23 Chapter 23: the Arhaf Square Inciden

Obediah set up his rifle quietly at his half of Stryder Group's positions. The old sharpshooter, PFC Mudwin, Corporal Clay and Lieutenant Rose were in clandestine rented room with a view of the Upper Citadel district's Square that contained the UFE Embassy also known by the local language as Arhaf Square. Samantha was on her binoculars scanning the perimeter whilst Kayin and Clay were at a desk where they set up shop with computers and monitors of their respective specializations. Clay was coordinating communications with all the other security teams in charge of protection of the UFE delegation alongside and QRF in case something horribly wrong happens. Kayin meanwhile had a Joystick controller as he was directing Drone Reconnaissance with some small surveillance copters whose camera were equipped with thermal and magnetic vision.

"I am counting about four hundred people attending, Colonists and Natives alike. I spy with my little eyes… some Orcs! Eye spy with my little eye… a Gaith… Eye spy… hey that's Mr. Meria over there." Samantha said as she scanned the crowds of people who were let through in attendance to this auspicious event.

Today was the day, the formal Declaration of Gliesian (or at least just within Tyr Rian) and the United Federation of Earth Friendship day. The UFE Flag, with its blue canvass on the background of a combination of seven interlocking rings that playfully formed the basic drawing lines of a 6-petaled flower on an ocean blue background in all of its stately magnificence. The Flag first official use was during the 2032 Mars Landing with a joint American/Russian/Pan-Asian (Specifically India, China and Japan) and European space programs and agencies when the first human colonists landed on Mars.

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Alongside, was the Windmill on a Green and Red checkered background flag of Tyr Rian. Standing equally tall as the Blue Flower of the United Federation of Earth. It was a diplomatic move on UNOOSA's part to show equal footing between them and the natives.

According to Major Holyfield's best predictions, there's a 38% percent chance the Assassins will make an attempt on the Governor's Life at the Speech part. Which is why a protective security glass barrier that should protect him from anyone from Range Attacks but there's still the possibility of something magical can breakthrough.

Hence the reason why Iris is among the gathered crowds near the stage.

"I never seen Arhaf this crowded since these two times I remember." The Vampire Witch commented.

"Oh? Which one?" Diaz asked. He was alongside Crocker who were wearing a regionally appropriate hooded cloaks that covered their body armor, cybernetics and guns.

The three were on the ground in the middle of all of the hundreds of crowds that like drops of water in an ocean, blended so well under their disguises. Patrols just like the other half of their team was also not baring much fruit.

"Do you think that they might have been turned off by our guns? We got patrols outside the city and sentries at the roofs. No way anyone can go through that." Samantha radioed into command.

"Don't say that until AFTER the ceremony is over and the Governor is back in New Albany Lieutenant. In my own experience, insurgents are tenacious. One minute they are up with their hands in the air, the next quick draw." Holyfield reprimanded over the radio.

"Well I don't see much here from my end. Crocker, what do you see from down there?" Samantha radioed in her second in command.

"Nothing but confetti and people all over the place ove--- hang on…" Crocker answered but he stopped himself when he began to notice something with his eyes. A window about across face from Samantha's position. It was open but strangely enough its drapes were unfurled. This contradictory and almost self-defeating circumstance alarmed him.

"The building, across you with the green walls. You see a window on the third floor with the sills pushed out but a drape covering it?" Crocker described the anomaly.

Obediah set his scope on where the Sargeant pinpointed and him too saw the anomalous window with his own visually enhanced eye.

"Yeah, its just flipping for now reason." Obediah said.

"Suspicous." Samantha muttered as she observed with her binoculars. "Crocker, take Iris and Diaz and take a closer look." Samantha said.

"Aay!" Crocker affirmed as he gestured his squad mates to follow him through the sea of people.

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"Are they already?" Mita the Crow confirmed with her subordinates one last time.

"All are ready Athrawes." Her henchman bowed with unquivering loyalty.

They knew that what they will do within the next moments and they are ready to execute it. She had all that she needs, the Poison, Bombs, a cadre of Illusion Mages from the College and for some extra muscle over two dozen disenfranchised Grey Order Guildsmen who were driven away by UFE who were giving their professional services of exceptional quality to the Tyr Rianni's for virtually now charge out of a sense of 'goodwill'.

"Get ready with everyone because once I do it, we need to run away to the stables before they all realize what we have done. Prepare the screen." Mita ordered the rest of her disciples who scattered off to their assigned tasks quietly.

She turned around to her table to see an ornate rectangular box with Dwarfen alphabetics written over it. She carefully opened the lid to reveal an equally ornate Dwarfen Machine Crossbow. It was made from a heavily purified metal from the Dwarfen Mountain clans but the real feature to the weapon was in the string and limbs. The limbs were made from the horn ivories of a wild ram whose males are known to fight each other almost at least once per day by thrusting their pointed skulls at each other until one of them gets knocked out or flees. The string on the other hand was from the braided silks of giant spiders that the same material was used for a variety of applications such as cloth, rope fibers and even fishing poles of the highest quality. With these two exotic composites combined it created a Crossbow with the heaviest draw weight in the known Gliesian world.

"Hello my beautiful child." Mita said as she picked up the crossbow.

The weapon was of her own custom designed but saved for occasions where her best means of approach is from a distance.

"Now where are my other little ones?" Mita rummaged through the box to find five crossbow bolts.

But they were no ordinary crossbow bolts. All five of them had a broad head at their tips that had contain a small pinch of a Dwarfen explosive powder called Uzeagon, a compound made off of the grounded remains of a mineral and a rare moss found in their mountains.

She opened the broad heads tips where a hollow container that once can additional explosive payloads or any 'special' additional kick to the bolt. She had to be careful however for one the Uzeagon is a sensitive substance that the slightest of carelessness can either ruin the explosive powder making it defunct at best or explode prematurely at worst. Second the broad headed tipped bolts were all handmade and so were pricey by default. With a steady hand, Mita took her portion of the liquid poison Demon Bane or otherwise as known in its home region of Alfel-Nora as 'Kriozad's Spite' and poured all of the poison on each broad head in equal portions before closing the caps again. She breathed a sigh of relief once she finished her modification before she bundled the bolts together before neatly forming them side to side so she could slip them in all at once at her machine crossbow's magazine.

She smiled like a snake, now ready to strike her prey as she picked up from her utility belt a Potion of Invisibility before smashing it down and allowing the pixie dust envelope her body in a translucent and reflective light…

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"Within only the course of a few months, the Colony of New Albany and the Principality of Tyr Rian have known only, peace and prosperity with each other. We have helped you rise from your tribulations, fed who needed to be fed, build what was needed to be built and fought who tried and FAILED to bring you to harm. It was with our humblest gratitude that we ask nothing more from you but our friendship in everlasting solidarity… which means friendship but much stronger for everyone here who don't know this word… SOLIDARITY!" Governor White said an excerpt from his speech. It was rather simplistic in terms of vocabulary but it got the Natives entranced in his verbal spell.

