NationStates Jolt Archive

Sage Cornellis sat quietly at a table in a resturaunt. It was a rather small resturaunt, but a nice place. It had a sense of a mix between British and Asian architecture, and food from all over the world. The resturaunt was called the Jewel Resturaunt and it was located in New Gregory, a city at the edge of Techon.

The Jewel* was. to be precise, located along side the bay. Overlooking the harbor of the city, which lit up at the waters edge like a cluster of stars in the dark sky. It was night, about 10:00 PM to be exact. The noises heard were that of the sea gulls, of seals out in the bay, the waves washing back and forth. Off in the distance was the sound of bells ringing everyonce in a while, the docks. Then past that was the noises from the city.

At the resturaunt, there was the inside, which was lit up by a mix of lights, and candle. Then there was a balcony/porch that went along two sides of the building, giving perfect views of the city and harbor.

Sage was inside the building, right beside a window that looked out past the balcony. He was sipping his tea quietly, the steam slowly rising and disapearing in the air. He wasn't old, not even close, he wasn't even an adult yet.

Sage was only fifteen years old, he had brown hair, with natural gold streaks running down it. His hair was very shaggy, covering up 3/4's of his ears, and his bangs went down into the tops of his eyes. The back of his head the hair curled up, so it wasn't a mullet. Sage's eyes were light blue, the color of clean ocean water. They seemed to glint in the sun like water does as well. His nose was sort of a small beak, not entirely pointy, but it was sort of in a way. It was the normal shape of a nose, but at the end it ended in more of a point. His skin was very smooth, with no trace of acne on his face. According to many of the girls at New Gregory High School, he was very handsom.

A brief description of New Gregory. It was one of Techon's biggest coastal cities, it is also though, one of Techon's cleanest, safest cities. Crime was never a big issue there, one hundred and fifty years back a prison was built out on the island in the middle of the harbour. Criminals were sent there, with no chance of escape. The conditions over there were terrible, the place was filthy, and full of disease, and during the coarse of time since it had been built crime rate went from 23% to 4%.

The city is beautiful, the land it was built on was a hill, so the lowest part, the piers, and shops down by the harbor are on the lowest level of the city. As you driver deeper into the city you gradually get higher and higher, until you get to the direct middle, which is at the very top of the hill. The poverty level is extremely low also, so the houses and neighborhoods look nice.

The side areas of the city are mostly suburban, where streets lined with houses, upon houses, upon houses live door to door. Then once again as you go deeper into the city, the skyscrapers and office buildings begin to show up. Using advanced methods of fuel, polution and fog is not a problem. The air is very clean for being a big city.

Sage took another sip of his tea, and then stood up, placing the tip on the table. He headed for the door, and walked out, the wind flew by him, nipping at his nose in a hello. Sage pulled his coat tighter, and continued on. He walked along the side walk by the street, seeing a few people pass him by, he would nod to them, and then continue on.

He walked up a steep path that led farther downtown, and finally got to the apartment building. The place was fifteen stories high, very long, looming over the buildings nearby. He opened the door and walked in, making his way up the glass elevator, as he went up he could see the lobby. With tourists, and buisness travelers, as well as others who actually lived in the building.

Floor number thirteen, he stepped out, and walked down the hallway, reaching room 13007. He used his key and walked in, closing the white wood door behind him.

The room itself was nice, and spacy, when entered, the first room is the living room. It is carpeted, with two comfy leather chairs and a leather couch facing a shelf with a big TV on it. Past it the carpet turns to tiles and the room is the dining room. A wall is to the right of the dining room, with a door and a glassless window going between the dining room and kitchen. Two the left of the dining room is a hallway that leads to the two bedrooms, and the bathroom.

Mr. and Mrs. Cornellis would have asleep, if they had existed. Sage had never figured out that mystery, he never had parents. All he could remember as a child was living in this building. How did he pass by?

Sage is a very unique person, another unsolved mysteries are his powers. He has the ability to do almost anything, from manipulating objects, to fashioning dream worlds of his own. He used these powers to manipulate people who were his 'parents' he used them to get him to live in this building, and to sign up to go to school.

He lived in this apartment, all by himself, and everyone who knew him thought he had parents.

Sage walked over to the telephone which was sitting quietly on a wooden desk, a little red light flashing, he had one message. He pressed the answering machine button, and the recording spoke.

"Hey Sage! Its me Philip, but you probably already know that by the voice. Hey I just wanted to say happy 15 birthday, your technically a year old that me! I thought maybe I'd come over, but I guess your out. Oh well, we can do something together some other day, no? Well see you at school tomorrow then. Later."

The message stopped, and the calm female voice explained to him that the message was left at 8:45, just five minutes after Sage had left his apartment. Sage shrugged and went to the kitchen, making himself another cup of tea, he drank it quickly, and then went to the couch, and lied down on it, wondering if he would get any other happy birthday calls from friends.

Jewel*- The Jewel Resturaunt

(OOC: This is the only OOC during the entire RP, the others will take place here

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7691166#post7691166

it is the designated sign up/OOC thread. If you want to join this thread, you have to sign up there)

Paul dialed the numbers and waited for the phone to be answered. Instead he got the answer machine, he groaned as he had always hated those things.

"Hey Sage, it's Paul wishing you a happy b-day, welcome to the fifteen club man, since you appear to be out I'll see ya at school tomorrow."

He placed the phone down and returned to the living room.

Gael walked along the bayside, comforted by the song of the gentle waves and the caress of a mild seabreeze as it tousled her hair and pulled at the edges of her black leather trenchcoat. She was of average height and slim, and appeared to be in her early twenties. Striking seafoam eyes were nicely offset by short light brown hair which she wore spiked in what many would describe as a "pixie" cut.

She walked with her hands in her pockets, watching the people on the rocky beach. A mother watched her children play, searching for seashells and other small treasures hidden among the sand and stones. She crouched beside a young boy sifting though rocks.

"Find anything yet?"

The little boy looked up and shook his head. She smiled gently and withdrew a long black feather from her pocket.

"This is special...don't lose it," she explained, handing it to him.

The boy took it eagerly and raced off to show his sister. Gael continued walking. Today was special and she had a promise to keep. After several minutes, she found herself back inside the city. Meandering along, her path eventually led her to a group of tall buildings. Her gaze remained skyward, hoping to visually identify the building she was looking for. She located the apartment building with relative ease. Beside the door was a phone, which she used to call up to room 13007.

I hope you're there...I'd hate to have to let myself in..

The phone rang, and Sage slowly managed to wake up on the couch. He had fell asleep, face down in a fluffy pillow that was stuffed with goose feathers. He shook his head, and rubbed his hair, which was now relatively messed up. He stood up and walked over to the desk.

He looked down at it, gazing at the black plastic phone, he turned to the stereosystem that was quietly playing some music. He reached for the remote, the cold plastic gripped tightly in his hand, he pressed a red rubber button and the music stopped.

As he looked at the phone again he saw a flashing red light, he had another call, he would need to listen to that later. The phone rang again, and he picked it up.

"Cornellis residence, Sage speaking," He answered sleepily.

"Sorry kid, did I wake you? I'm here to pay you a birthday visit.. You're not so easy to find, ya know?"

She had rarely seen him outside of the Jewel, but it had been a while since they last crossed paths. It seemed appropriate.

"Gael?" He asked, a sudden hint of joy in his voice. "Come on up! I was just taking a nap, not really sleeping."

As he spoke he took a quick look around his apartment, it was spotless, very clean, perfect for company.

"Be there in a few."

She set the reciever back in its cradle and let herself in the building. The doorman gave her an uncertain look, but shied back when she met his gaze directly. She smiled to herself. That reaction never ceased to amaze. In the lobby she found the elevators and waited calmly for one to stop on the ground floor. When one finally arrived, she stepped in and pressed the button marked '13.' She shared the elevator with a small family - a mother, father and their young daughter. The little girl stared at her for the entire ride. Gael winked before stepping out on floor 13, an act which solicited a small smile.

The children can always sense...I wonder why?

She found the room marked 13007 and knocked twice softly before letting herself in.

"Anyone home?"

Sage was making tea and getting out some muffins as she walked in the doorway. He hurried over to the refrigerator, and pulled out the jar of jam. He scurried over to the counter and opened a drawer, pulling out a butter knife. He ran back to the table.

"I'm in the kitchen!" He called.

He hurried back over to the refrigerator to get milk for the tea, and then went back to the table.

She took her time making her way back to the kitchen. The apartment was immaculate.

"Doing well for yourself, I see.."

She stepped into the kitchen soundlessly and set a small cake on the table for him.

"Happy Birthday, Sage."

Sage turned around and saw the cake on the table, and let a sincere smile creep across his face. It was a small size cake, with white frosting. There were little red frosting roses around the words Happy Birthday Sage on the middle of the top. He looked back at Gael, and nodded his head.

"You didn't have to," he said with a warm smile.

He picked up the tea kettle, and two cups and sat them on the table, and invited Gael to sit down. He then went over to the counter, and took the muffin tray over to the table. He picked up a muffin and took a bite out of it.

"Youf don't mind fff I eatff do ffyou?" He asked.

"Please, don't go hungry on my account."

She smiled politely and poured herself a cup of tea, but her eyes remained icy and serious. She waited for him to sit, but remained standing herself. Afterall, the Birthday wasn't really why she was here.

"Actually...I just wanted to check up on you. I haven't seen much of you since..." she trailed off but they both knew what she was going to say. Since Matthius tried to kill you...both of us...

"No problems since then, I trust? Oh, and it looks like you have a message," she added, having caught sight of the blinking red light.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes," Sage said as he took a seat, and once again offered for her to sit down. "No, no, no problems, no troubles, just worries. At the moment he exists to me only as memories and fear. He hasn't shown himself at all for quite a time. Things have really been slowing down for me finally."

He looked at the TV, which was on, the volume almost all the way down. The lady on the TV was saying something about fog growing north of the city, he pointed his finger and it turned off.

"Finally," He repeated once again, and paused, as if in thought. "Yes, yes, I am fine. I trust you are as well?"

"I'm doing well. Better, anyway, after my...ah...adjustment period."

Once again she politely refused to sit. Her eyes flickered to the window involuntarily. In the days since they last worked together, she had grown increasingly defensive and aware.

"Just...be careful, ok? There has been some unrest lately, and it makes me nervous." She smiled to distract herself from heavy thoughts. "Making any new friends lately? I should like to meet them."

"Ah yes, I've made a few friends here and there," Sage said. "One for example is Max, he lives down the hallway. Then there are some at school, Paul, Philip, Murdock, Steve."

Sage looked at her and paused slightly, noticing she was glancing out the window, he turned and looked out it. All he saw the city night lighting up, he shrugged and wrinkled his forehead. He turned back towards Gael, and looked over her.

"Well, I can see you've been adjusting to your change," Sage said. "You look good, beleive me or not."

He noticed her eyes still flickering towards the window, he rubbed his jaw. He turned back to the window, and sighed. "Want to go out onto the balcony?"

"Thank you," she said, thankful for the comment even if she didn't believe it entirely.

She realized in short order that this suggestion came from her constant evaluations of her surroundings. "I didn't realize you had a balcony.. Forgive my uneasiness. It seems to be second-nature these days."

She smiled and finished her tea.

"Perhaps some fresh air would be nice."

"Well then we should head on out," Sage said standing up, he smiled at her and led her to the glass sliding door. He pushed it open, and walked out onto the balcony. Admiring the view of the city below them. His apartment was on the side that faced the harbor, so not could a lot of the city be seen, but the bay as well.

He turned and looked at her, and shivered slightly in the chilly wind. "Its a bit nippy out here, but rather good and refreshing."

"If you're cold we can go back inside."

The cold really didn't effect her. Not at this temperature, anyway. She stood staring out over the bay, watching as the first stars winked into existance.

"Or I could leave. I really just wanted to check on you. Make sure everything was alright."

From the corner of her eye, she could still see the red message light blinking. Perhaps it was one of his new friends? All the better if it was. Sage needed a normal life after all he had been through. Or at least as normal a life as possible. She shuddered suddenly, struck by an ominous feeling.

"Bit colder than I thought," she lied with a small smile, and turned to go back inside. "I'll leave you to your dinner. If you want to talk later, you know where to find me."

She crossed to the door and paused in the doorway with a glance back over her shoulder.

"Happy Birthday, kid."

She meant that. And with a wink, she was on her way to the lobby, and on to the Jewel where she had been spending most of her nights lately.

Sage waved as she walked out of the door. "Thank you"

He walked back inside, and over to the kitchen table, the muffins still lay out. So did the cake,all she had taken with her was the tea. He sighed and shrugged it off. Just like himself, she had been through a lot. The demon Matthius not only at one point possessed him, but possessed her and opened her body for other demons.

He shook his head, trying to ignore those days. He quickly ate a few more of the muffins, and then cleaned up the kitchen. He took the cake to the counter, and cut a small slice for himself, and ate it.

He then went into his 'parents room'. Inside it was a piano, sitting against the wall peacefully. Next to the piano were three amps, and with two guitars, and one electric bass inside their cases. In a stack next to those were three instrument cases, two cornets, and a saxohone. In the corner of the room rested his drum set. Finally, resting on top of the piano, was a harmonica.

As he looked in it, a red light caught his eye, he turned, and saw the phone. He walked over to the table, and pressed the button.


"Hey Sage, it's Paul wishing you a happy b-day, welcome to the fifteen club man, since you appear to be out I'll see ya at school tomorrow."


He smiled Thanks Man he said to himself, and then went off to the instrument room to play a little.

So this is Techon. thought Eddie Baker as he stepped out of the airport. While I was gaining control of my powers the seers I went to warned me about vaga and Gael. But the most dire vision they had took place here in Techon. Centered around a boy named Sage Cornellis. An incredible evil shall rise, and it is somehow connected to him. Eddie made his way toward Sage's home, having been told the way by the seers.

Sage stopped playing the piano, and headed out into the living room. He stood there for a moment, before continuing into the kitchen. He departed onto the balcony, once again looking over the city. The lights glinted under the dark night sky.

He peered out along the harbor, no ships were out of the docks at the moment. He could faintly hear the noises from the people throughout the city, the fishermans warf being the loudest. He leaned against the railing, the wind blew at him, tugging his bangs out of his eyes.

"An ancient evil has come. The time of reckoning will soon be. This Ultimate Evil will descend upon everything you once thought good. The very basis of existance, the very basis of everything you considered to be normal will be changed. The question is; are you ready to do what you were born to do?"

The voice had come out of no where, Sage shot up and looked all around. He saw nothing, the voice seemed to have come along with the wind. He gazed over the edges, and saw nothing. Then he heard a noise, a caw. He looked up, and saw a raven flying above the city, at about the same level as his balcony.

In another moments notice, it was swooping down for the ground. He ran to the edge, and watched it quietly. It soon disapeared in the mix of darkness and light below.


The raven landed in an graveyard next to a church. It cocked its head to its side, and fluttered its wings. Its head then shot up, the feathers on its body began to grow. It changed right there, green light eminated from inside it. Soon enough, it was six feet tall, and no longer a bird. Instead it was a human male.

He had a hood over his head, covering his eyes, but a white beard stuck out from his pointy chin. His skin was rigid and leathery, he appeared to be in his late fifties, but how imortality can hide so much.

His name was Sait, and he was a member of The Order that Sage was belonged to. Sait looked out towards the cathedral as another person, robed in black, came out of the door.


The Order, an ancient order of beings from a higher level than ourselves. They dated back before before time, before man, before everything. They were said to have had a dealing with the creational of us all, but little is known. Very few know they exist, the only ones who do know are part of it, or know someone who is.

There are the Consulars who are the leaders of The Order. They are the ones who are in command, and give orders, make the decisions, and give wisdom. The twelve of them rules from the Hearthdowns as they call it. A more formal down to earth name is Heaven. It is beleived by some it is the Heaven, but others think its just a name.

The demon Matthius was once a Consular. He was the wisest and most powerful of the entire Order. However, something he always desired was power, and he used manipulation, and other ways to get himself more power. It was decided that he could not be tollerated anymore. He was cast from The Order never to be seen until Sage's appearance.

The next are the Acolytes. Also knows as Angels. These figures are the ones who use persuasion to do change things down here, they tamper with our world, for the cause of good. They sometimes come down to Earth as well, they are described by many as Saints, or figures who seem to always know what to do in a bad situation.

Then the last of them all, is the Savior. Prophecies since the beginning of it all have foretold of his coming. How a great evil would come, and it would be his bidding to destroy it. However, much was left out of the prophecies, such as that it was never foretold he would be victorious, when he would come, or what the evil was. All that was known was his name; Sage.


The figure in black, slightly shorter than Sait, stopped five feet in front of him, both nodded to each other.

"I trust?" The one in black said.

"He has been given the warning, Peral," Sait said. "It has been done."

"Good," Peral said, as he removed his hood and looked at Sait once more.

Peral appeared to be no older than seventeen, but he had long snow white hair going past his shoulders. He was an Acolyte, just as Sait was. They had been sent from the order to tell Sage of the demon Matthius's return. Sage had left the order long ago, but ever since they had tried to bring him back.

"Come," Sait said. "Our work here for the night is done."

And with that, the two of them walked silently across the graveyard and into the cathedral, closing the wooden doors behind them.

Jon smiled happily, as he got off the plane in Techon. He'd needed a break for quite some time, and now finally he'd been granted it. He didn't really know why he'd picked Techon, only a voice in his head had told him to. He collected his suitcase and went to flag down a taxi. The taxi took him to a 5 star hotel in the near city.

Sage woke up that next morning, and stretched. He was lying on his comfy one person bed in his room. The blue colored walls, and the lone window. He sat up, and then stood up, stretching once again beside the bed. He was wearing a white t-shirt and baggy sweats.

He walked out of his room, and into the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror, and scratched his head. He looked over his face.

"Looking good," He said to himself and then chuckled.

He took a quick shower, and then put on some pants and a wife beater undershirt. He walked out of the bathroom, and into the kitchen, he put some tea on the stove, and made himself a bowl of cereal.

One of the good, or bad, however you look at it, things of New Gregory is the sun always rose the earliest there. It was up at 6 AM in the morning, and school starts at 8:30 AM, and ends at 3. He always had enough time to make tea, read a bit, or watch some TV.

He sat down at the table, and began to eat his bowl of cheerios.

Jon woke up and stretched lazily. Today, he didn't need to wake up. He yawned, rolled over and got up. He had a quick shower and got dressed. He then proceeded down to the breakfast hall where he ate a healthy breakfast. He waited an hour or two, then went for a lazy jog around the city. He set a slow pace, as he was in no hurry. As he ran, he saw lots of apartment blocks, everywhere.

Sage finished his cheerios, and drank a few cups of tea. He stood up, and walked into his bedroom. He opened the dresser, and pulled out a gray long sleeve shirt. He then pulled out a black t-shirt with the logo Rebel on it. He then walked into the living room, resting on a desk was his backpack.

He grabbed it and threw it over his shoulder. He headed for the door, grabbing the keys to the apartment as he walked out the doorway. He closed the door behind him, and it automatically locked. He made his way down the hallway, and to the elevator. He got inside, and went to the main floor.

He walked outside, making way down the steps, a pigeon flew by him, and it caught his attention. It had one lone red feather, everything seemed to slow down as he focused all his concentration on it. He was so distracted he didn't notice the jogger (Jon).

They collided face on, knocking Sage over. He quickly got up, and put his backpack on, and aplogized to the jogger.

Jon looked at the kid. He didn't look much older than 15.
"Its ok kid, i'm a tourist. My fault. I wasn't looking ahead, daydreaming I was. As usual I guess. The names Jon, nice to meet you. Sorry for knocking you over"
*he held out his hand for the kid to shake*

Sage shook Jon's hand, and nodded. "It was partially my fault, I was watching a pigeon and wasn't seeing where I was going either. I am Sage."

He turned his head to see if the pigeon was around anymore, but it had already flown away, he turned back to Jon.

"Are you a bird watcher? Or was it just a particularly interesting pigeon?"

"I'm not a bird watcher but I do know quite about them," Sage said. "And pigeons I know an especially much about, and one thing for sure is that they do not have a red feather. I don't just mean red feathers, but only one red feather."

The wind blew at him, and he shivered, wishing he had grabbed his coat, as he shivered he saw his watch. "Uh..sorry sir, I gotta go, I have school in twenty minutes. Nice meeting you!" He exclaimed and started jogging down the street himself.

10:00am Jun stared at his watch for a long time... "sigh."
by now, I would either be dead... or worse. Hate to bug out like that... but if I was caught...

Shaking his head, the young Asian checked his backpack and looked at the strange new city of New Gregory as his Bus entered the terminal.

First things first... a roof, then a job... but before I can do that...

after wandering down several blocks, Jun turns down an alleyway and picks up a discarded bottle. Tucking the bottle under his jacket, he moves forward towards several bums as they huddled around a pitch (barrell being used as a campfire)
"Hey, can I warm myself here for a while?"
Several of the Bums examine the 27 year old Asian... some paying particular attention to his Jacket, shoes and watch.
"I can pay rent" Jun said confidently as he pulled out the bottle he picked up earlier... only this time, it was filled with an amber liquid. Their eyes seem to glow at the sight of the alcohol and their demeaner turned friendly.
while talking about the cooling weather and the everyday happenings on the street, Ju quietly fished out several unused bus tickets from his pocket and dumped them into the flames. After making sure they were burned beyond recongnition, he left the flames and headed downtown.

***

"lets see... only a couple twenties in my pocket... Damn, that apartment's the pits... but for now, the best I can afford... I need to get a Job." Jun muttered as he made his way downtown.

looking at the 'Help Wanted' sign, Jun entered the establishment and looking around, spotted who he hoped was the manager. "Hey, I'm here about that job?..."

And after a breif interview and demonstration, Jun was hired as a Minimum Wage Waiter for the Jewel Resturant.

