Zweiter Flügelschlag

Metal chinked against glass thrice

Attaining attention of those alive.

It was my father suddenly bringing cheer and laughter to a halt. I can't blame him, however, since it was necessary. Silly moments will be followed up by serious ones, always.

-"Since all of you are present at one place, I might as well tell you a few things of importance"

He had the attention of all. That introduction just made me more worried about what he had wanted to tell me in private later, I-

"As we all know, Leo here broke the faked reality we lived in under the impression that everything was as it should be… That was, of course, false. You already figured out that someone must be behind that scheme and I am finally capable to reveal who that person is"

Excitement blossomed further as the tension rose. I looked over to Leigh and Cherry, are they a couple, now? I've been gone for a year and things started to move and develop so fast and easily it's a bit frightening, honest. I scoffed, the air seemed so greyish and cold albeit it being so sunny. My sighs carried that weight again. Though going out of my mouth I certainly didn't feel any lighter, no. The burden's still there as ever. … I'm the worst, thinking about such trivial things while there's obviously something of more importance going on. Can I help it? I could! But I won't, 'cause it's me and as long as you're here with me, I'm not going-

I'm not going to switch! Shut it, already. Ray hand grasped mine firmly, I guess I was showing it too clearly again.. I tuned back into the convo- "He's my greatest rival, my best friend and-"

"Tha- Uhm, sorry, what was his name again? i didn't.. quite catch that.." "His name is []"

Huh? What is this? Now Leigh seemed to repeat the name for me, too, but I still couldn't hear it. Turned to Ray for help, he calmed me down as I was beginning to feel very stressed. What was this? I wanna hear the name but I seems to be.. impossible for me? what.. "Rayyyy, my hands were gripping on his dark sweater, "it's okay, it's okay", his arms slowly hugged me as they pulled me onto his lap. "What's his name", I said with my head against his chest. … There. Again. I couldn-

-"Can you not hear the name?", Leigh asked with a worried tone. "No, and it frightens me!", I looked at her mouth moving but all I could feel was my head getting dizzy and my eyes starting to hurt really bad. That name was ruining me from the inside, I felt sick… I wanna pass out- Huh?

-"There, you should be feeling better right now. I'm sorry, Leo, I didn't know he was that afraid of you", Jack spoke.

- "..You mean.. your friend has a Will so powerful he can manipulate things like this? I felt like I was falling back into comatose there, what the hell… "

-"He was King before Jack, you know?", Cherry cut in, "The most powerful person back when he was on Earth-" "You mean to say man's literally become God?", M. asked. A nod was his response which left the mouths of few hanging, alike the heads of the WM soldiers who were all knocked out by Jack's Will to ensure none of this information would get into their brains. "Who do you think sent out those Angels back at Res Novae?" "( )", Ray said, I'm sure 'cuz I could hear his torso rumbling but I couldn't hear what he was saying. "With utmost certainty", Cherry added.

"Those things..", Leigh started, "No, the next time I'll see them, I'll cut them down. I trained for this, I won't let another one of us die again. My blade cuts to protect and not to murder anymore", her hand on the handle of the sword. Wow, she really did a 180, huh? Protective like a big sister or something. "Speaking of which, if I may interrupt.. That's Rosh's craft, yes?" "It is, you have a keen eye, Mr. Roseblood", she replied, "Cherry told me you knew my master" "Oh, I know you aunt, alright.. I gave her a good many headaches every time she challenged me to a duel, be it chess or combat" Leigh scoffed and smiled: "It would have been nice to have you see how I beat her in battle", she drank, "Why haven't all of us talked like this a lot earlier? This is great, just like in the dojo." The silence for a moment was dominating. Birds chirping and singing song.

