The legion had been stopped.

The armored soldiers had stopped advancing. Now, they were erecting defenses against an unending tide of ghost warriors. Spirits raised from those they had slaughtered. Narcissa and Alkela fought, killed, and fought some more to help. But they had not given up.

They walked through the corpse-strewn streets and found Master Garacel. At his feet were many headless legionaries. His sword was bloodied, but the weapon went clean with a flick of it.

He turned to them. "Ah, Narcissa and Alkela, I am pleased to see both of you still alive. Tell me, has Amysta shown any signs of manifestation?"

"No. No, she hasn't," said Narcissa before looking to Alkela, who shook her head. So why hadn't Alkela suffered the same problem? Or had she suffered it, but no one had noticed.

"Good," said Garacel.

"I don't understand why," said Narcissa. "She manifested within me so easily before. So why would she not be able to anymore?"

"Her spirit is still reeling from touching the Grail of Immortality," said Garacel. "Amysta was never one for research or contemplation.

"She did not understand the Grail, so she thought she could grasp it like any other artifact."

"Why couldn't she?" asked Narcissa. "Baltoth did."

Garacel shook his head. "The Gods did not create the Grail, but by a being beyond them. He dwells beyond the Soul Event Horizon at the end of the universe.

"It will not tolerate one of Amysta's kind taking it up."

Narcissa considered what Garacel had done. Willingly unleashed raishans on, relatively speaking, innocent people. He had no regrets and had done it without hesitation. There had been no sadism, but did that matter?

No. It did not.

Garacel Zigildrazia and Amysta were all of the same kind. It's just that Narcissa was on the former two's side. "Then how did you steal it?"

Garacel shifted to look at her as though amused. "I wore gloves."

Narcissa blinked. "That worked?"

"Yes," said Garacel. "Why would it not? The Grail hurts those who touch it. If I am wearing half an inch of leather around my body, that does not count as touching it."

"That just seems a bit of a weakness," said Narcissa.

"In time, you will find that the most elaborate defenses can be circumvented. Usually, by simple acts of pragmatism," said Garacel. "That is why keeping one's plans simple is important."

"What part of this plan is simple?" asked Narcissa.

"It was Zigildrazia's plan, not mine," said Garacel. "She likes to make very complex plans. She feels it is more entertaining when they fall to pieces and more impressive when they go off without a hitch. In any case, I doubt it would have harmed me as it did her. It deals in degrees, and I have never done the things Amysta did in all my years."

"Why did you tell me about the Grail in the first place?" asked Narcissa.

"I was showing it to Amysta," said Garacel. "Zigildrazia had been concerned about her sister manifesting for some time. I thought she would take it if I presented Amysta with an opportunity. And if she didn't take it, no harm would be done. As things stand, things have worked flawlessly." He halted and looked up. Then his eyes narrowed. "So, the Sword of Order comes to interfere.

"Follow me. We have one more enemy to face before this ends."

He turned to stride away. Narcissa moved after her. "What about the legions?"

"They are nearly broken," said Garacel. "They cannot stop what is now arising. However, the wielder of the Sword of Order can.

"Still, I must admit that the legions have proven themselves a formidable enemy. More so than I expected."

"What were they like when you ruled?" asked Narcissa.

"There were no legions in those days," said Garacel, voice wistful. "When I ruled as Lover Eternal, there were many kingdoms without a single ruler, though all hailed me. But with the coming of Baltoth, I was cast down. In my place arose an imposter known as Safara. A serpent, born of Baltoth's union with one of my old enemies. She unified them by subverting the wills of the people.

"And yet she crossed Baltoth to her folly. She was captured and taken as a slave to Calisha, where she resides now. And her empire fractured, with no unifying force.

It was from these shattered remnants that Zigildrazia, Typhos, and Amysta came. They filled the void that was left and created a great empire.

"Dinis."

