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Disclaimer - Skies of Arcadia is copyright Sega and Overworks. I don't own these characters, places etc. Please don't sue me, if you do you'll be disappointed because I have no money anyway.

Any comments, suggestions etc are appreciated, send 'em to adamcannon@ic24.net.

Wrath of a god
by A. Cannon (no pun intended ;)

Chapter 7 - A Walk in the Park

Thunder roared almost endlessly in deep sky. The blanket of darkness that wrapped the world below was lit only by the thunder in quick bursts that did little but show the desolate surface. With each crack of lightning and roar of thunder, a dark object could be seen in the distance rising up from the sludge that covered the ground.

Three beams of light probed around the surface, the light being absorbed by the black sludge and dark rocks that littered the area. A large serpent creature, resting in the sludge was suddenly bathed in light. The creature immediately lit itself up in a green luminescence in an attempt to attract this potential mate. The light crawled away from it and the creature, sensing its would be companion gone, turned dark once more, and settled once again, into the sludge.

Slowly the Delphinus made its approach to the large structure, silhouetted in the distance as the lightning crashed.

On the bride, Hob cautiously steered the ship, keeping the speed down to minimal. Aika, along with the Navigator, watched the small sonar screen, at the green blobs that appeared after the small green wave moved outwards from the centre. In actuality, a pulse of high intensity sound was being sent out from the ship. The sound would then bounce back of any solid surface and the time taken for the sound to get back to the ship would be used to measure distance. The objects showed up on the screen as green blobs. The navigator would then relay course headings to Hob, who would then steer around any potential hazards.

The technique was inspired by an animal, called an Nipper. This small animal lived in caves on the Ixa’Taxa continent. No light ever reached the caves and as such the nippers were completely blind. By using the same sonar technique, they would crawl along the walls of the cave to forage for small bugs.

Ray was bending down in front of his instruments making sure that the ship was still intact under the pressure of deep sky. Around them a slight groaning of metal could be heard. Even a slight breach in the hull at this depth could be disastrous. Thankfully the pressure shutters seamed to be working flawlessly, and the hull was holding up quite well.

Vyse had gotten up off the captains chair and moved up to Hob. Hob, who had never before flown at this depth, was listing to Vyse's advice very carefully. Cupil fluttered around them nervously, sometimes letting out a small squeak in dismay as hull groaned once more.

Vigoro was leaning on the weapons console, the only sign of what he was feeling was that his grin had vanished from his face.

"Vyse," called Aika "there's a large object directly ahead. We think it's Soltis."

"You think?" asked Vyse.

"Well I don't see what else it could be. Their enormous, plus the continent went down around here somewhere didn't it," replied the navigator.

"Distance?"

"I'd say about point three leagues, give or take."

Vyse moved over to the rear of the bridge. He opened up a small panel revealing a glass lens. Looking through it he could see directly in front of the ship.

"I don't see..." he stopped as several blasts of lightning lit up several large objects directly ahead. The large white tower of Soltis could be Cleary seen ahead for that moment. Something, however, was very wrong with the sight before him. The central tower had been almost completely destroyed as Zelos exploded out from it in the battle five years ago. If so, then how was this tower standing now? He peered through the lens again to reassure himself that had really seen it. Another bolt of lightning lit up the area showing, once more, an almost complete white tower. It was impossible, and yet it was right in front of him.

"Vyse?" asked Aika startling him.

"Sorry, I was just... The central tower, its standing."

"What? How?" she asked.

"I don't know, but that's probably where we need to go. That's where the crystals were placed. Lets get as close as we can and look for a way in."

"Aye captain," they all said. Cupil let out another squeak in acknowledgement.

As the ship passed over and around the continent Vyse continued his vigil, peering outside of the ship. The large structures that covered the Island were completely intact. There was no trace of the battle of took place five years ago. There should of been a hole, or a pockmark, some indication, but there was nothing.

The central tower rose out of the darkness, stretching up into oblivion. As the ship got closer Vyse could see that the tower wasn't whole after all. The top of the tower was almost liquid in appearance. He could clearly see ripples dancing across the surface in small waves as the lightning lit up the area for brief moments.

Suddenly the ship stopped with a violent shudder and Vyse was thrown backwards.

"What's happened?" called Vyse, the first thing he thought of was that they'd hit something.

"I don't know captain," said Hob as he picked himself up.

"We haven’t hit anything," called the Navigator.

"Ray have the engines froze," asked Vyse.

"Negative Captain, the engines are still functioning fine, we should be moving."

"Vyse!" Aika exclaimed "something's moving towards us, two something’s."

"What are they!?" he asked.

"I don't know, all I can see is two green blobs moving towards us! And we've got only ten seconds until they hit!"

Vyse wasted no time and ran over to the communications console. He pressed a switch and yelled into it. "All hands brace for impact!"

"Five seconds," called Aika. "Four..." Everyone went a grabbed hold of something. "Three... Two... One..."

The ship shuddered violently and everyone was knocked off there feet again, all except Vigoro who somehow had managed to remain upright. The ship groaned in protest to whatever it was that had hit it.

"Captain!" shouted Hob to be heard over the noise "we're being dragged forward!"

"If this keeps up Captain the hull is going to breach!" shouted Ray.

"Where is it taking us!?" called Vyse.

"I don't know Captain!" shouted the Navigator. "The sonar isn't functioning, we're blind!"

The shuddering stopped, and the ship lurched forward once more on its own power. They all paused, waiting for the shuddering to start anew.

"Hob, all stop," said Vyse after a few moments.

"Aye Captain."

"Vyse we need to get away, that... thing could come back."

"And plough right into a wall Aika." said Vyse. "We're blind until that sonar is working. Ray ho..."

"Captain," Ray interrupted "The pressure outside, its lowered. It's exactly the same as inside the ship."

"What?" asked Vigoro who finally decided to speak up.

"Open the pressure shutters," said Vyse "lets see where we are."

The metal shutters on the bridge groaned upwards, bathing the bridge in a bright light.

"Wow," said Aika at the sight before them. The large ship was dwarfed by the place they found themselves in. Even the Grand Fortress would of looked tiny by comparison. On both side of the Delphinus, half a league away, were strange ships. Unlike the welded together hulls of the metal ships that were in service today, these looked to be all one structure, no joints were evident. The hulls were smooth and round, with a large rudder like structure that flew down from the ships in an arc ending at a point, they resembled an inverted dorsal fin that graced a sharks back. The ships, placed side by side, were held suspended by a large silver tentacle that looked to be an extension of the wall. It must of been these tentacles, Vyse surmised, that had brought the Delphinus into this place. The place stretched away in front of them as far as the eye could see.

