Gelehrter cradled the Soul Cube in his arms. The scene behind him which encapsulated the lengths the enemy would go to ensure their demise mattered little to him. He clung to the memory of Rena—having witnessed her disintegrate before his very eyes—the object which was illegal within the confines of Sanctuarian Law was more precious to him than any other gem. The stoic man, proud and strong, now wept for his dear friend Rena silently.

His dark eyes glazed over as he merely watched his former comrades vanish before his very eyes. Targon and Accalia were still nearby. He muttered a hasty spell under his breath, the objects in the room vanishing before his eyes, tears still streaking down his face. All other individuals, alive or dead, were highlighted in a dark scarlet while Accalia and Targon appeared as golden statues.

He gritted his teeth and staggered to his feet. As his hand touched the cold surface of the warehouse, he phased through the stonework and out of view. A hood materialized out of loose strands of cloth on his back, his body blending seamlessly with the environment.

Air around his palms warmed as he leaped into the air. The rooftops greeted him once he toppled onto the surface. He turned his attention to the moon which appeared to remain stagnant against the currents of time.

Rena, I don't know whats happened to you, but I am sure there is a way to reverse this. He thought in desperation and he resumed his spell. The warm air carried him effortlessly to the Citadel after what seemed like hours. Echoes of activity reached his ears and he threw off the hood. He appeared as if from thin air then he lowered himself onto the stone steps. Thousands of individuals were gathered before the entrance and were being corralled into the safety of the walls.

He spotted Ovelia and snaked through the crowd of scared people.

“What's going on?”

“Where are the defense matrices?”

“Why aren't they online?”

“Mommy, what is that giant glass thing?”

The din of the congregation was maddening. Gelehrter gritted his teeth and he reached for Ovelia's sleeve. She appeared to have noticed him from afar and turned her gaze to him.

Without warning she established a mental link with him.

“We've ordered a full retreat for the time being. Arden has only just returned with her contingent of Justicar. Where is Rena?” Her voice echoed through the confines of his mind and she was assaulted with fragments of his memory. Ovelia's eyes widened as she absorbed information she could only dream of, the bowels of his psyche were filled with forbidden knowledge. “How in Sanctuary's holy name do you--”

“I can explain at another opportune time. This is Rena.” He gestured for her to take the Soul Cube in his possession, but she refused.

“You've found exactly what we were looking for. Accalia--”

“You know what she is doing?”

“--was going to be apprehended by you. I gave Rena specific orders to--”

“And you didn't tell me?”

“I am your Overlord. You will listen and obey.” Her voice within his head boomed and reverberated through the confines of his mind. “Rena was a sacrifice we were not expecting. She was ordered to search the premises and if she found anyting unusual then she would rendezvous with us here. We had a force scout the area but they were fodder, it seems.”

The crowd around them vanished and she pulled him by the arm into the Citadel. She growled under her breath and with a wave of her hand people were forced from one of the many lifts. She shoved him into the elevator and with a tug of the lever they were away. Silence hung over them while they awaited their destination.

“You are positive that Rena is currently in there?” Ovelia's eyes darted back and forth to the entrance. Their link was stronger than ever and though he attempted several times to bar her investigation into the bowels of his mind, she crushed his opposition easily.

“Currently, yes.” Gelehrter glanced about nervously as he sensed another presence brush against his psyche. The presence was one he was familiar with, but hadn't heard from in quite some time.

“Ernald was definitely here. He leaves a distinct imprint on those he touches.” Gavilis made himself known by flashing different imagery to Gelehrter. Ovelia, however, continued to pry.

“We do not have much time before Accalia catches wind of our operation.” Ovelia warned and she quickly summoned another presence. This time, to his surprise, Arden stumbled about in the bowels of his mind.

A whir signaled the opening of the elevator doors. She yanked him from the lift and they turned sharply to the right. As the Sanguine Overlord marched toward the gigantic metallic doors, they parted just as she approached with Gelehrter in tow. Gavilis awaited them in the living area and sipped at a cup of tea. A tea set and other dishes were aligned carefully beside them. Arden sat across from him and motioned for Gelehrter to take his place while Ovelia took hers beside Gavilis.

Once the gargantuan metal doors shut and locked in place, the Sanguine Overlord's gaze intensified.

“What is said will not leave this chamber, is that understood?”

