Book II: The King's Dilemma

Chapter 49

Air came only in slow, gurgling breaths. There was a stabbing pain in her chest as if it had been pierced with an iron arrow. Her stomach churned. Her joints ached like stiff, rusted hinges.

Groggy, she forced her heavy eyelids open. Everything was so bright. Something was attached to her leg.

"Oh look, you're awake," a woman said. She was probably the nurse. "Could someone turn the lights down a bit, maybe half?"

Once her eyes had adjusted, the nurse continued. "And before you ask, you've only been out for a day. It's the afternoon right now. I'll give you the full rundown of your injuries first. And I'll be honest," the nurse looked grim. "You might be out for a while."

"Damn kids these days, always getting injured," she muttered. She cleared her throat into her fist.

"Two fractured ribs, three bruised ribs, laceration of around one-third of the femoral artery, a fractured femur—comminuted with three pieces." Blake winced.

"Frankly, at a single rupture point, I've never seen this much damage before. Full recovery, even with dust-enhanced techniques, will take two to three months. But you'll be able to walk with crutches in one week, give or take. Luckily for you, all your injuries were non-fatal."

Thankfully, she had only been out a day. But the rest of the news…

Three to four months out of combat. That was… worse than what she had expected, honestly. She knew that she'd incurred some rib damage and blood loss, but her leg… right now it was completely patched up and hooked up to an IV drip, so she couldn't see what it looked like, but it definitely wasn't pretty.

Well, at least her left leg was unharmed.

They hadn't even spent a week spent in Mistral, and this had happened. Even the suit wasn't enough. She fingered her necklace idly.

"I'll leave you guys alone for some private time." The nurse left the room.

Not even half a second later, familiar faces began swarming around her bed, their eyebrows furrowed.

"Blake, how are you feeling?" Ruby was the first one to jump in.

"I'm okay," she ignored the dull ache in her leg and tried to smile. "Where's Sun? Is he all right? How's he doing?"

"Woah there, slow your horses girl," Yang laughed, "He's on the other side of the infirmary, in another room with Percy. He woke up earlier, actually."

"I need to see him to make sure he's fine."

"We promise he's fine," Jaune said. "You can see him later yourself." The others nodded.

If they insisted he was okay, then maybe it wasn't the best idea to try to visit him right now…

"That's good to know," Blake leaned back, relaxing. If Sun was fine, then they were fine. They were both alive. "What are his injuries?"

"The nurse said he had a punctured lung, several fractured and bruised ribs, along with a grade three concussion, but no amnesia thankfully," Weiss said. "He'll make a recovery, but it'll take some time."

The concussion must have been from the hit he took from the staff.

And the punctured lung, which must have filled with blood… Blake bit her lip. She really needed to see him now to make sure he was okay.

At least he was alive. That was an incredibly close call, fighting with that faunus…

"We made it to the hospital just in time before blood filled up too much of his lung," Pyrrha piped up, "I'm so sorry, I should've gotten there earlier!" Blake awkwardly reached her arms out, trying to stop the crimson-haired girl from bowing her head.

"No, no, it's fine. What happened happened. It was just a bad coincidence that it had to be at that time."

"Also, what does comminuted mean? I heard the nurse say that earlier."

"The bone was fractured into several small pieces at the place of fracture, probably where you got hit," Qrow answered, his arms folded. "Fortunately, you don't have a double fracture at different parts of the bone or anything like that."

A stern look was on his face. "Speaking of which, why were you out? All four of you," he turned, just as Percy came in.

Percy slipped out through the doorframe.

"Hey, come back, you brat." Laughter rang around the room as Qrow stepped out and dragged the boy back in by his wrist.

"I was just going to get Sun to help you answer your question!"

"He's sleeping—"

"How'd you know that?!"

"—You're a liar."

The man shook his head, grumbling. "So answer my question."

"I know, I know," Nora raised her hand. "They each were having a secret rendezvous!"

Blake choked on her water.

Yang slapped her back as she coughed, hard, "There, there, it's okay. No shame in trying to fuck."

They were trying to lighten her mood with humor, and it was working.

"We weren't trying to do that!"

"Blah blah blah, and I'm the King of Vale," Qrow snorted. "Straight bullshit. What are they teaching kids these days!"

