Private Tales The Urathiin Syndicate

[Rämna Sisters]

Faith lowered herself as far as she could with her arms before falling into the darkness below. Jasper and Opal caught her descend and helped her regain her balance, and her eyes adjusted to the sewers surprisingly quickly. The only thing that she did not get used to was the stench. She pulled the collar of her cloak up and over her nose and mouth, and squinted her eyes against the stinging fumes. She had smelled death itself, but this was worse.

"Not exactly rosewater!" Jasper laughed and stepped past Faith. Marius followed her into the hole, grunting as he hit the ground. He was in very good shape for his age, but still obviously not as strong or fast as he used to be. Faith turned to look for Jeremiah when he did not come immediately, and the speed with which he fell was alarming. Faith could hear crumbling stone from above.

"I believe we're going to want to run."

The smell suddenly forgotten, Faith dropped the cloak and pushed past the metal man, throwing up her hands and making a circular motion. A golden dome began to form over the sewer entrance. "Here," Opal said, running up to her and placing her hands on Faith's shoulders.

The cleric felt a sudden rush of power, and she gasped as she felt the divine energy surge within her. The golden dome became blindingly white, and when she had finished it was a brilliant shimmering shield. Intricate patterns snaked across it in lines of burning runes and holy symbols, and it was far stronger than any ward she had produced before. What was more, she felt that almost none of her power reserves had been used up. Opal stepped back and dusted her hands off each other, wearing a very self-satisfied expression. "Don't worry, doll, that's still you. I just brought out your best."

Faith's face flushed again at Opal's look, but as a loud crash came from above she hurried down the tunnel with the rest of the group. Jasper took the lead, and they ran as quickly as they could across the slippy stones.

 

[Jeremiah]

Before his very eyes a dome of gold blocked his pathway into the sewer below. He could not give chase to the automaton he'd longed to see for years. This was no ordinary ward barring him either, it's amplification was immense. There was magic he could decimate with his fists and ones he could not. Onlookers began to appear and stare deep into the alleyway where he stood. Not long after, he could see Rory and Noelle show up, blood splattered across Rory's grinning face. The pair pushed through the crowd showing their snake skulls so that bystanders took their leave without question.

"Sa'matter, Isaac? Can't punch through a measly little ward now, can you?" Rory chided. Noelle accompanied the jest with a giggle of her own and a rub of her face into Rory's shoulder. In truth, Isaac couldn't stand the lot of them. Devoid of moral and corrupted little psychopaths. As were many of Fromiere's subordinates. He revered Fromiere though. A man of integrity and honesty. And one unafraid to stray from the light.

"Shall we spend our time here whilst I watch the two of you eye-fuck one another or are you going to help me?" Isaac retorted, emotionless.

"Can it, scrap metal. I'm already on it." Noelle stepped forward and placed her hand on the ward. "Ooh, it's formidable. Probably a testament to that sweet lil' Opal gal. Wonder if her wounds have scarred." She cackled as she began to dismantle the spell slowly...

----

The group had made some decent headway. Hopefully enough to give that hulking monster some confusion when trying to figure out which way they went. For all they knew, the party hadn't discovered their secret just yet. Jeremiah was constantly looking back where they came from. He couldn't believe that he'd encountered another like him. To think of that machine as his foe was nothing short of troubling, as it meant he may not get the answers to his history from it.

"Yo. YO!" Jasper called as quiet as he could to get Jeremiah's attention. It startled the automaton. "What was that thing, Mr. Bronze? It sounded like it was lifting the earth itself up."

"Well, I uh, um... Can't believe I'm saying this but." His eyes looked at Faith. "It was another. One like me. A man made of steam and iron and magic."

"You're not joking!?" Jasper said far too loudly, earning him another solid Opal punch. Marius looked bewildered as well. "Shit, my bad. But REALLY?! I didn't know things, I uh mean, people... Like you existed at all before today. To think that there's so many..."

Jeremiah was concerned about it. Was someone manufacturing more like him? Who had that kind of magic?

"We'll think on it later," Jasper snapped to. "We're almost there."

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Faith's eyes grew wide at Jeremiah's words, and her face was at once both surprised and sad. How strange it must be to think you were alone in the world only to be proven wrong by an enemy. What would it feel like if she met another person like her and her sister, but was immediately pitted against them?

"Did... did he know you?" It might have been a very foolish question, but then again how many metal men could there be?

Marius looked especially bewildered at the news. He had never seen anyone like Jeremiah before, and was very surprised that the syndicate had their own automaton in their employ.

The tunnels wound so tightly that Faith had completely lost her sense of direction by the time the group stopped. They were standing in front of a long stone wall where the sewer tunnels made a T-intersection. It was entirely unremarkable mossy stone, except for the large jagged hole that had been blasted through a section of it. Here, just beneath the layer of stone, was smooth metal. It seemed to hum gently, and a faint vibration could be felt from it. This must be the magically-enhanced barrier that the twins had mentioned.

As if hearing her thoughts, Marius asked "Is this it? This the way in?" Jasper nodded, and Opal spoke up. "Sure is. This will take us to the prison quickly if can get through. Even with my help, Jasper couldn't punch through." She pointed down the path to the left. "That's the way we went last time. It's longer, but you don't need to break through quite so much. It will be guarded, though."

Marius' face was thoughtful and frustrated. Should they attack head on and have the element of surprise on their side, or should they take a more conventional route? He didn't much like the idea of facing guards head on.

Faith was not familiar with this kind of magic. She was well practiced in erecting barrier but had little experience in breaking them down. She stood close to it, seeing if there were any cracks or seams in the wall, but there were none. Just a solid, single sheet of metal.

A loud crash behind them signaled that her shield had been broken through, and that the large robot had descended into the sewers after them. "Would he speak to you?" she asked Jeremiah, "Is there any chance you could convince him not to attack?"

 

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah looked towards the ground. "He spoke my name." He rose his eyes back to hers. "As if he'd somehow heard about me. He told me to die. He was very polite about it, though." Jeremiah couldn't wrap his head around it. He would have absolutely remembered meeting someone like him in the past. He definitely hadn't. To be forced to fight the one person who would have answers to so many questions made his magic ruffle. It felt... Heavy.

"I don't know if he would. They didn't seem the type that's for sure. His make was so much larger, and his strength was catastrophic, it was unlike anything I'd ever se-"

"Hey Mr. Bronze, I hate to break up this conversation but." He was pointing towards the end of the sewerway they'd came from. There stood Noelle, Rory, and Isaac all in a line. Rory fired a bolt that almost took off Jeremiah's head and would have had he not been warned by Jasper.

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!" Rory cackled from his position before the three started charging. Jasper's eyes went wide with rage, ready to fight the three of them.

"Oh, Opalllllll! How has your back healed, lovely?" Noelle screeched through the sewer.