They all nodded in agreement and Gelehrter placed the Soul Cube in the center of the table. The device hummed ominously as they waited anxiously for something to happen. Rena's image materialized on top of the intricately etched device.

“Its the same as the other Soul Cubes in that warehouse.” He commented.

“Perhaps the better question is, what is Accalia after?”

“Targon was there.”

Gavilis raised his hand when Ovelia opened her mouth to speak. “I am allowing him to roam free. Being the acting Knight Undying and Grandmaster of the Justicar, the Council overlooked several forbidden magics for the sake of keeping others in line.”

“Tonight was only just a ruse for us to root out Accalia.” Arden's tone suggested a minor issue regarding the night's activities.

“You will learn of our Overlord's habits and other ways of thinking which bring results in our best interests.” Gavilis reminded them once he observed their behavior. Without much thought, he shrugged off their protests before they began. “You are our Justicar now, you can't afford the time to second guess our orders.”

“The men I led, most of them were simply part of the Templarate. A Justicar leading men under the Council's coin is absurd, why choose me?” The young Justicar glanced to Gelehrter as she said this and he readied a few arguments.

There was a slight pause as Ovelia sipped at her tea. “Don't change the subject. You were chosen because I can choose no one better than one of Mortem blood—despite how Accalia may treat me.”

Gelehrter surveyed his Sanguine Overlord cautiously. Her features hadn't aged since he was a young lad, barely able to hold his weapon. Stolzer being his master, he picked up a few of his own habits and rested his hand against the sofa nonchalantly. The pose allowed them to perceive he was composed. Arden followed suit, but eyed the Grandmaster.

“There is a way to release Rena from this prison.” Gavilis finally broke the ice. “She has lost her body—as the name suggests, her soul is being kept in the Cube.”

“Gavilis is one of the few who can still recite the incantations beside myself. Targon, Accalia, myself, Gavilis and soon, you, Arden.” Ovelia gestured to her daughter and her eyes softened. “This is a burden you cannot speak of to anyone. Since you are to be named Sanguine Overlord after I have settled into my retirement, you are required to know this.”

“As you may know, there are some installations in Sanctuary where this ritual may be done. It is a foolhardy task, but we cannot afford to lose Rena's expertise. In order for this spell to be complete, she will need a new body. Hers was consumed in the process of storing her soul. Ernald was one of the few who were obsessed with learning the boundaries of the soul's own limits. He tested this against many volunteers and he manufactured the Metentis.” Gavilis explained and then continued with a wave of his hand. An image of the Wrath of the Ancients appeared before them in a ray of dazzling light. “One individual steps onto the platform, they are consumed and turned into the Soul Cube—or Aeternum Carcerem is what he liked to call it—where another individual may hold the item before they are put inside. It is a clean process as every aspect of them is stored away. Their memories, feelings, ideas, thoughts—everything. Rena is being honed by her own individuality. The longer she is exposed, however, the less chance we have of retrieving a stable specimen.”

“Specimen? She is our friend and comrade.” Gelehrter grimaced at the thought. “You're seeing her as some sort of experiment.”

“I am simply--” Gavilis was interrupted by Ovelia's raised hand.

“He has a habit of thinking like Accalia to better understand her. She is a complex person with a long history. Perhaps that is a story for another time.” An eyebrow rose as Arden opened her mouth to protest.

“If we are to apprehend Accalia better, perhaps you should allow us into your little circle.” Her arms and legs crossed simultaneously once she finished.

Gavilis scoffed. “Perhaps it is time then. We cannot afford to lose Arden but Gelehrter is expendable, as far as I'm concerned.”

“Pardon?”

“Indeed. Rena needs a body of someone who had a great relationship with her and the sex of the vessel matters not. In the ritual, your whole image will change into Rena's and you will be joined with her. You will not be dead, but you will not be alive either. Think of it as...an extended stay within the Lower Sector but without the hallucinations. You are welcome to wander as long as you wish, but you will cease to be. We will remember you, but aside from that, you will simply...” Gavilis leaned forward and clamped his hands together, his emerald gaze meeting with Gelehrter—silence cut him off.

“Disappear.” Ovelia finished his sentence.

Gelehrter lowered his head almost in shame. The eyes within the room watched him cautiously and concern extended its unwelcome hand as he felt unease trickle through his frame. He weighed his words with care. “A Justicar that is expendable.”