"No, really! How would that even work?!"

"There are plenty of love hotels in Mistral, just saying," Qrow whistled suggestively. Blake colored.

"That's good to know."

"Percy!"

"What? I didn't say anything!" the black-haired boy threw his hands up innocently. Pyrrha's face was the color of her hair, maybe just a few shades lighter, not that Blake was one to talk.

"All jokes aside, though, what happened?" Ren asked.

"Didn't Sun tell you earlier?"

"He fell asleep before we could get anything out of him," Percy shrugged. "Tell us everything you can. The weapon used, the semblance, any identifying information about the attacker would help."

"Are you the police or something?" Giggles bubbled around the room.

Percy laughed, "No, but since this incident occurred on Haven Academy grounds, and didn't occur between students, the headmaster is responsible for handling these so-called 'internal affairs'. Lionheart has since handed that jurisdiction to me because it happened with the newly anointed Seraph and Thane, that being you and Sun. Otherwise, the professors and faculty would handle it, and if it was off academy grounds, it would be handled by the police and the Mistralian Council."

Headmaster Lionheart seemed like the kind of person who just shoved things onto other people whenever he could. But this arrangement also made sense.

"Yeah, I get it. Okay," Blake leaned back, closing her eyes and trying to picture what had happened.

"Sun and I were sitting on a bench when a White Fang member attacked us. He mentioned it was because I defected from the White Fang."

"White… Fang?"

"White Fang… haven't heard that name in a while…"

Blake continued, "He had black hair and yellow eyes. He wielded a strange spear made of Grimm flesh, and it could expand with barbs. That's how my leg ended up like this. The tip went into the flesh and then expanded so it was harder to pull out."

Everyone collectively winced.

"By the way, Percy, is it possible to heal her leg?" Pyrrha tried asking.

The boy shook his head. "Healing isn't one of my domains. I can heal myself with water, but I can't do it with anyone else. This injury is also too severe for me to tackle."

"It's okay," Blake shook her head. "I'll heal just fine on my own."

"So, you were telling us about the attacker?" Weiss prompted. Like Blake, she was also connected to the White Fang, albeit in a different manner, for the better or for the worse.

"Right. He had yellow eyes with slitted pupils, possibly fangs, but I couldn't see completely with the mask on his face. He had an overwhelming, bizarre strength, but I didn't sense anything until he started engaging. He also had a tendency to pull tricks like denoting several grenades. He did that when we were first attacked."

"So you weren't able to see his face?" Percy tried to confirm.

Blake shook her head. "All I know is that he's probably a snake faunus. He was really strong," Blake added. "Stronger than S—who Yang and I fought at Shion."

"Stronger than Summer," Yang said. "You don't have to tiptoe around that, Blake. It's fine."

Blake searched for Ruby's reaction, but the girl looked just as determined if not more than her elder sister.

"No semblance usage?" Pyrrha added. Blake shook her head in the negative again.

"The guy was trying to hide his identity, 'course he wouldn't use his semblance," Qrow grunted. "Always hated scrawny rats like that. And those grenades, too. You said he snuck up on you two?"

"Yeah. That style of fighting is reminiscent of the White Fang and their guerilla tactics," Blake frowned. "I know all too well."

"Seeing how he did this… could he be an Apostle?" Weiss brought up the elephant in the room.

"Few warriors would be able to overwhelm a trained student huntress, let alone with another student huntsman. Even if Blake and Sun aren't fully-fledged huntsmen yet, they're not shabby at all."

"The White Fang is comprised of mostly untrained members, and the trained members like Adam Taurus we know of," the white-haired girl reasoned. "Add in the fact that we have two apostles unaccounted for: the Lower Apostle One and the Lower Apostle Three, and it all comes together."

Weiss calmly explained the evidence linked with her hypothesis, as if she were presenting before a board of directors. Maybe she had some experience from the Schnee Dust Company? She was their heiress, after all.

"The White Fang working with Salem?" Percy mused. "I wouldn't put it past them, but doesn't it seem like we're kind of jumping to conclusions here? It's all speculation."

"But you can't deny the evidence," Jaune argued.

"So, are you saying that the White Fang is definitively linked to Salem?" Yang said. "Just because someone is strong and attacked us doesn't mean that they have to be linked to Salem. That's like saying all faunus work for the White Fang, no offense, Blake."

