A darkness looms over Merriwreathe...

The group had discussed their choices, with Benkei presenting two ideas. Tobias had stood there stroking through his beard, ”An alternate route? We’d most likely have to turn around and find another way. How much gas do we have? That’s the question..” Kane had turned to Benkei, ”Human lightning rod? Listen, I know you’re an Elemental specialist and all, but we can’t have you risk doing that! We don’t know what’s going to happen!” Nir had sighed, ”Benkei, we’re not going to risk putting you and the airship in danger...And heading back for an alternate route will only waste what gas we have.”

”Precisely. We’re in a bit of a bind here.” Tobias added. ”Guys! Guys! I know we need to find our lovely Oracle! But think about it! We have no choice but to park this baby and wait it out! It’ll preserve our gas and we won’t have to risk Benkei’s life and our airship!”

Benkei sighed as his idea to pass through the storm was denied. His friends were more concerned for his safety then rushing to the oracle's aid "my body can take the lightning come on! I have been hit with much worse you know that.....for god sakes I fought van and that monster Virgil!". Benkei tried to convince them other wise but they were dead set on waiting it out costing more time for them "she could die or could be getting tortured , she been through enough their has to be another way!".

The three men looked at Benkei. With the storm ahead, there was no telling how long it’d take to pass. But then, there was also the risk of something going wrong with Benkei’s idea. Kane had stood with his decision, crossing his arms. ”I understand Benkei. We’re all worried about The Oracle! We can’t act rashly though! That storm is too much!” Tobias had placed his hand on Benkei’s shoulder, ”I agree with Kane. Please Benkei, heed the warning.”

Nir, however, seemed conflicted. Benkei had brought up The Oracle and all he could do was worry. He lowered his head, gritting his teeth. As much as he wanted to side with Benkei, and have him take the lightning, he knew that one mistake would set them back further than just waiting for the storm to pass. Everything they had done to get here would all be for naught. ”Benkei....Just....Just sit this one out....We’ll make a landing and wait...”

Outside, Stella and Kira had been watching the storm from the railing. The thunders had resonated for miles, with dark stormy clouds beginning to cast shadow over the land. ”Oh my...I hope we’re not flying into that.” Winds had picked up, causing some turbulence. ”Okay, now this is scary!” Kira said, looking over the railing. Van remained by the mast, watching the storm in the distance.

As benkei was denied he became upset and walked away brushing off Tobias hand "I'm not a weakling I can do this but if everyone is against it I won't push it any further ". Benkei would go back to the group and decided to take care of the girls since they seem afraid of the storm "my ladies this storm bothers you? But my lightning attacks do not ? ". He would laugh a bit then look at kuro and van "do you know how far we are from our intended target? Or even what is the nearest town from here ?"

Tobias’ hand had slid off Benkei’s shoulder. Benkei would not accept no as an answer. ”Benkei...” Kane had turned to face the window, ”Leave him. I’m sure he’ll realize why we’re doing this sooner or later.” Nir had sighed, resting his head on the control panel. ”I hope we’re doing the right thing Kane...Maybe we should have trusted him.” Nir said. Tobias stroked his beard, turning to Nir. ”Perhaps. After all, Benkei is a very powerful warrior.” Kane had smirked, ”Yeah, he is, but he’s not disciplined enough, nor is he able to control the storm.” Kane grasped onto the lever, pulling it, making preparations for landing.

Outside, the girls continued watching the storm. The gusts were getting much stronger. Stella had taken notice of Benkei stepping out of the cockpit. ”It’s Benkei!” Kira had turned to face him, ”Hey! At least we know your lightning isn’t going to harm us! But this!!!” Lightning flashed once more, with rain drops beginning to fall. Van had remained seated, turning to Benkei. ”I have no clue where we are.” The airship would begin descended, shaking from the gusts.

Benkei laughed a bit at the girls but sighed as van or kuro were no help "great sorry for bothering you" . Benkei could hear the bickering in the cockpit as the storm came closer to them "guess they are landing the ship before we get caught In this storm , the last thing we want is more trouble heading our way". All of this was putting benkei in a bad mood and it was clearly affecting benkei, it wasn't like benkei was trying to hide his feelings on the situation anyway.

