“Good job, Deimos!” Seraphim cheered, playfully knocking an elbow into the blonde Knight’s side.  He frowned but that was a normal response for the man.  “The only one to take Captain down!”<br/><br/>“She seemed especially brutal today.”  Leon added from the side with a despondent sigh.  “I don’t think I’ve had my butt handed to me that quickly since when I started training.”<br/><br/>The pink-haired woman laughed, “Well, yours was definitely a quick match.”  Her smile faded as she remembered the training session, “Although, so was mine.  Man, there’s such a gap between us and Lethe..”<br/><br/>“Well, she and Master Guilford are the only Seraphs for a reason.”  YunQiao pointed out in a failed attempt to make the other Knight feel better.<br/><br/>“Which makes Deimos’s achievement even more impressive, even taking into account the fact he was last.”<br/><br/>“Cricket put up a good fight too.”  The crossdresser shrugged.  He’d still been thoroughly outmatched.  Maybe it was time to start training more; Deimos had only been a Knight for one year longer than him, there was no reason the other could win against Captain and he couldn’t.  As if sensing the purple-haired Knight’s mood, Valiar pointed out helpfully, “At least you got her to use her Heavens Judgment.  She didn’t even bother with the rest of us.”<br/><br/>“Oh Lights, I don’t even want to imagine how embarrassing my match would have been if she’d been using them…” Seraphim groaned, hiding her face in her hands in shame.  Even YunQiao had put up a better fight than her!  She’d been the third worst and she had been on the team the longest.  Her nose scrunched up in disgust.  Only Leon and Valiar were worse than her: their newbie and their cleric.  How shameful…<br/><br/>“I wonder why she didn’t use her Heavens Judgment.. if she was really going all out, which it certainly felt like.”<br/><br/>“Because she couldn’t sustain it that long.”  Everyone paused at the words, their attention all on the no-longer-silent blonde.  Irritated yellow eyes flickered over the group.  There was no one else in the hallway, which is why he felt comfortable speaking in the ‘open’ about the issue.  “Her magic could only keep her swords out for that long.”  He looked over the now solemn group, shook his head at their blindness, and stalked away.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Two horses bearing cloaked figured galloped away from the Grand Cathedral.  They were headed eastwards along one of the major roads.  After twenty minutes of silent riding, one of the figures directed its horse off the road towards the cliff.  It was a vantage point travelers could use to rest and enjoy the view, but it was currently empty.  When she was sure they were alone, Lethe turned to look at her Vice Captain.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“What’s going on, Adair?”</span><br/><br/>Adair had known the question was coming, but it still didn’t make this upcoming conversation any easier.  He’d finally gotten Lethe smiling from her previous tiff and now he had more bad news for her.  “I requested an audience with Knight Hyuga from Team Guilford.  Those ‘Reapers’ that we saw on Palaugrim: they’re ex-Pristine Knights.”  There was the slightest widening of blue eyes to indicate surprise and then resolve fell into the face he was staring at.  “Given what we know from that soiree, I’m guessing that the Sinners have been taking Pristine Knights and somehow forcing them into Reapers.  Hyuga attempted to use some powered up version of Absolve to cleanse the Reaper but..”  He shrugged.  He didn’t know any more beyond what little had been said during the battle.  “Hyuga should be able to tell us more.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Do any of the others know?”</span><br/><br/>“I don’t know if he’s told his squad, but the blonde from Team Guilford was also there.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Alright.”</span>After a moment, Lethe directed her horse back towards the road.<span style="color: silver">“Good job, Adair.  Let’s see what Hyuga has to say.”</span><br/><br/>They raced down the trail and soon reached the town at the bottom of the cliff.  A cheerful “Welcome to Xedia” sign greeted them though they paid it no mind.  When they reached the address given to them, they found a cozy two story house.  The door was opened by an older woman, Hyuga’s mother?  She frowned at the sight of two cloaked figures on her doorstep, but invited them in when the disguises were pulled aside enough to reveal Faiths.  Her son had mentioned he was expecting guests, but she had been expecting members of his squad, not two shrouded Knights.  “Hyuga is in his room.  Up the stairs, second door on the right.”  She offered before going back to the living room with a final curious look.  