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Interlude: You Don't Have the Stones

"There are rumours that state when a Seal Bearer's power reaches a high enough level, they are capable of summoning a 'personal' Unsealed. Further rumours indicate that these Unsealed could be the sacrifices made by the Seal Bearer to obtain their Seal given a physical form. Whether this is true or not is questionable as Unsealed are generally killed on sight."

Esme Hart

The Unsealed Truth

Steel Tempered Will

I don't think I'm crazy...

I know that's what a crazy person would say but seriously, I am not crazy.

I've done crazy things before. One of which is tagging along with the guy who effectively damned me to an existence alienated by people because I possess a sort of 'counter-Seal'. But that was the 'crazy-desperate' kind. Not the 'crazy-insane' kind.

At the same time, I am still a pretty competent medic not to mention the fact that I am still capable of logical thought. Also, I'm pretty sure that if you know you're not insane, you're not insane.

Or is that just being in denial?

Shoot... I must be insane...

I shook the thoughts from my mind and continued doing my rounds. I was surprised that no medics had survived the massacre or the Plague. I guess they were both lucky and unlucky at the same time. Unlucky that they had lost so many people... but lucky they had someone like me to take care of them. I will admit that they were lucky to have Jacob Reaper amongst them.

I may not agree with Reaper's methods but I guess his intentions are good in the end.

Like him, I don't trust Belford. From what the priest told us just before Reaper left, he was effectively using religion as a means of controlling people. It's admirable that he is trying to work for the betterment of everyone but the path of heaven is paved with good intentions. But like Reaper, he was manipulating people, experimenting on people and twisting them in ways to ultimately benefit him.

I wasn't blind.

I could see what Belford did when he split Rose's personality into three.

"Uh doc..."

I stopped, a little surprised that the voice had come from a MODD soldier who sported a rather bloody bandage across his chest. From a cursory glance, it looked like he had fractured ribs that had torn his flesh from the inside. He looked a little pale but the Alsatian had a good body on him, lean, strong and brimming with muscles. Not as big as Reaper or Leonardo but still the body of a soldier.

I appraised his muscular form from a strictly professional perspective... yeah, professional... Let's go with that. Nice firm biceps covered by thick brown and black fur. Powerful thighs that were built for running instead of lifting stuck out over a pair of military cargo shorts. His feet were pretty darn big too.

And you know what they say about guys and the size of their feet...

No! No!

No... Don't go that way.

I may doubt my sanity but one piece of clarity in that doubt is that I am not gay.

"Yes?" I growled a little irritated that this dog was making me doubt myself even more.

"You're stepping on my tail."

I glanced down... finding my foot resting on his tail. I let out a soft, disgusted sound and pulled my foot away. "Sorry..." I murmured softly. I glanced at the bloody coat that hung on the foot of his bed, finding his name. "...Sergeant Canis."

"James," the Alsatian provided. "The name is James Canis."

"Sure thing, Jim," I answered, grasping his shoulder. I made to push him back onto his bed so I could examine him - not in that way - but he quickly seized my wrist, catching it in a vice-like grip that made me gasp.

"James," he insisted. "Not 'Jim'. Not 'Jimmy'. James. Or better yet, 'Sergeant'."

I gasped and yanked my wrist away from him, staring daggers into those piercing, blue eyes. "Fine."

"Nice dress by the way," James Canis sniggered.

"It's a kilt," I snapped, shoving him back into the bed. I deliberately pressed my hands against the injured part of his chest, making him snarl in pain as he hit the bed hard. "Now, have you had any trouble breathing?"

"Before or after you collapsed my lung?" he snarled back.

Just what I need... a smartass patient...

I tried to maintain my cool and examined his bandages. They were pretty bloody and needed changing. Upon a mental command, I commanded Eden to bring me a basin full of clean, warm water and some clean bandages as well as a rag. Within half a second, a large, metal pillar rose up from the ground beside me. The surface of the pillar reshaped itself into a bowl and quickly filled with water from a faucet that appeared beside it. A small rack extended from the pillar and a towel unfurled.

It always amazed me how Eden could manifest anything I wanted. I mean, I thought my Elements were Mind and Metal and that Animus take on the Elements of their Branded. But Eden seemed capable of bringing up food, artificial light, electricity and basically anything I wanted. Did that mean she could control more Elements?

