ShipTeaser

  As the st adherehin Mary dissipated, I felt my strength grow again, amber letters fring.

  You have gained in strength. Your level has increased from one hundred and twe to one hundred and thirty. Your…

  In addition to that, Foehn had Ranked up during the battle, which was unsurprising, sidering it had been ied with both Dawn and Dusk, and devoured su adherence-rich light element.

  Your Skill, Foehn, Iinguishable Bze has advanced from Rank 6 to Rank 7, having devoured light blessed by powerful adherence. Your fmes burn adherehat does not exceed your strength, and Foehn be ied with plimentary elements more easily, further increasiructive ford hunger. Css: [Imperious] Type: [Principle]

  It's jumped two steps iype category, I guess that makes sense, sidering the description… Fighting back my utter exhaustion and the agonising pain of the stump of my missing arm, ign the knowing look Shiro was giving me, I tossed the golden ring to Shaeu. “Here.”

  She caught it gracefully, eyeing it, her glowing orbs barely able to scratch the surface of the powers it held, but knowing that it was strong. Her expression ged. “Are you sure? Would this not-not be better in your hands?”

  Now that my hand was free, I ruffled her hair, smiling softly. “No, I think you should have it. It’s a ring that brings good fortune and magnifies what Fortune you have, so long as you believe in your own luck with unshakable strength.”

  “I see-see.” Shaeu slid the ring onto her finger agement ring. “In that case, I shall surely-surely suit it. After all, there are none-none who believe in their Fortune more than I.” Her smile was suddenly impish, and relieved me after the teuation we had just endured. “I do dare say Eri will be most-most jealous that yiving me rings again.”

  I had no ao that, and Shiro agreed. “Yes, I fess to being a little envious myself. That ring looks like awesome loot if ever I’ve seen any… yeah, Tan thinks so too. She says the adherehin it is powerful and aspected to powerful Laws. It’d be on a par with any of the top treasures found oh, and would even be worth a sed look up above.”

  Sarah, who was kneeling by the silently weeping, broken body of Mary, looked up, her blue eyes hard. “That nae belongs tae ye. Stealing from a woman of faith is beh ye.”

  “Hardly. Haven’t you heard of spoils of war? Mary was going to steal my life, and worse, the lives of my friends and those I love. Your friends tht?” I narrowed my eyes, and Sarah had no answer, l her head, only for David to whack her on the back hard.

  “I always knew you were an idiot, redhead. It’s no different to putting your Championship Belt on the lihat bitch…” he looked down at the fallen Cardinal, who now looked so very small, her intimidating, mad air pletely gone. “… she’s clearly crazy, but she put everything on the line for this. But when the fight is over, the Belt ges hands. That’s all there is to it.” He looked at me and nodded. “I definitely feel better about my loss to you now. No shame in going down to the best of the best. It just motivates me to get better. This fug shit isn’t happening again.”

  Looking around, Eleanreed. A handful of the Choir had survived, the barrier bubbles of Na proteg them to the end, though some had been unfortuhe barriers colpsing in the chaos of Mary’s relentless, diviacks. Likewise, the Judges, even the ones Hyath had subdued, had succumbed to the strain on their bodies and colteral damage from the battle, leaving me feeling rather bitter. What a damn waste.

  “Yes. We have to… start again.” Eleanhed. “Our Avalon is broken, so much was destroyed.”

  “It’s nae a big thing. What we were doing was crap anyway, ye ken?” Sarah snorted. “We nae had the knowledge, and even then…”

  “I don’t want to hear that from you, Sarah.” Eleanor narrowed her eyes at her. “You destroyed Aditi’s and Mary-Jane’s banners. Now they’ll have to start from scratch…” the sudden silence from Sarah was unfortable, and Eleanor paused. “…they start again?” More awkward, bitter silence followed.

  I decided to speak up. “You destroyed their Territory Anchors?” I asked Sarah, and she nodded. I shook my head, feeling gloomy. “I’ve tested this before, it doesn’t necessarily mean that their Divine Favours will be usurped, but…” seeing the way Sarah was looking at us, I feared the worst.

  “Aye, I did take them.” She admitted. “They will nae fight again, or…”

  “Sarah, you stupid bitch…” David growled, and Sir Arthur raised a hand to stop him.

  “We o find out all the facts, before we decide how best to proceed.” He said calmly, despite his numerous injuries, as now that Eleanor was safe, he could turn his focus to solving the rest of this mess. “Miss Sarah, just what did you do?”