Having a son on the famous Master Guilford’s squad had meant she’d learned to cope with secrets.  With a sigh, she took a seat and opened her book once more.<br/><br/>Hyuga had the door open before Adair and Lethe even reached his room.  He had heard the horses at the gates and the knocks on the front door and was eager to finally get everything off his chest.  “Thank you for coming so quickly!”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “No, thank <span style="font-style: italic">you</span> for taking the time to meet with us.”</span>Lethe offered before lifting a hand to indicate the black-haired Knight should wait a moment.<span style="color: silver">“Excuse me for my rudeness. Adair, support me?”</span>She took her companion’s hand and drew upon his holy magic, her finger tracing the runes for privacy in the air.  Her reserves were still lower than she was comfortable with drawing upon for non-dire reasons.  When runes for confidentiality glowed on the walls, she let her hands drop to her side.<span style="color: silver">“Adair has briefed me on what little he knows about the Reapers.  What else can you tell me, Knight Hyuga?”</span><br/><br/>Red eyes blinked at the words, Hyuga’s attention having been captured by the new runes he’d never seen before.  Oh, right!  The Reapers!  His face grew grim at the reminder of the topic.  “Ah, yes, the Reapers.  The Reapers appear to be corrupted Pristine Knights.  Captain Guilford noticed something off about them and ordered Natalia and I to use Vindicate, a stronger version of Absolve, on them.  We were able to isolate one and once Vindicate was cast, it revealed a dead man in standard Pristine Knight armor.  We attempted a second Vindicate but were interrupted when the white light..” Hyuga paused his retelling, finally remembering who his audience was and their role in producing the white light that had obliterated the second Reaper he had been trying to Vindicate.  “Ah… er… that is….”<br/><br/>The smile Captain Lethe gave him was completely fake.  Even with his less than stellar social skills, he could tell it was clearly meant more for his sake than hers.<span style="color: silver"> “It’s fine.  Is there anything else?”</span><br/><br/>“No.  I can’t figure out how they’ve forced the Pristine Knights into such a state.”  Hyuga was so happy to grasp the returned topic that he missed the look his two guests shared.  “But I’ve been experimenting with the ‘Crystallized Sin’ plant that we got after the fight in District Eight.  As I mentioned back then, I’ve been feeding it Holy Light and it appears to have been a successful conversion.  I was able to grind it down into a powder,” He pulled out a bottle of what looked like glowing sand and handed it over to Lethe.  “Without releasing a, hmm, light version of myself?”  What would a Holy Light version of himself look like?  He should try that experiment if he ever had access to another crystal!  Imagine if he and his Light version of himself could discuss?  His researching and brainstorming would be twice as effective!  Even more so because they’d be bouncing ideas back and forth!  He would make that a top priority with his next crystal!<br/><br/>Lethe examined the bottle curiously, turning it to her Vice Captain so he could see it too.  The missive had mentioned the plant had felt like a Faith, but the bottle in her hand felt like a weaker version of a Faith.  Perhaps it was weaker because the Holy Light was broken into such small pieces?  She tilted the bottle back and watched the sand slide down the container.<span style="color: silver">“Why powder form?”</span><br/><br/>Hyuga’s musings of everything he could accomplish with a twin of himself was cut off by sudden words.  “Normals!  I’m trying to think here!”  He snapped irritably, turning annoyed red eyes onto a surprised Lethe and Adair.  The Knight paled as he remembered he wasn’t with his squad.  Captain Guilford might allow such backtalk but Master Lethe was another story.  He opened his mouth to apologize when the Vice Captain simply sighed and shook his head.  “You were saying?”<br/><br/>“Powder form… oh! I thought we could use it to supplement Pristine Knights’ diets.  The additional holy magic will help defend them against Sin.  In light of what we now know about the tainted ones, I think the addition of the holy powder to Pristine Knights’ diets could help stop whatever the Sinners are using to force them into becoming.. tainted.”<br/><br/>Blue eyes narrowed on him in a manner eerily reminiscent to Captain Guilford’s.  Were Seraphs taught to glare in a certain way?<span style="color: silver">“And how did you plan to try this?”</span><br/><br/>“Well, we’d try it on some of the tainted ones.  As Vindicate appeared, from our one trial, to kill them.  