Dismissing the thought, I returned to my work on Sergeant James Canis. I picked up the towel and let it soak in the water for a while as I slowly began to unbandage the Alsatian. I had to get him to sit up again much to his displeasure... and my own sadistic glee. The wound wasn't at all that deep and I had been wrong. It seemed something had cut him from the outside and grazed his ribs.

I was a little surprised at how quickly it had healed... From what I heard, he had received the injury just a day ago... but now the flesh has almost completely closed up, leaving a pinkish, smooth surface. Puzzled but dismissing it as probably another MODD initiative I had no idea about, I grabbed the damp towel, rung out the excess water and began cleaning his fur and the wound.

Canis flinched a little now and then but didn't pull away or strike me as I cleaned and disinfected the wound with some more materials Eden provided me. Once I was done, I grabbed some fresh bandages and wrapped it around his chest. Unfortunately, I was forced to brush my muzzle a little against his neck.

I caught a whiff of his manly scent.

God it's so good...

Snorting, I pulled away as I finished up with the bandage. "You need a bath."

"You just bandaged me," Canis scoffed. "Can't."

"First chance you get. You're stinking up the place."

"Just as long as you don't step on my tail again, I'll run into the shower the instant you take these bandages off."

Heh... I think I like this guy.

"Deal." Eden reabsorbed the materials used to make the towel, basin and pillar.

As I turned away to attend to the other patients in the room, Canis also go up.

"You shouldn't be walking around in the state you're in," I muttered softly. If he wanted to kill himself, then he could go ahead and try. I did what I could. A doctor can treat a patient but if that patient decides to commit suicide, that's not on the doctor's head.

That's they're fault.

"Let me ask you something," Canis grunted, rolling his shoulders. "You're a reasonable guy. Why the hell are you following around Reaper? I mean, sure he may have turned you into some sort of anti-Seal freak but can't you go to MODD and have them cure you or something?"

I snapped him a piercing stare. "My motivations are my own to keep. I don't have to share them with you."

The sergeant grinned. "Oh... I get it. You're gonna backstab him, aren't you? Nice."

I stormed over to him, pushing him back onto the bed. "Listen here, mutt," I snarled, jabbing a finger at his chest... a well defined che... No! Not gay! Not gay! "I'm a lot of things but I'm not a traitor!"

His eyes narrowed at me and his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Then why the hell did you betray MODD?"

I wasn't sure if he knew I used to be a lowly MODD employee but what he said hit home... hit home hard. But I quickly recomposed myself. "Because if Reaper wins, there won't be any Seals anymore. If MODD wins, there won't be any Brands. There can be a world where both exist. I'm trying to make that world."

Of course, I was bullshitting.

The real reason I was following Jacob wasn't because of some idiotic ideal I held.

It's because... Well... it's because of him.

Not gay... Not gay... not gay!

Okay... maybe just a little...

"That's stupid," Canis snarled. "You think by destroying MODD you're going to make it better?"

"I'm not helping to destroy MODD," I growled back, straightening. "MODD is rife with corruption. You've probably heard by now how and why Belford left MODD in the first place. Things like that we're trying to root out. If MODD and everyone else can see we're actually helping them by getting rid of the corruption, then we're making it stronger and paving a path for us to join them and make a better world."

God I hate myself so much...

"You don't believe that," the Alsatian laughed bitterly. He waved at me dismissively. "I bet you're just in it because you're in love with one of the guys."

My heart froze. "What!?"

He crossed his arms confidently against his chest... that chiselled - goddamnit!

Not.

Gay.

Just...

"Come on," the sergeant snickered. "Reaper is mated to Custer. Nebula is Reaper's brother and along with Yates, they had sex. All the guys are gay. One of the two girls is a lesbian and the other is bipolar. Chances are, you're gonna get a little stir crazy and with the huge sausage-fest that's that party, you're going to turn. It's only a matter of time."

I snarled, spread my wings threateningly and clenched my fists.

No... I had to take the higher ground here... despite the fact...

No... Not gay... not... gay...

Just... in love...

Not even that.

Infatuated.

No... Just hormones.

Yeah... Hormones.

"Think what you want," I answered gruffly. "But I don't judge Reaper or any of the others about their orientation. I'm bet that you think Reaper is horrible because he's gay but when you look at Joanna and think about her going at it with another girl, you get your rocks off."

Canis didn't reply but that smirk was off his face.

