MS. FADDEN

Ms. Fadden sat at her desk in the tiny, nondescript office where she based her operations and realized she was, almost, ready to relax. Almost. She would relax for real when the Knights were safely off the planet and the Chistani were out of their solar system. No, then she'd only halfrelax. She, like a large portion of the universe, would truly relax only when Balthazar Nodd was finally dead.

The knights will be gone by tomorrow night, she told herself to fight down the creeping nervousness every time she thought of their world's unwelcome patient/prisoner. Jurgo will probably follow, or make a minor nuisance of himself here. Seven more months. Just seven.

When the communicator on her desk beeped she knew it was bad news. She lifted the receiver to her ear.

“Is it Nodd?” She asked.

“No,” the man on the other end of the line told her. “But we've got another problem. Jurgo's escaped.”

“He's what?” she snapped upright, sending her chair clattering to the ground.

“It gets worse ma'am,” the voice told her. “Birger's gone too. Left with him. And we just realized...they come and go all the time, ma'am. We didn't have a reason to think anything suspicious was going on, until Jurgo got out with Birger and we realized nobody had seen them for a while.”

“Who comes and...” realization hit her mind like a stray brick. “Oh god. Are you telling me that Jurgo is out there gunning for revenge backed up by Balthazar Nodd's four favorite crew members?”

“I'm afraid so ma'am,” the man said. “I'd guess those knights are in for a hell of a time, ma'am. And a lot of innocent people are likely to get hurt while they're getting killed.”

“Screw them getting killed!” Ms. Fadden said. “What if they win? What if Jurgo pushes too far this time and gets his idiot ass killed? How long ago did this happen?”

“Three hours ago, ma'am.”

“THREE HOURS!?”

“They did something to the communications system, ma'am. This was the first we could get in touch.”

“Then he could be here by now!” Ms. Fadden said. “If they had an attack plan in place already, they could...”

An explosion rose from somewhere in the city, telling her the battle had already started. It was then followed by the single most terrifying sound she had ever heard. Sirens. Emergency personnel. Their own people, rank and file enforcers, who despite being a provincial police force were as brave and dedicated as any and would do anything they could to quell the disturbance. Like, for example, firing on the attackers.

Ms. Fadden tossed the communicator aside and ran from her office, barking orders.

“Get the enforcers out!” she bellowed. “Get them out! Whatever happens they are notto intervene. Evacuation procedures and emergency aid personnel only. And distribute a picture of Jurgo. To everyone. Under no circumstances is that man to be harmed. He's...we need...he has information critical to planetary security, there that's barely even a lie. The mission tonight is to protect our people and above all keep that fat prick Jurgo alive at all costs! God damn it...”

She stopped herself from saying more as the office exploded into activity, her orders being carried out in a panic by everyone there. Once that was done she allowed herself to finish the thought she hadn't dared say out loud.

God damn it, I thought we were going to get out of this alive.

SASHA

The group walked in silence for a while, and no one commented when they started splitting up in little groups. Sasha barely even noticed until none of their group was around besides herself and Rimni.

“Hey,” Sasha said, looking around. “Where did everybody go?”

“Huh?” Rimni looked around. “I dunno. Probably to go through their Regalias in a river or something.”

“That really got to you didn't it?” Sasha sighed. “I'll admit it kind of killed the mood.”

“Tyram's an idiot,” Rimni said. “And a coward.”

“You can't really say that,” Sasha said. “Not after the way he's fought since coming here. Come on, let's see if we can figure out what happened to everybody else. Can your rat senses thing pick up anything? My wolf scent is completely jammed with all these people.”

“I can try,” Rimni said, focusing. “I...wait a minute. Now that I'm looking, I can sense someone hunting us.”

“Hunting us?” Sasha looked around. “Who? Can you tell?”

“It's...” Rimni looked around, finally pointing across the street at a figure in a long trench coat and wide brimmed hat. “Her. I think she's been following us.”

The woman in the trench coat gave them a red lipped smile and crossed towards them. As she got closer they were able to make out her features a little better. Middle aged but extremely well preserved. There were almost no lines on her face, just the barest hint of them around her eyes and the corner of her lips, and if anything they worked to make her seem more glamorous. Her long hair had once been raven black, but now it was streaked with gray, and her eyes sparkled green with youthful mischief.

“Hello there,” she said pleasantly when she caught up with them. “You must be Sasha! And the boy is Rimni, right? I hear you're one hell of a little psychopath. Good job! I like to see some spirit in a kid.”

“Who are you?” Rimni said. “Do you work for Ms. Fadden, is that why you're following us?”

