do, you may confide in me." Sellistar answered.

He blinked. Sellistar was neither Peorth nor Su, Cerebian or Agasura-she was a guild crop. Whether she would have a take on such delicate matters he did not know, but having someone to confide in might give him some peace of mind. Despite being a guild crop, she and many others like her had lived perhaps, for hundreds of years, constantly going through a similar cycle of death and rebirth. From what Peorth had told him, it may have been due to their sacrifice that Midgard functioned to this day, and that the Cerebians could continue the ongoing fight against the Agasura. If he so wished, he felt sure she would keep the matter secret, but he did not quite feel ready to share all of that information just yet-he had decided that he would confide in her nonetheless.

"Sellistar...well...let's say you had to make a really tough decision. And..." He groped around in his mind for the words to make sense of what he wanted to ask. "Well...what if you had to do a bad thing for a good thing to happen? I mean, if you had to do something wrong, to make something else right?"

He looked up to her and in the following moments he could feel one of her branches rest against his shoulder and the other gently caress his face-he felt a bit at ease. "Little Sapling, though I may not have the best answer to give you, let me tell you this. Right and wrong are two sides of the same coin. They are, after all, a human creation, just as many other things are. To each and every person out there, Human or Cerebian, their sense of it will differ. Some may take up arms and go to war declaring that it is for the greater good, while others will claim that peace is the only means to an end. At times the two will intertwine and the lines between them will be blurred. You must ask yourself this: What is it that I wish to attain through this means? You must follow your heart and your values. When you know what it is that is important to you, you will know the path that is best suited to see that pursuit to its end." She explained and smiled. "I hope this was of help to you."

He looked down to his knees with the book resting before them. To defeat Asmodeus would free the world of the Agasuric threat that challenged them every single day. He was the only one who could manage such a feat, and if in doing so he required the Seven Sinners' powers, no matter how difficult the choice was, the fact was necessary. He was reluctant to put his friends in danger to accomplish that task, but just as they put their faith in him, perhaps they requested the same of him through their expressions and less so words...just as his had spoken for him when he could not. He placed a hand to Sellistar's and closed his eyes. What is it that he wished to attain through those means? Peaceful days for all of those who took up arms. An end to the war. One where both Cerebian and Agasura could live in harmony, just as Peorth had wished for. It was a lofty goal, but if he was the Abellan...perhaps he could manage it.

"I think I've got an answer Sellistar. It's a hell of a bumpy road but I'm gonna keep going along with it to the best of my abilities. I think my answer was there all along, just a little obscured by complications."

The guild crop chuckled and her laughter was faintly reminiscent of song. "That is the life of beings such as yourself is it not? You face various difficulties, and those very hardships are what serve as the foundations for your strength and tenacity. From it, you grow ever more, reaching closer and closer to the heavens. You must shine ever brighter Little Sapling-your path is that which all Children of the Sun will walk. I too, believe that you will guide them to salvation."

"I'll put all that I am into it. After all...though these shoes might be a bit big for me...I think someday I'll be big enough to walk in them. With a little help of course!" He grinned.

"I will be here cheering for you. Hold your head high and walk forward with confidence." Sellistar returned to her usual position and he gave an approving nod before taking up his guitar again.

Though slow, he had certainly seen some progress and though he felt unsure whether the notes were correct, if he had any doubts he would confide in Peorth about them when she returned. The guild master and Kooh had gone to Elfa to meet with some of the other guild masters and get a breakdown of the results before and after the events of Avaritia's arrival. Before leaving she had left them with this, "It is a Cerebian's duty to not only manage occurrences within the Haven, but also without." It was just like her to say something cryptic like that but she was the guild master after all...and the Chief. That was reason enough for him to leave it be. Supposedly it would only be a couple of days until she returned and would fulfill the promise of the two's long-awaited practice sessions.

As if those very thoughts were a magic spell to summon her, she appeared within the guild room shortly after, wearing a desert traveller's cloak and a pair of fake glasses, nose and moustache included. TJ's guitar playing immediately went out of tune at the sight and he had to hold back his laughter. Kooh said she had prepared a disguise for the Queen but not even he could of predicted that.

"Good evening...guild master." Shabur said as he slowly lowered his mask. Even he seemed rather shocked by the fact.

"Good evening Shabur, Sellistar, and to you also TJ." Peorth said, cool as a cucumber, per usual.

TJ chuckled under his breath before clearing his throat and smiling at her-he was genuinely happy to see her, but he would need to get the details of how that disguise worked on Eli and the others from Kooh later. "Good evening Chief...and welcome back." He beamed.

"Repeat after me TJ." Peorth placed her hands to her chest and closed her eyes before opening her mouth and singing along to the lyrics that she had read in the book. All of them were written in Cerebian so TJ had no idea what they meant, but in turn he got to hear the guild master sing so it worked out. He sat next to her on the roots of Sellistar, his eyes closed as her voice drifted through the air and enchanted him-when she had sung he thought of Lady Amae and the song she had sung to give shape to the Frequency. Though that aside, the guild master often spoke in a monotone, which was not that unusual to him after spending so much time with her, but hearing her now it was as if it never existed to begin with. Her voice carried the sound and the lyrics really bolstered that effect, leaving him in a brief daze. When the song finally came to an end he felt a hint of disappointment which quickly became embarrassment as he caught a glimpse of her staring back at him solemnly. "It is your turn now," She said matter-of-factly.

Reality hit him like a ton of bricks then and there. He should have realized it sooner, but he was going to have sing for her now. Not just her, but everyone else that was currently present in the guild room. "Eh? T-that so?" He asked before rubbing his neck and chuckling. What if he was tone-deaf? He had never sung a thing before-not that he could remember-no, he totally did, back on Asgard and it was nowhere near as long as Velvet's Song. But the him then and now were nearly two different people. How in the world was he supposed to do that with Peorth sitting right next to him? For that matter, how did he even find himself in this situation?

The guild master tilted her head quizzically and waited for him to begin but received no response in that regard. "Is something the matter TJ?"

His glasses slid down his nose and he smiled awkwardly. "N-no, not at all! L-let's see..." He glanced down at the book levitating before them and brought it a bit closer to pore over the pages for a couple of moments. On the left he saw words he could not read but the others were within his ability-the meaning lost upon him, but likely only for the time being. A more pressing matter itched at his conscious mind and he began to sweat profusely. "W-well...I'm gonna start now...here goes..." He opened his mouth but a high squeak only came out and he covered his face in embarrassment. Silence.

Suddenly the silence was broken by laughter. Peorth covered her mouth as a few chuckles escaped her lips and once her laughter came to an end she wiped the tears away. "No matter where or when, some aspects of you seem to have remained the same TJ. I am glad that you are the same within even without your memories." TJ's cheeks flushed and his lips curled into a smile. The joyful face she wore now was something that had not changed over the years-or perhaps it had...though she had matured into a fine woman and he had grown also, the bond that they shared was tested by time and carried over to the future...and yet, the two were still like the pair of children that would meet within the princess' bedroom. "You may not be perfect on your first try, but I am here to mentor you, so do not fear judgement. I shall teach you all that I know."

"Alright, now I'm fired up!" He said with both fists clenched and a fire in his eyes. "Let's do it! Round two!" He took a deep breath and read from the pages, though somewhat off-key he was able to hit most of the notes it seemed, and even he surprised himself a fair bit with his singing. Once the song came to a close he let out a sigh of relief and turned to the guild master. "How'd I do?"

She gave an approving nod. "For your first time you had fared well. You could use some touching up on the high notes, but I think you are off to an excellent start. Let us continue. Shall we do it verse by verse? I will go first, and you can repeat after me."

Bit by bit the two went through each verse, and though he was not at Peorth's level of mastery he had gotten a passing mark from her after a few tries of each. The day carried on into the evening and Peorth took out her purse from next to Sellistar and drew a bottle of water.

"Here TJ. Good work today." She handed it off to him and he thanked her, before she brought out a second.

He cracked it open and took a long drink before letting out a sigh of relief. His voice was getting a little raspy, but all the progress he made with her help was definitely more a boon than a bane to him. As he closed the bottle he glimpsed at her in the corner of his eye and smiled slightly as she too took a drink. "Thanks again...Chief. With your help I think I've gotten a lot better in a hurry."

She gave a confident nod. "I am but your mentor, TJ. I only guide your path-it is you that moulds your own talents into the completed product. You should take pride in your efforts."

He chuckled bashfully. "Yeah...got a little bit."

The guild master rose and put the bottle away before offering him a hand. He graciously accepted it and the two stood face-to-face for a couple moments. "I must be going TJ. I have duties as a guild master that need be attended to both today and tomorrow, but the day after I shall come again to see your progress. Please continue to give it your all."

"I will! Thanks for your help again...and don't stay up too late, okay?" That was lame-even he knew it.

She smiled and nodded. "I am sure Kooh would not allow for that. Goodnight."

"Night Chief." At those words the two parted ways and TJ sat down against Sellistar's roots before letting out a quiet chuckle, both a mix of satisfaction and relief.

"Well done, Little Abellan," Sellistar chimed.

He smiled. It was a small step, but he felt like he was making his way forward bit by bit.

The following day he continued to practice, gently strumming his guitar while Su relaxed with Sellistar and gave her thoughts on his progress. Though she wore a bored expression she still took the time to hang around.

"You screwed up near the end. Do it again." She said with a wave of her hand.

"Got it." He answered before glancing at Memorius Sanctum and closing his eyes to play the song from his memory. The sound of it really came together and with every strum of his guitar he felt more like a Bard than he ever did before. Strange as it was, though he was training to use Synergism he felt satisfied at just hearing the song come together the more he practiced it. Peorth had said through guild chat that if he felt confident in his playing, that the next day the two would practice both the lyrics and song. He felt a growing sense of excitement at the sound of the two coming together and fumbled one of the notes.

"The hell was that?" Su asked opening an eye and sitting up.

"Uhh...got distracted. Lemme' start over." He answered as he readied his guitar again.

"Whatever." She said as she sat back and closed her eyes.

A short while later Thee stepped into the guild room and gave the two an appraising look. "Hey you two, how's the practice going?" He asked with a wave.

"Pretty good I'd say." TJ said as he stopped playing and stood his guitar up next to him.

"Needs a helluva' lot more practice, I'd say," Su added curtly without batting an eyelash.

"Talk about a drill instructor from hell." Thee said as he knit his eyebrows and chuckled lightly.

She opened an eye. "You think this is bad?" She grinned devilishly. "You ain't seen nothing yet. I could give you some hands-on combat training like I did with him if you're curious."

TJ's eyes opened wide at those words and both darted to Thee. He immediately shook his head and gestured no before sliding a thumb across his neck.

"You know, I think I'll have to pass on that, but thanks anyway."

She closed her eyes back before her lips curled into a grin. "Your loss! Don't say I didn't offer."

"I don't think that'll be a problem." The Warrior turned his focus back to the Bard. "So what are you practicing anyway? I just heard it was a song, so I'm guessing new support spells?"

"Something of the sort..." TJ began as he sought out the words to explain it. "It's to summon an ally. I guess you could say it's an Awakening technique? Or something...of the sort. Well it's definitely something I can do."

"Does that mean you can just call one of us to battle?" Thee rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Man, what if we were in the bathroom or something? That'd be pretty damn awkward."

"Eh?! N-no it doesn't work like that! I can only summon certain people, not you guys! Besides that's what IR teleporters are for!" He felt pretty good with that knowledge in his memory.

"Summoning people...on the toilet...?" Thee's expression looked both confused and shocked.

"That's not what I meant!" TJ cried out.

The Warrior burst out into laughter. "I'm just pulling your leg TJ. Having an IR teleporter or two would definitely be handy though." he grit his teeth and sighed as he shrugged. "Sucks that me and LaDeck just don't mix. We're like oil and water. I buy a bunch of darts and come out in last place if I'm ever that lucky. I've got enough soda potions to flood my place."

"It's tough huh?" The Abellan asked with a laugh. "It has some really cool prizes though!" He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You'd need to use up a lifetime supply of luck to get the best ones though."

"If you're thinking of winning a Brownie, better to hang those hopes out to dry now," Su laughed.

The Abellan pursed his lips. "A man can dream, can't he?"

"Make 'em good. But dreams are no reason to slack off. Let's hear it."

Thee grinned. "I'll leave you two to it then." He eyed TJ cautiously. "If you do plan on summoning me, give me a heads up first alright?"

"I already told you I can't!" TJ shouted as Thee ran off and exited the room. "Jeez."

His practice had continued into the night and by that point he felt confident that he had truly gotten the gist of the song, guitar-wise. His vocal work still needed some fine tuning, but with Peorth's help it would only be a matter of time. Su said she had gotten bored and returned to the crystal, so he sat down on Sellistar's roots again as he practiced the song without the tome. His playing came to a halt as he heard the sound of someone else entering the guild room and his gaze shifted to them.

Amarylys appeared and waved after entering. "Hey TJ how are you doing?" She asked.

He grinned. "Not bad at all. Just been here practicing lately." He had not realized until now but his fingers were somewhat numb. He entertained thoughts of seeing Velvet again, but he had the sneaking suspicion the Velvet that he could summon would not likely be the same as that which he met after his battle with Avaritia. She did say they would meet again, so it would not likely be so simple that he could summon her on a whim to reunite with her old companions. Though if he could...it would likely bring a smile to the guild master's face. It was a nice thought, but just a passing thought. "How are you Amarylys?"

"Pretty good. Just came back from doing quests in Lilliput." He had never heard of that place, but he felt certain that he had glimpsed it on the map. He tilted his head in response. "It's the city of tiny people in the Jungle, not too far from Ves."

"Tiny people?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. The memory of taking the Puwagra with Nai to Toad Island resurfaced and he frowned. "You didn't see Nai there, did you?"

She blinked. "Ah! The aircraft captain right? I definitely saw him-he was talking about taking his hot air balloon on its maiden flight."

TJ smiled wryly. "I'd hate to be the next passenger in that thing. It'd sooner crash into an island and blow up."

Amarylys chuckled at his words. "I'm surprised you know him TJ. But we're way too big to even think of trying to ride that aircraft!" Little did she know. "Then again...there's definitely something unusual about that place. The tree that it's located in seems more like a gateway to an Instance Dungeon than...a tree." She said as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Anyway, have you been there before?"

"Lilliput?" He shook his head. "Never been there before. I met Nai at the airport a while ago. Him and his Puwagra. I also...kinda stepped on him."

She chuckled. "Well the people of Lilliput are certainly resilient, if anything. They asked Ken and I to challenge their armies to test their mettle." She rubbed her arm gently. "I think I've still got bruises from all of those cannonballs."

Tiny artillery? That city was more incredible than he could imagine. But considering that it was all the way near Ves, and to top it off hidden away within a tree it would take a miracle and a substantial amount of time for him to seek it out and find it. It sounded more like looking for a needle in a haystack than anything else-he was not willing to challenge it. "Was that a mission that the Chief sent you on?" He asked with a curious look. She mentioned dispatch missions every now and again, but he never took the time to ask her what they were.