I knew it.

Everyone is the same.

Macho, simple-minded, two-dimensional jerks with tough-guy attitudes like Canis were all the same. They liked being on top and hated the idea about getting fucked or even the horrible possible of liking being fucked. So they preyed on girls... People who could never fuck them. Their prejudices bled and evolved into a hatred for homosexuals but not just all homosexuals. Just guys. But if two girls went at it, he'd be right there pawing himself off.

Typical.

"You think I'm some mindless, 'yes-sir, no-sir, thankyou-sir-can-I-have-another-sir' grunt, don't you?" Canis said flatly. "Well let me tell you something..." He wrapped an arm around me and pointed to a soldier who was being handed a mug of soup from one of the female 'nurses' who had volunteered from the survivors.

"Fucked him."

What...?

Was he...?

He pointed to another guy who was doing stretches in the corner. "Fucked him." Now over to a guy who was shamelessly flirting with a pair of giggling teenager girls at the door, leaning against the door in such a way that his bicep was bulging. "Fucked him... repeatedly." Next over to a guy cleaning the barrel of his gun... Gah! The innuendo. "Got fucked by him and lastly..."

He turned me around and pointed to a guy who was doing squats. "... once I get this bandage off, me and Paul there? We're gonna go at it like wild dogs in the toilets." Canis patted my shoulder. "So next time you think I just take in what some religion, corporation, government or politician tells me to do, think again." He shoved me away and jerked his thumb at his chest. "I made sergeant because I can think for myself not just because I know how to point a gun and shoot."

He winked at me, giving me a mockingly flirtatious smile. "Pun definitely intended."

Damn he's handsome...

My mind kicked back into gear.

"What's it like?" I asked softly.

"What? Getting a dick up your ass or sticking your dick up someone else's ass?"

"Not that," I growled fiercely. I eased back a little, forcing my wings inch by inch to fold behind my back. "Being gay... accepting who you are... What's it like?"

That cocky smile came back. "Having doubts are we?"

I was about to tell him to 'get fucked' but I realised that was exactly what he was going to do. "No. You make a good point about the majority of the team being gay or at least being comfortable having sex with others of the same gender. I need to understand what it's like so that I can help build better team dynamics so we can work together and not let something as stupid as sexual orientation get the better of us."

Damn... I almost convinced myself with that one...

"You're so full of shit."

Clearly, I wasn't going to get anything from him. "Fine," I muttered, turning around to leave. "Suit yourself. If you end up getting killed because we can't work together, let it be on your head."

I headed out of the little ward -

When a paw fell on my shoulder.

"Look... It wasn't really a matter of choice for me," the sergeant said. "The guys in my troop? They're not gay. They just need to get their rocks off and sometimes, it's better to have someone else help you than just to do it yourself. Me though? I know what I want. For me, it just feels right when I'm with another guy. If that makes me messed up in the eyes of some deity or the world, fine." He pulled his paw from my shoulder and pointed at his chest. "But in here... It's right."

Not really a conclusive answer... but I guess I appreciate the fact that he confided in me in that way.

He isn't just a grunt after all...

"Thank you for your input," I answered shortly. "I'll keep it in mind." Another question slipped into my mind as I turned to face him. "Hey... If you were in my place, if you had this Brand on you" - I hiked a thumb over my shoulder - "would you follow Reaper?"

Canis shook his head. "Not a chance in hell. But I'd follow my heart. Follow what I think is right."

I ducked my head slightly. "I see..."

Thus... the question remained... was I following Jacob because I believed in his cause... or was it because I was just following someone I liked? In the end... which one was better?

Which one would make me happy?

"Thanks again..." I murmured, turning around. "I've got some other patients to attend to. Get some rest."

Without another word, I left the ward fully knowing that that ward was the only place in Eden we were keeping the injured. There weren't any other 'patients' except those inside that one room. Not sure if Sergeant Canis knew that but I don't think it mattered. I needed some time to myself.

Some time to think...

As soon as I left the ward, however, I found a sight that I didn't think I'd ever see.

Joanna Swan sat on the floor beside the door, staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes were bloodshot and from the way her odour reached even me... she hadn't bathed in a while.

"Joanna?"

She regarded me with a sad smile. Slowly, she got to her feet and wiped the remnants of tears from her eyes. "Hey there, Max. How's our resident doctor?"

