Chapter 27:
Scipio looked down at his plunder. After the battle with the Dragon creature and those other adventurers, the Marsh Warden asked his underlings to collect every magic stone left behind. Now, a small mountain of glittering rocks sat in front of him. He picked up one and put it into his mouth. Then, he grabbed a handful more.
With the Lovers:
Lefiya and Nysa found their small cave and settled onto the floor. A small part of Lefiya's brain was worried that she was getting her dress dirty. She brushed away bits of gravel that had accumulated over her time in captivity. When she looked back up, she found Nysa staring at her. There was some hidden emotion there, in the way the Xenos's claws dragged against the floor.
"Is everything ok?" asked Lefiya. She chose not to reach out yet.
"What aren't you telling me?" replied Nysa.
The little elf tried to speak, but the words kept catching in her throat. How could she explain to this innocent creature who she HAD been? Did it even matter what Filvis had done? Nysa was her own being and did not carry Filvis's sins.
"Nysa, there's some things you have to know," began Lefiya.
With the Heroes:
"Why did you let her go?" asked Ais, for the fifth time.
Every time, the half-elf had dodged the question. Now, though, with Bell and Ryuu back with the group, there were no more secrets.
"We couldn't have won," replied Elwin. He faced Otohime, "I'm guessing that Nysa was the one who took you out?"
The ex-princess was still recovering from her transformation. Currently, she was just eating what was being placed in front of her and drinking water. Bell and Ryuu were doing the same. Still, she nodded to Elwin's question.
"Even after fighting you, who ain't no pushover, she chased us down and caused a crater. With just her entrance." The half-elf shook his head. "She would've killed us."
Ryuu frowned, "So you offered Lefiya up as a sacrifice."
Elwin shook his head, "Lefiya was the one in the least amount of danger. Sure, most of us could've run away with minor injuries, but could we say for certain that we would have all walked away?"
This time, his gaze was on the Enchantenko. Haruhime looked to the ground, her tail drooping behind her. Mikoto reached out a hand and squeezed her dear friend's shoulder. The Black Crow turned back to the Star Gazer.
"This is not Haruhime's fault."
Elwin shrugged and replied, "It's not really anyone's fault, except mine. For now, all we can do is trust Lefiya and hope that she knows what she is doing."
Haruhime looked up. "And we trust that Nysa really has Lefiya's best interest at heart."
"Excuse me," said Bell, who raised a hand. "Can someone explain that to me again, please?"
"This Nysa Xenos used to be a hybrid monster-human. Apparently, it was the Captain of Dionysus Familia," explained Aisha. She looked over to the Sword Princess, "Anything I got wrong?"
Ais shook her head. There was a moment of silence where she looked to the ceiling. Apparently, she was cautious about what she said next.
"Filvis was two people, though. She was also Ein, one of Enyo's servants," Ais frowned, "Which meant that she helped kill a lot of people. But there was also Filvis, who helped us and saved Lefiya."
"Which means that the question is," began Daphne, "Who's in control, Filvis or Ein?"
They all sat there in silence, and then Ryuu asked for more information. Ais began to say everything she could about Filvis, Ein, and Lefiya. While that happened, Lili rubbed her chin, not at all appearing to care about what was happening around her. After all the information had been shared, Welf let out a long breath. Then, he looked over at the prum.
"What are you thinking about, Lil Bit?"
Lili looked up, surprised to find that everyone's eyes were on her. Her mouth turned into a thin line, but then she seemed to surrender. Her shoulders drooped, and she wrung her hands.
"Lili doesn't think that is a real problem right now."
Ais turned her glare to the little prum. Before she could open her mouth, Lili spoke up again.
"It's not that Lili is not worried about the Thousand Elf, but what about the Marsh Warden, this Scipio creature?" Lili looked over to Aisha. "There is still an army of monsters out there, is there not? You barely made a dent in them, correct? Many from the deep floors?"
"And?" asked Daphne.
"Why else would they be here but to march up through the Dungeon and cause havoc with low-tier adventurers?"
From everyone's shocked faces, Lili saw that no one had considered that possibility. She sighed and looked towards Elwin.
"Mister Elwin is right; for now, we have to trust that Miss Lefiya knows what she's doing. We have a different, much more dangerous problem to deal with at the moment." Lili looked out towards the darkness. "Destruction is ascending."
