“It looks like your little ‘experiment’ was successful after all, head priestess,”

“It is because of ‘him,’ giving me the time to do this,

Now his patience shall finally reap results, head priest,”

“Very well then, my queen, wouldn’t you say it’s time to wrap this up?”

***

***

“P..P..Please, no, I don’t want to die, I’ll dedicate myself, please!” A man begs, pinned to the ground by two spear-wielding knights,

“All will be forgiven if you dedicate yourself,

However, the limit on how many of you we can forgive has been met,”

The two knights shove their spear into the man at once,

“We are sorry it had to be this way,

It was the will of g-”

Oomph!

A knee crashes into the man at a remarkable speed, his face almost collapsing inwards, the knight falls to the ground unconscious,

“Hya!” The other knight thrusts his spear around trying to hit the speedy opponent,

“Lightning knee-,

-Strike!”

Another fearsome knee strike rams the second knight with skull cracking force, he also slumps down unconscious…

…….

“Killing them would have been easier you know,”

A muscular man wielding a great sword pitches

“Then I’d be just like them, Darius, we have to show we’re better than that,”

“They attacked us Apollo, the severity of our retaliation is justified,” Darius argues

….

Apollo takes a while before responding,

“You’re right, we are fully justified,

But killing isn’t the only option,

There is a difference between being backed into a wall and the only escape being to kill the person blocking you,

Then being in fight that can end with both parties alive but choosing to kill your opponent,

Why kill when it can be avoided?”

“Alright, alright,” Darius says beginning to come exasperated by Apollo’s preachiness,

“I get you, no need for the lecture,

You’re really still that same scholarly child from back then, a little less scrawny though,”

“We all had to change in some way,” Apollo reminisces,

“I would’ve liked to see what became of Omari”

“From what that Kage fellow said, he got what he deserved,” Darius scoffs

“I still don’t quite trust him, Kage I mean”

“Me neither,” Apollo agrees,

“Lyra likes him, and she doesn’t like anyone if that’s anything go by, so I guess he’s alright,”

“Where is she now?” Darius asks

“We split when we got back here, I came looking for you and Zinnia, who knows where Pinoki went, Lyra stuck with Kage and Karina went to find her people,”

“I can’t believe she was the leader of those thieves, rats, or whatever they call themselves,

Karina was always such an emotional girl” I wouldn’t have guessed it,

“Nah she’s pretty strong, and good at hiding her feelings,” Apollo assures

“I knew form the start actually,”

“That’s because you two were in a-”

“-Let’s not thread back on old ground,” Apollo cuts him off

“It’s ok bro it happens,”

Darius receives a hard shove from Apollo

“How strong is she though, like in fights?” Darius changing the topic,

“Not much in raw strength, but definitely in agility, plus her magic allows her to move without a sound,”

“Hmmm, interesting,” Darius mulls,

“What about Kage, is he strong?”

“I don’t think so, I could beat him easily, however he did catch me by surprise when we first we met,

I don’t think he can use magic either,”

“That’s disappointing,” Darius says lifting his great sword

“Would have liked to spar with him,”

“You know you can make yourself a smaller sword,” Apollo informs,

“What’s the point of having sword magic if you only ever make one sword with it?”

“It wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t,” Darius swings the giant blade

“You’re starting to sound like Pinoki……”

Darius signals him to quiet,

“Someone’s coming! he whispers…...”

…..

****

“Sooo…

Are we going to talk about it?-”

“-No!”

Karina and I say in unison

The three of us continue to walk quietly.

After regaining her composure, Karina suggested that we see the queen since she would know what to do.

“I’m surprised we haven’t encountered any more of those ‘disciples’,” Lyra notes, as barley any people can be seen with the exception of the unconscious bodies and corpses around.

“It’s almost like someone defeated them all,”

“It must be Darius,” Karina guesses, “I’d forgotten what an absolute beast he is”

“What exactly is his magic?” I inquire curiously,

“Sword magic I think,” Lyra replies

“Huh?”

“Another special attribute,” Karina explains,

“He started with earth magic, it evolved to iron magic I believe, and then ten years ago, it became sword,

Like old man herb who went from fire to light to sunlight, they are the only people we know of whose magic evolved twice,”

“Unlucky,” Lyra comments,

“I’d rather have a basic attribute if it means not being mentally scarred,”

“What if there was another way to evolve your magic?” I ponder outwardly

“Doubtful, if there was it’d be taboo,” Karina refutes

“The entire concept of evolving your attribute is built on your personal experiences,

It’s like growing up without ever living, your body maybe grown but where would your mind be,

Still a baby?

