Lance's Role

by Thrudgelmir2333

A 'shonen' fic that sequels Next Dimension and Lost Canvas. In 1960, the Pope of Athena receives three prophecies from an old enemy that irremediably set the course of his reign over Sanctuary's tragic history and almost two decades later a Saint of Pegasus finds himself put through the unfolding of a new age of violence caused by the Pope's actions. Please enjoy and review.

89. 3A: Vows of Loyalty

Notable OCs: Pegasus Lance's Saint Generation, Civil War Saint Generation, WWII Saint Generation, Hades' Dark Princes, the False Specters, Maidens of Athena, Priam's Black Saints; Cyrulian Refugees; Genbu Atlae; Patrician Mariners, Shamballa Muvians;

Notable Original Concepts: Mount Olympus Training Ground, Sanctuary Court, Teos Cloth, Athenian Empire mythology, Isle of Gardens, Stardust Prison, Hades' Dark Princes; Desert Beyond, Sanctuary Town Layout & Buildings; Kido Mount; Pact of Seven; DQI Geography; Shamballa;

Recurring/Cameo OCs of Jenny DeVic: Mrs. Schafurwatt, Cyrus

Recurring/Cameo Concepts of Jenny DeVic: Great Bodyguard Legend, Golden Line Heritage, Sanctuary Orphanages, Andromeda Island's Geography & Tests, Sanctuary Nobility, 88 Knights Festival

Author Notes:

-Apologies for the delay. Don't worry, the publishing date of chapter 90 is still the 25th.

-This chapter has been betaread by Jenny DeVic;

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Enjoy and Review

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Russia, Ural Mountains,

Serpents' Rock Citadel

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Night had fallen in the Ural Mountains, and Ithaca of Delphi was free from his cell.

Starved, beaten, and still with his entire head encased in the heavy steel mask, the mariner finally picked the lock of his prison with a piece of bone he ripped out of one of the grim walls of the castle. It had been when Azrael last dragged him back, and he dared not think to what innocent life it had belonged to.

Now he anxiously stumbled and crawled through Serpent Rock's keep, trying to find a way out before Azrael returned and spotted him. He had to make his way back to Néa Delphi. He had to beg Lord Arthur for forgiveness. All his mistakes, all his sins against Lord Poseidon, and all his moments of weakness, Ithaca had to make sure it was all expiated. He owed that and more, not just for his failures but for his betrayal.

And yes, he does know.

Ithaca slowed to a halt, breathing heavily and leaning on a wall for support. Azrael's words rang in his head and made his body weaken. Steeling himself with a deep breath, Ithaca marched on.

Yet, the words rang harder.

Who do you think suffered more, Ithaca of Delphi? Little Marianne, who caught you in the act, or your master, when he found out?

The words in his memory were distorted by the long time he had spent in the castle with a force greater than any of Azrael's swords, hammers, or furnaces. The sheer confusion it caused was like a piece of lead inside his skull. If Lord Arthur knew of Ithaca's betrayal, why? Why did he not punish him? As he rotted away with guilt at the Solo Manor and Lady Seraphina's eyes became colder and colder to the disgraced Son of Arion, it seemed as if Lord Arthur became kinder, asked less of Ithaca, and offered more.

Did she scream your name in passion as you honored your precious Lord?

Yet, he knew? It made no sense, especially to a Mariner Patrician. Azrael had to be lying. He HAD to!

Desperately, Ithaca made his way through the citadel's labyrinthic keep, hall after hall, staircase after staircase, searching for a way out, stumbling around. Every new turn of the corner looked the same as before. Was he lost? Was it just too dark for him to understand where he was going? Or was the citadel, somehow, keeping him in, like a Prison from the Underworld? He was in a Zodiac Knight fortress, designed to stop Specter invasions. Anything was possible.

Drained in mind, body, and spirit by despair, confusion, and grief, Ithaca collapsed on the rugged floor. This was it. He was going to die in this bastard's castle. Azrael would return home soon to find Ithaca not in his cell but splattered on the meeting hall's floor.

Darkness encroached on his eyes. Perhaps in death, as part of Poseidon's reef, the salty sea would cleanse his dishonor. How pathetic. To think there were little mariner boys who admired him as a famous Son of Arion, and now he'd meet his end like this.

The large curtains in the hall danced with the night breeze, letting moonlight in. The emerald gems in his mask shined with it, waking him just before he slipped into darkness again. Ithaca looked up, feeling called, almost hypnotized by the pale light. It was so much like the blue of Seraphina's eyes, gentle yet brimming. He remembered the first night he forgot all his vows and succumbed to the passion he felt in them.

At this moment, as Ithaca felt motivated to return to Lord Arthur, he saw the glint of orange beyond the pale light of the moon.

The light of flames!

Dragging himself to the castle's window, Ithaca beheld a horizon that was an inferno through his mask's eyes. Screams howled in the air, and figures seemed to flee through the countryside. A great blaze went through the Ural Mountains around the castle, castigating man and beast alike. It was too much to have just suddenly started. These were the flames of explosions or the cosmos.

There could have been only one culprit: Ithaca's captor. "Lord Poseidon, did he really hurt all those people?! Why?!" He then remembered, months earlier. "Those people gave water to me and my horse on my way here. Did he… find out and punish them for it?!"

Ithaca's weakened fists clenched hard, drawing blood from his palms. How could there be such a cruel man among the Saints?

He rushed up the stairs, filled with strength born out of rage. Maybe the castle would not let him leave, but this Son of Arion could still deliver one final blow to the enemies of peace and kindness before he met his deserved fate!

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Meanwhile

Greece, Sanctuary Town

Ophiuchus Hospital

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It was still the afternoon in Europe, with the sun blazing strongly through the hospital windows. After checking with her parents, Marianne returned to Sanctuary Town's hospital to see Atlae.

"Did you see? What an entertaining Triumph." Someone in the waiting room chatted. "Almost beats the one they gave Akassius for the Priam war if you ask me."

"I know. Things got really interesting at the end," a foot soldier added. "Is it true what everyone says? That the Ghost Saint got loose and tried to attack the Mariner girl?"

An elderly man awaiting consultation nodded. "Yup, yup, yup. The pirate bastard is in the urgency room on the top floor. He got some Muvian instead, too. Those Solos sure are lucky, uh? They're so rich they even have Muvian bodyguards."

"Well, what do you think? That his daughter doesn't have an entourage with her at all times? Even with the newborn out, they want to keep that princess safe to get married to some other wealthy family." The foot soldier scoffed. "I've heard she won't even have to wear a mask to get the Delphinus Cloth since the armor is under Saintia's control. My sister wasn't so lucky."

"It's not just convenient; it's outright sinful if you ask me." The older man added in. "Cloths should go to worshippers of Athena, not the people trying to kill humanity by the billions. Next, we'll be giving armor to Asgardians, too, mark my words."

Passing through the waiting room after checking with Mom and Dad, Marianne heard all these comments and more. She tried to stay discreet, having discarded the navy attire she wore at the Triumph to keep a close eye on Atlae as he sutured from his stab wound. What the hell did people know anyway? Most of these comments sounded like they came from people who weren't even present at the Triumph but only heard things from third parties. She slouched at the horrible words. Was everyone in town talking about what happened? She did her best to ignore them and headed to Atlae's room. She wouldn't be the one to get them to see things otherwise, even if she wanted to talk to them.

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"Ow, ow, ow!" Atlae winced, trying to avoid looking at the sharp object going in and out of his wound.

"Sorry," Aiolos asked. He tried to concentrate harder on the stitching. "I know it isn't exactly Muvian science. You can look away if it upsets you."

"At your pace, his body will scab before you complete that stitch." Doctor Iaso criticized, supervising the whole thing. "Atlae is a patient, not some queen waiting for a maid to complete an embroidery. Pick up the pace!"

"Yes, doctor. Just a couple of more, and I'll be done." He tied off the leftover string, treated the wound with more ointment, and closed it with a clean bandage. He stood up and smiled, proud of his handy work. "There! Good as new."

Atlae nodded. "It looks great! Thank you. Have you worked here for a long time? You're really good at this."

Aiolos laughed and shook his head. "I started not too long ago, but thank you for the compliment. Sorry to cause you a bit of distress."

"Don't mind him. Atlae is just a big baby around these things." Marianne said, arriving in the room. "He's much more used to causing damage than taking it. The first time we patched a bruise in his head, our school doctor had to convince him he wouldn't bleed to death."

Atlae immediately beamed at Marianne's arrival. She was the only one with him in the hospital. Doctor Iaso had strictly dictated that only one of the people with him could come in, and Marianne insisted she'd be the one. Judging from the tense look on her face, Atlae wasn't sure she was there entirely out of worry.

Iaso searched his pocket and tossed a small medicine box at the Muvian. "Here, young man. Take these."

Atlae stared at the incomprehensible name on it. "Is this antidote for the Ghost Saint's toxin, doctor?"

"No, they're Idiot Pills." Iaso mocked. "Take two per day, and maybe you won't do something so stupid again. Who ever heard of a Bronze Rank taking a stab at a Gold Ranker? This girl here can move 200,000 times faster than you can!"

"He's right, you know?" Marianne sighed out. "I'd take an extra dose of those if I were you."

Atlae lost his smile. Upsetting Mari' was the last thing he wanted. "I'm not sorry. I sensed that guy about to break loose and no one else seemed to notice it. I don't know what I was supposed to do, but… you know I'm not the type to let you get hurt."

Reluctantly, she smiled. It was still a lovely thing, yes, especially after so long without seeing each other. It was, in fact, precisely what she'd expect from him, which felt oddly comforting. "I do. But I can take care of that sort of guy; you don't have to be so concerned."

Intern Aiolos packed his things to head upstairs. "I'll say, Miss Solo, speaking of him, you gave us quite a patient. Everyone was called to the operating room when Mr. Wolff rolled in."

Atlae blinked. It sounded like Marianne truly wrecked the guy simply because Atlae got hurt? He had blacked out after the stabbing and didn't remember what happened. "Mari'?... You beat him up that badly?"

The girl looked away, exasperated. "Of course I did!" Atlae was really too used to being the only one who lift rocks over his head from an early age, wasn't he? "What do you think, that watching my best friend look like he was about to die wouldn't make me upset?"

Put this way, Atlae felt frankly ridiculous. He slumped shoulders, utterly embarrassed. Next time, he should really think about other people's feelings a bit better.

"Aiolos, let's go," Iaso ordered. "As for you two, you're both clear to leave, not that Miss Solo had any injuries from her fight. I'd appreciate it if you'd do it sooner rather than later; this hospital has limited space today thanks to that rambunctious Triumph Ceremony, goddess help me."

"Thank you so much, doctor. May Genbu bless you." Atlae wished, placing his hands in prayer.

The Mariner hummed, surprised. She waited for the two medics to leave. "Look at you, all spiritual and polite."

Atlae gave out a self-conscious laugh and practically jumped out of his bed. "Master Yuzuriha wasn't just training me to fight. When I wasn't exercising or eating, I pretty much meditated all the time."

She looked him up and down. She had seen a picture from Hawaii already, but it was another thing to be with him, hear his voice, and see him move. "You're so different, Atlae. I can hardly believe it. You look like… a man now. Kind of."

He stood completely straight, showing himself more. "I guess I'm a bit taller now, yeah." He looked her over and noticed once more how pretty she was, with her longer locks and more astute smile. He had morphed very little compared to her. "But I'm still just a big dummy. You look way better, Mari'. Everyone seems to look up to you now., not just our classmates. If anyone has changed a lot, it's you."

The mariner laughed in a flustered manner, forgetting her troubles. "Atlae, you say these nice things to me all the time. If you were mean, once in a while, I might actually believe you."

Atlae squinted confusedly. "That doesn't make any sense; then, any time anyone was nice to you, you wouldn't believe it ever, would you?"

The blunt sense in it made her pause. "That's true."

He folded arms determinedly. "And besides, I meant what I said. I can't wait to see you in that armor the Pope gave you, either." Atlae beamed excitedly. "No one will dare to mess with you when you wear it now. That kind of sets me at ease, in a way."

She smirked coyly. Mari would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to try it out, too. "I hope so. By the way, I know I said not to do it again, but I kind of want to say thanks for getting me out of that parade. That would have gone on for hours."

He widened his eyes. "So you're not mad at me? For ruining your Triumph?"

She scoffed deject fully and paced around, looking like she wondered how she ever got involved in such a thing.

"Are you kidding me? All those eyes on me…" She shivered. "If there was one thing in school I didn't like, standing in front of the class surely was it, and now Sanctuary puts me in front of our entire world."

This made a surprising amount of sense to him. Atlae had forgotten, but despite being well-spoken and having some very social friends, Marianne preferred the simple quietness of a library, being a faithful Aquarius. She was even friends with Mister Malta, the nice librarian with the reddish hair.

"And now you're gonna become a Saint, too. How do you feel about that?"

"Saintia! Female Saints wear the masks." Marianne corrected. Her eyes shifted. "And keep it down, okay? I don't want people to know who I am here."

He grimaced. "Sorry. But still, this is a pretty big deal, right?" And here he was, without an armor to his name. He slumped self-consciously, feeling he didn't measure up to his friend. "What I'm saying is, every time I see or hear about you, Marianne, it's like you're leaping above and beyond everyone else. You became top of the class, then a semi-admiral…"

"Vice-admiral, dummy!" she happily corrected, having grown to be amused by Atlae's mistakes. It gave her a good excuse to nerd out. "Everyone says that, too, but I often feel people are rushing me through something instead." She thought, remembering the words outside. Thank Poseidon she loved to work, or all the pressure would make her snap. "And now Baian is-"

"So, are you going to?" Atlae asked.

She blinked. "What?"

He raised a brow. "Mari'. Become a Saintia!"

She snapped out of it. "OH…" Atlae didn't have to hear about the proposal. Yet. "Well, I was unsure about it at first, being caught by surprise, but…" she remembered the academy representative and her words of encouragement. Did people at the Saintia Academy really admire her? "Maybe I should. That girl at the stand with the Pope said these wonderful things about it. And besides, I will never be the Sea Dragon General and…"

"And you always liked dolphins," Atlae added. He really wanted to see Mari' in the armor. He betted she would look super cool. "I'd love to see a technique of yours with that armor; think about how awesome that would be. We could even spar together!"

Marianne staggered, paused to consider it, but then shook her head. "Atlae, no! That's not a good reason for such a big decision!"

Atlae grumbled. "It sounds like a great reason to me."

The Mariner put finger in lip, pensive. "I was thinking more that it could be a good way to help Dad with his dealings with the Pope. It's good synergy and all."

