The wyervia was silent save for the hum of its magic-powered generators.  Even the pilot had picked up on the mood and had said little more after his first attempts at conversation had been rebuffed.  Team Blonde were silently watching Lethe in their own ways.  She had emerged from the third library last night white as a sheet.  She had wanted to leave<span style="font-style: italic">right away</span>and it had only been Lady Orphelia that had kept them from running off at eleven at night.<br/><br/>Instead, it was nine in the morning and they were on a Wyervia towards Bryn.  Lethe hadn’t explained why they were headed to the port town.  She’d just ordered the Wyervia captain there and then sat back to stew on whatever she’d found.  From the way she was staring in the distance, they could only guess it wasn’t pleasant.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>It had taken another day and a half but finally the answer was in front of her.  A day and a half of frantically sketching every seal array she could think of and then some; of desperately recalling every memory of that one month of the Rising; and of wretchedly referencing maps, praying her suspicion was wrong.<br/><br/>But it wasn’t.<br/><br/>She stared at the drawing in front of her in growing anguish.  Perhaps she should have steeled herself against the possibility when that first thought had come—but really, who would be so—Eve.  Of course.  Of course, Eve would be so callous.  One fingertip lightly trailed the lines she’d drawn all over Palaugrim.  It made sense.  Terrible, terrible sense.<br/><br/>Involuntarily, her head bowed against the first tendrils of despair that reached out to her.  The War had returned.  Logically she’d known it since Eve first appeared but there was a difference between knowing and <span style="font-style: italic">knowing</span> it.  Fighting demons, learning that Reapers had once been her comrades-in-arms—as terrible as they were, they were nothing before the callous calculation she could see written before her.<br/><br/>Countless lives had been measured and found insufficient.<br/><br/>When she opened her eyes, all she could see was the map of Palaugrim with its supporting seal array on top.  Red and blue marks illuminated the crucial junctures, revealing a horrifying story of an island teetering on the brink of..<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">falling</span>.<br/><br/>There were only four of them left!  Even if Palaugrim was smaller or Tethel was overrun by Sin, each of them were precious.  This was all they had left, all that remained after the War: this land and its people.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Oh Divine Light, protect us.  Guide me to the strength I need to overcome this.</span><br/><br/>The prayer and a fortifying breath were all she allowed herself before Lethe recollected herself.  There was no time for such histrionics.  There was work to be done.</div></blockquote><br/><br/>“We will be reaching our destination in about an hour’s time.  I repeat, we will be reaching our destination in about an hour’s time.”  The sudden announcement startled all from their preoccupations.  Valiar looked up from the armor he was polishing; YunQiao lowered his book.  Cricket and Leon both opened their eyes, seemingly having been napping.  The others also put aside what they’d been doing to focus on Lethe who had finally returned to the present.<br/><br/>She smiled awkwardly at them, no doubt just realizing how rude she’d been the entire morning with her silence.  “Good morning, Lethe.”  Adair spoke up, offering an end to the stalemate.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Good morning, Adair, everyone.  I apologize for my behavior today.”</span>The smile remained strained,<span style="color: silver"> “and the past few days..”</span>She paused as she debated the best way to explain the situation without revealing too much.  Island at stake or not, she couldn’t just<span style="font-style: italic">reveal</span>the existence of the seal array.<span style="color: silver">“I… have a suspicion that Bryn may be attacked.  I have no idea when, but,”</span>she paused to stress the conjunction,<span style="color: silver">“It is imperative that Bryn does not fall.”</span><br/><br/>There had been a few other possible locations that could be attacked, but they had not been easily defensible.  One anchor had been in what appeared to be a swamp according to the map; another critical support seal had been deep in rebel territory.  Somehow, they had lucked into one of the key seals being in Bryn.  If she recalled correctly, Guilford had seen the town properly barricaded and defended after Bryn’s death.  Would Eve attack there?  Who knew.  But with Palaugrim itself at stake, she couldn’t risk not going there.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “I know we can’t be there forever, but while we’re here on Palaugrim, I’d like to be stationed out of Bryn,”</span>even though she’d be haunted by the memory of what had happened there.<span style="color: silver">“In our spare time, we will be improving the defenses as much as we can.”</span>It was the best that she could do.  Even if she brought her findings to the Council’s attention, there was no way they’d let her stay there indefinitely.  It was important, but to permanently keep a Seraph and her squad there on a “distant maybe”?  Impossible.<br/><br/>But with Palaugrim itself at sake, she’d try her best while she was there.