Somewhere on Legalios City trail

“I thought this was going to be an easy mission from the guild,” Alivier exclaimed as he fired beams of light at the ravenous, bearish Fiends, trying to fight and avoid them from maiming him. A few Veilspawn assisted the Fiends and clawed at its prey, hoping to catch him off guard. It was a helpful boon that Tierney could predict when one attacked. “A simple take out of a Rift, Fiends, and some Veilspawn from messing with the beacon power lines. How are we doing on those numbers, Tierney darling? Still never ending?”

Tierney was far from the fighting but close enough to give orders whenever something came out of nowhere.

“I-I still can't predict how many. It's hazy to see, like the Rift. Maybe it is stopping me.”

Cassandra snorted. She swung her ax down over a Fiend with a quick slash. “And who told you that? I would have thought you'd be used to this by now, Alivier. And quit using a child for your gain before I clobber you silly.”

“So cruel.” He let out a snort. Pushing his blonde hair away from his face. “But it shows how much you know me. But that's a matter for another day. Where are these Fiends coming from all at once? I can't even close the Rift ahead.”

Cassandra did realize that the Rift had been coming from the forest edge. She had not seen anything off on the beaten trail. This was a regular Rift, not an ethereal one, which meant no Magycte Beast. The only indication that something still wasn't right was that the Fiends were uncanny strong and had crystals forming at their backs.

So what was making them appear in droves without the assistance of the Rift or protection from a Magycyte Beast? There wasn't even an Altar.

But there didn't need to be.

Of course! She had a eureka moment. It wasn't just something making the Fiends appear in hordes; someone was doing it.

“Alivier! There’s someone else here, too.” She shouted to him. “Someone she knew all too well.”

There were several claps heard. The Fiends stopped their movements as if they were commanded to.

Tierney frantically cried out. “Cassandra!”

Her heart dropped when she saw the tricorned hat-wearing man of Maxwell Croger; his hand gripped Tierney's arm.

“Perfect deduction skills as always, Perfectus; I never doubted you for a second, but” he drew out the word, tsking with a suck of his teeth, gesturing toward Tierney’s panicked, stricken face. “Using an oracle-gifted child to tell the future of battle is just cheating. That I didn't expect. You Heroes are supposed to be lawfully good.”

Cassandra’s blood boiled as his hand gripped Tierney. She had lost her army, and she was not going to lose Tierney, either.

“Hey, Cassandra. You better calm down a bit.” Alivier said, sensing the negative blood lust coursing through her.

“Let. Her. Go, Croger. Your beef is with me!”

He hummed, shrugging his shoulders. “Our beef is with anyone that tries to get in our way.”

“Then, you might be giving us some weird, mixed signals. You know, cause every time we try to prevent Altars from appearing, you are right there. It's the only way to enact the Astral Contract.”

He chuckled. “You're absolutely right, Lichtkrieger. While that part may be true, we also need to make sure you stick to doing just that. So we keep an eye out for you.”

Alivier huffed. “That's just downright confusing and complicated if you ask me.”

“Hey, I don't make the rules. I just live and abide by them.”

“Enough of this!” interrupting their squabble. “You have seconds to let go of Tierney before I cut your arm.”

“Ooh, Feisty. You, Aegis’ always have some grit. That whole generation does, but fine…” he released Tierney from his grasp. She broke into a run and ran across to Tierney on the other side, who checked on her first– she nodded to assure Cassandra she wasn't injured. Cassandra stood in front of her protectively.

“so, do you want to settle this now, Praefectus Vigilum? Like your forefather before you, would you rather wait till the final showdown?”

A low grumble surfaced in Cassandra’s throat. Her eyes narrowed slits like daggers. She gestured to Alivier to take Tierney to safety.

Cassandra stood in her stance.

“Why wait when we fight now?”

He bobbed his head. “True. Why wait, indeed.” He stood in a fight stance. “Show me then, Praefectus, what kind of person death of hundreds has turned you into.”

With gritted teeth, she focused on her physical reserve to build her power.

“Let me show you.” Charging for the Sovran, and leaped into the air with a roaring cry.

* †•

The clang and clash of metal struck together as Sly and Lyra were fighting off against the experienced Locksmiths who could not easily be put to sleep but administered the same level of chaos that the guy in the lighthouse had emitted.

“Okay, fighting strong, A- Ranked level, senior Locksmiths, mind you, is not fair in the status. I can't keep up!”