"Fine," I lied. "And you?"

"Fine as well."

She was a terrible liar... and I'm a liar so I should know.

"You suck at lying."

She looked taken aback by that but quickly turned that into a soft snicker. "Yeah... I do... I'm used to speaking my mind all the time... I guess keeping things in is a bit difficult."

How ironic... I'm used to keeping things inside so speaking my mind was often so hard...

"So what's bugging you?" I asked, sliding down to sit beside her. She smiled and sat down as well.

"I killed a little girl yesterday..."

"You've killed grown men before. Killed Unsealed. What's the difference?"

I knew I hurt her... and this is another reason why I opt not to speak my mind that much. I tend to hurt people in the process.

"It was a little girl that Jacob had saved earlier... He had saved her from the Plague... and then the Plague took her again and I killed her..." Joanna buried her face in her paws. "God... it's horrible... Having that bright hope dangled in front of you before being snatched away by death... It sucks."

"Don't talk to me about dangling hope..." I muttered grumpily.

Her eyes flicked to me curiously. "Huh?"

Crap... I didn't mean to say that...

I thought fast...

I leaned back casually and stared wistfully at the ceiling. "You know the typical Welenshan family?"

"You mean the crazy number of children?" she replied with a snigger. "No offence, Max, but Welenshans are known to have a crazy number of kids."

No joke about that... Welensha was a hot, dry, mostly-desert land. The dominant species of the land and what most people on Mortaelis considered as 'Welenshans' were the reptilian species including dragons. As Joanna said, Welenshans had a penchant for reproducing at an alarming rate. Unlike most other species who took 9 months to conceive, because reptilian species birth through eggs, mothers can lay their clutch, leave it in the care of the father then go off and have sex with some other prospective male and have another clutch out of her in two months.

Because Welensha was a harsh land, scientist theorised that the 'no-marriage' mentality was instilled into us as a survival instinct. In ancient times, only one or two in a clutch of ten would make it and even then, at the best case scenario, one of them would reach adulthood. There were predators out to get careless young dragons and sometimes, the hot sun would do someone in. So... the only solution was to mass produce... back then that is.

In modern times though, the dangers are mostly gone and the hot sun is held back by the construction of cities and modes of transport. But that doesn't stop the influx of births. Women still have sex with a man, leave the man with the clutch and then leave. It is very rare that they actually marry. Old family traditions die hard and many families still arrange marriages long before the child reaches maturity.

"No offence taken," I chuckled. "But yeah, I'm one of those kids."

A look of pity crossed Joanna's features. "So your mother left you with your father...?"

I nodded and then shrugged. "Yep. Never knew her really. Was raised by my dad who is also pretty old-timey. Raised all his sons to be the 'best male specimens' they could be so they can pass on their genes. He only had one daughter and he treasured her like she was the most precious diamond in a bunch of coal."

"So I guess he took care of you well then?" she asked.

I knew she was trying to make fun of my weight and I let it slide.

Mostly because I would love her reaction when I told her the truth. "No... He actually didn't like me very much. Apparently, he hated me from the very moment I was born. See, all my brothers and my sister have gold or silver scales. One even has emerald-coloured scales from my dad's side. Me? I get my great-grandfather's bronze scales."

She looked puzzled. "Is that bad?"

How to put this in a way a vulpine would understand...?

"Put it this way... It's like my brothers and sisters have a pedigree and I ended up the mutt."

That cleared things up. "Ah... I see..." Her features crossed with pity. "So from the instant you were born, he hated you?"

"Pretty much," I answered with a sigh. "Kept telling me what a disappointment I was compared to my oldest brother. Always compared me to my oldest brother. I'm ashamed to say that because of that, I ended up eating a lot..." I patted my belly. "It's kind of how I got this."

"You deal with pain by eating...?"

"How do you deal with pain?"

She gave me a weary smile. "By crying..."

"Guys don't cry."

"Jacob cries."

"Jacob isn't a guy. He's a monster."

The instant I said those words, I regretted them. Reaper wasn't a bad guy... I could see that now. I didn't like him nor did I agree with his methods but he wasn't bad. An awkward silence fell between us.

I broke it by saying, "Anyway... About dangling hope in front of you... My dad was a_lways_ doing that to me. He'd seemingly offer me some sort of great opportunity and then at the last minute, snatch it away and give it to my oldest brother... He kept telling me it was to motivate me but I knew he was ashamed of me..."

