Coile

No Beccy no more? *crys* She turned out to be a major influence to a certain baldheaded dude. Thanks for that! Didn't meet you that much but that one time was pure ace!

Fly safe, Doomhat.

Blackdove for the magnificient Requiem War poster

The actual post number is 614267 but I can't seem to figure out a nifty way to link to it directly. The link to the work can be found on the first page, way down.

The picture itself is here

Uh, Dove... We sort of discussed graphics editing already and the baseline here is MS Photopaint or something like that. Pretty much my level of gfx expertise except I've had to learn a bit of Paint Shop Pro while editing fanzines.

I've got slots since I fear alts. If the shoot takes place at a suitable time (very limited, usually) I can toss a scrapper in for the PrtSc.

The memorial will be at an old boathouse by the lake at the south end of Perez Park, near Skyway entrance.

If people arrive early feel free to secure the area. It would be bad if local creatures decided to interrupt us.

It would be nice if people attending had a few words to say or a memory to share, although that is not mandatory the least. If you wish to say goodbye without words, that's fine too.

What Dove said. Good thinking, man.

And thanks to Half'n'Half, for his advice and support to Coile. Turns out he still didn't get the girl that time, but with persistence and an unhealthy amount of obsession he finally got there, some three months later.

Fly safe.

Memorial announcement

There will be a memorial for Coila, also known as Andrea Kraft. It will be held this Sunday at 9 pm in Perez Park. Exact location to be announced. Or contact me on Sunday.

This occasion is open to all, but aimed at people who knew Coila, or who were touched by her demise.

I sort of lost the connection to my sister at some point. I would like to hear about her from those who knew her here in Paragon City.

- Coile

A story? ---> Creative

Just post the link here afterwards!

My first pick for Coile was Nightwish but despite some really accurate picks I wasn't as satisfied as I thought I'd be. And I assumed that Nightwish would be wanted by others so I chose another Finnish metal band. Love metal, as it is. Still, I'm sharing the Nightwish version of Coile now.

1. Are you male or female? Dead Boy's Poem
2. Describe yourself? Ocean Soul
3. Describe how you live? Deep Silent Complete
4. Describe your boy/girlfriend? Dark Chest Of Wonders
5. How do you feel about yourself? Walking In The Air
6. Where would you rather be? White Night Fantasy
7. Describe what you want to be? Forever Yours
8. Describe how you love? Come Cover Me
9. How do some people feel about you? Over The Hills And Far Away
10. Share a few words of wisdom? Live To Tell The Tale

(( Silent Tempest only ))

I am unclear how many people outside of Tempest would attend a memorial for Coila. I will still hold one in the near future. In the meantime Silent Tempest members will convene to Steel Canyon university park this Tuesday at 9 pm or whenever possible due to our commitments.

Tempest uniforms on. Feel free to say a few words if that suits your nature.

Nice to see Coile is as normal situation as it gets. In civvies, just sitting around. No fights, no blasts, no pressure. Just the dude chilling.

I like it, and the background looks nifty too. Suits the style.

Instead of reposting a long story I'll just post a link to a Creative topic. It's about three youngsters finding their powers. Lots of family fun.

* A for Android: Summertime Sonata

The Silent Tempest - Status and orders (( for the Silent Tempest only ))

Consider this a recall. Every active member is wanted back as soon as humanely possible. We have a situation. Well, a few.

I understand that we each have occasionally pressing matters and that we can't be at two places at once. Finish what you must and get back. Keep me informed where you are and when you will be available.

Circle of Thorns

Dark Rose went after these guys and got the daylight beaten out of her. At least she looks like it. Going solo in this is not smart. We need to act as a team. These bastards killed Coila. Call it justice or revenge but we're going to make a dent into their affairs. Someone who knows more, tell me this - are the mages humans? Are they any more, at least? If not, the gloves are off.

Fletched Alliance

Our so-called allies should be treated with suspicion. Meadow has inside her a nictus, maybe a nictus and a peacebringer, which to my limitied knowledge is impossible. The Fletched members don't seem to want to explain the situation. However, Meadow acts hostile and confrontational. I acted rashly a few days ago and now Mephiston is all high-and-mighty and childish about it. It's apparent that whatever their situation is, we are not wanted involved. Until I say otherwise we all steer clear of it.

Alfred was shot last night. Right in front of me. He was rushed to a hospital and the perp was caught. A doc walked from the hospital to the statue to say that Alfred's chances were really slim. Weirdest thing I've ever seen a doc do. Anyway, with Meadow's case it is and has been all along clear how much our participation is needed, expected or wanted. This is their mess. Do not get involved.

Right now the only one of them all that I feel even relatively at ease with is Kitmarch, and, well, that's saying something. Sad to say but our allies don't much feel like allies. Tread carefully.

Crown

We've let this slide for months now. Largely due to me, I admit. I had, well, troubles with dealing Ripmind. And since the real Azure Sting was rescued by Coila... Anyway, it's time to deal with them. And, for once, let's get infos, let's plan, and then let's strike at them. Hard. Silence before the Storm.

Dawn

This is the most urgent item. I was contacted by someone who claims to hold Dawn. I called Xan and he's been in pursuit but all the leads that he has preceed Requiem's fall. Requiem's former troops are in disarray and no one knows much about what the others are doing. They want to bargain, offer her back in exchange of something. We will listen to the offer. Find out what we can. Then get them fast. And I mean fast. There is no plan yet but I'll set the preliminary mission time for tomorrow.

When I went to get Sword back I went alone. The situation warranted it. This time we'll go in as a team, bust heads as long as it takes and we'll get Dawn back. We'll do it all swift, efficient and professional. Again I want us to make a mark. Something that makes the bad guys remember the Silent Tempest. It's just a Council cell. We'll take it out. Shut down its operation. All of them.

I have a new combat suit, for harder fights. Some of it is just cosmetics, some are dad's additions. The original suit was his design. Make whatever preparations you need and get ready for prolonged battle.

(( IC for Silent Tempest, Ghost Tiger Investigations and Fletched Alliance ))

The Silent Tempest - Status report 21.8.06

I think I should write a report. I don't feel like it, but it gives me something to do. So I'm writing a report. Been a while since the last one. Lots been going on. I don't suppose this will be a complete check on things taking place. Maybe later. Some day.

I'll use headers. They'll be inaccurate. Things affect things. But you knew that, of course.

Requiem

We got him, in the end. So we kind of won. Go us.

If the Nicti are vindicative on a personal level me and Sword have one or maybe two purple eyed aliens someplace plotting to rip us to bits.

The Doc got back to this time from... well, I guess from some other time. I don't really understand how it works.

In the end I don't know how many we lost. Registered heroes, that is. Civilian casualties were plenty. Each one a failure for us, but let's just be glad that the number wasn't higher.

Sword of Truth

She wan't dead, after all. Somehow she'd fallen into Requiem's hands. Well his men had the outpost out there, and a base. Point is they got her. I know I went to rescue her and it ended up with us getting back. It sounds more heroic than it is. Someone inside helped us and we barely made it away alive. I'll take on an army of Freaks on superadine any day over two ticked off nicti.

Funny, a month ago I didn't even know what a nictus was.

Kitia and Kitalia

They returned too, from wherever it was that they went. Kitia lives for now with me and Sword. Kitalia I haven't yet seen. I'd think she'd report to her team, like, call us or anything. She seemed to be a pro. I hope she's okays. I don't want to lose... anyone. Anymore.

Phiseeque

Phi is back in hospital. She collapsed shortly after getting out. Maybe I should've become a doctor. All I can do is try to prevent people from getting hurt. When they do, I can't do a thing. Not a damn thing...

Circle of Thorns

On my personal target list the Rikti are on the top. Vahziloks made it when they hurt my sister. Hurt Coila. Now... well, Thorns are on it. High. Do they count as humans? I hope not...

Subaiku

Our gypsy member has also had it rough. First she exploded, then Thorns nabbed her. She's fine now, which is good. She's out of town for a while with Steel. They should be back in less than a week.

Dawn, Xan

No reports, no nothing. I guess Xan wants to have something concrete before piping up. I wish they'd both come back.