While the others began talking about what happened next, Daphne pulled Cassandra off to the side. The healer looked on quizzically, watching her partner tap her foot impatiently.
"Daphne, is there something wrong?"
The red-haired level four ground her teeth together before pointing off to the party's camping supplies.
"Go take a nap. Do what you do, see if there's something you can tell us," said Daphne.
Cassandra looked on, not totally understanding.
"I thought you didn't…."
"I believe in YOU," replied Daphne, "Now go, I'll talk with everyone else."
Daphne shoved her partner towards her bedroll and favourite pillow. Cassandra looked on, and she felt her heart speed up. The truth was, even deep down in the darkness of the Dungeon, love could spark and blossom.
With the Confused Children:
"I…killed people?" asked Nysa.
To Lefiya's face, though, she did not look guilty. She looked confused, and a little put off. As if she didn't understand what was going on.
Lefiya shook her head.
"No, Miss Filvis is the one who killed people."
Lefiya didn't know that she could speak like this. The words came unimpeded, detached as if Lefiya had no problem saying them. Her memories flew back to the moment of battle where she saw all the people practically explode from Filvis's magic.
"So, I'm not a killer?"
Lefiya shook her head.
"No, not yet. But what you become is your choice."
Nysa absorbed those words in silence.
"Was there anyone else?" asked the monster.
Lefiya tilted her head, "What do you mean?"
"In my dreams, it felt like there were two monsters. One of them always feels so angry. The other one, the one that spent time with you, felt happier."
Lefiya internalized those words and pondered their meaning. Was there a difference between Filvis and Ein then? If that was the case, then the obvious choice was to search for the Filvis in the Banshee's memories.
"I feel angry too."
Not like that.
Lefiya panicked, scrambling to find a way to draw out Miss Filvis. Then she saw the pain in Nysa's face, and Lefiya felt her heart calm. Someone was in trouble, and they could use her help.
"Why do you feel angry?" asked the Thousand Elf.
"Because I can't go anywhere or do anything," replied Nysa. "I'm a Xenos remember? We're not allowed to go up, only down."
Lefiya sighed, "That's true."
What could she do to respond? She was an elf who had grown up in a forest far from here. She had been allowed to travel and go where she wanted. Looking at the beautiful, ethereal monster in front of her, Lefiya's heart keened, and she felt her mouth frown.
But Nysa smiled, "That's why I'm so happy that you're here. I finally found someone who can understand me."
The Xenos almost reached out with her claws but then thought better of it. Lefiya chuckled at the distraught monster and then reached out on her own.
"But I don't know if I can. I can be there, and I can help you, but I won't understand you," replied Lefiya. "I'm not a Xenos, Nysa."
"But you could be one!"
There was a hopeful but terrifying look in Nysa's eyes. Lefiya didn't know what kind of answer was being expected, but she didn't like it. No matter how sympathetic she was, Lefiya was happy as she was. She had always felt insecure, but not about her looks. And she didn't feel nervous about her abilities as much anymore either. Lefiya loved who she was.
"I could, but I'm sorry, Nysa," said Lefiya. "I don't want to be a Xenos."
Nysa frowned, "Is it because we're dirty?"
Lefiya's hair swished as her head shook.
"Is it because monsters are disgusting?"
"No."
"Because you don't love me enough?"
"Would you only love me if I became a Xenos?"
Nysa frowned. "That's not fair! You can change! And we can be together if you do! Why won't you change for me?"
Lefiya felt herself smile. "It's easy to forget; you're still not even a year old. We can't be asking questions like that if we want to make anything work."
Excitement bubbled in Nysa's chest. "So, you want to love me?"
"Maybe. Things are complicated. I loved Miss Filvis, but you're not her, right?"
"But I can be! If you want me to!"
Lefiya shook her head again.
"You're still not getting it. Neither of us should be making those kinds of changes."
Nysa was ready to tear her hair out.
"What makes you think so? What do you know about love?"
Lefiya shrugged. She didn't feel like she knew a lot, but she had heard from and talked with most people she knew. She had seen Tione's one-sided love for the Captain. Riveria had told her about what had happened with Aina so long ago. Lefiya saw what had happened to Ais when Bell Cranel left the city. The little elf didn't understand what love was, but she knew it when she saw it. She also knew when it wasn't real. When it was dark and obsessive.
"I don't know, but neither do you. I'm willing to talk and give this a try, but only if we do it honestly," replied Lefiya.