Sighing, I regarded at my hands, frowning slightly. "When I got offered that job at MODD, I instantly took it. Before I even knew what I was getting into, I flew off to Shellington, got a place to myself and sent letters back home boasting about all that I would accomplish." A bitter laugh escaped me. "Then it turns out, all I have to do is push pencils, file some things, print of other things and get people their morning coffees."

Joanna blinked in surprise. "What? I thought you were a successful MODD employee? Someone who was important and who we were basically holding ransom."

I threw my head back and -

Wham!

Forgot I was leaning against a wall and grumbled as I rubbed the back of my head. Joanna giggled at me and I offered a faint smile back.

"Nah... I'm basically at the bottom rung. A nobody. Heck, my boss probably fired me already and didn't even break a sweat doing it."

Joanna reached over and gripped my shoulder comfortingly. It was nice to have genuine contact for once. "Why don't you just go back home?"

"You kidding me?" I answered with a snort. "Go back with my tail tucked between my legs, basically telling them that I lied to them, I suck and am a total failure?" I crossed my arms and growled softly. "Not a chance in hell..."

It was my greatest fear... going back home to have them laugh at me... Telling me how badly I failed and tormenting over all the lies I had fed them. In hindsight... I shouldn't have lied. But what else could I have done? I was trapped. The reason I never wanted to go home was because I might slip and say something contradicting my letters.

I even told them I was going to the local gym and losing weight in fat and gaining it in muscle!

"No wonder you're so grouchy..." Joanna murmured, giving me that concerned look again. "You don't have a home you can go back to..." Then she blinked and straightened. "Huh... I guess that's kind of what Eden represents for you, isn't it? A home you can take around with you... your home, a shelter from the horrible things going on in the world."

I... I never thought of that before... I looked up at the ceiling again... pondering the idea.

"You might be right..." I regarded her, puzzled. "Do our Animus have some sort of significance in our lives or something?"

I could tell Joanna was pondering this same thing for a while as her eyes suddenly grew excited. "Maybe... I know for one that Taylor's Animus, Prometheus, represents his desire to be loved. To be held tightly and truly appreciated. He wants to find someone who will protect him and hold him tightly as well."

She made a gesture to the side. "With Kerry, I think Polaris represents who she really is inside. I know she tries to be sweet and helpless but really, she's got a fierce soul and a bit chilly. She's a wolf in doe's skin."

Joanna then frowned and rubbed her chin. "Leo... I'm not sure... A three headed dog...? I'm really not sure what Cerberus represents... I don't know him well enough... Maybe he's got multiple personality disorder and he has three personalities or something..."

"Or maybe it's three parts of him that are all fighting for the same purpose," I offered. "Maybe his loyalty to his 'tribe' or something, his affection for Jacob and...um..." I trailed off. "I don't have a third one."

She shrugged as well. "When we know him better, we'll know."

"What does Behemoth represent of you?" I asked with a smile. "You ever wanted to be a big, hulking beast that can cleave the earth in two?"

Joanna threw her head back -

Wham!

... and hit her head as well.

I couldn't help it.

I laughed.

She laughed with me.

I wondered if she did it just to make me laugh.

"Would you believe me if I said I did?" she answered.

I flinched and inched a bit away from her. "You don't have a macro fetish, do you?"

The vixen rolled her eyes. "No." Her eyes appeared a little distant. "I've always wanted to change the world for the better, Max... I'm not someone who wants to make gradual changes where I'll see the effects in ten generations... I want the changes to happen now. Behemoth... Behemoth can mould the earth... change the tides... for me... he offers me the strength I need to change the world."

Wow... She's really been working at this...

So I guess that just leaves one person...

"And Reaper's Animus? The sentient Spectre?"

All of Joanna's mirth faded into seriousness. "I've got a theory... one that recently came up when we learned about Rocky's 'other self'."

My eyes widened...

She wasn't suggesting.

I leaned forward and dropped my voice. "Are you saying...?"

Joanna glanced around to make sure we weren't being listened to. "I don't know... But remember how Jacob's memory was altered by Balthazar? Well... What if his Brand sort of... twisted that around? What if it created an entirely different entity? Someone that stands beside him, experiences the same things he does... and grows as he grows...?"