Jon waved goodbye, but the kid had already gone. He shrugged, and continued running. After an hour or so, he stopped, and leaned against a window for a second to catch his breath. He looked inside and realised it was a restaurant, suddenly he felt hungry again. He looked at the sign "Jewel Restaurant". He walked in, and was shown to his seat by a young Asian man.

"Greetings and welcome to the Jewel Resturant. My name is Ju, and I will be your server for today." Ju greeted the gentleman in the jogging outfit. His eyes sliding to the waistband, shoulder and ankles... looking for signs of HEAT. Leading his customer to a table. (easily done since he is the first customer of the day.)
Handling the customer the Breakfast Menu, Ju leaves to get a glass of water for his first customer.
Deep breaths... don't panic... they won't have found you yet... too soon.
After a while he returns to the patron, "are you ready to order sir?"

***

Seeing the jogger off, Ju collects his tips (wow His first dollar... and his second...) and takes the dishes to the back.

all the while feeling that something was happening here in the city... but not knowing what.

Jon left behind nearly 20% in tips. A lot, but not relatively speaking. He jogged slowly back to the hotel, passing a school on the way. this must be where Sage learns he thought to himself. He continued jogging, and by the time he arrived at the resort he changed into swimming stuff and got into the hot tub.

Sage reached the school, New Gregory High School, or NGHS. He walked along the sidewalk that went through the grass yard out in front of the building. Up ahead was a circular outcrop that had a tree in the middle of it, it was about ten feet in diameter, with benches built in around the outside.

This is where his friends were, Murdock, Philip, Steve, and Paul. Steve and Murdock were sitting on the bench, while Philip and Paul stood. Murdock looked and saw Sage.

"Hey there Sage," He called out, and the others looked at him.

"Hey guys," Sage said as he walked up to them.

"Hey Sage, nice of you to join us," Paul smiled.

"Hey Paul," Sage said and then yawned. "Sorry, I am a bit tired. I was up late again last night."

"Hopefully not jumping off the tops of buildings to go bungee jumping again,
Steve said.

"That was just once when I was thirteen," Sage said. "Philip went with me, why don't you ever mock him about it?"

"Cause I wasnt caught by the cops doing it," Philip said, causing a laugh out of everyone.

"It's only illegal if you're caught," Paul grinned.

"But hey the cops let me off the hook because..." Sage started.

"It was your birthday!" They all said at once.

In reality Sage had used his powers to erase all memory of the incident from the cops mind, but that was a fact he didn't tell.

Jon got out of the hot tub and dried himself off. He went and lay down on the sunbeds with a book. He sighed, realised he couldn't concentrate and got up. He decided to go for a walk around the resort. After a while he went back to his room and lay down, intending to lie there for a few minutes. Within seconds, he was asleep.

Gael sat quietly in her self-proclaimed corner of the Jewel. She had become such a regular fixture here that hardly anyone payed her any mind. And this is just as she would have it. Attention usually brought with it trouble. So ingrained was she in the daily goings on of the sometimes resteraunt, sometimes pub, she might as well be a part of the building. She sat in silent passivity, merely observing - an action she fell to regularly in times of unease and ominous tidings. She had seen the new waiter, the customer from out of town who stopped in for breakfast. These were changes to the routine that raised small flags of warning in her mind. And the two acted as if they each had something to hide.

But then...didn't we all? She laughed silently, suddenly amused by her thoughts, and chastized herself for such unabated paranoia. However the changes intreguied her. She stood decisively and made her way to the door, trying not to startle the new waiter as she who would be mistaken for a statue rose for a walk. In a lilting and tender Connemara brogue, she bid him good day.

She would follow the stranger. Perhaps there was something of interest to be learned. If not, she could always follow the thoughts of the boy, Sage, and his friends as she had so many times past. Never prying for secrets...merely listening to the superficial thoughts of children. With an easy grace, she followed some distance behind the jogger as he made for a hotel downtown. She would explore this place, maybe learn about him in the process.

He watched the lady leave... normally the thought of ignoring a customer would be unthinkable. However, everytime he looked where she was sitting, he felt the sense of... something unanticipated, unwanted. She seemed not to mind being ignored so he decieded to leave well enough alone.

Putting the Tip into the tip jar, he saw her slip out, trying to be unobserved... following the Jogger...

Unfortunately... more customers, so back to work, he sighed.

She walked slowly, enjoying the warm blanket of sunshine on her shoulders. It'd been so long since she last noticed such simple things. You've been too focused on work, old girl... True. It was so easy to get caught up in the more grim aspects of everything, a fact which probably shaped her icy and stoic demeanor. Her steps fell eerily silent on the concrete, though it never ceased to amaze her how few people ever noticed. The ones who did notice were too stricken by utter terror to be of any real interest anyhow.

Up ahead, the jogger had disappeared into a building. She strode along gracefully, the ends of her long coat dancing silently in the slight breeze. City life buzzed about her, people scampering and rushing through the concrete maze of the city on their way to meaningless jobs with which they occupied themselves. Always in such a rush.. And then the pigeons, oh yes, the pigeons. Those flying rats which could transform areas into slums or sights of primal beauty depending on their mood. How she hated those things.. Even now, a small gang of them eyed her from their railtop vantage point. Fly you little beasts, away!

As if responding to her thoughts, the birds scattered in a whirl of feathers and wind. But one of them suddenly and unexpectedly caught her eye. In the flurry of white, gray, tan, there was a sudden streak of red. Red? A pigeon with a single red feather. How strange.. She turned and watched the bird fly not with the others, but nearly straight back the way she had come. This suddenly seemed more interesting than investigating the stranger, so she made her silent way after the bird. Back toward the Jewel.

Jon woke up, groped around for the light-switch and flicked it on. He yawned and stretched lazily, a man on holiday.
He got dressed and went downstairs to eat dinner, but nothing took his fancy, and it was all horrifically expensive, so he decided to go for a walk and see if he could find a restaurant in the vicinity.
His legs seemed to automatically take him towards the direction of the Jewel Restaurant, not that he was well enough acquainted with the city to know it.
After a while he smelled food and turned into the restaurant, passing as he did a strange woman who seemed to be chasing a pigeon. He rolled his eyes and entered the restaurant.

She had been walking slowly, merely enjoying the afternoon. Ahead, the bird disappeared into the distance after a curiously straight flight down the sidewalk. She had a feeling this wasn't the last she'd see of it. There was something wrong here, and it sent a chill up her spine. The jogger from this morning passed her, but she avoided eye contact. No sense distracting herself with silly adventures right now.

Her path led her past Sage's school, as it had so many times before. They would be getting out soon. Time to pay another unexpected visit. The boy was perhaps the only person she trusted when she felt this way. No, trust was too strong a word. She trusted no one. However they had undergone similar experiences and she valued his opinion. She stared in through the wrought iron fence which seperated the school yard from the sidewalk and city streets.

When it hit, it hit hard. A wave of dread rose unexpectedly in her, nearly knocking her back a step as it assaulted her senses. There was a sharp pain in her chest. Fleeting, but blinding in its agony. Such a delicious pain that sent her left hand reaching for the fence as she sank to her knees. But as quickly as it took hold, it subsided, and she was left shaking on her knees, clutching at her breast. Dimly she became aware of voices, fading laughter.

"...are you alright?"

A stranger. A Good Samaritan stopped to help the Fallen. He moved to help her stand, but recoiled at her touch. Pale-faced, he backed away in fear of the unknown. Gradually, she regained control of herself. Not a good sign that she had let herself slip so far as to frighten the man. She stood with the aid of the fence and stared at that distant spot where the pigeon had vanished. Something was coming...but what?

The pigeon flew up into the sky, dodging alongside skyscrapers that shone brilliantly against the sun. It landed on the balcony of a thirteenth level floor. It looked inside the room, room 13007. It cocked its head to the side, and them bent down as if bowing to nothing.

It opened up its mouth, and a small little green stone fell out. The stone hit trhhe floor with a thud that made the marble size jewel seem as heavy as a bowling ball. The pigeon looked around, before flying into the air.

The stone continued to glow, a slight humming coming from it.

***

Sage ran over to the fence. "Gael are you alright?"

Back behind him the others stood and watched Sage approach the strange, but somewhat familiar woman who had just fallen down without reason.

"Yes...fine..." she replied distantly, recovering her composure as she straightened.

"Just old wounds," she fixed him with a pointed and knowing gaze, as if he should know what she really meant to say.

Recovering with a timeless grace, she smiled as if nothing had happened back at Sage's uncertain and somewhat alarmed friends. "Don't look now, but I think I put them ill-at-ease... How about I treat the lot of you to an after school snack to lighten the mood? And afterwards, we should talk."

Her eyes darkened slightly to emphasize that final sentence.

An hour later he left the restaurant, and started walking again. This time he passed a large building, identifiable as a school.... more than that, it appeared there were two familiar figures standing there talking. One, the kid... Sage, who he'd bumped into before, and the pigeon-spotting woman.

Sage turned around, looking at his friends who raised their eyebrows. "We would love to."

He lowered his voice. "Don't expect all of them to come. Not everyday does a strange woman who just falls down give them food." He laughed after the last comment.

He nodded his head. "Meet us at the Jewel Resturaunt then."

He turned around and walked back to his group of friends, the bell started to ring. They had five minutes to get to their first classes. As they walked up the steps into the school they talked about the recent movies they had seen.

***

A dark room, no lights, save a crystal ball that rested on a pedastool. Three men stood around the crystal ball, looking into. What was seen was Sage and his friends walking and talking. A scarred hand waved furiously and fast through the air, and the image in the sphere disapeared.

"Damn him," A cold voice spoke. "I thought after what I've done to him he wouldn't be able to carry out a normal life."

"Calm," Another shrilling voice said. "You did what you were meant to do, through him you've materialized. Now you can do the real damage to him, physicological and physical."

"True," The first voice said again. "No one does to me as what he has done. I will get the revenge I oh so truely deserve."

"And what about this Gael girl?" The third voice asked. "She seems to be more weakened than he has."

"Aye, but that was not just due to me," The first voice explained. "She had other run ins with demons. Technically she no longer lives."

"We need to take her out as quick as possible," Said the third voice. "She is the only one other than Sage that may stand in our way...and we need Sage, but not his allies."

"I've already had it planned out, I've been following her for sometime, I know her common paths at night," The second voice said. "I've already had some lower ifrits sent out to finish her tonight. They will do worse than what they originally do to their prey."

A cold laughter emitted from all of them, the crystal ball fogged up from their breath, the second one spoke again. "They will do what they see fit, be it rape, murder, insanity, or a combination. Their touch to her skin will burn her instantly, she will not last long against them."

"As for Sage," Said the first voice. "I will slowly but surely deal with him. Plans are being layed out, the chess game has started and I am trapping the king; Sage. Once his queen is gone, he shall be mine. No one does to me what he has done. One ill turn deserves another, no one does evil upon Matthius."

"What do you plan for him?" Asked the third voice.

"I will break him," Matthius said in his calm ice voice, he sat back away from the light of the crystal ball; which was now showing Gael, and into the shadow.

Paul headed back to school with the others. "That woman was rather strange, are you really going to meet her later?" he asked.

She had parted ways with Sage, and wandered back towards the Jewel. She had been unnerved all day about the mysterious attack on her senses. It was dread, yes, in a wave far more intense than any she had felt before. Perhaps this new body allowed for more intense sensations? She stared at her pale hands in wonder. But no, there had been more to it than a simple sense of foreboding. There were other forces at work here...there had to be. She pulled her long coat tighter against her lithe frame.

At the doorway to the Jewel she glanced quickly over her shoulder, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. With a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and adopted the Connemara brogue she had used this morning to address the new waiter/bartender.

"Pint 'a Guinness, please," she requested, taking a seat in the nearly empty resteraunt.

Ju was startled. How did I miss her coming back? "Er... right, 1 Guinness coming up." Ju dissappeared into the back.

Grabbing the Pitcher, Ju entered the coldroom...Damn, the previous shift didn't restock the beers... headed out, he restocked the coldroom but still, he needed to fill the order. Resigned, he entered the coldroom and concentrated on the pitcher. Slowly, it began to fill with the golden beverage...

"One Guiness ma'am." Ju announced as he placed the glass infront of the lady, and proceeded to pour the beer into it from the pitcher. he left the pitcher at the table and went back to his rounds.

She walked briskly down the carefully managed sidewalk. The few police officers she saw weren’t ones she recognized so she didn’t know if they would have any problems with her or not. It was generally best to avoid the police, just in case but she was far too short on time to simply move to a darker part of town. All her usual haunts had been taken and she badly needed a little more money to pay the rent some time during the day. She had barely been able to even weasel her way out of the original date and she knew her landlady wouldn’t allow her to postpone again. Fortunately, she was only a few dollars short but the money hadn’t been good at all recently. She had a decent gig scheduled that night, but the landlady wasn’t ever awake at two in the morning when the girl got back.

She stopped her commute about a hundred meters from a small coffee shop, the Jewel. She surveyed quickly all the major entrances, where the crowd was walking by and the police presence and chose a spot just off the walk to the main door to unpack her gear. She thought that getting in trouble for being on the grass was probably a minor problem.

While the girl gently took the case off her back and gently pulled out the well-crafted instrument the people that walked by glanced at her, some with curiosity on their faces and some with disgust. She ignored them entirely as she carefully touched each string on the violin and tuned it to perfect concert pitch. When each note satisfied her, she took out her bow and tightened it carefully. The bow was of a much lower quality then her instrument, but it was the best she could afford. After the bow was tight and she had applied a little bit of resin she picked her violin back out of its case and began to play.

She always started with lively pieces in order to get people’s attention. She was playing Celtic music this time so she started with a few jigs. They weren’t difficult whatsoever, but after she played there were generally a few dollars in the open case in front of her. After a few jigs, she switched to reels then waltzes and each individual song was slower and more dramatic as she worked her way into her more sonorous pieces. When the waltzes got too slow to keep the dance rhythm and longer she started playing the slow airs. These were the pieces that most people would ignore as they walked by, but a few people were caught in the soft, melodic and deceptively difficult airs. Sometimes she would even get larger bills from these pieces. She played several airs and then began to speed up a little more with several hornpipes and finally a few polkas played at breakneck speed to impress anyone who might still be listening.

The set took a little more then a half-hour and she’d managed to accumulate slightly more than half of what she needed to pay the rent. That was fine, she had three other Celtic sets memorized.

She started her second set and once again the outside world didn’t matter a whit, all that mattered was the music.

Now it's a well-known fact that an Irishman is drawn to a fair bit of craic just as strongly as to the promise of a pint. And Gael's Connemara brogue, cover though it may be, hinted at a proud past. No amount of city noise could prevent the determined woman from focusing on that thread of music. She heard the jigs while waiting for the foam to clear from the dark stout and smiled despite herself. The drink, though not quite as good as it would have been back home, was still smooth and strong. She sipped it and lost herself in the music, allowing the masterfully played notes to recount tales of her long ago, far away home.

When the set switched to reels, the din of the city seemed to lessen as she recognised the first piece. St. Ann's reel. It was a beautiful and lively tune, and the words someone had set to it once long ago sprung to mind. She heard the popular airs "Roisin Dubh" and "Fairy Child" which she had never been overly fond of, but the piece was still beautiful in it's own right. The hornpipe "The Rights of Man" clinched it for her. It was one of her favorite pieces. Typical of musicians, most of the dance sets were played much too fast for any dancer to survive, but it made the pieces more interesting to a crowd. It would be interesting to hear one try their hand at a treble jig sometime, or a proper set dance.

"Barman," she caught herself for a moment, unsure whether he had been able to hear the music. "I'm sure th' fiddler from up th' street will be hungry after the sets. If they stop in for a drop, or a bit to eat, I'll be th' one to pick up the tab."

She'd have gone out to compliment the artist herself had it not been for the stronger temptation of the pint before her.

Ju nods to the woman, goes out to get a good look at the musician. comes back in "you got it... pretty good music."

Sage slightly jogged down the street, school had ended just three minutes ago, and he was on his way to the Jewel. Philip jogged closely behind, they hadn't bothered to wait to see if anyone else was following. Right once the bell rang the two of them got out of the bandroom as fast as possible and went down the sidewalks. So now here they were, jogging, Sage singing Rollover DJ by Jet as he went.

He stopped jogging, and walked along the path that led to the main entrance of the small resturaunt. He looked past it for a moment, admiring the bay, the city going along three fourths of it. He then turned back to the building, and walked in, Sage shared a short glance with the girl with the violin on the lawn, before quickly turning away. The two of them stood inside, looking around for Gael.

"There she is," Philip said pointing at a table that was next to the balcony.

The two of them walked over to it, and sat down. Sage smiled warmly at Gael for a minute as he took his seat. Philip sighed as he sat down at the end of the table.

"Hope you haven't been waiting for us all day?" Sage asked.

"Not all day," she replied, finishing off her third pint. "I've had this wonderful music to entertain me."

Her accent wasn't as thick as the one she used with the barman, but it was authentic and subtle. Her icy seafoam eyes turned on Philip, analyzing him beneath the mask of a smile before she extended her hand in greeting.

"Name's Gael...would you like anything to eat?" she asked courteously, raising a delicate hand to catch the waitor's attention.

Philip shivered slightly when the eyes looked over at him, he wasn't sure to think she was checking him out, or if she didn't trust him. That or else she was just seeing if she recognized him, he shook his head and looked at the menu.

Sage looked at the waitor, and spoke first.

"I'll just take a tea," He said. "I'm not exactly hungry, Philip, want anything?"

Philip eyed over the menu, and then looked at the waitor. "Yeah I think I'll have a coca cola, and..uhm some shrimp actually if you could Cap'n."

"Just another pint for me," she chimed in.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, adjusting her coat so it layed more smoothly along her back. She was rarely seen without it on, and today was no exception. The scene behind her was a marvelous one, with the sea stretching unbroken into the distance. The gray water seemed to rise up and form the gathering storm clouds on the horizon. But closer into shore it was still sunny, and the water was a sparkling blue, a stark contrast to the bleak and dirty harbor she so enjoyed exploring.

"Philip, was it?" she questioned, turning that strangely piercing gaze on Sage's friend. "To ease the question I'm sure is burning your tongue, Sage and I go way back. Old friends, as it were. I happened to be in town, and never miss a chance to get to know his friends. He seems to have done alright by you. If the rest are as upstanding, then I have nothing to worry about."

She smiled cryptically and that soul-rending gaze seemed to lighten a bit.

"Interesting weather you have around here," she commented in a small-talk fashion, flickering a glance to the gathering storm in the distance.

A few minutes after she started her second set a young boy walked by. Normally she wasn’t drawn out of her music that easily but there was something strange enough about him to disturb her. At the same time his face was somewhat familiar, enough that she could almost pin a name on him. After a moment she shook of the feeling, she couldn’t let anything interfere with her work and he had walked straight out of sight with hardly any curiosity. She couldn’t let anything interfere with her livelihood so she continued the set. The layout was similar to the first set but when she got to the airs she did something very strange. She played the traditional air traditionally but she melodically double-stopped creating an improvised melody above the traditional tune. The tone of the upper melody was thin and almost wailing due to the continuous use of harmonics. Her audience quickly divided; some of them left in disgust and others drew closer, completely absorbed in the strange sound. As she played onward she modified the stylistic details and smoothed out the technique somewhat, but until she transitioned out of the airs the ghostly upper melody continued. She finished the set normally and started to pack up her violin. She answered a few questions about the instrument and her style with an impeccably forged Irish accent before the questioners realized that they had things to do as well.

When the instrument and its bow were safely strapped to her back she walked into the restaurant to buy something before heading home to pay her bill. The trip had been lucrative enough that she decided that she would probably come back in a few days.

Philip blushed slightly at the comment, his normal rosey cheeks turning even rosier. Sage chuckled to himself slightly, and then gazed at the rain clouds. He cocked his head to his side.

"Odd, I've never seen weather like that come out of no where," He said.

He looked deeper into it, there was no lightning, no light came from these clouds, just darkness. He gazed over it, and then felt a chill shoot down his spine. Another chill shot around his shoulder, like someone with ice hands put their hand on his shoulder.

He spun his head around, not seeing anyone behind him. He turned back to the other two, and then nodded to the rain cloud. "Odd...yes, indeed very odd."

He gazed at his watch and stood up. "I am sorry but I must be off, much work needs to be done."

"You haven't even gotten your drink yet," Philip said in confusion.

"Yes I know, but there is something I need to find out," Sage said. "I must be off to the library, I beleive a few books there might explain a great deal about something that has been bothering me. I am sorry Gael, maybe you could drop by my apartment later on tonight? That would be greatly appreciated."

He turned around and walked out the door, leaving Philip there beside Gael, still in confusion. He turned and looked at Gael, raising an eyebrow. "He's an odd fellow everyonce in a while, it always seems like there is some greater power at work behind the inoocent boy look."

***

"So," Matthius said staring over the crystal ball. "Sage is finally catching on is he? I figured he would have figured it out much sooner. Oh well, things are going as I planned nonetheless. He has left that Gael girl defenceless, along with one of his friends. If we are lucky we can take them both out at once."

"You underestimate our enemy Matthius,'' One of the other two said. "Gael is a force to be reckoned with herself. She might not have been part of the order like Sage was, but she is still powerful. A Death Angel I've heard."

"A Death Angel eh?" Matthius said. "Well tonight will be the judge of how strong she actually is, and as for Sage's friend; Philip..." The crystal ball zoomed, so all that was seen was Philip's face, a big smile on... "I doubt it very much he will survive to see tomorrow."

***

Sage jogged alongside the street, dodging tourists, and civilians who were going this way and that. He turned left on Grand Street, and went halfway down that road. He reached the library, the giant white granite building, with iron fence going along the outside, and wide marble steps leading up to the front oak doors.

He went inside, but did not go into the main section. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, and he then twisted the nose of the statue next to the wall, the tile beneath him sank down like an elevator, the floor above closing over, making it appear nothing had happened.