“No,” Sasha shook her head. “This close I can tell. She smells like Jurgo. She's been standing nearby him recently.”

“Oh ugh,” she said, opening her trench coat. Underneath she wore a red shirt and a pair of black pants, both of them made out of some synthetic material that clung tight to her body like a second skin and leaving very little to the imagination “Do I reallysmell like him? That's gross. I was wondering if the little shit was thinking about copping a feel. Of course that's harder with only one arm...”

“One arm?” Rimni asked.

“Oh yes!” the woman said. “Your friend with the bow put so many arrows in him the arm was completely useless. He had to have it replaced, and of course be picked a great big cannon. Men, right?”

“I think that sounds kind of cool,” Rimni said. “For a bandit, I mean.”

“See?” the rolled her eyes. “Doesn't matter how old they are, they're all the same.”

“I think you're going for a 'we're all sisters here' feel,” Sasha said. “But I'm not buying it. If you're working for Jurgo you can't just be here to talk. And who are you, anyway?”

“I don't work for Jurgo,” she scowled. “My name is Zashara, and I'm one of Balthazer Nodd's personal bodyguards. We used to be the ones who killed idiots who tried to fight the captain before they got a chance to bother him, but these days of course we're guarding his sickbed. They'd kill him early if they thought they could.”

“So why aren't you guarding him now?” Sasha said cautiously, dropping into a fighting stance.

“Ah ah ah careful!” Zashara said. “Do you really want to whip out your Regalia here, in the middle of the street, where there are all these innocent bystanders?”

“So why did you come over to talk to us then?” Rimni asked, not moving out of his own fighters crouch.

“Well see there's two reasons,” Zashura told them. “First, because I was ordered to kill you both for messing with the captain's grandsons. The others—oh and Jurgo too I guess, but we all know he's useless right? I mean you guys beat him once already—are off killing all your friends right now.”

“And the other reason?” Sasha glared.

“Well see I'm a pirate,” she stage-whispered with a conspiratorial wink. “So I don't really give a damn about innocent bystanders.”

The trenchoat she wore tore itself to shreds as her Regalia activated. Sasha and Rimni barely had time to shout each other a warning before they were dodging for their lives.

FANN

Fann and J'vann might have been the only two who meant to leave the group together. They walked down the street, drawing a few stares from passerby, but J'vann was used to that kind of thing and Fann didn't seem to notice. In fact it didn't look like he was paying attention to much of anything.

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“You are unusually quiet,” J'vann said.

“I'm talking,” Fann said. “We're holding a conversation, aren't we?”

“Yes but I have become accustomed to your voice existing as a constant background hum,” J'vann explained.

“Oh great,” Fann laughed. “Thanks a lot for that.”

“I did not say I objected,” J'vann said. “In fact I find it strangely comforting. Not unlike a white noise machine.”

“So you're saying I put you to sleep?” Fann raised an eyebrow.

“I have noticed you often use humor to avoid talking about anything seriously,” J'vann said.

“Why you gotta be like that all the time?” Fann said. “All calm and wise and like that? You're not any older than I am.”

“I do not do so intentionally,” J'vann smiled. “It is merely natural talent.”

“Hah!” Fann laughed. “Alright, alright. It just got kind of heavy back there, you know? Just has me thinking about the old days.”

“In Nightside,” J'vann pressed.

“Sorry,” Fann shook his head. “Still not ready to talk about it. I....wait a minute.”

Fann paused in the middle of the street, his eyes closed.

“Okay,” Fann said. “I don't know what's going on, but I think we're under attack.”

“Where?” J'vann looked around. “This street seems peaceful to me.”

“Yeah don't it just?” Fann smirked, his eyes still shut tight. “That's the problem. I don't dare explain right now. Take my hand, alright? Only turn when I do, and don't let go.”

J'vann took Fann's hand without question, and Fann turned them back around the way they came. The road was twistier than J'vann remembered. He was slightly concerned when their path took them in the direction of a brick wall, but despite Fann's seemingly eternal facetiousness the Bat Knight knew when it was time to be serious, and everything about his manner told J'vann he was in deadly earnest. J'vann wasn't even surprised when the brick wall vanished at J'vann's touch, and they were standing in the middle of a busy street again.

“An illusion,” J'vann said. “Are we free of it?”

“No,” Fann shook his head. “We're still somewhere in the alleyways.”

“Then the street, and the crowd...”

“All fake,” Fann sighed. “We must have been stuck in this for a while now. I'm sorry, I was in my own head and...get down!”

