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Gwynn laughed. "It's possible," he said, wanting to keep things to himself for the moment. "For now, we just concentrate on getting there." He then fell silent as he pushed the chocobo ever faster, giving little care to the limits of the bird.

Ceres stood up and walked closer to the king, flipping her blonde hair back casually. With another order member around, she felt it would be too risky to reveal why she was there entirely. "I have come to bring you good and bad news. The bad news is, is that Gemini has fallen under attack by a creature that was being kept prisoner there. I'd imagine the order is a lost cause by now. However...that task in which you have asked me to do, I have not only accepted it, but it has been done. I have it," she said, smiling smugly at him. "However, what's in it for me?"

Fiora smiled at both Dmitri and Mer'loct, thankful for both of their offers. "Thank you, all of you, and Dmitri, if it comes down to it, I would help Leo defend herself.," she said, then looking at the newcomer for a moment before glancing around at the rubble. "We...should search for any and all survivors. Heal the wounded. Once that is accomplished, we'll leave for Leo then."

"Eh..." Dominic began. "I wouldn't be the one to tell you can, but I definitely won't turn down your help either. We kinda could use it. Err...you wouldn't happen to know any white magic, would you?" he asked sheepishly, then hearing Tsunaimei wake then stand.

Minerva smiled sadly and shook her head. "I don't know white magicks but as a monk I do have a little healing capability," she answered, thinking about how awful it was that virgo had taken so much damage so easily.

Fiora placed her free hand on Kayla's shoulder. "you did what you could for virgo in her hour of need. ...For now, I want you to help me get everyone together and see who all needs healing. If there are priests left, then if they aren't working direct them to those that need help." The judge then watched as Tsunaimei stood, her blue eyes wincing a bit at the Blue Dragon's question. "I fear it has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Gwynn left with it after felling the tower..." She watched as Tsun's face filled with disbelief and asked further questions, causing the judge to smile sadly. "I was able to grab onto the chocobo as it went over the edge with me, so as it glided I was able to let the drop get smaller. The attacker did manage to strike me at the side of my neck however and...I did fall a good distance still. I'm not exactly sure how I survived beyond that. All I know is that I came to in a kind couple's home far down the river. It took me a while to recover enough to travel and regain my strength." She thought fondly on the small family that had helped her.

Ceres smiled, thinking for a moment. "Well then...what are you willing to give? A huge sack of gil would be good for starters...around 500,000," she answered. Though, in all honestly Ceres hadn't really even thought that far ahead. The opportunity had come up suddenly after all, not to mention she had thought the king had something in mind to start with when he even asked.

With nothing more than a bow, Mer'loct turned and quickly began digging and searching for survivors from within the tower. Finding one quickly, he lifted the slab of ivory stone off the young squire and began to concentrate. Searching through the boy's chakra he could feel it still, it was faint, but the boy was still alive. Bring out his own chakra he forced it into the wounded squire's body. "Revive!" He cried as he healed the more serious wounds in the boy. The squire's eyes opened and he began to stir, from here he would be alright. Taking the child into his arms he began to carry him away from the field of rubble towards a crowd of what looked to be mages of Virgo.

Maluc continued through the secret tunnels along the inside of the walls finding his way secretly passed the conflict. Emerging from the ground, he saw a small force of soldiers readying an attack from outside the walls. Staying in hiding for the moment, he would wait for the more precise way to attack.

Being Edited....

Hyato shot the guard a look and paused in his vain assault on the cell door. "Tell me something I don't know." He smarted off in response to the guard's comment. Watching the guard run off, the blue clad marksman yelled to him, "Hey kid! Be careful.... and thanks." The pain surging through his right shoulder finally hit him like a punch to the face. Wincing and holding the aching limb, Hyato thought aloud with a hiss, "Damn that hurt. Should've known better than to try and break through steel bars. Heh... If Raipheale was here then he'd blast the thing into bits. I wonder what how he's holding up? Where you are old friend..."


Meanwhile in a hidden chamber within Igros Castle...