  “When you destroy an Anchor…” I got some bnk looks so quickly expined my terminology, before tinuing. “…so, if you are stronger, you’ll rip free the Favour of the victim. I’ve done some testing, and it be put ba. Sarah, are you still…?”

  She shook her head. “It’s hat simple, ye ken?” She looked down at Mary, who was mumbling softly to herself, whisper quiet, that “she had let her grandmother down, the Revetion-Cardinal down, all the faithful down, and God down… “ and her own eyes were shedding tears to match Mary’s. “When I did agree tae Mary’s proposal…” her burned hand was clutg her rosary still, and must have beeremely painful. “… I was granted a new power, the power of God.”

  My Eye fred, and I quickly saw what she meant.

  Linked Principality: Css [Powerful] Type [Law] …

  “I see. You have a sed Favour repg your chakra too. So, what happeo the Favours you stole? Did you break them down?”

  “Aye, when I felt them e tae me, they shattered, and I got stronger, I could feel the blessing Mary gave me, the grace of God, growing. It still was nae enough though.” She looked at the mostly recrulgor bitterly. “The big guy there kicked the shit out of me, nae question.” Grulghed at that.

  “So what does that mean? Are… are Mary-Jane and Aditi all right?” Eleanor asked, and Shaeu put a hand on her shoulder, f her.

  “There may-may be some hope. But until we return, do not-not allow your fears to rule you. If we aid them, we shall, is that not-not correct, Akio?”

  I nodded. “It is possible to survive the favour being forcibly removed.” The tests I had done on Kondou Kazuo proved that, though it also showed that there was a good ce that a a ah might follow too. “Whe back, Shaeu and I will see what we do.” I promised.

  “Thank you. You’ve helped us out a lot. More than we repay.” Eleanor muttered, and Hyath stepped up.

  “Yes, remember that. Akio, the mistresses… all are kind peooople. It is wrong to scooorn us because you do not uand us. But… yooou are quite stupid, so I five you. Stupid be fixed, we all learn tooo be better.”

  Grulghed even harder, knowing that was true. Eleanor looked a little surprised that Hyath would say such a thing to her, but she tugged off one of her broken gaus and reached out a hand. She looked down, blinked, realised her hand was covered in blood and filth from the battle, ao withdraw it, but Hyath simply snatched it in her own and shook it gently. “Nooow, what to dooo?” Hyath spoke for all of us.

  “Sarah… Mary Stuart, all of you who did this…” Eleanor looked at the st few members of the Choir, who were nursing their own wounds, kneeling down beside the stri Mary and wailing and weeping. “… there must be a reing. But…” she looked fused, forlorn. “Just how do we weigh these crimes? we?”

  “Don’t ask me.” I scratched my head with my remaining hand, a bit embarrassed. “It’s not like we worked out the ao that. Take Na, over there…”

  “I wish you wouldn’t…” she muttered, looking down.

  “… she art of the group that invaded Kyoto. Yes, they had reasons, but it was still an act of aggression against us, and a lot of ordinary people died. Na here died too.” I sighed. “Does her death ah mean she’s no lohe same person? Or do her crimes remain? Worse, another woman called Nie Ling, she was being threatened with oblivion if she didn’t help the attack, but her as were what led directly to nearly a thousand dead. We still haven’t decided what is just.”

  “I see.” Eleanor said, flicted. “Perhaps matters are more plicated than I thought. Grandmother and the Prime Minister… I should leave it to them. And only do what I do.” She nodded, gathering all her willpower.

  “A good idea. Nobody do everything themselves, nor should they have to.” I turo Shaeu, Eye glittering. “Looks like it wasn’t just me who got stronger. Your Foehn upgraded too.” It had jumped to Rank 7 as well, two whole Ranks, and had also leapt from a Rule to a Principle.

  Foehn, Wiing Breath Rank 7 – After ing many winds, including those created from divine adherehe Wiing Breath ow also e certain fvours of adherence, as well as the wind nature of posite elements, if the level of the element does not overpower the Winds. This energy be transferred to other wind and suitable adherence-based abilities with greater strengthening effect. Css: [Imperious] Type: [Principle]

  “You know, we really gained a lot on that Las Vegas trip. Money, levels, a sed element. But Foehn might have been the luckiest find of all.” I mused, and Shaeu ughed, flourishing her new golden ring.