"It must be some kind of shipyard," stated Ray.

"Let's see if we can find a place to dock," said Vyse. "Hob, take us forward, half speed."

The young helmsman seemed completely oblivious to Vyse's order. "Hob," Vyse called again."

"O...erm... yes Captain," said a surprised Hob. "Half speed, aye" "I would love to get my hands on one of those ships," said Ray.

"How about we take one," said Vigoro "doesn't look like the Silvites will need them any more."

Vyse considered this option briefly. Why not try and take one, imagine what they could learn from it. Technology hundreds, perhaps, thousands of years more advanced than what they were using now. No, he decided. This technology would be to dangerous if taken up again. Millions of people had been killed over the Silvite technology already, once thousands of years ago, and once more little over five years ago. Who's to say that the people would be wise enough to use it peacefully. Already another war was on the verge of being unleashed again, in part due to Silvite technology. This technology should remain buried along with the people that once commanded it.

"That isn't what we came here for Vigoro," he said firmly.

"Captain," called Hob "I think I've found somewhere to dock the ship."

"Where?" asked Vyse."

"Over there," said Hob raising his finger to point at an empty space in between two ships.

"Okay take us there, slowly."

"Aye, aye.

Cautiously the Delphinus made its approach to the gap. As the ship got closer the silver wall seemed to ripple. Slowly another tentacle rose out from the wall and approached the Delphinus.

"Captain?" asked Hob nervously.

"All stop."

The tentacle continued to advance and then stopped, barely two meters away from the ship. It moved around the front of ship for several moments, almost as if wondering what to make of the vessel. Finally it began to move away, being absorbed back into the wall from which it came.

"What the hell are those things?" asked Aika.

"Silvite technology," Ray concluded "What they build has no finite shape. Like the Little Round Silver Thingy."

"Are you saying this place is alive?" asked Aika.

"What I'm saying is that what they build can shape itself to whatever it wants. Those tentacles are the walls. Hell, the entire continent could be made the same way."

"The strange liquid at the top of the tower," said Vyse to himself.

"Captain?" asked Ray. "What liquid?"

"The top of the tower wasn't complete. There seemed to be... almost like a liquid, there instead."

"Self repairing." he said matter of factly. "I'll bet there's no sign of any damage from the battle all those years ago, or from the impact that the continent must of suffered falling down here."

"How do you know all this?" asked Aika.

"I don't," he said turning from the sight to face her. "It's just a theory based on what we've seen."

"All this is fascinating," started Vigoro "but since were not actually going to be stealing any of this stuff shouldn't we instead be trying to find the crystals."

"Yeah." said Vyse. "Hob, ahead slow."

The Delphinus started forward again once more, turning around to come flush against a long walkway that stretched off to either side. On Vyse's order a pair of steps were extended from the deck of the Delphinus to land on the surface, providing an exit from the ship.

"Aika, Vigoro, we're going outside."

"I just got to go and pick a little something I brought with me first Captain," said Vigoro.

"Make it quick. Ray, you have the bridge. Nobody else is to leave the ship understand."

"Aye Captain," said the engineer. "Be careful."

"What can possibly happen?" said Vigoro. "There's nobody alive in this place. It'll be a walk in the park."

It had been a tiring journey to Nasrad for the Primrose and her crew. The ship had been pushed harder than a Dhabu in a sandstorm, as the Nasr saying went. With the aid of a strong wind, Captain Clara and her crew had arrived in Nasrad in just four hours.

Upon arrival Clara, with the aid of Belle, the clumsy yet determined chief gunner, and Nicole her Navigator had attempted to talk to the council that had been elected to run Nasr while a new Nasultan was being decided upon. Of course the idiots had denied her an audience, giving them some excuse that were busy in a meeting and weren't to be disturbed. What he really meant, concluded Clara, was that the council did not want to speak to the people that knew the truth about them.

Bunch of leaches the lot of them. The council had been elected about four years ago and since then had maintained a tight strangle hold on Nasr. Taxes hadn't gone up, yet, but the money made from the existing taxes went straight into the council members pockets rather than to aid Nasr. They had even taken to living at the newly constructed palace in the lap of luxury. It was easy to see why Nasr's military vessels had been attacked by Blue Rogues lately. Most of the gold obtained from these raids had been given back to the people that it was taken from, except for what was needed for them of course. If only the citizens of Nasr could see what the council was doing. Of course they said they were working to elect a new Nasultan even though they had no intention of making that happen any time soon. At least not until it worked in their favour.

They could try to seize her ship and arrest her crew for the attacks on their vessels but that would only lead to the truth coming out. In the peoples eyes the Blue Rogues had done nothing but good for them. How would the council explain how their private ships, stocked full of gold that had been practicly stolen from the people and intended for their own private coffers, had been pillaged and most the gold given back to the people.

She had no love for these people and wished that she didn't have to ask for their help. However, even though that was the case, she had to talk with them. Nasr needed to be made aware of the danger. If it came to an all out war, which it seemed very likely it would, then Nasr's military vessels would be needed to aid them. Surely they could understand the risks to the people, not only here, but the rest of the world as well. Surely they could make the right decision and pledge to aid them. Couldn't they? She hoped they would. She'd need to get an audiance with the council to find, and since the council had no intention of talking to the Blue Rogues, is up to her to get to them.

Breaking into the palace was no easy matter. The trick would be getting past the front line of guards without getting seen. Once they were inside the palace the rest would be a simple matter of finding which room the council would be in as there was very few guards inside the palace.

Nicole had spent some time during the night in the local tavern, where she had made use of both her looks and her charm to flirt with one of the palace guards who was off duty. She had more talents than just being a good navigator which Clara was slowly finding out. After getting the guard intoxicated on the local loqua he had been more than happy to part with information regarding the layout of the palace, and the activities of the council.

He had told her that every night at nine, the council would gather together in the, aptly named, Council Chamber to discus plans for Nasr. It would be this time when the Rogues would make their move, confronting all the council members at the same time.

The second day came. Both Clara and her crew had busied themselves with thinking up a plan to get into the palace. The day had quickly faded to night and nine o'clock had approached fast.

Clara lay down on the roof of the building over looking the vast gardens, ponds and elaborate fountains of the Nasultan palace. She had discarded her usual dress for the simple shorts and shirt that the rest of crew would usually work in. She could move quicker without a dress to get in the way. Nicole lay at her side wearing that usual smile that always seemed to grace her beautiful features.