Jeremiah was staring at Isaac, who returned the glare, straight through the crossfire. Jeremiah snapped to moments later and turned to the wall. "I suppose the time for decisions is over!" He declared before putting his palm to the iron sheet. The runic symbol appeared once more, and once placed against the wall all the magical energy attached to it dispersed. Immediately afterwards, Jeremiah cocked his fist backward as steam ejected from his shoulders, and thrust it hard into the wall. The wall made a loud ringing sound before it slowly toppled to the ground and made a loud ringing sound.

There stood about thirty young women with several guards turning to look at Jeremiah. He stood frozen as the girls that looked so terrified began to vanish into thin air one by one.

"I am no barbarian, Marius knows this."​

The air grew intensely heavy.

A distinguished older voice sang. Light footsteps from a room behind the one Jeremiah had just entered.

"I apologize for deceiving you. We do not traffic lives. I even applaud you and your friend for the decimation of the cowards who threatened to violate her. They are unworthy of the Urathiin insignia."

The words felt as if they were each their own entity.

The footsteps came and turned into the room where the illusions had been held. A robed man, a gray beard of immense length and the kindest eyes to counter the serpent and skull tattooed upon his bald head.

"I am Fromiere. I control Vel Anir's slums. To keep the people safe from the Dreadlords and other threats to their livelihood, I devise what happens through the shadows. Your interference has gone far enough. Please die."

Fromiere rose his fist to Jeremiah as red lightning started to crackle around it.

The automaton flipped around and yelled:

"IT WAS A TRAP, RUN!" And as his sentence finished, a bolt blasted Jeremiah square in the back. The force was insane. It launched him passed his allies and into the literal hands of the enemy. Isaac caught Jeremiah by the face during his flight, and tossed him through a stone wall beside them. The hulking automaton threw his hat to the ground and removed his vest before following the path Jeremiah had been tossed to. The sound rang from so far away his location would be nigh impossible to determine.

Fromiere shook his head before exiting the scene with a wave of his hand, indicating the six guards to kill without discretion. The party was surrounded.

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Faith looked sad as Jeremiah spoke, and more than a little worried at the threats that he described. She knew what it was like to feel different. Maybe not so strongly as Jeremiah, for she could still go about her life without people knowing of her "condition," but she knew the internal need for understanding and validation.

Her sympathy was interrupted, however, by a bolt of energy from Rory. She felt the heat on her face and she ducked away from the crackling energy. She did not recognize this man, but the rage she felt boiling inside of her told her that Melody had been intimately acquainted. So great was this emotion that she heard her sister's voice call out in her head. Let me kill him! Let me tear his head off!" She quieted these thoughts she would need to focus. She summoned the divine energy within her, ready to manifest it into shields at a moment's notice.

Opal's face twisted in an anger so intense that it would have turned Faith's stomach. She clapped both of her hands onto Jasper's shoulders and shouted "Light them the fuck up!!" Her magnification of his power was palpable, as yellow bolts of lightning began to swirl and crack around the pair.

When the wall fell, Faith was still looking at their assailants, but her head was turned by the new voice. She saw the women vanish one by one, and she did not understand. Only when their folly had been addressed did she see how dire their situation was.

"Jeremiah!" she screamed as he was thrown into the hands of the enemy. She could feel panic rising within her. The guards were approaching from the breach in the wall, Rory and the two unknown foes on the other side. She had to help, she had to fight, but she was afraid.

No. Fear was not what the Holy Creator had taught her. She existed to defend the innocent, to destroy the evils represented by this syndicate. She stood tall, and though her knees shook, her face was hard. A few golden sparks fell from her hair as the holy power surged within her. She saw Rory, and righteous fury filled her, bolstered by her sister.

The blast that came from Jasper took her by surprise, and she was momentarily blinded by the sheer force of the attack.

 

[Jeremiah]

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME TWICE!"

Jasper aimed his arm up towards the two in front of them, Marius turning to face the six foes encroaching on them. Jaspers arm lit up like a lighthouse of fury and determination, then exploding in a force that would blind a bats sonar. A wave of light covered in the symbols that cover Jasper's arm shot forth down the hallway and removing the line of sight completely. It ejected for several seconds in utter silence, the shock freezing the others in the room completely.

The moment of perceived victory was not to last.

In the midst of the blast, Noelle appeared directly in front of Jasper with a grin and wide eyes, clutching a piece of his spell as if it were cloth. She rose her knee directly into the bridge of Opal's nose and knocked her completely off of Jasper.

"SISTER!" Jasper called as his spell began to diminish in power. As such, Rory was seen laying prone beneath the spell, who needn't worry about his safety any longer. He shared the same vile smile as Noelle. He charged forth and grabbed Jasper by his face.

"Checkmate, fucko."

Rory gleamed and let magic explode from his hand.

The room met silence again as Jasper hit the floor lifeless. The remainder of his face being unrecognizable. Opal and Marius' eyes shrouded in horror and despair as they watched their comrade die within seconds of the fight.

"First the architect, now the weak little brother. Who the fuck is next?"
---

Rubble crumbled and fell atop of him as he lay in a mound of it. He looked forward and could see that he was thrown through what must have been fifteen or so walls. And that a figure was walking through them to find him. A booming voice began.

"Had you stayed in the Ixchel Wilds, perhaps you would not have met the same fate as Kulan, but here we are, Jeremiah." Isaac appeared as a looming shadow of doubt standing over Jeremiah. His matching eye type glowed red, and his plate a dirty silver. A contrast to the bronze man laying upon the floor. Jeremiah stood up and brushed pieces of stone off of himself.

"You know my name. You know Kulan's name. Who are you?"

Isaac put a fist to his chest. "I am the man who took your masters life."

Another wave of silence hit the world as Jeremiah looked upon Isaac. The emotions from either impossible to decipher. They stared, as if historical leaders had just met one another in complete awe. And then, something unexpected happened.

Jeremiah started laughing. Isaac let a "Hmm?" of confusion escape as Jeremiah struggled to gain his composure and sat down to do so. "What's so funny, Hoarfrost?"

"It's just, it's just, hold o-ahahaha." Jeremiah could barely keep himself together. He wiped his mechanical eyes as his voice came back to normal.

"It's just difficult to picture a man as great as Kulan Hoarfrost being bested by a man made of slag and shit."

Isaac raised his fist to strike Jeremiah, just as he had predicted. Jeremiah evaded the punch with ease, and in the same motion gripped a piece of rebar with a cinderblock at its tail and swung it straight into Isaac's chassis. The force knocked Isaac flat where he stood.

Jeremiah stood above him now, holding the rebar club upon his shoulder.

"You took my creator, my friend, and my father from me.

For that, I will pull the answers I desire from the center of your rotten, metal skull."