Nysa growled. "Big talk from a liar! You didn't tell me what I did!" The Banshee looked down at her claws. "I really am a monster." She looked back up at Lefiya. "And you can't love me, can you?"
Now it was Lefiya's turn to frown.
"Haven't you been listening? I'm saying I'm willing to try!"
"You're a liar! You're a lying surface dweller! You lied to me about who I am! And you're lying about love! You just want to go back to that other elf! Without me! Well…" Nysa remembered waking up in the cave. Nightmares that kept haunting her. There had only been one relief. "I'm not letting you!"
"Ok, so what happens next?"
Lefiya felt her heart beating in her throat. She was sure her skin was even paler than usual. Thankfully, she was sitting, or else she would have fallen to the ground. Trembling wracked every fibre of her being. But when she spoke, she was remarkably calm. Over a year ago, she had lost Filvis Challia. She did not want to lose someone else that she loved.
"Are you going to change me through force? Are you going to stick a magic stone in my chest?"
Again, Nysa growled at her.
"No, but I'm going to make sure that you only want to stay down here."
Lefiya's heart stopped.
"What does that mean?"
"I'm going to do what I was told. I'm going to raze Orario to the ground."
With the Sister:
Aboveground, Riveria was slowly losing her mind. She paced the halls at all hours of the day, and her usual refined composure had all but disintegrated. Alicia had been assigned to follow her and make sure that the high elf still ate, drank, and slept. The poor big sister figure was a wreck and a victim of constant verbal tirades. Riveria needed to take her frustration out somewhere, and the elf served as target practice.
It was only a day later that she stormed into Finn's office. Even if she was primarily a backline mage, she had the strength of a level six. The Captain's door came off its hinges when she stomped in. The prum was looking over their books, trying to find ways to plan out expeditions.
"Give me another reason why I can't go down there and check on them?" asked the Nine Hells.
Finn didn't even bother looking up.
"You'd doom the rest of us."
Riveria's face scrunched up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Two of our top adventurers are underground. If you go, how will we stop Freya Familia? If you leave and take others with you, Freya could attack us."
Riveria frowned, "If we lose Ais, Lefiya, and the others, we'll lose anyway."
"We live on the edge of the sword Riveria. Leave, and we might be doomed. We might be doomed right now, depending on what's happening in the Dungeon." Finn shrugged, "I could be totally wrong, but as of right now, I am the Captain of this Familia. For whatever goes wrong, you can hang me up by my thumbs."
Riveria's eyes narrowed down to slits.
"I'll hold you to that, Finn."
With the Boy
Bell had not totally recovered from his ordeal. Not only was his throat still incredibly dry, but his mind was still drained from his battle with the sphinxes. Ryuu was in a similar position. The two sat back-to-back, under strict orders to recover as much mind and power as they could. The rest of the party, and their Xenos allies, were preparing what defences and traps they could. Welf was sharpening their weapons, and Urashima was preparing some nasty surprises of his own. The only other one resting was Otohime, who still sleeping off the last of her dragon transformation.
"Bell," said Ryuu.
"Yeah, Ryuu?"
"Do you we'll be ready for what's next?"
"Which part?"
Ryuu snorted. The sound made Bell happy. In the small amount of time after Ryuu's confession and their talk, the elf had smiled and laughed more than the past year. Bell didn't love her that way, but he wanted nothing but happiness for her in the future.
"Let's stick with what's happening right now. There's an army of monsters out there, led by a terrifying Xenos monster that is at least as tactically smart as Lili. We're down our powerhouse mage, and me and you aren't fighting any time soon. Same with Otohime. I believe in our Familia as much as anyone else, but what happens next?"
Bell sighed.
"As much as you might not want to hear it, we have to trust Ais. She'll take care of us."
Ryuu did hate that, though. She was no longer content with just being good; she wanted to be great. She had lost to Ais Wallenstein in the race for Bell's heart, but that was the last time she lost ever again.
"I'm done resting; let's go see what we can do."
The second she stood up, Bell lost his support and fell backwards. He rolled onto his front and tried to stand up. By the time he was able to scramble up, Ryuu was already walking away.
"Wait a second! Ryuu! We still need to rest!"
"I don't want to!" replied the stern elf.
As they made their way towards their allies, Bell tried to keep up. Mikoto was the first to spot them from the air. She touched down, her wings tucking behind her.
