This chapter was a long time coming, mostly because I suffered some serious writer's block while producing it. Either way, this chapter is a good deal longer than usual to compensate for that. Your patience is appreciated.

When the sun finally rose to greet Bosk for a new day, Church and his angelic companions were preparing to finally leave for Gainos. Hachiel had thankfully managed to mend Nanael's wing last night, though it had taken the pinkette several hours and a colossal effort. She was especially exhausted now, but Church had offered to carry her for some of the morning so she could rest. Surprisingly, she had accepted; apparently her efforts last night truly were depleting.

But she was awake for now, because she couldn't in good conscience leave Ymir and Cattleya without giving them a proper farewell alongside Church and Nanael.

Across from the group of three, Ymir had her wagon of goods hitched up to an ox, though the diminutive blond carried a rather large pack on her back as well. Cattleya stood to the side to see everyone off, while Rana was still asleep inside.

Not for the first time and probably not the last, Church found himself unhappy to be parting ways with friends once again. He seemed to have a terribly unlucky curse, in which everyone he grew fond of was taken from him within days of first meeting.

Then again, as things stood now, Church was positive he would see Ymir again. After all, she would be heading to Gainos soon enough as well. She had said as much last night.

In fact, the blonde dwarf looked incredibly spry as she prepared for the trip home to the Iron Mountain; though that was probably because she was eager to work on the project she and Church had come up with late last night.

"I honestly can't wait to get back to my forge. This new idea of ours has really got me pumped. I have to thank you for giving it to me, Church."

Church shrugged, his newly acquired sword-breaker strapped to the back of his waist. "Well I honestly didn't expect you to take it seriously... but if anyone can make such an amazing weapon, it's you. I can't wait to see it."

"Well don't worry about that. When I'm done, you're the first person I'm gonna show! It'll be your creation too, after all."

"But you'll be doing all the footwork..."

Ymir shrugged, not at all fazed by the notion. "Well it's not really work for me, since I love what I do so much. Besides, tons of blacksmiths can make quality weapons, but only a few people can come up with really great ideas. Give yourself some credit every once in awhile. That's a bad habit that you need to break."

"I guess so. Maybe next time we meet I'll have done that."

Ymir frowned for a moment, put off with the idea of having to leave her new friends. "Yeah... well, Queen's Blade will begin in just a few months, so you've got time to break that habit before seeing me again. I at least expect that out of you, so don't mess up, alright?"

Church nodded with a smile, sad to part ways with Ymir but also eager to set off for Gainos. After all, Shizuka and Tomoe were supposed to be there, and he was dying to see them again. "Then I won't disappoint you. I can at least manage that small request."

The blonde dwarf smiled back at him, but it quickly transformed into a sigh. "Well, the sooner we go the sooner we can get back together again..."

"Yeah. Be safe going home, and I'll see you soon, alright?"

Hefting her battleaxe, Ymir prepared to head home. "Shouldn't I be telling you to stay safe? Then again, I guess with an angelic escort you'll be fine... I'll see you in Gainos Church. I hope to see you two as well, Hachiel, Nanael. Farewell, for now."

With that the diminutive girl waved at the trio before turning on her heel and towards the ox that pulled her goods. Church and his companions waved back to her, a little saddened by the parting, but fairly certain that it would be temporary.

Of course, while Ymir had not said anything to her, Church made sure to face Cattleya and thank her for all she had done for him. "Cattleya, thank you for your generosity during my stay. I appreciate the kindness you've shown me and my friends, as well as the aid you provided for my friend Rachel."

Ever the modest individual, Cattleya simply smiled serenely. "It was my pleasure to help you. Please think nothing of it. Besides, I couldn't allow Bosk's reputation to be soiled; there's no way I could allow dear Rachel to go without the things she had requested."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it. I only wish that I could keep Snow around; she may be decrepit and old, but riding her beats walking..."

Though she was tired, Hachiel managed to cut in. "You're starting to sound as lazy as Nanael, Church. You shouldn't let her rub off on you so much."

Nanael simply folded her arms and stuck her tongue out at her pinkette companion, choosing to let Church retort in her place.

"I'm not sure you're one to talk Hachiel. I mean, as far as I've seen you never walk when we travel."

"Are you trying to imply that flying isn't tiring as well?"

At this point Nanael decided to actually speak herself. "Well for me it is, but come on Hachi, don't kid yourself. You could fly all day and feel just as energetic as when you started."

"OK Nanael, you're aren't helping here..."

The two angel's interactions brought soft smiles to both Church and Cattleya's faces, but it only served to remind them that idle chitchat was meaningless. After all, Church had given his gratitude, and now there was nothing left to say besides farewell.

"Well, we should get going as well. Again, thank you for everything you've done for us Cattleya. I hope we meet again one day."

The older woman bowed just slightly, which seemed a little out of the ordinary, but Church accepted it for what it was. "I wish for the same. Please be safe on your travels, all of you. And remember, if you're ever in Bosk, my home is yours."

With those final farewells exchanged, the two parties split from one another, Church leading his companions towards the edge of town in the general direction of the capital, Gainos. He was eager to see the place actually, since he had only heard about it. From the descriptions he had received from different people, Gainos sounded like a pretty incredible city. Of course, maybe he was overestimating the place, but Church certainly hoped not.

Either way, Church was sad to be without Snow. He had sent the mare back with the merchant who would deliver Rachel's goods, and even though Church had only ridden the white horse for a week, and even though it had been stubborn as all hell, he had to admit that he had formed some semblance of a relationship with the old mare. Maybe it was just the natural adventure of travel?

Remembering what he had promised her, Church turned to Hachiel, who had very dark bags under her golden eyes. The contrast was actually quite amusing. "Alright Hachiel, if you really need to sleep I'll go ahead and carry you."