Lyra faced off against Reilly.

Despite being twenty years younger than Sly and Earl, the platinum-haired Locksmith could easily handle a glaive, like it was as light as a feather, despite his slim build.

Lyra narrowly avoided being stabbed, jabbed, and sliced. She parried with her sword for most of the fight but couldn't find an opening.

Despite knowing her friend's fighting style, even Sly had trouble fighting the tall, muscular, bushy-faced, rustic-haired Earl. Mainly because she didn't want to harm them, but fighting a hammer-wielding user at close range was proving challenging to her.

“Agreed. The Curse must be amplifying their general power. It isn't using their Wellspring powers. Thank the goddess for that, so at least we know the Wellspring doesn't answer to negative energy.”

Lyra grunted as each fast-moving attack hit her sword. She dug her feet into the earth, calling upon Gaia for an earth-based attack.

“Least that's something. There's still one more left. Your friend, Ginny, right?”

“Yes. I hope she hasn't been affected, but I doubt it. We have to find a way to take them down, little by little.”

But how? Was the question Lyra wanted to know. Her trained eye could see Aurora hiding in a narrow alleyway between two buildings. After she had put the civilians to sleep with her power, Lyra told her to take cover.

It only occurred to her, until now, that she had noticed something all too particular with Lyra each time she used her powers: There was always an iota of negativity festering in the air, whether triggered emotionally or by aura, from evil spirits to Miasma or the dwellings of the Altar.

Aurora's powers stemmed from negativity and darkness. The very thing the little girl was scared to become, but, it was something Lyra had been trying to forget and remind her that she was still good and just as human as anyone.

When that wasn't true, no matter what convoluted thing wanted to protect her from.

Aurora wants to be a good person. She is a good person. A good kid. But there's no denying the truth, no matter if she was good: she was still a Homunculus, made from Deimos’ flesh.

The sooner I realize that. The more Aurora can really learn to control her powers and not fear becoming a monster.

She wasn't a monster but she had to accept that part about herself and only then could she determine the path of good she wanted to take.

“Aurora!” she gritted through the pain every time Reilly struck her. She would drop her guard, but got back on her feet, weapon parried again.

“I know you're scared of your power. I am too.” She called out to the little girl. Aurora crouched with wide-eye fear watching as Reilly pummeled her into submission over and over.

“I know you think you're a monster because… because you're a homunculus, and I didn't help you by telling you that you are and can be a good person, but by accepting who you are, you'll be able to control your power the way you want to and use it for good. You hear me? You are who you choose to be. That power doesn't get to choose you, nor does Deimos.”

Aurora's lip quivered. She looked at her shaky hands. She wanted to protect her friends and family, but… she had gotten herself hurt too many times overdoing. She worried everyone, like Lyra, and she almost killed Tierney, giving her too much power.

Is it because I was scared to become what the bad people made me for?

“No.” She squeezed her tiny fists. Her brows furrowed as she took a stand from her crouched position. “I might be a Homunculus, but… I choose to do good. I accept that about myself!”

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Tendrils of red and black aura sprouted from around Aurora. The presence was chilling and eerie, but it seemed to make the Apathetic Locksmiths paralyzed by the insurmountable power coming from the approaching little girl.

Sly took the opportunity to knock the back of Earl’s head. He crumbled and fell unconscious.

Lyra took the same approach and darted behind Reilly and chopped the back of his neck, rendering him still.

That only left Aurora– who was still brimming with negative aura.

“I…I can't stop it, Lyra!” The little girl cried out.

“Yes, you can, Aurora! I told you… you can be good and A Homunculus. Trust yourself as both.”

She tightened her eyes tightly and gripped her arms tightly to her sides. Her hands balled into fists as she focused on the energy coming inward… to go back inside her.

The nightshade on the ground faded into the dirt, and the miasma thinned out.

“Oh, you have gotten stronger indeed.” A woman's calm and collected voice echoed around them.

The miasma fog was starting to fade away as they looked around their surroundings in the middle of the town.

“Not so fast!” Sly spat out. She struck toward the humanoid foe encroaching behind Aurora with a whip snap. It snapped the air, missing her by a millisecond.

The woman, with flowing black hair and a skin-tight black dress, had reappeared again, tangible this time. Her manicured hand raised and stopped Sly’s next incoming strike telepathically.

Her painted red lips grinned.