"He's an odd fellow everyonce in a while, it always seems like there is some greater power at work behind the inoocent boy look."

"Odd, yes.." she breathed, watching his hasty exit. "Though I do believe a better term might be 'impulsive.'"

She watched with carefully masked amusement as he nearly knocked over another customer who had just entered. Upon closer inpection, she thought she saw a violin case, but it was carried on the far side, away from her scrutinizing gaze.

"Greater powers, you say," and she laughed despite herself. "Boyo, that's what every religion has claimed from the birth of thought. Ever consider joining the clergy?"

She knew she was dodging what he really meant, but it was always funny how the least expected people could catch on to the least expected ideas.

"Ah, but here's our order." She smiled warmly at the waitor as he set down her pint and Philip's shrimp. The tea was placed in Sage's empty spot, and she nudged it in front of Philip. "No sense letting it go to waste."

She cursed softly under her breath. When she’d listened to the forecast that morning rain had not been predicted and the sky had been nearly clear just a few minutes before. She wouldn’t mind walking and risking rain herself, but she wasn’t sure she could trust her case not to leak and she would not risk getting her instrument wet. It looked like she might need to find a whole to stay the night. She took a few steps towards the counter to order something before she cursed again. This meant that she wouldn’t be back to the apartment in time to pay the rent and she’d probably be thrown back out on the street.

She walked over to an empty table and thought over her situation. It didn’t look good whatsoever. “Damn, damn, damn.” Her final curse brought a slight smile to her lips, she had taken the character on automatically, and she’d even cursed with an Irish accent. She considered it good luck that even though she was only a quarter Irish she looked like she was full blooded. Her hair was actually a strawberry blonde, but other than that she looked stereotypically Irish. That probably earned her more money than any of her skill with the fiddle.

After she thought of the violin she removed the strapped case from her back to look it over. It definitely wasn’t going to be watertight enough to hold up to heavy rain. The bow case she’d built might be able to withstand it, but the bow didn’t matter at all and the violin did. It didn’t look like she had much choice, hopefully her landlady would allow her to keep all her music inside and not throw it in the dumpster.

"Ah, but here's our order." She smiled warmly at the waitor as he set down her pint and Philip's shrimp. The tea was placed in Sage's empty spot, and she nudged it in front of Philip. "No sense letting it go to waste."

"I was never good with grammar," He said as he took Sage's tea and took a gulp of it. "Tell truth this is one of the first times I've ever had tea."

He looked around the room as he ate a fried peice of shrimp, there was the one girl who was playing violin with her earlier. He cocked his head to the side as he saw her fiddle around with it, no pun intended. She muttering something about the rain and how it was going to ruin her violin. He looked back at his food, then back at her. He took off his jacket and walked over to her. "Be right back" He said to Gael.

"Here," He said handing out his jacket. "You could wrap the case in this, it will help prevent the rain from getting inside it."

He finished his sentence with a nervous smile.

he watched the Violinist approach the counter... pause and turn away... dashing into the back, Ju had a quick word with the cook...

Before she stepped out into the rain, Ju handed her a large sack. Inside, was a couple of sandwiches, a bowl of soup and a slice of pie that Ju snuck into the bag.

"Good nite and thanks for the music"

She smiled, watching Philip's bashful attempt at charm and chivalry. Calmly, she finished off her pint, and left sufficient funds to cover the bill on the table. Plus a little extra for the tip, of course. While attention was focused elsewhere, she made her way casually out the front. A brisk wind fortold the storm's approach, but strangely gave no hint of rain.

She closed her eyes and smelled the breeze, loving the scent of the sea. Sage had run off in the direction of downtown. What could have come over him so quickly? Turning, she made her way instead toward the harbor and the small cliffs which lined the rocky coast. Whatever had gotten into him, he'd be sure to share with her later. She still had a few hours before she had to be at his apartment, and what better way to kill time than by being close to the sea? It was a fascination she had held from childhood. Under different circumstances, she wondered if she might have become a sailor. But these days the ships were controlled electronically. They were made of steel, and some were so large, the waves were of no consiquence. There was no skill to the trade anymore. But for all the miraculous change, the sea remained as silent and steady as ever.

...year 1251, I bear bad news of the Western Strongbolm*. We've held the fort for almost as long as possible, these never ending storms pounding us from the direction of the sea. The men grow weak, and our supplies run short, the harbor is lost, the boats rest their final rest at the bottom. The wind carries the voices of an almost unknown evil. The men assume it is the sea God Valrieos, but I know who it is. It is that of Matthius, the corrupted demon from the lowest levels of hell. He is commanding the seas, and the voices we hear from the wind are just that of his spells. There is no escape for us, the paths leading inland are to treacherous now. Lightningless thunder echoes through the night. He is getting closer, I can feel it in my heart. There is no escape for us...**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Western Strongbolm*- A fortress held by Techon in the early ages.

Passage**- This script came from General Zarioff's journal. He was in command of Western Strongholm, ordered to keep the fort unless death take him. He forfilled that duty, three days after he wrote the passage.

Sage ran out of the library, tearing down the stairs at such a fast pace. He stopped at the bottom, almost skidding to a stop. As people walked by they looked at him strangely, but he ignored them. He was busy staring at the clouds on the horizon. They were dark gray, covering up along the line that seemed to be the end of the world. The sun shone down from above, it was setting behind them. The golden beams shot down across the clouds, making them look white, or gold in some areas. It was a beautiful sight, a wonderful sight.

The wonder, beautiful, death bringing sight.

He looked around, some people were admiring the sight, they were admiring their own death beds. He turned and ran down the street towards the Jewel, and as he ran, he noticed something that made him turn deathly white.

The clouds were picking up speed, and were getting closer and closer every minute. He bit his lip and picked up his speed, he needed to get to Gael.

The wind was picking up, no doubt about it, giving the sea a slight chop. She walked along the top of the ridge in the fading light, enjoying the breeze and roar of the waves. Tide was coming in, on top of everything else. Farther out from shore, the bigger waves crashed against the breakwater in a fantastic spray, leaving little more than a current to rock the boats in their slips. The ridge meandered along the shore, kissing the edge of the cliffs from time to time.

It was at one of these points that she spotted a small ledge just above the tide line. Pulling her hands out of her pockets, she climbed down the slippery face of the rock, exploring the small ledges and caves in this area. There were some old and well-preserved seashells, nests which had been long disused. She found one cave whose mouth was just below the tide line. Since the water hadn't advanced that far up the rock, she decided to poke her head inside. A glint caught her eye at the back of the shallow cave. Among the dead seaweed and silt, she found a very old and very weathered coin, whose markings she did not recognise. She placed the coin in an inside pocket for later analyzing, and climbed back up to the ledge.

It was all very interesting, but she didn't want to make the climb if the wind got any stronger. Today wasn't a good day for this sort of challenge. Pocketing a few of her other treasures, se began the trek back up the 30 or so meters of cliff face.

Sage saw the clouds getting closer and closer to shore, the only sunlight was the very faint glowing from behind the clouds. He stopped at the Jewel, he did not sense Gael's presence there. He searched around through his mind, and finally found her. She was off by a cliff.

The wind picked up, and an empty pop can was kicked up off the ground, flying in the air. It smacked it aside with the back of his palm, and started off for the cliff. The sidewalks were too crowded, people trying to get back to their homes or apartments to escape the storm. He turned and jumped over the wall, onto the beach. He started running along the sand.

He was ten feet away from the steps that led up back to the sidewalk, where he would then go to the docks and then to the cliff when the wave hit. It was fifteen feet, smashing into the sand ten feet away from him, white salt water sprayed up into the air. He turned as he heard the noise, but was soon engulfed in it.

***

The Ifrits crouched on a boat, watching Gael as she strode along. There were five of them. They were humanoid, about six feet tall, but they always crouched down, so they appeared to be four or five feet tall. They had long skinny arms, about five feet in length. Their heads were small and bird like, featherless with a vulture beak. Their skins were dirty gray.

They chirped and twitered as they looked down at her. They would attack soon, right after the...

...rain started falling from the sky. The edge of the storm had reached land. It first was a light drizzle, but then it got progressively harder. Until finally it was pouring down. As the rain fell on the Ifrit's skin it evaporated immediately. Little steam streaks raised into the sky off their bodies, and their eyes glew red in the dark.

"Attack..." The lead said, and they jumped off the boat, spreading their bat wings and flying into the sky, silently circling Gael.

Damn.. she thought noting the sudden rain as she topped the ridge once more. Guess that rules out flying..

Other than being a mild annoyance, the rain didn't really bother her. She merely shoved her hands in her pockets and ambled in the direction of the city. And all at once, she sensed something decidedly dark. She stopped midstride, a smirk pulling at one corner of her mouth. So it was a challenge then...

Come out, come out, wherever you are...

There was a high pitched shrill screach in the air, and at once all five of the Ifrits swooped down at once. A single touch from them would leave a burn mark, and their minds were dark and dirty. Many attacks from them on humans, man or female, were rape, or murder usually.

They got closer, each one going for a different part of her body. Little did they know what she really was, to them she was a simple human.

They got closer and closer, ten feet, then five feet, they stuck their arms out at the ready.

Gael glanced up at her assailants. Thankfully, they had underestimated her. She wasn't sure exactly what they were, but they were not quite like anything holy or otherwise she had faced before. Fighting them all at once would never do. Even for her, that could be a difficult. She waited until the last possible second before unleashing a burst of energy that blasted them backwards several feet. The energy was so strong it was like a wind swirling about her, blowing her short hair and the ends of her coat.

"So you wanna dance?"

Her eyes flickered into an angry white glow and she arched her back as two long, black-feathered wings sprouted from her shoulderblades. They seemed not to damage her coat at all.

"Let's dance."

She lept into the air, pouncing on one of the ifrits. With swift fury, she drove her taloned hand through it's skull, but recoiled instantly at the burning sensation.

The ifrit screached in a horror of agony. The other ones who were starting to move in stopped in their tracks, they stared at their companion as it black blood poured from the hole in the skull. The injured Ifrit twitched and jittered around for a moment before collasping on the ground, unmoving. The others looked at each other then started jumping up and down, twittering even more.

They started slowly moving in, more coordinated this time. Then a voice echoed from behind them that was like a sudden ray on sunlight after being in the dark for days.

"Now come Gael," Sage said as he stood at the end of the cliff, a white staff in hand. "You wouldn't invite these guys on a date without letting me check them out for you to see if they are good enough for you, would you?"

He smirked, and one Ifrit flew at him. He twirled his staff and smacked it square across the forehead. It was jerked to the side and hit the ground, a few seconds later it got up and went for him again.

It never layed a hand on him.

Two feet away it just exploded, the flames flew and parted, leaving Sage untouched.

"Now lets all just have some fun shall we?" He said.

She smirked at Sage as the flames spread around him.

"What, you think I can't handle myself?"

Three on one...yep, sounds fair. She growled, baring her short demi-fangs and crouched low, daring them to attack her. She took a few mock-swipes with her claws, trying to bait them into a reaction.

"You never know," Sage said. His sentence started in his normal tone of voice, but as he continued on speaking his voice got more bass and aged. Until finally at the end of the sentence it was deep like a drum and aged like a wizard.

This prompted the Ifrits, of whom none were looking at Sage, to step towards Gael more. With her mock swipes they stepped even closer, then finally they charged. Taking off the ground slightly by using their bat wings.

She dropped on her back and used their momentum to kick one of them over her head and further along its trajectory than anticipated. With her hands beside her head, she pushed herself up and back to a standing position. She spun left quickly, avoiding the other two. Unfortunately for the ifrit closest to her, she extended her claws and tore through its wing. When it crashed to the ground, she bore down on the back of its neck with enough force to break it. Her hands were already burning, so what more damange could touching them do?

The second ifrit rushed her, managing to scratch her side as she dodged. She jumped back, trying her best to ignore the wound.

"You want these guys for any reason, Sage? Or should I put them out of their misery.."

I should have gotten here sooner to help. Looks like it should be over before I can even get there though. Baker watched the battle from his recently acquired position among some dense shrubbery about two hundred yards from the fight taking place before him. I gave all, well almost all of my power to help reforge and bond with the sword as he glanced at the legendary weapon sheathed at his belt. I can't waste the surprise of it on lowly imps. I'll just have to stay near Sage, and wait for the evil to show itself. Perhaps I should at least let him know I am here to help though. Baker pondered this question in silence as he watched the battle unfold. Knowing full well that the group of demons were about to be cooked.

The Ifrits danced around Sage and Gael for a while. Sage turned to Gael as she asked her question, he only smirked. He swung out his staff and jerked it back, and a Ifrit flew past him, flying over the cliff, it started to turn around when suddenly it exploded into flames. Sage raised an eyebrow in a humorous flirting way and then turned towards another imp.

But they sensed something else... something hidden a bit aways.

They flew into the sky, high into the sky, and started diving for Baker.

"No escaping."

She lept in the air, snapping her wings open to their full 14 foot span and sped after them. Grabbing the first one by the wings, she tumbled with it to the ground. The thing was burning her, trying its best to sink its claws into her. She tore her own talons through its chest and throat, ripping it apart until the thing finally stopped moving.

Her forearms were covered with the black blood. With a smirk, she tasted a bit.

"Burns like whiskey, but it's better than tobasco sauce."

Crap, they shouldn't have been able to sense me. Maybe the sword is drawing their attention. I still can't risk revealing it yet, the sheath should keep its true nature hidden. Well, they're comin your way little Eddie, better think of something to kill a fire imp. Eddie grabbed a grenade with a blue stripe from his belt and tossed the sphere toward the lead imp (closest to Baker, furthest from Gael) almost as if playing a game of catch. The grenade burst...releasing a cloud of freezing nitrogen that had been trapped inside.

The lead imp screached in pain as it froze partially, but it soon shook itself. The frozen nitrogen fell off, taking an arm and leg with it, but the imp quickly regrew two more. It looked around, it was the only one left, so it took off into the sky. It got two hundred feet in the air, and then dove for the ground, instead of slamming into the asphault, it disapeared in midair two feet above.

Sage appeared down the street from Eddie, he looked at Gael. "I will dismiss this storm!" He shouted over the torrenting rain.

"I thought that a little rain was nice for a change, but whatever." Nice way to blow your cover with the grenade Eddie mentally scolded himself for the mistake.

She stood and brushed herself off, thankful that the rain was taking care of most of the blood. Her beloved coat had miraculously survived the onslaught of fire, a fact which pleased her to no end. It was quality indeed.

Her body, however, was just a little worse for wear. Her hands had withstood the worst of it, by far. The tips of her fingers were burned down to the bone. Yet strangly, it didn't hurt. However she decided it might be a good idea to find some morphine before the flesh started to grow back. Already her more minor burns were healing, and they stung beneath the needle-like rain. The pain was refreshing, cleansing.

A few of her feathers were scorched, but they were so wet from the struggle on the ground flying any distance was pretty much out of the question, so it proved a moot point. Closing her eyes, her wings seemed to dissolve in a mist of glittering specs, nearly obscured by the driving rain. The back of her coat showed no evidence that they had even been there at all. To complete her cover, she hid her hands in her pockets until they had time to heal. The damage being so extensive, it would take a while.

"A little rain?" Sage said to himself as he looked at the rivers coming down from the street hills and draining like waterfalls into grates. He turned back towards Gael, and winced as he saw her hands.

"Hey, you need some help?" He asked as he flicked open his palm, a blue purple and white energy eminating from the middle of it. "I can heal those up quickly."

Baker walked down to where Gael and Sage now stood. "Glad to see you again Gael. You're looking well." Eddie turned to the young man He doesn't look too impressive. He can't be older than fifteen, sixteen at most. "Sage Cornellis right, a pleasure" Eddie extended his hand to the boy as he glanced down at him, analyzing him in every respect, including the best way to kill him if the need were to arise.

"Thanks, but I prefer my own medicine. I'm sure you understand."

When it came to the supernatural, she was extremely wary. Being somewhat of a unique creature, neither good nor evil could be trusted to obtain the desired result.

She offered Baker a nod for a greeting, as well as a critical eye. This was another she wasn't sure she could trust.

"Yes I understand," Sage said to Gael. Then Baker approached, the man scanned over him, and then stuck out his hand. Sage looked at it for a moment, and then raised his eyebrows.

"Tell me Baker, you can't trust me yet you stick your hand out as a form of greeting, how do you know I won't kill you if I touch you?" He asked. "Your face shows you are warm and friendly, and would trust me as a friend yet in your mind you say the exact opposite, even to the extreme of seeing a way to kill me. How can I shake the hand of a man who thinks of killing me upon seeing me for the first time?
"I don't think I'd be able to trust a man like that yet I am right now, if I truely thought you were going to attack me you wouldn't be standing where you are right now. So tell me, friend, why do you not trust me? Have I harmed you in any way? Have I shown you threat? No I have not. Now if you will excuse me I need to get to the top of that skyscraper over there and cast away the storm..."

He finished his sentence by pointing to the building, the others looked at it, and when they looked back, Sage was gone.

"I really hate telepaths, not so much the person usually but what they do. Your mind is supposed to be private." Eddie said to Gael "Just like a kid to run off though. I would have at least tried explaining things to him. But he can't understand it, can he? The boy can't understand that it becomes an instinct to think about such things. To always be faithful, vigilant is the life of a marine. It's nice that he can have that bit of naivety, but it makes him a sheep, denying the horrors of this world and beyond. What he'll need to be now though is a shepard to fend off the coming wolves.

After she’d profusely thanked the boy who loaned her the jacket and the waiter for the food she slipped out as quickly of the Jewel as quickly she could. She knew that she needed to beat the rain back to her apartment if she could and it wouldn’t be easy. So instead of simply walking or even walking briskly she ran. It was a couple miles back to her apartment from the restaurant and she started too quickly to finish without stopping once for a few minutes. She obviously hadn’t been exercising as much as she should have, but she never had time. Money was scarce and she needed to either be working or walking to work.

She made it to the apartment just before the rain hit land. She went up to her room and pulled a jeweled box and a plain wooden box out from under her bed and unlocked both of them with an ornamented key hanging around her neck. Inside the jeweled case were a few plain, worthless looking wooden pieces and inside the wooden case was a wad of bills. She took the entire wad and most of what she’d earned that afternoon and bound them together and she replaced the extra money she’d earned back inside the case. She took everything out of the jeweled case and slid them both back into their place, completely satisfied when she heard them each click into place. She immediately left her room with the carefully counted cash and after a few minutes she walked back inside, much poorer but without any worries of losing her small living space.

She’d planned to go straight to bed since she couldn’t go to her evening performance because of the rain but as she looked out her window at the falling rain something called to her. She didn’t quite know what she was doing but without any hesitation she grabbed her violin and bow and threw them on before throwing her poncho over the entire getup and heading down toward the ocean. The rain poured down around her, but it was rendered impotent by the modern convenience of the poncho she laughed at the fact she’d been so afraid of it at the restaurant but she knew that she was just protecting her baby so it was a typical reaction. She really needed to thank the boy that had loaned her the jacket, since she’d managed to beat the rain she hadn’t needed it, but she wouldn’t have left without the insurance.

She walked alone down the street and off the manmade paths, walking without thinking a whit.

The rain fell, the pouring rain, so much noise echoing all throughout the entire city. The streets were rivers, grates and other drop offs were waterfalls. The bay was the worst, the constant noise of the rain drops hitting the water. It was so loud. Annoying to some, nothing to others. This rain was pouring hard, the term 'raining cats and dogs' wouldn't even work for this.

Then there was a sudden silence, the rain continued to fall, but for a second is seemed like it made no noise at all.

Then it happened, from on top a building an extordinary light exploded, sending waves of it against the darkness. The clouds directly overhead parted, leaving a hole were the stary night sky was seen. The light kept expanding, until the clouds were pushed back, farther and farther. Then finally no more clouds existed.

The rain was gone, and all that was left in the waking was a heavy fog throughout the city.

The light disapeared.

And Sage reapered right beside Baker. "Like a sheep eh? Perhaps your mind is the one that needs to be opened."

He stood there, a bright smile on his face, and then he yawned. "Boy what an exciting night, no?"

***

Philip dashed up the hills, against the torrents of water coming down against him, he needed to get back home, he was already soaking. He was not only wet and pissed because of that, but scared to death of the sudden light that had just errupted earlier and made the rain end. The fog added a gloomy setting, he couldn't even see five feet ahead of him.

He turned the corner, and walked across another block, he was about halfway home.

"Perhaps kid, but I seem to recall you mentioning this meeting as the first time I saw you. That implies you have been unaware of the fact that I've been following you for a few days now. Understandable since there was no reason to look for a normal human monitoring your movements. Still, whether you were aware of me or not, I am curious about something else, are you afraid, knowing the evil that is coming?"

Sage looked at Baker, and let out a long, fruitful, malicious laugh. "You crack me up Baker! Are you that blind? Have you never thought up the fact that one should always make their opponent think they have the upperhand? You've been 'following' me for a while this I know. What you do not know is I've known it since the beggining. Such information is quite attainable when you can see, and feel every thought, and everyone emotion of everyone around you.
"I've been leading you to false trails, you've learned nothing of me, and morely you've learned nothing of the evil that comes. For your sake you should be thanking me, for if you knew of the true evil I doubt you would want to be anywhere near here. You've made a big mistake when you decided to follow me. You've made a big mistake learning about me.
"For, little do you know, that if you know of me. Matthius knows of you, and if he knows of you, you are in a danger far worse then your mind could ever comprehend foolish little man," Sage said. "Now I suggest either one, you start changing your attitude, or two, run along little doggie cause you ain't in Kansas anymore."

The two boys would being arguing for a while, each trying to convince the other they were better or knew more, or whatever it was men usually competed over. She took the opportunity to slip away with the aid of the gathering shadows. Unnoticed, she started in the direction of the city.

