Everyone gathered around Gwyneth in her room, as she nursed a jug of beer, with the sun rising up. "You and Vasha....had a conversation?" Miranda said confused. Gwyneth nodded, slugging back her drink. "In which, she gave you a history lesson about how you, or some past ancestor of yours helped lead a rebellion against her?" She gave a weak nod. "And when you had no recollection of such events, and let her know that there was no records of that. She proceeded to throw a tantrum, melt Pest Peak and then kill the asshole she was possessing?" Miranda asked. "That is what happened." Miranda nodded, pursing her lips to a line, before smacking Gwyneth across the head. "OW! What was that for!?" She yelled rubbing her head. "Figured, I slap the stupid out of you." "It's the truth!" "Okay, someone get me Encara. She's clearly lost her mind."
"It's too detailed to be a lie." Aerith said. "And her brain is too boring to make up something that crazy." Soel said. "Hey!" She frowned. "I think the question we should be asking at this point is. Are we thanking Vasha for saving us?" Fervias asked. The room fell silent, each of them giving each other awkward stares. "Best not to." They mumbled in agreement shrugging at each other. "So where do we go from here?" Lyn asked. "I don't know. We're at a deadlock. The only thing we can do is wait. Hope that the Fork continues to spread and destroy their foothold, and that they crumble to in fighting." Aerith said glumly. "Guess it's the only thing we can do." Miranda said. "Let's keep on our toes. Until then rest up. I think we've all earned a small break from this shit."Aerith said, with the everyone shuffling out. Gwyneth slumped over the table, touching the water ring. "Please be safe Yamada."
Gwyneth shook her head. She had forgotten the feeling of being tipsy, and quickly left to clear her head. Take a breath of fresh air, she took in the brief moment of reprieve they had gotten. However there was someone she needed to make sure was alive. Venturing down into the caverns, she could hear his muffled screams ringing out. Miranda stood over Thanatos, ramming several sewing needles through his ears, using a pin cushion as a gag. "Keep screaming! A little louder and with more tears, I might actually stop." Miranda took a candle hold it at the base of the needles. With laboured breathing he still gave her a defiant look. "Good! Don't break on me. I've waited too long for this." "Miranda." "What!?" She snapped. "I need to talk to him." "Eugh...Make it quick." She said rolling her eyes, and ripping out his gag.
Gwyneth took a seat in front of him. "I guess...I should thank you." He wheezed, spitting out a wad of blood. "Not yet. This will be brief." "Ask away." He said with a bloody smile. "Your nephew Furien is dead." "You've come with good news then." "I figured, you would be hurt, since he is one of Begron's children." Thanatos spat at her feet. "Do you know how many children we've made? After you've bred your hundredth whore, the novelty and 'miracle' of children stops." "Good to know. Who will be leading your army now that he's gone?" He shrugged. "Is that really what you want to ask me?" "Begron, has he gotten more powerful?" "Sadly as much as I hate to admit it. He did slow down, but that's not to say, he isn't more powerful than he was twenty years ago."
He cracked a smile, seeing her visibly distressed. "Don't you worry your little head. You and your little merry band of warriors and mages, could never defeat him. Others may give you a distinction of Magic Knight, but compared to him, you will always be the same girl crying over a dead man." Gwyneth leapt up tearing out the needles. He screamed, quickly grinding his teeth, with blood spurting out.
"Right now there is a young man, ready to do everything and anything, to exact revenge on Begron." He snickered through the searing pain. "That Forsaken Knight? He'll die too. Our armies march to occupy every kingdom." "He'll kill them all!" "Gwyneth." Miranda called out. "With no food, or sleep? Will he still be that same fearsome monster then?" He asked with a smug grin. She snarled at him, clenching her fist. "Who knows, maybe he'll tear through our fodder, but he'll only fall deeper into the lust of turning fully. Becoming nothing but a mindless Draken, unable to tell friend from foe. Or enemy from lover." Gwyneth let out a frustrated growl striking him across the face. His teeth scattered across the ground, and he fell limp in his restraints. She stood over him trying to compose herself. "Sorry...I'll get a Blessed for him." "Take a walk, I got it from here." She nodded taking her leave. "Don't worry about Yamada. He's not gonna let anything stop him from getting his revenge, not even death." She gave a glum nod.
Gwyneth took a seat on the Fourth Ring, overlooking the destroyed trees replaced with raging rivers. Memories of training and dancing with Yamada took over. How he stiffened every time she purposefully pressed her chest into his face. How eager he was to do his drills and training. She let out a sigh rubbing her face. Encara gently floated down beside her, still wrinkled looking middle aged, holding a large jug of wine. "You should be resting." She said. "I wanted some fresh air." He said pouring her a glass. "Why are you here?" "To enjoy the view." He said taking a swig. "And you?" "I'm on watch." He looked over shoulder to the row of Knights and Mages on the wall, with Lyn and Karina. He gave her a doubtful stare.