Unbeknownst to the locals, mixed in the crowd in local attire, are members of the UFE military keeping watch for any suspicious individual among the onlookers waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble.

High above the gathered, beyond the range of the naked eye, hovered many surveillance drones with multiple arrays of sensors to detect targets throughout the majority of the spectrum. Their scans transmitted to the New Albany Military HQ and to the military personal on site.

Strider squad, like the other four squads standing guard over the proceedings, have on special visors that coordinated the drone's intel with everyone else. Even if the someone uses an 'invisibility spell' they will be able to detect them. First-hand accounts made it clear that while the spell makes one invisible to the naked eye, it wouldn't work for every other sort of visual aids and enhancements like Thermal and Sonar.

The crowds were over by several hundred from the immediate vicinity of the stage as Nobles, Commoners, Humans, Dwarves and other folks looked to the podium to hear the words of the mysterious and 'undeniably Divine' United Federation of Earth. Many nodded in agreement to the Governor's choice of words. Was it not the UFE who remain steadfast against the rogues and bandits that terrorized the Principality? Was it the UFE who lend their hand to the weak, poor, the abandoned and famished? Was it the UFE who showed the denizens of Tyr Rian that there is another way to a brighter and foreseeable future? The crowds clapped and cheered him on as White continued.

Meanwhile, Kayin hovered around one of his drones as the marching bands and orchestras played their songs to the ecstatic reception of the crowds. The crowd's attention payed no heed at the miniature flying contraptions hovered above them. To most Gliesians, the Drones and their operators in their eyes are no different from those who practiced Falconry with the way they take care of their 'Bird' and 'giving them training and direction' in the form of their Remote Controls which they see is 'an exotic technique' that the natives never heard of.

"Mudwin, get me a view of that house." Crocker ordered.

With a push of some buttons and the pulling up of an onscreen joystick on his Control Pad, Kayin flew one of his drones forward to the suspicious house.

"Switching to Thermal Vision." Kayin nodded on command.

His screen turned into a dark blue tint with the sights of yellowish-orange blips that squiggled in the screen showcasing that the house the drone had eyes on had signs of life.

"I am counting… ten people inside that building, some are just standing around while others look like they are hauling something. Still can't see how it can be suspicious in my end…" Kayin said.

"How about the window?" Crocker asked referring to the suspicious window earlier.

"Nothing I don't see anyone behind it. Must be the ww---… Wait… I see an eleventh person. He's… climbing on top of the roof?" Kayin said dumbstruck and his conjecture grew immensely further.

Hearing the team Combat Engineer's words, Obediah zeroed in on the rooftop, his scoped tuned and rifle cocked but only to be greeted by a seemingly empty rooftop.

"Eh… Kayin… I mean Mudwin… eh… I can't get any eyes on what you're seeing. I don't see anyone up on that roof." Obediah reported. He was more dumbstruck than wary compared to Kayin.

Samantha placed her binoculars on her two eyes and shifted her vision to the rooftop. And just as equally flabbergasted with Obediah when she sees the empty rooftop.

"Is your monitor not glitching Kayin?" Clay asked his seatmate.

"Damnit, it must be one of those 'Invisibility Spells'!" Samantha exclaimed.

"Hang on let me turn on Magnetics Mode." Kayin said.

Magnetics mode was a shortened term for a relatively new Camera mode function called 'Sonar-Magnetics' mode. It's a hybrid camera vision mode that combines Sonar Echolocation with X-ray Vision that allows the users to be able to see through walls and to monitor and predict enemy movement. This comes at a drawback of its steep price range, its battery draining elements and the fact It had to be regulated to a few specialized cameras from drones or CCTV's due to the concerns of radiation poisoning from extended direct human use.

Switching it on, Kayin looked at his monitor again. This time he could see the faint hints of a feminine humanoid figure walking on the roof top.

"I can still see someone up there…" Kayin informed.

As he continued to observe the screen, his eyes widened to his absolute horror when the humanoid figure took a kneeling position and brought out on what he discerned as a crossbow.

"Middle Window! 1 meter to your right Obed! Gun!" Kayin yelled.

"Take the shot." Samantha ordered.

Obediah, without even hesitating, pulled the trigger…

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Mita, at the very moment she pulled the trigger, felt a strong piercing breeze zoom pass an inch from her left as her perfect aiming posture was ruined when she reflexively twitched her hands. Behind her the wooden and straw tiles burst in chaotic expulsion of dust and debris as Mita's eyes blink and shed tears by the sudden irritants on her eyes.

The Crossbow Bolt flew falsely as it made its way across the plaza and landed where the Orchestra was sitting by causing the Bolt to detonate and erupt in a pale red smoke. The fumes began to enrapture both UFE Orchestra players and Tyr Rian minstrels alike as they began to choke on the noxious fumes which was thick enough to even screen the stage where the Demon Leader was having his speech.

Bodyguards began to swarm around the 'Governor' protecting his being with their own lives as they quickly begin to evacuate the Governor and the Principalities Royal Family to safety, masking their mouths from the poisonous gas in the hopes that it doesn't enter their lungs.

Mita, regaining her composure for a second soon saw her chance slip but she remained undeterred. She re-bolted her crossbow before taking aim again.

Another strong breeze breathed near her but now this time she felt a gashing sting on her left bicep. She had been shot! Mita winced meekly as she dived down for cover grasping her wound tightly. She could feel a warm and wet liquid leave out of her injured arm. She let go of her Crossbow which her other healthy arm can bear with some minor difficulty. For the first time, in her own horror, she was bleeding. Mita was a very meticulous rogue who performed her plans so perfectly she never had to worry about the prospect of getting injured, but now here she is lying like a sloughed beggar on the blindsided half of the roof of her vantage point bleeding and her grand plan to assassinate the Demon failed. She has been compromised and there's no other option but for her, the Rest of the Crows and their Grey Order Allies to do but flee to the outer city whilst they all still can.

The Crow leader mentally cursed herself, how could her potions, her skills, her experience and all of her accumulated gadgets just fail her at that moment like that? She was confident of Invisibility Potion to allow her to penetrate the patrolled rooftops of Tyr Rian but now she was wounded, from an assailant she couldn't get her bearings on. He has line of sight but she doesn't and now the hunter is becoming the hunted.

But she can't sulk behind the roof right there and now. She needs to escape.

Clutching her two fingers together, Mita whistled which fell on the attentive ears of her constituents. Their cover is blown and their opportunity has been spoiled. Now is the time to leave while they still had their heads attached to their necks.

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"Damnit! What the hell is that?"

"Some sort of Chemical Attack sir! Some of the people are dead or barely holding on! We need a MEDEVAC at the double!"