The Muvian squinted. Why did Marianne always think of things in these terms? "I don't think Lord Arthur wants you to do it for him, Mari'. You should think about what you want for yourself on this, right? I'd like to return the Genbu armor to Shamballa, but it isn't just because of my master. It's because it would be really awesome if I did."

As silly as Atlae's motives were, it struck a chord with Marianne, who paused with his words suddenly stuck in her head, unlike the usual where she'd just dismiss them as silly or impulsive.

"He's gotten smarter, too, hasn't he? At least in his own way." She realized, amazed. Still, she hesitated to agree. "I wish you were right about Dad, Atlae, but… things aren't like when you last left us."

Someone stepped into the room after knocking. "I, too, would like an answer to that."

The two turned.

Atlae gasped, and Marianne immediately saluted! "Saint AQUARIUS!"

Indeed, arriving before them and attracting the eyes of everyone in the hospital hall outside was the masked, armored man with red hair who had been at the Triumph. "I apologize for intruding. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"N-No, not at all!" Marianna assured. "Lord Aquarius, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to confirm your acceptance of the Pope's offer." The Gold Saint explained. "You said yes at the Triumph, but His Holiness jumped it on you at a moment of pressure. As a fellow Aquarius, I know how difficult it is to stand before such a huge crowd. You didn't… feel pressured into it, did you?"

Marianne nodded, amazed that a person in such a high position was a kindred spirit. "Yes, it is! But I was talking to my friend and…" she shared a glance with Atlae and smiled at him. "I think I need more time. I'm inclined to say yes, but my first loyalty is still to my family."

The Aquarius Saint hummed. "Is this about your dealings with the Vancouver family?"

Atlae blinked. "The what?"

Marianna yelped and covered Atlae's ears. "Y-Yes, Saint Aquarius. It's a very delicate situation." She hinted at him. She then let go when the Gold Saint hummed confirmingly. "I just… have a lot to set straight with my father first."

Atlae rubbed his ears. What was going on? The Vancouvers were Baian's family, right? He hoped he wasn't threatening the Solos like he did with Atlae that morning.

The Gold Saint hesitated but nodded. "I see. We at the Golden Zodiac were prepared for that type of deliberation with the Mariners. You also have your position with their navy, which we would like you to keep simultaneously with being a Saintia of Athena, if at all possible. In any case, Miss Marianne Solo, on behalf of the Saints of Athena, I'd like to thank you for the many feats like the one that earned you your Triumph."

Marianne nodded excitedly. Her Zodiac's Gold Saint was praising her! Between that and reuniting with atlae, this was turning out a much better day than she thought. "Thank you very much, Saint Aquarius!"

Aquarius then turned to the Muvian. "As for you… you're the High Elder's student, correct?"

Atlae perked up, gulping. He had never been with or talked to a Gold Saint. They were such a more intimidating presence up close, like a mere flicker of their fingers could blast him away. "Y-Yes! It's a pleasure to meet you, Saint Aquarius."

"The Golden Zodiac was very impressed with your act of bravery. You wouldn't happen to be an Aries, would you?"

Atlae shook his head. Why did so many in Sanctuary think this? "No, sir, I was born a Taurus."

The Gold Saint lowered his head. "Apologies, it was wrong of me to assume. Farewell to you both. I will yet be with your father tonight to get your final response, Miss Solo, but for now, I must depart. However, if you'd ever like to pursue a full career as a Saint, I'd like you to know the eye of the Aquarius Temple is on you."

Saint Aquarius turned with a dance of his cape and disappeared with a brief flash of blue light, escaping the attention of the hospital crowds.

Marianne could jump, excited as she was. "What a cool guy! Did you see that, Atlae?! Saint Aquarius said that I impressed him!"

Atlae nodded hesitantly. A horrible feeling of inferiority suddenly came over him. "Y-yeah, I suppose. It was pretty cool how he just… teleported out of here. It must be the 7th sense."

"Yes, but look how well he masters it! He barely even had to burn the cosmos to trigger that movement. Meanwhile, I have to push it as high as I can just to get across a room." Marianne snapped her fingers. "You know, Atlae, I'm friends with the Sanctuary Town librarian, Mr. Malta. I bet he's seen Saint Aquarius around, too, since they're usually very studious. And he complimented us, a Gold Saint! Atlae, this is such an amazing day!" she saw the look on his face and grimaced. "Hum, I mean, except for you getting stabbed. Sorry."

He rubbed his head, noticing a pattern. "You really like getting the approval of older guys, uh?"

She squinted, startled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"N-Nothing!" he assured, averting his eyes.

She studied him, suspicious. Was he feeling jealous? Atlae always was so competitive in combat, after all. "Hey, you don't have to feel bad, you know? This is a Gold Saint that just walked out of here, not some two-bit hoplite. You're pretty strong, Atlae. I'm sure someday you'll move at the speed of light, too, I'm sure."

This wasn't even remotely close to what Atlae was thinking about. He tried to smile. "Right. Yeah. I definitely will."

His lack of energy in his answer made her suspect him even more. "I don't get it, then. Is he…?" A particular thought crossed her mind about what it might be. She suppressed it with a saddened grimace. "No, that's idiotic. There's no chance he feels that way about me. Atlae went three years in a school full of girls and only ever talked about training in his letters. He's pretty much a monk in the making."

He saw her stare weirdly at him. It was quite disconcerting. "I-Is there something on my face?"

She shook head, wishing Atlae had matured in another certain areas, too. Or maybe it was just his Muvian nature. "No. I'm just thinking about how good those idiot pills might work."

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Chapter 89

Third Arc

Episode 17

Vows of Loyalty

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Sanctuary Town Marina

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Walking back into the LPS Chrysaor, Krishna read the notification he got from Lord Arthur again. "Good news to you, Caça, we're not sailing out just yet."

The pale mariner perked up and carefully deposited the gigantic boxes he was loading. "Really? Thank Poseidon, oof! These things were killing my back."

"Maybe that will make you appreciate how much Atlae has been helping," Krishna commented.

The younger Mariner looked at how big the box he was carrying was. "What are we carrying to New Lalibela? Leftover elephants?!"

"These are actually medical supplies, believe it or not. King Cetus' domain has a dire need for it and the stuff we are loading is very fragile." He pointed the pen at the biggest one. "That over there is a CT scanner."

The younger mariner gawked. It was half the size of the Chrysaor cargo hold. "I have to carry that?!"

Krishna folded arms. "Like I said, a bit less bitterness towards your fellow crewmates can go a long way."

Caça collapsed onto a chair, exhausted. "Fine, I'll never say a bad thing to the poor little Muvian again. So what's the news?"

"We are dining at the Solos."

Caça perked up like had won the lottery! "Really?! I'll be sitting at Marianne's table?!"

The captain squinted. "Yes, you'll be sitting at the table of Arthur Solo, the Head of Houses," he stressed. For all that Caça mocked in Atlae's preoccupation with the Vice-Admiral, the mariner sure projected a lot onto the Muvian, didn't he? "I recommend you shower and get changed. Lord Arthur is my sponsor, after all. I want all three of us at our best in his place."

Caça saluted with a steely posture unlike anything he's ever showed off. "Yes, captain!"

"I wouldn't bother, captain. Nothing can fix your sailor's salty aroma." Someone said, arriving. "You would have to wash him with the amphoras of Amphitrite herself."

The two turned, and Caça growled. "You! What are you doing here?!"

Baian smirked, holding his helmet aside. He was accompanied by a group of his men, all armored mariners from the LPS Seahorse, a fast frigate Baian commanded to support the larger and heavier Sea Dragon battleship.

"Is that a way to greet a Rear Admiral of the navy? Have some respect, Caça."

Caça lifted the gigantic box he just deposited. "Come over here, then! I'll give you the welcome of a lifetime!"

"CAÇA!" Krishna shouted, gesturing to him to drop the box of vaccine needles. He faced Baian and squinted, not being a giant fan of his uppity attitude either. "Can we help you, Rear Admiral?"

Baian took his time, enjoying watching Caça disgruntledly lower his weapon before speaking. "I'd just like to talk with Atlae briefly. Is he here?"

"No, I told him to stay at the hospital until he's fully well. I don't want a crewman who just got stabbed lifting heavy cargo." Krishna looked at the group with Baian. "Are these your friends?"

Baian smirked. "Yes, they're my crewmen from our ship, the LPS Seahorse."

Krishna gritted his teeth. They looked more like a street gang in uniform, all sporting mean, warning looks, and mariner battle padding. "If you want to tell Atlae something, we can pass it on to him."

Baian held his chin, then nodded. "Yes, that is probably for the best. Maybe you two can talk some sense into him in a way that his brain understands. It's pretty simple, in any case. Tell him from now on to stay away from Vice-Admiral Marianne."

Krishna shared a look with Caça. "What in Shiva's name does that mean?!"

The teal-haired rear admiral sighed. "Do I have to spell it out to you two, too? It's unbecoming of a high-ranking member of the Mariner Navy to be fraternizing so closely with a representative of the Shamballa Muvians. They are our ancestral enemy, and the Vice-Admiral has a bright future ahead of her."

Krishna saw Caça fuming and gestured for him to be calm. "I'm sure the Vice-Admiral knows well what she is doing, Rear Admiral. She outranks you, after all. The Solo Household has been working together with Shamballa for several years as of now. Also, what is unbecoming of Miss Marianne spending time with a childhood friend?"

"Didn't you hear the Rear Admiral?" One of Baian's stooges asked, cracking his knuckles. "Tell your dotted freak to stay away from his bride!"

Krishna widened eyes. "His what?!"

"HEY WAIT A MINUTE!" Caça interjected. "What is going on here?!"

Baian clicked his tongue. "James, you've made a mess of things now." He steeled his glare at Krishna. "I suppose the fish's out of the barrel; yes, I plan to wed Vice-Admiral Solo."

Though initially stunned by this, Krishna focused on the threat at hand. "What does my sailor's got to do with your intentions?"

"Oh, please. Everyone sees what's going on between those two." Baian mocked. Atlae was pretty much the only man her age that Mari' ever seemed to talk to. "I don't want that Muvian around the Vice-Admiral filling her with… ideas. I remember well what she did to her cousin Patrick back in school. If the Solos wish to strike friendship with the dotted, that is their privilege as current Heads of the Houses, but that doesn't mean the rest of us agree."

"The rest of us?!" Caça questioned.

Krishna tensed. "You mean the Mariner houses, don't you? So, they're finally turning on Lord Arthur…"

Baian put a hand on his hip offendedly. "Don't make it sound like such a betrayal; so far, we have all tolerated the situation because Marianne was lord Arthur's only daughter, and we believed the Sea Dragon would pass down to his nephew, Patrick. But with Lord Arthur having a son, then things have changed." Baian smiled smugly. "Having the Seahorse and Sea Dragons so close will set the stage for uniting the houses. And with my father as the Admiral, I guarantee the Vancouvers are no exception to this interest."

Caça's eyes widened. "You GOTTA be kidding me!" he charged in and was held back by Krishna. "What, you think YOU will marry her, Baian?! Fuck off! Marianne won't even so much as look at your horseshit-eating grin!"

"It's too late, Caça," Baian assured. "I already proposed before the Triumph. Your idol will be my wife."

"YOU LITTLE-"

Krishna intervened, holding Caça back. "I may not know the Vice Admiral very well, Rear Admiral, but I have a difficult time believing she would say yes!"

Baian scoffed. "Say yes? Who do you take me for? I said I proposed, not that I asked for her hand."

Krishna stood agape. "You mean?!"

"I have served faithfully under her for quite some time and proved my bravery. The Vice-Admiral knows I am the most talented and attractive husband she could ask for among the Mariners, and our family is Arthur Solo's closest ally. Who do you think has supported Arthur Solo's rise to Head of Houses after betraying the Gerasimov? They owe us for that and for my father supporting Marianne's rise in the Navy. She will either wed me, or the Solos can be dragged through the mud of infamy yet again for going back on a second betrothal. The Vice-Admiral's approval is, personally, completely irrelevant to me."

Krishna and Caça both gawked at this. The Gerasimov and their quest for vengeance against the Solos for Arthur marrying Seraphina instead of their daughter was a tale that froze any mariner's heart. To that day, many knew Arthur Solo HAD to love Seraphina very much, for only the bravery inspired by that could make someone spit in the face of the deadliest and most vindictive of the seven mariner households.

The captain growled, realizing the depths of what was going on. "I see…!"

"FUCK THIS! I hate Atlae, but I would rather Mari' eloped with him than marry you!" Caça shouted, disgusted to his core.

Baian laughed. "Of course, Marianne is free to refuse… but I doubt the Solos will hold much sway over the Mariners after that, a dangerous position to be in when Lord Arthur already has the Pact of Seven AND Sanctuary to worry about. Vice-Admiral Marianne is quite brilliant, so I am sure she understands that, too. She wouldn't let her father turn his most steadfast allies against him because of her, would she?"

Krishna gritted his teeth, finally understanding why Caça despised this guy so much. "How shameful. Then it's blackmail."

Baian scoffed, looking insulted. "Blackmail, Captain? Is your loyalty to Lord Arthur for funding your little scholarship blackmail from him as well? This is just a basic expectation of loyalty towards your friends. We mariners have no one in this world to trust but our own. I would advise your sponsor not to forget that."

Krishna looked him right in the eye. "Baian, your father is the Admiral of our Navy. He's Marianne's teacher! What would he say to all this?!"

Baian squinted. "My father would approve. He and Lord Solo are childhood friends and blessed my union with Marianne. Must I be proven further right in my desire, captain?" He waved his hand at the streets of Sanctuary Town. "As for your so-called allies, Look around this place, captain. Are these the friends you think we should pick, the Saints of Sanctuary? Do you really think the people of this capital of Saints would spare us if they didn't need our ships and horses? Or if our God was about to awake?"

At this, Krishna had to bite his tongue. Trying to say the people of Sanctuary looked at Mariners as anything but a ticking bomb in their midst would make him look like a naïve fool. He, too, often felt that Mariners were stuck cleaning the foam off the rabies dog's mouth while Athena's men and women begged them not to put it down.

The Rear Admiral laughed at their silence. "Like I thought. Make sure Atlae gets the message, then, even if you have to hammer it in, cause if you don't? I will."

The two mariners then watched Baian turn and leave briskly with his men, uninterested in anything they had to say.

Caça clenched fists. "That smug, cologne-ridden prick! How dare he threaten me?! We should teach him a lesson once and for all!"

Krishna sweated. "This is bad, Caça; we must warn Atlae immediately."

Caça gawked. "What?! Why?! Captain, let's just take care of this ourselves! You can totally take that rich baby in a fight! We'll just drag him into one of these streets alleys and-"

The captain shook his head. "Don't be an idiot! This isn't something fists can solve. Even if Baian didn't surround himself with his goons, if anything he said is true, Atlae and the Solos have six of the seven households, including mine and yours, watching their every move like albatrosses!"