Clara smiled and chuckled to herself after seeing the enthusiastic look on her navigators face. She turned and looked towards the spot where her chief gunner would be. Belle had been somewhat disappointed that she wouldn't be joining the two in the raid, as had the rest of the crew. They had argued that she needed someone else to go with her in order to watch her back. In truth she had wanted to get into the palace by herself without risking any of her crew, but Nicole had stated, somewhat firmly, that she was going in whether she was ordered to or not. Belle had begun pouting after Clara had agreed to bring Nicole along, and so Belle had been given the task of signalling them when it was clear for them to jump down into the gardens.

A small candle flame flickered for a second upon a shadowed spot on the top of another building, high up on the other side of the main square. Belle's signal that everything was clear. As the light disappeared the two made the their move.

The large wall that circled the palace was in easy reach from this spot, needing only a small leap. Clara jumped across the small gap between the building and the wall and landed without fault on the wall. She was followed quickly by, a still smiling, Nicole. Together the two hopped from the wall and landed on the soft garden below.

They could see no guards anywhere at the moment, but that could change in an instant. There whole plan relied on them getting into the Council Chambers without being seen. They crept stealthily across the gardens, keeping low, they were just two shadows in the darkness.

Two guards appeared in front of them. The two air pirates leapt quickly behind the cover of a large statue of some tall man riding a Dhabu. The guards passed them by quickly, muttering and laughing to themselves, oblivious to the two air pirates.

Clara realised she had been holding her breath and let it out slowly. That had been to close.

Slowly they crept around the statue and approached the ponds, the sound of water splashing down from fountains almost invisible in the darkness, blended in with the chirping of night insects. They crawled along the raised edges of the ponds so as not to be seen and then sprinted over to the cover of some bushes at the far end.

The palace was close now, just a few more meters and they would be there.

"I'm telling you I saw something here," came a male voice in the night.

Clara's heart froze in her chest, they had been spotted. She and Nicole sunk deeper into the bushes, and lay to floor to try and hide themselves. A pair of booted feet stopped just two inches from her face.

"What was it saw?" came another voice in a sarcastic tone. "A ghost perhaps."

"It was here," said the first voice.

"One of these days Karsam that over active imagination of yours is going to land you in a lot of trouble."

"But it was..."

"Do you see anything here?" asked the second voice.

"No but..."

"Then quit wasting my time." The sound of booted feet could be heard as the second guard walked off. The first guard however still stood by Clara's nose. Finally after what seemed like an eternity to Clara, the first guard grunted and walked off.

Clara looked to Nicole and saw her face looking tense, the smile gone. Sweet beaded her friends brow. Nicole turned to Clara wiped her brow and smiled once more. We're not beaten yet, she was saying. Clara nodded and slowly, silently, stood up, and looked around for guards. Seeing none, she pointed to the palace walls just twenty meters away from them. The two walked over and studied the area.

They had mapped their point of entry clearly during the day. Large vines clung to this section of the palace and climbed all the way up to a balcony. It was this balcony were they would enter.

Clara pulled on the vines to check if they would hold there weight. Satisfied, they began to climb up towards the balcony. The vines were strong and gripped the wall as if they were part of it. Her hand reached to the top and gripped the marble balustrade that ran the length of the balcony. She hauled herself up and over and turned to see how her Navigator was doing.

Nicole gripped the balustrade and attempted to haul herself up. Before she managed to get a firm hold, the vine that was supporting her weight lost its grip upon the wall. Her hands lost their flimsy hold and sent her tumbling down to the floor, fifty meters below.

Clara reacted instinctively upon hearing the vine break below. She reached down as Nicole fell, just managing to grasp Nicole's hand on the last possible moment. The sudden increase in weight almost barrelled Clara over the marble balustrade herself, only her sure grip on the railing saved her.

"Hang on!" called Clara.

"It's not like I have much of a choice Captain."

Slowly Clara reached down with her other hand, and hauled her up and over the balustrade. Nicole collapsed to the floor, panting and out of breath. Clara to sat down and leaned up against the balcony railing.

"Are you okay?" asked Clara concerned.

"Yes. Thank you Captain." answered Nicole. Her smile beamed onto her face larger than usual "That was so exciting."

Clara laughed. "You've been spending to much time with Belle."

Nicole laughed to, pushing an auburn lock of hair back over her shoulder. "Your probably right Captain."

"Come on Nicole," Clara rose up "lets get this over with. I'm not relishing the thought of having to ask for the help if those leaches." She extended her hand for Nicole and hauled her to her feet.

"Aye Captain."

The door of the balcony was locked as expected, however Clara had learnt a few tricks in her life as a Blue Rogue. One of those was picking locks. It was Gilder who had shown her all those years ago.

She took out a small piece of wire and inserted into the lock. The mechanism was easy enough find and wrench open. The small task completed, she pushed on the door which swung silently inwards into a large guest room.

This room, like all rooms of the palace, was lavishly furnished, however the darkness prevented them from seeing anything other than the giant bed with a white silk curtain draped around it which sat in the centre. Thankfully the room wasn't occupied.

They crept silently to the door, opened it cautiously, and peered out. A large corridor stretched away to either side. Oil lanterns were placed on points along the wall, casting their eerie red glow. Shadows flickered along the walls with the lantern flame. A lone guard stood down the corridor.

They closed the door and turned to each other.

"So just where is the Council Chamber Nicole?" asked Clara.

"I don't know, the guard just said it was on this level. He was to drunk to give me directions."

"Great," she took out a small mechanical watch from her pocket a flicked it open. "Nine forty. The council will be finishing up soon."

"I think we need a guide," said Nicole.

It was the start of another long and boring night for Haroun. He hated the night shift. Why did he have to get relegated to the night shift? The Chief didn't like him, that was the reason. Ever since he had bested him in the training grounds in front of his men he'd had it for him.

All he wanted to do right now was crawl into bed with his wife. He hardly ever got to see his wife and daughter now. Thanks to the night shift he would usually end up sleeping the day away. He could still remember that little disappointed look his six year old daughter had given him when he said he wouldn't be able to read her, her bed time story. That look alone broke his heart.

One good thing came from working at this time of night though. He'd been able to overhear some of the conversations that took place between the council members. These people weren't what the people thought them to be. They were corrupt, making money for themselves from the sweat of the citizens. Sure he didn't have any proof, but what he heard from those small snippets of conversation was enough for him.

He used to proud of Nasr but now it was nothing. He had served the last Nasultan for ten years before he was killed in the attack from the Armada. Thankfully he, his wife and daughter had survived the attack. He'd stayed on as one of the Royal Guard even though there was no royalty to serve now. Instead they helped organise the re-building. When the council had been elected the Royal Guard was used to serve them. Everything had been fine for the first year but eventually power got the better of them. As the old saying goes absolute power corrupts absolutely. Now they were driven only by how to obtain as much gold as possible.