She kept to the outskirts, where it was easier to avoid people. Her hands had begun to bleed as the flesh regenerated, and with it, the pain had started. She need to find some secluded place to heal.

"You have no idea what I know little boy. I can feel you inside my mind, but you can't get any farther than the surface can you? Probing too deep would kill a normal human but you couldn't get very far even if you wanted to..." even as it was sheathed the sword was able to discreetly protect its master's inner thoughts and keep its own nature hidden. "But this isn't a time for childish posturing. I am prepared to go all the way down the rabbit hole, don't worry about that. An exchange of information on current matters might be enlightening for all of us though" glancing sideways towards Gael. "I hate when she slinks off like that. One of these days I'm going to have to nail her feet to the ground."

Sage chuckled as he stared at nothing. "Tell me did you know Gael walked off while you ranted?"

He laughed some more. "Tell me, did you know of the storm yet to come?"

And with that, he vanished.

A moment before the change she thought she heard something so she stopped walking. The rain was incredibly heavy, it was battering at her poncho more heavily then she thought was possible. That made the brasslike melody seem even more out of place when she heard it. The cutting edge of a trumpet could carry, but she doubted she could have heard even an entire brass band next to her, much less a lone trumpet blasting from a nearby rooftop and she knew that no one sane would be out. Nonetheless she followed it while it lasted, but after a moment it became clear to her that she wasn’t only having auditory hallucinations. She saw a light grow from around the origin of the trumpet and she heard the trumpet playing against a harmonic structure in another key, a dark B minor. The trumpet became more clear and the volume increased proportionally as the light expanded and the D major was supported by a string section or perhaps a quartet as the rain faded around her. The origin was dark again and some balance had shifted but in the back she still heard a slight B minor rumble for a moment before the hallucination left her alone on the bluff.

Kid thinks he can do and knows everything. Hell maybe he can. Not likely "everything" though. Otherwise any evil simply wouldn't even bother trying to take him or try to hurt anyone, right? Questions abound as Eddie walked back toward the city. Hoping to get some rest back at the flat he rented under the table, he needed to be rested to be ready for the evil coming. Matthius...

The old cathedral loomed ahead, and she couldn't help but smile at the irony of it. It seemed as good a place as any, and she wouldn't be disturbed. With the pain steadily increasing, she pulled open the heavy doors and slid into the sanctuary of darkness.

She made her way past a cracked baptismal font, and up the aisle past rows of dust-covered pews. Behind the alter this dark angel finally rested, examining her strange stigmata. The blood was a clear trail for any and all to follow as far back as the door, but that really wasn't her concern at the moment. It might be interesting to expose herself during the morning mass, if there was still a priest here, or a parish that met in this old place. So often they abandoned these places for more modern places of worship.

As her wounds steadily healed, the pain expressed itself in shallowed breathing and small beads of persperation on her brow. Leaning against the age-old symbol of religious trust, she drifted into the blessed relief sleep could provide.

Eddie walked back toward his flat. The crimson trail caught his eye among the gray slabs of the pavement. Gael was wounded...She probably wouldn't want me following her. But with that much blood... Baker could not dispell the worry from his mind. He followed the trail in a swift but casual manner until he reached a cathedral. He snuck in through an open window and called out, his vision still adjusting to the light, or lack thereof, in the room, "Gael? You here, you alright?"

She heard Baker's voice, yet chose to remain utterly silent. How had he found her anyway? Unless he just happened to come across the blood smeared door, her pockets must have leaked some of it. She huddled in the darkness against the wood and stone, not wanting to be found. She would be fine. Even angels needed some time alone. Hopefully he wouldn't spot the blood she knew led up the aisle. It would be difficult to see in the darkness in any case.

Eddie took his lighter from his pocket and quickly struck it, casting a light on the floor. The trail of blood was clear as day in the faint light. "Gael, if you don't want me here, fine. But please answer. Otherwise I have to assume you can't." Eddie waited a moment for her reply. Hoping she would. She might have been more badly wounded than I thought...

Her voice echoed hauntingly off the vaulted ceilings and stone walls.

"I'm fine, Baker. I self-heal..remember?"

Voices seemed to defile the sanctity of this place.

"Of course, I still worry though. Guess I'm a bit on the paranoid side. I did want to ask you something before you left though...did Sage tell you what was going on around here? I don't want you taking any chances if you don't know about them."

"There is much I do not know. But there is also much I suspect. You have never worried for me before...let's not start now."

She truly did not trust this man. Too many times he had taken up opposition to her dark nature. It seemed to her that he had become self-serving. He would cast his lot with whomever stood the greatest chance of winning. Distrust would not allow her to examine the truth or fallacy behind this impression.

That night was dark, one of the darkest she remembered. Not a star was visible in the sky through the fog. Hell, she could hardly see her feet when she looked down. She should never have come out here again, she should have used the time to catch up on much needed sleep. She sighed at her own stupidity and glanced off the edge, she couldn’t see the bottom, as she expected. She knew that she needed sleep so she turned and walked back into the city, somehow it was even more ominous in the fog than it had been in the rain.

She doesn't trust me Eddie noticed the apprehension in her eyes "Gael, I have worried about you. I was a soldier, my job always was to protect others. Don't take it as an insult that I worry about you as well. I should have been more trusting of you before, that your dark side would not go out of control. But when I saw it that day when you were attacked by "him"...I didn't want that to show up around anyone at the club. Like I said I should have trusted you. If Sage didn't tell you I thought you should know that Matthius is returning. I'm sure that if he isn't stopped he will hurt a lot of innocent people. That's why I'll be staying to fight, but since you have history with him...well, I thought you should know anyway, so you can decide what is best. I understand if you don't trust me, but can we at least cooperate? We used to be on friendly terms, comrades even. It would be nice to have that again."

"I will only say this once. Get out of the church. This is no place to speak of demons."

Matthius, eh? That would explain some of the feelings...should be interesting to see him again...

All she wanted was to be left along to heal. Apparantly she wasn't allowed even that. People got too attached to her, though they had no earthly right to be. Truly, they should be terrified of her. Perhaps she was going soft. She closed her eyes behind the alter once more, and drifted into sleep.

Eddie sighed in exasperation. "Fine, goodnight then Gael." Take it easy Gael. Because I won't, I refuse to allow anyone else to be killed. Baker's mind began drifting to battlefields of long ago, friends that he had lost. He walked out of the church and continued walking through the city toward his temporary residence, it didn't feel right to him to call it "home".

She woke up more than an hour before dawn and sighed from her bed. Then she pushed herself up on her elbows and forced herself out of bed. She felt a little stupid as she dressed, she’d thrown away a chance to catch up on a little sleep the night before and the world wouldn’t forgive that lapse. She dressed up nicely enough to avoid police presence but modestly enough to avoid being taken for a prostitute. Her life had been a careful balance between two evils the few preceding months and she didn’t think it looked like it would change soon. The weather controlled her completely, she tried hard not to think of the deep winter months, her life would be nearly impossible then and she knew it. She also knew that she couldn’t slack off today because of it. She needed to be in a densely populated area as people went to work so she could earn a little money in the morning.

A few minutes later, she slipped on her violin and bow under a jacket and walked out into the grey morning. The fog had dissipated somewhat overnight, but it still mad its presence known. It would burn off after a while, hopefully before she had to start playing.

Sage stood on the balcony of his apartment, staring off into the seemingly endless void of grayish white. The fog was still heavy, it would be around for several days at least. He had a cup of tea in his hand, and Philip was sitting in a chair just inside the apartment.

"This all only proves one thing," Sage said as he took a sip. "Matthius is here, and he want something. He is searching for me no doubt."

Sage turned around and looked at Philip, and nodded his head uncertainly. "Yes, that is definately it, he wants me."

Philip frowned as he looked at Sage, who had just recently explained everything to him. This was all very startling information, and most of it he didn't understand.

"What concerns me is he sent Ifrits after Gael, and not me," Sage said. "I would have expected him to focus all efforts on me. Why is he trying to bring Gael into all this? Does he think that she can be swayed to his side? Or does he just want her dead as much as he wants me dead?"

He took a step to his left, and his foot nudged something. He turned and looked at it, the green jem lay next to his feet. He knelt down and picked it up, taking a look into the rugged mineral.

***

Peral and Sait stood over Gael. "She is an unknown force in this story."

"I know," Sait answered as he rested against his staff, lost in thought.

"She fights for good yet her emotions scream for evil," Peral said. "Sait she is a powerful being, not some lowely Acolyte. She could easily take on a high member of the order and win! If Matthius gets hold..."

"Silence!" Sait exclaimed at him. "Never speak that name here! In a cathedral! How dare you utter those damned words!"

Peral bowed and stepped backwards away from Sait and Gael. "I am sorry..."

"You are young and do not fully understand this all," Sait said. "She has a part to play, yet we do not know it. We shall not know it until it has happened, so there is nothing we can do about it."

"She will wake soon," Peral said.

"Yes, we must take leave," Sait said nodding.

The two of them transformed, Sait into a raven, and Peral into a dove. Sait flew up and landed on the highest beam, and Peral flew and landed on a gargoyle off to the side along the wall. Both of them sat there, and watched.

Voices. She rarely dreamed, but here were voices nonetheless. One she recognised, the other was strange and unfamiliar. She woke with a start, fang and talon bared and poised for action. That's right...she'd come to the cathedral... Relaxing, she examined her hands. The ends of her fingers were pink and a little raw, but the bleeding had stopped, and the pain had subsided to an inconsequential level.

She stood stiffly and stretched the cold out of her joints. The cathedral was empty, yet strangely beautiful in the early morning light. Fog had dimmed what little light made it through the small high-set windows. It fell in shafts to the stone floor, strangely cold and merciless given the setting. Apparantly this place was no longer used. Maybe on special holidays, but certainly not on a daily basis. Perhaps this would be a safe place to stay for a few days..

The dove (Peral) that was sitting on the gargoyle took flight. Flying through the air, to the middle of the cathedral, from there it went upwards. The raven (Sait) at the top took flight as well. Both of them flew off towards an open window and into the outside world. They flew and soon disapeared into the fog.

***

"What is it?" Philip asked as Sage set it on the kitchen table.

"I do not know," Sage said as he examined it. "I don't even know where it came from for starters. It seems to be made of an unknown mineral also..."

"Hmm," Philip said as he walked onto the balcony. "So it was just laying here?"

"Yes," Sage replied.

"Odd.." Philip started to say but stopped as a group of pigeons resting on a nearby balcony all jerked their heads in one direction, towards the bay, and started cooing like mad. Philip wrinkled his forehead as he watched them.

"What the hell?" He asked.

The pigeons all jerked up one more time, before flying in the opposite direction of where they were staring. Philip ducked down as they flew past and then stood, staring off at them as they disapeared.

"What the hell?" He asked again.

"Maybe its not what the hell," Sage said. "But what from hell?"

She jerked her head up at the sound of flapping wings. Two birds. How strange...

But then again the ceilings were high. They probably got birds in here all the time. She contemplated following them for the briefest moment, but soon thought better of the idea. She was about to set out, when something caught her eye. The floor was covered with a thin layer of dust, and near the alter were a pair of footprints. Strange that she did not awaken..

Soundlessly, she took to flight and powered herself back to the main door. She let herself out into the gloomy morning. Like the druids of old, she made for a grove of pine trees for reflection.

Edward David Baker sat on the balcony of the tiny apartment. He had given the owner more than enough in cash to encourage him to avoid asking questions. Not that he needed to give him much. In this part of town people tended to keep their heads down and mind their own affairs instead of their neighbors For the best though. Doesn't help anyone if civilians get involved in this. (You're a civilian now too little Eddie, remember?) he reminded himself. But he knew that he was already in this, and it wasn't in his nature to know of a threat and do nothing about it. So I stay with it till the end. He went back to studying the thick book in his lap. The tome showed just how ancient it was in its extremely worn cover and faded pages, and yet it seemed as sturdy as a book just from the print as the man turned its yellowed pages.

*Splat*

A white and black spot of liquid now tarnished the book. Baker looked above him to find dozens of birds, pigeons and gulls mostly, perching on the roof above, along with the roofs and balconies of the buildings around him as he took the time to look around. Suddenly they all began making a great deal of noise, creating an incessant racket of caws and coos. What the hell is going on now? A bunch of birds...how Alfred Hitchcock...can't be a good sign though. Despite the possible omen there wasn't much the ex-marine could do about it at just this moment so he cleaned the mess the bird made on his research and continued with it. He made a mental note to meet with Sage again and discuss things, perhaps including these birds, if it meant anything at all...

Philip had gone home, and now here Sage was, sitting alone in his apartment. He had robes wrapped around him making him appear to be dressed as a wizard. In reality these were the robes of the order, he was trying to gain contact with them for any help on this situation.

The voice that came into his mind was not at all of the order. "What is it you wish to hear?"

The voice was twisted, demented, like a snake hissing words at him. Sage grimaced. "Demon, why do you speak when I wish to speak to the Holy?"

"They have shunned you boy, they wish no to speak with you anymore," The demon replied. "Now, as for what I want with you. Tell me, how much do you know of what is yet to happen?"

"What do you mean?" Sage asked.

"You know what I mean!" The voice yelled. Suddenly he felt immense pain in his head, he started twitching all over, his eyes shut tight in writhing pain. Then suddenly it stopped. "How much do you know of the demon Matthius!?"

"All I know of him is that he possessed me, many moons ago, and now he has physical form, I know he means to kill me, but that is all!" Sage exclaimed with little breath.

"For your sake you better not be lying!" The voice shouted. The pain came back, more intense this time. Sage's arm shot out across the table, knocking off his tea, and everything else that was there. The little green jewel flew across the room, landing in front of the door.

He arched his back, and soon the chair he sat in tipped over backwards. He landed hard against the floor, and began to roll around on it. He started letting out gasps, and short screams of pain. He opened his eyes, they were blood shot, full of tears, and morely the blue color that they once were was now a pukish yellow.

And in a split second, all pain was gone, the voice that was once in his head. It had asked him many more questions as it tortured him, and he gave many answers...many false answers.

The fog lent the small clearing an otherworldly feeling. Surrounded by the silent watchful pines, she paced. The fog swirled in small eddies in her wake, lazily drifting across the sea of misplaced clouds. But for all the serenity of this place, Gael was angry.

Matthius, if you really are coming back, it's an unwise move. And if you're the one who sent those Ifrits...do you really think so little of me? To think that I am so weak as that?

She was furious but pleased all at once. If he had underestimated her that gravely, then even now he could not guess her true capacity. She would still have the upper hand. She was suddenly grateful to be one who uses only enough force and power as necessary.

Matthius sat upon his chair inside the dark room, the other two demons were not in the room with him. The crystal ball was just showing New Gregory, which was swallowed in the immense fog. Skyscrapers just barely came out of the top of it all. He smiled at his doing, with this fog not much was going to be happening there, giving him time to make his next move. The doors opened, and a man entered, not a demon, or anything from the depths of hell, but a regular man.

He was about six foot tall, with a head of golden hair that was gelled in all different directions. He was slim and muscular. He was wearing black leather pants, and had on a dark deep blue sweater mesh, that didn't have a right sleeve. Over top of everything else was a black neckless trenchcoat, that only had a left sleeve. He was wearing some jet black sunglasses, across his belt he had a belt, and strapped onto his back was a harness carrying a giant five foot long, one foot wide sword. He was very handsome as well. He approached Matthius, his shin high boots clopping against the floor. His name was Vinn Damross, a human who had been taken by Matthius at an early aged, trained and taught in dark arts.

"What do you wish me to do?" He asked.

"Take my three sons," Matthius said. "The four of you will be assinged one simple mission, find out about Sage Cornellis. His weaknesses, his strengths, everything."

Three figures appeared out of no where in the room; Ramma, Dos, and Vera. The three sons of Matthius, all of them, liken their father, had a full head of silver white hair, they appeared to be in their twenties but in reality their age was unknown. Their faces were full of youth, but also full of evil. They stepped closer, until soon all three were surrounding Vinn. He kept his gaze on Matthius, he knew that the three would hurt him if they got the chance, he did not fear them.

"What if we are discovered?" He asked.

"Then you are to kill Gael, she passed my first test," Matthius explained. "I hope you will be able to kill her if it comes to it."

"And of Sage?" Vinn asked.

"My three sons will take of him," Matthius said. "Now, go."

Vinn raised his hand into the air, and a dark cloud swarmed over him, Ramma, Dos, and Vera. One second they were in the room, the next, they were standing on a freightor in New Gregory bay. The boat was empty, but soon other demons disguised as humans appeared and started to act as if they were actual workers on the boat.

Vinn turned to the three boys, narrowing his eyes at them. "You will stay here, understand? No doubt if you three follow me the evil in you will be sensed easily."

He turned and walked to the edge of the boat, and held up a picture of someone, he then spoke, almost to himself. "I need to find this person..this...Gael."

He looked up, glancing at the fog that covered the entire city as the freightor boat got closer to the outer docks. He smirked as the wind blew across his face, this was going to be a good day.

Sage stood up in his apartment, he was recovering from the conversation. One question he had was where was Gael? He figured she had been self-healing, but it couldn't have taken that long could it? He shook his head, and then wondered why he could not reach the order, why could he not speak with them? Why did he receive damnation when he seeked salvation? He could ask many more questions but did not, he walked off to the balcony, and looked into the fog. It was still fairly early in the day, around 9:30 AM. The sounds of the city and the sounds of the bay was all that told him New Gregory was fine.

He got on the elevator and took it all the way down to ground floor. He walked through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk outside. He stretched there, and as people came out of the fog, passed him, and went back in he heard a noise. A motorcycle was coming around. He stopped and watched, as a wierd looking motorcycle drove by, with a slim muscular blonde haired man on top. As the man went by he winked at Sage.

Sage nodded his head back yet he did not know who the man was at all. He shook his head and continued down to the bay. He walked along the beach, and reached the area where he had been swept out to sea the previous night. He remembered it vividly, the wave crashed on him, he was to side tracked to even hear it. He was fifty feet out in the water, the storm raging all around. He made his swim towards the cliffside, against the waves that continued to pound.

He reached the cliff and had made his climb up, getting to the top he saw Gael fighting those Ifrits. From there one he helped her, and then argued with Baker. He then teleported himself to the top of the skyscraper, casting his spell to dispell the storm. The fog was never something he thought would come, but it had.

He sat down in the sand, putting his hands on his knees, and then two birds flew down onto the beach. He hadn't seen a single bird since earlier when they passed Philip by. The birds were a raven and a dove. As he looked at them they changed before his very eyes, and soon became to familiar faces; Sait and Peral.

"Sage, it has been a long time," Sait said, leaning against his staff.

"Yes it has," Sage replied. "What are you two doing here? Why wasn't I able to contact the order last night?"

"You have many questions, and we have much to discuss," Peral said. "Please, follow us."

***

Vinn drove along the streets, making several turns, running several stop lights. He had passed by Sage, he felt the presence from so far away. As he drove by he acted casual towards the boy, but after he passed him he glanced into a mirror at the boy and looked him over, memorizing his appearance. He then turned again, heading for the old cathedral.

He pulled his motorcycle to a stop along the side walk, and hopped off. He wondered what everyone thought of the massive blade strapped on his back. Not that he cared, he had abandoned his human roots a long time ago. The pain and scars were still carried with him though, he would not admit to them though.*

He walked along the path through the fence, into the grove. He took off his sunglasses as he stood there, looking at the door. He then turned to his left, looking at Gael. He smirked, and walked over to her. He didn't want to startle her, but he didn't have much of a choice. He chose to speak in a queit but firm raspy voice.

"Uh, hello Miss," He said nodding his head as he spoke.

----------

* As a child Vinn Domrass, or as he was back then, Jacob Jeffson, was an abused child. His mother died when he was young, and his dad was a drunk. At the age of six Matthius came to him, and offered him a deal, the boy took it, and left behind his normal life. Going down to the depths of hell to learn dark arts, and training. He took the name Vinn Domrass, leaving his old shameful name behind.

If the man's sudden appearance startled her, she certainly didn't show it. She pausing in her ambling, mildly surprized that she had not felt the intrusion into the sacred grove. Then again she was awfully deep in thought... Dismissing this, she turned to face him, discreetly evaluating him before adopting a friendly smile.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there.."

There was something about him. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. The anomoly was thinly veiled, yet enough to set him apart in her eyes from other humans.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

The blade on his back was certainly different. But what was the nature of this intrusion? Firmly quelling the frenzy of thought, she patiently awaited his answer.

Vinn smiled weakly at her, and walked up next to her. He looked around a bit before answering. "I've been sent by a part of the order actually, to protect Sage."

He put his hands on his hips, the muscles in his bare right arm constantly flexing, he wasnt trying to show off it was just natural for him to do that. He turned and looked at her, smiling again. "I do not know much about Sage however, and they suggested going to you to find out more about him. They say your his best friend after all."

He walked to a tree and leaned against it. "So, your name is Gael right? Its a beautiful name. Tell me, what is Sage like and how do you feel about him?"

The order? Her mind reeled in suspicion but none of it was visible. She took a subtle step back, distancing them. She had no love for the order, and from what she could see (with a few exceptions of course) the feeling was reciprocated.

"It's about time someone decided to help. Though I'm not sure what you could really do."

She eyed him a bit more critically and let the smile slip a bit.

"You'll forgive me for wondering why they would send an operative without first briefing the individual."

She crossed her arms lightly and tilted her head to the side quizzically.

"What did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't" he said. "My name is Vinn Damross. The order sent me here after the run in with the Ifrits last night. We didn't have time to brief you or Sage."

He walked up to her, and eyed her over. "Sorry to seem so quisitive, but its what I have to do."

He smiled at her, his eyes flashing with an immense power as he did so.

With that flash of power, it was like the veil was lifted. She smirked darkly, but quickly regained her composure. Somehow she managed to take another small step back without it seeming like a retreat.