Virgil, Anna and Koji have finally returned to Randall's house. In the moment they had been speaking with Claudette, she'd redirect them to the basement where the others were. As the three made their way down the stairs, Remi and Biggs had been running through books; meanwhile, Shinji had been leaning back in a chair, slightly tilted.

"This place is pretty amazing." Virgil said as he looked in awe at the massive library. Anna too was at a loss of words. Shinji was the first to notice the three. "You guys come back and you're excited about an old dusty old library." Shinji got annoyed at this. "Just when things almost was fun." He'd walk off as Remi and Biggs would then address Virgil, Anna and Koji. "KOJI!" Biggs squatted down for Koji to run at him. He had his arms held out wide so that Koji could embrace him. "Glad to see you guys are alright." Biggs would mention after picking the wolf pup up. Koji would continuously lick at his face. "Well we had some issues getting back but, we made it ok."

Remi had just then placed a book in Virgil's face. "Hmm? What's this?" The young man was confused. "It's what we've been looking for." Remi had a big smile on her face. "Wait... You mean..." Virgil's face had light up slowly as Remi would nod her head. "You bet! It's the formula for the vaccine for Shinji and Yuri!" "That's great news!!" Virgil had gotten excited and faced Anna. He'd hold his hand out to her, open palm. She would smile giving him a high five back! However, for some reason, Virgil had just  switched his face up. He became confused again. "Wait so if you guys found the cure, then why's he complaining?" Remi had given a sigh. "That one didn't do a single thing to help but complain. He says it's because it's a library and libraries are boring..." Remi would then lower her voice, whispering to Anna and Virgil. "I think it's because he can't read." Virgil and Anna would start to chuckle a bit. This had caught Shinji's ear. "I heard that!!!"

After some time... Remi had laid out on a table back upstairs, an open book. "Alright, listen up you guys." Virgil and the others would surround the table. Lloyd and Yuri were also present at the table. It almost seemed like a strategy meeting. In a sense it was. They were about to discuss the jobs each individual would have to do, in order to gather the materials needed. "Alright so, There are quite a bit of ingredients that we need in order to make the vaccine. Time is of the essence so we'll split up to gather what we need. Luckily, everything we need is right here in town." Remi had then gotten out five pieces of paper, writing on each one of them. After finishing writing, she'd slap the papers in front of Anna, Biggs, Shinji and Virgil respectively.

"We'll need to go out and collect them quickly. Anna." The little girl would jump up, giving Remi her attention. "Y- yes!?" "You'll be responsible for going to the church here in town. There you'll need to speak with the grand priest for holy water." Anna would nod her head in agreement. "Biggs!" "Yes!" Biggs would answer her quickly. "You'll need to go out into the town market. You should be looking for aloe, cassia, frankincense, galbanum, myrrh and onycha." A bead of sweat had gone down the side of Bigg's cheek. It was due to the fact that he had no idea what some of these things even where. "Ummm... ok.." "Good. Now as for you Shinji. You'll need to go outside the town and into the forest. You'll need to get cypress, cedarwood, hysopp and myrtle." Shinji looked irritated. "I don't even know what any of those things are!" Remi had pointed to another book that was on the table. "I know you're kinda slow so there's a picture book for you. Use it." Shinji looked annoyed. "And now for you Virgil." Virgil had looked up to Rremi. he could tell in the tone of her voice it was something serious. "You'll have the most important task and the hardest one yet." There was a long pause. The air in the room changed. Tension was growing. "You'll need to get the blood of a high class demon." Virgil's eyes had widened.