Other things

In the Requiem aftermath Meadow was nabbed. Now she is back and her eyes are purple. There's some kheldian or nictus or something inside her. No one else seems worried. I guess there's no reason to worry then? Still no one has explained it well enough yet. Maybe we don't need to know then?

We don't do much with our allies. We rarely do co-op. Or talk. Or discuss. Share infos. Is there a point to being allied? That's a topic for discussion.

Coila

Yeah. Coila. My sis. Andrea. I've been now staring at the screen for ten minutes. I so don't want to write this. I don't have much choice, do I? I'd like to tell you all that she's just fine, her injuries were healed, that her soul or mind or whatever makes us us was restored and she's again giving me hard time about things. But, I can't. You see, the mage who had taken over her body said she was gone forever. And there was this truth binding spell so he was telling the truth. I know Sword and Rose both think that he tricked us somehow, that Coila could still be saved. To me it was too graphical or detailed for me to really believe in any chances. And... damn, there are times I don't want to be a leader and make these reports... Andrea's body died last night, sometime around two o'clock. The docs did what they could, but her injuries from the fight... and the MAGI girl said the spell would be taxing... It's all over now. She's dead.

I know people mean well, thinking that hope is good. But sometimes we need to accept also the bad things. Alfred had a few ideas when we thought that Sword had died. It gave me some hope which I ended up resenting. I don't want to chase ghosts and spirits and consider cloned bodies or alternate timeline versions. If it was just that simple we'd be doing it already. I know it sounds horrible, but... let her be dead, now that she is dead. Don't give me false hopes. If you want to chase wisps do it on your own.

I don't think she had many friends. Much like me. She'll be buried back home. I'll have to think about a memorial or something later.

When Steel and Subaiku return the Tempest will convene in Steel Canyon. You know the place.

The song name game

Here's a nice game. Choose a character of yours. Pick just one band and then answer ten questions using only song names from that band. You can share which character you're targeting but it makes the game more fun if others have to figure out the band by themselves. And googling = cheating, pilgrims.

Here're the questions for you:

1. Are you male or female?
2. Describe yourself?
3. Describe how you live?
4. Describe your boy/girlfriend?
5. How do you feel about yourself?
6. Where would you rather be?
7. Describe what you want to be?
8. Describe how you love?
9. How do some people feel about you?
10. Share a few words of wisdom?

...and here are three of my characters.

Winter Heart
1. Are you male or female? Letter To Dana
2. Describe yourself? Black Sheep
3. Describe how you live? The Cage
4. Describe your boy/girlfriend? Misplaced
5. How do you feel about yourself? Broken
6. Where would you rather be? Champainge Bath
7. Describe what you want to be? The Power Of One
8. Describe how you love? Ain't Your Fairytale
9. How do some people feel about you? Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited
10. Share a few words of wisdom? Don't Say A Word

Freja Torsdotter
1. Are you male or female? Thor (The Powerhead)
2. Describe yourself? Gloves Of Metal
3. Describe how you live? Fighting The World
4. Describe your boy/girlfriend? All Men Play On Ten
5. How do you feel about yourself? Kill With Power
6. Where would you rather be? Valhalla
7. Describe what you want to be? The Warriors Prayer
8. Describe how you love? Violence And Bloodshed
9. How do some people feel about you? Black Wind, Fire And Steel
10. Share a few words of wisdom? Today Is A Good Day To Die

Coile
1. Are you male or female? Solitary Man
2. Describe yourself? Buried Alive By Love
3. Describe how you live? Close To The Flame
4. Describe your boy/girlfriend? You Are The One
5. How do you feel about yourself? Killing Loneliness
6. Where would you rather be? Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart
7. Describe what you want to be? Heaven Tonight
8. Describe how you love? In Joy And Sorrow
9. How do some people feel about you? This Fortress Of Tears
10. Share a few words of wisdom? Don't Close Your Heart

It also adds to the game if you have to exclude bands that have been used already. Makes it more diverse. Now let's see your picks.

TO: Silent Tempest *only*

Dark Rose contacted me. She had met with Coila who behaved strangely. Subaiku has been taken by Circle of Thorns. Tonight at midnight they will do something and place a mage inside Subaiku.

...Coila has been taken over by a Circle mage. Rose didn't know if she can be saved or not.

I am on my way back to Paragon City now with Sword. Once there I will remove all Coila's accesses.

Rose said something about the Fletched Alliance, how Coila had named them. Until I get the full story let's keep this between Tempest only.

And try to figure out how long this has been going on? What does she know? How badly are we compromised? Has the base been swept? We took her leader rights away only recently. Where all could a leader put something nasty?

I nominate Blackdove's excellent work "Into my arms". LINK

Her best work throughout the years, the detailed work that went into it is amazing. Plus I'm emotionally vested, the picture has meaning for me. That my character is on it is secondary, albeit is the root cause for feeling the attachment.

Of course there has been artistic lisence involved and the butt has been shrunk for the picture. Otherwise we would need a second poster aside this one just for her hiney. Just imagine all the advertizing money...

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I believe Subaiku should appear on the poster (instead of Star Crusader for example).

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Subaiku does appear on the poster. She is just portrayed the way she operates on - in shadows. To the right of Doc T there are two eyes staring from the dark... [img]/uk/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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Requiem War: To Search A Thousand Worlds

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Ever so slightly I still prefer the awesome Sword & Coile pic with ye olde times style but this poster is still one impressive piece of work. I like Requiem's eyes especially. You've managed to capture the movie poster style very believably.

It also contains inter-character symbolism open to those who know the situations. Good usage of personal information. [img]/uk/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Sliding the colours to purple all across the board worked wonders. The original picture was a good one too but now the clashes due to tones are gone. Lots of work, but well worth it!

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(Most of my critique comes from single fact: It is RPed scenes put into story. Even great RP moments rarely work well in fictional form without heavy editing. I understand you wanted to try your hand on it though.)

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Yep, that indeed was my aim. I wanted not to create as perfect a short story as possible but take an actual event as it was played, word by word, and then expand on it. A lot of times there are things going on that are not reflected in dialogue or in emotes. I wanted to see if I could explain the event from Coile's point of view - why he said something,m or reacted in some particular manner.

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The story is quite long, and needlessly so, IMO. There were few things repeated, and other drawn out without clear direction and purpose. While that was interesting to read from point of view of plot and getting to know the char more, it lacked the kind of emotional oomph I would've expected. Also repetive in more technical way, there wasn't so much lows/highs or fast/slow moments.

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I am thinking of maybe rewriting the whole story. It consists of two parts. The beginning was just a quickly written piece of explanation to the RP thread to others about where Coile left. It had a lot of plot relevant infirmation that was not integral to the story that took place. I want to mention that at the time of writing it I had no idea what as to come.

The pacing comes from what took place. Coile tried to get his way from one direction. When that failed ha had to trace his steps and then reiterate with a different angle. If I rewrite this I might just streamline it all, or handle the repetition in an entirely different manner. As it is it does not make a good story. You're in fact not the only one to remark on reoccurring elements.

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On more specific point, the opening paragraph has way too names sprinkled on. It makes very heavy and confusing read. Karakara? Khan Tengri? Lord of Spirits? Subaiku? Azure Sting? Steel Canyon? Reader may not be familiar with any of them and can be put off by it. Personally, it could work if you just cut out the first paragraph altogether, and add few location markers in the later ones.

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The first part and especially the first paragraph was more or less pure infodumping. I expected the original readers to be familiar with the setting and previous events. In the RP thread that was a somewhat safe assumption. As I did no special rewriting the end result didn't fit an independent story all that well.

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My advice: Write shorter, kill your darlings. Use more artistic lisence if you use RPed scenes [img]/uk/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

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Probably next I will. This was an exercise to work with only the material given and expanding with speculation withou altering one single detail.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Butterfly effects - Galaxy City, 2 am 10.8.2006

The green trees near the pond had not been changed by the war. Keeping his arm around Nadia's shoulders Andre remarked to himself that they were more or less the only things to do that. He had changed. So had Nadia. It felt good to have her so close without neither in tears.

