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The Guardian Vesuvius: Chapter 12: Red Rivers

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“Are we ever truly able to repent and repay for the things we do? The answer to this question is found in the answer to another question: are we ever truly able to heal? When wrong is done to us, no matter how small the damage, it can never truly heal. There will always be something about you that will be irreversibly changed. It may be something obvious like the use of a limb, or a physical scar, clear for all to see and certainly for you to remember from whence it came. However, it may be something much less obvious, scars that not even you may notice. Anyone can notice missing flesh; it takes much more to see missing trust, compassion, determination, courage. These things are even more at risk than our bodies when the monsters of man strike.

“An act only becomes evil when there is a victim, yet in almost all the decisions we make, everything we say, can have consequences we never realise or even hear of. Each one of us that has a clear conscience, unbeknownst to us, may indeed be responsible for unforgivable sins. Something as seemingly harmless and pure as marrying someone you love may in time prove to be the reason one person found themselves lonely and without anyone to heed their cries in their darkest hour.

“To be pure in this world... make nothing yours, so that it may become someone else’s. Do not occupy anyone’s time so it can be given to another. Hide away from the whole world and never see or speak to anyone, then you are without sin. Seek a place in this world and you become part of its corrupt nature. It is the way of the world, and no one will hold it against you, but do not claim purity. To falsely claim that is one of the worst sins you will ever have to answer for.”


Fayth closed her eyes tight and turned away as she and Valyos flew towards the ground at a terrifying speed. She was certain they would crash straight into the ground and die, and she screamed inaudibly, clenching on to Valyos in the final seconds. Not even slightly phased, as usual, Valyos simply extended and arm towards the ground. The instant his fingers brushed against the surface he curled his body and turned his momentum forward. Fayth was nestled safely next to his chest as he redirected his speed and rolled across the ground. When he had slowed down enough he slammed his feet onto the floor and ground to a halt, stopping exactly where had aimed for, safely hidden behind a wall. He set Fayth down and brushed himself off. The whole sequence took only a few seconds, and anyone who had seen it would have noticed nothing but a blur. Valyos was immediately composed and on the job, surveying the area to see where it was safe to head to. Fayth, however, was a little more than shaken by the whole event. Valyos wasn’t the patient sort. He glanced over at Fayth and scowled as she gasped to get her breath back.

"Oh, come on, already. I need you to tell me how to get to your friends from here, so get with it!"

Fayth swallowed. She could feel the urgency of the situation and pushed as hard as she could to move. Even then, she still found it hard. She lifted her arm and pointed towards a street ahead of them. She might have spoken, had Valyos not burst into movement again, putting Fayth up on his back and darting off in the direction she had pointed. As he ran, Fayth couldn’t feel any friction against the ground; his feet seemed to glide across the road and push off without slowing down the least. Her equilibrium somewhat restored, Fayth was able to focus again and get her words out.

"T...There’s a pretty new estate. If you turn here, you… you should see it on your right."

Valyos nodded. He had seen the place she spoke of on his way down. His memory of the aerial view of the entire city, in minute detail, was clear in his mind, and he would be able to find his way to anywhere in the vicinity. "You'll be leading us further into the city, then."

"Yeah… I lived close to the city centre and my friends lived not so far from there. I wasn't able to make friends further away. I… I had very little freedom."

She wouldn't let regret or sadness set in now. She had to pull through for her few friends, and Fayth's determination was never easily shaken. Her friends were extremely important to her. They were the ones closest to her now and she would not let herself lose them. Fayth’s eyes widened as they turned the corner. She could now see the pandemonium that had enveloped the city: fires, fighting, gunshots, screams. The sheer scale was horrifying to look at. This was the reality of mankind’s corruption? This was the world without the guardians? It brought tears to her eyes to see this, to know that so many people like this were in the world, people who would do things like this without the slightest remorse or hesitation.

"W... why? ...How... how did it come to… this?"

Valyos didn’t turn to her as he replied. "To save your friends we will have to go into this fray. It will most likely be worse further down. Are you prepared to see it, the truth? I do not want to be carrying you around if you have a break down."

Fayth seemed to get angry rather than feel despair. She had seen acts of monstrosity before at the hands of Funuchi, it was through her past experiences she was able to stomach the scene before her. "I… I will NOT let these monsters take my friends from me. Valyos! LET’S GO!"

Convinced, Valyos bolted toward the chaos. He would use the preoccupation of the criminals and his silent speed to slip past them; he didn't want to engage in any unnecessary combat. His mission was to save Fayth's friends and time was definitely against them. If the streets were all in this state he had no time for any distractions. Without a single eye noticing him, he bounded past each of the monsters of man as they busied themselves tearing through the city and its people alike. Fayth could only turn away and try to blank out the carnage around her. The hellish heat from the fires and the sickening, heart breaking sounds that stuffed the air made it near unbearable for her. Her caring nature pained her as she was forced to leave the innocents of this city for dead, or worse, and she prayed they would be in time to save her friends. Valyos picked up the pace. He knew that soon he would no longer be able to avoid being noticed and would need to take lives. The sooner he finished the better.




Up in the control centre the guardians at the computers raced against the wave of destruction on the surface to bring back the remaining guardians. Even Ferrah himself was starting to struggle to keep up with the speed of the incoming information, and send out messages to those waiting for signals to return. His eyes darted around the screen and his fingers danced over the keys with inhuman speed. Zanados decided that he needed to let Ferrah concentrate, so he joined Shylock and Taurg at the top level of the control centre. The two guardians moved to give him space. Taurg was the first one to speak, after he had given Zanados time to say anything he wanted to. Through respect, not fear, no one wanted to risk interrupting Zanados.

"I apologise for bringing Fayth to see you, my master, but I just couldn't ignore..." Taurg hung his head, painful thoughts leaving him unable to finish his sentence, but he raised it again as he sensed Zanados’ hand upon his armoured shoulder. His master’s face carried a calming smile.

"There is no apology required, Taurg. I fully understand your reasons, you need not explain yourself." Zanados turned away from Taurg and looked over at the rings of computers, his expression now carrying concern. "I fear, though, that in venturing down to the chaos to look for her friends, that the only thing she will find is that she was too late. That is, assuming she is able to handle the reality of mankind."

Taurg smiled behind his metal mask and stared blankly forward, thinking of the sweet, caring girl he had met. "She is strong, master, very strong... and she has seen her own share of man's vile nature. She will be able to remain vigilant, I am sure. I pray that she and her friends are able to make it to the safety of the sanctuary. It would be a terrible shame for anything to happen to her now."

