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Episode 5: Whispers in the Wind

"You know that expression, 'When pigs fly'? Yeah, never use that again. With the onset of the Seals, anyone_can fly. Even pigs."_

Jacques Marquis

Rillotian Comedian

Rillotia was a northern continent that was mostly covered in green pastures and the occasional dessert. Only the northern coast got snow. Pollenburn was way down south and snow was next to impossible.

_Next to possible,_Jacob reminded himself.

The Seals could do anything.

He shifted back to his regular form, feeling that same pang of longing he always did when leaving the form that he truly felt comfortable in. For him, his Brand Form symbolised freedom. In that form, he felt so... free and unshackled. Ironically, he couldn't walk around as an eight and half foot monster or he'd be shot dead.

However, with Taylor around he quickly made plans to use his Brand Form more often... especially if it meant he and the cougar could do some 'exercises' together.

Taylor was quite adept at using his Brand but he was nowhere near ready for real combat. He was fast but did more flailing around than actually fighting. Plus, there was his unhealthy fascination with fire. When the cougar set something alight, Jacob swore the guy was getting turned on.

I better keep him out of the battle for now...

Scrambling around, he pulled back his clothes, cursing at how there were so many elements to the attire. He made a mental note to ask Christy if she could come up with some material that could stretch when both he and Taylor transformed. Having to strip down naked every time they wanted to transform would be terribly annoying. Unless they wanted to burst out of their clothing and while that was incredibly arousing, he knew these clothes took a while to make.

Glancing back at Taylor he saw the cougar regard him with a bit of disappointment in his eyes. Knowing full well just how hormonal anyone could get in their Brand Forms, Jacob understood that look. It was worse now that there was another guy with a Brand. Seriously, when they were around each other, it took all his might and willpower not to pounce Taylor and go spelunking for his tonsils.

Before, it was never like that.

But when it came to someone else with a Brand... it was just hormones everywhere!

Just the thought of not being alone anymore...

No... Can't think about that now.

Focus.

"Get changed, Tayl," Jacob instructed as the snow started falling a lot harder. A chilly wind brushed past them, making him shiver a little. "You'll freeze to death."

"Right..."

A pang of disappointment and lust hit Jacob as Taylor's form shifted back to that golden cougar. He still couldn't believe how absolutely stunning the feline was now. Taylor was good-looking before but now... he was simply amazing. Like a male underwear model that just jumped right out of an advertisement and into his arms.

Okay, focus, he told himself, shaking his head free of the thoughts. He shoved his paws through his gloves and summoned his two swords. His Brand was also itching fiercely. Taylor was scratching his a little.

"Don't scratch," he warned. "Our Brands tend to react when there are highly active Seals around. Just deal with the itching for now and follow me."

Taylor nodded. He looked quite excited but at the same time a little scared. They both dismissed their Animus and headed back to the farmhouse. The snowfall had picked up to the point where it had become a full-blown blizzard. Visibility was low and Jacob grabbed Taylor's paw to make sure they weren't lost in the sudden snowstorm.

What is this...?

"I think it's Caroline Boswin's doing," Spectre growled.

Hey! Why didn't you talk before!?

The Animus snickered. "Because I thought it'd be funny if you looked crazy in front of your boyfriend."

He's not my boyfriend...

"Bet you wish he was, though, right?"

I do... But like you told me, I gotta be his boyfriend for the right reasons. I'm not going to build on the same plot of land as him only to leave and bring the whole place down.

"Attaboy."

Jacob scowled as his foot fell into a snowdrift halfway up his calf.

So I'm guessing Taylor doesn't have an Animus like you?

"Nope. Every Brand is unique, Jake. I'm willing to wager Taylor can't teleport like you but will have his own ability."

I wonder if he can break Seals too...

"My guess is no..."

The snow had gotten so thick that their movement had become impaired. Jacob silently thanked Christy for making sure his clothes were insulated but he worried a little about Taylor. The weather was as bad as an alpine resort in the middle of winter storm!

What were the Boswins seriously thinking!?

He recalled that Caroline Boswin's Seal allowed her to summon a blade of ice and he had no doubt this blizzard was her doing. What he couldn't understand was why they would make such a brazen attack. Surely killing Shana's crops through a snowstorm would easily point the blame on her. It would ruin Shana but it would also probably put Caroline in jail... not to mention maybe get her executed for abusing her Seal.

Seal abuse was the only crime punishable by death on Rillotia that otherwise didn't practice capital punishment. It was common belief that abusing a Seal was the stepping stone to becoming an Unsealed and Unsealed had to be destroyed on sight.

Jacob pressed his back against one of the cabins - he wasn't sure which one - to block out the majority of the blizzard. Taylor came up next to him, looking surprisingly well despite the cold. In fact, as more and more snowflakes dropped on the cougar, he noticed the flakes merely melted and dripped off his shining fur adding a shimmering effect to the already glittering coat.

It was only then he realised that Taylor's paw was a little_too_ warm in his grasp. Curious, he turned towards the cougar and wrapped his arms around the feline. Heat radiated from Taylor, hotter than should be normal. Worried, he pressed the back of his paw against the feline's forehead.

"Yeowch! You're burning up!" he exclaimed, pulling his paw away.

"Really?" Taylor asked. "I feel fine... I mean, the cold doesn't even bother me."

Must be his control over Fire...

"We better avoid taking you to the doctor or something," Jacob muttered, holding Taylor out at arm's length. Seriously, the guy was almost volcanic in his grip. "I don't know how a professional would react to you having a temperature that could cook a steak."

"I'll try to tone it down but the cold would get to me otherwise..."

"True..." Jacob turned and nodded towards the farmhouse. "Come on."

They continued wading through the snow one step at a time. Jacob could heard voices coming from just in front of the farmhouse. Strangely, as soon as they passed the door of the cabin - which was theirs - the howling winds stopped. It was like the storm had formed a barrier around the front of the farm where everything else remained untouched by the blizzard.

Yep... This isn't natural.

The blizzard was swirling around them in a rather small circle, freezing the crops but leaving the front of the farm black from the ash and partially green. Standing in front of the farmhouse, looking horrified but at the same time unwilling to give ground, was Shana McLeod. Behind her were the remaining guests, looking equally as defiant. Opposite to them, grinning from ear to ear, was Caroline and Dorothy Boswin.

And beside the two pigs, looking just as horrified as Shana was Gale Winthrop.

What the...?

"What are you doing!?" Gale shouted, glaring at Caroline with his teeth bared. "You're facing execution for this, Caroline!"

"Ah but my motives are benign, Lord Gale," the Boswin replied in her high-pitched, screeching voice. "I am merely containing the fugitive that Shana McLeod is harbouring within her walls with my abilities as is my right. I believe that the terms for the capture of this particular criminal was 'use any force necessary'."

That was true.

The stories about his escapades across Rillotia had become so over exaggerated that many states had actually installed a 'shoot on sight' mandate. He made an effort to avoid those states and was grateful that Pollenburn didn't give such an authorization - the town was too small to even consider getting a 'big city criminal' like himself. Of course, that meant that they followed the directive of the governing state which did have the 'use any force necessary' clause.

"Tayl..." he whispered, "stay here."

"What!? But Jay -"

He gave Taylor his most penetrating stare. "Stay here."

Taylor whimpered slightly, flattening his ears against his skull as Jacob strode around the corner and stepped into full view of the Boswin Sister. Their beady eyes flicked towards him and twin, predatory grins crossed their features. Jacob didn't let that perturb him as he stepped defensively in front of Shana and the other guests, the fact he had his swords out being more than enough reason to give everyone a moment to pause.

"My ears are burning," he said darkly.

