A/N: There is a fraking MANGA for Radiata Stories! Check it out on manga fox. Search "The Epic of Jack" and you shall find it! :DDDD Omg, you guys, it's so cool! It actually made me love Jack Russell as a character whereas I thought he was a complete ass! Though it makes me have different feelings about Natalie, :/

In any case, I received a review and it felt like I hadn't updated in forever. So here's chapter 12! Or actually the real chapter 11 because chapter 8 is epically messed up, xD Once I finish book one of Confessional, I plan to delete chapter 8.

In other news, I've made the cheapest cover for this fanfic. Check it out at the very bottom of my Bio on my fanfiction profile. Also, I'm wanting to do a read-through dub of this series. Nothing big, but enough to get my friend Liz into the fanfic. I need voice actors. All characters are open. I will probably only voice one of the side characters. I'll be doing enough of the narration.

Quiz time!

Q. Why the hell did you stop updating! Meanie! I HATE YOU!

-A. Well... lotsa stuff happened... lost two laptops and have to borrow my mum's PC. School ate my time and my stepdad is near death. I'm sorry! I'll update when I can though, promise! -bows unceasingly-

Q. What progress have you made recently in Radiata Stories the game?

-A. Recently, I maxed out my party and just finished the Dragon Lair Cave on the non-human path! I defeated the Ethereal Queen no prob! She's soooooooooo pretty! :333 Also, I've defeated Quasar, the gold dragon. She was fun, gotta admit.

ALSO! On the human path, I've successfully made a party featuring Flau, Kain, and Eon! -dances- w00t for me! :D So they're officially official now, xDD

Q. What's your favorite weapon for Jack?

-A. The Holy Sword Gram! I love Norse mythology to being with! Adding Gram into the picture is just another delectable plus! :DDD

Q. I see Elmo and Miranda on the Confessional cover on your fanfiction page. Is it official that you're going to make a story about them?

-A. Yes. I've decided that I really do like the pairing. But I'm leaning towards Elmo being a year or so younger than Miranda. But there will definitely be a story!

Q. Which character from Radiata Stories would you be willing to meet in a dark alley? Or which one do you think you could defeat, as yourself, in a battle?

-A. Cross, man! Cross! I have a few things I wish to kick into him before handing him over to Aphelion! As for beating him... eeeeeeee... no... I would be minced... in hundreds of ways. But if we're talkin' romance meeting in a dark alley... Zion... -sighs all fangirlishly- I'm a sucker for the smart, library guys with accents and blue eyes. :p You can find Zion in Radiata Castle. He works as the castle librarian. Or Gil, man! Gil is so cool!

Q. I herd you liek ninjas?

-A. ... I'm not touching this...

Q. Favorite gaming snack food?

-A. Bread. I munch on bread like no tomorrow. I'm in P.E. classes, so I'm okay in the stomach, but it's gonna take over one day. Crackers are good. Cheddar or butter garlic. Love munching on sweets. Chocolate is good. But I don't eat too much, else I feel sick. I'm into Swiss Cake rolls right now. You can buy a box of 12 rolls for a dollar at your local dollar store. :3

Q. If you could pair Jack with ANYONE but Ridley in the game, who would it be?

-A. Claudia. Or Valkyrie if it's an option, :p

Q. Rumor has it that you're thinking of a comic fanfic for Radiata...

-A. Rumor is right... n.n;; Though I'm not the best artist, I've been practicing. It'll be a comic featuring an OC from our world who walks into the dimension of Radiata and finds herself in the Elf region... and who's to greet her but Lord Zane's favorite assassin, Gil. Sound suspenseful? xD

Okay, end FAQ, xD Not that they're frequently asked anyway, but meh. Enjoy!

-Mayris

Kain waited for her response. Hands clenched into tight fists. Unease hung heavily between them.

"Algandars…" Flau stated grimly. "So… that's the underlying reason why the non-humans went to war against us. As well as that stupid Cross and his… stupid…" she grunted. "But Jack Russell tore down the cosmic balance of the world… so that humans could continue to live." She closed her eyes. Baring her teeth, she slammed her fists on the ledge. "This doesn't make any sense!" she snarled. "Why was my father chosen to be the one who died! He wanted to protect the humans! Wo why did Jack slay him!" She glared at the grill between them.

He sat reverently. She reacted as he expected. Impulsive and sorrowed. Covering up her sadness with anger. "Lucian wanted to kill the gold dragon's vessel. In order to keep the humans alive, he would have to kill Ridley Silverlake. Jack… had developed a strong feeling of love for the girl. And thus, he fought for that passion. Thus, he won," he explained. "Also, Jack wielded the Arbitrator. The same sword his late father used to slay the water dragon, Kelvin."