The mention of Church's offer brought a light blush to Hachiel's face. "Actually, I think I've reconsidered that. T-there's no need to burden yourself like that, after all, I can sleep while flying..."

"Whoa, really? That must look... strange."

Nanael, not ready to fly on her recently healed wing just yet, glanced at her angelic friend as she walked alongside Church. "Well yeah, you could do that, but what if we turn?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can sleep while flying, but only straight. Every time there's a turn in the road we'll have to wake you up so you can change directions. You'll never get any rest that way."

Hachiel frowned as she realized that Nanael made a very valid point. "O-oh... um, I guess I'll just have to manage..."

Church stopped walking as he turned towards the only angel in the air. "C'mon Hachiel, get down here. I don't mind carrying you, really. I'd feel worse knowing that I could have helped you get some sleep but didn't."

The pinkette's blush intensified as Church urged her to accept his proposal. "B-b-but that's so embarrassing, to be carried around like that..."

Crossing her arms behind her head, Nanael huffed, mildly annoyed. She was kind of jealous of the proposal Church was making to her friend. She wouldn't have minded being carried, though certainly not to sleep...

"Just do it Hachi. You always tell me that it's rude to reject another person's kindness, don't you?"

Caught red-handed, Hachiel could only nod. She did indeed say that a lot. Sighing in defeat, though still slightly happy at the thought of it, the golden-eyed angel descended to the ground. "Alright... I guess I have no choice..."

Church smiled at that, glad that Hachiel had finally conceded. "So, on my back or bridal style?"

The mention of bridal style caused Hachiel's heartbeat to speed up, though she wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't as if she felt for Church that way specifically, but then again... what girl didn't like being carried by a kind, gentle, handsome man in such a way?

"W-well, it'd be difficult to carry me in your arms like that with my wings, so I suppose your back is the correct answer..."

"Yeah, that makes sense, that way you'll be able to lay your head on my shoulder too, so it really is better."

Hachiel fidgeted nervously as Church turned his back towards her. She was still a little reluctant, but she had already conceded...

Nanael watched with a minor amount of jealousy as Hachiel clambered onto Church's back, who wasted no time in hooking his arms around the pinkette's legs. She knew he was just being nice, but Nanael still wished that she was the one receiving Hachiel's treatment...

Further embarrassed by her new position on Church's back, Hachiel tried to hide her blush by burying her face in his shoulder. But even so, she knew that she needed to fold her wings to avoid causing trouble with both Church's balance and the people on the streets, so Hachiel wasted no time in doing so. Regardless, the sight of pink wings on either side of Church's body confused several of the passerby.

When that was all settled, Church began walking again, silently prompting Nanael to follow him, though this time he headed for the marketplace. It had only occurred to him just now that he had not stocked up on supplies for the trip to Gainos.

Unfortunately, it did not occur until he reached the marketplace that, as always, Church didn't have any money. "Damn, I forgot... I've got no way to pay for anything..."

Nanael cocked an eyebrow at him, her arms still folded in mild displeasure over Hachiel's good fortune. "Seriously, no money at all? How did you get here alive anyway?"

"Well Rachel had provided me with the stuff I'd need, like food and all, but I ate most of it on the way here... I also sent most of everything else back with Snow, just in case she needed it..."

The blue haired angel sighed as she looked around at the different stalls in Bosk's marketplace. "What kind of stuff do you need?"

"Just basic types of food that'll last on the road. Y'know, non-perishables and stuff... but what are you going to do?"

Nanael stretched her arms behind her back as she began to walk towards one of the stalls. "You'll see. Stay there, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Church watched as Nanael walked off into the sizable crowd of Bosk residents, all of whom gazed or at least glanced at her curiously. Church felt a little sick as he watched most of their expressions turn from awe and fascination to pity or disdain when they noticed Nanael's wing, but there was nothing he could do but hope that Nanael either didn't notice or ignored their looks.

Trying to take his mind off of the rather depressing view of the crowd, Church looked over his shoulder to start a conversation with Hachiel, but it turned out that the petite angel had fallen asleep already. Still, the sight of her peaceful, innocent expression was rather adorable, so either way it took Church's mind off of things.

Nanael made it back rather quickly, a small knapsack in her hands. "Will this be enough?"

"It should be, but how did you...?"

"Being an angel has its perks around humans. Though I have to resort to being an 'agent of heaven.' If Hachi had done it all she would have had to do was ask..."

Seeing that Nanael was getting a little irritated, Church decided to simply stop the issue from continuing. "Either way, thank you Nanael. I appreciate it. Would you like me to carry it?"

The smallest of smiles gracing Nanael's face, she shook her head. "You're already carrying Hachi, so I can manage this. Come on, the sooner we leave the sooner we get there, like you said..."

Church nodded, once again heading towards the outskirts of Bosk, and hopefully towards the next leg of his journey.

He noted with satisfaction that Hachiel was very light as he walked, but Church also noticed that what weight her small frame did seem to be unbalanced. He had to lean forward a little to compensate for it, leading him to ask Nanael a question as the trio passed the final ring of Bosk's buildings, leading them onto the road.

"Nanael? If you don't mind me asking, about how heavy are an angel's wings?"

The blue-haired girl cast a sideways glance at her walking partner. "Before I answer that, you do realize that it's pointless to ask if I mind, considering that I can't tell you if I do without you asking the question anyway, right?"

Church smiled to himself as he thought of it. "I guess it's just one of those linguistic fallacy things..."

"Anyway, an angel's wings vary in size by the individual, but on average they're about ten to twenty pounds. A little less for some, a little more for others... for obvious reasons, mine weigh considerably less."