-"Well, erhm pardon me", Nella came into the round, "Well, as you might remember the faked reality had manipulated various people, tricking them to behave in ways they usually would not, right?" Pouring tea next to her, Leigh nodded whilst she continued: "Mr. Roseblood here, he was chained down to Londinium, meaning he could not leave this place, nor use his Will to break out. To phrase it differently he was sort of cursed with having an altered version of himself displayed to his son. Leo was tricked to believe his father hadn't cared for him all along, and Leo's breakdown was what ultimately made his majesty give in and hide away in his bedroom-"

-"Thank you, Nella."

-"Always a pleasure, Sir."

Running his fingers through his hair, he continued instead: "So, my best friend, ugh… without diving in too deep.. he became the most powerful wielder of Will. He's technically King, yet since he has distanced himself from the Earth, the crown falls onto me."

-"So we're not free?", Leigh asked bluntly. "Oh, we are free. If you compare this world to the faked one, we are", Cherry argued. "I think it's painfully blatant that we aren't", holding Leo tighter, "It's not freedom if Leo's being hurt like this. No, I can't accept this as freedom." "Dad, does that mean your friend is the reason why I can't use my Will anymore?" Ah, there it was. The silence that confirms before word. I feared as much but it's a good thing to know that's it's not entirely my fault, then.

-"If you want the full truth, my best friend is the reason you existed in the faked world, Leo"

-"Yeah, I figured that out right after.", Leo scoffed, smiled in sorrowful satisfaction, "I guess I wasn't supposed to be alive, after all." "Leo.." "Noo" "Come on, Leo..." "Don't say that"

-"You were going to come into this world either way, Leo", Jack smiled, "I did fall in love with someone special, after all. Your mother, she.. was actually what I wanted to you about in private"

"Can we have some more tea, please, 'cause this is the most interesting morning convo I been a part of..", "Oh and please more eclairs!", the Blackwoods were asking.

As soon as the foods and drink which were asked for had been replenished, Jack set off to tell us about Leo's mother. Yet, Leo himself.. seemed not to like that.

-"You don't want to know about your mother, after all?", my father asked me.

-"I just.. don't think I want to. I actually have a really strong urge to never see her again.."

-"I promise you, Leo, she would understand you better if you were to meet her nowadays"

-"great.. So that means she wasn't even manipulated into throwing glass at me in that world...",

I leaned my face against Ray's chest. …

-"Alright.. I can understand your feelings, so I'll stop, I'm sorry, please forgive for bringing up something unsettling." "It's okay, I just wanna deal with it.. when I'm ready for it."

Everyone gave smiles which made me feel better about it, even though.. I know I shouldn't let past traumas hinder me from living through my present day, I.. seem to keep it up more than anything-

"Which sucks.", I made everyone notice me again, "It sucks, this world sucks, I really dislike having that person still rule over my life like this.. I mean, he's King, right? Use- Just use your power to help people who are in need?! Nono, instead he uses his Will to bully me and drive me insane, hell- There are people who are taking their lives because they can't deal with it anymore, there are people who suffer because people like him are taking advantage of their power."

"So what do you suggest to do?", Cherry asked in a curious tone, hoping to hear a satisfying answer.

"I'll take that crown… Someone like him only stains the title of King and that I can't let pass.

A true King aids those in need, and shares his power to help." A short moment of silence as the sun once more rose colours to their utmost peak of beauty within this room. Leo's brunette hair was so starkly illuminated, making it darker and darker as his magenta eyes reflected a sinister red:

"If You're listening… Make sure to pile up on angels while you can, 'cause I'm comin' up there to eat their wings off and drink your blood"

.

.

.

The brunette broke the shock by asking his father: "Your best friend is also the reason I was tortured for ten years, then, right?" "He is, yes", Jack responded in a sorrowful voice. Which means, he really is the orchestrator for all my misery… What the hell did I do to deserve this..?

-"I see it the same way Leo does", Ray began, "This world is simply terrible and I want it to be fixed as much as he wants"

"But, most importantly, you want to see Leo free, right?", Jack asked him and the blonde responded: ".. Well. Of course, I don't have to prove to you again that he's my dearest, now do I ?"