  “Indeed. Finding such a twinned element that we could both master was a rare-rare feat indeed. But then, I am beloved of Fortune, am I not-not?” She grinned. “After all, did I not-not find you?” She leant up and kissed my cheek, leading to Hyath and Shiro getting jealous, so I ended up kissing all three of them, while Eleanor looked on, a touch sourly.

  “More, I see. Well, far be it from me to question your love life. I ’t say I approve, but you don’t care what I think, do you?”

  “Nooo, definitely not.” Hyath agreed, face a little flushed after our kisses. “All that matters is that we are happy. Life withooout joy is nooo life at all, so take it where you find it.”

  “Take it where you find it. I see.” Eleanor nodded. “Aditi. Mary-Jane. Henry, my brother… I hope you all still survive and prosper. And take more joy.” She looked down at Sarah and the broken Mary. “As for the two of you…”

  “I lost. I’m done. I nae wao hurt ye, Eleanor, I genuinely believed this path is for the best. I still do, ye ken?” She let out a long sigh. The spikes that had pierced Mary’s head were gone now, also turo red sand, and her hair was falling out in dead clumps, revealing her maimed skull. “Mary did too. I’m nae sure if she thought this would happen, but… she was nae afraid tae follow the paths of the martyrs before her. She may seem hot and cold, but she was dedicated tae God, and saving the Earth and all of us who dwell here. I’ll go quietly, but… I ask that ye all listen to the words of the Book of True Revetion. We all ae pull together, put aside our differences. Sacrifice for the cause.”

  “Hardly.” Shiro, no, Tan said, her hair and eyes burning red hot again. “The Orue Throne does not pull together, they rule, as a Throne implies. I make no criticism of this. Power is all, the power to defend, to subjugate. I myself made a py for such power, and was defeated. Though perhaps the ce will still fall to me in the end.” She looked at me, eyes bzing thirstily. “If not… then I will at least have made a e, an ally.”

  “That’s right. If you don’t hurt Aki’s bottom line, you know he’ll help you out, Tan.” Shiro took over for a moment, before Tan tinued, addressing Sarah.

  “You are quite correct, weak worlds will be swept away, and joining a pantheon in the end is the surest way to some measure of safety. But for now… only the strong dictate the path. This woman…” she gnced down at Mary Stuart. “… she was not weak. She grasped the power of the Throh great skill. Her fw was she was impatient and reckless. To call a Power, even a merest shadow, into her body… well, perhaps with that ring she wore, with the Laws of d fortuhin, she would have emerged unscathed. But gambling with fortune… when luck finally runs out…”

  “Aye, but she put her soul into that, and everything she did. I’ll ye s her for that. Hate her, hate me, for what we did, but nae why.”

  “Stupid redhead.” David spat. “So, what are you going to do now? Rot in prison?”

  “Aye, I think so. There’s nae way we’ll be let off trying tae kill Eleanor. Nor should we be. The winner makes the rules, right?” Tan ined her head at that, and Raidre, Shaeu and Hyath all seemed to agree.

  “Holding a Chosen isn’t easy.” I said, having experience of being on the receiving end of prison myself, albeit for a short time. “And they still cause trouble here in the Boundary.”

  “I’m done. Ye have nothing tae fear. I only hope… that Mary-Jane and Aditi one day five me.” Sarah sighed.

  “We have Donovan and Kathy too.” Eleanor said, remembering. “Kathy was hurt badly, but Donovan…”

  “… do no harm.” Shaeu assured her. “The little wretch, thinking he had a ce with me. Such great-great insolence.” Her smile widened. “He had quite-quite the princess fetish.”

  Eleanor shuddered. “I never knew. I really thought he was just a shy, quiet boy who opur with girls.”

  “It’s always the quiet ones.” David barked a ugh. “Don’t they always say about serial killers, oh, he was such a quiet mao himself, seemed so nice. Well fuck him. I’d beat the little bastard bd blue myself if I could, but seems like it’s already done.”

  “I is.” Shaeu agreed proudly, puffing out her chest. She had retrieved her pinwheels, which were looking rather battered and frayed. I looked down, and my Twilight Brigandine was slowly repairing itself. I’m not sure if it fix all the holes and tears, but having self-repairing armour is a must sidering how often we suffer injuries. St Moonlight was fioo, I ied the bde, ae g with Mary Stuart’s sword-arm, the edge was free of chips and cracks. Yeah, this sword is excellent. Bjarki really outdid himself.

