FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter IV: Shattered Dawn

"Sometimes when we look at villains in stories, all we see are their evil deeds. We can't help but think that they are just cookie cutter portrayals of some evil attribute. This man lost his one true love and driven mad by grief, went out of his way to obliterate the rest of the world. This woman was scorned by men all her life and hoped to use her powers to make the world suffer as she did.

"Hearing Shinniah's story, I had to wonder who was the villain? Was it the man she fell in love with for sacrificing the life of his creations for her? Was it the Avios and the Phoenixes who waged war just because one was inherently made superior to the other by virtue of birth? Or was it Shinniah herself for being consumed by her depression and willing that suffering onto the man she once loved?

"When I stood in front of Nephilis, I wondered who was the villain? Was it her? Was it her Duke?

"Was it me?"

******

Aria stood quietly on the outskirts of the encampment. Sleep completely eluded her. The gruesome scene of these corpses broke whatever attempts at rest she may have attempted with their unholy, bloodied eye sockets and stitched mouths. The camp was slowly rousing by the time she had torn her gaze from the four Vampiri with the ominous message.

"Who was here first?" she asked softly. "The Vampiri? Or are you telling the Vampiri to leave for it was the citizens of Clockwork that were 'here first'?" Her eyes grew worried and a slight frown touched her rosy lips. "What are you trying to tell us, Harm?"

A soft, familiar cry gripped her heart with surprise. A small, snowy white owl came shooting out of the forest on the outskirts of Clockwork and which framed her camp. Its glistening white feathers caught the faint shine from beyond the magical veil that kept the world in a perpetual, grey twilight. The owl landed on her shoulder, claws settling on her pauldrons.

She smiled at the creature and it flicked its head at her.

"I am fine. Thank you for your concern, Minerva," she said, gently stroking the owl's belly. "Do you have a message for me?"

The owl bobbed her head lightly. Bright, orangey-gold eyes flashed and light sprang out from them. Lines of light danced in front of Aria, forming the same of a silhouetted figure. She could make out his broad, masculine shape and his bald head.

"General Solomon..." she whispered.

"Greetings, Lady Valkyrie," responded one of the most powerful men in all of Tower Thirteen. General Halcyon Solomon remained stiff and unmoving as he spoke. She sincerely doubted the image was the true Solomon. The Generals - as the leaders of the Church - required a degree of anonymity as they were prime targets. If their faces were known, terrorists like Harm Chronos could find them incredibly easily. Thus, specially magically enchanted creatures like Minerva were used to transport messages and communicate between them and their agents.

"I am surprised to hear from you, sir," she said, wondering how her expression must have looked. She tried to adjust her features to emulate surprise but she had been hiding her emotions for so long that it took a monumental effort on her part to soften her eyes and lift her eyebrows.

Solomon laughed softly. "Come on, Aria, don't try so hard at being human. Just do what comes naturally."

Aria relaxed her features but was unable to keep the frown from her features from the sensation of finding her strained expression sliding back into emotionless stoicism. "Thank you, sir."

"You need to relax, Lady Valkyrie. Stress will kill you and we have too much need of your services to have you die so soon."

"Thank you, sir."

"You thank me too much."

"Thank... you...?"

Again, Solomon laughed, a bright tune that eased Aria's heart. The laughter was short lived, however. The General's mood quickly turned sombre. "Aria, I know this is a poor time to be calling you but I have heard disturbing rumours about Clockwork and the Vampiri_. Is it true that they have invaded that township?"_

How the General knew such information was beyond her. The Generals had sources everywhere and many of them did not trust her completely. Only Solomon and General Winters were friendly to her though she suspected Winters only did so at Solomon's instruction. The General in charge of the Propheticus Primoris' office had a surprisingly strong grip on the politics of the world.

"It is true, sir. Three Vampiri and a legion of what Andrew calls the 'Hushed' and 'Echoes' attacked Clockwork, masking it under a powerful spell to detect survivors and keep us in the dark. From what Elena Clox said, they have been working to undermine Clockwork by turning its residents into Ghouls using Blood Magic."

"That is... disturbing."

Aria decided not to mention the presence of the gruesome massacres that had befallen the Vampiri ranks... unless directly asked, of course.

"Aria, I have received news and rumours that the situation there on Incendius is degrading rapidly."

"How so?" she asked though she could not muster any genuine interest. Her mind and soul was focused entirely on Harm Chronos. For the past five years, she had abstained from court appearances and any other formal gatherings that were required of her rank just to hunt down the Chronomancer. It tarnished her reputation and that of House Valkyrie but she did not care. She was after a greater prey.

"I have received reports from the General Methuselah that Phalgymr is secretly the Lupus rebels. This attack on Clockwork seemed to suggest just that with Clockwork being a major supplier to Ironfrost. The Lupus civil war is also degrading rapidly with the rebels gaining more ground. Apparently, faith in Leandros is falling after he lost his son."

Aria went rigid, eyes wide. "Leandros' son is missing?"

"On the contrary. He banished his son. Unfortunately, we do not know what the boy looks like as Leandros always kept him under tight security. I fear that such brash actions may cause the son to join the rebels and therefore empower the rebellion even further."

