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"Valk!"

Harm was unsure if he should be relieved for fearful as the Draconis peered up from where he lay against the wall. Sitting opposite to the doorway, the leader of the Justitae Ignibus was heavily wounded, blood seeping between his fingers and one eye permanently shut. One horn had been broken off and embedded deep into his shoulder and so much blood dribbled down his chin that it looked like he was barely hanging onto life by sheer force of will. Alliance's silvery butterflies fluttered around him thinly. There were only about ten left. The others were heavily embedded into the fleshy walls or the rotting corpses of those demons that scattered around him.

The smile Valk gave frightening. It was the smile of one ready to surrender his life.

"Roran... I am... so sorry."

The Tigris spun towards Harm who was already lifting Firefeather.

"Cauterise their wou -"

"No!" Valk shouted, finding the strength to lift his hand. "Do not heal me!"

"You will die, you stubborn fool!" Roran snarled, kneeling down beside his friend. He seized Valk's hand and pressed it against the deep wound that seemed to have exposed the majority of the Draconis' thigh. "Let Harm heal you. He brought me back from the brink of death!"

"Chronomancy...?" Valk croaked, shaking his head. "No... Beware. He has set up Eyes of Avalon throughout the entire ship. He is waiting for you... Lord Chronos...."

Harm meant to ask 'who' but he bit his question back when he realised exactly who it could have been. He kept his council and focused on Valk. "Surrender now would be weak, Valk. You have come this far leading your people towards freedom. Now is not the time to surrender!"

"My vision of freedom was coated in blood..." Valk closed his one good eye, letting out a ragged sigh. "I led this 'protest' not for the freedom of non-humans but for vengeance in the name of my love... Lusia. Whether I consciously wanted it or not, this rebellion was going to rise. The Dawn's Champion merely played both factions to his advantage. He corrupted the Solis from within and then let them 'defect' to my side. He heightened the animosity between the two sides so that his actions could be concealed. Even when he struck, both Novallier and I were so busy trying to defeat him and fighting our own preconceptions of one another that we did not realise we were losing to his game."

"You were being noble!" Roran shouted. "You were going to offer Novallier back his Solis once you had won freedom for non-humans!"

The Draconis laughed. "In essence, I was holding his people ransom."

"No! That -"

Even with his eyes closed, Valk had the strength to lift his hand and press it against Roran's lips. "Roran... Now is my time... Maybe I can finally be with Lusia... Though I do not know if I will go where she is now."

Tears welled up in Roran's soft, blue eyes. He tried to form words but what came out where only soft whimpers and gasps. Those eyes begged Harm for reprieve, to heal Valk. The Chronomancer's heart was torn. Roran's sadness was not easy to bear but Valk had made his choice. It was clear all the Draconis ever did was for Lusia. The greatest gift anyone could give was to let him be with her again.

"Firefeather, spread your wings and guide his soul into eternity."

A sense of confusion seeped out of the blade. Harm just smiled and the sword seemed to understand. A gentle flame sprang from the tip of the sword like a droplet of liquid fire. The droplet unfolded, forming a small, flaming bird that gently rested on Valk's chest. The Draconis opened his eye briefly to spy the miniature phoenix and a smile touched his lips.

Then he was still.

The phoenix let out a soft, musical chirp before spreading its wings and leaping towards the hanger.

All three watched the bird disappear into the void, a tiny spark of red in the ever tumultuous expanse.

Roran stumbled over Valk's body, weeping softly, head pressed against the Draconis' bloody chest. An unknown amount of time passed before the Tigris reached out and closed Valk's eye, completing the peaceful countenance of his first love.

The moment was short lived.

The Sunspot suddenly lurched to the left, throwing all of them to the ground.

"What was that!?" Yulanda demanded.

Harm glanced around, perking his ears. Machines were churning, power was flowing.

"We're moving again." He sprang to his feet nimbly. "We have to get to the bridge!"