He and his wife had both agreed that they would leave Nasr. As soon as an opportunity became available. He wasn't sure about what he would once they had got out though. Perhaps he would be become a merchant, although a merchant life had never really appealed to him. Or maybe an air pirate. The thought of joining up with the Blue Rogues appealed to him; he would still be doing something to help Nasr. He'd no doubt that one of the captains would welcome someone of his experience. Maybe he'd even be able to serve with the great Captain Vyse himself.

He had been onboard a ship that had been attacked by air pirates. The gold on board had been intended straight for the coffers of the council so he wasn't sorry to see it go. It was common knowledge amongst the Royal Guard that air pirates were giving away a lot of gold to the people of Nasr, the gold robbed straight from the Councils ships no doubt. Nobody dared to speak of it of course. One of his most valued friends had threatened to reveal the truth of the councils actions, the Guard had found him dead the next night, his throat slit. His wife was found hanged in their house, suicide they said. He didn't believe that of course. Haroun didn't fear for his own life, her feared for lives of his wife and daughter. For them he would continue to do his job diligently. The second an opportunity arose however, he, and his family, would be gone.

The sound of something hitting the wall over to his right caught his attention. He turned and walked over to the place where the sound came from. An object glittered in the lamp light and he bent down to pick it up. It was a women’s ring, small and slender. A tiny crystal shined bright in the light.

He looked behind him and noticed a door slightly ajar. Wasn't this room supposed to be empty. Slowly he approached the room, taking out his sword at his side. With his left hand he cautiously opened the door and stepped into the empty room.

Before he had time to act he was thrust down to floor by someone from behind. Someone pinned his arms to his back, holding them in place with their knee and their weight. He struggled to try and break out of the hold briefly until a small knife appeared by his neck.

"I wouldn't try to move if I was you sir," came a female voice sounding quite pleasant despite the situation.

"I'm terribly sorry for this sir," came another women’s voice, her voice apologetic. "I promise you that you won't be hurt, that's not our way. Let me introduce myself, I am Captain Clara of the Primrose, this women holding you down is my Navigator Nicole. Nicole remove the knife please."

The knife was removed from his neck but the women still kept him pinned down. He looked around for this Captain Clara but only could see up to her waist. "Captain Clara?" he'd heard the name before, "You two are air pirates right?" he asked, wanting to confirm what he already knew.

"We prefer to be called Blue Rogues, but yes, you are correct."

"What do you want?"

"We want you to take us to the Council Chamber."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll be tied up, gagged, and left where someone can find you tomorrow morning."

"What are you planning on doing to the council once you see them?"

"We only want to talk. There's another war brewing and Nasr should be told. Also we need to ask for their help. Unfortunately the council refused to speak with us so we've had to resort to... other means."

"Just to talk. Pity."

Clara knelt down to see his bearded face, a small scar ran across his forhead. "What makes you say that?" she asked him.

"Surly you air pi... Blue Rogues already know how corrupt the council is. You wouldn't be attacking their ships otherwise right?"

"indeed," she said "we're fully aware of the council's failings however there's nothing we can do about that at the moment. As much as it disgusts me, we need their help." She lay down so she was eye level with the guard. "Will you help us?"

Haroun paused considering, finally he said, "I'll help you on one condition."

"Which is?"

"You agree to take me, my wife and my daughter with you, out of this city. We've been planning on leaving for a while now, this is just the chance we need."

During the conversation Clara had been watching the guards facial expressions very carefully. Watching for the slightest hint that he was lying to her. The guard appeared sincere. Satisifed she stood up and turned to her Navigator. "Let him up Nicole."

Haroun felt the pressure lift off him and he hauled himself to his feet. He turned around and faced the dazzling smile of Nicole. Despite her young age Haroun had no doubt in his mind that she had already broken many a man's heart. He turned back to face Captain Clara.

"So Captain," he asked "what's you answer?"

"We cannot waste any time once we finish here. We need to leave for Esperanza straight after."

"We can be ready to go in ten minutes," he said.

Clara nodded. "Okay then, we will take you and your family with us." She held her hand which Haroun shook sealing their agreement.

"The Council Chamber is guarded by two people. I can get you past them and into the chamber if I have my sword back. They'll think that your my prisoner caught during the night."

Clara nodded to Nicole, who held the guards sword. She handed it back to him hilt first.

He led them out of the room, showing them the way down the winding corridor to Council Chamber. Clara was well aware of the vulnerable position the guard had them in. He could chose to double cross them easily and there would be nothing that she would be able to do about it. However she knew that the guard wouldn't do that. She had looked into his eyes and seen the seen the truth in his words.

The corridors wound through the palace like a maze, however the guard turned down other corridors, leading left then right, without pausing. After just two minutes they arrived outside the Council Chamber.

The two large guards studied the three closely as they approached. Their swords were held ready in their hands incase Clara or Nicole tried anything.

"Who are these Haroun?" asked the guard on the left with a deep voice.

"Prisoners," he answered "I caught them trying to steal from the palace. The Chief told me take them to the council."

With the Chief's name mentioned the guards eyes widened. None of the guards wanted to disobey the chief. He could make the rest of their service hell. The guard on the left knocked on the door and awaited conformation from inside that he could enter. Hearing a muffled sound from inside he stepped through, then came out again several moments later and ushered the three through the door.

"Just why the hell did you have to bring that along with us!?" demanded an irate Aika.

"Well you two seemed to be getting on so well," remarked Vyse sarcastically.

Aika said nothing, only gave him look that could scare off the most vicious of predators.

Vyse and Aika were currently outside the side the ship waiting for Vigoro to get... whatever it was he was getting. Cupil hovered next to the two quietly listening to the two argue. Vyse had expected this outburst from Aika, he was surprised he hadn't had Aika's wrath already.

"What have got against him anyway?" he asked.

"Well I do seem to recall him trying to kill us some years back."

"That’s all in the past," he said waving his arm for emphasise. "We're all on the same side now. If Enrique trusts him, then so do I."

"That doesn't mean has to come with us!" she spat back.

"Enrique left him with us for this purpose, and besides, we need him."

"The day we need him is the day I..."

"Somethin' wrong Red?" came a deep voice from behind her, interrupting her argument.