"Ah! The wolf of the hour!" Caroline Boswin exclaimed, spinning her parasol excitedly. "Ladies and gentlemen, Lord Gale, may I introduce you to Jacob Reaper! The world-renowned criminal! Wanted in thirty-three out of the forty-seven states on 154 counts of murder, 14 cases of arson, 231 cases of attempted murder, countless cases of robbery, identity theft and the list goes on! He has a MODD and state mandate indicating that he be killed on sight for his abuse of a Seal!

"He is no twin brother of some distant cousin of Shana McLeod's!" On that note, Caroline grinned as she turned to Shana. "You will have to face charges of harbouring a criminal, Mrs. McLeod unless you never met this person in your life?"

Jacob raised his blade, cutting off any reply Shana may have had forthcoming. "Firstly," he said in a calm, even tone that he surely didn't feel.

He couldn't count on Taylor lending a paw - nor did he want Taylor to lend a paw - and he only had Gale to back him up. Nevertheless, the Boswin girls looked quite powerful even for pigs. To summon a snowstorm powerful enough to blanket an entire farm was something.

"It's 156 counts of murder," Jacob said. "The triplets were considered different charges. Secondly, you should check your facts, porkchop. Shana wasn't the only one harbouring a criminal."

"What?"

The look of surprise on their faces was priceless as Gale peeled away from their company and came to stand beside Jacob.

"Do you honestly thing I actually instate STFU for laughs, Caroline?" Gale asked, resting a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Jacob is working for MODD now."

"With MODD," Jacob corrected.

"Right. With MODD. He is under my employ."

Despite the revelation... Caroline's shock turned to disappointment. Anger, frustration and maybe revulsion was expected but disappointment? Jacob didn't get it... Was she disappointed at herself for not foreseeing this development...?

No... Her eyes are firmly planted on Gale...

"Uh-oh... She's got a trump card..."

"That really is sad to hear, Lord Gale," Caroline sighed. "Who would have thought that the little boy that used to bring such a smile to our faces would turn out to be in cahoots with a criminal. It truly is sad considering your status and position."

"What are you talking about, Caroline?" Gale growled.

She let out a high-pitched laugh that sent chills down Jacob's spine and it took all his strength not to shove Requiem down her throat and rip out her vocal cords from the inside.

"I'm sure that no one else knows about this little arrangement you've made with Jacob Reaper. My father's connects runs very deeply. He even has a direct line to Director Palmers."

'Director Palmers'?

"She means Balthazar."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. It seemed that everywhere he turned, Balthazar was there. This did not bode well and he was suddenly on edge. Gale looked equally as disturbed, his entire body tensing up and shaking slightly.

"It would be such a shame with the world realised what had become of the great Lord Gale Winthrop. Siding with criminals."

"I have my reasons," Gale snarled. "MODD business."

"Oh I am sure of that and since Director Palmers clearly doesn't know about it, it must be something concerning the corporation. Perhaps even an attack on the Director himself."

Jacob remained still but mentally shook and raged at the Boswins. Gale wasn't so crafty and the shock on his face gave them away.

"Ah, so it is a move against the Director," Caroline sniggered, spinning her parasol faster. The storm around them only seemed to intensify as her dark brown eyes went wide. She was about the deliver the punch line to her sick joke. "Personally, we Boswins do not care what you do with the Director but what we do want is a little trade in exchange for our silence..."

"Whatever it is, forget it!" Shana shouted, stepping up beside Gale. "None of us will be victims to blackmail!"

"Why don't we let the ExIT Commander and the world-renowned criminal decide, hmmm?" Her beady eyes flicked back to Gale. "We will not expose your little... conspiracy to Director Palmers in exchange for the McLeod farm."

"What!?" Gale and Shana spat at the same instant.

"I would rather die than sell to you stinkin' pigs!" Shana shouted.

But now you have no choice...

Jacob saw the entire plan now...

The Boswins used the fact that they could use all force against him to practically ruin Shana's farm. If put under investigation, the snowstorm - which conveniently killed all of Shana's crops and mostly likely all livestock - was a necessary means to contain the threat which was of course, Jacob. Shana was now locked in. Even if Gale refused, she would be without her crops and livestock and no amount of help from Gale would get her back on her feet.

The only way she could survive was to sell to the Boswins...

Worse, now they had Gale under their thumbs!

Crafty bitch...

"Ah but now you have no choice," Caroline snickered. "Your farm is ruined, dear Mrs. McLeod. Even should Lord Gale refused our generous offer, you would have no choice but to sell to us."

"I still have more than enough money to get her back on her feet," Gale snapped.

"Maybe so but can you honestly do that without showing favouritism? There are_plenty_ more farmers out there that need your help."

The same old mantra again... 'The Boswins need help because they're taking care of other farmers'...

Checkmate...

Except for one thing...

They weren't dealing with a fair chess player...

When you know you can't win...

"One problem with that..." Jacob said loudly.

Caroline's cruel, smug smile remained as she raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is that?"

Spectre growled, rising on Jacob's shoulders. "You wipe the board clean and run away."

"You need me for your story to work out."

The two girls' eyes suddenly went wide.

"Jacob -"

He wasn't sure who cried out his name but he was already moving faster than any of them could register. One second, he was standing right next to Gale and the next, he was in front of both Boswins, Radiance pointed directly at Caroline's face.

"Say cheese!"

FWASH!

A blinding light erupted from the tip of the blade. Jacob shut his eyes and shoved past the two before the light could even fade. Caroline's shrill, pained cry and Dorothy's deep, resounding shout filled his ears as he zoomed towards the edge of the farm, picking up all his speed. He vowed he'd find Taylor once he had led the two girls on a merry chase.

There was only one problem...

WHAM!

He saw stars as he fell back, his muzzle throbbing from the impact. Shaking his head, he saw a big, icy wall standing in front of him, clearly seven feet tall and about three feet thick!

"Son of a -" Jacob leapt to his feet and lashed out at the wall with his swords. His blades made a dull, resounding sound as they struck the icy barrier but barely even scratched it! The wall was as hard as diamond!

"You rotten mutt!"

Jacob winced at that shrill voice. Angrier, it didn't sound any better. He rose to his feet, snatching up his swords and facing off against the two as they approached him, their eyes red from the blinding flash. He was tempted to kill them but that would confirm his existence in Pollenburn. There was still Winston Boswin and he could easily pin both Gale and Shana for harbouring him, using the death of his daughters as solid evidence.

He couldn't do that to Shana.

After all that she had done for him...

No way...

So he was stuck in a snowstorm, completely barricaded in by an icy wall and trapped with the two bitches who probably wanted him dead and were going to use his carcass not only to prove their crazy scheme and blackmail Gale and Shana but also to elevate themselves to heroes. And he couldn't kill them either.

He was screwed.

"Summon me!"

Are you kidding? You wouldn't be able to make it through this snowstorm.

"I can at least get you over the ice wall."

No... Enough running.

I'm done running.

I've been running for the better part of my life only screwing things up for the people I come in contact with. I've sick of it.

I'm going to deal with this.

He actually heart Spectre sniffle a little. "Okay, I'm proud of you right now... but couldn't you have picked a better_time to have this epiphany? Like when you_ weren't_backed into a corner?"_

Jacob straightened and readied himself. The Boswin girls were pissed now. A fight was inevitable but the others couldn't get involved. If they helped the pigs, they'd be convicted too...

I hate how the law works...

... but then again...

A new thought occurred to him.

Yeah... that just might work...

With a faint smile, he gripped his swords tightly and positioned himself in his usual battle stance - Radiance in front and pointing to the ground while Requiem pressed up against his back in a reverse grip.

"You honestly think fighting us will solve your problems?" Caroline giggled. "Even if you kill us, our father will come in and file the same accusations, using our bodies as evidence!"