When they got home Nadia would call her parents. Then they would go to meet them the next Friday. He felt slight uneasiness at the prospect of meeting her father again. Still that worry was secondary to the fate of Meadow. She had fallen prey to some nicti just as Requiem fell. He wanted to help the girl out. She had offered to go with him on his quest back to Tien Shan. Such gestures of alliance should never go unnoticed, even if they went unheeded.

With more that slight trepidation he thought about the creatures who had made the capture. He had himself been among their numbers briefly after being taken out of the fight against Requiem's fiercest forces. There had been sensations he could not possibly understand. But he was aware of one thing. The man who had tried to talk him into betraying the resistance, and who had been so very close to killing Sword near the end of their escape, had been alive right before the Riptear Engine was destroyed.

Maybe he still was.

That worry was for later. Andre moved to face Nadia better and looking around quickly but closely made sure there were no others in sight. Then he stole another kiss. Things would work out. They were better already. Different from before, and definitely better.

An unknown location in some dimension or the other - 3.8.2006 (Thursday)

There was a signature hum of the door opening in the otherwise silent observation chamber. The man with the blazing purple eyes did no turn to look. Instead he kept looking at a screen on the wall and the two people in it. A female voice spoke behind him. "Report, Dolor." The man who had tried to bend Coile into treason lifted his hand lazily and pointed at the screen. "Phase two is in progress, Countess Ater."

The woman took her place next to nictus Dolor and fixed her radiating eyes onto the screen as well. "I have been assigned to this center recently. Describe the project." She gave the man a meaningful look of a superior being who very much disliked her time being wasted. "Briefly."

Giving an obedient nod the man gestured at the display. "We are to break their wills before nictus implantation. Direct wish from Lord Requiem. For his own reasons the chosen method is psychological. My personal guess is that they are to be hurt in the process."

It was as if frozen breath was coming from her mouth. "Your personal assessments do not concern me." Giving a few seconds for the man to remember who was senior to whom she asked, "Who are they? Accomplished heroes and notable enemies?"

"Their names are Sword of Truth, named Nadia Forester and Coile, named Andre Kraft. Their records are good but not stellar. Each has taken part in a direct operation against our Lord's divine plans." He kept any sign of contempt out of his voice fearing it might be interpreted as expressing a personal opinion. "They more or less landed on our laps."

"They are healthy bodies and will serve us well. It is of no consequence how they were obtained." For the first time Countess Ater seemed to show some interest. "How will they be broken?"

"Hero Coile is the more unstable one. He will experience the death of his companion multiple times. When he cracks we will use him as a host and present him to hero Sword of Truth hoping that that will dissolve her resolve to resist."

Countess Ater pursed her lips. "Very well. What is happening at this moment?" Dolor nodded at the screen. "The usual. Shock. Hugging. Crying. Kissing. Also a proposal. They are soon ready and will be separated."

Frowning the base commander tilted her head. "Are you sure it is wise to strenghten their illusion of hope by providing proof that the other one is alive?" Her underling bowed his head. "Other methods fell short. Ice can support more weight that water but ice can be broken. Water cannot." He felt smug while not letting it show.

"See that there are shards soon, Dolor. Our master requires new hosts within the week." Then she turned her back and walked out of the door.

A for Android: Magenta Brand of Darkness

The cold and dry air prickled his lung in an awfully familiar way. Karakara base camp was far behind him and the majestic mass of Khan Tengri, the Lord of the Spirits loomed ahead. Coile closed his eyes. Tattoos made by Subaiku had faded out already but the terror brought by the pretender Azure Sting stayed away. In his mind's eye he saw the blue flower that he had planted in Steel Canyon university park. Inhaling the mountain air he could still feel the flower's simple fragrance caressing his senses. He felt serene.

The weather was excellent this time. Due to time difference and one of the fastest jets he had ever flown it was just a few hours past noon. There was barely a whisper of the wind and the sky was crystal clear. The Lord of the Spirits was favouring him. He muttered a humble prayer to the mountain. Then he broke gravity's hold of him and started to glide along the ground's forms upwards. There was was still journey to be made.

The siege of Paragon City had receded from his mind. There was a plan in motion that would try to pinpoint Requiem's location in some universe or the other. Coile was somewhat unclear about the details but understood that it was time to take the fight finally to him. Unless someone used a shortcut. The crackling quantum rifle strapped to his back was a constant reminder of what he was up against.

Still there was no turning back. When Requiem had contacted him he had known exactly which strings to pull. "I have what you love, lust, covet.", he had said. Nadia. Sword of Truth. Alive? Captive? "You can have her back. There is a way to survive what is to come." Coile knew what that meant. Betraying the Rebirth Alliance. Sabotaging their operations. Helping Requiem to achieve his goal.

That was what had been discussed with Hana Li. There was only a small chance that Requiem would keep any promise that he made. And if there was a world for afterwards he knew that Nadia would never want to live in it. At best he would get to be with his love in a world which she hated, and in which she hated him for his part. There was no way that he would be a party to treason. He would play the part long enough to free Sword if he had to but actually moving against his allies was something he could not see himself doing.

It all could be faked, too. He had only the man's own testimony of being the madman who was out to destroy the world. Even that was based on an assumption, based only on a name. The proof of Sword being alive was equally flimsy. Just a scream over the connection. So easily faked that Coile thought even he could have done that. None of that mattered. It could be a trap. It could be a plan to get him to switch sides. He did not care. There was the most fleeting chance of regaining what he cherished the most in his life. Nadia Forester. The Sword of Truth. How could he let it pass?

Requiem had promised there would be a contact upon his return to Khan Tengri. He had wanted to go there according to the original plan but no word of it had come. The war had thrown all schedules up in the air and eventually it had come down to a solo mission. No doubt people would have volunteered to come with him. Some had, in fact. But the more he thought about the situation the more he was certain that this was now between him and the villain. Others would have likely just faced their instant deaths. Requiem had gone to some trouble to ensure Coile coming to see him so there would be no immediate risk to his life.

The big weapon that he was carrying with him had the theoretical chance of killing his target. There were no illusions about his ability to effectively operate a large scale assault weapon. There was besides no chance that he could get a line of sight with it. Requiem was not a stupid man. Only arrogant and clinically insane. Arrogance was what Coile hoped would be his ace in the hole. While the big gun was a decoy the smaller pistol stripped to bare bones and mounted on his wrist was not. Concealed under his bulky winterwear it went largely undetected.

He wasn't that good with most things. That had been painfully clear to him for years and only been reinforced after he had come of age and left the farm on a more regular basis. Arriving to Paragon City had just underlined it all. Everyone else was more accomplished and had better resources. There was only one thing that he knew how to do - take aim and blast. The moves and energy regulation had been imprinted onto him by years of daily practice under the watchful eye of their mother, the ND-unit. He was confident that if it came down to taking a shot he would make it. The damage output was a cause for worry but he had thought of that too. The wrist pistol had been modified in a way that allowed him to take the full advantage of his natural abilities. Of his full abilities. He shuddered at the prospect but reminded himself that it was Nadia who was at stake. No sacrifice too high.

Coile cleared a wedge in the mountainside and the vastness of the eastern face stretched before him. This is where it had happened. Where he had lost her. Where he had lost himself. The echoes of despair, fear and terror nagged at him but the magics Subaiku had weaved on him held fast. He did not crack up. He took the full brunt of his darkest moments and only winced. His core had been put back together. For a price, of course. Nothing came free, especially no good thing. The unexpected effects were at work beneath the surface.

The altitudemeter had brought him almost directly to his target. There was a high, black pole erected into the snow. A marker. With an ominous gut feeling he drifted towards it. When he came closer he saw something on top of it. He glided up to gaze into the clear display case. A pair of sunglasses. He could not breath. The nagging voice warning about fakes and forgeries faded into oblivion. This was an unnecessary detail in a ruse. This was all genuine. Nadia's glasses. They had at least her body but at that point he stopped doubting the premise. Requiem held her. Alive. Alive.

She was alive.

There was an arrow attached to the pole beneath the display case, pointing upslope. He looked into that direction but saw nothing. He could have continued the journey presently but at the end he would need his strength so a resting period made sense. He would have to be on the top of his game, for Nadia. He floated down and fixed a small meal.