She turned around to face the large figure that had come up behind her. Vigoro stood, looking confidant as always, the trademark grin in place. Over his right shoulder, held on by a strap, he carried the object he had gone to get, a large weapon of some sort. Hanging down from his right shoulder to his waist and around his back was a piece of leather that held several dark cylinders of some sort which she guessed must be the ammunition for the weapon.

"Just what the hell have you got there?" she asked.

Vigoro held up the weapon and placed it on his shoulder. "Rocket launcher," he said giving her a quick wink.

Aika turned around and stormed of down the long silver pathway. Cupil gave Vyse an apologetic squeak and followed after her. She stopped part way down and turned around noting that Vyse and Vigoro hadn't followed.

"Are you two coming or you gonna stand there all day!?" she yelled down to them. Vigoro laughed and started after her. Vyse sighing to himself started after behind them.

The pathway seemed to stretch for miles in either in direction. There hadn't been any sign of doorway, or corridor, or pathway, or something that veered of deeper into the continent. They past hundreds of the strange ships held in place by the silver tentacles that were a part of the wall.

Along the way Vigoro continued to prod Aika into loosing her temper, he seemed to get some kind of pleasure from her yelling at him for some weird reason which Vyse didn't want to know. Vyse tried to ignore the two by concentrating instead on their surroundings. Cupil had rejoined him after hearing enough the two behind him.

Finally after an hour of walking they came to a doorway of some kind. It wasn't so much of a door, it looked more like an large alcove built into the wall, but it was the only feature they had seen in the wall other than the tentacles. As Vyse approached, the wall rippled and then split apart at its centre showing a pathway leading into the continent.

Finally, thought Vyse stepping through. Aika and Vigoro were right behind.

They found themselves standing on a raised bridge. Vyse looked down from the side and saw several large red crystals of some type below them that pulsed in a steady rhythm. A series of red lines that resembled the veins in a leaf came out from the crystals and ran along the floor, walls, and ceiling. At each pulse of the crystal the veins themselves would get brighter then darker in time with the pulses.

"Amazing," came Aika's awestruck voice.

"Come on," said Vyse standing up. "Lets see where this bridge takes us."

The repairs on the Delphinus and been completed quickly. It was only the hull that might present a problem. The tentacle had damaged it pretty bad. Thankfully the hull hadn't breached, however there was several small fractures that would need patching up before they were going to be able to attempt going outside again.

Ray would have rather of been organising the repairs rather than sitting in the captains chair, but Vyse had put him in command for now. Besides, who knows what that this place will do next, he thought The walls themselves are alive.

The young Ixa'Takan boy, Comar entered the bridge and approached him. Comar had wanted to be an engineer since he came aboard. It was almost unknown for anyone from Ixa’Taka to have engineering skills, especially since the culture shuns any type of technology. This boy however, was incredibly intrigued by it all and so had come here to learn what he could.

Ray had been more than happy to teach him what he needed to know, the kid was a fast learner. In his spare time he would study schematics of the ships engines and various other systems and as such, was quickly becoming a very competent engineer. If he kept this up, in another six months time he would have surpassed the skills of most of his engineering team.

"Sir," said Comar in his strange accent. "We've completed the repairs on the hull. The ship's ready to go whenever the captain comes back."

"Already? Thanks kid, why don't you tell the rest to take it easy for a while. At least until..."

He was interrupted as the wall in front of them came alive. Ripples ran across its surface in waves, like a stone thrust into a pond.

"What the hell," he said walking over to the window.

The ripples were originating from the other end of the shipyard. From far across the other side he could see two of the tentacles grow from the wall. They snaked across the shipyard then veered left towards a large opening to the outside. The crushing pressures of deep sky were held back however, by a translucent green barrier that spread across the opening.

The silver tentacles punched through the barrier as if there was nothing there but air, the barriar flared up around the tenticles as they continued on their way outside. After several moments the tenticles seesed growing from the wall and instead began to receade back in. It came back through the barriar, carrying with it some kind of object which it then deposited in the shipyard before fusing back into the wall. The object it had deposited was to far to see with the eye.

"What's it dropped!?" he demanded. Nobody had an answer for him, there was no lookout on duty to supply one.

"I need a telescope," he said. The navigator handed him one from a draw in the oak table. He extended it and peered towards the distant object. A black blur appeared in front of him. Slowly he focused on the object, revealing a large sleek looking black ship. A blood red star on the side of the hull gleamed menacingly at him.

"Get everyone back to their stations," he said to the tall man at communications. "We've got company."

Clara stared at the six people in front of her sitting around the circular table. A large women in her forties sat at the head of the table, her hair short and grey, the eyes hard. On her left sat a middle aged man whose lips were curled into a constant snarl, his hair was thin in the middle stages of baldness. Another man sat on the opposite side, his shoulders slumped, he regarded Clara with a look of annoyance. The other three had their faces hidden by a veil, only their eyes showed, hard and piercing. The six were bent close to each other, discussing in hushed voices about what Clara had just said to them.

The council was clearly annoyed with the Blue Rogues intrusion upon their meeting. Or maybe they were annoyed more at how Nicole had to force them to shut up and listen at knife point. Whatever the case, they constantly lifted their heads to glance at them, looks of anger, and Clara noted, hatred crossed their features. The ones whose face she could see anyway.

Finally the group leaned away from each other and faced the two air pirates. Clara could feel Nicole tense up behind her.

"We thank you for bringing us this news," said the women at the head of the table in voice that implied the complete opposite.

"However," spoke one of the veiled people "we cannot offer assistance."

"You've got to be joking!" exclaimed Nicole stepping forward.

"Surly you can see this enemy is threat to all of us," spoke Clara in a voice as calm as she could make it.

"What we have heard so far is bunch wild stories created by you rogues!" the name was spoken in scorn.

"I assure you these aren’t stories."

"We are to trust the words of bandits."

"Bandits!?" Clara prided her self on being able to keep a cool head in any circumstances. She would rarely lose her temper to anyone. These people however, had just pushed her to her limit. Not only had they, by their own ignorance and greed, made a fight against the cult a hell of a lot harder, near impossible to win, but they had also insulted her, her crew, and everyone of the Blue Rogues.

She grabbed Nicole's knife from her, stormed over to the table, and using all her force, thrust the knife into the solid wooden table. Only the handle showed, the blade having been completely thrust through.

"Now you listen me! If I hear another insult like that I swear it won't be the table I thrust this knife through! This world is on the brink of another war and we lack the ships to win it! Only with the combined forces of everyone will we stand a chance! Even as stupid as you lot are you must see that!"

The women at the head of the table stood up, and struck the table with the palms of her hands, her expression one of both anger and hatred.

