Aware of Sulfrax's suspicions of the CMAS, Rem insisted, "We should go to my home. I seldom spend time in it. I'm an unknowable element and out of the public eye." He spoke just loud enough to be heard by the archmage. "We can talk more business there." He concluded.

Rem was rather confident that rarely a soul cared that much to know him. There were a few like Master Pharos and other busy bodies but they knew everyone so it was less likely that he would be hounded for political reasons. The men and women that really knew Rem were kinder more humble individuals. Rem Vano had never really considered a need for destructive power. His interests were always in the source magic, the power that shapes and sustains the world. However mysterious it is, Rem's style of magic has followed after it, a reflection of natural elements. It made of him a more generous man to the small folk.

Jäger looked as stone and moved as a mountain. His shoulders were broad as his metallic torso shuffled little. His forward, slow stride brought him before the impaled Dan. He was likely moments before death. And if he wasn't, Jäger would not let him suffer. For the moment, though, the dead spoke. The monk knelt by Dan's side. His kneepad collided with the metal surface of the Z-ATV's floor. A loud chink of armor echoed through the empty, crushed chambers. He rested two, open palms upon bended knee. His pale eyes did not waiver, staring directly into Dan's own.

"I have failed you. I was not strong enough. Your journey ends because of my weakness."

He stood now.

"I must atone. Name your request, and thy will be done."

Sulfrax craned his neck backwards and stopped to allow Rem ahead of him. "Very well, Take the lead," Sulfrax whispered briefly, leaning close to Rem as he passed him by. The CMAS mages were scattered throughout Hyznia as usual, but most seemed to give Sulfrax nothing more than a passing glance. The group that approached them initially did not continue to follow them. Were they lost? Or did they suspect nothing after all? Whatever the case, Sulfrax agreed that discussion could not take place with so many ears lingering about the Hyznia Castle grounds. He followed after Rem, hoping that his home was not too far off from their position. The last thing they needed was to be wasting time on heedless travel.



A cascade of rock and energy spread out from the sphere's impact point, completely engulfing the plateau and the two hunters on top of it. Jenso found himself landed far enough away from the implosion that ensued to assure his complete and utter safety, but Dom and Midge were pulled into the rock-crushed blast and evaporated in an instant by Yvette's high-power induction cannon. The HPIC MK 2, a personal favorite. It took quite a while to conjure up a single usable A/B for one of those spherical blasts, but as everyone could see, it proved to offer excellent results.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Brian shouted at Yvette, shaking her shoulder. She dropped the useless husk of the empty HPIC and toppled over into his arms. She heaved heavily and punched Brian's thigh. He didn't feel much though.

"Time, energy, and collateral damage," She explained curtly.



Dan shook his head. "Zay?" He wheezed through a crooked smile. He didn't look at Jager directly, nor did he correct mistaking his identity. "I can't understand you, Zay... Gettin' involved in this Junker-" Dan paused and coughed up a copious amount of blood, and his wheezes became far more rapid, draining him of his energy. "This Junker business." His voice was quieter now, like an exhausted soldier taking respite in a pause from the war. But this wasn't a pause, this was Dan's final stand, and with it came a revelation. "Luke doesn't really know we're here... Zay... I just thought... Just... Thought..." Dan's breaths became shallow, and after a few moments, his bubbling wound took his consciousness, and ultimately, his life. Jager was left there now, perhaps completely in the dark. Luke was known among most of the CMAS officials as the infamous Diver header, leader of the rumored paradise and powerful ally of freedom. What was Dan talking about? Had he spoken with Zay about this before?

"Jager!" Haley shouted, trying to catch the attention of the lightning mage. "Jager! Come out here ASAP! The other ATVs, they're here! They've caught up with us!"

"HOLY SHIT!" Jenso shouted as the sphere reached the plateau and engulfed Dom and Midge. He frowned. He didn't want them to die this way, but ultimately, they sealed their own fates. They had the chance to leave, but didn't do so. As the smoke cleared, Jenso believed that both of them were gone. Regardless, he wouldn't take any more risks. He climbed the large rock quickly, to confirm that the two hunters had indeed perished. He searched to see if there was anything interesting that Midge and Dom had. If anything was left after the blast, that was.

After confirming their deaths, he climbed back down, and dashed for the Junkers. He made sure to keep using the rocks as cover, not wanting to die like Dom and Midge did. "Don't shoot! I just wanna talk!" Jenso shouted, hoping he wouldn't be fired upon. He knew that Brian was able to sense people from great distances, so he believed that trying to surprise them wouldn't work.