“The power of the Rosevera Whip is indeed impressive. The Trickster and Belladonna were right about you.”

Sly’s demeanor grew serious. “Well, let me better acquaint myself with you.”

“Another time, dear. I have bigger things planned, but I have manners, at least. You may call me Raelina, The Dark Mistress.” She rested a hand on Aurora’s shoulder, causing the girl to fall unconscious, but she kept her from falling via her psychic power.

“Aurora!” Lyra exclaimed. She lunged for the black haired Sovran.

“Nuh-uh! Where do you think you're going?” The disembodied voice of a child didn't seem to have a source but Lyra caught a glimmer of movement from the corner of her and dodged to the side when a furry of daggers came for her.

Lyra tucked and rolled through the dirt. She jumped up, sword ready, and to see her assailant was but a child with pink hair, ponytails held together with white ribbons, and white streaks, wearing a frilly, blue and white dress, long lace white socks, pink loafers, and a dark blue top hat on her head.

“Lyra! Don't be hasty with her. She can make copies of herself.”

Belladonna frowned. “Hey! That's a spoiler, Sly! No fair! I wanted to introduce myself too and see the surprise when she realized. Eamon, I mean, Blackthorn isn't the only Ashbourne I wanted to fight. I heard your strong Miss. Is that true?”

Except Lyra was disoriented by the little girl's revelation that she mentioned Eamon as if she had met him.

“Eamon? You actually saw, met him?”

“Whoops! I wasn't supposed to let her know that, huh?”

Raelina sighed. “Learn not to get too excited next time, Belladonna. Now let's go.”

“No!” Lyra yelled, lunging for the child Sovran, but as Sly had said, she had already made a copy of herself, and it disappeared when she ran through it. Falling with a thud down into the throat. “AURORA!”

The gleam of Riftblade grew brightly from Lyra’s call, catching Raelina’s attention with a raised brow.

She was, unfortunately, distracted long enough when a strong spell threw her back some distance away– dropping Aurora only a few short feet away from Sly and Lyra.

“Raelina!” The Belladonna girl appeared beside the woman, worry etched on her childlike features.

“I've got you, Aurora,” Sly commanded Zephyr to swiftly bring the winds to carry the unconscious child to her side. “I have her, Lyra!”

Lyra let out a sigh of relief.

Raelina, however, was none too happy. She had not expected such power to come from the Ashbourne girl. A power that was inherently familiar to Lumos herself. Did Walsh know about this? Mystery aside, she did want to know what power had taken her out so effectively. It was nothing close to Essentia but something of similar power she recognized from a Primal Weaver.

“So, Raelina, the Dark Mistress. You've finally decided to show your face after all these centuries.” Malakyh stepped into the middle of town, eyeing straight at Raelina. “To think you had joined the likes of Sovran’s. Master Hersa would be displeased to see her pupil fall from grace.”

Raelina pursed her lips at mentioning her past and the woman she no longer referred to as her Master.

Raelina stood to her feet, regaining her composure. Belladonna, worried, slowly phasing away, stood composed beside her.

“It would seem Hersa had found a new pupil, as the rumors suggested. That spell was powerful; you indeed are Hersa’s protégé.” Though she cared no longer for that life as a Primal Weaver, her words were still laced with venomous jealousy.

Lyra took to Malakyh’s side, her sword radiating a bright glow and an aura imbued with Celestial energy.

“Glad you could make it,” Lyra said, her attention straight ahead.

“That woman ended up being one of the Apathy victims. Except, some cloaking feature disguised her; the curse, I assume. She had gray and white hair and oval-shaped gray eyes. She was wearing a Locksmith emblem. She's unconscious but safe now.”

“That must have been Ginny. At least Sly can rest easy. Now… What do we do about these two? It wouldn't be right to let them run free before heading to the Altar.”

“Indeed, are you ready? I'll take Raelina. You, Belladonna.”

Lyra trained her sights on the little girl. Having an audience, she grinned mischievously and prepared several daggers in her gloved hand.

They each stood still, from each side of the town's main street, in anticipation of the first person to make a move.

They didn't expect the first move to be from the sky.

“Sorry to break up your fun, " the high-pitched voice said. Standing in the middle of them was a chestnut-haired young man with striking emerald eyes. He was wearing a brightly colored suit jacket and breeches, and a colorful light purple scarf wrapped around his neck.