"I don't give a damn about some sword!" she bellowed. "Why couldn't Jack give my father a chance!"

Kain sighed. "Fate is not always so generous. You would find that both Ridley and Lucian, or rather, the gold and silver dragons, could never coexist."

She said nothing. Instead, she stood and exited the confessional. Leaning against the door outside, she listened to the sound of her breathing which broke between stifled sobs. No matter how it was put, the situation was completely unfair.

"Hey, Flau, what's up?" said a nonchalant voice. Jack was sitting on the ledge in front of her. A big grin stretched across his face.

Flaud tensed and looked away. "Shouldn't you be in the castle with your precious Ridley?" she sneered with clenched teeth. Knuckles whitened with the effort to not punch out the annoying brat who was currently pestering her.

"Huh? Well… yeah, but… I also enjoy walking around saying hello to everyone too. It sure has been a while since I came back to Radiata." He scratched the back of his head nervously. Her tone put him off.

She glared up at him. "Just get lost," she wanred, turning sharply and walking toward the courtyard beside the shrine.

Jack watched her for a moment, confused. Normally, Flau would snap at him, but t be completely venomous about it… that was strange. He shrugged and continued on his way.

"You seem bothered," Eon teased from the shadows. Against the wall and looking quite bored, he stared at her with one eye open.

Flau passed him without a glance. Closed her eyes even. Obviously, she wanted nothing to do with him this early.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" he warned, jumping from his post and landing before her.

With her arms crossed, she tilted her head to the side, glaring up at him dangerously. "If you like me so much, then why don't you go Die In A Fire!" she shouted.

On cue, he pulled out a lighter and flipped it open. Flicking it until it ignited, he rested his hand above the flame. It took a moment before the cloth took. Eon stood there, motionless, letting the fire burn to his skin.

Angry, Flau slapped the lighter from his hand and pushed him back into the canal below. He flailed for a moment before losing his balance and toppling over the ledge. To add insult to injury, she threw the lighter in after him and walked away.

With ease, he caught the lighter before it hit the water as he poked his head out. "Can't she just tell me what's wrong?" he pondered aloud, wading to shore.

Later on, he searched for her. However, she was no where to be found. Not a trace. Eon declined to ask anyone, being too independent to do so.

~RS~ Confessional~

Flau wandered about in Septem Cave. Having gone with Rynka to train and have a long chat about the recent occurrences.

"So Ganz left and never came back, huh?" she asked, slicing through a blue lizard as it spat ice from its mouth.

Rynka struck down another that was heading for Flau. "Yep. Hasn't returned at all."

"Maybe you should ask Jack what happened," Flau suggested bitterly.

"That might be a good idea," Rynka nodded, finishing the battle. She flipped her weapon in the air and sheathed it before walking on. "So what's with you and the priest?"

"Huh?" Flau caught up next to her. "Oh… nothin' really."

Rynka stopped suddenly and turned to her, glaring. "You spent over an hour in the confessional. Something's up."

"Eh!" Flau exclaimed, backing away in alarm. "Were you… following me?"

"Hey, I'm just watchin' your back," Rynka put in sharply, crossing her arms. "Now that the war's over, everyone has a new agenda."

Flau looked down and sighed. "There's just a lot to take in now…"

Rynka blinked and then punched a all. "D-don't tell me you did it!"

"Wh-what? No! That's not it at all!" she stammered, blushing and putting her hands up. "Look. Yesterday after we got back from Fort Helencia… I met my father…"

"Wait… you serious? Your old man? Sure it wasn't some phony?" Rynka leaned against the cavern wall, ready for an explanation.

"Yeah," Flau nodded. "I made sure." She walked over and sat upon the ledge, looking down into the dark stream below. "It wasn't… how I imagined it. At all. Not how… I imagined him. Or our reunion. Nothing." She closed her eyes and yelled, "I want to hate him so badly!"

Rynka waited with her arms crossed. Not put off by her rage.

"The part that hurts the most is that he only came by to tell me he was going to go fight a battle," she said, shaking with tears. "And then he tells me that he's a legendary beast!" She stood, turning to Rynka. "A dragon! That dragon that Jack slew was my father!"

Rynka had closed her eyes. Calm and composed as usual. "At least you know," she said gently.

Flau laughed sarcastically, wiping the tears from her face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, he at least got up the courage to confront you for a proper goodbye," she explained. "Something like this brought you down?"

Flau averted her gaze. "Not exactly. There's more…" she sighed.

"I'm listening."

Flau then proceeded to tell her about her struggles between Eon. Kain seemed so cold in allowing her to shape her own path.