"None of my men have Gasmasks!"

"Deploying a CBRN Team now."

Those were the chatter of the Radio as lit up in a storm of words of alarmed and frenzied noise. Officers, Team Leaders and Commanders scrambled to respond to the change of events.

Samantha froze in the sight of the Arhaf Plaza descend into a chaotic madness of panic screams and rumbling feet as the people fled in multitudes of directions. She could see the Orchestra Band at their stations dying painfully to the reddish mist that engulfed them. To her knowledge it looked like they were gassed with some sort of poison.

"Lieutenant!" Clay tapped her shoulder. "The Colonel." He informed.

Samantha picked up the Radio and took a deep breath and gulped.

"Lieutenant, you have new orders." Polonsky said. "We got reports of Fire Fights lighting up all over the Citadel, the Royal Family and the Governor are locked up in the Embassy but our priority is to bring order from this Chaos."

"Fire Fights? How?" Samantha's eyes widened as her tone changed from reluctance nervousness to concerned surprise.

"Reports of Mages, Fighters and Archers are attacking several of our checkpoints. They got casualties and they are pinned down. I am rerouting you to a checkpoint where the fighting is at its heaviest. Get there and assist Men--- Hang on, it's your Sargeant, Crocker. Let me patch him through." Polonsky interrupted himself when his call had a new entity joining in the field. He remembered Samantha personally assigning Crocker to lead the ground team during the assignment meeting. He patched him into their conversation to hear what the man has to say.

"Colonel! Me and my team are in pursuit!" Crocker's cockney accent flooded both the Lieutenant and the Colonel's ears.

"In Pursuit?" the Colonel asked with intrigue.

"The Assassin that smoked the Orchestra. Climbing up on the roofs to get her but I need eyes." Crocker ordered.

"Got it, Kayin, stay here and provide Drone Support with your UAV's. Everyone else follow me!" Samantha said.

"Yes Ma'am!" her squad unanimously saluted.

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Crocker smashed through the door of the last floor leading to the rooftops. He, Diaz and Iris encountered several Tangoes who tried to charge at them but were quickly gunned down by them or Iris' Magic Missiles. In his own experience however, these hostiles were more fanatical in their postures. They were practically suicide charging him and his team as if they had nothing to lose. Most of the time based on his experience in Gliesia as compared to his previous tours the Locals seem to freeze in fear of the mere sound of a gun coming off but after wasting an entire magazine of his Carbine against the assailants, it only got them to froth into a mad like rage filled with hatred, fearlessness and a ready to die attitude unseen before since his time hunting down Islamic Separatists in Mars.

Gunning down the last of the assailants in the room. Crocker immediately detected two things. A window that he can easily access the rooftops, and a slow sizzling noise coming from behind the table.

Diaz looked over the table to investigate and found a black and red barrel with a rope on top of it that was slowly being burnt away by a sparkling sprite that was inching ever closer to the container.

"Shit!" Diaz cursed as he placed his hand on the spark killing the flame. "What is this? Some sort of Dynamite?" Diaz raised the barrel overhead.

"That's Uzeagon." Iris coldly answered. Her voice shuddered at the barrel's sight.

"You know this?" Diaz asked.

"Yes, it's a Dwarven Explosive Powder. Mirrien told me about these things. He said that if it comes in contact with even a little bit of fire it will explode." The Vampire Witch explained. "If they have one then there's bound to be more of them."

"So basically Dynamite. Fuck, we nearly blew up." Diaz sighed in relief.

Meanwhile Crocker was looking out of the window seeing how he can climb ontop of the rooftop. The gap between the tallest window of the house and the ledge of the roof was only less than half an arm's length between them so any able-bodied person can easily reach over and climb to the roof.

"Kayin I need eyes. Where's our Assassin?" Crocker radioed.

"She's running west from your position. Warning, she's in some sort of Invisibility Cloak but my Drones can still see her through other Optics. I'll guide you through." Kayin answered.

"Good one more thing. Have this house highlighted for an Investigation. This place is a god damn Crime Scene I tell you." Crocker added before he climbed over to the rooftop. "Come on kids we got a bad guy to catch."

"Will tell read about it. Godspeed." Kayin said.

"Fish on!" Diaz smiled. Now's a great time to stretch his legs again.

The three climbed over the rooftop and with the help of Kayin's Drone giving a live feed of their prey in his helmet's Hud. The Assassin was limping and bleeding her way through the rooftops of the Citadel in her effort to escape them. Luckily the houses and buildings of Tyr Rian were tightly knit through the rationale of maximizing the 8.33 square kilometers of land the citadel consists off.

Little did Assassin knew that no matter how fast she and her craven rogues run, the invisible and agile UAV Drones of the UFE will would always be a few paces ahead of them. Additionally, the blood that she got from her wound from Obediah's sniper bullet was a bread crumb that all of the Thermo Optic cameras of the UAV's could detect with ease.

Jumping from building to building. The three made hot pursuit off the assassin. Iris had trouble catching up with the fleeter footed Diaz and Crocker due to never having to run such a distance in such a speed before. She knew no spells of Haste that could close in the gap and she felt discouraged by her own uselessness and helplessness…

Until…

A loud explosion rocked one of the houses that the Assassin passed by, blanketing it in burning ash and embers. A fire erupted as Diaz and Crocker stopped on their tracks to reface themselves.

"Shit! That building is on fire!" Diaz said.

"Must have more of that Dynamite! Using it to cover their escape." Crocker concluded while coughing off some irritants that invaded his lungs.

"I am seeing this too. Oh no… I am calculating fire outbreak risks of 86% and its growing." Kayin radioed in when his AI systems predicted disaster.

Not only will these barbarians seek to launch a bio-chemical attack but also to leave this citadel in smolders with their fantastic answer to Dynamite. These people are more tenacious than they previously thought. And everything was going so well in terms of the soft push for peace and co-existence between New Albany and Tyr Rian.

"Iris, can you put out the fires that these bombs will make?" Crocker asked the Vampire Witch.

"Yes, with some Ice Magics I can." She nodded.

"Good, get on with it and keep safe. Be sure to follow us." Crocker acknowledged before he and Diaz continued on their pursuit.

Conjuring a pale blue gale of her magics, Iris blasted a cooling wind of ice at the fires quenching them quickly and killing off any chances of the fire spreading at the tightly packed houses of the Citadel.

"Iris! I will spot for anymore of those fires and you stop them." Kayin radioed into her.

"Yes!" Iris passionately yelled as she moved on to catch up with Diaz and Crocker.

The day was not how she wanted the day to be. And she was so looking forward to asking the 'Nightman' on a date to New Albany when it was all over.