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Faith turned to shield her eyes from the blinding light of Jasper’s attack, her cloak and hair whipping over her at the force of the blast. Surely nothing could survive that. Her ears were still ringing by the time the light dimmed, and she couldn’t hear the gasp she made at seeing Noelle. Rory ran with incredible speed to Jasper’s face and then…

She screamed, bringing her hands to her face at the horror of seeing his life ended so suddenly. She felt a surge of energy, her mission to protect the innocent and defeat evil. The twins may not have been completely innocent, but they were saints compared to the monsters they were fighting.

She was separated from Opal, who was on the ground bleeding, grabbing her face and scrambling away from Noelle. Rory turned and caught Faith’s eye. ”And here’s Marius’ new bitch. He won’t be able to save you now.” As he said it, a bolt of red lighting streaked past his head. Marius had fired on him from beyond Faith. Rory’s counterattack was immediate, and he sent another bolt of energy at the old man.

Faith barely had time to generate a shield. The magic ricocheted off of it with enough force to push her back a step, and Rory was visibly enraged at her interference. ”Hiding this time?!” he screeched, ”Come on, where’s the fury from last night? Or did you use it all up on that wind-up toy of yours?” He sent another blast that sent bright white cracks spiralling across the ward. Another hit would break it.

Faith looked back at Marius. He had begun fighting off the newly arrived soldiers from beyond the prison wall. They were each on their own for now. She turned back just in time to see another flash of light racing towards her, and she braced.

The shield burst in a white flash and with a sound like lightning and shattered glass all at once. Rory shielded his eyes with a hand, and a blur rushed at him from behind the sparkling cloud. Melody’s fist met his chin with such force that he was lifted into the air and fell hard onto his back amidst the putrid sludge. Her arm crackled with sparks and holy lightning, and she looked up through wild disheveled hair to see Noelle bearing down on Opal.

Her arm outstretched in an instant and a solid beam of light slammed Noelle into the opposite wall. The fragment of Jasper’s spell that she had been holding was thrown from her grasp, and it exploded off into the far tunnel. Melody ran to Opal, sliding to a stop beside her. The young woman’s face was covered in blood, and she was mumbling something over and over.

“J-Jasper… Jas.. per…”

”Hey! Hey, get up, we have to go.”

“Jasper… Jas…” her eyes looked over to her brother’s corpse, but Melody quickly blocked her view.

”Hey hey hey! Stay with me here. You need to get up or we’re fucked.”

A bolt of red light came at them from behind, and a great golden shield rose to block it before flickering back out of existence. ”Please, Opal. We will mourn him later, I promise. Right now we need to fight. We need to live.”

 

[Jeremiah]

Isaac's cackle could be heard throughout the whole sewer had there not been much more pressing matters to deal with for the others. His eyes peered at the dripping ceiling as he let out his uproarious laughter from Jeremiah's strike to his chest.

"Yes, yes! Jeremiah that's it! That vigor, that promise, that drive! This is what I wanted from you! Make your death meaningful for both of us, Hoarfrost!"

After he spoke, Jeremiah started to, but was very quickly interrupted. Isaac had let steam eject from his elbows and rose to uppercut Jeremiah with utter force. The hit skyrocketed Jeremiah into the ceiling so hard he sat embedded in the stone for a few moments.

As Jeremiah looked down at Isaac, the automaton continued to cackle.

"Show me Jeremiah, show me your will to live in truest defiance!"

"Why do you oppose me, friend? Could we not learn from each other?"

"You've already burnt that bridge, Jeremiah. Now you must know suffering as I have."

Jeremiah began to fall from the ceiling. As he did, Isaac caught his foot and tossed him into the open walls from before and followed him. They were both in sight of Melody and the others as Isaac leapt and planted his fist down into Jeremiah's chest, burying him deep into the ground. Steam launching from the both of them and making the area muggier.

"FIGHT BACK, JEREMIAH HOARFROST. WHERE IS THAT PASSION OF YOURS?!" Isaac bellowed, an echo ringing. Jeremiah was battered. Dents and misplaced gears jutted from his chasis. Jeremiah's eyes peered over to Melody while she spoke to Opal.

"Live, all of you." He called weakly before grabbing Isaac by his head and tossed him behind him through the next wall. He stood up slowly and injured to pursue his far too powerful opponent.

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Opal seemed to finally snap out of her stupor. Her eyes lost their glaze, and she was once again aware of what was happening. She looked at Faith and gave a tiny nod of understanding. She then looked at Marius and her eyes widened in fear of the soldiers. She turned and looked at Noelle… and her face turned to fury.

She stood quickly and rushed at the woman, who was just getting back to her feet. ”Opal wait!” Faith called after her, but she was distracted by Jeremiah flying through the wall down the hall. Her green eyes gaped in horror as they reflected the scene. Her true friend and savior on more than one occasion. He was broken, beaten, and the monster that had done it was coming to finish the job. His words terrified her. They had not been an encouragement. They were a goodbye.

Melody broke forward, forcibly taking control in a way she never had before. It was jarring, and she blinked a few times to steady herself at the sudden shift. She would not let Jeremiah die. She stood, but her attention was called back to Opal by Faith’s voice.

Jeremiah will survive a bit longer, these people will not.

Melody swore loudly. She was right. Turning on her heel, she bolted towards Opal and Noelle. The evil woman was engaged in a fist fight with the girl, and she did not expect the jawstring that came from Melody.

Noelle hit the ground again, splashing up more filth. Melody did not have time for mercy. Her friend was about to die, one of her allies already had, and if she did not take care of this quickly then everyone else would, too.

She jumped forwards and brought her foot stomping down on Noelle’s head.

Or… she would have, if Noelle hadn’t caught it. The moment her hands made contact with the boot, Melody felt her strength pulled away. She fell, unsteady, as a sickening feeling of weakness overtook her. The divine power that Faith had gathered through her prayer, sapped away to almost nothing. There was hardly a spark left.

Noelle stood, and there was no more mischievous glint in her eye, no more arrogant smirk. She held golden sparks in her hands, and with a look of black hatred, she crushed them to nothingness. That same hand shot down to Melody’s neck, and she felt the life being squeezed out of her once again. She tried to raise her arms in defense, but they hung heavy at her sides.

As the world began to blur she felt new hands on her shoulders, and from these came a warm surge of such force that her entire body shuddered and convulsed. The spark that was left inside her exploded into a heavenly fire. Beams of light shot out from her eyes and mouth.

Noelle did not have time to step back, for Melody’s hand was at her stomach, and she cut a hole straight through the woman with a javelin of white fury.

She looked back at Opal as Noelle fell, this time for good. ”Thank you,” she said. Even her voice resonated with power, and sparks dripped from her tongue.