Fann and J'vann dropped to the ground. There was a cracking noise followed by a spray of dust and broken brick. The illusion of a busy street faded away and they found themselves in a dark alleyway, far from the noise of the city and the crowds. The wall beside them had just been torn apart by the claws of a man in a regalia, who now clung to the wall like a spider.

His regalia was red leather, with armor on his chest, forearms, and shins. His helmet was blank except for eye holes and seven rows of tiny holes down the front. It covered the front and top of his head, but in the back his long red hair had been allowed to grow wild and flow freely down his back. He carried no weapons, but the ends of his gloves extended into long, wicked claws.

“Pretty good,” he said in a voice like a permanent growl. “I've never seen anybody dodge my ambush so completely before. What gave me away?”

“It would be foolish of us to explain an enemy's mistake,” J'vann said as he and Fann picked themselves up off the ground. “You do not advise a prosecutor in a court on the flaws in his case against you. You use them in the test, to shatter his every attack.”

“God, are you a priest?” the man growled. “You talk like a priest.”

“I am a devotee of Yggdrasil,” J'vann said, bowing with fingers to palm.

“I can't stand priests!” the man complained. “Daddy was a preacher, I got sick of his pious bleating by the time I was ten standard. That's why I ran away and joined a pirate crew. Best decision I ever made.”

“Thanks for the life story,” Fann said. “Now who the hell exactly areyou?”

“Oh forgiveme,” the pirate said. “The name is Tarly, Eustace Tarly. Former crewman of Balthazar Nodd. And I'm here to tear your ass in half for what you did to his grandsons. Who are you, his choirboy?”

“I'm Fann,” Fann said. “And I was the one who cut Jurgo's gut open. Though they tell me he lived, so I suppose I didn't do a very good job.”

“Lucky for you,” Tarly chuckled. “I'm just gonna kill you. If his last grandson had died the captain would really work you both over.”

“And I believe that answers my next questions,” J'vann sighed, summoning his Verdant Regalia while Fann summoned his bat. “It makes it clear why you would seek to harm us, and that there can be no peaceful resolution. Not to a family vendetta.”

“If it's any consolation you won't be lonely in hell,” Tarly said. “By now the rest of us are taking care of your whole little troop. That's one of the reason we all signed on with the captain. We're just like him, we lovekilling knights.”

VERRO

If the group had to split up, Verro would not have have chosen to walk off with Aurina.

It wasn't that he didn't like her, it was just that if the knights weren't going to celebrate together he'd rather go looking for some female company. Female company, preferably, who was not the sister of one of the knights he would probably have to fight side by side with for a long time. Or at least one who didn't have a weird connection to another of those knights he wasn't sure either of them had exactly noticed yet, but wasn't it funny how whenever Tyram got moody he and Aurina somehow found themselves talking? Verro was sure he couldn't be the only one who noticed.

Point was she was too complicated to be the kind of female company he was looking for and her presence was likely to make getting it difficult to impossible. He found himself kind of wishing she was Sasha. Where was Sasha, anyway?

For that matter, where was anybody?

“Where is everybody?” Aurina asked, looking up and down the street. “How'd we get separated?”

“I don't know,” Verro said. “I mean Fann was right this is kinda small for a city, you think it would be hard to get lost.”

“It seems huge to me,” Aurina said, idly stroking the rabbit-creature's head. “But then...I've never been out of the village.”

“So you're just going to keep that thing?” he asked, gesturing to the soft furred and fluffy feathered creature draped around her neck.

“Ms. Fadden said they have no idea where he came from,” Aurina said. “Or what he is, for that matter. Never heard of a Churmegoedon. Looks like I got two pets out of this.”

“Two pets?”

“Booky!” Aurina said. “I've got him in my pocket, too. He likes it in there he curls up and sleeps.”

“Yeah right,” Verro said. How could anyone forget a giant super fast two headed snail with built in laser cannons? Except he actually kind of had. “Listen, I gotta ask...why didn't you go after them?”

“Tyram and my brother you mean?” Aurina asked.

“Yeah. I mean he's your brother. And you and Tyram seem to...get along really well.”

“I don't know,” Aurina said. “I guess I just felt like this was something I couldn't help them with.”

“You mean him. It was Tyram having the breakdown.”

“Yeah,” Aurina said quietly. “Maybe.”

They lapsed into that very special awkward silence known only to two members of a group who suddenly realize they've never been alone together before. Verro looked around the street for anything to help. Anything. Prefferably one of the others, but barring that he'd take....a store she might want to go into, a place to buy food really quickly, a street performer, hell a fifty foot lizard stomping through town would do he just needed a distraction. Even with his eagle eyes he couldn't find a good way out of the awkwardness.

But he did see the shadows move.