  As if reading my mind, Shaeu ughed. “Master Bjarki will be rather surprised that your bde-bde survived a battle without breaking. He may cry tears of joy-joy at the sight.”

  “I bet. Well, he’ll still have plenty of work to do. So…” I looked at Eleanor, her own armour slowly sprouting copper threads, which then turned green and enamelled, as if mould was growing on it. Though I doubt she’d be fttered by that parison. “… what now, Princess? Are we done?”

  She bit her lip, looking at the Tower, before shaking her head. “Max Power. He was here. Mary Stuart seemed sure he had fled, but…”

  “I see. Yes, we ’t let you die now, Princess, not after all this.” I agreed.

  “Call me Eleanor, please.” She insisted. “I… would you ehe Tower with me?”

  “Are you sure? You’ve goo great lengths to keep everyone else out, Princess.” Sir Arthur said. “The secret iower is most precious, you said. What would the Queen say?”

  “They already know some of it.” Eleanor said, looking at me and Shiro. “Am I mistaken?”

  “You are not.” Tan decred. “Perhaps not all, but I have inferred a great deal, and his Eye sees many things.”

  I also nodded. “Yes, I see the flows of adherend ether from the surroundings. No, not just from there. Adherence is being drawn in from great distances. All over Britain? Perhaps further?”

  “You said your mother was British, right?” she questioned me, and I nodded.

  “Well then, Sir Arthur, he is a British Gods’ Chosen, is he not?” Eleanor said decisively. “I see no problem in taking him into the Tower. As a bodyguard. If Max Power is lurking within still, I fear I am in no fit state to fight him.”

  “I don’t think this guy is much better off.” David ughed at my bedraggled, one-armed appearance.

  “True, but I have a little left iank. So, there’s no point standing on ceremony. Na, you stay here and guard the se. Hyath, stay behind too. Your spores handle any problems. Grulgor, finish regeing.”

  “Yes, if anyooories to escape or if we are attacked, I will destroooy them without mercy. Hyath is rather upset that the woman…” she gred at the fallen Mary. “… survived her spooores. I must grow stronger.”

  “Shaeu, Shiro… e with me.” I looked at Eleanor, who looked like she wished to object, but I shook my head. “I trust Shiro and Shaeu with my life. As for Tan… I have no reason not to trust her. She wouldn’t do anything that harms Shiro, and we have a mutually beneficial retionship going.”

  “Fine. I suppose that if you are a Fae…” she said to Shaeu. “… then you are British as well.”

  “I would actually be called a half-half too, I suppose. My mother is of the Hyakki Yagyō.” Shaeu replied zily.

  “Uh, I don’t know what that is.” Eleanor said, and I ughed.

  “It doesn’t matter. And Shiro’s Japanese, while Tan is… well, wherever Tan is from. But as I’m eo Shiro, that makes her honorary, right?”

  “The logic doesn’t matter.” Eleanor ceded, heading towards the door to the Tower, stepping over many slowly-dissolvihers from the ravens. There were still a number flying above and roosting on the impossibly tall building, much diminished, but still g ominously. “I’m just being foolish. Much like always, I suppose.” She sighed, disheartened. “How am I going to rebuild now? It took a great deal of effort to get this far.”

  “I’ll tell you how.” Shiro said, as we ehe Tower. “But first, this.” Her words fused Eleanor, but she paid them little mind, leading us in.

  Great winding steps led up into the vast heights, but instead Eleanor led us downwards, into the basement, where we reached a se of opened floor, the knotwork patterns inid into the tiles still stained with blood, silver mist slowly rising. When she saw that, Eleanor looked down, saddened. “Henry, poor idiot. No, this is my fault. I never should have let him show off in front of Melissa.” She turo look at us, her expression grave. “Max has been here, I’m sure. I hope he does not remain here, but if he does…”

  “Then we’ll ha.” I promised, holding St Moonlight ready for battle. We entered, and found ourselves in a room filled with piles of artefacts. Swords, axes, maces, spears, bows, nces, armour, banners, boxes and reliquaries and more, all piled haphazardly. My Eye was feeding me so muformation that I had to squint it shut, amber letters overwhelming my vision crazily.

  “What the hell is this? Some sort on’s hoard?” Shiro whistled, then grunted, as the a sent pain ng through the hole in her chest.

