The Belfry towered into the horizon like a sword pledging allegiance to the glorious sun. in comparison to the other buildings of the lively seaside town, it seemed like a corpse. As it was, wood covered in holes, waterlogged and rotten and reeking of death and an od of rot. The cathedral was nothing more than a hunk of wood trying its damndest to cling to what little foundation it had left. Sven stood on the outside of the large oak door. he took a step back,recoiling trying his best to pretend as though he hadn't been crying. Steeling his will Sven pushed open the door and made his way inside.
"Osbourne!"He called out. Pointing with shaking finger at an eyepatched man sitting in a pew. he had his head buried in a burned book.
"Oh howdy" Osborne the ash-blonde man raised his head and turned his attention towards Sven. "This is quite a good read" he tossed the book at Sven but it turned into a swarm of flies that buzzed past him. "So What did you wanna talk about" Osbourne spoke with a sarcastic tone reading Sven's mood like a book. he brought a cigarette to his lips before lighting it. He handed it to Sven. tossing it over his shoulder Osbourne took note.
"That's right you gave up smoking" Osbourne smirked. "Didn't stop you from Smoking Mario Gratzio though"
Sven shook and trembled with a sadness that mixed with rage.
"Please please please just rewind time or do something like that I want to see Mario again I was foolish and I stooped to his level"
"You think because I can do stuff like this" He stomped on a piece of rotten wood before it shot into the air, it suddenly transformed into a flock of doves that flew around. "That I can play god?"
"Yes!" Sven Exclaimed "Please do something" Sven dropped to his knees gripping Osbourne's collar with all his strength.
"Now as much as I like you on your knees this isn't a good look especially for my little undercover cop
"You will"
"I can't resurrect the dead or anything, I'm a con man after all" Osbourne chuckled opening his palms showing his old pack of cigarettes. In a second it disappeared into a plume of smoke. transforming into a deck of playing cards. He drew five cards before snapping his fingers it disappeared like it never existed. "So here's the thing, I'll tell you something that's hard to hear" He raised his palm and struck Sven across the face. "I want you to think about that pain when you think of Mario as your friend"
"But I..I"
"In this world,its kill or be killed think back to the information I gave you all those weeks ago. He and Devon were planning on making a philospher's stone. you would have been a casulty in their cross hairs" Osbourne stated. "Don't say such flowery bullshit 'I had to stoop to their level' grow up Sven you're a Detective death and destruction is something that just comes with the territory you moron. You let that pain fester" He folded his hand into a fist and struck Sven hard in the stomach. "You let that pain grow, and simmer inside you like a pot of boiling oil, and then one day, one day you turn the heat off, you will stop caring" Osbourne shook his head. "It will hurt, It will destroy your soul but don't let it you get stronger than the pain. You get so strong that nothing will ever break you down again!" he spoke with a strong commanding tone. Osbourne flipped the cards in his hands and one by one they transformed into cigarettes.
"Trust me hon I know a thing or two about heartbreak and loss, you remember the war right?" He asked pushing a cigarette into Sven's chest.
"Yes we were only children"
"Sven we were child soldiers, did you repress that or something we were forced to kill our own people" Osbourne said as a dark aura surrounded him. "I've killed over ten thousand men and the only scars that ache are the one's I killed as a child"
"We were only following orders"
"Who gives a shit if we were? We were still had a choice and we both chose to kill"
Sven turned his head away tears welling in his eyes.
"You've killed before, so how come all of a sudden Lt. Sven 'The Viking' Bartolv is bitching like a babe in a crib because he had to kill an evil man, Do you not feel anything for the lives you took when we were young?" The church began to sway and warp. melt and change. Like an oil painting that hadn't dried. Osbourne took a step forward and a burst of magic shot through the air like a shockwave.
"Why now do we have such a grand hypocrisy Sven?!!" Osbourne shouted, the walls of the church began to dance like flappers at a dance hall. wavy, wild and reckless like the arms of a dancer the walls seemed to be made of nothing but water.
"I don't know, It hurts my heart hurts Ozzy"
"I know" Osbourne sighed embracing Sven his arms wrapped tightly around the nordic man's waist. "I know baby" Sven buried his head in Osbourne's shoulder as he sobbed. "Let it out Sven. Let it all out, cry every last tear so you can never cry again" Osbourne gently ran his hands up Sven's back. "It hurts now, but trust me someday some damned day you will look back and feel proud for putting down a villain" Osbourne chuckled. "heh never thought I would cry since the war" Laughing as a small stream of tears ran down his cheek. His grip around Sven's waist tightened. "But you don't need to worry about the future right now. You just worry about crying and I'll do the smiling for the both of us. it's what I'm good at" Osbourne said softly whispering into Sven's ear. "I'm a con man I'm good at lying" Osbourne wiped his eye and chuckled. "Sven you're nothing special you're a man who wants to fight for justice like every damned Crusader before you but its that lack of uniqueness that makes you, You" Osbourne pushed Sven away and smiled. "If you ever need an escape from this shitty reality you can always find me here and I'll be happy to make a illusion just for you" Osbourne smiled as tears continued to run down his face. "An Illusion just for you" Osbourne sniffled. "An illusion to soothe the angry voices that linger in your head that tell you, you're not enough" Holding at his hand Osbourne chuckled. "You are worth so much moron"