*****

The Sunspot's bridge was a miniature throne room. A long, wide corridor unfolded in front of them. Large, squat consoles were arranged like pews down a central aisle. Towering effigies of the Sun Goddess flanked the central aisle while the proud visage of the Brave Famer stood between them, burning sword raised. At the very end of the hallway was a raised dais where a high-backed throne sat. The corruption left the bridge untouched, strangely, but perhaps it was better to say that demonic corruption did not touch it.

Sitting on the throne, looking bored and angry at the same time...

... was Inquisitor Warton.

"So you have finally come," the Inquisitor boomed. Harm's breath caught in his chest when he saw the golden chain attached to a decorated slab of metal with the Chronomancer's insignia hanging from the Inquisitor's hip.

Harm, Yulanda and Roran stood at one end of the throne room while the Inquisitor rose from his throne on the other, the enormous, steel doors shutting behind him.

"Where is my father!?" demanded Yulanda.

"Safe." Warton rose from his seat, seaming much more imposing than usual. His artificial red eye glowed brightly, focused directly on Harm. "I am not so foolish as to let the Apex Clericus Solis die at my hands. I have sent him back down to Incendius so that he may open his eyes to the truth!" The Inquisitor unfurled Timekeeper, pointing it straight at Harm. "You are the source of this corruption, Chronomancer!"

Harm raised Firefeather. "Your personal feelings are clouding your judgement, Warton. What you have done -"

"What I have done!?" Warton shouted back. "What I have done is preserve the purity and integrity of Incendius!? But you... You seem bent on upsetting the essential balance of this world!"

Roran sprang forward, drawing his bow. "What are you talking about? Harm has done nothing but fight demons due to your incompetence!"

The Inquisitor let out a dark laugh, waving his free hand at Roran like a teacher reprimanding a petulant child. "You fool. You are caught up in your infatuation to understand. Before the start of all this, Chronos attacked the small township of Riverflow. Infected with Agares' demons they may be but he initiated this war! He dragged the demons into the light and brought Incendius into the attention of the Demon Lord! What's more, he led the Apex Clericus Solis to Clockwork as he did the same with the demons!"

Warton slashed the air with Timekeeper, the golden blade letting out a soft ringing noise as it sliced through the air. "He introduced the third faction into this war! It was he who introduced the demonic Dawn's Champion!"

Yulanda snapped, taking a step forward. Sun Dancer lay curled at her feet. "You are the one being foolish! The Champion's men remained incorrupt when he had me kidnapped. If they were corrupt from the start, then perhaps they would have corrupted myself and Tynvandar!"

"I am not ruling that out, girl!" Warton snarled. "No doubt in my mind rests that Chronos is cavorting with the demons! Perhaps he infected the Dawn's Champion and perhaps he has done the same with you! Nonetheless, I cannot risk the integrity of this world to his machinations any longer!"

Warton lifted Timekeeper, raising it above his head. "I sat quietly as I waited for you to make your move, Chronos, but it seems that you have forced my hand!" He spread his free hand wide, gesturing at the Sunspot. "I have set the ship on a collision course with the Sun Spire!"

Roran and Yulanda joined together in their unified cry of, "What!?"

It was Harm who clarified Warton's intentions. "You are so bent on thinking that this was my fault that it frustrates you that you cannot find any solid proof. Thus, you would do what any Inquisitor would; clean the slate completely." Harm lifted his head, gazing directly into Warton's eyes. "You would drive the Sunspot into the Sun Spire to shatter the one thing keeping the Darkened from truly overrunning the world. When the Darkened spread across Incendius, the Church will be forced to fight. Knowing how easily the Darkened could overrun the world, you would force the Inquisition's hand and call down Ultimo Judicio upon Incendius, wiping away any trace of demonic corruption, any Darkened... and any life."

The Inquisitor's silence was confirmation enough.

Harm readied Firefeather. "This plan is mad, Warton. You would risk the lives of everyone on Incendius just to prove me guilty? You even sent Novallier down to Incendius to get a front row view."