Sensing a slightly bitter edge to her last comment, Church decided to steer the conversation away from Nanael specifically. "Up to twenty pounds seems like a lot of weight to carry on your back. Isn't it tiresome?"

Nanael folded her arms behind her head as she looked up at the sky. All this talk of wings made her think of flying around for a bit. "Well twenty pounds is kinda rare. Most angels even out at about thirteen. But either way, with our strength even twenty is no problem. As far as strain from the weight goes, we might as well not have wings at all."

"I guess that explains why Hachiel feels so off-balance back there. For someone who probably doesn't even weigh a hundred pounds, fifteen on the back must be relatively heavy."

The mention of Hachiel's position caused Nanael to cross her arms and frown, something that did not go unnoticed by Church. "Is something wrong, Nanael?"

Called out on her petty jealousy, Nanael puffed out her cheeks as she pouted."No. What makes you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know; you just looked a little jealous of Hachiel is all."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can fly, why on earth would I be jealous of being carried like baggage?"

Church winked at her playfully. "Because you'd get to be close to a handsome, gentle guy like me?"

Nanael rolled her eyes, but couldn't resist smiling herself. "Your humility is staggering..."

"Well either way, if you ever want it all you have to do is ask..."

"R-really?"

Nanael blushed as Church tried to hold back a smile; apparently her eagerness was cuter than she had intended. "H-hey, don't get the wrong idea, that's not what I meant!"

"Sure..."

Folding her arms, Nanael tried to play it all off. "Geez, are you always this mean to girls?"

"Only to the ones I really like."

As Nanael blushed all over again, she realized that even trying to resist was probably pointless. She wondered if she may have gotten in over her head being friends with this person, but she liked it too much to regret the decision.

"Wow, that's really crazy. I never would have thought something like that would happen to you guys."

Nowa, Leina, and their two unconscious comrades sat in the bar they had been recently cleared of all patrons. The bartender had been a little unhappy about that, but upon hearing that the women in the group of four were all going to be Queen's Blade participants, he had lightened up enough to let them sit around his establishment to talk. That was all Nowa could really do either way, as she wasn't legally old enough to drink, by human standards at any rate.

That aside, Nowa had just finished relaying everything that had happened to her and her friends since she had last seen Leina a few months ago. Needless to say, the blonde warrior in training was surprised that Nowa's life had escalated in excitement so quickly. The last few weeks in Nowa's life had more exciting than most of Leina's entire living experience.

"I mean, to think that I missed all of that excitement, it's just not fair. Why couldn't that of happened while I was there?"

Nowa smiled as she leaned forward on the table the group sat at. "Well it wasn't just one big adventure you know. There were a lot of guys who were seriously trying to kill us... and I got kicked in the face pretty hard..."

The blonde across from her scowled as Nowa mentioned the enemies she had faced during that fiasco. Even though Leina herself had not encountered Melona for months, she still hated thinking about the slime. "Yeah, leave it to someone like Melona to take such an underhanded approach to fighting."

"Well, at least they weren't actually after the forest that time. Airi left without damaging Syrinidell at all."

"Yeah, they were after that guy with you, right? What do you think they wanted with him anyway?"

Nowa shrugged, having already put a lot of thought into that particular question. "Well it couldn't have been anything good. I was really worried about him, but the Captain told me that everything was fine. Apparently Church was rescued by an angel or something, though I've got no idea why that would happen..."

Leina hid her grimace behind her mug as she drank. The only angel she had spent any real time with was Nanael, and those times weren't her happiest memories. "Well, either way this Church guy sounds like a magnet for trouble. I mean, not only does he get attention from evil spirits and monsters, but angels too? And apparently he even got on Echidna's bad side. Being on the good side of that crazy woman is bad enough, I don't even want to know what it's like on the other end of that spectrum..."

"Hold on now, who are you calling crazy?"

Leina blanched as Nowa looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the establishment. Both Alleyne and Echidna were standing there, the latter eyeing Leina with uncomfortable familiarity. That was probably why the blonde's face was draining of color.

"W-what are you doing here? Don't tell me..."

Echidna smirked as she enjoyed Leina's reaction. "Calm down, I'm not here for you. I'm not working for your daddy anymore, so I've got no interest in you. Well, no monetary interest, that is."

The rather sexual look the elf woman gave Leina made the girl shiver, but thankfully Alleyne was there to keep things in check. "Anyway, Echidna's nonsense aside, we came here looking for you Nowa. You were gone so long we had actually thought something had befallen you, though now I see you were just catching up with someone." She then directed her gaze at Leina. "Speaking of which, I'm glad to see that you're doing alright after leaving our forest."

Alleyne left it at that because she couldn't remember the blonde human's name, but didn't want to simply refer to her as 'human.' Thankfully Leina didn't pick up on this, and just assumed that Alleyne was being her usual aloof self.

"Uh, yeah, I'm glad to see you guys are alright too, especially with everything that's happened to you..."

Alleyne cocked an eyebrow at Nowa, wondering if the girl shared literally everything with people. Then again, Nowa was generally good at choosing who to trust.

"All of that aside, it seems like you found Lucas..."

Alleyne eyed the unconscious boy who lay face down on the table Nowa and Leina sat at, along with the redhead next to him. It didn't take a genius to realize that the two of them had probably drank themselves into their current state.

Apparently Echidna had deduced the same, as she pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. "Lucas, I thought I at least taught you how to drink without ending up like this..."

Leina cocked an eyebrow at the green-haired woman. "If you're the one who taught him, it's no wonder that he ended up like this..."

"I'll have you know that I drink to that level very rarely. Keltan doesn't really like alcohol you see."

The blonde elf beside Echidna smiled ever so slightly. "Not to mention that you've been a little wary of getting drunk ever since that incident a few centuries ago..."