I thought we might give them the Holy Powder and see if they are reverted to human form.”<br/><br/>“I assume you have some volunteer Reapers lined up for this plan?”  Red eyes glanced to the sarcastic Adair indignantly before remembering who the naysayer was.  Irritation at the clear disbelief warred with his manners.  The other Knight<span style="font-style: italic">was</span>a Vice Captain and outranked him.<br/><br/>“No.  But when the opportunity presents itself, I would like to try my hypothesis.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Do you mean to experiment on the Reapers?”</span>The flat tone warned him to tread warily.  Hyuga eyed the blank-faced Lethe cautiously.  “I would like your approval to… check the effectiveness of the Holy Powder on the tainted ones?”  He finally asked, choosing his words with care.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Rejected.”</span>There was no pause or hesitation, no time elapse that implied any thought on his request.  The ‘Dreamer’ looked down at the notes in his hand in response, irritated and unreasonably upset that his plans had been shot down so abruptly.  He had thought it was a good idea.. If they could save the tainted Knights..<br/><br/>Lethe stared at the dejected Knight in front of her, trying not to sigh.  The denial had slipped out before she could spin them in a better way.<span style="color: silver">“Knight Hyuga.”</span>When she was sure she had his attention, she continued.<span style="color: silver">“I’m sure you mean well, but I must reject your request.  You’re asking that I condone human experimentation.”</span>She held up a hand to stave his protests.<span style="color: silver">“Even if they have fallen or are tainted, they are still humans.  Not only that, but these.. ‘Reapers’ are our former brethren.  Former brothers in arms against Sin.  We have reason to believe that Sin’s forces are also performing human experimentation to turn the Pristine Knights into Reapers and other, normal humans into... something else.  It appears there is a thirty percent survival rate among the Pristine Knights who undergo this experimentation and this conversion process may include being forced to eat Sin crystals.”</span>Lethe watched as the other Knight’s eyes widened with her words.<span style="color: silver">“Not only are you asking me to allow already tortured men go through more questionable experiments, you plan to do the same thing the Sinners did in forcing them to eat powdered..”</span>She shook the bottle with the Holy Powder, knowing her reasoning was sinking into Hyuga as he slumped.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “I’m sorry.  The idea has potential and I know you have good intentions but…”</span>She trailed off, her attempt at reassuring him failing.  The three Knights sat around silently, each lost in their own thoughts.  Finally, Adair glanced out the window and spoke up at the sight of the setting sun.  “Is there anything else you wanted to share, Knight Hyuga?  I’m afraid we need to go.”<br/><br/>“Oh! No. I.. I haven’t told anyone else my findings yet.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Would you like me to discuss it with Guilford?”</span>Lethe offered kindly.  She still needed to discuss Councilor Laith’s words with her fellow Seraph as well.  Laith had implied that.. but it would be best to talk with Guilford directly first.  Perhaps the Councilor had been mistaken...  When Hyuga said nothing in response, she nodded and got to her feet.<span style="color: silver"> “I will speak with him when we get back from Palaugrim then.  It should be about six days.  I’ll leave him a message.  May I keep these?”</span>She lifted the notes Hyuga had given them earlier and the bottle of Holy Powder, tucking them away at the acquiescing nod.<span style="color: silver"> “Thank you for all of your hard work, Knight Hyuga.  If you have any other developments, please relay them to me immediately.  I’ll tell the scribes to put any messages from you as high priority.”</span>With a final bow, she and Adair left the house.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Go ahead and go home, Adair.  Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”</span><br/><br/>“I’m sorry it couldn’t be better news.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“It is what it is.”</span>Lethe assessed the rapidly falling sun.  It was already halfway below the horizon and would be completely gone from sight before they even returned to the Cathedral.  Her plans for going home tonight might not come to fruition.  Well, it was what it was.  She directed her horse back onto the road back to the Cathedral and took off at a gallop.  The world kept moving, and she had to move with it.