"Yeah... but all that depends on my actually being here, right?"

...

"What...?"

CLANG!

_Radiance_was pressed up against Caroline's parasol which was surprisingly sturdy. Jacob placed a foot against the girl's flat chest and kicked off, sending her sprawling on the ash-covered ground as he somersaulted backwards and dodged an overhead blow from a rather richly decorated black and gold shovel Dorothy possessed.

Seal Weapons...

Where the Branded had their Animus, those with Seals had their Seal Weapons. If the Synch Rate of a Seal Bearer with their Seal was high enough, they could actually materialise the power of the Seal into a physical weapon. These weapons were almost indestructible. Only other Seals could break Seal Weapons and each one was frighteningly deadly. Jacob had even encountered people whose Synch Rates were 90% and above who could fuse completely with their Seals, giving themselves armour that was just as indestructible as their Seal Weapons on top of their Weapons.

They were a real bitch to beat.

"Think about it, Caroline," he grinned, lunging forward and catching the slow Dorothy in a high-speed combo of slashes. She brought up her shovel to block but he easily slammed Requiem against it with enough force that she was forced to stumble back. That left her chest exposed and he swung Radiance at her. Caroline chose that moment to recover and shot a spear of ice at him. He twisted Radiance from the attack on Dorothy at the last moment, slicing instead through the spear and leaping back a few steps to add distance between himself and Dorothy.

"You two could wind up dead, your father could still press charges but if I'm not here, we can all just claim you two just went haywire with the power of your Seals and attacked Shana's farm. Even you have got to admit that summoning a snowstorm just to capture one person is pretty farfetched. Especially a person that was never here in the first place."

Caroline scoffed. "You cannot get away fast enough."

He smirked. "One thing you don't know about me. I can teleport. I can be on one side of the country by the instead the coroners get here. All I have to do is start a fire, maybe steal a money or murder some poor sap and they'll think along the same lines as you did just then. How could I possibly be here and have had enough time to fight and kill you when I'm on the other side about the same time you died on a killing spree?"

And with those words...

... he had them.

There was no doubt in his stance and his confidence voice. They could tell he could teleport, that he could be in one place and the other within seconds. It would explain how he had always managed to escape capture. Even when he was captured - like when Gale had him in custody - it was how he managed to escape.

Those two had obviously studied his file.

They knew something didn't add up about his abilities.

"So," he said, grinning from ear to ear, "who dies first? You porkchop?" He nodded towards Caroline. "Or what about you, Princess Piggy?"

"Stop!"

All three combatants froze as Gale stepped in between them, raising his hands, a firm look on his face. "No one needs to die today." That was directed more at Jacob than the girls. However, he turned to Caroline next. "I don't appreciate you trying to blackmail me, Caroline but it's clear that you didn't think this through. If you pursue this route, nothing and I mean nothing will keep me from defending Shana and Jacob since he is under my employ. Do not push me because even with all your powers, you know you cannot stand up against an Elemental Lord."

Damn... I really wanted bacon for dinner...

"Just be grateful Gale as a level head."

Both Caroline and Dorothy looked a little shocked that they were being offered a chance to live. Their eyes wavered and they seemed to communicate with one another silently. Simultaneously, a grin split across their faces.

Oh no...

"Gale!"

Too late.

A surge of black, acrid winds erupted from Dorothy's obese body and slammed right into Gale, sending him hurtling towards Jacob. Both went down in a tangle of limbs and Jacob dropped his swords. Jacob suddenly felt a blade of ice pressed up against his neck.

Caroline was standing right above them, an evil gleam in her eyes as Dorothy had her shovel levelled between Gale's stunned eyes.

"Do not underestimate us, Lord Gale," Caroline warned, her grin growing wider. "We are far stronger than a poor, farm-boy such as yourself."

Before Jacob could even start to think of an escape plan, a surge of flames erupted from somewhere outside his vision. Both girls instantly leapt back as the fire engulfed Caroline's city blade, melting it. Jacob knew where the flames had come from but was still both shocked and horrified when Taylor scrambled towards them.

"Taylor!?" Gale exclaimed, taking the offered paw. "You have a Seal?"

"Erm... No..." Taylor muttered, blushing slightly. "Jay... sort of... Branded me..."

Gale snapped his attention to Jacob who leapt to his feet and snatched up his swords again.

"We can discus where we got our powers later," the wolf growled. "Right now, we got some pigs to fry."

Clearly, there was no reasoning with the Boswins. The two girls merely took up battle positions, Dorothy stepped in front of Caroline while the smaller sister lifted off the ground, twirling her parasol in her hands.

What do you know... Pigs fly...

"This is insane!" Gale shouted, summoning his own Seal Weapon, that blade-bow of his. "Caroline! Dorothy! Assaulting a MODD officer is a criminal offence!"

"I should know," Jacob chimed in.

"Not now, Jacob."

Caroline threw her head back just as ten icy spears appeared around her, orbiting her body dangerously. "We'll simply pool you in with aiding in the escape of Jacob Reaper! You will be branded a criminal alongside him just like that scrawny cat! When all three of you are dead, we'll be hailed as heroes from having brought you all down!"

Taylor flicked his paws and they were suddenly engulfed in searing flames. "She's insane! No way she can fight all three of us! Especially not with you, Gale!"

Hey... I'm the notorious world-renowned criminal...

But Jacob seriously had doubts that the battle would be so easy. His Brand was itching so badly that it was almost burning. He wasn't sure if it was just because Gale was so close to him or if the Boswin girl's Seals were really that strong. He prayed it was the former.

In the past twenty-four hours, he had enough surprises.

"Be ready," he warned. "If a pig can fly, then anything is possible."

"That's a little racist, don't you think?" Gale said.

"I wasn't referring to their species."

The Boswins made the first move. Dorothy charged at the trio, unleashing a loud, deep, cry while swinging her shovel. Twisting ribbons of dark energies erupted from each of her swings, shooting towards them in dizzying patterns.

Darkness... Her two Elements must be Wind and Darkness...

Jacob stepped in front of Gale and spun Radiance before pointing it towards Dorothy and pulling the trigger of his blade. A beam of light cut right through the ribbons, instantly dissipating them. Dorothy knocked aside the beam but Jacob was already making his second move, lashing out with Radiance and bringing ten, brilliant swords of light to the front. The swords shot past Dorothy, shattering the ten icy spears that Caroline had sent down at the same instant. Jacob lunged forward and clashed Requiem against Dorothy's shovel.

"Other hand, bitch," he growled.

He swung Radiance at her and she let out a cry as she quickly blocked. With Requiem suddenly free, he ducked and unleashed a low slash that bit deep into her shins. The pig squealed - really squealed - and staggered back.

"Sister!" Caroline screamed.

A shadow crossed above Jacob and he didn't waste time looking up. Lightning fast, he was suddenly right beside Gale again.

BOOOM!

... just in time as a pillar of ice slammed into where he had been standing.

"You were holding back when we fought..." Gale chuckled, clearly surprised. "Now why would you do that?"

"What? And ruin your face for all your fans? I'm evil not cruel."

On some unspoken command, all three of them were suddenly moving. Gale charged at the icy pillar, leaping onto its slippery surface and running up its length, body parallel to the ground. Jacob and Taylor circled the pillar in opposite directions. Gale pulled back on the invisible bow-string of his weapon and cleared the pillar's ten storey height. Spinning arrows of wind descended on the two Boswins sisters.

Dorothy, whose wound was miraculously healed but was still on the ground, swiped at the arrows with her shovel. A burst of dark winds collided with the arrows, both dissipating in a small twister. Jacob hurled swords of light straight at the two while from the other end, Taylor peppered them with fireballs. Caroline sneered and stood up, throwing back her head and letting out a pained scream.