They strode through the blood-drenched streets, moving with speed. Narcissa saw one horror after another. Cleaved limbs and dead bodies everywhere. "Master Garacel, wasn't there any way to do this plan without killing all these people?"

"Are you experiencing doubts?" asked Garacel.

"Yes," said Narcissa, "I'm still loyal to Zigildrazia; I exist for her. But I feel them."

"Doubt is the source of true faith," said Garacel. "If you were not experiencing doubt, your faith would be worthless. Only by questioning can we understand. And only through understanding can we truly revere Her Radiance." His voice was deadpan, as though reciting a script. "To answer your question, I suspect that Zigildrazia intends to give their souls to Typhos. No doubt, to create new breeds of monsters.

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"A peace offering. They will live again in another form soon enough."

They came before the gates of the Sanctum of Zigildrazia. There, Garacel halted by them and turned. He sat down crosslegged and set his sword over his knees. "We all of us exist for a purpose. Each of us was set upon this world for a singular act we were born to perform.

"All that we control is whether we embrace our purpose. Or defy it." He looked up at a nearby building. "Wouldn't you agree, Abdul Sahshir?"

Narcissa followed his gaze and saw Abdul Sahshir and Dakan. Sahshir had his blade in hand, and his scarf flowed around him. He leaped down from the building and landed in a roll as Dakan landed next to him, his coat flowing.

"Garacel," said Sahshir.

Garacel rose as Narcissa drew her axe. "And so we meet again, once more amidst a flaming city. Poetic, is it not?"

"What is the meaning of this, Dakan," said Sahshir.

"It seems that Garacel intends to keep us from the Sanctum," said Dakan. "If I might suggest a strategy, Lord Sahshir, I could retrieve the Blade of Chaos.

"Meanwhile, you may settle scores with Garacel and allow us victory."

"Dakan, I thought the gate fell too easily," said Garacel, raising his sword. "You have overplayed your hand today. It is a mistake you will not live to regret."

"A fine plan Dakan," said Sahshir. "Go on ahead, and when you get the Blade, do not come back for me."

"As you wish," said Dakan.

Then Dakan faded into the shadows and appeared behind them through the gate. He was rushing away. Garacel raised a hand, and the gate swung open. "Alkela, Narcissa, go after him. Take his head.

"I will attend to the boy."

Narcissa nodded. "Yes, Master Garacel."

They sprinted after him through the front doors of the temple. As they did, Dakan descended from above and drove his knife down. It passed through Alkela's exposed stomach and sank deep. Alkela let out a wordless scream and fell to the ground.

"Alkela?!" screamed Narcissa.

She swung around her axe, but Dakan darted away, parrying her slashes with his blades. He was smiling as he gave ground. "And so we battle again. Entertaining at the least, though not good."

Then he knocked aside her axe and went through the throat. Something took hold of Narcissa, and she moved backward. Her body began to move on its own, defending and slashing. Where before she had been outmatched, now she was overwhelming him.

Interest dawned within Narcissa. The sight of Alkela bleeding on the ground passed from her mind. Other things were thought of instead. "Why are you doing this, Dakan? What do you gain from it?"

"Gain?" asked Dakan, dodging around a strike. "My dear, wealth is empty. Pleasure is empty. Life is empty. You cannot truly gain anything.

"The taking is what delights me." He landed behind Narcissa and slashed at her with his duel blades. "The taking of life. The taking of money. The taking of control. All those masterful little demon lords and gods, all playing their game. And none of them win. All the world will be consumed in a final defeat.

"And over the corpses, I shall be the victor."

Narcissa gave ground, noting Alkela rising from the ground behind him. "Baltoth is going to give you an influential position in Safara's new order, isn't he?"

Dakan halted. "...What makes you say that?"

"Well, if I were you, I'd want to keep playing first and foremost," said Narcissa. "So I'd set up a deal with whoever would be coming in to replace Zigildrazia. Suppose I were the Emperor of Dinis, and I was going to overthrow my patron god. In that case, I'd want protection from the most powerful god close to home. That's Baltoth.