Still bristling with energy from Opal’s boost, Melody turned her attention to Marius. He was fighting admirably, but he was terribly outnumbered. He had managed to take shelter behind some rubble and was firing bolts of lighting blindly, just enough to keep the soldiers from advancing, and keeping Rory at bay from his other side. His staff was beginning to spark, though, and the lightning had become less bright.

”Marius, keep shooting!” she yelled as she darted off. She was nearly invisible as she ran, and trails of divine fire flicked from her heels. Her fist, wreathed in holy light, smashed clean through the helmet of an attacking soldier. Quick golden shields flashed up from her forearms as Faith blocked incoming lightning bolts.

It was odd, but she did not feel disoriented at all. She knew exactly what had been going on up until this point and had simply reacted instinctively. She had never, ever been able to observe Melody this closely, and she could feel that Melody was right there with her now. In an instant, Melody was back in control, breaking an enemy staff in half and kicking a soldier into a wall.

 

[Jeremiah]

"UNCLE!"

Rory called out while making the soldiers cease their assault for a moment and standing in front of Melody.

"Be fuckin' real with yaself, wontcha? You can't win against us. And if you give up and let Fromiere do away with you how he wants, it'll be a lot less painful then what I choose for ya." He peered back at Melody with an evil grin.

"And I won't have to fuck this bitch down for killing my sweet Noelle." He cackled loudly. The roar of rubble falling washed over the young punks monologue. Isaac moseyed out from the wall he'd been pushed through and put a hand on Jeremiah's shoulder.

"Hold tight for me, will you?" Isaac asked politely. He then moved over to the other group, looking at the corpses that had already been produced.

"Tch, shame. Though not as much a shame as you, Rory." Rory looked over with a raised eyebrow as Isaac approached him.

"Constant threats of sexual violence despite explicit orders to cease your hooliganism. How is that someone with such a bright future becomes so rotten?"

"Fuck do you care what I do? She killed my Noelle! Now what am I supposed to ra-" Isaac grabbed his jaw after moving at speeds not even Jeremiah's eyes could keep up with.

"You treated Noelle like a toy, like you do all women in this world. Fromiere has given me permission to punish you if you did not learn, and you have not. So, so young." And so Isaac ripped off Rory's jaw. It was slow. Just two of his mechanical fingers pushing down against his teeth until they were ground into dust and his head resembled that of an effigy. Rory flailed, gargling on his used to be tongue as Isaac delivered one solid punch to the boy's head, killing him instantly.

The giant automaton pulled a handkerchief from his vest pocket and cleaned the blood from his knuckles.

"Oh, one more thing." He spoke to the soldiers through the silence as he began to walk towards Jeremiah once more. "Please take them to Fromiere. He'd like to have a word with Marius."

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Rory's words only briefly infiltrated the state that Faith and Melody had entered. While his words fueled their righteous fury, his shockingly quick death ensured that the battle resumed almost immediately.

Faith and Melody fought as if in a trance. Each of their minds were so active that their body seemed to forget who was who. Melody smashed, Faith protected. Melody fired a lightning bolt across three enemies, Faith deflected the red lightning from their staves.

Marius, however, witnessed it all. He was silent and still, his face locked in a horrified shock. As Isaac lumbered back to Jeremiah, the old man stared at what had been his nephew.

He had left the family decades ago and long since abandoned their name... but he had seen his sister's face in the boy. It had only hurt more, when Rory was alive, to see his own flesh and blood twisted into such a monstrous creature. The malice, the depravity, how could Fromiere have done this? How could he have let the syndicate warp the boy, and then order his execution when he absorbed the family's true face too fully?

A explosion of stone as a lightning bolt struck near his head woke him back to the present, and Marius scrambled to the boy's body. He had deserved his fate, he knew this, but the blame was on the syndicate. He would use this to fuel his blackened heart, the one that had forgotten anything but revenge. He stood, ignoring the red bolts that sailed past him, and returned fire.

He fought admirably, and knocked down several opponents before being knocked unconscious by the butt of a staff.

The soldiers were falling, but somehow more kept appearing. Where were they from, how many had there been now? Their armor... it was broken. The enemy she just felled she could have sworn she had already smote. Yes... she was certain of it. The blood on the ground had remained... stagnant. No more was falling. Suspicions turned to cold, terrifying reality as she looked up into the halls.

A tall, dark figure in robes of deep purple was wielding a staff in ritualistic motions. As they did so, the bodies of felled soldiers were lifted by invisible threads, and they returned to fight.

"Necromancy!" Faith exclaimed as she blocked a swinging staff from her face. Melody tried to rush them, but the undead knights swarmed in front of her. They were being risen before they hit the ground now, reeling at her deathblows before striking back with magically amplified force. With Marius defeated, Jeremiah occupied, and Opal out of sight, they were on their own.

Jeremiah. He needed their help. That metal monster would crush him. Opal's boost was beginning to wane, and the sisters pushed through their creeping fatigue. Attack, block, block, attack. One step towards the necromancer, two steps back.

They continued this dance, each of them flipping back and forth for control. It was a beautiful, terrible blur. Their thoughts were moving so quickly, their minds dancing together so effortlessly, that it was starting to become difficult to tell where Faith ended and Melody began. Soldiers fell as holy light tore through them like paper, and no matter how they tried, glittering shields appeared to block their every strike. They grabbed at her, unable to take hold. Within the woman, something was changing.

What is this?
What is this?

How is this possiblepossible?
is this

WhatWhat isis happening?

We are thinking

as

ONE​

Faith and Melody exploded. White light, purer and brighter than anything before, erupted from them. Marius ducked behind his cover, and Opal shielded herself behind the wall as the force tore past them. When it died down only Faith stood in the room that had been the false prison. Or was it Melody? It was impossible to tell, for she was wreathed head to toe in twisting filaments of light. They formed an armor around her, like platemail forged from glittering white threads. The soldiers were gone, their presence marked only by dark streaks on the ground where they had been burned away.

In her right hand she held a sword made from the same glowing energy. It was forged with intricate patterns and symbols, and was massive enough that, if it had been steel, should have required two hands to wield. On her left arm floated a towering shield, and this too glowed with dazzling, twisting light.

The necromancer was still, staring from beneath a dark hood. A shadowy shield dropped from around them. The new woman began to walk towards them. They fired a volley of powerful magic shots, and the shadow blasts dissipated off of her shield, not slowing her advance in the least.

Panic took them. "Stay away!" an old voice cracked from behind the hood. "Stay back!" Still she moved on steady feet, peering through the shield as it deflected and absorbed more attacks.

When at last she neared him, the mage dropped his staff and used both hands to fire off a wreath of green fire directly into her chest. The shield was down, but his attack simply sank into the armor that she wore. She could see his eyes now, and they were wide with terror and disbelief.