"I see. Well then to answer your previous question, I'm not sure 'friend' is the best term. We confide in eachother, rely on each other at times. But friendship requires trust, and I'm not sure either of us possess that."

She glanced around her at the misty grove, ever watchful. It was still empty.

"Sage is a very strong young man. Moreso than he has any right to be at his age. He is a resource for me, nothing more. Due to my nature, I can't afford to get too close to people." She stopped and watched him, then quickly covered her near slip. "-because I don't stay in one place for long, you see."

Vinn laughed a full hearted laugh, and then looked at her right in the eye. His eyes glinted once again and he took several steps forward. "I am sorry then Gael, but it is another duty of mine to bring you back. I am sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but my master wishes to speak with you."

His arms shot forward, latching onto her upper arms, and he started pushing her back towards a wall. His eyes were full of furry but his face was a calm and humble one, his friendly smile still as big as ever.

She balked in surprize, then growled deeply and bared her fangs.

"Master? No member of the order, even those who most distrust me, would treat me in such a fashion. Who are you?"

She brought her talons up and buried them deep in his arms. Leaning into his hold, she braced with her feet behind her, trying to fight against the backward motion.

"Oh but how wrong you are," He said, his eyes flaming now. The claws dug deep into his bare arm, and tore through the coat on the other arm, blood started seeping out. "But my master is no longer a member of the order!"

He thrust his arms forward, letting go of her, sending her towards the wall, he pulled out his blade and charged. Tackling her against the wall he thrust it up next to her neck, using it to keep her from trying anything, while wrapping his other arm around her and keeping her pinned against the wall. He smiled at her, and then talked more.

"My master has been anxious to see you," he explained. "But yet he has been anxious to kill you also. I do not know what he wishes to do with you, but he wants to see you."

She hit the wall much harder than expected and grimaced. But before she could move out of the way she found the blade at her throat - her one vulnerable point - and a crushing force holding her against the wall. She growled deep and writhed to escape the pin, careful not to move her neck. Her talons sought any target they could find, constantly working their way into some bit of flesh or another.

"Matthius?" she breathed, suddenly realizing what he was saying. "I see he can't be bothered to do his own dirty work these days. So he calls on spineless underlings to do his bidding." She growled the words fiercely and disdainfully, continuing to fight against the hold.

"My master does not need to do his dirty work when he entrusts me to do it," Vinn said. "I am his very pupil! He has taught me all I know. I was once human but I abandoned that path long ago."

Several imps had appeared around them, taining the holy ground with blasphemy. Vinn spit up blood right into Gael's face as one of her claws found a good mark. He released his grip around her, and dropped his blade grabbing her hands. He then brought his fist up, hard, right for her face.

She snapped her head down and to the side, narrowly missing what would have been a painful blow. She'd fight like a demon if she had to. Seeing the Ifrits, she growled furiously, her eyes flickering into that white glow.

"You are weak-minded! Just like a human! You cannot even see that he is using you."

With her hands caught, she used the only good weapon still left in her arsenal. Dropping the small bit of power that kept them concealed from human sight, she sunk her fangs into his bare shoulder with a snarl and brought her knee up sharply.

Vinn screamed in pain and arched backwards until the knee met with his groin, he doubled forward slightly, only to have the teeth sink in deeper. He brought his elbow across her stomach, and then wrapped his arms around her back, and lifted her up over his head and dropped her. He reached for his sword, and got up. He looked at her, and then sent all the Ifrits down upon her.

"Keep her alive!" He shouted. "Chain her up and make sure she can't go anywhere!"

They swarmed down on her, all twenty of them, they weren't fire Ifrits so there was no worry of burning her to death.

He held his shoulder as he looked at her, bringing his hand up, his palm was red. He wiped it on the grass. Standing up he snapped his fingers, and his shoulder healed itself, along with the other various wounds on him. He watched as they swarmed her body.

When he picked her up, she finally released his shoulder. And when he dropped her, she landed flat on her back She lay utterly still for a moment, then moved to sit upright as the Ifrits swarmed her. She fought viciously, but 20 one 1 were odds best reserved for times when she wasn't in danger of blunt trauma to the head. She slashed and bit at the little beasts, determined to get them away, but when she felt the cold chains fury consumed her totally. There was no thinking beyond self preservation.

She pulled them off one by onewith her claws, desperately tossing them aside, but they kept coming back. She glared hatefully up at Vinn, determined to go down fighting.

Vinn saw her face, her determined face, she was going to go down with a fight. He smirked and her, and walked up just out of reach of the crazed Ifrits. He whispered to her, just loud enough for her to hear.

"You aren't going down today, not in my terms at least," He said. "Your going to Matthius. Now I suggest you save your strength. I have a feeling that he won't kill you. If he does want to, I shall try to stand up for you."

He smirked even bigger. "For you have something about you that makes me wonder who's side your really on."

She continued to glare, but something in his words struck her. It was a losing battle anyway, so with closed eyes, she steeled her resolve and did the most uncharacteristic thing she could possibly do; she gave up.

He's right..you must save your strength, old girl. Let him think what he wants. Since when have you cared?

She concentrated on anything and everything to keep her mind of the chains she knew would soon debilitate her. Those fearful restraints, worse in their own way than even her own demise. She had died once...surely the second time around it couldn't be much worse.

Even after the sun should have come up the deep fog was ever-present, she couldn’t even take her violin out of its nicely dehumidified case without fear of damaging it. The air was too humid for this time of year, or any time of year for that matter. It was going to hurt her pretty badly. Even one day without money was more than she could afford, especially with the late payment last month, the landlady wasn’t going to cut her any slack.

When she was upset she always walked, and it generally helped her calm down, but sometimes she ended up in places it would have been smarter to avoid. As she walked past a small grove of pine trees, she heard a scuffling and a very unnatural clanking sound. Without thinking any more than usual she walked straight toward the sound, she knew that this was a “nice” part of town and the police were strict enough that she doubted any prostitution was taking place, even though it was possible. With all this in mind she walked into a small clearing to see a very strange sight, a huge man with an impracticably large buster sword. The woman had chains partially wrapped around her and an insane look in her eyes; in fact, she looked almost feral. The man looked confident as he looked her over. His glance valued her as nothing more than a piece of property, very cold and rather unpleasant. Finally, there seemed to be something that she could just catch out of her peripheral vision and not ever lay her eyes straight on. Whatever they were just faded out whenever she looked towards them, but she knew that even if two humans hadn’t seen her these other things definitely had.

Spending over twenty years in the marines makes one used to catching sleep whenever one could. Being able to fall asleep on command didn't get rid of nightmares, however. Inside the subconcious mind of Eddie Baker a very real nightmare took place. A winged woman shrouded in shadow, whom he assumed as Gael being dragged down by twisted beings and a man, no, not a man. The fiend showed its wicked grimace while Eddie shouted, stretching out his hand, but helpless to save the woman from falling into the darkness. Mercifully, the nightmare ended and Baker awoke, his shirt clinging to his skin. The sweat gave it a sickly, slimy feeling. He quickly disrobed and went into a shower for a few minutes, trying to wash away the grime and the sinking feeling he had. The dream kept haunting him, however. It seemed so real, could it have been a premonition? Is she in trouble? Eddie Baker knew better than to dive right into this, however, with no idea of what would be waiting. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he came unprepared and got killed for it. He would need backup. In two minutes he was dressed and grabbed his belt with his sword and strapped it to his waist as he headed out the door. Baker ran down the stairs of the building to the street below and got in the old volkswagon bug he bought for about five hundred dollars. The rusted appearance and noise it made reflected its cost as it sputtered along a few blocks to a pay phone where he made a call to the home of Sage Cornellis. The message was brief and simple. "Sage, you know who this is, Gael is in trouble. I bet you can guess who's behind it." after giving directions to the cathedral where he thought she would be he hung up the phone and got back into the car. As he drove along he tried to dispell the nagging voice of doubt in his mind that told him it was already too late.

Vinn smiled as the imps finally swarmed down on her, and dragged her away. They disapeared soon enough. He turned and looked around, he heard a noise. He was not alone, someone else was hiding. He turned and looked at a cluster of trees, imps around him were staring in that direction. Obviously someone was over there. He spat the last bit of blood from his mouth to the ground.

"Attack, make sure whoever it is doesn't spill out any noise," He said, and turned around walking away. As he walked the wind blew at him, tossling his jacket around as the imps took flight towards the trees. If this had been a moive, the dramatic music would have come in right now.

The imps never got a chance to attack...

...before they could reach the girl she was teleported into Sage's apartment, where Sage, Steve DeLucia, and Philip where.

"You're lucky," Sage said smiling at her. "Welcome, you will be safe here. We received an message from another friend warning us of the trouble where you were at, we were to late to save who we planned to save, but we managed to save you."

The old, lime green beetle stopped alongside the cathedral. Baker rushed out and searched the ancient place of worship. Finding nothing, he followed up by repeatedly looking throughout the surrounding woods in every possible crevice, hole, or tree branch that Gael might have been in. Nothing remained to be found. A dark, putrid presence still lingered in the air, however. Baker walked back in frustration, mostly aimed at his own failure. Upon reaching the car he delivered a solid kick to the fake wooden panel on the door, putting yet another dent in what was already a badly misshapened bug. The gesture didn't help in venting any of his anger or confusion over the situation though. He ran to the nearest payphone a half a block away where he made another call. "Sage, it's me. There's nothing here. There was something though. I was too late. I'd prefer discussing this in person though. Fifteen minutes." Baker started walking back to his car, he'd have to hurry to make good on that promised time...

Gael kept her eyes closed, finding it was easier to deal with the mental issue of the chains if there was nothing else to focus on. When she did manage to open them, all she saw was darkness anyhow. She writhed within her confines, trying to loosen them enough to escape. But the chains held fast, and she didn't have the leverage to simply muscle through them. If there was one thing on this Earth she feared, it was restraint, and the inability to defend herself.

"Please.." she whispered, with a valient attempt to keep the fear out of her voice.

This was a bad idea..a very bad idea...

Knowing full well that her verbal attempt at bravery was mostly transparent, she decided it would be better to just not speak. With some effort, she managed to slow her breathing and forced herself to relax.

Sage suddenly heard the phone ring, he let it ring, and the answering machine picked up the message. It was Baker, he sighed, and put his hand over his face.

The next instant Baker disapeared from the cathedral and was in Sage's apartment. Sage nodded at him, but didn't tell him the fact that his (Baker's) car was still at the cathedral.

"I already know that Baker," He said.

"You can call me Eddie, by the way Sage. But did you really have to teleport me here? I had a few important things in the trunk of the car you know...I hope you 'ported' it too so that it's waiting outside." Baker said. He glanced toward the other two people in the room. The one boy, Philip, he recognized from his earlier reconnaissance but the other was a new face to him. "Name's Eddie Baker. You are?"

"Steve DeLucia," Steve said with a smile nodding at Baker.

Sage glanced at the floor and whistled to himself, putting on an innocent face. He looked up at Baker and smiled a big childish smile. He dug his hands straight into his pockets and rocked back and forth, still gleaming at Baker. He looked much like an 'innocent' little boy, who had just put his hand in the forbidden cookie jar.

He then dropped the smile. "Oh fine I'll teleport it here also...."

He snapped his finges and laughed. "Sorry Eddie, I should stop being an ass to you."

"That would be nice. I assume both of these gentlemen are aware of our situation and they know the risks of "talking shop" right? If not then you both might be better off not knowing anything." he then said to Steve and Philip.

She was still disoriented by the incredibly sudden movement, in fact her eyes were still watering and she could hardly see anything around her. "What exactly is going on here?" She tried to speak clearly but she was still somewhat short on breath. "Wherever 'here' may be."

Baker turned around at the noise. When he was teleported minutes ago he ended up facing Sage and his friends, giving him no reason till now to look behind him. "Who the hell is this?" Baker asked Sage in a tone almost sounding like he was a father scolding a son who stayed out too late. The girl was on the other side of the room, clearly frightened at her current surroundings.

"You are in my apartment," Sage said to her.

"Its going to be ok," Philip said reausuring, hoping she would remember his voice.

Sage turned to Baker. "As for these two, they already know. After what happened last night and everything. There is no turning back for them."

***

The imps drug Gael into a dark room, there was no light at all, except one glowing ball in the middle of the room. The imps disapeared and she was left all alone in the room. There was no sign of a way out, but then, there were no signs of anything in the room really.

At the time, she wasn’t all that comforted, she was in an unknown boy’s apartment along with two other boys and a man. On top of that, she was nearly blind and was almost sure she had just been outside a few moments before. Who wouldn’t be comfortable? However, she did recognize two of the boys’ voices from the restaurant she’d performed at the day before. She forced herself to relax and recover and in a few minutes she was completely relaxed and almost recovered.

Philip smiled, and tried to talk about normal things with her. "So did my jacket help at all yesterday? It was quite a rain we got."

Steve sat down in a chair, and started drinking a can of pop. He looked around at the others. He had expected with Sage, and when Sage told him everything it didn't really shock him in the least.

He looked at the door, and noticed the green jewel, he walked over to it and picked it up. He then walked back to the table and sat down, looking over it.

She seemed to have been holding her breath as the little bastards dragged her along. The chains bit at her uncomfortably, but she barely noticed. Now as she felt them let go, she peered around her immediate surroundings. They seemed to be gone, so she exhaled slowly.

The crystal glowed faintly, casting an eerie shadow on everything within it's short reach. She thought she recognized it, but staring too hard only made her dizzy. Finally alone, or at least reasonably alone in the half-darkness, she renewed her efforts at escape.

She needed not try to escape anymore, for all the chains suddenly disapeared.

Gael blinked suddenly and froze, suddenly free.

Well now this is unexpected...I'm gonna have to remember that move.

She glanced about warily, but the edge of the crystal's light was as good as a wall between herself and the deep shadows. Dropping to a crouch, she took up a defensive stance instantly, straining her senses to search the room for anyone besides herself.

Gael, m'dear...this just isn't your day.

“Yeah, thanks a bunch for that.” She suddenly remembered that she still had his jacket with her and she quickly pulled off her poncho and then her violin case. She softly set the case down on the table beside her and pulled out her violin, making sure she had a firm, albeit gentle grip on the neck before fumbling around with the case and pulling out a slightly wadded but completely undamaged jacket. “Here it is, I learn from my mistakes and now have plenty of protection for any rainstorm." She'd been pretty stupid to walk anywhere without adequate protection for her violin, but she was going to use that same pocket for her poncho from here on out, when she wasn't wearing it.

"Oh, thank you," Philip said warmly as he accepted the crumpled jacket. He flopped it open, some water dropping on the floor, he frowned quicklt and hid the jacket behind his back. He then whispered to the musician. "You didn't see that... by the way, what is your name?"

"Gael has passed beyond all vision of mine," Sage said as he stared off into space. "I do not 'fear' for her for she is very capable of herself. However I fear about where she is..."

***

A cold aged hand reached out and touched the crystal ball, covering majority of the light. The voice that spoke still came from the darkness, only the hand and majority of the arm could be seen. "Now Gael, why dont you come over here so we can talk? I can see you over there but it is obvious you cannot see me. I will not hurt you."

He could tell from the girl's frightened look she had no idea what was going on. Baker stepped in close to Sage and whispered so that only they could hear. "Let me guess Sage...the girl was at the cathedral? They might very well be aiming to finish the job now. I may have an idea of where Gael is. Don't bother reading my mind for it though. Can't bring much too close to the surface, cuz ya can't be sure if their isn't someone trying to take a peek ya know." Baker had no desire to frighten this girl further, thus the need to keep the topic discreet.

"And you think I don't know where she is?" He asked. "Its obvious Matthius has captured her! There is no doubt about it. They wish to know something...or....they want...something from her...."

There was a knock at the door, and all conversation ended and they gazed at the door.

Great, right in the middle of all this...probably an army of orcs with our luck he thought sarcastically. Baker readied his hand to grab his .35. Short of Matthius himself, Baker's 35 caliber hand cannon would give whatever stared down it something to think about he thought with a slight grin.

"I am not blind my friend," Sage said to Baker with a quiet laugh. "I know more than most about Matthius, he was in my head for a few years remember? One of my last possessions ending with him taking me to hell itself..."

He walked over to the door and opened it, a tall muscular man stood there in the doorway, a giant sword was in a harness over his back, he smiled faintly but his face was that of worry. "Sage Cornellis I presume, my name is Vinn Damross, I am a friend of Gael's. I am sorry to inform you that some creatures captured her, imps to be precise, I tried to stop them but they tool control over my mind."

Sage glanced wearily at him, but reluctantly stepped aside. ''Come in..."

Vinn walked inside and looked around, nodding at the others. He turned around and looked at Sage as the boy closed the door, all the training had proved sucessful this very moment, Matthius had taught him how to change the thoughts in his mind and hide what events actually took place. He was taught how to hide the evil that twisted him. To everyone in the room, he was actually just a friend of Gael.

She chuckled dryly as the water hit the floor. “Oops…Anyway, I’m sorry that I’ve been so rude, but you must admit that these are fairly unusual circumstances. I’m Cara.”

She stopped completely for a moment while Sage and Baker conversed as such but in a moment she was whispering to Philip once again. “You know, if I hadn’t suddenly appeared here out of nowhere and lost all sense of direction, I’d guess he was pretty heavily stoned. As it is, I’m not sure I want to know.”

The knock didn't disturb her any more than anything else, she didn't know what was about to happen, but as soon as the big man stepped in she stood straight up and started quickly repacking with occasional nervous glances at the man who had so obviously little regard for a human life.

It wasn't the instinct of an ex-marine to be completely relaxed in front of anyone, let alone someone with a sword, no matter how pretty his words sounded. That was when he smiled. The memory hit Baker like a freight train. The image of the dark fiend of his dream with the warped, monstrous smile appeared in the deepest part of his mind for an instant and then quickly receded. Baker's face was as straight as a poker pro while he waited. Sage...you listening?

Yes hoy Sage said to Baker telepathically.

Philip looked at Cara, as she seemed suddenly nervous. Steve seemed to be in fear, and in awe of the massive sword the man carried. He didn't know what to think, everyone was responding differently to this man.

Baker maintained his composure while 'talking' to Sage. That guy. He's the son of a bitch that took Gael. I just know it. You think we should squeeze him for some info on exactly where he took her? Leave the interrogation techniques to me though. You don't need to be involved in that sort of business.

The coldest chill ran up her spine at the sound of the voice, and she simultaneously whipped around to face the crystal. Lights didn't usually dim themselves. This time proved to be no exception as a hand extended from the shadows.

Yet the voice, for all it's chilling properties was one she recognized. Yes, one she knew well. That voice which had lured her like the Serpent in Eden. And the being to which it belongs had been so seductively dark.. The power wasn't as strong as the particular brand she had become so enamored with in Atreyu, but it was there all the same. Trance-like yet wary, she crept towards the beckoning siren.

You don't know the extent of his powers, for all I know he may be more powerful than Matthius himse...

I can hear you

Shit...BAKER! LOOK OUT!

Through the window behind them the glass shattered as three silver haired men jumped through it, they were all brandishing a sort of weapons, one had a katana, the next had a form of brass knuckles, and another had a gun. They surrounded the group of people in the room.

In a moments notice Vinn had out his sword, levelling it with Sage's neck. With his other hand he conjured some spell, and a ball of fire floated inches above it, ready to be thrown at whatever threatened.

"Put your gun down Eddie Baker," Vinn commanded.

***

"Yes Gael, do not worry," The voice said as she approached. The hand lifted off the crystal ball. "Look into the crystal ball, and tell me...what do you see?"

Baker was not afraid of the possibility of the fireball being thrown at him, nor of the other three. The sheathed sword at his belt would protect him well enough if need be. What worried him was all the other people in the room being in serious danger. For that reason he willed himself to holster his revolver. "You three" he said to the silver-haired trio "you must be sons of the beast, correct? Well I'll tell you this as well as your blond friend. If you touch a single one of these people I'll kill you all in the most painful manner I can think of."

It all seemd so fantastical. Hah..crystal balls. No one really used these, did they? Surely she was in the middle of some cruel prank? Yet when she looked into that glowing sphere, the images were very real.

She saw herself when she was still alive, bound with chains a lifetime ago in that place of unspeakable horrors. She was blood-stained and bound beside the others, all of them dead or dying.

As if recoiling from a sharp wound, she looked away, unable to bear the images of that tortured life. And when she looked again, the images were more pleasant. No more of that nightmarish place, but of life. The vibrant and shining lives of those around her who she had come to love and care for in Paradise. And that had all been shattered by- ...by who? Why couldn't she remember?

The images flashed this time to her darkest hour, when she had unleashed unspeakable power in the name of chaos and darkness. And the remorse she had felt afterward for the death of her saviour.

The power to nurture...the power to destroy...it was clear now that life and death made no difference, she had always held these abilities. These and a warrior's spirit. She backed away slowly and turned to face where she presumed the voice originated.

"Why am I seeing all this? Why have you brought me here?"

The silver haired freaks had all the exits fairly well guarded. Actually, she was pretty sure that she could make it through the window before anyone stopped her, but she couldn't see the ground and there were at least eight windows below them. She knew that jumping eight stories wouldn't be good for her violin.

She finished packing it up more calmly than she had started, she knew exactly what to do in these circumstances and she was as prepared as she could be in case a fight started, which seemed very likely with the personality man, he was very military, not exactly what they needed at that time, someone to get them all killed.

"Eddie, be that a powerful blade or not you go against the sons of Matthius himself, the relatives of Satan. Mind you there are three of them, and Damross as well," Sage said. "It would be most unwise to make a sudden attack on them."

"You are wise Sagaem Cornellis," Ramma said. "Very wise, you know of us obviously. We are the unknown, the depths, the bleeding fires..."

Sage nodded to Baker to make a dash for the door with the others. He then turned and looked back at Ramma, who was standing next to the table, katana in hand. "We wish not to hurt your mortal friends here, we just want something."

