Shogo/Blood: Return to Cronus By Hamish Paul Wilson Edited by Graham L. Wilson. http://blood-wiki.org/index.php/Tome_of_Blood/ http://www.blood-wiki.org/Shogo/Expanded-Canon/ Thanks to Monolith Productions for the Blood and Shogo games and characters. “Freaking time warps, I'm getting sick of this....” Caleb cried out annoyed as he and the other three Chosen appeared in a new environment. The sounds of alarm bells rang throughout the complex, causing the Chosen to race frantically to cover their ears. The sounds of footsteps could also be heard somewhere off in the distance, ominous portents of what was to come. Caleb felt inside his trench coat and found that he had lost his armoury. “They have pilfered my life leech!” Ishmael observed, feeling both annoyed and a little insulted. The footsteps were coming closer and Caleb was more and more wishing for the comparative comfort of a shotgun at ten paces, as it always was in the good old days. A young woman followed by a sizable brigade of soldiers then emerged around the corner. Caleb looked around quickly but soon realized that they were all in fact trapped with no weapons in sight. “Halt in the name of the UCA!” the woman ordered rather severely, raising her military shotgun menacingly as she poke. That word “UCA” stirred something up in Caleb's subconscious mind, but he was still not quite up to complex thought so soon after both a time warp a bottle of strong whisky. The other three Chosen looked to Caleb questioningly, wondering what he was going to do. Noticing their gazes, Caleb anticlimactically put his hands in the air and surrendered to them. He really did not have a better answer to give, much as he wanted one. “Now move!” the woman demanded aggressively, proceeding to lead the Chosen through the winding bowels of the complex. Caleb was still remembering something about this place, something he could not place. There was something about it that felt familiar, but it was certainly not due to the work of the Cabal. The woman marched the Chosen into a small office room located at the rear of a large control room, and when Caleb saw who was sitting in the main chair the memory he was so ineptly reaching for finally coalesced into definite place. “You again...” Caleb realized finally. The man looked surprised at Caleb for a few seconds before speaking. “Caleb, so we meet again” he replied curiously, obviously not ever expecting the peculiar pleasure of the ancient gunslinger's company ever again. “This is getting too surreal for me...” Ophelia commented under her breath, not enjoying how much she had been left out of the plot thus far. “Admiral Sanjuro Makabe at your service” the man announced warmly, directing his gaze at the other three Chosen, before gesturing for the all of the guards present to leave. “Um, Sanjuro...” the woman from before interjected quietly. “These people suddenly appeared on your ship and now you are releasing them?” “It is okay Kura, I know at least one of them...” Sanjuro answered dismissively, inspecting the man in question thoughtfully. “Am I to be treated as a specimen now!?” Caleb asked sharply, not taking well to being pestered and probed as if he were a some kind of laboratory animal. “You are more weather beaten than before; you were somewhere harsh” Sanjuro noted, undeterred by his subject's protestations. “I think it would help matters If we all knew what was going on” Ishmael interjected, disrupting their whole conversation. “Yeah, tell us before I go bash some heads in!” Gabriella added with a demonic tint in her eyes, evidently just as irritated by the proceedings as Ishmael and Ophelia were. “Caleb, could you tell them?” Sanjuro asked, not wishing to overstep his bounds by too much. “I don't know, another reality or something...” Caleb explained rather unconvincingly. “Wait, I thought you bound all of the realities?” Ophelia remarked harshly in her unfaltering English accent, as if she were scolding a small child for not putting their toys away. “A bounded string can be broken...” Ishmael interposed, the idea of it appealing to his sharp mind. Everything always did seem more interesting when it was unravelling. “You know I will break some heads in if I don't get any answers!” Gabriella declared again only this time a great deal more roughly, still not satisfied with the overall responses she was getting. “Okay look...” Sanjuro broke in, not wanting a homicidal maniac going on a rampage on his ship. “I will assign you all some guest quarters. From there hopefully you can all go and figure