“You survived the Lower Sector and wore your insignia proudly, but sacrifices must be made.” Ovelia reminded him. “I am sure there are others who will--”

“Ana will be the only one who will miss me.” Gelehrter blurted out. “Rena will be happy to return to this life again, but as far as my memory is concerned, I will be easily forgotten.”

“Don't say that again!” Arden barked, but he spurned her command.

“You need Rena. She is a valuable Justicar...” He spoke plain. “...While I simply hold the Lower Sector as my only achievement. I did not heal her when she was wounded.”

Arden bit her lip.

“The documentation of the Wrath of the Ancients was far more important to me. She tried to get my attention, or something, and happened upon an empty Soul Cube. This much I understand...I used magic to escape the warehouse, I am sure Accalia is still there.” Gelehrter wore shame like a tattered cloak.

“This is unlike you.” Arden growled. “You are not one to give in so easily—don't you see this is a test?”

“I am not giving tests.” Gavilis pursed his lips and spoke through his teeth. “You will understand that sacrifices have to be made and Gelehrter is a Justicar, he understands this more than anyone.”

“What about Ana?”

“What about her?” Gelehrter stood upright and faced Arden defiantly.

“Don't you love her?”

Gelehrter clenched his fists.

“Well? Don't you?”

He considered his situation and reached back to slug her across the face.

Arden was quicker to react, her fist already crashing against the Blessed Star. The power behind the blow knocked him free of its protection and it reactivated to guard him against the wall. Several items landed on top of him with a dull clang.

She stood defiantly. Gavilis and Ovelia exchanged glances.

Gelehrter staggered to his feet. Around him, the objects which were knocked out of place simply raised themselves up into their respective positions.

“If you are finished playing with one another, I would like to reassure you that he will not be forgotten. To cover this matter indefinitely, we will simply say Gelehrter perished in battle. Since we do not know if Ana will catch on, Arden will have to alter her memory if need be.” Gavilis spoke with a heavy heart. His eyes betrayed his lack of resolve for the matter.

“I suppose you should spend your final days with Ana before there is more bloodshed.” Ovelia stood upright and moved to dismiss them, but was cut off by Gelehrter's sneer to Arden. “Behave or you will vanish without a trace regardless.”

The Sanguine Overlord's orders still hung in the bowels of his psyche.

In order to give Rena the chance to live once again, I have to be sacrificed in her stead. This isn't something I would have to stomach lightly. He wondered for a moment what occupying a woman's body would be, but he tossed the idea out altogether. Gelehrter surmised that he would no longer be himself. He would, in a sense, join Rena and empower her to become something greater.

Since the night continued, he busied himself with guessing whom the culprit of the unnatural evening could be. Naturally he first suspected Accalia, the witch who was harvesting innocents for her own goals. Even he wondered then if she could instead be a pawn of a much bigger scheme, since he then remembered the conversation he eavesdropped on prior to meeting Ernald. They were in league with one another, but the purpose remained uncertain.

Gelehrter lowered his guard as he drank in the roundabout nature of his own thought process. He attempted to distract himself with observing the others around him. The Sanctuarian Templar and Sanctuarian Justicar managed to rendezvous to the Citadel after the defense matrices were recaptured. Now being under the Sanguine Overlord's control—Ovelia must've allowed them to be wrestled with to make sure everyone knows she is the most powerful. Gelehrter thought.--people were permitted to return to their own homes. Only the Sanctuarian military worked through the everlasting night to esnure the safety of Sanctuary's citizens.

His gaze lazily rolled to the guards whom checked anyone coming and going with magic. They wore the Templarate's fatigues—similar in fashion to his own save for the emblem was black. After a small amount of debate, he trudged through the congregation of Sanctuarian citizens who were in line.

“All Justicar and Templarate members are allowed through without a line, ser.” A dwarf nearby called out. “Heard them announce it earlier.”

Gelehrter blinked and took the bait. “Aye, thank you, ser.”

He realized then he couldn't draw too much attention to himself and quietly allowed the line to swarm around him. He melded into the background before he made his way to the entrance.

“You're going too?” A familiar voice called out.

“Aye, I'm going.” He replied, turning to face Arden. She wore similar attire as their Sanguine Overlord, clothes which mimicked the Blessed Star. “I've got little time left, it seems.”