"And if I were Baltoth and wanted to establish my hold over Dinis, I'd send my daughter Safara, who used to rule the place. But since she crossed me once, I'd want someone close to her with many connections to keep her in check.

"Which means you."

Dakan spun his swords around. "...Well, you aren't wrong."

"So, for all your talk about destruction for its own sake, you have a plan," said Narcissa.

Narcissa sent forth her will into Alkela, forcing her body to heal at an enhanced rate. As she did, Dakan took a stance. "Well, of course, I have a plan, you stupid girl. You can only play the game with one. You need to include the point.

"The point of all this isn't the plan's end goal. That's just an excuse. I do all this because I delight in destroying what others have built. All these fancy towers and silver necklaces are just dust in the wind.

"Just like Zarana!"

Narcissa went still. And suddenly, part of her was very, very angry. "You destroyed her life out of spite?!"

"No, I merely prefer teenage girls," said Dakan. "Not too young or old, with a certain innocence. I have sufficient influence and use it to avoid prosecution, so I use it.

"It's more about the journey than the destination, honestly."

"Fine, we'll go by your advice!" Narcissa charged. "My axe is going to end up in your skull! But it will take a long journey all over your body!"

Dakan leaped back, parrying strokes until he was up against the doors. He dodged aside narrowly, and the door was smashed open. The light poured into the darkened room, and Narcissa flinched back. Dakan seemed made of shadow. "My, aren't we standing tall, Narcissa?

"You're casting a long shadow."

Then he vanished.

Narcissa turned around just in time to see a blade surge forward and catch her in the shoulder. She gasped and fell to the ground as Dakan raised his other dagger.

"A gift from my dear ancestor, Neseriah," said Dakan.

How had he done this? Bypassed her armor?

"You know, I always like that rule about female body armor here," said Dakan, forcing her down. "Oh, it's impractical, but there is something satisfying about it.

"Most people don't understand that the armor doesn't deflect blades. It merely alters the wills of people, so they aim everywhere else. But, with proper training, you can overcome it.

"Now-"

Then he looked up and melted into the shadows again as Alkela charged at him. Her mace passed through where he was, and he appeared there. Lashing out with her axe, Narcissa caught him in the ankle, and it broke off.

Dakan hit the ground, screaming. Narcissa rose and approached him, keeping one hand on her wound. A wound that even now was disappearing. She felt amusement at the sight of Dakan screaming.

He deserved this.

"You... you worthless bitch! Baltoth will not allow you to-" began Dakan.

Narcissa put one high-heeled boot on his neck. And she felt as if Amysta was bleeding through again. "Sorry.

"But I've got an axe to grind about your conduct." Then she grabbed her axe in both hands and brought down the axe.

Narcissa felt happy. Zarana was avenged. Amysta was pleased with herself for the one-liner. But, Alkela stared at her.

"Oh, what?" said Amysta's part. "Like you could have come up with a better one!" Narcissa forced herself to return. "Let's get to the sword. I want to see it. And we can guard it against any further attempts. We can leave the head here."

They made their way through the passage, back where they had come.

On and on, they walked. The passage had changed again. It was like a ruin now, with broken flagstones. Moss was growing on it, and puddles of black liquid could be seen here and there. The drip of water was everywhere.

Then they came into the chamber of the Heart. It, too, had changed. The Heart now sat on a pedestal atop a pillar. A raised staircase winded up to it, and on a throne in the air was Zigildrazia. She was once again in her true, beautiful form. "Narcissa, Alkela, I'm glad you are here. I was getting very lonely with both of you gone.

"Your little friend Sahshir is on his way here."

Narcissa's blood ran cold. "Did he kill Master Garacel?"

Zigildrazia smiled. "Now that would be telling."

Narcissa felt she would learn no more than that. Amysta wanted her to inquire, but Narcissa did not. Zigildrazia did not like it, and so she did not desire it.