"None taken."

"No, all I'm saying is that we should keep an open mind. What we know right now is that the White Fang has a snake faunus with a special weapon who attacked Blake because she defected from the organization. The White Fang is definitely plotting something right now, but we don't know what."

"Now I really wish I would've caught him," Percy frowned, folding his arms. "He was just too damn fast, and switched directions at least a dozen times."

"It's okay, not everyone can be the world-class Qrow, the greatest scout of all time—Ow, ow, Percy that hurts!" They all laughed as the boy gave the man another whack on the head for good measure.

"This is definitely something to think about," Ruby frowned, her eyebrows pulling together in a worried expression.

"He would have killed us if Pyrrha and Percy didn't arrive in time," Blake said bluntly to the silence of the room.

She wouldn't mince her words; she had to make sure that the others understood the severity of the situation.

"So, thank you for that."

"No problem," Pyrrha said, "That's what friends do, right?"

"I'm not gonna say anything because you're all adults, you can do what you want," Qrow sighed, "Except Ruby—"

"Hey! I'm only one year away! I'm almost seventeen! Seventeen is practically an adult!"

"—But point is, just be more careful next time.

"I've already briefed Lionheart on the situation," Percy said. "Naturally, we need improved security, but having guards surround Haven Academy is…" he paused searching for the right words, "Less than ideal. We don't want the students to get anxious. Right now, it's been covered up as a freak accident while training, and people outside the academy don't know which students got injured."

"As expected of you, you covered that," Qrow grunted.

"Another reason is that, if word got out, that would harm your image as the Seraphs or Thanes of Apollyon; people would get nervous that we've been attacked and injured," the boy explained.

"Faith could even start faltering because some might think that we've brought enemies to Mistral. Gods and their Seraphs aren't supposed to bleed. So, for better or for worse, the people of Mistral believe in me, and by extension, all of you. Except Qrow."

"Fuck you."

"Renny, I'm famous!" Nora cried.

"Good job, Nora."

"Wow, so we're all big shots now, huh?" Yang flexed a bicep, her other hand on her hip.

"Yes Yang, you're a celebrity. Congratulations."

"Ice Queen!" the blonde wrapped her arms around Weiss' slender frame.

"Get off me."

"Anyway, Lionheart has the press conference covered," Percy continued. "He also approved your applications to be part-time students at Haven, similar to Kalman. That means we can move you all to the estate I'm staying in, where we'll buff up security. Everyone gets their own room obviously. Or you can all stay here at Haven Academy. Up to you."

"Oh, are you and Pyrrha gonna share a room?" Yang wiggled her eyebrows.

"Yang Xiao-Long!" The redhead sprung on Yang.

"Oh no, Mount Pyrrha is erupting, save me, Blake! Weiss-cream!" the two of them ignored her cries for help, and Pyrrha squeezed Yang's ribs between her arms.

"I know you all want independence and that teenage shit, but it's better to move in any way," Qrow grunted. "I live there right now, and let me tell you, the place is big as hell. There's a bunch of different buildings too. You know what an estate looks like."

"Hell yeah, I'm in!" Nora cheered. The sentiment echoed around the room; it seemed like everyone was on board.

"Perfect. I'll talk with some of my assistants and get you all moved in tonight," Percy waved a hand. "Unfortunately, I have some business to attend to, so rest well, Blake."

One by one, each of them said their goodbyes and left the room. Once Blake was absolutely sure that they were gone, along with the nurse, she grabbed the gauze pad from the nightstand and placed it over her skin.

She knew how to do this. First-aid class and everything. Gingerly, as if she were handling a small kitten, she pulled the IV drip out. A faint crimson began coloring the pad, and she hopped off the bed, not bothering to slide into the slippers. She grabbed the two crutches.

She made sure to not put pressure on her right leg, and she hopped to the other side of the infirmary and opened the door, then headed to the only occupied area.

Sun was unconscious on the bed. She regarded him.

Somehow, he looked worse than she did. The pallor of his skin was apparent in the cold, sterile light of the room.

He had a ventilator over his mouth and nose.

This was the first time she had seen him sleeping like this, and he looked… at peace, but more like the kind on his deathbed.

