As Yesrel and the others are led past the wall they notice a shift in the wealth of the people from their clothes to the houses. Another wall stands around the same size as the outer wall. Rol continues to lead them further inward passing the second layer and yet again the difference in wealth is apparent. More chattering and less noise of work is heard. Eventually they reach a large and regal building adorned with gold and guards standing outside its entrance. Rol nods and the door opens as he guides the group into the building.
They walk through halls with art and weapons on the walls, some empty armor stands by doors. After walking a seemingly endless hallway a loud argument can be heard. "The outsiders can be damned for all I care. All we need is one more step and I don't care what I must sacrifice to get it done, director!"
"My king I understand wanting to finish this and return to who we once were but is this not exactly what brought about our fall before?"
"Like I said, I don't care. We stand on the precipice of greatness and you are going to stand here and lecture me about the failures of our ancestors and that I must care about those beneath me!"
"My king if this fails the outside could be completely destroyed leaving us with no good source of manual laborers and we would have to send people from the outer wall to the outside."
"Quit trying to lecture me about pointless things, director. I expect to see this completed by the end of the week or I shall see to it myself that you are replaced!"
"My king I can not in good faith put the lives of the people on the line when my creation may still fail. Give me a few months and I can most likely return with something safe and efficient."
"Silence director! The lives of those on the outside matter not to us on the inside. You will handle your work within the week as I say! I will not allow those under me hinder my progress to return to the main stage"
The man turns away anger covering his face as he exits the room. Rol enters watching the man leave as Yesrel and the others enter with him. "My glorious king I found and captured these things I found causing a disturbance at the wall while I was sent to deal with another monster."
The king stands walking towards the group. "Worthless," with a single movement he swings his sword decapitating Rol. Yesrel quickly grabs her sword taking a defensive stance as Zinlee and Fafiel stand he sides ready to fight. "Tell me, what have you done to this land? Everyone before you never returned so why should you be here to die like the rest?" The remaining soldiers stand in front of Eldan who watches horrified by the ease of the kill. They stand silent watching the king. "Ah I see silent with fear I presume allow me to make you speak with fear." As he throws a dagger towards Zinlee, Fafiel moves quickly and precisely, catching the dagger and throwing it back at the king. "Tell me, have you heard her voice as well?" The dagger bounces off the king hitting the ground with a small clink. Sheathing his sword he grabs a staff from the wall pointing it at a soldier. "Allow her inside and your worries will be gone. You will become what you most deeply wish you were."
The soldier screams as Eldan and the other two back away from him. The air around him begins to distort as slowly his body changes until all that is left is empty, many eyes watching those around him all emerging from a center point covered in dense armor. "What in the hell happened!?" Eldan falls backward as fear rushes through him as an eye extends looking at him directly.
The king stands the staff up as he holds it. "He simply allowed her inside and allowed himself to be one with his truest feelings," he then points the staff at another soldier and the same happens but he turns into something completely different. Something that resembles a human stands in the center of shields and other protective armaments.
It begins to step away from everyone positioning its shields in front of the humanoid body. As a new eye emerges growing towards the new monster it is quickly cut before it gets too close. "None may touch the one I must protect," unlike the first it talks quietly and mumbled.
As the king shifts the staff towards the last soldier Fafiel begins to run towards him. Seeing Fafiel move he quickly shifts the staff away from the soldier instead pointing it at her.
"It is me again child," the world seems to freeze as Fafiel hears a familiar voice. "Don't you wish you could've protected her? Wish you could've done more? Tell me, child, what is it you wish?" Fafiel sees herself charging at the king as a woman walks up beside her. "Ah this is good," the woman turns to look where Fafiel's view now sits. "What do you see in front of you now?" Fafiel's view is fixed on her charging form. She doesn't answer for a while as she tries to look away. "There is no escape child. Answer my question and I will allow you to become the freest you have ever felt."
The air shifts and changes as the scene in front of Fafiel switches to something different. It's her but also isn't. She sits in a dark alleyway, her arm marked with technology. Someone walks into the alleyway grabbing her arm. "Come on now pretty lady let's go you gotta make the main man happy don't you," the man grabs and pushes her into a car as Fafiel attempts to move but her view stays frozen. Then again the scene shifts and Fafiel once again sees herself but at the same time it isn't. "Slay them, kill them all, leave not a single one remaining," a general covered in blood sits atop a throne surrounded by the dead and blood as Fafiel watches herself kill innocent people as she is ordered to. Then once more the scene shifts, and the same feeling fills Fafiel. "You are to be mine forever and you shall serve as the cornerstone of our families alliance," now an arranged marriage one that Fafiel can tell she never wanted.