<br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/>So this is who Knight Brynhildr was. Fiona looked at the statue of the knight that was conveniently errected behind the one chapel of Light in Bryn. This was the first time she saw her image and the first thing that came to mind was a fierce knight. She was beautiful, and one look from the faces of the people with her was enough to say that she was cherished, loved even when she glanced at her current Vice Captain. As much as she wanted to offer her sympathy, there wasn't even a shred of connection between her and the fallen knight aside from the fact that they were both a member of Squad Eight.<br/><br/>Feeling herself out of place once more, Fiona offered a short prayer and silently fell out of the group. There wasn't more she could do there and staying simply felt awkward in a way. Finding herself out on the street once more, Fiona decided it would be best to spend her time walking around town to admire the sights, just until her group finishes their business. According to Joaquim, this town was formerly named Jenault; it was attacked and squad eight was the one who defended it, hence the personal attachment. Looking at the town now, it was only right to assume that Squad Eight did everything they could to keep this town from getting attacked again. With towering walls that now surround Bryn, watchtowers and a knight patrol, it was easy to see why this town had that sense of peace and security. Was it safe outside too? Fiona figured it would be nice to take a stroll. Walking towards the east gate, Fiona stopped before the knights on duty.<br/><br/>"Is it safe to go outside?" she asked one of the knights by the gate.<br/><br/>"Of course ma'am. Our patrols keep watch over a good distance around town so we have a perimeter secured. Just don't cross the river."<br/><br/>"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." she responded and waited for the gates to rise.<br/><br/>It was refreshing in some way, breathing in the air of Palaugrim that held a certain wild feel to it. She may not have been here much but she could feel herself being drawn to Palaugrim's uncanny charm. With much of her own thoughts to think about, Fiona kept walking, taking in the beauty of nature that surrounded her; it was easy to get lost in it. In the middle of her stroll however, she felt something within her crack. Dread instantly engulfed her being. She knew what cracked, she understood it more than anyone else. It was her ward that kept her hidden all these years from her past. Why did it crack now? Have they figured out the Seal Method she used to put up the ward? Looking around her frantically, Fiona tried to sense if the Guardians were already on her. It didn't take long for her to find out. She hated being right, for there she was...waiting.<br/><br/>“We meet again, Ms. la Riviere.” The guardian stood at ease, arms crossed at the small of her back. From here, the sun emblem that marked the Guardians was prominently on display although the rest of the distinctive red armor was shrouded by a brown cloak.<br/><br/>“How did you find me?” Fiona countered, taking a step back warily. Her hand instinctively lifted towards where her ward had been before she aborted the motion. Four other Guardians stood around her in a loose circle, preventing her from escaping. If she remembered correctly, another one to three Guardians would be somewhere nearby. She was outnumbered.<br/><br/>The lead Guardian ignored the demand, “The Elders have ordered your return to below. You will come with us, Ms. la Riviere.” It appeared the woman was no longer willing to even pretend at civility.<br/><br/>Fiona’s hand dropped to her sword in response, Nirvana slipping a few inches from its sheath. She had no desire to attack the Guardians but she had even less intention to comply. No, she was staying on the surface. She finally had a chance to make a change. There was no way she was going back!<br/><br/>The lead Guardian could clearly see the defiance pouring from her body if the scowl was any indication. “You don’t understand.” The woman hissed irritably, one armored hand lashing out. “Ms. la Riviere, it is not just for our safety or yours that you must return," she paused, putting on a grave expression. "Eve can use you to revive the God of Sin.” she finished<br/><br/>Fiona recoiled in shock. Whatever she had expected, that certainly hadn’t been it. She could be used…? How?<br/><br/>The female Guardian had anticipated her shock accordingly. She had initially planned to let her know once they get back underground, as a means to make Fiona want to stay willingly rather than revealing it now, but it can't be helped.<br/><br/>"Listen closely, Fiona la Riviere, what I'm about to tell you may sound ludicrous but I assure you, this is nothing but the truth." she began, taking a cautious step towards the wary knight. "The God of Sin used to be a Pure—like the rest of our lineage." The Guardian took a slow breath, carefully observing the knight's reaction. "You are aware that we hold ancient knowledge, said to be bestowed upon us by the Divine Light itself. One such knowledge had been violated by<span style="font-style: italic">him</span>," she stopped a few meters away from Fiona. "The Rite of Creation." She was confident that Fiona could deduce the rest on her own.