out what is going on. Is that acceptable to you?” The four shrugged and nodded their heads unenthusiastically, causing Caleb to decide that it might just be best for them all to leave the room now, prompting him to lead the other three Chosen out the door. “Are you sure you do not want a guard on them?” Kura inquired suspiciously, not taking to her new acquaintances at all. “You can have a few patrols, but please remember that Caleb did not actually attack anyone here before and I honestly doubt that he is about to now” Sanjuro replied unconcerned, having none of the lingering doubts that presently were plaguing his companion. “Whatever Admiral” Kura bowed out, before going off to to check on whatever happened to the rest of her security detail. Sanjuro leaned back in his chair and sighed. Things were going to get interesting for him again, he could feel it. “There is something you are not telling us...” Ophelia directed at Caleb as soon as the four of them had reached their assigned quarters, fixing her ostensible lover with a cold accusatory stare. “Look, I was here once before alright?” Caleb shot back offended. “Stop pestering me!” “And how did you leave then?” Gabriella inquired, also pissed off in her thick cajan creole. “Don't tell me we are going to have to walk all the way home again like last time!” “No, I used some Cabal ritual I found in a book” Caleb explained dismissively, settling down on the bed and laying his head on the pillow in the hope of getting some sleep. “So do the damn thing so we can get out of here!” Ophelia commanded sharply, shattering any hope of that. Caleb opened his eyes and grimaced. “Not quite so fast...” Ishmael began, remaining by far the quietest of the four. “Oh god, not another lecture!” the other three Chosen thought in unison, although for the sake of Caleb's headache they thankfully did not give voice to that particular complaint. “We must first find out who made this new tear in the realities” Ishmael continued. “It would be of no use for Caleb to bind the realities just for more holes to open up so soon after.” “Not this again...” Caleb thought out, this time actually expressing his feelings aloud. “You are the One that Binds; it is your duty to link the various realities and prevent tears!” Ishmael reminded him, something which he was inordinately good at. “Oh god” Caleb cursed to himself. “Where is another bottle of whisky when you need one?” “He's back” Sanjuro commented as Kathryn entered the conference room. “Who is?” she inquired confused, not getting his drift. “Some guy with a black hat and a trench coat” Kura elaborated irritably. Kathryn stood still for a few seconds in order to better take this in. “Only this time he is not alone” Sanjuro continued, aware that she had finally made the right connection. Her sister Kura was still left in the dark, however. “Oh right, now you are going to tell me straight what is going on, yes?” she demanded, her patience wearing thin. She never did like surprises, especially when they came from her being left out of the loop for so long. “Just because you were 'dead'...” Kathryn muttered, but stopped when it became clear the Kura had actually heard her. The two often sparred like this since she had returned from her time away during that spy mission, something that upset quite a few apple carts in the process. “Shortly before my final mission on Cronus, the man in the trench coat rather suddenly appeared on the planet's surface” Sanjuro explained at last, having had enough of the pained expressions on both of his two girlfriends' faces. “I took him aboard the ship and he left by the form of an odd ritual not long after.” “Ritual?” Kura asked, raising her eyebrows. Both Sanjuro and Kathryn raised their arms to show two almost healed cuts on their pointer fingers. “And now he is back?” Kathryn added, seating herself next to Sanjuro at the conference table. Kura leaned in closer to him from the other side of the table in response to her sister's advances. “Apparently; he looks like he has come from hell and back though” Sanjuro responded, fully aware of the internal politics going on around him. “Well, do this ritual and get them off the ship then” Kura remarked. “I do not want them here for a second longer than they have to be.” Hearing this Kathryn bobbed her head fervently in concordance, both of them having finally discovered something which they could all agree on. “I will have to ask them about it first” Sanjuro replied, thinking over his next actions carefully. “They are not really as bad