The pale mariner hummed, unsure. He couldn't care less about Atlae, but he hated Baian even more, especially now that he had the balls to just come up to them with this warning of his like they were just a bunch of sea roaches for him to step over.

Still, his blood boiled. "What do we do, then? Just sit on our asses?!"

"I told you; we warn Atlae." Krishna simplified. Something told him the Muvian teenager wouldn't budge. Krishna doubted he would, in Atlae's shoes. He still had the obligation to try as his captain. "And then we hope honor isn't dead among the Mariners yet."

{======================|A3|======================}

Later,

{======================|A3|======================}

"Do you understand, Atlae? You need to keep miss Solo at an arm's length." Krishna tried to put it as delicately as he could. "Things have reached a dangerous point where these people will harm you if you make the wrong move here."

Atlae sat there, blinking, bewildered. "Marianne has to marry Baian? I don't understand! Could that really happen?"

"Do you get it?!" Caça called out, seeing his air-headed look. "You got freaking Mariner Mafia watching you! And the Captain can't protect you this time. Do you wanna be the first Muvian to hang upside down the Fire Clock?! They could be watching us right now, from the alleys, the windows, even the roofs!"

The Captain held Caça's shoulder to relax him and gave it another shot. "Atlae, I need to know if you understand the trouble that you are in. This isn't something brute strength can solve-"

Atlae cut him off. "Captain, you can stop worrying. I'm not going to do anything."

Krishna sighed. "That's a relief. I'm happy to hear that, Atlae."

He got up. "I am going to see the Solos tonight, though."

Caça and Krishna gawked.

The pale Mariner grabbed his collar. "Are you insane?! Did you hear a word we just said?!"

Atlae gently took it off. "I did. I'm happy you'd warn me about it." He looked away self-consciously and smiled. "I feel it's something you wouldn't have done before, Caça."

"You're right, I wouldn't!" Caça confirmed. "So don't just brush us off!"

Atlae shook his head firmly. "I am not, I promise, but I have important things to do with the Solos tonight, things worth risking my life for, even if just one more time. I think even Baian would let that happen." He looked away, wishing things hadn't gotten so complicated. "And besides, I promised I'd spend the night with them. If I don't do it, they will know something is wrong, right?"

Krishna paused. "That's true, yes, but-"

"YOU'LL GET US ALL KILLED!" Caça shouted.

Atlae eyed him. He understood his friends' fears but couldn't back down. "Then don't come. I'm sorry, Caça, but this is my problem."

Detecting a strange change in Atlae's attitude, Krishna rethought their situation. The Sri Lankan mariner softened eyes. Only one thing would make Atlae so okay with all this. "Did you realize something about how you feel about Marianne? You spent all your time at the hospital with her."

Atlae nodded sadly. "Yeah. Well,… it's more that I've realized how she might feel about me. Or rather, not feel…"

Caça blinked, confused. "What? What are you two talking about? Did you two fight or something?" He laughed and reached for a water bottle. "He, he, maybe ya charms aren't as good as you thought!"

"No, of course, we didn't fight." Atlae denied. He smiled, happy. "Everything was great, in fact. I loved seeing Marianne today. I remember again why I couldn't wait to see her again since we broke paths."

"Then what?" Krishna asked.

Atlae turned his eyes to the streets of Sanctuary Town, through where the Triumph parade had gone through. "But after everything today…She just seemed so ahead of me. She's become such an impressive woman. Marianne has all these people around her admiring her, giving her a Cloth of Athena, a parade," he sighed. "And I'm just an idiot with a black belt who rang an old bell. I couldn't even protect you guys from that Specter. I don't know if what I feel is special, but I can't help but feel I'm not right for her. I don't measure up. I'm going to try to forget about her."

Caça spat his drink off, spraying the boat!

"Are you sure, Atlae?" Krishna asked, also surprised. "This also means you won't join the LPS Sea Dragon."

Atlae nodded. "I am. That's what I need to tell Lord Solo. This whole thing… this was a stupid feeling to have." He clenched a fist, frustrated. "I love Marianne and her parents, but… You were right, Captain. I needed to see her again to realize I had misplaced feelings. I will find some other place to serve the Mariners."

Krishna patted Atlae's shoulder, his eyes softening in pity. "I'm sorry, kiddo."

"What kind of idiot are you?!" Caça shouted, cleaning himself. "So you run into one obstacle in love and give up?!"

The Chola heir rubbed his chin. "Although Baian seemed quite pressed to ensure you didn't interfere in his affairs. Unless…" He snapped his fingers. "The Delphinus Cloth, of course!"

"What does that sorry excuse for an armor got to do with anything?" Caça queried.

"Caça, no one knew or thought the Pope would give a Mariner a Cloth of Athena today, much less to a female heiress of the Solos! The other households must have realized we could lose Marianne to the Saints. They're trying to keep Marianne Solo with the Mariners before her commitment to the Saints pulls her further away!"

Atlae widened his eyes but felt this made total sense. "She would never do that! Marianne is the most devoted person I know to her family."

"If I am right, they can't take that chance, especially after she's proven herself like this," Krishna concluded. "To them, Marianne is just a symbol of Mariner talent, someone to make our people look strong to the Saints before she gets wed off to a household. They don't know or care what her values are."

Atlae clenched teeth, furious. Did no one care what Marianne wanted? Why were people like this? It felt exactly like when he was at Shamballa, and the girls kept saying he should work in a lab instead of training.

Krishna clenched teeth. "I can't see Lord Solo going along with this of his own will, either. Baian must be right when he says that the Mariners will ostracize him if he doesn't play along."

Atlae gasped. "N-no! Captain, what can we do?!" He saw Krishna look away, silent. The Muvian gulped, concluding the implicit. "…We can't do anything, can we?"

Caça squinted. "Now you're catching on!" He scoffed, heading back to work. "I can't believe that asshole Baian is marrying my idol! This fucking world isn't fair…."

"But Marianne will… she will be miserable!" Atlae appealed. "She's worked her whole life to avoid this sort of thing, to prove her family could survive and make its dreams come true!"

The Captain held his shoulder comfortingly. "Come on, Atlae, let's get to work. And then you can go to the Solos. Maybe we'll think of a way to help clear our heads."

{======================|A3|======================}

Solo Manor

{======================|A3|======================}

Patrician Arthur Solo walked down the steps to his entry hall. "Seraphina, did you call me?"

"H-honey, umm…" she turned to the man next to her. "We have a guest."

Arthur Solo turned to the person and petrified.

It was Serpens Azrael! The man he sent Ithaca to spy on!

"Hello, Head of Houses." The Serpens Saint wished. His voice was like a strange mixture of a growl and a hiss, vengeful yet insiduous.

The mariner patrician had to blink. The Knight was truly standing there, in Arthur's hall, fully armored and weaponed, like he just arrived from a military campaign. The man met Arthur with an intense stare through his goat eye sockets, standing dangerously close to Seraphina. The most vindictive man in all of Sainthood was there, within a sword swing reach of his wife, months after Ithaca went missing investigating him.

"Knight Azrael." Arthur greeted, tense, joining them down the stairs.

"It is Castellan Azrael, Head of Houses." The man hissed, though maybe it was just how his helmet breathed out his voice. "Castellan first, Paladin second, and Saint third. I have not been a Knight since before your loving children were born. I do not mistake your titles, do I?"

Arthur exchanged an anxious look with Seraphina. "You do not. Apologies. I was unsure if the title still applied when, well,…" Should he say it? Or was it a hot button? "When you have no Zodiac Knights left to command."

An amused chuckle was heard from the armored man. "Fair enough. I hold a castle still, do I not? Several of them, in fact." His chin rose proudly. "That makes me a Castellan, Knights under me or not. Perhaps keep that in mind in the future."

Seraphina stared anxiously between her husband and their guest, laying out a plate of cookies she had made for Saint Aquarius. "W… Would you like an appetizer, Castellan? We weren't expecting you, but these are freshly baked."

The man turned to her, his eyes sharpening like a serpent finding a rat. Seraphina's very soul froze with the disgust she saw aimed at her from his green eyes, a look she hadn't seen directed at her since her last run into the Gerasimov family. Had she done something to him?!

Then it was gone. Seraphina breathed in. Maybe it was just her imagination.

"So, you're the Patrician's faithful spouse." He strangely worded, ignoring the plate of treats. Azrael turned to Arthur. "You're a fortunate man, Head of Houses. I've heard much of Lady Seraphina's grace, but meeting her face to face gives radiance to words."

Arthur narrowed his eyes, detecting a taunt about why Azrael was here. "You have? From 'who', exactly?"

Azrael chuckled. Arthur, Seraphina, and Marianne all recoiled. He didn't laugh in a particularly charming way, more in what seemed mocking, spiteful.

"Who else? Her Bluegrad folk, whose domains lie just east of mine. By Siberian standards, anyway." Azrael assured. He saw Arthur gesture at Seraphina to give them a moment. "Your wife can stay if she wishes. It's her beloved bodyguard we are talking about, after all."

The mention of Ithaca made all three Mariners immediately upset. Seraphina turned away. "I w-will… just fetch something you may like better, Castellan. Perhaps tea?"

"Coffee." He specified. "No sugar."

Arthur waited for his wife to leave. When she was well out of the Knight's reach, he steeled himself, knowing he was speaking to the most dangerous person in the Pact. "How do you know who I searched for? Where is Ithaca, Castellan?! Did you take him?!"

"How should I know? Did you send him my way, perchance?" the Zodiac Knight asked, looking distracted studying the Mariner's house. He rested hand in hip, showing off his Serpens Cloth. "And besides, do I look to you like someone who takes prisoners?"

Arthur gritted teeth, beholding the man's grim armor and sheathed broadsword. "No. You look like an executioner. Is that what you've done to him?!"

"…Of course not." Azrael responded, rispid. "You are awfully quick to assume things, Patrician. Especially for someone heading a group that has no place in Sanctuary. Perhaps the Pact should convene and discuss our loyalties to one another, if that concerns you so?"

Despite the anger growing inside him, Arthur tried to stay cool. Azrael's sudden face-to-face presence, something he didn't even grant at Pact sessions, looked like an apparent provocation, but he was right in saying Arthur should make accusations without proof. That would just make everything much harder.

But why else would the man be here, suddenly? "I apologize, you are correct. My search for my servant has been making us all quite tense. He is a Son of Arion, after all, and very important to all Mariners. Please, just tell me why are you here today?"

"I thought a personal visit was necessary after some disconcerting things I've noticed, Arthur Solo," Azrael stressed. "But after these accusations, I'm sure everyone would love to hear how the Mariners have been spying on the rest of us."

Arthur widened eyes. "What?!"

{======================|A3|======================}

Just outside in the manor's backyard, wearing the Dolphin armor gauntlet on her hand, Marianne charged her cosmos, causing a flurry of blue waves to surge from the ground and twist around her wrist, fusing the energies into a bright ball of force that made her hair wave. She was in awe, seeing the shadow of a jumping dolphin course around the swirl of the energy.

She had never charged something so beautiful and efficient before. Every bit of Cosmos was routed right where it should with half the concentration that she'd typically have to put into it. "This… is a Cloth of Athena!"

"It's not exactly an Orichalcum Scale, but even a Bronze Cloth has its brilliance." Aquarius Malta assured.

She laughed, amazed. "I can tell! Saint Aquarius 'Odysseus,' this is incredible!" Taking aim, she fired the shot into the air, shocking it, and waving the grass at her feet, and watched it beam harmlessly into outer space. She touched the pale blue scale of the glove, feeling it cool down in a fraction of a second, and grinned. "All my life, I knew I would never wear the Sea Dragon Scale, but… this is just as good. No, it's better because I know it wasn't given to me because of who my father is."

"And it's what its old owner would have wished. You did avenge her, after all." Aquarius reminded Marianne. "So, Miss Solo, what do you say?"

She took off the glove and carefully stored it in the box. Beholding the whole thing together, it looked fantastic. She would have to be an idiot to refuse, from how much of a prize it was, to how it would help her father and even perhaps give her a way out of being wedded off, to just it being a Cloth of Athena, one of only eighty-eight in the entire world.

And it was a dolphin cloth, too! It felt like such a silly bonus, but it did make her just a bit happier about it.

Marianne had no desire to appear particular to a Gold Saint but had to be honest. "Saint Aquarius, I want to say yes…"

The masked, red-haired man nodded. "But it depends on more than just you, correct? As Sanctuary's official delegate to the Mariners, I perfectly understand, trust me, Miss Solo. The eyes of the Mariners are on you right now. Accepting this could bring friendship between us but also fear amongst your own." He turned, sensing something at the Solos' front door. "That cosmos? What? No…!"

Marianne sighed, depressed, closing the box. At least the Gold Saint was comprehending. "I'd like you to show it to me for my friend if that's alright?" She saw the Gold Saint transfixed on the house. "Lord Aquarius?"

The Gold Saint composed himself. "Follow me inside, Miss Solo. I think your father has a guest."

{======================|A3|======================}

Joining Saint Aquarius inside, Marianne stood stiff, hidden by the curtain, feeling a chill up her spine. Who was this terrifying-looking man standing in her hall? He was clad top to bottom in the most gothic-looking, terrifying version of the Aries Gold Cloth she had ever seen, and even his face was entirely encased in the metal skull of a ram with massive round horns. Only his green eyes were visible, and they stared at her father intently.

And he had a weapon with him, a large broadsword! What was the meaning of this?

"It's as I've said, Patrician." The armored man spoke. "You mariners have been spying on the rest of us. And that is not acceptable behavior from a fellow Pact faction."

"How dare you?!" Arthur spoke. He hated having to speak so hypocritically, but he had the duty to defend the Mariner's honor even if it sullied his own. And besides, the only way he could be making these accusations was if he lied about not having Ithaca with him. "You walk into my house uninvited and accuse me of dishonoring the Pact?!"

"I accuse you of worse, Arthur; of being a fool." Azrael specified, unimpressed by his anger. "You think you control your men but clearly you do not. And I can prove it."

"What?!" Marianne gasped in her hiding place..

"Please stay here, miss Solo. I'll handle this." Saint Aquarius begged her, before stepping into the room openly. "Azrael!" Enough."

The room went quiet in the presence of Aquarius. Even Azrael seemed suddenly recoiled. Marianne watched, gulping, the tension between the three sharpened like a knife. There were now two Gold rankers and the leader of the Mariners in the same room, about to start what looked like a dangerous argument.

"Hello, 'Odysseus'." Azrael hissed through his mask. "You look… well."