<br/><br/>After hearing those words, Fiona looked helplessly at her hands. The Rite of Creation? The God of Sin was formerly a Pure? She... her blood. She squeezed her eyes together, remembering the taunting laugh that had accompanied Eve’s retreat. She’d always wondered why Eve had been laughing... and now she knew. The wound she’d gotten on her abdomen throbbed at the memory. Her careless strike had not only almost gotten her killed, it now could lead to the revival of the God of Sin. What an unfortunate blunder!<br/><br/>She’d always wanted to be a change in the world, just not this kind of change. Lost eyes came up to meet the Guardian's, as if asking for the right thing to do.<br/><br/>"You were found by us simply because the ward you used to hide yourself had weakened after having come in direct contact with such a malicious power. It was not that hard to follow through after that." she implied a slight hint of boast with her tone. "Now then, if you understand, I'm sure you'd be willing to—"<br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">Mistress! Above you!</span>"<br/><br/>Red eyes shot up at the warning, simultaneously noting the descending speck of darkness beneath the blue sky. With one swift motion, the Guardian pulled her chakram out from beneath her cloak and took a defensive stance, ready to block the incoming assault. A loud clash of steel followed by the grinding sound of metal against metal echoed in the air. The dark figure that had just made an appearance grinned devilishly while trying to drive her sword through the block of the Guardian that had fallen to one knee.<br/><br/>Fiona's eyes widened in terror. She had never seen this kind of opponent before but there was no mistaking it: this sensation, this oppressive pressure! She may not be able to feel any form of taint but the killing intent that reverberated throughout her being was enough evidence of the figure's affiliation. She immediately drew her sword, hearing a faint ringing from the blade as she pointed it at the dark figure. Fiona was about to lunge forward to help but stopped when she heard another yell from the other Guardians.<br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">More incoming!</span>"<br/><br/>There's more?! Alarmed at the knowledge, Fiona panned her vision around the once-peaceful-patch-of-land-turned-battlefield. There they were, the Guardians, engaged with the same shadowy figure their Mistress was currently fighting. Where did they come from? Why couldn't she sense anything?! Fighting instincts suddenly took over. Fiona ducked just in time to avoid an attack that was no doubt meant to knock her out. Pivoting with her right foot from the crouched stance, Fiona turned to face her attacker. Hollow eyes greeted her along with a sadistic smile from her attacker. They were female? Having noticed that the figure was well on her way to send another fist at her, Fiona jumped back to gain some much needed distance, and what little time it offered to collect herself.<br/><br/>She hadn't had enough time to take her stance when another figure rushed past her and settled in on her blind side. Fiona turned her head to her right and realized how little her window to react was. Skillfully bringing her sword to the right, Fiona positioned the blunt side of the blade to act as her shield from the incoming fist. She had braced herself for impact but her eyes widened as soon as she felt the force behind the punch. Their strength was abnormal! Feeling her feet slowly loose contact with the ground, Fiona soon found herself blown back the other way, only to be guided into the fist of another one of these things!<br/><br/>A loud thud followed by the sound of crinking armor after, Fiona found herself violently rolling away from the small cloud of dust that now covered the spot where she was sent flying. Several strands of her once neatly arranged hair had now fallen out of place.  There was blood dripping from her lips and she was in pain, grasping the cracked portion of her chest armor. Her vision blurred twice. Having taken such a ferocious attack, it was a surprise that she was still conscious. She should thank the Crests for their training should she survive this, or would she? Now that her attackers have slowed down their tempo, she had enough time to hear what was going on outside her own battle. Voices, cries of agony, the sound of defeat! No! It couldn't be! Fiona turned her gaze weakly towards the cries, there she saw the Guardians, falling one by one, defeated at the hands of their assailants. The Guardians were skilled yes, but what they have in skill, they lack in experience. This much was to be expected in an actual battle.<br/><br/>Was there anything she could do?! She took so much damage from just a single attack that she couldn't even channel her Light's Wrath when she needed it most! Pathetic! How could she be so pathetic?! Realizing that her attackers were once again upon her, Fiona mustered every bit of strength she could and crawled forward in an attempt to grab hold of Nirvana, the sword that she so clumsily dropped in her violent roll. Even knowing that what she was doing is a futile effort, it was the only thing she could think of. "C-Cap..tain..."<br/><br/>One of the dark figures grabbed her by the hair and lifted her head just enough so that she could see their smiling faces.<br/><br/>"Nighty-night little knight." it mocked and pulled back the same fist that injured her, poised to strike.<br/><br/>Fiona closed her eyes, anticipating the blow, and soon lost herself in darkness...