_Huge_icy spikes shot out of the ground in a ring around her, extended outwards like a growing crown of ice. Jacob's light-swords and Taylor's fireballs were instantly intercepted by the diamond-hard spikes, not even hindering their progress.

Jacob leapt back just in time to avoid being impaled.

SMASH!

A huge gale of darkness erupted from the centre of the icy crown. All the icy spikes shattered, lifting into the air, carried by the dark winds. Dorothy stood at the centre, her shovel recovering from a swing.

Oh shit...

She swung again and all the icy shards - as big as a car - flung out in all directions.

Jacob's breath was suddenly shoved out of him as he took one straight to the chest and he was sent flying -

SMASH!

... right into a building.

Pain erupted from his chest and he found it hard to breath. There was a huge icy shard pressed against his chest but thanks to the durability of his mythril-V5 clothing, they didn't pierce his flesh.

Still hurt like hell though.

He made a mental note to thank Christy.

Taylor scrambled into view and helped him push the shard off of his body.

"Jay! You okay!?"

"Been better..." he muttered, standing up and grabbing his sword... at least he thought it was his sword. It was actually a frying pan. He stared at it for a moment. For some reason, he got a craving for bacon. "Tayl... Do me a favour and set this thing alight for me."

"What?"

"Just do it."

Taylor shrugged and threw a small fireball at the pan. The enchanted flames wrapped around the black metal and before it crawled over to Jacob's paw, the wolf turned and hurled it across the field.

CLANG!

Dorothy Boswin went down.

"Sister!"

Gale hovered into view, looking both stunned and a little amused. "Did you just hit Dorothy Boswin with a frying pan?"

"A flaming frying pan," Jacob corrected, taking up his swords again. "Battle tip Number One: Do something outrageous! The crazier it is, the longer it'll take for your opponent to recover from their shock!"

Caroline shot to her feet. "You will pay!"

Jacob dug into the pocket of his jeans. "Do you take credit cards?" he asked absently, taking out two silver cards. Both were made out to 'Winston Boswin'. "I haven't been able to bring home the bacon lately."

The Boswin just screamed in fury and lifted her left hand into the air. Snow and ice came flying in from all directions, forming an enormous crystal blade that had to be over a hundred metres long and about half as wide.

"Sister!"

Dorothy was instantly at her feet and seizing the hilt of the sword.

Crap!

Jacob instantly seized Taylor and dove to the side just as -

BOOOM!

... the blade came crashing down beside them, mere inches from his left foot.

He didn't let Dorothy Boswin recover for another attack. Quickly, he let go of Taylor and picked up Radiance. Light gathered around the edge of his blade, extending the weapon to about six metres. He lashed out at the icy sword and cut off the tip. Before the icy slab could fall over, he kicked it, sending it soaring into the air.

"Gale! Heads up!"

Gale was suddenly in the way of the shard, his blade-bow becoming encased in golden winds as it extended just like in the battle against the Unsealed knight - Clear Wind. The sword-shard slammed against the bow, positioning itself just like a normal arrow.

Gale fired the projectile, encased in sharp, blade-like winds. It slammed straight into the hilt of the sword, shattering the rest of the blade and splitting up both Dorothy and Caroline as they two pigs leapt in opposite directions.

Wait...

That's it!

"Keep them separated!" Jacob shouted, picking up Requiem and charged across the ruins of Shana's farmhouse.

He prayed the McLeod's had insurance. A quick survey of the battlefield showed that Shana and the other guests were relatively unharmed, a little chilly but unharmed nonetheless. They were unable to escape the raging blizzard that boxed them all in, however. Which meant he had to make sure they were safe.

Thankfully, they were smart enough to try and head for the extremities of the snowstorm.

CLANG!

Radiance_slammed against Dorothy's shovel. He still couldn't believe he was fighting someone with a shovel... and _losing. Jacob unleashed a lightning-fast combo, striking at Dorothy's defences mercilessly. With each clang he sent her staggering backwards, never once did she get a change to retaliate. He bashed Requiem against that shovel, forcing it downwards before levelling Radiance directly between her eyes.

"Nighty-night, Princess Piggy."

He pulled the trigger, blasting her face clean off with a bolt of searing light.

She screamed.

It wasn't meant to be a kill-shot. The longer she suffered, the better.

Would make the bacon a little stringy, though...

"Sister!"

Caroline came zooming towards him, a blade of ice one again emerging from the tip of her parasol. Arrows of golden wind shot past her face, just barely missing her. She froze in midair as Gale appeared in front of her, his bladed-bow shifted back to the double-bladed sword.

"You've caused enough damage to this farm," Gale growled. He spun and slashed at her with his blade, beating her back with a rapid barrage of swipes. Once they were a good metre or so apart, he hovered back in the air, his weapon shifting back to the bow-mode. The chimp sent a barrage of arrows straight at Caroline, cutting into her expensive dress and drawing blood.

"Jay! Watch out!"

Jacob realised he had been staring for too long and -

CLANG!

_..._got a shovel to the face. He hit the ground hard, marvelling at the irony of getting hit by a shovel when he had struck Dorothy with a frying pan.

I'm about to die and all I can think of is the irony...

Oddly enough... the irony is more painful than the actual pain...

Reflexes took over as he was still pondering. He rolled towards Dorothy, bowling her over as she slammed her shovel down for the kill, execution-style. She screeched and toppled over him. Jacob leapt to his feet, realising that he had let go of his swords but he knew that didn't matter. He clicked his fingers and several of those explosive marbles appeared in his paws. As he leapt back away from Dorothy, he threw them at her, scattering them all over her body - he took grim pleasure at noticing one actually slipped in between her oversized breasts.

Jacob got out of range -

BOOOOM!

He half-expected bit of bacon to by flying everywhere.

But when he saw Dorothy Boswin getting up from the little crater he had just made... he knew something was wrong.

Her clothes were barely even tattered!

"Okay..." He gave her a lopsided, nervous grin. "About the whole 'Princess Piggy' thing... No offense, right? We cool?"

They were not 'cool'.

Dorothy roared and lunged straight at him, swinging her shovel.

WHOOSH!

A lance of flame shot between them and Taylor came rushing over, running on that lance. He landed on the ground, seizing the lance by the tail and swung it straight at Dorothy. The burning spear sliced across Dorothy's chest... ripping open the front of her dress...

... big... saggy... bewbies...

"Oh for the love of god!" Taylor cried, pulling his eyes away.

Jacob raised an eyebrow at him. "I've seen worse."

"Like what!?"

"Like her face."

He surged forward, somersaulting over Dorothy and snatching his swords from the ground the instant he landed. His senses screamed and he leapt back over the swine as she spun, sending her shovel in a wide, spinning arc. Her back was suddenly exposed to him.

Perfect.

_Radiance_cut through the air...

... Dorothy burst into a cloud of shadows, leaving his blade just to slice through nothingness.

"We've had enough of these games!"

All eyes went to the middle of the battlefield. Caroline was standing proudly beside her sister.

"Now is the time to all meet your doom!"

Gale landed beside Jacob, ready for another assault. "What is up with these girls!? I keep hitting her but she just keeps healing herself! And her power is immense!"

"Why not just go nuts and unleash the full power of your Seal?" Jacob suggested.

"Because there are civilians here."

True that...

Jacob exchanged glances with Taylor. He was considering summoning Spectre and no doubt Taylor was thinking along the same lines. However, he knew that an Animus was just as strong as a Seal Bearer in full-armour if not stronger because the Branded and the Animus were two different entities.

"Now, sister!" Caroline cried.