The bright light bathing the bridge suddenly turned a blood red.

"Warning," a mechanical voice boomed, "re-entry into Incendian atmosphere initiated. Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 10 minutes."

He could sense the Inquisitor's desperation... and frustration. Warton most likely had hoped that with Harm incarcerated, the demonic attacks would cease but they did not. Perhaps he had hoped to milk a confession from him or finally find evidence that would implicate Harm in all that had tormented him. The Chronomancer did not deny he had done much to shatter the Inquisitor's credibility. The embarrassment at Corona where the Inquisitor had allowed demons into the city... followed by Harm's rescue of Valk and then fighting off demons at the initial summit when it was the Inquisition's mission to screen all who came into the summit... It would have driven the Inquisitor mad.

And yet... despite it all, Harm sensed there was clarity in the man's eyes.

Warton truly believed in his cause.

That was admirable. Misguided but admirable.

"You understand, of course," Harm said, "that I will have to stop you."

Warton laughed, throwing his head back with the act. "I would not have it any other way, Chronos." Upon his words, the air seemed to ripple and shift. A heavy weight fell on Harm's shoulders and he felt the flow of time around him slow. It was no longer like he was constantly standing within a gently flowing river. The waters felt like they had turned to jelly.

And Warton... Warton had vanished.

"Eyes of Avalon..." he whispered, spinning around. "Roran! Yulanda!"

Warton suddenly appeared ten feet away from Roran, the Inquisitor charging at great speeds. The Tigris had frightening reflexes, however and dodged the blow from Timekeeper's golden blade. He drew his own sword and sliced into Warton's shoulder, the blade barely slicing into the thick power armour.

"Weakling!" Warton snarled, lifting a gauntlet at Roran. "Augue!"

A ball of flame launched from the Inquisitor's palm only to be intercepted by a thick, coiling, white flame. Sun Dancer wrapped around Warton's wrist and drove it straight into the ground. The Inquisitor snarled and gave his arm a heavy yank, pulling Yulanda off balance. Sun Dancer released the Inquisitor's hand and Warton leapt back, vanishing the moment he stepped ten feet away from them.

"What's happening!?" Yulanda asked. "How is he turning invisible!?"

"He's not," Harm answered, taking a few steps towards her, facing outwards. "He's employed several Eyes of Avalon and probably configured them to slow down time. He's holding Timekeeper, though."

"The blade must have an area that forces those within to be unaffected by Time Magic," Roran murmured. "That's why the ten feet at the Phoenix Memorial weren't affected by your Time Locking."

Harm nodded grimly. "It actually forces those within to adhere to the user's rate of time. To us, he seems to vanish but really, he's just moving naturally. He's just 'too fast' for us."

Several shouts of 'Augue' erupted from several directions. Large fireballs sprang up in six different locations and sprang straight towards them. Harm swung Firefeather through the air and pressed the pommel blade against his forehead.

"Let none pass through heaven's gates, Firefeather!"

Pillars of flame descended from the ceiling, encircling them completely. The fireballs struck the wall of flame and dissipated, leaving nothing but a trail of smoke. As the pillars vanished, Harm noticed the small wisp of ash and smoke that hung in the air. One particular cloud suddenly jerked to the right and he spun immediately in that direction.

Clang!

Warton laughed, his strength augmented by his power armour, cybernetic augmentations and genetic modifications. With so much backing his might, Harm was easily forced to his knees.

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 9 minutes."

"How does it feel, Choronomancer? How does it feel to succumb to your own powers!?"

"I must say," Harm grunted. "It is rather uncomfortable. I really don't quite like you wielding my sword!" With his free hand, he seized the golden swords' edge. Even as it bit into his flesh, he gave Warton a grim grin.

Thwack! Thwack!

Warton roared in pain and turned his head. Roran stood a few feet away, magical bow raised and nocking another arrow. The projectile was let loose and the blade-like enchantments sliced deeply into the Inquisitor's arm, drawing blood and sending sparks out as the internal circuitry was damaged.