"Yup. Peorth registered our guild so we get requests from all over the world. She handles all the paperwork and whatnot and we go out and complete missions. It's how our guild earns reputation and we earn guild points in turn. I've still got a long way to go before I become a Power though." She explained before letting out a deep sigh.

That certainly explained how and why Axle wound up hospitalized. He felt a bit envious at their ability to go and see the world and do all sorts of things such as that, but in a sense he did the same. If he was to be in their shoes, he would not be able to go on missions with Peorth-either that, or the times would be far and few between. He offered her a smile. "Think of it as your goal, and just keep working towards it! You'll be there before you know it."

She grinned. "Thanks TJ. You keep giving it your all too okay? I heard a bit about your practice from Thee and the others. Mind if I sit in for a bit?"

He felt a bit more confident about his playing so he offered her a grin. "The more the merrier."

Later that night he parted with Amarylys and returned to his tent to rest. By tomorrow he would be taking a step in a new direction with the song, and be much closer to seeing its completion, and his old companion along with it.

"Let us begin on three TJ. One, two..." Using both hands like a conductor Peorth guided TJ through the steps and sung along as he strummed his guitar, the sounds of his playing meshed with her voice and filled the entire guild room with lovely music. He carefully watched the guild master as she guided him through the steps, every motion, every note, she hit the highs and lows with skill and grace while still leading him through it. He had no doubts in his mind that she likely had mentors in the past who had done the same for her, not likely participating by doing the vocal section of a song, but just by her every action she seemed to be knowledgeable in all respects of the matter. And yet...though he saw her as a mentor there was something else. He could not take his eyes off of her but his song had not gone off key for even a moment, and once she had brought both hands and voice to rest he brought the song to a close. "Excellent work TJ. I do not think that you have missed a single beat."

"Thanks for leading me through it!" He said with a grin. The sound of her voice carried by the music left him in a dreamlike-daze after the two had come to an end, and it drifted both through his conscious and sub-conscious mind. He wished to hold to that memory, to that time but deep down he knew that it too would have to pass.

"Would you like to try it yourself? Doing both will prove to be much more difficult, but I shall conduct for you if need be."

He nodded. He did want to perform another duet, but Peorth was taking the time out of her day to help him master the song, not to perform along with him. "Yeah, I think I'm ready. Let's give it a shot Chief."

She nodded. "Remember, you need not perfect it immediately. Patience is key here, so as many times as need be I shall go through it with you. Are you ready?" He nodded and she raised her hands. "Then let us begin.

The two began their practices and starting out things were rough around the edges. More often than not, TJ had mistaken the high and low notes in the vocal parts of the song for the instrumental portions and went off-key, but the guild master insisted that he continue up to the very end and try again afterwards. Throughout the songs, at differing intervals she would give him an instruction such as, "Raise your voice higher!" or "Sing from the lungs!" and other such pieces of advice. More than anything she had to constantly remind him to breathe, since he would wind up running out of breath mid-way through it.

Around the afternoon the two sat down to have lunch, hand-made by the guild master herself. Kooh had sneaked some cake into her bag with a note that read: Good luck on your duet you two! Eat some cake and don't give up!

TJ took a bite of a sandwich and smiled with delight. Eating in his own body was much more satisfying than doing so in his memories. There was even tea too! The moment brought him back to when Peorth had first started teaching him the Divine Arts before their showdown with Choen Palm. He had grown and learned so much over the time frame, but there was still more for him to do. He glanced at the guild master and swallowed hard. "S-say, Chief?" She turned to him solemnly chewing with an appraising expression. The look she gave him likely invited him to continue with what he wanted to say. "What is a Keruz?" He was curious, but a small-or rather large part of him just wanted to hear her voice.

She swallowed and closed her eyes. "A Keruz is the fifth and final step of advancement in terms of guild renown for all members aside from the guild master. Those who have proven themselves over the years, their loyalty to the Cerebians, to Humans, and the cause we fight for-but not only that; Cerebians who both excel in their physical and spiritual training can become that rank. It opens the gateway to their mana, allowing them to utilize a myriad of spells and stances typically limited to certain people such as you and I, or the God's Governors. This also is where one can learn and master the Awakening Techniques. Just as how you had acquired your wings upon becoming a Power, they will gain two more, and a tome that carries the knowledge of spells and stances from the generations prior to those that came before them," She explained.

He nibbled on his sandwich as he listened and the thoughts of how his allies were incredibly powerful and talented prior to what had happened danced in his mind. He saw how the two Temple Knights had worked together, Velvet being one of them to cast an incredibly powerful and destructive spell, and wondered if she could do that now, or if both were necessary for it. Nonetheless, to have that kind of power could really turn the tides of battle if everyone could use it...but in the same vein, it might be something that could prove to be dangerous in the wrong hands. "So do you think if we defeat the other Seven Sinners we'll meet the other six Keruz?"

She looked at him strangely for a moment before smiling kindly. "Yes, I imagine it to be so. There is a very unique reason that the two accompany each other, I believe."

"Oh? What's that?"

"In every generation, including mine there were proxies before me. My mother, my mother's mother and so on and so forth, each had appointed their own Keruz. From the very first generation in my lineage, they passed on this trait and their knowledge through the very tomes that all Keruz wield to this day."

The sandwich in his hand slipped through his fingers and he awkwardly fumbled it around before catching it and letting out a sigh of relief. The guild master chuckled at his clumsy nature. "S-so hold on a sec', you're saying that your mom and her Keruz and all those guys before them were the ones that created most of those skills?!"

She nodded. "Indeed. Before we had acquired a mastery for mana, spells were often created through formless shapes. Initially the usage of mana was solely based around giving birth to magic by refining it. It was not until much, much later that it was further refined and eventually given proper forms. This made passing on techniques to the successors and following generations much simpler. Though I do not have conclusive evidence, it is possible that God Ah's family had knowledge of spell craft before we had discovered such knowledge, but that is beyond me currently."

"So did the others have their own spells also? Your Keruz?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, they did. If there comes a time where you learn to read Memorius Sanctum you will be able to find them after the historical passages, along with many, many others. There are some techniques that would be of use to a Bard also, but those I cannot teach you, as I am a Warlord. Nevertheless, I must urge you to continuously strive towards attaining the rank of Keruz yourself. I am positive that the physical growth will assist you in your journey." She smiled gently, thoughtfully. "Although I must admit, you have been ready to attain the next rank for some time now. Perhaps it would be in your best interest if I raised it in the near future."

He grinned. "I'll definitely aim for that, and I'm ready whenever you are Chief."

She seemed to think it over for a moment. "Perhaps...not quite yet. Let us focus on your current training and when the time is right, I will be sure to let you know."

"One thing at a time right? That sounds good." If she was to raise his rank now there was a ninety percent chance he would be too busy running about excitedly trying to do new things with his improved body, and likely forget his concurrent task. He took a bite out of his sandwich with joy. Though he did not quest like the others, he was performing his duties and moving forward a little bit. Someday, perhaps he too would reach the status of Keruz and learn a Bard style Awakening technique.

Once the two had finished they continued their practice into the evening. Peorth continued conducting for him and with her help he managed to iron out most of the kinks in the song, finally nearing a perfected version of it.

"Let us try once more TJ. I feel that you are close," The guild Master said as she took a breath and wiped her sweat away with a handkerchief.

TJ took a long drink of water and wiped his mouth before grinning. "We're so close I can taste it! I'm ready Chief!"

Once more she lead him through the song, and he hit every note, every sound and with every strum of the guitar his voice and instrument were in perfect harmony and then once the song came to an end he suddenly felt as if he had lost all feeling in his body. His eyes opened, the two a deep blue as the crystal in his gem began to shine and release a powerful light-from it Velvet emerged and landed before him as she took a knee and rose to her feet, then drew her weapons.

"I'll take things from here TJ! Leave it to me!" She shouted.

Peorth looked aghast. TJ wanted to-in fact he did. Or did he? He could see Peorth looking at him with an appalled expression and he looked back with the same face, but he had realized that his hands were not strumming the chords of his guitar-rather they held to the club and shield he saw Velvet wielding, and the sound of the guitar went on.

"V-Velvet?!" Peorth asked with her hands cupped to her face.

"No wait I'm not-" She cried out as she looked at her hands before she turned back to face TJ. He was there-playing the guitar with his eyes closed. The song continued unfazed, but the lyrics had come to an end. After a couple of moments of staring at himself awkwardly, a sudden pain was inflicted upon him and a myriad of stances came to mind-likely all those that Velvet had known and mastered during her time, each and every one now at his command. "Urrgh..." She groaned. She sounded like herself, but TJ's actions and thoughts controlled the body-in spite of the fact that it was a physical body, it still had an ethereal feel to it.

"Are you alright?" The Queen asked as she approached.

As the guild master neared he looked into the worried expression in her eyes and saw that the pin that Velvet once wore had not returned. It seemed that change was permanent-did it have something to do with summoning her? "Hang on Chief, it's me!" She answered. "I guess this means the Synergism was a success huh?" He asked with a wry smile.

"You...are in her body?" The guild master asked incredulously.

He nodded. "Strange as it may be, that seems to be the case. Elpis didn't mention this part though."

The guild master's worry subsided, but she offered a melancholy smile in turn. "I see. In any case, congratulations on succeeding with the technique TJ. Your efforts have finally bore fruit. Alas, it is far too early to say that this should be the end of your training with it. Usage of a spell and mastery of it are two very, very different things. You must be vigilant at all times."

"Right!" She put on a brave act but he could not help thinking that in spite of their previous talk, she saw Velvet as Velvet. The phrase she shouted out upon being summoned really did him no favours in preventing such an event, but he would be strong for her sake. Perhaps it was just his own wishful thinking but she seemed happy nonetheless that he had succeeded with the technique. Still, the look on her face made him uneasy. He swore to himself that he would do what it takes to rescue the other Saints. The guild master placed a hand to her other arm and gazed forward, but she seemed to be looking through him-was it just past Velvet, or did she stare beyond the two? Her gaze looked forlorn, thoughtful, but at the same time lost. He could bear it no longer. The club and shield fell to the ground and he rushed forward to embrace her. "Chief I know it's hard...I know..." He muttered as she looked on with surprise. "When I had met her I bawled my eyes out...I could barely remember the times from the past but just by seeing her it just...I dunno. But you're not alone!"

Peorth placed her hands to Velvet's back and closed her eyes as her lips curled into a smile. A couple of tears ran down her cheeks as she nodded. "Yes...I am familiar with that feeling also. To come face to face with someone you loved dearly, and who you thought you might never meet again may be nothing short of a miracle. Though you may not be her, the fact that she stands here before me now gives me hope, and the information you brought from your venture even more so. If it as you say, we will meet again. You and I and everyone else...we will be reunited. I will have to place this burden upon your shoulders, but I will support you to the best of my abilities."

"Yeah...thanks Chief." As he pulled away and caught a glimpse of her crying face he realized what he was doing. The moment he let her go Velvet's body turned to spheres of light and vanished, and TJ found himself in his own body again while she wiped her tears away. He placed his guitar down and covered his face in embarrassment.

"TJ," Her voice brought him back and he caught a glimpse of her smiling at him-flushed cheeks, a soft gaze, glasses in hand. "You can only a see a rainbow after the rainfall, you know." With those words she placed her glasses back on and gave him a single nod. "It is late. Good night."

He looked on with a questioning gaze. Cryptic as ever. "...Night Chief."

TJ did not dream that night. The following morning came without much incident-the sounds of birds chirping from the strings that held up the Fight Arena's tent. It was early, and most adventurers were still yet to rise as was the sun. A glimpse of it peeked over the horizon but dusk still lingered in the sky and coated the city in a night on the verge of passing.

The Abellan arose from bed and stepped out of his tent before throwing on his hat and lowering it slightly. He walked through the Fight Arena and eventually into the streets, quietly whistling a tune before turning towards the Beauty shop and walking past it into an alleyway located between it and Dora's Apothecary/Miscellaneous Goods store.

"Hey, Su." He said as he leaned against a wall and grinned.

She emerged from the crystal and turned to face him. "Whaddya' wa-" Before she could finish her sentence he pushed her against the wall and slammed his hands down next to each of her shoulders. She looked startled and her face flushed as he came ever nearer by the moment. She looked startled and found herself at a loss of words. Time was ticking, her thoughts were racing and he was not holding back. She grinned devilishly and grabbed his left arm and spun away to break out of his grip. "If you wanted to play rough..." She began before throwing him to the ground and dropping her knees to get the upper hand on him-in that moment she felt that she had seen a glimpse of crimson but she deemed it of little importance. It was play time. "It'd do you well to remember how I do things." She said in a silky tone. She leaned in towards him and he groaned gently as he lifted his head and rubbed the spot he had hit on the concrete.

"Ow ow ow...what happened?" He brushed his bangs aside and his deep brown eyes gazed into her emeralds for a couple of moments. "Eh? Su? Huh?!" He seemed to have realized the situation, and at his reaction she did too.

She got up and dusted herself off. "Tch. That old bastard is screwing with me again, isn't he?! I swear when I get my hands on him I'm gonna play hacky sack with his heart!" She pounded a fist against the wall and let out an enraged groan. "I'm out of here."

The Abellan arose from the ground and looked on as the spheres of light emerged and dispersed, leaving him alone at the break of dawn with a series of unanswered questions. "Uhh...Su? Hello?" He rubbed the back of his head and could feel it steadily swelling. What just happened, and why?

The day continued on, but TJ had spent the better half of it in a daze. He had solemnly lay in the fields from sunrise to sundown just watching the clouds slowly drift by. His thoughts continuously flashed back to the events of this morning and Su's reaction to them. How did he find himself in that place, and for what reason did Su react in that way? He could not help but wonder what exactly she was doing on top of him. His thoughts immediately began racing to a variety of possible reasons for that but none of them were typically...normal, for him. They seemed to be something Verun had slipped into his memory but there was, without a single doubt a chance that was possible.

...after all, he did say kisses were something done between lovers...right? He placed a couple fingers to his lips as he recalled what Verun had said and done and he rapidly shook his head. It's not like they were going to do that! The more likely explanation was that the two tripped over each other and that was the end result. He sighed. Who would believe that? If there was anyone he knew that had good footing it would be her-to clumsily trip over him would not happen within his lifetime. He decided to set that matter aside for the time being. Su had her reasons for keeping secrets, and this potentially may have been one of those things, but he could not be sleepwalking right? It could be dangerous...if he recalled correctly there was a killer somewhere in Elias and the chance that he could run into them was not entirely out of the question. Even Kooh said the city was dangerous at night and she lived in it.