Blake felt a little dull in her chest. She was weak for letting it happen. For letting her guard down so much.

She wouldn't let it happen again.

"Thanks for staying alive, I guess."

He didn't respond. Maybe this was overstepping a line or something, but…

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Sun."

Now she just had to make sure to get back to her room before the nurse saw her. She hobbled out of the room with her crutches.

"Young lady, what do you think you're doing?"

Motherf—

-o-o-o-

Blake had been hurt. Badly. She would be out for a while.

That was her partner.

Partners were supposed to protect each other at all times.

White Fang or Salem, she couldn't let that happen again.

It was like they had been in a perpetual tango with death ever since arriving on Anima. First Shion, now this. What in the world was going on?

Yang wasn't weak. But she wasn't stupid, either.

If she had been there last night, the only thing that would have changed was that she would be hurt, too. Along with Sun.

And so, without really thinking about where she was going, she ended up at the Han Estate.

"Hey! This is the private property of House Han! You got an ID or something?" one of the guards asked.

"Psst! That's Yang Xiao-Long, Seraph of Apollyon. She was just here yesterday, remember?" the other one whispered furiously.

"O-Oh, my apologies, Miss Xiao-Long," he gave her a quick bow, then let her through the smaller gate, meant for people.

Once again, she was presented with a stunning view of the Han Estate. Wondering why she wasn't worried about showing up unannounced, she made her way through the space: through the lily ponds and the gentle, snaking rivers and the botanical flowers and the large, canopy trees.

And once again, she heard the beautiful sound of Liu Kalman's flute.

She followed it. That clear, piercing melody.

Why was she going to Kalman? Why wasn't she going to her team?

It just felt like too much stress after they had started packing to move. She'd just packed a lot of Blake's things. But everyone avoided the topic of what had happened. It was a huge elephant in the room and tension was high.

Everything they had put together during their visit for Blake was a sham. Like a play of sorts, performed in an infirmary room instead of on a stage.

Almost as if she were in a daze, her footsteps slowed as the music led her, her mind momentarily distracted from the weight of recent events.

The source of the melody sat cross-legged on a stone bench.

A striking cascade of tousled, silver-white hair. Today, it was pulled back into a loose ponytail, secured with a simple red ribbon. Long bangs partially obscured his closed eyes.

She called out to him once he had finished.

"Hey, Kalman."

Golden orbs opened.

"Hey, Yang."

"Um…"

"Please, have a seat," he gestured to the bench.

Yang obliged. The stone was cool to the touch.

"I heard the news. My condolences to your partner. If it helps, I firmly believe Haven Academy has one of the best infirmaries in the world. She'll make a full recovery."

"No, that's not what I'm worried about," Yang took a deep breath, steadying herself. "It just feels like everything is out of my control. She's my partner, you know. And letting her get hurt like that…"

"But at the same time, I know I couldn't have done anything. Compared to whoever tried to kill them, I'm no match. I'm not someone who's exceptionally strong."

"I understand how you feel."

Yang was reminded that Kalman had lost his team, too. His entire team. And here she was, complaining to him about Blake, who had just been wounded. Not killed.

Kalman would never see the faces of his teammates again.

"Our team name was KRTS—short for Kratos," he began. "We were only a month in when it happened. But sometimes, a month feels like a year."

Yang nodded. When she hit it off with the right person, bonding felt so quick. They weren't even one year in as a team, and she felt like she knew Blake and Weiss really well. Being her sister, Ruby was a given.

"I won't get into details. But I understand what you're feeling. You're a far cry from yourself just a few days ago."

"You mean when you were guiding us around Haven? Haha, yeah. A failed assassination on your friend will do that to you."

They shared a laugh at her poor joke.

"I'm sure your teammate and Sun will be safe inside Mistral's infirmary. Naturally, you could ask Lord Apollyon—I mean Percy, to transfer them to the Apollyon Estate…"

Haven was full of faculty and huntsmen and huntresses, and that was supposed to be safe, but at the same time, it would be all too easy to infiltrate the place.

At the Apollyon Estate, there were fewer people, so it was easier to know who was who. Qrow and Dad were there along with Oscar or Ozpin, and Percy came and went.

