THE NIGHTMARE - FACET XI

Maxwell, Schneider, and Saga all sat around a table, drinking in the Motel Merveille. Saga was having a bottle of saki. His Shichiseiken, resting in the corner with all the other weapons the trio had in their possession. Schneider was having a lager, with his feet on the table and Buzz resting beside his chair. Both man and dog were relaxing after finally getting out of prison. And Maxwell had his typical glass of wine, mulling over today's events as he planned their next move.

Schneider wiped away some foam from his lips. "So, how did the meeting go?"

Maxwell paused, and twirled his drink, "…Productive, I suppose. I believe the king and I have a better understanding after today's mishap." Maxwell had provided all the information he had on the Children of Nightmare, but neither of them trusted each other. Cello saw him as a means to an end, and Maxwell wouldn't pay him due deference as a king. He has had enough politics for a lifetime.

"Speaking of which," the mage stood up in his chair. After sailing around for so long, Maxwell had caught onto some of the more universal gestures of this world. So, he bowed.

"Schneider, Saga. I am so sorry for getting you two arrested on my behalf. I should have returned to the club and dealt with Bellos directly. This wasn't even your mess to begin with."

"What?" Both Saga and Schneider look at the mage oddly. Neither of them had expected an apology from Maxwell.

Schneider takes his feet of the table and waves him off, "Sit down already, Max! You've got nothing to be sorry for."

Maxwell frowns, "Maybe… But you were still arrested because of me." He returns to his seat.

Schneider gives Maxwell a mock-glare, "Kid. That wasn't my first time in the slammer. Believe me, back in my day, I used to get arrested A LOT while drunk on my ass! And I never stayed there long. I'm sure Red and I would have broken out, eventually." The old pirate grins as he takes another sip of his beer.

"Speak for yourself, old man!" Saga scoffs at Schneider's reassurances. "What you learned had better have been worth it, Maxwell." He was certain Maxwell had learned something later night after failing to catch Helsing. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed the mage to drink with them.

Maxwell nodded. "It was... To start, I captured a defective cultist, and interrogated him for everything he knew about the Children of Nightmare."

"Defect—?"

"Don't ask!" Maxwell interrupted Schneider. "I still don't know why that happened. And it's still, probably, going to give me nightmares if I think about it too much…" Defector was an easier term to accept then a freed thrall who shouldn't be alive!

Schneider and Saga look at each other, before Saga nodded, "Alright. Go on."

Maxwell energizes his pack and summons a map of the Creamy Mist Archipelago. "The cult is currently holed up in an old ruin on the West Oligo." Maxwell points at an island that seemed twined with another. "Neither me nor my defector were able to determine which ruin it was, but I was told it was on the north side, underground. Digging into the island."

"Also, their leader is a man currently known as Sleip. No one knows face, and nobody knows his real name. However, he does dress up fancy robes and wears a veiled hood over his face. His goal is to summon his so-called god, the Nightmare, and have it unleash untold havoc upon the world. And he believes, when the chaos dies down, he'll be the next ruler of the world! …Or so he likes to think…"

The Nightmare wasn't something you could easily bargain with. The only reason the ancient demon even colluded with Corypheus' plan to tear down the Veil, was because of his association with the Blight. As far as history knew, Corypheus and the other Tevinter priests of the Old gods, were the cause of the Blight. The Nightmare wanted to feast on the new terrors Corypheus could unleash. Beyond that it had no interest in making deals with mortals.

"To do this, Sleip has uncovered something I thought impossible to find…" Maxwell flips over the map and taps on a doodle drawn on the back. "An Eluvian mirror…!"

The drawing is crude, but it depicts a tall rectangular looking glass, that curves and tapers at the top. A mirror said to be backed in gold, and framed in gilded arches!

…Both Saga and Schneider blink, not understanding the context.

"Okay… What's so special about this mirror? Saga decides to ask.

"You don't—!?" Maxwell couldn't help exclaim. "Ugh…!" The mage rubs his forehead. He knew he had to keep his origins a secret.