There were no words, no useless pageantry, just a sword of light sinking through his chest. He died in fear and bewilderment, and she left him where he fell, walking back towards the hole Jeremiah had gone through.

 

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah's eyes could hardly believe what they beheld. Melody and Faith felt as if they were simultaneously in the room and controlling the same vessel in tandem. He forced himself to rise from his sulking state to witness his friend became energy itself. It was beautiful if nothing else. He had to match this. Not as a state of competition, but as a state of competence. Whether or not this Isaac fellow was stronger than him Jeremiah could not fall here.

He needed to defeat him.

Isaac turned around to face the group who had eliminated all the rest of the soldiers and sighed.

"Must you make this more difficult?" He turned to walk back towards Faith and the others but Jeremiah was going to be a ragdoll to this beast no more. He leapt from his position and grabbed Isaac from the rear, yanking him backwards. He somersaulted backwards, throwing Isaac behind him and separating him from Jeremiah's friends. Jeremiah turned to them;

"Get to Fromiere. This isn't over until he's done for. I will be okay." Jeremiah raised his thumb up to Faith/Melody, a jagged and steaming piece of bronze jutting that would definitely need repairing soon.

"I promise I'll come back alive."

 

[Rämna Sisters]

The woman stopped, looking at Jeremiah. Her eyes looked confused, like someone who had just woken up from a dream and was not entirely certain what they were doing. The name Fromiere was familiar to her, as was the metal man who called out to her. Jeremiah, yes that was his name. She looked down through her glowing visor at the weaponry she carried, as if reminding herself of her purpose. The white tendrils of light flickered and faded, and she turned back to Marius, Opal, and the gaping hole in the wall.

Marius stood slowly, walking to join her. Opal went to him, and he embraced her, all the while staring at the woman before him. ”Faith, that was… really something,” he said, letting go of the girl.

Opal approached her, saying a quiet ”Thank you,” before moving to Jasper’s body. ”I’m going to stay here,” she said. Marius agreed, and together he and the newly awoken mind entered the dark hallways.

The hall was… boring. Straight gray stone in a path more or less predetermined. There were doors here and there, but they were locked and seemed to be of little importance. It was almost as if Fromiere had wanted them to follow. Surely he could have sent legions more after them, but the walk was quiet, almost guided by the torches that seemed to illuminate their way forward… and no way else.

Marius broke the silence finally. ”Don’t suppose you could have pulled that sword and shield out earlier,” he said gruffly. He did not pretend to understand her magic, but he had lost at least one good man today, and he suspected a second. If Faith had been hiding this power on purpose he would have words to share.

”I was not here earlier.” Her voice was level, but it carried such authority that Marius did not provide any following words. Faith’s story from earlier, about her sister living in her mind… was this that sister? The one that had fought Rory the previous night? But that one had been gravely injured… He decided it was best to focus on finding Fromiere, and to count his blessings that, for whatever reason, his companion had decided to pull out the stops.


Opal, knelt over Jasper’s body. His face had been burnt away, and while it was not quite as gruesome as Rory’s end, it was still painful to look at. She clutched at the body’s shoulders, quietly crying. The usual flow of energy she felt from him was gone, there was no magic inside to grow and blossom. She knew she could not stay here forever, though, she had to continue their mission. For Jacob, for their parents. Noelle and Rory were dead, but Fromiere was still alive, as was the mechanical monster that was fighting with… well, the other mechanical person.

She stood up, gently lowering Jasper’s head as she did. She wiped her eyes and stalked towards the battle of the automatons, following the telltale sounds. Jeremiah was metal and magic. One of those things she could help with.

 

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah was baffled to see the state that Melody? Faith? Failody? Was in even still. Her aura had completely changed and it felt as if they were both in the room but they were an entirely new person. She was beautiful, in the way an angel might be. Holy and yet terrifying, with a comfort that was also uncomfortable. She was an entirely new entity.

So much so, that even Isaac's gaze was still locked on her as well.

"That woman." The hulk began speaking, a lingering tone of wonder in his voice. "Is going to intrigue Fromiere."

Jeremiah watched her and Marius leave, hoping for the best that he possibly could. His eyes then moving over to Opal who mourned her family. She began to come towards the fight. He couldn't let her fight this monster. She wouldn't live. There was no way after what he'd done to Rory. Jeremiah walked towards her and gripped her shoulders lightly.

"There's nothing for you here, Opal. Don't throw your life away for me." Her tear filled eyes locked with his, and she touched his chest. A power surged through Jeremiah unlike he'd ever felt before. The steam ejecting from him become more concentrated and narrow, his aura of dispelling felt like it could be cast without the circle. Opal smiled at him before leaving to carry Jasper out of this place.

Jeremiah stared at his hands as he felt the surge of energy in his own being increase. She may have won this for him.

"So sweet, now where were w-" Isaac could not finish his sentence. A sonic boom rang from the depths of the sewers that shook the walls and caused gravel to fall.

For Isaac, time seemed to stop entirely. Jeremiah's fist was deep in a crater made from his face. He felt it. As a machine, he felt the punch with such intensity it almost made him human. Jeremiah was a hundred feet away from him not half a second ago and now...

Now Isaac was flying, without sound, through the walls of the sewer.

And Jeremiah was already behind him.

 

[Rämna Sisters]

As the halls continued the air began to change. It was warmer, for one thing, and there was a heaviness to it that grew the further they went from the sewers. Finally, the hall stopped. It ended in a pair of metal double doors. Next to them was a lever, about half of Marius’ height. There were no features on the doors, no handles or patches of any sort. Their choice obvious, Marius pulled the lever.

At once fire shot from the walls on either side of the doors as hidden panels opened. Marius was immediately consumed by flames... but he did not burn. His companion had embraced him with almost precognitive speed and enwreathed them both in a swirling white sphere. Not even the heat of the flames penetrated, and after a few seconds they ceased. The shield flickered and fell, and the metal doors opened.

It was a single, tiny room. The woman entered first, and when no further traps were sprung, Marius followed. They were surrounded on three sides by the same gray stone as before, but instead of a ceiling there was darkness. With a pull of a second level, the doors shut and the floor began to ascend into the blackness.

They rose for a long time in darkness. All they could hear was the creaking and cranking of the elevator. Neither one spoke. At last a second set of doors opened.

When their eyes adjusted to the light they saw a very elegant room. It was made of rich wood and stone, with large ornate rugs and furs spread next to two massive fireplaces. Tasteful plantings and artwork adorned the walls and they were met by a single man.

He wore a fine black and white suit that was embroidered with the syndicate’s mark. Somehow it looked less fearsome on his lapel than on the jackets of the thugs in the street.

”Master Urathiin, Miss Rämna. Please, follow me.”