"It's been some time, Azrael. It's good to see you outside your castle, too, if a bit surprising." Aquarius acknowledged. "What seems to be the matter? If there is a problem in the Pact, I will be happy to mediate as a Gold Saint as the Mariner's designated advocate."

"What was that? Their designated advocate?" Azrael questioned mockingly. "Is that what you do now, bookworm? You advocate the enemies of Athena against your own friends?"

Saint Aquarius, however, didn't seem the least bit inclined to take the bait. "That's correct. And let's not forget that not too long ago, much earlier than the Mariners, in fact, you were our enemy. So much that Capricorn Achilles has to be yours."

The Castellan stepped forward, clenching fists, making the Gold Saint step guarding between him and Arthur. "I was the POPE's enemy, NEVER ours'!"

Marianne recoiled in fear, feeling the warmth of the man's Cosmos make the house suddenly very hot! It became so intense her throat suddenly lacked breath.

"And it was YOUR faith in our dream that faltered!" Azrael accused, pointing finger at Aquarius. Even Arthur now faltered visibly at the pressure his energy exuded. "You and all the others turned your back on our vows! Turned your back on ME! As far as I'm concerned, you deserved every fucking death I inflicted on your me-"

"Perhaps you'd like to discuss who deserves what with Akassius?" Aquarius suggested, gently pushing Arthur back and pushing Azrael's cosmos back with his own, cooling the air back down. "I'm sure he'd be happy to hear all your argumentations on your loyalty to Athena? If you dare to face him, that is."

The mention of the former Gemini Saint made the Castellan step back, clicking his tongue.

Marianne caught her breath again as the Cosmos in the air rebalanced. She looked again and sweating, wondering what terrifying, abysmal depths were there to the true power of these two men. She was a Gold-ranker, a lightspeed user, and yet for a second it felt she and her father could be crushed under their contest of will!

Azrael shook head shamefully. "Typical of you, Malta, always hiding behind our betters. Burying your nose in bullshit alchemy books while the rest of us do your dirty work! I wonder if that's what Kirin likes about you? That one always loved getting fucked by the weak-"

A sharp shine of cosmos flashed around the Gold Saint. "Let's stick to our codenames if you don't mind? And be civil. Not everyone in this house is privy to our identities…"

Azrael looked over and saw his boots sticking to the floor and his hot breath suddenly visible during the summer day. He sweated yet chuckled, thrilled by the danger the red-haired nerd was still capable of presenting. "I suppose you still have your strength about you, if not your dignity. That's good to know, 'Odysseus'. Maybe Sanctuary isn't doomed yet after all."

Marianne stiffened with the reveal. Did she hear right? The man called Saint Aquarius 'Malta,' the name of the Sanctuary Town librarian who had always recommended her study material. She owed half her grades to him. Had she been sharing coffee with a Gold Saint all these years?

Azrael continued, his tone more polite. "Rest assured, Head of Houses. I am not responsible for whatever fate befell your bodyguard. I promise you that if your Ithaca had taken a single foot inside a Zodiac Knight castle, especially Serpent's Rock, I would have come here with his head in a bag."

"Then what do you want?!" Arthur demanded.

"To give you a warning." The Castellan fixed his glare and produced a package, tossing them at their feet. "That you've been picking the wrong friends!"

The two other adults shared a bewildered look. Hesitantly, Arthur took the package and ripped it. It was full of pictures. The first showed Ithaca speaking with Gigas, the representative of Sanctuary's aristocracy in court.

"That is your man, isn't it? Ithaca of Delphi?" Azrael questioned. "He has some powerful friends in Sanctuary, doesn't he?"

Knowing what Azrael could do with Light-crafting, Aquarius Odysseus made sure to study the pictures himself. "Lord Arthur… I'm afraid these are real. What was your man doing, taking money from Councilor Gigas?"

Marianne reeled. Ithaca was taking bribes?! It couldn't be! There had to be an explanation. She looked at her father, but he looked pale as a ghost.

He looked perturbed, "Why do you have this, Castellan?! Are you spying on my people?!"

"No, Patrician, but I always keep an eye on what that bottom-feeder Gigas is doing. Before he became such a fan of Akassius, Gigas spent years undermining my Gold Saint brethren." The Castellan chuckled. "He's the kind of Sanctuary man that unfortunately falls very short of Athena's expectations."

"I… have to admit that is something Azrael would do," Odysseus mentioned to Arthur. "Patrician, please explain these."

Arthur waved it off. "This… this is fine! Saint Aquarius, Lord Castellan, I'm ashamed to admit I ordered Ithaca to do this. As the Castellan suggested, Councilor Gigas is an influential man who bribes many. I wanted to find out which Mariners were in his pocket." He tried to hand the pictures back. "There is nothing wrong with that! If this is all, I'm afraid your journey was a waste, Castellan."

Marianne sighed; of course, this made total sense. She knew Ithaca often did these jobs for her father.

But Azrael wasn't done. "That's not what I want you to see. Keep looking, Patrician."

Arthur continued flipping through them. The newer photos showed Ithaca riding around the mountains of Shamballa in suspicious locations, like Mount Kailash.

"These were taken three years ago. To infiltrate Gigas' spaces, your mariner agreed to invade sites sacred to the Muvians. Gigas have been convinced for years that they hide diamonds in it." Azrael accused. "And although the eyes of the Horned Serpent are not meant to keep track of your dogs, I caught him heading into the area again recently."

"Can you prove that, Azrael?" Aquarius demanded.

The Castellan growled. "Must I take the time to photograph every movement I see from my castle? No, I cannot, Saint Odysseus. But the good Muvians of Shamballa can."

Arthur and Marianne staggered at this. The Patrician demanded answers. "The Muvians? What do you mean?!"

"They have locked down the Mount Kailash site around the same time your man vanished. The High Elder called it for at least until the next Winter Festival." Azrael told them. "The Immortal Guard takes the protection of their mountains very seriously. I imagine they hold a special hatred if it's a Mariner doing it. It would certainly explain their actions."

The Gold Saint held his chin. "The Pope informed me of that, yes. I found that decision very strange. The High Elder won't speak of it at all. Sanctuary staff are very concerned since we'll have to convince civilian authorities during all that time to cooperate."

Feeling suddenly outflanked, Arthur countered. "This doesn't prove anything, Azrael! Certainly not that the Muvians have my man!"

The Castellan shook his head lamentingly. "And this is why I'm here; to make you see your foolishness. It might not prove they have your man directly, but certainly they would have motive. Muvians have a deep memory, Patrician. I'm sure a Mariner of all people knows how long they can wait for revenge."

Arthur flipped through the pictures, distraught. "No! They wouldn't…!" He turned to Azrael. "WHY WOULD YOU COME HERE TO TELL ME ALL THIS?! From what I understand, you hate anyone who isn't a Saint!"

Azrael laughed like he couldn't believe the question. "I don't like doing it, but I hate the Pope and his Muvian friends even more. They tend to go back on their promises, just like they're in the process of doing with you, Arthur." He tilted his head and eyed Malta. "Call it empathy for a fellow Pact member…"

"Empathy?! How dare you, Azrael?!" Aquarius 'Odysseus' interjected. "His Holiness has done nothing but support his allies all these years! He values you all equally!"

The Castellan laughed out loud, an angry laughter of someone who's been holding a grudge about this topic for years.

"Is that a joke, Odysseus?!" he asked, sounding truly stunned. "Maybe you should ask your Pope, then, which side he would prefer to defend during a conflict in the Pact; the Mariners or his old war comrade, Crane Yuzuriha? Just don't be too surprised at what you find out. I certainly was not when my head was on the chopping block!"

At this, the Aquarius Saint went silent. Arthur's head slumped.

Azrael gritted teeth. "Finally, you two see sense. And that old mummy in Shamballa knows it, too. She will maneuver her friendship with the Pope to have the upper hand if she ever feels the interests of her people are at stake! Arles only has the best interest of his own folk at heart." He faced the Gold Saint. "And when the time comes, 'Odysseus,' he will betray you and 'Achilles' too, mark my words!"

Watching all this, Marianne felt horror creep up her heart at the sight of her disheartened father and the silenced Gold Saint. Who was this armored guy?! How could he drive her father and Saint Aquarius speechless with paranoia after all of Dad's efforts to befriend Shamballa? After the years he spent with Atlae?

Arthur paled, his mind racing a mile an hour. Was it possible? It did seem unlikely that a man like Azrael would just be keeping Ithaca captive for no reason other than to mess with Arthur. The Muvians, on the other hand, likely would since they consider death penalties barbaric. His mariner blood boiled, feeling the instinct to suspect his ancestral enemy come to the surface, but he resisted. He couldn't succumb to such basic suspicions!

Arthur checked the photos over and over. "Could it be? No…no!"

Marianne shook, watching her dad tremble in confusion. She's never seen him this unsure.

The Serpens Saint shook head. "What did you think would happen, Arthur? That a couple of treaties and exchange programs would make the Muvians forget the thousands of years of hatred between you? That type of bad blood doesn't just go away. I should know."

The Patrician gripped the photographs, wishing he could crush them. It made sense to him. It was a cruel theory, but it made sense. If a Muvian had infiltrated a Mariner temple, the households would probably hold him captive, too. Arthur, in fact, could picture himself arguing to keep things quiet, so the efforts repairing relations between their people wouldn't be undermined.

"You're a good man, for a mariner. That's probably why that mummy Yuzuriha thought keeping this quiet could work." Azrael further argued. "But you should ask yourself; can you really trust people who will take those closest to you and lock them away in the dark? To their eyes, you, your family, and this Ithaca will always be 'Sea People.' I may not have evidence yet, but I promise you, they do have your man."

"Azrael, stop!" Odysseus demanded. "This kind of speculation isn't helpful either!"

"It's helpful to protect a man's honor! Or do you want another power struggle in the Pact?! I'll say it again; the Muvians are taking Arthur for a fool!" Azrael argued back. "The Head of Houses needs to face they caught his man snooping around where he shouldn't and took the chance to catch him. I wouldn't be surprised if, pretty soon, they started making demands to have him back. If Sanctuary cares at all about peace on earth, then this unnatural alliance they've been building between Shamballa and Néa Delphi needs to stop before it compromises the entire Pact!"

Arthur reeled, his grip on the pictures growing frail. His years of work and sacrifice flashed through his mind, all feeling on the edge of ruin.

Marianne stepped out, hitting her limit at this. "DAD! Don't listen to him. Atlae's people would never do this!"

Azrael snapped at her. "Who's that?! How dare you eavesdrop on us!"

She froze before his glare. "I'm… I'm Marianne Solo! And I will not let you speak down on my father like this! He's NOT A FOOL! He's fought his whole life to make peace with Shamballa! Who are you to criticize him?!"

The Zodiac Knight refused to answer, merely squinting hatefully. Marianne had to recoil a bit, suddenly feeling the horrible sensation of being a small rat before a king cobra made of steel raising its armored head high above her, it's black tongue slithering menacingly. A mere gesture from him could probably cut her down before Saint Aquarius could do a thing, a serpent jolting at her neck in a mere flash.

But she stood her ground and pointed at the door. "I-I won't let you insult my father or the Mariners any longer! Please leave! NOW!"

Saint Aquarius stood aback, impressed. Few could brave Azrael like this, but then again there was also little that gave you more courage than defending your family.

Arthur stepped between his daughter and him. "Castellan Azrael, thank you for the warning, but please, leave my house. I need to deliberate."

"Very well." The Castellan conceded with a nod. "Just one thing. Remember, Arthur. The hatred your people have for the Muvians is reciprocated. Yuzuriha's wisdom does not stretch down to the people inside Shamballa. With that in mind, do you think the common Muvian, or even the Elders under that mummy, likes what you've been doing? You've already sacrificed much. Just ask yourself this; can you really stand another betrayal from someone so close?"

Arthur stiffened. What? What did this imply?! Marianne also froze, swearing she detected the hint of an ugly smile inside the shadow of Azrael's goat mask.

The Knight then deflected from what they thought he meant, laying out hand. "Your people have, after all, suffered many disappointments already, not the least from the Muvians. Who knows what tragedies you might yet suffer." He then turned to leave, his ragged green cape fluttering. "Farewell, Mariners."

Marianne breathed in relief as he disappeared with a beam of light. "Triton, save me. For a second, it sounded… like he was talking about Mom! No, this guy couldn't possibly know." She held her father's shoulder. "Thank Poseidon, he's gone. Come on, Dad."

Arthur nodded and followed, silent.

They were surging to his mind again, this time at daylight.

Images of his wife writhing in ecstasy, made to create her second child.

His blood boiled against his will, knowing he was not the one she was surrendering herself to.

{======================|A3|======================}

Later

{======================|A3|======================}

The sun went down in Greece slowly but surely. Finishing loading the last crate, Atlae wiped his sweat and turned to his friend. "All done, Caça. Thanks for helping me. Would you like to practice some music?"

"Are you kidding?" the mariner shouted, walking away from the boat. " I'm not gonna be in this town for another year. I'm making the most of it! If the captain asks, I'm at the strip bars. Maybe I won't get whacked there because of you and your girlfriend!"

"Alright, be careful." but Caça just gave him the middle finger and disappeared around the corner. Atlae sighed. "Is this all really my fault? I suppose I would be upset, too, if I was threatened over what someone else did. Perhaps I should stay here after all? But I made a promise…"

Perhaps the captain could advise him. Krishna always, always knew what to do. From fighting, to sailing, to just daily life, the captain always seemed to be the voice of wisdom and reason. It was kind of incredible; Atlae was sure one day Krishna could become some kind of Master, as smart as he was.

Atlae went to the cabin and realized Krishna was down on the deck again. "He's doing the glowing mediation thing again?" Atlae looked back and forth, taking glances at the Fire Clock. He could even hear the rhythmic humming. "He's told me to stay away when he's doing this, but… I should at least tell him I'm heading to Néa Delphi."

He knocked.

No answer. Just more humming. Atlae looked down and saw a growing green glow peeking through.

Hesitantly, Atlae grabbed the handle and opened the door to the cabin-

Everything went green, impressing the powerful visages of a person's chakras about to align themselves right into Atlae's brain. The Muvian screamed and was knocked back!

Krishna awoke from his trance at this, deactivating his cosmos. "ATLAE!" Krishna rushed to him, held his face and studied his orbs. Thankfully, they looked fine, maintaining their healthy green. "I told you not to come down here while I meditated. This technique is very powerful. You're lucky I didn't blind you!"

"I-I'm sorry, captain." He rubbed them once more. When he saw everything around him with no little blots, he asked. "I just wanted to come down here and ask if you think I am doing the right thing?"