There was a look of shock on everyone's face. Lloyd had even stepped up. "How the heck are you gonna find a high class demon in this place!? And you have to do it alone!? That is so dangerous and reckless." Virgil had turned to Lloyd and smiled. "It's ok. I'll make it happen. For both Shinji and Yuri." The young man had a very dependable presence. "Alright people, we're wasting time here. I'm staying here to gather the tools we'll need to blend this all together." Biggs had showed his excitement through facial expressions. Shinji hadn't really shown much. While Virgil and Anna smiled at each other. Lloyd had tears of joy as Yuri had held the crying old man. The group had then left Randall's house to secure the ingredients.

The young group had just scattered throughout Merriwreathe. With the tasks at hand, they would find the necessary ingredients for the vaccine. While the others had gone, Remi would take the time to set things up. Her preparations and execution of the mixture of these ingredients is key. Without the proper techniques and methods, the vaccine would not serve its purpose.

Biggs has entered the clan in square of Merriwreathe. There he had found himself overwhelmed with the number of shops around. It was a much tougher task than anticipated. He’d think to himself scratching his head, “how the heck am I gonna find any of these??” There was a lot of pressure on the young man. The ingredients he needed were not in any way shape or form easy to acquire. Biggs would make his way through the streets. He’d peer over at the shops and stand but none of them seemed to sell what he was looking for. With the many failed attempts it would seem very discouraging.

Shinji on the other hand had been having the time of his life. He had been cutting down trees with ease. Truthfully, he was cutting much more than need and even trees that weren’t needed. The warrior would wipe his sweat off from his forehead. He was breathing heavy. The strenuous actions he had been performing had taken quite a toll on his body. “Dammit! My body still isn’t in good shape...” He was angry with himself. He knew he wasn’t at 100% yet. Forcing his body would do him no good. Eventually, Shinji would drop to a knee, holding his sides. On his face, it looked as if he had been undergoing some extreme pain. There was still various material he would need.

Like Shinji, Virgil has also stepped out of the city. He had gone to a nearby cave where he could work uninterrupted. Inside, it was dark and cold. Water had been dripping down from the stalactites on the ceiling. It was very rough looking in the inside. Virgil had no longer been wearing his shirt. The bandages around the demonic arm had also been removed. The look of the arm had a dark color to it. The razor sharp claws he now possessed looked terrifying. There was also a very profound physique to the arm. It was definitely larger in size, compared to his right side. Multiple scars and wounds were surrounding his body.  beads of sweat had been dripping down his face and body.

Virgil was breathing very heavy. He’d look to his demonic arm. In a fit of rage, he’d take a knife in his opposite hand, screaming at the top of his lungs. The young man would slam the knife down towards the demonic arm. This violent act had been thwarted easily. Tendrils of darkness had intercepted and knocked away the knife. This process had been repeated constantly throughout the duration Virgil had first entered the cave. He’d grit his teeth in frustration. This task truly was near impossible. The demonic arm itself had been trying to protect itself.

As for the young Anna, she had just been entering the church with Koji. It was massive! The architecture was truly magnificent. As well as the murals and walls, the tapestries too! It truly was a place of reverence.

The young girl had been walking across the red carpet along with the wolf pup. She had been in awe with the place. Some meme era of the church had waved to her, greeting her. It was a bit awkward for her but she would also wave back to them, saying hello. Actually, this is the first time Anna had been tasked to do something this big all in her own. Luckily, Koji was with her so it wasn’t as bad as if she were alone.

Finally, she’d reach the Altair where an older man wearing white robes and a white hat with a cross on it, had stood. The older man had peered over to Anna and Koji. “My my. You two seem to both be very young. What brings you to this cathedral?” He had seemed a bit intimidating to Anna. She was taken back a bit. “I.. I.. I.. need.. h- holy water!” With her extreme nervousness around others, she’d attempt at speaking to the man. Finally getting it out, Anna had buried her chin to her chest. Koji has brushed your on her leg in order to relax her nerves. This act had work as the little girl had eased her tense body.