He had left a message behind. He hoped it would be delivered according to his instructions. It was a warning. If he had been contacted by Requiem in order to get him to compromise the fight there was no guarantees thatthere were not also others. There could have been multiple contacts. There could be moles active right now. With dread he remembered what Kitmarch had told of Coila. Coila had resurfaced after a long absence and started asking questions about how far the Fletched Alliance would go for Tempest. Kitmarch had mentioned a vendetta to avenge Sword. Sword who had the same day been revealed to be still alive. Too big a coincidence to be just that.

With a sigh he drove the more distant worries out of his mind. There was a task for which he needed his full concentration. He packed his gear neatly and prepared for the ascent. The quantum weapon's incessant noise made sure he stayed aware of the huge danger he was in.

There were no distractions between him and the cave.

The cave was cut through the ice and stone. There had been no reports about it during the search for Sword's body so it had to be relatively new. Made just for him he realized. This would be a classical example of a boobie-trap as Xan would put it. But he had known it all along. Ever since the certainty of Nadia's demise had been lifted there had been no actual choice for him. That he had ended up here alone and without backup was more a fling of luck than a part of the plan but standing there by the three meter high entrance he knew that this was as it was supposed to be.

With determination he walked into the cave, and into the darkness.

The tunnel was long and wide not unlike one that trains used passing through hills. Faint light shone down from longlife lamps hammered into the ceiling and the feel of the place was both old and new. Some cuts were fresh but the blast doors at the end of the tunnel had gone rusty with age. They had not been in use in years except that right now they had been pushed ajar. The temperature was still freezing but the air was still. Coile lowered his hood and without hesitation walked through the uninviting doorway.

The cavern seemed huge to him. There were still bases of walls left with the modules gone. Lone pipe brackets hung on the walls bare and useless. There had been an organized facility in here, now abandoned. A council base stripped down and evacuated. The cavern itself was brightly lit by lamps standing on posts and the air vibrated with the whirr of the generator powering them. In front of him two squads of council troops were waiting for him. Coile felt sudden dread. One man against two dozen highly trained soldiers. As he was personally invited these men receiving him would not be simple tossers. They were each and everyone bound to be a top trained combatant. His bold and rash plan felt suddenly as inadequate as it in truth was.

Coile approached the group unsurely but not having it in him to stop either. When he came closer a man spoke out. "You're expected." The man had signs sewed onto his clothing. Requiem's trooper. The other sign was something that Steel Guard had once called an archon. Coile didn't know if it was a rank, definition of status or description of the man's capabilities. The archon waved Coile to move forward without paying any attention to the quantum weapon strapped onto Coile's back. This added to his sense of premature defeat. His best chance wasn't even worth a glance to them.

Some distance away were black curtains draped from posts to form a separate space. That was the direction the archon had indicated. Coile slipped between two curtains and entered a small space about five meters per side. There was not much light from the outside but the illumination was not lacking nonetheless. A man-sized black crystal was emanating devilish purple light. There was also a screen on a stand showing static and nothing else. He opened his mouth to call out his host showing bravery and bravado but words refused to form. After an awkward silence he just uttered, "I am here."

His waiting was cut short by an entrance of a council man. This man was not wearing a helmet nor was he seemingly armed. He was almost as nervous as Coile and despite the subzero temperature was sporting a thin film of sweat on his face. He walked directly to the crystal and placed his hands on its surface. Then he recoiled his mouth opening into a voiceless scream. He spasmed like being electrocuted by a cannon prince and shook violently. Then he stood straight and turned his pits of purple energy for the eyes on his guest. Coile felt his heart sink. He was in the presence of Requiem.

The man whose eyes were leaking purple dark energy streams spoke. "Coile, of the Silent Tempest. It is well you have come. The weapons you have brought are puissant against my kind." He kept a small pause to enhance the impact. "But not puissant enough. If you have come to fight, let us be to it. If you have come to learn what you can gain, let us talk."

Coile had known his plan had its weak points but Requiem referring to multiple weapons made it clear that his every move had been anticipated and nullified even before he made them. All that he had left was the desire that had driven him back to Lord of the Spirits on a fool's quest.

Mustering some mysterious reserves of a man obsessed he forced himself to stand up for his cause. "Is she alive? Show me." If he could just retain an upper hand, show them all who was the boss. Keep them off-balance, gain what he had come here for. Keep the appearance of having aces up his sleeve, opposition guessing about his real might. The pools of purple evil bore into him, shrinking him inside. Quietly he added to his bolsterous demand. "Please."

"I speak for Lord Requiem, and He is not without mercy. Watch, and learn." Without him making any sort of gesture the screen flickered to life. Distantly Coile understood that once lured to here he was no longer worth the attention of the main villain himself. A lackey had been assigned to tend to him. All that evaporated as the picture commanded his complete attention.

There was a cell and in the middle of it a medical gurney. On the bed was truly her. Sword of Truth. Coile would have let out a squeak but his shock held him immobile and silent. She had not perished in the avalanche. By some means she had fallen into the hands of their deadliest adversary yet. Suddenly there was light in his life again. He did not notice that he was holding his breath nor that his eyes were watering up. Slowly he lifted his hand towards the screen.

There were tubes going into her feeding her some blue liquid. A helmet covered her head and temples. Her eyes were closed and she did not move. Coile's hand never touched the screen itself. Solitary words broke from his lips. "Sword. Can. I." He swallowed hard. "Can I meet her?" His host explained the situation. "She is not held on this earth. We are not so foolish, else your eager seeking telepaths and searchbots would have discovered her. If you make the right decisions, you will be reunited with her."

The last remnants of his ill prepared plans dwindled into nothingness. He could not just grab her and shoot their way out and make a daring escape into the freedom that was the open sky. If only he could get to her. Maybe there would be a way, even on some other Earth. He did not speak to the man but to the screen. "I want to see her in person. Take me to her."

Requiem's lackey was more than oblidging. "Certainly. All you must do to achieve that is agree to merge with one of my kind." This took the young hero completely off-guard. The sentence was valid by grammar but made no sense at all. "What? Become a nictus?" The sheer absurdity of the proposal was fully evident in the astounding disbelief of his voice. The man who remained nameless merely nodded.

"Blend with one. It is the only way we could trust you enough to allow you to see her before our deal is completed. Of course, there are other options available to you." Coile listened obediently. He was shaking under his tumultuous feelings. "You may conclude that your loved one", the councilman injected the last two words with a certain degree of mockery, "is not held by us, that this is all a fake. You may choose to believe that, but-", he held a dramatic pause to let the next scene to sink in with the intended intensity, "you would be responsible for cutting off her chance." He motioned to the screen.

A black-robed figure moved towards the unconscious Nadia holding a tool that spew ominous sparks. The tool went closer and closer stopping just shy of touching the collarbone. The councilman finished making his bargain. "You see, we are not unreasonable. You wish her to live, we wish for things. We can trade."

Fear was wrecking havoc with Coile and he managed only to acknowledge the fact that he had heard the man with a slight movement of his head. His mouth was terribly dry. His companion wasted no time in pressing his horrific point in. "Do we have to make clear the consquences of disobedience, or do you get the idea?" On screen the tool seemed to move ever closer even if it was impossible to be sure. Finally finding his voice again Coile rasped hoarsely. "I will do as you ask." He did not himself know whether or not he meant what he said.

He had had a resolve when he set out on this journey. He knew he would not follow through with any request that jeopardized the goal of his comrades-in-arms. It was paramount that Requiem was stopped. Enough heroes had laid down their lives in the line of duty and he had also risked his existence daily combating the vicious assault on his adopted hometown. Still at that exact moment all that he was aware of was the love of his life being under the knife. His predicament went unnoticed or at least unmarked by his captor.

"Excellent." On the screen the threatening tool was withdrawn. "Now, you are not a total idiot, so perhaps you have told others of your trip here? Even of your contact with us?" Avoiding eye contact only enhanced his apparent guilt. "What if I have?" Requiem's servant was not fazed by this prospect even if Coile had been forbidden to share any knowledge of the contact on the bane of his and Nadia's immediate death. It had in fact been anticipated. "Why, then your service to us will be somewhat more complex since we will have to ensure that you serve us adequatly while avoiding suspicion."