“We both do.” Arden shrugged it off and presented herself to the guards. They extended a pair of hands and a wave of energy enveloped her.

“Seems you are Arden Mortem in the flesh. Pleasure to meet you, ma'am.” The guard shook her hand while the entire chamber bowed in reverence. “Please be safe out there.”

“Aye, you as well.” She wore her front perfectly as she turned to wave at the crowd. The low murmur then returned to hang over the lobby of the Citadel. Gelehrter was waved through after being cleared by the guard.

He quickly caught Arden's stride and they walked in silence for a spell. The night air, which only just a few short hours ago were filled with dread, appeared to be just like any other. They were unsure how to approach one another so they simply chose to enjoy their company.

Ana possibly has no idea what dangers we faced tonight. I wonder if there was anyone stationed there, or if she was evacuated as well? His thoughts circled one another for a while before Arden broke the ice. She invaded him with the same authority her mother demanded: without warning, she invaded his most private of thoughts once the mental link was established. He growled under his breath, the itch of her mental fingers clawing at his memories.

“How will you break the news to Ana?” She asked.

“I won't.”

“Why not?”

“It simply will be too much news for her to bear.” Gelehrter sent other images to Arden in an attempt to change the subject as they continued.

She brushed them aside with an invisible wave of mental energy, the last three years of her endeavors with Rena flying through his vision. He halted as she overpowered him with her memory and her voice boomed. “I've little time for games. You should be the one to break the news to her about the ritual and see about spending your last few days with her.”

Gelehrter swallowed the pill of guilt and stood firm. “She mentioned something about a Soul Cube.”

Arden simply rose an eyebrow and he continued. “You mean to allow her the Soul Cube for her own devices. It was an option. We have a Soul Cube, why not allow her to embrace her father's knowledge and make even stronger weapons? It is the last thing she has to experience before she allows his memory to pass on.”

“I will not allow it.” She spun on her heels and doubled her pace, the mental link severed as she seemed to vanish from view. His feet dragged against the stonework for a few moments before he was taken aback. Arden had stopped some time ago and simply allowed him to bump into her.

He could tell by the manner in which her eyes narrowed she was itching for a fight. Her foot was pointed in his direction and her stance was poised to slug him right across his visage. The sting from the last blow warned him of her incredible prowess. Instead, he ventured to divert her anger to something that deigned it necessary.

“We could change Ana's memories.” He suggested quietly, knowing all too well of her recent invasions of privacy.

“You know that is illegal.” She scoffed and turned away. Arden remained still however. “If we alter her memory in what manner?”

“We can make her believe that we were just friends all along. It would be a fitting end since...well, you know.” Gelehrter took a chance in his reasoning. “It would be better for her if she had her feelings placed elsewhere.”

“Memories like that would only resurface later on in life, as they are fickle. We would have to rewrite her life and make it seem as if you were never interested and neither was she. She would choose a new partner, but she had not much joy in life while you were away.” Arden turned her head over her shoulder and one of her bright, sapphire eyes met his. They were locked for a few moments before she continued. “She did not know very many people.”

“Most were, after all, only interested in her father's legendary secrets. He held most of the keys to Sanctuary's past in his ring and she--”

“Ana refused to part with it, no matter what my mother offered her.” Arden mused, a small smile playing about her lips. “Stubborn thing.”

He lowered his head and merely resumed their walk. His heart felt heavy. The weight of his memories, the life he had with Ana, were all going to vanish before him in the blink of an eye. As a youth, he remembered reading small fancy stories of one youth pursuing another. Many times they succeeded in loving one another for a what was presumed to be an eternity, but in this futile existence he lived in, there was no possible way. Rena was imprisoned within the Soul Cube and the only key to her freedom was his disappearance. They would perform the ritual and she would return to the land of the living.

At the price of his own body. Everything has a price and you cannot afford to ignore it. The saying had risen from the bowels of his memory. A fickle thing which could be tricked and misplaced, an aspect of humanity which could easily be manipulated. Justicar practiced this illegal magic often, at least in his own experience, to debilitate their opponents and gain intelligence. A caveat of this forbidden magic has a chance to leave the affected scarred beyond repair. Their body malfunctions and they simply lose themselves. Many cases were confirmed by other sorcerers who found traces of other psyche's.

