"Wh... Who am I...?" The deep voice echoed throughout the 
catacombs beneath Tienne.  The helmet of the animated armor turned from 
the rocky ceiling, facing the six humans gathered next to it.

	"Great.  Just great." Mika sat on the ground, her head propped by 
her hands as she gazed at the Knight of the Round in frustration. "Now it 
has amnesia.  What use is this over-grown hunk of metal supposed to be, 
anyhow?"

	"Gilgamesh, leader of the Knights of the Round," Cid approached 
the armor, looking into the blackness beneath its visor. "Until a few 
minutes ago, you had been under the control of High Priest Lambert, of
the Church--"

	"The Church... I'm beginning to remember.  Forgive me for what I 
have done."

	"Forgive you, just like that?" Marcine cried, shaking in rage.
You killed my father!" 

	"Marcine," Davin clasped her shoulders, staring into her eyes.
"It wasn't-"

	"-His fault," she finished for him.  Her head bowed, eyes hidden 
behind the rim of her hat. "I know that... But, still..." 

	"I am sorry.  Would that I could change what has transpired..."
The sentient armor stopped itself. "But no, I am afraid that with Darovan
free once more, there is no time for you to grieve.  We have much to
discuss, and I fear I am not long for this world now..."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

FINAL FANTASY LEGACY
Knights of the Round

Begun by Brian Stricklin


Chapter Thirty-Seven: Swords and Sorcery

by Brett Schimmel

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


	Smoke from the burning city hid the Manakyr airships partially
as they pulled away from Tienne.  Below them, the raging battle that had
been happening only moments before shrank drastically, as GOLeMs and Holy 
Guardsmen fought a handful of Atma beasts left behind.

	Not all of the Manakyr magicians were fortunate enough to have 
escaped with the ships, however.  One such initiate ducked into an alley 
between the ruins of two buildings, just in time as miniature rockets
from the rapid-fire guns struck the ground where he had been standing an
instant ago, smoke trailing behind them.  They exploded on impact,
leaving small craters in their wake. 

	"Geez... I don't remember hearing anything about a GOLeM like 
this," the mage, Lukav, grumbled to himself as he caught his breath.  
Outside the niche, heavy machinery could be heard approaching rapidly, 
and no sooner had he lifted his Fire rod than the monstrous GOLeM stared 
down at him with one red eye.  The other had been destroyed, and sparks 
flickered across the remains.  Who would be brave enough to battle a 
contraption like this, Lukav hadn't a clue.  On the other hand, he wasn't 
about to stand there trying to figure it out.

	He ran down the alley in the opposite direction as the machine 
arched a tendril over the ruins. The tip opened, and the rockets burst
forth, raining down into the alleyway.  The resulting explosions in the
compact space were much more intense, and the mage found himself
forcefully ejected from the area.

	Bruised but not seriously injured, he quickly rose to his feet
and began chanting as the machine crawled over what little was left of
the buildings.  Twice the size of an average GOLeM, this one resembled a 
four-armed humanoid with the lower body of a serpent, though two of the 
arms was missing, and electricity sparked from its shoulder.  In other 
places, the metal was torn, revealing the damaged interior of the GOLeM.  
And thankfully, its only functioning weapon seemed to be that miniature 
rocket-launcher.

	But that was plenty.

	"DiFire!" Lukav intoned, finishing the spell and pointing at the 
machine with his rod.  Flames streaked along it's edges, striking with 
enhanced power.  Yet, as he had feared, they failed to damage the magic-
resistant GOLeM in the slightest.  He cursed and prepared to dodge the 
rockets once more.

	He was surprised when they didn't come.  Instead the machine 
remained still, staring at him with its red eye.

	Cautiously, Lukav took a step forward.  As though a response to 
this movement, the GOLeM's chest suddenly swung open.. revealing a 
long, hollow cylinder within.

	"What the..." he began.  He lost his voice as small orange
particles of energy gathered towards the opening on the front of the
cylinder.  "Oh no. Not again!"

	He ran, knowing it was futile.  He had seen this once before, this 
"hyper cannon," as the Church's troops had called it right before they and a 
group of Manakyr had been eradicated, along with a sizeable portion of the 
city, in the resulting energy blast.  He had managed to avoid it since then, 
but somehow, after an apparent scuffle with someone else, it had managed 
to locate him once more.  And any second now, his life would end.