She kept her features still but inwardly, she winced. Leandros, the stubborn fool, was digging his own grave deeper and deeper. If the rebels won independence, there would be two massive species who had reason to hate the Church on Incendius. If the newly independent Vampiri were backing the rebels and if the rebels won, the grip of the Church on Incendius would weaken considerably. She could understand the Generals' concern.

"I have also received reports that the Darkened beyond Chillfarn have begun stirring again."

This time, she winced loudly. A Darkened invasion was not what they needed at the moment. On top of the Lupus rebellion, the machinations of Phalgymr of the Vampiri and Harm Chronos on the loose, a rising of the ancient Incendian enemy was not welcome news.

"I am still gathering data, Aria," Solomon said, "however, I have started taking steps to remediate this issue. I am sending the Apex Clericus Solis to Mirecragg to root out Phalgymr's intentions. He is going with a full compliment of Custodia Solis and a few Paladins that I hope will dissuade Phalgymr from doing anything rash."

In other words, Solomon was showing the Church's muscle to intimidate Phalgymr into pulling his support for the Lupus rebels.

"I would like you, Andrew and Tanar to go there after your business with Clockwork is done. The presence of a Templar, especially one of your renown, will help turn the tide, I am sure."

Aria nodded slowly. She was loathed to leave the trail of Harm Chronos cold but she could not ignore a direct order from a General. "Of course, sir."

"And one more thing... General Abraham has decided to enact the End of Time Protocol."

There, Aria staggered in shock, her lips opened in shock. Minerva flapped her wings and squawked in protest. The image of Solomon wavered until both of them regained their composure.

"He... He cannot be serious!"

"It is still under heavy debate," Solomon answered. "The Generals and I will be convening tomorrow to decide whether to go ahead with the Protocol_."_

Aria's heart was racing hard in her heart. The End of Time Protocol was a desperate measure. From all reports, Incendius was on the verge of a Station-wide civil war and perhaps it was desperate situation. It tore at her that her duty to the Stations as a Templar superseded her desire to hunt down Harm Chronos but she knew if she did not temper Leandros' pride or stop Phalgymr's machinations, the EoT Protocol would be enacted... and that would unleash an even worse hell than even a purge by the Inquisition.

"Sir, I humbly request that you hold off a decision until I can resolve the issue with Lord Phalgymr."

"I cannot make that promise, Aria. Frankly, I am of the opinion that you, Andrew and Tanar need to be off Station as soon as possible. Incendius looks like it is about ready to erupt into a full-scale war and I would rather not have our most precious assets caught in the crossfire."

"But surely waking one of them is not the answer!"

"Maybe it is, Aria. If they do not turn the tide back in the Church's favour, we give the world ample opportunity to destroy them for good." Solomon's image waved absently at her. "But leave such thoughts out of your mind. I wanted to relay your orders to you. May the Mother Goddess guide and keep you, Lady Valkyrie."

"And may she light your path to paradise, General."

Minerva blinked, ending the transmission. The owl regarded her worriedly and she returned the gaze.

"The End of Time Protocol, Minnie," she whispered softly. "Do you know what that means...?"

The owl shivered. Clearly, she did.

"Go. Find Admiral Aureas. I wish to speak to him as soon as possible."

Minerva chirped, making Aria smile. She waved her hand, conjuring a small rat out of thin air. She tossed it at the owl who gobbled it up eagerly before letting out a happy little cry. The owl spread her wings and lifted into the air. Aria watched her disappear amongst the roiling grey clouds of the magical, twilight veil, quietly praying for the owl's safe journey and swift flight.

A small smile touched her lips as she lowered her gaze and glanced over her shoulder. "How long have you been standing there?"

Tanar quietly arrived beside her, sitting on his haunches without a sound and peering up at where Minerva had vanished. "Long enough to know the Generals are growing wary of the situation here on Incendius. They're even considering making a deal with the figurative demon to stem the tide. Though Solomon is a shrewd man to throw said demon into the midst of a war between genetically modified bats, wolves and the shadows that tore this Station apart at the dawn of history." The Dire Wolf chortled. "It says much about this foe that it would take three warring factions to satisfy the Generals' insecurities on its continued existence."

Aria could only nod gravely. "Then we best hasten and ensure it does not come to that. Let us defeat the last remaining Vampiri here and free Clockwork. From there, we travel to Mirecragg to reel back Phalgymr's ambitions."

She saw Tanar's ears flick backwards. "And what of our unfortunately named friend?"

There was no reply to that. "I cannot say. I do not want his Valour unmonitored. It is supremely powerful and if the End of Time Protocol is enacted, he might be the only one to undo any damage caused by our pact with a great evil. Still... I do not feel right thrusting him into a war he has nothing to do with."

"You mean apart from the fact he is named after the very Wulfun we are chasing and it seems that Wulfun is chasing him?"

The evidence suggested that Lord Chronos was chasing Harm Chronos the engineer but that could just as easily be Chronos rescuing Elena Clox.

"Let us observe what happens next," she said calmly. "We shall see whether or not we should ask him to join us. Otherwise, the choice is his and his alone."

Tanar scoffed loudly. "Something tells me there is no choice at all."

*****

The moment Aria had announced her intentions, Harm's blood boiled with the need to see the remaining Vampiri woman suffer. The death of Serrisa was far from satisfying. There was one Vampiri left and he was determined to hunt her down and kill her in the most excruciating way possible. He never considered himself a vengeful guy but he really wanted to see her dead.