"You listen to me now Rouge! What we chose to do is of no concern of yours! What this so called attack, which you claim may happen is, is merely a trick! You have been attacking our ships for years and now you come asking for help?! We are not complete idiots!"

"Evidently you are!" yelled Nicole who had come to stand, once again, beside her captain.

"I advice that you leave here now. Leave and pray that we never see you, or your kind, in our airspace again. If we see you, your crew, or your ship again, we'll have the lot of you executed." She glanced down at the knife protruding from the table, "I'm sure, now that we have evidence that you came here to attack us, that the people of Nasr will not care about your bribes. Guard!"

The door behind Clara opened and Haroun stepped through, presenting the council with a bow as was proper courtesy.

"Escort these two back to their ship, see that they leave, immediately."

Clara said nothing. She gave the women a look of disgust and straightened up, turned around, and walked out of the chamber, Nicole following slightly behind her.

Haroun lead them back a different way, through several more corridors. Clara never bothered to check where they went, her mind still sorting through what had happened with the council. Before she realized it, they were descending down a large staircase covered by a thick red carpet. The staircase winded around a large statue which depicted four people holding their hands high. In their hands they held the red moon.

The ancient legends of the world were always one of Clara's favourite subjects when she was younger. She could remember when she was a small girl, her mother and father would read her stories of the old legends every night before she went to bed. Her mother and father had both been air pirates, had both been captains of their own ships in fact, but had given up life in the air once they had married. Most of their free time they devoted to her, as such she was swiftly educated and could read, in its entirety, the large leather bound books that contained the legends she so enjoyed to hear about by the age of six. It was this hunger for knowledge that had first lead to her becoming an air pirate. What better way to discover the old legends than to find and visit the ancient sights that they spoke of. Of course, five years after she had met Gilder, and her life had been forever changed.

She studied the statue as they descended. Losing her self in the old legends enabled her to free her mind from the confrontation that had occurred just minutes ago. It was from an old Nasr legend, one of the oldest in fact. The people of Nasr had once believed their were four gods, two were of light, the other of darkness, as one cannot exist without the other. The gods were named by what they represent; Creation, Love, Destruction, and Hate. Creation formed the world of Arcadia, Destruction created the great upheaval that formed mountains and lifted the continuants into the sky. Life quickly evolved on the planet that had been born, but it lacked feeling. Love and Hate gave to the life of the planet thought and emotion. As a final act of power, the gods combined their powers and created the red moon above them, so that the people would always know who had created them. The people gave blessings to the moon, and it was considered good luck to begin a journey out on a full moon.

Nobody no longer believe in this legend of course, but it was still a part of Nasr culture. It was still believed that travelling on a full moon would bring good fortune on the journey. This led to the phrase may the red moon light your way which is nearly always said when departing company as a way to bless the journey.

Clara ended her short trip through the old legend when she realized she stood outside the gates of the palace, looking down to the central square. She turned around to face Haroun.

"If you still wish to journey with us," she said, "I suggest you be quick."

"I will Captain," he said.

Turning around to face her navigator she said, "Nicole go with him. When he and his family is ready bring him to the ship."

Nicole was just about to reply as an enthusiastic Belle bounded up the stone steps towards them. "Captain," she called panting, "are you okay huff, how did it go, who's..."

"Why don't you go with Nicole, Belle," said Clara interrupting, "she'll fill you in on what happened."

Nicole faced her captain with a determined look on her face, which looked somewhat strange with the same smile that graced her features. "Perhaps Captain," she said, "someone should go with you. Maybe me or..."

"Thanks for your concern Nicole but I'll be okay. Their not stupid enough to try anything yet. I'll get the ship ready and we'll leave as soon as you and our guests are on board." She turned of and walked away without hearing the confused reply from her gunner.

In truth she wanted to spend the short time it would take walking back to the Primrose to try and sort through her thoughts of the recent event. She scolded herself for loosing her temper in front of the council, but doing so had told her something about them. They wanted the Blue Rogues out of Nasr fast, and it had nothing to do with attacking their ships. She had another one of those feelings again and she couldn't ignore it. The council was hiding something from her. They had been to quick to throw the claims of the cult back in her face, called them tricks. Even they couldn't be so blind as to completely ignore the warnings, to refuse to offer help.

She groaned to herself, that felling was only getting worse.

Nicole and Belle were led a short distance to the buildings that housed the royal guard and their families. The royal guard were housed very near the palace. In fact the buildings surrounded that palace walls. This was done to provide rapid action if the guard was needed in an emergency. The guards who also had families were given two story buildings that reached up to the top of the palace walls. The single guards were forced into single story rooms that were still larger than any other dwellings except for those that housed the rich people. All of the buildings were made of white stone to reflect as much light and heat as possible and cool the interior.

The three entered into one of the two story buildings - Nicole wasn't sure which, they all looked the same. The place was dark, Nicole couldn't see her hand in front of her face. She heard a shuffling in the room and suddenly light, dim and flickering from an old oil lamp, lit the room. Haroun used the flame of the lamp to light another that was held on the wall. When he finished he turned to them.

"Wait here, I'll get my wife and daughter," he told them before disappearing up a stone staircase on the left.

Nicole looked around at the room which they had entered. All the walls and the ceiling were the same white stone as outside. The floor was decorated with a mosaic of different coloured tiles placed in a random pattern that looked pleasing to the eye. The place was sparsely furnished. An old square, dark, wooden table, surrounded by six chairs sat at one end of the room. A portrait showing three people, hung on the wall. One of the people she had already met, Haroun, the other two were of a middle aged women holding a young girl. The wife and daughter that Haroun spoke of she assumed. At the end of the room by the table was an arch, cut into the stone, that led into another room. Next to the arch, held in a large pot, stood a small tree that stretched to the ceiling. It was a hargest tree in full bloom. At every lunar cycle the hargest tree would flower and give of a sweet scent that would fill the building. The only place the hargest tree grew was in Nasrad and the deserts around it, it was also one of only a few trees that grew in the desert, and the only tree that would flower. The flowers that grew on the tree were crushed and bottled up and sold as perfume for a high price on the other continents.

Nicole walked up to the tree and breathed in the sweet fragrance. Its flower was a spectrum of reds, blues and yellows which seemed to burst out of its trunk, and amongst the thick green leaves, giving the entire tree a multi-coloured look that blended well with the mosaic on the floor.

Belle to had decided to breath in the scent of the hargest true, completely forgetting her hay fever. Her face screwed up shortly before delivering the first of many sneezes.

"Nicole have you... yo... achoo, got a... a... achoo, got a...." she attempted to say in vain.