The woman’s gaze snapped to the old man next to her. She had not heard Rory’s shouts before. Marius was Urathiin? For just a moment there was a palpable static in the room, but she quieted herself. Marius had done much to aid them, and had done no wrong thus far. He should be given a chance to explain. She was equally surprised that this man knew her surname. Had Faith even told that to Jeremiah?

They were lead through a series of rooms, each more lavish than the last, until finally they were ushered in alone through a final set of doors.

The room within was smaller than the others, but by far the nicest. The singular fireplace was gilded with gold and countless arcane glass objects and gems glittered from the walls. Fromiere sat behind a desk carved from what looked like obsidian.

”This ends now, Fromiere!” Marius growled, and he lifted his staff to strike at the old wizard. Fromiere did not look up from the parchment he was writing on, and simply lifted a finger to deflect the bolt of red lightning back at Marius.

There was a deafening clang as a brilliant shield caught the blast before Marius’ face, manifested from the air in front of the woman’s extended forearm. She brought it down to her side, but it did not disappear.

Finally, the wizard looked up. ”Brother,” he said, almost warmly. “It has been too long. I only wish that circumstances were different. We did miss you at Arielle’s funeral. I fear losing his mother may have put young Rory beyond help. Oh well, we move on don’t we?” He stood and walked around to the front of the desk. The light from the shield spread, and soon the woman was covered in her shimmering filamentous armor, her sword back in hand.

Marius’ expression was cold hatred. “It’s this family that killed Rory the moment he was brought into it.”

Fromiere sighed. “It was foolish of me to think you would ever come back to us. You have wandered too far.” And with that, he lifted his arm and sent forth a red bolt of such power that it snuffed the flames in the fireplace.

The glowing shield intercepted again, but this time the impact pushed the pair of them back a foot or two. The shimmering paladin illuminated the room entirely by her own power, and it was brighter than any of the torches had been. She took two rapid steps towards Fromiere and slashed. Her sword sank through him as he turned to smoke, but he quickly coalesced behind them. She blocked another two shots, each one ringing loud and metallic, before shooting a white beam at him from the end of her blade.

Fromiere again wisped away, but he cried out as he did so. When he rematerialized he was clutching his left arm. A thick patch of the sleeve had been burned away, and the flesh was raw and angry beneath.

 

[Jeremiah]

The sharpest of ringing. Bronze mating with iron. Their fists connecting, Isaac had turned just in time mid flight to match Jeremiah's continuing attack. A breath of excitement sounded from Isaac's imaginary throat.

"So your vigor returns again, Hoarfrost! Your death will be beautiful, a flash of brilliance in an otherwise lackluster world. Be glad for that. Kulan was not so lucky." He then echoed an ugly laugh to coincide with his chiding. Their fists connecting and barely missing each others carapaces.

Jeremiah may have normally acted in emotion. Something he wished to draw out as an answer. So many things that he could learn from this automaton. His origin, what he was, all the answers he could never get from Kulan.

"..And yet that time has passed."

"Huh?"

Through the flurry of blows came a foot from Jeremiah straight into Isaac's chin, shavings flying into the air that followed. The same foot came back downward on top of Isaac's skull.

Jeremiah began to sing.

"They say that all metal must be stained and cooohooold."

Jeremiah dug his heel deep into Isaac's frame before the hulk flipped back upwards and took a swing at Jeremiah. The retaliation was ignored and replied to with a heavy gut punch from the overclocked automaton.

"Unless that metal is silver and or gooohooold."

Isaac was flying once more through the air. Jeremiah hot on his trail. A hook to the head. A knee to the chest. Both hands clasped down on Isaac's head; spinning him in mid air.

"I have met a man who could prove them wroooohongggg."

"W-Wait." Isaac's voice growing worried.

Jeremiah's response was a firm two handed grip on Isaac's arm, tearing it sloppily off, steam and iron still protruding from his makeshift shoulder.

"A beautiful man who was made of brooohooonzeee."

Jeremiah threw Isaac pinned into a sewer wall. His fist about to connect once more.

---​

"Master Kulan, why is it that you wrote that song?"
Jeremiah poured Kulan his tea and sat in the large chair across from his master near the fire. Kulan smiled widely at his friend Jeremiah.

"Jeremy, you are a masterpiece, you realize that, don't you? Of course I'm proud of what I'VE accomplished," He laughed, "But in truth, you as you are, without the help of anyone else, are a masterpiece my friend. I created your body, not your mind. Only added a bit of kindness. Just a small bit. And the experiences you've had from living with me here in the Ixchel." Kulan sipped his tea.

"Tell me, Jeremiah," He set his tea down and interlaced his large, dwarven fingers. "What do you want to do in this life?"

Jeremiah looked towards the fire before answering. He pondered everything he was taught, and everything that resonated in him from these teachings.

"Well, Sir Kulan, I think I wish to protect. And avenge those wronged."

Kulan wore an enormous smile on his face.

"THAT, Jeremiah Hoarfrost, is why I wrote that song."

---​

Jeremiah's fist sank deep into Isaac's neck, pushing him deep into the wall, and his voice bellowed across the entire sewer.

"THEY SAY THAT ALL METAL IS HARD AND GRAAAYATINGGG."

Jeremiah's free hand reached straight through Isaac's chest and pulled out a handful of a gear. The area of sewer filled with steam.

"Jer-Jerimiah I-I'll tell you ev-"

"EXCEPT FOR THAT ARMOR THESE KNIGHTS KEEP PARAAAYADINGGGG."

Jeremiah kicked in Isaac's kneecap, bending his entire leg outward the opposite way.

"I AM THAT MAN WHO WILL KEEP SAYAAYIIINGGG."

Jeremiah put a hand on each side of the hole he'd created in Isaac's chest. His eyes locked on what remained of Isaac's.

"H-H-H-H-Hoarfrost..."

Jeremiah stopped singing.

"Ego sum, machina gratuiti."

Jeremiah pulled Isaac clean in half.​

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Fromiere moved with a speed that belied his aged appearance. His power was palpable as the air in the room crackled with red static. Marius continued to attack with his staff, and the lightning that it produced was like a reflection of Fromiere’s own. Still red and violent, but somehow diminished.

The bolts were reflected by the old wizard as effortlessly as they had been the first time, and Faith, Melody, or whoever was within that body now had to step in front of Marius to block the retaliations. ”Stop attacking!” she yelled at him. The staff was only adding to the confusion in the tiny room. The fireplace was out, but tiny fires had started where lightning had struck the floor, bookshelves, and desk.

Fromiere swirled his hands and called this fire to himself, growing it in an orb before him, and sending it out in a wave towards the both of them. Again the white shield was raised, and although the flames did not penetrate neither did they cease. It was all she could do to hold them at bay.

A crack in the air, and a cry from Marius behind her. She looked back and saw that Fromiere was no longer behind the flames. The warlock had transported himself across the room and struck Marius square in the back, sending him collapsing to the ground with a smoking hole in his shirt. The glowing paladin grimaced, still holding back flames that burned independent of their maker.