"How can you see -?" Then his eyes spun towards Harm who was still gripping Timekeeper, grin firmly in place.

"You may wield Timekeeper, but I'm the one that knows how to use it!" the Wulfun snarled as he continued to force Warton and himself to the same flow of time as Roran and Yulanda. The strain was felt throughout his entire body.

Warton returned the growl and kicked Harm back. The air rushed past Harm's head as he was hurled back with the mighty blow. He spun in the air, planting his feet firmly against the thighs of a Sun Goddess' statue, his body parallel to the ground. One simple kick and he was suddenly back on the ground.

"Rise from the ashesof rebirth, Firefeather!"

He swung his sword and from the tip spewed out a thin cloud of ash that quickly spread throughout the chamber. Movement danced at the far edges of his vision and he spun, catching Warton's blow easily on Firefeather. With his free paw, he swiped at Timekeeper's golden chain but the Inquisitor quickly leapt back into the cloud. Still, Harm could track his location as the swirling ash betrayed his movements.

A loud sound like glass shattering met his ears. The flow of time around him suddenly felt more... liquid. His eyes spun to where Yulanda poked her head out from behind one of the Sun Goddess' statues. He instantly realised she had destroyed one of the Eyes of Avalon.

Clever girl... but that now made her a target.

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 8 minutes."

"Yulanda!"

She too vanished. Warton had caught up with her. He tracked their movements through the ash and hurried after them. Consoles all around him exploded with electricity. Bursts of fire shot in all directions and the floor was gouged with deep cuts. He could only guess those two were fighting as hard as they could.

Suddenly, there was a deafening clang and Timekeeper was sent flying through the air, its golden chain severed. The blade embedded itself into the throne. Yulanda and Warton both appeared, looking surprised and with their eyes firmly on the golden blade. They exchanged glances... then rushed towards the sword.

Harm gripped Firefeather.

"Let none pass through -"

Flaming pillars barred the path from Timekeeper.

"Could you at least let me finish?" Harm asked the sword. "It makes it way more dramatic." Grinning, he charged after Warton who spun towards him, snarl on his face. The Sunspot shuddered, groaning as metal began to buckle.

Time was not on their side.

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 7 minutes."

"I do not know how you could possibly wield Fire Magic, Chronomancer," the Inquisitor snarled, drawing his gun scythe from over his shoulder. "But that mystery will remain forever unsolved!" He lifted his scythe at Harm, the loud rat-tat-tat of the gun sending bullets streaming straight towards the Chronomancer.

Harm hurled himself behind of the consoles, ducking as sparks flew in all directions from the impact of the bullets.

"Augue!"

His instincts screamed and he threw himself through the mist away from the console. A split second later, it exploded into a fiery blaze. Time around him seemed to suddenly loosen all the more. Another Eye of Avalon had been destroyed.

"Not so tough without Harm's weapon, are you!?" Roran shouted, firing several more arrows at the Inquisitor.

Warton grunted and took the blows to his armour as he charged towards the Tigris. Hidden compartments sprang open on the Inquisitor's shoulder blades, revealing powerful propulsion packs. They sprang to life and the Inquisitor zoomed all the way down the aisle, scythe ready to sever Roran's head. A searing, white whip suddenly curled around the Inquisitor's right leg and the man toppled to the ground, face first.

"You will not destroy my home!" Yulanda shouted.

Grinning, Roran tucked away his bow and drew his blade. He launched himself at Warton, slashing at the man's back. His sword bounced off harmlessly against the power armour.

Harm leapt up from where he was hidden, pressing his free paw against Firefeather. "Grant them your might, Firefeather!"

Two bolts of flame launched from his sword, leaping straight towards Roran and Yulanda. The bolts merged with their weapons, setting them alight with glorious red flames. In Yulanda's case, it merged with her white fire, making it almost pinkish in colour. Roran struck once more and this time, his sword bit into the heavy metal of Warton's back.

Unfortunately, it bit into the fuel compartments of the Inquisitor's jump packs.