Grasping at intangible wisps for hopes Coile tried to avoid his situation deteriorating into a complete disaster. "You hold her. You can't have a better hold. I would do anything for her." He weighted his words and felt the taint of dishonesty. His hope was that the man did not see through his lies. "I wasn't going to. But, seeing her - there." Coile added a swallow which was not hard at all. His eyes kept returning to the screen.

"Yes. We are all slaves to the things that we love, aren't we? Even we of the Nictus. You know, thanks to your oh-so-sadly-deceased former advisor, of the most epic of Lord Requiem's true schemes. We are not unreasonable. You and she may survive the apocalypse, just as we Nicti will. All that you must do is serve us." This was it. One of the questions that had been burning in Coile's mind. "How? Everything will be destroyed. How can you survive that?"

It felt like there was a mesmerizing echo in the man's voice, or maybe it was purely imagined. Be that as it may it was having a disorienting effect. "Everything will be consumed by Lord Requiem into the Gestalt, and we will be reborn in the new universe. You can share this bounty, just as we who serve him will." There was a meaningful look. "If you are not foolish." The anguish was constricting him terribly. He looked at the screen. Nadia. So helpless. Sentenced to death if he did not co-operate. His own resolve concerning betrayal. Aloud he whispered. "Maybe she will forgive me."

His features were a showcase of a man broken. He had brought up from the pits of his memory the assault Azure Sting had visited on him. Despite Subaiku's sorcery he still could vividly recall the exact feeling of his core torn to pieces. He was still hanging onto thin threads of integrity and feigning loyal obedience. It came easier by the minute, slipping into the role, buying into the hype. In a hollow voice he inquired. "What do you want me to do?"

"Three things. You will gain for us the location of the three beacons that your friends have set, so that we may destroy them. You will place a device we shall give you into the Portal Corporation offices. And you will return to us for your Rebirth."

It was no small task that was imposed to him. Gradually it dawned to Coile what he was asked to do. No small time espionage that he could accomplish badly or other minor misdeeds that would eventually blow over. Full scale sabotage of resistance efforts and treason against the hero kind. He had not thought clearly about this before and now it was too late. Of course his lot would be something he could not go through with. How could he? Nadia on the screen. So close.

"I want to see her. In person. I want to touch her. Feel her. Then I'll believe. Then I'm yours." A ruse to get to the place where she was held? A ploy to heroically spring her out of captivity to together wage battle against insurmountable enemy forces and rush to freedom? Or a beginning of a fall of a man crushed by his overwhelming desires, the insane need to be with the person he had fallen in love with? The distinct lines were on a precipice of blurring.

"You know our condition if you wish to see her, Coile of the Tempest." The man stepped aside leaving a path open to the crystal. There was no goading in his voice nor posture. The offer was a genuine one. The crystal continued spewing out its magenta brand of darkness. It was so close. Just a step and a touch. Coile stretched his hands. To see Nadia. To touch her, know that she was real. The loneliness of past weeks was hammering at him. The void within was screaming to be filled. It would be so easy. Yet he did not take the necessary step. So far. "Would she be a nictus too?"

"We would make the offer, in exchange for your aid." As if it would make them benefactors of the highest order the man added, "We usually take. Here, we invite. Be blessed in such mercy from Lord Requiem." Coile's mind was ablaze. All contingencies were evaluated. Sword would never take such an offer. Never. But was that the only way? Coile heard his voice speak out words of madness. "Is it-", he began. "Does it have to be voluntary?" There was pride in the man's tone. "No, it does not. Revel in your opportunity."

The Nicti lived long. To be with her an eternity. Hands were still poised on the crystal. Just a step and a touch. Forever. Was that not how long a love was always sworn to last? To be a living embodiment of dedication an loyalty. "No. Not like this." He lowered his hands and looked away brushing the corner of his eye with his shoulder feeling surprisingly ashamed of a few tears. He would just have to play it out, try not to commit to too many actions he would not be able to atone for later. "Just get me the device."

"The Archon outside will give it to you, Coile of the Tempest, together with a drug which you must take. It will bury this from your conscious memory, otherwise your telepathic comrades will stop you in your tasks - though I caution you to complete them swiftly, and not to contact any other, for in that way lies your safety. And so the safety of your love."

Whatever little control over the situation he had hoped to retain was receding fast from his grasp. What if they had not thought out their plan completely? "How do I know what to do, if I don't remember?" There was a condescending tone as if an architect was forced to explain to the hammer why it needed to hit the nails. "Given that the process does not involve blowing things up, you are unlikely to understand it. Suffice to say that your subconscious will move you through your motions while your consciousness creates the rationales."

Desperation for a way out was burning him inside. Prove them wrong. Catch them on a lie. "One thing. Why would you keep your promise?" The possessed council man stood by the screen. "Perhaps we would not. We can offer no guarantee you would accept. You must ask yourself, is the chance she is alive, and the chance she will be returned to you, worth what you do? If not, then she will be as dead as if you had killed her, in your own mind."

No way out. No chance to turn the tables. What had he been thinking coming here alone? That he had a chance? That he could somehow outwit a lunatic who had thousands upon thousands of men under his command? All of his circling thoughts were coming to the same point. Defeated. "And what if I say no, now?" Maybe he could just back out. The reply was pragmatic. "Then she will die, and we will try to kill you."

Coile remembered a fantasy of his where he shot Requiem point blank in the chest ending his threat, released Nadia from captivity and handed her the sword he had brought along. Together they fought their way out of a tight situation as they had so many times before and returned to their life as it had been. He stood disillusioned now. "With those soldiers out there you would succeed."

The game was up. The only thing he could do was just delay. "What is happening to her now? What is that blue stuff?" Requiem's servant accepted the stalling as they were holding all the cards. "It keeps her docile, and the rest of the apparatus is to keep her from being located by mystics, or telepathy, or such."

Unable to draw his eyes from his dark-skinned goddess the young man was succumbing to absurdities. If he could not be with Nadia free then maybe in imprisonment. He swallowed hard and presented his last request. "Could I join her in there? As a captive?" That would give their enemies even more leverage but he hoped no one would be stupid enough to let two lives affect the fate of the world. Unfortunately he was not the only one to arrive to such a conclusion. "There is no gain in that for us." He feebly tried still. "A hostage? There are others still."

The bargain time was over. There would be no deals except those that Requiem had laid on the table. Enhanced with the assessment of his insignificance the man squandered his last hope. "We do not fear what you may do, Coile of the Tempest. Some explosions more or less will not affect your world's opposition to Lord Requiem's plans, and your tactical brilliance is nonexistent. The others are unlikely to participate. No, Coile, will you serve, or merge, or die?"

Chewing his lip he raced through the options. Serve he could not. He would have given his own life instantly to save Nadia but he just could not bring himself to betray his allies. His love was not strong enough, after all. Merging with a nictus would not be as direct a way to let his comrades down. But a merged Nadia would not be the woman that he cared for. It never occurred to him to ask how a nictus would have affected him. Two options eliminated. He knew that his own suggestion had been turned down. He did not repeat it because he hoped that the second time it would be accepted but because he could not speak aloud just the one thing left.

"Your options are keeping me a hostage, or killing me. I - I can't do it. I won't. I would lose her."There. It was said. The certainty of death left him empty. No daring charge at the enemy forces got him killed in the end. He ended up negotiating his own death sentence, haggling and bargaining until it was the only way forward. What remained was to execute the common resolution. "That is a brave decision, Coile of the Tempest."

The peaceful feeling in the screen was shattered by two council soldiers stepping into the view. They were holding assault rifles each pointing at the dormant Sword of Truth. Knowing was one thing, seeing first hand was an entirely other thing. "So, Hero Coile, the choice you have made for her. You may step back from the brink even now, or you may simply say 'I will not do it' and what will follow will follow, as surely as if you pulled the trigger yourself. Choose."