Echidna glared at the woman beside her. "When the hell did you become so vindictive? Stop bringing that up! I was barely a hundred!"

"A hundred years seems like plenty of time to gain some common sense if you ask me..."

Nowa laughed lightly to herself as she watched the two older woman interact with each other. She couldn't help but wonder if this was how they used to be, centuries ago. It was a nice change of pace, to see Alleyne a little less distant than usual, and Echidna a little more approachable.

On the other hand, Leina was unused to seeing the two elves outside of the usual paradigms she had witnessed during her short experiences with them. To see anyone making jokes at Echidna's expense was strange; to see someone like Alleyne making jokes at all was even more so.

Crossing her arms, Alleyne moved further into the bar to sit next to Nowa. "Regardless, it seems we'll have to wait awhile for Lucas to come to his senses. Unless Echidna feels like carrying him of course."

The green-haired dark elf decided to come sit with the rest of the group as well, though she chose to sit closer to Leina, who tried to subtlety scoot away her. "I don't see why you can't carry him, Alleyne."

"I am certainly not carrying around a drunkard like a sack of luggage. Besides, didn't you claim him as your responsibility earlier?"

Echidna frowned as Keltan eyed the blonde beside her, causing the Vance heiress to squirm uncomfortably. "I said I was partly responsible. Besides, I'm in no rush to get anywhere, so I'm perfectly fine with waiting around for awhile."

Leina leaned towards Nowa so she could possibly whisper to the half-elf without being overheard. "I only ever ran into these two separately; is it just me or are they totally different people around each other?"

The orange-clad girl shrugged as she smiled. "I think everyone acts a little differently depending on who they're with. Besides, I think they're still pretty normal; the Captain is still being herself, she's just a little less rigid. Though that may be because of Church as well..."

Cocking an eyebrow at the much older blonde elf at the table, Leina couldn't help but admire this Church person she had never met before. Anyone who could pierce through Alleyne's stony personality and demeanor was someone who knew their way around a girl's heart. In a way, that was a force to be reckoned with.

Leina's thoughts screeched to a halt as Keltan hissed at her from his spot at Echidna's waist. The poor blonde nearly knocked Risty out of her seat as she scrambled backwards. Her reaction earned a pleased smirk from the snake's owner.

"Come now Leina, there's no need to be so rude. That was a friendly hiss, it means he likes you."

Glaring at the snake as she made a retort, Leina couldn't help but be displeased with the idea of Keltan 'liking' her. "Why do I get the feeling that he 'likes' me in the same uncomfortable way you do?"

Her saccharine smile never falling from her face, Echidna scooted closer to Leina so she could put an arm around her shoulder. "What, you don't want my love? Do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

Seeing the uncomfortable grimace on Leina's face, Alleyne decided to be merciful and step in for her fellow blonde. "Echidna, don't you ever tire of preying on people ridiculously younger than you? It's more than a little disconcerting."

Casting her crimson gaze over to Alleyne, Echidna cocked an eyebrow at her. "What, would you rather me mess with you instead?"

"Please, you're five hundred years too young to go there."

This comment earned a very sarcastic response from the Calibara elf. "Says the woman pining for a man almost a thousand years younger than her..."

Instead of making any verbal comeback, Alleyne simply settled for a scathing glare in Echidna's direction. While normally not one to be intimidated, even Echidna had to admit that the visage was frightening. It was entirely possible that Alleyne was planning to kill her over that joke; maybe because she had made it in front of a relative stranger like Leina.

Speaking of the blonde Vance warrior, she was indirectly receiving Alleyne's dangerous glare, if only because she was close enough to Echidna to be on the receiving end of it. She couldn't help but wonder what she had done to deserve this; running into Nowa had been fine, but she honestly could have done without these two old ladies...

Doing her best to ignore Alleyne's icy stare, Leina simply turned back to her drink. Perhaps getting as wasted as Risty was was not such a bad idea, with her current company taken into account.

Irma scowled as she watched Aldra move a white piece on the chess board between them. Being the Queen, Aldra could defer her obligations in the throne room to one of her advisers at any time, and this meant she could go and do whatever she wanted without being bothered by some mundane task or proposal Jauffre tended to bombard the white-haired woman with. Of course those small things were important, but they were not so critical that someone like Jauffre couldn't handle it himself. He was no idiot; he knew by now how Aldra would want most things handled.

Either way, the current Queen had decided to use her self-imposed break to relax, and this meant retreating to one of the inner rooms of the castle to play chess, though, as always, Irma was the only opponent she had to play against.

The Fang assassin had returned from her investigation about a week ago, and despite Aldra's wishes for her to take a small vacation, in the end Irma had refused to do so. She had returned to her duties immediately after delivering her report on the emissaries from Hinomoto, whom Irma had decided were honest in their efforts to support their empress.

However, this unfortunately meant that Irma was once again subject to Aldra's vices when the Queen grew bored. Not that she didn't enjoy playing these strategic games of intellect with her, but no one liked to lose all of the time.

Of course, against a foe like Aldra, losing was the only option Irma had. The snow-haired ruler had never lost a game, not to Irma at least. Though the North Realm native doubted that Aldra had ever lost to anyone.

Today was no different, as Irma watched her opponent dictate every move on both sides. No matter what Irma did, Aldra was prepared for it. In fact, no matter how unpredictable Irma tried to be, it was like she was doing exactly what Aldra wanted her to. For all it mattered, Aldra may as well have been playing against herself.

This became ever more obvious as Aldra made her final move, cornering Irma's king once and for all. It was a mercy really, considering that the only pieces Irma had left besides the king were four pawns and a knight.

Aldra didn't even bother declaring checkmate, instead commenting on the conclusion of the game itself. "You played very well today. I lost three pieces."