as you two seem to think.” From across the conference table both sisters exchanged dubious glances with each other, before finally having their peace broken again and returning both their eyes to Sanjuro himself. Certain priorities still had to be observed after all. “The One That Binds?” Sanjuro murmured after listening to one of Ishmael's many addresses, the old mystic having requested an audience with him not long after Kathryn had arrived. “Why must I suffer these idle minded morons?” Ishmael said through gritted teeth, unimpressed with the man's level of retention. Both Kura and Kathryn tensed, but Sanjuro simply laughed. “Well, if that is what you want to call me” he added cheerfully. “So, in simpler terms, you are looking for a powerful being that could possibly be responsible for sending you here?” “That would be one way to put it yes” Ishmael responded, not entirely happy with the man's simple way of dealing with something so complicated. Sanjuro let out a little smirk. “I think it is time to call on my brother” he stated pleasantly, rising from his chair. Things were getting interesting indeed. “Now approaching Cronus; please make sure all passengers are wearing their restraining belts” the computer on the shuttle LZ Minotaur pronounced soberly. Sanjuro looked over and saw that none of the Chosen had even the slightest intention of heading the computer's warning. The shuttle landed smoothly on the cold alien ground just then, and the landing party of seven exited uneventfully except for one small incident wherein in the stupendously tall Gabriella hit her head on the doorway roof whilst vacating the vehicle. They were a strange bunch to be seen walking the streets of Maritropa; four former servants of a dead and evil god long lost to the vastness of time. They even caused a little stir among the inhabitants, who visibly cleared a way for them as they approached. The Embassy of Cothineal loomed in the distance, and the company stopped at a fortified guard post that controlled the only passable admittance to the building. “I would like to speak to Gabriel” Sanjuro asked the Fallen door guard, showing him his identification. After some prolonged and belaboured discussions and dealing, the seven people were eventually allowed to enter a large room in the centre of the Embassy. There they found two men, both of which watched their newly arrived party with a great deal of interest. “Sanjuro, Kathryn, and Kura” the man who was seated in the centre chair observed warmly. “And guests.” “Quite a few guests in fact” the smaller man standing beside him offered, almost conspiratorially. “Hello again Toshiro, Baku” Sanjuro greeted, not needing to explain his own presence to his brother and the man who was still one of his oldest childhood friends. The same applied to Kura and Kathryn as well of course, but the others still needed some form of formal elaboration. “May I introduce Caleb and um...?” he trailed off. “The Chosen” Ophelia hissed, still not happy about being ignored. “Right, Caleb and the Chosen” Sanjuro finished. “Pleasure to meet you” the taller man said as he got up and stretched a hand towards Caleb. He simply stared at it blankly, unsure what to do with it. “It's called a handshake” he added lightly, remarkably unfazed by this. “Like in shaking off a hell hand?” Caleb inquired. The tall man then stared at Sanjuro looking for a little help, not sure if his strange new guest was being deliberately obtuse or not. “Never mind Toshiro” Sanjuro stated dismissively. “We have come here with a purpose.” “Let me guess, you need to talk to Cothineal?” Toshiro inquired, always a few steps ahead of his brother when it came to such matters. “They have come to talk to Cothineal” Sanjuro responded. Toshiro sat back down in the centre chair besides the man who was evidently Baku and closed his eyes. He stayed like this for a few moments until he suddenly opened them again and walked towards the Chosen undaunted. “I am Gabriel, ambassador to Cothineal. What do these beings wish?” “We seek an answer to a question” Ishmael informed the being that was now apparently Gabriel, not feeling the need to question the transformation. “And what may this be?” “We came from another realm to this place, and we are wondering how the rift was created” Ishmael continued. “Cothineal senses a being of great power” Gabriel interjected, his eyes locking in on Caleb. “That would be the One that Binds” Ishmael commented, sharing the man's gaze. Caleb let out a deep menacing smile as he always seemed to do when