  “It is the treasures the many Royal families gathered from all over the four kingdoms. Some few are even from Europe and Asia.” She looked around, admiring them. “As a reward and a prote, those Gods’ Chosen who serve Britaiaken to the treasures as they lie iower ba London, to find ohat matches their fate.” She paused. “I am afraid I ’t let you have any. These are not mio give away, they belong to Grandmother, and to Britain.” She paused, seeing the looks on our faces. “What is wrong? Is it Maxwell Power?” She looked around nervously, jumping at shadows.

  “No, it’s just… well, the Queen and the Prime Minister already offered us the ce for some of these.” I expined, and Eleanor looked affronted for a moment.

  “So, you saved us for these then?”

  “Good job Hyath isn’t here.” Shiro snickered, wing at the pain again. “You really are a slow learner, aren’t you? We were already here making pns to help, but thehing happened and we had to act fast. The Queen offered, so why would we say no? Besides, the stronger Aki is, the stronger we are, the better for everyone. So… I’m waiting?” Shiro crossed her arms under her chest, looking straight at Eleanor, who sighed.

  “I apologise. It’s just… oh, I don’t know what it is. Five me.” Eleanor shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. “So much has gone on, and I admit, my first impressions of you weren’t positive.”

  “Look at it this way. You think girls like us are going to be so into Aki if he’s trash or a bad person?” Shiro pressed. “Sure, he has his fws. Wandering eye, too na?ve and easily pushed around at times, he overshares like a damn sieve…”

  “Hey, I’m w on those. I think I’ve got a lot better retly. Even Hinata says so.” I protested, and Shired.

  “Yeah, I have to admit you have. You still have a ways to go. But…” she fixed Eleanor with her obsidian gaze. “…seriously, I see why you piss Hyath off. It doesn’t feel good when you badmouth Aki. When we do it, it’s endearing. From you, it just es across as srapes.”

  As Eleanor fpped her mouth, I decided to break in. “Look, it’s nothing I haven’t struggled with in the past. Didn’t I annoy Eri by being all woe is me, I’m a cheater all the time? It’s not what society is used to, with a few exceptions. But whether we are used to it or not, whether the world accepts it or not, t it and will make it work. Now, ba topic, what the hell is that?”

  I could see a rge circle of scattered, charred debris, even the seemingly-impervious adherence-fortified floor burned and bed, fissures running through the bck stone. On closer iioed metal, gss and other materials had formed small puddles, as though some incredibly powerful bze like Foehn had been used.

  “It stinks.” Shaeu wrinkled her nose, her own eyes glowing. “Such a foul-foul smell. I believe I have smelt such before, though it was far-far less vile.”

  Tan was o speak. “Indeed, great curse aru fills the remnants of the adherenleashed here. It is greatly powerful, so do not touch it carelessly.” She was frowning, so that made me wary.

  “Do we think it was Max Power?” I asked, and then realised there was no way of knowing. “I suppose it could have been. Or something else.” I looked at Eleanor, who was frowning at the circle of destroyed treasures. “Do you know if anything is missing?”

  She shook her head. “We’ve not catalogued all the treasures held here. Not yet. I’ve had more important things to do, and it’s not like we let just anyone down here. Besides…” she poio the burned circle. “Who knows how much was destroyed here? But… this wasn’t here st time I was down here. So it must have been Max. I think… he may have taken some things.”

  “I see. Well, if we don’t know, we don’t know.” I shook my head. “So, what’s ? Don’t you have to check the false Grail, as Mary Stuart called it? It’s there, right?” I pointed as my Eye gleamed. It seemed there was no way out of the under-basement where the treasures were kept, but my Eye could see where the adherend ether were being drawn, and it was f a hidden space, a dungeon, just like Shaeu’s old Territory, or where my Anchor used to be in my old apartment block, just on a far grander scale.

  Eleanor flinched. “Yes. The secret beh the Tower lies there. There should be no way Max Power, or a me, should be able to enter, but… I still o check. You will all have to wait out here.”

  “I don’t think so.” I shook my head. “If Max is in there, and he has some sort of powerful destructive curse adherehere’s no way you win alone. You’re as exhausted as I am, maybe more. We go together.”

  “I ’t!” she shouted. “Have you any idea how hard I’ve struggled to protect the secret here? It’s why I repared to die, why Aditi, Mary-Jane… Raidre’s kin… the others… why we all suffered!” She then froze as Shaeu pced a hand on her shoulder. She looked, to see Shaeu looking at her with a f smile.