While she knew Aldra was trying to be easy about it, Irma didn't find her Queen's words all that reassuring. While she would never admit it to anyone, the hundreds of games she had played against Aldra over the years had turned Irma into quite the chess expert herself. Having reached a certain level of skill, her pride was wounded whenever she lost, though only slightly. After all, losing to genius like Aldra was nothing to really be ashamed of. Either way, she didn't need assurance.

"I am sure all of those pieces were lost because you wanted them to be. One was obviously bait, the other a sacrifice for some later move I didn't see. As for the third, who knows what you were planning, but I'm sure you lost it on purpose."

Reclining across from her closest vassal, Aldra couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. Irma knew her too well. "To be honest, yes, that was the case. But that knight you took really was a mistake. I had hoped you would ignore it, thinking it was a diversion for a different move, and not realize that the diversion was only creating a distraction for itself. So in all honesty, you did surprise me by taking that piece."

Irma cocked an eyebrow at the woman across from her; she was slightly more expressive in Aldra's presence than she was elsewhere. "I suppose that is some consolation. But I'm still no closer to beating you than I was three years ago, or even five. My chances of success are probably the same as they were the very first time I played against you."

"That's nonsense, you have definitely improved. In fact, I'd say you are beyond an expert by now. It's just difficult to tell because you play against the same opponent all of the time. Perhaps you can coerce Jauffre into challenging you at some point?"

The idea of sitting across from that loud-mouthed man for more than ten minutes caused Irma to grimace. "I don't think I have the patience for that."

"Few do. I suppose that is Jauffre's curse, though whether or not it bothers him as it does others is a mystery..."

With that Aldra rose to her feet, looking towards the door to the chamber she and Irma resided in. "Speaking of Jauffre, he's probably complaining about my absence by now. As much as I may detest it, I must return to the throne room. Who knows what kind of ludicrous situation has arisen during my brief respite?"

"Knowing your unfortunate luck with domestic issues, probably something very frustrating."

"Probably. Either way, please spend the rest of the day doing something outside the realm of work. You really need to rest, Irma."

Not waiting for a response, Aldra left the room without delay, leaving Irma to mutter to herself in the dim light. "I should be the one saying that to you, Aldra..."

After several hours of resting on Church's back, Hachiel had finally awoken from her slumber feeling somewhat refreshed from the previous night's exertions. Church's shoulder had been surprisingly comfortable, and while she was still feeling a little icky from lack of real rest, Hachiel could say with certainty that she felt a little better.

Having returned to the air by this point, Hachiel found it difficult to tell whether or not their group had made any progress. The terrain around her still looked the same, but she assumed that was because Bosk was located rather snugly within a mountain range. If anything, she and her companions would probably not make it out of the mountains that day at all, as it was already past noon.

Either way, she noticed that Nanael had not taken to the air herself, and Hachiel was somewhat worried about that, prompting her to question her closest friend. "Nanael, is your wing still hurting? If you're feeling discomfort I can try treating it again..."

Nanael looked up at her pinkette friend with a reassuring smile on her face. She wasn't feeling any discomfort or pain; she simply didn't feel like flying at the moment, for reasons she couldn't quite explain. "I'm fine, Hachi. Just tired is all."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. you fixed me up just fine last night. Seriously."

Hachiel didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't think that she needed to belittle Nanael about it. After all, she was probably just being paranoid. On the other hand, there were other questions she needed to ask, of Church specifically. She had delayed in her mission long enough; the Seraph was much more merciful with diligent angels like Hachiel than she was with some of the others, but either way, she still needed to get things done in a reasonable time frame.

Looking down at the man who was quietly enjoying his view of the mountains, Hachiel couldn't help but wonder if Church was more than he seemed, and not necessarily in a good way. Even though her time spent with him made it obvious that Church was a supposedly good person, Hachiel could not ignore the fact that he had fraternized with the Swamp Witch's servants, and not for a short while either. What if everything was just an act? What if Church really was the enemy?

After her experience with him, Hachiel didn't want to believe that was true, but it would be foolish to ignore the possibility entirely. She had to at least be wary, if nothing else.

"Church? I know this may be coming out of the blue for you, but... there's something very important that we need to talk about."

To his credit, Church did not really seem surprised. "You mean those questions you meant to ask before we reached Bosk? It's alright, I figured you would bring it up again soon. Ask away."

"I wish it were so easy. These aren't exactly simple questions."

"I figured that too. Do we need to stop for awhile so you can ask them?"

Hachiel found it funny how well Church was taking this, but she genuinely hoped it was because there was nothing for him to worry about. Maybe he had nothing to hide?

"No, it's fine. We can keep moving as we talk."

"Then feel free to ask your first question."

Wondering how she should go about this, Hachiel chose to offer some explanation first. "Alright, so to set a basis for this conversation, Nanael and I were sent down to earth to investigate you specifically. That's why you've run into us so uncannily often. We've been observing you from a distance, or trying to locate you again whenever some crazy accident split us apart, like that fiasco back in Vance territory."

At this point, Church finally seemed confused. "Why on earth were you two assigned to watch me? I haven't done anything worth noticing..."

"That's where you are mistaken. Your very existence in this world is very noticeable, at least to the higher supernatural powers that govern this place. The Seraph wasn't incredibly clear, but she stated that your entry into this realm was an anomaly of sorts. In other words, you don't belong here, and it's our job to find out who you are, why you're here, and how you got here in the first place."

Church cocked an eyebrow at her as he continued to walk. "When you put it like that, it sounds like I'm some sort of evil omen showing up to herald the end of the world or something... wait, there isn't some sort of prophecy like that in this world right? Because if I end being some sort of sign for Armageddon, that... that would not look very good on my resume."