But this was a connection to Thedas! If Borodo wasn't exaggerating the details on the mirror, then this was PROOF that the Ancient Elves once visited this world!

"Sorry, this is something between myth and history for me." And he had VERY mixed feelings on the implications of that mirror—knowledge of the Inquisition aside!

"In—On, my home island," Maxwell caught himself, "there was an ancient race of people called the Elvhen. They're extinct nowadays, but they supposedly lived as gods with immortal lives and eternal youth. And their kingdom was full of magic! Then, one day, the Elvehenan suddenly lost their immortality. No one really knows how they lost it, but human settlers then came to their island and changed everything. Many of their secrets were lost, to both time and conquest, but these eluvians were their primary source of communication and transportation throughout their empire."

"They didn't use den-den mushi?" Schneider raised an eyebrow.

Maxwell taps on the drawing again, "These mirrors were effectively inter-dimensional portals that connected to one another! You could see the other person in their entirety! How would you compare that to snails!? You could move from one city—one country, to another, and it'd take no longer than a 5 minute walk! If they established a colony here on Creamy Mist—!" Maxwell had to bite his lip to stop himself.

The mage had interviewed Robin, extensively, on the subject of ancient races, cultures, and practices throughout the world. In all all the Seven Seas, not once had the elves, or any natural race of pointy eared people, been mentioned in Robin's sources! Maxwell trusted her knowledge of history and archaeology. She was from an island of scholars, with steel trap mind to boot! …But maybe her home island hadn't found everything.

The mage waved his hand, "…Sorry, getting sidetracked. Long-story-short, these magic mirrors are connected to the Spirit World, which I know as the Fade. What the Children are trying to summon, is a demon from this very plane of existence! If they find a way to activate the mirror—"

"Then it'll be hell on earth for everyone…" Saga's frown was most grim as he thought about the implications of their threat. This whole entire situation seem like something out of a storybook.

Devil Fruits, The Grand Line, and monsters he could understand. But then again, he owned a cursed sword and there was a genuine wizard in front of him. "Demons, in general, aren't really conductive for one's health."

"…Alright. So how do we stop them?" Schneider asked the Magister.

Maxwell folded up the map. "The king is assembling a task-force to raid the Oligos. However, with Bellos out of the picture, he has to find a new commander to lead his forces."

"—But!" Maxwell summoned another map, "We do have another task in the meantime. One we'll be doing tonight!" The mage unfurled the map, revealing a single island with details of its settlements and geography.

"This is a map of Mecha Island; ruled by the recently crowned, Dr. Ratchet," Maxwell explained. "Now, Dr. Ratchet, is a visiting dignitary here on Maruchi, but here's the thing. He brought his entire island with him."

Both Saga and Schneider both blinked at that phrase, looking up from the map.

"All~ of this," Maxwell circled his hand above the landmass, "is on the back of one, gigantic, island-sized turtle."

"WHAT!?" "How would that even work?" They were aware of some pretty giant seakings, but an entire sea turtle!?

"Rachet supposedly found a way to control the turtle, and force it to move against its will." Maxwell continued. "He's currently threatening King Cello to surrender his crown or else he'll cause a tidal wave that will drown all of Creamy Mist Archipelago."

"However~" Maxwell gestured with his index finger, "according to my source, Dr. Ratchet is also supplying Sliep with a means to activate the mirror. Or attempt to, in any case. Some giant tunnel like machine..."

In truth, the details Borodo had provided had been very vague. He remembered everything that happened to him; Conversations, environments, targets. But it was like describing a dream. A man could vividly remember what happened, but only recall certain details stood out while everything else slipped away.

Bearking, Honeyqueen, and Akisu had taken Borodo to a hospital soon after the thief woke up. Maxwell interrogated him as much as he could before Borodo eventually went to sleep. Borodo had fought to stay awake, but Maxwell didn't blame him for being lucid. Blood magic wasn't just something you recovered from.