Dorothy Boswin slammed her shovel into the ground. Dark winds kicked up around herself and her sister, encasing them in a swirling mass of shadows. A second later, Caroline lifted her parasol into the air and began spinning it in her hand. Large whips of dark energy began lashing out at their surroundings. One cracked right above Jacob's head but he barely flinched. He noted that when one of the whips hit something, that something became encased in black ice.

Swish!

"Jay!"

He reached up to his left cheek. More sharp, dagger-like ice shards came shooting out of the black tempest, peppering the area.

"Damnit!" Gale cursed. He ducked a whip and fired an arrow into the storm. His arrow was merely absorbed into the black mass. "I can't get a shot in! All my other techniques take time to charge up!"

Jacob's eyes slowly drifted up from where the two were standing... up to where the storm disappeared into the clouds above.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Taylor shouted, leaping up to dodge an icy shard. "I'm new to this!"

A smile crossed Jacob's features. Two whips slapped against his shoulders but he ignored them. Even as ice began to cover his wound, his flesh just closed up and healed the damage. Most of the ice just slipped off thanks to his mythril-V5 clothing.

"Give me a boost," he said.

"Huh?"

"Just follow my lead!" he shouted, charging straight for the storm. "Give me a boost!"

The other two were just dumbfounded as he charged headlong into the storm. The whips and icy shards intensified, almost like they were focusing directly at him. Pain was shooting up all over his body as the black whips tore through his clothes.

I'm gonna get hell from Christy after this...

Taylor caught up with him. He leapt towards the cougar who quickly cupped his paws together. Jacob landed on the small platform and felt flames surge around his foot. Taylor pushed him high into the air, a trail of flames marking his flight as he soared about halfway up the tower of black winds. Gale appeared beside him a second later, throwing him a bright, glowing, white rope attached to one of his wind arrows.

"Hold on!"

Gale fired the shot and Jacob instantly flew higher. The wind arrow dissipated before he could get all the way across but he lashed out with Requiem, the sonic boom strong enough to send him soaring through the rushing winds and into an area of relative calm at the very centre of the tempest.

The eye of the storm.

And directly below him, backs pressed against one another...

... were Dorothy and Caroline Boswin.

"Hey Princess Piggy! Porkchop!"

The two hadn't noticed him and looked up... their eyes so wide in horror Jacob could make them out even from his height. Radiance began glowing fiercely, an almost sun-like shine.

"Lights out!"

He swung Radiance straight down, a shaft of searing white light shooting from the tip and colliding with the two girls with an ear-splitting boom. The whole storm instantly dissipated, cracks appearing on the ground peeling with bright light. The two girls screamed but it was quickly consumed by the terrible roar of the explosion that followed.

Jacob had to look away - he had left his sunglasses back at the cabin - but took grim satisfaction at the sound.

Second later, he landed on the ground, using Requiem's sonic blasts to curb his fall. There was a large crater where the Boswins lay, unmoving.

Taylor and Gale ran up to him, surveying the damage.

"You were holding back..." Gale whispered in awe. "Why?"

Jacob shrugged as the wounds he suffered began to heal rapidly. "I really didn't feel like fighting that day. It was too nice outside."

"Right..."

A soft groan made all three of them freeze.

One by one, they turned back to the Boswins. The two girls were slowly getting to their feet. Jacob felt his chest tighten with fear as he watched the scorched bodies of the two girls start to fill back up and reform. The blackened flesh regained their pinkish hue and closed over the gaping wounds that showed bone. Dorothy Boswin's left eye even bubbled back into its former shape from where it was melted to her left ear!

Taylor staggered back, instinctively slipping behind Jacob. "What the hell...?"

Jacob gripped his swords tightly. The itching on his Brand was so severe now that it was almost like a real brand being pressed against his flesh. He watched the two girls get up, murderous stares on their faces.

Something's not right...

How can they both regenerate like that...?

They have Seals but that shouldn't allow them to heal themselves...

... only Brands can -

He froze.

Caroline's words echoed in his head.

"My father's connects runs very deeply. He even has a direct line to Director Palmers."

Palmers... as in 'Balthazar Palmers'... the Director of ExIT... The guy who killed Jacob's father and incarcerated Jacob... The same guy who had MODD experiment on him to find more about his Brand... and the same guy who brainwashed Jacob into thinking he had committed acts of atrocity to hide MODD's true agenda...

The guy who clearly had an interest in the Brands...

The Boswins had contact with Palmers...

"You've got Brands!"

Both Gale and Taylor stared at him in horror... before flicking their gaze to the Boswins... Both girls were grinning.

Strange marks began appearing against their cheeks, Dorothy's was on her left and Caroline's was on her right. They looked... off. Unlike Jacob's or Taylor's Brands that had sharp twists and looked more... geometric, their Brands appeared like twisted, broken versions. Several of the lines had little bristles springing from them like they were thorny vines and the entire shape appeared malformed like someone had twisted it into a knot before releasing it again.

They had both a Brand and a Seal!

"I warned you not to underestimate us!"

The two instantly touched their Brands. Bright light erupted from their bodies, nearly blinding Jacob and causing him to stagger back. When the light cleared, the two girls were revealed... but they weren't so... 'girly' anymore.

Their bodies were a terrible mix of flesh and armour. It appeared in Caroline had armoured plates sticking right out of her flesh, her veins actually merging with the metal. What flesh was left exposed was a splotchy mix of gold and sky-blue the same shiny consistency as the Unsealed. Her features were concealed by a thick helm that had a small, jutting pole on the back of its head with a snowflake design - like a snowflake weather vane. She hovered in the air, her parasol still in her armoured hands but it was now folded.

Dorothy looked very much the same except her skin was a mix of black and gold. Her helm was shaped with black, skeletal wings jutting from the sides. A pair of similar wings erupted from her back. Her shovel seemed to have grown in size, looking more like a spear than anything else.

"What the...?" Gale stammered. "That's... that's impossible! You girls can't unleash the full power of your Seals! You're Synch Rate barely clears 70%!"

"The power of the Brands is an amazing thing, Gale,"_Caroline answered, her voice oddly metallic and hollow. _"Director Balthazar along with Doctor Krosse realised that the Brands could very well be the keys to unlocking the full potential of the Seals! Despite our relatively low Synch Rates, we are capable of unleashing powers well beyond_Seal Bearers who have Synch Rates at 100%!"_

Caroline drifted into the air. The snowstorm intensified around battlefield. Huge pillars of ice began springing up from the ground, creating an inescapable wall of ice. Jacob grunted as his Brand really started to burn and he saw Taylor was in similar pain.

"A Brand can force_a Seal to completely synchronise with a host!"_ Caroline shouted. "Furthermore, we are granted regeneration, speed, strength, endurance and agility even without_relying on our Seals! This research is only_ half_complete as well! Think of it, Gale! Think of what the Brands can bring society!"_

It was the make or break point.

Jacob was ready to defend himself from both the Boswins and Gale if there was any inclination that Gale would turn on him. The promise of power was always too tempting and MODD would always be MODD. This revelation on the Brands' power was something new to him too and even he could see how it could further MODD's grip on the world. The only reason MODD wasn't in control over all of Mortaelis was because it was so hard to find people with high enough Synch Rates to the select number of Seals they have. SWORD, despite being the strongest of the MODD divisions, was very small in number.

So much so that it the identities of their members were kept a secret unlike ExIT and ANVIL members.

But with Brands on their side...

"I know what the Brands will bring society," Gale snarled, swinging his blade-bow sharply through the air. "And Jacob is part of society! You are not going to sacrifice one person so that everyone else can get a better life!"

For a second, Jacob needed to clean his ears.

Am I hearing him right?

Was there actually a MODD agent - hell an ExIT Commander - who gave a damn about him!?

"We don't want_Jacob Reaper!"_

"That'd be a first," Jacob muttered.

