Welcome to Gaia! ::

Azmaria stepped around them and preceeded into the room carefully, hr hands tightly clenched together.

This wasn't just a closet of weapons.

There were several skeletons huddled together against the far wall, and a lone pile of bones stood near the door. The glint Blaise had seen came from a staff held in it's bony hands.

"More people... from the order..." Azmaria murmured. She went over the pile of bones against the wall and knelt beside them. She gently touched the white bone of a skull. It was small, like several of the others in the pile: children.

"...That we couldn't save..."

"I am... "Azmaria said, touching it again. She really cared deeply for these people, whetehr she knew them well or not. She frown angrily and stood up.

"Something is holding them here, I can feel it... The children aren't angry with Rosette... They're afraid, and confused... That I can feel, from this..."

She gestured to the bones on the ground.

"They just want to be free." Azmaria said, looking around at the scattered weapons, "I think we'll have to take some of these. You'll all need something to fight whatever binds them here."

She went over to the lone skeleton and gently took the silvery staff from the pile of bones. When she pulled on it, something bigger came out of the bones. This wasn't a staff at all, it was a large hammer on the end of a long, thing shaft.

"This used to blong to Fakir. It can change shape and grow." She sad, holding it out,"Who will take thins?"

"I can't give an answer in confidence, it could be many things..."Azmaria began, "Humans, demons, there could be any number of things causing, but for all this when we were gone, they were trapped here. They were here feling alone, betrayed, and scared. Whatever it is... I feel that at least I owe them enough to try and free them from this place. They deserve rest..."

"Rosette... I feel something... someone else has arrived here..."

"Who?" Rosette asked nervously.

"I'm not usre, but it's... familiar..."

"Just pick up something, I'm sure I can help you with it. If not, we'll just have to trust that the weapons will work. Since I don't need them, they'll probably stick to the first person who touches them. This was... somehting I never understood about many of the weapons the people at the order." Azmaria explained, "Just... you need to choose quickly, Satella's still in danger!"

Azmaria glanced at their weapons, hoping they would more than what they looked physically.

"Yes, let's go."

"Shut up!" Emma screamed, wrapping her hands around Satella's throat. She squeezed as hard as she could, the jewel summoner's eyes darted around for something, for someone, to help her. There was nothing she could do with these thick chains. If only se could touch her jewel and awaken it, then she'd make them sorry.

"Don't be hasty now." Aion spoke up smoothly. Immediately Emma back off and released Satella, "My dear, good drinks, like victory, are meant to have their color, aroma, and feel appreciated before you taste them."

He snapped his fingers, and held up a small glass full of what looked like wine. Emma greedily took a sip of it.

"Oh proud Jewel witch, do you hate demons that much?"

"Of course!" Satella snapped, forgetting her friend Chrono," You fiends carelessly step on people's lives and take everything they have. I... I can never forgive you!"

"You can still talk like that at this point in time?" Aion asked, snapping his fingers again. Now he held her very own summoner glove in his hands.

"Is this the source of your confidence? It is the lucky charm that has protected you all this time..." He held it up and ran the edge against his cheek, "It has a good aroma to it."

"Don't touch it! You're filty!"

"You have good eyes. You keep your faith in your own strength while struggling against dispair."

"Lord Aion,... isn't it about time...?" Emma asked. It was time to kill Satella after all. She was their sacrifice.

"That's right..." Aion said, looking at Emma, he snatched away Emma's glass and the remaining liquid in it.

The spirits were twisting and convulsing before her, their limbs outstretched and pulled by what looking like living chains. Across the floor around them were these odd, almost ethreal snakes that truely kept them from getting close to her. Several even had snakes dangling on their limbs and necks.

"Blaise!" Azmaria squealed. She turned on the heel of her foot and sprinted back after her, uknowingly walking right through a spirit. The others seemed to dissolve as the young girl came close. A few smiled from being bathed in her heavenly presence.

"Don't fall behind, please!"