	He shouldn't be here.  He should be on the airship with the rest of 
his kind.  But his horrible luck ran him across this thing instead.  Any 
second now it would fire, and there wouldn't even be any ash of him left
for someone to bury.

	Any second now...?

	Lukav stopped running and turned.  Bright light was making its 
way out from between the steel plates of its body.  Without warning, the 
hyper cannon exploded, and KALI roared mechanically as it was torn in 
half.  The lower part ceased moving immediately.  The upper body writhed, 
flailing randomly with its remaining arms, but finally, the red light in
its eye died out.

*

	"It must've been about two millennia ago, during the time of Clea 
Manakyr.  She desired to free the Three Gods of the Tri-Fan."

	Mika blinked. "The Tri-Fan?"

	"The very same," Gilgamesh agreed.  "They were each locked 
within a crystal, destined to protect the dark power between them for all 
eternity.  However Clea wasn't satisfied with this, and thus endeavored to 
free them from her prison."

	"With a fourth crystal?" Davin assumed.

	"Yes.  She had the intent to create a replacement for the Tri-Fan 
prison: a powerful one, capable of holding the evil by itself for eternity.  

	"Through her research, she eventually discovered a method capable 
of forging such a prison.  However, it required two things: an artifact to 
channel the magical energy through, and raw materials to create.  Those 
materials were the souls of heroes."

	Cid nodded. "And that's where the Knights came in."

	"That is correct.  A delicate balance of elements among the three 
crystals held the evil: one of fire, one of ice, and one of lightning.
Clea's research led her to believe that creating a crystal with an affinity
for not only those three elements, but all of the twelve elements of True
Magik would allow her to seal the evil for good.

	"At that time, Clea assembled thirteen well known heroes in the 
world, creating for each a special artifact."

	Shizuka hazarded a guess. "The Heartstones?"

	"Indeed.  Each one held the power of an element within, and there 
was a thirteenth 'element' that acted as an equalizer.  They granted us
ever-lasting life, powers far beyond mortal extent, and for some of us, an 
entirely new body."

*

	Lukav blinked, rubbed his eyes, and blinked again.  Cautiously, he 
picked up a stone and tossed it at the remains of the GOLeM, striking it 
just to the left of its nose.  It failed to respond at all, save for a few
sparks of electricity where it had been severed.

	"I'm alive..." He grinned.  Then he tossed his head back and
laughed at the sky. "I'm alive! Hahahahaha!"

	He couldn't believe it: He had survived the Holy Guardsmen, he had 
survived the Dragoons, and he had even survived this monstrosity.  "I'm 
invincible!" he whispered towards the sky.

	Looking back down, he was surprised to see a lone warrior running 
towards him, and he smirked.  After what he had been through, this was 
nothing.

	"Hell fire that blazes deep beneath the earth, come here and obey 
my command! Deliver your judgment upon those I desire!" he chanted, 
confidently pointing his fire rod at her. "DiFire!"

	The flames charged along the length of the rod before bursting
forth towards the armored woman.

	"SPELL BREAK!" She yelled, waving her blade in front of her.  
She dispelled both the fire and Lukav's confidence simultaneously.  Then 
she raised her black, curved blade over her head. "HELLCRY PUNCH!"

	Lukav staggered back, clutching his hand.  His rod had shattered 
inward, the pieces embedding into his palm.   "Impossible..." He breathed, 
staring at the mass of flesh, blood and metal.

	Then he looked up, remembering the enemy.  She was directly in 
front of him.

	"Out of my way!" Zarela Grenados shouted, not stopping as she 
drew her blade across his stomach.

	She didn't have time to stop for anything.  Not with things the
way they were.  The heretic known as Marcine Cavanaugh wasn't even of
any consequence.  Not now that Darovan had resurrected.  She had to find 
Father Lambert immediately.  He had to be informed.  The church was 
intact, thankfully, but she hadn't found the High Priest in his office.

	Zarela had no idea where he could be, so she did the only thing
she could think of: She ran around the city, searching for him.  Yet she
had been all over, and still hadn't located him.

	She slowed as she entered a square, blinking in confusion.  Those 
stairs in front of that statue had never been there before...

	Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the statue had been 
moved.  Could Father Lambert have gone down here?  Carefully, she 
descended.