Could Spectre... could he actually be the other Jacob Reaper? The one that effectively 'perished' when Balthazar altered the memories of the Reaper standing in front of us?

My heart was pounding at a thousand beats per minute...

I was starting to see connections...

Reaper had black fur... Spectre had white...

When Reaper entered his Brand Form, he had white wings... Spectre had black wings...

They were like opposites... but they shared the same sapphire-blue eyes... a connection between them!

They could be...!

"Oh my -"

Joanna clamped her paw over my muzzle.

"Listen, Max," she said softly. "Don't breathe a word about this to anyone else, alright? We haven't really met Spectre yet. We don't know what he knows. We don't know anything about the Brands. There's no use jumping to conclusions or making more people doubt. This stays between you and I, okay?"

I nodded, fully understanding what she meant. Reaper had gone through hell... and what was happening to Rocky might be a precursor to what might happen to him should he and Spectre fuse... if they were two sides of the same coin, so to speak. Besides... it would be a waste of effort if we followed a dead-end lead.

Slowly, Joanna pulled her paw away from my muzzle.

We both had a panicked look on our faces - I could see my reflection in her eyes - but that quickly faded as we sat back against the wall.

It's funny... I don't even remember why I had come down to comfort her in the first place...

Weird...

Suddenly, an image flashed through my mind...

A mole in MODD uniform... and aged gorilla in priestly vestments...

... arguing...

Atrium...

The image faded and I quickly got to me feet.

"What's wrong?" Joanna demanded.

"Eden just told me that Norton and Belford are arguing at the atrium," I reported, immediately drawing Materialism. "Come on! Eden, show us the way!"

I felt a gentle, warmth pass through my consciousness... a confirmation from Eden... my home.

You know... It's weird... After realising that Eden might represent my need for a home I can be comfortable with...

Okay...

I ground to a halt and Joanna stopped a few short paces in front of me.

"Max? What's wrong?"

"Joanna... I need to confess something..." I replied slowly.

"What is it? You don't love me do you? You know I don't swing that way."

Wow... It's funny... A girl actually telling a guy she 'doesn't swing that way'... Man, that's a play on the usual scenario where the gay guy confronts a straight guy... I would be laughing if my heart wasn't so heavy...

"No... Not you..."

She didn't miss my rather contrived wording. "Then who...?"

"A... A wolf..." I answered softly.

Her eyes widened. "Oh god..." She dropped her voice. "... Jacob?" she whispered.

I shook my head.

Her brows furrowed.

"Rex...?"

...

"No..."

Her eyes widened. "Leo!?"

"Ssssssh!"

Her tail was wagging and a big grin was on her face. "You should say something, Max!"

"But he's with Jacob..."

"Then you're just being a coward," she answered, putting her paws on her hips. "Stop hiding in Eden and take a stand for once! Stand up to your brother! Stand up to your father! Stand up to the world! Stand up to Jacob even!"

I winced. "It's not that easy..." I chuckled bitterly. "You know when I discovered Rocky was a girl?"

"Yeah...?"

"I was trying to convince myself that I was straight... I thought that if I saw a naked guy and didn't get aroused, I was straight." I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Boy did that backfire..."

Imagine my surprise...

The horrible thing was, despite the realisation that the 'guy' I thought was an Elemental Lord was actually a girl... my first thought was... 'Eeew... bewbies'.

I didn't get hard... and in my panic... I ran out of the room and lied through my teeth about why I was so horrified...

She grabbed my hands and held them tightly. "Tell you what. When you feel that you need to get your emotions out, give me a call. I'll be right there to support you. If Jacob wants to kill you for it, I'll just flash him these" - she gestured at her breasts - "and I'll have him on the floor cringing."

I gave her a puzzled look. "He hates boobs?"

"I don't know but he's gay so maybe." She winked at me. "Just know that you've got me as an ally and a friend, okay, Max?"

I smiled back. "Yeah... Thanks."

More images flashed through my head... more urgent this time.

"Damn... Norton is about to hit Belford!"

On some unspoken command, we turned and bolted straight for the atrium.

A minute later, we burst into the atrium through the hallway that Eden created just for us.

"You're mad!" Belford cried, staggering back, hands raised in surrender.

"Mad!?" Norton shouted, his pickaxe-sword drawn. "Mad!? You think I'm mad now!? Wait until you see what I'm going to do to you!"