The choice of words would be irrelevant. Unless he yielded he might as well give the order to shoot himself. Doubts and fears were ripping him apart from the inside. Coile had heard of people who were so dedicated to their code of honour that they could sacrifice anything or anyone for that. He did not see himself capable of doing so. But the truth remained that he did not do anything to stop them. "Life for your love - or painful death." The man with glowing eyes cocked his head as if he was asking about if there were any requests about the dinner.

Numbness was forming a ball inside. It pushed the emotional turmoil towards the surface with an unrelenting vengeance making Coile's cheeks wet with tears he did not notice. His voice was low and soft because a louder expression would have broken before the end. He could not believe he had the strenght to make the decision on his own so he reasoned it through the one he had failed to ptotect or save. "She has way more integrity than me. She would never submit to it. She would die first. I know it. She - she is my everything. I serve my goddess." When all is lost faith is the only thing that offers salvation. Faith in yourself if you're strong, or else faith in a god, even of your own making. It was done.

"No, Hero Coile, one way or another you will serve our God." There was a hissing noise from behind Coile and a dart punched through the thick fabric of his clothing. It happened so fast. There was no fight to the death, there was only death. Darkness rushed at him and he began to fall. From somewhere a universe away he heard two bursts of automatic weapons and his sense of drama added a female scream.

He had failed in every account. He had gone down without any kind of fight, without inflicting any damage to the enemy. His actions had driven Sword of Truth to death and his fool's quest had cost him his own life. Strangely the latter was something he did not regret. His last thought was "I turned twenty today." and then he ceased.


(As usual, feedback is most welcome.)

Location: Khan Tengri, an abandoned council base
Time: 2.8.2006, 9 pm local time, high noon Paragon City time

The tunnel was long and wide not unlike one that trains used passing through hills. Faint light shone down from longlife lamps hammered into the ceiling and the feel of the place was both old and new. Some cuts were fresh but the blast doors at the end of the tunnel had gone rusty with age. They had not been in use in years except that right now they had been pushed ajar. The temperature was still freezing but the air was still. Coile lowered his hood and without hesitation walked through the uninviting doorway.

The cavern seemed huge to him. There were still bases of walls left with the modules gone. Lone pipe brackets hung on the walls bare and useless. There had been an organized facility in here, now abandoned. A council base stripped down and evacuated. The cavern itself was brightly lit by lamps standing on posts and the air vibrated with the whirr of the generator powering them. In front of him two squads of council troops were waiting for him. Coile felt sudden dread. One man against two dozen highly trained soldiers. As he was personally invited these men receiving him would not be simple tossers. They were each and everyone bound to be a top trained combatant. His bold and rash plan felt suddenly as inadequate as it in truth was.

Coile approached the group unsurely but not having it in him to stop either. When he came closer a man spoke out. "You're expected." The man had signs sewed onto his clothing. Requiem's trooper. The other sign was something that Steel Guard had once called an archon. Coile didn't know if it was a rank, definition of status or description of the man's capabilities. The archon waved Coile to move forward without paying any attention to the quantum weapon strapped onto Coile's back. This added to his sense of premature defeat. His best chance wasn't even worth a glance to them.

Some distance away were black curtains draped from posts to form a separate space. That was the direction the archon had indicated. Coile slipped between two curtains and entered a small space about five meters per side. There was not much light from the outside but the illumination was not lacking nonetheless. A man-sized black crystal was emanating devilish purple light. There was also a screen on a stand showing static and nothing else. He opened his mouth to call out his host showing bravery and bravado but words refused to form. After an awkward silence he just uttered, "I am here."

His waiting was cut short by an entrance of a council man. This man was not wearing a helmet nor was he seemingly armed. He was almost as nervous as Coile and despite the subzero temperature was sporting a thin film of sweat on his face. He walked directly to the crystal and placed his hands on its surface. Then he recoiled his mouth opening into a voiceless scream. He spasmed like being electrocuted by a cannon prince and shook violently. Then he stood straight and turned his pits of purple energy for the eyes on his guest. Coile felt his heart sink. He was in the presence or Requiem.

The man whose eyes were leaking purple dark energy streams spoke. "Coile, of the Silent Tempest. It is well you have come. The weapons you have brought are puissant against my kind." He kept a small pause to enhance the impact. "But not puissant enough. If you have come to fight, let us be to it. If you have come to learn what you can gain, let us talk."

Coile had known his plan had its weak points but Requiem referring to multiple weapons made it clear that his every move had been anticipated and nullified even before he made them. All that he had left was the desire that had driven him back to Lord of the Spirits on a fool's quest.

Mustering some mysterious reserves of a man obsessed he forced himself to stand up for his cause. "Is she alive? Show me." If he could just retain an upper hand, show them all who was the boss. Keep them off-balance, gain what he had come here for. Keep the appearance of having aces up his sleeve, opposition guessing about his real might. The pools of purple evil bore into him, shrinking him inside. Quietly he added to his bolsterous demand. "Please."

"I speak for Lord Requiem, and He is not without mercy. Watch, and learn." Without making any sort of gesture the screen flickered to life. Distantly Coile understood that once lured to here he was no longer worth the attention of the main villain himself. A lackey had been assigned to tend to him. All that evaporated as the picture commanded his complete attention.

There was a cell and in the middle of it a medical gurney. On the bed was truly her. Sword of Truth. Coile would have let out a squeak but his shock held him immobile and silent. She had not perished in the avalanche. By some means she had fallen into the hands of their deadliest adversary yet. Suddenly there was light in his life again. He did not notice that he was holding his breath nor that his eyes were watering up. Slowly he lifted his hand towards the screen.

There were tubes going into her feeding her some blue liquid. A helmet covered her head and temples. Her eyes were closed and she did not move. Coile's hand never touched the screen itself. Solitary words broke from his lips. "Sword. Can. I." He swallowed hard. "Can I meet her?" His host explained the situation. "She is not held on this earth. We are not so foolish, else your eager seeking telepaths and searchbots would have discovered her. If you make the right decisions, you will be reunited with her."

The last remnants of his ill prepared plans dwindled into nothingness. He could not just grab her and shoot their way out and make a daring escape into the freedom that was the open sky. If only he could get to her. Maybe there would be a way, even on some other Earth. He did not speak to the man but to the screen. "I want to see her in person. Take me to her."

Requiem's lackey was more than oblidging. "Certainly. All you must do to achieve that is agree to merge with one of my kind." This took the young hero completely off-guard. The sentence was valid by grammar but made no sense at all. "What? Become a nictus?" The sheer absurdity of the proposal was fully evident in the astounding disbelief of his voice. The man who remained nameless merely nodded.

"Blend with one. It is the only way we could trust you enough to allow you to see her before our deal is completed. Of course, there are other options available to you." Coile listened obediently. He was shaking under his tumultuous feelings. "You may conclude that your loved one", the councilman injected the last two words with a certain degree of mockery, "is not held by us, that this is all a fake. You may choose to believe that, but-", he held a dramatic pause to let the next scene to sink in with theintended intensity, "you would be responsible for cutting off her chance." He motioned to the screen.

A black-robed figure moved towards the unconscious Nadia holding a tool that spew ominous sparks. The tool went closer and closer stopping just shy of touching the collarbone. The councilman finished making his bargain. "You see, we are not unreasonable. You wish her to live, we wish for things. We can trade."

Fear was wrecking havoc with Coile and he managed only to acknowledge the fact that he had heard the man with a slight movement of his head. His mouth was terribly dry. His companion wasted no time in pressing his horrific point in. "Do we have to make clear the consquences of disobedience, or do you get the idea?" On screen the tool seemed to move ever closer even if it was impossible to be sure. Finally finding his voice again Coile rasped hoarsely. "I will do as you ask." He did not himself know whether or not he meant what he said.

He had had a resolve when he set out on this journey. He knew he would not follow through with any request that jeopardized the goal of his comrades-in-arms. It was paramount that Requiem was stopped. Enough heroes had laid down their lives in the line of duty and he had also risked his existence daily combating the vicious assault on his adopted hometown. Still at that exact moment all that he was aware of was the love of his life being under the knife. His predicament went unnoticed or at least unmarked by his captor.