He set his mind on to the other matter-what she had said before leaving. The words were still fresh in his mind and he replayed them time and again as he tried to unravel the meaning behind them, "That old bastard is screwing with me again, isn't he?!" was what she had said but...who? If it was something he had done she would have told him, or hit him, probably. But it was something or someone else that had gotten on her nerves. The question was who and what did they do? Without a doubt he was involved in the matter, because the two were there alone. He tried calling out to Su but she would not respond, and for such a situation asking the guild about it could cause unnecessary panic. Peorth already had her hands full with all sorts of paperwork and most of the others were out on dispatch missions. Now would be the perfect time for him to practice but given the situation at hand he could not bring himself to focus. Somebody was doing something to him...if he was being controlled, would it not be Choen Palm who had enraged Su? But she said old man. He groaned and rubbed his temples before gazing upon the sky steadily darkening. Perhaps she just needed some time to cool off and things would be back to normal in the morning? He could only hope. He decided to head back to his tent and sleep earlier that night.

Night had settled in-the clouds obscured the moon but it occasionally peeked out from behind them to cast a dim light upon the world. TJ arose from bed, and from within the crystal Su emerged. His eyes crimson, and hers matched. Brows furrowed, teeth grit and looking to the sky with frustration. She could hear Him-His voice becoming more and more clear with every sacrifice. A song-one that He had sung to wake the Abellan. Despite his contract, the damn old man could still interfere and send him out on a series of idiotic little errands to see to it that he'd return without fail. Couldn't the moron just have one of his other minions make sacrifices to him?

Su scoffed before she stole a glance at her companion who stared lifelessly at her. His crimson eyes lacked pupils, and though the irises remained trained on her it felt as if he did not even see her. She looked around the Fight Arena before taking his hand and fleeing the scene. If the two were to be caught now their cover would easily be blown.

She hid in the alleyway he had called her to earlier and glanced down at her hands. When she focused, the mana coursing through her became visible, and from what she could tell the amount had increased substantially since the last time the two went out hunting. Was it his connection with Avaritia? He was becoming more of an Agasura by the day, and that sped up the process a lot more than just using the Contemptuous Arts could. If it wasn't that, it meant the bastard's Dominion had not only extended to the fodder Agasura, but also to TJ. She clicked her tongue at the thought. It was almost sickening that He so lovingly extended His hand to His child to ensure that the two would be reunited. Little did that old man know that He was in for the best kind of treat-death by a mix of the two things He hates most in the world, Vandels and Cerebians. Six Sinners were left...one of them stood beside her now. To incorporate the powers of Luxuria was a bridge she'd cross when she got to it, but it wasn't that time yet. How long did she have until then? Who the hell knew, but what she did know is that the two had a quota to fill, and that the city was on guard. It was gonna be a massive pain in the ass, but trying to be stealthy while dragging that clown around was damn near impossible. With that power from Him...could she do it?

"TJ," She said. He tilted his head in response and her mouth twitched at the sight. As irritating as he was during the day, she'd take that over a silent zombie any day. "With this power...let's take things a step further. Use the Frequency. I want us to both become as close to being the Tyrant of the Maelstrom as possible, without going that far, you got that?" He blinked and she assumed that he understood her point. "That'll do I guess." She said rolling her eyes. She pounded an open palm as the two muttered, "Frequency!"

A pitch black circle appeared beneath both of them and strings arose from it like tendrils before wrapping around their bodies. His whole body was coated in it and his arms and hands took the shape of claws-his eyes tiny crimson lights hidden beneath the full-body coat he wore. Her hair turned a dull silver and the tendrils reached up to her neck and stopped their before fitting themselves to her body. Briefly after crimson veins lined each, and their transformation was complete.

The God's Governor inspected her companion for a couple moments before furrowing her brows. He was smaller than his slightly more complete counterpart, only had two claws and his body was nowhere near as broad as it was prior. "Well...that's pretty damn underwhelming." She sighed as she shrugged. "Well whatever. Better than having you run around wearing a sign with your name on it that says, 'Hey world, I'm the culprit'. Fuckin' pinker than a..." Her words trailed off as she covered one of her eyes with her hand out of frustration. She looked down to her hands and with a flick of her wrist her fingers turned to claws. She grinned devilishly. "This should do for tonight. Let's hit the road. Duty calls." He grunted in Agasuric and she turned to him before raising an eyebrow. "Really?" She sneered before letting out a sigh. "Fine, fine I'll do something about it." She reached toward her braid and undid it before shaking her hair free. "I'm a little bit tougher to recognize now. Happy?" Her hair and eyes looked nothing like they typically would, but whatever didn't get them followed. She looked at him through her bangs for a moment before placing her hand to her mouth. "Hmm...might be better to speak in Agasuric. Alright, let's get moving."

"Can you keep up?" It was half provocation, and half to see how much she needed to hold his hand during their hunt.

If the fodder got smarter, it meant that even he could. Surprisingly, he did just that. Su leapt against the apothecary and up to the top of the beauty shop and though clumsier, he still managed to reach the top. She had to pull him up but it certainly was a start.. "Gimme your hand." She held out a hand and he put a claw in hers before she started to spin him around. She hurled him and his body soared towards the palace. Su dove into the shadows and as he nearly touched the roof she emerged from the shadows and caught him before rising from the darkness. She held him like a figure skater for a moment and considered dropping him then and there, but realized doing so would blow their cover immediately-they were, after all right in the belly of the beast. She walked towards the eaves and scouted out the main street, catching a glimpse of a couple of groups of adventurers travelling in parties of three or more. She clicked her tongue as her partner perched beside her and sniffed the air.

"Do you have any better ideas smartass?" She asked before glaring at him. He leapt from where the two were to the nearest building and jumped from there down into the streets. "Try and stay out of sight this time would you?" The fact that he was taking the lead was certainly a turn of events. She knew the Agasura had improved physical capabilities, but he seemed to develop his instincts better than she had-Robo did mention that he had more of a beastly nature, not that it wasn't obvious just from looking at him. She started to wonder if her uncanny ability to keep it together unlike him was a curse or a blessing. She'd ponder it further if she could but she'd easily lose sight of him with that ridiculous speed of his. He stormed through alleyways and across lampposts to fulfill her request, but it made it quite a pain in the ass to chase after him. Why didn't he just cross the buildings? He eventually came to a halt at the eaves of a house in the Old District and peered down upon something. She approached and stopped next to him, the God's Governor gazed down upon a lone adventurer walking through the street, tightly gripping his tome as he moved with a look of unease. "Well there's our first mark. Hurry up and do your business before he gets away." He opened his mouth and a low hiss came out that caused her to glare at him. "If we weren't doing this I'd slug you. Hurry it up."

He let out a low hiss before diving from the rooftop toward his mark and collapsing upon the Sorceror.

The young man looked terrified as the creature came ever closer, it's crimson eyes pierced the night and it's breath sent chills down his neck. As TJ reeled a claw back the Sorceror shrieked as the hand tore through the flesh of his chest and splashed blood all over the streets. The screams died down and TJ drew the symbol around the corpse before raising his head to the sky and sniffing it solemnly. He turned his head up to his companion who now sat on the roof with one leg over the other and wore an impatient expression.

"Well we're fucked now," She said as her right leg shifted ever so slightly. "Shouldn't have savoured the kill, dumbass. We still have to find two more of these idiots to sacrifice, but now we're gonna get more than we bargained for." She turned her head in the direction of the Shopping District, the sound of footsteps coming from all around alerted both of them. That long-winded scream without a doubt alerted the city's guard, but she had suspected something of the sort to happen. After all the people they had killed in this city the city had turned up the defense on the whole perimeter to eleven. "Come on, we have to move before they get here. I doubt they'll move the body until we're caught." She rose to her feet and he broke out into a sprint, she keeping an eye on the city from her vantage while he pursued their next target.

The more of them approached the more presences she could sense. The sounds of their approach, the scent of blood, of prey tempted her and called out to her with promises of satisfaction to an ever-growing hunger. There were souls to feed on, and she had half a mind to say to hell with Asmodeus' wants so that she could fill a quota of her own-or rather...one that she seemed to share with TJ. But since when? She ignored the thought as she leapt across the street and TJ turned into an alleyway before slinking into the shadows to get under a fence and continued on.

A group of four guards wearing the cities colours followed shortly after and stopped at the fence before one of the group commanded, "He's headed towards the Main Districts!" They turned back and took another path as Su followed her companion from above.

As TJ tore through the streets she closely and carefully scouted out the other streets and saw the guards coming from each and every way. An arrow drifted past her torso faster than lightning and she caught a glimpse of a person perched upon one of the buildings a fair distance away wielding a bow that took on a golden and jagged shape before returning to normal. That was without a doubt a skill-Thunder Arrow...which meant there were adventurers. She grit her teeth. So the city hired adventurers? They'd likely put a bounty on the two. While the Treasure Hunter nocked another arrow she caught a glimpse of a second climbing up onto another building further away, a crossbow on her back. The rooftops were no longer safe-if she stayed atop them either she would give away TJ's position and get them both pincered in, or she'd be plugged with arrows. Moments before she caught an arrow between the eyes she dove into the shadows, her silver hair following shortly after before it made its way to the Abellan on the move. She glimpsed at the world through his shadow but could not make out anything but the buildings on each side of her, and the night sky above.

"We've found it! It's an Agasura!" A guard shouted and she was immediately put on guard. Intervene? Or not?

The Abellan growled before leaping against the walls and to the one that lead the group, crashing into him and dragging him to the ground before hurling his body.

"Surround it!" Another shouted and three gathered around behind him. It was now a six versus one and each of them was armed with swords and boards, shields, maces and spears.

TJ looked from his front to his back and viciously snarled at them. No point in running now. Wasn't like they needed to, anyway. "Get the front. I'll cover your back. Just don't die yeah?" As TJ stormed forward Su's head and arm emerged from his shadow and two spheres emerged from it like blotches of paint that arose as the guards approached-each took the form of a feline creature and dove at them. They stepped back in surprise but rather than striking them they merged with their shadows and pinned them to the ground as Su rushed toward them.

The Abellan lunged at the nearest guard and he raised his shield to fend off the creature, but the moment his fist pounded against it, the shield was dented and the guard dropped it. He plunged his claws into the man's neck and pulled him towards him before hurling him over his shoulder and into another. The first he had knocked down struggled to rise to his feet and TJ leapt at him and pinned him to the ground. He took him by the face and slammed his head into the ground time and again until blood leaked out of the helmet and the man stopped moving.

"It's a...a monster!" The last one still alive of the three cried out as he pushed his fallen companion away. "S-someone help!" He attempted to run away but to no avail. The Abellan crept forward before diving into the shadows and emerging from the guard's. "No, no no!" He shouted as TJ took hold of his foot and pulled him into the darkness. He collapsed and his helmet and weapons were flung from his hands while his gauntlets desperately clawed at the concrete in a vain attempt to escape. He looked back and caught a glimpse of the massive maw that opened before him.

Su grinned as an eye peeked out from her bangs and the guard grit his teeth before readying his spear for her approach. He reeled back and started a stab as a feint before he followed it with a real strike targeted at her face. Did he think that weak trick would catch her off guard? She tilted her head to avoid the strike and grabbed the pole of the spear before crushing it between her fingers. The head snapped off and she grabbed him by his plate before pulling him in and licking her lips. She reeled a hand back and plunged it in his chest leaving a bloody wound but also a strange dark aura that surrounded her hand as she reached ever further within, her eyes looked away as she rummaged further and further within-a look of satisfaction came over her as she pulled her hand out with a tiny sphere surrounded by a blue flame. She grinned devilishly before opening her mouth and devouring it whole. She licked her fingers and smiled. Those things weren't half bad! She'd have to do that again sometime. The looks on the faces of his companions made the taste all the better, but she didn't have the time to play with them. There would be reinforcements sooner rather than later.

She picked up the spear head and tossed it into the air before catching it a couple of times, the third time she hurled it into the second guard's head and it pierced his skull. As his body broke free of the binding she rushed toward him and punched him in the chest with all of her weight in her fist, hurling the body forward into the last of the six. As the two tumbled away and came to a halt the last thing he had seen was Su's grin and her crimson eyes as she brought down her claws.

She licked the blood from her fingers and turned to her companion who solemnly stared at her, his mouth covered in blood and an eye hanging from it. "That's nasty dude. Hurry up and eat that. We can't stay here any longer." She knew what she was doing now was not typical of her. She never had any particular taste for blood, let alone for the souls of humans but she sure as hell did now. They didn't taste bad, and she felt a sense of satisfaction so what could be the harm eating two or three? The part that bugged her most about it was that it was likely the old man's doing, but so long as the path she followed lead her to Asmodeus she didn't give a rat's ass about what happened along the way-most of the time. This was just a little bonus on the side.

"Hailstorm!" The sound of a girl's voice cried out and icicles rained down upon the God's Governor.

She grit her teeth as she was bombarded by the icicles and glared at her attacker. More annoyances had come, and she didn't have the time or patience for going up there to deal with it-they had two ways out of there, and she knew for a fact there were more guards approaching from behind. "Go, TJ." Su turned to a series of crimson spheres while the Abellan took off in the opposite direction. She solemnly sighed as she watched the Abellan move forward, and run into another pair of guards. Time for her to rescue him. She emerged from the crystal and immediately climbed onto his shoulders before holding out a hand. "Dance of Blades!" At her command three crimson swords appeared and soared towards their enemies. "That should buy us some time." She placed both of her hands to her companion's shoulders. "Lust! Luxuria's Grip!" A dark energy surrounded the Abellan and she leapt from his shoulders up to the nearest building-a thin line extended from her and dragged his body with it, causing him to crash against the building before being pulled to the top in her wake. She broke the bond and he fell to the floor with a low thud before rising to his feet again.

"We've spotted the hostiles! Their coordinates are..." One of the archers shouted to her companions, likely through guild chat.

Su sighed. She should've expected that-she knew they were there, and there were more of them. She grabbed TJ by the arm and hurled him through the air as a barrage of bullets followed in her wake courtesy of the gatling gun of a Gunslinger among them. She caught her companion and leapt from the nearest building into the streets. In the light of a lamppost she caught sight of a Gunslinger holding a single gun trained on the two-the sight sent chills down her spine. Her instincts screamed a myriad of things: dodge left, dodge right, jump into the alleyway, hide in the shadows, hit the floor, use a spell, do something! Moments before he fired his first shot she hurled TJ into the nearest alleyway before she dropped into the shadows.

As she sunk into the darkness she cried out, "Poker Face!" The Gunslinger let the shot off and the sound of the gun firing was like a wild animal roaring-it was like nothing she had ever heard before, and she began to see why he only had one. That was not the typical Gunslinger's weapon, and it could only spell bad news. She caught a glimpse of the recoil from the shot and her focus shot towards the Abellan who lay face first against a wall-she'd missed, and he was wide open. At best she had maybe five more seconds before the dive's effect wore off-she had used TJ as the target but he had barely moved away from her. That matter aside she had to get to the gunner before she plugged his companion with that thing...but how?