As Jenso approached the wreckage, he would see several graves, and nobody out in the open. That's when Brian peered out of the window, confident that Yvette's monstrous blast had taken care of the hunters. "Hey, it's you!" Brian called out, "Yvette, it's that Diver from before!" Yvette struggled to peer over the bottom edge of the ATV's front window, but she saw him approaching. "I didn't notice him earlier. My abilities haven't been responding normally as of late, I'm sorry.." Brian whispered. Yvette waved him off and fell back down.

"Bring him in here," She ordered, "There's only two of us left. If he already wants us dead, he'll kill us regardless of our actions." Brian nodded and headed towards the ATV's top hatch, which was still jammed open from the earlier confrontation with The Xena Serpent. He waved Jenso over peacefully, and pointed towards the ATV below him. Jenso was welcomed into the vehicle without any issues at all.

Jenso smiled at the sign of peace, and headed into the ATV. "Hey uh..guys.." He muttered, taking deep breaths. "That was insane! Looks like you guys didn't need my help with those bandits after all, huh?" He spoke, looking at Brian for a moment and then at Yvette. Neither of them appeared to be injured, despite Yvette's fatigue. "I'm sorry, but...I need to talk to you about some things, Yvette. Perhaps it would be best if nobody else hears the conversation, it's kind of um...serious business." He finished. He didn't want Brian to hear what he had to say, mostly because he didn't want him and any of the other remaining Junkers to get into a panic. He wanted the truth, and he intended to find out right now. He wanted to avoid a fight if possible, all he wanted was answers. On top of that, the many battles and running that he had been doing was quite draining for his energy.

Jäger remained quiet as the Junker spoke the name of his comrade. He must have been delusional from the loss of blood. Jäger’s belief in the purity of knowledge was indomitable; he would not knowingly lead Dan on. Even if Dan could not comprehend what the monk was saying, Jäger would not sit idly by.

“Nay, for I am Jäger.”

But his words were unheard by Dan, speaking through blood and smiling teeth. Jäger crouched as the altar before begging men, the flickering candle hearing prayer. Their church was composed of twisted metal. One of them had a bible. Jäger briefly wondered if Kho would accept Dan’s soul into the infinities, into another component of the cosmos. The air reeked of iron but it did not budge the silent Jäger. He merely continued to listen to a dead man’s words.

“Luke doesn’t really know we’re here…”

Jäger’s eyes twisted and honed in. He hummed and leaned forward at mention of the name, adjustable parts of his plate armor creaking. Luke was the Diver’s leader, he supposed it made sense for most divers to at least know of him. Dan, perhaps Zay, seemed to have a more intimate connection established. Dan would not grant him his request. He would discover through Zay what he wished to say. Jäger’s honed mind, focused on this premise, missed Dan’s final breath. Only the monk’s empty eyes saw his passing. The observation of death was not important. Only that it happened. He lowered his gauntlet now, retracting the unused static crackling between his metal fingers.

The dark honed his senses inward. He stood upward unseen as before, armor resting with his stance. He peered over the collar of his breastplate, down toward Dan. He was far too impaled to be lifted. The monk would only mangle the body by removing it. He touched the five points on his armor once again, forming a crude star with his invisible motions. The mention of his name caught his attention, bangs moving with the turn of his head. His blank stare returned to watch Dan for only a moment more, before setting off outside of the Z-ATV.

“I will atone.”

"You will speak," Yvette started, pointing towards Brian mid-sentence, "And he will remain present. If this is not to your liking, then I suggest you either kill us both, or leave." Despite her fatigue, she spoke sternly between a series of calm breaths. Brian flinched at the comment and looked around. He was the only other Junker left, now. Everyone else was dead, or gone. "If this business is as serious as you claim, I would like Brian to hear this as well. We are the sole survivors of Survey Group Alpha, as far as I'm concerned."

"What about Kenny? He could still be-"

"Kenny has sealed his fate!" Yvette snapped, "The CMAS will either imprison him in their silly little dungeon for questioning, or Kill him off as quickly and discreetly as possible. Those disgusting bastards-" Yvette paused and cleared her throat, turning her attention back towards Jenso. "Speak. Why are you here?.. Did Luke send you?"



Outside of the wrecked Z-ATV that sat at the Lizard's feet, Jager would notice ATV #2 and #3 approaching from the west, traveling along the edge of the desert cliff that stopped group one less than half an hour ago. "There you are!" Haley squawked, somewhat relieved, but noticeably impatient. She had no right to be impatient, of course, but the entire situation had shaken her resolve. Haley was no where near as resolute of the Iron guard Yvette, nor was she as likable or reliable as Jonathan. The woman had poor self esteem despite his mastery over magic and command. "I'm off to regroup with Jonathan. I'll assume that there were no... Survivors," Haley stumbled over her own words when she saw there had been no one following Jager out of the wrecked ATV. "You and Zay will stay here and keep a look out. I highly doubt our vehicle is salvageable, but there's no harm in hoping."