"Valyos will protect her, her life is not in danger with his power by her side. And if she returns to us having found only heartache, then the healing confines of our city will be hers to help her as it has us all." Beneath the deep rumble of Zanados' voice was a definite tone of pride. He had been the reason and the mind that had created this place. Everyone within its walls had become warriors and defenders of the innocent because of him. It was by his hand that the monstrosity of man was held at bay and those good people left in the world had at least a chance. He may not have shown it in his angry demeanour, but his heart was swelled with pride and love for every single one of these guardians, who had joined him and helped to create this sanctuary in the sky.

Then Vesuvius came to his mind, the only guardian to ever compromise his creation. He faced Taurg and Shylock, his usual stern face returned, and the council members knew that their master was about to deliver something of importance.

"I want someone to head down to the cell and collect the report from Vesuvius. I must understand why one of our own chose to betray us all. …I will not be at peace until this entire matter is resolved. I simply cannot fathom why he would do this, he has always been so devout to his cause. No matter..." Zanados seemed to have trouble continuing, like something was beginning to upset him greatly. "...no matter who he was saving, it was a terrible sin to put us all at risk and to bring this upon the people on the surface."

Shylock was first to answer, disdain choking his words so much that it was clearer even than his words. "Vesuvius was simply too weak and corrupt to be one of us from the start. Only someone with a black heart could be capable of this atrocity. Someone whose loyalty to our noble cause is so fickle, after we gave him so much, is obviously beyond redemption." Shylock scowled, and raised a clenched fist to emphasise his point. "The trust we put in that traitor was obviously misplaced. He should pay with his life before he causes more damage."

Taurg was quick to disagree with Shylock’s strong words. "No! That's not true. I know Vesuvius, there had to be some reason that he did what he did. His heart is true and he cares a great deal about us all. I don’t believe he forgot about us for a second and I certainly don’t believe this was a choice he made lightly. Let me be the one to get the report, my master, and while I am there perhaps I can start to understand what Vesuvius was thinking when he killed that crime lord in clear sight."

Shylock sneered. "Accept it, Taurg, you were fooled by a false dedication, we all were. Vesuvius used us, he took what he needed from us to heal from his past and became strong. Then, when it was his time to repay us and work as a guardian, he betrayed us. Let me acquire the report, master. We could do without the bias of familiarity Taurg has in this matter." Shylock gestured insolently at Taurg, as if to say he was completely useless at this time. Taurg didn't take kindly to it but contained his anger. In the presence of Zanados he would not allow himself to lose his composure, and besides, it was hardly the time for petty feuds.

"Very well, then, allow Shylock to go. I am confident that Vesuvius' true nature will reveal itself to us in time and that the correct judgement will be passed on him." Taurg stood straight and folded his massive arms, the clanging armour making even simple movements seem powerful. Submitting to Shylock's desire to go, rather than arguing, was as good as any retort to the bitter guardian anyway.

Zanados nodded in agreement and made his way back towards the bottom of the control centre as he spoke. "I leave it to you then, Shylock, retrieve the report and attempt to make sense of Vesuvius' reasons for his actions. And THAT is all!" Well aware of Shylock's nature, Zanados made sure to make very clear to him that there was to be no punishment to Vesuvius. Shylock was particularly hateful to those who betrayed trust and used people. While other guardians kept a mostly quiet and contained hatred for the monsters of man, Shylock was renowned for a near psychotic abhorrence of them, a passion that had made him the most fearful guardian in the sanctuary. Stories were told of how his opponents were burnt alive by his flaming passion alone. In battle, Shylock was rumoured to disappear behind a haze of anger and hate. With this reputation in mind, Taurg was more than a little concerned for Vesuvius' safety.

"Before you go, Shylock, I would like a quick word." Taurg’s tone already told Shylock he was being warned and, though hateful, he knew where respect was due, and he knew better than to cross another council member, especially the metal behemoth. He may not have been able to see him, but he could still feel the massive strength of his aura, which made a much larger impression than his actual size anyway. He turned to face Taurg. His face was impassive but all his working senses centred on Taurg, and Taurg could feel it inside him. Even someone of his power was made to feel at least a little uneasy by the dark, sightless attention Shylock gave him now. Suddenly his raspy voice became much more sincere, as it had been earlier with Valyos. An uncharacteristic level of concern filled Shylock’s words, and he sounded deeply upset that Taurg was distressed.

"I… Is s…something …the matter, Taurg?"




Back down on the surface, dangerously deep within the city but far enough above the ground to be safe for the time being, Alex Davids was suddenly thrown awake by a nearby explosion. He sat up sharply as the thunderous crash literally shook his apartment. Wide awake and hearing the commotion outside, he quickly went to the window and pulled the blinds open. The first thing he saw was the black sky.

"What? ...Still night-time? ...What the hell is goi..." He was brought to an abrupt silence as his eyes wandered down towards the noise. From way up in his apartment he could see the sheer scale of what was happening. The streets for miles were filled with the bodies and blood of butchered civilians, broken glass, flaming cars, tipped vans, blazing buildings and countless maniacs and evil men as far as he could see. His jaw hung open and it took him some time to accept what he saw. It was a nightmarish scene, how could something like this have suddenly escalated in less than a night? It was as if he had woken up in some other place and indeed, almost all recognisable features and characteristics of the sleeping city he had looked out on before had all but vanished now.

"A...a... h…h...holy shit!" The initial shock wore off and he regained control of his body. In a panicked sprint he moved across his apartment, though better described as falling forward. Breathing erratically and barely keeping himself from screaming, he almost ripped his phone off the wall. He couldn't believe what he'd seen but he knew exactly whom he had to contact right away. He whined in fear and distress as he desperately tried to concentrate enough to dial the number of his partner. As he impatiently awaited an answer from the other side he kept glancing over his shoulder out the window, as if to assure himself that he had actually seen what he thought he had. The phone kept ringing, and each moment Alex’s panic grew.

"H…Hello?"

When he heard the answer Alex's breath slowed and he flopped forward as his mounted tension was relieved. "Oh, thank GOD! Ted, you’re okay."

Half annoyed to be called late at night, and half confused as to why on Earth he wouldn't be okay, Ted only just managed to recognise his partner’s voice. "Al? ...Is that you? What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know what time it is!?"

Alex quickly composed himself as the reality of the situation dawned on him once more. His partner’s life could very well be over before the end of this call. He had no idea how much time he had, so he could not waste any. He stood himself up straight and adopted a serious and urgent tone. "Ted! Listen to me, I need you to quick as you can, get your things together, get in the van and drive way, way out of this city. Head to the... umm... the ...oh, that cafe outside the city, you know the one me, you and Sandra stopped at cause we were all too tired to make it to the city. If you take the quickest way out from where you are you should get there."