"Excellent." On the screen the threatening tool was withdrawn. "Now, you are not a total idiot, so perhaps you have told others of your trip here? Even of your contact with us?" Avoiding eye contact only enhanced his apparent guilt. "What if I have?" Requiem's servant was not fazed by this prospect even if Coile had been forbidden to share any knowledge of the contact on the bane of his and Nadia's immediate death. It had in fact been anticipated. "Why, then your service to us will be somewhat more complex since we will have to ensure that you serve us adequatly while avoiding suspicion."

Grasping at intangible wisps for hopes Coile tried to avoid his situation deteriorating into a complete disaster. "You hold her. You can't have a better hold. I would do anything for her." He weighted his words and felt the taint of dishonesty. His hope was that the man did not see through his lies. "I wasn't going to. But, seeing her - there." Coile added a swallow which was not hard at all. His eyes kept returning to the screen.

"Yes. We are all slaves to the things that we love, aren't we? Even we of the Nictus. You know, thanks to your oh-so-sadly-deceased former advisor, of the most epic of Lord Requiem's true schemes. We are not unreasonable. You and she may survive the apocalypse, just as we Nicti will. All that you must do is serve us." This was it. One of the questions that had been burning in Coile's mind. "How? Everything will be destroyed. How can you survive that?"

It felt like there was a mesmerizing echo in the man's voice, or maybe it was purely imagined. Be that as it may it was having a disorienting effect. "Everything will be consumed by Lord Requiem into the Gestalt, and we will be reborn in the new universe. You can share this bounty, just as we who serve him will." There was a meaningful look. "If you are not foolish." The anguish was constricting him terribly. He looked at the screen. Nadia. So helpless. Sentenced to death if he did not co-operate. His own resolve concerning betrayal. Aloud he whispered. "Maybe she will forgive me."

His features were a showcase of a man broken. He had brought up from the pits of his memory the assault Azure Sting had visited on him. Despite Subaiku's sorcery he still could vividly recall the exact feeling of his core torn to pieces. He was still hanging onto thin threads of integrity and feigning loyal obedience. It came easier by the minute, slipping into the role, buying into the hype. In a hollow voice he inquired. "What do you want me to do?"

"Three things. You will gain for us the location of the three beacons that your friends have set, so that we may destroy them. You will place a device we shall give you into the Portal Corporation offices. And you will return to us for your Rebirth."

It was no small task that was imposed to him. Gradually it dawned to Coile what he was asked to do. No small time espionage that he could accomplish badly or other minor misdeeds that would eventually blow over. Full scale sabotage of resistance efforts and treason against the hero kind. He had not thought clearly about this before and now it was too late. Of course his lot would be something he could not go through with. How could he? Nadia on the screen. So close.

"I want to see her. In person. I want to touch her. Feel her. Then I'll believe. Then I'm yours." A ruse to get to the place where she was held? A ploy to heroically spring her out of captivity to together wage battle against insurmountable enemy forces and rush to freedom? Or a beginning of a fall of a man crushed by his overwhelming desires, the insane need to be with the person he had fallen in love with. The distinct lines were on a precipice of blurring.

"You know our condition if you wish to see her, Coile of the Tempest." The man stepped aside leaving a path open to the crystal. There was no goading in his voice nor posture. The offer was a genuine one. The crystal continued spewing out its magenta brand of darkness. It was so close. Just a step and a touch. Coile stretched his hands. To see Nadia. To touch her, know that she was real. The loneliness of past weeks was hammering at him. The void within was screaming to be filled. It would be so easy. Yet he did not take the necessary step. Yet. "Would she be a nictus too?"

"We would make the offer, in exchange for your aid." As if it would make them benefactors of the highest order the man added, "We usually take. Here, we invite. Be blessed in such mercy from Lord Requiem." Coile's mind was ablaze. All contingencies were evaluated. Sword would never take such an offer. Never. But was that the only way? Coile heard his voice speak out words of madness. "Is it-", he began. "Does it have to be voluntary?" There was pride in the man's tone. "No, it does not. Revel in your opportunity."

The Nicti lived long. To be with her an eternity. Hands were still poised on the crystal. Just a step and a touch. Forever. Was that not how long a love was always sworn to last? To be a living embodiment of dedication an loyalty. "No. Not like this." He lowered his hands and looked away brushing the corner of his eye with his shoulder feeling surprisingly ashamed of a few tears. He would just have to play it out, try not to commit to too many actions he would not be able to atone for later. "Just get me the device."

"The Archon outside will give it to you, Coile of the Tempest, together with a drug which you must take. It will bury this from your conscious memory, otherwise your telepathic comrades will stop you in your tasks - though I caution you to complete them swiftly, and not to contact any other, for in that way lies your safety. And so the safety of your love."

Whatever little control over the situation he had hoped to retain was receding fast from his grasp. What if they had not thought out their plan completely? "How do I know what to do, if I don't remember?" There was a condescending tone as if an architect was forced to explain to the hammer why it needed to hit the nails. "Given that the process does not involve blowing things up, you are unlikely to understand it. Suffice to say that your subconscious will move you through your motions while your consciousness creates the rationales."

Desperation for a way out was burning him inside. Prove them wrong. Catch them on a lie. "One thing. Why would you keep your promise?" The possessed council man stood by the screen. "Perhaps we would not. We can offer no guarantee you would accept. You must ask yourself, is the chance she is alive, and the chance she will be returned to you, worth what you do? If not.. then she will be as dead as if you had killed her, in your own mind."

No way out. No chance to turn the tables. What had he been thinking coming here alone? That he had a chance? That he could somehow outwit a lunatic who had thousands upon thousands of men under his command? All of his circling thoughts were coming to the same point. Defeated. "And what if I say no, now?" Maybe he could just back out. The reply was pragmatic. "Then she will die, and we will try to kill you."

Coile remembered a fantasy of his where he shot Requiem point blank in the chest ending his threat, released Nadia from captivity and handed her the sword he had brought along. Together they fought their way out of a tight situation as they had so many times before and returned to their life as it had been. He stood disillusioned now. "With those soldiers out there you would succeed."

The game was up. The only thing he could do was just delay. "What is happening to her now? What is that blue stuff?" Requiem's servant accepted the stalling as they were holding all the cards. "It keeps her docile, and the rest of the apparatus is to keep her from being located by mystics, or telepathy, or such."

Unable to draw his eyes from his dark-skinned goddess the young man was succumbing to absurdities. If he could not be with Nadia free then maybe in imprisonment. He swallowed hard and presented his latest request. "Could I join her in there? As a captive?" That would give their enemies even more leverage but he hoped no one would be stupid enough to let two lives affect the fate of the world. Unfortunately he was not the only one to arrive such a conclusion. "There is no gain in that for us." He feebly tried still. "A hostage? There are others still."

The bargain time was over. There would be no deals except those that Requiem had laid on the table. Enhanced with the assessment of his insignificance. "We do not fear what you may do, Coile of the Tempest. Some explosions more or less will not affect your world's opposition to Lord Requiem's plans, and your tactical brilliance is nonexistent. The others are unlikely to participate. No, Coile, will you serve, or merge, or die?"

Chewing his lip he raced through the options. Serve he could not. He would have given his own life instantly to save Nadia but he just could not bring himself to betray his allies. His love was not strong enough, after all. Merging with a nictus would not be as direct a way to let his comrades down. But a merged Nadia would not be the woman that he cared for. It never occurred toi him to ask how a nictus would have affected him. Two options eliminated. He knew that his own suggestion had been turned down. He did not repeat it because he hoped that the second time it would be accepted but because he could not speak aloud just the one thing left.

"Your options are keeping me a hostage, or killing me. I - I can't do it. I won't. I would lose her."There. It was said. The certainty of death left him empty. No daring charge at the enemy forces got him killed in the end. He ended up negotiating his death sentence, haggling and bargaining until it was the only way to proceed. What remained was to execute the common resolution. "That is a brave decision, Coile of the Tempest."

