“Are we the first ones here?” Art asked as they return.

“Yes,” Rachel replied.

“Is Jenny doing any better?” Maureen asked.

“She’s the same as she was when you left, I’m afraid.  The sigil on her hand is still flickering,” Rachel answered.

Madeline walks over to the window in the room and looks out at the town.  “Are you watching for Lily?” Art asked.

“No, we’re currently being surrounded.  Something has gone wrong,” Madeline answered.

“Who is surrounding us?” Rachel asked.

“They are soldiers for Lord Tao.  I’m going to go outside and have a word with them before a misunderstanding occurs,” Madeline replied as she leaves the room.

“Maureen, stay here.  I’m going outside with Madeline,” Art added.

“Art, is something wrong?” Maureen asked.

“The timing is unusual.  We just arrived as they start surrounding the place.  This is not a coincidence,” Art answered.

Art follows Madeline outside the inn to where a blond man in an officer’s armor is standing.  His armor is highly decorated for someone as young as himself, and the soldiers around him display absolute confidence in their commander.  “Are you the one in command?” Madeline asked.

“Yes, my name is Patrick, but those who know me call me Pat,” the officer replied.

“I’m Madeline of the Royal Knights.  What is the meaning of this?” Madeline asked.

“There is a guest here that Lord Tao wishes to meet.  We’ve concluded that the guest is not going to come of her own free will, so we are skipping to using force,” Pat answered.

“There is a procedure for matters like this.  You cannot ignore it,” Madeline growled.

“Lord Tao’s will is absolute.  If he wishes to meet this girl, then I will do everything in my power to insure that he does.  Surely, you understand,” Pat explained.

“If you will not follow the established protocol, I’ll have no option but to relieve you of your duty,” Madeline countered.

All of the soldiers around Pat draw their spears and point them at Madeline.  “This is not Ota.  In Invoda, Lord Tao’s word is law.  If you intend to disobey, we will lock you in the dungeon,” Pat replied.

“If the King hears of this, you’ll be executed for treason,” Madeline growled.

“The King?  The King is an impotent old man.  His authority hinged on Lord Crescent and the Royal Knights.  As you may be aware, the Royal Knights have yet to recover from the damage they received during the rebellion.  Lord Crescent has returned to his ancestors, and instead of promoting his daughter to secure order, you instead locked her away.  The time of the King is over, and the rule of Lord Tao will begin shortly,” Pat explained.

“You think that the other Feudal Lords will stand idle while you rebel?” Madeline asked.

“That’s why we’re going to make an example.  As we speak, Lord Azett in Kaima is going to be sieged by our forces,” Pat answered.

“Lord Azett?  Not even Lord Crescent could seize Kaima from him!  What makes you think that you are going to be able to defeat Lord Azett?” Madeline asked.

“You see, Lord Crescent started his siege of Kaima from the south.  Instead, we’re going to siege from the north,” Pat answered with a smile.

“How do you plan on getting through the mountains to attack from the north?” Madeline asked.

Pat disappears.  Turning around, Madeline discovers him standing behind her.  “Don’t think that the Feudal Lords are the only ones blessed with gifts.  Obstacles, borders, and boundaries mean nothing for Lord Tao,” Pat replied.

“You have an ability?” Art asked.

“I can bend space according to my will, transporting myself, a group of soldiers, or even a group of objects to another location of my choosing.  For example,” Pat started to explain as he grabs Madeline and disappears.

Madeline and Pat appear in the air.  Releasing Madeline, Pat returns to the surface as Madeline falls, hitting the ground below her.  The pavement beneath her crumbles from the impact of her armored body.  Blood trickles out from the joints in her armor, revealing broken bones that have pierced the skin.

“Stop!  This isn’t necessary!  Who are you after?” Art asked.

“I am looking for the brunette girl who travels with you.  Her ability is healing, but I could not get her name from the bard,” Pat answered.

“Tell me, do you have a sigil somewhere on your body?” Art asked.

“Sorry, but I’m not going to tell.  You’ll have to beat me and look for yourself if you want to find out, but I think that after you saw what happened to the knight, you might just want to cut your losses,” Pat taunted.

“That’s an offer I’ll take you up on,” Art replied as he draws his lance.

Slowing down time, Art charges into a group of soldiers before they have a chance to react, aiming for their legs.  Tumbling down like a series of bowling pins, Art reduces the battle to being between only him and Pat.  “You’re fast,” Pat admitted.

“Maureen!  You have to run!  Get out of here!” Art shouted.

Pat disappears, but Art anticipates his move and stabs behind him.  The lance pierces Pat’s armor, sinking into his torso.  Clutching the lance, Pat appears in the air, with Art dangling from the lance.  Releasing the lance, it slips from the wound, causing Art to fall to the ground.

Spinning his body around, Art looks down to discover Pat waiting for him.  Pat stabs a spear taken from a knocked down soldier upward, piercing Art’s body.  The spear is jerked from Pat’s hand, causing Art to fall to the ground.  “Now we’re even,” Pat bellowed, clutching his wound.