"What?" Sage asked.

"That jewel," Dos said as he looked at the jewel.

Steve turned and looked at Vera as he grabbed it from his hand and said. "Thank you."

"Now, sorry Sage, but we really must be going," Vinn said, stepping out of the doorway, disapearing in a cloud of black fog.

The three sons dashed for the balcony, and disapeared as well.

***

"I am just showing you what your deepest thoughts are," The voice said. Soon enough the person was behind Gael, his hands softly on her shoulders. "I can prevent your deepest fears, I can help you, I wish not to hurt you. I want you to join us."

She jumped slightly at the touch, and an icy chill took firm grasp of her spine once more. Yet she felt strangely...comforted. The clash of emotions between imminent danger and relative safety was dizzying. Like so many times before, she enjoyed walking the razor's edge, throwing caution to the wind. For the first time in a long while, she felt genuinely confused.

"But...why me?"

Several minutes passed. Baker relaxed his muscles ever so slightly, remaining in a highly aware state from the adrenaline rush. "I don't think they even noticed my sword you know. Now they'll be waiting for me to reveal what it can do. We need to keep what surprises we can here Sage. Anyway, before we were so rudely interrupted..." Baker ran to the elevator, down to his car, retrieved several large canvas bags from the trunk and returned with them. A very thick and old book rested between his left arm and his side. "This should lead us to where they're having the party, and these" Can't believe I'm sayin this as he poured out the various firearms, blades, explosives, and holy weapons "are party favors".

"Because Gael..." The voice said as the face got closer. "You are stronger than expected, you are a force to be reckoned with. I need you on my side, think I can give you many things, how does Queen of the Dead sound to you?"

Matthius was right next to her, his lips right beside her ear. He smiled as he looked over her shoulder into the crystal ball.

"I want to help you Gael, I know how much pain you suffer constantly, I can end all that pain for you," He said.

Sage looked at him in disbeleif. "You wish to go to the lowest levels of hell itself to fight him!? Are you insane? The battle cannot be fought there, for we are being seiged. Even if we go to hell itself to get Gael back it would just be a trap. I am not going, and I recommend you do not go as well."

He looked at the others, they were looking at Eddie like he was insane.

"He will return here Eddie, the battle will take place here," Sage said. "This is no mere war you might have fought in once. This is a fight between powers beyond most people can comprehend. The fighting is not yet, it is not our time to take up blade together. Slow down, and realize everything that is going on. Maybe you haven't realized, but the foundation of things are about to change. Take for granted everything that is good in this world now."

She shuddered despite herself at the proximity. Queen of the Dead? No...she had never lusted for power. And titles were no more than officious words. But the power to control the dead? That was tempting.. And an end to her suffering...an end to the daily facade and the self-deceit and distraction. Oh yes, it was all very tempting..

She smirked darkly and closed her eyes, reluctant to trust his word, yet willing.

"And let them do whatever they want with Gael? Those..." he couldn't find the word to describe them in his anger "they could be torturing her or even worse right now. Are you just going to leave her to them?! I know where I can go Sage. I know the power of this blade because we are one. If you arn't willing to come with me then fine. But I'm not letting her down again."

"What say you? Infitate power, infinate rule," Matthius whispered. "They would bow before us, we could conquer and soon all would worship you. Think of it!"

"YOU FOOL!" Sage said and suddenly the roomed turned immensly dark, Sage seemed to grow in size and power, his voice got very bass. Steve, and Philip backed away from him quickly. "DO YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE UP AGAINST? DO YOU SERIOUSLY BELEIVE YOU AND SOME MYSTICAL BLADE CAN FIGHT YOUR WAY DOWN THROUGH HELL? DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME MISSION OF YOURS? FOR ALL FATE CARES THIS IS NOT EVEN YOUR FIGHT. GAEL HAS BEEN TAKEN, WE CAN DO NOTHING FOR HER. LIFE ISN'T FAIR, DEAL WITH IT, GET OVER IT. I'VE KNOWN GAEL LONG BEFORE YOU HAVE! I WISH WE COULD DO SOMETHING FOR HER BUT WE CANNOT!"

Details of the room soon disapeared, all turning to black, soon enough they were in a room of just blackness, nothing else. The only hint that there was still a world outside was the broken door that led to the balcony, the outside was still its normal foggy self.

There was a subtlety about his words. The things which would not normally appeal to her seemed suddenly enticing and she felt herself slipping into her darker half.

"My dear Matthius...I must admit your offer is quite..tempting.." She grinned darkly and turned to look at him.

Matthius grinned as he looke deep into her eyes. "Power, an invincible army, and beauty my Queen. Together we could rule all. Think of the glory you will have, the legends and tales long told about you. They will tremble everytime they hear your name!"

"This is just as much all our fight as it is yours Sage! The Order or Fate be damned! Or do you forget that this is just as much our world? Gael is a part of that world and its hers too. If you forget that everyone living being is worth our all then you've forgotten what we're fighting for. I havn't. I was a little surprised to see this though..." Baker tossed the book over to Sage "check page 1023, second paragraph. "Translated, it means, The mortal will inherit its former savior. The edge of the Giants shall be one with Man and see him through all trials.. Not even you know what this sword is Sage. Even now you cannot truly see it. Please Sage, you can hold the fort here right? Let me go and get one of OUR cannons back."

Everything in the room turned to normal, and Sage sighed, he dropped his head into his hand, and sat down. He tossed the book to the floor, and spoke in a hushed, angered, saddened voice.

"Even if you go, its to late," he said. "I can see what Matthius is seeing right now...she is going beyond our aid. She is becoming one of them. Eddie I cant stop you from going anywhere, I can only warn you. Gael has been taken from this Earth already, if you go, you will most likely not even come back. Please, do not go... all that waits for you is death. A blade is only a blade...not a shield against all evil.... for a blade can only protect your physical body, what of your mental and spiritual?
"Even if you manage to make your way down down down, all your anger and lust, all your desires for revenge will turn against you, they will use that against you to destroy you," Sage said. "I do not warn you to go down there because I have given up hope, I wish you not to go because you will destroy yourself."

"No, not rule. Dominate.."

She laughed softly, an eerie hollow sound in this place. Her eyes glinted darkly as she traced her talons oh-so-lightly down the side of his face and neck. And with the darkest grin, she turned her head to look into the crystal once more.

"Together, we shall be unstoppable.."

"I told you before Sage" as he touched the sheath "WE are one, physcially, mentally, spiritually. I probably won't come back though. But someone has to try. Even if she is beyond all help I have to try. This is my time to put it all on the line. Make sure you can do the same Sage. When it is your time you must be ready to sacrifice everything. It will be your test as a man, and it will decide the fate of this world." Baker took the book from the floor, loaded a single bag with some of his favorite weapons, and headed towards the door. "I'll make this promise to remind myself later. I'll make it back. You're all welcome to what's on the floor by the way. Use it all wisely." Out of all the evil and horror that had shown itself, and what he would soon face Baker then grinned goofily, as if going merely to the store after forgetting something "Well...can't say its been fun, but...later!" giving a half wave to go with the goofy smile, which seemed creepy at this grave moment. And with that he got into his bug and made his way to his destination, the place where he would make his grand entrance.

The darkness only seemed to increase in strength, a terrible wind blew from all directions of the room, all winds making way for Gael. Matthius stood there, a smirk on his face, his eyes narrowed. His long silver hair was tossed all around in the wind. He clenched his fists, his queen had arrived.

"We shall dominate them all...my love," He said in a serpent hiss voice.

Throughout the entire room the sound of laughter was heard, demonic laughter from invisible mouths.

Then a man appeared, it was Vera, he approached the two of them and bowed. Holding out the green jewel. "We have taken this from the boy."

"Good my son, good," Matthius said. "Queen Gael, meet your son, Vera, one of three."

"And so there he goes," Sage said as he leaned agains the railing of the balcony, with Philip and Steve beside him. "He leaves so eagerly to his own doom. Remember this moment, the moment where we lost another soul to the demon."

It went against every lesson and instinct he had as a marine. To go into a mission without specifiic preparation and reconaissance. But there might not be time You know it's already too late little Eddie the doubt told him. He pushed it all out of his mind. He had to focus on the mission. It had to be a mission now. A mission had objectives, to be completed, only with the objectives could he complete the mission. Objective one, locate and rescue prisoner: Gael. Secondary objective: Neutralize as many hostiles as possible. Primary hostile target: demon: Matthius. Secondaries: demon: sons of Matthius: Ramma, Dos, Vera. human: Vinne Damross. Baker went over the objectives and all of his training over and over again. He would not, could not fail. The rusted volkswagon arrived. A particualry pungent bog. Here at a gnarled, dead tree was a tiny entrance between earth and hell. What ordinary imps and demons often used. Probably even Matthius' own sons had used this place to enter New Gregory. The gate to be used for the invasion as written in the ancient book was in downtown New Gregory, about twenty miles away now, which was to be opened soon. This had all been left in a sticky note on Sage's counter. Hopefully he would notice it by now. Baker opened the book so that its pages faced the tree. A bright orange bolt of energy struck the air in front of the tree opening the way. Having memorized the book by heart, he opened the page for the teleportation spell. The book returned to Sage's home, landing on his counter alongside the note. The book had yet another note as a bookmark, saying, "Read it, please". Without another word or thought Baker took a deep breath, grasped his sheathed blade, and stepped inside the abyss. The passage closed behind him and the cawing of birds in the bog had been replaced by an eerie calm.

Sait and Peral stood along the sidewalk of the street, no one was anywhere near the area they were at. Which was very odd, Sait leaned on his staff as he glanced up and down the street. Peral leaned against a wall picking at dirt under his fingernails. To any ordinary person that might have seen them would have expected them to be normal humans, if not a little oddly dressed. Sait turned and looked down the street as a cold wind blew past, the door had been opened again.

He looked away from that direction, and turned to Peral. "Let's be off." He said.

They started across the street, the wind once again blowing at them. They were halfway across when a humming rattled down the street. Both of them stopped and stared in the direction of the noise, the noise got louder and louder. Peral clenched his fists, and Sait gripped his staff, something evil was coming their way.

Then they saw the culprit of the noise, two motorcycles tore across the corner, turning onto the street heading for them. Riding the motorcycles were two silver haired men, one had slightly long hair, almost touching his shoulders, the hair was not straight, but seemed to stick in long strands together, this was Rama. The other, had his short hair jelled straight up, this was Dos. They tore down the street for Sait and Peral.

Sait aimed his staff, and fired two blue missiles that soared through the air at the two motorcycles, one of the magic missile collided in the ground right in front of Rama, but Dos swerved out of the of the one that was for him. Rama howevered flew up into the air, still on his motorcycle, it spun many times before it started its descent down. It was heading straight for Sait, Rama jumped off it, and flew down, blade out. His sword met with Sait's staff, but the force knocked the elder man back.

Dos rode right past Peral with his motorcycle, but about fifty feet away he leaned over the edge, his fist glew red and he slammed it into the ground. Sparks flew through the air and his motorcycle lifted off the ground, his hand acted as a pivot and his motorcycle spun around, so it was facing Peral once again. He started it up again and got as much speed as possible. He then jumped off the back, letting the motorcycle fly on its own towards Peral, who jumped out of the way.

He turned and looked back at Dos who was charging him, Peral swung his fist, but Dos crouched below it, as Peral's arm was still outstretched Matthius' son's fist glew blue and he jabbed it up, hitting Peral straight in the stomach, sending him flying twenty feet. Dos stood up straight and approached Peral who was still on the ground.

Sait and Rama exchanged a variety of attacks on each other, each one either defending or offensive, each attack was blocked. Sait swung at Rama's feet, who jumped in the air swinging, making Sait duck. As Rama landed he brought down his sword, but Sait managed to get his staff above his hand in time to block. Sait then kicked forward, making Rama hop back a few feet.

Peral got up on his elbows, still lying down, as Dos approached him, a smile on his face. He kicked forward, and Dos grabbed his leg. Dos started spinning around fast, Peral spinning around him by his leg, and then Dos let go. Peral flew across the street and through the window of a second story building. Dos ran and jumped in the air, for the broken window, but as he was in midair Peral was flying out the window, and his feet landed straight on Dos' chest.

Sait jabbed his staff forward, but Rama hopped aside and the staff was right in front of him. He grabbed onto it midsection, and then with his other hand swung his Katana down for Sait's arm. Sait let go of the staff and rolled away from the attack, and then stood. He put on hand behind him, readying a spell. Rama jumped for him but found himself blasted away by a gush of fire and ice.

Dos landed hard on his back, Peral was about to land on him but he rolled to the side. Peral landed right on the ground, and Dos grabbed his leg, tripping him. Peral landed on his back, and Dos was about to punch him across the face but he jumped up. They were both on their feet now, in a ready position, facing each other. Dos kicked at him, but Peral blocked it aside with his arm. Peral jabbed forward but Dos dodged.

Sait picked up his staff and approached Rama, who was slowly getting up. Rama looked up at him, and smiled.

"Is death something you invite into your body?" Sait asked as he raised his staff.

"That question...should be directed at you right now," Rama said smiling.

Sait turned around just in time to see Vinn on his motorcycle, his arm and blade outstretched, the blade decapitated him, quickly and almost painlessly. Vinn's motorcycle went another fifteen feet before swerving to a stop. He put his foot down as a kickstand, and looked at Peral, who was currently in schock, tears coming into his eyes.

"Peral, I know of you," Vinn said. "Leave this place now, go to Sage and tell him of what has happened here. We will spare your life if you do this for us."

Emotions flooded Peral's mind as he saw his fallen comrade, his leader, his friend. He had completely forgotten about Dos, or Rama, or Vinn. First denial swept through, and then anger and hatred. He turned towards all the others.

"Not even a thousand of my deaths could make up for the death of him," Peral said. "You will pay for this, I will make sure you all die!"

He stuck out his arm, and Sait's staff flew into his hand, he began to charge up a spell, but never got the chance, for Dos' fist hit him right on the back of the head, knocking him out.

"Lets go," Vinn said. "We've once again taken out another ally of Sage's. Soon enough we will have him ourselves."

"Why don't we just kill Peral as well," Dos asked as he held Peral's limp body underneath the armpits. "Then two more would be gone."

Vinn strode over to him and Peral, and slashed his sword, stopping it right next to Peral's neck. "Because someone needs to tell Sage what happened here. Do not worry, his time will come, just as will everyone elses in this pitiful world."

Dos dropped Peral, and then the three of them got on their motorcycles, driving off down the empty street as the fog started to get clearer and clearer.

Sneaking into hell had been surprisingly easy for Baker. He managed to get past the gate when it was opened for another group of souls to be tormented and was able to slip away after entering the demonic kingdom. The sadistic howls of demons taking pleasure in their work and the sorrowful , pain-filled cries of the damned filled the air along with the putrid odor of the place. The sword's aura was able to protect Baker from the worst of this environment that is so hostile to earthly beings. Baker realized that the demons had probably let him get this far out of a desire for 'fresh meat' or something of that manner, and when the time came he was determined to fight through the hordes. He also knew that things would continue getting worse as he continued onward. For now though, his focus was to continue downward, towards the lowest circle of hell, towards his primary objective: Gael.

Vera walked into the room where Matthius and Gael sat. "My Lord, Queen, it appears a..human has entered hell though he is not dead. He carries a weapon of great power. So far we've let him get deep without attacking him for the further he gets, the less chance of escape he has. Now I ask you, what plans of action do you wish to choose?"

Matthius looked at Gael. "Queen of the Dead, I will let this be your first task, what to do with the human intruder."

Baker now found himself in the lowest circle of hell. He had become certain several circles ago that they had let him get this far and held back from attacking him. Baker could not care less about the reason why, however. He still had a mission. He found himself in front of a large tower, clearly Matthius' lair wonder if he's compensating for something Baker thought mockingly as he took in the sheer size of the structure. He walked to the large door, and as he suspected, it was unlocked and no guards were on duty. If Matthius wants me to walk into his little trap. Thats just fine with me. It merely helps me get closer to rescuing Gael. Baker darted up the stairs, drawing ever closer to Matthius' chamber.

She hadn’t needed much time to calm down to the point where she knew what she should do. It was fairly obvious that she wasn’t the target of anything, but she was involved in something that she should probably avoid. The others in the room all seemed fairly reflective, thinking about the departure of the military man they probably wouldn’t be able to stop her if she ran, but she knew that running would look suspicious and they might chase her. One foot in front of the other; she walked out to the door that the soldier-boy had left open and started to calmly walk away.

"Very well then."

She waved her hand over the crystal, wishing to see an image of he who would dare storm this place.

Ah, the ever noble and foolish Baker...

"I already have a plan. But you must trust me.."

Lightly, she traced one talon along Matthius' jaw, then cruelly slashed four talons along her own cheek down to the chin. Her arms were still raw and bruised from the chains. She tasted the blood along her lip and smirked. They could hear footsteps approaching the door, drawing ever closer.

"Vera, I will need your help."

Mentally, she projected the idea to her son and from what she could tell, he seemed to agree with it. With a final wink to Matthius, she led Vera out of the circle of light, and into the shadows near the door. Solidly, she slammed her shoulder into the door, forcing it open and stumbling a few feet into the hall before allowing herself to fall. If the timing was right, Baker would be there just in time to see her go down, and if all went according to plan, would assume the stalking figure of Vera had shoved her. She crawled along the floor on her side, trying to escape her "attacker" as he maliciously approached.

Baker continued up the stairs, approaching the next floor of the tower. He opened the door to check the room's of this floor...and there she was, crawling and bleeding on the floor of the hall. Gael... Baker's face revealed pure elation that she was still alive as he ran to assist her. He was no more than ten feet away from her when the sword's aura changed, reacting to a powerful darkness close by Master Stop! the inner voice told him. Baker stopped within five feet of Gael, he looked around for any sign of danger. No Master, the evil...it is... No sword...But Master No Sword! He looked to the door behind Gael, he could see someone's shadow on the floor just outside the door. Baker grasped his .35, ready to blast whatever came through that door if it threatened either him or Gael.

ooc: Made the change. We'll see how this plays out. May take her back to Earth.

Vera stepped out of the door, his stride was slow, but one of great confidence. In his hand was his silver gun, he added the touch of smoke lightly coming off the end to make it seem there had been a battle. He looked down at Gael, with his thumb he clicked the back end, and aimed the gun at her.

"Its over Gael," He said, but then looked up at Baker. "Ahh and who do we have here?"

No one tried to stop her when she walked down the hall and out of the building. The problems on their hands were far bigger than she was and she knew she would obviously only get in the way. “It doesn’t matter. They’ll be just fine, it’s probably just some gang rivalry that I don’t even want to know about. Or maybe they’re cultists…” She would have probably been able to dismiss them completely if it hadn’t been for Philip, he didn’t fit in with any setting she could imagine. He was too naïve to be working for the cops, too thoughtful and honest to be a cultist and far too pampered to be a gang member. “It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.”

The mantra was at least partially successful; she managed to arrive in a small park in the downtown area. It was just a few minutes before lunch hour and people always came out to stroll and relax for a few minutes before they had to go back to slaving. They would definitely appreciate a little music, so she pulled out her violin and started to tune-up.

"What you have here" Baker held up his .35 to aim at Vera's forehead. "Is the most powerful handgun ever made staring you in the face. Now drop the gun and back away from her or you're going to find it surprisingly breezy in hell with a ventilation hole in your skull." he said as he clicked back the .35's hammer. God, that was lame.

Vera smirked, and a glint went through the air around him. He held up his gun at Baker as well.

"What you have here is not only a shield preventing me attacks to my physical body, but it replenishes my adrenaline," He said. "And what we have here is my, as you call it, gun, more powerful than anything on the earthly realm, pointing at your head."

Good, he isn't aiming at Gael anymore. Baker kept his aim on Vera. "You know, part of the hero-villain witty reparte is that you either come up with an original, witty counter to my reply or begin the fight. I was able to use your phrase effectively because I was turning your words back on you. Perfectly acceptable but it can only be used once per phrase. You using it again is a play off of my play on your question of 'who do we have here?' which is just redundant. I don't blame you, you're probably not very experienced at it. But I digress. Look, I think you've probably noticed by now that I have a particularly powerful sword at my belt. Truth is, you havn't seen anything yet, and trust me" Baker said shaking his head "you don't want any of it. Now...Gael comes with me, and we leave hell unharmed ok? We can finish this later on Earth if you like. I'd be happy to oblige. But I'm bringing her back NOW."

"Its to late you pitiful human," Vera said. "Gael is dying, she won't even make it out of hell if we do let you go. There is no more hope for her. Therefore, I beleive you have no more bargain and are hereby fair game are you not?"

He laughed slightly, waiting for Gael to make her move in this plan of hers. Inside the door Matthius was silently meditating, a exreme variety of magic flowing around him. If Baker managed to get into the room, no matter what he would not make it out.

"There is always hope demon. That and the grace of God is why your kind will never win." Hey Sword, can you block the bullets from Vera's gun? Baker inquired the blade in a manner beyond telepathy, this was through a connection in spirit. Master, to be honest... Uh huh...go on...Baker inwardly winced, preparing for bad news. I'm not sure. It is as he says. That weapon is no earthly one. My aura might or might not be able to protect you while I am sheathed. I could certainly deflect it physically even in my sheath...If I could draw you from my belt in time. Baker finished the sword's sentence Iffy at best. Alright, I have an idea With his free hand Baker non-threateningly removed a pair of very dark shades from one of his shirt pockets and put them on. The shades were of the type that provided protection from light coming into the eye from any angle. As he let the free hand drop to his side in what looked like a single swift motion he unclipped two grenades, one yellow-striped, the other black, pulled the pins, and kicked it like a hackey-sack a few short feet from Vera. Baker made a quick dash to the side to avoid getting shot. The grenade ignited, giving off no explosion, but a flash of light, as one observer of the first nuclear blast put it 'brighter than a thousand suns' a similar brightness of light now filled the room. Baker would have been blinded then and there if not for the specially designed shades made for the very purpose of protecting weilders of the grenade. Baker may be an EX-marine, but being one of the best for twenty years leaves one with some friends in high places. Friends with goodies. The black grenade, thanks to a longer 'fuse' ignited almost instantly after the 'flash' grenade's light began to fade. Dark smoke bellowed out, filling the room. Baker rushed toward Gael, hoping to grab her and make a quick escape while the 'flash' and 'smoke' grenades effects (in the 'flash' grenade's case after effects) lasted.

