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oops eek gonk *The resulting movements in the floor ended up with Rave on the floor next to Sun, looking rather abashed and slightly peeved as the section of the floor that had risen came crashing back down again* Well that sucks.... sad

*pouting a bit she looked back at Vahn and Tellus and blinked a few times as she tried to figure out why Tell looked so small against Kas* What the heck is going on? confused

"......"

He stared down at Tellus, before moving and carrying chibi Tellus with him. He felt like a damn fool, lugging a kid around, and felt his cheeks flush from it.

Embarassed as heck, right now.

Couldn't have picked a worse time... or is this your way of telling me I've been ignoring you..?

He knelt atop the platform, feeling he could have been making better use of his time by helping to remove the statues, but he wasn't just going to abadon the girl either.

"..Hey, just... ah.. hang on."

Lifting his right hand up, he bit down hard along his thumb, breaking the skin with his teeth. He winced slighty, before squeezing out a good amount of blood from the mark, letting it drip all along Tellus' bare stomach, and smearing it around the slightly faded symbol he'd given to her so many years ago.

Tellus curled up, whimpering slightly before she began to stretch her limbs as if waking from a nap. They elongated and curved the right way, barely squirming into her clothing properly. She began rubbiner her stomach where the mark was as if she had a stomach ache.

"What the hell happened?"

She looked up at Vahn, innocent and trusting.

*Rave sighed as she stood up again and dusted herself off, snapping her fan closed and tucking in back under her belt she looked the statues up and down and decided that she just wasn't big enough to lever one of the damn things off... and then she laughed suddenly and started to climb up one of the statues* look, I'm Indiana Jones now blaugh

*leverage was the key to moving something that was bigger than you and so carefully setting her feet against the head of one statue she pushed at the head of another, figuring that the center of gravity for the thing was at the base, and if she could just get it to tip slightly it should fall right off the platform, if she was really lucky she could get the one at her feet to tip at the same time... of course she would end up eating floor again unless she was really lucky about her landing xp , but it was better than trying to heft something that must weigh four times as much as she did... at the least*

The elevator shuddered as the statue moved under Hono's feet. The statue was helped on it's way by a good solid push from one of Sun's own feet.

Of course the sudden shift would dislodge Hono, but he was waiting, catching her smoothly, boots flying, and then setting her back up.

"Onto the next!" He said, grinning, even as the platform rose a bit off the floor. His eye's caught Tellus for just a moment and he wandered over brushing some of the dust from her face, and wrapping arms around her in a quick hug, before joining Hono once again to shove a statue off.

It might be a trick of the light, but it seemed that, when he passed Vahn, he might have planted a quick kiss against a tanned bicep, but only the darker man would have known if Sun did so or not.

Watching this man...or the grotesque figure which must have been a normal human before, who now easily repulsed all attacks...watching him being beheaded by Vahn's blade...the head which she had already seen.

What had Victor said?
"And our father..... we killed him, in battle. Flesh of my flesh...blood of my blood.
We?
...

Maybe it was nothing, just a coincidence, some voluntary expression.
Yet, since Ezekiel had initiated the stream of memory the Half-Siren was aware that what she saw wasn't necessarily the truth - even if the boy only showed what he knew.

It's been a week now... she still hasn't gotten up.

I wonder if she's dreaming...

...I hope they are nice dreams.

"We... can't return to normal anymore!?" Vahn's voice raised, even as he slammed his hand against the wall.

"That's right... unlike the others who've already recovered, we were directly 'changed'... The level of arcana used on us is beyond simply 'unraveling'."

"......" Yellowed eyes stared to the ground, disbelief written on the face.

"In other words, the spell placed on us by that woman cannot be undone."

"...Mother." Vahn turned his head to the side, teeth gritted as he dug his fingers into the stone wall. "Do we really have to stay this way..."

"Well, finding a way is my job!" Victor pushed Vahn lightly on the shoulder, smiling all the while. "In the meanwhile, it's time for dinner. Call the others."

"Yeah..." Vahn pushed off the wall, and stalked down the hall.

Victor stared after his brother.. frowning as he sighed. A hand came to rest against his face as he leaned back on the wall. We're seriously up against the wall here..well then... what now? "Hm?"

Soft footsteps caused him to turn to the side, surprised to find Ashe coming down the hall.

"I didn't know you were awake! I was worried about you, you were asleep for a whole week after all. How are you fee---"

"I've heard a lot of 'voices'. Your voices... your hearts... your souls.. all you Sinners..." Ashe continued walking towards Victor, her entire demeanor vastly different than anything Victor had seen before. A visible red aura seemed to emanate from her body, producing a hazy outline... of ....

"Do you intend to disobey your bloodline... your birthright... like this forever.."

Victor's eyes widened completely as realization struck him.

"Victor Fah."

......

"Dain!" Dammit old man... where are you?

Vahn pushed open the door more, walking into the old man's room. He didn't see anyone in particular, until he felt a hand fall upon his shoulder. "AH--!"

"Ohohoho, and what is a young man like you doing in my room?" Dain smiled down at Vahn, even as walked out fully and placed down several books.

"Eh.. I was calling you for dinner. What are you up to?"