“Holy water you say? That is not a problem. We at the cathedral would gladly offer our services.” The older man had lowered his head just a bit. It looked as if he were lightly bowing to Anna. The little girl’s face had lit up in excitement. “So long as you can provide thirty gold stals, you may have the holy water.” As the old man said this, Anna’s face grew pale. “Thir- thirty gold stals...” She had looked defeated. “I do apologize little girl. Holy water isn’t exactly easy to come across even for men and women of the cloth.” The older man had a slight disappointed look himself. “The Holy water is to save my friends! Please won’t you let me have it at a lower price!” Her timidness has faded as she spoke on behalf of Shinji and Yuri. The older man had sighed. “I do apologize but even if you’re friends are in trouble, we must still collect a payment. There are no true fundings for the cathedral. Offerings and services are what keep us afloat. If we were to give out discounts to one, more and more would come seeking our generosity.”

Anna was extremely upset that she had to be turned away from her biggest task yet. Unfortunately, the group did not have that kind of money. She would have to return to Randall’s house. The little girl and wolf pup would then leave the cathedral and walk through the city of Merriwreathe.

Back in the Merriwreathe cottage, Randall was found sitting on the couch in the living room. Both Yuri and Lloyd were present with him. He had been sipping on tea, staring at the clock here and then. He’d eventually come to look at Lloyd and Yuri, trying to avoid any awkward silence with a little icebreaker. “So, how old are you Yuri?” He asked. In the back, Claudette had continued attending to Ms. Riviera, who had been tossing and turning in her sleep. She slid her hand over Ms. Riviera before standing up and heading to Remi, where she’d find her prepping for the cure. “How sure are you that this is going to work?” She asked Remi.

Meanwhile, in the inner city, where young Anna had been walking with Koji, she had come across a familiar voice. “For those in the city, the church is supposed to be a beacon of hope....” Said the voice, belonging to a young boy. The voice had came from behind Anna, and upon turning around, she’d see a small figure clad in a white cloak. “Yet, here you are Anna, turned away. Your hope to save your friends dwindling into seeds of despair.” The figure had slowly removed their hood, revealing themselves to be Zid. “It’s a shame that he couldn’t be generous enough to spare some of that holy water. Fortunately for you...” The boy slowly slid his other hand down the sleeve, showing Anna a vial of holy water. “...I’m a friend...and friend’s are generous...”

In the outskirts of Merriwreathe, there was a trio traveling towards the city. They were all cloaked, hood raised above their heads. One of the figures was leading the other two. They’d come to a stop at a large rock, which was rested on the path to Merriwreathe. “So, this is where she is huh?” Asked a man, sounding a bit raspy. “Must be.” Answered a female. “The child is within our grasp. For now, we wait for the most opportune moment.” The man leading the other two said, his voice much deeper than the other two.

As the little girl and wolf pup made their way, a voice was heard. It was familiar to them. For the little girl, a bead of sweat broke down the side of her face. She was quite nervous. Slowly turning around, the person had soon removed their hood revealing themselves. It was Zid! He had followed the group all the way from Poshielle.

“Wha- what are you doing here!?” Anna would shout. Zid has explained that he was truly a friend to her. He’d even prey on the fact that her friends did need the help. Zid had even pointed out the neglect from the church. Without being able to pay for the Holy Water, anyone would be turned away. It is very unfortunate that the church of all things would turn someone away. The prestige of the church would leave many to believe they will extend a helping hand whenever one is in need.

Nonetheless, Zid had insisted Anna to trust in him that he is a friend. The young boy would draw from his robes a vial of Holy Water. This definitely caught Anna’s attention! “Is that... Holy Water!?” She’d question.

Randall has broken the silence within the room. He’d first ask Yuri how old she was. The sickly little girl had faced Randall. Her blank expression would put a damper on anyone’s day. Truthfully, without Anna and Koji even Shinji around, she felt no one could even begin to understand her. The pain she would constantly feel, eating at her. That wasn’t even what bothered her the most. It was the fact that her grandfather is using up the remaining few years of his life left to save a dying little girl.

Finally after an awkward silence, she spoke but not before coughing first. “Im 9.” She says. Remi on the other hand had continued setting up the station. Claudette has appeared before her, asking how sure she was that this vaccine would even work. Remi has turned to Claudette and smiled. “Of course it’ll work. Ms, Riviera taught me everything I know about medicines and curses. I’m still not anywhere as good as her but she’s definitely the best ever. Her knowledge is here, in this book and I will do everything in my power to learn from it.”

