Faust cries out in pain, the burning liquid gargling from his mouth... he knew this was it.  How.. utterly frustrating that he got this far, only to be randomly killed by some sludge freak.  He was even disapointed Karogen would probably never learn of his betrayal.<br/><br/>In his mind, moments of his life began flashing through his mind.  When he first met Karogen, he had been violent-minded.  Faust had felt worried even being around him alone for long periods of time.  But how things had turned around...<br/>Faust's father had been the original founder of the S.E.M... it just didn't get anywhere until Karogen got ahold of it.  Faust remembered back to the first job he had taken from Alhanda's secret police... Murdering his own father.  It was much to his suprise that Karogen had been given half of his Father's belongings.<br/>While Faust had squandered away both his money, and the money he had been paid to kill his father, Karogen had caught a more public eye with the S.E.M., using his share for a more worthwhile cause.<br/>Finally, Faust had spent everything.  He learned that Karogen had gotten too much public attention with the S.E.M., and it wouldn't be as simple as the furs just offing him without a major outcry.  That's when he went back to the Secret Police- he could get money again by spying on Karogen.<br/><br/>Karogen.  Why did all of his final thoughts have to go back to that brat!!? That human that stole his father's love from him...!!  In a dying rage, Faust began slashing his claws into the beasts insides.  If he was going to die, he was at least going to make this thing unable to eat anyone else until it healed.  Over and over he plunges his claws into the beasts soft flesh, causing more of the searing acids to splash out, burning him.  His body was in pain... but he didn't care anymore.  He continued slashing, until he weared himself out, and even then, tried raking his claws against what little flesh he could pierce.  Finally, his body gave out, and he slumped, his vision begining to dim.  At least it didn't hurt anymore....<br/><br/>------------------------------------------<br/><br/>Sherra whispered to Feldana.  "It sounds like your Aunt is still alive.  We're gonna go save her from the badguys... We just have to figure out how to do it..."<br/><br/>Kitten frowned.  "Ma'am... honestly.  It would be much easier for Dreamer and myself to get in without you.  We were already mistooken for messengers once... heck, word might have spread that there was someone here to deliver a message already, who knows.  Besides... you should stay to take care of Feldana."<br/><br/>Sherra frowned, not liking the sound of it, but knowing he was right.  "Alright.. so what's yer plan?  Get as far as you can get without hurtin no one, and then start fightin?"<br/><br/>Kitten looked to the side.  "Actually... we might even be able to start some sort of civil war between the leader here and that Shark guy, if we play our cards right.  If he thinks we're Shark's messengers, and we come in, take Maeve, and cause a big ruccus, It'll have him mad at Shark. So.. even if we don't make it, it will disrupt the rebels activities here long enough, that pehaps Kazmer will have time to stop thier rebellion, then help us out here."<br/><br/>"Sounds good.. except the 'if you don't make it' part.  You're making it.  That's an order.  You haven't fufilled your life-bond duty yet, afterall..." She gave a sly grin to him, and he nodded.  She looked up in thought.  "I wonder if Kazmer's rebelion is anything like this... I hear they're not so kind to thier servants there, so it'd probably be worse, by my guess." Images filled her mind of horrible, scarred human slaves, more barbaric than Shark's gruop, ripping Lady Alhanda to shreds before eating her.<br/><br/>Kitten shook his head, a different image coming to mind.  "Even if they are more civil, a little less monstrous... I'm still picking the fur's side... I am almost certain Shark will try to conquer the other lands, even if humans are in control... and I think the fur's establish government will have better means to fight him than a new human government will."  He turned to Dreamer.   "Anyway... what do you think of the plan?  We let Sharra and Feldana out to hide in the cornfields a little bit of the way off, you and I pretend to be messengers, get in, try and start a civil war while we try to retrieve Maeve?"<br/><br/>-----------------------------------------<br/>Jenten stirred, moaning.  "Unh... I.. I'm awake... " He slowly sat up feeling his head.  "Wh-what.. happened...?"  Ge gaved around, squinting at the First Sergeant for a moment, before realizing who was over him.  "Uhh.... s-sorry, First Sergeant... did I...."  His gaze shifted over to Emiko, who was holding a bloody piece of cloth over her stub of a wrist.<br/>"E-Emiko!! It was..."  Everything came back to him suddenly, and he stood up, looking around.  "Seraph!!! Where did he go..!?  Ohhh... my head..."<br/><br/>Emiko shook her head.  "He's gone... I don't know where he went."<br/><br/>---------------------------------------------------------<br/><br/>"Hmnph... doomed from the begining, just like the Senrah..."  The young white-haired man had left the battlefield, and was watching from the roof of a tall building as the Cultists were slowly pushed back.  "They can't even fight a shaky resistence, what makes them think they can take the world?"<br/><br/>"You think.... you can do better....?"<br/><br/>Seraph turned to see an old Racoon woman, shaking with her head lowered.  "Lord Kathar... why would you take such a... wretched, unbeautiful mortal body such as this?"<br/><br/>"She had... no will left to live... no one near has the Dark Seed within them.  There are.. no bodies to take.  Even this woman is hard to control... You are not... fufilling all of your duties...."<br/><br/>Seraph frowned, and kneeled.  "I apologize, my lord.  I have been ammassing powers from various cults, as you have asked me, but I have found no one who I could plant the dark seed in."<br/><br/>"Power means nothing... if I cannot be revived."<br/><br/>"Yes, my Lord.  I understand this."<br/><br/>"How many of the Eyes have you found...?"<br/><br/>Seraphed brushed aside a lock of white hair from his face, his black-painted lips curving into a smile.  "Over four-hundred, my lord."<br/><br/>"Good... unfortunately, many may lie at the bottom of seas.  We will get all we can, however.  Continue with your work, my Servant."<br/><br/>With this, the elderly Racoon woman gasped, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, as she fell onto her face, dead.<br/><br/>Seraph looked back out to the building he had fought Jenten and Emiko on.  "But first, I have a couple of personal scores to settle.... in due time.  I will let them handle thier current problems before presenting them with another.  I do hope they survive.  It will be such a pity if I am not the one to finish them off."