As she emerged from the shadows and he readied his next shot she decided to act then and there-if they could take on these forms, they could do more. She stormed forward and he caught a glimpse of her approaching-she side-stepped to predict his shot and he followed her movement before letting off another shot. Out of desperation she dove through the air and tendrils emerged from her shadow before surrounding her body and giving it the shape and speed of a panther. Before he could gasp she lunged at him and tore at his neck with her fangs before turning to the gun and grasping it within her teeth.

"Storm Arrow!" Another Treasure Hunter shouted. The sounds of the string of his bow being pulled as he rapidly nocked and fired a series of arrows caught Su's attention and she immediately dashed into the darkness as the arrows rained upon the corpse of the previous adventurer. As he caught a glimpse of her he placed another arrow into his bow as he tried to fall back and she lunged at him, claws drawn. The claws tore through the armor and flesh and Su turned back to her previous form after, the taste of blood lingered as she dropped the gun from her mouth into the palm of her hand. It seemed their transformation ability had gotten a level up. Their nature was growing, and rapidly-too much and it might start to affect them throughout the day, if the event at the Pharaoh's Chamber was any indication.

"There's more ove-" A guard just had appeared in the street and before he could even finish speaking a bullet pierced his chest and he gripped the bloody wound and looked at her in horror. The gun flew out of her hands and her right arm barely clung to the rest of her body.

"Shit." She muttered under her breath. What the hell was that gun called again? A magnug? She'd heard about them, and that they couldn't use a Gunslinger's SP but she'd never seen one let alone used one until just now. That thing was ridiculously strong-unnecessarily so. The next thing to turn the corner was her companion and she let out a slight huff. "Watch my back while I reattach my arm." She began to perform the Shadow Suture spell once more and the Abellan took cover in the alleyways in case anyone else decided to show. "Hurry up and fill the quota. This is getting messy." She sighed audibly and blinked slowly. "We're gonna need a new hunting ground after this disaster. A good criminal wouldn't strike the same place twice. This is like the third time." He muttered something and she frowned. "Are you seriously griping about that? You could feed later or something I dunno. Get over it!"

Shortly after she caught a glimpse of a pair of guards turning the corner and TJ flying at the two. Their cries followed after and one of his after one of them managed to plunge their spear into his ribs, but it proved to be his undoing. After pulling it out and pulling the guard in he bit the better half of his neck off. Wasn't a pretty sight, but Su was getting rather used to it by this juncture. He began to inscribe the markings for the sacrifice and she turned her head as the sound of more people approaching grabbed her attention, and his.

"Finish the job. I can handle myself." She ushered while still closing up her torn arm's wound. If she didn't attach it now there was a high chance it'd come off again and be even more of a pain to attach. She said that if Su wasn't careful with it, the effect would be completely irreversible-it wasn't like she needed it, but it'd be troublesome without it. Even she herself wondered if that bluff would hold fast as the footsteps came ever nearer. She wanted to rush it, but the more it came off and the more frequently she performed the spell, the effectiveness of it would wane.

As she caught a glimpse of the shadows turning the corner suddenly they had stopped in place as the sound of water freezing sounded through the alleyway and chunks of ice emerged from around the corner, the footsteps and shouts of the guards coming to a sudden and eerie silence, and the magic lingering in the air. There was only one person who would do such a thing. She looked to the eaves of the buildings she rested between and caught a glimpse of the crimson eyes staring down on her before the night sky, before they turned away and the silhouette disappeared. That goddamn annoyance of a God's Governor just couldn't resist sticking her nose in her business.

The Abellan returned to her with the flames of the completed ritual alight behind him. "Done? It's about goddamn ti-h-hey! The fuck're you doin'?!" He picked her up in his arms and ran towards the frozen guards, using them as a stepping stone to reach the top of the building and make his way towards their origin point. Su pouted silently for a couple of moments before finally deciding to give him some direction. "We should get out of the city for the night. Let's head to the Mountains. If we try to go back to the Fight Arena or hide in the Fields we'll be found within the day."

He nodded solemnly at her words before he jumped from building to building, eventually returning to the main street and disappearing into the darkness that lingered outside of the city's reaches. Those that once lurked atop them may have fled or tried to save their fallen comrades, but for most of them it was far too late. As the Abellan carried her out of the city's watchful eyes she looked back with unease. She knew the time was coming that they'd have to do this, but the two would likely have to flee the city after the night's events. TJ was already notorious throughout Jienda after running with Iris and her merry bunch, and considering their battle in Elfa, the appearance of Avaritia and the fact that there were more Sinners-more of his siblings to come he would basically become a Demon Lord level candidate for being wanted. She looked into the beady crimson eyes that seemed to only see straight ahead and she sighed under her breath. He was like an annoying little brother. If she didn't look after him who was going to do it? She looked ahead as the Mountains came into view. It was a means to an end. She'd live.

The ground was hard-was he really in his bed? TJ slowly opened his eyes and pulled himself from the ground before looking around bleary-eyed. The entire place was dark, and he was laying against stone, if the rock beneath his hand was an indication. His head was pounding, his glasses missing and his hat accompanying the other missing good. The entire place he was in was dark as the night and the sound of animals growling created a sense of unease deeper than he could fathom. He rubbed his eyes and glanced down from the ledge he was on to catch sight of a series of bears wandering about within the confines of a cave.

"H-huh?" He asked as he knit his eyebrows. What on earth happened the previous night that lead him to a cave in the Mountains? Was he sleep-walking? The first time was nowhere near as bad as this though. "S-Su?" He asked as his body started to tremble.

"What?" Her voice resounded from within his crystal and his body calmed down at the sound of her voice.

"I-how did I wind up here? Do you remember? Or know?"

"Yeah. I brought you here. It was either that or you get stuffed and mounted in someone's living room."

Though he did not understand what she meant by that and wanted to ask, his guild badge suddenly lit up and urged him to join in the chat. He tapped it twice with his index finger and listened in as the chat bustled.

[Guild]Peorth: Everyone who is awake right now, please report your status immediately!

[Guild]Kooh: Especially if you were in Elias recently! A lot of bad stuff's been going on!

[Guild]Axle: No problems here Boss. What's wrong?

[Guild]Amarylys: I'm alright too, but it really isn't like you to sound so panicked Peorth. Is everything alright?

[Guild]Ken: I'm fine. I'm with Thee right now but he's not awake.

[Guild]TJ: I'm okay too, more or less. What happened Chief?

[Guild]Peorth: There is much to be discussed, but I shall not do it here. All those currently within Elias' borders, I urge you to gather to the Guild Room immediately. Those who are not, be wary of your surroundings especially during the night, and do not, I repeat, do not enter Elias until I have given the signal that it is safe!

[Guild]Axle: I'll be there A.S.A.P.

[Guild]TJ: I'm coming too. Just need a few minutes.

[Guild]Amarylys: Be there soon. I'll see you guys there!

TJ tapped the crystal again and the light it emitted dimmed. "This is bad...Amarylys was right. It really isn't like her to panic like that. Let's hurry Su! I'll ask about the details later!

"Whatever," She answered.

He drew his warp crystal and as he prepared to teleport he placed a hand to his chest as he looked out at the scene before him. Was he in danger? Was the reason that he had wound up here related to the events that unfolded in Elias? Unease washed over him like a tidal wave as he returned to the city.

The sun was obscured by clouds and the city was bustling, but not in a good way. People were in a panic, some rushing about to get out of the city while others clamoured about big news and murders, each going to and fro, dragging the Abellan in each and every direction in the tidal wave of people.

"Excuse me-I need to get through! Sorry!" He bumped into people here and there and his cries seemed to be washed away amidst all the noise and panic as he struggled to make his way to the palace's gates. The moment he reached them he saw a pair of guards standing tall at the entrance and watching as the people frantically ran about.

"TJ, over here!" Nan's voice caught his attention and he caught her standing nearby the entrance and waving, a worried expression on her face. "Were you looking for an audience with King Hejong or Guild Room entrance?" He feared he would not be allowed either, but he decided to place his bets on the latter anyway.

"I need to go to the Guild Room. Is it closed too?" The nervousness in his voice was obvious to him also, and though out of breath he prayed that he could convey the urgency of the matter and have his wish granted.

"No, it's open. If you're ready I can send you there now."

He nodded. "Please." She held out a hand to him and the familiar sensation of travelling to the Guild Room came over him.

Within he found a fair amount of his guild members gathered around Shabur, their voices frantically mixed in a jumble of differing stories, shared knowledge and personal opinions on exactly what happened.

"There are bodies littered everywhere!" Amarylys said with a grand gesture.

"I'd heard there was a bloodbath...headless corpses, gunshot wounds, crushed bodies and some killed by their own weapons. The whole shebang. The city's guard closed off most of the streets while they investigate and clean up." Axle added with a squeamish expression.

"Chaos! It's become utter chaos!" Deva shouted as he placed both hands to his temples.

"Everyone, please calm down! Let us speak one at a time and consider this matter from all sides of the spectrum! We must be reasonable and come to a consensus on how we should proceed with what we know on the matter." Peorth said to the guild as a whole. The group nodded and answered in acknowledgement.

"I just got here so can you guys fill me in on what happened?" The Abellan asked as he approached the group. Many of them sent uneasy glances, even Shabur seemed a tad unsettled by the news.

"Please do not panic as I deliver this news to you, TJ." The guild master answered with a grave expression. "There has been another series of murders within the city. Both adventurers and the city's guard alike were slain last night, but we know not what had performed this or how it had gotten past the city's defenses. What we do know is that this criminal, be it Agasura or Human I know not, but we must be on our guard at all times. The fact that is has gotten this far and performed such actions means that it may be time for us to intervene-this may be something beyond what Humanity can manage. I fear for the worst, but I will get in touch with some of the other guild masters and see if I can arrange for them to gather information and send in some of their forces to suppress the threat before it can strike again."

TJ bit down on his lip as she delivered the news and the unease within grew by the second. "It wasn't...him, right? I mean, if he did those things you'd know right?" He did not want to doubt Vanir but there were two people in the city who had an Agasuric nature-him, and the barista-that number became three if he was to include Su.

She shook her head. "This is a matter I had once suspected also, but I with the help of other Confidants have concluded that he is not the culprit."

He nodded gravely. Was it possible that he had something to do with it? But if so, why would Su suggest that she got him out of the city because he was in danger? He was afraid to rule out the possibility that he was the culprit, but if there was another at large and he turned himself in, what would happen to him? Who would defeat the Sinners if he was locked up after being suspected of being the criminal? He grit his teeth and looked forlornly at the guild master. What could he tell her? What should he? He decided to hold his tongue for the time being until he had definitive proof of what he had suspected-if there was something else out there, he would have to be wary of it. After all, it could be after him too.

"So what do you think we should do from here on out Boss?" Axle asked as he crossed his arms.

"For the time being I'd like all those who are not a Bashutz or above to remain within their homes at night until the morning comes. I know not what is out there, but I do not wish for you to find yourselves in danger. I shall pass this message on to the others at the first opportunity I get. Anyone who is that rank or above, if you are to patrol the city I wish you to have at least one ally with you. It is too dangerous to travel without a companion-watch each other's blind spots, and if you do discover the culprit prioritize survival. Call out to anyone in the near vicinity and regroup or escape as quickly as possible.

"Aye aye Boss lady." The Blader responded with a salute.

"Concurrently, I would like all of you to consider what you would like to do in the coming days. There are still requests for dispatch missions that need be fulfilled, for those who are free currently, Bashutz and above, I have tasks that I would like you to complete. Everyone else is dismissed, but I would like for you to respond to the question prior to the day's end." Deva and Amarylys gave solemn nods before exiting the guild room and the Abellan pointed to himself-he was no Bashutz, and had not the foggiest what rank that was but he felt unsure if he was needed anyway. "I would like you to stay for the time being TJ," Peorth responded.

"What've you got on the plate for us?" Axle asked with a raised eyebrow.

She closed her eyes. "Axle, if you could retrieve Klone and scout out the city for anything suspicious, including potential clues, rumours and any knowledge that you can gather about the recent events, including the identities of those who were slain. There may be a connection among them-especially those that have the circles drawn beneath them."

"Leave it to me," At those words he left the guild room.

"Kooh, I wish for you to go to Vanir immediately and find out if he has any findings on the recent events. If it has anything to do with...them I would like to hear all that he knows about it."

"What're you gonna do Princess? I'm afraid to take my eyes off you with a murderer running about." The God's Governor answered as she knit her eyebrows.

The guild master chuckled lightly. "I will not engage in any dangerous activities. I will return home and write letters to send to the other guild masters to request their cooperation. I will also look through Memorius Sanctum and any other historical texts also to find out if there is knowledge we can glean from them."

"Okay. I'll go there and be back before you know it."

"You have my thanks. Once you have spoken with him, report your findings to me. There may be other tasks that I need you to accomplish."

"You can count on me Princess!" With those words she ran off while waving.

"TJ." She began and he immediately jumped at her voice. "You are the one that concerns me currently most of all." Did she suspect what he had thought too? What did she plan to do? He could feel the hairs on his neck stand on end as a newfound fear began to settle in the pit of his stomach. "You may be in the most danger of all of us."

He felt as if his heart stopped beating for a moment before restarting suddenly. "W-what?" He asked in both shock and disbelief.

"We know that whatever is out there is without a doubt, an Agasura. The fact that it has constantly targeted Elias may be proof that whatever it may be, that it is searching for something-most likely you. Though our contract has bound us together, if there is one thing in the world that can break it, it would be that of the proxy of the opposing faction. It is not entirely illogical that Choen Palm or one of Agasura King Asmodeus' minions has infiltrated the city, and in order to see his revival through has started slaying both citizens and adventurers alike. I have the sneaking suspicion that the reason they are doing this is on purpose, potentially to put the city on guard. I have noticed that the amount of circles has increased substantially since this first began, and the fact that there are now more targets seeking out the culprit has resulted in more deaths." She paused for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed slightly giving off a slight vibe of distress. "It pains me to have to send out my members to investigate the matter, but they too, are Cerebians. I cannot shelter them from fear of harm coming their way. We too, must fight this battle as will the others that I will request aid from." She sighed gently. "Nevertheless, it may be in your best interest if you were removed from this scenario. I have no doubts that you could put a stop to the culprit, but if you are harmed severely against it and another Sinner appears we will all be in much graver danger. It was a miracle that Bastion and Uprising were there to manage who had entered the Instance Dungeon, but we may not be so fortunate next time. There were many adventurers with complaints on the matter, and to this day Eli Kraus and Uprising are still sifting through all of them."

TJ scratched his cheek. The poor guy really got the short end of the stick in that matter. Salem and the others in Bastion were fortunate for having to not get that also, but they likely did not have the numbers that the former guild did, so they would have less of a hand in that. "But I don't get it." He muttered as he knit his eyebrows. "I mean, the dungeon was a really dangerous place! We were pretty lucky we made it out in on-" He paused mid-way as Peorth's expression changed from one of curiosity to one of worry. It was difficult to say for sure but just by the look in her eyes it had proven rather telling. "I mean, it was a bit rough around the edges but we still managed alright! S-still...that shouldn't be a place people should jump into at the drop of a hat."