"No worries, there, Ray", the King gave a kind smile, "It's good to see you carry that rebellious spirit, but what about you two..?" Alike shifting perspective with the movement of his hand, the two in question were none other than Leigh and Cherry.

The couple locked eyes which each other but really, all knew the answer before it was voiced by word and sound. How could they not aid their friends? How could they not pursue a cause which involved them just as much? "We'll fight for freedom", they said to which the King responded with yet another question: "Are all four of ready to set out on a life of survival in this world? As you might know, in this world there are many a people who wield strong Willpower who will try to come after you, parties like smaller and bigger organisations will keep an eye on you to hunt you.

Are you prepared to live for a cause you believe in and are you ready to die for it?"

Those words came from someone who had been through it all, that you could hear with ease. We've never really been told the adventures of The Architects but I'm sure if he talks about living and dying for something you believe in so much, they must have been the real deal… What am I thinking? That's the King Jack Roseblood, the strongest on Earth for God's sake- Wait- should I say that? Now that I know that God is someone who seems to hate me… Ah, whatever, just a figure of speech anyway.. One after the other, we started confirming that we were ready to live and die for our cause, for our fight, for our struggle against destiny, fate and well, life…

Right when the brunette stood up he blacked out, thankfully being caught by Ray before hitting the floor: "I think he's not enough rested yet… ", the blonde spoke, "I'll bring him to his room and watch over him until he comes to again" "Is he going to be fine?", the white-haired asked. "Well, surely, isn't he?", Cherry added, "He is going to play the devil of our little story here, after all"

"Of course Leo's gonna be fine", Ray carried his love in both arms now.

"I hate to tell you all like this, especially since my son's unconscious now of all times.. but Shannah and I found out that Leo in this world has to struggle with things such as these"

"So blacking out randomly is only the tip of the iceberg..", Leigh sighed heavily, "Listen up guys.. I really am willing to put my life on the line here if it means getting freedom." A strong resolve which was but shared by her companions.

-"Alright. So be it, then.. Cherry are you still familiar with where St. Rosè is?", Jack asked him, suggesting that was where they should head first to set free Leo's Will- at least a bit of it.

-"Aye, with the aid of a map, I can-" "Can't lead us without a map there?", Leigh provoked him, "Thought you were an Architect so that's kind of la-"

-"Pardon, lads, my wife is trying to irritate me once again"

-The white-haired getting a red face, the king unable to hide his smile and Ray looking in surprise-

Sipping on the last bit of tea left in his cup, raising the pinky: "Too easy to get back cha", he snickered.

It was only the two of us, now. Him in my arms and me trying to carefully put him down between the blankets and the pillows. Naturally, I couldn't forget to put his plush lion right into his arms.

God, I can't help it, I love it when he looks so peaceful, I want to protect him so bad-

-"Ray" "Huh? Y- yeah, what's up, leo?", I kept my voice low not to startle him right off the bat.

-"i'm sorry, ray.. " I smiled: "what for..?", placing my hand on his forehead, grateful not to discover the coming of a fever. "there's something about me you don't know yet.. and it's pretty ugly, I honestly don't want you to ever meet it, it- it's like a- another side of me but.. no, it's not really me"

I tried to understand what he was telling me..

I think he was talking about some sort of second personality within him. And.. supposedly it's 'ugly'..? "Just know that when I'm not acting like myself, please make sure I don't hurt anyone, alright? Can you.. promise me?" Without a second thought he answered: "I promise.

Leo, I promise I'll always be here for you and protect you", placing his pale hand on my heart.

I almost forgot he gave half his heart to save my life.. What kind of strong Willpower Ray had become the wielder of.. I was about to pass out again, I could feel it so before it happened with the last bit of strength I was able to muster, I pulled him close to me, to feel his weight on me, his scent just him-

Blackness clouded consciousness in the matter of a few and so the blonde was to leave the bedroom once more. Parting with a kind smile upon his lips, he left his love.

The door carefully shut, and turning around he was startled to find the king next to him who had presumably been waiting for "Ray!" "Sir!", the blonde calmed down from the small shocker,

"With all due respect Sir, You have to stop appearing next to me out of thin air like this..", the both of them chuckled.