Magic is an extension of oneself for it to change form you must change with it as well,”

“Is that wh…….” I begin

A giant sword crashes straight in front of us,

The sword disappears immediately, and a figure dives from behind it,

Without hesitating Karina leaps up striking at it, midair, knocking him down,

“Lightn-

-Karina?”

The figure, Apollo, relaxes,

“I was about to knock you out,”

“Reckless,

You could’ve at least stayed in hiding long enough to see who was coming, instead of blindly attacking!” Karina scolds,

“Good to see you too,” Darius walks up from behind a destroyed wooden shed where he was waiting to ambush,

“Did you find your people?” Apollo asks

“They’re dead.” The girl answers dry,

“Where’s Zinnia, is she ok?”

“She’s with old man Herb,” Darius replies

“Strange,” I think out loud

“What is?”

“This place, it feels weirdly abandoned,

Even with the deaths, there was more people here, and not to mention the lack of any the ‘disciples’ from before,”

“You mean the knights?”

“We beat them all I think,” Darius says

“No, I’m sure there were more,”

“You think they left?” Lyra surmises

“Do you still have the key Lyra?” Karina questions

“No!” the girl frantically checks for it

“It’s gone!”

“Pinoki must have taken it,” I guess

“Does that mean he fled?

Bastard!” Lyra fumes,

“I’ve known Pinoki the longest of us all,” Darius speaks up,

“I don’t think he ran off,

Scheming something, he maybe, but not running,

Besides there’s nowhere to run to.”

“If that’s the case,” Apollo opines

“Where is he now?”

***

Groups of people arrive at the base of the central tower in holy cathedral, among them, the returning knights from the unholy city, as well as residents of said city.

“Welcome back to the real world,

No, welcome back home,” one of the cathedrals priests’ addresses them

“We promise those who have chosen dedication eternal happiness as you become one with God,

Right this way and change your life for the better!”

The small crowd shuffles along slightly skeptical and guilty,

Within the crowd a familiar short man draped in a black hood, moves with them,

He didn’t come with the crowd, but snuck in…

(Oooh this is so exciting!

I’m like a secret spy sent to find my enemies weakness from the inside.

I’ve read about things like this!)

This man is none other than Pinoki,

He follows the priest eagerly,

Probably the only one here so.

The priest leads the group through to the main building of the cathedral, directly to the former throne room.

(Amazing!

I never saw the throne room before,

That one chandelier lights the whole room?

And what’s that?)

Pinoki stares in awe at a magnificent human-sized magic diamond sat the in place of the throne,

“This is the monument of God,” the Priest guides,

“Place your hand on it and transfer some magic to it, you shall then be forever connected to God,”

The small group of people move about nervously, not willing to touch the diamond,

“I’ll go first,” a voice says

A woman familiar to Pinoki steps up

(That’s!-)

The diamond glows as she places her hand on it, her body turns pale and wrinkly, she looks almost corpse-like before the color regains,

…..

She now smiles brightly

“I’ve seen the light!

It’s all true, this is God!”

“Oh my! Then we should all touch it at once!”

Pinoki says loudly in a monotone, tying hard to disguise his voice,

The group seem to like this idea, moving together towards the diamond,

(Good, now I can get a closer look without being forced to touch it)

Pinoki strains his eyes as hard as he can to peer into the diamond but can’t discern anything because of the glowing caused by everyone touching it,

(I have to wait last after all.)

“You in the cloak,” a priest notices the man standing about,

“Why haven’t you dedicated yourself yet?”

(Shoot! I’m going to get caught at this rate,

Think! Think!)

Pinoki’s eyes dart around the room as he quickly forms a plan,

(Two guards by the door, two priests, I have enough daggers, I could take them all, but this crowd of newly dedicated people might attack me, I can’t take the chance,)

His eyes land on the window at right side of the room, the dark night sky looms out,

(That’s it!)

“You,” the priest continues, “do you not hear!”

“Sorry,” Pinoki says apologetically, “I sometimes space out,

I’ll dedicated myself now,”

He extends his hand out armed with a dagger and chucks it upward at the chandelier above knocking it down,

The room goes black,

The diamond no longer glowing provides little light,

Pinoki peers into it,

(What the hell.

Is that God?

I have to get back!)

“What is this!” the guards by the door demand

Crash!

The sound of glass breaking echoes though the room.

“Light magic!”

A priest illuminates the room once more

The window at the side now broken open

“Though the window!” a guard points, “he couldn’t have gone far!”

As the attention of every person in the room stay locked onto the window,

A little man slowly creeps out the door.