Peorth nodded gravely. "I had debriefed RoboCurt at the specifics of what had occurred within the Instance Dungeon and he had informed me that it actively changed shape as time progressed. To think that the longer we delay, the stronger the Agasura within the Instance Dungeon, as does the place itself become. It may be best if you remain on standby until the next Instance Dungeon appears. We know not where, or when, but the possibility that Uprising or any of the other guilds will be able to manage it is highly unlikely. At times, adventurers are not completely unwilling to use force against other adventurers-even outside of the Fight Arena. I pray that it is not near any of the cities." She placed her hands together and bowed. "I must go for the time being. Business must be attended to, but I shall return later on after submitting these letters. If you are still here, I shall find you, but if not I recommend that you keep an eye on your guild badge so that you may know when I am to seek you out."

At those words he blinked. His mind was abuzz at the possibilities, but they had all settled on one specific thought. He reached into his pocket and drew her shard of the Heart of Yggdrasil and held it out to her. "Chief, thank you for lending this to me." She accepted it but wore a confused expression in turn. "I want you to hold onto it though. I can't really explain it but..." He scratched his cheek as he laughed gently. "Well...I feel a bit safer when you have it." He took a deep breath and offered her a smile. "You know, when we were in the dungeon it protected me. Gave me strength when I needed it most, and thanks to that, we won the fight. I felt like you were there with me. There might be a time where it'll protect you too, in case I'm not there to. And I guess...in a sense I feel like we're a bit closer this way."

She nodded and held it close to her chest. "If you wish it, then I shall do just that. Thank you."

"H-hmm? Oh you don't have to thank me. It's not like I gave it to you or anything." He answered with an awkward grin.

This brought a smile to her face. "Quite contrary." She bowed once more and said, "I shall remain in touch. It would be wise to keep a low profile TJ. Until we meet again." She made her way out and he watched solemnly.

He looked to Sellistar and Shabur before raising an eyebrow. "Which of you knows what 'quite contrary' means?"

"My apologies Power TJ, but I've not the foggiest." Shabur asked with half of his smile revealed behind his mask.

The guild crop shifted only to shrug for the Abellan before she too responded, "I have not the slightest either Little Sapling." It was hard to say whether her smile was any bigger than usual or not, but he could not help but suspect the two were playing a prank on him. "It may do you well to ask the guild master herself."

He huffed and blew a few locks of hair from his eyes. "Su?"

She emerged from the gem with an expectant look. "Yeah? What?" She asked. As he opened his mouth to ask she clicked her tongue. "Don't even bother asking me that stupid question. I couldn't give less of a shit about that."

"Alrighty then," He answered.

"More importantly," She began, "if there's something or someone out there who's trying to kill you, rather than just lazing about I think you should prepare for them."

He crossed his arms-she was right. Whenever he needed to prepare for an epic confrontation, he would train beforehand. Perhaps she could not pass on some new techniques, but a bit of training might help him improve in some other aspects. "What should we do?"

She placed a hand to her hip and sighed. "Well an idiot as stupidly strong as you are doesn't need to focus on getting stronger right now. You'd sooner just become destructive and that's the last damn thing we need. Your defense sucks. I say we work on that."

He knit his eyebrows. "I'm a Bard."

"I-idiot! You don't think I know that?!" She furrowed her brows. "Obviously we're not gonna be working on that defense! You'd be completely useless if you were stuck in a suit of armour!" She sighed and shrugged. "You don't need great armour if you don't get hit. Sure you can just heal your wounds, but we don't have time for you to stand around healing yourself all the time if you decide to be on the front-lines. That ability of yours is handy, sure, but you're completely stuck in place, along with every other song you play. To top it off you got swallowed by a goddamn oversized snake. If we didn't get you out of there you'd have easily been his lunch."

TJ chuckled dryly and Sellistar looked down on him uneasily. "It would be best if you were more careful in the dungeons, Sapling," The Crop remarked.

"T-to say the least..." He muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"If you wanna stay alive, speed will be your best friend. Good thing I'm here to help you get up to speed." There was a glint in her eye at that pun and he snickered lightly. "So you ready or what?"

The Abellan blinked. "We're doing it here?"

The God's Governor pursed her lips. "You wanna do it in the city?"

That was not the response he had expected but it practically said what better place is there? "What happens if we damage the place?"

Shabur removed his mask. "It is not a problem Power TJ. The Guild Room is, after all, an Instance Dungeon through and through. The only thing that will change over the time of your leaving and return is the status of Order Sellistar's growth. Any damage done shall be undone upon your next visit." The Instance Dungeons were a mystery he was still yet to solve also, but in time he would come to understand them a bit better, among other things.

"Well that's that." Su said before snapping her fingers. A series of spheres of water surrounded her before turning to snowballs. "I'd recommend you start running. Training starts now." He raised a finger to object and a snowball hit him in the face, nearly knocking him off his feet. "You were warned!" She laughed.

He immediately dashed to Sellistar and hopped over one of her roots before peeking around her trunk's right leg. "You call this training?!"

"I could be throwing rocks at ya'." Su said as she tossed and caught a snowball. "What better way to get faster than running about?"

Sellistar tilted her head to look down at the Abellan before urging him from behind her with a gentle push. "You must forgive me young Abellan but I do not fair well with the cold." She said.

A snowball flew over his head as he crouched to the floor to take cover behind her roots and broke out into a dash afterwards. Su chased after him while laughing, calling upon and hurling more snowballs in his wake. Most flew past him as he turned in every way he could, but one of them caught his arm and he stumbled before running around the fountain.

"Don't run!" She shouted with a devilish grin. "I can't throw a curveball!"

"Whaddya mean don't run?! I'm not taking that! No way! And you told me to run!"

She had a bundle of snowballs in her hand and she immediately dropped them to the floor while wearing a blank expression. He blinked. Had she given up? That did not seem like her in the slightest, so what exactly had changed? "Fine, have it your way." He gave her a wary but confused look as he slowly came out from hiding. When he did he saw her looking down, her bangs covered her face. The last time she had done that, she had something important to say. Perhaps now too would be the same? He walked over and held out a hand to tap her on the shoulder, but as he neared he saw her lips curl into a smirk. She raised a finger and five spheres of light surrounded her. "Changed my mind! The real training starts now!"

"Y-you tricked me!" He shouted as an Arrow of Light collided with his stomach and forced him back. They were not as dangerous as they normally would be, but she made sure to put enough mana in for them to pack a punch. As he rose to his full height again another flew towards him and he knew he was in for trouble.

"Urrgh..." He let out a long exhausted groan as he lay down face first against Sellistar's roots. There were marks on his body from the places the Arrows of Light had struck, but the worst they had done to his clothes was rumple them. His body on the other hand felt like it was pounded into submission by a hundred fists. Su had returned to the crystal and Sellistar offered him a seat upon her while he regained his stamina, considering there were not many other comfortable things in the guild room for him to sit on-his options being the floor or one of the landings, equally as hard.

His guild badge began to glow and he tapped it twice.

[Guild]Peorth: TJ, are you there?

[Guild]TJ: Yep. What's up Chief?

[Guild]Peorth: Kooh had come up with a remedy for our current problem concerning you.

[Guild]TJ: What's that?

[Guild]Kooh: We're taking you on a vacation to Belos!

He could not help but laugh at her response and the enthusiasm that accompanied it. Typical Kooh, but at this point in time it was rather refreshing. The day's events were still on his mind and hearing her usual cheerful voice made him feel a bit at ease.

[Guild]TJ: Did I win LaDeck or something?

[Guild]Kooh: You won the LaDeck of my heart! Put a dart right through it!

He covered his face both out of embarrassment and humour. She was in a league of her own when it came to pure silliness.

[Guild]Peorth: Kooh please. This is a serious matter. TJ, we have arranged for somewhere for you to find sanctum in Belos while we investigate this matter further. I will bring you some accessories that you may wear so that you are more difficult to distinguish.

[Guild]Kooh: Vanir said that he heard from Lucia and the other girls that you're the talk of the town, but not in a good way. Supposedly people are both on the lookout for you because you're a hot topic, and because they wanna bring you in! If the wrong person catches a glimpse of you they might turn you in.

[Guild]TJ: ...This is because of Avaritia, isn't it?

[Guild]Kooh: Ding dong! Correct you are Little Lamb!

[Guild]TJ: Figures.

[Guild]Peorth: Word travels quickly among adventurers, and rumours even faster. Bounty hunters always keep an ear open to catch wind of such events, and this bounty extends not only from Elfa, but also the surrounding cities. After the chaos that occurred in the city they wish to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. You must remain vigilant at all times, now more than ever.

[Guild]TJ: Alright. I'll try to keep a low profile for the time being. When should I set out for Belos?

[Guild]Peorth: You need not do so. I am currently on my way to the Guild Room now. Please wait there for me.

[Guild]TJ: Will do. I'll see you soon Chief.

He tapped his guild badge twice and sighed gently. A vacation huh? That was one way of putting it-he laughed dryly at the thought. A myriad of possibilities stood before him, but for the time being perhaps it was a good idea. He was worried about his companions, but he believed in Yggdrasil, and with help from Eli and the others they would likely get along just fine. A small part of him still felt that they may have been in danger, but he did his best not to worry more than necessary. If he was the target, then it would follow him to Belos, and he would sleep with one eye open to catch the criminal in the act. When he did, he would settle the score once and for all. As for his siblings, that was another matter in and of itself, but one that he would pursue when the time came.

After a brief few minutes Peorth entered the Guild Room with a bundle of clothes in hand and the fake glasses atop them.

"I have returned," She said dutifully.

TJ grinned. "Welcome back Chief," He responded.

"They are but some spare clothes and this accessory Kooh had acquired, but I think this shall suffice. Not many adventurers are familiar with your attire, therefore I believe that so long as we keep your appearance hidden you shall pass without issue."

Did that mean that bundle belonged to her? It seemed to be a folded black sweater, a large pink paw mark with two smaller others was embroidered upon it. He removed his glasses and took the pair from her before putting them on, then the sweater after. He raised his hands to unbutton his coat then paused and knit his eyebrows. How could he do something so shameless there and then? He did have a shirt underneath but the idea of undressing while she was watching was too much to bear. In place of that he threw the sweater over his head and struggled for a couple of moments before managing to put his head through the hole and his arms in the sleeves. He adjusted the glasses and gave the guild master an approving nod.

"How's this? Do I look a bit more unrecognizable?"

She placed a hand to her lips. "Perhaps...it would be best if you cover your hair too? I would recommend that you raise the hood." He nodded solemnly once before reaching back and pulling the hood over his head. He had to admit, it was pretty snug. What he did not realize though, was that there were a pair of ears atop the hoodie.

"How's that?"

The guild master solemnly looked on with flushed cheeks. "...Magnificent." She bowed to Sellistar and Shabur. "Well then, we shall be on our way. Good day Sellistar, Shabur."

"I wish you safe travels." Shabur answered with a bow in turn.

"Be well your highness." Sellistar added with a slow wave.

"Shall we TJ?" She asked as she held out a hand.

"Yep. Let's get going." He smiled slightly as he placed his hand in hers and the two exited the Guild Room.

Upon returning to the fray that was Elias Peorth drew her warp crystal and held it out between the two. After a couple of moments the two teleported away and found themselves in the town of Belos-only a few days away from the City of Elias, but much more peaceful and easygoing. The familiar scenery of the rolling hills and the small houses and cabins littered across the valley was reminiscent of the beginning of TJ's journey, and it made him wonder how the benefactors he had awoken to were faring throughout his quest. He had not seen them since, and decided there that if he were to find the time that he would return to pay them a visit. After gazing longingly at the Traveller's Bar for a couple moments he turned back to his guild master who carefully put her warp crystal away and gave him an acknowledging nod.

"The location is not very far from here. I shall show you the way." She said before walking off.

The Abellan quickly pursued her as she walked off the main street and onto a dirt path that lead to a variety of places, from homes of the townspeople to all sorts of little stores outside of the market. The others seemed to specialize in everyday things, from tailors to markets that sold food and miscellaneous baubles and even a store that sold various goods adventurers might take an interest in. The two went further on, Peorth keeping a brisk but steady pace that was easy to keep up with, while remaining focused on the road. The Abellan looked here and there, seeing the sides of the town he had not taken to see his first time around. Perhaps in the coming days he would come to know all of Belos, and see it as a place that he would become more acquainted and comfortable with.

Eventually the two walked off the dirt road towards a house closer to the top of one of the hills and nearer to the mountains that were still a fair distance off, but the lone house still stood tall and proud. Peorth approached it and opened the door before entering with TJ in tow. As he followed after her he glanced around the room they were in, but it was rather dark-he could not see much within, and though there were windows they seemed to be covered.

"Wow...it's awfully dark in here." He scratched his cheek as he chuckled. The guild master took off her shoes and took a few steps into the house as he did the same. "It reminds me of th-"

Part way through his sentence the curtains were opened and light poured into the room as a majority of his guild members shouted, "WELCOME HOME TJ!"

"Gah!" he cried out as he held a hand out to block the light before he was covered in confetti and streamers from both crackers and a party ball alike. "Welcome home?" As he lowered his hands and looked upon the house, he saw his guild members gathered beneath the party ball and as the confetti fell to the ground he caught a glimpse of a banner behind it all that said 'TJ and Su's Housewarming Party'. "H-huh?!"

"This is yours now, TJ." Peorth said before his guild mates lifted off his feet-they carried him over to a green sofa and Kooh and Axle took him by the legs and arms before throwing him onto it.

A bit shaken up but still functioning he took off the fake glasses and gave the guild master a puzzled stare. "This belongs to Su and I? How much did this house cost?"

The guild master smiled. "Nothing. We did not buy it, after all. We built it."

"Just took a little man-power and elbow grease." Axle added with a grin.

"The princess called in a few favours too!" Kooh said as she wrapped her arms around the guild master's neck.

"I handled all of the architectural details," Robo said. It had been some time since TJ last saw him out of his MG but there was a very good chance he would not be able to get it through the door. "Matters such as that are within my realm of knowledge, second to my engineering know-how."

"Uh-huh. The whole guild came together to complete this project. Planning, building, every stage of the way we all partook, and all of those requests we took up helped us net some good stuff. Both ely for decorating the place and furniture at the boss' request." Thee explained as he sat down on an arm of the chair.

"You should take a look around TJ. We've got everything laid out for you, but you can move it around however you like later." Amarylys said with a wide grin.

He glanced at the two then squinted his eyes. "Hold on a sec', some of you guys were in the Guild Room just a little while ago. Did all of you come here after leaving?" There was a group of murmurs of acknowledgement and a couple of laughs had in the span of then and TJ's next words. "So sneaky."

"Cue the music Curt!" Kooh shouted.

"How do I even work this thing?" Curt asked as he gazed upon a single green prism that levitated above the kitchen counter. He reached out to it and it emitted a bright light as it began to turn, and music began to play-but nothing like TJ had ever heard before.