Zid smiled, raising the holy water to his face. “This here? Yeah! It’s holy water.” The boy slowly reached out, holding the vial out to Anna. “Here, it’s yours now.” He expected the young girl to take it from him. “I promise you that I’m here to help you Anna.”

Back in the cottage, after a moment of awkward silence, Randall had finally gotten an answer from Yuri. The young girl was out of it, a blankless expression plastered on her face. She also seemed to be sickly, responding after a cough. Randall found it hard to watch. “Nine huh? That’s the same age as our—well, would have been.” He lowered his eyes before looking back at Yuri. “Hey, do you like toys?” It was clear that Randall was doing everything possible to help Yuri feel comfortable in the cottage, especially with Anna being gone.

Claudette continued to speak with Remi in the other room. She watched her prepare the cure, waiting on the others to return with their ingredients. “It’s amazing how many people Ms. Riviera knows.” She smiled. “She’s well known in Merriwreathe. There isn’t a single person I could think of that doesn’t appreciate what she’s done here.” Her smile had slowly faded. “Yet, we haven’t had a single person visit her...”

As benkei sat with everyone waiting for the storm to pass it was silent at first but benkei sigh breaking it "back at the temple we are trained and taught the oracle is the protector of life and freedom, her visions are a gift and for some are absolute but most importantly we are taught to give our all to her and protect her from evils beyond this world of possiblity". Benkei looked at the girls especially because they were close to the oracle "I was told to protect her from evils way beyond duran but they didn't just kidnap her for some political reason ,no no way it's for that because they obviously need her for something more sinister so this reaches beyond at that point but my question to you is simple, why does duran hate Galatians and galatia? What purpose do they have doing what they do? ". Benkei looked at everyone in the room now " people do not just do something without cause but for a single purpose so why is galatia a major target what happened in the before time ?".

For Nir, Kane and company, the storm had made their passage extremely dangerous. They were forced to land and wait it out. Most of them had gathered in the cockpit station, with the only one missing being Kira. She had decided to rest in the lower deck. There was a downpour outside with flashes of lightning. Fortunately for the group, the inside had been lit with four lanterns.

Benkei had been asking questions, specifically pertaining to The Oracle’s capture and the reason to it. Kane had been smoking his cigar, sitting in his chair. ”Truth be told Benkei, I’m not sure why they did it. All I know is that we’re losing time.” Tobias had stroked his beard, turning to Nir and Stella, who were standing in the corner of the room. ”Duran has always remained out of the affairs of the rest of the world. They despise the other kingdoms, but most of all, they have an intense hatred for magic and anything related to it.” He turned back to Benkei. ”If you haven’t noticed my boy, they don’t use magic.”

Van had remained quiet, standing against the wall with his arms crossed. ”Between Cordova and Duran, Duran’s the lowest of the low.” Kane smirked, ”You’ve got that right.” He inhaled deeply, blowing smoke out. ”My guess is they’re going to use her for something horrible. Maybe they’ll even declare war against the world now. Unless we stop them.”

Benkei listen to everyone and agree time was slim "yea we are behind but also you again raise my point,you can not out right hate something without cause and in my eyes it would seem jealously has corrupted these people when it comes to magic or a deep hate in history". Benkei would look at van as he mentioned cordova "don't they deal in major black market deals and slave trade ,they sell to the highest bidder or am I wrong ?"

There was silence for a moment. Tobias had been wondering the same as Benkei. Why would Duran suddenly take action, and what fueled their hatred? ”Quite a mystery my boy...” Kane had sighed, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. ”Listen, no matter why they hate us, we’re going to beat those bastards and get your Oracle back.” Tobias smiled, ”Right!” Benkei had then touched up on another empire that had their influence in Galea. They were Cordova. Van had closed his eye, ”Hmph. Cordova’s always getting involved in everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re doing that.” Tobias had stroked his beard, ”Well I’m not sure Benkei. Cordova takes it upon themselves to govern the Galean world. You will indeed see their influence in a lot of places. Other kingdoms lay outside of their jurisdiction, however.”