Anyone else might have doubted their eyes, or shrugged it off as a trick of the light. But Verro was the Eagle Knight. He trusted his eyes more than anything, and they said that the shadow had moved. That the shadow had, in fact, moved farther into the light. Which meant that whatever that black shape was it wasn't really a shadow.

“Aurina,” he said seriously.

“What?” she said.

“Something weird is going on,” he told her, scanning around for anything else strange. “I don't know what exactly, but I think someone's out here with an active Regalia. And there's no law against having a Regalia, and there's plenty of people in the universe with Regalias who've got nothing to do with us, but...”

“But what are the chances we'd bump into someone with an active Regalia on this planet who wasn't connected to us somehow?” Aurina finished for him. “Any chance he works for Ms. Fadden?”

“I don't think so,” he said. “I think...move!”

He shoved her aside just as the glowing metal sphere flew out of the shadow and zipped between their heads. It hit the wall behind them and exploded in a flash of orange light, digging a chuck out of the brickwork and sending sparks scattering everywhere. A length of pipe that had been going up the wall clattered to the ground, one end snapped and the other blown away. The people on the street scattered, running instinctively from the explosion. There was every sign of a panic starting, but Verro couldn't think about that right now. The shadow was walking out to meet him.

Their attacker was a mannequin figure, the shape of a human completely devoid of feature. His color was...black. Endlessly black. It didn't feel like looking at an object, he was like a hole air. In fact Verro's eyes made that impression even stronger. He moved like a three dimensional object, he obviously was a three dimensional object, but Verro's eyes insisted he was peering down an impossibly deep pit.

Verro summoned his Regalia and fired an arrow. It struck right between where the shadow's eyes should be and kept going, flying into the blackness until it disappeared from view.

“Hey,” the figure said, the voice emitting from somewhere in the area of it's chest. It sounded slightly tinny, as if coming over a loudspeaker. “Rude.I mean can't we at least do introductions?”

“You shot at us first!” Aurina said.

“Heh. Yeah I did. Fine I'll go first. Name's Dyban, just Dyban don't got a family name, used to have but I don't anymore it's a cultural thing. I'm a crewman of the great Balthazar Nodd, and I'm here to kill a bunch of knights for messing with his grandkids. I know who youare, Verro. Eagle Regalia right? The archer who messed Jurgo's arm up so bad. Isn't your arm getting tired from that?”

It actually was. Verro had been firing a consistent stream of arrows at Dyban's shadowy sillhouette, only to have all of them disappear like the first. He lowered his bow, sizing up his opponent, looking for any weakpoint.

“So let me give you the rundown real quick,” Dyban said. “This is the Void Regalia. No, you can'thurt me while I've got it active. In fact I have lost exactly three fights in my entire life. The second time was to the captain. The third time was to first mate Birger. And the first time was to Edna Hyobin.”

“Who's Edna Hyobin?” Aurina couldn't keep from asking.

“My ex wife,” Dyban said ruefully. “Boy, she cleaned me out. Why do you think I had to resort to piracy?”

Verro slung his bow on his back and grabbed the fallen length of pipe. He wasn't much for melee weapons, but maybe—just maybe—there was a trick melee could find that his arrows couldn't. Dyban didn't bother to move as Verro swung and when the pipe made contact with his shadowy body it pushed through the surface...

And was sucked out of Verro's hands as if some enormous invisible tentacle had grabbed the other end and dragged it into the shadows.

“Yeah that'll happen,” Dyban said. “Smart, using a weapon on me instead of touching me directly. I mean look what happened to the guys that tried it the other way!”

In the endless depths of his shadow body glowing yellow lights appeared, growing larger and larger—or possibly closer and closer—until they could be made out as a collection of human skulls, glowing like the metal ball he'd thrown at them from the beginning.

“So how about we make this easy?” Dyban said. “You're not going to beat me anyway, and I mean come on—how many cooler ways are there to die than being blown up by a flaming skull shot at you by an actual pirate? I mean am I right?”

The pirate spread his arms wide and the skulls fired out of his chest like cannonballs. Verro and Aurina both dodged on pure instinct, but Verro's instincts had training behind them. They both dodged the projectiles themselves, andthe explosions that tore chunks out of the street and buildings, but Verro kept enough awareness to roll away from the enemy. Aurina, on the other hand, rolled closer.

“Gotta make me do this the hard way huh?” Dyban sighed, reaching out a hand.

“NO!” Verro shouted, whipping out his bow and firing. But the arrow vanished harmlessly into Dyban's wrist and when the pirate's shadowy hand closed on top of Aurina's head she was sucked into the darkness as well.