"Al! What is going on with you!" Ted exclaimed down the phone, clearly angry not only at the outrageous time of the call but also the even more outrageous reason he was given for being called. Ted wasn't given a second longer to speak, though, even if he had anymore to say.

"Ted, PLEASE! I can't explain now, just DO IT. For God’s sake, just do it. Meet me there, and HURRY! Okay? Promise me you'll do it RIGHT NOW!"

Beginning to feel just how serious Al was, Ted started to get a little panicked himself and all of sudden was eager to get on his way. "O…o...okay, Al, I'll do it... I'll set off right away."

Al roughly wiped the sweat off his face with his palm and continued to frantically look behind him. "Good… good you do that, I…I... gotta get going too. Speak to you soon." Al simply let the receiver drop from his hand as he bolted again back into his room, throwing his suitcase onto his bed and flinging it open. His speed and erratic breathing quickly exhausted him but he refused to calm or slow down. For all he knew, he may not even have a way to get out of the building alive. He first armed himself, and then started to throw other things into his case. The most important thing was to be able to kill before being killed, at least till he was out of the city. His mind was a complete mess but he at least could think of what needed doing, he had to get out and now.

"I…it’s just in the city... right?"


Al was given at least some chance to escape the carnage; many were not so lucky. For some the first warning of the danger was when it smashed through their window or kicked down their door. Horrific scenes were playing out all over the city, just as in the house of a young girl, who had just watched in paralytic horror as a group of five armed men had petrol bombed thier way into the house. They brutally slaughtered her father and elder brother as they defended her mother, but it was in vain as the twisted act was quickly repeated on her helpless, screaming mother. Mirril could only watch in disbelief, terror and heart-shattering despair as the home and family she had known her whole life was torn apart before her eyes. The kind and loving faces that brought her such warmth until only moments ago were now unrecognisable as the bludgeoned and lacerated bodies they had all too quickly become. She pressed herself against the wall and shivered, tears streaming down her face.

The despicable group took some time to notice the young girl huddled in the corner as they looted the house. Their hard eyes and filthy grins turned her cold with fear. "Hey, she’s not so ugly like that hag, lets have some fun with her before anything else." The man’s voice was husky and perverted, and his meaning was clear to her and the others. They were broad, strong men and the mortified and tiny Mirril would be unable to resist them. A few started to unbuckle their belts as others moved in to restrain her. The fire from the petrol slowly started to spread through the house, they needn't care though, they would be done here long before the fires would matter, then it would just be on the to the next house.

The girl’s eyes widened and she hysterically kicked off the ground, pushing herself backwards even though she was already against the wall. Her heart sank as the bloodied hands and hot, foul breath came towards her. She closed her eyes tight and clutched onto herself as tight she could. Seconds passed but instead of the violent grasp she was expecting, she heard only a strained grunt and the now familiar sound of flesh being pierced.

Still not daring to move a muscle or open her eyes, she did not see the other four men turn to the fifth. Something had gone straight through his shoulder. A dagger-like blade protruded from his front and a strange metal chain lined with blue reflective spheres lead from his back. It looked almost alien. The eyes of the shocked and confused men followed the chain to an even stranger sight, a young boy, dressed in a hooded cape stood at the hole they had blown through the doorway, blue hair waving about his face, coloured purple around the edges by the red glow of the flames. Embers floated around him, following the waving of his hair and cloak like they were dancing with one another. The boy's stare was emotionless but piercing. As Fayth stood behind Valyos she looked around the wrecked home. Her heart sank as she saw Mirril's mother, father and brother littered about the floor, lifeless and bloodied.

"Oh...oh god no, we're too late!" Fayth eyes darted hysterically about the room before she saw Fayth trapped in the corner of the house. "Mirril...Oh my god! Valyos! Help her!"

He did not acknowledge Fayth's plea, thinking it rather insulting that she thought he needed telling. He flicked down his hood and tightened his grip on his whip. "Monsters of man..." Valyos spoke loud and clear but still allowed no a hint of emotion. "...your disgusting lives are over." As the last word left his mouth, Valyos bounded from where he was stood to bring himself between the men and Mirril. The rapid movement kicked up a flurry of ashes. Fayth, who had been standing beside Valyos, didn't even see him move at all, and was shocked to suddenly see him on the other side of the wrecked room. The thugs jerked around to face the strange boy, whose mere presence instilled a fear in them they didn't understand, so their simple minds chose to disregard it. The man who had the blade through his shoulder got to his feet snarling.

"You FUCKER! Your gonna FUCKING DIE for that! You should of minded your own business, you little shi…" The man was suddenly silenced. Valyos became a blur, visible again only as his foot smashed into the open mouth of the man as he spoke. The kick landed with such force that the front of the man’s skull collapsed inwards. As the man flew backwards off his feet the chain was pulled taught, and Valyos yanked it downwards. The man hit the floor with a sickening crunch. Fayth couldn't help but yelp at what just happened. The man, who only a blink ago, was cussing and shouting, frightening and tall, had become a bloody mangled mess. Fayth was already aware that Valyos had to be strong to have been one of these council members, but she had no idea he was this strong. Valyos wasn't even out of breath, as if his movements were effortless.

The other four men’s jaws dropped and their eyes widened in disbelief. "W...what the fuck are you?!" one of them managed to spit out. Valyos didn't reply or look at him, he simply waited. He knew what was about to happen.

As if in instinctive frenzy the four men lunged at the boy, letting out maddened screams as they attacked. Valyos calmly turned to face them. He shot forward inhumanly fast, dashing forwards straight into one of the men, with another swift kick the man was suddenly catapulted backwards straight into a patch of fire, where he writhed and screeched his last moments. The little boy's attack flung the much larger men around like ragdolls, his tiny frame carried an impossible strength, it seemed the sentinel council were at a level that was beyond belief.

By this time the other three men had only just managed to notice he'd moved from in front of them. They were grossly outmatched. Valyos’ attention turned to the two men immediately on either side of him. He leapt up and twisted his body, letting his whip hang by his side, then with a quick snap of his waist he span and the whip was swung round with deadly speed. The blade sliced through the neck of one man, came round and did the same to the other on its way back, so sharp it hardly slowed at all as it tore through the pair. The two men choked as blood sprayed from the wounds.

Of the group, only one remained, and he had barely time to take in the sight of the other men falling to the floor, when the still airborne Valyos ended his spin to bring himself facing the last man, the stone, heartless stare bearing down on the thug. Now alone, the man collapsed in sheer terror. This strange boy, this frightening presence and haunting gaze, had torn his partners apart. The man had been responsible for countless barbaric acts in his life, but now it was his life to was be taken, and it revealed him for the gutless coward he had always been. The man could only scream as Valyos wrapped his hand around the handle of the blade on the end of his whip and flung it like a spear into the man's forehead, silencing him instantly.