he received compliments. “We are unfamiliar with this power” Gabriel stated matter-of-factly. “Cothineal is curious.” “I am not to be studied” Caleb repeated, disturbed that this kept coming up. “Cothineal does not mean to anger such a powerful being” Gabriel added quickly. Kura and Kathryn both thought over the current developments and it made them even more determined that there should be more armed guards watching over Caleb and his Chosen. “We must have an answer to a question” Ishmael interposed, trying to turn the conversation into a more practical direction. “Then ask it visitor” Gabriel proclaimed, having lost none of his grandeur. “Do you know what is making holes in the realities?” Ishmael inquired. “We do not understand” Gabriel stated, “but we soon will!” Caleb's eyes suddenly slammed shut and he fell to the ground, forcing the other Chosen to rush to his side. He was still breathing, but did not seem to respond to any form of stimuli. “What the hell are you doing?!” Ophelia hissed at Gabriel, suddenly feeling protective. “It will cause him no harm, and we need information” Gabriel responded quietly. Ophelia was about to slap him in the face when Caleb suddenly awakened again. “You're dead!” he screamed as he pulled himself back to his feet, vaulting himself at Gabriel. Sanjuro, Baku, and Kura ran to restrain him. “We mean you no harm; we now have the information we needed” Gabriel informed him undeterred. Caleb was not listening, and was still trying his best to overpower the two soldiers and assistant ambassador. “You have an answer to my question?” Ishmael asked, ignoring this for the moment. “We caused the rift, and we promise never to do it again, the risks are too great” Gabriel explained, before seating himself in his chair and closing his eyes. “You may rebind the realities.” After a few seconds he opened them again and he was Toshiro. “I am so sorry” he said to Caleb. “I can not control Cothineal when I am in that state.” “I will show him control!” Caleb cried out angrily, still struggling. “Enough, we have the information we need” Ishmael said trying to stop Caleb's intense rages. “Please forgive Cothineal, she gets curious sometimes...” Toshiro continued to insist. “I will rip out his spleen and feed it to...” Caleb was interrupted by a stern look from Ophelia. “That will be enough; no need to get worked up” she declared in way of warning. “Fine, let's just get out of here then” Caleb grumbled, still not overly happy with matters. “It is not over yet” Ishmael interrupted. “You must seal the rifts...” “Not this again!” Caleb almost shouted in frustration. “We must find a way for you to seal the rifts while at the same time being able to use them to get us back to our reality, Domus-bhaava if you will” Ishmael finished, ignoring his complaint. Kathryn and Kura did not like where this was going. “In short...” Sanjuro interjected. “You have to stay with us for a little while longer.” “Quite” Ishmael responded. The two sisters exchanged yet more nervous looks. Not long after reaching their guest quarters, Sanjuro put his head in his hands in frustration, Kura and Kathryn's unwavering insistence finally starting to get to him. “Look, I know what I am doing!” he exclaimed irritated, but they would not listen. “Everyone of my gut instincts tells me he is a mindless killer!” Kura expressed disparagingly. “The sooner he is gone the better...” Kathryn added. “Well, I at least should be glad you two are agreeing on something...” Sanjuro interjected, referring to their ongoing battle over, well, himself. The two sisters gave him another stern look. “Maybe the first time you could handle him, but now that he has his gang with him...” Kura continued unabated. “Again, they have not hurt anyone. They have shown restraint, and if anything having the other 'Chosen' around is a benefit. You know how Caleb reacted when Cothineal...” “And that just proves our point!” Kathryn inserted passionately. “He would have killed Toshiro, we all could see it!” “Look, its getting late...” Sanjuro said, trying to end the argument for now. “Lets all just go to bed; we can discuss this in the morning.” Kura and Kathryn did not argue, but they did make sure to lock the door before doing so. “What the hell are you reading!” Gabriella asked, showing all of her usual tact and subtlety. “Hmm?” Ishmael replied, taking his eyes off his book for a moment. “Oh, this is just a volume on Cabal rituals. Interesting reading...” “For six hours?” Ophelia interjected off put. “I will have you know that this is