On the other side of the room, in the corner, Nir continued speaking with Stella. ”I just don’t know Stella. I’m beginning to lose hope. With all of the problems we’ve encountered, and now this storm, is this a sign?” Stella had sighed before opening her arms to hug Nir, pulling him close into her. ”Nir, we’ve been together for a long time, the three of us. Persephone is a strong woman now. We’ve all been through a lot, and never have we remained in defeat. She’ll be okay, and we will find her. Sometimes the God of Light works in mysterious ways, but I believe that we’ll find her.”

Somewhere far off...

In the darkness of the cell, Persephone had remained staring at the bars. The sound of thunder resonated throughout the entire prison, with torrential rain pouring outside. Each time thunder clapped, Persphone had jumped, looking up at the barred window. “Hey.” A voice said from across the jail. ”Hm?” Persephone had looked into the darkness across from her, only able to make out two glowing yellow eyes. “Don’t be afraid.” The voice said. ”Are you, a prisoner too?” There was no response in the darkness, just the sound of the doors opening up to the jail. “Today’s your lucky day witch! You were supposed to be transported today, but this damn storm is unlike any we’ve seen! Consider yourself lucky!”

Benkei looked at Tobias who said cordova wants to govern the world and spread influence "hmm what better way then to sell evil to gather influence and spread but duran is something else, that's the last of our worries". Benkei sighed "this storm needs to pass and we need to get a move on,we can not afford to lose her ". Benkei looked out the window seeing the violent winds and lightning shooting about "I wish I could control the wind somehow like that and redirect everything " benkei wanted to master the very elements of the earth to change fate and their predicament.

Kane had continued smoking, watching the flashes outside of the command station’s windows. ”Yeah Benkei, Cordova is the last of our worries. We’ll try to avoid them as much as we can.” Tobias nodded a few times in agreement. ”Yes, like we did Tanyuk.” Van had scoffed, ”If we didn’t, we would have just had dead Cordova officers...” Tobias quickly looked to Van, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his head. ”We don’t always have to resort to violence my boy.”

While the two exchanged looks, Benkei had walked over to the window, commenting on gaining power to control the weather. This had brought forth a chuckle from Kane, who’d turn to Benkei. ”Benkei, you already have two elements! It’s EXTREMELY rare to have three!” The other two looked to Benkei before turning to Stella and Nir, who were walking towards them. ”Don’t worry Benkei, we’ll wait out the storm. The..” He turned to Stella before looking to Benkei and the others, ”...The God of Light works in mysterious ways. This storm may be helping us, and we may not even know it.”

”Well said my boy! Well said!” Tobias said, clapping his hands. ”We’ll get her my friends! I believe it fully!” Kane smirked, smoking the cigar. Van had remained quiet, his arms still crossed. ”We’ll conserve our fuel by waiting out the storm. Once it passes, we’ll be right back on track!” Stella said with a smile. ”I’m so excited!” The older man was ecstatic, smiling widely. There was then a loud boom from the thunder, rattling the airship. It startled Tobias, causing him to jump. ”Goodness!!! I should go check on Kira!” He said, making his way for the door. ”I’ll join you Tobias!” Stella said, following him out in the powerful wind and rain.

Benkei laughed a bit at Kane comment about elements"yes I have two but it wouldn't hurt to cover my basis ". Benkei looked at his hands "it normal for someone to have just one element and extremely rare for a person to have two but no one has seen someone with more than that and even if they did all that power would probably kill the user ". Benkei looked outside as the storm raged out "we all have a stake in this whether you believe it or not we all have something to lose but in kane's case beautiful young single maidens would be slaughtered and imprisoned without the chance to even meet the great man known as Kane ". Benkei would laugh and sit by nir "you have more to lose than me, I am only following my beliefs and training as well as my resolve to be the right hand but you there's something more isn't there ...the three of you ". Some time would finally pass as the storm would continue to rage on and everyone tended to themselves

Anna had looked to Zid, who had held out the Holy Water for her to take. She was in such confusion. "After everything that happened... In Poshielle..." Her body began to tense up. This would alert Koji. The wolf pup was now on the aggressive. He'd sit and wait for Zid's move.