"Yeah, I'll talk to him about that," Yang decided. "Blake was already moving in, anyway. But part of me is still worried. The enemy knows we're there. And with Percy coming and going… well, obviously we have two resident huntsmen, and I feel silly for worrying—"

"I can watch over the Estate if you'd like," he offered, interrupting her rambling.

"Wait, would you really? Aren't you busy with missions?"

Kalman was strong. She'd seen it first hand at Shion, how he had swiftly beat back Summer. Needless to say, Qrow and Tai were there as resident huntsmen, but if anything happened…

They would choose her and Ruby over anyone. They would always save her, even if she didn't need saving.

The years of living with Dad and Uncle Qrow's visits had backed it up. She was grateful, yes, but if Blake needed help…

"Y-Yes. You're really close."

She drew back, "Oh, sorry about that."

Shit, shit! She had totally blanked out and went and done that. They had been so close, he was probably uncomfortable—

Kalman cleared his throat. Was his face a little red? "Anyway, the Council is undergoing some restructuring at the moment, so there aren't too many missions outside of Mistral."

"So all three of you are concentrated in Mistral?"

"Yes. Apolly—Percy's coronation ceremony is in a few days. So I have some spare time."

"Ah, right," Yang scratched her neck, wondering why her face felt warm. "Well, thank you. It's just easier to talk to strangers sometimes, compared to friends—"

"Didn't you say I was a friend?"

"You know what I mean," Yang side-eyed him.

"No, I don't."

"Idiot prince."

"Insufferable dragon."

-o-o-o-

First, it was a nail. Then a fingertip. Then a finger. It probably would have hurt his ears less if it was a finger all in one go, but his supervisor had required creativity and didn't want to get the room too messy.

"His Majesty will be present in five minutes," she had warned him earlier, "Be on your best behavior."

He had started counting in his head from the moment it began. To 300 seconds.

And how could he not count?

Apollyon. His Majesty, the Emperor of Mistral. Head of the Church of Apollyon, the savior! Oh, he could hardly contain his excitement!

He tried to alleviate it by counting the seconds in his head while watching the prisoner, whose body hung limp, uplifted by the chains on his wrists. It was still breathing.

It was important not to allow the prisoners to die of blood loss, so one couldn't see many wounds on the body, at least from afar. But if you looked closer you could see all of them.

That was art in its true form.

"Great work, Moriyama. I'm quite impressed."

"T-Thank you, Miss Irwys!" he saluted.

"Glad to see that you're still doing everything with gusto," she said, giving him a thumbs up and smiling down at him. "I'll be right back."

Stars appeared in his eyes. Man, his supervisor was so cool! As she exited the room, he thought about how all this came to be.

It was just the other day that the three Swords of Mistral had come to the Church of Apollyon for talent scouting. They'd taken the able-bodied and put them through some challenges, including combat and some other questions. Some of the questions were odd, and there was no telling who passed or didn't pass until they announced the results. Finally, out of all of those participants and tests, he was one of the select few to be chosen!

A nice job with pretty good pay, and he got assigned to Irwys Sage herself, out of all people! Kenji couldn't believe his luck.

Oh, how he couldn't wait to see the Emperor! He kept counting in his head, making sure to never miss a single second.

297, 298, 299…

300.

At precisely 300 seconds, the Emperor's presence was felt. Next to him, Miss Irwys' presence, which was normally so strong and potent, was reduced to almost nothing. She was barely recognizable.

The overpowering scent of divinity.

The unsettling feeling of a brewing storm.

Apollyon.

His heart was going to tear out of his chest. Goosebumps rose all across his skin.

The door opened with a soft click. Miss Irwys bowed deeply, her demeanor one of utmost respect and reverence.

Kenji followed suit, kneeling in a motion that was lower than Miss Irwys'.

Kenji's heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing like a drum in the deafening silence that followed the Emperor's entrance.

And yet, there were no footsteps. The sound of the Emperor's footfalls could not be heard against the cold, stone floor.

The air hummed and buzzed with some kind of invigorating electricity.

"You may rise."

Slowly, reverently, he lifted his head.

His eyes widened, drinking in the sight of the man who was more legend than reality to him.

He looked like a sculpture crafted from marble, straight out of Mistralian mythology. No, it was picture-perfect, feature-for-feature matched.