And again the scene shifts now Fafiel sees a memory. Houses burn and people scream as Fafiel can now move running through the chaos. "Mama! Mama!" she shouts as tears run down her face. Flames roar around her as she watches a burning villager beg for help. She runs past the villager as she stumbles forward before regaining her footing. "Mama! Where are you mama!" As Fafiel continues to run, the scene around her feels as if it is truly happening. A villager crawls wounded begging for death. Fafiel stands for a second watching the villager crawl towards her begging for death. She clumsily grabs a sword and barely penetrates the villagers head enough to kill him. After a few seconds he stops moving as his eyes close. Fafiel continues to run through the village after killing the villager. A raider stabs a villager before turning to look at Fafiel. The raider runs at her causing Fafiel to turn around trying to run away but falling face first into the dirt. She looks up at the raider who is preparing to stab her, but just before he acts someone quickly cuts his head off. The same person grabs the body making sure it doesn't fall onto Fafiel. They point at the exit and nod signalling Fafiel to go there. After they leave Fafiel runs up a staircase in the opposite direction of the exit. Eventually reaching a temple where a lady stands looking down at the chaos in fear. "Mama! We need to leave mama," Fafiel looks up at the lady reaching her hand up towards her.
"Fafiel leave here now. I must stay here so that they don't destroy our sacred texts," the lady leans down towards Fafiel. "Please Fafiel run far away and find someone who will take care of you just like I have."
"But mama you told me to never leave one of my family behind. I saw my brothers and sisters escape. Now I need to make sure you make it out," Fafiel tugs at the ladies hand.
The lady smiles as she pulls away. "We are protectors and I must protect what I've been told to protect. Now I must change what I ask of you. You no longer need to watch over your family, little Fafiel. Go and find someone who you will protect and who will care for you just as I have."
The scene changes again to another memory. The same lady stands on the other end of a field of Fafiel. Fafiel stands next to a man who is laughing with some friends before he notices the lady. "Oi you! Are you aware that this is a heavily restricted area. As in, no one is supposed to be here instead of our own!" The lady walks towards them stumbling weakly before falling. "Seems that she's lost to whatever has been going through here lately. Fafiel swiftly deal with it before it spreads whatever it has to us," he motions for Fafiel to move and she listens walking up to the lady slowly.
As she reaches the lady she leans down drawing her dagger. "My little Fafiel you have truly grown into a gem. Take our family's treasure and continue to make us proud." Fafiel's face fills with horror as she sees burns and cuts up and down the lady before she sees the small collar that each member of her family has always worn. The leader shouts for Fafiel to hurry up. "Continue to listen just as we always have."
The scene returns to the present Fafiel still frozen looking at her body. "Don't you wish you could be free?" there it is again the woman's voice, now with an accompanied body. Pure black nothing can be made out as she approaches and grabs the collar of Fafiel's clothes pulling it down. "You know what you are yet you hide it. I can give you freedom and allow you to never worry to serve another again. Afterall that is why you are here on this island is it not?"
Fafiel's eyes shake as she looks down seeing the collar she has hidden for years. "I came here to find a way to earn freedom and to stop serving."
"But you won't find anything here. I will give you what you wish, just give into my words and let me in."
"Maybe you are right, maybe I won't find it."
"Even if you did find what you seek would it not simply be easier to give in to your emotions and simply let it take over the truest form of freedom." The woman reaches a hand out to Fafiel a dark black abyss of a hand yet it is still inviting. "Take my hand child and I shall allow you to be free."
Fafiel slowly begins to reach out for the hand before she hears voices. More memories begin to shift in. "The only clue I have is this note I found. Umm I-I-I mean this note Yesrel found." The feeling of being free and being able to pursue what you love. "I'm here for discovery and advancement of our alchemy and science. How could I not see something as intriguing as this and not write down what I'm seeing?" this is what I want to feel free and able to get what I want. "Eldan you said it is best if we go around correct?" To lead and learn from others not follow or use. A feeling of warmth grows on Fafiel's arm. "Fafiel is something wrong? You look stressed?" to freely care and worry this is what I wish for. "Are you sure Fafiel it looked like you really weren't doing well?"
Fafiel pulls her hand away from the inviting black void. "No. I will not take your way. If I am to be free I must prove it not cheat it," her view returns to her body and seconds later she is back fighting the king.
"What the hell!? Why are you still you!?" He points the staff at Fafiel again but nothing happens and Fafiel swings at the king, cutting him slightly. "Bastard!" He sets the staff down and grabs his sword.
Flames begin to erupt from her sword covering the blade. "May my soul roar free," the flaming katana clashes with the blade of the king as an eye watches closely at the king and Fafiel. Yesrel and Zinlee stand back surprised by the force behind each strike and the growing flames of the katana.
"What have you done!?" the king pulls back as the flames grow too much. "I yield you may all leave," the king drops his sword as he shakes in fear.
"How many have you done this too?" Fafiel points the flaming katana at the king.
"Every monster you have found since you have arrived were a byproduct of my tests with my queen who is now dead, but I've found a way to make use of her even in death," the king backs up into a wall as the flames of the katana grow slightly.
Fafiel looks at the staff and swings her katana, cutting it in two and setting it on fire. She looks over at the soldiers turned monsters and then looks back at the king. "Can they return to normal?"
"No one they have become one with their emotions they are free forever," the king shakes against the wall as he watches the staff burn to a crisp.
Fafiel looks over at the others than at the monsters who were once their own. "Let my flames set you free," Fafiel quietly speaks before effortlessly she slices through the monsters causing them both to lifelessly fall. Fafiel looks at Yesrel and nods.
"Lets get out of here," with that five remained as they left the castle.