"Don't worry, as far as I know, there is no such prophecy or premonition. However, it would be foolish to believe that you have come to a world that is not yours for no purpose... and this leads me to my first question. How did you get here? By your own design, or by mistake? Please be as detailed as possible."

While Hachiel specifically requested it, Church wondered just how specific he should be. Then again, these were his friends; he trusted them, and he wanted them to trust him. "Alright, but don't think I'm crazy when I explain all of this to you. My world is very different from yours."

"I assumed as much. I'll do my utmost to take everything you say at face value."

Nodding his understanding, Church decided he would at least try to keep things simple. "In my world, I'm part of an elite special forces team that performs covert missions on behalf of our government. We had been deployed to eliminate a dangerous group of terrorists that were an immediate threat. Near the end of the mission, we got into a fight with the enemy, during which a very volatile piece of technology was damaged. I'm not quite sure what happened myself, but there was a blinding flash of light that consumed everyone in the area, and I lost consciousness. When I came to I found myself in a desert. That's how I ended up here."

Hachiel did have a somewhat skeptical look on her face, but at least nothing Church had said so far was completely insane. "This... 'piece of technology' that sent you here; what was it exactly? Is there anything similar in this world to compare it to?"

Not willing to explain the use of electricity by humanity in his realm, Church simply kept it brief and simple. "It was a device that disables other equipment. As far as I know, there is nothing similar in this world. Either way, dimensional travel isn't its primary function."

Nanael looked a bit befuddled by all of this, but she was more interested in hearing Church talk than what he was actually talking about. For some reason she found his voice oddly comforting, though that could have been how comforting she had found his ideas thus far. "So, you came here by some sort of freak accident? What about the other people on your team, and the bad guys? You said the light got them too."

The mention of his team, and by extension his sister, placed a worried frown on Church's face. Daedalus had told him quite some time ago that his sister and teammates were safe, but nevertheless Church knew nothing about their current state. For some reason, he didn't feel like relaying this to the angels with him. Something in the back of his mind just told him not to. "I don't know. I haven't seen any of them since I arrived here. Wherever they are though, I'm sure they're fine. They're all tenacious and stubborn."

Though he said that, Hachiel could tell that Church was worried for his comrades, but since she had no way to comfort him, she simply moved the conversation along. "Well, that at least brings the first line of inquiry to a close. If you didn't come here on purpose, you can't really have any ill intent for this world... though I suppose that's not entirely true. Church, do you have any idea who you've been fraternizing with since you arrived here?"

The brown haired man cocked an eyebrow at the angel above him, not quite sure what she meant by that. "Well I've interacted with a lot of people since I got here..."

"I mean people you've spent a lot of time with; other traveling companions for example?"

Church tried to tally up the number of people he had dealt with on a more personal level than mere strangers. Of course, since most of them were very beautiful, very attractive women, it was easy to remember them all. "Well the first people I spent a decent amount of time with were Airi and Melona, since they found me on the streets of that town in the desert, then forced me to tag along to whatever secret destination they had in mind... not that I'm complaining of course."

Both Hachiel and Nanael tried to watch Church's face for any telltale sign that he knew who exactly he was talking about. In the end though, he only seemed happy to speak about the two servants of the Swamp Witch as friends. Did he really not know anything about them besides their names and appearances?

When neither angel said anything to interrupt him, Church continued listing the people he had encountered. " I spent a fair deal of time in that forest with Alleyne and Nowa, and I guess I can count Echidna too, though my experience with her was almost entirely hostile. Let's see... after that I joined Airi and Melona again, and after a while on the road I met you guys, but only briefly. There was that fiasco at the castle... when I woke up from that catastrophe I met Mirim, from there I went to that town..."

The angels beside Church couldn't help but think he managed to lead a very exciting life in a very short time, especially as he continued. "I met Nyx there, along with that blonde tiger chick... I trekked through the plains, met Rachel and her daughter at the farm, began the trip towards Bosk, where I met Shizuka, Tomoe, and that assassin girl who wouldn't tell me her name... then I ran into you guys again, and you've been with me since. So that's everyone. Why so curious though?"

Church's angelic companions exchanged glances with each other, before Hachiel looked down at the man she questioned concernedly. "Church, have you ever heard of the Swamp Witch? Have you heard her name mentioned even in passing?"

The man's face contorted into a frown as he wracked his brain for any memory that may have included such a title, but it took him quite some time to conjure up a conversation he had shared with Alleyne quite some time ago. "I remember Alleyne mentioning that name once, but she didn't give me much detail. Only that her servants had attacked the forest some time before I had arrived."

"And did she reveal the identity of these servants to you?"

"We were interrupted before she got to that part."

"Ah... I see."

Lost in thought for a moment, Hachiel wondered how far she could trust Church's ignorance. He could have been faking it, but Hachiel honestly wanted to believe that he was innocent. The only thing she could do was gauge his reaction to the truth...

"Church, I don't think you're aware of this, but Airi and Melona are both-"

Much to Hachiel's surprise, Nanael interrupted her as the blue-haired angel realized what her friend was about to say. "Are both participating in Queen's Blade! Did you know?"

Hachiel glanced over at her companion, none too pleased about her interruption, but she didn't say anything to counter Nanael's words. After all, she knew Nanael would only cut in on something so important for a good reason. She would just have to ask what that reason was a little later.

Meanwhile, Church could only cock an eyebrow at the duo. That seemed like a strange piece of information for them to reveal so enthusiastically, though it was welcome. After all, if Airi and Melona were participating in the tournament, they would have to go to Gainos eventually, and that meant Church had a chance to reunite with them, however slim. That alone made him happier than he thought possible.

"That's great news, but how'd you guys know? And why did you wait so long to tell me?"