Ana's smithy appeared before him and he shook off the uncertain thoughts. Ahead of him, Arden had crossed the path to the front door and rapped on the heavy wooden door. A lantern danced with the gentle breeze, casting a warm orange glow onto the entrance. The sound of tools reshaping and working steel caught his ear. Gelehrter lowered his guard for an instant as he absorbed the sound and allowed it to reverberate through his entire being. Rhythmic, systematic, all of these terms described Ana's work habits. He imagined a scene where her father supervised several pieces of her work and gave her the reins of the business over the years. Her unnatural strength and endurance was attributed by Eisener's legacy.

The door opened with a deliberate slowness. Ana's eye peeked out from behind the door and the point of a sword was jabbed into the ground. She seemed on edge, but her eyes softened as she spotted Arden and Gelehrter. Despite their sudden appearance, Ana appeared relieved. Her body was caked in soot and sweat, as befitting of her work, the scent however was unnerving to the unprepared. During their night raid, he suspected she had busied herself instead with shaping more steel while they risked their lives. He wondered then if she had ignored the call for a mass exodus, but the details were otherwise unimportant.

Ana rushed beyond Arden's reach and crushed him in her embrace. She easily lifted him off the ground without much effort, tears paving small streets in the center of all the dirt.

“I was hoping to not have to fight off another attack...and that you would come.” Her voice betrayed the rush of emotion and she sobbed happily in his chest as she lowered him to the ground. “Where is Rena?”

The question hung in the air like a blaze and Arden brushed it aside. “She is tired, she fought the hardest out of us all. Rena had managed to subdue an entire army on her own.”

“I will quit the forge...you must give me details.” Ana's emerald eyes sparkled with anticipation as she dashed back inside. They followed suit and shut the door behind them.

“You said you had to defend yourself tonight. Are you doing alright?” Arden expressed her concern but she waited patiently for a reply. Ana rushed about with righteous fervor and put away her work. She doused the forge and cast the protective barrier around the dying flames. They seemed to be locked in their weakened state forever, the smoke engulfing any sign of the coals.

She scooped a massive pile of rags in her arms and vanished into the kitchen area. Mounds of dirty clothes were strewn about in the yard closer to the home.

“Where did all of these come from...?” He asked.

“They were from people who tried to break in. Another Justicar was here earlier who helped me defend the place...I was on my own for quite some time until they happened upon the smithy.” She lowered her voice in reverence. “She was some sort of angel and was left handed.”

Ana eyed Arden curiously but was given no time to digest the information, for Gelehrter took the opportunity to inquire on the strange subject further. “You're sure they belong to--”

“They belong to both our troops and theirs. A zombie.” Ana wiped her forehead with her hand, smearing grime profusely. The very idea of the evening puzzled him. From his understanding, the army which was converted by Accalia and Targon were their own troops, but the vampires could not number in this range. He knew the Sanctuarian forces were growing by the day and they needed more provisions than ever before. Yet, their knowledge—even being a Justicar, which allowed him certain permissions in regard to intelligence—was next to nothing. Anything of the vampire threat was a mystery and even more since Ernald had brainwashed the entirety of the populous against the vampires. Whatever culture was built by them was being ignored and the--

His thoughts were halted by Arden motioning him to follow. Ana's visage bore a grim expression as she took her seat in the kitchen. The weight of sin rested on her shoulders: every part of her body spoke of someone who would never dare to bloody their hands, years of honest work made her appear soft in the eyes of someone who took lives at the drop of a hat if need be. Gelehrter glanced all about nervously and took some mental notes. All the mirrors which were hung by her late father had been taken down. She appeared to have some stock left in her cabinets, but she ate a diet of beans, rice and potatoes with some assortment of dried vegetables. Her kitchen appeared to be in shambles, for she seemed to take no time to cook for herself. Signs of struggle were everywhere. Glass cracked against his boots as he shifted his weight uneasily. A chair which was set aside for him was shattered, the wooden pegs scattered about. Scratches were etched deep into the surface of the once pristine surface, the old and worn table damaged almost beyond repair.

This discovery, which he had walked past only moments ago, made him feel ashamed. Justicar were trained in the art of surveillance, intelligence gathering, sabotage and advanced martial techniques. Their arsenal allowed one man act as many, their invisible barrier allowing them to deflect otherwise lethal blows. Yet, here he stood, in the midst of the chaos in his lover's home and he simply passed it by. All the tools a Justicar had at their disposal: the Blessed Star, their minds, their magic and their steel. It was all Arden and himself had needed in times like these. He felt worthless.