actually of great importance to us all” he responded, placing the book on the floor. “Look here” he gestured, pointing down at certain pages. “It's just a bunch of cultist talk” Ophelia remarked, never much taken with the language. Ishmael rolled his eyes and explained. “This is the ritual Caleb preformed the first time he was here. It also mentions that you can do this and close the rift at the same time, assuming you have a few extra participants.” “So, let's go and do it already!” Ophelia said eagerly, very much desiring to leave this place. “It unfortunately requires a full moon as well” Ishmael pointed out quietly “What, how do we even know this planet has a moon!?” Ophelia asked frustrated. “We are in luck actually” Ishmael elaborated calmly. “This planet does indeed have a moon and the next full one is scheduled for tomorrow evening. Tomorrow at midnight we shall be able to depart from this world for good.” Morning was fast approaching, but Sanjuro could not sleep. He had experienced nightmares all night, mostly involving Kura, Toshiro, and Baku's supposed deaths that still continued to haunt him despite their subsequent reappearances. He decided that he better check to make sure his guests were not causing any trouble. He quietly walked to the door, not wanting to wake Kura or Kathryn, and made his way to the next block of guest quarters. He found Caleb's door unlocked. “Don't you ever sleep?” Sanjuro asked in surprise when he saw that the man in question was also in fact awake. “You know I could ask the same question about you...” Caleb stated sarcastically. “What the hell do you want?” “To be honest I came by to make sure you were not causing trouble” Sanjuro explained. “Kura and Kathryn have been giving me hell...” “Well, then they are the one's making trouble for you aren't they?” the old gunslinger replied unconcerned. “In more ways than one...” Sanjuro muttered. “What?” Caleb asked confused. “Never mind” Sanjuro cast off quickly. “I was meaning to ask you though..” he added, trying to change the direction of the conversation “Where did the other three come from?” “They are the Chosen like me, former servants of a dead god...” Caleb started, but was cut off by a recollected Sanjuro. “I remember you saying something about that. I guess they weren't dead then were they?” “No, they were dead” Caleb answered simply. “Okay, now you have lost me...” Sanjuro replied, not quite sure how to respond to that. “As I recall, did you not lose people too?” Caleb inquired thoughtfully. “Yes, but it turns out they actually weren't dead...” Sanjuro added with a smile. Just then the door opened and Kura and Kathryn rushed in, with Kura carrying two pistols. “What the hell are you doing?” Sanjuro demanded startled, as Caleb simply looked on amused. Kura looked about the room and quickly hid her pistols behind her back. “We were just wondering where you went...” Kathryn explained rather sheepishly. “Was the weaponry really necessary?” Caleb observed, just as the rest of the Chosen came in to see what the commotion was. “What the hell is all the fuss about?” Gabriella inquired sternly, clearly jolted from her rest. Kura and Kathryn tried their best to blend into the wall. “Nothing” Sanjuro commented annoyed, before gesturing for Kura and Kathryn to follow him out of the room. “Well?” Ophelia asked, this time looking to Caleb. “Apparently we are not all that well trusted” he replied lightly, not in the least bit offended. “Can you really blame them?” Ishmael stated calmly. “The sooner we are out of here the better...” Ophelia once again insisted, and checked the wall clock in the corner of the room. Eighteen more hours in the day until midnight, and the ritual. It could just not come soon enough for her. “You do realize you two caused an incident?” Sanjuro stated severely to Kura and Kathryn as soon as they were out of their visitor's earshot. “You should have told us where you went!” Kura protested in an even more put upon tone than the one used by Sanjuro. “Look, just don't bug them again alright?” Sanjuro ordered unrepentant. “They have not hurt a single person while they where here.” Kura was about to speak, but was cut off by Kathryn. “Look, we were just worried about you...” she cut in bashfully. “I can handle myself” Sanjuro responded, not falling for her wiles either. “I am an Admiral after all!” Kathryn looked down at her feet, as Kura continued to fume in his general direction. They did nevertheless follow him back to their quarters, where Sanjuro crawled back into bed, now feeling