Once the music began the guild started mingling amongst themselves and Kooh approached TJ. "Come with me." She said offering him a hand and he gave her a curious look. "You can't face your guests looking like that, can you?" Was it his lack of glasses? He took out his pair and put them back on before she chuckled. "That's not the problem. I do like the hoodie though!" She took his hand and pulled him upstairs into one of the bedrooms, closing the door afterwards.

He glanced around curiously in the moments he entered, seeing a bed, a desk, a couple of dressers and a closet near a window-a very standard but comfortable looking room. Then the door shut. He turned to Kooh and she smiled. There was something off about it-he could not say what it was, but there was definitely something off about it.

"Alright TJ. Clothes come off," She said without hesitation.

"That...that's not happening," He answered matter-of-factly.

Kooh pursed her lips and he glared with exasperation. It may have happened once, but whatever reason Kooh had for this could not compare to that. Dress him once, shame on him, dress him twice, there were a variety of problems that need be addressed.

"TJ, you know there are two ways we could do this." He backed away and she inched forward. "There's the easy way, and then there's my way." Neither way was good.

"What's wrong with my current attire? I rather like it, thank you very much!" Did he? He was not so fond of it at first but it kinda grew him over the time he spent adventuring it. That and it was made by Verun and Marin, so it certainly had some sentimental value. Despite being damaged and dirty, again.

"Vanir went through all the trouble of getting you some new threads and that's all you have to say?" Vanir did? Why would he do that? Kooh smiled. "Time's up Little Lamb!" She tackled him onto the bed and pulled off Peorth's hoodie and his glasses along with it.

"W-wait hold on! I can do this myself!" He cried out as she attempted to unbutton the coat.

"You could, but it's much more fun this way. For both of us." He was not having fun, and he felt sure that she was aware of that. If there was anyone else that could be included, it would either have to be Su, or Freya. That never seemed to be Su's cup of tea and Freya seemed to have a very...unique interest in him. If that was the case...

"Lewd! You sisters are just plain lewd!" He shouted in defense. She was the stronger of the two, so she overpowered him sooner rather than later.

"Hehe I know." She smiled before looking upon him. "We're both girls right?" Like hell they were. "Can't do this with the Princess though. She's got an iron defense. Defenseless little lambs are right in my strike zone though!" She laughed as she stuck her tongue out.

"D-don't give me that!" At this point he was struggling to keep his undershirt on. It was over quickly.

It was not long before he stood in his underwear with his chest covered. "I hope you're satisfied." He muttered briefly after.

"Oh I am. It was a real feast for the eyes," Kooh chuckled before sliding under the bed and coming back out with a small black box-it was wrapped with a white ribbon and had an item atop it that looked like a pair of earmuffs. There were skulls emblazoned on both sides which were black, and the band between it was white. "Here you go!"

He removed a hand to take it and looked at her incredulously. "A present? Why now of all times?"

"It's Vanir's gift to you. Though you already know what it is so let's get you in it!"

He removed the earmuffs and looked at them oddly before undoing the ribbon and opening the box. The contents included a black jacket lined with fake fur and a leopard-print inside, a pair of stylishly torn maroon pants, black boots, a matching collar and belt with a silver buckle. There was also a very thin and seemingly small sleeveless top. Could he really fit into that? With a sigh he glanced over his old torn outfit and considered his options. He would not have to be clad in pink any longer, and it too, was a gift. Perhaps he was overdue for a change of image?

He slipped into the top and put on the pants before keeping it held aloft by the belt. He then slid his arms into the sleeves of the jacket and pulled it up to his shoulders, then tried on the boots. They fit rather nicely, and overall the outfit was pretty snug. The God's Governor had to help him with the collar since he had not the foggiest what it was or what it did-but after putting it on he recalled seeing Skuld wearing something of the sort, though hers had a bell upon it. Despite the fact, there were two things that concerned him-why did it include earmuffs, and why did the shirt show his belly button? He decided to take up the matter with Kooh.

"Hey Kooh, what's up with this?" He asked before patting his stomach. "It's crazy embarrassing! I don't want people to see it! If this is a winter outfit why is it sleeveless, but comes with earmuffs?!"

"Earmuffs?" She asked before she burst out into laughter. "Those aren't earmuffs TJ. They're headphones!" She took them and placed them upon his head. She took a couple steps back and gave an approving nod. "Looks pretty good to me." She eyed him for head to toe. "You look just like one of the Musica Clan."

He tilted his head quizzically. "Who are they?" The only clan he knew of was Iris', and even then he barely knew a thing about them. To hear that there were others would throw him for a loop.

"A clan that specializes in music of course! They go way back though. One of them, Sonia, still hangs out around Atlantis' main district. I hear they're on pretty good terms with the mayor too, so if you're curious you should go up and ask her! ...'Cause I dunno a thing about them." She grinned and he sighed. "Though I give the new look an 'A plus'!" She offered him a thumbs-up.

"A wha?" He shook his head before covering his body uneasily once more. "You're not gonna suddenly undress me again are you?"

She pursed her lips and knit her eyebrows. "I said I was satisfied. Unless you want me to."

He raised his hands in surrender. "No thanks."

The God's Governor grinned and nodded. "Too bad! Maybe next time then? If you do change your mind come and see me. You've still got a lot to learn TJ." Learn? Learn what? If it had anything to do with that or doing that he could do without. "Alright let's go join the others."

The pair returned to the group and as he came down the stairs some of his guild mates whistled while others shouted their compliments. He felt a bit embarrassed at all the stares so he quickly made his way through the crowd and closer to the entrance where he caught a glimpse of Peorth solemnly standing and sipping at a drink.

"H-hey Chief." He said as he walked over and waved.

She blinked, her eyes seemingly losing focus for a moment before her mouth opened slowly. "Hello TJ. You have changed outfits. The new look is very fitting for a musician such as yourself." Her eyes shifted away for a moment before returning to meet his. "If there is anyone in Jienda that would be knowledgeable in both the musical and magical arts, or rather, the magical aspects of the musical arts, it would be the Musica Clan. Their knowledge is said to have been passed down from generation to generation creating both music for entertainment and battle-supposedly at one point the family had branched off into two, those who pursued the technological aspect of music and those who pursued the magical. Their efforts can be seen all across Jienda to this very day, but much of their knowledge is still shared and can be learned from the descendants of the clan. I believe the outfit you wear now is a creation by one of its members." Her cheeks flushed briefly for a moment as she took a drink. "But I digress." She gazed down at the glass before turning her eyes to him. "Are you...enjoying yourself?"

He grinned. "Yep. I had an encounter of the strange kind with Kooh but she had given me this outfit and said it was from Vanir. I'll have to thank him when I see him, but I do wonder why he'd sent me new clothes. He seemed to rather like making fun of how much pink I wore. Both he and Su," TJ muttered sullenly.

"It is not an entirely unusual occurrence mind you. In the current circumstances, guests often bring gifts to decorate the house during a housewarming party. Perhaps this is his gift to you? Though it may not seem like much, certain outfits that can be won and claimed from the GMA's associate Toma are, like many sets of armour and weapons, enchanted despite being nothing more than mere clothes. Not only can they be worn atop armour, they also bolster the statistics of the wearer. Upon donning them or doing battle in them, you may feel stronger, faster, or that you are growing at a much more rapid rate. Though they are difficult to acquire, I strongly believe that they are worth the effort. That matter aside, many of the items within your house currently were acquired by the members of Yggdrasil It would be best to thank them, as for your warp crystal that was a gift for you from Kooh. It was fortunate that she had given it to you then."

There was no doubt about that, and he was thankful for it. Despite her crazy antics, she was very thoughtful. "Thank you too, Chief." He was not sure what she had done, but he felt certain that she had played a prominent role in seeing this through.

"You have no need of thanking me, as I had not actively partaken in this project." She answered coolly.

"Ugh she's full of it." Su muttered within the crystal. "She suggested the whole damn thing, makes a donation and decides to play it off? This whole scene makes me gag." She emerged from within the crystal and went over to the kitchen counter.

Peorth looked on silently while TJ chuckled gently. "W-well...it was about time she came out and joined the party too. This is for both of us, after all." The guild master always worked so hard for his sake. Be it secretly or openly, she put in more effort than he could ask for. To become strong enough to stand beside her would only be a stepping stone-to see her ideals through and to become someone much, much more important to her...he would make that his goal, and reach ever higher. Though he did wonder how Su found that out.

"TJ, do not let me keep you. This is a party for you also, so you should mingle with everyone. By all means, enjoy yourself."

He nodded solemnly-he wanted to talk with her a bit more, but she was not likely going anywhere in a hurry either. "I'll do that. I'll be around Chief. Have fun!"

She smiled slightly. "I will be around."

TJ parted with the guild master and stopped at the counter where Curt tinkered with the gem and Robo examined it curiously. Su ran her finger along the rim of her cup while looking bored.

"You done flirting already? It's a new record," Su muttered under her breath.

"Flirting?!" TJ asked incredulously. He had no idea what that meant, but her tone sounded scornful so he tried to sound offended in response. He thought it was pretty good.

"Well at least you and the Chief are getting along well. All hell would break loose if you couldn't, after all." Curt said as he spun the gem with a finger. The music that played changed at his touch.

Staying in sync-of course. No sync, no Frequency. No Frequency, TJ would likely find himself in a very, very bad situation. "You can say that again. But nothing too bad has happened so far so I'm not too worried right now."

"Complacency serves as a breeding ground to weakness, TJ. It'd be best to be prepared for any situation, mind you." Robo commented with a keen look at the gem, and at that he sounded eerily similar to Peorth herself. "I would, however be willing to spend ample amounts of time into discerning the inner workings of this here jewel. It seems to hold a myriad of songs uncommon to Jienda, and yet it also seems to be nothing more than an enchanted jewel. Not even the Musica Clan has such unusual technology."

"Where did you guys find it anyway?"

"Kooh borrowed it from that Confidant Vanir, apparently," Curt mentioned.

Su rolled her eyes. "Figures. Those two idiots are the most likely to get chummy. May as well make off to some distant island and take that stupidity with them," She hissed.

TJ chuckled dryly, both at the idea of what she had said and the fact that she likely had to watch as Kooh made a show out of undressing him. After remembering that moment and the newly acquired thought, he could feel the heat in his face rising. Like one God's Governor was not enough. "Vanir's got a lot of unique stuff huh? You think he'd tell us where he gets all of it?"

"Impossible," Curt muttered.

"I applaud your desire to learn TJ, but you must keep in mind that the secrets of the world and those beyond our own will very rarely, if ever be divulged. There are several other worlds, excluding Midgard and Asgard that the common person knows little of, if any. In fact, most don't even know that they exist!" Robo crossed his arms. "Nevertheless, what a Confidant such as Vanir knows he will not likely tell. Knowledge is often something not given, but discovered! Seek and ye shall find!"

"You're one to talk." Su sniffed and furrowed her brows. "Diving from a freakin' ship in the sky and being a look-a-like of that clown there? Who the fuck're you anyway?"

Robo scratched his cheek. "It isn't particularly a secret...I could tell you the details of my creation if it's what you truly want. But what good would it do?"

"None. At all. So much so that I can barely be bothered to care. You both suck anyway."

"Them's fightin' words." Curt hissed as he glared at Su and she slammed her glass down.

"I could take both of you to pound town right here, right now. You wanna throw down?"

TJ sighed. These two seemed to fight even more in times of peace than they would when Agasura loomed around every corner-the opposite could be said for Su and Amata. He walked off before things got out of hand and he got dragged into it. Robo could likely diffuse the situation by himself. As TJ waded through the crowd he felt someone's arms wrap around his waist and pull him back. Scared out of wits he turned back with a silent look of surprise and curiosity to find Kooh smiling at him.

"Where are you off to Little Lamb?" She asked in a sing-song voice.

That voice alone spelt bad news. He could feel it welling up in the pit of his stomach and he knew he had to flee before she dragged him into one of her usual antics. "U-upstairs." He answered.

"Let's go together. I need to teach you something!" He shook his head rapidly. "Oh come now, can't you put on a little something for the guests?"

He furrowed his brow. "I'm not putting on anything else! No way!"

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant putting on a sort of...performance. You know?"

He tilted his head as he pondered the statement. His guitar playing had improved by a substantial amount over the past while-if he was to play Velvet's song he would not accidentally summon her and likely freak out his guild mates, so long as he did not sing the lyrics. What could the harm be? "I guess I could. I left my guitar in that room upstairs though."

"Oh pssh you won't need that silly old thing!"

He stared blankly at her. "...Huh?"

The next thing he knew she lifted him by his legs and placed him atop a long tea table in the center of the room. "Time to put on a show! You strut that stuff girlfriend!"

He looked down on her. "No! Absolutely not!"

She wrapped her arms around his legs and looked up to him with tears in her eyes. "Please? For me?"

His anger waned-his resolve faltered and the eyes began to break through his defenses. "I...I..." He sighed, defeated. "Let's just get this over with so I can jump into a hole."

"You're so cooperative TJ!" Kooh said with a grin. He would have to get her back later, and comply now. How, he had not the slightest clue but somehow he would. "You can come down for now."

He stepped down and knit his eyebrows. "So what is it you want me to do?"

Kooh nodded sagely before stroking an imaginary beard. "Well well well...since you're now wearing this magnificent set of clothes what more could you do than live it up to the fullest? Show me your model walk!" He blinked slowly and she frowned. "Don't know what that is huh?" He nodded. "Lemme' show you then." Kooh cleared her throat before placing a hand to her hip and walking with attitude. "You gotta strut TJ! Like so." She said as she did just that. "Turn, and repeat." She came to a halt then turned around before winking and posing. "Then pose for the camera! You could do a few if you like." She did just that. Pretending to blow kisses, winking etc. She seemed to be having quite a good time. TJ could not help but wonder if that was something she and Peorth both had to do, considering that they were royalty. Would he have to learn to do that because he was the Abellan? It may have been necessary but it seemed extremely embarrassing. "Alright, show me your moves!"

He took a deep breath before mustering his courage. He walked, awkwardly, turned on the balls of his heels and hit his leg against the table, but still persisted. He stopped at the end of the walk and struck a pose.

The God's Governor rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Close, but not quite. Show me some attitude! You need more strut in your walk too. Shake that booty!" She declared as he continued and caught a few eyes. "Make a pouty face! Put some more attitude in those lips TJ! That's the stuff!" She pretended to take pictures using her fingers as a camera.

After practice he laid on the couch with his head buried in the arm. Kooh brought him a drink and he held out a hand to accept the cup silently.

"You did good TJ, but the real moment of truth is now. Everyone's gonna be watching! I'll make you shine like a star baby!" The God's Governor claimed.