"Lady Ryuu, Sir Bell, you're not supposed to be here," said the scout. "The two of you should be resting."
Ryuu crossed her arms and raised a brow. Mikoto withered under her Vice-Captain's stare. She said nothing as the Faerie Princess marched past. When Ryuu was out of earshot, Mikoto turned to Bell.
"Excuse me, but is Lady Ryuu, ok? She seems to be…out of sorts," said the elf's apprentice.
"I have no idea," replied Bell. "Ever since the desert, she seems to be more…energetic?"
Mikoto looked over at Bell.
"And what did happen in the desert?"
Bell's face turned a deep crimson. He looked to the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. Mikoto's eyebrows shot up, and she began to blush. The red crawled its way up her neck.
"So then…Lady Ryuu made her feelings known?"
Bell whirled to look at Mikoto. "You knew this whole time?"
Mikoto gave a perfunctory nod.
"Yes, it was quite obvious. Well, to everyone except you, that is."
"Why didn't anyone tell me!"
At Bell's dumbfounded face, Mikoto rolled her eyes.
"Sir Bell, this is not our place to say. Besides, we all wanted to give you the chance to figure it out on your own." Mikoto looked to the ground. "Not to mention, there are also others that are interested in you. It would be unfair to take Lady Ryuu's side and not theirs."
When Mikoto looked up, Bell almost flinched. There was something else in Mikoto's gaze that he had never seen before. Her fists were clenched, and her lips had turned down into a pronounced frown. Was she angry about something? The emotion was so much that Bell completely forgot the 'others' part of Mikoto's statement.
"Is everything ok, Mikoto?"
Mikoto's face did not change as she responded, "I'm fine; why?"
"You seem angry about something," replied the scared boy.
Mikoto blinked and then seemed to realize what kind of state she had been in. Her body relaxed, and she bowed to Bell.
"I apologize, Sir Bell; I don't know what came over me. I must be over-stressed from the situation." Mikoto looked over where the others were. Bell could just barely see everyone hard at work in the distance. "Truly, I think we're all focusing a bit more on our relationships. It helps keep us distracted." She looked over at her companion. "That said, we are all willing to listen if you want to speak."
Bell opened his mouth to ask her what she was talking about, but then it all snapped back in. Before all these issues with the Sun Seekers, everyone had learned about his aunt. He looked Mikoto in the eye and saw that there was no judgement there.
"Sir Bell, this might be insensitive of me to say, but I was not there. I never saw Orario's dark days. Neither did Sir Welf, Sir Elwin, Sir Urashima, Lady Otohime, or many others of the party. All we know is second-hand." She reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "I do not begrudge you keeping secrets, but please remember, we must all be for each other in this time. If we cannot trust each other, then what will Freya do next?"
Mikoto made to walk off, but Bell grabbed her wrist before she could go. She turned back and almost judo flipped him but stopped when she saw the shy smile on his face.
"Thank you, Mikoto. I promise I'll talk about everything when we get back to the surface."
Mikoto smiled and nodded. "Remember Bell, we promised to be there for each other, always. I don't ever intend to break my word."
The two walked towards the makeshift battleground, and Lili soon directed them towards some shovels. They got to work digging earthen works and building small walls. Welf walked by at one point and dropped off their weapons and gear. Their armour had been undented and cleaned, and their blades had been sharpened. At Mikoto's request, Bell helped her tuck away the numerous pieces of gear she had brought with her. Seeing how this battle would be more significant than many they had seen before, the Black Crow did now want to get caught off-guard. For the first time, Bell noticed her eyes drift over to Haruhime.
"Mikoto…are you making eyes at Haruhime?" asked Bell.
Mikoto felt the heat crawl up her neck to the tips of her ears. "I do not know what you are talking about. Besides, I do not believe that Lady Haruhime would be interested back; there is someone else much more impressive." She turned to find Bell smirking. "What?"
"Who just told me to try to be more aware?"
Mikoto's mouth was agape. Was this really the same Bell, making a joke and teasing her?
"You've been growing to?"
Then Bell grew nervous again and started to splutter.
"Only slightly…mostly. I've just been trying to be closer with my friends."
Mikoto smiled, "I think we should get back to work for now."
With the Traveller:
Hermes looked up from the book on nautical travelling to find Asfi standing in front of him. Stretched out behind her were the Familia members that had travelled with them over the last couple of weeks. Asfi waved a set of papers in front of him.