Meanwhile, Diaz and Crocker began to close the distance between them and the Assassin. To their encouragement, the invisibility spell began to wear off on their quarry as they could see the feint outlines of a feminine figure who now overtime was being slowed down and her desperation of the escape made her start tossing random objects that she could get her hands on towards her pursuers. She also tossed in more of those Dynamite-like bombs at them but Crocker's Exo-Suit armor saved him from the blasts while Diaz's Rapid Movement Boosters got him easily out of the blast's radius' way.

Iris was in hot pursuit behind the two as she quenched the flames with her ice magics and any fires that she might have missed during the rush of adrenaline she had in her cold veins were spotted by Kayin who pinpointed them to her, a service she wholeheartedly appreciates.

"Sergeant Crocker, this is Major Holyfield." The voice of the Marine's Commanding Officer made its presence on Crocker's ears via his radio. The man's stern voice sent a slight shiver up the old soldier's spine. Then again, years in the military with many different CO's, one can learn to remain stoic regardless of the personalities each of the myriad superiors Crocker had over his career.

"I am in the middle of a chase here Major!" Crocker talked him back. To his own legitimate concerns, this was an inopportune time to be getting spat at by his superiors.

"I know, and I want you and Diaz to know of this… I have the grave news that whilst the Bio-Chemical attack at Arhaf square had happened, Prince Clovich and Governor White has indeed inhaled the unidentified chemical substance and have been incapacitated. They are both stable for now but Dr. Lee Haneul reports that she has never seen such symptoms before. I have reasons to believe that the Opfor you are in pursuit off knows something about the chemical used. Remember, we need that HVT alive. She is our only source of actionable intel on what is behind this attack."

"Affirmative!" Crocker answered.

The stakes were high now… it was either they get the Assassin to extract the truth or Gliesian Relationships go down the drain today.

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Mita the Crow felt her once air of superiority dashed like sand in a beach. Her plan was falling apart, it was all supposed to be a clean get away. The Uzeagon bombs were meant to cover her escape but it did little to hamper the Demon's advances towards her. She needed to hide from them while she can still be remotely out of sight from their gaze since her invisibility spell was about to wear off any second now.

"Over here!" a familiar voice from behind some windows called out. She recognized that voice as one of her Crow Lieutenants, Ayda 'Of Many Names'.

She was by the rooftop window waving her along to come in.

Mita wasted no minute and dove straight in before her lieutenant closed the window sealing them from the outside world.

"Master, I am glad your safe… me and the rest… of us weren't so lucky…" Ayda said with a solemn relief.

Mita panned through the room and she was greeted by only one other of her fellow conspirators in the attack. She recalled that she delegated Ayda to ambush one of the strongpoints of the Demon Army's soldiers and she assigned her 30 men of competent experience in ambushes and surprise attacks. To be greeted by only one other survivor, who's stature was shaken of the mental scarring of shell shock.

"What happened? I gave you some of the poison and you should have slain those demons." Mita questioned.

"We did, but when we attacked that patrol of Demons one of them who has red hair by the name of 'Rose' warned them about our weapons and passed them some sort of masks that made them impervious to the Demonsbane. We stood no chance against their metal magics and me and Griswald barely hid here before I saw you running by the rooftops with that wound. I am afraid that we are all that is left. Gris pass me the healing ointment." Ayda said.

The other Crow passed a barely filled bottle of healing ointment to Ayda who applied the liquid to a piece of cloth before she placed the wet fabric to Mita's wound on her arm. Mita recoiled at first but eventually the ointment sooth the pain before the leaking wound hardened into a highly visible crater like scar. She tried to twist her healed arm around to test the effectivity of the healing process but she quaked when her arm felt a piercing cramp on where the wound was. It was as if there was some foreign object inside the muscles of her arm that diminished her ability to reach out, curl and even simply flex it. But so far, the risk of dying through bleed out has been patched up to a favorable result.

"We need to es---" Mita was about to give out the new plan for her remaining crows when suddenly the window that guarded there rooftop hiding spot exploded in a crash of falling grass and the gusts of winds as metal birds who's wings beat like the drumming dread of the sound of locusts ready to feasts for their own selfish machination.

Griswald bravely pulled out his sword and tried to wave off these Metal Locusts with his weapon but they were simply too agile for him to land a blow. From what he could discern, these Metal Birds or Locusts were of a literal metallic design, bathed in a reflective white color whose coat gleamed from the afternoon sun. There wings seem to be of an unusual pair of four sets that beat so fast that the naked eye would have deemed it invisible. But most frightening to him as he saw in that brief moment was the Metal Locusts one singular eye. It was pitch black and seemed to stare at him uninterrupted from the petty need of blinking, that uncanny characteristic unnerved the Crows on these strange creatures. They were probably of the Demonic Outsiders origins by whatever reasoning or insane ramblings the three could think off. But nonetheless Griswald kept them at bay from Mita and Ayda.

"Go! I will hold them off." Griswal said. There was a swallow of pride in his voice as if he was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for his people and nation. He pushed the girls out of the room and locked the door behind him leaving the girls up on their own.

"We both need to escape." Ayda said.

"That what I was about to say." Mita replied. "My pursuers know what I look like and I can't keep running like this." She said. Her condition was already reaching her limits as fatigue and exhaustion hit her body with a dozen of self-persevering methods that is detrimental when one is pursued by persistent predators. The wounds and the burning out of her gadgets left her metaphorically 'naked' in the doctrine of the Crows. And being caught 'naked' was a death sentence as you would have no means of escaping or fighting back.

"I still have some of my gadgets unlike you master. I can shake them off. Here… give me your head." Ayda told her master.

Her namesake 'Of Many Names' was that Ayda, who was originally recruited from the Illusion School of the Wizard's College has mastered a spell called 'Sculpt Face' which allows her or anyone she touch with her hands to morph the shape of one's facial features. Ayda had studied well how to exploit her talent of the 'Sculpt Face' spell to make her accomplish many quests and missions which involves penetrating highly secured locations by impersonating someone who is supposed to be there. She had impersonated Guards, Children, Nobles and all sorts of folks who had access to restricted areas to much of her success. But now she is given the task of impersonating her master to allow her to escape.

"Will you be able to make it out?" Mita asked.

"I hope so. But if they get me. I will let you know that I will be waiting for whatever horrors they might throw at me. But I will promise you this… You have taught me well about the horrors of this world. I will never give up the secrets of the Crows." Ayda reassured her as she probed and measure the lengths, nooks and crannies of Mita's face.

Meanwhile the two Crow women could hear a commotion at the next room.

"Drop the sword right now!" a booming but focused voice echoed behind the walls.

"Die Demon!" Griswalds voice defiantly roared back.

A burst of loud banging noises followed afterwards before a heavy thud came up next to that sequence.

"Tango down, beginning search for the High Value Target."