----

"But first, let me tell you an old story before we must." Aion began, his fiendish smile broad," Long ago, there was a race of people with mysterious powers in a nation of black forest. They were jewel summoners, capable of drawing the powers of beast from jewel imbued with magic. However, they were destroyed quite easily. Even the held of one of the most powerful families. They were attacked by a single demon and could do nothing about it. But... there was one that survived. A girl who lived due to the demon's whim and was left behind. You've grown to be a beautiful woman, Satella Harvenheit!"

Satella could only look at him with horror before her mouth opened wide, and she began to scream and sob like an anguished child. Aion ahd told her the truth she'd longed to know her entire life. The horror of it, however, was a true too hard to quietly bear.

AIon smiled, pouring the red liquid on Satella's glove after dropping it on the ground. Emma watched it longingly, wishing to finish the glass. When it was empty, Aion tosse dit aside and let it shatter needlessly.

"The wailing hasn't changed, I see."

"You...! You...!" Satella screeched through gritted teeth, "My family! My sister! I won't forgive you!"

"Then what are you going to do, kill me? That's right, you've lived for revenge all this time. Oh, what a great face you have now. I'm almost shivering." Aion told her mockingly.

"Snakes...?" Azmaria questioned, "Blaise, I think this place is really starting to get to you. Com on..."

She gently pulled on Blaise's arm to get her moving. She wanted to keep the group close together. Chrono had trusted them with her.

"I do not remember this place being so big..." Rosette groaned, "Or creepy..."

""Things can chage dramatically after a while..." Chrono answered simply.

---

"Lord Aion, take care of the infidel!" Emma asked impatiently.

"I'll kill you..." Satella growled.

"You'll kill me, eh?" Aion said tauntingly, " Interesting, your friends aren't here... and you don't have the stone. What can you do with your bare hands?"

"I'll kill you no matter what."

This time Aion laughed loudly, his voice echoing off the empty walls of the building.

He took another step so that Satella was easily within his reach.

"You want to know something? Somehting that I know will shock you to your core. You're sister... she's alive, and she lovingly works for me."

Satella looked him with wide eyes. He was sure Aion had killed her sister.

"Lies!"

"You sister was different form you or your mother, she produces violet jewels. And... she is quite partial to teardrop shaped stones.

"Heh, you really are cute and innocent."

Aion placed one of his hands on Satella's waist, just over the mark left on her by Von. With the other, he roughly grabbed her chin and forced his lips on her. Satella tried to pull back, utterly revulsed... almost as much as Emma was.

"I'm sorry, I really don't underst-!

Chilling laughter echoed up to them. Aion's laugh had traveled farther than he imagined.

"Someone's there!" Azmaria hissed quietly, "We should hurry! They might have Satella"

---

"Lord Aion...?" Emma asked feebly. As far as she knew, Aion had only ever kissed her. Her and her only. She was his only one, his servant, his loyal servant... Now this woamn... A witch he had called her, yes, that had to be it...

"Stop. Please stop it. No! Ger away from her!"

Anger rose up from Emma's throat, forming an angry snarled at her lips. She bent down and picked up a large piece of broken glass from the one Aion had cast aside. She held it tightly in both hands, and raised it ove rher head.

"You filthy woman, trying to seduce Lord Aion... JUST DIE!"

She race towards them, preparing to elbow her master aside and stab Satella until the witch drew not another breath.

But AIon couldn't have that.

"You're annoying." He said, calmly and firmly. Emma faltered midstep, her eyes wide as she turned her head.

No, she didn't turn it... As if gripped by invisible hands, Emma's head with twisted around, a sickening snap punctuated the silence that was filled only with the crackle of many torches.

Emma's body fell like a sack of potatoes to the ground, blood spewing from her twisted neck and mouth. Her neck had been twisted so violently that the bone had ripped right through the skin.

"Good-bye, Sweet dreams." Aion said fondly, before turning his attention back to Satella.