She was ready to deflect more lightning with her sword, but something distracted Fromiere. Unbeknownst to her, he had been alerted to Isaac’s violent and sudden end. It was enough of a break in his concentration that the flames subsided, and She jumped forwards to take advantage.

A crimson, crackling scythe of energy met her attack.

 

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah stood there in awe at himself. The sheer destruction of a foe far too powerful not minutes ago. An absolutely one sided barrage fueled by udedication and love for Kulan. He turned away, knowing his next step was to find the others. And that he had to move on from the knowledge he'd lost through Isaac's death.

As he walked away;

"Sh-shattered City. Jer-jeremiah."

Isaac's voice still called. Jeremiah turned around swiftly to see an opalescent orb illuminating from the center of Isaac's bifurcated head.

"Us. We. Our bodies. There is something there. And..."

Jeremiah stood stoic and spoke nothing, walking towards Isaac's remains and kneeling before the orb.

"We were killers, Jeremiah. Awful people. These are not our first bodies." The light in the orb diminished, and subsequently, it shattered. Isaac's voice fled. Jeremiah stood back up in shock of what was told to him. He needed to pocket it though. There were others that needed him.

He looked towards the wreckage they'd created through the sewer and realized he'd entirely eradicated the path he'd come through.

He listened as intently as he could through the sounds of rushing sewage water. It just barely worked. The sound of crackling energy broke through. He knew which way to run, and he hesitated not.

The automaton sprinted until he found the wall from which he could hear the fighting continuing.

He felt no need to knock.

Jeremiah did straighten up his tattered shirt to the best of his ability, though, heavens he was a mess.

He then shoulder checked said wall and brought it down with a triumphant arrival. His signature laughter ensuing just before he did so.

"What an evening it's been, eh?" He spoke candidly, but his eyes were glued to the paladin. He had no idea what he was looking at.

"...Faith? Melody?"

 

[Rämna Sisters]

There were sparks dancing from the impact of her blade on Fromiere’s scythe. Smooth, white lines hammered against jagged black-red lightning in a fatal dance that left streaks of light in Marius’ eyes. The old wizard swung his weapon with incredible skill, biting behind the shield and sword to fizzle against the armor of twisted glowing threads.

A scythe was a very good choice, for its blade could snake around her defenses. While the armor held, she could feel the drain on her power each time it made impact, and more than once she felt a hot tingle against her skin as the tip almost penetrated.

She had skill of her own to counter. Her attacks were swift, strong, and without flourish. She cut, slashed, and stabbed at the man, each attack lethal in its own right if it had managed to connect, but they never did. It was like Fromiere was made of mist beneath that cloak.

When the wall shattered his attention was diverted for a second, and she drove the blade forwards to take advantage. It bit into flesh, the ribs this time, and slid from them as the wizard fell to the side. She stabbed at the ground, driving the blade halfway into the fine wood as Fromiere rolled aside.

Jeremiah’s voice met her ears. It was familiar, and she could feel it stir something locked deep inside, but her resolve was absolute and she would not stop until her task was completed.

”Both... and neither,” she answered summarily. ”The Syndicate falls today, Jeremiah,” She recalled the name. With the two of them here, Fromiere was finished. Justice would be delivered switftly, and without mercy.

 

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah witnessed whoever this was down Fromiere quickly upon his appearance making a distraction. The automaton was far too busy making heads and tails of what was going on to engage himself in this fight. Let alone, the magic Opal gave him was wearing thin, and his injuries were visible.

There was an ominous righteousness emanating forth from what had become of his friends. The sisters. Both unique and wonderful in their own right. Jeremiah did not know this being and he felt that their presence was just, but it wasn't his friend. It was as if a whole consciousness he'd never met occupied the vessel of people he very much cared about it.

He did not trust it.

Even still he wanted this to end in their victory and thus called forth;

"Fromiere! Your ally has been slain! There is no hope in this endeavor for you left. Give yourself up or be killed."

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Fromiere had dropped his noble demeanor. Though he continued to move, his breaths were wheezing, and he dripped a steady flow of blood onto the floor.

”Do you know what the Urathiin have given to this city?” he spat at the three of them. ”Order. Control. Safety and prosperity.”

”You have brought suffering to countless families!” Marius retorted in a rage, ”And you tore ours apart.”

”It was you who left us, Marius!” A bolt of lightning, black as night, burst towards Marius and was deflected into the fireplace by the white shield, where it reignited the logs. ”The weak, the degenerate, the parasites of this city are sacrificed so that the decent citizens may thrive. Do you call this evil?“

”Yes.” The woman interjected. She spoke plainly, but her voice seemed to carry far beyond what its volume should have been capable of. She did not let Fromiere continue his speech. They were hollow words from a hollow man, and she rushed forwards to impale Fromiere to the hilt of her glowing blade.

A wet gasp, and Fromiere clawed at her with unnatural and twisted nails, scraping harmlessly against the armor. When she withdrew the blade he fell, and a truly terrible amount of blood pooled around him.

”Mercy...” was the only word that could be heard from the gurgling throat.

”This is mercy.” She raised her blade, ready to take Fromiere’s head.

 

[Jeremiah]

There was no doubts. From his shameless tossing away of his child's life, to the absolute power trip of needing to have the underworld of Vel Anir in his palm, Fromiere was an intolerable man.

Everything in his fiber of being was tearing him in twine. There was his merciless kill of Isaac. Knowing his rage and his love for Kulan turned into an unbridled beatdown. Then, there was what Isaac had said. Jeremiah was in his second body. His first that of a killer. Whatever that meant. It bothered him immensely.

His memories of Kulan always showed Kulan being appreciative of Jeremiah's protectorate nature and his kindness. Not once did he speak on his ability to destroy. What really was he?

Fromiere asked for mercy. This... Paladin... Claimed his death was mercy. But was the syndicate not defeated? They laid in ruins. Their side had one casualty. The Urathiin was dismantled head to toe. Jeremiah couldn't let this end in more blood. Faith would never forgive herself.

Jeremiah threw himself in front of the blade, it sticking cleanly into his bronze neck but not pushing all the way through. Jeremiah gasped and set both his hands upon her instrument of destruction. A small, breathy laugh escaped from him. His glowing eyes staring back into hers.

"What an ordeal this has become, no? Melody, I know that you're in there and you're probably angry," Steam began to eject from his neck in a heavy dosage.
"But think of your sister. How she would carry this burden with her. I saw your face, Faith. When I displayed my violence. It horrified you. You had still retained a desire for peace. This can still end that way."

Jeremiah started to buckle at the knees. The steam shooting becoming hotter, and firing faster. He seemed to be overloading.