	The stairs went down a good distance, ending in a rock corridor.  
The Divine Knight wasted no time thinking about what purpose this place 
could hold.  She had to find him quickly, before...

	Then, unexpectedly, she did.

	Turning a corner, she came across an armored man, his back 
towards her, kneeling and searching through something in front of him.  
The warrior was half-prepared to pass by him, paying him no heed, half-
prepared to ask him if he'd seen the High Priest.

	Then her eye caught something.  There was blood in front of the 
man.  And severed limbs.  And...

	"Father Lambert!" She croaked in horror, meeting the gaze of the 
priest's severed head.  Immediately, she drew Nikolai. "You! You did this 
to him, didn't you?"

	Slowly the man rose, holding an amulet that he had extracted from 
the priest's vestments and inspecting it carefully.  He plucked a small,
plain round stone from the center, dropping the amulet after he had done so.

	"Answer me, or Nikolai will taste your blood!" Zarela threatened.

	Almost as though it were an afterthought, he turned to face her,
"A knight of the church?" He snorted. "Just another nuisance."

	"That sword... It's just like Nikolai! Who are you?"

	"Just a mercenary, collecting my pay," he gestured towards the 
remains of the Lambert.  "He should have just given my what I wanted 
when I killed the other High Priest."

	"Father Onias?!" She swung her sword, as though she could slash 
him at a distance through pure anger. "You've murdered both High 
Priests!"

	"What of it? They were hardly worthy of the title.  The first one
let a heretic go after knowing he could use magic.  And this fat goat." 
Siegvin shrugged, shaking his head in mock pity.  "His traitorous actions 
were simply pathetic."

	"I'm going to destroy you, blasphemer!" she cried, charging at him.

*

	Davin folded his arms in thought. "You said earlier that Clea 
needed an artifact to transfer the magical energy into the crystal.  What
was it?"

	Gilgamesh elaborated. "Clea had intended to use the Mask of 
Slydgirag."

	"The Mask..." Davin repeated.

	"Upon research, Clea believed she could use the artifact to do this.  
However, she had no immediate access to it.  She planned to get it 
eventually, but first she needed to gather the souls."

	"Which leads us back to the Heartstones."

	Gilgamesh waited a minute before continuing his explanation. "In 
order to create the fourth crystal itself, Clea attempted to devise a new 
spell.  In this way, she discovered Petrify, but the spell only worked on 
living objects.  She came up with other variations, of course, but they all 
lead to failures, such as that crystal that Darovan held."

	Davin nodded, wondering how Clea would have reacted if she had 
known what the Church had done with the spell since.

	Gilgamesh spoke: "She never found a spell that would be up to the 
task; she was killed before she could."

	"Wait a minute!" Mika angrily rose from her sitting position.  She 
walked right up to the living armor, hands on hips. "If you were working 
with Clea, how is it you joined Darovan and the Manakyr?"

	"Save your strength, Gilgamesh," Cid said. "I can explain this part."  
He turned towards the others, and spoke a single name. "Madonna."

	Pearl nodded in acknowledgement. "That person we met at your 
home."

	"Madonna," Cid explained, "told me it was she who turned the 
Knights of the Round into traitors."

	"But why would she do that?" Mika asked.

	Cid shrugged. "Perhaps out of her love for Darovan.  Or maybe she 
simply didn't want to give up her life to free the Gods.  Whatever her 
reason, the fact is she betrayed the Church, and brought the others with 
her."

	"I was a fool to not see it before..." Gilgamesh added, his voice 
sounding weaker.  His condition noticeably worsened with each word he 
spoke. "She had convinced us that we could continue Clea's teachings by 
joining Darovan...  I caught on to her ploy, eventually... But I was 
imprisoned here... Couldn't stop her."

	Slowly, the helmet of the armor turned, facing the ceiling. "My 
time... almost gone."

	"Isn't there anything we can do?" Mika asked, opening her alchemy 
bag before remembering that her medicines probably wouldn't work on the 
armor.

	"This one believes the best course of action would be to seek out 
the remaining knights," Shizuka mused.

	"Yes... You must find the Heartstones...  I know not... where the 
remaining Knights... are now, but..." Gilgamesh rasped. "In Russa... far to 
the East... lies a clock tower..."