"Ah… well, you see… there's a simple explanation for all this. Eon is in love with you. Because of his lifestyle, he can openly express his feelings. As for Kain, he's a high priest. A man that, in Radiata culture, represents a beacon of guidance and purity. You're in a completely different guild than him now. If you take the situation between you two into consideration… you must imagine how big of a scandal his feelings for you would become," she clarified, drawing it all out on the stone wall with a shard of talc.

"Scandal?" Flau inquired.

"You didn't think about that?" Rynka raised an eyebrow.

"Not really…" she stated.

"So how do you feel about Eon?"

"Feel? There's no feel! Just distaste!" she said sharply.

Rynka smirked and walked on, looking mischievous. She turned a corner and called out for Flau to hurry up. It was Flau's idea in the first place to explore Septem Cave.

As Flau rounded the corner, she stopped. A puzzled look adorned her face. "Rynka?" Her companion was no where to be found.

Wandering aimlessly, Flau eventually became lost. Rynka was no where to be found. Flau swore that she'd explored five different tunnels. There was still no sign of her. Not even a clue or a trace of her. "Rynka, this isn't funny anymore!" she shouted in frustration.

No answer. All she could do now was assume something had happened to her. Now to be lost and alone in a dark, eerie cave was something out of a horror story.

~RS~ Confessional~

Rynka hummed lightly as she wakled through the Blue Town of Water and Wisdom. She stopped outside the "OK Hand Accessories" shop. Spotting the ninja clad in dark clothes.

"Eon," she began hastily.

"Shh! You'll blow my cover!" he hissed.

Rynka rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip. No one but her was around at the moment. "Flau's missing."

He narrowed his eyes skeptically. "What do you mean?"

Rynka sighed. "We were exploring Septem Cave together and we got split up. I couldn't find her anywhere without being ambushed, so I came back for help."

"Septem…?" He paled. For a ninja at her level, Septem was dangerous. She had little chance of survival on her own. "How long ago?" he asked firmly, beginning to walk toward Lupus gate.

"An hour or so," she informed solidly. Her message had now become a mission.

"Alright," he nodded. "Go inform Doctor Morfinn. I don't know what condition she'll be in, so prepare for the worst."

"Right," Rynka jumped over the ledge and ran for Olacion. She pulled herself up over the ledge and into the courtyard. Running into the shrine, she bolted through the hallway and entered the chapel.

"Kain!" Rynka called, coming to a halt and catching her breath. "Flau's missing! We were exploring Septem Cave and got separated!"

Kain closed his eyes momentarily. A smile of understanding came across his face. "Miss Flau will be alright." He caught Rynka's urgent expression and added, "But I shall go to make sure of that personally."

Rynka nodded. "Thank you."

Kain smiled and stood. Rynka watched him as he left for the door. Achilles obediently followed. Kain informed him that he needed Achilles to watch the shrine and convinced him that he would be safe.

Rynka left the shrine, nodding to Achilles. Morfinn's Clinic would close soon. She felt a little worried that it was getting so dark. Looking to the sky, she smiled before walking into the clinic.

"I'm sorry, but you'll need to make an appointment," Synelia smiled brightly.

"It's an emergency," Rynka stated.

Synelia marked something in her log book and looked up. "We get a lot of those. Nonetheless—"

"Is he even working?" Rynka accused.

"Oh, yes! Doctor Morfinn is testing a series of new medicines!"

Rynka narrowed her eyes and said dangerously, "If you wanna keep that pretty, little mouth of yours from getting' swollen, then you'll allow me to see him."

Synelia shuddered. "Umm… b-back there…" she motioned to the hallway beside the office. "First door… o-on the left…"

She nodded and went into the room, informing Morfinn of the situation. Immediate preparations were made. Rynka then left to Lupus Gate to wait for Flau's return. In whose arms would she come back in, Rynka wondered slyly.

~RS~ Confessional~

"Resilient, huh?" Flau breathed, wiping a fleck of blood from her mouth. A tortoise had her backed against a wall. Now a second was closing in behind the first.

She blocked as the first rushed at her. Gritting her teeth, the creature managed to knock her Raven Claw out of her hands. The impact of the second tortoise's rush knocked her off her feet and slammed her back into the wall. The first swiped a claw across her face. She winced as it cut through her skin.

Looking up to the ceiling, she blinked slowly, feeling numb. Frozen wind swept over her until she shivered and could barely move.

Silence. Was the attack over? Only the serene dripping of water reached her ears. Regardless, her consciousness faded.

~RS~ Confessional~

Eon wiped bug entrails off of his Kogitsunemaru. Regretfully, there were so many creatures to be slain. He made a promise to himself that he would repent of this somehow. Cutting down animals was worse than killing humans to him.

He'd started at the entrance of the cave. Knowing there was a drop if he started at the exit. Something he couldn't climb and thus opted for the longer route.