Ayda and Mita closed their eyes and pray to the God of the Dead, knowing that Griswald did indeed perished at the room next to them. Before Mita knew it, Ayda's hands let go of her face. When the Crow Master opened her eyes, she saw herself, like a perfect mirror image of her own face in Ayda's hooded civilian disguise.

"Let's switch clothes quick." Ayda told her.

They stripped off their garments and traded them off with each other. Fortunately, both women were of the same height and build so the clothes seamlessly slipped into their new wearers without any complications. Years of experience of 'acquiring disguises' made the two senior Crows to quickly do the act in under 20 seconds.

"Now pretend some old lady and I was bothering you in this room." Ayda winked. Mita could notice a tear fell out of her other eye. A tear of doubt in her experience.

"Intruder! Thief! Scum!" Mita cried in her most convincingly hoarse voice yet.

Ayda, now looking like Mita from face to clothes 'stumbled out of the room' and right in front of their pursuers.

"You! Stop right their Assassin!" one of them who was wearing a very particular set of armor that had metal bones stick outwardly on his arms raised his hands and ordered the disguised Ayda to stand down.

But the Crow ignored him and dashed off with him and his two other compatriots in hot pursuit. They didn't even spare a second look at Mita when they ran pass her who was left sitting idly there waiting patiently for them to clear away before she can be free to escape.

After a few moments of silence, her instincts kicked in deeming it safe for now to move freely. Before Mita could leave, she peeked at the window that she and Ayda were pushed out from by Griswald. The door which was once locked was forced open letting the Crow Master inside for a small peek. The room was empty of those Metal Locusts but Griswald's body lay lifeless on the floor. His corpses ridden with holes and his eyes were frozen open in a state frightened shock. Blood poured out of the holes in his body while Mita, gently closed his eyes with her lithe fingers as she mentally wrote his name on her head to write down at the memorial at the Crow's Nest back in Haringpoint. Leaving his body there, Mita in Ayda's clothes snuck away from Tyr Rian, all glad to be alive but must bear the brunt of her failure to confirm the Demon Lord's death. She will need to head back to the Emperor a soon as she can an inform the Emperor of what has transpired.

Meanwhile, Ayda shaped-like Mita ran towards the Stables of Tyr Rian. Her exasperated breath pushed to the limit by the sheer implacability of the pursuers. These Demons no matter what distraction, disruption or other forms of misdirected subterfuge she could throw at them, they just wont stop. She was running out of ideas and now at the same of most difficult of spots in what she saw with Mita when she was trying to shake them off. She needed something fast or she will be caught. Then she saw a lone horse with a saddle on its back and unhitched from any anchoring stations whilst being attended by its owner.

Ayda pushed the owner who fell to the ground and jumped on the horse before immediately slapping its buttocks to giddyap.

"She's going to get away!" one of the pursuers, a woman black hair and snow-white skin pointed.

"Big mistake!" the Demon in the strange armor smirked.

He tackled the horse from its behind before grappling it. Then, with inhuman strength tossed the horse down to the ground with Ayda falling down with it.

The self-appointed Crow Decoy, felt her right foot shatter as she was violently dragged away from the saddle by the Armored Demon. It punched her in the face several times mercilessly as Ayda struggled to break free but it was no use. She was caught by demons and now she will be subject to the most humiliating of tortures by the Demons who are not none for their humane treatment of high value prisoners… or women… as she feared as the Demon slammed her head on the hoof trodden and hay littered grounds before dragging her cruelly.

"Major Holyfield, this is Stryder Group-Crocker, High Value Target secure requesting extraction." The Armored Demon said.

"Roger. Inspector Reid will arrive E—Tee-Ayy one hundred twenty seconds out." An ominous voice echoed from her capturer's body.

To Ayda's ears, it sounded of cold ruthlessness and calculating methodology. A popular description of some of the most powerful of Hell Lords. She despaired before she blacked out from the concussions of the blows from the Armored Demon and her own exhaustion. This Crow's wings have been plucked.

---------------

Aliathra collapsed herself onto the tiny surface area of a small stool sweat falling and muscles tiring. Her day servicing the dozens of woodsmen who were rushed towards the Hospice built inside the Grey Order Guild building of Vercourt. The Peak Season of wood harvesting is now underway as the tree's were now in season to be cut down and there was a rush by the town's woodsmen to cut down the tree's since during the summer season the trees will be at their tallest but this will attract the attention of an unwelcome guest in the form of 'the White-Rot' Mushrooms, a wood decaying fungus that propagates her spores during the late summer to fall season. The fungus had a particular appetite for the famous Shield Aeyofany Pines that surround the logging town and make up the Slaegian Empire's eastern forests. It is used to construct houses, ships and all sorts of industrious goods due to the tree's rapid reproduction cycled and its famous hardiness which gave it the name 'Shield' due to being used in times as old as the world to be used to make Wooden Shields. The shrooms degrade the structural integrity of the wood when they are made into planks so the rush was heavily justified.

Woodsmen would search for any non-infected tree's whilst mages or any one with a means to control a fire would purge the rests to prevent the infestation from getting into the other trees. This rush however is not without its own consequences of workplace accidents. The Elf Priestess had to oversee her healing magics on crushed limbs, head concussions and bleeding to categorize them all. The staff in the hospice however were of the traditional by-hand healing with bandages and potions whilst she is the only potent Cleric inside the building at that very moment. More help from the Guild is on their way but she and the Hospice staff have to make do with themselves until they arrive.

So far, despite Aliathra's tender footedness, she was turning over dozens of patience that was placed under her wing of responsibility by the Hospice's chief physician. The Elf wasted no energy nor time diligently aiding the wounded. To the woodsmen under her care, she was like an Angel sent from heaven with the gentlest of her feminine touch she gave to each of them. Her shining aura alone can make even the feeble old rise up to the top of their feet, the weary reinvigorated with phoenix-like fire and the moribund attain their second wind.

But even an Elf in all of their Superior Magical innateness have their limits. Like a hydra's head, heal one and another takes its place. Again, she healed with all the Positive Energies that revolved around her to bring the damaged back up but even more injured were passed gnashing their teeth into the hospices beds once the previous occupant was successfully serviced.

Aliathra could feel her heart palpitate in the extensive stress of the work. She knew from her teachers and her parents that the real world outside the comforts of her palace and outside the safety of Ethuilen's walls is a dangerous place and in so many cases, the only way to learn how truly cruel the world can be is to face them head on. The trick is not cracking down under the pressure. That is what separates all the children, from the long living Elf to fleeting Human from the adults as her father would say.

"Aliathra?" a familiar voice entered her ears. It was Petur.