Caroline ignored him. "Now that there's a second_pure Brand, we simply have to kill you, kill Jacob and claim the third as an accomplice! Not only will we get the farm and control Pollenburn but we'll be praised as heroes! We might even get your position!"_

Jacob shook his head sadly, staring at the two that were clearly drunk on their own power. "You girls are real bitches, you know that?"

She let a shrill laugh. "Taunt us all you will but we will ultimately triumph!"

"What makes you so sure!?" Gale growled. "We've still got out outnumbered!"

And if we bring out our Animus, it's '_outgunned'_too...

Despite the armour and helm, Jacob could tell Caroline was still smirking. "Because... We've got a hostage."

Hostage...?

Then he remembered...

"Shana!"

His cry was in vain however. Both Boswins vanished faster than any of them could register. Joanna and the other guests were hurled into the snowstorm as Dorothy seized Shana, holding her up with her shovel blade levelled dangerously at Shana's neck.

"You pigs!" Taylor shouted.

"I think that's actually a compliment..." Jacob murmured, looking for some way to get Shana out of their grasp. He didn't know the abilities of the Boswins in their new forms and he wasn't willing to put Shana's life in jeopardy to go on a field test.

Think... Do we summon our Animus...?

No... That'll just scare them... They might get desperate...

"Now... Are you going to cooperate?"_Caroline cooed maliciously. _"No one has to die. Especially not dear, Mrs. McLeod."

"Jay... What do we do?" Taylor whispered. "I don't want to see Shana die because of us..."

He didn't reply, narrowing his eyes at the two girls.

"Alright..." he announced loudly. "I give."

Taylor flinched beside him. "What!?"

"I give up," he announced louder, lifting his swords into the air and slowly making his way towards the Boswins. The girls tensed up and Dorothy's shovel drew a bit of blood from Shana's neck.

Jacob kept walking until he was about ten metres from the two.

"I'm going to drop my swords at your feet," he said calmly. "Then I'll step away. The instant I do, release Shana."

"Not until Gale does the same."

"Fine. I'll go first so you know I won't be playing any tricks."

He could feel Caroline's annoying smile through that helmet. "That's a good puppy."

Jacob crossed the last few metres, sensing Gale closing in behind him, moving slowly and raising his own hands as well in surrender. Once he was within reach of the Boswins... he let go of his two swords. It was hard to tell where their eyes were but he kept his eyes firmly planted on Dorothy Boswin's shovel...

Come on...

... just one inch...

Just one...

For the briefest of seconds, Dorothy Boswin relaxed and her shovel blade pulled away from Shana's throat.

There!

Jacob ducked and snatched his two swords just as they were about to hit the ground. Back turned to the two, he jumped back, plunging Requiem right through Caroline Boswin's chest. With Radiance, he slammed it hard against Dorothy's forehead, causing her to stagger back in shock and release Shana.

"Shana! Run!" he cried.

The bovine let out a cry of shock and scrambled away. Jacob yanked Requiem free of Caroline and spun behind the swine, kicking her viciously into her sister. Before the two could even hit the ground in a heap, he hacked into their armour, drawing blood and sparks. He slammed Requiem into them hard, so hard in fact that they bounced off the ground to about chest-height of him.

Jacob levelled Radiance at them, the blade splitting in two to reveal the hidden gun barrel. "Gale!"

He pulled the trigger, a blast of light shooting from the tip of his sword and sending the two girls flying straight towards Wildwind.

Gale reached into his coat, pulling a long strange of garrotte wire. As the two Boswins came flying towards him, he slashed at them with his bow and ran circles around them, wrapping them together like two pieces of glazed ham. They were suddenly securely wrapped around each other, unable to move. The snowstorm started dying down as Gale drew an arrow and began peppering the two girls mercilessly.

As a finale, he drew back on the invisible bowstring and summoned an enormous arrow of golden winds.

"Tornado Drill!"

He released the arrow. The tip of the arrow buried itself into the two girls, literally drilling itself into them as it hurled them away.

"Taylor!" Gale shouted.

At the far end of the field, Taylor roared and gathered flames in his paws, encasing them both in spheres of writing flames. He slammed a fist right into the Boswins, their bodies instantly catching on fire and their screams filling the vast Ashlands. Taylor showed no mercy, bombarding the two with flaming punches and kicks.

"Jacob!"

Taylor delivered a devastating haymaker, sending the flaming Boswins soaring back towards Jacob.

With a grin, Jacob dismissed both his swords, snatched something from the ground and leapt forward to meet the two pigs. He somersaulted over their hurtling bodies before slamming the metal frying pan in his paw down on the two, sending them crashing to the ground.

But he was far from finished.

"Let's end this!" he shouted. He gathered all the light around him, darkening their surroundings as he formed every bit of light into countless, searing, white swords that hovered ominously around the Boswins. Even with their bodies burning, Jacob could hear their screams and see their horrified eyes.

Golden winds and burning flames surged out from both Gale and Taylor, swirling around each of the light-swords and infusing them with their power. Jacob instantly snatched two of the swords just as his two comrades did the same. On some unspoken command, the darted around the field, slamming their brilliant blades against the hilts of the remaining swords, sending the hovering weapons crashing into the hapless Boswin sisters.

A thunderous series of booms and bangs filled the remnants of the McLeod farm.

Jacob struck the last sword, sending it crashing against the Boswins. Again, as if they were perfectly in synch, the three combatants charged at the Boswins at the same time, slashing at the duo from different angles and speeding past them. All three stopped a hundred metres from their targets and spun around.

Each lifted their glowing swords above their heads.

But only Gale and Taylor shouted, "Firestorm Blade!"

What? How do they come up with these names!?

Jacob slammed his two swords onto the ground, sending a surge of fire and light straight towards the Boswins.

From above, two other streaks of flame shot towards the Boswins, slamming into their targets at the same moment.

BOOOM!

A pillar of flame shot to the sky, banishing all remnants of the snowstorm and filling the battlefield with scorching heat. The ground shook like a mini-earthquake had struck at their localised area while rushing, blistering winds swept all around them, melting snow and even burning a few crops.

Jacob barely noticed.

The shaking stopped... and the winds eventually died down.

The flames ebbed and for the first time, Jacob realised he had stopped breathing. He took a lungful of warm air and coughed a little as he got some ash mixed in. He felt drained... but also very relieved. He saw Taylor fall to his knees and instantly felt worry. The Brand sapped a lot of strength from an individual and he feared the cougar had expended far too much.

Jacob bolted over but was relieved to find Taylor was just winded. Not at all fatal. Gale rushed over as well but unlike the Branded, he looked perfectly ready for another round.

Despite their exhaustion, they all shared a shaky grin...

"We did it..." Gale sighed.

"We actually did it!" Taylor added, his voice rising to an excited shout. "Whoa! I actually fought two girls with a Seal!"

Jacob's grin grew broader and he slapped Taylor's back. "Good job, Tayl. You just beat up two girls."

Taylor's mirth faded.

An odd scent filled Jacob's nostrils... It was a mixture of sweat, oil and manure. Familiar and just as disgusting as the first time he detected it.

"Hmmm... Bacon..." he muttered bitterly, glancing towards the entrance of the farm. "Speaking of bacon, here comes the chicken to lay the eggs for us..."

Winston Boswin cam striding into the farm, perfectly clean, pristine and with his fat jiggling beneath his white suit. There was a mixed look of... disappointment and that 'everything is going according to plan' look on his face. Everyone tensed, even the guests who were half-buried in the snow.

"Boswin..." Gale growled, readying his blade-bow again.

"Oh my dear girls..." Boswin sighed, striding up to the large crater that had been created. He skidded down to where his daughters lay. To Jacob's horror, Caroline actually shifted and looked up at her father!

What the hell!?