His mind kept flashing back to the sight of those two children that had been horribly murdered. Thinking about them occasionally led his thoughts towards the father he had ripped to shreds inadvertently but he refused to go down that path. All his focus was on avenging those children and by extension, all the others who had suffered.

He slipped on his flight jacket and black shirt, ragged and torn as they were. Smallfang had been thorough with his cleaning at least. They felt a little rough against his fur but once he finished with Clockwork, he would head straight back to the Lasting Armageddon and grab some new clothing. He'd spend the rest of his shore leave at the Gate Cathedral, nice and close to the ship. Captain Rushwater wouldn't like it but at the very least he would be away from crazy Templars who could rewrite his memories.

As he tied his heavy, military boots, he fished out his Telecube and flicked it to the messaging sequence.

"Hey, remember how I told you I was in some bad shit and it's classified?"

It took a few moments for the reply to come. "G'morning to you too. What a nice way to be woken up."

Harm smiled. With the veil, it was hard to tell what time of day it was. He guessed it was fairly early in the morning.

"Okay, yeah?" Daniel responded. "What's up?"

"Well... I'm getting into some deeper shit. If you don't hear back from me... do what we agreed, okay?"

There was a long, dreadful pause that wiped the smile right off Harm's face.

"Okay... Just take care, alright?"

Harm took a deep breath, his thumbs hovering over the keys.

"Yeah. I will. Don't worry."

There was a lump in his chest, bursting to get out but there was no courage behind it. He was on the verge of closing the Telecube when Smallfang poked his head into the tent.

"Are you ready?" the Lupus asked.

Harm must have looked utterly clueless as he stared at the Lupus for a long, strained minute. He mulled over the prospect of a relationship with the man - an honest to goodness relationship. What would the rest of his family say? Jerry would probably support him wholeheartedly; the guy was always pushing him to get laid. Klaus would be entirely against it, calling him a shame to the family and whatever else he could come up with. But what did it matter? This was his life, right?

"Almost," he responded. "Just give me a few more seconds."

"Very well," Smallfang responded, a little worried. He ducked out and Harm returned to his Telecube.

"Oh and Daniel... I'm gay."

He hit the 'send' button and then shut the cube, pocketing it. The cube vibrated with the surprised reply and kept vibrating all the way out of the tent and to where Aria had gathered those willing to venture into Clockwork to confront the last remaining Vampiri. Harm checked his flash weapon one last time, making sure it was still functional.

Aria stood in front of them all, looking severe as always and with her spear clasped in her hand. Tanar had his back to them, sitting on the soft grass and his gaze at the far city. Andy was writing something on his notepad amongst the gathered troops where Smallfang and Elena were also positioned. The families of those who had volunteered to go were stood behind the palisade, their expressions stiff, filled with fear and eyes wide. More than one militiaman was shaking in their boots. A few had their heads bowed and murmuring a silent prayer to all the gods they could think of.

They were scared.

"I am not one to give stirring speeches," Aria said grimly. "This is not a battle for glory nor is it a fight that will go down in the annals of history as an engagement the Gods shed a tear for. This is a fight to reclaim what was taken and to avenge those that perished under an unprovoked attack.

"Those of you who are merely joining this expedition to become known, to impress your significant other or to rise to fame should leave. You have seen the capabilities of these monsters. You have seen what they can do. You have seen how they can cloak themselves in shadow to become invulnerable to your every attack. If you have no other reasons to join this fight than because it is a fight, I suggest you turn away now lest you find yourselves in the same position as these poor souls."

She gestured at the crucified corpses behind her. "Keep in mind, whatever did this is still out there. We do not know what it wants or who it hunts. We do know that it hunts silently and is powerful enough to litter the lands between here and Clockwork with the bodies of the Vampiri." Her eyes pierced them all. The bravest men amongst them cowered beneath that withering gaze. "Do not come if you seek glory. There is none. Do not come if the sight of this frightens you. More horrors await. Do not come if you fear death. It awaits you eagerly with open arms. Do not come."

The effect on the volunteers was striking. When the first man turned and quietly began to skulk away, the others quickly followed. The small company of poorly armed men and women vanished back behind the palisades only leaving Harm, Smallfang and Elena standing. Andy had wandered over to the corpses where he was sketching an image.

"You're right," Harm snorted as soon as the last volunteer disappeared. "You're not one to give stirring speeches."

"That was not meant to motivate them," Elena said softly, starting her trek to her city. "That was to remind them of the harsh reality of the situation."

"They were determined to do what was right that they did not recognise where the danger lay," agreed Aria. Her eyes never left Harm's. "What of you, engineer? Do you realise what you are facing?"

All eyes were suddenly on him.

Harm puffed out his chest, arms crossed over his chest. "You said not to come if I I'm scared. Well, I'm scared shitless. You told me not to come if I'm afraid of death. I'm haunted by ghosts all the time reminding me of what lies beyond death. I piss myself every time they pop up." He pointed at Clockwork, his eyes fiercely burning into hers. "Yet, I'm still going to march into that city, no matter what you say and no matter how scared I am! That's what's right and seeing how the 'mighty Templar' was driven from the city by a spooky mist and a little skirmish with some Vampiri, I'm thinking you need all the help you can get!"