Boom!

Both the Tigris and the Inquisitor where hurled back. Their impact with the ground seemed to shake the entire ship. The whole bridge seemed to shake with the might of an earthquake.

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 6 minutes."

Harm leapt towards Roran, shouting, "Cauterise their wounds, Firefeather!" Holy white fire coursed towards Roran, instantly closing his wounds.

"That was painful," the Tigris muttered.

"No more than this will be!" Warton roared. He yanked at his gun scythe, pulling it apart down the middle. With the bladed gun component in one hand, the stick in the other unfolded into a threatening spear. "Die, heretics!"

Even without his jump packs, Warton was frighteningly fast and closed in on the two in less than five seconds. Harm and Roran both brought of their blades, blocking Warton's strikes as he pushed them both back. Every blow sent the two skidding back several feet. Harm almost stumbled on the fifth strike but Roran quickly leapt to his defence, blocking both strikes. Seeing his opportunity, Harm lunged forward, making a stab for the Inquisitor. Warton took his first retreat.

Another sound like glass shattering filled the air. Time flowed even more freely. Harm could feel himself grasping at the sluggish river, still barely able to hold onto it but not enough to completely control it.

Yulanda stood grinning behind one of the consoles.

"You can't beat all of us," Harm said, a grin crossing his features. "Either we beat you here or Yulanda shatters the last few of those Eyes of Avalon and I'm free to use my Chronomancy. And you know you can't fight me when I'm at full strength."

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 5 minutes."

An evil glint entered the Inquisitor's eyes. "You are absolutely right." He thrust his spear forward, right between Roran and Harm. With a twist of his wrist, he slammed the spear into Harm's side, forcing the wind out of his lungs. In the moment Roran showed concern, the Inquistor kicked his gut and sent him crashing to the ground.

Harm saw stars. He could feel the ship tilting and he fought to stay upright.

They were getting dangerously close to impact!

"Yulanda!" Harm gasped in warning but the Inquisitor had spun and unleashed a withering barrage of bullets all across the throne room. Incendians were not used to automatic fire. The highest level of their gun technology was muskets with long reload times!

"Rise forth, Firefeather!"

Harm flung his blade upwards. Pillars of fire launched forward, barrelling towards Warton. The Inquisitor threw himself to the side, dodging the flames. Three arrows suddenly embedded themselves into Warton's chest, slicing deep into the armour and finally causing bleeding. Gasping, Warton staggered to his feet...

... just as a thick, pinkish, fiery whip wrapped around his neck and drove him back to the ground. Yulanda was lying on top of one of the consoles, one hand against her shoulder and a look of agony on her face.

"Freedom..." she gasped and gave Sun Dancer a twist.

Crrrack!

Harm winced and didn't dare to look at the Inquisitor's broken neck.

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 4 minutes."

"Four minutes," he breathed.

Panic fuelling his steps, Harm leapt to his feet and scrambled up the tilted bridge towards Yulanda who lay on the console, gasping for breath. He managed to reach her just as the ship lurched to the right and shuddered violently. He took her hand and winced when he saw the multiple bullet wounds buried in her gut.

"Hold still," he said. "I'll get you patched up."

"No time," she wheezed. "We must drive the Sunspot away from Corona..."

"This will only take a second."

"Heal me when we are free from danger," she insisted, pushing his paw away. "What must be done?"

Harm regarded the bloodstained console. "Stay here and do as I say." He lifted his head towards where Roran was clinging onto another console. "Roran! The console two rows behind you, I need you to get on it!"

The Tigris could only throw him a nod.

Harm turned and scrambled up the aisle, leaping towards the throne. The flames of Firefeather died and he yanked Timekeeper from the seat, tucking it securely into his pocket. His fire sword vanished in a flood of fire. He sat himself on the throne, clinging on for dear life. A display sprang up in front of him, made from magical light that could easily be interacted with.

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 3 minutes."