The Elf Princess turned around to see the Magical Knight in his casual clothing but still retaining a belt with a sword attached to it on his side. He was accompanied by several new people behind him that Aliathra recognizes the faces of. They were her friends from Ethuilen and at the school of mixed backgrounds and chosen professions ranging from Clerics just as her and to Rangers and Swordmasters that the Elves are famous for in terms of Military Sciences. One of whom managed to stand out, her dear friend Lyndis. She was from a minor noble's background but she recalled during her 16 years in her Academy days that she was her roommate through and through. But whilst Aliathra underwent Clerical Apprenticeship and then afterwards from her academy days she applied for the Ethuilen Rangers giving her a uncommon but very versatile set of skills. Lyndis on the other hand went through Political Science and International Relationships as she sought a career as a Diplomat. Circumstances however landed her a role in not as an Ambassador or Elven Embassy staff but as an Inquisitor for the Ethuilen Sefydliad.

The Sefydliad is responsible for the many of the more subversive and 'soft-power projections' that the Ethuilen's use to extend and maintain their influence across the world. Their tasks include from the opulent positions of Diplomats and Ambassadors to the more espionage-oriented positions of Inquisitors.

Lyndis' job often revolved around the tasks of attaining on the field intelligence as she was given by Ambassadors who are also acting handlers for the Inquisitors.

"Lyndis? Is that you?" Aliathra spoke in her native Elven tongue so that the Humans don't understand what she is saying.

"Greetings again old friend and my princess. I see we crossed paths again." Lyndis greeted back as she took off her hat. It was shorter than Aliathra's long golden white and the Inquisitor's eyes had a complementary green eye color in combination with her auburn hair.

"It seems you know each other?" Petur spoke in Vaikuri.

"Oh, she was my roommate when I was in College. She's just a sweet one." Aliathra shifted back to the Human Common tongue.

"You know right about Lady Aliathra's… 'unique background' I presume?" Lyndis asked Petur.

"Of course, I read all about it. You're here to check on her wellbeing If I concur?" Petur nodded affirming of his knowledge of Aliathra being the youngest daughter of the Ethuilen Royal Family.

"I also took the liberty of bringing in an entourage of some of the Entente's finest Clerics to help the people of Vercourt. We are sorry if we are late." Lyndis apologized. She never wanted to bring the Royal Daughter too much intensity on her first time out of the comforts of Alfel Nora and the Royal Family can only put too much faith to the Grey Order partners and Slaegian allies.

Alongside the Elf were ten Elven Healers, they robe were decorated in the colors and symbolisms of the Oathtakers of Neneth. An organization that Aliathra looked up to immensely. They were an alliance of Physicians, Healers, Restoration Mages, Pharmaceutical Alchemists and Hippocratic Priests infected with Good Samaritan Syndrome who devote their time, parts of their income and efforts in the pursuit of the advancement of new discoveries in the field of medicine and physiological wellness. The Elf Princess initially wanted to join in the Oathtakers as an apprentice of one of the Master Physicians/Healers/Alchemists but her father insisted with some persuasion from her mother and elder sister that she goes through Ranger Training because he didn't want to have a Daughter who is solely a "Scroll-Owl". Her father wanted to raise her to be able to fight on her own, survive on her own if the worse ever happens to her or her family. But she did manage to leave a huge impression on the Oathtakers senior members due to an award winning thesis on a relatively new field of medicinal study (in which when translated to UFE English in our own IRL equivalents mind u dear reader) Toxicology which is one of the most dangerous of studies that not even the Elves in their long life would dare risk themselves in studying due to the menacing and at first glance confusing nature of how poisons work against the Physiological Body.

"Of course, it is always splendid to have the assistance of our Allies the Elves. Shall I leave you to your rituals?" Petur said.

"Of course, my dear friend Aliathra? Do you still have it in you to perform the Neneth's Unity ritual?" Lyndis asked.

"Yes. I can still do it. Perhaps for a few minutes before I retire for supper…" Aliathra said.

She smiled upon the honor to be able to perform Neneth's Unity with the Oathtakers. The ritual is a powerful healing spell that requires multiple Healers of a proficient level of Restoration Magic skill to perform. It consists of a group of Restoration Mages to stand on a circle together and hold hands as they channel all of their positively charged arcane power into a focusing rune set up on the center of the circle beforehand which will be then distributed within an area of effect. It is a very versatile ritual that can address multiple ailments, maladies and injuries at once. The more mages that perform the ritual, the greater the area of effect (if they focus hard enough to concentrate) and/or the greater the degree of magical healing will be outputted. This depends on the circumstances or the collective will of the ritual performers if they want to focus on healing more people within a large radius or being able to heal people much more thoroughly. In Aliathra's onsite observations, the ability to process through the wounded was more paramount in this situation.

There were 3 other Clerics that accompanied Lyndis' Oathtakers entourage and they began to prepare the ritual; one drew the circles intricate lines and runic pictures whilst the others explained to the sick and injured the concept of Neneth's Unity and reassuring them that they will be taken care of as painlessly as possible.

"So… Princess. I heard you managed to sneak inside the Demonic Rift." Lyndis began to give Aliathra some small talk.

"Oh, I didn't manage to see any portal to the Seven Hells while I was there. I did manage to speak to some."

"Did they hurt you? Did they try to do anything to you?" Lyndis asked, her voice raised in concern.

"By the Gods no. They were in fact calm all the time especially this one named 'Diaz'. He was quite a seducer with his red Gambeson but I managed brush off his advancements. It had Roses printed on them which was quite a shock for me." Aliathra answered.

"Well thank Neneth that you made it out with your heart and soul intact. I wouldn't want to dream if your parents who is my King and Queen that they lost you to the Void. But may I ask, why didn't you try to attack them when you had the chance?"

"I am a Ranger. I just Scout, I am no fighter even with my enchanted bow. Besides, I was often surrounded by them whenever I had to talk to them on my scouting trips and the only time, I ever saw the demons act violent is when someone else acted violent to them first." Aliathra defended herself.

"Hmm… maybe they are trying a new approach. I heard rumors that they are courting Prince Clovich Tyr Rian at his citadel. Offering him gifts and powers beyond imagination but that is not even something I would here a demon would do. Most demons when they appear in this world often give contracts with conditions for the price one would pay to obtain whatever they want from them. Yet these Demons are strange, they offer gifts but ask nothing in return." Lyndis spoke about the hearsays she had collected throughout her journey.

"I can confirm that what you heard are true. Very unusual indeed. But their Metal Beasts and 'Diaz' scares me." Aliathra nodded. "Their beasts leave a roar and fume a sickening breath that makes the plants and small animals scream in agony. Diaz, this… Demon in a shape of a human, he is neither alive nor dead. I sensed him no life energy positive or negative otherwise… He says that he is human but his body is filled with note with flesh and blood but by metal and cloth amalgamated together into a parody of what a body is said to be as the books say." Aliathra explained the myriad of terrifying mysterious she saw in New Albany and Kesserheim.

"Then it is imperative for the world to be rid off them once. The legends say we have beaten them before and we shall drive them back again when the time comes." Lyndis saluted reassuringly in the holy hand gestures of the Elven-Human Pantheon.