Zay tread over to Jager as Haley turned to leave, nodding lazily. He stopped at Jager's side, not looking at him directly. As Haley inched out of earshot, Zay turned slightly towards Jager. "Dan's dead," He affirmed. It wasn't a question, but he still waited for Jager to confirm his suspicions, an icy grip pulling at his throat.

Jenso blinked a few times in silence as he caught his breath. Yvette seemed very nervous and annoyed, which was expected after everything that she and Brian had been through. Her words didn't come to him as a surprise, he'd long suspected that Yvette wasn't truly working for Arcadia after all. "I'm not here to kill you." He assured them right away. "Right... I'll get right to the point. Those bandits up there were a bunch of bounty hunters. They saw a bounty header from some Arcadian official about a clean-up job. That's why they came to kill you." Jenso spoke, and paused for a moment.

"...I know you're working for Luke. Just tell me the truth. What's really going on between you and him? If the higher-ups at Arcadia want you dead, that must mean that they know you're a traitor too." Jenso stated, looking at Brian for a moment and back at Yvette. He knew that both of them could respond in a violent way, so he didn't relax just yet.

Rem led his senior mage through the streets to a location at the far end of the castle, furthest from the King's keep. Several neighbors acknowledged him with a curt nod or a greeting as they went. He would briefly respond in kind.

Rem's home was humble for an educated mage. It looked like any other of the lower cost dwellings in the location. It was small and tightly packed with the rest of its neighbors. It consisted of two rooms, wood flooring and stone walls. A solo window lit up his primary desk. Aside from this there were several other tables pushed against the walls and covered in scrolls, paper and books. Dust hung on everything and it was clear he hadn't been here often lately. Despite the amount of tables and furniture to put things on there was only one chair. The other room was dark and empty except for a cheap, creaky bed.

The humble owner closed the door after his guest and locked it. He gestured a hand toward a wooden support beam and an audible pop sounded through the chamber. The marking engraven into the wood glowed dully before settling down. Certain common protection runes and circles were a must have in this line of work, sealing in noise and magic while keeping others out.

"Alright. As long as no one is trying to scry our location we should be just fine." Rem shuffled some things to the side on a table and sat against it. "Of course if they did that I would know." He continued gesturing at another symbol painstakingly scrawled on a stone wall.

"This is where I spend most of the time I have to study and record my discoveries. As if it wasn't immediately obvious." Rem cleared his throat as the dust settled. "What's on your mind, Master Lauchlin?"

---

Sulfrax didn't take the time to admire, or even acknowledge the details of Rem's home. He rushed straight to the point. After all, they couldn't spend much more time in Hyznia, if Sulfrax had has way. The arch-mage looked over his collection of scrolls, intrigued, but too focused on the task at hand to sift through Rem's research, or admit his interest aloud once more. He cleared his throat and walked towards the center of the main room, careful not to trip, or knock anything over as he tip-toed forward.

"The dictator of Illon owes me a favor," Sulfrax repeated with a determined light in his eyes as he turned back to Rem, "That favor will not only grant us his armies, but an advantage over the CMAS that we desperately need. Access to his tactical forces, the seven sins." Not many had heard of Dictator Yvin's infamous strike force, but if Rem had been to Illon before, there's a chance he'd heard of it. The seven deadly sins, a masterful group of magic-less assassins that rely on espionage and guerrilla tactics to accomplish their missions. Rumors states that they've taken down entire nations outside of the quadra powers unbeknownst to the governing forces, including the CMAS. They were comparable to Hyznia's holy guard, but not in sheer strength. Rather, it was their subterfuge and use of deadly alchemical potions that gave them their edge. "We cannot take on the CMAS with a mere army. The amount of arch-mages they have under their command, several of whom may be able to trump my own magic, is astronomical. If we don't acquire the help of Yvin's men, then we will not succeed in this world shifting task. Not even with the strength of 2000 divers," Sulfrax explained. He shook his head. "Normally I wouldn't dare request the aid of a stranger whom I'd met hours prior to this revelation, but as you've personally witnessed, there is a tertiary threat to us all. Those filthy Gaians. They possess a power that dwarfs the common mage. If they hadn't been so idiotic, I fear we wouldn't be breathing right now. So I ask that you accompany me, if only to Illon. You will have my gratitude, if nothing else."