"This is everything that you'll need to finish your journey." The blue-haired adventurer frowned. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
Hermes shook his head, "If my predictions are correct, then you'll be needed back home. You'll also be needed to escort our guests." The god stood up. "Remember, though, you have to find everyone else first, and then you can head home."
Hermes surveyed the people in front of him. He counted along with who was here. When he reached the end, he smiled as he nodded to himself.
"I see that our dear Lulune has already started to make her way back with the packages?"
Asfi pushed up her glasses. "Ever since her battle with the Black Crow, she has been much more driven than normal."
"That Familia, they really do have an inspirational air around them, don't they?" Hermes looked to his bodyguard. "Come Falgar! It's time we went on our way!"
The tiger-man sighed. As Hermes traipsed off, Falgar waved goodbye. The rest of Hermes Familia offered their condolences. Asfi felt uneasy but also knew that Hermes sending her away was his way of telling her how much trust he had. She turned to her Familia and their two guests hiding in the back and motioned for them to get moving. This next bit was going to be complicated.
With the General:
Scipio surveyed all the monsters gathered. He had scouted those humans and human lovers and watched them build their puny defences. Let them gather; he would wash over them like a wave of death. Now that he had eaten all those monster stones, he felt more potent than ever before. The only piece missing was…
"I'm back."
He turned his great mossy head to find Nysa walking towards him. She was alone, though, not a prisoner in sight.
"What happened to the little elf girl?"
Nysa's glare frightened him, even now when he was as strong as ever. When he turned back to give more orders to his thralls, Nysa turned with him. The Banshee watched as monsters were corralled en masse. They were still holding back, but just barely. Soon, they would be too many. She checked over her shoulder, where the looming darkness of the thirty-fifth floor beckoned.
"How's the backup plan coming along?"
Scipio laughed, his excellent mossy hide shaking.
"I'll take that as a good sign."
The two walked forward, trying to get a better perspective of their army. Scipio saw how distracted Nysa was but waited to confront her. Obviously, things had gone wrong lately, and there was plenty of blame to go around. He also didn't see the point in getting angry at her. All of them, every Sun Seeker, was fuelled by rampant emotions of their heart. He was no exception.
"I let her go, by the way," said Nysa. "I sent her back to her little friends. I want her to be there when we crush them. I want her to see with her own eyes, then, when we go up into the warmth, she can watch as we raze her city to the ground." Nysa's smile returned, larger and more grotesque. "Then, I'll be all she has left. She'll beg to be one of us, and I'll let her." Nysa turned back to Scipio. "No killing Lefiya, got it?"
Scipio nodded. That was fine by him. The rest could burn anyway. The only one that mattered to him, and by extension the rest of the Sun Keepers, was the boy with white hair. They did still have a deal with their benefactor, after all. Once that had been settled, they would burn Orario and its despot Queen. They would burn the same way he had, once upon a lifetime. Typhon had promised him this, and his King was good on his word.
With the Victims:
Elwin had just finished his section of the defences. Now, he was on lookout duty. It was his job to wait and see what would happen next. He was also on the lookout for Lefiya. As much as he wanted to run back to the clearing where they had left her, he knew that no one should adventure alone right now. So, he waited and waited. Eventually, he saw a figure approaching through the trees. The lighting had grown dim, so it was hard to make out. He raised his staff and got ready to chant under his breath. Any thoughts of worry, though, went out the window when he saw who it was. He almost dropped his weapon when the silhouette of Lefiya came spilling out of the fog. Her body was pale and shaking. He took off his cloak as he ran and draped it over her shoulders. She barely acknowledged his presence.
Lefiya just kept walking while Elwin guided her. Eventually, they found the campsite. The Xenos had taken over guarding for the time since they could see in the dark, so the entire party was there. When Lefiya wandered in, Ais jumped up from her position next to Bell and crushed the tiny elf in a hug. When she barely got a response, the Sword Princess pulled back.
"Lefiya…are you alright?"
Lefiya shook her head, and that was when the dam broke. Tears began to stream down her face as she buried her head in the crook of Ais's neck.
"I lost her again, Miss Ais! I lost Miss Filvis, and it's all my fault!"