Andy snapped his notebook shut, tufted tail lashing in excitement. "Oh snap..." he murmured, a grin crossing his features.

"If you're too proud and too 'noble' to go sacrificing the lives of other people just so you can save the city, then you're a bloody idiot!" Harm roared, his voice carrying well back to the encampment. The volunteers that had retreated poked their heads back through the gate and were quietly wandering back out to get a better view. "It's not just their lives at stake here! It's also those that they care about! What if a man is willing to lose his life so that his family can live in the home he built with his bare paws? What if a woman is willing to give her life so that her children can live a life without fear? What if one man is willing to give everything he had to make sure another will live in comfort?"

Harm stamped his foot, pointing his claw straight at the ground. "This is not about fear, honour or whatever the hell caused all this mayhem in the first place! This is about Clockwork, about the people living in it and about the people who will live in it! Is that what the Church preaches these days? You can't win so you give up and let the bad guys take over? Maybe spin some fucked up tale later on that it was the 'Mother Goddess will' that Clockwork be lost that day? I thought you were better than that!"

Aria's eyes flashed in anger and Tanar had turned his head, watching the conversation with a broad grin on his muzzle.

Harm, now breathing heavily, flicked out Zero Hour, the golden blade appearing in his paws in a dazzling show of might. "You think that you're the only one fighting for Clockwork? You're wrong. Go ahead and fight because your duty demands it. But me? I want to get in there and fuck that bitch up! Who's with me!?"

...

He expected a roar of approval, the clanking of metal and steel against steel. Instead... he just heard the quiet shuffling and murmuring of militiamen going back behind the palisades, further disheartened and quietly laughing. A cricket actually chirped somewhere, the noise akin to high-pitched, mocking laughter. A soft breeze blew past him and he wouldn't have been surprised if a bunch of tumbleweed rolled by.

A deep blush touched his cheeks and his stance faltered.

"I am with you."

His heart leapt to his throat as Smallfang lumbered beside him, smiling wanly. The Lupus shouldered him lightly, the contact erasing the blush on his cheeks and replacing it with a bright grin.

"As am I," Elena added, coming to stand on his other side. "This is not about our duty. This is about our city."

Harm gave her a mocking, critical look. "Weren't you just agreeing with her about scaring away all the other soldiers?"

"Yes but you make a far more convincing argument." She turned her gaze towards Aria and bowed lightly. "No offense, Lady Templar, but you truly are not much for speeches."

"It's always been her weakness," Tanar laughed, rising and starting to pad towards Clockwork. "Come, then. Let us go. We are wasting daylight. Andy, stop playing with the horribly mutilated corpses."

All eyes flicked towards the Leomian who was poking one of the dead Vampiri with the end of his pen. For a second, Andy stared back with an expression that asked them what could possibly be wrong with poking a corpse. Then he just shrugged, tucked his pen and notepad away and happily strode beside Tanar, his tail doing loops in the air.

Harm found himself staring directly into Aria's eyes, her features once more stoic and unreadable. Strangely, with Elena and Smallfang beside him, he didn't feel the withering effect of those amethyst eyes. It was almost like each of them was providing a leg for him to lean on.

Aria, however, did the most unexpected thing. She tipped her head lightly towards him, giving him a smile of acknowledgement before turning around, her scarf whipping around as she did so.

Once she was a couple of steps away, Harm felt his legs collapse out from underneath him, a gasp of relief escaping his lips. Elena and Smallfang both caught him, the two laughing and giggling respectively. They helped him to his feet, commenting on how brave he was to stare down and oppose a Templar.

Harm just offered them a shaky smile in return and gazed back towards Aria.

His smile wavered when he saw the little Avios girl in white standing not too far away from them.

She was beaming.

*****

The Twilight Mist had left the streets of Clockwork but the gruesome scenes of brutalised Vampiri had not. Now, more than ever, Harm could see the extent of the bloody vandalism that had covered the streets. Over and over again, the same three phrases were written across walls, scribbled on the ground and scrawled across windows. Now, three different symbols accompanied them.

Next to the words, 'They were here first' was that same symbol of a diamond with a helical chain wrapped around it.

Beside the statement that 'We are all guilty' was orb with chains wrapped around it.

Lastly, for the words 'The Darkness blinds' was a sword and like the others, it too was chained down.

"Someone's into bondage," Harm muttered, purposefully sidestepping one such bloody mark. "What's with all the chains?"

"Chains are symbolic in many cultures," Andy answered. The Leomian had his notepad out once more and was rapidly drawing the symbols. Harm raised his eyebrows as he watched the feline actually make rather accurate drawings of the surroundings where the markings were made complete with shading. It was eerily photographic. "It could mean connections, bondage, slavery, limitations and, sometimes in other cultures, infinity."

"Infinity?"

"Yeah. Ever noticed how two chain links flattened look like the infinity symbol?"

Harm thought about it. "I guess..."

They navigated through the rest of the abandoned city. Not a single Vampiri was in sight. Not even the Ghouls were present. The crucified adorned the streets at various places; some pinned to the rooftops and overlooking the streets like silent sentinels watching them pass by. No carrion birds came to feast on the corpses. Not even a fly was in sight despite the bodies having sat there for at least a day and their blood having long since gone dry.