	"I've heard legends," Pearl's eyes went skywards as she tried to 
recall. "A clock tower in the middle of nowhere. There's supposed to be 
some sort of legendary monster there."

	"The Tower is merely a doorway... to Pandemonium.  That... is the 
realm... created by... the Knight of Time... after he left the rest of us."
His voice sounded scratchy now; they could barely make out what he was 
saying. "He is the... the beast you spoke of... Kirin."

	"A legendary monster that bends time and space to its will," Cid 
pondered. "No wonder you're sending us to him.  With his powers, he 
should be able to help us find the rest of the Knights of the Round."

	"Indeed, but... be warned... Kirin created Pandemonium... because 
he grew... disgusted with mortal affairs.  Convincing him will... not be 
easy..."  again the helmet turned towards them, as he spoke one last time. 
"You must... protect the Heartstones... I'm counting on you..."

	The voice died out, and the final glimmer of light in its eyes 
vanished.  Seconds later, the power holding the living armor together died 
out, and it fell apart

	"And so, Gilgamesh, master of all weapons, is no more," Cid spoke, 
staring at the remains.

	"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mika asked. "Let's go find this 
time-monster, and-"

	"It's not that simple, kid," Cid chuckled as he turned to face
them.  "There's another pressing matter at the moment."

	Davin nodded in agreement. "Darovan."

	"I'm not a kid," Mika muttered.

	"The third crystal must be protected at all costs," Cid continued.

	"But we don't know where-"

	"I know where it is: Dwarvenhome."

	"What?" Mika reached into her bag, pulling out the medal she had 
been given for battling Diablos. "You mean-?"

	"Ah! You have the Champion's Seal?" Cid's eyes gleamed. "Good.  
That simplifies things.  They won't let any human in without it."

	"Where is it located?" Davin asked.

	"Far from here, in the mountains of the Northwestern peninsula of 
Russa.  Directly west of Yahl Russa, in fact."

	"You've been to Dwarvenhome?" Mika asked. "What's it like?"

	"Well," Cid scratched behind his head with his single arm. "I've 
stumbled across it, but I haven't actually been in there.  Like I said,
they won't let any human in without the Champion's Seal."

	"So, we'll need to split up."

	Cid nodded to Davin in acknowledgement. "You four should go to 
Dwarvenhome.  After all, you have the seal.  Pearl and I shall seek out 
Kirin."

	"Master Cid," Shizuka stepped towards him.  "This one humbly 
requests permission to travel with you instead."

	"What? But Shizuka-!" Mika started.

	Cid smiled and shook his head.  "Haven't I already told you? You 
owe more to the chemist than myself.  Your place is here, with them."

	The ninja looked somewhat disappointed, but nodded. "This one 
understands."

	"Good.  One more thing before we split up," He turned to face his 
student. "Pearl, be a dear and give them Ivan's Heartstone, will you."

	"Eh?" she blinked in confusion. "Wouldn't it make more sense to 
keep them separate until we have them all?"

	"Not in this case.  We're going to be searching for a lot of them, 
and so is Siegvin.  Just in case something happens, I want him to have as 
few as possible."

	"I see," Pearl nodded, handing Davin the Heartstone. "Take good 
care of it."

	"And now I suggest we split up," Cid said. "If there weren't so 
many of us, I could cast Remove to speed things up, but as it is, the spell
is a difficult one to cast, and I doubt I could safely transport more than
two of us."

	"Walking might be a better idea anyhow," Davin pondered.

	"Very well.  Good luck, Highwater," Cid said, holding out his hand.

	"And to you, too," Davin took his hand, and shook it.

	They split up from there, even so far as to take different paths
out of the catacombs.  Just as Davin rounded the corner, he heard the monk's 
voice call to him. "Next time we meet, I'll tell you about your parents!"

	Davin turned on instinct.  He wanted to go back, to ask Cid to 
explain...

	But there wasn't time.

	"Right," he said to himself. "Next time..."

*

	"SPELL BREAK!" Zarela swung her blade in front of herself, 
catching the red wave of the attack as she did so.  It dispersed into small 
purple sparks.

	"A Divine Knight? I hadn't expected that," the masked warrior said.

	"And that'll be the your undoing," Zarela declared, raising her now 
sapphire blade over head. She brought it down hard. "HELLCRY 
PUNCH!"