As the crying intensified, the rest of the party backed off to give them some space. Bell, in particular, left to go find Lyd. He was feeling his strength come back, but he wouldn't say he was one hundred percent just yet. He hadn't taken any potions, as they were saving those for the life-saving emergencies. Among the potions was the phoenix feather. Urashima was still working on incorporating it into a mixture, but apparently, he had remembered something he read once from a long time ago. At the moment, he was talking with Otohime about legends from their homeland. Haruhime soon joined them.
Bell found Lyd sitting on his own. Weine and Lett were nowhere to be seen, but they were probably helping the other Xenos prepare. Lyd wasn't going to fight his brethren, not yet, but he would help them destroy monsters. That was his promise. At the sound of Bell's footsteps, Lyd turned.
"Ahhh! Bellichi! It's good to see you! Are you looking for Weine? I can find her if you want," said the lizardman.
Bell shook his head. "I'm ok Lyd, actually, I was wondering… where's Asterius?"
Thoughts of Bell's rival had long been on his mind. When Freya Familia had attacked, Asterius was the only one who had been able to stand up to their executives. In the face of Ottar, though, the large Black Bull had lost. He had been forced to retreat, and Bell's last sight was of his large muscular back.
Lyd scratched his chin, deep in thought.
"I don't know. He took his loss roughly and went deeper into the Dungeon than any of us have ever gone before. Since then, we haven't been able to track. No one is strong enough to go down there and look. Fels was talking about sending an expedition to search for him, actually. Now that we're working with Loki Familia, it might jump up the priority list." The lizard man sighed. "With everything going on, we could use his power."
Bell nodded and joined the large lizard man in silence.
With the Dreamers:
"Woah Woah Woah," said Daphne, "Take it easy, Cass."
The healer had woken up in a state of hysteria. She had demanded her partner's attention and had been rambling on and on for hours. Daphne felt her patience fraying and would've snapped earlier, but something in Cassandra's face got her to keep listening. She was effectively under the healer's spell.
"What's wrong? Did you see something?"
Before Cassandra could start up again, Daphne placed a hand on her head. The normally scowling adventurer allowed her face to relax. "And speak slowly."
Cassandra mustered her courage to explain herself as best as possible.
"I saw waves the size of trees crashing into a wall. The wall held, but a piece fell off. When it hit the water, it was obliterated," began the dreamer. "When it did, a great wailing cry went out. With it were dots of twinkling lights the colour of ash." Daphne frowned. This did not bode well. "Then, the wind howled across the water. It crashed into the biggest wave and sent droplets everywhere, but the wind vanished."
'Wind, water, and stone,' thought Daphne, 'But no rabbits, lightning, or bells. Is the kid not involved this time?'
Ever since the disastrous expedition, Daphne had taken it upon herself to read up divining dreams. There was little else but folklore, but she studied it all, just in case. She studied symbology and mysticism till her head was a cloud. All for this moment. She was going to help Cassandra or die trying.
"What else was there?"
Cassandra frowned, "Fire. Flames the colour of the rainbow came out and were caught in a bowl. With it was the heart of a hero and the lights of ash. It all went into a bowl, and clear spring water poured out. The dark side was washed away with the water and the wind."
"Was there anything left underneath? Could the burning water be a reference to the smith? Crozzo swords could set the sea on fire, after all," replied Daphne.
For a second, Cassandra said nothing.
"What?" asked Daphne, tapping her foot.
Cassandra ducked. Her face was the colour of salmon. "It's just, you've never taken an interest in my dreams before."
Now it was Daphne's turn to blush. "Yeah, well…I am now! So what comes next?"
Cassandra shrugged, "The tide was washed away, and nothing was left behind. The wall still stood, though."
Daphne frowned. Before she could get too deep in her thoughts, Cassandra tugged on her sleeve.
"We're probably the wall, Daphne. We'll be ok, for the most part," the healer turned to look over her friends, "The question is, who's the one that crumbled away?"
Whoopsies, sorry about this one folks. Definitely the hardest chapter I've written just because of the content and the discussions. Hopefully they across well and make sense, but we'll just have to see how the rest of it goes. We also have 1-2 chapters at most of this arc. Some for the battle, and then the aftermath of the battle and what what happens next. So, yay? After that, we move on and relax(?) just a bit more. You got any comments, let me know! I love reading them and seeing what other people think. They're always appreciated. See you next time, hopefully on time!
Review Responses:
King Damage: Thanks so much!
The Quotable Patella: Maybe this chapter will make some clearer points. Who knows? Your opinion is still valid.
pix25: You'll see a bit more of his reasoning now as well.