She continued to back away slowly as the two argued, favoring a few real minor injuries and tender spots in the process. She saw the first grenade as it landed near Vera's feet, and brought an arm up to shield her eyes. Despite her efforts, the flash-bang was still effective in knocking out her vision for a few minutes.

She felt Baker grab her by the arm, and allowed him to pull her up and back. Her hand grasped his shoulder for support.

"We have to get out of here.."

As she stumbled with him down the hallway and away from the smoke, her vision slowly returned and her lips twisted into a smirk. Relying on her other senses, she used his shoulder for a reference point to grab him by the throat and slammed him back against a wall, holding him there. With her free hand, she palmed his shades up and held one cruelly sharp talon just milimeters from his eye.

"Drop the gun, or there'll be one more blind man in this hall."

"O my God...Gael...I was too late to save you...I'm so sorry." I'm already blind though. Sword, I'm sorry, you tried to warn me that Gael was the evil you detected earlier but I refused to believe it. Now is not the time for apologies Master, you must survive this Right, okay then. We're getting out of here Baker holstered his .35. "Gael...stop this. This isn't you." Despite Gael's betrayal Baker wanted to reason with her. "Whatever Matthius told you, it was nothing but lies."

Vera stepped out from the gas, completely unharmed. Smoke twirled around him as he left the black fog, his vision hadn't been harmed at all. He raised his gun, and aimed it at Baker with a steady arm. He pulled back the trigger, and fired.

Meanwhile Matthius was conjuring a spell, that sword Baker mentioned might have been powerful, but how good would it protect him when fire upon fire fell down on him from above? He would shiel Gael from the flames, he had no intention of hurting her anymore. Baker though, he was sticking his head into buisness not of his own.

She heard the gunshot and reflexively brought her hand up to block the trajectory. She winced as the bullet deflected off her metal bracers, but still it hit with enough force to draw blood. She glanced down at the torn piece of metal, tightening her grip on Baker's neck, then shot an angry gaze up at Vera.

"Hold your piece, my son. We don't want to kill him, yet."

Maintaining her calm if not angry composure, she removed Baker's gun from its holster and tossed it to Vera.

"When I said 'drop the gun' I didn't mean put it away." She cut a small shallow line near the corner of his eye with tender attention. "What Matthius has said is none of your concern. Move, and you will die. If not by me, then by Vera or others. Stay still, and no harm will come to you."

With a dark smile and without loosening her grip, she pressed the tips of her talons against his neck just hard enough that he wouldn't forget about them, and with her free hand, smoothed back his hair. "Now, my dear...why have you come here?"

Sage layed on a couch, he had sent Philip and Steve off so he could have some meditation time. He recalled the past events, Gael's ambush, Ramma, Dos, and Vera along with Vinn busting in. Why did they take that jewel? even more, what was that jewel for? He didn't know anything about it. It had some importance obviously, if they wanted it. Now they have, and he still didn't know what it was. For all he knew it could be the death of Earth, or maybe just some little possession of Matthius.

He closed his eyes and meditating, and concentrated. He moved deeper and deeper into his meditation, the aura around him began to rise. Objects in the room floated off the ground or tables, hovering in the air. He concentrated deeper into the Earth, and soon he felt two presences. One of pure evil; Matthius, another of good; the sword most likely. There was however another presence, one that was torn between the two; Gael. So Matthius has taken her as queen.

His eyes and mind, the hatred and evil from hell was taking its affects on him. He twitched on the couch. Everything started getting brighter and brighter, a light was growing and growing, then suddenly it all disapeared. His mind was brought back into the past. He was sitting in the Jewel, with Max, his neighbor down the hallway, and Joey, the owner of the Jewel. They were talking about something...

"Sage, your still young," Joey said with a laugh. "You shouldn't be thinking about things like death."

"But I cant stop thinking about it, its just a looming presence," Seven year old Sage said drinking some hot chocolate. "Its strange and mystifying."

"You want strange and mystifying?" Max asked. "Try eating Joey's famous beef stew."

They all laughed, but then Joey, as he wiped a counter, began to speak again. He was an aged man, around sixty years old, he was of some italian descent, so he had darker skin. He was not skinny, and not overweight. He was in good shape also, his voice was raspy, and was filled with wisdom.

"Sage, life and death are two different things. You know that by now, we all know that hopefully. But both are journies we must all take, we must all live, just as we all must die. It is inevitable. None of them we can avoid, all we can do is do the best we can in the time we have. The world is a big place Sage, take New Gregory for example. You are here in the Jewel, safe because you know its safe because you are here. But you walk out that door into the world and you have no knowledge of what could happen to you. I let you go walking out each day, not knowing if I'll ever see you again. Its the cold reality, things unexpected happen. That is why we have to watch our steps. Becuase one moment we could be standing on the doorstep, the next moment we could be carried off on some unexplainable adventure..."


Sage was awaken quickly by someone running into the room. All the objects floating in the air fell onto the ground and he had a sword in his hand, the tip pointing at the doorway, eyes wide open. There in the doorway was Philip looking a little startled.

"Sorry Sage," He whispered in fear. "But we have a problem, those guys who attacked us here earlier...they're...they're starting riots on the streets. There are hundreds of people out there marching down the streets, its crazy. It was dangerous for us to come here."

"Us?" Sage asked.

Philip stepped out of the way, and Steve, and Peral entered into the room. Peral's eyes were red, he had been grieving earlier obviously.

"Peral!" Sage said standing up in suprise. "Whats wrong?"

"Sait is dead Sage," Peral said. "That fallen Vinn killed him while me and Sait fought Dos and Ramma."

"Where is Vera?" Sage asked.

"I do not know, but it doesn't matter right now, as your friends said, there are riots almost on every street," Peral said. "They are busting into stores, its just complete chaos."

Sage looked at them, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open. He swayed back and forth a bit, about to fall he caught a table and steadied himself. A tear dropped from his eye, and he looked at the others.

"Come on guys," He said. "We have a demon to stop."

And with that they all dashed out of the room and down the hallway.

Baker winced slightly as the blood from the slight cut trickled down his face. He blinked several times to flush out the little bit of blood that had strayed into his eye, partly blurring his vision.

"I know you said to drop the gun but comon...it was a gift from a friend." He then gave her a raised eyebrow look. As if the answer to her question should have been obvious. "You havn't realized why I'm here? I came to get you Gael. Frankly, I'm disappointed that you would submit to anyone's will. Let alone the same monster that killed you. I thought you were stronger than that."

Should I chance it now...? No, let her think she has the upper hand for the moment

Vera looked at the Baker's gun in his hand, and put it on his belt. He kept his gun still aiming steady at Baker. He was a very impatient man. He wanted to finish the job quickly.

"Mother, finish him, he isn't worth it," Vera said. "He is trying to deceive you."

"Patience is a virtue...even among the damned," she explained with a deadly soft voice to Vera.

"And you of all people should know I never submit, Baker. However, when we share smiliar ambition..."

She laughed darkly. "I'll only warn you once more, Baker. I cannot spare you the wrath of my King. None of your tricks. If you're here alone, this shall be relatively simple and painless. But if you've brought friends, I suggest you tell me now."

Her eyes flickered darkly and a sadistic, malicious grin spread across her lips.

"No tricks Gael, only truth. What about all the people you cared about, those at the club...what do you think Matthius will do with them? Exactly what he does with the rest of the world. He only brings destruction and despair." he answered his question for her.

"The Lord is with me Gael and I am never alone because of that. I lost sight of that fact for awhile but I know the truth now. You can do whatever you want but you won't break me. Matthius is doomed to fail and so are you if you remain alongside him."

Baker paused for a moment as he took in the look on Gael's face. "You know, you're much prettier when you don't have that evil, mean bitch look on your face" he wisecracked.

She growled softly and tightened her grip. "Such language in front of a lady..."

She shoved him roughly against the wall once more by the throat. "And don't you preach religion to me. Good and Evil do not exist. All is human perception."

She closed her eyes and dropped the facade, revealing her wings and all the rest of her lethal enhancements. She bared her demifangs in a snarl before regaining that dangerous calm.

"Your Lord is nothing more than an illusion. You humans are weak and fear that which you cannot explain. The concept of an all-knowing Creator solves that problem nicely, now doesn't it. But you haven't come here to argue religion. Matthius cannot fail. You and I know this. Sooner or later, entrophy claims all. Flowers wither to dust, humans fade from memory, and all decends into oblivion. Faith is a dangerous thing, Baker, for it blinds you to the truth."

Baker felt the pain throughout his back and shoulders as she slammed him into the wall. His spine on fire, he suppressed the pain and focused on his captor. He looked down at her and scoffed.

"That makes it all easier doesn't it? To think like that. What about you Gael? When do you fade away? If entropy WAS the ultimate force there would have been nothing to exist in the first place would there? And there is a difference between good and evil...Even in your terms there is a 'good' opposite of entropy. Creation, life, happiness, and neither you, Matthius nor anyone else has the right, or will succeed in taking that away. The only inevitability is that someone will always be there to stop those like him...and you..."

Seeing Gael's wings inspired yet another thought in Baker's mind. "Heh, surprising that an 'angel' speaks ill of faith while she is in hell surrounded by demons. This is all beside the point though. My faith strengthens me. But does your thinking that all humans fade make you feel better about helping to hurt those you cared about? Because that is what you're doing. You never answered my question before...what about them Gael?"

"There are many creatures in this world. Angels, demons...we are merely races. No 'higher power' motivates us. I know that now. And yes, there are differences between 'good' and 'evil.' However it is the moral implications behind those terms which are mere illusions."

With a dark grin, she slashed him across the face and eyes. "Here's a perfect example of how entrophy is the natural order of things. The body is whole and smooth. Then gradual chaos. And as the body tries to heal, cells randomly group together to seal wounds and form scars. The body never reterns to the flawless state it was in previously. Do we need another example?"

She opened her palm, allowing a hot blue tongue of flame to dance there.

"As for them, I care for no one. I am incapable of it. I maintain relations when it is beneficial to do so."

Vera was now picking at his fignernails as he listened to the other two talk. He nodded here and there and mocked at Baker everytime he spoke. Baker was a problem, Vera didn't like problems. If he had a problem he would finish it, and this problem was taking to much time just standing around.

"Mistress, let me shoot him!" He said in obvious agitation. "Patience may be virtue but virtue is evil, not just for us but the everyone else. It makes one think he or she is happy and content, blind to what is actually happening around you! Now let me have a straight shot at his head, or if you will, kill him yourself."

***

Sage and the others stepped outside the doorway, voices were heard in the distance. Shouting, bellowing, things breaking...gun shots. Sage turned to the others.

"Matthius will soon begin the actual invasion, it will be within the next few days," Sage said. "Follow me and I will get you some weapons..."

He ran down the sidewalk, staying low, making way for the library.

As Gael's talons cut him several deep claw marks appeared on Baker's face, slanting down his face from right to left. He grunted from the pain. Bracing himself so he wouldn't give her the pleasure of crying out. His surroundings appeared ever blurrier to him, and I can't see out of my right eye.... He blinked with his left and all was dark for a moment. She took my eye... A small mercy was that he could not see the gory mess coming from his wounds, especially his eye. Although the taste and stench of blood filled his mouth. His realization had occured within five seconds. Gael's words quickly sank in and gave him new focus.

"LIAR!! I don't buy it Gael!" Baker shouted. Trying to get the message through her skull "You love them...Sage..Tink,..Vex.. you love them! And they love you too. Deep down you know it's true. No matter how much you try to deny it to yourself! You think you can simply detach yourself from it all but you're wrong Gael!"

"I love no one!!" she snarled viciously, throwing him hard into the ground.

With a feral growl, she pounced on him and slammed the ball of flame against his sternum. All around them, the shadows seemed to pulsate with a life of their own, shimmering and shifting like the tide in a great sea. ...or was that just a trick of the light?

Sage dashed down the streets and up the stairs into the library, they all reached the door to find out it was locked. They stopped and stood there in front of it, Philip and Steve breathing heavily from running so far. Sage banged his fist on the door once but there was no sign of anyone inside.

"What are you going to do?" Peral asked.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures!" Sage said shouting the last words. He stuck out his hand and in one second the doors were there, in the next they were blasted off the frames by some powerful invisible force, part of the frames went with them and dust rose into the air. The alarm went off, Sage dashed inside and pressed the brick, soon the elevator started going down, revealing a stair case as well.

"Come on!" He shouted.

They all ran down the stairs to find themselves in a room twice as big as the library, completely full of old books. Tables were here and there, obviously not used in a very long time.

Sage picked up a bag from one table and opened it up, pulling out the book that Baker had given him earlier. There was no title, but instead had a big leather cover. He set it on the table and opened it.

He flipped through the pages, and finally found the page he wanted.

"...the jewel of Ark. Created by the order to seal any sign of demon invasion..." Sage said. "It is require to be put in the amulet, and the Destiny Tune must be played. The opening between the earthly realm and hell will then be closed forever..."

He closed the book and looked at the others, they looked back at him, waiting for him to speak first.

"We need to find the music and the amulet, no doubt they are in here!" He shouted. "Hurry! Quick!"

Peral got the point and ran off, and starting looking all over. Philip and Steve however stood there and looked at him.

"What?!" He asked.

"Where are the weapons you promised us?" Steve asked.

Sage laughed and shook his head, still smiling he looked at them. "Find the song and the amulet and then I'll give them to you, now go!"

Philip and Steve looked and each other and shrugged, before running off to begin looking. Sage as well began searching.

Baker could not contain the scream. His howl of pain echoed in the halls as the flames scorched his chest. His breathing became erratic. Through it all, he summed up his strength to speak. The words being formed from thin rasps.

"Heh, upset at the truth Gael? Stop denying yourself...come back to us..." Baker's vision began to fade. "Gael....you don't want to do this..."

"Hah. Don't I? One might think you're too weak to fight back. You always were a pathetic excuse for a Marine. It's no wonder you left."

She was stradling his midsection with talons and palm pressing against his chest. She backhanded him roughly then flattened her hand like a spade, the point of with she meant to drive into his temple as she reversed the direction of the momentum.

"Say goodnight."

Vera smirked, and pulled out Baker's gun, he popped out the clib and tossed it into the fire, melting it instantly. He tossed the empty gun aside casually and pulled his out. He held it in the air and stood there waiting for Baker to die, just to add the effect. His eyes were that of flame and ice, a collage of opposites.

***

"Sage!" Peral shouted as he ran up to Sage, holding a few papers. "I beleive I've found the Destiny Tune!"

"Good! Good!" Sage said in happiness as Peral held out the papers. "Now here is your next task, bring these papers to Cara, the violinist. She will be the one to play the melody of our salvation. I would do it but I beleive Matthius will want to search me out and fight me himself. No go, hurry make haste but take caution!"

"Right away," Peral said running off up the stairs and out of the library.

"Nosce... te Ipsum. Know thyself, Gael..... Remember that you're not like them..." Baker was blinking in and out of conciousness. If it might get her to realize her old self, he was ready to die here and now he thought with a grin.

Master!! I won't let you die!

A light beyond anything of this world emanated from the hilt of the sword, and in a flash the glow shined through the sheath as well. The light quickly envoloped Baker. Despite the fact that it had existed since the time of creation the sword had not actually spoken outloud until this moment. It spoke in a booming voice that seemed able to make the very gate of hell crumble.

"A warning to you and your master." The sword said addressing Gael. "My master has given you ample chance to realize your error in choosing sides. Should you not take it to heart angel my master will be ready. He understands that we will not fail in our duty to stop the evil, even if it includes killing you. Should you come to earth with malicious intent I shall taste all your blood." The sword spoke without anger, fear, or malice. It's voice remained completely even, amoral, like stating a scientific fact.

The sword and Baker grew brighter, producing a light that even the immortals had to shield their eyes from. It seemed as if they were both made of light, and then without warning....they vanished.

**********************************************************

A burst of light suddenly shone in a corner of the library. The light soon took the shape of Baker and his sword, still in its sheath. His battered form gained its full mass as the light faded. If Sage or his friends had somehow managed to not notice the unearthly light then they would have heard the whump of Baker hitting the floor from his drop of ten feet after materializing in mid-air. The sound echoed throughout the library, which had been as quiet as a tomb. Please Sage...help my master... the sword mentally pleaded to the young man.

What?

It had all come about far too suddenly. She’d heard shouts and some cussing and she’d guessed that a fight must have started. Now that she could see some of what was going on she knew it wasn’t a fight. She saw hundreds of people marching down the street; as they walked, they broke street signs flipped over several cars and one bus. The crowd was mostly male and she imagined that she could smell the alcohol on their breath; even though she couldn’t imagine why they had drunk so much as early as it was in the day.

She’d already put the violin back into its case out of habit and the thought of danger. The crowd wasn’t that close to her, but she didn’t know what to think of this riot. It didn’t logically fit with the way things should be, it had no motivation, no target, nothing to keep it going. Logically the crowd should have broken up fighting amongst themselves. She knew it wasn’t time to stay put, so she started to walk away as calmly as she could. Strangely, the nervous looking bunch that had been listening to her started to follow.

Sage heard a voice and immeadiately ran to the cause of it. He saw Baker lying on the ground, bleeding all over his face. He ran forward and fell to his knees sliding to Baker's side. He looked over him.

"Baker, I can heal you, but you will still be blind and have a scar or two," Sage said. He then put his hand on Baker's forehead, there wasn't much time. Blue energy flew from Sage's fingers into Baker's wounds, and smoke rose into the air from the wounds. A hissing noise ushered from the wounds as slowly but surely they started to close again. The blue energy weaving back and forth, almost as if sewing the skin back together.

Finally the wounds were sealed but a long scar was still visible, and Baker's eyes was gray and foggy.

"Your going to be just fine, as long as you can survive with only vision from one eye," He said.

***

"Damnit it all!" Vera shouted. "You should have killed him sooner! Or better yet you should have..."

He didn't have time to finish his sentence, millions of degrees of flames fell upon him, he didn't have time to make a noise after it hit him. The flames englufed him, and then rose back into the sky. There was nothing left.

Matthius walked out from his chamber, and stuck out his hand, in a puff of smoke Vera was there before them again.

"My son, you will not speak to our queen again like that," He said.

***

Peral dashed across a street, jumping over a moving car. Voices filled the air, he was getting closer to the riots. He needed to find the girl. Making his way across a park he spotted someone walking slowly away from the noise. He looked a bit closer and saw it was her.

He ran up to her. "Cara, I am Peral a friend of Philip, Steve, and Sage, we need you to come with me! We have something we need you to do!"

Baker awakened slowly, he could here something about one eye. Something he already knew. He could not get his mind off of the angel he had left behind. Still exhausted he struggled to speak. "Sage....I....blew it....I couldn't save her..."

"No Baker," Sage said. "You didn't blow it, you went up against the impossible and came back alive. In my eyes you saved Gael. You've managed to remind her of her old self, that she isn't totally gone. Because of you Baker, there is still hope."

He smiled warmly as he lay Baker down leaning against the wall. Steve and Philip had approached quietly behind.

Philip spoke. "Sage, we found the amulet"

Cara looked Peral carefully over as she walked. She didn’t believe that he could be son naïve as to expect her to go with him based on a few names of people she had barely met. He looked fairly sincere to her, but she knew how well people could act. She was the perfect example.

“Rather vague, aren’t we? I don’t think that right now is the best time for playing games.”

She kept walking for a few more steps before she heard the sounds of another crowd. It couldn’t be the same one because she’d been moving fairly quickly and she’d taken a more direct route than the streets large enough to permit the rioting crowd to move through. She quickly turned to avoid this second group and started talking to the strange man beside her once more.

“On the other hand, it might be best to find a place indoors to weather the storm.”

She slammed her fist into the ground angrily, and glared sideways up at Matthius.

"That damn sword would have saved him no matter what. I had to try and get information from him."

She stood furiously and threw both hands against the wall as if she were going to shove it.

"Damn it all."

"Calm my Queen," Matthius said. "It is not your fault, you couldn't have known. You made the wise move I am glad..." He glanced at Vera who was stooped over full of shame and anger. "..you did much better than he would have done."

***

"Follow me then," Peral said and led her back to the library.

***

Sage looked at the stairs and Peral and Cara descended them. He smiled, things were going as good as they could at the moment.

The library was one that she’d visited many times. The type of crowd she found on the courtyard always appreciated a little traditional music. She’d even denigrated herself enough to play at a small Medieval arts fair that had rented the library space on a Sunday afternoon. She still had the embarrassing costume that had gotten her pinched several times. In hindsight, she knew she should have dressed like a boy, but they had tipped quite well.

The group that had been at the apartment was gathered again, with the addition of the strange man who’d brought her with him. There was something that wasn’t quite right about him. She had to strangle a strange impulse to pull out her violin and play something. It didn’t make much sense logically, but the impulse was still there.

“Okay, you’ve got me now. I don’t have much time, so if you’ll please tell me what you want I can see if I can help you and go along on my way.”

"You can play this for us when we need you to," Sage said handing her the music. "Its a beautiful tune, and it would work perfectly on your violin."

The others stood around, acting casual, hoping she would buy the bluff and not think they were on drugs or something.

Baker closed his eyes as he leaned against the wall, sitting on the library's floor when a thought suddenly occured to him.

Sword...I didn't know you could do that...you saved me...but you could have gone and found someone better suited...