The red of warning flashed all over the display but he ignored them all, working hard and fast as he scrambled to reset the course of the ship. His worst fears were confirmed. The Sunspot was too far gone to pull out of the dive. Crashing was inevitable.

But crashing into the Sun Spire...

"Yulanda, your screen should now have a big map appearing on it. Move it to the left, away from Corona!"

"We can't stop it from crashing?" Roran shouted.

"No. We can't. All we can do is make sure it crashes somewhere unpopulated." Harm's paws flew across the display like lightning. "Once we've set the course, we'll make for one of the escape pods deeper into the ship." He saw that the Sunspot's navigation was set to target an uninhabited slab of grassy land. "Roran, you're at the engine controls. Make sure the left side engines are at full power. Kill all power to the right!"

"Done!"

"Good! Yulanda, there's a handle to your right. I need you to pull it. That should kick in the overdrive and get us away from the Sun Spire."

"Should!?" Roran shouted.

"I've only crashed a ship like this twice before and the last time was a century ago. Forgive me if I'm a little rusty." He lifted his head. "Yulanda!"

Horror gripped his heart. Yulanda lay atop the console, unresponsive.

As he began to rise, something seized his waist and hurled him straight off the throne. With the tilt of the ship, he was carried all the way down the room, soaring past Roran and crashing into the doors. The metal buckled under the impact but held precariously. Warton stood over him, neck barely holding on and resting at an obscene angle against his shoulders.

"You should remember that we Inquisitors are more machine than man," Warton snarled. "A snapped neck will not hinder us!"

Harm tried to struggle, kicking at the thick armour and trying to prise the Inquisitor's heavy hands from his neck but the man was many times stronger than he was.

"Your struggle is in vain," Warton growled. "Without having flicked that switch, this ship will still crash into the Sun Spire!"

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 2 minutes."

"You have lost!"

Harm desperately tried to seize Timekeeper. He unfolded it and tried to seize control of the flow of time. The jelly-like waters of Time slipped between his mental fingers. Warton laughed and yanked the blade from his paw, hurling it aside. Placing all his weight on Harm's chest, the Inquisitor used one hand to firmly hold Harm's in his death grip while the other went to his chest. Warton opened a compartment in his cuirass, revealing one last Eye of Avalon.

"You have lost, Chronos," he snickered. "Even should you have activated Timekeeper, I will have been within the field, negating the powers of your sword!"

Harm grunted and tried to grasp for the Eye of Avalon, his fingers just brushing the blue crystal. His head began to spin and his lungs began to burn.

"Any last words, Chronos?" Warton snarled, twisting his head dangerously close to breaking point.

Gritting his teeth, Harm...

... He had an idea.

"Yeah..." he whispered. "Rebirth is nigh."

A red flame exploded from his paw and lanced out. It pierced Warton's chest, shattering the Eye of Avalon. Firefeather formed from the flame, tearing through the Inquisitor's body, its serrated edge tearing through vital organs and machinery. Warton gasped, blood exploding from his mouth as his lungs were quickly punctured. Harm seized Firefeather with both hands and swung it viciously upwards, tearing the Inquisitor's entire right side off. He brutally sent it crashing back down, severing the left.

Warton's eyes were in shock... his whole body was in shock.

In one moment, his human eye stared at Harm... before the light in his artificial, red eye faded.

The Inquisitor slumped to the side...

Dead.

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated in 60 seconds."

Feeling the flow of time finally return to normalcy, Harm leapt up, his body quickly repairing the damage around him. He jumped to the moment he was beside Yulanda and he was surprised to find Roran right beside her. Her hand was on the lever... but her fingers were loose.

His heart caught up in his throat...

Roran, weakened from the fight, placed his paw over Yulanda's hand, gripping the switch tightly. "Go," he said. "Get to the escape pod. I can take it from here."

"You get to the escape pod," Harm insisted, pushing him back slightly. "The last Eye of Avalon was destroyed. I'll just regenerate from this. You can't!"