Randall had broken the awkward silence between him and Yuri. he could tell the little girl was upset. To the best of his ability he tried to get her to smile, if even only a little. Randall had gone on about what would seem like he had a child of his own. He'd stop himself short and instead asked if Yuri had any interest in toys. This would catch her attention. Suddenly, her gloomy face had brightened a bit. She'd look to the older man. "Toys?" She replied.

"It's only natural she'd know many people." Remi was smiling as she talked about Ms. Riviera. Claudette was also astounded by the amount of people she'd know. "She has traveled the world with our master. Together, they have done so much for this world..." The smile had suddenly vanished. As Remi continued setting things up, it was noticeable her body language. Her body was tense. She was shaking, trembling even. The situation with Ms. Riviera had weighed on her heavily. For Remi as well as the others, Ms. Riviera meant more to them that words could never describe.

Claudette watched Remi, “Your master?” She asked, a bit curious to know of their identity. “Who is your master?”

Meanwhile, with Anna, Zid stood there, looking to Koji, who had become a little more defensive of the little girl. “What happened in Poshielle Anna, it was in the past. Together, we can save your friends.” He had looked back at Anna, offering a warm smile while once again waving the holy water. “This holy water is the only thing that can help you Anna. Without it, they may die. We both know this to be true...”

Back in the Merriwreathe home, Randall had caught onto Yuri’s interest in the toys. He’d quickly stand up, “Yes, give me a second Yuri! I’ll be right back!” He quickly made his way to his room, rummaging through a large box. Randall had come to stop, slowly raising a stuffed doll from the box and looking at it. He brought it close to him, before closing the box and heading back to Yuri. “Yuri...” Randall said as he walked back into the living room. “This was my daughter’s. Her name is Salda...” Randall walked over to Yuri, reaching out with the doll in his hand. “She used to watch over my daughter, like a close friend, helping her during her times of need....When we couldn’t. I feel like she could help you too...”

There was a prallel between Randall and Zid, as they both faced Yuri and Anna respectively. The two continuing to hold their own items they had to offer “...So please....Take it...” They both said simultaneously.

Zid had become a bit more aggressive in his approach to Anna. He'd continued to urge for her to trust him. The young girl was conflicted until something clicked. During their encounters, she never once mentioned her sickly friends. How is it that Zid knew exactly what she needed? There is only one explanation for that! Anna had slowly taken a step back. She'd gulp nervously. Still with indecisiveness, she'd finally get a word out. "H- how is it that you know... How do you know that my friends are sick?" Anna began breathing heavy. She knew of only one possible reason. Zid must have been watching the group for some time. She didn't want to believe it to be true. The little girl wanted to trust in the boy. Deep down she knew that they could never be friends.

Yuri had patiently waited for Randall to return. With him, he'd carry a stuffed doll. It resembled an armored clad woman. The silver armor plates all round her body was tailored well. It fit her chainmail undergarments and dark blue clothing even better. Yuri was mesmerized. Randall could see how much she liked the doll. He would then proceed in telling her, the doll had belonged to his daughter Salda. The young Yuri had been inspecting the doll closely. After hearing Randall talk about his daughter, she had refocused on Randall. "Why did she leave her behind?" The little girl would ask in curiosity.

As for Remi, she had been asked by Claudette, who her master was. Her face was bright once again. She'd look to the older woman. "Our master is someone who does everything he can for the people of this world. Regardless of race, background, shape or size, he smartest and most generous man I've ever known." Remi had gotten up from her seat. "We call him Master Nos but the rest of the world calls him, The Prophet... Nostradamus."