Nicole couldn't stop her self from laughing at seeing her friend in sneezing fit.

"Hey, this isn't funny. I can't... can't... ca... achoo, help it!"

"Hehe, I'm sorry Belle," she said chuckling. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a handkerchief which she handed to her runny nosed companion.

"Thank yo... yo... y... achoo, you."

"Don't mention it."

Belle attempted to hand the used handkerchief back but Nicole politely refused after seeing the mess it was now in. She told her she keep it.

"Who are you?" came a small quiet voice behind them.

She turned around to the source of the voice and found a small girl standing by the stone staircase. She looked to be the same girl on the painting but was a few years older, about five maybe six years old, Nicole guessed. She had jet black hair which dangled loosely to her shoulders, two soft brown eyes regarded her. In her arms she clutched a small stuffed animal.

"Hello there," said Nicole, her voice friendly, her smile beaming. She walked slowly over to the small girl who was standing by the steeps, nervously, watching her approach. When she was close enough she knelt down so that she was eye level with the child. "I'm Nicole, and this," she said indicating her sniffling friend, "is Belle. What's your name?"

"Cara," she answered, then lifted up the stuffed toy, a Dhabu, to show Nicole, "and he's Tremor," then she moved closer to Nicole and whispered softly in her ear "he's a little scared of strangers."

"It's a pleasure to meet you two"

"Are you two the blue pirates Daddy said was going to take us sailing?" she asked shyly.

"Yes," answered Nicole, "we're going to take you all a little trip."

"On a ship?" she asked hopefully, her eyes beaming.

"You bet."

A woman came down the steps with Haroun following closely behind, carrying a large bag over his shoulder. The woman had the same shoulder length black hair as her daughter but her eyes were blue, a colour almost unheard in the people of Nasr. Also her skin seemed lighter than the Nasr people, whose skin tone was usually a healthy bronze, although it was difficult to tell in the flickering torch light. She was probably not native to Nasr.

The child ran up to the women who lent down to pick her up. "Mommy did you hear that?" spoke Cara enthusiastically. We're going to go on a ship."

"Yes," she said, her voice sounded wistful. "I heard." She turned and faced the two air pirates. "You two young ladies have my thanks for bringing us with you, but it is still sad to leave our home after so long."

She hugged the child close for a moment before placing her back down the floor. Haroun went to her and clasped her hand in his. "There is nothing left here for us my love."

Nicole felt for the two, it was obvious the decision to leave had not come easily. She knew how hard it was to leave a home you loved, no matter how run down it was. It had been that way with her when she had made the decision to leave her home. She had told nobody what her life was like before joining up with Captain Clara and her crew. Her life had been hard, but she would always great each new day with a smile on her face. She was thankful for what little she had, friends she could depend on and a loving family, at the end of the day these were the most important things in life. And so it was with a heavy heart that she had left her home, her friends and her family, with a dream to make her mark on the world. To make things better for the people less fortunate. It was the Blue Rogues that had been able to make that dream a possible realty.

"Nicole?" asked Belle.

"Huh?" she asked confused, she had completely missed whatever it was that had been said. She looked around and noticed all the eyes in the room where on her.

"I said we better be leaving."

"Yes, right. The Captain will be wondering where we are soon," she said heading through the door way.

The small girl, Cara, caught up to her and gripped her hand. Belle came after followed by Haroun and his wife, hand in hand, the large bag almost dragging on the floor behind him. Nicole turned around to wait for the couple as they cast a last wistful glance at their home.

Vyse, Aika and Vigoro walked through maze of small corridors and amazingly large rooms. They had lost all track of time on the trek through the seemingly never ending Silvite continent.

One of the rooms had caught them completely by surprise. They passed through a doorway into a room that had not yet been constructed, but was about to be. Before they had a chance to see where they were the floor gave beneath them. They tumbled down to land on the strange silver liquid. Ripples flew from where they had landed, across the floor, up the walls, and coalesced on the ceiling.

Nothing of the room was solid and Vyse was sure they would all fall through the floor. The silver liquid supported them however, it seemed to have the consistency of gelatine. The surface, the walls, the whole room rippled in small waves. Larger waves were created by them every time they moved, rippling across the surface, coalescing with other waves, and creating dazzling displays across the surface.

And then, suddenly, the floor became solid beneath them. The solidifying effect continued to spread from them out to the rest of room. Patterns spread across the floor, vibrant colours sprung out of the silver liquid, like a flower blooming in rapid motion. The same patterns that they had seen throughout the Silvite continent. The solidifying effect continued up the walls. The strange red veins that they had seen stretched themselves along the walls and almost instantly began to pulse with energy. Finally the ceiling to, solidified, the red veins continuing along.

One the round room had formed the strange event did not stop. The liquid again came to life in the centre of the room. Both the floor and the ceiling came alive and two tentacles came out to grasp each other. They mingled together, became one, and formed a strange structure. It was cylindrical, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Strange markings appeared on its surface. Once the structure had finished forming a strange humming sound started up from inside it. The strange veins of energy pulsed as they entered the structure from the top, but the veins that left the structure from the bottom didn't pulse at all. They instead glowed a constant bright red which trailed across the floor, leaving via a doorway which had sprung up at the other end of the room.

This wasn't the only example of the strange, self repairing technology they had seen on Soltis. They had witnessed strange devises spring up on walls and shoot out from floors, whole rooms had suddenly changed colour and some had even changed shape. It appeared that every Silvite structure was made out of this strange liquid. The whole place seemed to be one giant Cupil.

After several hours of wondering around in the strange maze that was Soltis, they emerged on a pathway. The red energy coursed along the floor like blood in an artery. The pathway lead in a straight line on the surface of Soltis. A transparent convex roof stretched from one side of the pathway to the other, completely shutting them away from the crushing pressure outside. Lightning still crackled violently outside but the sound of thunder could not make it make past the glass like roof. For each crack of thunder they could see the dark clouds above them, churning violently. What got their attention, however, was the other thing the lightning revealed. Directly in front of them, stretching up towards the clouds, was the vast tower that stood in the centre of Soltis. The strange liquid could be seen at the summit of the tower. Small waves could be seen rippling across its surface being churned up by the winds outside.

There was no doubt in Vyse's mind, the Island was repairing itself. The great tower was being re-constructed to stand exactly as it had before it had been destroyed. Everything destroyed on the continent was being re-made.

Something good had come from the site of the tower at least, Aika and Vigoro were no longer arguing with each other.

"Come on," said Vyse startling the two out of their Reverie, "lets go."