The sad smile on the Tigris' face told him the point was not for discussion. "Harm... Valk is dead. Lusia is dead. Colleen is dead. There's nothing waiting for me on the other side."

He wanted to say that he would wait... but that was not true. It would be an empty promise, one that they both knew they would never see fulfilled. Harm's heart belonged to Tower Thirteen... and he would never be able to put that on hold for Roran. When Roran placed his paw on the switch again, that sealed the deal... and his fate.

"I could go on a spiel about how you could always make a fresh start," Harm laughed softly. "But it doesn't look like we have the time. Maybe whatever is waiting for you on the other side is your fresh start."

"Warning, impact with elevated structure imminent. Impact estimated at 40 seconds."

"Will I see you there?" Roran asked, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Maybe someday. When all the fighting is done."

"How long will you keep fighting for?"

He returned Roran's smile, closing his fingers around the Tigris' as they both gripped the switch. "Till the end of time."

Together, they held Yulanda's hand...

And pulled the switch.

*****

The casualties were unavoidable.

The Sunspot had been dangerously close to Corona when it came crashing down. Some people were crushed under flaming debris and others still were consumed in the explosion that shook all of the city. Thankfully, only a few died and they were those too stubborn to heed Aria Valkyrie's warning on the impending threat or those hoping to loot from an abandoned city.

Still... a loss of life was a loss of life.

Not too far in the distance, another service was being held at the Phoenix Memorial. Yulanda and Roran's names were added to the plaque, something that was thankfully within Timekeeper's influence when Harm had Time Locked the memorial. Aureas had even been generous and only taken three of the ships promised him. The last remained cleansed of demonic corruption and hovering over the Memorial.

The Chronomancer, however, could not find the strength to attend.

He stood at the top of Clockwork's clock tower, leaning against the railings as he peered into the quiet city. Repairs were already underway but it would be years before the city could be returned to its former glory. In the wake of the disaster, the Justitae Ignibus had dissolved and reintegrated themselves into Incendian society. The humans welcomed them with open arms, consoling those them for their loss just as the non-humans comforted the humans for the tragedy that had struck them.

The revelation of Gardon's betrayal and corruption shook the Custodia Solis to the core and the Inquisition was conducting a full inquiry into the Solis to root out any further corruption. A mandate from Novallier and a demand from the people limited the number Custodia Solis to a minimum. Fear gripped them that tightly.

As for Warton...

Harm had personally spoken for the Inquisitor's dedication to his cause. The Inquisitor was not evil at heart. Just... misguided. He was honoured as a hero. To Novallier, he was a man of honour that sacrificed his life to save Incendius. The madness that had overcome him remained forever with Harm and no one else. Perhaps the Mother Goddess would speak otherwise but to the mortals on Tower Thirteen, Inquisitor Warton would remain a hero.

"You are not at the service."

The Wulfun flicked his ears back, following Novallier as the Apex Clericus Solis came to stand beside him, peering out into the distance in the direction of the Phoenix Memorial. Though the man seemed composed and collected, his stiff, expressionless face spoke volumes of the turmoil deep in his heart.

"I watched them die," Harm answered. "I stood by them as their bodies burned in the fires of that ship. I burned too but unlike them, I knew I would rise from the ashes whereas they would not. As far as I am concerned, no memorial with their names engraved into the rock will hold a candle up to that." Harm held a clenched paw against his chest. "I carry their will with me."

'A phoenix,' Harm thought quietly to himself, 'I rose from the ashes of those around me, stronger than before.'

"I only wish I could have been there to say goodbye." Novallier closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that were welling up within him. "Yulanda was always so rebellious, always so eager to free herself from the shackles placed upon her on birth. I do not know whether or not this is some way of granting her that freedom."

"Roran wanted to be free as well," Harm said, chuckling softly. "Free of oppression and I think free of the guilt he felt about his preferences. It's just sad that in order to obtain that freedom, they both had to die."