"My ladies, the Ritual circle is complete. We are ready to perform the spell." One of the clerics walk up to the two.

Aliathra quietly walked aside her old Academy Roommate and was guided by the Oathtaker Cleric to her designated spot on the Circle. It glowed in a brilliant positive light that began to envelope the clerics in its bathing luminescence. Once Aliathra's body was fully engulfed in the magical energies she promptly grabbed the hands of the Clerics beside her to complete the linking of their bodies and spirits with each other.

"How long do you want to help us on this ritual before you need to retire?" one of the Clerics asked.

"Maybe for half an hour before I get my well-deserved rest. Thank you for relieving me from this burden. I do not know how much my heart can take caring for so many of these people alone." Aliathra replied.

"As long as you know you're doing right and you gave your all, that's what matters Princess…" the Cleric said before closing his eyes and began to concentrate his magics on to the Runic Focus at the center of the circle.

Aliathra too promptly closed her eyes and began to focus. She felt the shared magical energies that surrounded and were being used by her and her Oathtaker colleagues jump into each of everyone of their bodies. Their combine talents multiplied the output of Restorative energies that they could output compared if they had done it individually. There was a sense of Solidarity between them and to Aliathra's on sensations she could feel the merciful presence of her patron Neneth being with them in her benevolent mercy. The Elf Princess could feel her heart skip merrily into such a beautiful feeling…

But then, suddenly, she felt the hands she held let go releasing her from the magical linkage between her and her fellow Clerics. She opened her eyes to see that the Magical Circle no longer engulfed in Mana let alone bathing her or the Oathtakers in its Neneth's light. The Oathtakers, their eyes and bodies were left frozen as if they saw a monster, and the way they faced themselves upon their worst fears was at Aliathra's direction.

The Elf turned back only to be greeted by the empty wooden walls of the Grey Order Hospice. Confused she turned back to her still petrified colleagues.

"Is something the ma---" Aliathra tried to grab the Cleric on her right side by the hand but the Cleric reflexively snatched his arm away just as they were about to make contact.

"S-s-Stay away from me!" the Cleric roared as he backed away.

"Lord Vimdon, shield me from the Seven Fires of Hell!" the Cleric on her left knelt prostrate as he pulled out the iconography of Vimdon, God of Law in the Elven tongue whilst he is known as Vimiere to the Humans of Ysanigrad.

"Demons? Where?" Aliathra raised her voice alarmingly. To invoke Vimdon's name, known as 'the Silent Judge' loudly to the heavens was only acted upon when a great profanity of Law and Order was caught by the eyes of one of the Law God's disciples. But Aliathra couldn't understand nor see any profanities being displayed in her immediate vicinity.

"Stand back Spawn of Alboen!" Cleric she spoke to earlier who stood across her side of the circle began to raise his voice in a desperate but panicking tone as he began to channel for a Demon Sealing spell. "Lyndis! Help!" the Cleric cried.

Aliathra's old Roommate barged into the scene with her Rapier drawn with Petur too raising his Sword on his left hand and a magical missile prepared to be casted when needed to be fired. The Sefydliad Inquisitor took a moment to scan the scene. A Cleric was conjuring his holy magics to prepare for a Sealing Spell and it was aimed at her dear friend the Princess. Alongside the ground, the other two clerics.

"What is happening?!?" Lyndis questioned.

"That is not Aliathra! She has a Heart of Stone. She is a Demon!" the Cleric said.

"Demon? No I would never pervert Neneth's light." Aliathra defended herself from the accusation.

"But you said you went and talked to the Demons have you not?" Lyndis asked.

"Yes… I talked to them and I…" Aliathra tried to explained but she began to stutter.

"Did they promise you with Power? Money? Immortality?" Lyndis asked.

"Well one of them did give me---" Aliathra was about to mention the one time that Diaz gave her clothes for her to blend in Kesserheim but she had to catch her tongue since it would sound at face value that she had accepted 'a Demonic Offering' from the UFE.

"You betrayed yourself Demonspawn! What have you done to the Princess?!? Answer me!" Lyndis roared as she charged at Aliathra.

Both women had tears in their eyes. Mirroring each other on the two sides of the reception of betrayal. Lyndis, betrayed by the Demons' shape shift of her dear friend and the possibility that her soul was devoured or corrupted by them. Aliathra, betrayed that her best friend would assume that a principled and upstanding Elf such as Aliathra Lareththor, a Paragon of the Lareththor's prestige in Alfel Nora would be so easily seduced by the Evil forces of otherworldly invaders.

With reluctance, Aliathra quickly grabbed her Archery Bow and with dexterity, parried Lyndis' rapier away as she stumbled harmlessly to the Hospices floor.

"I am so sorry… I…" Aliathra tried to apologize to her dear friend but the Inquisitor recovered her statured and tried to slash her blade vertically on her head.

Again, Aliathra dexterously blocked the rapier with her bow, its strong composites stood firm from the lightning slashes of Inquisitor Lyndis' fencing abilities.

"Give up! You shall be Purge! Petur! Lyndis! Wound him down so I can cast the Radiant Drain." The Cleric called.

The Spell that he described is a Restoration Spell that manipulates the Mana of a creature and rapidly siphons it out of the targets body. For most magical creatures such as Dragons, Fae, Demons and Elves such as herself, it is a death sentence if the spell gets casted as when struck, her body will wither into dust killing her in the process.

With no other choice but death or dishonor, Aliathra chose the dishonor of self-preservation. Grabbing her meager belongings from her rucksack, she then dashed towards one of the Hospices open windows and jumped out.

Petur and Lyndis followed her towards the window but the setting sun the aimed at their eyes disoriented them, allowing Aliathra to escape. For the Elf Princess who was trained as both a Ranger and as a Cleric, she needed to escape. Confusion besieged her head as she tried to fathom what the cleric said that she has 'a Heart of Stone'. She was she cursed? Did she spend too much time with the UFE Demons that some of their corrupting influence left their mark on her? She needed to find out what happened to her but first she needs to shake off her the Inquisitor and the Grey Order. Her lithe feet pushed her towards the direction of Vercourt's surrounding forests where she hopes she can gain a head start and a chance against her pursuers, reluctant as she maybe that they were at one moment her friends.

"Petur, get me some Hounds and some levy the Yeomen. There is a Demon on the loose." Lyndis said looking on to the Vercourt town view.

"Yes… I cannot believe this… first the Tunnel now this!" Petur cursed as he acknowledged the Inquisitors orders.

----------------------

It was 6pm when Stryder Group were debriefed back in New Albany Colonial Hall. An emergency meeting was declared between the Civilian Colonial Government, the Military Leaders of the Combine Marine and Militia forces and as observes (and also as a friendly formality) the nobles of the Tyr Rian Principality lead by the active Princess Aria Rian gathered in the Congressional Hall. The Squad was standing in attention who were personally involved in the what many people from Tabloids to even the rumor mongering murmurs of an average civilian deemed the events earlier 'the Arhaf Plaza Incident'.