-"Say.. Ray.. did you happen to notice any changes in reality just now?"

A confusing look gave away his answer and the King resumed speaking:

"Just now, there was an attempt to manipulate every citizen of Londinium. Controlling them to attack this very manor in which all of us are gathered."

Ray had stopped breathing for a moment there, just to take in what Jack had just told him.

-"I countered it, however, so no need to worry.. for now.."

-"For now, Sir?" "Tell, me, do you understand what this potential attack just gave away?"

"Okay think, this is the time to prove yourself to Leo's father, c'mon-", thus he spoke:

-"Since the attacker knew all of us are here in London, it must be someone outside of town. Hence, someone with the skills of an observer. Plus, they know you're King, thus it must be someone of great power for it was able to make you act. Perhaps your best friend?"

-"You got a bright light in there, but yes, you're right. It's him and I want you to remember this moment. After you're out of London, there'll be no protection so situations such as these will occur. Be ready." There it was again, that smile that could make a fire in Hell cease in less than a second. Calming as ever he gave me the confidence to believe in myself. The very confidence I need to protect all my friends and Leo.

"Thank you, Sir. For everything."

A little while later which Leigh, Ray and Cherry used to catch up..

Jack Roseblood had entrusted them with all the information they needed to get to St. Rosè..

-"Everyone got their stuff, right? We're practically ready to go out, then..", the blonde said.

The three of them stood in the entrance hall, in front of the door.

-"Well, we're missing still a vital chess piece..", Cherry smiled, "The King.."

-"Would that make Ray the queen piece?" Eyes rolling over to the one in question…

-"Ugh, I mean, yea.. I guess? Considering Leo really isn't really able to move around too much,

as well.." "But Ray isn't our strongest mate", Cherry threw in, "Aww, thanks babe! You're too cute-" "I was talking about Leo, Leigh" "Oh.." Ray took the word: "If you think about it, Leo really is the strongest out of us. Sure, he's been weakened now but wait until he gets his Will back. Ya'll saw what he pulled at Res Novae, didn't you?" "… Well, I was kinda busy killing myself..", Cherry said in a very calm voice. "..why are all our lives so damn fucked-"

-"Alright"

-"Alright?" Three gazes went over to the shortest of the four.

-"I'm here. And my body hurts so much", they watched the brunette come down the stairs as if he was an elderly person. "Finally! Our princess has arrived",

Leigh welcomed him into the round again.

-"Again with this teasing? Oh well, at least, I can be happy about the fact that you enjoy your new look.." His magenta eyes met with her golden orbs. The fact that she had looked like a beast before she was trained at the dojo and only now wore the beauty of a refined human who has mastered their past- Then it clicked: "Leo, did you somehow foresee this?" Leo chuckled so much he felt pain in his throat and abdomen. "Nono, I can't look into the future right now, since I don't have Will right now, you know? But when reality shattered, I made sure that you would get the look you wanted.. So? Are you happy with how you look, at last?", he smiled. The white-haired simply just smiled back for a couple of seconds. "I can't even think of how to repay you.. know that my blade shall protect yo-", then she remembered,

"Oh! I.. how could I forget.. I actually got a tattoo, kind of- as a memento, guys..." Cherry helped her find the right words:

-"For Leigh here thought she would never again see you alive she got herself an eternal reminder.. a tribute..", to those words the Godsent exposed her back to her friends. There it was.

The Cross Rose, a symbol for ever-lasting rebellion against those oppose their dream.

"That's beautiful", the brunette whispered, "I wanted it on my back since.. well, you know.. your scars on your back and all.." The boy gave a kind smile: "How thoughtful of you, thank you Leigh", he hugged her. "Huh?", never ever would she have thought to get hugged on the spot like this.. but there was a deep sense of appreciation between these two which filled the whole room with a warm feeling.