"Let us not let their sacrifice go in vain," Novallier said, lifting his head to the skies and finally opening his eyes. No matter how much he tried, the tears still came. "They both died protecting this realm and I firmly believe that is a symbol of just how well humans and non-humans can work with one another. I hope I can lift them up as a prime example of unity amongst all Incendians."

"I'm sure they would have both wanted that. The unity bit. Not the sainthood. I think we've bothered them enough without people constantly badgering them with prayers."

"I never said I would make them saints," Novallier said, a smile breaking through his tears. "Though would you think Roran or Yulanda would make a better saint of freedom against adversity?"

Harm rubbed his chin theatrically. "I think they'd both make great saints of freedom. Both were bound by shackles set upon them by the cruel world. Yulanda had the weight of the world fall upon her shoulders even when the Goddess called her. Roran was bound by the chains of others expecting much from him. In a way, they were both the same and they both broke free in their own ways."

Novallier turned to him, eyes shot red with sorrow. "Tell me something, Lord Chronos. Yulanda never could activate her Valour before. Something changed, however. What?"

Harm offered him a smile back. "I think the same thing that changed in Roran. They both decided on their conviction; what they wanted to fight for. Roran decided to fight for the memory of his loved one and Yulanda..." His smile grew reminiscent. "I believe she fought for the same thing. She didn't want to bring any more hardship upon you or your son. That gave her the push she needed to activate Sun Dancer and put her life on the line to make sure you or Tynvandar did not live in a world of darkness and suffering."

The Apex Clericus Solis was no longer holding back on his tears, his entire body shaking with regret and sorrow. "I only wish I had given her the freedom she craved."

Harm gently gripped the man's shoulder. "Regret is a beast not to be fed. Take from Yulanda's actions and learn from them. Make sure Tynvandar does not forget his sister's life or the lessons she learned. Make sure he doesn't forget Roran's sacrifice."

He turned his gaze towards the north where somewhere, the Sunspot's remains lay embedded into the farmlands near Corona and the ashes of both Roran and Yulanda blessed the land. Whether it was by some divine miracle or just the fertility of the ground, the once-scorched earth around the crash site was now blossoming with flowers just a few days since the incident. Already, vines were growing across the Sunspot's ruins. Many claimed it was the Sun Goddess' gift to those that had sacrificed themselves to save the world. Others said it was just the residual magic from the ship. The Inquisition wanted the place purged as the ship had been infected by demons.

Harm just smiled.

"The world is a better place thanks to their sacrifice," he said. "Never forget the threat of the Darkened, always be wary of the demonic corruption that lurks in every corner..." He turned his gaze back to Novallier. "... and care for your brothers and sisters regardless of race, gender or species."

Novallier nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "That is their message... That is the message of this whole debacle. I only wish I could have done more than wallowed on my throne."

"You've done enough." Harm nodded towards the distant Phoenix Memorial. "You should probably go. They will miss you."

Nodding once more, Novallier turned and began to leave. He stopped at the doorway, taking a ragged breath. "Thank you, Harm Chronos. For all you have done, thank you."

He did not reply as the Apex Clericus Solis left him.

Harm remained on the top of the clock tower until the sky grew dark and the 'stars' came out to play. The light from the Phoenix Memorial continued to shine with thousands of mourners lifting their candles in memory of those that had died. It was a soft sea of fire in the darkness. Even from his distance, Harm could hear a song being sung from the memorial. The hymn was haunting, beautiful and in the night, it almost brought a tear to his eyes.

Something glinted in the air before him and he turned. Two red feathers danced before him, caught in a light draft. The winds took a mind of their own and the feathers gently landed on the back of his paw, crossing one another.

No words could form what his heart already said.

A draft blew the feathers into the air and he followed their path, trailing towards the far distance. The feathers danced around the tower's dark spires before flying towards the north where the Sun Spire was just starting to dim.

His smile grew and he gave the two one last wave goodbye.

"The sun will rise."

** ** Human Progress is neither automatic nor inevitable...

Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle;

The tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

• Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The Burning Rebellion: For the Tower