"Now you, who stand before me, I don't know you. But I ask of you to refer to either sister before you take control of their form." He chuckled, falling over.

"You are quite radiant though. Perhaps until I know your name I'll call you..." Jeremiah hit the floor with a thud. The steam was slowing. Lights in Jeremiah's head dimmed. Was this death? How strange, he thought.

"...Harmony. That's pretty, isn't it?."

Jeremiah fell silent. The steam stopped.

 

[Rämna Sisters]

The automaton moved incredibly fast, and she saw but a blur of bronze as she brought her sword down. The impact reverberated up her arm, and her eyes widened by a barely perceptible margin in surprise. She hadn't felt surprise before. She didn't like it.

His words were meaningless... but they made her thoughts unorganized. She shook her head, blinked back a brief migraine and hum in her ears. No, he couldn't speak to Melody, there was only one mind now. Only one...

She fought to keep it that way, and regained her composure. This could not end with anything but Fromiere's death. If he lived, he could start again. If he lived, justice would not be delivered. And... how dare he tell her to ask permission to take this body? It was as much hers as Faith or Melody's, more even, for she was the united mind. She was the one the Holy Creator had directed to-

A sinking coldness in her chest hit her as Jeremiah steamed and grew weaker. She could feel something fighting her, something she should be able to keep caged.

She... cared for this thing. Or a part of her had. She felt sadness, but it was not her own. It conflicted with her righteous duty, it muddied the clear waters of her faith.

A name... Harmony. It was... pretty, and it felt right. She was the convergence of the two, a harmonic existence in flesh. But right now that harmony was discordant. Alongside Faith's horror at seeing Jeremiah's dying frame came Melody's anger. Was she still trying to protect Faith, even against herself?

The sword flickered out of existence as Jeremiah fell. The shield dissolved and Harmony clutched at her head as the armor began to fall away in brittle pieces. She groaned through gritted teeth and fell to her knees. "No... I must... His Will...Jeremiah!!"

Faith's voice rang out as the last of the armor fell, and she scrambled on floor to Jeremiah's empty body. Tears welled forth as though a dam had suddenly let loose, and she cradled his heavy head, looking into the dark eyes.

"No... no I'm sorry!" She set him down and pressed both of her hands to his chest, forcing the warm glow to come forth. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... please," her breath was ragged as she tried, but Jeremiah had no flesh to knit, no blood to restore.

Marius moved to Fromiere and held him down, but the old wizard was not offering up much of a fight anymore. Faith didn't notice, and she forced more magic from her hands. "I couldn't stop her," she whispered, "I couldn't stop her."

 

[Jeremiah]

"What is this?"

Jeremiah found himself in an opalescent room. Or at least that's what his perception was. It was strange. He'd never seen a place like this before but it felt the closest to home since his departure from the Ixchel Wilds. The place also didn't feel tangible. It was a dream like state but his consciousness was completely in control.

"We were killers, Jeremiah."

"I couldn't stop her."

Isaac's and Faith's voice resonated simultaneously in this room. Was he... Dead? No. He'd have no consciousness in that scenario, wouldn't he not? He couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening before him.

Then it dawned on Jeremiah. The orb. The one within Isaac. This was him. His soul. What gave him such immense humanity. THIS was Kulan's creation, not the shell he walked in. But how was it possible? And why did he-

"With Kulan out of the way, Hereford will have no choice but to pay us triple."

"Still gotta deal with his little butler. Where is- AHHH."

Those voices. So familiar. Who were they? What was the name Hereford?

"YOU KILLED MY SON, YOU KILLED HIM FOR NO REASON!"

"Jeremiah Galethin you are hereby sentenced to death for the murder of Timothy Ratinson and seventy eight others across the Allir Reach."

Galethin? What?

"We were killers, Jeremiah. We were killers, Jeremiah. We were killers, Jeremiah. We were killers, Jeremiah."

"STOP."

Jeremiah called out in confusion and anger. These were his memories. Some had been displaced and he now knew why. Whatever had taken place in order to bind him to this body had attempted to block out his old memories as whoever he was as a human being. It seemed that may have been for the best. What atrocities had he committed? He hated hearing it. He couldn't handle knowing he had done such horrible things. Such ugly terrible things to people, and by the sounds of it, children. He murdered a child. How could he recover from knowing this? Perhaps he was better in here. Stuck where he could do no more harm. Living with the repercussions for what he'd done. Suffering for all-

"Jeremiah!"

He snapped to. Faith and Melody's voice resonated at once. The subconscious telling him he still had a duty.

"Do not forget this, Jeremiah."

Then there was Kulan's. The man who gave him a second chance in this life.

"The only evil in this life is that which prevents man from changing. There is always forgiveness if you are willing and able to be better."

Jeremiah exhaled steam. His memory of Kulan reminding him that he had people to protect. And now he had a legacy to rewrite.

He punched himself in the head and shook it.

Another punch.

"Wake up."

A third.

"WAKE UP!"

With that third punch steam ejected from Jeremiah onto Faith. The glow in his eyes flickered. Steam from his shoulders. His feet. His eyes turned completely back on.

Jeremiah sprang up with his normal vigor and laughed to the sky.

"Take that to the bank, reaper!" He was himself again. Even perhaps a better man. He hugged Faith tightly but not so much he'd harm her.

"I owe you two so much. The third one I'm still warming up to."

 

[Rämna Sisters]

Please... please!

Being in that harmonic state, fused with her sister into a new magnificent and terrible entity, had almost supercharged the energy reserves within Faith. Now they began to wane once more, but still she poured them onto the metal husk of her friend.

Jeremiah. Perhaps her only true friend.

She could not feel anything happening, could not feel the magic finding purchase anywhere, and thus had no idea if it was working or not. At the back of her mind she knew she should save some to help Marius, and even Fromiere. It was the right thing to do, but her sorrow and anger drowned out the pragmatism.

There was a flicker from Jeremiah's body, and Faith's breath caught. Then steam shot out, hot and scalding, and Faith was forced to turn away and shield her face. Jeremiah's voice boomed out as he got to his feet, and Faith's face turned from sadness to joy in the blink of an eye.

She wrapped her arms around his hard and heavy body, tears of misery now turned to tears of relief, and they left dark splotches on Jeremiah's shirt.

It took her a minute to calm her breaths enough to speak. "I... I am so- so glad you're alright." she blubbered. She really was making a scene of herself, but she didn't care.

After allowing herself time to take in all that had happened, she wiped her eyes. "I could see everything, Jeremiah. It wasn't like when Melody is awake. I could see, hear, and feel everything she did. It was like... like I was her and Melody and myself at the same time." She felt nausea thinking about the experience. The woman, Harmony, had been powerful and absolutely saved the lives of her, her sister, and Marius. But... the thoughts in her head... the way she saw the world... it frightened Faith.