Zid’s cover had been blown. How reckless of him to do so, considering the importance of his task. But there was a confliction there. Yes, he was working for his master, but there was truly a genuine feeling for Anna. Perhaps that was what had made him careless in his words. “...Anna...I...” He couldn’t get out the words he wanted to. For he knew, as much as he wanted to be her friend, it just wasn’t possible. “Take her boy.” Said a voice in Zid’s head. “...Yes...” He uttered under his breath, looking at Anna and quickly making a move towards her. He’d reach out to grab her by her garment.

Back in the Merriwreathe home, Randall was pleased to see that Yuri liked the doll. He had sat back down, smiling. But then she asked a question. A question that had made Randall think deeply upon his choice of words, considering the somewhat similar situation. “Salda was a good girl Yuri. She did everything she could for her doll, whom she held dear to her. Sometimes..Sometimes you—“ He turned to Lloyd. “Sometimes you have to go do something important, and have to leave those you love behind. It’s only temporary, I know Salda and I will meet again one day. So you go ahead and take her.” He slowly managed to smile, his emotion eating up inside.

Claudette had widened her eyes, “What!? THE PROPHET NOSTRADAMUS!? No way!!! I’ve heard legends of him!” She slowly turned her body, looking down at the ground. “That’s incredible Remi....To think that Ms. Riviera has ties to one of The Seer’s Circle!”

In the moment Zid had realized his slip up, a voice had told the boy to take Anna. With slight hesitation, the boy conceded. He'd take the time to attempt to capture Anna. The little girl was in shock and couldn't make a move. As he'd reach for her garments, Koji had appeared from the side. The wolf pup would latch onto Zid's arm, going for Anna. The area wasn't very crowded but in the alleyway, a man had been watching the scene.

Yuri couldn't possibly begin to understand what Randall was saying. She just took it as Salda grew up and ventured off on her own. Overall, Randall was successful in keeping the little girl in the dark about Salda's true whereabouts. Of course, fooling a child is no hard task, Lloyd however knew something wasn't right.  He'd look to Randall in suspicion.

It had seem that Claudette even knew of the man known as Nostradamus. A legendary man he is. His efforts and accomplishments have been reverbed throughout the entire world. There isn't many who would not know of The Prophet. What's more, the mention of the Seer's Circle. This group of six are also well known. They are people with great power, recognized by the world's most powerful empires. Together, they were tasked with watching over the land of Galea. Each member of the Seer's Circle are to watch over the six great continents. Galatia happens to be apart of the (world leaders) to consider these six of the Seer's Circle.

Zid’s reach had been cut short, with Koji intercepting her path. The wolf pup had bit onto Zid’s sleeve, causing Zid to quickly swing his arm, ripping the sleeve, but ultimately sending the wolf pup off. “Dang it!” Zid said, quickly moving towards Anna for another attempt at grabbing a hold of her. “Please, don’t make this difficult Anna!” He said.

The entire time this had been going on in the alleyway, the others were back at the cottage. Yuri didn’t understand what Randall was saying, but she was only a child. There was much that she wouldn’t understand. Randall had looked to Lloyd, “Do you want anything to drink? Some water or tea?” He asked, forgetting to offer hospitality.

Claudette had continued speaking with Remi, learning about Nostradamus and his ties with The World Leaders. “Tell me Remi, is he truly amazing? Does he live up to the reputation?” She sat there for a second, “Do you think he could help Ms. Riviera???” Claudette did not mean to overwhelm Remi with such questions, but it was natural for her to look for a solution to a problem she could solve. Learning of their association to the seer was her only hope of trying to help her mentor.

Zid had been caught by the wolf pup. He'd swing his arm, throwing the wolf pup across the street. This would now leave Anna helpless. Zid had once again attempted to capture Anna. Fortunately enough, his approach was halted. Anna had a look of shock on her face as well. It was the same man from earlier that bumped into both her and Virgil. He had grabbed Zid by the wrist, preventing him from grabbing Anna. "I don't know what's going on but, what I do know is that if a lady doesn't the approach of a man then he should stop there!"