Utterly worthless.

He shook his head and Ana watched him almost reverently.

“You've been retreating more into your mind lately.” She noted and he blinked in surprise. “I've been having strange dreams as well.”

Arden took this moment to search around for a roll of parchment and a loose piece of charcoal. She sat across from Ana while Gelehrter took his seat nearest Ana. A flicker in her eyes betrayed a sense of curiosity, while Ana's look became that of fear.

“What kind of dreams?” Gelehrter's voice rose slightly as he asked the question. Arden's charcoal danced across the roll of parchment once she finished the rudimentary spell.

Ana seemed uneasy about the magic-infused piece of charcoal, but settled once Gelehrter rested a hand onto her. “I've been having dreams of a past. I don't think it is my past, per say, but it is a past of someone else. Someone whom I know is alive, but won't tell me their name. Many times the dream is set in the middle of a forest. Much like the ones found in the Western District—I know this because I've read about them—and other times it is set here in the Main Square. The man before me has white hair. He cannot talk to me directly, he speaks entirely in my mind using a language I cannot understand. Instead of telling me all these things, sometimes he shows me. I've seen immense machines which carefully extract--”

Gelehrter glanced toward Arden, who seemed mortified.

“--those who were chosen. They were few at first, but the aspect of enhancing yourself in this unique thing he called the Aeternum Caercernum--” Gelehrter smiled as he watched her struggle to pronounce the last phrase. “--and many wealthy nobles wished to be kept in there. He assured so many people that they would be kept safe in this container. The idea is so strange. How can someone be put inside of...well, a can?”

Her eyes flashed with a brilliant blue light and her head lulled forward. Arden leaped to her feet and reached for her sword instinctively. Gelehrter felt a small brush against his mind, a familiar and ancient presence. Ana's head raised slightly as she seemed to be lost to them, the foreign entity locked within her taking over. Around the corneas of her eyes a cold sapphire haze surrounded them which refused to blend into the original emerald hues. She appeared to be dreaming, the eyes shifting all about in random directions independent of one another. Finally they were joined together again by the nerves.

“I am relieved to have gained some measure of control.” Ana's mouth followed the original muscle memory for words, but the voice which reverberated through the air was grotesque, a mixture of a woman's and a man's. “It is only by chance that I am able to speak. Unfortunately it is in poor company.”

Arden attempted to tackle Ana's body, but was repelled by an immense energy field. She staggered to her feet and was frozen in place by the telekinetic energy which pulsed from Ana's frame. They were at a stalemate before she forced both of their Blessed Stars to activate on their own.

“I am who you think I am. I am Ernald, reincarnated in her fetus.” Ernald spoke plain. “You are Justicar, so you will seek other means of eradicating such blasphemy upon Sanctuary's Holy Market. I am believed to be dead. That is obviously not the case, but I will be reborn without my own memories. I will root them deep inside your minds and access them when I am better equipped. Gelehrter, you will name me Sven. I will be the only natural born Mortem, but I will be myself in another light. It is a simple transaction, you see. You gave me a body to be reincarnated in, so you will be duly recruited to be my servants.”

“You can't simply pressure us into doing whatever you please.” Arden growled under breath and lurched forward. She was barely kept in check by the force exhibited by the spirit residing within Ana.

“I have the power to do whatever I wish. Should you attempt my life, I will sever her life and emerge from her corpse. This is only insurance so that I might once again rule over Sanctuary, for the vampire menace must be crushed underfoot. The good of all must outweigh the few and I will have their corrupted essence pave the way for our progress.” Ana's figured shifted as she suddenly regained control of herself. She sputtered and the otherworldly presence had vanished. Her confusion was plain and her friends seemed distraught.

Gelehrter and Arden exchanged glances. Ana had immense constitution to break free of her assailant's mental grasp. He surmised the spirit of Ernald was indeed within her somehow. Justicar were trained to defend against mental intrusions of any kind—Gelehrter seemed to be lacking in his willpower because many of the superior minds easily pass his defenses—while Ana's fortitude proved to conquer even the almighty Ernald. He smiled solemnly.