Since Nanael had been the one to come up with the excuse, Hachiel let her answer. "Well, it just didn't occur to me 'till now. I mean, the last few days have been pretty hectic..."

That left one of Church's queries unanswered, but for the moment he was too pleased to care. "That's great... no, that's awesome! I was really worried that I had no chance of seeing them again."

Hachiel shook her head, but with a smile on her face. Maybe Church was just a really good actor, but she could only see his reaction as genuine. "In that case, I'm afraid Nanael and I are going to have to leave your company for a brief while. We have to report this to the Seraph."

The mention of leaving Church put a frown on Nanael's face, and caused her to protest the idea in general. "C'mon Hachi, it's not like it takes two people to relay information. Besides, with how accident prone Church is, shouldn't one of us stay with him?"

"Normally I would agree, but if you aren't with me when I give the report for our mission, imagine what the Seraph will assume. She'll probably think you're slacking off again, even if I try to tell her otherwise."

Nanael's frown deepened at that, mostly because she knew Hachiel was right, and that it was foolish to tempt the wrath of someone who already didn't think highly of her. "Alright, I get it... but we'll be coming back, right?"

As she pondered the question, Hachiel frowned in dismay. "I'm not sure... when we deliver this report our mission will technically be over. There's no reason why the Seraph wouldn't assign us to something else..."

"T-then, let's just wait awhile! There's no reason we have to report back right away!"

Hachiel understood the reason for Nanael's reaction, but she couldn't allow the voice of reason to remain unheard. "Nanael, if the Seraph thinks we delayed in returning to her, she will no doubt blame you. Unfair as that may be, it doesn't change the fact that she will. Please don't endanger yourself by tempting her wrath."

Nanael looked as though she were going to protest further, but Church cut her off himself. "Nanael, if your boss will get mad at you for waiting, please listen to Hachiel and take her advice. After all, no matter what happens, you know I'll be in the capital, and even then, you two can find me anywhere, right? You've done it plenty of times already."

Even though she knew both Church and Hachiel were right, Nanael was still reluctant to leave him. However, she was even more reluctant to be banished to hell for something as petty as giving a late report. She had to go, and it wasn't as though Church would suddenly disappear from the face of the earth in her absence. She honestly just didn't want to leave his presence. She had found a great deal of satisfaction in his friendship, and his ideals.

"You're right, I know... but don't you dare get into more trouble while we're away! I can't protect you if I'm not around!"

"Hey, you don't need to tell me that... it's fine Nanael, I can't afford to die when I have so many people I've promised to see again. That includes you of course."

While she did believe his words, Nanael had a hard time believing he would actually manage to stay unscathed until she managed to reunite with him. Or perhaps she was just starting to feel protective of him since he was so prone to danger?

Either way, Nanael made sure to keep her composure as she leaned in for a hug. Naturally Church did nothing to resist it, though he felt more than a little disappointed when Nanael pulled away. "Seriously now, stay safe. We'll try to come back as soon as possible, alright?"

"Alright. I'll be waiting. You too Hachiel, hope to see you both again soon."

The pinkette angel nodded serenely at him, a gentle smile on her face. "Likewise. I hope to enjoy the pleasure of your company again soon. Be careful on your way to the capital."

With their rather sudden farewells out of the way, the angels wasted no time in leaving, though Hachiel had to practically drag Nanael away. When they were finally far enough into the clouds to be obscured from Church's view, Hachiel directed a rather pointed gaze at Nanael. "Nanael, why did you do that? It's pretty obvious at this point that Church is clueless about the true nature of those two. Don't you think he deserves to know that his 'friends' are evil, deplorable monsters?"

Despite being unable to see him through the cloud cover, Nanael looked back in Church's direction. "There's no point Hachi. Even if he knew, Church would never think of them that way. They'd still be his friends. That's just the way he is. But I do think he deserves to hear the truth from them, and not anyone else. We both believe that he's innocent as far as being truly connected to the Swamp Witch is concerned; what secrets his friends choose to keep from him is none of our business, right?"

Hachiel couldn't help but disagree. Whether Church was innocent or not, he was still fraternizing with the sworn enemies of angels... she would have felt much better if he hated them as much as she did. But if Nanael believed it was for the best, she was willing to let it rest, for now. "Alright Nanael, I'll trust your judgment for this one. I just hope he doesn't end up worse off for it."

With little else to say in reply, Nanael simply turned her gaze to the skies above. She hoped so too.

Surprisingly, Nowa found her group of companions in the bar for far longer than she had originally anticipated. While Lucas and Risty stayed unconscious the entire time, the elves spent several hours catching up with Leina, or simply antagonizing one another, in Alleyne and Echidna's case. Nowa found their antics amusing, especially since the behavior was so unusual for the two older elves. Perhaps their idea of friendship was mocking one another, however jokingly.

But even so, Alleyne wasn't entirely out of her normal paradigm, and when she finally realized how much time had passed, she was quick to make it known that her group had spent too much time there.

"I can't believe we spent so much time here. We could have been halfway to the next city by now."

Echidna merely shrugged, not at all bothered by the lack of progress. "Calm down Alleyne, it's not like Gainos is going anywhere. We have some time to loiter around."

"On the contrary, there is no time to waste. We have to get going. Carry Lucas, we can't afford to wait for him to wake up."

Both Nowa and Leina looked disappointed to split up, but they both also understood the meaning of time constraints. Alleyne was generally a punctual person, so it was no surprise that she wanted to get going. Echidna looked a bit more reluctant to go, but nevertheless conceded.

Alleyne left it to Echidna to carry Lucas, since he was her baggage, and so she and Nowa headed to the door to the establishment first. Leina abandoned the unconscious Risty for a brief moment to follow the elves and see them out, leaving Echidna behind to get Lucas out of his seat.