"Our mission," Maxwell pointed at the spot that said Karakuri Castle, "Is to infiltrate Mecha Island, ransack the castle for both the plans, and figure out how Rachet controls the turtle. Then we return to the palace and prepare for the raid on Oligo."

"So we're basically being used as mercenaries," Saga concluded.

"It's a gesture of good faith!" Maxwell rebuttals… but couldn't deny it. He did have to prove that he was willing to work with King Cello and his forces.

"What about the Helsing brat?" asked Schneider. "Where does she fit into all of this?"

Maxwell scratches the back of his neck, "Our expectation is that she'll be on the Oligos when we begin the raid. Helsing still has a use for the cult, but I think that leash is slowly going to turn into a noose if the cult comes close to finishing their ritual. I don't think she is in as much control as she wants to believe."

The mage sighs, "Cello still wants her alive, but I'm not sure how viable that option is anymore…" Helsing was in too deep with the Children to truly be safe. I was cult of demon worship and blood magic! There have been multiple examples, documented throughout the Circle archives, of blood cults turning against their benefactors in a crazed bid for power! …Granted, there was a bias towards the extermination of the Maleficar, but the reasoning wasn't unfounded.

"So don't try to kill her, but don't be surprised if she turns up dead. Got it!" Schneider then downs the rest of his glass and slams it onto the table. "So, what's the plan, Magister?"

Maxwell looked down at Schneider's feet, "…How many people can Buzz carry in his hybrid form?"

O O O

The answer, unfortunately, was only two.

Both Max and Schneider rode on the back of Buzz, in his winged hound form. Schneider rode in the front, while Maxwell sat behind him. He could feel the very muscles in Buzz's shoulders pull and release with every wingbeat!

There once was a time that Buzz could have carried nearly a dozen people on his back. He was still the size of a horse in this form, and nearly twice as long! However, just like his master, Buzz was getting old. His bones were more brittle now then they were, and his muscles were worn and strained with age.

They had left Saga in charge of coordinating with the palace guard. Was he the natural choice? …Maybe. Saga may have a bounty on his head, but Saga had once been a marine. Their silver-haired swordsman knew how to command soldiers, and even train them, in the arts of combat.

Plus, Saga's sword was the most effective weapon they had against the Children's blood magic… Which they probably should have taken with them!

"By the way!" Maxwell yelled over the howling wind, "What happened to that Gasparde guy, anyway!? The man Saga fought last night!"

"Green jelly?" Schneider shouted back. "Ha! That coward ran away as soon as he saw the guards show up! Saga had him on the ropes, and would have finished him too, if it hadn't been for that damn guard captain!"

"He shows up, tries to stab him in the back, then Red turns around and deflects his blade while jumping away!" Schneider grins though, "You should have seen Jelly's face! I've seen someone so relieved to run away from a fight! HAHAHAHA!"

Schneider had watched it all from his hiding spot in the alley. That boy was a practically a dragon in human form! The way he struck and coiled like a serpent, parrying nearly blow Gasparde tried to land on him! And that was all with one hand! Schneider would have loved to see him in action when he was uni-dexterous! The kid would have been a hurricane!

"Hm," Maxwell nods in acknowledgment. He would have expected nothing less from Zoro's former classmate.

Schneider looks ahead at the sunset ocean, "Alright! I can see the white mountain!"

According to Cello, Mecha Island hadn't been moored too far away from Maruchi and the Archipelago. However, that didn't mean it had been set up close either. From the shore, Mecha Island could just~ be seen, on the horizon. Far enough that row boats couldn't cross safely. Yet, close enough for cargo ships to jaunt across.

"I see it—! By the Maker!" Maxwell saw the mountain too. A squat stark white protrusion dressed in a skirt of green forest. And as they came closer, Maxwell could see the sandy beaches laid beneath a cliffs face wall all around the island. Maxwell hadn't understood why it was called Mecha Island until now, but he could barely believe his eyes when he did! Black bar like protrusions hung in the air, arching all over the island! Mechanical hooked claws dug into the beach like a gangly mess of spider legs.