Gracefully and softly, Valyos landed and retrieved his weapon. He had killed all five of the men in little more than a single jump, yet still he showed no signs of exertion. Fayth, who normally would have been violently sick at the gory scene, was way too taken back by Valyos' effortless and incredible fighting. She stood frozen in amazement. Valyos, on the other hand, wasn't even slightly phased and was quick to see to what they came here for. Fayth's eyes followed the boy as he walked over to Mirril, who still clutched on to herself and shivered, her eyes still thightly shut. As soon as Fayth caught sight of her she was snapped back to her reason for being there too.

Valyos knelt in front of her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Mirril shrieked and flinched in fear, but that fear melted away when a young boy’s voice spoke to her. "Don't be afraid, you’re safe now." She started to relax a little and slowly opened her eyes. Then she heard a familiar voice call out to her, one of a close friend. She opened her eyes to see Fayth kneel down next to her and throw her arms around her, Fayth cried into Mirril’s shoulder, out of joy to see Mirril unharmed and in distress of what had become of Mirril's home and family.

"Mirril! Mirril....oh no, I'm so sorry!"

For a moment, Mirril was unable to move but as her shock steadily subsided, her arms slowly raised from the floor and her eyes started to water. In a sudden burst, she clung tightly onto Fayth and wept as hard as she could, clutching onto Fayth's clothes. Fayth held her close and did her best to be strong and cry as little herself as she could. It would hardly help Mirril now to let herself cry too. She also knew that Mirril would be inconsolable, so she just let her cry for now. Valyos stood up straight and looked sharply towards the destroyed door to the house, tensing up he sharply faced Fayth.

"Fayth, we don’t have time for this, we need to keep moving. This place is far from safe. Which way is it to your next friend?"

Fayth sharply looked at Valyos and scowled at him. "FOR GOD’S SAKE, GIVE HER A MINUTE! CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT’S JUST HAPPENED TO HER?!"

Even as she snapped at him Valyos just looked right at her, unflinching. "If we don't leave now, it may get to a point where I can only defend myself, so unless you favour getting yourself and your friend killed after Zanados and I have gone out of our way to save her, get on your feet and lead me to the next house." Valyos put his hood back up and started making his way to the door. "...Bear in mind the minute you want me to give her might be the reason we don’t get to the next person in time."

Fayth could not reply. She knew Valyos was right but didn’t want to force Mirril to move. The poor girl was in normal circumstances not particularly strong, and anyone would be weeping helplessly like this after what had just happened. There was no way she would be able to find the focus and will to move now, not for a good while. "FINE!! You carry her then! My next two friends live on the same street, not that far from here. I can run from here."

Valyos sighed and walked back over to Fayth. "You are aware, if we do that, we won’t be able to avoid the attention of those outside very well at all. I can promise you now, it will be a whole lot worse than it was in here."

Fayth was deadly serious. She sternly stared back at Valyos. "Can you do it?"

Valyos sneered. "HUH! That’s not the problem, of course I can do it."

“Then do it, whatever you need to do just get us there...and don’t you dare let anyone hurt her!" Fayth turned back to Mirril and spoke softly to her. "Mirril, I’m going to be right next to you, just keep your eyes closed and don’t open them for anything, okay? Valyos is going to look after you. You’re safe with him, so don't be afraid. Everything's going to be okay. We're just gonna go get Vance and Nicola and then we'll all go somewhere safe." Mirril didn't have the energy to stop crying long enough to reply but she didn't need to, Fayth knew she was okay with it as Mirril did not fight her as she moved away. Fayth thought this was rather unlike Mirril. Usually when she was upset she wouldn't let go of whoever she had hold of. Now, of all times, she did.

Valyos refused to waste any more time. He knelt down and, in one smooth motion, lifted Mirril up from where she knelt from on the floor. Mirril held on to Valyos, as tight as she could, and though she was still crying, she seemed to calm down a great deal. Valyos remained focused but couldn't help feeling a little awkward. He hadn't felt arms around him in nearly ten years and, though he blanked it out, deep inside it was making his stomach turn.

Fayth got to her feet and pointed off towards the centre of the city. "My other friends live a short distance towards the city centre from here. Come on, let’s go!" Fayth hurried to the door.

Valyos dashed after Fayth. He moved so gracefully across the floor that Mirril could only tell they were moving by the wind against her. However, Valyos knew well that if they were to go even deeper towards the centre of the city the chaos would only get worse. It would not be this easy for much longer. The guardian started to tap into a higher level of his powers. He was pretty sure that soon he was going to have to get serious if he wanted to be able to protect himself and what would soon hopefully be four other people from the horde that surrounded them. As his power rose, Mirril could feel Valyos body becoming warm. She curled up as close to him as she could, hardly thinking about what she was doing. In her distressed and terrified state she simply wanted to be as close as she could be to this warm person that had saved her and that Fayth had promised she would be safe with.



Back at the sanctuary, Taurg was having a serious word with Shylock. He had been concerned ever since Shylock, who had suggested Vesuvius should be killed for his sin, was chosen to retrieve the report and any answers he could from him. Even though Zanados had specifically ordered Shylock not to harm Vesuvius, Taurg wouldn't have been able to feel at ease without a warning of his own. He had taken Shylock outside the control centre to speak with him, so as not to disturb the withdrawal. Easing the door closed, Taurg faced Shylock and answered his earlier question. "Yes, Shylock, something is the matter... I’m a little concerned about your eagerness for Vesuvius’ execution. I wasn't aware that such an extreme level of punishment even existed here in the Sanctuary. This is a place where life is given, not taken."

Shylock's voice still had its unsuited tenderness as he spoke to Taurg. He wasn't arguing with Taurg, rather it sounded like he was pleading with him. "Don't you see? This is the first time anything like this has ever happened. Of course the things we need to do may seem out of place or even cruel; none of us ever imagined that here in our safe and kind haven we would have someone who would turn against us." Shylock sounded like he was about to cry, and Taurg didn't know whether to feel sympathetic or disturbed. Shylock was always such a dark and malicious character, but ever since he could remember this peculiar delicate quality would sometimes surface. Even having known him for nearly thirteen years, he still wasn't used to it. "Please don’t misunderstand my motives, Taurg. Though I am sickened by what Vesuvius has done, and I concede, I do not think much of the worth of his life anymore, it is not hate that drives to want him killed, i simply want to protect our home. If he no longer cares for the Sky Sanctuary, then so be it, but I will not have him take it from the rest of us aswell."