Trekking up the small hill to the Clox mansion was no different. Vampiri were pinned on fiery crosses like bloodied scarecrows all the way up the hill, each one angled to face those approaching the mansion. Dozens were arranged on the roof of the mansion as well and two were pinned to the marble pillars that flanked the big, oaken doors.

On a whim, Harm turned around and let out a faint whimper.

All the Vampiri that had been pinned on crosses had turned to face them.

Worse... Shinniah was standing amongst them.

The creak of the oak doors caused him to turn around and quickly scramble after the others, trying to get as close to them as possible to avoid the hollow gazes of the Vampiri. The moment they opened the doors, Harm cursed beneath his breath.

Hanging on fiery chains, bloody hooks embedded into their limbs like the strings of a puppet were hundreds of humans and nonhumans. None of them were Vampiri. All wore bloodied versions of Clockwork attire. Most were in various levels of decay but others looked like they had just been plucked from the streets and hung up on the chains, their blood running through their soaked cloaks before rolling off the edges of their feet and raining down crimson upon the marble, chequered floor.

"The Ghouls..." Tanar whispered.

Elena abruptly rushed forward. "Father!" She came to a halt in front of one of the corpses that hung close to the ground. A human with the same reddish brown hair as her but his features were severely decayed, his eyes sunken. Like all the others, his eyes were left unharmed but that left their hollow, dead gaze to linger in Elena's memory and cause her to break down into tears.

Harm found an inescapable force pulling him to her where he gently prised his jacket from around his shoulders and wrapped it around her. She fell to her knees, scraping the dried blood that lay over her father's gently swaying toes.

"Who... Who did this...?" she whispered. "Why...?"

Aria's heavy, metal boots clanked softly against the marble floor. "The wolf that did this is a dark, emotionless killer. He pretends to have a heart but he has grown so accustomed to the nature of all mortals that he has become an expert at manipulating them. What his motives are, what he feels and indeed, who he truly is can be a mystery. All we know is that he is an enemy of the Church and must be hunted down."

Elena a lifted her gaze, wiping the tears. "This was not done by the Vampiri?" Her words were tainted with anger, her cheeks flushed with rage.

To answer her question, a sob and a whimper came from deep within the mansion. Glances were exchanged and when the cry came by again, Harm slowly helped Elena to her feet and towards a hallway, following the cries. The feminine moans were coming from the ballroom. Harm, along with Smallfang, pushed the doors open.

Inside was a macabre scene of hanging bodies and crucified Vampiri. The floors had been cleared and polished to perfection. The bodies were reflected perfectly on the deep red, wooden floors. Even the Vampiri that hung upside down from their crucifixes were visible in the dark reflection on the floor.

At the far end, seated on a simple, wooden chair with her head in her clawed hands... was a single Vampiri woman.

"Nephilis..." Andy whispered softly. His eyes narrowed. "If I can read her trace right... But... She's having a... identity crisis?" The Leomian shook his head. "I can only make out her name..."

Harm gently let go of Elena and readied Zero Hour. "That's all we need."

"Come to kill me?" asked the Vampiri, peering between her fingers at them. Her red eyes glistened with tears. "He said you would. He said that you would come. At this exact moment. He told me... told me, three minutes and forty-five seconds from the moment he left. I counted them! I counted the seconds! He was right!"

She peeled her claws away from her face, ragged gashes appearing across her features as she angrily straightened. Harm winced as blood began running down her pale yet oddly beautiful features. Her maddened eyes and insane grin were made all the more senseless as she tilted her head to the side almost at a perfect right angle.

"If he was right about that... Then he must be right about everything else..." She suddenly threw her head back, emitting a deafening, ear-shattering screech. Harm gasped and staggered back. The glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows cracked all at once but did not shatter. "Why!? Why!? Why!? Duke Dalzemor! Why!?"

Harm recalled that name. It was apparently the name of the Valhamedra's liege lord.

Nephilis rocked in her chair madly, throwing her head from side to side as she cried and stared up at the ceiling. "I was to be your queen! I was your favoured! I gave you everything I had! Was I nothing but a tool to you? An experiment!? Am I nothing more than a motivational tool for these, foul, fithly meat bags!?"

Her angry red eyes levelled back on the group. "He said I could not escape my fate," she sneered, her fangs showing. The shadows around her feet began to seethe, emitting a dark gas that rose around her and seemed to veil her in a black aura. "He told me things... Told me I was nothing... That I had fulfilled my purpose... Most of my purpose save one. I was to die at your filthy paws!"

Harm was surprised when she lifted her clawed fingers... and pointed directly at Andy.

"He said I was a piece of a puzzle," she hissed. "A puzzle only you could figure out! He taunted me with that knowledge! He would not even tell me the truth! I am a piece that will never see the whole!"

She gave a frustrated cry and shot to her feet. With an angry, diva-like tantrum, she kicked aside her chair and watched it tumble off the dais, shattering into a thousand pieces at the base. Her anger only seemed to mount as she threw back her silken black hair and gripped the long locks in her claws. A feral cry came from her as she tore a whole handful of off her head.

