Zarco stares at Morietur and the muscular woman, with a confused expression on his face, till he remembers something. He then looks at his left wrist only to find that his crystal is no longer there, filled with sudden despair he starts rummaging through his clothes and pockets.

Morietur

-Looking for your crystal?

Zarco looks at him surprised and angry.

Morietur

-I kept thinking, how someone I had never even seen on this island managed to reach Utopia...

Morietur

-But that little wonder explains everything.

Zarco stares at him with pure hatred in his eyes.

Woman

-Hey, calm down, if you get irritated like this it won't do your health any good.

Zarco

-How am I going to calm down after knowing I was robbed?!

Morietur

-It wasn't a robbery, consider it as a payment for saving your life.

Zarco

-Give it back!

Morietur

-Huh? Don't you understand the situation you're in?

Morietur speaks while pointing a finger at Zarco's face.

-Right now you are occupying a bed that could be used by one of ours, we spent very precious time and resources to save your life! Time and resources that could have been much better spent, by the way.

Morietur

-And all this just because WE felt sorry for you and decided to save your pathetic life, giving us that crystal is the least you could do.

Woman

-Actually, it wasn't US, I did all the work.

Morietur silently stares at her, as a "light" sign that this is not the time to say it.

The woman ignores the signal and speaks.

-You just brought him here to loot the body.

Morietur widens his eyes and gestures with his entire body sending the same signal even more obviously.

Zarco thought

-Great, I was robbed by an idiot.

Morietur looks at Zarco and regains his composure.

Morietur

-Anyway, I didn't come here for nothing, I'm a busy person and I have matters to deal with you.

Zarco

-Oh, so you didn't come here just to rub it in my face that you robbed me.

Morietur

-Exactly… I mean! I already told you it wasn't a robbery!

Zarco

-Yeah, piss on me and then say it's raining.

Woman

-You're losing focus, Morie.

Morietur

-Potentia, don't call me Morie in front of the others...

Potentia

-But it's so cute and good to say, Morie.

Zarco bursts out laughing.

Morietur

-What are you laughing at?!

Zarco

-At you of course.

Morietur

-What?!

Zarco

-Hey don't interrupt me, this is my time to look smart, give me a break.

Morietur speaks irritated

-Your time is over! I will kill you here and now!

Zarco

-Nah, you won't, after all, you need me.

Morietur

-For what?!

Zarco

-To explain to you how the crystal works! That's why you spent your precious whatever taking care of me, right? And now you're playing the bad guy, while trying to make me attach to the girl so that I will be alone and vulnerable and trust her, making it... ugh, I am tired of explaining, it is so obvious it is ridiculous.

Potentia and Morietur fall silent.

Potentia sighs and then speaks.

-You found out pretty quickly huh.

Zarco

-I'm less dumb than I look.

Potentia

-You're right, we need that information, knowing exactly what this crystal does and how to activate it can give us the edge we need to win this war.

Zarco

-Wow, you really want to know huh, the problem is that I don't want to talk about any of this.

Potentia

-That's what I was afraid of, but since there's no other way.

Morietur places the blade on his wrist near Zarco's eye.

Zarco is startled and tries to hold Morietur's arms as he moves his face away.

Potentia interrupts Zarco by holding both of his arms.

Before Zarco could do anything else, Morietur uses his other arm to drive one more blade against him, this time at his neck, the tip of the blade brushes against his throat, a drop of blood trickles down.

Morietur

-You better calm down and talk, or you won't lose just one eye.

Zarco gets scared and stops reacting.

Morietur takes the blade away from Zarco's eye but keeps the one close to his neck.

-Better, now speak.

Zarco

-Ok, ok... I liked you more when you were killing my enemies and acting like an idiot.

Morietur speaks as he raises the blade near Zarco's neck.

-That wasn't the answer I wanted.

Zarco

-OK! A guy gave me this crystal! Is that what you wanted to hear?

Morietur

-Humpf, do you think I would believe such a lie? These crystals possess unimaginable powers, wars were fought for them, a lot of blood was spilled and countless lives were lost... And you tell me that someone would just hand it over as something worthless?!

Zarco

-Okay, he didn't technically give it to me, I kind of took it.

Morietur

-So you stole it?

Zarco

-Eh...

Morietur

-And you call me a thief.

Zarco

-Because you are.

Morietur

-Your attempts to annoy me are pathetic.

Zarco

-Then why are you mad?

Morietur

-Are you going to tell me how to use the crystal or not?

Zarco

-Or not.

Morietur turns his head around and says.

-Come in.

Two guards enter the room.

Morietur

-Take him to prison, let's see if he'll be more willing to tell the truth after a while there.

Potentia let go of Zarco's arms.

The guards lift Zarco from the bed and take him away, Zarco tries to struggle to break free, but he doesn't have enough strength, and his injuries prevent him from moving properly.

Zarco

-ARGH! Let me go! I don't like prisons!

Zarco leaves the room accompanied by the guards.

Morietur and Potentia watch as Zarco flails trying to resist.

After he leaves, Morietur turns to Potentia and says.

-Good job holding him.

Potentia

-No need to thank me, but when are you going to interrogate him?

Morietur

-Hmm… I'm not sure, I can't leave that with the rest because they might end up screwing it up, but on the other hand, it's going to be a pain in the ass getting him to talk.

Potentia

-Well, he doesn't seem like the type that can withstand pain.

Morietur

-True, but he's not an angel, so it won't be fun to see him suffer.

Potentia

-And the other two?

Morietur

-I've already finished with the old man, but...

Potentia

-You still haven't decided what to do with her.

Morietur

-An angel without wings is still an angel, but even knowing that...

Potentia puts her arms around Morietur gently.

-Take all the time you need.

Morietur speaks looking Potentia straight in the eyes.

-I don't know what I would do without you.

Potentia hugs him tightly and speaks.

-Me neither.

Morietur lets out a soft moan of pain.

Potentia

-Hmm? What was it?

Morietur out of breath, holding himself against the pain of the embrace.

-N-nothing...

END OF THE TWELFTH CHAPTER