Master, stop right there. I have always been used as a tool of death by my previous masters. You have treated me as an equal and have helped me realize my full potential. Even your legendary hero Beowulf could hardly do anything more than swing me around. There are none more worthy than you. And don't worry Master, there is still hope, for all of us...

Thanks sword... His spirits raised by his friend's words Baker spoke up again.

"So...you got the book I sent....and used it obviously....good, we're still in this thing..."

Sage turned from Cara and looked at Baker, he chuckled and smiled at him. "Yes Baker. I think we all owe you a lot, if it wasn't for you we wouldn't have a clue of what to do at this point in time. You've done a great part."

"Well, now you have the help of a pirate...you know, need an eyepatch....yarrr.....nothin eh?" the silence said it all.

"O well, maybe I'll be able to make with the funny later." Baker glanced over to Cara "You're the one with the violin right? What's your name?"

He gave Sage a disapproving look, he knew she was here to play the Destiny tune. She's just a girl Sage...I can play guitar if need be. Don't get her involved in this mess.

She looked over the room and glanced at the soldier. She was sure that he hadn’t had those scars on his face before when she’d seen him, but he hadn’t had enough time to heal fresh wounds. “I’m Cara, sir.”

She looked down at the antiquated score that was thrust into her hands. She dated it automatically; this transcription came from around the thirteenth century. The notation used primarily breves and semibreves, but the melody seemed to draw from an older history. The strange near tetra-chordal layout seemed closer to the Classical Greek tradition, but it didn’t quite fit there either. She wondered how accurate this transcription was if it dated back as far as it seemed.

She cut her musing short before the potential customers got irritated. She pulled her violin out of its case and started to tune, talking while she did. “I can play it. Perhaps we should discuss my payment while I tune?”

"Payment?" Philip said in disbeleif behind Sage. "The world is coming to the darkest of its times and your worrying about mone...!"

"Philip!" Sage and Peral hissed at him. Steve jumped behind Philip and covered his mouth. Sage glared at him then turned around to Cara.

"Payment? However much you want," he said with a fake smile.

"Nice to meet you Cara. The name's Pliskin..." everyone in the room stared blankly at him, clearly not getting the reference "You know, Snake Pliskin...? One of the biggest badasses of all time...? From the movies Escape from New York and Escape from L.A.? Played by Kurt Russel..."

The blank stares of nonrecognition continued. Baker waved a dismissive hand to his side "meh, lousy kids and your music"

He turned to Cara again. "Actually, my name's Eddie Baker." he said with a friendly smile. "I havn't had the pleasure of hearing you play. You wouldn't happen to be able to play the blues would ya?"

Baker frowned inwardly at Cara's request for payment.

Sage, you need to make her understand the risk she is taking here if you're going to get her involved. If you want to lead others in this you can't lie to and deceive those following you, understand? Our enemy is united and we need to be as well. That's impossible without trust.

Sage turned to Baker, and nodded his head. He looked down at the ground.

Your right Baker, she needs to know the truth. Not only will it help her trust us, but if I dont tell her the truth she is still in serious danger.

"Cara, this is no normal routine. We aren't just asking you for your musical abilities," he said. "We need them. New Gregory needs them, and the world needs them really. This is the Destiny Tune, a tune created by the Order a long time ago to prevent demon invasion. Well the tune was lost or something, because now we have a demon invasion. Those three guys with silvery white hair that attacked us yesterday? Those were demons, the man with them was trained by a demon. Soon enough we will have demons attacking New Gregory. A portal will open up from here to hell, now I know this sounds like something from a book, or a game. This is the truth though, there is no lie in the words I say. The Destiny Tune is the final procedure in closing this portal. We need you to play it, if you don't, all that you've ever loved, cared for, everything you thought was beautiful in this world will be destroyed."

He watched them from an alcove in the room, if there was somthing he had learned in his long years, is that people never really looked. They watched but did not see, listened but did not hear. Not for the first time in his life he looked down, remembering what it had taken to learn this.
Looked over the group, they seemed all there. The sword bearer, looked a man with experience. That was good. The musitian, a young girl. Innocence was good too. Then he saw Sage and sensed he fit into place too.
Him? but he's barely lad, he's nay a man enough fer this He shook his head
He'd best learn tae be
He looked over the others, they all fit to, practitioners and warriors, even if they didn't know it. He had seen each of them 1000 times, he would see each of them 1000 more.
He got up accompanied by the sound of creaking bones, that never left no matter what he did, and hoped they would recieve him better than the ones who came before.
'Well my lads and lassess, quite a gathering no? Weel, its aboot time ye all got tegether. I was worryin yed miss the time.'

Baker tried to stand before the newcomer. He was still physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from his recent ordeal in hell however. He strained a little and then relaxed in his position against the wall. "So who are you anyway, stranger?"

"Calm...yes."

She paced a few more steps angrily before finally getting ahold of herself. Regaining a stoic and benevolent composure, she examined the cut on her arm, and the torn metal of the bracer. Lucky that the shot hadn't been a direct hit.

Narrowing her eyes breifly at Vera, she crossed to where Matthius stood.

"I assume you have a plan?"

"A plan? Yes," Matthius said. "We will begin out assault on the Earthly realm soon. Using the portal between hell and there. Without this jewel.." he said holding it up. "They can't close it. Sage will come looking for it, and that is where I will destroy him."

He stood a few steps towards Gael. "As for the rest, they will all die as well. Do what you wish with whoever you meet up with, have no mercy against them."

He paused for a moment. "Vera!"

"Yes Sire?" Vera asked.

"Go back to the Earthly realm, your brothers are waiting for you, when the attack begins you are free to do whatever you wish," Matthius said.

A giant smile grew over Vera's face. "My pleasure.." and with that he disapeared.

Matthius took the jewel and placed it on a necklace around his neck. "Now my queen, shall we ready the assault?"

Baker tried to stand before the newcomer. He was still physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from his recent ordeal in hell however. He strained a little and then relaxed in his position against the wall. "So who are you anyway, stranger?"

'Who am I? It's nae impairtant who I am lad. I'v answered that question a fair few times to many. Mair tae the point, what happened here?' The old man swung his cane quickly with a swishing noise, and it halted sharply a hairs breadth from Bakers ruined eye.
'a sword bairer with only one eye? What kind of a fighter must ye be eh? This ain't treasure island me lad. And you, rubarb, mint, whatever, how old are ye? Och, scraping th' bottom of th' barrell' He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.
'Weel, ye'v gotton this far, I'll give ye that.' He tapped the sword at Bakers side
'I hope ye at least know how tae use that thing.'

Baker stared at the man, quickly recognizing the Scottish accent. He didn't do so much as flinch as the cane was brought right next to his eye.

"I get along just fine with the sword, thank you very much. And the reason I lost my eye? What else...a woman. I can still handle myself though, in fact if I wasn't so exhausted I'd have half a mind to smack you around for that smartass mouth of yours. But, I assume you have at least some idea of what's going on, and that we'll need as many people on board as we can. Speaking of which..."

Baker turned to Sage, and thought out a message, knowing he would hear it. Hey Sage, wanted to go over this with you first. No reason to give everyone's hopes up if it doesn't pan out. When I was in hell you can imagine I saw A LOT of demons. It'd be nice if we had our own army to face them with if we can't get the jewel back right away. I was thinking you could influence the local leader a little bit...to order the military in. I still have a few favors to cash in with some higher ups in Sir Peter's military and we do have weapons to deal with demons/unholy beings and the like. I could probably get quite an army as long as the local government were to okay its entrance....wink wink....

Baker stared at the man, quickly recognizing the Scottish accent. He didn't do so much as flinch as the cane was brought right next to his eye.

"I get along just fine with the sword, thank you very much. To answer your other question I'm forty-one. And the reason I lost my eye? What else...a woman. I can still handle myself though, in fact if I wasn't so exhausted I'd have half a mind to smack you around for that smartass mouth of yours. But, I assume you have at least some idea of what's going on, and that we'll need as many people on board as we can. Speaking of which..."

Baker turned to Sage, and thought out a message, knowing he would hear it. Hey Sage, wanted to go over this with you first. No reason to give everyone's hopes up if it doesn't pan out. When I was in hell you can imagine I saw A LOT of demons. It'd be nice if we had our own army to face them with if we can't get the jewel back right away. I was thinking you could influence the local leader a little bit...to order the military in. I still have a few favors to cash in with some higher ups in Sir Peter's military and we do have weapons to deal with demons/unholy beings and the like. I could probably get quite an army as long as the local government were to okay its entrance....wink wink....

ooc: I thought your character was only 50. Fifty isn't old at all, it's still middle-aged. Getting there, but still middle-aged. O, and wtf did you mean by mint/rubarb?

OOC: Sorry, my poor attempt at showing old age forgetfullness. The question was actually to Sage->
Mint-Rubarb-SAGE :D
Um....ok, make that 60 as my character then. Or 65, you get the picture anyhow.
IC:
He saw Baker turn to Sage, and realised what they were doing. He smiled, talking about him behind his back? Or somthing else...
Alistors mood lightned slightly at Bakers outburst though, he made sure not to show it much.
'Aye, thats better, spirit. But I ain't 'aboard'. I'm along fer the ride, lets leave it at that. I'v seen yer like mair times than you can imagine. But have ye got anything tae back up those claims of yers? Tired? Thats nothing, if ye cannae take on an old unarmed man, even when tired, what chance have ye got with th' Quin eh?' He straightned up
'Well come on lad, I aint got all day, ye gonna back up that mouth of yez?'
Alistor grinned inwardly, this one had the mark of a good warrior, eye or no. He could remember the time when he was shooting off his mouth and now it was time to see if thats all Baker could do.

(OOC: NO OOCs!)

Sage looked at Baker, and frowned. Baker, this is my war. This is our war, we can't try to bring in the public, I know, they will not know what happens until it hits. Think about this though, if we run to the mayor and tell him to call in the National Guard because of a demon invasion, we will wind up in an asylum. We can't bring in the military here because they'll think we are crazy. Don't worry, we are completely defenceless, me and Peral have already contacted the order. When the time comes, help will come as well.

"As for you, old man, the question does not lie on who I am, or what kind of warrior we are," He said. "The question lays on who are you, what kind of warrior you are, and what the hell you are doing here. I haven't the time or patience to deal with a insane old man who claims to know so much about everything. I've met enough of those type. Someone who goes around asking questions right once they've met a person is the kind of person you can't trust. Philip, Steve, Cara, come on. Baker, you can stay with this old man or not, but we have a demon invasion to stop..."

He started walking away, with Philip and Steve following. Peral remained standing where he was, watching them leave.

"And," Sage said. "I care not how old you are, and you should care not how old I am. The hour is now and the day is today, but time is an illusion. Its only purpose is to put barriers on what we are capable of. If you don't beleive in time that barrier goes away. Judge what someone can do by their age or height, or physical appearance, and you are judging your own downfall.... Come on guys..."

And with that he left heading up the stairs, Philip and Steve behind him. He hoped Cara would follow. Peral glanced around before following after them as well.

"Of course."

With a cryptic grin, she closed the distance between them and gently took his face in her hands. "Don't you think it might be wiser to leave the gem hidden somewhere and replace the one on your neck with a false one? If the stone is so powerful, it seems foolish to bring it along, brandishing it in plain sight."

She brushed his cheek with her thumb and allowed her hands to slip back to her sides. Ultimately it was his decision. She could only make the suggestion. And with that, she made her way back to the room with the crystal to prepare her battle dress.

(OOC: NO OOCs!)

Sage looked at Baker, and frowned. Baker, this is my war. This is our war, we can't try to bring in the public, I know, they will not know what happens until it hits. Think about this though, if we run to the mayor and tell him to call in the National Guard because of a demon invasion, we will wind up in an asylum. We can't bring in the military here because they'll think we are crazy. Don't worry, we are completely defenceless, me and Peral have already contacted the order. When the time comes, help will come as well.

"As for you, old man, the question does not lie on who I am, or what kind of warrior we are," He said. "The question lays on who are you, what kind of warrior you are, and what the hell you are doing here. I haven't the time or patience to deal with a insane old man who claims to know so much about everything. I've met enough of those type. Someone who goes around asking questions right once they've met a person is the kind of person you can't trust. Philip, Steve, Cara, come on. Baker, you can stay with this old man or not, but we have a demon invasion to stop..."

He started walking away, with Philip and Steve following. Peral remained standing where he was, watching them leave.

"And," Sage said. "I care not how old you are, and you should care not how old I am. The hour is now and the day is today, but time is an illusion. Its only purpose is to put barriers on what we are capable of. If you don't beleive in time that barrier goes away. Judge what someone can do by their age or height, or physical appearance, and you are judging your own downfall.... Come on guys..."

And with that he left heading up the stairs, Philip and Steve behind him. He hoped Cara would follow. Peral glanced around before following after them as well.

When Sage got to the top of the sairs Alistor rested the tip of his cane on Sage's shoulders
'Who am I?' He said quietly
'Me names Alistor, Alistor'll do anyway, what kind of warrior? The first. What am I doin' here?' He tapped Sage's shoulders lightly with the cane
'You. And ah ken see know, ah took ye the wrong way, I apologise fer that. I see ye fer what ye are an' I'm impressed.
And ye' in turn will do me that curtosy and see me fer what I am. And if ye are thinkin a crazy coot, then am dissapointed, I truly am.' He took the stick off his shoulders.

Sage looked at the old man. "Then I am truly sorry for over reacting. You are obviously quite a warrior to last this long. Now, we must be off."

***

Matthius smirked as she went, and talked to himself. "Sage would realize it was fake. Yes, the jewel has an aura of its own. He will sense it, it will lead him to me. I will destroy him then. I will let him know that his only hope was his death."

***

Sage walked outside of the library, and was amazed at how beautiful a day it was. The sun was shining brightly down on them, not a single cloud, the noises of the riots was almost non existant, they were so far away. He looked out at the sea, and saw seagulls fly off into the sky. At that moment everything seemed so silent.

"Sage," A cold voice said.

Sage turned around and nearly jumped back, Philip and Steve were leaning against the wall trying to get as far away from the man standing before them. It was Vinn, he took off his sunglasses and looked at Sage.

"Sage, help me," He said. "I saw my house, my old home. Everything from my past was still there. It brought back so many memories..."

"You betrayer, you damned yourself, why do you seek council from me!?" Sage shouted.

"Sage! Do you not realize what you are saying? You damned yourself when you left the order! They wanted you dead, but then you came back to them! They forgave you!" Vinn said. "Sage, I want to come back to the light. I want to save myself before it is to late. As a fellow human, give me a second chance. Let me come back to our race..."

"Just yesterday you were threatening me, and now you wish to join me? Why? This is sudden, what has happened that changed your mind?" Sage asked.

"Matthius killed my family when I left them, he slaughtered them," Vinn said. "Their bones still yet are strewn about the house... Sage. They burned my house down, Ramma, and Dos, they burned it. I watched in horror as it burnt down, and they turned, and they laughed at me..."

He bowed his head lower, his voice growing darker every word he spoke. "..I want revenge Sage, I want them dead. Please, let me regain my honor! Let me join you. Let me killed the three sons on Matthius! What do you say?"

Sage stood there, in shock, looking at Vinn.

"Speak! What say you!?" Vinn shouted.

"...Vinn," Sage said. "You have my full trust, and my full honor for turning away from such an evil. This means there is still hope for Gael."

Sage turned around and walked down the stairs, Vinn stood on top them, watching him go. Philip and Steve glanced at Vinn who was beside them, and then dashed down after Sage.

"Sage!" Steve hissed. "He is evil! You said yourself Matthius trained him! He is no longer one of us! He will betray you!"

"Steve," Sage said turning to him. "No matter what, no matter how much your mind is altered, no matter what you are taught. Your past will never fully be destroyed, Vinn is, and always will be human. Human nature is naturally good, and a human can never forget the good inside them."

He turned back around and walked down the sidewalk. "Come you two, we still need to get you weapons."

Alistor sighed. Warriors skills were not what had kept him alive. He hung back as Sage dealt with a shady character. He hung back, he was not allowed to interfere. Nor did he wish to.
The lad see's good in the darkest places.
Alistor looked at the star shaped pendant on his neck
Best to light a candle in the night than to curse the darkness. Alistor shook his head and cleared his mind again. He didn't want sage picking up anything, the boy had enough troubles.

He says he knows our like, has seen us before. Could he be the eternal warrior mentioned in the book? Baker pushed himself to get up and walk over to Alistor. Every joint and muscle screeching from the burning pain he felt. Hey sword, do you remember this guy? ...yes...I think I do Master. He was my first human master. He wasn't so old...and didn't talk that way I believe...but that is him. Thanks sword, I just want to be sure... Baker walked up to him and asked in a whisper.

"Alistor...you're him arn't you? The immortal warrior. The one that watches over those that defend the world when demons threaten it right? Just so you know, I'll get the job done when the time comes. Don't worry about that."

O, and Sage. It was just a suggestion. Besides, my country's military would believe me on this. I just thought you could do some of that voodoo that you do, heh that rhymes, on a few politicians and generals and either mind control them or do something magical like to make them believe. On another note, you can give your friends some of the weapons I left at your apartment. One of them should prove especially useful if you catch my drift.

She looked carefully around at all that was going on while she tuned but she kept her mouth shut. The boy’s speech was interesting and she deduced that there were several possibilities for his beliefs. The simplest explanation was that he was completely insane, but that didn’t explain the fact that he had followers and apparently enemies. If this option was true he might try to kill her before she could leave, whether or not she played the tune. In this case, it would be best to stay and play to appease him. The second possibility was that he was a cultist and believed in some obscure redemption; in this case playing for him and finding a proper time to escape would again be the best option. The third obvious possibility was that he was speaking the truth and the arrival of the Scot seemed to support this option.

She listened carefully to everything that went around and delayed for a few moments. Silence seemed like the best policy to her as she walked over to a table and laid out the music. She took a final glance and started to play the melody at a moderate tempo. It was technically perfect and beautifully expressive to a trained ear, but that didn’t matter. To her ears, it rang hollow.

The music was wrong.

As she had suspected this was not an original manuscript. Even worse, it had been copied in an era when there was no notation for the chromatic and sub-chromatic notes. It was a predecessor of the Greek Enharmonic tetrachord, which meant that medieval notation couldn’t even begin to describe it.

She knew that it was wrong because the melody didn’t quite fit, but perhaps she could fill in the blanks. She looked around, part of the group had abandoned her but that didn’t matter. Somehow she knew that they would hear her. With one last look around she drew her bow again, lifted her violin, and started to play.

The second time was much different. She freed herself from the page, she knew what was on it and she knew what to fix. Instead, she let herself put true emotion at the center of the ancient creation.

The center of any performance is the audience. The musician and the composer only offer the chance to listen, if the audience won’t listen the performance is worthless.

She began with the Scot, Alistor. His pain sung of tortured times past. For him she made the tune sing of reminiscence. If he chose to hear it, he would know the past and see a glimpse of the peace he couldn’t reach.

Alistor’s past naturally reached towards another and she followed the path to its course, he formed a strong connection with Eddie. His pain sung of determination, resistance and virtue leading toward inevitable solitude. For him she made the tune sing of intimacy. If he chose to hear it, he would find a chance.

Eddie’s present connected outward towards his charge, but she redirected it. The climax should never come too far before the end. She moved the link toward the enigma, Peral. His pain sung of death. For him she made the tune sing of redemption. If he chose to hear it, he would be able to find new strength.

Once again, his connection led to the climax and once again, she pulled it away. This time she chose his friend, Steve. His pain sung of fear. For him she made the tune sing of determination. If he chose to hear it, he would be able to protect.

The connection followed a more natural path this time; it found his friend, Philip. His pain sung of love and loyalty. For him she could offer no joyous celebration so she made the tune sing of a choice. He would know what to do.

This was the climactic movement, the tune was at its climax and she had reached the zenith of the events. His pain sung of a future of a thousand torments. For him she could offer no solution so she made the tune sing of his friends and allies, a song worth of an epic in itself. She knew that no lone fiddler could ever make the tune truly reflect reality.

The finale would be the listener who had just been invited, Vinn. His pain sung of hatred, for those who harmed him and for himself. For him she mad the tune sing of freedom.

She had thought she was done and she tried to stop, but the tune didn’t want to finish. It linked to one final target, someone she could neither see nor name, but she could feel. This one’s pain sung of the present, nature had turned and life didn’t exist, her pain was beyond comprehension. For her she made the tune sing of freedom, of finality and of love.

Then she was done, so she lifted the bow of the strings and looked around. She didn’t know what had happened or what she had seen, but she knew she had played the tune correctly.

The music that Baker heard put the music of all the great composers to shame in his mind. His heart ached at the tortuous pain expressed in the tune but it lightened at the hope for something better...

When she had finished he stared in awe. "That, was amazing Cara. Thank you."

As Sage, Philip, and Steve walked down the street Sage heard a faint noise. He increased the noise of it around them so all three of them. All of them were memorized by the music, it all seemed to make some change deep within them. A new hope brought to their souls. Then the music ended.

Peral was sitting in a chair in the library, had they any way of winning against Matthius and the armies from hell? He had no hope for them anymore, Matthius was far more powerful and Sage only had a renegade squad of kids, and others to help. He had his head in his hands, but then he heard Cara playing. After one special part in the song, he felt rejuvinated. He somehow found more hope. Probability might be against them, but they still had a fighting chance. A chance worth fighting for.

"She will be able to play the peice perectly when the time comes," Sage said. "Come on guys Baker left some weapons at my apartment, you can use those."

"Hey, wait up a minute Sage! We should all go together. Best to avoid being separated this late in the game." Baker began walking up the stairs. Alistor followed. "You coming Cara?"

She sighed and loosened and sheathed her bow quickly before carefully returning her violin carefully to its case. The music didn't matter to her anymore, she knew it. Then she strapped up her case next to the bow and followed the Scot and the soldier out of the library.