"Oh, me? Just compiling some information on my newest hobby!"

"Hobby?"

"Yes... tell me, do you know what a 'Stadium' is?"

"Not really...."

Both Vahn and Dain had exited the room, walking down the hall when several shouts drew their attention.

"Just how did far are you going to go!? Don't you know the meaning of dying!?" Victor's hands were around the front of Ashe's shirt, pressing her tightly against the wall, as he yelled down at her.

"Victor...As--Ashe?" Vahn stared, surprised even as Dain yelled out in alarm. Rushing forward, Vahn grabbed Victor by the shoulder and pulled him off the woman. "What are you doing V---"

The face that greeted Vahn was anything but human., vicious yellowed eyes narrowed in bloodlust.It was a side Vahn had not seen since all the fighting back at the Castle...

"Ashe.... Ashe!!" Dain shook the woman several times, trying to rouse her from the dazed state she was in.

"Ah...." Blinking, Ashe stared up at Dain suddenly, a hand raised as she looked around herself. "...Um..what was I..."

Did it dissapear? Victor stared down at her in shock, even as Vahn's grip loosened. Turning, Victor walked down the hallway, without further word to anyone else...

"Hey, what happened? VICTOR!" Vahn called after his brother to no avail.

"....Nothing much. Sorry about that, Ashe." Victor raised his left arm, waving a bit as he walked on.

"......." Dain stared after Victor, not saying what was going through his mind.

"Are you alright?" Vahn knelt by Ashe, offering his hand. He smiled lightly as he held onto her.

"Ah...yes."


Leaning against the windowguard, Victor stared out at the green fields stretched out along the ground. His right hand rested along the lower side of his face, even as he dug himself into deep thought.

Yellowed eyes stared out with an intensity that defied fate.

I see.... Ashe was lifted up off the ground by Vahn, even as she rested her head along his chest. "...Do you have a moment?"

The sun continued to set even as Vahn stared down. Nothing but clouds, even this high up. Resting with one knee raised, he leaned his head to the side, staring at Ashe.

"You calmed down now?"

"Yes, the air outside is really refreshing." She laughed softly, even as Vahn looked back down. "......"

"Vahn! Look below..." Ashe pointed, even as she sat on the edge. The both of them were on the very peak of the Tower itself. "..The lights...from the town..."

She smiled gently, even as she looked. "I ....like to see the citie's lights just as the sun goes down."

"I suppose Strata's alright..."

"...When fathers who are tired from work, and children who are tired from playing come home... And they'd tell the mothers, who are preparing dinner, all about their day... Within those lights..there are families livelihoods...And life."

Vahn stared at Ashe, a bit confused.

"The lights of life." She smiled even as a small flush scrawled across her cheeks. "Each and every one of those lights... are proof that people are living."

Ah.... Vahn stared at Ashe, as if she were trying to tell him something...she'd never been this candid about her thoughts before... "I..." Turning away, he scratched the side of his neck. ".. don't know anything having a 'childhood'..."

"Actually I don't either!" Ashe said, clapping her hands together.

"Huh?!!" Vahn stared in disbelief, wondering what all the prior talk was for then.

"...I don't remember my childhood." She rested both hands along her lap, swinging her legs to and fro slightly. "Ever since I could remember.. I was raised as a 'noble' woman. My sole duty was to carry on my family's legacy... and to be the Priestess for my people. A leader... of all things."

She fiddled with the hem of her dress slightly, her voice lowering a bit. "My power of perception never gave me rest... I could see everything happening... anywhere..it did not differ one bit from the truth."

Turning to Vahn, she laughed lightly. "It was all a bit too much. My 'truth' got lost in there somewhere."

Vahn looked away, knowing full well that she had first been abducted so many years ago by Victor for use of her ability.

"A vessel that you can add anything to, but is empty... that's me." Her voice changed tone slightly, as she ran a hand through her hair. "Even so...there is one, and only 'truth' I have known for as long as I can remember."

She stood up on, staring down at Vahn as she extended out her hand. "It is the future....a vision of things to come... A dream of you."

Vahn stood up, intending to interrupt her and comfort, but she shook her head.

"I knew your name before I even understood words...." She placed her hand against his chest, while taking one of his own and placing it against her right breast. "You are Vahn Fah. The one who will 'steal' my life."

Vahn stared at her with wide eyes, the hairs on the back of his neck raising as he got that gut wrenching feeling. Wh-What? I... will take your life...?

"W...Wait.. I..."

Vahn's words were suddenly cut off, as the sound of scraping leather on stone echoed out.

"Oh, so you were already prepared for this?"

There, Victor stood, his coat flapping gently on either side. In his hand, he held a tachi styled katana, the same one he had brought with him from home. Yellowed eyes stared at the couple, even as he smiled softly. Taking a deep breath, he sighed.

"Victor...." Vahn stared at his brother, not knowing what the reason for his attitude and attire was.

"Then we can cut the chit-chat." Victor motioned with his right hand, making a slice along his neck with air. "Vahn, take her head off."

Eyelashes fluttered then shut out the bright light, before cracking them open to peer out. "So beautiful...and warm..." She relaxed, absorbing the heat like a cat. She then paid attention to Vahn. "Remember what?"