Taurg clenched his giant fists and scowled inside his helmet. "No... NO, that isn't true. I know Vesuvius; I have been inside his heart and soul for years, as he has mine. He must have had some reason for what he did. There is no way Vesuvius has turned his back on us, not out of greed and disregard anyway. That's just not the kind of person he is." Taurg pointed at Shylock, his fingers mere inches from the other guardian’s face. "Mark my words, Shylock, once the report is reviewed we will be shown that Vesuvius is no traitor. For definite, he is regretful and truly sorry. There was nothing evil in his intentions, I am certain. I would stake my life on it."

Shylock's voice had regained its usual dark, chilling tone. "You should not say such things so carelessly... Life is too precious to place on the line like that. You should never place that much trust or faith in anything, all it will bring you is hurt."

"What I do with my trust is my business!" Taurg's voice was slightly raised. Guardians passing by walked a little faster as they heard it. The spectacle of an angered Taurg had only been witnessed by a few but none wanted to be added to that number: it was a safe assumption that it would a soul-shaking experience. Shylock, however was not phased. He hardly moved at all, his entire body hanging like a man in a noose. Only his face showed any signs of life as the mask over his mouth moved. He spoke in an almost mocking manner now, as if he was provoking Taurg, something most would think a dangerous move.

"My, my, Taurg, you seemed to be getting very worked up. I understand, though, this is a very stressful time for us all... but you have even more to worry about. What impression does this make to the others? What if your tower becomes known only as the tower that the traitor came from?" Before Shylock had any chance to continue, Taurg grabbed him by the cape and yanked Shylock close to his face, almost having to lift him off the floor to do so. Shylock was so still in his hand that Taurg felt like he was holding a wooden puppet. Had they not been right outside the control centre, Taurg would probably have blasted Shylock with the full booming force of his voice, but as it was he had to settle with a furious whisper.

"That's enough! I don't want to hear talk like that from anyone, least of all a member of the sentinel council. Our towers are not in competition, never have been and will never be. We are a brotherhood that works as one. That means there are no traitors, and I don't want to hear you spouting that. Nothing has been proven yet and I’m surprised you would so quickly condemn one of our own as a traitor. Now go and retrieve the report and see for yourself, Vesuvius is still as much of a guardian as anyone of us. If you would so eagerly have a guardian killed it is YOUR faith in the sanctuary that I would question." As he finished, Taurg lowered Shylock back on to the floor and stepped away from him.

Shylock knew well to heed the warning Taurg had given him. Though Shylock had not witnessed Taurg's power first hand, as with all members of the sentinel council, rumours born from the time they spent on the surface fighting and the sparring matches from years ago when they were training gave Taurg a legend that commanded respect. Stories told of the giant's hammer that struck with such power that the impact carved into the future, the force of one strike slamming down again and again until whatever was in its way crumbled to dust. There were even tales that, despite weighing over a tonne, Taurg could leap higher and move faster than all but the nimblest of guardians. They told of times Taurg would leap above the clouds to later crash down like a meteor, or suddenly explode forward like a cannonball, tearing the earth away in his wake. The tales gave him the nickname "Supernova", after the fastest and most destructive force in the universe.

Shylock nodded at Taurg in compliance. "Very well, I will give Vesuvius his due chance to prove me wrong. If I feel that his reasons were noble enough to merit what he did then perhaps my trust and faith in him could be restored… with time. But at the same time, I hope you ready yourself for the chance that you may be the one to be corrected. Believe it or not, I sincerely hope I’m wrong. It would be a blow to us all if Vesuvius turns out to be the betrayer we all fear he is. It would scar our perfect home forever. Faith in the trust and happiness we all enjoy here would be destroyed, not to mention our peace of mind. That should never happen." Not allowing Taurg to respond, Shylock marched off towards the central elevator, towards the prison were Vesuvius and Misaro were being held.

Taurg watched Shylock as he left. After he was gone from sight he sighed and hung his head slightly, beginning to think upon Shylock's words. As much as he believed Vesuvius was a good man, he could not dismiss the possibility that Shylock may have been right. Taurg felt as connected to all the guardians under him as he would to a son or daughter, and as such it pained his heart to think that one of his closest students would have betrayed the entire sanctuary. Taurg clenched his fist as he reaffirmed his belief in Vesuvius. He would not let it falter.

"Vesuvius... please, show them I wasn't wrong about you."

Once he was far enough away from Taurg that he would not sense it, Shylock voiced private thought of his own.

"...And I will not let it happen. No matter what I have to do."


Outside the city, away from the fervent chaos, Ted sat, shaking, in a small cafe, holding a bloodstained cloth to his head. Outside the cafe, Ted's van stood barely in one piece: the body was dented, scratched and, in places, cut right through; the windows were all smashed; the front was stained red with the blood of those who had had no idea how determined Ted was. He had soon decided, after seeing what was going on, that he would drive straight out of the city, no matter what or who got in his way. If he had stopped the van he would have been killed, it was that simple. He was lucky to have escaped, and with just a few bruises and gash to his forehead. It was thanks to Alex that he got out, he owed him his life. However, despite having enough guts to drive through the maniacs that laced the city streets, he could not help but be a complete wreck now. He couldn't stop shaking. The ordeal of getting out of the city was far too much for the old man to handle, and he was deeply worried for Alex.

As he struggled to be still enough to drink his coffee, Ted thought to himself, "Alex, it wasn't supposed to be this way round, I was supposed to look after you. That was the promise I made her. If… if you get killed now, I… I..." Ted’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an approaching car. Could it be? Who else would be stopping at the cafe at this hour? It could be anyone who had managed to get away from the city, Ted thought, not daring to hope. To his relief, he recognised Alex's car, though it was in a worse state than his van. The car was in such terrible shape that Alex had to kick the mangled door off to get out.

Ted hastily got to his feet and was quickly reminded how battered he was. Regardless, he limped outside to meet Alex. Pale and exhausted, it seemed like he had had his own ordeal getting out of the city.

"Al... Al, are you okay? What’s going on in the city? It’s like Hell broke loose in there!"

Alex lifted his head to see Ted. " T…Ted ...Th…thank God. I need a fucking smoke... right now."

Ted helped Alex to stand up straight and half-carried him into the cafe. He sat himself down and lit a cigarette, which he then drew on as if his life depended on it. Ted gave Alex, and indeed, himself, a few minutes to calm down. When they were both relaxed enough, Ted tried his question again.

" Al... What on earth is happening in the city?" Ted wasn't sure why he thought Alex would know the answer to that. In fact, he wasn't even sure he intended it as a question, it felt more like a simple exclamation of his cluelessness.

Al simply shook his head, taking his cigarette out of his mouth and sighing as he breathed out the smoke. "I have no idea... and to be perfectly honest, I don't want to know. Let’s just keep away from the city for now." After pausing for a while, staring blankly at the centre of the table, he suddenly sat up and slammed his palm on the table. "Anyway! Enough about that. Let me see 'em."