"This is and read my lips. A.Declaration.Of.War!" Holyfield yelled to the top of his lungs with many hardlining members of the Military and Civilian officials giving him an ovation of praises and claps that echoed even beyond the walls of the building.

"Mind you Major, we are declaring war on a nation with over millions of supplies of manpower and resources in addition to one, they have homefield advantage over this planet and two they are Prince Clovich's lieges. We are talking about going to war with a Goliath and we can barely muster up fifteen thousand men from our own reserves and that's if we enact the Draft." Polonsky argued.

"So, are you saying that we should just let them get away with this?" Holyfield fumed.

"No, what I was saying is that War will cost us too much if we let our impulses take the better of us. Our technological advantage on them aside, we have problems right within our house. Two of the most important people in New Albany, Governor White and Prince Clovich are in the ICU and according to Dr. Lee Haneul, she is lucky to get them in a Stable condition but without an Antidote or at least what kind of poison the attackers were using she can at best keep them and all the other folks infected for about three days." Polonsky said.

"Well unfortunately for ALL of us, the assassin behind the attack that Stryder Group so kindly captured for us has yet to spill anything of value. I bet Reid is still on his first gallon of water and his first batch of Car Batteries with her." Holyfield said with a deadly sounding euphemism on the words of his latter sentence.

"What kind of poison is the Doctor dealing with right now… Ser Polonsky?" Princess Aria of the Tyr Rian delegation raised her hand.

Holyfield knew it would be detrimental to the Governor's wishes to cast aside the Primitives right now so he must temper his zeal when the real action begins.

"We are dealing with a toxin that gives off a pinkish red gaseous cloud that when inhaled causes the afflicted individual to gradual lose respiratory, nervous and circulatory functions in his body."

"Uhm… I…" Aria stuttered in confusion.

Polonsky caught himself and had to face palm himself to hide his embarrassment, even his peer Holyfield too shared the same sentiment. They again forgot to account that the Primitives don't have such an extensive and intelligista vocabulary that the UFE Humans took for granted like 'respiratory', 'functions' and the word 'inhale'.

"I meant to say that your brother and our leader are having trouble breathing, moving around and keeping their hearts pumping due to the poison. And if Doctor… I mean the Physician, Miss Lee Haneul doesn't find a way to synthesize a cure, the effects can be fatal…" Polonsky said.

"Oh no! What will happen to everything?" she panicked.

"Relax milady. We will fix this. By… by any chance do you or any of the other people you brought along know any poisons here?" Holyfield allayed the young woman's fears before asking her about the pictures that Polonsky began to display on the Congressional Hall's screen.

She was silent, and so were everyone of the Tyr Rianni delegation who looked at the photos at first with studious observation but then to the UFE's distress, befuddlement.

"I have never seen anything like that before." Lutheor Mirrien raised his voice. "And I had my fair share of selling… dangerous goods. This is a really big world we all live in. It could be anything."

"Milord… Po-lawn-skee?" Iris raised her hand and stood up from where Stryder group sat.

All eyes redirected to the Vampire Witch which unnerved her when the scrutiny of about 100 people gazed on her foolhardy display.

"Miss Cadohagan? Do you have anything to say to us?" Polonsky asked her.

"You can make the pictures bigger? Right? With your magic mirror on your hand?" Iris asked.

"She means can you zoom the images? Uh… Iris, which one?" Kayin minded for her.

"The bright one with the Governor's eye." Iris pointed.

The Vampire Witch had a hunch, a gut instinct when she saw that particular photo among the file images of the afflicted taken that day when admitted to the Military Hospital.

Polonsky fingered his touchpad as he expanded the photo Iris asked to examine further.

"Closer…" Iris asked.

Polonsky again gestured the touchpad to zoom further. The room held its breath as all hopes for a cure lay on Iris.

"This is the furthest as I can go Iris. Hope this is enough." Polonsky said.

"Iris, what are you seeing?" Samantha asked.

"Shush…" Iris silenced Samantha before reverting back to the screen.

Her eyes scanned the close-up images of Governor White's eye veins and spotted something peculiar.

"Did, Lady Lee Haneul mentioned that the eyes veins have a dark green color?" Iris said.

"I don't think so. She was in a rush to stabilize all the victims that she didn't have time to give a full diagnosis to everyone." Polonsky said.

"The Vampire is right, hate to admit it. Eye veins are supposed to be Red not this… darkish green." Holyfield pointed out.

"There is only one poison in Gliesia that can do that. The Demons Bane Flower, also known as Kriozad's Spite, named after the Paladin who discovered it. Legends say that this flower's sap which is one of the deadliest poisons in the world is so powerful it can fall the mightiest of magical creatures. It is said that Caldell Slaegiac coated his sword with poison before he faced off against Alboen." Iris said.

"That's great news. Does it have an antidote? Can we get the flower?" Polonsky said.

"That's another problem I am afraid. You see the Demon Bane Flower is only grown in Aflel Nora, the Elven Continent and during a specific season in a very specific place only known to the Ethuilen Sefydliad who are the equivalent of the likes of Mossad, FBI and…"

"Basically, like some sort of State Security agency of sorts?" Holyfield pressed.

"Indeed. The location of the flower and the cure for it is a top secret that even I don't know of…" Iris sadly broke the news.

"Damnit, we need to march our ships to Ethuilen right now and aim our missiles at those Elves until we get our cure! I will even personally fire the warning shots myself." Holyfield roared to the ovation of his supporters much to the objections of the moderates and the Tyr Rianni Nobles.

"But there is an alternative means… that… doesn't involve pissing on the most Arcane civilization in all of Gliesia however… We need a Cleric." Iris added.

"Judging by our circumstances and your tone. I believe we need a SPECIFIC Cleric… Healing Priests or whatever." Polonsky said.

"Yes, one from the Oathtakers of Neneth. Their devotion to the Goddess of Life drives them to cure even the gravest of maladies. They are from Ethuilen again and many of them travel around the Empire but they tend to cover their tracks a lot since they are often conspicuous to… more sinister intending people who have need of such… skills and magics that they possess and can be able to do… We need to find one soon and fast." Iris answered.

"Hang on, 'Kriozad's Curse' Iris? I think that Aliathra girl we know earlier mentioned she managed to cure poisons quite often… do you think she's our Cleric?" Diaz said.

"Well she did heal me once back in that Hunting trip Vinny so I say she might be worth a shot." Obediah backed the Penal soldier.

"Then we should find this Aliathra and these Oathtakers right this instant." Holyfield declared slamming his fist on his table before he picked up his aviator shades.