	"Useless," Siegvin merely stood still as the blade passed through 
him. "You can't break this blade with that puny attack.  Give it up."  He 
held out his free hand, and beckoned her. "If you relinquish your blade to 
me, I may be willing to let you live."

	"Give up Nikolai? To the likes of you?"  Zarela seethed with rage 
and ran at him, her sword to her side.  "You will die for even thinking that, 
heretic! "

	She didn't see him smirk behind the mask, and continued her charge 
even as he raised his blade over his head, whispering something into the air.

	"MIND BREA--!" She began as she neared him.  She didn't get a 
chance to finish.

	"GRAVITY WAVE!"

	The purple waves from the blade washed over her, and suddenly, 
the Divine Knight felt heavier, and her attack was halted as the end of her 
sword fell to the ground.  It was all she could do to keep from collapsing 
under the increased weight of her armor.

	"Useless!" the masked one repeated, and it was all Zarela could do 
to muster her strength, barely bringing Nikolai up in time to block his 
overhead swipe.  But he pressed the attack, and she clutched the sword, 
desperately parrying his slashes.

	"I see," he chuckled as she staggered back, lifting her sword as
high as he could manage.  "Your will is impressive, I'll grant you that.
But I wonder how long you can hold out?"

	She ignored him, holding her sword parallel to the ground.

	Siegvin, meanwhile, brought his own blade back, preparing for a 
final thrust. "I told you that technique won't work on my blade!"

	Briefly, an emerald blade, curved and jagged, and the size of a
tree, replaced the weapon in her hands.  She swung it at her foe with all
of her might, just as he was about to impale her. "BLASTAR PUNCH!"

	Siegvin roared as he flew backwards, tumbling as he hit the ground 
and landing on his stomach.  He rose to his knees, slowly, his face hidden 
by his free hand.  Blood seeped out from behind it, and a small metal shard 
soon followed.

	"Wh-What have you done?!" He roared.  His face was covered in 
blood, and she saw the burn scars as he quickly he plucked away the metal 
shards that were his mask.

	"Graaah!" he howled , charging at her in pure rage.  Zarela 
attempted to defend in her weakened state, but it seemed as though his 
strength had increased tenfold.  She flew back with the force of his blow, 
losing her grip on her own sword.

	"Nikolai!" She cried as Siegvin picked up the blade in his offhand.  
"Give him back!"

	"BLOOD WAVE!" was his response.  With the gravity wave's 
effects still clinging to her, there was no hope of evading the crimson arc.  
Zarela, pale-faced, fell to her knees, struggling to so much as breathe.

	"I'll make your death a hideous one," he promised as he held both 
blades above his head, points facing her.  Mystical energy gathered around 
them, and he hurled them at the Divine Knight. "DUAL GUNGNIR!"

	Zarela watched in horror as the blades whistled towards her skull.

	There was a blur, then a grunt of pain.  An older man was suddenly 
standing in front of the Divine Knight, facing Siegvin, blood dripping from 
his shoulder to the stone floor.  "Heh. Guess I didn't quite deflect them 
both..."

	"Y... You? Hereti-" Zarela started to speak.  She was interrupted 
by a fit of coughing, and quickly the elder man began whispering 
something.

	"Master Cid!"  A woman was quickly at his side, twin mithril 
scythes in hand.  Zarela quickly recognized her as the heretic, Pearl 
Lassenkirche.  "Master Cid, what are you doing?"

	The Divine Knight watched Siegvin carefully.  He stood, both 
blades out and threatening, yet not moving. She suddenly felt better as Cid 
finished his chant.  Slowly it dawned on her that he had just used magic.  
She scowled angrily at him. "Yes, heretic, what are you doing?"

	"Saving your life," he replied.  Wincing in pain.  He turned to face 
Siegvin.  "It's been a while."

	"So it has..." Siegvin acknowledged, holding the two blades apart. 
"You are Cid, are you not?"

	"So, you've all but forgotten me over these past few years...  All
the better."

	"Heretic..." Zarela began.

	Pearl interrupted her with her own question. "Master Cid, why?"

	"You should know that yourself," he spoke, keeping his eyes on 
Siegvin.  The latter made no movements, instead simply standing and 
letting the blood trickle off his face. "She's quite a fierce fighter, is
she not?  We could use her help."

	"What?" The two women yelled at the same time.