"I will not be a slave to his machinations! I will not succumb to what he desires! He lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies!" Her screaming calmed but her eyes were wide in mix of terror and hysteria. "Liiiiiiiiiiiies..." she hissed.

Harm gulped loudly, reaching into his pocket and gripping his flash gun. He sensed a confrontation coming. The shadows around Nephilis were growing thicker and thicker. Large tendrils crawled along the polished floor, blotting out the wood's perfect reflection. More tendrils crawled up the sides of the walls and were slowly creeping down the fiery chains.

"I will change my fate..." Nephilis said, angling her head to the side while keeping her eyes clearly fixated on the group. The patch of bloodied scalp where she had torn her own hair out was clearly visible. "I will be the master of my own destiny... and I will begin... by killing you all!"

"Saw that coming!" Harm shouted, flicking out his gun and pulling the trigger. "Your eyes!"

The world was suddenly drowned out by blistering light. Nephilis screamed. Harm fought through the stars flashing before his eyes and charged all the way down the ballroom. He felt the slight rise as he leapt onto the dais. Nephilis' blurry shape was still visible and he managed to swung Zero Hour at her.

His aim was still off and he felt his forearm collide with the side of her head. He stumbled from the impact but also heard her strike the floor.

"Wretch! You touched me!" she screamed.

The Vampiri's unnatural speed showed itself as she was suddenly zooming across the room and standing in the far corner. Shadows wreathed her greedily and black tendrils lashed out from her gaseous form. The tentacles struck the fiery chains hanging from the ceiling and tore them boldly from where they emerged from the fresco above them.

Powerful claws suddenly wrapped around Harm's ankles and before he could cry out, he was being dragged backwards through a rippling, black void and emerging right beside Andy, held by the Leomian's Valour, Celestial Crime. The ballroom shook as chains slammed into the floor all around them. Harm gave a cry of warning as one such chain came crashing down towards them.

Andy spun and swung his enormous claw across the chain's length. Ragged claw marks ripped through space and time, eating at the metal links and leaving the rest to crumble harmlessly around them. The Leomian spun around, leaping back a few feet before making another slash through the air. The links he had liberated came shooting out of the void, striking Nephilis' gaseous barrier with heavy thunks.

Harm scrambled to his feet. Black tendrils rose up all around him. Their sharp tips lashed out at him, tearing through his shirt and inflicting a large gash across his chest. He winced at the pain but retaliated with a slash from Zero Hour. The shadowy tendril immediately turned to dust but another two quickly took its place.

One of the tendrils curled around his waist, lifting him mightily off the ground. He gave a shout and swiped at it with his sword. It turned to dust but as he fell, another two lashed out and seized his wrists. He was held up once more, kicking wildly as a third tentacle wrapped around his chest and began squeezing. The air was pushed forcibly out between his lips in a desperate cry.

The shadows suddenly felt biting cold. A thick layer of frost wrapped around the tentacles. Smallfang charged through their frozen mass, bashing them with the length of his bow and shattering the semi-tangible forms. The Lupus spun around, crying out something in the Illuminus Weizar. The next arrow he drew became encased in ice. A slew of tendrils appeared behind him but the Lupus was faster than his size hinted. He was leaping away before they could even graze him with their sharp edges.

Feeling the weakness in the tentacles, Harm pulled himself free of those that were restraining him, dropping to the ground with a gasp. Ahead, Aria and Tanar dodged past hundreds of the lashing lances that whipped at them, both showing unnatural amounts of agility and strength. Tanar weaved across the maze of lashing tentacles, Blade Legion unleashed with its multiple bladed arms lashing out at the tentacles that would strike at him. Aria swung her spear and with one blow, the shadows were blasted away by a thunderous boom, dissipating in a shower of glorious, white feathers.

Nephilis, however, was no longer pressed against the corner.

She was gone.

"I will never succumb to his will!"

Back on the dais, Nephilis rose as the horrific shadow Harm had briefly glimpsed the day she and the other two women had appeared. Her form was well past eight feet tall with enormous, webbed wings protruding from her back. Every inch of her flesh was covered in the seething darkness with only her bright, red eyes shining through. The claws that had adorned her fingers had elongated into enormous, scythe-like weapons.

She threw her head back and let out a deafening screech. The windows shattered from their force and Harm was forced back to his knees. Beside him, he saw Andy do the same. They exchanged glances through the prolonged cry. Andy grimaced and pulled his paws from his ears. He lunged at Harm, dragging the headphones around the Wulfun's neck over Harm's ears.

The screeching died out and blissful silence greeted him. Before the world of cogs and gears could overtake him, he saw Andy give him a shaky smile, blood dripping from his rounded ears. The Leomian's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out on the ground, unconscious.

"That bitch!" Harm growled, leaping to his feet. He reached into his pocket with his free paw, switching on the music player. The last traces of her cries died out as the horrific slaughterhouse that was the ballroom faded away into a world of golden gears and ticking machinery. He tucked his Telecube back into his pocket and fished out his flash gun.

He levelled it at the massive, black gears that seemed to exude a foul, inky miasma around it.

He pulled the trigger.

The gears were consumed in the light that came and the shadows were temporarily pushed away. Harm closed the gap between them, swinging Zero Hour_s with determination. Nephilis said something but he could not hear it. She ducked his blow and lashed out with her claws. He purposefully let go of _Zero Hour to dodge the strike, spinning around her and seizing the sword in a reverse grip and quickly bringing it back around in a dizzying, spinning slash.