Nothing can take down these girls!

However, the two were not regenerating as quickly as before. Caroline's half-scorched face looked halfway between the living and the dead.

"D - D - Daddy..."

"Oh Caroline..." Boswin said, smiling gently and running the back of his hand gently against the unburned half of Caroline's face. "My dear girl... You went too far... And now look what happened... We'll have to get you all cleaned up..."

"I - I'm sorry, Daddy..."

"We're sorry..." Dorothy chimed in.

Both of them were still alive!

"Goddamnit... Will nothing kill them!?" Gale cursed.

Ignoring them completely, Winston leaned in and gently embraced his terribly injured daughter. "You will be find, my sweet... I just need you to do one last thing before I let you rest."

"A - Anything, daddy..."

Already, her voice was starting to grow stronger and Jacob could see her wounds healing. He wanted to get in there and slice her head off but he seriously doubted that would hold her down for long. The sister seriously got thrown around like ragdolls, burned viciously, got peppered with swords and consumed in a fiery inferno!

And they were still alive!

Jacob had expected them to join the ashes across Pollenburn!

Winston Boswin held out his daughter at arm's length, a benign smile on his face. Caroline's face quickly reformed and she was smiling back.

"Kill your sister."

Jacob wasn't sure but...

Spectre leaned forward. "Did he just say...?"

"Of course, daddy."

Without a second thought, Caroline Boswin flung her hand towards Dorothy. A spear of ice shot right out of her palm and pierced her sister's heart.

What the!?

Jacob's jaw dropped.

How could he ask her to do that!?

Then he saw the future...

No...

"Caroline! Get away!" he shouted.

Too late.

Winston Boswin gripped his daughter's face in both hands, still giving that benign smile. "That's my girl."

Then he broke her neck.

Interlude: Rough Winds

"The Boswin Family was one of the many candidates to hold the Eternal Seal. Like many of the Forbidden Seals, the Eternal Seal is a genuine remnant of the Seal War and has far greater power than even the Prime Elemental Seals. The Eternal Seal is the only_Seal capable of creating other Seals. Unfortunately, it comes with a steep price..."_

Esme Hart

The Unsealed Truth

I... I... I was...

There was nothing to describe what I was feeling.

Was I angry...?

Yes.

Was I horrified?

Hell yeah.

Was I scared?

Absolutely.

I knew Winston Boswin was rotten but he just asked his daughter to kill her sister before killing her the next second!

Taylor and Jacob looked equally as caught between terrible emotions as I was. It was weird. Even Jacob's cool, uncaring facade was broken. This was low... No, it was beyond low.

It was hellish.

"Why?" I whispered at Boswin. "Why!?"

Winston Boswin stood up, dusting his hands free of the grime and turned to regard me with a smirk. "I am a farmer, Gale," he said as if that explained everything. "I plant a seed in the ground, I nurture it, I let it grow and then when it comes to harvest time, I kill the plant and reap the rewards."

That explained some things but...

"How could you treat your own children like plants!?" I bellowed. It took all my strength not to just kill Boswin there and there. I didn't kill often and when I did, it was for good reason. But Winston Boswin was seriously pushing me to the edge. My limbs were locked in place both by rage and fear. Any guy who could do something so coldly was worthy of fear.

"You just don't understand, do you, Gale?" Boswin said, shaking his head. "My daughters were investments. I gave them power and an opportunity and they failed me. Because of that, of course I have to withdraw what little I have left to ensure that I am not completely left without_some_ profit."

So his daughters were just assets he could dispose of and manipulate at his will!?

Was that all he saw anyone!?

Was that how he treated the other farmers under his control!?

How he treated Leonardo!?

I didn't want to believe that the Boswins were truly evil because their support was keeping Pollenburn afloat when the farmers would've otherwise gone bankrupt. I thought the slight bit of arrogance they showed was justified considering they did so much for the town. Yes, I couldn't stand their personalities but I wouldn't have kept funnelling funds into their expansion projects if I didn't think they were doing good things!

But now I realised that they - especially Winston Boswin - saw everyone under his control as things to be traded and bartered with.

I hated him.

"You're a monster!"

Boswin threw his head back and laughed. "Oh you think I'm the monster? Gale, have you even dared to question where the Seals come from?"

My heart froze.

Something told me I didn't want to know the answer... but I was curious...

"What are you talking about...?"

Boswin laughed heartily. "My dear boy, don't you remember what Caroline and Dorothy were like before they got their Seals? Don't you remember how Caroline was so... outspoken and quite rebellious. She had no intention of being stuck in this backwater town and Dorothy was highly intelligent. She was very business savvy." The pig raised a finger, grinning from ear to ear. "And all that changed when they got their Seals."

I blinked...

I could see the dots... I could see how they were connecting... but I didn't want to draw the lines...

"There are two ways to obtain a Seal," Boswin continued, lifting his arms wide. "The first is that you must sacrifice something of great importance! My dear daughters sacrificed a bit of themselves to obtain great power. It doesn't have to be something so personal as a trait but the more important it is, the higher your Synchronisation Rate with the Seal!

"By dear Dorothy sacrificed her intelligence making her nothing more than an incredibly strong, incredibly durable mass of muscle without a single strand of thought processing in her miniscule brain apart from basic survival instincts and her loyalty to me."

I gagged... That was impossible!

Why would anyone do that!?

"And my Caroline gave up her independence," Boswin continued, grinning from ear to ear. "She lost her will to remove herself from my iron grip and became my willing pawn."

My revulsion for Winston Boswin built and built until I actually felt like throwing up. I couldn't help but wonder how things would've turned out if the Boswin sisters hadn't succumbed to their greed and become their father's puppets.

But then I remembered...

Dorothy's Seal, the Deadwind Seal... and Caroline's Seal, the Frigid Breeze Seal... were both subsets of Winston's Seal...

A realisation hit me.

"You forced them to take their Seals, didn't you!?"

Winston threw back his head and laughed for a good, long minute. In that time, I was so tempted to silence him but... I simply so infused with rage that my entire body locked up.

"Now you're catching on, Gale!" He grinned directly at me. "Your Seal and mine are the same. We don't need the Eternal Seal to create more Seals but we must take something from the person we are giving the Seal to in order to give them the power that we possess!"

The Eternal Seal was one of the remnants of the Seal War, found by MODD in the Graveyard of Doors in Hox. This one Seal was the key to MODD's power. It had the power to create other Seals. In fact, it was the only thing that could create other Seals. I had obtained my Seal when the MODD trainers had exposed me to the Eternal Seal and the device had deemed me worthy to wield the Seal of Fate's Breath.

Without the Eternal Seal... there would be no MODD.

"And do you know the second process of creating a Seal, Gale?" Boswin snickered.

"Yeah," I answered, drawing an arrow. This time, I was going to shut him up for good. "We use the Eternal Seal."

"Oh, but do you know how the Eternal Seal creates a Seal?"

...

I lowered my bow...

No I did not...

"We sacrifice another living being!" Boswin laughed hysterically, slapping his knees in absolute glee.

"What!?" I heard Jacob exclaimed. I felt his eyes on me... I wasn't sure if I looked horrified or shocked but I felt both.

I know I didn't get my Seal from the first method... at least I think I didn't...

... so that meant I had to get it from the second...

Which meant someone had to die to give me my Seal...

"You're lying..." I whispered.

Boswin still heard me despite our distance.

"Oh, you think so?" the pig laughed. "What do you think the Pollenburn Plague was all about, Gale? The widespread plague that no one could stop? Or rather, no one was willing to stop? Why do you think MODD responded so quickly? Why do you think the Rillotian government didn't intervene? Why do you think it just appeared out of nowhere!?

"That was the Eternal Seal taking the lives of countless people for forge a Seal!"