“Sir, go back to base and get treatment!” a soldier pleaded.

“Why should I go back to the base?  The healer Lord Tao wanted is right here.  Once everyone pulls themselves together, take the others to the dungeon.  We still have more to find,” Pat ordered.

“Her sigil is still flickering.  Whatever is wrong with her might have something to do with that,” Pearl said after examining Jenny’s hand.

“During that fight, Jenny used more power than I ever saw her use.  Do you think that she might have overdid things?” Rachel asked.

“Maureen and I have had our abilities for years and that never happened to us.  Then again, we never had to fight something like that either,” Art muttered.

“Rachel, did anything similar to this happen to you after the Divine Wind?” Victor asked.

“No, I was perfectly fine,” Rachel muttered.

“The Factor was unlike anything we ever faced.  Jenny must have used every ounce of power she had.  Let’s try to give her a little more time to recover,” Lily explained.

“So how are we going to go about searching for a Diviner here?  Invoda is Lord Tao’s territory,” Madeline replied.

“Are you referring to the stories of him being a cannibal?” Pearl asked.

“I don’t know where such lies originate, but it is impossible for someone of Lord Tao’s standing to be a cannibal,” Madeline retorted.

“The cannibal stories could merely be an allegory referring to how the nobility are parasites to the peasant class,” Victor suggested.

“Do you know what the world would be like without hierarchy?  Peasants would possess a mob mentality and use violence to settle all of their disputes!” Madeline yelled.

“Like the Feudal Lords’ armies?” Victor asked.

“You’re too simple minded to understand,” Madeline replied.

“No, I understand delusion quite well.  It tends to be a fatal flaw that might one day put someone below the scythe of someone else who was unjustly imprisoned by the first someone.  I’ll look for the Diviner myself,” Victor explained as he walks out the door.

“I can’t believe that bard,” Madeline muttered.

“I don’t know the history between the two of you, but I will admit that you underestimated Rose Crescent.  Your carelessness could have cost my sister and I our lives,” Pearl said.

“Pearl, it’s okay,” Amber replied.

“No, it’s not.  I’m not like the rest of you.  I don’t believe things will get better just because fifteen people like ourselves are gathered.  If not for Amber deciding to come with you, I would have stayed in Pira.  The only thing I’ve seen so far is one good guy end up fighting for his life and now another one unconscious for an unknown reason.  I will not allow Amber or myself to end up like them,” Pearl explained.

“If the world can’t get better like this, what would you do?” Maureen sincerely asked.

“I’ll protect what I can with my hands.  It might not be the whole world, but it will be the parts of the world I treasure,” Pearl answered.

“Things may be bleak right now, but we can’t afford to crumble right now.  I know things may be difficult as we’ve only known each other for a matter of days, but in the event that there is some ground to this prophecy, we have to continue moving forward.  There are nine of us here.  With the way things are going, it will only be a matter of time before the rest of us are here,” Rachel explained.

“I’d like to be that optimistic, but before this quest was started, it took over a decade just to find two Diviners.  For all we know, we could have just gotten lucky so far.  It could take years, possibly even the rest of our lives to find the remaining Diviners,” Lily muttered.

“We can either sit here and wonder about what the future holds or we can go out there like Victor and find the next Diviner,” Art interrupted.

“Art!” Maureen said with a smile.

“What has happened so far is unfortunate, but I’m not going to stand idle and let it become a tragedy.  Counting Rose, there are five Diviners out there.  Let’s find them,” Art explained.

“If we’re going to search, it would be best for us to split up to cover more ground.  However you want to break up into groups, I’m going with Amber,” Pearl said.

“That’s fine.  You’re supposed to be in command here, Lily.  What are your orders?” Art asked.

“Rachel, stay with Jenny.  I’ll go with Amber and Pearl.  We’ll ask around here first.  Art, Madeline, and Maureen, you can check the markets and see if anyone knows anything about a Diviner,” Lily ordered.

“Consider it done,” Maureen replied cheerfully.

“I can’t believe I’m taking orders from a peasant,” Madeline muttered.

“I can approve of the groupings,” Pearl replied.

“What should we do if we run into Victor out there?” Amber asked.

“Leave him be.  He knows what he’s doing, so it would probably be best if we just stay out of his way.  We’ll meet back here in two hours and report our findings,” Lily answered.

“Okay, let’s go!” Maureen said as she races out the door.

“Don’t go too far ahead!” Art shouted as he chases after her.

“Have I truly been reduced to child sitting?” Madeline muttered as she follows.

“Thanks for letting me stay, Lily,” Rachel added.

“It’s okay.  You know Jenny best, so if anything were to happen, I think you would be the best suited to taking care of her.  Besides, your thoughts would be with Jenny instead of the task at hand if I ordered otherwise,” Lily replied.

“When I first joined, I thought you were a pretty cold and distant person.  I’m glad I’m wrong,” Rachel said.

“You have good instincts.  There isn’t really any telling what the future holds for us.  We can really become anything by the time we find the last Diviner,” Lily replied.

“The creature approaching us is a Factor.  It is attracted to Diviners,” Ted explained.