-"By the way" , Leo asked, "We ARE going to use the horses to travel right?" "Sur-" "No.", Leigh was interrupted by Ray. "Something's up with them, they're.. being tracked, are they not?"

"Quite so, I'm impressed you noticed", Cherry sounded like a teacher praising a student. "If your senses are refined you could even tell by whom they were manipulated by.. Can you do that?"

Three pairs of eyes were intensively staring at Ray. He ran his finger through his hair, twirled a couple of strands betwixt his fingers until he admitted he that he was not able to do so.

-"To do so, one must refine their senses to work more like an observer's, actually. You and Leigh a alike in a sense.. since the both of you have well developed Will in battle. But I guess it is I who has to make up for observatory skills in this group.." "Who was it, then ?" "The Blackwoods." "Huh?"

-"Not! The ones who were having brekky with us, my darling" "You're talking about my father, then.. goddammit..", Ray let out. A realization crossed his mind the same second he let out a breath:

"The WM and the Blackwoods are working together." "Would seem so, mate", Cherry eerily shook Ray's hand.

-"Ugh what a mess", said Leigh, "So we're walking?", Leo asked to break everyone's worries for a second's moment. "It would seem that way. Well! On we go, then, there", opening the doors and stepping out as first he held out his hand erect in the direction they all would march in.

Out they went, "Where to exactly?" "Uhmm over there… ", Cherry tipped his cap first then pointed at what would reveal to be mountains, "We should be there… I think tomorrow" "Oh so we camping out for tonight? That's cool, I never went camping", Leigh said and after everyone's silence it was clear that none of them had camped out. "Well.. as Architects we had a few occasions where sleeping with no roof seemed inevitable.." "Oh so you-" "We ended up faking money to stay at a hotel most of times or simply made one." …

Collective confusion with a hint of admiration.

-"You just snapped a house into existence?", Leo asked clinging onto Ray.

The cap was yet again tipped to prepare to give the simple answer of a 'yes.'

A glance of a bird's eye would catch a most intriguing sight, oh yes:

On the land there were four juveniles travelling on foot to reach mountains which were the walls one had to cross to get to the fabled St. Rosè.

The white-haired swordswoman, the devil brat, the gangster son, and the guy with a personality disorder.

Fortunate enough to have luck on their side, a small cave was found to make camp in. Here it was safe from the nightly howling storm of rain and wind, where Leo would still not let go of his lover.

-"What's it like, Cherry? *sounds of making a fire* …. St. Rosè, I mean..", Ray asked.

-"Ah the fabled St. Rosè.. I was there but one time.. nevertheless, it should be still as it was: meaning, cold and snowy, lads."

("I knew it", thought Leo)

-"It is a small town in which it's said that the God of Winter, Hiems, resided there many a centuries ago. The town itself carries on Hiems' Will by still to this day being frozen solid",

having the attention of all, he chinked his fingernail against the mug filled with coffee,

"After his death, they say, he manifested himself into the town itself..", he finished his notes, closed the book and spoke:

"..Or so the legend goes", and took a sip of coffee.

A wholesome note it was, not too bitter nor too sweet.

"Awesome story, Cherry, you should be a novelist", Leo said in a tone which did not even try to his sleepiness.

"Oh who..? Me? A writer?" "You're already annoying as one when talking", Leigh hugged Cherry from behind. "I am getting ridiculed for simply answering Ray's question. Oh, the misery..",

he sighed. "Ya'll ever played with shadows as kids?", asked Ray forming a rabbit with his hands as the cast shadow resembled the very animal.

.

.

.

Cherry: "Just how old are y-" "HOW", shouted Leigh and Leo, which led to Ray teaching them various figures. Cherry just held the brim of his cap and leaned back onto the rocky wall of cave. Perhaps letting loose once in a while wasn't the worst decision. But the thought of someone having to be on the lookout for the night.. yeah that thought would just not let go of him.