"In seeing the Solos?" Krishna accompanied him up. "I know you have your reasons, Atlae, and that not everything is about Marianne to you. You should talk with Lord Arthur, Atlae, especially if you want to join another boat. Just maybe, you know, don't show too much friendliness to Marianne to anyone who might be watching, at least tonight."

The Muvian nodded. Atlae couldn't believe that; from now on, he'd have to assume such an attitude towards his best friend, but it was his own choice and for everyone's safety. "Captain, I'd like you and Caça to come with me tonight anyway."

Krishna sweated, concerned. "The sentiment is good, Atlae, so you put me in a tough position. I honestly like you as a crewman. You're a brave young man, and I think deep down Caça has come to appreciate you as a fellow mariner, even if he expresses it… poorly. That's why I don't want you in danger by provoking Baian with our presence even more."

Atlae's eyes teared up, but he resisted crying. "I wish things hadn't gotten so complicated. Captain, I don't want to treat my best friend like a stranger."

"It's not your fault, Atlae. The Mariners have a lot of problems to work out." He rested arms on the ship's rails and looked off above the roofs. The Sea Dragon's large sails could be seen towering above them from another spot in the dock. "Baian was right about one thing when he stopped by; we don't trust anyone but our own, but I think we've reached a point where our isolation has begun to cause us more problems than solutions."

Atlae cleaned his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Krishna's head sank. "Let me ask something, Atlae... Why did you mention Rebecca to me when we left Hawaii?"

Atlae blinked at the strange pivot. And why did the captain look solemn? "Well, she said something to me that made me think she might… like you."

"I see. Thank you for telling me that." Krishna rubbed his eyes with a strange intensity and reached for a newspaper he got that day in Sanctuary Town, putting it in Atlae's hand.

The Muvian saw him point out a headline, and his green eyes widened in alarm.

"Saintia aspirant killed in action off Hawaiian coast. Local pirate group responsible for it has been apprehended."

Atlae read the rest, frantically searching for some kind of denial of his fears.

"In a tragedy not uncommon to those who fight for our Goddess' ideals, a representative of Sanctuary stationed in Honolulu, who was in line for the Cassiopeia Cloth, has lost her life defending the locals. Last Tuesday, a vicious attack occurred in the Hawaiian Islands when a group of pirates with cosmos users among them tried to assault the volcanic forges. Five Muvians and seven locals were harmed, but thanks to the sacrifice of Miss Rebecca, no Sanctuary lives were lost.

"She saved my life. I will never, ever forget her." Said young Elda in tears, who has already been forwarded to the care of Saint Triangle Noah in Argentina. "One day, I will become a Cassiopeia Saintia, just like she wanted to be, and I'll make every person who uses the cosmos to hurt others pay!"

We have also inquired with New Lalibela on the matter.

"I have never met Rebecca, unfortunately, but all Amazons send condolences to any Saintia who serves the Goddess," says Saint Cynthia of Cassiopeia. "Today is a day where both sisterhoods are united in sadness."

"His Majesty King Cetus does not wish to comment." Saint Semele of Camelopardalis, on the other hand, answered our reporter. "Since Miss Rebecca was not trained in Andromeda Island, His Majesty feels taking time off his schedule to acknowledge a single woman's death is inappropriate. The Ivory Palace now must ask you to leave its premises."

His Holiness, Pope Arles III, has also lamented the loss, with the Golden Zodiac issuing the statement, "Saint, Saintia, Amazon or otherwise, the death of all who are kind and just is a reason of sadness to all. Miss Rebecca is now with Athena, and her bravery will immortalize her in our Goddess' heart forever."

The raider group was thoroughly defeated by Miss Rebecca, whose sacrificial attack decimated the villains. Still, one wonders if Sanctuary's continued passivity to external threats has contributed to this trag-"

Atlae refused to read the rest, putting the paper down. "Miss Rebecca is dead?! That… that can't be!"

Krishna didn't respond.

The Muvian shook. It felt like he met her in Hawaii just yesterday and shared a picture together. "Why was she on her own against all those bad guys?! N-Now… now that poor girl she was friends with is alone."

"Human life is fragile like that, Atlae." Krishna taught him. "You will live for a very long time, and you will be a powerful Muvian man, one of the strongest among us, and still very young when me, Caça, Baian, and yes, even Marianne, will be on our deathbeds, burnt out of the cosmos. Even if you lost your parents so soon, it is not in your natural instinct to expect death this early. Some of us, however, live surrounded by it."

Atlae kept quiet. He wondered if the captain regretted not talking with Rebecca more before her death and felt he should say something, but Krishna was so wise that the Muvian felt like he'd just say something incomparably awkward or impolite.

Krishna's eyes followed Sanctuary Town's skyline, trying to count all the lights lighting up as the sun went down. "Part of me admires the Saints, Atlae. Perhaps that makes me a bad Mariner, but I understand why they do all this."

"You mean… fighting the Gods?" Atlae wanted to confirm.

"Even in our lowest moments, Caça and I are lucky to be born under families blessed by Lord Poseidon. All death will give us a place among our ancestors in the reefs. But the rest of the people of this world we moralize so much have nothing but the unknown waiting for them, most within just fifty turns of the Earth around the sun. And the Saints?"

Atlae saw Krishna turn to him gravely, which was a bit startling given the captain's steely eyes.

He continued. "The Saints have something even worse waiting for them: the hatred of Hades. Each of them has a hole carved in a sea of ice waiting for them to fill up to their necks for as long as Hades can hold them there."

The implication became apparent. "Are you saying Miss Rebecca will…?"

Krishna shrugged with a dark turn of the eyes. "Who knows? She wasn't a Saintia yet; her vows to Athena weren't made. Hades can be a very petty God, but he is not absolutely unfair. He wants to know he's right about us. Punishing people wrongly by his own book would be against that."

The captain spoke like he communed with the Gods in his meditations, but Atlae detected fear in his tone. "How can you be sure, captain?"

His fingers clenched the ship's bars harder. "I'm not. Like all captains, it's my job to pick a course anyway. And those our God has not blessed have nothing but that cruel uncertainty to face." Krishna flat-out stated. He saw the people of Sanctuary Town go about their lives generally from the marina. "Have you ever met Saints, Atlae? Other than Triangle Noah?"

Atlae remembered running into Pegasus. "This morning, I did, the one who gave me the pass. I didn't say it so you wouldn't worry, captain, but I think he might have been the violent one you heard about."

Krishna widened eyes. "You could tell? Did he attack you?"

Atlae shook his head. "I just felt it when we ran into each other; he had… violence in his Chi." Atlae frowned. It was just a flash he sensed, but it was like a searing blaze from Death Queen Island. "From the way he spoke… I felt sorry for him."

"You did? Why?"

"He sounded like the world's weight was pressing on his shoulders. That he wanted to just run away." Atlae compared. Everything, from the Saint's rush to get out of there to work in missions to his frustration with Sanctuary, screamed it. "Maybe all people my age feel that way, but you said Hades will one day punish all Saints, right? Maybe that is why."

Krishna huffed, impressed. "I wondered for a second why you didn't challenge him for a fight, competitive as you are. You must be growing up a bit, Atlae. That Saint will be gone from this world long before you will, Atlae." He foretold. "As a Muvian, it is your responsibility to make the most you can of your brief contact with the humans you love, so if you do, never hesitate to do so."

Atlae looked at the paper again, thinking about how he'd never see Rebecca again. This loss would now be with him for over two hundred years, or so he'd live. "Someone once told me Master Yuzuriha frequently visits a certain human's mausoleum. Maybe she feels that pain, too. I wonder who they were."

Krishna chuckled. "You don't know? That's a famous love story. Even the Mariners know about it. The High Elder being who she is, it's hard to imagine Yuzuriha the Grump being in love, which means it must have been a very special human."

He should ask the Master at an opportune moment. How do humans deal with that kind of pain? "Captain, why is Baian trying to marry Marianne? Why is this happening? I never thought the two liked each other at all."

Krishna scoffed. He had heard from Caça, in fact, that Baian had a questionable sexual interest in women, but since it was Caça saying it, Krishna couldn't be sure. "This is just what Mariners do. We wed our own. Just like Muvians, I suppose."

Atlae scratched head. "But… but Muvians are a separate species. You guys don't have to do that."

The captain looked at him like he just solved a puzzle. "That's correct."

Atlae's head grew hot. "I don't understand. Are you saying Mariners aren't human?"

"No, Atlae. Mariners are very human. And that's the problem. This is one of the realizations you will grapple with about dealing with a dumber species than your own throughout your life; we do many things we don't have to simply because we don't know any better." Krishna's fingers laced, his thoughts lost on Rebecca. "And one day, we will all pay the price of our selfishness."

Atlae stayed quiet once more. There was nothing he could think to say.

Krishna rubbed his eyes, cleaning them. He stiffened up and turned. "Will you be going to the Solo Manor now?"

Atlae nodded.

"I'll try to watch for you from a distance. Caça probably needs time to cool off." Krishna patted his shoulder encouragingly. "Maybe someday, when the heat dies down, we'll join you on Lord Arthur's table. Tell him I beg his forgiveness. He will understand what happened."

{======================|A3|======================}

Later,

Solo Manor

{======================|A3|======================}

Marianne was bored as she stood at her hall, welcoming the Vancouvers and listening to her Rear Admiral prattle on.

"… and of course, with my exceptional skills, I think Vice-Admiral Marianne and I would make a wonderful team. Our families' combined fortunes alone would elevate our collective status," Baian argued to her father, his hand on his chest. "Isn't that wonderful, Head of Houses? Surely you see nothing but advantages to this proposal?"

Marianne couldn't be more stunned at Baian's affront. The coward wasn't even looking at her, his superior in the navy. Instead, he was going straight to her dad, like all it mattered to her accepting this ridiculous idea was the political angle. Even if Father was the Head of Houses and traditionally the one who among Mariners should approve any wedding proposal, Marianne expected he should at least recognize her darn presence in the room.

A wonderful smell of cinnamon, mint, and butter was felt, and her mother came in with a plate of butter cookies shaped like pine trees and snowflakes. "I've made Bluegrad sweets."

Surrounded by two of her current heroes, namely Saint Aquarius and Admiral Vancouver, Marianne turned red at the idea of them being offered her mom's countryside treats. "Mom! Not now!"

"Don't be silly, Marianne, these will go cold!" She showed them the plate. "Would anyone partake? Admiral? Young Baian?"

Admiral Vancouver shook hands. "No, thank you."

"Of course!" Baian immediately accepted, taking at least three and munching them. "Mm, these are wonderful, Lady Seraphina. I hope the Vice-Admiral cooks just as good!"

Marianne glared, groaned, and shook her head, thanking Poseidon that Io wasn't around to see Baian doing this. His poor little heart would break at watching his crush propose to a girl.

Seraphina turned to the last guest. "Lord Aquarius?"

The Gold Saint, who came to transport the Delphinus Cloth, pointed at the mask concealing his identity.

Seraphina gawked, feeling silly. "Oh! I am so sorry! I forgot."

"No worries, Lady Seraphina." He gently reached in and took a few. "My friends and I are big fans of Bluegrad cuisine, though, so I will take some to the Golden Zodiac if you don't mind."

The pale-blue-haired lady beamed with honor. "No, go ahead. Take more!"

Marianne folded her arms, dejected. Between someone trying to assassinate her, Atlae getting hurt, Baian wanting to marry her, and Mom peddling her cookies to her heroes, she wasn't sure what was worse or more embarrassing.

"Lord Poseidon, this day is just the abyss." She glanced at her father, who chatted with Admiral Vancouver. "At least Dad seems to be feeling better. I hope that the Castellan guy never shows up at our doorstep again. What a nightmare that was. Are all the people in that weird Pact dad in like this?"

Arthur saw his daughter not the least bit interested. He turned to Baian's father, Admiral Vancouver, who accompanied his son to the Manor. "Lord Vancouver, I am honored by your son's proposal. Perhaps we could… discuss this in private later? I have guests tonight, and they should be coming soon."

Baian's father, a tall man of grayed, teal air, uniform with pads reminiscent of the Sea Horse scale and aquamarine eyes, nodded. "Of course, Arthur. However, I remind you that the room for negotiation here is… thin."

Marianne tried to appeal to her teacher. "Lord Admiral, I don't think this is a good time for such a critical decision." She gestured at Saint Aquarius. "I am about to become a Saint, after all! What will Sanctuary people say when they hear a Mariner will get a Cloth, not have to wear a mask, and even have a marriage without their review? This could endanger my father's relationship with the Pope, which we all benefit from."

He turned to her. As always, his student was as good at maneuvering diplomacy as she was with the battleship. "It is precisely because of that, Marianne, that things need to be settled sooner rather than later. As a Saint, you will have double the responsibilities to an outside organization. We must reassure our folk that the daughter of the Head of Houses is loyal to Poseidon first and Athena second."

Baian shrugged. "And why would the Vice Admiral not? I am an ideal catch."

The Admiral sweated and messaged her. "(Forgive me, Marianne. Baian has inherited his mother's…. confidence. The situation, however, is just as important as I explained. Think well on this.)" He then saluted Arthur. "Head of Houses, Vice Admiral, I bid good winds."

Arthur nodded. "Thank you, old friend."

Marianne nodded respectfully at her Master as he left with his son, then turned. "Dad, you know me. I will put my life up for our family, but I am NOT marrying Baian!" she asserted. A vexed look immediately formed on her father's face, so she pressed in. "Forget it, dad! He is such a little weasel! He doesn't even like women! His first kiss was with a poster of Harrison Ford!"

"I know, Marianne." He shifted eyes embarrassedly. "Not the part about the admiral's son, of course, but how you feel about this. After the story I told you of me and your mom, I could never force you to marry someone for politics." He paced around the hall, pensive. "This is just a complicated situation for us all."

She felt cold, noticing the seriousness in his voice, and approached her father,. "How bad is it, Dad?"

Though he exhaled, he decided to trust her strength to handle it. "We may lose everything should the dealings with the Muvians fall short. Returning to my wedding to your mother, it's been challenging for the Solos to maintain their position among the Mariners since then. Your grandfather drained our ancestral fortunes maintaining his status as Head of Houses. I managed to make a bed for ourselves with my military career, but…"

A sinking guilt hit her heart. She gulped and stepped back. "My studies. Right?"

Arthur shook his head immediately, holding her shoulders. "No, don't ever think that. Mari', we just need to keep everything with Shamballa going smoothly. In order for that to happen, though, we cannot afford to lose the support of the Households. This is for Atlae's sake, as well." Arthur turned and noticed a commotion outside. "Ah, speaking of."

Mari' turned and saw what looked like a fight about to break out. "Atlae? What is….?!"

{======================|A3|======================}

The two Vancouvers met the arriving Muvian at the doorway, and Baian scowled. "I supposed someone forgot to post you, Atlae. Don't you know you're supposed to stay away?"