Then, Maxwell remembered the island was a creature, and that made it all the more horrifying.

All of those cables made it seem like a cross between a cage and a harness. Maxwell could barely make out the shapes in the water. The sea tossed and churned at four central points, yet the cables remained firmly in the water. Those were the turtles flippers, bound like handcuffs behind its back. Maxwell could think of nothing worse to do to such a magnificent creature like this! Killing it would have been a mercy.

They stayed in the sky, circling around the mountain to where the cables were stemming from.

And it all came from the ugliest tower Maxwell had ever set his eyes upon, Karakuri Castle!

It was a rotund fortress, almost like a seashell, flowering in a fountain of those black arch-cables. The castle reminded Max of Thriller Bark's palace, with the giant chain and wheel. However this structure had many more protruding platforms, and was either dull grey or rusted brown. It reminded Maxwell of a the cone on a conch shell, but not nearly as graceful.

"Yeesh! What a dump!" Schneider shouted over the wind, "And there doesn't seem to be a—"

*QQQUUUAAAWWWKKK!*

The hairs rose on Maxwell's skin. Where was that sound coming from?

"What in blazes—!? WHOA!" Buzz's wings suddenly folded as he turned to dive. And with it, Maxwell heard a second pair of wing beats!

The air whooshed as a second creature jetted up from below them, just missing Schneider's old dog! Memories of Maxwell horseback riding allowed him to clamp his thighs on Buzz's hide, or else he might have fallen off!

Buzz unfurled his wings again, banking as he caught the wind, his head franticly looking for their attacker. Maxwell looked up. Above them was their attacker, a great winged beast that…

Maxwell could barely believe his eyes, "It can't be!"

It was a griffon! An actual, in the flesh, griffon; not some Zoan hybrid! Maxwell knew of no other beast that had feathers quite like that!

The beast was just like the illustrations Maxwell had seen in the Circle manuscripts! Light grey plumage with flecks of black peppered throughout it's wingspan! The wings each as long as the griffon's body, from beak to tail! The feathers were almost like hairs draping along it's powerful body, wrapping around it's scaly legs! Wicked draconic like claws bucked on the wind, so sharp they looked like they could slash through anything! And Maxwell could see the crest feathers, along with it's ears, running the length of it's skull behind a vicious eagle's beak.

There was one oddity though… "PETER! YOU HAVE TO STOP~!"

"Huh?" On the back of the mighty aerial was a rider, one that seemed to have little to no control over the animal. It was a boy, just coming into his teen, and wore nothing but a kilt. He had dark skin, red hair and was clinging onto the griffon's feathers for dear life!

"What's that kid doing on there?" asked Schneider.

"I'm not sure… but it's COMING BACK AROUND!" Maxwell yelled as the griffon began to dive at them.

"DIVE BUZZ, DIVE!" *ROOF!*

Maxwell held on for dear life as the bird-dog dipped down into a dive again. The wind battered his face as Buzz's wings folded into tents.

Their pursuer though saw it as a challenge. "Wait, Peter. Nono—WAH!" The griffon dove straight after them fore-claws tucked under it's chest!

Buzz dove towards the cage like fixtures over the turtle's body. He was hoping an obstacle course might be able to lose that feather brain! Both aerials wove through the skies, the griffon relentless in its pursuit. Buzz thought they might have used the cables, which were the size of pillars, to land pivot on. However, they were too round and slippery to land on! Buzz ended up skidding over the edge and having to fly under the arch.

"This is starting to get ridiculous! Max, any ideas!?"

Maxwell looked down at the island, "…Yeah, one! Buzz, dive to just above the tree line!"

"You want to what!?" Schneider looked back at him. At the speeds they were going, any collision with the trees may prove disastrous!

"Just do it!"

Buzz, listening to the two humans on his back, decided to do so. He angled his wings are started skipping across the tree tops.

Maxwell looked up at the griffon behind them, again. He thought he may have seen a hint of confusion on the aerial's face, but it still flew over them, trying to find a good angle to dive bomb them.