extremely worn out once more. “Come on, lets all get some sleep, it's still early yet...” he suggested, pulling the covers over himself. Kura and Kathryn shrugged and did the same, both still unsure how best to argue anymore. “Did you sleep well?” Toshiro inquired politely when Sanjuro, Kura, and Kathryn met him later that morning. “Sure” Sanjuro lied, seeing very little point in elaborating on the point further. “I assume the Chosen did not cause you any trouble?” “None” Toshiro answered helpfully. “They keep to themselves. Some of the quietest guests we have had here actually.” Sanjuro gave a smug glance in Kura and Kathryn's direction. Kathryn once again looked down at her feet while Kura glared back at him. This quiet scene was then disturbed as a siren started to ring in the far distance, just as Baku ran into the room. “We have a problem!” Baku explained quickly. “A group of rogue CMC troops has just attacked the Embassy!” “What, I thought the CMC had collapsed!” Sanjuro cut in startled. “I did say that they were 'rogue' didn't I?” Baku replied a little roughly just as the four Chosen also rushed in. “What the hell is going on?” Caleb demanded, the siren already giving him a splitting headache. As he said this a thought entered Sanjuro's mind. “Caleb?” he asked lightly. “How would you and your party feel about fighting this morning?” Caleb raised his eyebrows. “And what is in it for us?” he inquired, the other three Chosen looking on from behind. Sanjuro had to think about that for a moment. “If these rogue CMC took the building they would certainly take all of you hostage. You do not want to be a prisoner do you?” As he said this Samantha Sternberg, Toshiro's personal bodyguard, dashed into the room carrying weaponry, and proceeded to arm Sanjuro, Kura, Toshiro, and Baku. “Give them some too” Sanjuro directed, and the woman loyally complied by placing all of the remaining arms into the hands of the Chosen “Be careful!” Kathryn called out as Sanjuro, Kura, and the Chosen rushed off to defend the Embassy entrance. “Don't worry, they will be fine...” Toshiro said to her encouragingly before he, Baku, and Samantha retreated to the Ambassador's throne room for protection, all three of them still being too valuable to Cothineal to lose. Kathryn, being both a communications officer and pacifist, also unwillingly followed them. Some days pacifism was easier than others. Sanjuro was almost immediately greeted by a Fallen Commander at the doorway. “What is the situation here?” Sanjuro demanded promptly. “We have fortified the entrance, but they are trying to break through” the Commander replied earnestly, the sounds of intense combat audible nearby. “Our men need reinforcements desperately.” “Bring it on!” Caleb jeered as they all started to move on to the front lines. There they saw that the Fallen had set up a series of large box barricades to be used as rifle pits. Ophelia jumped into a vacant one and loaded her assault rifle. Kura did a similar manoeuvre. Caleb, Ishmael, and Sanjuro instead jumped behind the stone pillars of the entrance structure. Gabriella stayed in the open, bullets bouncing off her thick battle armour as if they were mere rocks. Ophelia let out a few shots and took out a couple CMC fighters. Kura followed suit with a barrage of rapid fire. Caleb and Sanjuro shot a few shells with their military shotguns. Ishmael tried his best as well, but his shots hit pavement. “Better luck next time Ish” Gabriella taunted as she released a few more clips. “Stupid projectiles” Ishmael muttered under his breath, “where's a good old fashioned Life Leech when you need one?” The CMC were gradually being forced back, especially with the help of the Chosen's superior combat experience. Eventually the leader of the group came forward with a white flag. Caleb moved to meet him, aiming his shotgun menacingly. “No shooting the prisoners!” Sanjuro barked and Caleb reluctantly lowered his weapon, the need to observe any niceties in combat an odd experience. The remaining CMC soldiers were then handcuffed and lead into the Embassy, followed by Fallen and UCA troops, and of course the Chosen. Kathryn displayed an intense expression of relief as Sanjuro and Kura entered the room, and ran and hugged them both equally. Toshiro and Baku also came into the room just then. “Report” Toshiro asked the Fallen Commander, who had trailed them both from behind. “The threat has been neutralized sir” the soldier complied, before doing a formal salute. “You are dismissed, excellent work Commander” Toshiro