The Muvian stood his ground as stoically as he could, but it was challenging knowing how easily Baian could disintegrate him with a mere flash of Cosmos. His experience battling Ainsel taught him a valuable lesson how big a gap he still had to cross against Gold Rankers. Baian's father was there, too. He had this stern look on his face like he wasn't excited about Atlae's presence as well.

This was Marianne's teacher next to Baian, right? From his cautious, silent stance to Atlae compared to Baian, Atlae could tell he was more measured. All the medals on his padded mariner chest plate were also impressive; Atlae counted at least a dozen. No wonder Mari' looked up to him; to Atlae, the pale-teal-haired man of long curls and steely eyes looked like some kind of super Mariner. Maybe he could be reason with bet-

Baian shoved him. "Have you gone deaf?! Don't just look at my father, I asked you a question."

But Atlae shook his head. "No, Baian. I know you went to threaten my friends."

The Rear Admiral teenager scoffed. "And you still came here tonight? You must like Caça about as much as I do, then."

The blonde Muvian breathed, trying to be as patient as possible. He even smiled and bowed his head at the Admiral. "Is this your father? Nice to meet-"

Baian growled and grabbed his collar. "Don't ever talk to my dad! You're beneath him!" he warned. "And I'll make this very clear to you as well! The only reason I'm not crushing you under an air wall right now is out of respect for Lord Arthur's family. You stand between me and the Vice-Admiral in the future, though, and I'll make you wish Lord Solo left you under that tree in Tibet! Understood?!"

"Baian!" his father interceded, releasing Atlae. He looked inside to see if the Solos saw it. "This is not the time or the place."

Hesitantly, the teenager nodded. "Yes, father."

Atlae rubbed his collar, worried the turtle pendant Master gave him got damaged. "Don't worry, Baian. I'm just here to be with my loved ones before I leave. I can have that much, can't I?"

The Vancouver heir gave a vexed snort. "Fine, I'm not a monster-"

But Marianne came rushing in, hugging the Muvian. "Atlae, you came!"

The two Mariners gasped, and Atlae staggered. "Wait, Mari'!"

"Come in!" She pulled him into the house. "Where is your captain and Caça?"

Atlae saw Baian give him an outraged glare but could do nothing. "I'll… explain everything later."

Marianne's blue eyes saw Baian's stare. "Did this little twerp…? How dare he?!"

Baian saw his bride approach him. "Well, Vice-Admiral, have you come to accept my propos-"

WHACK!

Baian collapsed, grabbing his punched nose. "AGH! DAD!"

"IF YOU EVER TOUCH THE CHRYSAOR'S CREW AGAIN, I'LL STRIP YOU OF YOUR RANK AND HAVE YOU SCRUB THE ENTIRE HULL OF THE SEA DRAGON CLEAN, REAR-ADMIRAL! BY HAND!" Marianne shouted. She then noticed his father and stood straight, saluting him. "Lord Admiral!"

Vancouver nodded acknowledgement. "At ease, Mari'."

She bowed to him. "If you excuse us." She dragged her friend inside. "Come on, Atlae!"

The bewildered Atlae could only follow.

After the doors closed up, Baian whined. "See, f-father? This is why the Solos have been going down the dumps. Lord Arthur should speak with the Vice-Admiral about keeping that big rat away! He's even teaching the Vice-Admiral to act like a BRUTE!"

"That boy is brave. He must know by now my son is a 7th sense user. I see why Arthur is interested in him." He admitted. He wouldn't mind a couple of crewmen like Atlae, perhaps including one to replace his idiot son. "We are still Mariners, though. And we Vancouvers must assert ourselves with the Solos before the Gerasimov do."

Baian saw his dad distracted. "F-Father?!"

The stark Admiral dragged his son out of there. "Come on, Baian. Let's fix your nose before your mother sees you this way."

{======================|A3|======================}

Later that night

{======================|A3|======================}

Despite Atlae's fears, the dinner with the Solos went wonderfully. Atlae took the chance to inform Lord Arthur of his decision.

"I see, so you want more time to think about your decision to enlist in the Sea Dragon?" Arthur asked.

"Y-yes, Lord Solo," Atlae admitted. He hated the disappointed look on his face. "I think it's best if I continue training right now. And besides, it would make Marianne upset if I put myself in danger like that before I'm ready. "

"What are you two talking about?" Marianne asked, curious, thinking she had heard her name mentioned.

Atlae gasped. "Nothing, Mari'! It's just about, um, my training."

The girl gave him a weird look, but went back to eating.

Arthur whispered to Atlae. "I understand your fears, Atlae. I also thank you for your concern for my family. I want you to know that I greatly appreciate your loyalty and dedication." Arthur assured, patting his shoulder. To think a young Muvian boy he's picked off the wilderness had been one of his last standing bedrocks in the chaos of the recent period. "Whatever you decide to do, I will support you. I promise that."

"Thank you so much," Atlae said, close to tears. He turned his head and saw the Gold Saint eating alone by the corner of the room, facing the wall while eating. "Lord Arthur, I also wanted to ask… about my parents."

Arthur paused. "Yes, Atlae? What would you like to know?"

The Muvian then recounted his terrible experience with Papillon Ainsel, who struck him with his technique to make him relive his childhood. He avoided the details of the battle's harshness and how close he got to get killed, so he wouldn't upset Lord Solo, and then went into how the Silver Saint with them helped him recover from the Specter's terrible technique but how he still felt he was made to see something about his parents' death.

"Saint Noah sealed it all up, but I remember it was excruciating when it happened." Atlae recounted. He touched his chest. "I felt my heart ripping in two. I wanted to act on what I was seeing so badly, but it was like a dream out of my control. Lord Arthur… you explained to me how my parents died. But never why. Was it… some kind of Sanctuary battle? Why were you there to rescue me, all the way in the steppes?"

Arthur turned grim, and so did Seraphina. He also noticed that Saint Aquarius had perked up briefly in the corner of the room, eating alone.

"I'm sorry, Atlae. The war was… very chaotic." Arthur excused. "Many people suffered because of the mistakes the Saints and their allies, including us Mariners, made. I know this doesn't forgive what happened, but…"

"I see…" Atlae voiced in pain. He shook his head to harness his resolve. "No, I don't blame any of you. It was just an accident. Lord Solo, you and Lady Seraphina gave me a whole new life after that." He smiled. "If I can, I want to spend the rest of my life repaying you all for it. Thank you so much for everything you've done. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

The Mariner couple felt their hearts melt. Marianne only nodded, already knowing Atlae would feel this way. Saint Aquarius retook notice and hummed approvingly.

Atlae sweated. "Lord Arthur, Lady Seraphina, isn't Saint Aquarius going to…you know, sit with us?"

Arthur shook his head. "Don't mind him, Atlae. He has to keep his face hidden from us."

"Would you like more potatoes, Lord Aquarius?" Seraphina asked out.

"I'm good, thank you very much," he assured, raising a hand. "What an interesting lad. I keep thinking he'd make a good Saint. Fate stores different things for us all, I suppose."

{======================|A3|======================}

The night went on and after dinner, the Solos decided to house Saint Aquarius and Atlae for the night. While Mari's parents retired to the fireplace in the living room, Atlae found himself with Mari' making their way to the garden, chatting. They found a spot by the tree on the side facing Marianne's room, she and Atlae sat together, catching up on everything they had done since they split ways three years before.

"I can't believe you, Atlae; you really rang that huge bell? I thought Dad was gushing about your training!" Marianne asked. "I remember reading about it in the library. It's a super important Muvian artifact, and you just jumped right into it and slammed it with your foot? Don't you have any shame?"

The Muvian touched his black belt. "Well, it was the only way to get this, and I think everyone was happy. Everyone kept saying it was impossible, and… well, it seemed like a good challenge."

Marianne laughed in incredulity. "Honestly, that's so like you! If your teacher had told you that kicking it would grant you a library pass, I bet you'd have stayed still and not broken a millenary tradition!"

He shrugged. "Maybe, yeah. But I wanted to make my teacher happy, and if I didn't, then I'd have to stay longer to finish my training. We wouldn't meet up here now, right?"

She smiled, resting her hand on his. "That's right. It's a good thing you did, then."

Atlae felt her eyes locking intimately with him and his cheeks grew warm. What should he say? He was feeling something in the air between them, but Baian's threats rang in his head. He found himself tongue-tied, unable to voice either agreement or rejection of her touch.

"You should give me a tour there someday," Marianne suggested. "I've always wanted to see their laboratories and temples. It's the Muvian capital, after all. Maybe with all of Dad's work with them, the Sea Dragon can be assigned to Tibet for a while, and you can take me to meet your teacher."

Atlae beamed. This sounded like a great idea. "She'd love to meet you! Master Yuzuriha is really harsh, but she likes me, so since you work so much harder than even I do, Marianne, you would definitely impress her."

"And I'd love to meet someone who managed to teach your thick skull so many things. You're so different now, Atlae!" she had to mention again. Marianne didn't mean it, but it really stood out to her. "Your Greek is so much better; you're polite at the table and trying to learn an instrument…"

Atlae held his flute, embarrassed but happy that the captain was right about how it would impress Marianne.

The Mariner girl exhaled self-consciously. "Really, if I told Adriana all this, she'd say I'd be lying to make you look good again. You even look, um…"

He blinked. What was coming now? "Look what?" he combed his hair instinctively, hoping he wasn't unkempt after Baian roughed him up. "I don't look beat up, do I?"

She saw again how tall and muscled he was and shifted her eyes. "No, you look kind of… nice." She brushed it off. "You know, composed. You're no longer doing stupid things…"

The Muvian shook head sadly. "No, I do plenty of dumb things, still. Like putting my friends in danger." Atlae moved on since Marianne seemed quite sudden. "You've changed a lot too, Marianne. You're not as stingy. You even paid for extra care at the hospital for me."

Her pale-blue eyes rolled. "I was never stingy! I was just resourceful." She worded. Once her salary rose and her study payments were secured, she started easing up on the expenses. "There was a lot I wanted to get done, and I knew I couldn't just ask my parents to pay for everything."

Atlae cringed. "I never pictured you accepting to get married, either."

"Ugh, you're telling me." She sighed, folding arms resignedly. "I think my whole life, people have seen me as a future bargaining chip to be traded off. Even my parents, in a small way. Mom and Dad don't mean it, but they know they must make tough choices to protect us, and… it comes across when they're not careful. But still… I need to do something to help protect my family. If that means… picking a spouse, then I'll do it."

The Muvian frowned. Poor Marianne. A little like how Atlae felt he was just a cog in this significant project to make Muvians and Mariner's friends for the first time, he could totally sympathize with how Marianne felt everything she did was just in service of some ambition the adults were working on behind their backs. He also couldn't help but admire the ruthless dedication she was putting into safeguarding the Solos. She was even willing to do something she clearly hated, a decision that would affect her for the rest of her life.

She groaned, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe this is happening. And to BAIAN of all people. This just shows that the only reason everyone let me in the Navy was to humor me."

"Perhaps." Atlae lamented. "But hey, at least you have an option now, right? You have the Dolphin Cloth."

She paused, turning to him like she forgot. "Yeah, you're right. I think that's a way out of this, but…" Marianne tensed again, this time in a solemn manner, biting her thumb nail "The admiral coming in today worries me. They might be looking for a way to force the marriage in." She realized Atlae was in the dark. "Admiral Vancouver, I mean. Baian's dad."

How could he not? He seemed to be one of the older guys Mari' was obsessed with getting the approval of.

Atlae just gently held her thumb away from her teeth before she chewed it through. "Yes, I know."

She widened eyes, impressed. "Uh, you pay more attention, too, now. I like that." Her expression then saddened. "It's just that Admiral taught me everything I know in the Navy, so I thought…he would shield me more from this. Instead, he backed his son's proposal. I keep telling myself he didn't have a choice, but… I'm a bit tired of that excuse."

"Everyone I've met so far seems to have their hands tied by something or other." Atlae told her. From the Black Saints to the Death Queen Island saints, the Specters, the Saints and Mariners themselves, and even the Muvians, everyone seemed wrapped up in this giant web of interests and politics way over Atlae's head. "Joining the Chrysaor felt like the first real choice I've made with my life other than training at Shamballa."

Realizing she was just going off on her own problems, Mari' tried to switch the tide in his favor. "Were you happy in those places, Atlae? Some of your letters sounded sad."

He nodded, laughing. He didn't wish to make it seem otherwise "Yes, very much… after some troubles, of course. I just missed you guys so much." He looked away, scratching his head. "Maybe… maybe it will be the same when you pick a spouse? Maybe you won't like them at first, but then-"

She squinted at his bad phoniness. "Oh, Atlae, don't even try. You're nowhere near false enough to pull that off on me."

He grumbled sadly. "Sorry, Mari'. I didn't mean to-"

But the Mariner shook head. "Don't be sorry. Just never be a liar to me, okay?" She looked to the stars of her constellation. Sometimes she felt Atlae was the only person outside her immediate family and Adriana that she could count on telling her things straightly. "You're the last person in the world I want to be exactly the same as everyone else in my life. No matter what, never ever be false to me, okay?"

He staggered a bit, not realising he had upset her. He held hand on chest "I won't, Mari'. I promise on my belt!"

This sounded like the best vow she could expect from him. It lifted her heart up more than she expected and she held his hand again. "Thank you, Atlae."

For a second time, the Muvian felt it again in the air, the sensation something was happening between them. By Genbu, should he really say something? But his friends and Baian?

In any case, he wanted to make her feel better about her circumstances. "Well, if you had to pick a Mariner to be with, Mari', then who would it be? Maybe your dad would understand if you gave him options?"

"Not Baian, that's for certain!" She folded her arms, snorting with much dignity as she could. "He is already as arrogant as they can be; imagine when he marries a superior officer! And he's not even straight! Seriously, the whole idea is comical!"

Atlae wasn't sure what this last bit of 'being straight' meant, but he then remembered the pink-haired boy from the Delphi School.

"Io, then? He seemed like a nice guy." Atlae suggested. "I remember one time he stayed with me in class after everyone rushed off to play soccer without me. He tried to teach me how to draw. I wasn't any good at it, but it was still the nicest any of the boys ever treated me."

Marianne gave him a coy look. Did Atlae not realize some people were homosexual? "He was, yes, but I think he has eyes for someone we've been talking about, though, Atlae."

Atlae scratched. "Oh? He has a girlfriend? Who? Is it miss Ghisi?"