Ted pulled a puzzled face. "See... what?"

"The eye witness accounts from the Funuchi case. You brought them, right? ...Let me see them." Alex held his hand out, speaking like what he meant was blatantly obvious.

Ted couldn't believe what he was hearing. After what they had just seen he wanted to worry about the ridiculous eye witness accounts? He was almost angry, but knew this was not the place or time to be getting worked up again. He had just had enough stress for a good couple of months, he thought, so he decided it would be best not to bother questioning Alex and just give him what he wanted. "Here." Ted fished the portfolio out of his bag and lightly tossed them over to him. “Jesus, Al, this case must mean something special to you. I've never seen you so eager."

Al sat back and opened the portfolio. "Yeah, yeah... real special to me this one. Nah, I just rather be doing this than having to think about that crazy riot in the city... I hope the cops get on it fast, though I'm not really sure what they'll be able to do… really." Alex was reading through the eye witness accounts as he spoke. There were a few from motorists who had seen the man with the sword pass them or jump on their car before he killed the crime lord. However, Alex was more interested in those who had claimed to have seen figures of a similar description at other times. Ted had dismissed them all as crazy idiots or just people looking for attention from the press, but Alex wanted to look deeper into the accounts. Something that had happened to him gave him a reason to believe in these people a lot more than any usual person would.

The more he read, the more Alex began to see the things that he was looking for. He circled phrases and words, then he would revisit accounts he looked through and notice more. His eyes widened, as he became surer than ever that this was exactly what he thought it was, this was what he had been looking for. Ted was becoming concerned about Alex's state of mind as he almost feverishly looked at the accounts and scribbled on them.

"…Al... Are you okay?"

Too absorbed in his discovery to even hear Ted, Alex thought to himself and smiled. "I knew it! I knew it had to be you! ...I’m getting closer to finding you. You’re going to pay for what you did... and soon!"


Back in the city, deep within the worsening violence and destruction, Fayth and Valyos had made it to where Fayth’s last two friends lived. Much to Valyos' surprise, the street was empty. Not a single maniac in sight, excluding the dead ones. This puzzled Valyos. There shouldn't have been any other guardians operating in this area, and there was no way the police could have got this far into the city already. Maybe they had killed each other, Valyos thought. Either way, it wasn't important. Valyos realised that this street had been levelled, and it was likely that the reason that it was so empty was that it had already been stripped of all life and valuables. Valyos already had an idea of how he could take advantage there being no criminals in this street, and it would make getting hold on Fayth's friends a lot easier. That was, of course, if they were still alive, and with the wrecked state the area was in, it wasn't looking hopeful. He looked down to check that Mirril was okay. She still huddled as close and as tight as she could to Valyos. She was clearly afraid but at least she wasn't crying anymore. His attention was diverted from her when he heard Fayth calling out round the corner ahead of him.

"VANCE!!" Fayth ran towards the boy in front of her. Vance was the same age as Fayth and only slightly taller. His dark hair came down the length of his face. He had a strong jaw and broad shoulders, and was quite well built for his age. The wind blew his hair across his face, strands catching in the nasty scratch his dark skin had recently suffered. He had a Chinese long sword in his hand, coated in blood. Fayth stopped as she noticed Vance's bloodied sword and face. She saw the bodies of several of the thugs and gasped. "V…V…Vance... did you…?"

"Th...They...slaughtered… everyone, Fayth, m…my family is all gone...I…I couldn't let them get away with it." Vance was by nature incredibly strong of will and heart but even he couldn't stop the tears. His whole family, his home, had all been taken away from him. Vance had studied the Chinese long sword under his father ever since he was small. It had been a tradition for the men in the family to learn and master the style as long as his family’s recorded history dated back. In anger of having seen his father, whose expertise with the sword he so admired, killed so cowardly in cold blood, and the violation of his mother, he had taken the family sword and, against the family’s code, used the blade to take human life. "Th...These men are hardly human anyway... and if I hadn't killed them, they would have killed me."

Only just able to stop himself from bursting into tears, Vance wiped his eyes and face with his arm and turned to Fayth as he wiped off his sword on his black T-shirt. "W…What are you doing here, anyway?"

Fayth shook her head, reminding herself again of her urgency. "There’s no time to explain right now. We’ve got to find Nicola right away and get out of here!"

"Get out to where?" Vance was, of course, confused. As far as he was concerned, he had very little left to go to now. He suddenly noticed an unfamiliar figure walking up behind Fayth and gripped onto his sword. The figure spoke out before Vance was able to ask who he was.

"You should listen to your friend. Fetch the last of you so we can clear out of this death trap." Valyos came into view and Vance immediately recognised Mirril, curled up around the stranger. "You don’t have any time for questions, many of them noticed us coming down here and they are coming to kill us."

"Who the hell are you? What THE FUCK is going on here!?" Vance was becoming near hysterical, which Valyos thought was rather problematic in someone with a sword in his hand. He had no intention of giving Vance a moment to absorb all that had happened.

"I just said no questions, didn't I? Here... you look strong enough, could you get her... off me. I have to take care of the monsters headed our way." Valyos stepped towards Vance and nodded towards Mirril. Vance, who was in no state to be bossed around by a kid he didn't know, simply frowned at Valyos. Valyos met it with his usual neutral stare. Fayth realised that the two of them were getting nowhere between each other and decided to cut in. "Vance! Please, just do it, okay? Take Mirril and help me get Nicola. I promise I’ll tell you everything afterwards, but please, please just help us for now." Her pleading and desperate eyes had been enough to move even Zanados, so Vance was easily swayed. On top of that, he knew Fayth well enough to trust her on anything. He pulled himself together and nodded. "Alright! ...But… what about him?"

Valyos carefully gave Mirril over to Vance. He pulled out his whip, turned and walked back towards the entrance to the street. "I already said, I have to deal with them or you'll all be killed. Now try listening to me this time. Go and get your other friend... and DON'T take forever." Even as he spoke a frightening number of the heartless thugs that had spotted Valyos and Fayth heading into the street were making their way towards them. United only by bloodlust and cruelty, there was hardly a man among them that knew any of the others, but each wanted to spill the guts of the strange child that stood before them.

Vance snarled. "You idiot! What, you want to get yourself killed? Let me fight them aswell and..."

"JUST DO AS I SAID! THE ONLY PERSON YOU NEED TO CONCERN YOURSELF WITH IS YOUR FRIEND!" Valyos cut Vance off. Time was running out fast and he had become truly sick of telling the headstrong boy over and over what he needed to do. Valyos had little tolerance of incompetence and ignorance, least of all when time was of the essence.