“The Trickster, Finnian.” Lyra hissed. “Where have you taken Eamon!?”

Finnian frowned. His shoulders slumped to the side. “Now, who went ahead and spoiled that.”

Raelina shook her head. “Take a long guess.”

“Sorry, Fin! I got too excited!” Belladonna pouted with puppy dog eyes.

Finnian laughed. “Now I can't stay mad at that face. Well, she was bound to find out about her boyfriend anyway. He's doing a mission for Walsh; if you're lucky, we might all meet together!”

Lyra gritted her teeth. “Don't play coy with me! Where is he?”

He wagged his finger at her. “Now, now. An eager beaver can't properly make its home, can it? In due time. As for us, we should get going. Plus, I still have to pick up Croger! He better not be slacking off.” Shaking his head at his subordinates' laziness.

“What of the girl?” Raelina questioned, looking to Sly protectively standing over Aurora.

Finnian waved them off. “Leave them for now. You got too eager, too, Raelina. Just watch was all we were told to do.”

Having heard enough of their banter, Lyra sprinted toward them with the speed of Zephyr at her heels and propelled herself in the air with Gaia. Her sword glistened with a bright aura that caught The Trickster with timed surprise.

“RADIANT SMASH!”

Her sword collided with him but smashed into the earth, crumbling the grounds beneath her feet. At the same time, she heard a loud snap that rang loudly in her ears.

The dust settled. All three Sovran’s had vanished without a trace.

* †•

As Ax clashed with the metal fisticuffs Croger wore, Cassandra thought she had the man. He was nimble and quick like he had been on that battlefield that day, but it was much easier to track him down without him riding on a Magycte Beast, and for once, she had a clear head.

She thought she could bring closure to all the soldiers, men, women, and their families.

The closure she needed.

Cassandra swung her ax arm back and, with a force she had not realized, managed to chatter the Metal braces on his arms, to Croger’s wide-eye shock that she could do so.

Croger was sent sailing through the air and smashed into several tree trunks, shattering them as his body collided with each wooden surface. Until there was no more force, his final touchdown landed his back smack dab into a stone pillar.

Croger sputtered blood from his lips. He tried to suck in a breath, but a white-hot flash of pain jolted throughout his body. He found it undeniably hard to breathe.

“That's smart. I think my ribs are broken.” he hissed, trying to move but finding it difficult to do so. “Guess I shouldn't have undermined her. Even her grandfather Osiris was the last of his cohorts to fall and was still tough to beat.”

Still, he wondered. She had no Essentia to speak of. No power that I can sense anyway, and yet…

He looked ahead at the damage she had put him through. It looked like he had passed cleanly through six trees, ten at most.

Croger rested his head on the stone and let out a lean, painful chuckle.

“Guess it's my time now. ‘Bout time too; I was… getting sleepy. Maybe I can take that time off permanently now. I've paid back Walsh enough.”

“But not the Arbiter. The Master would be quite displeased if you decided to give up so easily when you can be repaired.”

He didn't need to open his eyes to know the voice was the Trickster. Out of Walsh and even the Master, Finnian unnerved him the most.

He was far too unpredictable. But I guess that's the power of Sovran #0.

“Well, I guess I won't be resting anytime soon. Just don't make it into one of those things.”

The Trickster laughed. “I can make no such promises. You know that, Croger. Whatever is the will of the Master Arbiter will be so. Now, let us get you patched up, hmm?”

Cassandra had walked through the woods, having even surprised herself with the power she had caused. There was no kind of magic festering in the air. At least she could tell; it had been just her.

She was at the end of the grove when she finally made it past the seven or so destroyed trees. He could not have survived that, but he is a Sovran, after all. She spied him slumped against a stone pillar.

But he wasn't alone.

The young man– The Trickster– was standing by him. He turned, sensing her, and smiled an eerie grin that didn't reach his eyes. It chilled her to the core.

“I'll have to keep my out for not just Lyra Ashbourne, but you too, Praefectus Vigilum Cassandra, but I guess I shouldn't have underestimated an Aegis either. Your family's bloodline is quite formidable.”

Cassandra flinched. Any mention of her family on that serpent's lips unnerved her more than she would have liked to admit.

“But for now, we shall meet another time. Buh-bye!”

“Wait!” Cassandra lunged out of the forest toward him. But with a snap of his fingers, sending a ringing sensation to reverberate in her ears, and milliseconds, he and Croger were gone.