	"How can you ask for her help after what she did to me?" Pearl 
growled.

	"How dare you expect me to assist heretics like yourselves! When I 
get Nikolai back, I'm going to-"

	"Look around," Cid said calmly to Zarela.  "Darovan is reborn; the 
city is in ruins; and this man has just murdered your High Priest.  Do you 
really still think we're your enemy?"

	"That..." the woman's gaze drifted to the side as she tried to
absorb what he had just said. "That's... not..."

	"And Pearl, I understand your anger. But you realize what we're 
going against; a powerful warrior like her will be an invaluable addition."

	"I know that," Pearl's grip on her weapons tightened. "But I can't 
forgive her."

	"Then focus your anger on me instead," Cid said simply. "But 
remember, I'm counting on you to convince her to aid you."

	"To aid me?" She asked curiously.  Meanwhile, Cid whispered 
something under his breath. All too soon, Pearl realized what it was. 
"Master Cid, you can't-!"

	"...and send these two through.  Remove!" he finished.

	His student gasped as the air around her and the Divine Knight 
rippled, and she saw the blackness of the void creep around from the sides.

	"Master Cid?" she asked again, pleadingly.  He gave her a warm 
smile but didn't say anything more.

	Zarela, however, would not go so quietly. "What the-?! Wait! You 
can't do this!" She rose to her feet, desperately trying to reach out of
the void as in moved to encompass her. "No! I can't leave without Nikolai! 
Stop! No!"

	Ignoring her pleas, the void snapped closed, and they were gone.

	"Well, now that they're gone, shall we talk, Cid?"  Siegvin asked.  
"I might even let you keep your other arm if you tell me what I want to 
know this time."

	The old monk shook his head.  "You asked me that twenty years 
ago, Siegvin.  My answer is still the same."

	"Hmph." He brought his weapons up, their red and black blades 
crossing in front of him. "Then so be it."

	"Gyn," he said as he fell into a fighting stance, "don't worry.  I
shall atone for my sins.  I shall avenge Syeira!"

*

	Back to Russa again.  It was like going in a circle, Davin decided.  
He wondered if they'd end up having to go to the Ryukins again after this.

	But much had changed since this whole ordeal began, since he had 
first escaped the capital with Marcine.

	He turned to look at the mage, and she gave him a smile when she 
noticed, but he could see the pain in her eyes.  She had remained quiet
the entire time while they were speaking to Gilgamesh, too.

	"Marcine," Davin said as the approached the light of the outside 
world.  He hoped to be able to cheer her up, at least a little.

	"Hmm?" She responded with a questioning look.

	"Marcine, I just want to tell you something," the geomancer began.  
He never had a chance to finish.

	"Halt!" As they exited the tunnel, a contingent of dragoons fell 
upon the party, surrounding them with the points of their naginata.

	Lousy timing, Davin thought.

*

	Pearl blinked, rubbed her eyes, and blinked again.  The cluttered 
walls and the variety of items... No doubt about it, the Remove spell had 
sent her to her shop in Koden.	

	She sighed as she looked around.  The place had fallen into
disarray since she had left. She'd have to clean it after this was over
with.

	"Nikolai..." A whimper caught her attention.  She turned her head 
to see that crazy woman from before kneeling on the ground, her eyes 
hidden behind her hair.  Rage tempted her to kick the Knight through the 
teeth, but she restrained herself for Cid's sake.

	Instead, she folded her arms. "Get up; we have work to do."

	"I won't."

	"I'm not too pleased with it myself," Pearl assured her, "but
Master Cid seems to think you'll be useful."

	"With a heretic?" Zarela looked up and sneered. "You're asking me 
to go against everything the Church has taught? Don't make me laugh!"

	"The 'Church' has lost both of its High Priests," Pearl reminded
her. "And if you do nothing, the Church itself will be destroyed by Darovan 
before long.  But if you help me, we might be able to prevent that."

	Zarela blinked. "You're fighting against Darovan? But- But you're 
both heretics!"

	"Haven't you gotten it through your thick skull yet?" Pearl snapped. 
"Darovan and Siegvin are the true heretics."

	"You mean..." the Divine Knight looked at her in confusion. "You 
mean you're not all on the same side?"

	"Of course not!" Pearl buried her face in her palm. "Master Cid, 
Marcine Cavanaugh... They use magic, but not for wrong-doing."