Mirril, who had now latched on to Vance, opened her eyes and looked over at Valyos. A deep worry set in for the boy that saved her life, yet at the same time she felt something about him that told her that he knew what he was doing. "B…Be careful." She quietly whispered, speaking to Valyos but not wanting anyone to hear her.

Fayth pulled on Vance's arm to try and get him to follow her. She screamed at him in her panic, "VANCE! COME ON!! PLEASE!! HE CAN LOOK AFTER HIMSELF! WE NEED TO GO, NOW!"

Hesitantly, Vance dragged his eyes away from Valyos and followed Fayth into the street. Sensing they were finally leaving, Valyos readied himself to fight, flicking his hood down and getting into his ready stance. His eyes darted from side to side as he observed each of his foes and pulled together his options. Valyos' combat sense was impeccable. Within seconds he had deduced the best way to deal with the group that approached him. He adjusted his grip on his whip. The men cackled amongst themselves and goaded Valyos, but he wasn't one to be provoked.

"…Get myself killed? ...I’m getting a little tired of people insulting my power." Valyos thought to himself. Suddenly, two of the men lunged towards him, and the others were quick to follow suit. Valyos stood his ground. He wouldn't move a muscle until it was the exact moment he was waiting for. Even now, as nearly thirty or so men, most double his age and nearly all triple his size bore down on him, he didn't feel any fear at all. He let his whip drop to the ground in front of him and reached out with his left arm, his fist clenched. On the glove of his left hand was a circuit of sensors and wires positioned on his fingers and thumb. The five blue spheres that lined the length of his whip started to vibrate and give out a low humming sound, as if something had switched on inside of them.

"...die..."


The others ran deeper into the street to find Nicola. Vance and Mirril had no idea of the scale of the horror that had almost claimed them, but both them understood that Nicola was in real danger, and they both trusted Fayth. They stopped towards the end of the estate. Not a single house had been spared from the chaos. Every building had been broken into or set on fire. Nicola's house was no exception; the front so badly damaged the inside seemed impossible to get into. Fayth refused to let that stop her. She ran right up to the house. Vance gasped and called out to her.

"Fayth, No! It might be dangerous near there, it could collapse at any time."

"Nicola could be in there. I have to find her!" Fayth was far beyond turning back for anything now. Nothing would deter her from saving her friends. She ran right up to the front of the house and screamed at the top of her voice. "NICOLA! ...NICOLA!"

There was no answer. The only sound was the terrifying noise of the chaos that now surrounded them completely. Even though this street was emptied the destruction still rang in their ears, like it was still going on here, an echo of the torment that so recently ravaged this helpless street bare. Fearing the worst, tears started to run down Fayth's face. However her heart simply would not allow her to accept anything other than that she was still alive. As if her heart had taken control from her brain, without even thinking about it, she kept screaming Nicola's name, becoming more and more upset as each call fell unanswered. Vance, who didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop, simply hung his head and closed his eyes tight. The strong boy had so far kept himself from breaking down, but if he had lost Nicola to these monsters too he would not be able to keep his emotions in check any longer.

Fayth suddenly started to yell at him rather than house, quickly grabbing his attention.

"VANCE! I heard something from inside!" Fayth was pointing frantically at the house. Vance was still wary of the house's state. It could fall down on top of them any instant, but what he needed to do was clear. He looked down at Mirril and gently spoke to her. "Mirril? Are you okay to stand now? We're going to go and get Nicola."

Mirril nodded and put her feet onto the floor. She was still a little shaky but she was trying hard to stay upright. The truth was, she probably wasn’t okay to stand, but she wouldn't let herself get in the way of saving Nicola. Mirril was timid and easily pushed around, and Nicola had looked after her for most of her life. She was tough and protective, not a girl to cross. Mirril was confident that she would be okay. All Nicola had ever shown her was strength, and a promise never to let Mirril have to face anything alone again. Vance and Fayth were a little more fearful, though. The group came together at the front entrance and peered in as well as they could through the debris that blocked the way.

"NICOLA!!" Fayth cried again, her voice echoing into the house. The three of them listened intently, praying with all their hearts that she would answer them.

Though there was no answer, there was the sound of a door opening inside the house. There was definitely someone in there and that was all Vance needed to know. With a few swings of his sharp sword he hacked the obstructing debris apart until he could push his way into the house. Fayth grabbed on to his sleeve to stop him rushing in headlong, as she knew he would.

"Be careful, Vance, we don’t know who it is. It might be one of them." Fayth’s voice spoke the feelings in her heart clearly to Vance. She couldn’t bear to discover she had lost Nicola, and then to lose Vance needlessly to a careless mistake. Vance nodded, wanting to waste no more time. He slowly made his way into the house and up the stairs. The place was as wrecked inside as it looked from out. Furniture was tipped and broken, drawers and cupboards were ripped open and emptied, pictures of the family that once happily lived here now lay smashed and trodden on the floor. Vance gulped, hoping nothing similar had become of Nicola, or would become of him. He carefully moved up step by step, half through caution of just whom was inside the house, and half because he was afraid a stair would fall through any moment. As he scaled the stairs, he began to hear a muffled sobbing sound, coming from close by.

Hesitantly, Vance called out, "N...Nicola?"

The sound stopped, and, after a tense silence, a familiar voice called back to him. "Vance? Is...is that you?!"

Recognising each other’s voices, the two of them rushed to each other. Nicola flung her arms around Vance as he came to the top of the stairs. He held on to her and once again, his emotions started to surface but he fought to keep them under control. He cried only a little, while Nicola bawled openly into his chest. Though she cried, she couldn’t be happier to see him. She clung onto him with all her might, and she was a strong girl. Knowing how tough she was, Vance was a little taken back by how tightly she had hold of him.

Fayth and Mirril's faces lit up to see Nicola alive and safe. In their joy and relief at each other’s safety, Valyos went all but forgotten.




Valyos was about to beset upon by a mob of the rioters and his weapon was on the floor. Yet Valyos' weapon out of his hands actually meant that his foes were in even more trouble. He waited till a couple of the men’s movements took them in front of the whip. He then flicked all the fingers on his outstretched fist outwards, spreading his hand as wide as he could, his fingers positioned so that each pointed directly at one of his assailants. The instant he did the five spheres on his whip shot upward into the stomachs of the men before them. They struck with such speed and force that they disappeared into the men, their bodies folding around the balls. Valyos then twitched his fingers slightly. Blue spikes suddenly burst through the backs of the men, appearing and shooting back in as quickly as they had come. The five men fell backwards, blood flying from their bodies as they arched in the air. The spheres then fell to the floor with a hollow ‘dink’, like they were just empty glass. The others in the group were too intent on their own advance to notice the men who had just reeled back. In too much shock to scream, the quiet grunts that escaped their mouths were drowned by the maniacal yells of the others.