Nephilis dodged the blade by pressing herself against the ground and rolling across the polished floor. Harm relentlessly leapt after her, bringing the sword crashing back down at her head. The shadows quickly wreathed her gears again and she lifted her claws to defend herself. She caught the blade but he could see Zero Hour rapidly eating away at her protective veil. Desperation flooded through her system, he could see it in the rapid, erratic ticking of her gears. She planted a foot against his chest and kicked him away. The air temporarily rushed out of his chest but before he hit the ground, he flicked his flash gun up once again and fired.

The shadows were blown away and he rolled across the ground, keeping his body tight and his grip on Zero Hour. He came back up at a crouch and bolted forward as the Vampiri woman was just rising. She saw him. A stream of gears lanced out of her back and wrapped around the crosses embedded in the ceiling. The fiery monuments came rushing towards him but he could see their path, their direction and their targets.

He leapt to the right, dodging the first as it slammed into the floor. The next one slammed right into the floor in front of him and he quickly climbed across its sides, leaping through the air and clutching the third by an arm and swinging himself - feet first - right into Nephilis' face. They both went down, the ground slamming against his back. There was pain but he quickly ignored it to spin on the ground and bring Zero Hour slamming hard against her knee. He felt the weapon bite into her bone but cursed as the shadowy miasma had returned and veiled her. The gears symbolising her leg cracked, however. The shadows could cushion most damage but not all.

One glance at his flash gun revealed that it was no longer functional. His fall had broken it!

Nephilis moved like lightning and suddenly had him pinned to the ground, her claws digging into his neck and her immense weight pressing down on his chest. She tore off his headphones, the world of gears that was his focus vanished, bringing her dark, insidious features back into his vision.

"Any last words before I melt your mind with my defiant cry?" she asked, red eyes wide and mad.

Red eyes...

For a second, Harm's eyes flicked towards the right... where one of the Vampiri hung upside down with fiery swords embedded into their eyes. Then his gaze went back to her, staring at those eyes. A glance at Zero Hour... and then back at her eyes.

"Yeah..." he growled. "The darkness blinds!"

He gave a desperate cry, driving his knee into her gut. For a second, she was stunned, her eyes going round. Harm saw his opening and shoved Zero Hour right towards her right eye. They were too close and she didn't have the time to dodge. The golden blade drove right into her pupils. There was a soft squishing noise before the blood began pouring out. A soft crunch and then the sword went straight into her brain.

Nephilis screamed and somehow lived after the initial blow. She straightened, scratching at the golden sword but within seconds, a dumbfounded, horrified look crossed her features as her brain was turned to dust. Her shocked expression lost the shadow veil, her wings fading away into the winds as she slumped to the ground, her mortal features turning to ash with the rest of her body.

Zero Hour clattered to the ground beside Harm.

The Wulfun just stared at the fading features of the woman... There was utter shock on her features like she couldn't believe that she had been defeated. He could see his reflection in her eyes. They shared the same look; that look of succumbing to their destiny. Someone had predicted her fall and Tanar had predicted his involvement in the Church.

She fought with all her might trying to avert her destiny and it only led her to the same end.

Harm clenched his fists, emitting a soft growl. He snatched Zero Hour from where it lay and rose. Black dust swirled all around him, the last remnants of Nephilis' form. Every dark speck sank into his golden gauntlet. The hands of the clock spun wildly forward.

"You fought your destiny," he whispered softly.

Slowly, he turned his gaze towards the others of his group. Aria was barely conscious, leaning against her spear with blood pouring out of her ears. Still, she managed to give him an affirmative nod. Tanar was on his side, one eye open regarding Harm intently. Andy lay on his face, completely unconscious while Elena and Smallfang were clutching their ears.

A touch of warmth tickled his cheek. His eyes drifted to the shattered windows. In the far northern horizon, the Sun Spire shone once more. The dark veil of the Vampiri had lifted. Shining light drifted across the dark corners of Clockwork, washing away the shadows.

Harm couldn't help but take it as a sign.

"But I'll make my destiny my own," he said firmly.

*****

"Clockwork will repair itself one day... but it will have to do so without me."

Elena Clox sat astride a horse, peering at her beloved township. Beside her, Smallfang stood proudly with a shiny new medal attached to his leather coat. Aria and Andy were on horses of their own. Tanar was a good few feet away as the horses grew wary and skittish whenever he was nearby. The gates of the city were newly polished and beyond them, the refugees were scattered across the vast streets. Messengers were streaming out of the city in various directions to bring news of the city's liberation from the Vampiri. Over the next few weeks, the world would know what happened. Maybe the citizens who had left during the Ghoul invasion would return. Maybe the Inquisition would come to investigate. Or maybe the Vampiri would strike again.

Whatever future lay for the city, none of them would be there to see it.

Destiny had something else in store for them.

"Don't you think you should have at least stayed for the clean up?" Andy asked. "I mean, there's a hell of a lot of vandalism and bodies on those streets..."

She shook her head sadly. "No. When my father died, all my ties to this city died with him."