Loud screams of agony rang throughout the room. The man crying in pain was strapped down to a table by his wrists and ankles and was surrounded by a group of hooded mages and the like who pursued science as a career. Various chemicals in bottles and other instruments were scattered all over the room on tables of their own. "Again." Commanded a hooded figure who seemed to be in charge of the strange experiments taking place. A fellow mage nodded and flipped a switch with shot electricity into the demon-angel of a man laying helpless and convulsing with the current passing through his entire body. More screams echoed through the chamber while a group of mages constantly chanted some ancient tongue during the process. Raipheale struggled in vain to break free but the restraints on him were too great. Not only did he struggle physically through the torture but mentally as well due to the demon within his body sought freedom as well and unlike Raipheale, it was willing to use any means necessary in order to take complete control over the black mage's body and wreak havoc upon the world. After a few moments the mage flipped the switch and the electricity stopped. Breathing heavily, Raipheale warned, "You fools don't know what you're doing. If you release this demon from within me then many innocent people will die as well as yourselves. Stop this foolishness and let me go!" The mage in charge laughed and retorted, "Not if we can control the beast and use him for our own means. Besides that is what our Lord wishes and to fail him means our deaths. So I'll take my chances. I admire your strength and determination but in the end you will succumb to us. Again!" The caster in charge of the switch flipped it once more and the demonic-angel known as Raipheale Plateaigo howled in torment once again.


Kayla had made it a point to help round up the survivors and lead them to the rest of the group. She also searched through all the rubble and ruins of the once fabled Order of Virgo to see if she could find any stragglers as well. She was horrified at the sights of death from her fellow members of the Order but somehow managed to keep her resolve. While letting herself be used as a crutch for an injured archer, Kayla came back and reported, "These were all the survivors that I could manage to find, Milady. Most are injured but they insist on fighting anyway. It appears they share the same determination you do Lady Tsunaimei. I'll continue to help them as best I can." Kayla gave a bow and helped the remaining White Mages in their undaunting task of healing the wounded.


Tsunaimei watched as the survivors had mixed expressions on their faces. From hatred to sorrow, the Vice Judge studied them carefully. Thinking of a way to boost their spirits in their time of need. Virgo was utterly defeated and even the famed Blue Dragon herself nearly fell in battle but Tsunaimei wasn't about to give up without a fight. She glanced over at Fiora and began to pace back and forth to pass the time. After a few minutes of pondering, Tsunaimei stopped pacing around and walked up to Fiora's side. "Milady, what do you suppose we should do? We have no home anymore and I'm not sure if taking refuge in one of the nearby towns would do us any good either. Not to mention the possibility of getting innocent civilians involved should we come under attack again." Tsunaimei asked, unaware of the decision made to head to the Order of Leo in order to seek refuge.

Ceres sighed softly. "Well...you know I am fond of stuffed animals," she laughed, obviously joking. Her laughter quickly died. "If I'm right, then my home has been lost. I'd much rather like to have another. A nice one, not some dingy shack down the road, giving you Gemini is worth so much more than that," she said, inspecting the nails on her free hand. Her violet eyes did nothing to betray her confidence. Delita didn't scare her.

Fiora watched Tsunaimei and sadly shook her head. "I'd rather have another 10 cathedrals destroyed than lose the rest of our members. I know nothing of my brother's motivations," she answered, then saw the Blue Dragon come up to her and Gloria. "We're going to travel to the order of Leo and see what we can do to rebuild ourselves. Dmitri also has fears for his order, so going will also help calm him."

Gloria finally walked away, and could see more and more of the wounded being gathered. She gingerly pulled out her harp and began to sing. Bards were known for their ability to bestow various benefits to all allies, including the ability to slowly heal them through song. As the child's voice filled the air, all of those around her would find that over time their wounds were slowly healing little by little.

Both Celine and Minerva went to help the healing process, Celine casting Aegis on anyone she could find, and Minerva using her chakra to heal groups surrounding her as well.

Dominic looked around, feeling pretty useless. He wasn't a healer by any means.

Fiora watched Gloria sing for a moment, before nodding and looking to Tsunaimei. "We leave in two hours, if not sooner. Whenever we can go, we need to." She then turned to Dominic. "Dominic, go and gather any chocobos we have left." With that, the judge walked towards the other priests to lend her own healing magicks to help the members of the order.

Dominic nodded and saluted. "Yes, Judge Fiora," he said, looking at Dmitri. "Hey, Dmitri, I could use some help in getting the birds together."

Mer'loct continued to dig through the rubble of the tower, rage was beginning to grip him as all he kept finding were bodies. He'd begun bringing each one to lay in a line. He'd have covered their faces if he'd had the cloth to do so. He pushed onward though, digging through the rubble with his bare hands even after they'd begun to bleed. In the end it seemed worth it, he had found a young girl that had been buried.

Maluc was at a loss, he couldn't fight the entire battle like he'd want to. He searched his mind for the catalyst to the battle. He found too many possible causes. "I can't just stand by and do nothing, I'll think while I fight." Maluc headed back into his secret passage, leading underground to the entrance of the Order. Rising from the ground he stepped onto the brick laden path that lead to Leo's doorstep. He headed for the mercenary force attacking with catapults. Having been gone for so long gave him some advantage, no one would know who he was. At first at the very least he'd pose as a mercenary, and work some sabotage.