"M'am," Jäger said, acknowledging the order from his commanding officer. He still resented her words, but he would not let that damage his professional resolve. He literally bit his tongue to remain silent, nodding in response to Haley's plan. His pupils became smaller. Some blood dripped in-between the cheek and gums. He sucked in the sour liquid with a contraction of his lips. Though the words did not break him, they played in his head, over and over again. The calm words floated like mist over the shadow of Jäger's mind, clouding his thoughts.

"Good work with the lizard, Jager."

For whom the bell tolls, it should be those that ring it.

I will atone.

Jäger said nothing about Dan's death. Zay knew, and that was enough. The monk remained silent for some time after that, arms crossed behind his back. He surveyed the vast desert before him. The grains of sand chinked against his armor so quietly. The wind blew his raven hair so effortlessly. He looked frozen, only his eyes moving from time to time, watching the void of nature around. He spoke, not looking towards anyone in particular. And only when he and Zay were alone.

"You're known by Luke, architect of the Divers."

Jäger didn't ease into the subject. He did not believe in sugarcoating or worse, lying. The matter was simple, known, and should be discussed. It was the next step in Jäger's journey. The monk did not break position. He remained as a statue, only watching the horizon and any interaction going on between Haley and the other Z-ATVs.

"Yet Luke does not know you; your location is unknown to him. Is this what Dan wished him to know?"

Dan had unfortunately passed away before finishing his sentence. This is the information Jäger needed. He could not accomplish Dan's final rites without it. Breaking rank might draw attention to himself and Zay. He remained still, unable to watch Zay's face or movements save for peripheral vision.

"You saved my life. Do not think I will reprimand you for this. That is honor among men."

It was true that the CMAS were not a realistic threat to engage in combat. There was however more to this predicament. Subtlety might take too long. A direct assault would prove fatal and ultimately break peace between the quadra powers and set up further weakness for when these Gaians advanced in force.

"I will trust your judgement, Master Lauchlin." Rem decided. "Hear me out for a moment. I know very little from what I've heard of these seven sins. I'm afraid that any kind of attack on the CMAS would prove simply to weaken us before this greater threat arrives. I feel like we need some way to expose the Gaians as a true threat before internal conflict destroys our alliances. I'm certainly no friend of these officials or their politics but do you truly think breaking the CMAS before the Gaians arrive -- assuming we can actually accomplish that given the time -- would give us an edge?"

Rem reached beneath one of the tables, producing a travelling pack and started putting various provisions into it, specifically one of the journals on his desk and some reagents for mundane spells. Sulfrax Lauchlin was not the kind of man to change his mind. That much was made certain during the meeting with the king. Rem would even go so far as to deny Lauchlin's request for help but the gravity of the situation demanded he rise to the challenge despite it coming with so many strings attached. Politics; something Rem desperately avoided. A place often dominated by the corrupt and power hungry. Few are the virtuous men and women in power. Sad though it be. "Regardless of what you think I am going with you. My fate was decided ever since a madman attempted to murder me for living in the wrong spot at the wrong time." He put the pack on his back and sighed. He just got back but it looked like he wasn't going to sleep in his bad for a while longer yet.

---

Sulfrax nodded as Rem insisted he accompany Sulfrax regardless of his views. "That's all I ask, but you are not wrong. These Gaians could be a bigger threat than we know. This is why I've left that living Gaian with the king. He may be stubborn, but Thrallmor knows how to extract information. Hyznia's dungeon is not just for containment," Sulfrax remarked, pinching his wrist with a grimace. He then paused and cleared his throat. "Torture," He grunted.

Sulfrax turned towards the exit in a hurry, but didn't move, waiting only a few moments for Rem to finish packing for their trip. "When I return to Hyznia, the King will have more information for me. Allegiance with Illon is our priority, regardless. Hurry your packing, I'll be waiting by Hyznia's main gate. Do your best to avoid CMAS eye, Rem," Sulfrax demanded, leaving the estate hastily. He was not a very patient man, that much was certain.

Zay turned to Jager as he mentioned Luke's ignorance of his location, looking on him in shock. Luke didn't know? Zay'd been under the impression that their supposed leader was the one responsible for his and Dan's involvement in the Junker's mission to begin with. Had Dan lied to him? Or was Jager lying to him? No, that didn't seem right. This man wasn't the type to use dishonest methods, especially not after what'd happened earlier. The way of Kho, Zay didn't know it well enough to judge, but he was certain the Jager wasn't trying to puppet him into a trap. When Jager himself confirmed it, Zay believed him without a second doubt.