"Shut up!" I fired a wind arrow at him but he merely brushed it aside. I wasn't focused. I was heartbroken.

Did countless people have to die to give me my Seal?

"That's bullshit, Boswin," Jacob growled. "I know MODD can go pretty low but they can't go that low."

I was grateful I had him to support me... But I was starting to have my own doubts.

First rule I picked up: Never trust anyone, not even MODD.

"You think so?" Boswin snickered. "Well this is how the Eternal Seal works, pup! It takes the life of an individual and forges the Mind, Body and Soul of that individual into a Seal, completely engulfing that person! Naturally, this Seal has to get power from somewhere correct? Where do you think the 'infinite power' of the Seals come from!?

"It comes from the very essences of the people it has consumed into its very being! And since those creatures will forever be trapped within the Seal, they will suffer for eternity and continue to provide strength for the Seal!"

My mind just imploded...

I didn't want to believe Boswin... but... His words just struck a chord in me. I couldn't help but think that the countless people who died in Pollenburn - like my brother, Danny - were somewhere, trapped in my Seal, suffering to provide me with power to do exactly the same thing to other people!

"And here's the best part!" Boswin laughed. "There were only four Seals made through the Pollenburn Plague! My Seal which came from my dear departed wife." He sniggered at that as if mocking her memory. "The Seal of your lieutenant, Sherry Stormrock, the Seal of your best friend, Marcus Willows... and..."

No... No...

Don't say it...

I mentally pleaded... Please don't say it!

"Your, Seal Gale! The Seal of Fate's Winds was a product of the Pollenburn Plague!"

My whole world just shattered.

I couldn't help but feel like Danny was in my right now... writhing in pain as I used his very essence to power my very actions. That attack I unleashed on the Boswin girls... how much pain did he have to go through? How much agony did he have to suffer every time I flew through the air, unleashed a wind arrow or did one of those stupid public stunts for the crowd?

My knees felt horribly weak...

"Here's the kicker," Bowsin said, grinning from ear to ear. "When it comes to Seals made in this process, the stronger the bond between you and main soul that is used to make the Seal, the higher your Synchronisation Rate. Sure countless other souls may be fused with the Seal but there is only one soul that forms the anchor, the... 'representative' of the Seal, so to speak.

"Can you guess whose essence your Seal is using, Gale?"

I didn't want to...

Tears were flowing down my cheeks...

I could just feel Danny... screaming at me... Begging me to stop...

"Your bond must me truly strong to have obtained a 100% Synchronisation Rate, Gale," Boswin said. "I am truly jealous. Of course, no matter how much my dear departed wife loved me, I still only have an 85% Synchronisation Rate." A grin crossed his features again. "And that is where the Brands come in..."

Jacob and Taylor both tensed.

I was too absorbed in thinking about how Danny and the people I loved were suffering because of my Seal... I wanted to tear my heart out, throw it into the winds and just crawl into the corner to die. I sought to protect Pollenburn, to bring it back to the way it used to be... and all I'm doing is just spitting on the memory of those that had passed.

What kind of 'hero' was I?

"With the Brands, we can obtain full Synchronisation Rates!" Boswin shouted. "Doesn't matter what Seal, doesn't matter who! We can subjugate everyone and anyone! Better yet, now that my two daughters have passed, I can reap the rewards of my harvest and absorb their Seals!"

I snapped back into reality.

"What!?"

Was that the only reason Winston gave his daughters those Seals!? He robbed their of their very personalities only to take the power back!?

"I let the seeds grow," Winston laughed, light springing from his palms as the same light funnelled away from Dorothy and Caroline's bodies and into his body, "and when they are ripe for the harvest, I kill the plants to make myself stronger!"

Winston Boswin's body suddenly became encased in a swirling vortex of darkness and ice. He rose into the air and let out a triumphant roar that shook our surroundings and knocked me off my shaking feet.

"Now behold!"_he shouted, his voice echoing just like Caroline Boswin's. _"The might of not one, not two but three_Seals!"_

I didn't stand around to see what happened or what Winston had become.

I couldn't fight.

Not knowing where my power came from!

I turned and shot into the air, zooming back towards Skystorm Tower. I was partially aware that using my power was causing more torment to the souls trapped by my Seal... but I had to have confirmation. I had to talk to Balthazar. Sure, I was plotting to depose him but he was one of the guys that helped monitor the Eternal Seal. Surely he knew the truth about it.

He was also the one that helped me rise to my position!

If he could just tell me that Winston was lying... If he could just say that the Eternal Seal did_not_ use people to create Seals...

I stormed into my Tower, speeding right past several stunned troops. They were all armoured and looked ready for war. Didn't know where they were going but I had so much tears in my eyes that I really didn't care. He headed to the communications room just beneath my throne room.

I shoved someone aside from a terminal, I wasn't sure who and dialled a familiar number.

Balthazar picked up almost instantly.

The guy that stood there was a jackal, black as the night and with eyes always narrowed like he was examining me constantly. I had no time to take in the rest of his features.

"Tell me it isn't true!" I snapped.

"Tell you what isn't true, Gale?"

"The Eternal Seal! Tell me that it does not use people to make new Seals! And tell me that you did not use the research you performed on Jacob - which was illegal by the way - to make Brands to force any Seal to become completely controlled by anyone!"

Balthazar just smirked at me. "So you know of the Brands then, Gale?"

I froze.

I had just made a critical mistake.

"To answer your question, my dear friend, yes, I know how the Eternal Seal functions and yes, I did exactly as you had said. MODD needs less Unsealed and more agents in SWORD. The Brands provide us with that possibility. However, the power of the Brands comes from a personal store and we can't have our soldiers getting exhausted in the middle of battle. The Seals have an infinite power source but there's the risk of the bearers turning into Unsealed because of the Synchronisation Rates.

"When applied to the same person, however, the Brand draws power from the Seal and in turns controls the Seal, reducing the risk of becoming an Unsealed to zero. I'm sure we could find out more about the Brands and I would simply love to have another chat with your friend, Jacob Reaper."

Again, I froze...

Balthazar knew...

He knew about Jacob... and he probably knew about my plot to depose him...

"Tell you what, Gale. We'll forget this ever happened and your little conspiracy that you've been cooking up in that backwater town of yours if_you can bring Jacob Reaper and that cougar he recently transformed to me."_

For the third time... I froze.

Balthazar also knew about Taylor...

He knew about everything!

I thought about the pain Jacob and Taylor would be put through... the experiments... the torment... I thought about the souls that were trapped within my Seal... all those people that had to die to give me power... I thought about Danny... and the countless others that would have to suffer if I handed Jacob and Taylor to Balthazar.

I could just imagine him using the Eternal Seal all over Mortaelis, wantonly creating Seals and giving people Brands to make some sort of army of super-powered individuals with infinite powers...

... and I knew I couldn't let that happen.

"I would sooner die than let that happen!"

Balthazar sighed and shrugged. "I knew you were going to say that... Still, I had hoped. Marcus, please take Gale away and confine him to his quarters."

I felt strong paws grip my shoulders and fling me around. I locked gazes with Marcus... my best friend. I realised that he too had a Seal... He must have heard what I just discussed with Balthazar... he must know where the power of the Seals come from... So why was he still siding with Balthazar!?

"Marcus! The Seals -"

"I know Gale," the kangaroo said gently. "I know..."

"But why!?" I roared, trying to struggle out of his grip. He was three times bigger than me however and held me down firmly. Two other soldiers wrapped a pair of handcuffs on me. "You know where they come from and you're willing to go along with this!?"

"It's for MODD Gale... For Mortaelis..."

Up until that point I never got the meaning behind MODD's secret little slogan, 'Power no Matter what the Cost...'

And now I knew.