"You thinkin' of the night?", Leigh asked, "Ah, it's alright, I can do it, I don't want you to miss out on spending time with your friends." "Ohh", she grabbed his hand, "My friends are you friends. We share the dream of freedom, don't we? So c'mon on already!", she pulled him onto his feet and so it was the four of them drinking, talking and playing around.

The fire Ray had made with his Will crackled ever so nostalgically, urging them to become more and more sleepy. "So do tell, please", the blonde passed the bottle of water to Leigh, "What happened in Angelus? We kinda lost you back then.. and well, we kinda saw each other last at the hospital." "Well.. I mean uhh- I went to a pub." "We met at the local pub.", Cherry cut in.

-"We kinda talked for a bit"

-"I was having a beer.. or so I think"

-"He was talking rubbish"

-"So I rammed my knife into the WM Hunting List."

-"And the knife went through-"

-"Leigh's name"

-"Kinda went off form there. We started a bar fight-"

-"And made out"

-"In your dreams"

-"But I did get you to come around my mansion in the forest"

-"After I kicked your ass at the beach, yeah"

-"Literally, I won back then."

-"So he showed me his garden"

-"Best garden in the whole reality, trust me, mate"

-"And that fucker has BUTLERS, Ray"

-"had*"

-"A whole buffet before the war day. It was unreal"

-"And then, well. We met again at the dojo and happened to like each other"

-"Pretty much the story, yeah", Leigh concluded, "Where did you meet Leo, wasn't it-"

"A church but- let's not talk about the church", the brunette said in a sleepy voice.

"Yeah, let's call it a day, we'll arrive at St. Rosè tomorrow", Leigh stood up and said she was going to be on the lookout. It would be no problem whatsoever for her. She had endured many a cold nights as training. "All right then, see ya'll tomorrow", Ray spoke and put Leo on him once he was on his back. This way the blonde was able to heat up Leo in a much better way.

Dark it was upon nightfall but dark it was also when the morning arose and the four were up and ready to march the final stretch to St. Rosè. A final uphill road which was frozen. An indicator the town of Winter was up ahead. "Watch your step guys!", Cherry shouted as he dodged two bullets coming from. "Above!", Leo pointed, "Three, no, five, seven, nine in total, all lined up in suits and guns blazing, proper mafia style. Whaddya say, Ray? How about a lil' family meeting", they dodged further incoming bullets. "They simply avoiding our bullets!" "With this fog?!"

"They are mocking us!", Leigh laughed, "Sending only nine to ambush us,", she grabbed her handle, dragon's handle lighting up as she was walking up the way through flying hot metal.

"Four-four?", she glanced at Ray who was walking next to her with smoking arms.

"Whoever's faster gets the remaining one, eh?" "GO!", she shouted and unsheathed the katana, blade glowing whiter than the opposing snow, right on then, get 'em!

Lightning started coming down into the blade to charge up. Multiple lines of pure white forming the image of a spider's nest in mid air as the foes were made to concentrate on that only, the blonde was forming and holding a fire fist above them all. Unleashed both attacks were simultaneously only to combine and consume the enemy in a furious mixture of the blinding lightning and charring burns of the fire. A few screams were the last note they gave as the attacks vanished. Leigh smirked. Being on the ground she knew she was going to get the last guy. And so she ran, blade in hand. This would be a clean cut across the chest to make the heart stop.

-But two metres away from him, being so close she could look inside the gun's barrel, she started to finally notice the black smoke around her. Alike a flash bang in sound and vision came flying a ball of flames. Leigh pushed herself away at the last second, sending her backwards to see the gigantic ball dissolve into a second sea of flames. She smiled. Ramming the blade into the icy road she slowed down and came to a final halt. The orange dissolved into thin air again, leaving no mark of a struggle. Ah there he was, again next to her as if nothing had happened.

"Well look at you, stronger than ever, eh?" "I had to become strong.. just like you, Leigh", he smiled back. Her white hair was dancing feverishly in this strong wind of today. "Perhaps we could move on, then? Any conflict will draw attention to us which, mind you, would be not good", Cherry suggested and so they did. Curiously enough was it that the Blackwoods had already been out for blood. "Chery, say", Leigh adjusted her swords, "Does this town have a ruler of some sort?"