	"You lie! Marcine Cavanaugh is the Manakyr leader!"

	"Marcine has never been fighting alongside the Manakyr. Rather, 
she's been running from them all this time."

	"Ridiculous!" Zarela shouted. "Why, I bet these so-called Manakyr 
were really Knights!"

	"Magic-using Knights?"

	Zarela shook her head, straining to concentrate as her simple mind 
tried to absorb these thoughts. "But... But its still magic, and magic is
evil!"

	"People are evil," Pearl corrected her.  "Whether magic is used for 
good or for harm... that all depends on the user.  You should realize this;
if not for magic, you'd still be suffering from illness."

	"But still. The Church must've banned magic for a reason."

	"And why do you think that is?"

	Zarela opened her mouth before her mind could catch up.  Why did 
they ban magic, anyhow?  "That. That's not for me to decide.  The 
Church knows why it was done."

	"Why didn't they ban the Mystic Arts as well?" Pearl continued. 
"They're not so different from each other.  After all, doesn't your Spell 
Break Technique affect them as it does True Magic?"

	The Knight gazed towards the floor, trying to contemplate 
everything.  This woman was a heretic; it may all have been lies.  But she 
had been right about the magic curing her illness.  And if she truly wasn't 
on the same side as Darovan...?

	"It doesn't matter anyhow," she shook her head. "Even if you are 
right, it doesn't matter."

	Pearl sighed.  "What does it take to get through to you?"

	"What do you know?" Zarela suddenly shouted, rising to her feet.  
She shook a fist at the hunter.  "What's the point? I lost Nikolai! I don't 
even have Blanshe with me! What's the point in even trying anything? With 
out them, I... I..."

	She turned away, but Pearl could make out her stifled sobs.  "Your 
swords...  Are they that important to you?"

	"They were the only things I could count on," she said, her voice 
barely above a whisper. "Without them, I... I'm nothing."

	Pearl stared at her for several minutes.  The Divine Knight was 
gone, reduced to a crying girl wearing armor.  

	The hunter sighed again, and turned.  She was probably going to 
regret this, she knew as she went behind the counter.  No, she was sure she 
would; it was worth a fortune.

	"I hope you know what you're doing Cid," she said as she reached 
underneath the top.

	Zarela's sobs were broken as a wide blade was thrust over her 
shoulder, an inch from her ear.  She turned to see Pearl holding the hilt
of the sword.

	"I was given this a long time ago," she explained holding the 
weapon out. "It's quite valuable.  I was going to sell it, but I never got
the chance."

	"This..." Zarela's eyes went wide in awe as she looked it over.  The 
straight, bronze-colored blade must have been a good four inches in width, 
yet the sword was oddly lightweight, so much so that she could use it in 
one hand.  "What a magnificent weapon..." She shifted her gaze towards 
the hunter.  "Where did you get it?"

	"Master Cid left it here.  He said the dwarves gave it to him after
he did them a favor," she replied, stretching a finger to point at the
blade. "There's writing on the side."

	"Hmm..." Zarela's brow furrowed as she tried to make it out.

	"Dwarven runic," Pearl said. "I'm not sure what it says myself."

	Zarela took a few practice swings. "It's got excellent balance.
The wide blade would make parrying on-coming attacks easy, and..." she 
stopped as something crossed her mind. "Are you giving this to me?"

	"On one condition: That you'll help me, at least until everything
has been settled."

	The Divine Knight was silent, weighing everything in her mind.  
Things had suddenly grown confusing...

	"I don't know if I trust you yet," Zarela said, finally.

	"Can't say the feeling's not mutual," Pearl replied.

	"But I will help you, as you said, until everything has been settled.  
After that," she thought. "After that, I'll let the Church judge your fate."

	"Fair enough," the hunter agreed holding out her hand. Zarela took 
it with her free one, and they shook.

	"And Gustav thanks you," Zarela added.

	"Eh?"

	"Gustav, the Defender." Zarela smiled happily. "The sword's 
name!"

	Pearl hid her face in her palm again. "Oh brother..."


*  *  *



Author's notes:

@_@


Thanks to Brian Stricklin, Kate Malloy, and Terence Fergusson for prereading.
Extra special thanks to Terence for letting me bounce ideas off him, and
helping me with Gilgamesh's exposition.