They started forward down the path which seemed to lead directly into the tower in the distance. It took nearly half hour to make it down the path. Along the way nobody made a sound.

They reached the end of the path and stood at a wall, the foot of the tower. There appeared to be no way inside, just a wall with several strange markings on. The veins of energy continued to run up the wall towards the summit of the tower.

"Now what?" asked Vigoro in exasperation, "we come all the way here for a dead end."

"We must be able to get here somehow," came Aika.

"I've got an idea. How about I blast it with this." Vigoro hefted the rocket launcher onto his shoulders and pointed it at the wall.

"Yeah right. I'm sure that will work," said Aika, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Will you two shut up!" exclaimed Vyse turning to face them both. "I've been listening to you two for the past several hours. Aika, you don't like him, fine. But for now you need to put all that aside and work together." Virago’s grin turned into and a victorious smile. "And the same goes for you!" snapped Vyse, indicated Vigoro with his finger, "stop pushing her." "Now," he said turning back to the wall, "help me get in here."

"How?" asked Aika.

"Here," said Vyse. He raised his right hand to one of the patterns on wall. "With this," he started to trace one of the symbols on the wall with his finger, starting at the centre and working around a small anti-clockwise spiral, moving up slightly then into clockwise spiral. His finger stopped then, completing the symbol.

"What's so special about that?" asked Vigoro.

"It's ancient Silvite writing. It means entrance."

"Since when have you been able to read Silvite writing?" asked Aika.

"I teach Fina a few things, she teaches me a few things. There's only a few simple symbols I understand. This is one of them." His finger traced the symbol again.

"We'll how does that symbol help us?"

Vyse pushed on the symbol. It moved slightly but then stopped. He turned and shrugged.

"Great," she said sarcastically.

"Hey," called Vigoro who was standing by some more symbols on the opposite side. "Here it is again, the same symbol."

"Push on it when I say," Vyse told him. The both placed their hand on the symbols. "After three," he said. "One, two, three!"

They pushed on the symbols, this time instead of stopping they continued forward and then locked into the place. The wall rippled with the same liquid motion and then separated, creating an opening into the tower.

They stepped through the entrance into a small chamber. In the centre of the chamber stood a square dais. Five steps led up to the dais. At each corner, facing into the dais stood several angular devices. Strange symbols and shapes ran across the surface of the devices, lights blinked on and off in sequence. Two large red 'veins' ran from the top of the devices into the dais.

The surface of the dais was black. Strange patterns flew across the surface in geometric shapes. These patterns were made out of the same veins that they had seen almost everywhere else in Soltis, though were tiny by comparison. The same patterns that the veins formed could be seen on the walls of the chamber as well. On the centre of the dais stood a small hexagonal platform. The platform was raised slightly from the dais and had a slight concave curve to it so that the surface was like a bowl.

Vyse and Aika knew what this place was. This platform, if it worked, would transport them to the top of the tower where, hopefully, the moon crystals would be.

The three stepped onto the platform and were suddenly surrounded by a bright orange sphere of energy that covered all three. In an instant the floor disappeared away from them as they were whisked upward at impossible speeds. The sphere of energy stopped abruptly at the top, the front vanished and they stepped out.

They were in a small room with a large door directly in front of them. The last time they had been here, the ceiling above them could not be seen as it stretched, still further, upwards. This time however, the ceiling was only a few meters from their heads. The strange liquid flowed above them resembling an inverted pond.

Vigoro stepped to the edge behind them where the sphere had come up, looked down, and whistled. "That's a long way down," he remarked."

Aika satisfied herself with the mental image of seeing Vigoro fall down to the surface far below and laughed to herself.

"They should be in there," said Vyse stepping forward. The door in front of him opened and he stepped through, Cupil at his side, into the small passageway and the large chamber beyond. Aika, and Vigoro followed behind.

This chamber was the largest place - with the exception of the shipyard - that they had entered so far. The red veins that ran through Soltis seemed to be of greater number here than anywhere else. They stretched almost anywhere there was space, snaking across the floor and walls.

At the centre of the chamber stood six raised stands positioned in a circular formation around the room. At the top of five of the stands floated the objects they came to find, the five Moon Crystals, each radiating their own light about the chamber. The final stand, the stand that would of contained of the silver Moon Crystal stood empty. The silver Moon Crystal, they knew, was already in the hands, or rather the body, of their enemy.

Cupil gave a squeak and started towards the blue Moon Crystal.

"YAY!" exclaimed Aika "Vyse we found them!"

"Yeah. Now all we gotta do is get back to the Delphinus and make sure Ram... Zelos doesn't get them."

"That might be a little harder to accomplish than you realise Rogue," came a familiar voice from behind them.

The three whirled around to face the person the voice now belonged to. Vyse whipped his cutlasses out faster than the eye could blink, Aika had her boomerang weapon out and Vigoro readied his rocket launcher.

Zelos stood at the entrance wearing Fina's body like the black cloak he wore about him. Behind him stood four of the strange black acolytes holding their black staves before them.

"The rogues and the traitor together. This is going to be fun."

"We won't let you have the crystals!" cried Vyse.

"And what are you going to do to stop me? Kill me, kill her," he sneered.

"They may not be willing to act," said Vigoro, "but I will."

"No!" shouted Vyse and Aika.

Vigoro's rocket launcher fired sending its missile forward towards its target. Zelos raised his black gloved hand, the projectile stopped in mid air just two feet from him. The missile hovered for several seconds, then fell harmlessly to the floor.

He chuckled to himself. "Fool," he said, "did you really believe that puny weapon could defeat me, a god?"

His hand still raised, he pointed it at the group and clenched in into a fist. Intense pain suddenly exploded throughout Vyse's body. He collapsed onto the floor in heap. The world before him disappeared, all that existed for him was the pain.

Zelos watched the three, with his hand outstretched, as their body's were racked by violent convulsions. The tortured screams of his three victims were like music to his ears. A sadistic smile spread across his face as he watched them struggle against it. Then just as suddenly as had happened to the three, pain hit him. His vision blurred before him and his head felt like it was about to explode. His concentration vanished and his victims were released from their torture. He was forced to concentrate instead on fighting the person who was causing his pain. After several moments the pain finally lessened to the same dull pounding he had gotten used to.

"You can't fight me forever Silvite," he said to himself.

A voice inside him answered, yes I can.

Authors comments

Wow, that chapter was a little longer than I originally intended. I'm afraid I got a little carried away.

On the next chapter, one of the characters does something totally unexpected, and Gilder arrives at Yafutoma just in time for a not so natural, natural disaster (okay that didn't make much sense did it).