“Diviners?” the second man asked.

“They are people who have a special ability along the lines of a Feudal Lord in addition to a glowing sigil somewhere on their bodies.  For a Factor to be here, one of you must be a Diviner, and it is coming for you,” Ted explained.

“I see.  After this we’re going to have to have a nice long conversation.  My name is Mitch.  Brad is the man with the staff, Ian has the axe, and Frank has the hammer,” Mitch replied.

The four mercenaries turn to the south as a massive tree-like creature covered in iron plates advances toward them.  Thick branches extend from its body, stretching into the air and waving as the Factor moves.  A growling sound fills the air as the Factor approaches.  As it moves, the ground around it is broken, leaving a trail in its wake.

“This is probably the ugliest opponent I’ve had yet,” Ian muttered.

“Don’t underestimate it.  This could be the strongest opponent you’ve had to face yet.  Make sure not to hold back,” Ted warned.

“Thanks for the tip, but I’ll take things from here.  Frank, make a hole in its armor for us to attack,” Mitch ordered.

Frank grabs his hammer and raises it into the air.  He swings downward as one of the branches swings at him.  Both attacks collide in the air, and the impact is enough to push both of them backward.  Ted takes note of the force of the attack.

Determined, Frank takes another swing of his hammer at the tree, this time hitting the trunk.  Despite all of his force, the hammer bounces off without making a mark.  Pounding on the plates repeatedly, Frank starts pushing the Factor backward.

“Mitch, I can’t hurt it,” Frank bellowed.

“Ian, soften the plates!  Then we’ll hit that thing from all directions!” Mitch ordered.

A sigil on Ian’s right hand begins to glow as fire engulfs his hands.  Putting his hands together, Ian releases a stream of flames at the Factor, turning the armor plates to a glowing orange.  Brad and Mitch draw their weapons and begin pounding on the orange plates, filling them with dents.

“Hey Frank, I think you should start charging up,” Brad said.

Frank ceases his attack as he lowers his hammer.  A sigil glows on his back as electricity begins to flow into the hammer.  The hammer shines as more and more electricity accumulates within it.

Sensing danger, the Factor fires its roots at Frank.  A sigil glows on Brad’s foot as a slab of rock rises from the ground, stopping the roots.  As the Factor tries to turn toward Frank, the ground beneath it collapses into a pit.  Slanting to the side, the Factor struggles to straighten itself.

“It can’t move now.  Frank, finish it!” Mitch ordered.

Leaping forward, Frank slams the hammer down onto the Factor.  A stream of lightning bolts is released from the hammer upon impact.  Plumes of smoke rise up from the Factor as it flails from the shock.  A burning odor fills the air.

When the electricity has been completely discharged, the Factor slumps over as the iron plates start to peel off its body.  It continues to sizzle from the attack while it lay motionless.  “This was supposed to be tough?” Ian asked with a laugh.

A sigil begins to glow between Mitch’s eyes.  “It’s not over yet.  We’ve just made it really angry,” Mitch muttered.

The Factor stabs some of its branches forward, but Brad raises a cloud of soil to stop the attack.  While the branches are trapped in the soil, Ian jumps forward and swings his axe down, cleaving through them.  A roar echoes through the air as the Factor begins to violently struggle.

“I’m holding its roots down, but it’s going to break out,” Brad said.

“Ian, scorch it!” Mitch ordered.

Releasing another stream of flames, the Factor ignites without the armor plates to protect it.  Flailing the remnants of its branches, the Factor only serves to spread the flames.  Roots lash through the soil, but the Factor can’t manage to escape the pit.  “Brad, finish it,” Mitch ordered.

The ground rumbles as a giant earthen spike bursts from the pit, piercing the Factor’s body, stretching into the sky.  Instantly, the Factor’s growls and roars are silenced and its branches hang limp.  The roots slow, eventually becoming motionless while the Factor burns.

“I’m surprised you were able to make such short work of that,” Ted said.

“We’ve been working together for years.  We know how to complement each other well, bringing out the most of each other’s power.  Even though there are only four of us, together we’re as strong as a Feudal Lord’s army,” Mitch boasted.

“I have to admit that you’re pretty strong.  The last time I saw a Factor fight, it took a team just as specialized as yourselves to capture it,” Ted explained.

“A group captured one of these?  What could they use it for?” Ian asked.

“I’m certain that everything will be made clear in the future.  Do you want to take a moment and rest?” Ted asked.

“We’ll be fine.  It would probably be best for you to get your apprentice to Xera as soon as possible if he is as bad as you believe him to be,” Mitch answered.

“If you saw one of these in the past, that means you know more people like us.  You call us Diviners?” Brad asked.

“Yes, I can go into more detail as we travel, but counting the four of you, that makes fourteen that we’ve located so far.  Though I have my doubts about one of them,” Ted admitted.

“Let’s get going then.  I’m curious to know about the others.  For a little while, I was starting to think that only the four of us were like this,” Ian replied.

“No, there are more, but I think only one of the others is nearly as skilled in combat as the four of you,” Ted answered.