  “Indeed, you have struggled. So do not-not be foolish now. I too have things to protect. As does Akio. you do it alone? If not-not, then seek aid. We did not-not achieve all we have by ourselves.”

  “I said earlier I’d tell you how you could rebuild.” Shiro said, her smile teasing. “This is how. If you trust Aki, show all your cards, Aki will trust you. Aerrible at letting girls in need go without aid. Besides… us Princesses should stick together.”

  “Are you a Princess? I knoan has an Imperial Family. But I have never met Princess Mikasa, she keeps to herself.” Eleanor queried, and Shiro ughed.

  “Nope, I’m not Yukiko. Aki’s pretty tight with her though. She’s just like us. We’ll be w with her a lot too iure. Me… I’m the Princess of Hungry Ghosts. Lame title, but then…”

  “I greatly despise my own-own title. Princess of Beasts indeed.” Shaeu scowled. “Yukiko being the Princess of Heaven is far-far more noble-sounding. Well, I could not-not be the Princess of Humans you are, Eleanor.” Shaeu’s scowl vanished, repced by a wry grin. “You have very little-little choice I am afraid. This is your destiny. Now, listen to Shiro.”

  “First up… if we really wao break in, we could. And that goes without messing with you or yrandmother. Tan says that the adherence presehat is keyed to the Royal family and their chosen heir is powerful, but given time we could break it. Nothing is iructible. Shit, it’d be a real pain though.”

  On hearing Shiro’s words, Eleanor looked tense, but she tinued, not letting the jumpy Princess reply. “Don’t look so scared. You think Aki, who put his life on the line for you and your friends, would take what isn’t his? No, I’m just making it clear. You ’t protect the Tower forever. As more powerhouses appear, the defences here will get ever more useless. It’s power creep, you know? Your only way is to bulk up your Territet it strong enough. But right now, you have a field of wreckage and few allies. So… you borrow help.”

  “Akio has aided Haru in fortifying Kyoto, it shall soon-soon be safe from all but the most-most robust and furious onsught.” Shaeu pointed out. “With our expertise, you make improvements. Now, show some-some manners. We have e-e a long way. My curiosity will not-not be sated unless I see what has prompted such a war with my own eyes.”

  “It’s up to you.” I said sincerely. “If you don’t feel you trust us now, I think we are going tle to work together iure. I get that you have a responsibility, but you really do it alone? What would have happened had we not e to your aid? Don’t get me wrong, I really respect how hard you fought, you did a good job from a bad situation, but does telling yourself I tried my best soothe the suffering of losing?”

  Eleanor squeezed shut her eyes, thinking. The silence dragged on, before she nodded. She reached up, untying her bound hair, letting it flow over her armour like a cloak. Looking at me with her serious blue eyes, she spoke. “Promise me. If you tell me that you will not attempt to usurp the secret within, then I shall believe you.”

  “I won’t take what isn’t mine. And don’t look at the ring…” I smirked. “… as we said earlier, spoils of war. We didn’t fight you, we were on the same side.”

  “Fihen. I am beaten. I hope…” she squeezed shut her eyes for a moment, before tinuing. “… that grandmother uand. I herefrant permission for these to enter, by my status as the chosen Heir of the .” With her words, the adheren the room shuddered, and with my Eye I could see strands of it detag, toug Shaeu, Shiro and I, sinking into our bodies. This feels stra isn’t harmful, is it?

  I used my Eye to observe the process, and sian wasn’t reag, I watched as the adherence spread through our Astral bodies, trating around the chakras. It was then that the entrance became visible to us, Shiro gasping in surprise.

  “You see it? Another space beh.” Eleanor said softly, reverently. “e.” With that she led us into the opening, taking us down another set of steps, the space around us thick with incredibly powerful adherend ether. The atmosphere was almost sacred, not in a religious sense, but in a way that made the pce feel holy, not fod, but simply because of what was there.

  “Tan says if this adherend ether was to be released all at ohe Boundary would crack.” Shiro whispered. “What’s been accumuted here is damn impressive.”

  “I see that.” I agreed. Reag the bottom, we reached a massive, circur room. It was strange, as the architecture was two very jumbled, trasting styles, one made fre stone sbs, sparkles of crystal embedded ione, while rge trees were growing, despite the hidden location, draped in mistletoe and other vines. Mixed in with this was more traditionally Christian architecture, vaulted ceilings with religious paintings (although many of these seemed rather… out of pce, and somewhat more mythological), stained gss windows, though some windows dispyed antlered men and women, as well as old, armoured men, rather than saints, and fluted pilrs of pure white marble.