commended, before strolling over to his brother. “That applies to you too brother; from the bottom of my heart I thank you.” “You should really extend that to them as well” Sanjuro said, pointing towards the Chosen. “I have not seen fighting like that in a long time. You all deserve a medal!” “All in all I would rather still be killing stuff” Caleb remarked, seating himself down in a chair. “What would you like as a form of tribute then?” Toshiro asked curiously. “Give me a bottle of Jo-Jo's Black Label #47, and make it quick!” The rest day passed surprisingly quickly after that, and midnight was soon approaching. Ishmael spent most of it reading the entry on the ritual over and over again, going over it thousands of times in his mind. “What is it now, the forty-seventh time?” Ophelia commented, the repetition of it all somehow beginning to draw her ire. “I'll have you know that if we do not do this exactly as stated in the tome we could cause massive damage to the realities, possibly causing the end of this realty as well as or our own” Ishmael warned, his eyes still not leaving the pages of his book. “Speaking of which, where is Caleb anyway?” “Still drinking with Gabby over at the bar” Ophelia informed him, rolling her eyes. This caused Ishmael to pause for a second. “The universe is doomed” he decided, and finally put the ancient volume aside. The large hall of the Embassy was shrouded in darkness by the time midnight had finally approached. Ishmael had specifically requested that there should be no light whilst preforming the ritual, with only the thin glow of the moonlight being able to be let through. In the centre of the room, surrounding a large metal tub with a fire inside, stood the Chosen. Beside them was also Sanjuro, Kura, Kathryn, Toshiro and Baku. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, perfect!” Ishmael called out as he counted attendance. “Let's just get this over with” Ophelia uttered sternly to herself. “Now remember Caleb, when the last drop of blood is spilled into the fire you must chant 'Perfectum vilomaxus cupio shaantitus' precisely as stated” Ishmael lectured. “This is vitally important.” “Yeah, whatever” Caleb replied unconcerned. “Okay, say it now then” Ophelia demanded, far less confident. “Perfectum vilomaxus... uhh...” “Cupio shaantitus!” Ishmael exclaimed, finishing Caleb's sentence. “Yeah, perfectum vilomaxus cupio shaantitus” Caleb added a little bitterly. “I will remember, okay?” There was a brief pause, before the others decided they had no other choice. “Now we just need something to link us with our realty, something that will guide us in the right direction” Ishmael explained, looking over the other Chosen. “You are not burning my hat” Caleb stated sternly as Ishmael looked over him. Ishmael then looked over at Gabriella and another idea came to him. “May I have a lock of your hair?” he inquired. “What do you need it for?” she asked confused and offended. “Were you not paying attention?” Ophelia snapped. “We need it for the ritual!” “Shut up or I will tear you apart piece by piece!” she snapped back, and then bit off a chunk of her hair with her mouth and handed it to Ishmael. He then ordered the other Chosen to start to chant “Eo inter lokemundux, reverto mihi domus-bhaava” a few times. “Did you get the dagger as I requested?” Ishmael asked Sanjuro. He produced a small dagger with a wooden carved handle. “Nice specimen” Ishmael commented, examining it while cutting his own finger open, and then handing it over to Gabriella. She promptly did the same, not caring at all that she was injuring herself. She then handed the blade to Sanjuro who gently reopened his previous cut from before with the blade. Kathryn was next, and once again closed her eyes and gasped as she slowly cut herself. Kura did not cut as quickly as Gabriella did, but her expression showed the same look of unconcern and stalwart determination. Toshiro, Baku, and Ophelia then followed suit, and the blade was finally handed to Caleb. He cut himself and started chanting the words that Ishmael had previously demanded. “Perfectum vilomaxus cupio shaantitus” he stated, and Ishmael soon afterwards dropped Gabriella's cut hair into the flames. Sanjuro and Kathryn shielded their eyes knowing what would happen next, as a great green flash enveloped the Chosen, sending them safely to their own realty. The rifts were sealed. The universe was saved once again, and this time, it would be permanent. THE END May 8 – 12 2008. Review read and cleaned up on September 25-30, 2014.