Pressing on, he reached a dead end and sighed. Retracing his steps, he came back to the split in the path and moved onward.

No sign of her yet. He easily walked on, defending against the tough enemies with ease. Up ahead, several tortoises were traveling the opposite way. Narrowing his eyes, he followed them.

Strange, they didn't turn to attack him. He wasn't even being all that quiet either. "Flau?" he called out softly.

No response. The tortoises didn't even turn to him. Growling, he gripped his Kogitunemaru. Steel cut through the arms and legs of the creatures. They lay motionless. Dead as it were.

Beyond the mass of creatures, he spotted a mangled body. Jumpin past the rest, he placed himself between the body and the remaining soldier tortoises. They nipped and clawed at him from behind. Promptly, he ignored them.

Turning, he lifted Flau's chin and placed his ear beside her lips. Warm air grazed the skin as he listened for her breathing. But the rest of her body was cold to the touch.

Getting on his knees, he removed his tunic, revealing a sleeveless tank top. He slipped the tunic beneath the small of her back and pulled her arms through the sleeves. It hung loosely on her, but at least she'd be warmer. Eon couldn't give her a heating tablet until she was revived. Best thing to do would be to get her to Morfinn's clinic immediately.

Carefully, he hoisted her onto his back, holding his hands beneath her knees. Her cold cheek rested on the nape of his neck. Before leaving, he spotted her Raven Claw and slipped it into a leather loop hanging from his belt.

Walking out the way he'd come, he heard footsteps behind him and stopped. They halted as he did. Eon stayed his breathing and listened. Flau was breathing steadily in his ear, but he didn't hear the sound of another.

Resting momentarily, he shifted Flau on his back and then continued.

Footfalls again! He stopped, silenced himself and strained his ears. Dead silence. He started out at a run, deciding it was best to leave quickly.

He reached the entrance of the cave and exited quickly, heading back toward Radiata hastily while making sure he had Flau secured. An idea came to mind as her limp body kept slipping from his grip.

Setting her down against a rock, he undid one of the belts from his trousers and knelt before her. Slipping the belt beneath the small of her back, he turned and tied it around his waist.

He hoisted her onto his back once more and continued on the winding path, assured that she wouldn't fall off.

Sighing, hs stopped. "Who's there?" The footfalls wouldn't stop haunting him. "Come out so I can kill you," he waned, pulling out his Kogistsunemaru with one hand while the other kept Flau balanced on his back.

Nothing again. Growling lightly, Eon sheathed his weapon and continued on his way. The wind blew comfortingly through his hair. Like an old, forgotten friend.

Lupus gate came into view. Eon paused and took a breath. Behind him, a horde of bandits were planning an ambush. As they readied their attack, several blasts of energy hit him, throwing them back. Eon stood in alarm, weapon at the ready. Searching for the source of the assault.

Kain strode into view, striking down a few more of them. The bandits jumped from their positions and shot bolts from crossbows. Aiming at Kain. Another group had closed in on Eon who easily defended with a few bombs.

Within moments, all the assailants were defeated and scurrying out of sight. Eon looked to Kain expressionless. They stared each other down until the hooting of a night owl called softly.

"Flau… is she…?" Kain began.

"She'll be fine," Eon answered shortly, closing his eyes.

"What about you?" he asked in concern.

"What about me?" Eon returned coldly.

Kain sighed. "Are you alright? Do you need anything healed?"

"No." He paused. "But… thanks…" he grumbled resentfully. Why did he have to show up here? In his heroic moment of all things? He had little against Kain. But it was the fact that the priest cared about him that really made him angry. Also that the woman he carried on his back was in love with the man. Jealousy rooted firmly deep within. What business did he have to even be out here at this time of day?

"Rynka…" Kain began, breaking the second awkward silence. Eon glared, suddenly defensive again. "She asked me to go look for Flau. But when I noted she was in capable hands, I opted to watch from afar. The footfalls you've been hearing were mine."

"Rynka? Hmph… so you've been following me," he grumbled. "Well… I'm taking care of Flau."

"I can see that. I merely came along to reassure Miss Rynka. However, I was also very concerned about Flau too," he said honestly.

Eon said nothing and began walking. When he noted that Kain wasn't behind him, he frowned and looked back. "C'mon then… we've got a lecture to deliver to Rynka…" he stated with a sigh. That woman had some explaining to do…

They reached Lupus Gate without too much trouble and saw Rynka waiting for them. She grinned widely and waved them down.

Eon cast her a dark, menacing glare and ordered firmly, "Follow." And then he took the lead toward the clinic.

Kain offered her a nervous smile before motioning her to go first. Narrowing her eyes, she did so, following Eon and glancing back as the priest walked with them.

Rynka sighed. It's going to be a long night, she thought.