"Norton!" I shouted, throwing my free palm forward. A wall of solid metal shot up from the ground and barred Norton from Belford.

"What are you doing!?" the mole demanded, spinning around to face us.

"Stopping you from killing a priest!" I snapped back. Joanna drew her sai beside me but she was effectively defenceless in Eden. There was no water or earth for her to manipulate... Unless...

It began raining... Water just pouring down from the ceiling with no visible source.

Heh... Thanks Eden.

"This 'priest' is a master manipulator and a traitor!" Norton shouted. With a simple flick of his blade, he sliced the metal panel that was barring him from Belford. Black, glossy rock began appearing in his free paw, forming a large, obsidian spear. "He's playing you all for fools! Don't you see what he's doing!?"

"We know what he's trying to do," I answered darkly. "He's trying to manipulate us to do his dirty work for him. He wants power for himself. He's trying to use religion to take power away from MODD to put all of Graesham under his control. He sent Reaper to kill Conway so that's one less person he has to contend with."

"You fool!" Norton shouted. "That's not it at all!" The mole spun around, levelling his spear at a fallen Belford. "We kill him now before he does any_more_ damage!"

"Tell us first what he's trying to do," Joanna pleaded. Even as she looked so sympathetic, she was gathering the water drizzling in around us to form a thick, swirling ring of water around the atrium. The ring barred anyone from coming into the battle but also stopped Norton from escaping.

"I..." Norton faltered his eyes shaking. "I don't know what he's doing... I just know that he's plotting something! It has something to do with the Seals we were given... the parts of Rose Earthsire! The Plague... It was all him!" His eyes flicked to us. It was clear he was nuts. "You honestly think that a slimy worm like him would just flip to becoming a priest because of his 'conscience'!?"

Norton threw back his spear. "You don't leave MODD! You never leave MODD!"

"No!" I shouted.

I threw up another metal barrier in front of Belford but I was too late.

Norton's spear flew over the barrier and pierced Belford's chest...

... only for Belford's form to vanish in a burst of light.

"MODD is not infallible."

Both Joanna and I turned around as Belford staggered forward a gilded white mace in one hand with an odd design on its head. It looked like the head of the weapon was a mix of a spiked mace head and an incense holder.

"MODD is powerful," Belford continued, his body shimmering briefly. Copies of his form appeared around us, forming an army that quickly surrounded Norton. It occurred to me that while Belford appeared old... he was still very powerful. "But while they may attempt to control our bodies, they do not control our will. We still make our choices. I chose to leave MODD for my reasons. No one else's."

"Do you believe this guy!?" Norton demanded, pointing his weapon at Belford. "He preaches about free will but he was the one that manipulated Rocky! He's the one that is brainwashing everyone with preachy sermons about 'imperfection' and 'perfection'!"

I regarded Belford briefly... then turned my attention back to Norton. "He's free to say whatever he wants and everyone else is free to listen or ignore it."

"I may not like what he says," Joanna chimed in. "Or how he went about trying to 'fix' things but we all make mistakes."

Norton slashed the air with his blade. "You're both fools!"

Dark tendrils began rising from his shadow, sweeping across the floor. I could sense Eden's alarm. Norton was powerful... and Joanna and I both didn't really have any combat experience except for what we saw from movies and the short amount of experience we had in battle. Belford was strong too but he's old.

We might be outmatched...

"You won't believe me?" Norton spat. "Fine. I'll show you that Belford was behind all of this! I'll show you just how crooked he is!" His eyes narrowed at Belford. "Luke was right about you, Father. You smile and offer your aid with one hand but you have a knife in the other."

Belford didn't reply.

He didn't have time.

The darkness around Norton suddenly spread, consuming the entire atrium floor. An ominous roar emerged from the shadows.

Whoosh!

Two massive drills emerged from the shadows. A pair of hooves erupted next and slowly pulled a titanic figure out from the shadows. The titanic, brown-furred feral bull with glowing, featureless, green eyes emerged. Black and green armoured plating covered its shoulders, chest and head. The titanic Unsealed threw back its head and let loose a tremendous roar.

My heart stopped and I simply froze...

Joanna grabbed me and pulled me away as the bull gored all of Belford's clones. It levelled its horns at Eden's walls and charged.

BOOOOM!

It cleaved right through the metal walls.

Norton bolted towards the newly made exit and turned to give us one last hate-filled stare...

... before he turned around and jumped.