"Thanks, Jager. But if Luke doesn't know we're here, then..." Zay stumbled over his words and looked back to Haley's figure as it crept further away. He didn't know what to think about it. Why would Dan lie about Luke's involvement in their mission? Did he think that having two well known Divers on the inside was a good idea? Zay moved slightly closer to Jager and spoke to him quietly. "Jager, you follow Kho without doubt, a man looked down upon as foolish and problematic by the CMAS core. Dan and I were infamous within the inner counsel of the CMAS, I'm sure. That golem, Buttercup was, from what Dan told me, the very last prototype of a failed project originating in Illon during the times of war, and has a history of defying order. Haley, as I'm sure you've noticed, has been rather fidgety on our way out here, and our group has 6 members, as opposed to the 7 in the other two groups... Are you noticing a particular theme here?" Zay prodded, keeping a keen eye on their leader as she neared the other ATVs.

Brian hesitated for a moment, but stepped up to Jenso with his dagger drawn, and pointed it at him from a few feet away. "What kind of wild story is that?" He immediately shouted, ignoring the credibility and doubts he's had earlier in the day. His panic was soothed as Yvette grabbed his tunic, though.

"He's not lying, Brian," She said softly, "I am allied with Luke Juuno, head of the divers." She stood and turned to Jenso, keeping her stature as solid as she could manage. "I am a spy for Luke, directly responsible for relaying information about CMAS's intentions to Divers paradise through some of the more popular Divers who frequent Arcadia, such as Dan the man, and Quicksilver Zay. I've been in contact with Haley Corisan as well, using her as a relay for information in the past several months. She does not know of my allegiance to Luke, however," Yvette paused and clutched her side. "Ah, we've made a terrible mistake in underestimating the CMAS..."

Brian looked on her in part shock, and relief. "So this entire time... The CMAS... They really did send us out here to die..."

"That they did, Brian."

Jenso glared at Brian as he readied his dagger. He got in a combat stance, watching his every move. As Yvette spoke and admitted that she was a spy for Luke, he began to relax. It was as if a heavy load fell off Jenso's shoulders, and he let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for being honest." He said with a smile. Finally someone told him the truth.

"Yvette, there's something you must know. CMAS troops attacked Diver's Paradise. We believe someone wanted Luke to be distracted. While he was ambushing you guys, Diver's Paradise would be left undefended so the CMAS troops would be able to destroy it with ease. They killed a lot of people, but Alvios was there. He managed to cut down many of them on his own until Luke arrived, and the both of them managed to defeat the CMAS. I think Luke intends to go to war against them." Jenso spoke, and took a deep breath. "They are heavily suspecting that Tinion is the traitor." Despite that Brian wasn't supposed to know about Diver Paradise's existance, he didn't care. Yvette could have told him by now if she wanted too, anyways.

"We can't stay here, more bounty hunters and stuff might come. I'm willing to fight against CMAS, but I can't do it on my own. I don't really trust Luke as he's been lying to me for so long, and I sure as hell don't intend to join CMAS if that even were possible. I want to help you guys if you're fine with that, but.." Jenso muttered, turning to Brian who was still holding the dagger. "Please put the dagger away." He said in a calm manner. His tone of voice was less nervous sounding. He calmed down somewhat after Yvette confirmed his suspicions, but he didn't let his guard down yet. He was still quite exhausted after everything that happened today. There was still a chance that Brian would attack.

Rem replied to the impatient master mage. "Very well."

It wasn't as if being tailed by an ironbristle was an ordinary thing. Not standing out wouldn't be easy in the city but once they were out it would be a small task to slip away from anyone that caught interest. Of that much Rem was certain. He knew the immediate area outside Hyznia better than many knew the layout of their own houses.

While Sulfrax skipped off ahead, he prepared the last of his belongings and shut the door on his way out. It creaked shut with a pop as the wards ran into place again. Rem relished the smell of the air and the color of the sky a moment. Depending on how things played out with this mission he may be unable to ever return. Whether for good or bad it was time to move forward. He started walking.

Senna stalked out of the alleys to his side. It was a good thing he wasn't associated with many "important" people. Senna certainly wasn't some housecat familiar for a witch. She stood out, she was a beast and the guard would be relieved to see her leave.




Rem didn't preoccupy himself very much with the details of the crowd, he was more worried over keeping Senna from doing something stupid or reckless in her discomfort of the city. He rubbed a hand over the smooth of her bristles and smiled. No one else he knew had the privilege of being so close to such a noble creature.

It was a relief to finally see the gate. He approached the guards ready to leave, eyes on the watch for a sign of Sulfrax.