She laughed out loud. "Oh, can you imagine? No, it's not AG and it certainly would never be me. Let's just say he wouldn't be happy with our type." She held her small chin pensively. "I've heard the Gerasimovs have two sons now, but I don't know anything about them. And besides, my dad hates that family…"

Atlae thought of suggesting his captain, who was close to their age, but Krishna probably wouldn't be interested. He was sad about Rebecca, too.

Another option he had to mention sprung up. "Well, Caça really likes you."

The intelligent girl went quiet and tried to think of a polite way to explain the problem in this.

Atlae saw her pause and hummed embarrassedly. "I know he's not, well,… very pretty. But I swear he's nicer than he looks. He just, well…" his eyes shifted, remembering his very recent promise not to act false to Marianne. "I swear I really think he's a good person, Mari', it's just tough to see under all the scow-"

She granted him mercy by covering his mouth with her hand. "It's okay. You're a good friend to him, Atlae, more than he deserves. You don't have to prove that to anyone, clearly. I am just not attracted to him."

He nodded, taking her hand out gently. At least he gave it a shot for his friend. "I see."

"But even if I was… Caça just sees me like everyone else does. He's not my friend; he's a fanboy of Vice-Admiral Solo, an idea of myself that I am not. If another girl jumped ahead of me in his fantasy world, he'd stop caring about me in two seconds." She paced around, feeling like it was time to be straight about what was in her mind. "Honestly, Atlae…"

"Yeah?"

She folded her arms guardingly and stared him in the eyes. The answer was obvious, wasn't it? "If I picked someone… it would be you."

The Muvian blushed. This was a really harsh quip. "Mari, don't joke around. I was serious when I asked."

But Mari' looked dead serious. "I'm not joking, Atlae. You're my best friend. Why wouldn't I consider you, especially if I HAVE to pick someone?"

"I thought Adriana was your best friend?" Atlae asked. The two of them were inseparable in Néa Delphi.

Mari' laughed. Her eyes shifted. "Well, she is, but we're not curious."

Again, Atlae had to wonder what one thing had to do with the other. He looked away. "I'm also not a Mariner. I'm a Muvian…"

"So?" she confronted, shrugging, like it was the most insignificant thing in the world. "All that means is that you can't knock me up, which I am fine with. With Julian around, I don't have to worry about being pressured to provide the lineage with descendants. Also…"

"Yeah?"

She bit her lip, clenching her fists in anger, thinking about the lifetime her friend endured of being reminded of his origin. "I always hated the way everyone else treated you, Atlae. You're a living being, not a 'dotted freak'. You deserve to be happy the same as everyone else. Please don't bring up your species like you've come to believe it's a real problem yourself."

He jolted up. "I'm sorry, I won't! It's just that-"

Her gloved hand punched his muscular chest lightly. "You better not!" She gave him a weird look. "That is one thing you're still the same, isn't it? You let everyone twist your brain around with nonsense. Atlae, make me a second promise, okay? I don't want you to ever believe that again. When it comes to your happiness, you only listen to me on that! Do you promise?"

Atlae nodded firmly. Ahead of him or not, if there was anyone he could trust for caring about him, it was Mari'. "I promise."

She stared, studying if he was being serious. "Okay, I'll hold you to that."

And smiled. "Thank you, Marianne. For caring so much about that, I mean."

"It's no big deal for me, you know that." She then chuckled, resting hand in hip. "You're still so un-suave, though; didn't you spend all those years at the Turtle School with only girls? I thought you'd know how to talk to us by now."

He scratched his head. "I just talk to them like I talk to boys. And the girls there were always kind of mean to me." Except for Zanya, of course, and then it turned out there was a bad reason for that, too. But Mari' didn't have to hear about that. "I don't know what I'd have to do differently with you."

She tilted head, sensing a chance. "Give it a shot, then. Say something nice to me. Something you wouldn't tell a guy."

Atlae thought hard, but he's already said all sorts of nice things to Mari' over the years. What could she be looking for here? Something he wouldn't tell a guy, uh? He ran through his mind what kind of things he wouldn't, but he could only picture the sort of stuff Baian would harm his friends over. The Muvian found himself tongue-tied. He wanted to say these things, but he didn't know how. Not in a way that wouldn't betray the ones he cared about.

She saw him overheat his brain fuses, and laughed. "You really can't do it, can you?" She smiled acceptingly, remembering her old crush on the Admiral. "Don't worry, Atlae. Most guys I like don't really seem to correspond. And maybe it's for the better. It's hard enough with one of us liking the other… I can't imagine how tough it would be if you also…had feelings for me."

Atlae felt his heart sink, detecting a strange disappointment in her. Something told him he should have dug deeper into his brain. There was something that crossed his mind to say, something he thought back at the Triumph when he saw her for the first time in so many years. Still, he'd been holding it in so far because of his decision to keep a sober head around her.

Marianne seemed to want him to say it, though. The fear of Baian's threats was strong, but the Captain's words about what he wished he had done rang in his brain. One day Marianne would be gone, and Atlae would have only unspoken words to regret.

Right. What was the harm? He wouldn't get to be with her anymore, after all.

"You looked beautiful today, Mari'." He broke the silence, getting her to turn with widened eyes. "In fact, you still do now. I can't believe how long it's been since we last saw each other. You're like a totally different person."

The teenage girl gawked. "Oh! T… Thank you, Atlae. You too!" she tried to laugh, not expecting him to say something so straightforward. "That was pretty good! A bit traditional, but hey, a nice th-"

This time, he took her hand first. "I'm not done."

She widened her eyes. "Oh?"

The blonde Muvian sighed out of his nose, looking out. "I've been through a lot since I went to Shamballa, Mari'. I met many people who treated me wrong and others that I've really come to admire. There's a whole bunch of things I've come to want to do for them. For my Master, your dad, Captain Krishna, and the Saints… So much so that I didn't have any idea where to start." His other hand fidgeted with his Xu Flute, another learning project on his mind. "But I feel I'm still the same dumb kid who didn't know how to play soccer with the rest of the school. There's so much I don't understand either of the Mariners or Muvians, so much junk I can't fix. I can't even play this flute straight. Seeing you today at the Triumph really made all of that clear. However, all this time, one thing was certain for me."

The Mariner stood up straight. Where was this going? "What was it?"

He locked eyes with her. "I thought that if there was one thing I had to pick, something that I'd never give up on figuring out and leave the rest unfinished, it was a way to see you again." He gave his genuine smile that she loved. "I'm glad I did it before we parted ways."

Marianne gulped. Atlae looked one hundred percent serious, like when he got into a match. This wasn't what she expected when she asked him to give it a shot at saying something nice. She was just kidding around, maybe half-hoping he'd give it a shot at saying what was really on his mind.

He really loved her, didn't he?

And now he had to keep his distance for all of their safeties. "Atlae, I…" She gripped his fingers, not wanting him to go away.

He stood up straight as if readying to leave, causing a panic to fill her chest. "It's getting late. I should go. The Captain is probably worried about me. I'll see you around, Mari', maybe in the next Triumph you earn. Or in your marriage to Baian if he lets me in." He glanced away, unsure if he'd like to be present for such a thing, especially with how miserable Mari' sounded about it. "Well, whatever you choose to do, be happy, okay? If you're not… I pray to Genbu you-"

Her hand squeezed his tightly, halting him. Despite her physical training, she felt the size difference that had grown between them. They were no longer a pair of kids growing up beside each other. She had become a Vice-Admiral and Saint of Athena. At the same time, he had turned into a brave warrior and dedicated sailor.

Ithaca's words about her cowardice rang in her head. This could be the last time they saw each other if the Households had anything to say about it. Tentatively, she approached him further, leaning her head up to his. She sensed Atlae wasn't rejecting her, keeping his touch in her hand soft and the air quiet.

It should be fine. Everything should be fine. No one should be watching them right now, not after the Aquarius Saint was just there. They could lose themselves in the moment. They could touch lips and forget who they were and what had to follow. For one moment, they could be completely honest about what they wanted and let nothing stop them, just like the others who suffered tragedies in their lives urged them to.

They could fall in love.

Right?

… Her hands rested on his broad shoulders, and his around her waist. All their concerns washed away like a lowering tide, leaving nothing but each other's unspoken thoughts syncing invisibly between their eyes. Then, under the light of the moon and the streets beneath the branches of the tree, they spoke so often at, the two joined hearts through their lips for the first time.

…

Not too far away from them, in the foliage of the garden, a shadow watched them and panicked, rushing out of the garden as quietly as they managed. How could miss Marianne be kissing the Muvian? Baian had to be notified right away!

{======================|A3|======================}

Later,

LPS Seahorse

{======================|A3|======================}

"They did what?!" Baian roared, standing at the helm of the Seahorse, his assigned frigate.

His young crewmen, gathered around the Rear Admiral after tailing the blonde Muvian, staggered. "It's as we said, Lord Baian; we followed your orders to watch the Solo manor and …. And we saw them kissing. For a second I thought they might elope, but then Vice-Admiral went back inside with him to her father."

"Gross!" another added. "It's a Muvian! Vice Admiral should be ashamed!"

Another shrugged. "Rich people, man. That girl is probably rebelling against her dad or something. It's lilac fever, I tell ya."

A third one hummed hesitantly. "I don't know, I've seen some Muvian girls, and they're pretty interesting." He felt eyes turning to him and elaborated. "Well, they're, you know… kind of assertive, but in an attractive way? I think their culture is like that. I wouldn't mind, you know…getting to know on-"

Everyone looked at him, including an enraged Baian.

The mariner grunt staggered. "I mean; ew, so gross!" His eyes shifted. "It's wrong is what I was going to say. Men should be the ones in charge. And what kind of people don't even have last names? Yeah…"

Baian shook the most in anger, clenching fist. "How could she?! After everything my family has done for the Solos! After my father sheltered her into the navy! This is an insult of the gravest degree! Who does Marianne think she is?!"

His closest crewmate, named James, decided to speak up. "Baian, this might not mean anything. So what if she has fun with some dotted boy for a while? You're still getting her in the en-"

Baian took him by the collar and pinned him on the ship fence. "So what, you ask?! Am I supposed to one day wed a girl whose virginity might have been taken already by the anathema of our people?!"

James staggered. He looked at his friends, wondering if anyone would bring up the obvious. "B… but Baian, isn't that a bit… um, extreme? I mean, you aren't even…you know, inclined towards her-"

The rear admiral tossed him to the ship floor, silencing him. "I AM NOT GAY! I AM A REAL MAN! AND THAT STRAW-HAIR RAT STOLE MY WIFE-TO-BE!"

His crew all shared nervous looks. No one dared to speak up.

Baian saw their fearful looks of skepticism and gritted teeth harder. They wanted proof? Fine! He put his combat helmet on. "Arm yourselves! We're marching!"

"W-where, sir?!"

"WHERE DO YOU THINK?!" he roared, leading them out, hand around saber ready to kill a Muvian. "To show the worth of a Mariner's word!"

{======================|A3|======================}

Russia,

Ural Mountains

Serpent's Rock Castle

{======================|A3|======================}

The lord of the castle had returned at last.

Ithaca stayed hidden in the keep stairs' shadows, watching Azrael walk past his very nose, heading to the tower he spied people from.

It didn't even cross the bastard's mind that Ithaca was out of his cell. Silently, the emaciated Mariner followed him up to the top of Serpent's Rock.

The winds at the top of Serpent's Rock blew strong, chilling his half-naked body to his bones before he even stepped out the tower's staircase to its roof. He had just crossed the room Azrael first ambushed him at and was now entering the very pinnacle of the fortress, an ample space open to the sky delineated by the eight cardinal towers.

Before Ithaca, Azrael stood, back turned to him, looking out to the southern skies as if admiring his fiery work. His emerald cape waved with the fierce currents, and the flames' glare turned the metal of his Serpens armor alive. Azrael seemed wholly absorbed into it, as if the sight of fire, even distant, entranced the fallen knight.

Ithaca saw an armor stand by the staircase door. It had a very real halberd in its hands, with a great axe edge that could cleave a strong armor in half, especially with the cosmos of a desperate man. He quietly took it.

It was so heavy. His arms and hands felt weak holding it after months of deprivation, darkness, and punishments from Azrael. Still, something inside his chest burned strong and warm like it hadn't since he first unlocked his cosmos. In fact, he felt strong, like he hadn't in a long time, like destiny itself brought him here, to this place, to slay this particular monster.

Was it even Azrael in front of him, though? Or is it just a cruel trick? It could be one of his Lightcraft constructs, like the illusionary girl he used to lure Ithaca into a trap. That one could even cry out sentences. Why wouldn't this one be a trap, too? If he was really going to take a shot at him, Ithaca had to make it count, like a lance driven straight to the heart of Hades in the middle of a raging battlefield.

Yet, despite his fears, an unnatural certainty filled his mind. Ithaca could even swear he felt a second pair of hands closing around his over the halberd's pole, whispering to him words of encouragement. He had only heard this voice once. It was as deep as the abyss and soothing as the washing of waves over one's body. Was he going mad and imagining his God's voice whispering into his ears?

Whatever the case, it commanded him to have courage and strike down this murderer from the face of the Earth! Ithaca's eyes shined blue inside his mask, his halberd's axe brimmed with blue energy. He had to keep it primed but not hot until the last moment he swung it, or Azrael's 7th sense would sense him attacking. His trembling foot stepped in closer and closer.

{======================|A3|======================}

Castellan Azrael looked out his tower, seeing with the eyes of the Horned Serpent his burning domain.

His mind was aflush with thoughts of his encounter in Greece. "Malta, you weakling! Have you and the others really forgotten everything we were supposed to become? I will not let that happen! Our dream will not die." He focused on the distance, his sight carried by the Horner Serpent to Shamballa. "As the Goddess is my witness, everything that was taken from us will be restored, no matter who has to pay the price. Or my name is not Azrael of the Serpens!"

The clouds in the sky parted slightly, raising the moonlight's glare. All of Serpent's Rock was awash with Azrael turned head, seeing the shadow on the floor under the moonlight raising its axe overhead.

He cackled slightly, gripping his sheathed sword. Should he sweep the ground, cutting off this fool's feet, and watch him bleed before returning to his cell? Or perhaps beat him to a pulp on the ground with his fists?

He let go, blessed by the heavens with a better idea.

"A NEPTUNO!" Ithaca roared, swinging down the weapon.

The green cape on Azrael's back burst into light, blinding the Mariner briefly before reforming into the visage of his beloved. Ithaca felt his body stop, frozen to its core, stopping the halberd's axe just short of Seraphina's face.

He stepped back in horror, loudly dropping the halberd. "N…No!"

Azrael turned to face him. "Why not? Look at her." His spikey gauntlet caressed 'Seraphina's' cheek gently. Who stood there unmoved like the fabrication it was. "This face made you forget your vows and then casted you aside like used goods. How long did you suffer under her glare simply because you chose to stay loyal to your master? She didn't even realize you knocked her up and yet treated you like a cur! Why not shatter this face into a million pieces and remove the last piece of temptation in your heart? She's not even real."