At those words he could not help but have his interest peaked. Was that not one of the things the ally he had seen in an Iris Stone mentioned? He began to feel conflicted. He did not know the requirements for meeting his old companions, save for defeating the Sinners. At that, it was actually quite a surprise that Velvet had appeared at the time, but would the others be as simple as that? Did he just have to defeat each one and the Keruz would appear? He took a breath. Perhaps what she had told him was a clue towards summoning her, and the other things he had heard during his memories were also. Considering the thoughts that he had gone through earlier, this may have been more of a step in the right direction than he had initially thought. Kooh may have come off as a tad unusual, but it seemed she just had a very different way of teaching. TJ was beginning to see her in a new light.

"I think I'm ready. Let's give this a shot." He said as he quickly downed the cup and rose to his feet.

"That's the spirit Little Lamb. Let's do it!"

He took his place atop the table and managed to muster a smile, albeit one that may have showed his unease where the beads of sweat running down his face failed, but one nonetheless. Kooh called the crowd and all eyes turned to them. He stole a glimpse and caught Peorth's piercing gaze. His unease increased tenfold.

"You can do it TJ. Be brave!" Kooh said with a thumbs-up.

He could do it. He would do it. He did as the God's Governor suggested, strutted across the table before turning while keeping a straight face. Came to the end once more and posed. Silence followed. His hair stood on end.

"I told you Axle! You owe me five-thousand ely." Klone said nudging Axle with his elbow.

"No way. He can't be. This is one of Kooh's pranks, isn't it? It has to be!" Axle insisted with a shake of his head. "But if it isn't does that mean...?"

Embarrassment began to set in and Su immediately approached before pulling him down by the wrist and out past the crowd. "TJ, what in the blue fuckin' blazes are you doing?" She asked with both an interrogating and confused look.

"Uhh...stuff...to summon Keruz? I guess?" He asked as his gaze shifted away and beads of sweat ran down his neck.

"Who put you up to this? It was her, wasn't it?" The God's Governors eyes darted towards the other and she glared viciously. "I'm gonna pound her into a fine dust."

"H-hang on Su!" He grabbed her shoulder and shook her head. It was not long between the moment he stepped down and the gazes followed him back, but in spite of the ensuing silence, the guild seemed to be talking about it rather merrily. "Maybe it wasn't for that...maybe Kooh was just having a little fun. But it's okay right? I mean, no harm done. I banged my knee but I'm not hurt. It's a party so let's enjoy it a little, okay?"

She clicked her tongue and sighed. "Fine. I'll look past that one. But it'd be smart if you kept your distance from her. There's something about the way she does things that pisses me off."

"Spend a little time with her. I think you'll come around." She had similar feelings about Amata, but before she knew it the two had become friendly. There may have been bad blood between the God's Governors here, but he felt certain that it would pass also.

"I wouldn't hold my breath for that. Anyway I'm going back. Try not to make too much of an ass of yourself tonight would you?" At those words she walked off and he gave her a nod.

She was concerned, but there was no real need to be. He felt a bit at ease knowing that she was keeping an eye on him, though he still felt embarrassed that he did that, and even more so at the conclusions he came up with.

Setting those thoughts aside, his mind wandered to the God's Governor of Fire. It had not been long since they met in Elfa, but perhaps now would be a good chance for the two to meet again? It was a good chance to introduce her to the guild and Peorth, and perhaps she would enjoy celebrating with the others? He reached into his pocket and took out the IR transporter she had given him. He looked past the crowd and noticed that night had fallen, but since there were no signs of Sinners incoming, perhaps the night would continue on. He flicked it open and stared at it curiously before pressing a button on it. The screen flickered to life with a light and requested that he say the name of the person he wished to summon. Did it have an Iris Stone within it?! Technology was incredible indeed.

"Amata Seitz." He answered before staring at it solemnly. The IR transporter flew from his hand and began to spin while facing the ground before him, releasing a series of rings of light with a bright light in the center. After a few moments the figure of the God's Governor became visible and soon the silhouette became her clad in flower-decorated pajamas and wielding her staff, her expression hard and her stance battle-ready.

"Where's the threat Abellan?!" She asked and some turned their eyes to her.

"Huh? Threat? Oh no I-"

She placed her staff against the wall and walked over to him before placing a hand to his shoulder. "Why did you summon me? Answer in five words or less and I might not set you on fire."

"To party with Yggdrasil?"

"Are you kidding me? You wasted my IR transporter on this?! Why?!"

"So you could have some fun too." He answered as he knit his eyebrows.

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it afterwards. "That reason is so...out of left field and unbelievable that I can't even get angry at it. The fact that I'm in my pajamas is still rather rage-inducing, but of all the things you could've summoned me for, you picked this..." She sighed and shrugged. "I guess I shouldn't expect any less from you, but to think that you're our Abellan..." She chuckled. "In truth, I'd expected a battle-hardened warrior. Still, the fact that you'd go this far for someone who was once your enemy shows how soft you are...but that you care for your allies. I should warn you though, be careful of your ties." She knit her eyebrows as her expression turned hard. "They can easily be severed by death-none of us can escape it, and our duty is to go to war. These guys you've gathered here could easily di-wah!" Amata immediately looked on guard as Kooh glomped her to the floor. "Who are you and what are you...it couldn't be...that energy..."

"Nice to meet you Amata!" Kooh chimed.

"I already met you! But you...masked your energy didn't you? God's Governor of Water." Her gaze sharpened into a glare. "Don't you have duties to fulfill? Elfa is under your jurisdiction. You should be there right now managing the situation!"

The God's Governor chuckled slyly. "You're sitting in TJ's hallway in your pajamas and you're talking about such serious matters, Ms. God's Governor of Fire?"

She furrowed her brows. "It's not like I wanted to show up dressed like this! Do you have any idea what time it is, let alone how I got here?"

Kooh tilted her head. "Bed time? Oh! I just had a great idea!"

TJ's eyes opened wide. "Idea? No, no more ideas! I'm all for normal fun stuff! No more model walks!" He said making an 'x' with his arms.

"It's not that! We should have a pajama party! Amata's already here in hers so we should all join in! Just the girls! The Princess will be there too!"

"Pr-her highness?! You didn't tell me she was here! I can't show myself like this! Also hurry up and get off of me would you?"

Kooh pursed her lips. "Oh come now Amata you're way too uptight! The Princess isn't gonna see you any differently because you're in your pjs. Don't worry! Anyway I'll be back soon guys!" The God's Governor of Water immediately ran into the crowd likely to confirm with Peorth.

"Looks like Kooh roped you into something troublesome too Amata," TJ laughed.

"And whose fault do you think that is?" She asked with an exasperated gaze.

"Guilty," He chuckled dryly. "But at least you can get to know everyone now. Take a load off and celebrate with us!"

"I'll join your buddies when this 'pajama party' starts. I refuse to get in the midst of a crowd dressed like this." Her gaze seemed to ease up and she looked around with an uninterested expression. "So? Where's the Prodigal Legend?"

"Should be by the counter with the Curts."

Her mouth curled into a sneer. "Talk about a reunion. Could be worse I guess. I'll get acquainted with your other friends later, but if this pajama party is happening you better...formally introduce me...to her highness, okay? My first impression is gonna be shaky as it is, considering these circumstances."

"Sure." He smiled as the God's Governor walked off.

He made his way back into the crowd and caught a glimpse of Peorth leaning against a wall, deep in thought. "Hey Chief, where'd Kooh go?"

She blinked. "Home," She answered matter-of-factly.

The Abellan knit his eyebrows."Was she not feeling well? She seemed like she wanted to do a pajama party with all the girls."

"She will return. She said she was going to bring pillows and pajamas. It shall not be long, after all, she had borrowed my warp crystal."

"Now that sounds more like the Kooh I know. Ah! Amata's here also! She seems really enthusiastic to meet you, so perhaps you two could get to know each other at the party? Are you going to it?"

The guild master nodded and TJ could not resist the urge to raise his eyebrows. If Amata was impressed at his unusual actions, she would be even more surprised when she got to meet the queen. "Kooh had always talked about having a sleepover. We have slept together occasionally since the two of us came to Elias, but since getting to know the members of Yggdrasil, including you, she has oft mentioned that she wished to hold a pajama party. I did not see any harm in obliging with that wish."

"Yeah that does sound like something you'd do. It's a good thing that you're the guild master." He chuckled. It was that same kindness that taught him how forgiving oneself could serve as a light to guide one from the depths of his/her own despair.

It was not long before Kooh returned with a pillow and pajamas all tied up nicely in a bag. She approached the guild master and placed them down.

"Princess, may I borrow Memorius Sanctum for a sec'?" She asked.

"Yes you may." Peorth answered before rising to her feet. With a wave of her hand she shouted, "Release, Memorius Sanctum!" The grimoire appeared before her with a powerful gust of wind that surged through the room and she turned it to face Kooh. The God's Governor flicked through the pages and stopped on one specifically with a pleased look.

"This is the one."

"Renda's Mirror?" The guild master asked before she tilted her head.

"Is that the wrong one?"

"No, I am sure you know what it does, but do you have a need for it now? It's original purpose was for multiplying both sacred relics and scholarly tomes, but it's main use was on the battlefield and later for defending the library. I cannot see a use for such a artifact at this moment."

"I'll show you." Peorth summoned the mirror from the book and it fell into Kooh's hands. An ornate silver mirror with shards of topaz embedded on both the top and bottom of the artifact took form and she rummaged through her bag drawing the pillow. After reflecting the item in the artifact, a second pillow appeared, and soon after a series of them started emerging from within the mirror, soon after surrounding the guild master.

She emerged from within the pile and shifted her glasses higher. "There are enough pillows for everyone now. I see."

Kooh pursed her lips. "That's not what they're for!" The guild master raised an eyebrow and Kooh let go of the mirror, causing it to vanish. She took a pillow in hand and hurled it, hitting Klone in the back of the head and knocking him off his feet.

"Who's the wise guy?!" He shouted glaring at the crowd, those who did not watch the scene play out looked around in curiosity. He caught a glimpse of Kooh chuckling and he grabbed the pillow she threw and hurled it back. The God's Governor crouched as the pillow flew towards her and it passed over her head before colliding with Peorth's face. There was a gasp, silence and finally Klone breathing deeply through grit teeth.

"So this is their purpose is it? If this is what you wish for, then I shall partake in this battle." The queen rose to her feet with two pillows in hand. She hurled one at Axle and another at Amarylys, both hit their marks.

"What the hell is going on here?" Amata asked in disbelief. "That's not...her, is it?"

Su snorted. "Disappointed? Can't judge a book by it's cover, loser. Now then, I've got some chumps to clobber with pillows, so either you get in the fight or get out of the way!" She rushed into the center of the room to grab some pillows and bash her allies with them.

"Wh-what happened? Why's everyone beating each other with pillows?" TJ asked as he looked on with a confused gaze. "Is it training?"

The God's Governor could not resist a laugh. "There's so much they haven't taught you, isn't there TJ? You might be a few generations behind, but just keep an eye on us and you'll pick up things along the way. For the time being..." She walked behind him and grabbed a pillow before hurling it as he turned around. The pillow caused him to lose his balance for a moment but after catching it the God's Governor grinned. "Why don't you show me what you've got hmm?"

He grit his teeth but quickly grinned in turn. "I've been training with Su! You haven't seen anything yet!"

He tossed the pillow and Amata grabbed Klone by the shoulders and used him as a meat shield. He took the blow and she got clothes-lined by Su who laid in wait. The God's Governor roared with laughter until Kooh threw a pillow from across the room. TJ tossed one back at her and got smacked over the head by Axle and dazed. In a matter of moments two followed afterwards courtesy of Peorth and Amata and he grabbed all that he could in sight before hurling them across the room randomly. Merrymaking continued throughout the house as pillows were cast around and laughter followed in the wake of the night.

"It's unanimous TJ." Kooh said with a shrug.

"Just saying that doesn't make it so!" He cried out before crossing his arms.

"Let's have a vote. Those in favour of having TJ join us tonight?"

Peorth raised a hand. "We are companions as we are allies. I have no qualms on the matter," She said.

Su raised a hand and shrugged afterwards. "There's nothing I don't know about him, so I could care less really. He's harmless by all means. I'm not bothered." She said with a glint in her eye. "Besides, it'll be fun." There was a demon in the room. Counting the other God's Governor, there were two. Asmodeus would have a field day with all the chaos that would accumulate from the evening's events.

Amata raised a hand, but there was a look of reluctance in her eyes. "Though I'm just going by word of mouth here...if what I've heard is true, I don't see why TJ couldn't join us..." She muttered.

"You too?! I thought you were the voice of reason here!" The Abellan cried out defensively.

"I am the voice of reason here! These two alone just spells bad news! But you're an enigma in and of yourself, so don't blame me!" She pointed at him.

"How about you Ama?" Kooh asked.

"I've got mixed feelings about this, to be honest. Girls don't usually sleep with boys, especially at our age. Not that we should be having a sleepover in the first place but..." She explained but stopped mid-way as the God's Governor approached and gestured for her to come close. She whispered something in her ear and the young lady's eyes opened wide. "R-really? Well if that's the case I guess I can accept that but-"

Kooh placed a finger to her lips and shushed her. "That's our secret okay?" She placed her hands together with a grin. "So that's that! It's officially unanimous now TJ."

He furrowed his brows. "You might've all settled on it but it doesn't mean that I'm going to join in on that." He sighed. "It's a sleepover for girls. There's a big glaring fault there!" Kooh tilted her head but retained her blank gaze. "It's right here! It's me!"

"And us." Klone added as he placed his hands behind his head. "What're are we supposed to do?"

Kooh pursed her lips. "Well maybe we could make an exception. But if you guys are coming too we get to paint your nails and do your hair. That long hair of yours has been looking pretty good lately Axle." The God's Governor chuckled masterfully.

Axle brushed his hair back with his hand and shifted his gaze away. "I dunno about you Klone, but I'm gonna pass on that. There are better ways I could spend my night. Ways that don't include me learning the extent of my femininity."

Thee raised a hand. "I'm out too. Good luck, Klone." He saluted him. "We hardly knew thee."

"Don't write me off like that!" Klone shouted.

"So? What's it gonna be Klone? I can teach you all the mysteries of girls you never needed to know." Kooh said with a devilish chuckle.

The Treasure Hunter sighed, defeated. "Well TJ. Looks like you're running this mission solo. Try to come back in one piece, and you know...still male. See ya!"

"H-hold on! You're giving up on me already?! Don't be like that! Why don't I get the option to refuse?!" TJ cried out as Kooh held him by the hand before he could join the others as they waved goodbye and left through the front door.

"Why? Well because you're the Abellan of course. You have duties to perform!" Kooh said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"No! Not again! I'm not taking that bait!"

Su leaned her head back. "You know, for once I think she might not be saying something completely idiotic." TJ looked at Su aghast, his face begging for an explanation at her turning coat on him. "Don't gimme that look! Think realistically for a second here. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to get to know all of us better than you do now. We are the God's Governors, after all. If we don't understand each other, it'll become troublesome later when we need to work as a team. All five of us."