A gold-based outfit. His Divinity's robes flowed around him like liquid midnight, adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shimmer with a life of their own. No, it wasn't that—rather, it was the very presence of the Emperor that gave them that appearance. If someone else had been wearing those imperial robes, Kenji was certain it wouldn't have the same effect.

The room felt smaller, the walls closer, as if the Emperor's very existence demanded all the space and attention, radiating an intense vitality.

The essence of a god.

His Divinity moved with a graceful, almost ethereal quality.

He approached the prisoner, whose breathing had become shallow and ragged, yet still alive, a testament to Kenji's careful handiwork. The Emperor's gaze lingered on the prisoner for a moment, a silent contemplation that sent shivers down Kenji's spine.

"Excellent work," the Emperor's voice was smooth and resonant, filling the room with an authority that was unquestionable. "The subject remains viable, yet broken. A fine balance."

Kenji's heart swelled with pride. To receive praise from the Emperor himself was a validation of his skills beyond his wildest dreams. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he managed to say, his voice trembling with emotion.

His Divinity turned his gaze to Kenji, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. "What is your name, young man?"

"M-Moriyama, Your Majesty," he stammered, trying to steady his voice. "Moriyama Kenji."

"Moriyama," the Emperor repeated as if testing the name on his tongue. "You show promise. Continue to serve with this level of dedication, and you will find yourself rewarded."

Kenji's knees felt weak, and he could hardly believe what he was hearing. "I will not disappoint you, Your Majesty."

His Divinity shifted his attention back to the thing. "Oh, you woke up."

The purple symbol of the wretched goddess glowed on the thing's chest, reacting to the Emperor's divine presence. It was revolting, contorting the skin and flesh of the prisoner.

His Divinity held an outstretched hand.

Tendrils of lightning jolted out of his fingers. They raked against the thing's chest, and it screamed in pain.

The Emperor watched with an impassive gaze. The mark burned, the skin and flesh flaking away in a charred black. By all means, the thing should have been dead by now.

But His Divinity performed the technique in such a way that it was agonizing, yet gentle. How was that possible?

Kenji couldn't believe he was witnessing this. The absolute privilege!

No… could it be that he was targeting the pain receptors? Such exquisite accuracy… it would be an understatement to say that Kenji was in awe.

Finally, His Divinity stopped. It was impossible to tell if the mark of that wretched goddess was entirely burnt off. Everything was singed and blackened on the torso of the thing.

Then, in a soft voice…

"Men create gods in their own image. Gods create monsters of their own volition. It is necessary for gods to remove the evil that may desecrate their being."

His words cut through the stillness with the sharpness of a blade, but his tone of voice was benevolent and beautiful.

"Without aura, human beings are fragile creatures of the flesh. The deeply-rooted evil lies within that flesh, and for that reason, we must exercise caution in cleansing it."

The words seemed to echo in Kenji's mind, reverberating through his thoughts like the tolling of a great bell. His breath caught in his throat, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. It was as if the Emperor's voice had reached into the deepest corners of his soul, stirring something long dormant.

The truth of the Emperor's words struck him with a clarity that was almost painful. He felt his resolve harden, his purpose crystallize.

He had to eliminate the enemies of His Divinity.

"Fuck you," the thing croaked. It gathered something and then spat.

How dare he! Kenji's anger rose; he prepared to attack, but—

The spittle didn't even touch the Emperor. As if intercepted by an invisible barrier, the saliva reflected back into the thing's eyes. It shouted and croaked, struggling mightily against the restraints.

Evidently, it hadn't been entirely deprived of strength just yet.

"This one touched my Seraph and my Thane. You understand what that means, right?"

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty! I won't let you down!"

Miss Irwys stepped forward, her smile replaced by a mask of professionalism. "Of course, Your Majesty. We will begin immediately with the exorcision."

The Emperor's presence was like a looming storm, but as quickly as he had arrived, he turned and began to leave, the sense of awe and fear he commanded following him like a shadow.

The door closed behind him, leaving the room feeling significantly emptier.

Kenji straightened, his heart still racing. Miss Irwys looked at him, her expression softened slightly. She offered him a thumbs-up and a smile.

"You did well, Kenji. Now, let's finish this."

"Yes, Miss Irwys."

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Next Chapter: October 15th

-thann