The Leomian grinned and turned his horse down the road, giving it a light kick that began it down the path. "And now you want to chase down this Duke Dalzemor to learn what his plans are and what motivations he had for attacking Clockwork, right?"

She offered him a small smile. "His plots killed my father and countless others in Clockwork. I want to know why. What I'll do after I learn the reason... I do not know."

"Well, it's a good thing we're heading over there to kick some sense into Lord Phalgymr!" Andy exclaimed, punching a fist into the air. He winced as the sudden movement made him dizzy. The Leomian's ears were still not fully recovered from Nephilis' sonic attack; most of theirs weren't. Magic could only go so far when one was nauseated and could barely concentrate.

"So why are you coming with us?" Andy asked Smallfang, grinning brightly.

"I told you before when we were planning this," the Lupus answered, a small smile on his muzzle.

"I know but I didn't record it." The Leomian reached into his cloak and retrieved his notepad. He jammed his horse's reigns in between his teeth while holding the pen in the other paw. "Okay, go."

Smallfang rolled his eyes and hiked a thumb at the rider beside Aria. "I'm going because he is going."

Andy turned towards the indicated rider.

Harm Chronos raised an eyebrow at him and waved lightly. "I'm next, aren't I?"

"Yup!" the Leomian answered. "So what's your motivation for coming with us to Mirecragg? Learn about your true identity? Get vengeance on Duke Duke Dalzemor? See the world? Spend the rest of your shore leave fighting intense plots, world-wide dark forces, ancient evils and finally culminating all of that into the one decision to become a Paladin?"

The Wulfun smirked at him. "Tell you what, why don't you give me time to give you a real reason and I'll give you exclusive rights to my biography?"

Andy's eyes brightened. "Really? Sweet! I'll call it, 'Harm Chronos, This is My Time!' Ooh! I've already got the first chapter! 'Hey, I'm gay!'"

Harm's tail bushed out.

Aria offered him a dry, semi-mocking chuckle. "Still in denial?"

He flicked her an exasperated stare. "Tanar told you?"

"Naturally. He cannot keep his mouth shut when it comes to... what did he call it... 'juicy gossip'."

Harm turned to Tanar who was striding beside them, ears perked and tail wagging blissfully. He made a mental note to find some way to get back at the Dire Wolf later on. Still, he could not feel too mad. Some part of him was relieved at having others know his preferences... or at least confirming it himself for that matter. At the same time, as he gazed down the road that led east towards Mirecragg, a feeling of dread crept into his heart.

Turning back to Aria, he could not help but be amazed at her sudden openness. It was still far from cuddly and encouraging but at least she wasn't accusing him of being a notorious criminal. Maybe it was because she thought he'd join as a Paladin now. That would be something he'd rectify.

"Would it help if I told you I find you incredibly attractive?" he asked Aria. "If you smiled more often, I'd probably go straight."

She shot him a startled stare and her mouth was halfway open to offer a protest. Then she quickly shut it as a frown creased her features. "Are you joking?"

"I dunno. Am I?"

He locked gazes with her. For a moment, he felt her Compulsion start to creep into his mind. Strangely, those cold claws digging into his mind faded.

"I cannot tell," she admitted.

"One of my talents," he responded brightly.

"That just makes you an excellent liar."

"Tell me you'd rather I be truthful."

Aria turned away from him, a very faint smile on her lips. "To be perfectly honest, I prefer it when you lie especially to yourself. Your rather diva-like outburst was quite amusing especially when told through Tanar's mimicry."

"I'll bet," he answered, laughing softly. "By the way, you know this doesn't count as shore leave, right? I still want you to tell Rushwater that you drafted me."

She waved at him absently. "Yes, yes. I know. I am to forward a glowing recommendation to your commanding officer on your valour, courage and prowess in the battlefield only occasionally mentioning your blatant disrespect for authority, recklessness and penchant for claiming you talk to ghosts."

"Any way you can omit that last part?"

The smile on her lips turned into a confident smirk. "Would you rather I not be truthful?"

He scowled. "Bitch."

"Is that not what you call your mother?"

Andy laughed, letting out a short, 'Oh snap. That's going in the book!'

Harm lifted an eyebrow. "Did you just trash-talk me?"

She gave him a pointed look. "I have been alive for two and a half millennia, pup. What do you think?"

He returned a smirk in her direction. "I think I just might enjoy this."

His gaze turned back down the road... and then briefly backwards towards Clockwork, the town they were leaving into the hands of its people.

His path lay ahead...

Nephilis had just been a pawn... someone who honestly believed in her cause, whatever it was. She was not to blame for the death of those two children... or the massacre at Clockwork. No... someone else was... and he was going to find them.

He had no intention of joining the Church. However, he knew Harm Chronos the Chronomancer was tied to all this. That Wulfun hunted down the Vampiri of Duke Dalzemor for some reason. Shinniah was tied to him and Shinniah was still haunting him.

There was a path before him set by a rogue Chronomancer and a ghost but he was determined to make it his path.

But what am I going to do when I meet the end?

His eyes fell on the little girl that stood on the side of the road, smiling at him calmly.

They exchanged brief nods.

You know what? I don't think I want to know. There's no rush to figure it out.

He glanced briefly at Zero Hour. The hundreds of years he had stored would definitely be useful in the future.

After all... I've got time to kill.