The peaceful feeling in the screen was shattered by two council soldiers stepping into the view. They were holding assault rifles each pointing at the dormant Sword of Truth. Knowing was one thing, seeing first hand was an entirely other thing. "So, Hero Coile, the choice you have made for her. You may step back from the brink even now, or you may simply say 'I will not do it' and what will follow will follow, as surely as if you pulled the trigger yourself. Choose."

The choice of words would be irrelevant. Unless he yielded he might as well give the order to shoot himself. Doubts and fears were ripping him apart from the inside. Coile had heard of people who were so dedicated to their code of honour that they could sacrifice anything or anyone for that. He did not see himself capable of doing so. But the truth remained that he did not do anything to stop them. "Life for your love - or painful death." The man with glowing eyes cocked his head as if he was asking about if there were any requests about the dinner.

Numbness was forming a ball inside. It pushed the emotional turmoil towards the surface with unrelenting vengeance making Coile's cheeks wet with tears he did not notice. His voice was low and soft because a louder expression would have broken before the end. He could not believe he had the strenght to make the decision on his own so he reasoned it through the one he had failed to ptotect or save. "She has way more integrity than me. She would never submit to it. She would die first. I know it. She - she is my everything. I serve my goddess. When all is lost faith is everything that offers salvation. Faith in yourself if you're strong, or else faith in a god, even of your own making. It was done.

"No, Hero Coile, one way or another you will serve our God." There was a hissing noise from behind Coile and a dart punched through the thick fabric of his clothing. It happened so fast. There was no fight to the death, there was only death. Darkness rushed at him and he began to fall. From somewhere a universe away he heard two bursts of automatic weapons and his sense of drama added a female scream.

He had failed in every account. He had gone down without any kind of fight, without inflicting any damage to the enemy. His actions had driven Sword of Truth to death and his fool's quest had cost him his own life. Stangely it was something he did not regret. His last thought was "I turned twenty today." and then he ceased.

Location: Khan Tengri, also known as the Lord of the Spirits
Time: 2.8.2006 (Coile's 20th birthday incidentally), 5 pm local time, 8 am Paragon City time

The cold and dry air prickled his lungs in an awfully familiar way. Karakara base camp was far behind him and the majestic mass of Khan Tengri, the Lord of the Spirits loomed ahead. Coile closed his eyes. Tattoos made by Subaiku had faded out already but the terror brought by the pretender Azure Sting stayed away. In his mind's eye he saw the blue flower that he had planted in Steel Canyon university park. Inhaling the mountain air he could still feel the flower's simple fragrance caressing his senses. He felt serene.

The weather was excellent this time. Due to time difference and one of the fastest jets he had ever flown it was just a few hours past noon. There was barely a whisper of the wind and the sky was crystal clear. The Lord of the Spirits was favouring him. He muttered a humble prayer to the mountain. Then he broke gravity's hold of him and started to glide along the ground's forms upwards. There was was still journey to be made.

The siege of Paragon City had receded from his mind. There was a plan in motion that would try to pinpoint Requiem's location in some universe or the other. Coile was somewhat unclear about the details but understood that it was time to take the fight finally to him. Unless someone used a shortcut. The crackling quantum rifle strapped to his back was a constant reminder of what he was up against.

Still there was no turning back. When Requiem had contacted him he had known exactly which strings to pull. "I have what you love, lust, covet.", he had said. Nadia. Sword of Truth. Alive? Captive? "You can have her back. There is a way to survive what is to come." Coile knew what that meant. Betraying the Rebirth Alliance. Sabotaging their operations. Helping Requiem to achieve his goal.

That was what had been discussed with Hana Li. There was only a small chance that Requiem would keep any promise that he made. And if there was a world for afterwards he knew that Nadia would never want to live in it. At best he would get to be with his love in a world which she hated, and in which she hated him for his part. There was no way that he would be a party to treason. He would play the part long enough to free Sword if he had to but actually moving against his allies was something he could not see himself doing.

It all could be faked, too. He had only the man's own testimony of being the madman who was out to destroy the world. Even that was based on an assumption, based only on a name. The proof of Sword being alive was equally flimsy. Just a scream over the connection. So easily faked that Coile thought even he could have done that. None of that mattered. It could be a trap. It could be a plan to get him to switch sides. He did not care. There was the most fleeting chance of regaining what he cherished the most in his life. Nadia Forester. The Sword of Truth. How could he let it pass?

Requiem had promised there would be a contact upon his return to Khan Tengri. He had wanted to go there according to the original plan but no word of it had come. The war had thrown all schedules up in the air and eventually it had come down to a solo mission. No doubt people would have volunteered to come with him. Some had, in fact. But the more he thought about the situation the more he was certain that this was now between him and the villain. Others could have possibly just faced their instant deaths. Requiem had gone to some trouble to ensure Coile coming to see him so there would be no immediate risk to life.

The big weapon that he was carrying with him had the theoretical chance of killing his target. There were no illusions about his ability to effectively operate a large scale assault weapon. There was besides no chance that he could get a line of sight with it. Requiem was not a stupid man. Only arrogant and clinically insane. Arrogance was what Coile hoped would be his ace in the hole. While the big gun was a decoy the smaller pistol stripped to bare bones and mounted on his wrist was not. Concealed under his bulky winterwear it went largely undetected.

He wasn't that good with most things. That had been painfully clear to him for years and only been reinforced after he had come of age and left the farm on a more regular basis. Arriving to Paragon City had just underlined it all. Everyone else was more accomplished and had better resources. There was only one thing that he knew how to do - take aim and blast. The moves and energy regulation had been imprinted onto him by years of daily practice under the watchful eye of their mother, the ND-unit. He was confident that if it came down to taking a shot he would make it. The damage output was a cause for worry but he had thought of that too. The wrist pistol had been modified in a way that allowed him to take the full advantage of his natural abilities. Of his full abilities. He shuddered at the prospect but reminded himself that it was Nadia who was at stake. No sacrifice too high.

Coile cleared a wedge in the mountainside and the vastness of the eastern face stretched before him. This is where it had happened. Where he had lost her. Where he had lost himself. The echoes of despair, fear and terror nagged at him but the magics Subaiku had weaved on him held fast. He did not crack up. He took the full brunt of his darkest moments and only winced. His core had been put back together. For a price, of course. Nothing came free, especially no good thing. The unexpected effects were at work beneath the surface.

The altitudemeter had brought him almost directly to his target. There was a high, black pole erected into the snow. A marker. With an ominous gut feeling he drifted towards it. When he came closer he saw something on top of it. He glided up to gaze into the clear display case. A pair of sunglasses. He could not breath. The nagging voice warning about fakes and forgeries faded into oblivion. This was an unnecessary detail in a ruse. This was genuine. Nadia's glasses. They had at least her body but at that point he stopped doubting the premise. Requiem held her. Alive. Alive.

She was alive.

There was an arrow attached to the pole beneath the display case, pointing upslope. He looked into that direction but saw nothing. He could have continued the journey presently but at the end he would need his strength so a resting period made sense. He would have to be on the top of his game, for Nadia. He floated down and fixed a small meal.

He had left a message behind. He hoped it would be delivered according to his instructions. It was a warning. If he had been contacted by Requiem in order to get him to compromise the fight there was no guarantees that others were not also. There could have been multiple contacts. There could be moles active right now. With dread he remembered what Kitmarch had told of Coila. She had resurfaced after a long absence and started asking questions about how far the Flecthed Alliance would go for Tempest. Kitmarch had mentioned a vendetta to avenge Sword. Sword who had the same day been revealed to be still alive. Too big a coincidence to be just that.

With a sigh he drove the more distant worries out of his mind. There was a task for which he needed his full concentration. He packed his gear neatly and prepared for the ascent. The quantum weapon's incessant noise made sure he stayed aware of the huge danger he was in.

There were no distractions between him and the cave.

The cave was cut through the ice and stone. There had been no reports about it during the search so it had to be relatively new. Made just for him he realized. This would be a classical example of a boobie-trap as Xan would put it. But he had known it all along. Ever since the certainty of Nadia's demise had been lifted there had been no actual choice for him. That he had ended up here alone and without backup was more a fling of luck than a part of the plan but standing there by the three meter high entrance he he knew this was as it was supposed to be.

With determination he walked into the cave, and into the darkness.