"I don't know what to with my free time without Yamada! There I said it!" She snapped blushing. Encara snickered. "I honestly have no idea, what to do with myself either. I want to help Bless people, regardless of my state, but every time I do-" A gust of wind whistled past them. "I get an odd shiver." "So, why are you here then?" "To look south and pray for Jacara's safety." "Think it will do any good?" "These are weird times. Forsaken Knights long thought dead still live. Yamada has a water affinity. My son fell for an Elf. Lyn has reunited with her dead mother. Vasha had a conversation with you. I don't think praying would be too farfetched." "Have you ever prayed before?" He shook his head, turning to her with a smile. "I was actually gonna ask, if you knew how to." Gwyneth giggled, with him joining in.
She took her cup, and held it into the air. "Prayers haven't done anyone any good, but I know a toast has." Encara raised his glass with her. "Yamada...where ever you are. Come back safe, and kill all those who try to harm you." "Jacara, know that I will always love you. Come back safe, and hopefully with a wife." "To their safe return." Gwyneth said. "To their safe return." Encara said clinking his cup with hers. She slugged back the wine spitting it out instantly. "Oh! What is this swill?" She said disgusted wiping her mouth. "Not sure....Monks said it would take tension off." "From killing us? Why is it so bitter?" "Because that's not a wine." Lyn said with Karina. "Then what is it?" She asked padding her tongue. "It's an aphrodisiac." Karina said blushing. Encara and Gwyneth locked eyes, before looking down at the drink. The two of them pushed the tray off the ledge. "Never speak of this again?" Encara asked. "Speak of what?" She asked staring straight ahead.
Night fell and for the first time in months. The Citadel was alive with laughter and cheers. Lyn and Axilas danced with Vexgar and Karina clapping along in crowd. Fervias and Yssac stood on watch both annoyed at hearing the festivities below them. Aerith and Cin took the opportunity of the lively hood to enjoy their time together. Soel and Skora sat peacefully atop the keep, holding hands and enjoying the lights below, with the stars twinkling above them. Encara sat in Jacara's room, looking over his many canvases. Each one wretched his heart, seeing the signatures at the bottom. A mixture of his own with Urkse's name. "Damn it Urkse..." He sighed, tucking paintings away. Miranda sat with Thanatos, freshly blessed with new pieces to tear off.
"You should be up there, enjoying your peace." He said, watching her take out a pair of scissors. "Oh, don't you worry about me. Nothing could bring me more peace, than hacking off a nice piece of you. Well...in this case, snipping a nice piece." She forced a rock into his mouth. "Remember to bite down. Men have always told me, they'd rather do this or that, than get their dick cut off. So you're gonna help me finally get a proper answer to that." She said pulling down his pants. He took deep breaths trying to calm himself. "Oh, don't think you'll bleed out any time soon." She snatched his face, turning his head to the several Blesseds around the corner. "They're gonna be right here with you. Now, let's start." She smiled seeing him wince at the cold steel touching his skin.
Gwyneth sat in the library alone, lit by single candle, with a tome of Hendrik in front of her. "You know that's not good for your eyes." Cecil said, hiding in the shadows. "I heard not sleeping, is also bad for your eyes." "Ohoho!" He snickered slithering out. "To what do I owe this visit Grand Knight Gwyneth? Or are you here to lament on the past?" She shook her head sighing. "Nothing, just wanted to remember him." "For what it's worth. I believe you were in the right to do what you did." She froze, turning back to him stunned. "You truly loved him, and you spared him from a fate, of doing something that would go against Hendrik's very nature. You stopped him from hurting the ones he loved. Thank you Lady Lockhart." "Cecil..." "I don't know if you know this, but there was a saying in Artaraxus about you." He said opening the tome, to Hendrik's picture.
"They said you butchered everyone, to use their blood to wet your eyes. That you were unable of even crying, after killing the man you supposedly love." He held the picture up showing the wrinkled spots. "But, the reality is, that you had no tears left to weep for him." He said giving her a glum smile. Her eyes watered. "Why are you telling me this now?" "Because, I know you are torn. In thinking, that falling for Yamada is wrong. That it is forgetting him." He closed the book gently. "It's not. He would have wanted you to move on. Hendrik would never stand for you being sad. Take the piece of Yamada's heart, and love him properly. He will return." She wiped her eyes. "Thank you Cecil." "Now go, and enjoy the festivities. Your beauty is ruining my whole haunted library aesthetic." He shooed her away. Gwyneth giggled through her tears.