The broken man shook his head. "H-How could you possibly understand?! You're nothing but a m-murderer…"

The goat-skull face cackled at him. "Look how love for your masters has served you, Ithaca of Delphi." He turned rather dramatically, kicking the halberd off the battlement and causing Seraphina to shatter back into light fragments and reform his green cape. "I could tell before I even captured you that you were a man devoured down to his bones by guilt. Is this how Poseidon watches over Mariners?"

Ithaca paused, once again noticing the disgust in Azrael's voice with everything he said. It's been months, and he could swear he had heard nothing from his torturer but the hateful ramblings of an isolated man driven mad by isolation. It was bewildering from a Zodiac Knight, an order of Saints that had vowed to be at the forefront of the fight against darkness.

"I even saw your love face-to-face today. She is quite beautiful, the kind of woman who exudes kindness and love out of her eyes. The picture of grace!" Azrael taunted. "If anything, I see how you could trip yourself into the pit of temptation. I also spoke with your lord. Would you like to know how easy it was to convince him I don't have you? The lack of faith he had in your virtues?"

The Mariner roared, half in pain, half in outrage.

"H-how can this be a man of Athena standing in front of me?!" he asked, horrified. Once again, he saw the distant fires and heard the sounds of those tormented by this Saint. "Never in my life, even among the hoplites of Sanctuary, have I seen a Saint speak so lowly of love and trust! And to have betrayed even those he betrayed Sanctuary for! That is a level… of lowness and pettiness I couldn't imagine from anyone, much less a so-called KNIGHT!"

For the first time, Azrael did not cackle as a response. In fact, he offered Ithaca a warning glare of the green eyes inside his mask.

Ithaca stood up, only emboldened by it. "What the fuck did Sanctuary take from you, other than that Temple and armor?!" Ithaca confronted, remembering the ramblings in Azrael's journal. "Are you that petty that your Gold Cloth was passed to another?! I may be weak in body, but you're weak to your very core, Azrael of Serpens! Lower than the most venomous of snakes, a bottomfeeder in the ocean's deepest aby-"

"I am weak?" Azrael challenged. His shoulders shook in laughter, clanking his armor loudly. "Then why haven't you escaped yet? The Cosmos is grand; its miracles reward strengths of all kinds, even to pagans like you. Yet, here you remain."

The Mariner backed away, "B-Because…"

Azrael beheld the pathetic sight, already knowing the answer, "Or perhaps, even when your God grants you strength, you don't use it because you KNOW you deserve to be here, in my hands. Because you were weak to your selfish desires. Even at the cost of your hono-"

"TO THE ABYSS WITH YOU!" Ithaca shouted, horrified. He thought of the skulls lining the castle walls, the months he endured torture, the spying this monster has done, and the people he so cruelly burned. How could he talk of honor to him?! "One day, Serpens Azrael… you will pay for everything you've done! If not by my unworthy hand, then by the hand of the GODS who govern our fates!"

The Serpens Saint turned cheek and inhaled a breath that sounded profoundly insulted.

"You Mariners… How often you speak of human evil, of washing it away from the Earth, of how we harm others, by perpetuating mankind's survival…. but what do you know of the suffering of the Saints?!" Azrael hissed, shaking inside his armor in fury.

Ithaca braced himself; had he provoked the monster too much?

The Castellan continued. "Every Holy War we face, Saints die for the Earth and face an eternity in Cocytus, while you sea rats live content in the knowledge your fucking God will put you safely in some coral! You should be thankful the Pope allows you to live, to continue conspiring against us under our own wing, instead of hanging each of you in the Sanctuary Town plaza!" Restraining himself from his anger, Azrael paced around him, studying his state. "But until then, parasites like you and those Muvians need to learn to keep their place."

The Mariner shook in despair. "What the hell could you possibly do to me anymore?! J-JUST KILL ME!"

"No. You're still recognizable!" Azrael described. "I need to ensure that monstrosity can't possibly mistake you for a human."

This gave Ithaca's outrage pause. Monstrosity? What did he mean?

The former Aries Saint paused, noticing his confusion. "Mm, that's right, you don't know…" He headed for Ithaca. "Why not show it to you?"

Taking Ithaca by his ankle, he dragged the Mariner to the edge of the battlement. The Mariner widened his eyes, wondering if the madman would throw him off the castle roof. "W-what are you doing?! S-STOP!"

"You're a privileged man, Ithaca of Delphi. You'll get to see the vision of the Horned Serpent yourself!" Holding up Ithaca, Azrael fixed his face onward to the night horizon. "Look! It's what the Gods have in store for you!"

The Mariner blinked, uncertain of what was expected of him. Then, to his bewilderment, from his stand at the top of Serpent Rock's keep, the horizon seemed to squeeze and then expand, transporting the reaches of his sight much further beyond anything he could have imagined peering into. Ithaca saw beyond the vast expanses of the Kazakh steppes, over the Aral Sea's shrinking waters, and across Central Asia's great rivers.

Then, the great mountains of the world's roof rose before him like a wall. A breath-cutting expanse of peaks and valleys he recognized from his journey to Shamballa with Atlae was seen through. His eyes were increasingly shown deeper and deeper into the distance, first with no sign of stopping its peering, before suddenly stopping at a large, dome-like mountain.

Ithaca stared in recognition. It was Mount Kailash.

"You know this place, don't you? You've been there before. Do you know what's in it?" Exerting force with his hand on the back of Ithaca's head, the Knight 'pushed' Ithaca inside, making his sight go into its very core, through a dark cavern, across Muvian guards, and inside the dark intestines of the sacred peak.

He stopped, standing in a large space within Kailash's innards, surrounded by darkness. Yet, to his horror, he saw before him an impossible construct bearing down on him, meeting him eye to eye, its heart beating bare, yet unheard to him and Azrael.

The Mariner paled. Memories in his blood from the Age of Myth burned, bringing images of a spectacle of destruction to mind. Thousands of Mariner folk died as a giant monstrosity of bronze stomped through their armies, crushing them under its enormous feet and burning the rest alive with its breath of cosmos. It was a tremendous, cataclysmic sight where it seemed even the mountains themselves burned and the sea boiled and Ithaca 'saw,' on the beasts' head, the spirit of a maddened Muvian driving the construct's every move.

Ithaca touched his mask, feeling the Muvian dots that Azrael had made sure to carve into it, and a tremendous realization came to him.

Azrael laughed yet again. "You asked what else I could do to you? As you can see, Ithaca of Delphi, the real destruction of your soul hasn't even begun yet! By the time we are done, you'll be nothing but a speck of light at the bottom of a dark sea trench. And the world will be one step closer to how it should be."

{======================|A3|======================}

Néa Delphi

{======================|A3|======================}

It was getting very dark outside.

Seraphina sat with her husband on the sofa, watching the fireplace. Marianne had gone upstairs to try to sleep, but Seraphina doubted she would bat an eye the whole night after her father shouted at her and kicked her loved one out of the house. The mood had simmered down, and the couple had silently sat for the rest of the night, enjoying the heat of the flames.

Yet, her husband seemed lost. His eyes kept staring at the fire, refusing to meet anyone else's, even hers.

"Arthur?" she asked, whispering.

The Patrician has yet to respond. He took a piece of charcoal and tossed it at the flames. His blue eyes stared coldly as if picturing an enemy before him. Azrael's words haunted him all night, even after dinner.

"They're still outside, aren't they?" He suddenly asked. "I was thinking of Marianne's words about her marriage. Mari' and Atlae, those two really care about eachother, don't they? It lightens my heart my daughter has someone who would never betray her, even if his life was at risk, in this difficult time for her."

She saw the tension with which he spoke. Still, she tried to speak for her daughter and her little Muvian. "Darling, remember when we were young? And you asked me to marry you? Maybe instead of marrying her to the Vancouvers, Marianne would be happier if-"

"I know what you've done." He suddenly cut, stoic.

Seraphina's entire chest froze, and her throat dried. She felt his eyes stay away from hers, like he couldn't stand the sight of her.

Her body recoiled from his on the sofa, fearful. "Arthur, I… please let me explain!"

"There is nothing to explain." He continued, shoving a poker harshly into the fire. "You're from Bluegrad, Seraphina, so you don't know all the sayings of the Mariners. There are countless ones that compare us to the waters, but I have a favorite one: Like a calming sea after a storm, Mariners may forgive, but they never forget."

Her eyes wept in horrific shock. Nothing about it made sense. She thought about all the love he showered her with these years, even after her affair ended. He knew all that time, and yet? "A-Arthur, please! I love you! I d-do! Ithaca… he… he was a mistake!"

"Even if thousands of years go by, we never, ever forget. Like a curse in our blood from Poseidon himself, every offense to us is engraved in our flesh, reminding us of who wronged us. Of who betrayed our trust. Given our God's long sleep cycles, it is the only way our faith could survive."

She grabbed his chest. "Arthur, please forgive me! I… we ALL love you. No matter what, Julian is YOUR son and no one else's! Please!"

He looked at her, cold as ice, and stood up. "Is that so, Sera'? I believe you."

She gagged in disbelief. "Y… you do?" Then why did he stare her so, like the peaks of a glacier she could not climb?

"It just… unfortunate." He strangely worded, holding up hand. "There was little keeping Ithaca from the cliffs, you see. I shall then take his child as my own in spirit if not in blood. Now, even if I save him, he will surely be visiting their tops, knowing his sin bore nothing of good to the world but the destruction of a family."

The lady collapsed to his feet, grabbing his legs. "Arthur, please, I wasn't thinking at the time! It was a terrible, terrible error! I was overcome with… with madness! I don't know what it was!"

"Julian shall be the greatest of my lineage, then!" he declared, stoic. "The child of an adulterous wife who betrayed me with my closest soldier will be even greater than Marianne, or my name is not Arthur Solo! I will have nothing but love to offer my son, for I have one less soul now in my life I will share it with!"

"N-NO, ARTHUR!" she begged, feeling his heart shut forever before her eyes. "You're my whole world! I never intended to hurt you!"

His teeth gritted and he struggled with all his might not to turn the anger in him at her. He wanted to believe it with all his might. This was the woman he loved for almost two decades, the one he sacrificed everything to be with.

But the pain in his heart was burrowing too deeply. "Yet you have." He faced her, narrowing his eyes at her like she's never seen him do. "My chest has grown harder than bark now. I feel it marked with the scars of a betrayal I never imagined possible. After everything I've done, everyone I've challenged, everyone I've fought so we could love each other… I thought it was truly impossible for this to happen. Even after I knew the truth, even after your daughter did as well…what you did felt like a dream."

Seraphina's soaked eyes widened. No, not her daughter. Not her Marianne!

"She was so angry at you!" Arthur recalled, his fists clenching. He couldn't stop thinking of all the things he argued to her, of how he implored her not to hate her mother. "I begged her to forgive you, to forget, thinking I could easily do the same, that as her father, I could be the wisest between us. But even though she was able to do such a painful thing, I…"

She looked up, hanging on his words.

His strong voice then cracked and his eyes wept. "I-I was not."

At the sight of Arthur breaking down, Seraphina panicked, jolting up and reaching for her husband. "PLEASE, ARTHUR!" Even though she felt his face cold at her touch, she held it with both hands, searching for his eyes to meet hers. She cleaned his tears and tried to kiss him. "Please tell me you don't hate me! This is a-all my fault, but please don't! I'll do anything!"

A look of vexation filled him. He took her hands and gently moved them away, simply continuing to speak of Marianne "Perhaps your blood from the north made her different from the rest of us. I thank you for that, Sera'. Now, I know my daughter is truly stronger than I am. That makes me proud, at least."

Seraphina slumped on the ground, defeated by his indifference. She held her chest like a knife was dug into it, feeling every word her husband spoke slammed inside her heart like a terrible curse from the Gods. "This is a nightmare. It has to be! Goddess Athena, Hera, Poseidon, anyone, please tell me I didn't do this! WHY DID I DO THIS?!"

With anger turning into cold, calculative resolve to salvage their tragedy, Arthur spoke again. "Yes, perhaps this will all bless us in the end. Marianne is right; Julian's birth will herald a future for the Solos. Thanks to our hard work and cunning, we have survived so far, and once Marianne secures her future with another Household as well, I know Atlae will be there to protect her."

While hope should have entered her heart, fear did instead. "A-Arthur?"

"I know, after all, those two would NEVER betray me." He returned her his gaze. "Unlike you."

The wooden door slammed, closing Seraphina alone in the living room. The fireplace next to her raged on, yet she felt like a piece of ice stabbed her heart.

Seraphina wept, knowing never again would the man she loved love her back the same innocent way.

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Chapter End

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Next Chapter: Chapter 89 – 3rd Arc – Episode 18: The Chrysaor Goes South

Release Date: November 25th

Description: Atlae and Mari' announce their decision to the world and face the scrutiny of Arthur and Krishna. Baian and his goons, however, are on their way to make his threats a reality now that the two young lovers have decided to skirt proper Mariner tradition. On his way to them, however, he encounters a Bronze Saint that his men insist they saw handing Atlae his pass to the Triumph.

The LPS Chrysaor then heads south, towards the Red Sea and the Indic Ocean, to meet the Master of Andromeda Island. Knowing a Mariner ship is about to pass his secret base, Sagittarius Priam decides to send a secret agent in; a young warrioress that Krishna may have met before.

Author's Comments:

I want to start off by saying 'very sorry' for the week delay in publishing this chapter. I had to do some very important rewrites and push some stuff out of Chapter 89 to 90 that was hurting the focus point of this chapter. Again, Chapter 90 is already written and undergoing Beta, so any delays it may suffer are purely post-Beta edits and not any kind of critical lack of writing.

Today, on etymology, we touch on Serpens Azrael, the fallen Zodiac Knight. The choice for his name is rooted in different interests of mine; it is both a believable medieval paladin name, the name of an Angel of Death in Hebrew mythology (some think Azrael is death itself) and also the name of the Batman replacement Jean-Claude Valley, who temporarily took over the mantle for Bruce Wayne in the 90s and acted as a criticism on the character's 'crusader' aspects that some Dark Age readers wanted to see explored more in that era of comic books.

These all for different reasons connect back to Azrael and his motivations, something that will be more explored from the next chapter onward as we move the Atlae storyline out of Sanctuary Town and back into Asia.

Anyway, be sure to leave a review or share the story if you enjoyed this chapter, or if you want to criticize it even. Like it on Twitter/Tumblr/Reddit and generally support this project if you enjoy it. You can find me in all those places under the Thrudgelmir2333 name.

See ya \owo