"Schneider, Buzz, when that thing dives, I'm going to summon a glyph for us! Buzz, I need you to fly through that glyph! Not only will it make you faster, but it'll allow you to bypass the trees as well! Lose that griffon in the canopy!"

*BARK!*

Schneider looks up behind them, "You don't need any charge time, right? Because here it comes!"

The griffon was indeed diving, limbs folded close and wings tucked into it's sides! It was bombing them like a falcon, with the least amount of drag.

"WAAAAAAHHHHHH!" It's passenger was also barely holding on. His legs were flopping in the air as the currents tried to pry him off.

Maxwell thrust his good hand forward, spinning it to make a circle. The Winter Glyph appeared like a target, hovering above two trees. They should be able to make it!

But that empty pit feeling of dread still filled his bowels. A shadow was cast over them, and Maxwell looked up!

The griffon was right above them! It's beak yawning and talons outstretched like pouncing great cats! Maxwell finally saw the golden eyes of the great beast. Human like, with a singular purpose. Too destroy whatever challenger dared fly in its domain!

It was also in that instant that Buzz touched the ice blue circle.

The effect was instant! They shot out beneath that griffon like a cannonball! A giant cloud of mist erupting in their wake! Their form, like an icy needle weaving through the forset! Such was their speed!

The griffon snapped it's jaws shut, and spread its wings in order to slow down, but it was already too late! Wood snapped as branches caught the feathery monster, and went rolling into the canopy.

O O O

"—WHHHHHHOOOOOOAAAAA!" The spell gave out. Maxwell and Schneider went flying off of Buzz as they emerged onto a sandy beach. Buzz shrunk into his natural form and came in rolling onto the sand. Maxwell tucked and rolled getting used to the maneuver by now. And Schneider somersaulted until he eventually landed in a faceplant, his face driving up a mound.

"Ugh…!" Maxwell sat up onto his rump. His hair was a mess! He wasn't injured but he was delirious. Maxwell had never, EVER, gone that fast on a Fade Step run, in his life! He thought horses were fast! That was EXTREME!

Buzz also wheezed, exhausted from their emergency flight. His back ached, residual pain from his wings. He couldn't control his speed in that icy form. And despite Maxwell's assurances, it still felt like his clipped some tree trunks coming in!

Schneider spat out sand, pulling his head out like an ostrich. We sand and silt caked his moustache and hair, making him look like some sort of disco dancer. He had to rub it off of his face, making sure not to get it in his eyes.

"Wah!" Schneider dragged his hand over his face, "…Hey Max, you still alive?"

"…I think so," Maxwell could feel the adrenaline leave his system. He almost didn't want to think!

Schneider groaned as he stood up, "Buzz!" and rushed towards his dog. Buzz whimpered as he felt his masters hands check over his bod, looking for any injury.

"…Yeah, you're going to be sore for a few days, but nice flying, pup!" Schneider grinned at his dog. Buzz gave out a chuffing snort, as if it was obvious.

Maxwell finally got ahold of his bearings, "…Not a bad place to land either." The sand and sea were glittering in the sunset. Sparkling stardust over gold and orange.

"No. But should be cuffing ya over the head for that stint!" Schneider stood up. "That spell was dangerous back there!"

"Trust me, had I known we would have gone that fast, I wouldn't have done it either." Maxwell rubs the base of his neck, "How's Buzz?"

Schneider sighed, "He'll live. He's thrown out his back. Usually happens when he strains himself flying in hybrid. Problem is, Buzz is going to need a few days rest before he can fly again. So we're going to be stuck here, unless we find a boat."

"Damn…" Maxwell puts his hand on his hip and shakes his head, but then notices something.

"What if we head to that village, over there?" He could see it just around the bend. Small white buildings built on an incline, nestled in the forest.

Schneider squints looking at where Maxwell was pointing, "That may work. The town may even have some medicine! …But we're going to have a tough time traversing the mountain after dark."

"We can deal with that later. For now, let's go."