"Not that I know of, no", he replied. When they were at the top of this hill, it was a view over the whole of St. Rosè. Truly a frozen town and sight to behold. Giving it a closer look might reveal the-

"Castle over there, guys", Cherry tipped his hat, "...well, it has been a while

since I last was here but.."

"Let's not hope that this is a town run by monarch", Ray added, "What exactly is the game plan here, though?", the white haired observed the castle from afar.

Cherry: "God made this world so that Leo is very weak. That's the thesis."

Ray: "Right."

Cherry: "We'll make an antithesis to counter that thesis."

Leo: "anti-thesis? An- tithesess"

Ray: "By breaking Hiems' Will, we'll change God's creation and-"

Cherry: "Have ourselves an opening"

Leigh: "We'll use that to manifest Leo bit by bit into this world.

So that, very soon, Leo can have his Will rival God's again."

Leo: "It's an anthis esses"

Cherry: "It is, mate."

Leo: "Cheers!"

A lake frozen solid as one might have expected. A deep blue shimmered once in a while due to the moonlight gifting glooming life to the various lines and scratched across the lake, which indeed was the ground this town had been built on. With the encircling houses making up the biggest are of this winterland the eye would almost oversee the arching piste. The birds here were equipped with the most extraordinary tone of sapphire-blue whilst singing the tunes of snowfall.

Skiing and snowboarding were joyful activities practised by the villagers around here on a daily basis. Needless to say that only the castle still remained ominous, seeming out of place, thus sticking out even more. "Speaking of sticking out.. won't we be recognized in town?", Ray asked.

"I don't think they'll start a riot or something", Leigh said, "And if they do..", she tapped the handle of her longsword with a cheeky smile. All of them shared a laugh- …

Total stillness.

Left?

Hearts beating.

Right?

Hungry eyes.

"what exac-", Leo was cut off my Cherry's "pshh", having his arm stretched out to signal to stop.

Leigh, Ray and Cherry had felt it. 'Great, I'm the one who'll drag us down..', the brunette thought..

The presence of strong Wills. "soldiers..?", Leigh mumbled.

"No WM soldiers, perhaps Blackwoods…", Cherry whispered with a concentrated face, "okay.. careful, there's multiple strong people here which isn't normally the case since this is a poorly visited town." "What if the people have been brainwashed to forget about St. Rosè by the strongest one in town?",

Leo suggested. Cherry gave a smile. The brunette went on: "And the people here are being dominated by a monarch after all" Tipping his cap, he said: "Looks like we're going to liberate

St. Rosè!" "Yeah now that you guys mention it, the sky's been dark ever since we've been near this place. I bet it has something to do with Hiems' Will" "The God of Winter, the WM-Blackwoods-Allience, a monarch annnd", Cherry looked deep into Leigh's golden orbs, ".. Godsents", he chuckled, "We're about to have ourselves a great time, if I may say so-" A giant crash was shocking and rocking through black clouds. Peaking through slight openings one could see-

"Is that a ship." "a fucking what now" "look how huge that is!" "that's what she said"

The oars slashed through the cloud sea as if it were liquid water of the sea. And that wasn't the only one, it wasn't alone, no. Two smaller ships were following the larger.

"I think…. I recognize those ships? They belong to Tharius, I'm sure", Leo said in a calm voice. "You mean the-" "Viking?" "I don't know if he's on our side still but I'm guessing that he isn't."

Leigh took a few steps forward, trying to gaze through the bad weather: "Well at least, he isn't coming down, throwing his ships at us again, you know? .. I say let's get this done quickly so we can see what the rest of us crackheads are up to" "Yeah", Ray stepped in, "I have a weird feeling about this world" "Ah you're just too used to the peace and quiet in Londo-" "WATCH OUT"

A ship. It was crashing down from the above, closing in with every metre "FOR FUCK'S SAKE MOVE, CHERRY!"