Valyos did not remain still for long, he blocked the arm of one man who stabbed from the side with a flick knife, with a flowing motion he brushed the strike aside easily. He instantly followed up with a roundhouse kick to the man’s chest, breaking his ribs and throwing him off his feet. The movements were so swift that they were only visible when the strikes landed, a powerful thud accompanied each blow. Flipping backwards high into the air to avoid a second attack, Valyos made a pulling motion with his left arm. The blue spheres shot up from the ground in his direction, and anything in there way was violently shoved out of thier path. Valyos caught the whip in his right hand as he reached the peak of his leap. He focused on the futhermost thug of the lot and flung the blade of the whip through him at lightning speed. It shot without resistance through the centre of his face and out of the back of his head before burying itself in the ground behind him. Valyos then thrust his left arm forward and the spheres dragged the whip, and him, forward through the air, vaulting the boy over the crowd of thugs, most of who were still wondering where he had disappeared to. With a pprecise pull on his weapon he broke it free from the mans head and landed perfectly behind the group, all in a matter of seconds.

Heads began to turn to face him now, as they realised where he was by following the whip back to him. A few recoiled in sheer bewilderment at what the boy had done, others simply scowled in frustration and ran towards him again. All, however, failed to realise the whip now stretched right down the middle of them all, pulled taught so the spheres were suspended in the air along its length. Valyos swept his left arm down in a half circle motion and twitched his fingers. The spheres produced the long blue spikes again and span in the same half circle, slashing through the clueless men who were too close. Even the ground beneath the spheres was sliced through with ease, not slowing or chipping the blades at all, which slid back into the spheres after the motion.

Laughs and taunts reduced to furious yells and screams of pain, Valyos yanked his whip free and dashed into the dizzied and weakened group. His expertise with his strange weapon boasted his decade of solid training. The blue spheres followed the movements of his left arm, the spikes sliding in-out as he twitched the appropriate finger for each sphere. His left arm remained completely motionless unless he was controlling the spheres, it would not move an inch otherwise, a level of discipline that Valyos had taken a record time to achieve. He blocked and wove around the clumsy attacks of the men with no trouble at all, executing swift and lethal counter-attacks each time. His whip and his body moved liked two completely independent forces, causing confusion and panic amongst the mob. The men were dropping dead by the second. The hiss-like screech that accompanied the movement of the blue spikes and the squelch of flesh being lacerated and pierced rapidly rang out around the combat.

One man stumbled backwards from the group. He drew out a gun and aimed it as best he could at Valyos, who was in constant, graceful motion. From this distance the whip appeared like a deadly serpent, swinging into a position, then lashing out with its fangs or slamming its body into the criminals, before coiling around to the next position Valyos' left arm had sent it. Just as he was about to pull the trigger the whip swung towards him and, as one of the blue spheres passed directly in front of the mouth of the gun, the screech sounded once more and the spike travelled through the barrel of the gun, going straight through the whole thing and into the mans neck. The lightning fast jab of the spikes took milliseconds. Valyos had only glanced ever so briefly at the man to determine the exact movement his left arm would need to perform to bring a stop to the gun shot and a swift end to the man's life.

All the men were eventually brought down. It had taken a mere thirty or so seconds to finish them all. Valyos had killed more than that many men and hadn't suffered a single blow. As the last man fell shrieking to the floor, Valyos walked calmly out of the pile of bodies, dead and dying, not caring what he stepped on as he walked. His whip retracted to its original size and Valyos put it away. A quiet sigh was all he gave as signs of tiring. It had not been a fight at all, it was a slaughter and a simple one at that, a fitting end to thier despicable lives, he thought. He flicked his hood back up and noticed Fayth and her friends heading his way, all four of them finally safe and together.

Valyos wasted no time. He looked directly upwards and raised his hand to the sky, giving a little wave. It was his signal to the sanctuary to say he was all done down here and would very much like to come back now. He grimaced at the thought of Fayth introducing her friends to him. He was already annoyed that they would be mucking about in the sanctuary anyway. He sincerely hoped they didn't intend to act familiar towards him because he was the one who brought them all there.



In their cell, Misaro had managed to stop Vesuvius from crying with words that had touched Vesuvius a great deal. It still ran through his mind as he finished up the report. Misaro rested his head and eyes on the bed, lost in thoughts of Fayth. He was deeply worried for her. It was probably for the best that Misaro had no idea where she had been and what danger she had faced. Vesuvius sighed as he pushed the finished report away from him, as if to force the memories away from him, now he was free to think of other things. Thankfully, what Misaro had said to cheer him up came right into the front of his mind.

"When we first met, I said you didn't understand real love. Well, I take that back, you understand it far better than me. It’s one of many things I've discovered about you that I really admire."

Vesuvius smiled as he thought about it, then realised he had not properly thanked Misaro for it. He looked over his shoulder at the little boy, words about to leave his mouth, when the clank of the door opening stole the attention of both of them. Misaro opened his eyes and sat up on the bed. He half hoped it was Fayth, or at least someone who would tell her how she was doing, the other half twisting in fear that it was Dion again, a fear shared with him by Vesuvius. Of course, there were several other people Vesuvius feared it would be. The door opened to reveal perhaps one he feared the most. His heart sank as the dark aura flooded into the room. Misaro immediately sensed it too, and he could not help but fear the less than kindly looking guardian.

Shylock stepped slowly and ominously into the cell, the door closing behind him.

Vesuvius rose from his chair in respect for the sentinel council member, though in his heart there was only room enough for fear for his and Misaro's lives. Vesuvius was well aware that, of all people in the sanctuary, the only person who could hate him more than Dion was Shylock, and Shylock wouldn’t simply muscle him against the wall. If Shylock's psychotic passion took hold he was more likely to slit his throat. If Misaro pulled the same brave stunt he did against Dion, Shylock would probably stamp on his head. Vesuvius withheld his fear as best as he could, but Shylock's motionless silence was notoriously frightening.

What were Shylock's intentions? Would he hold true to his promise to Taurg? Fayth was still lost in the happiness of having been able to save all her friends, not knowing that her newest two were suddenly the ones in danger now.

Red rivers ran deep in the streets of the guardianless city. How much more will the rivers flood this night?

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GREAT SCOTT!!!....that was a big one wasnt it...Sorry about that [skwid] ^.^' Well I at least hope people like where this is going. Big thankies and cuddles for your reading the big chapter.

Chapter 13: Faces and Phases of the Heart

Back to The Guardian Vesuvius: Prolouge

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