  “What a bizarre mess. It’s like two flig things together.” Shiro observed, and I couldn’t help but nod.

  “You’re right.” I agreed, my Eye spying the obje the tre of the room. It was hard to look at, the radiance of the surrounding adherend ether blinding.

  “This… this is what we must protect. The Cauldron of Life.” Eleanor decred. “Without it, our isle will wither, bereft of good fortune and the blessings of nature.” She looked at us, as if half-expeg us to try and seize it. On seeing what my Eye reported, I could at least uand why.

  The Cauldron of ???????? Grail ???????? – Item Css: [Mythic] Item Type [Law]

  The Cauldron ?????? gees immense adherence of ??????? drawing in powerful adherence of faith, st and verting it to adherence of ??????? and ???????? also absorbs nearby ether, creating powerful nature element. This nature element blesses the surrounding nds, supported by the adherence of ??????? faith and promotes good climate, growth of pnts, trees and flowers, is and animals, and ????????. The energy that should have run dry over the long years is replenished by ????????? drawn from worship of ????????? Grail. ?????????? ?????????? ??????????.

  Damn, even without the question marks, that description is a mess. It’s almost as if two items are rammed together. The False Grail, huh? However… I asked Tan a question. “Just how such a powerful item still exist?” Seeing through the light, I observed the form of the cauldron. It was made from bck iron and gold, chased with pearls and rubies. Though again, it seemed like an odd jumble, not harmonious at all.

  “This world is still rich with belief.” Tan observed. “Adherence is a great power, ohat is difficult to exhaust. It seems to me that a great deal of adherence has been caught by this Cauldron. It has tio fill, preventing it from running dry and shattering. Most iing. It is a great power of life and nature, of growth ah.”

  Shaeu agreed. “Yes, I feel-feel a power not dissimir to the great Rhyming Trees at the heart of the Seelie Court.”

  Eleanor nodded. “I studied cssical literature, with a focus on British myths. Well…” she ughed, a little embarrassed. “…it’s not a serious course, hardly useful for future employment, but then, it’s not as though I was expected to get a job.”

  “You have one now.” I pointed out, and she snorted.

  “You shouldn’t mock.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking about what Mary Stuart said. The Holy Grail was just a story, a myth. My cssics Professor said that the tale was based on the Cauldrons of old British and Irish myths. And Mary mentiohe Fisher King. And that we were stealing what beloo God. I think…”

  “I see.” I mused. “You’re saying that enough people believe in the Holy Grail, and it’s all got tangled up with this Cauldron, which is left over from the time fifteen hundred years ago.” It’s really quite fasating. But I just don’t get how it all fits together. There’s likely more to it, but I think we have the general idea.

  “Adherence is often drawn to suitable cepts.” Tan expined. “Even my uanding of it is inplete. But the adherence being drawn here is strong. There be no question of that.”

  “You see why I have to defend it?” Eleanor said, tense.

  “I do.” I agreed. “Well, we’re done here. No sign of Max Power, so we should head back.” As I turned and started asding the stairs, Shiro and Shaeu following me, Eleanor stood there frozen for a moment, before hurrying after us. Seeing the look on her face, I asked her what .

  “I just thought…” she trailed off, unwilling to speak.

  “That Aki would go mad for the power?” Shiro teased her. “Damn girl, you really are hard work. But I suppose being a little paranoid when you’re dealing with something so important isn’t totally stupid.”

  “I wouldn’t take it from you.” I promised. “But…”

  “But?” Eleanor asked warily.

  “I had an idea. Ohat could be both of us. But I’ll o talk to the Queen first, I imagine.” Power of growth, strong nature energy…

  “Cease your worries about such-such trivial matters.” Shaeu interjected, as we emerged out of the dungeon. “Is there not-not more important things you need from us?”

  Eleanor nodded. “I’m sorry. Yes, Henry, Aditi, Mary-Jane… I would be most grateful if you could do what you for them. Britain will be grateful too.”

  “Not letting him have time to fix his own arm first then?” Shiro teased, and Eleanor flushed. There was some ughter, and as we emerged from the Tower, my thoughts turo what was . The world will have ged. I thought Kyoto was bad, but now… there’s no c things up anymore…

  ShipTeaser