He pursed his lips and Amata face-palmed. "I can't believe I hadn't realized it sooner! You have three of the-no, five of the strongest Cerebians in the world currently, and you've gathered all of us for a pajama party?! What would our forefathers think of this?!"

"Depends?" Su asked with a nonchalant shrug.

"Well..." Kooh muttered as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"God's Governor, I know that the current situation may betray your expectations of the God's Governors and perhaps your queen also, but just as I am the leader, I understand both sides of the spectrum. My mother had believed that we must not rush into situations without taking the time to rest and move forward with calm and clear minds. If we sought to move forward without looking back, we would likely lose our way, and likely find ourselves harmed in the process. We must be as patient as we are wise, and move accordingly." Peorth explained.

The group solemnly stared and blinked before the God's Governor of Fire spoke up. "I...I didn't think of it that way. Forgive me for speaking out of turn your highness." She said before kneeling before the queen.

Seeing Amata in such a way was rather unusual and out of turn for her, but TJ could understand the circumstances. He had spent so much time with Peorth he began to forget that she was a queen. Did King Hejong have such companions also or was there something unusual about their current relationship? The thought that those days could come to an end wandered into his conscious mind and he could not resist the uneasy feeling that began to settle in. He could not take the time he had now for granted, because sooner or later they may have to part ways. He was the Abellan and she the Queen of Asgard-when the war was over, the Bifrost repaired and Asmodeus defeated, his duty would be over. She would go back to ruling the kingdom and he would...what would he do? He rubbed his arm gently before he downcast his gaze.

"Please raise your head. Upon Asgard I may have worn the crown and taken up my mother and father's duty, but that is a time that has gone by for years now. If that day comes again, I know not what the future will hold for the Cerebians, but I pray that peaceful days will find them all. As for myself, my current self, I am Peorth. Leader of Yggdrasil, Warlord..." She smiled slightly. "Human being. You may feel free to treat me as such. Here, you and I are no different than any of my companions, so do not bow to me."

Amata blinked before she smiled from ear to ear. "Y-yes, your highness! I mean Peorth!"

"You wanna kiss her feet and shine her shoes while you're down there?" Su asked with a grin.

"You be quiet!"

"Well since that's decided let's get this pajama party started!" Kooh shouted with a raised fist.

The other girls acknowledged the suggestion but TJ frowned. "I didn't agree to this!" He wound up getting pulled into it anyway.

The girls were all scattered about in the room. Amata sat on the bed with a pillow tightly held within her arms as she sat in the fettle position, stealing the occasional glance at the guild master with flushed cheeks. Su sat against it and watched while Kooh brushed TJ's hair while talking about a variety of things. Amarylys and Alicia were teaching Peorth how to play trump. All seven were clad in pajamas in all colours of the rainbow, most provided by Kooh, but a few pairs were within the house already for the Abellan and God's Governor to wear.

"I used to do this for the Princess all the time. Her hair used to be so long and silky and just all around perfect! It still is but she doesn't need me to brush it anymore..." The God's Governor said as she gently stroked TJ's hair with a brush and ran her fingers through it. "But you know TJ, you have really great hair too. You should style it a little more often! I bet the guys and girls wouldn't keep their eyes off of you."

He blinked and nearly turned his head but remembered Kooh was fiddling with his hair. "It's not like I wanna stand out. I need to stay out of sight, and keep a low profile remember? That aside it's not like I wanna catch just anybody's eyes..."

Kooh laughed gently. "TJ, that pink hair of yours is completely unmistakeable. But here in Belos, I think you're way too far away from the cities that have their eyes peeled for you for it to matter much. Maybe if you build a good relationship with the people of Belos, if or when those who are after you find you they'll see that you're not a bad person." She placed a hand to her mouth and chuckled. "So who's the lucky winner of the Little Lamb's heart hmm?"

"There's no winner! And if there was I wouldn't tell! That stuff is really...really..." He lowered his head and his face grew hot. It felt as if steam would shoot out of his ears at any moment. "Embarrassing!" It was embarrassing yeah, but he still thought of Elias' Anniversary Festival with fond memories.

Kooh placed the brush down and inspected his hair from all sides. His bangs covered his left eye and he could still see the gold streak Avaritia had left for him, along with the God's Governor drifting in and out of his sight. "I'm so jelly! I want your hair!"

"Sorry but I like it where it is," He chuckled.

She pouted. "Have it your way. So! Whaddya want me to do with it? I know a looooot of styles! Twin-tails?" She parted his hair and held it in that style. "Ponytail? High or low?" He typically wore it in a low-ponytail, and found himself rather comfortable with that. It did not get in his way during battle, and he thought it was rather stylish. "Fishtail braid? How about a Choen Palm cut?" At the name he let out a disgruntled groan and she laughed. "I don't have any dyes on me but I might be able to give you a shera shera wave." He had no idea what that was, and at the moment what he wanted in particular.

He searched his memories of what he knew of hairstyles-outside of the girls in Yggdrasil, he rarely paid attention to such things, and most of the boys he knew had short hair, or styled simply. His hair had grown so much over his adventure, but the thought of doing anything with it rarely crossed his mind until someone brought it up. He recalled the aspiring Bard Kera, and the style she wore her hair in-he knew so little about her, but she fascinated him. What was her story, and what was her relationship with him? Perhaps...

"Kooh, you think you could do my hair in a...mm...kinda poofy-ponytail style?" She tilted her head at his request and the other God's Governors gave him puzzled looks also. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he sought out another way to put it. "You know, kinda like...boosh!" He made a sort of exploding gesture to accompany it but none of them really knew yet. "L-like the trees that grow around Elfa! Palm trees! Up here!" He tapped the crown of his head and she nodded.

"I know the one! A fountain-style ponytail right? Hang on a sec'." She began to fiddle with his hair some more before tying it together and placing Velvet's Mr. Bear pin back at the front. "How's that?"

He arose from the chair he sat in to look into the mirror that rested atop the dresser. The image that looked back at him was very reminiscent of the Bard. It may have been hundreds of years since her time, but in those few moments he felt close to her-as if the two had become one. She still was an enigma within his memories, but he felt a connection with her, with Amae and with God Ah also. The young girl an aspiring Bard, and he the Abellan and a Bard-their shared image, memories, and perhaps much more he would come to know as he took another step closer to finding his memories. He smiled at his reflection, and felt as if she would smile back if she could see him.

"Thanks Kooh. Really, thank you!"

She beamed. "It's my pleasure Little Lamb."

It had only been a short while but most of the girls changed places. Alicia sat on the corner of the bed while Amarylys was sprawled across it, Amata sat cross-legged near the door and Kooh leaned against the window. Peorth sat in the chair and TJ sat with his legs spread out nearby.

"So Peorth what's your secret weapon? I hear most people can't take their eyes off of you," Amarlys said conversationally.

"My secret weapon?" She asked with a curious gaze. "It is no secret really. I wield a Hyunmu spear that an ally had forged for me. Though I occasionally fight with a Canine God spear, but it lacks the weight that the former does, and I have become rather familiar with it."

"N-not that weapon. I mean your style, as a girl." The young girl said with a chuckle.

"There are three major rules that I follow in terms of style. Some were passed down from my parent."

"Mm hmm?"

"The first, never turn your back to your target-the second, constant vigilance!"

Alicia blinked. "Well...that's awfully...militaristic?" She commented.

"The third, dispatch them as quickly and effectively as possible! One pre-emptive strike can end a battle before it need begins, mind you." Amata nodded as she listened intently to the guild master's sagely advice and the others chuckled dryly.

"Good luck cracking that nut. She's tough as nails when it comes to that stuff. I'd compare her to him but he's denser than dark matter." Su said before pointing her thumb at TJ.

"Says you," He remarked sorely.

"Let's kick into high gear then shall we? Love interests! Go!" Kooh shouted as she suddenly pointed to Su and her face flushed.

"Are you serious?! I don't have or need one! And why would you start with me anyway?!" The God's Governor roared in response before standing up straight and clenching her fists.

"The fact that you're so defensive about it is proof that you're hiding something my dear Watson!"

"This turned from a game into an interrogation in two seconds flat."

"Cool your guns there Herlock Sholmes." Amata chuckled and shrugged.

"You're in the spotlight Guv'nor!" Kooh pointed at Amata next and this time her face flushed as she gave an unsettled stare at her interrogator.

"I don't have a love interest, and if I did why would I tell you of all people? It's not like it's any of your business anyway."

"You've been eyeing the Princess since this party started you sneaky little thing you! Are you having dirty thoughts? Confess your sins and all shall be forgiven!"

This made her rise as her face flushed a deeper shade of red. "I did no such thing! That's an unfounded accusation and you know it!"

"Next!" Kooh's finger pointed to Alicia and she looked startled.

Amata sat down and pouted after huffing a 'hmph!'

"Huh? Me? No...I couldn't! My lips are sealed sorry!" Alicia answered before placing her hands together.

"A prince's kiss could open them! Who's the prince? Tell us now and I'll summon him!"

"I don't want you to!"

The finger of destiny and embarrassment turned its wrath towards the girl who tried to hide behind Alicia.

"No comment!" Amarylys cried out.

"Confess your love now and get the second one free!" Kooh insisted in the voice of a saleswoman.

"Two is too many and I don't wanna confess my love to you guys!"

"You're up Princess! Who's the lucky winner?"

Peorth blinked. "A lady has her secrets, does she not?"

Kooh wrapped her arms around herself as she wriggled in an unsettling way. "You don't have to hide it Princess! They'll accept our love someday!"

Peorth closed her eyes and gently chuckled. "I do love you, but in a different sense of the word Kooh. You should remain as you are, if it is as you wish to be."

"That's that folks. Now for the star of the evening! Who's the Abellan got his eye on?"

He knew the moment was coming but he had not prepared an adequate response. "There's no one! I mean, I...I don't...it's not..."

Kooh smiled impishly. "If you have doubts you could always marry Freya TJ. She's ready and willing."

The Abellan covered his face at the thought. That girl was really bold-to kiss him though they were not even lovers...he would have to ask Verun about that sometime. "I...I can't do that! Besides wouldn't that mean you and I would be married too?!"

Kooh rubbed her chin. "Technically we would be. But it's okay 'cause I'll marry the Princess. We can all be married!"

"No marriage before the first date, Kooh," Peorth answered coolly.

"Idiots...the whole lot of you!" Su muttered as she placed a hand to her face.

"We're doomed." Amata muttered as she buried her face in a pillow.

Alicia laughed. "Don't ever change guys."

The night went on, most of the girls had gone to sleep. Some were sprawled across the floor while Peorth remained in bed, silently sleeping. Su emerged from TJ's crystal and walked over to Kooh, her emerald eyes pierced the darkness and glared down at the God's Governor of Water. She crouched down and placed her face close to her ears.

"I know you're not sleeping, but everyone else is. Come with me, and don't wake them." Su said before she approached the door and slowly opened it, barely making a sound as she did so and exited the room. Kooh arose from bed and followed briefly after. She made her way down the stairs in the wake of Su and out back through the open door where the God's Governor awaited her. The moment she closed the door and turned to face Su the God's Governor's hand slammed against the wall beside her and startled her. "What the hell were you doing that night? I know it was you, so don't bother trying to hide it!"

Kooh shrugged nonchalantly. "I was doing what any good God's Governor would do-helping the Abellan and others out of a pinch." She answered with a smile.

Su could feel her blood coming to a boil. There was something seriously wrong with that girl, and all of her strange antics that day were likely linked to that night. What was her end goal, and why did she continuously stick her nose into their business? Without a doubt there was something that she wanted, and though Su could not put her finger on it, she knew that her means to do it was gonna be sneaky, and get TJ involved more than he needed to be. "Why would you help us? You know what we were doing. You saw it twice now, at the very least. You watched us commit those crimes and you wear that shit-eating grin like it's the most normal thing in the world?! What is it that you want?"

"Want? Like?"

Su's mouth twitched. She was playing right into her hands, and she knew it, but it irritated her even more. Trying to get answers out of this moron was like a dog chasing its own tail. The girl might play dumb, but she was without a doubt a mastermind with a plan in the works, and if she stuck her hand into the matter, Su's plans could all end up in vain. She couldn't fail, no matter what happened. If need be, she'd have to eliminate the God's Governor, but only after TJ took his second step towards Awakening. That meant she would have to act fast-find the last God's Governor, and another shard of the Heart of Yggdrasil. "Quit screwing with me already. If you're not gonna talk, fine, don't. But I'm gonna watch you. I'll say this now, and just this once. Keep your nose out of our business! Got it?! You keep being Peorth's dog. I don't give a damn what stupid antics you get up to, but stay away from TJ, and stop following us around at night. It's got nothing to do with you!"

"But doesn't it?" She smiled, a chilling smile illuminated by the moonlight. One that Su recognized-one of a killer. In those moments the God's Governor felt as if the girl she had before her was peering into her soul-her eyes empty, but still remaining trained upon her. What TJ had within him and what Kooh had differed immensely. They shared a similar look, but his a lack of understanding, and hers the very opposite. She knew something, she knew too much in fact, and that very piece of knowledge chilled her to the bone. "You can't keep the Little Lamb all to yourself, Su. But I also know you can't do it all alone. You're getting weaker by the day, and you're losing yourself, aren't you? Losing to that.If you can't fight it anymore, you'll be the biggest danger to him. You can't run away from it either, because you're connected. It has to happen. It all does. Shelter him all you like, but you know what needs to be done, and so do I. We have the same goal in mind, it's just that I'm gonna do things my way and you're gonna do things yours. So why stress over the little details hmm?"

Su grit her teeth, her nails dug into the wall before she pulled her hand away. She hated it. She despised her. But there wasn't a thing she could say to her because she was so damn painfully right. Su wasn't sheltering him...Kooh's way of doings things just felt wrong. But even Su knew there were things that she had to face sooner or later, but it wasn't about her. It was about him. Perhaps not what he wanted, but what he needed. What the world needed, and what she needed to do to have her wish granted. Su felt positive that she was the only one who had made a deal with Her. So what in the seven hells did Kooh want? "I'm not agreeing to work with you, but I won't do anything to you...for now. Tell me something though. What's your stake in all this? Just why do you look upon crime and death with that uncaring look of yours?"

Kooh placed a finger to her lips as her eyes rolled around and stopped back where they began. "My stake in all of this?" She chuckled that fake, girlish laugh she always did, and smiled that fake smile she would. Su saw right through it, but there was without a doubt something lurking beneath the exterior. "Well it's mine as much as it is hers. She loves TJ dearly, and I have someone that I love too much also. For that very reason well...I'm not afraid to do unsavoury work. That very fact is what makes you and I partners in crime. I look forward to working with you!"

"Keh!" Su hissed aloud before opening the sliding door and taking a couple of steps inside. She paused. Footsteps? But who's? She turned back to the God's Governor of Water and the girl beamed at her. Things had taken a turn for the worse, and Su's time was running out by the day. That night she may have obtained her greatest ally, and enemy. Her wish seemed further by the day.