"I'm sad to see you guys go, but I hope to see you all again at the tournament. Stay safe, alright?"

Alleyne settled for a solemn nod, seemingly returning to her usual self, so Nowa took it upon herself to trade farewells. "The same to you Leina. I'm really looking forward to fighting you, so make sure you reach Gainos safe too."

The two girls exchanged a firm handshake, at which point Nowa turned to follow Alleyne out the door, with Leina waving after her. Unfortunately for the blonde, Echidna had yet to leave, and she was too distracted to remember that the dangerous pervert was behind her. Leina didn't remember the mercenary's presence until she felt a stinging slap to her exposed ass, causing her to glare at Echidna as the woman passed her, Lucas slung over one shoulder.

"Later Princess. Hope to see you soon."

With a wink and a smirk, Echidna slipped out of the bar, leaving Leina to rub away the pain on her backside. She couldn't help but think that her molester had left a mark. "I don't..."

When Echidna stepped out into the early afternoon sun, she was met with a scathing glare from Alleyne, and a far more flustered expression from Nowa. Apparently they had both witnessed her little exchange with Leina just then. "What? She has a great ass, don't you think?"

Settling for a sigh and a shake of her head, Alleyne simply turned away from the woman and began walking in the direction they needed to go. Nowa was too embarrassed to say anything, as her mind now seemed occupied with other thoughts. With neither of them calling her out, Echidna simply shrugged before shifting Lucas' weight on her shoulder and following behind them. Sure her personality was changing a little, but some things never change.

Hours after parting ways with Nanael and Hachiel, Church felt no closer to exiting the mountain range surrounding Bosk than he had before. He was still traveling along a road, and there were plenty of sign to reassure him that he was making progress, but the lack of change in scenery made it hard to tell that he was going anywhere.

Not to mention that he was now on foot, since Snow had been sent back to Rachel's... the steep mountain road was hurting his feet. He had half a mind to take a break, but mentally he wasn't satisfied with stopping just yet. For that reason Church kept going, as he kept telling himself he would rest in an hour or so.

Still, it was easier to tolerate the pain in his feet if he distracted himself, and the easiest way to do that was to wonder what all of his friends were doing at the moment.

The last time he had seen Airi and Melona was when they were separated at Vance castle. While Daedalus had assured Church that they were both alive and well, he couldn't help but worry about them. After all, his last view of them had been of the two girls seriously injured. Either way, he had no idea what they were doing, or what they could possibly be up to. His only lead at this point was what Nanael had told him; they were going to participate in the tournament at Gainos, which meant he had a chance to see them again.

As for his elven friends, Church literally had no clue what they could be doing. They had been exiled from their home thanks to him, but Alleyne had given Church no hints as to what she or Nowa planned to do with themselves. Were they simply wandering about the continent, or had they gone and settled somewhere else? Were they going to participate in the tournament too? Church could only wonder.

He knew that Tomoe and Shizuka were heading for Gainos as well, which lightened Church's spirits considerably. If he included Ymir, it seemed like most of the people Church wanted to see again were converging on the capital.

Of course, he didn't know what Nyx was planning on doing... he had first met her as a waitress, only to encounter her a few hours later as some sort of flame throwing wizard. In short, Church knew nothing about who Nyx really was or what her goals were. All he knew was that she was one hell of a mix of cute and sexy. And apparently very scary, since she could wield flames. Church conveniently neglected the memory of the purple staff she wielded, since it grossed him out.

Finally, Nanael and Hachiel had plans to return to his side, so there was that...

Church was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the approach of heavy footsteps on the road behind him until they were very close. Actually, it sounded more like the footsteps of many people; if Church had to guess, he would say it sounded like a marching formation. Out of curiosity, Church turned to look behind him, but the twists and turns of the mountain pass prevented him from seeing what force walked the same path as he.

Regardless, Church saw this as a good opportunity to take a break. He didn't feel comfortable with what he assumed was a large group behind him, and he was kind of curious to see who they were regardless, so Church decided to step off to the side of the path, sitting on a rock that was tall enough to hold him somewhat comfortably. He would wait for the people behind him to pass; they were probably walking faster than he was willing to anyway.

As he had predicted, it didn't take long for a column of soldiers to arrive at Church's position. He immediately recognized the uniforms of the vanguard as being Vance soldiers, which led to more questions than answers. This was far outside of Vance territory; wouldn't a sizable force like this one trespassing in the Queen's lands be an act of war?

Of course, Church knew very little about the politics of this world, so he didn't know if something like this was hostile or not. Either way, Church didn't think he was in the best standing with Vance, so he tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as the soldiers passed him; fortunately, none of them seemed concerned with the man sitting on the side of the road. After all, watching a procession of soldiers wasn't that strange.

It didn't take long for Church to lose interest in the monotony of passing gray armor, but unfortunately this led him to being less attentive than he should have been. He didn't focus on the situation at hand until a very unwelcome voice broke the sound of marching footsteps. "You!"

Looking up in panic, Church laid eyes on a particular blonde girl on horseback. Besides her obvious good looks, her clear tiger motif allowed Church to identify this person immediately, and he was not feeling very good about her identity.

"Aha, yeah... me."

Sorry about the incredibly long delay, but for some reason this chapter gave me considerable difficulty as I wrote it. It's mostly a transition chapter, so maybe that was why...

Either way, it's here now, and I hope you guys enjoy it. Feedback is appreciated, but for kicks, here's a question too; what do you think was the weirdest episode? Personally the first was the strangest for me. When I first watched the show, the sight of Melona shooting acid from her teats was... interesting, to say the least. If there's one thing that'll turn people away from a series, that'll do it.

Until next time.